Hey Friends, 

It’s been a wild week in the wide world of entertainment. Let’s get right to it.

Last week:

• LeBron James sat down with Pat McAfee for what’s been dubbed, “The LeBronversation.” There’s been a lot of sniping from both sides stemming from LeBron’s confrontation with Stephen A. Smith at a game in January. I’ll let you be the judge, but I’m focused on the fact that LeBron didn’t deny the $1M annual spend on his body. Instead, he laughed saying he doesn’t know where that specific number came from. That doesn’t sound like a denial to me!

• Lauren Graham recently clarified she gets no residuals from Gilmore Girls on streaming platforms. Contrast this with the Seinfeld crew or the cast of Friends who have amassed serious wealth from residuals via syndication deals. Unfortunately, Lauren’s not alone. I expect that eye-popping, multi-project deals with streamers will return as talent wises up and tries to get paid up front.

• Rob Lowe is sounding the alarm bells over the departure of many projects from Los Angeles and the State of California. Domestic Film & TV production is at all-time low, second only to 2020’s COVID-impacted year. This is despite productions being offered record-breaking tax incentives.

• Speaking of industry shake-ups, YouTube passed Disney last month to become the #1 destination for TV viewing, according to Nielsen. To be clear, that’s more than ESPN, ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ combined.

• Finally, “Remember Me?” Disney announced Coco 2 is in the works for release in 2029 at their annual shareholder meeting.

As always, I appreciate you! If you like what you’re getting from Fanscape, share the link with a friend. All you have to do is send them to fanscape.xyz. Or, click “Read Online” above to link directly to Vol. 008. 

We’re trying to build a movement of passionate fans who want to elevate the culture. Movements need people ;)

Charlie Goes to the Movies

Alright y’all, let's talk Captain America: Brave New World. I thought it was worth revisiting after my change of heart last week. I know, I know, another MCU installment? For what it’s worth, I think this one is meaningfully different. Seriously. Marvel slipped in commentary on race and the criminal justice system, demonstrating that even super soldiers can get a raw deal when they’re Black in America. It’s subtle, but it’s there. In today’s climate, I think it was still meaningful. 

Initially, I was heated that Sam didn't take the super-soldier serum. For real, stop playing and somebody bring my man his juice! Surely, they’re not going to send him out there butt naked. Then I realized what was happening. 

Marvel is doubling-down on the "regular folks doing extraordinary things" angle. And it landed for me. In the final scene, Joaquin says Sam Wilson is who he aspired to be, not the Avengers he saw on TV.  A regular guy doing extraordinary things helped him to believe life could be bigger than the city limits of his hometown. This iteration of Captain America isn’t about power; it's about influence.

While we’re here, let’s talk about representation. It’s now established in the MCU (and the comics) that one of the earliest American supers soldiers (Isaiah Bradley), is Black. Not only does this allude to the infamous Tuskegee Study, it also prompts a conversation about how we treat those who paved the way for us.

Mackie spoke on The Pivot Podcast about the importance of being an Executive Producer on this movie and I’m inclined to agree. You can detect his influence in the authenticity of the characters, Bradley and Wilson. This movie gets it.

Another highlight for me was the return of Black Widows to the MCU. They let her whoop some serious booty and didn’t worry about how her shine would compare to Natasha Romanov. Imagine that, Hollywood. One woman allowed to succeed without it coming at the expense of another. I’ll just leave that there. 

Ultimately, “Brave New World” is a pretty apt title with a deeper meaning. It manages to transcend the limits of the genre to be a genuine conversation starter. It's proof that superhero movies can be smart, relevant, and keep it real. 

I have no notes.

Not Easy On Me

If you’ve been reading for a few weeks, you might remember I told a certain artist to keep his ‘Sexy Songs.’ Well, I think I said it too loud because life has since humbled me by giving me sad songs instead. 

You’re probably wondering, “how bad could it be if Charlie’s still in my inbox getting jokes off?” Well, have you ever shot your shot, it bounced off, and then the person hit you up weeks later just to remind you that you’d been rejected?

Oh good! That makes one of us.

Like many Gen XYZers, I turned to Adele for comfort. 30 to be specific, because I’m an adult!

For the uninitiated, Adele is perhaps the reigning queen of sad songs. 30, an album written about her divorce, is perhaps her saddest project to-date. As I watched Adele perform “To Be Loved,” it hit me:

That’s a pretty bleak thought when you try to square this with the need to make a living. 

It’s easy to say “well, she didn’t have to put all her business in the streets in the first place.” But would you have listened to less authentic music? I don’t think so. It’s the unflinching honesty that draws us in and holds us captive. 

At times, I’ve complained about the fact that Adele wouldn’t go on tour and how hard it was to get tickets to her pricey residency shows. Honestly, I get it. If I were singing such vulnerable, demanding music, I couldn’t do it for very long or with any kind of frequency either. 

Everybody that wanted it bad enough would have to come to me and I might be in sweatpants when you get there. 

Does this point to the fact that the music industry model is broken? We’ve known artists are underpaid for a while, but it was an argument based on intellectual property rights and the accompanying royalties. Personally, I’d never factored in the value of these gifted interpreters expressing themselves as a type of public utility. 

I think it’s time to acknowledge the obvious. Artists are people too. They do very hard things that most of us can't, which take time to accomplish well. The way they’re compensated should reflect this. 

A performer shouldn’t have to go on tour, sell a bunch of merchandise, or launch a signature fragrance in order to get by. Please not a signature fragrance. Through their authentic self-expression we receive value. And I think the world should respond accordingly. 

We have to ditch the idea that art should be free, or close to it. It gives us so much. And without it? Well, suffice to say middle school would’ve been a lot worse without this song.

Natasha Loves Grease

Natasha Rothwell came on Las Culturistas this week to discuss The White Lotus Season 3. I won’t pretend for a second. This episode is dense, but if you’re watching The White Lotus this season, it’s worth adding this to your watchlist! 

And I highly recommend you make the effort to watch this one, rather than listen. Natasha, Bowen, and Matt are so expressive. Seeing their faces really adds a certain je ne sais quois. 

Even if you’re not watching The White Lotus, I still think this interview is worth your time. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Natasha Rothwell, she plays the main protagonist, Belinda, of this season of The White Lotus. Natasha is an actor, director, and a screenwriter. Many of us fell in love with her as the highly-quotable Kelli Prenny on Insecure. 

After many years of honing her chops and working behind the scenes, Natasha is getting the recognition she deserves. 

This episode was a masterclass packed with hilarious wisdom. First off, let's talk pizza. 

Is this a quiet endorsement for Chicago deep dish?! Here for it!

But beyond the carbs, Rothwell's journey is a slow-burn masterpiece. Five years on the D.C. Upright Citizens’ Brigade (UCB) main stage followed by another seven at UCB New York before getting your break? That’s bigger than a couple of resumé lines; it's a testament to the grind. 

Guess what? Bowen and Matt are LIVING for every word, retweeting like their lives depend on it. It's one of the things that makes the show great. They’re truly fans of their guests.

When asked the hallmark question “What was the culture that made you say culture is for you,” Natasha gave the best answer. Grease. LOL.

Personally, I’d never considered how the movie was quasi-reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel. But Natasha had some points! 

The conversation wasn’t all jokes though. Natasha opens up about being a retired people pleaser and being someone who needs to recharge alone. 

Oop! There go my allergies. I felt this in my soul. 

Matt gets it, too. He talks about his relentless grind at the expense of his wellbeing. He shares that he felt the need to work harder because he knows he’s not the prototypical choice. There’s always a more generic, fits-the-mold option to take over him. 

As a fellow crunchy peanut butter type myself, this was a very touching moment of shared vulnerability. 

Natasha also speaks about her acceptance speech for How to Die Alone at the Independent Spirit Awards. Accepting an award for a canceled show? I’m not so sure about that. Y’all might need to put my trophy in the mail. 

Natasha turned it into a moment of positive, "I DID THAT" energy.

Finally, even when she takes a stand it’s hilarious. Natasha shares her experience with the economic blackout. 

Classic.

The bottom line is this episode of Las Cultch is for you if you could use a good laugh, or six, and don’t mind some candid conversation along the way. Give it a listen. Your inner Culturista will thank you.

The Last Word

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