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☆ This summer has been all about recapturing our youth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That’s right, I take it way back to the days when “summer vacation” didn’t mean me looking for reasonable airfare and accommodations to book. Something to sip on…A scene from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is out this week and if ever there was a franchise that is both for the young and young at heart, it’s this one. One thing to talk about…People attend Day 3 of the Lollapalooza Music Festival on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at Grant Park in Chicago. That’s right, you can enjoy the long-standing, Chicago-set music festival from the comfort of your own home – and no need for porta-potties!

Persons: ” Let’s, ”, “ Barbie, O’Neil, Seth Rogen, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Paul Rudd, Rob Grabowski, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Oprah, “, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Trippie Redd, Redd, There’s, Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Charlie Spring, Nick Nelson, “ Heartstopper Organizations: CNN, Paramount Pictures, …, Hulu, PolkImaging, Penske Media, Netflix Locations: Grant, Chicago, New Jersey, Hulu, Milwaukee , WI

☆ Hollywood writers' strike halts production of 'Stranger Things,' 'Severance,' Marvel's ‘Blade’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

More than 11,000 film and television writers, who say their compensation doesn't match the revenue generated in the streaming era, are on strike for the first time since 2008. Since then, a number of notable films and shows have halted or wrapped production early, including Netflix's "Stanger Things," Disney and Marvel's "Blade," AppleTV+'s "Severance" and Paramount's "Evil." Beyond the delayed production, and likely delayed releases, of these titles, industry experts worry the work pause could have a financial toll greater than that of the previous writers' strike. A number of productions with finished scripts, like Amazon's "The Rings of Power," have decided to continue filming without writers or showrunners on set. "While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike.

☆ Carol Burnett's birthday special' is an elegant (and hilarious) event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Burnett peeks at a portrait of herself that was being painted by artist Dmitri Vails in 1963. CBS/Getty Images Burnett interacts with the audience of her new variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," in 1967. CBS/Getty Images Burnett, left, and Cher perform a skit on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in 1972. CBS/Getty Images Burnett poses with her memoir "One More Time" at a book signing in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986. Will Hart/NBC/Getty Images Carol Burnett Square was unveiled in Los Angeles in front of her alma mater, Hollywood High School, in 2013.

☆ Bud Light's inclusive ad campaigns are good for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For Bud Light in particular, reaching a new audience is crucial, Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing at Bud Light, said in a recent Make Yourself at Home podcast interview. Bud Light had “been in decline for a really long time,” she said. From dylanmulvaney/InstagramCurrently, we’re about two weeks into the Bud Light backlash. The performer and TikTok personality, who had partnered with Bud Light previously, has been open about transitioning on Instagram and TikTok. And Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw also weighed in, saying he’s in favor of a Bud Light boycott but doesn’t stock the beer.

☆ Fact Check-Fabricated Lauren Boebert tweet on M&M candy being ‘woke’ circulates online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screenshot purporting to show a tweet published by Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert calling M&M candy “woke” is fabricated. The image appears to show a tweet sent via Boebert’s official Twitter account (@laurenboebert) featuring a picture of a single red M&M candy that reads: “I bought a bag of M&M’s and they don’t have M’s anymore. A Twitter advanced search did not reveal any such tweet published via Boebert’s official account (archive.is/wip/Tyvmh). An archive of Boebert’s deleted tweets compiled by PolitiTweet did not reveal any such post (here). No such tweet was published via Boebert’s account.

☆ The M&Ms spokescandies are back. Here’s how the chocolate candy went from a wartime treat to playing a starring role in the culture wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

M&Ms brought back its talking candy mascots after Sunday's Super Bowl game. The “spokescandies” went on “an indefinite pause” as part of the brand’s Super Bowl ad play. But after Sunday's Super Bowl game, M&Ms ran a 15-second ad making clear that Rudolph's tenure as spokesperson was ending. "I mean, as a walking, talking candy, my options are pretty limited." M&Ms is among the oldest candy brands in the US, and its talking candies are relatively recent additions.

☆ M&Ms Super Bowl commercial: How ads have become weeks-long campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Super Bowl commercial, billed as the conclusion to weeks-long drama surrounding the status of the “spokescandies,” left some viewers scratching their heads. But if you weren’t paying attention, the final commercial might be a head scratcher -— one risk a brand takes when it uses a weeks-long campaign ahead of its Super Bowl commercial. In a change for the decades-old Super Bowl ad wars, it’s actually become a commonplace strategy to use social media to tease, preview and create buzz ahead of their Super Bowl commercials. Companies spend millions just for a Super Bowl ad slot — reportedly over $7 million for some 30-second spots — before investing into the commercials themselves. Dance contests and bettingDespite the high cost of a Super Bowl commercial, companies are eager to nab a spot.

☆ Take a Look at Some of the Best Super Bowl Ads Ahead of the Big Game
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul return as Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in one of the much anticipated Super Bowl commercials. This year some advertisers have released what appear to be full-length Super Bowl commercials early, posting them to social media and YouTube. The Super Bowl has long been a kind of, well, Super Bowl for advertisers, leading companies to go bigger every year with their ads. The commercial pokes fun at corporate "rock stars" by splicing real rock and heavy metal icons into everyday office situations. Diddy does hitsA commercial released this week shows musician Diddy in a meeting with marketers from Uber who are asking him to write a song for the Uber One membership service.

☆ How M&M’s ‘Trendjacked’ the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Let’s back up: Last month, the Fox News host Tucker Carlson joined the chorus of conservative voices criticizing Mars Wrigley for giving its chocolate-y M&M mascots what they deemed a woke makeover. The green M&M “spokescandy” (you know, the full-lipped one, in go-go boots, that even other M&M’s crave) was given comfortable sneakers to soothe its arches, a fashion choice that rankled Carlson. But Mars Wrigley has parlayed the controversy into what amounts to free advertising for its new spokeswoman, Maya Rudolph.

☆ How M&M’s is making the most of its spokescandies controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Given the outsize attention, some think M&M’s announcement is a PR stunt to hype its upcoming Super Bowl commercial. M&M’s relatively subtle changes aimed at inclusivity didn’t seem like they were designed to spark much controversy, if any. At the Washington Post, for example, an opinion piece declared “the M&M’S changes aren’t progressive. “In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies,” M&M’s said. “The original colorful cast of M&M’s spokescandies are, at present, pursuing other personal passions,” Wesley said.

☆ M&M’s Ditches ‘Spokescandies’ for Maya Rudolph After Backlash Over New Look
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The brand said it believes Maya Rudolph will ‘champion the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels they belong.’The M&M characters are taking a break a year after their new looks sparked controversy. The Mars Inc. brand said Monday that its candy characters—known as “spokescandies”—will begin an “indefinite pause” from their duties. Comedian Maya Rudolph will take their place as the brand’s spokesperson and will star in the candy’s upcoming advertisement at Super Bowl LVII in February, the brand said.

☆ Tucker Carlson does a victory lap after M&M's cancels its 'spokescandies' following conservative backlash over the green one's shoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Loading Something is loading. In the segment, Carlson recapped his show's coverage of the ongoing rebrand of the M&M's mascots and criticized coverage from other news outlets. "There is a lot of outrage over the end of frumpy, plus-sized, and lesbian M&Ms," Carlson also tweeted. M&M's announced a pause on the brand's spokescandies in a statement on Twitter Monday, writing: "In the last year, we've made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. Carlson previously criticized the brand's redesigned mascots, calling the brown M&M "less sexy" without her stilettos and slamming the rebranding of the green M&M from her go-go boots to sneakers.

After controversy following its mascot refresh last year, M&M's announced Monday it is taking an "indefinite pause" from using its candy-coated mascots, saying the "last thing M&M’s wanted" was to be "polarizing." M&M’s said in a tweet that it is instead tapping actor Maya Rudolph as its spokesperson, someone the brand said "America can agree on." He made similar complaints about the candies last January after M&M’s announced a new, inclusive look. “But now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing," the brand wrote. Others speculated the announcement could be a publicity stunt made ahead of the Super Bowl, which takes place on Feb. 12.

☆ M&Ms says it's pulling its beloved 'spokescandies' after right-wing outrage over shoes, gender
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Candy maker Mars said Monday it is replacing its M&Ms "spokescandies" with actress Maya Rudolph after facing right-wing criticism over its mascot makeover. The spokescandies are a team of cartoon M&Ms mascots that have represented the brand in commercials and other marketing materials since 1960. Early last year, the candy brand updated the cartoons and its marketing, rebranding each mascot with a new backstory, clothing and personality to be more inclusive. "Orange" became a mascot riddled with anxiety, and the company added a new purple M&M, which was designed to represent inclusivity. And we definitely didn't think it would break the internet," M&Ms said in a statement Monday on Twitter.

☆ M&M’S says its taking a ‘pause’ from polarizing spokescandies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies,” the chocolate candy brand said in a statement Monday. The Green M&M, pre-makeover, is seen here in her go-go boots. Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/AP“[Rudolph] will serve as the brand’s new spokesperson, allowing the colorful cast of M&M’S spokescandies to step away and embrace a new path to pursue other passions,” An M&M’S spokesperson told CNN in an email. A petition to “keep the green M&M sexy” garnered over 20,000 signatures. Purple was recently deployed as part of a limited-edition pack of purple, brown and green M&M’S — the colors of the female spokescandies — in honor of International Women’s Day.

☆ M&M's says its killing its 'spokescandies' after conservatives were outraged that the green one didn't wear go-go boots anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An M&Ms spokesperson said that Maya Rudolph's first appearance as the brand's spokesperson and "Chief of Fun" will be in the upcoming Super Bowl LVII M&M advertising campaign. "Maya will serve as the brand's new spokesperson, allowing the colorful cast of M&Ms spokescandies to step away and embrace a new path to pursue other passions," the spokesperson said. The brand began making changes to its walking, talking M&M's characters early last year, replacing the shoes of both the brown and green female M&M's. Most notably, Mars Wrigley, the maker of the popular chocolate candy, replaced the green M&M's high-heeled go-go boots with sneakers. By December 2020, the new mascot was deemed a fully grown peanut by December 2020, Esquire reported at the time.

☆ Analysis: This guy made $150,000 a day, because Corporate America is out of control
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

I’m seeing the words “recession,” “crypto,” “debt ceiling,” the “M&M’s spokescandy scandals…”And yet, I am bound my duty as a journalist not to shy away from the hard candy shell news. I know, I know, you’re all tired of the media’s relentless coverage of the M&M Spokescandy Saga, aka the Culture War Battle that is shaping social discourse in the Year of Our Lord 2023. The company claims it didn’t think anyone would notice when it released the changes to the characters’ appearance. “We definitely didn’t think it would break the internet,” it said in a press release that frankly reeked of champagne and high fives. Oh you didn’t think anyone would notice, M&M marketing wizards?

☆ Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler are sweet on ‘Baking It’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rudolph told CNN that while she and Poehler aren’t frequent bakers, she trusts her former “Saturday Night Live” costar to “make something great if given the task.”“Thank you, I trust the same of you,” Poehler said in response. According to Rudolph and Poehler, the grannies are loving their new-found fame, even though they aren’t big on stars. “One of our favorite parts is we have like a celebrity special on NBC and then the rest of the season on Peacock,” Poehler told CNN. Poehler said salt, which caused Rudolph to quip, “I feel like you are little bit of a spicy salt, like a salt with herbs. You aren’t ordinary salt.”For the record, Rudolph fancies herself a spice like cinnamon, which “warms the belly.”Insert “sweater weather” joke here.

☆ 'Disenchanted' review: Amy Adams turns the page on a princess' storybook ending on Disney+
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —“Disenchanted” asks the existential question, “What comes after ‘Happily Ever After?,’” which is, naturally, a sequel … only (because it’s 15 years later) for streaming. Amy Adams nimbly steps back into the role of an animated princess trying to adapt to the live-action world, in an epilogue to “Enchanted” that has moments of magic without completely delivering on the premise. As recounted in storybook fashion, Adams’ Princess Giselle settled down with her unexpected prince, single dad Robert (Patrick Dempsey), and had a baby with him. If there appeared to be room to creatively advance the mythology, “Disenchanted” merely chooses to recycle it. “Disenchanted” premieres November 18 on Disney+.

[1/2] Maya Rudolph attends Disney's "Disenchanted" World Premiere in front of Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 16, 2022. REUTERS/David SwansonNov 17(Reuters) - The Disney sequel film “Disenchanted” premiered in Hollywood on Wednesday following its predecessor, “Enchanted,” by flipping the narrative of typical Disney fairytales. "But then we kind of got into it and when Giselle started peeking through and there was the back and forth, that was a lot of fun." While Giselle explores her darker side, the other major villain of the film is Malvina, played by Maya Rudolph. It's a fairy tale that's aware of itself and that's the most fun," she added.

She can impersonate an elusive chanteuse or an over-the-top Italian designer or make a phrase like “bubble bath” sound luxuriously burlesque. Rudolph as Donatella Versace during an "SNL" skit in 2002.

☆ Meet All the 2022 WSJ. Magazine Innovators
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Magazine celebrated eight trailblazing talents at its annual Innovator Awards, held November 2 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. See below to read each honoree’s inspiring story—featuring: Anitta, Jeanne Gang, José Andrés for World Central Kitchen, Maya Rudolph, Jenny Holzer, Anthony Vaccarello, Margot Robbie and Jony Ive. You can find videos about each of the Innovators here, and a recap of the awards gala here.

☆ Maya Rudolph says David Letterman 'humiliated' her on his show
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Francesca Gariano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Maya Rudolph recently reflected on her first appearance on "The Late Show" with David Letterman in 2009. During an interview with WSJ Magazine on Friday, Rudolph did not look back on the moment in her career fondly. I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t know how to come up with something funny to say. “Believe me, I am not a Pollyanna who’s like, I smile all day, every day,” she explained.

Maya Rudolph doesn’t need to say anything to make us laugh. Audiences around the world want to watch her perform, and only the slightest twitch of her face begets giggles. She can impersonate an elusive chanteuse or an over-the-top Italian designer or make a phrase like “bubble bath” sound luxuriously burlesque. But years ago, when it came to public-facing parts of her job—interviews, talk shows, red carpets—she would find herself unable to be funny. “It would always feel like someone was stealing my soul,” says Rudolph, 50, sitting comfortably in a velvet armchair on a late September afternoon.

☆ 'Ted Lasso' star Jason Sudeikis on the two rules that have helped him achieve his dream career
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On "Ted Lasso" Jason Sudeikis' titular character, an American football coach who manages a British soccer team, leads with optimism, camaraderie and the occasional homemade biscuit to butter up his boss. Off-screen, however, the Emmy-winning actor has relied on different strategies to build a successful career. Sudeikis explained to Indeed CMO Jessica Jensen that while he was growing up in Overland Park, Kansas, the goal was to take improv classes and learn about comedy writing. Then, when he moved to Chicago, that goal became finding work at Second City, a comedy club with famous alumni like Steve Carell and Tina Fey. That experience taught Sudeikis another important career lesson that would stick with him: "Pay attention to the people who have carved a path slightly ahead of you."

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