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MOVIES

What’s new? I’ve been enjoying the summer and thinking about you. Whenever I see a star shining or fan stargazing, I can’t help but get excited. I was inspired to create a Twitter Community which you’re welcome to join. It’s called Stars & Fans. I haven’t personally invited anyone because I want organic growth. If you want to help, I would appreciate it.

I love entertainment even though there’s a fair share of haters. The haters don’t see it the same way as the lovers. Are you a lover or a hater?

Music, movies, and TV are mechanisms of soulful productions. Every song, film, and show do something to the spirit. Without music, movies, and TV our society would be at a severe disadvantage.

I’ve been blogging now for nine years and am still learning a lot about stars and fans. One thing I know is that a common thread unites stars and fans. It’s a trek not a war. Or in the words of H.E.R., it’s the journey. Nowadays, celebrities walk a tightrope and the statement that it’s a thin line between love and hate couldn’t be further from the truth.

MUSIC

Many musicians are on tour right now. Snoop Dogg tweeted on July 5: “Tour time.” Of course, I retweeted. Doggystyle turned 30 years old. To this day, I play songs from the album. Can you believe that? “What’s My Name?” He has hot lines. Snoop is one of the best rappers.

Did you know Taylor Swift added fourteen more dates to her tour? When her tour first started, she was only touring the United States and Argentina. Going to concerts in the summer seems like a fantastic idea. Also, Harry Styles is doing it big.

Don’t forget about Drake either. Drake held a concert in Detroit and got fined over $225,000 according to All Hip Hop for staying past curfew. And Cardi B is back at it again in the studio writing and releasing new music. She’s a force in rap and fashion, you better believe it.

MOVIES

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One comes out soon. In 2 days everywhere, the results will start trickling in and we’ll have some monster numbers. How do you think it will do at the box office? I’ve said before that Tom Cruise can’t lose. @MissionFilm should’ve put DJ Khaled’s All I Do Is Win on their soundtrack. Also, I might see this movie three times.

Barbie: Are you excited about seeing Margot Robbie shine in the film? Have you heard Billie Eilish’s song What Was I Made For? The full song, which is a part of Barbie’s soundtrack, will be released in 3 days.

Oppenheimer: Do you want a motion picture experience like no other? Oppenheimer is expected to give the audience a bang for their buck. Director Christopher Nolan’s $100 million film stars a dream cast. J. Robert Oppenheimer was a real man who made a real impact on the world. That’s why it’s important for the story to be told the right way. Going back to World War II days and retelling events requires a dynamic vision.

TV

I wanted to write about what’s new on TV but because of the Writer’s Strike there’s really nothing new. Do you know how much I was looking forward to seeing Pete Davidson return on Saturday Night Live as host?

So, there you have it. That’s what’s new in music and movies. Of course, I could have blogged about more topics, but I’ll leave it there. Who wants to read a wordy blog? It’s about making your words count, not the word count. In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram. For what it’s worth, I haven’t joined Threads.

NBC SNL Episode 2 Breakdown: Was This One Great?

Let’s begin the breakdown recognizing SNL Host Michael B. Jordan and musical guest Lil Baby. Last weekend Aubrey Plaza did a fantastic job hosting the TV show. This weekend was Jordan’s turn. Would he bring as much energy or even more? Everybody had an expectation for him. What was yours?

I felt Michael B. Jordan was going to slam dunk this one. Like the superstar he is, Jordan’s crossover to live television was a no brainer. Before writing this blog post, I learned more about the actor and published another blog post you might enjoy. Who knew the extent of his television presence? The Creed III Director/ Lead Actor possesses a multitude of talents.

It was a solid opening for episode 2. SNL covered the latest in politics as usual and got the ball rolling. Not too long after Michael B. Jordan came onto the stage, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, and Ego Nwodim came on or should I say came on to him. So far, the TV show was hilarious. Saturday Night Live knows how to play up every tool in their toolkit. By far the funniest thing was Ego showing up on stage in a wedding dress. This one was great. The material was well-written from start to finish. Like Creed, the night was packed with punches.

Was Lil Baby Pretty Good?

When Lil Baby took the stage to perform the hit California Breeze, it was a wrap. Saturday Night Live had me sold on the night. Michael B. Jordan owned it. Every sketch delivered a ton of value. Just like I tweeted before the show even started, this was TV gold. There were so many elements that combined to make this work seem effortless.

What Was the Skit That Stole the Night?

If there’s one prerecorded skit that stole the night, it was Michael B. Jordan playing the State Farm guy. I tweeted that the insurance companies owe SNL money. All that advertisement can’t be free. This had to generate the most responses on Twitter because everybody was talking about it. Overall, Jordan was all over the place demonstrating his range. He played a water guy and a fireman. Well, he played a stripper dressed as a firefighter with pregnant baby mama issues.

Last But Not Least

What else should an SNL TV show watcher know about after episode 2? Kenan Thompson had his moment playing a doorman on Weekend Update. Colin Jost and Michael Che are a good team. Lil Baby’s second song was a little more dramatic. It told a story and could crossover genres. Whoever was his pianist was incredible.

What are your thoughts? Did you watch SNL this weekend? Are you looking forward to next weekend’s host Pedro Pascal from HBO’s The Last of Us?

Nothing quite beats live television. Thanks for reading this blog post. Did you catch any of my live Tweets? Follow me on Twitter @IamGuruJay and Instagram @TheGuruJay for more content.