Content Consumed: TMZ Sports, a Donald Glover spinoff, and a Barstool confession
Hey there! Happy Tuesday. I hope you’re having a great one!
In today’s edition of Content Consumed, we’re chatting about:
📸 How does TMZ sports get those scoops?
🚨 Cut the cord on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith reboot, please
💬 Confession: I like Barstool’s Sundae Conversation
✨ On dimming the Eiffel Tower
How TMZ became the king of breaking sports news
“How do they do it?” is a question everyone’s always asking of the sneaky professional gossipers at TMZ.
Most recently, TMZ was the site that reeled in and posted the video of Warriors guard Jordan Poole being decked by teammate and Warriors legend Draymond Green. Perhaps most controversially, TMZ broke the news of Kobe Bryant’s early death via helicopter crash.
The power of TMZ is strong — they (rightfully) ended Ray Rice’s career by publishing a video of the Baltimore Ravens’ star running back punching his then-fiancée.
Here’s where it gets tricky: how is this media acquired? How does TMZ get this information before anyone else? It’s also worth discussing the manner in which they break news and the way it’s delivered — like how Kobe’s death was announced before the police were even able to tell his family about it.
On the other side of the coin, people should be held responsible for their actions, especially in leagues like the NBA where plenty is swept under the rug. Warriors coach Steve Kerr himself said: “We’ve had leaks in this organization. That needs to be cleaned up.”
Does it need to be “cleaned up”? Or should this be public information, when one teammate assaults another in practice? What if this wasn’t between two teammates, but between two front-of-office colleagues at the Warriors HQ?
Where’s the line drawn between what’s public (and worthy of TMZ’s sleuthing) and what’s private?
Stop the cameras!
—and the Mr. and Mrs. Smith spin-off
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a top 10 movie of all time. A top 5 of the aughts. It’s hot, fun, smart, and perfectly executed.
Sure, there’s plenty of disgusting celebrity drama to come out of it, as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on set, Brad cheated on fiancé Jennifer Aniston, Brad and Angie married, Brad allegedly abused the hell out of Angie and their kids towards the end of their marriage, and an acrimonious divorce is now nearly a decade dragged out. And Brad does not look good in this whole thing.
Editor’s note: I know I’ve been a Brad apologist in the past. In light of recent events, I would like to say: F*ck Brad Pitt. Nasty man.
Anyways! Why mess with perfection? Because yes, that movie was perfection. But Amazon is naturally messing with it. Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino and Atlanta star) and Maya Erskine (star and showrunner of Pen15) are your new TV-streaming-ified Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Is the show cursed? Maybe.
The series was originally set to star and be executive produced by both Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but the Fleabag creator dropped out due to “creative differences” with Glover. (And she’s not the first to say he’s hard to work with!) And surely the Brad-Angie tabloid divorce will cast a shadow over the show’s release.
God knows there won’t be as much chemistry between Glover and Erskine as there was in the original movie.
Will I be watching? It’s a strong maybe right now. It’d only be for curiosity’s sake.
Confession: I like Barstool’s ‘Sundae Conversation’
This week on Barstool’s Sundae Conversation show hosted by Caleb Pressley, Amelia Dimoldenberg of Chicken Shop Date was interviewed (and, of course, did some interviewing herself). Two of the most deadpan interviewers on the Internet, head to head. It was a little goofy, a little edgy, and certainly representative of both Caleb and Amelia’s brands.
I know I’m late to Sundae Conversation. I typically avoid Barstool productions. But the show has become such Internet legend, and the Aaron Rodgers interview was so, so perfect, that I must admit: I’ve become a fan.
Caleb is an excellent interviewer with a unique style, as proved by his millions of video views and the lineup of guests he’s had on his YouTube show. Past interviewees include Hasbullah, Kodak Black, Floyd Mayweather, and Johnny Manziel. His guests are usually strong figures in pop culture—but notably, Amelia is the first woman. Which she points out, in her typical dry-humor way.
Extra: On dimming the Eiffel Tower
The French government has just publicized its biggest energy conservation measures in decades as part of an effort to save power as Russia cuts gas supply. This includes the City of Light’s iconic Eiffel Tower going dark earlier.
In my extended column, I explore the symbolism and the practicality of such a measure.
And that’s it for today! Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to follow the Content Consumed Instagram—I’m aiming for 200 followers by the end of October.
Lots of love,
Casey
