Controversies

timelines Mar. 13, 2024

A History of Ariana Grande Playing Her Controversies Like AtariHer latest high: a No. 1 album and single and a finalized divorce in the same week.

By Justin Curto

controversies Feb. 22, 2024

What’s the Deal With Shane Gillis Hosting SNL?The comedian was fired from the cast in 2019. Now he’s returning to host. Why?

By Hershal Pandya and Jesse David Fox

removals July 18, 2023

CMT Removes Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ Music VideoThe singer responds to the backlash against the song.

By Alejandra Gularte

twice the controversy Mar. 22, 2023

Twice’s Chaeyoung Wore Controversial Shirts Not Once, Twice“I will pay absolute attention in the future.”

By Justin Curto

cancellations Mar. 10, 2022

Nick Cannon’s Daytime Talk Show Canceled Less Than Six Months After StartingNick Cannon is canceled, as in shut down, not canceled, as in when Nick Cannon made anti-Semitic comments and still got a TV show.

By Rebecca Alter

astroworld Dec. 9, 2021

Travis Scott Addresses Victims’ Families in First Interview Since Astroworld“I went through something, and fans went through something, and people’s parents went through something.”

By Rebecca Alter

in conversation Sept. 14, 2021

Norm Macdonald, in Conversation“I’d always learned that concealing everything was art. And I still believe that.”

By David Marchese

$$$ June 25, 2021

Deborah Dugan’s Grammy Hell Ends With Private SettlementThe CEO was ousted in 2020 owing to various allegations.

By Devon Ivie

extremely online June 20, 2021

Megan Thee Stallion Calls Out DaBaby for Tory Lanez Retweet“These industry men are very strange.”

By Charu Sinha

controversies June 18, 2021

Two Golden Globes Voters Resign From ‘Toxic’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association“Insulation, silence, fear of retribution, self-dealing, corruption and verbal abuse are just a few ways to describe the current culture.”

By Halle Kiefer

extremely online May 12, 2021

A Complete Timeline of the James Charles Allegations and ControversiesA former employee accuses him of wrongful termination, medical discrimination, and more in a lawsuit.

By Florence O'Connor and Zoe Haylock

extremely online Apr. 6, 2021

Fallon Welcomes Actual Creators of Viral TikTok Dances to Tonight ShowFollowing the backlash to Addison Rae’s appearance on the show.

By Halle Kiefer

timelines Mar. 25, 2021

Lana Del Rey’s 10-Year War With the CultureA decade of backlash.

By Nate Jones

books Jan. 5, 2021

The Implosion of American DirtHow one of publishing’s most hyped books became its biggest horror story — and still ended up a best seller.

By Lila Shapiro

grifts Dec. 30, 2020

Wait, What’s Going on With Hilaria Baldwin?Her speaker bio now no longer includes a line about being born in Spain.

By Rebecca Alter

controversies Dec. 7, 2020

Viggo Mortensen Knows Your Opinion of Green Book, and He Thinks It’s ‘Bullshit’“It’s become a cliché to say, ‘Is this movie going to be the Green Book of this year?’ Green Book has become a pejorative.”

By Halle Kiefer

cultural leeches Sept. 3, 2020

Sigh, Another White Woman Has Been Exposed As Pretending to Be Black for CloutThis time it’s George Washington University professor Jessica Krug.

By Chris Murphy

movie review Sept. 1, 2020

Forget What You’ve Heard, Cuties Is a Moving Coming-of-age DramaA young girl torn between two cultures tries to find her place in the coming-of-age Netflix movie condemned sight unseen by many online.

By Bilge Ebiri

controversies Aug. 3, 2020

Portia de Rossi Stands by Ellen DeGeneres and Against Bot Attacks“To all our fans … we see you.”

By Megh Wright

controversies July 15, 2020

Nick Cannon Fired by ViacomCBS Over Anti-Semitic CommentsFOX has released a statement saying that it plans to “move forward” with Cannon, who hosts the network’s hit show The Masked Singer.

By Charu Sinha

controversies June 27, 2020

Jaden and Jada Pinkett Smith Call Out Shane Dawson for Sexualizing Willow SmithDawson has not yet responded.

By Charu Sinha

controversies June 1, 2020

Louis Vuitton’s Virgil Abloh Apologizes Following Protest Comments BacklashThe luxury designer was also criticized for appearing to donate only $50 to the cause.

By Halle Kiefer

#_____isoverparty May 27, 2020

Doja Cat’s Controversial Career, From Overnight Star to Canceled OvernightTikTok to … alt-right?

By Zoe Haylock

controversies May 26, 2020

Doja Cat Issues Statement Addressing Allegations of Racism“I shouldn’t have been on some of those chat room sites, but I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations.”

By Halle Kiefer and Zoe Haylock

not not a feminist May 25, 2020

Lana Del Rey Says She’s ‘Definitely Not Racist,’ is ‘a Girl’s Girl’ In Video“The fact that they want to turn my advocacy into a race war… it’s really bad.

By Chris Murphy

controversies Nov. 18, 2019

MSNBC’s Hardball Claims Gargantuan On-Air Fart Sound Simply a Mug MovingDespite the denial, Fartgate rages on.

By Halle Kiefer

ya twitter Nov. 16, 2019

Famous Authors Drag Student in Surreal YA Twitter ControversyBy Saturday afternoon, many of the authors involved had apologized.

By Lila Shapiro

what is cinema? Nov. 4, 2019

Martin Scorsese Pens Op-Ed Unpacking Why, Exactly, Marvel Movies Are Not Cinema“That’s the nature of modern film franchises: market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, revetted and remodified…”

By Halle Kiefer

controversies Oct. 20, 2019

Malaysia the Latest Country to Ban Abominable Over Controversial MapVietnam and the Philippines have also rebuked the film for its depiction of China’s “nine-dash line” claiming much of the South China sea.

By Halle Kiefer

snl Sept. 20, 2019

A Comedian Reflects on Their 2019 SNL Audition“Going into it I was very aware I didn’t have red-state appeal, which is something they’re always looking for.”

By Megh Wright

controversies Aug. 10, 2019

The Hunt, That Movie About Humans Hunting Other Humans, Won’t Be Released“We understand that now is not the right time to release this film.”

By Devon Ivie

netflix Mar. 14, 2019

Netflix Will Remove the Real Disaster Footage From Bird BoxFootage of the 2013 rail disaster in Lac-Mégantic is finally being excised from the film.

By Bethy Squires

trailer mix Mar. 3, 2019

Kathy Griffin’s First Concert Film Is Premiering at South by SouthwestGriffin will weave the story of the photo and its backlash with bullshit about the Kardashians.

By Bethy Squires

music Feb. 20, 2019

Ryan Adams Abused His PowerIt’s time to retire the myth of the tortured artist.

By Craig Jenkins

controversies Feb. 8, 2019

HBO’s Confederate Delay Allegedly Not Due to Controversy, But Rather BusynessThe drama (purportedly) continues.

By Halle Kiefer

controversies Feb. 6, 2019

Here’s What Wedding, Radio, and Event DJs Think About R. Kelly Song RequestsIt has never been easier to just remove his existence, and his music, from listeners’ ears.

By Lauren Levy

controversies Feb. 1, 2019

Why Maroon 5’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Is Already a MessIt’s an unmistakable apex for a pop-rock band that’s survived myriad shifts in both genres, and seems like a precipice moment in their career.

By Larry Fitzmaurice

controversies Feb. 1, 2019

Adam Levine ‘Absolutely 100 Percent’ Thought About Decision to Play Super Bowl“No one put more thought and love into this than I did.”

By Hunter Harris

sundance 2019 Jan. 25, 2019

The Michael Jackson Documentary at Sundance Is Already Causing ControversyIn the documentary, two men recount allegations of child sexual abuse.

By Hunter Harris

soulja boy tell ‘em Jan. 19, 2019

Just How Many Artists Feel They Got Ripped Off by Ariana Grande?Hint: It’s a lot.

By Halle Kiefer

controversies Jan. 17, 2019

Netflix’s Bird Box Slammed for Using Real Disaster FootageThe film’s latest controversy.

By Katie Rothstein

youth culture Dec. 19, 2018

Netflix Swears It Didn’t Read Your Facebook Messages in Weird TweetThere’s a DM-sliding joke?

By Jackson McHenry

controversies Dec. 17, 2018

Mahershala Ali Apologized to His Green Book Character’s FamilyOne relative called the movie “a symphony of lies.”

By Hunter Harris

stand-up Oct. 26, 2018

Seinfeld Somehow Talks Nanette, Louis C.K., Roseanne, Cosby All in One InterviewHe loves Nanette!

By Megh Wright

movies Sept. 26, 2018

Not Everyone Is Loving the New Fantastic Beasts Sequel TrailerA big reveal has some fans exasperated.

By Anne Victoria Clark

the predator Sept. 11, 2018

Olivia Munn ‘Chastised’ by Fox for Alerting Predator Cast to Sex-Offender SceneMunn spoke about feeling isolated by her castmates with Ellen DeGeneres.

By Jackson McHenry

controversies Sept. 11, 2018

Norm Macdonald Defends Louis C.K., Chris Hardwick, and Roseanne in New Interview“Of course, people will go, ‘What about the victims?’ But you know what? The victims didn’t have to go through that.”

By Megh Wright

misgendering Sept. 6, 2018