“When you find the perfect shoe and pray they have your size.”
"There's actual feet down there somewhere, I swear!"
"Literally, fuck you."
"I mean, they're not TERRIBLE...OK, they're terrible."
"Do you carry doll shoes by any chance?"
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Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson in Creed.
Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros.
There’s a moment in Creed, the new Rocky spin-off of sorts, where Adonis Johnson knocks the living daylights out of a local rapper who mocks him by calling him Baby Creed.
The up-and-coming boxer is the son of legend Apollo Creed — who had an affair with Adonis's mother — but Adonis is pissed. He’s worked hard to get to where he is, to make a name for himself, and to keep the name of his father (who died in the ring fighting an unsympathetic Russian contender in Rocky IV) a secret. So when some guy — who, like the rest of the world at this point in the film, has learned of his heritage — tries to belittle Adonis’s accomplishments, as if he’d be comfortable riding on someone else’s coattails (or stars-and-stripes shorts), he decides to start the fight before the fight.
That scene, in many ways, parallels where the actor who portrays Adonis, Michael B. Jordan, is in his career right now: He is ready for his own battle.
By all accounts, Hollywood insiders consider 28-year-old Jordan the heir apparent to the thrones that Denzel Washington and Will Smith have built. For decades, those actors have established themselves as box office champions and they’re in a very small and exclusive fraternity — black men who can land leading roles in successful, high-profile feature films.
Creed is a continuation of the beloved, long-running Rocky franchise that made Sylvester Stallone famous in the title role, and now it’s about to do the same for Jordan.
But no matter how hungry we are for the next Washington or Smith, Jordan isn’t quite ready to raise his hand for that part.
He’s got other plans.
“I don’t think I have the pressure to be the next anybody,” he said, after tossing the idea around in his head for a few minutes. “I don’t put that on myself. I need to be the best version of myself. I put that pressure on myself to be the best version of Michael B. Jordan. And whoever that person is going to be, I’m still growing. I’m not even 30 yet.” He paused to slightly laugh at himself. “So I’m going to be a different person two years from now. I’m a different person now than I was a year ago: same core values, same person on the inside, but just growing to the next stage of my life of being a man. Will and Denzel have such phenomenal careers that anybody would be in awe of. [But] I think the time has changed. I think they came up in a different era, a different generation of film and cinema, which was molded and shaped by that as well. I think now, the timing, the platform is there for me to be able to be a version of what they had at their time.”
Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros.
Jordan’s heard plenty of times that Creed could catapult him into a superstar stratosphere. After Warner Bros. screened the film for journalists, the consensus was unanimous: the film — and most importantly, Jordan — was fantastic. Jordan offers “the best all-around performance of his young career,” reads a USA Today review.
Creed is Jordan’s first leading role in big feature film, a victory tantamount to Adonis nabbing his first taste of certifiable respect and getting dapped up by an opponent for being the real deal, not just a flash-in-the-pan wannabe boxer hoping to score off daddy’s name. Jordan has been working to get to this moment since making his debut in a 1999 episode of The Sopranos, before finally landing his big break on HBO’s The Wire in 2002 as teen drug dealer Wallace. Since then, he’s had roles in TV series like Parenthood and Friday Night Lights, been a part of ensembles in films like 2012’s Chronicle, and showed his dramatic chops in 2013’s Fruitvale Station, also directed by Creed’s Ryan Coogler.
Creed could also mean that Jordan has found a franchise that he can star in for years to come, an effort that didn’t exactly work out with the Fantastic Four reboot earlier this year. He won the part of the Human Torch — who has previously been portrayed as white, which sparked some controversy and a ton of conversation — but the movie was critically panned and a box office failure. But Creed? Critics already love it; if fans turn out, it could fall right in line with its predecessors, giving him a stability he’s yet to experience.
Coogler, Stallone, and Jordan at the L.A. premiere of Creed.
Todd Williamson / Getty Images
“This is something that I’m super proud of, and I feel like, as an origin story it could become a franchise and have success, and have multiple films. You have to be strategic,” Jordan said of Creed. “After Fruitvale Station, I started to be a little more selective. That was the first opportunity I had to think about my career moves, and really have real control over the projects that I was doing. Up until that point … with The Wire, it's not like I had a choice between six different roles. Those were the auditions that I went in for and I got.”
Coogler told BuzzFeed News earlier this summer that Jordan is “kind of like a LeBron James," saying, "Not only is this dude the perfect size, the perfect build, but he's come along at the perfect time and he has a crazy work ethic. He’s the perfect storm.”
And now, the actor is starting to work on his strategy, gearing himself to perhaps, like Adonis, defy the odds of a newly minted contender. Next up, he and Coogler will team up again for Wrong Answer, a film about the cheating scandal in Atlanta Public Schools. Jordan also wants to return to his television roots to develop and produce, and he said he wouldn’t mind giving the comic book world another go-round. “I'm interested in producing and developing a film, and a novel, a comic book, animation,” he said.
Perhaps most importantly, he’s finally at a point now where he can say “no” — a first in his career — and that means staying away from roles where his character dies, because it upsets his mother too much.
Jordan as Wallace and J.D Williams as Bodie in The Wire.
Courtesy of HBO
“She would be bawling, she used to be crying. Like, Mom, stop it! Nobody wants to see their mom cry; that’s not a good feeling, regardless of the performance. It was just traumatizing over a period of time. It’s something that people don’t think about, but a mom can’t be seeing her son die over and over and over again, in dramatic ways. I’m not going out on a hospital bed in a dramatic fashion,” he said, referencing the fact that nearly all of his onscreen deaths have been violent, starting with young Wallace on The Wire. “I need a break. And I want people to see me live, to evolve into a leading man that survives some accident. That’s very important. Audiences get the chance to see this character live and try and be victorious and have some type of closure without ending his life.”
He paused and then added: “I’m trying to break those stereotypes [of black men].”
Like he tried to do earlier this year when he played the Human Torch. Even though the film didn’t do what he’d hoped it would, he still challenged what audiences thought a superhero looked like. And now, he’s actively looking for similar opportunities to be cast in a role traditionally reserved for a white actor.
It’s a notion Jordan first mentioned in a GQ article this past September, in which he said he wanted “roles that were written for white characters.” His intention, he told BuzzFeed News, was to challenge Hollywood on its race issue and get decision-makers to think outside of the box with more color-blind castings. But readers’ negative reaction to the quote forced Jordan to clarify his words in an open letter in Essence. Jordan also felt the need to come out strong in support of #BlackLivesMatter in the same letter in an effort to debunk a bogus Snapchat about him supporting #AllLivesMatter.
He wants to be clear that he’s not shying away from his blackness or onscreen stories that feel black. If anything, he plans to go harder as his career continues and make sure that the stories he signs up for feel more universal, diverse, and, yes, black.
“There’s a lack of a black perspective in cinema. And I think it starts from perception, from the point of view of where the content is being created. You have more black writers and creators, and new developers in content that aren’t just the stereotypes that we’re used to being created or portrayed. The African-American experience is different. There are more genuine portrayals in characters that are diverse that somebody from any walk of life can play,” Jordan said. “I think that’s very important to the growth and progression of black cinema — matter of fact, people of color in film generally. The more opportunities, the more roles that are created, the more of those things you start to see, then you will start to see black actors in cinema, in movies, in television.”
Jordan running through North Philly as Adonis Johnson in Creed.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros. Picture
It’s a platform he’s taken on not just because his recent success affords him the opportunity to have that kind of power; it’s also an undeniable fact that as his star rises, more eyes are on Jordan’s every move.
And he’s well aware.
“It’s overwhelming at times,” Jordan said of his new level of fame. “Day by day you see it: Your privacy is stripped away. You start to move differently; you’re cautious. Oh man, I can’t go to the mall today. What day is it? Saturday? Ooh. Lot of people. No, I’m not going to go to the mall. No, I’m not going out. That's something that I'm getting used to, and it's happening pretty fast. I'm going to make mistakes; I’m going to learn some lessons — some things that I used to do that I can't do anymore. I have to learn how to separate Michael Jordan, the actor, and Michael Jordan, the person. There are no guidelines that exist how to navigate this journey that I’m on.”
His compass is the same circle he’s looked to for years. “I definitely rely and lean on people: my family, my friends, my mom, my parents. They are people that tell me straight; they’ll call bullshit when they see it,” he said before adding with a laugh, “I just got to meditate more.”
Of course, that gets harder when you’re on the verge of the world seeing a movie like Creed. But Jordan is ready to knuckle up and take this big step in his career — and just like Adonis, it’ll be on his own terms.
“A film this size, man … it changed the chessboard. The pieces got rearranged. I just got to sit back and look at the board and figure out what’s the best move,” he said. “I’m in a very fortunate situation. It doesn’t come around a lot.” He offers another pregnant pause, then speaks again after a few silent beats.
“I’m still working, you know? I feel like I still have so much to do. As successful as I’ve been so far, and the blessings that I know I’ve had — and I acknowledge my blessings — I’ve still got so much more that I want to do and accomplish. I just want to put myself in a position to be able to create and expand and grow and be progressive, period.”
Just, shhhhh.
D U H.
JIVE
You're simply jealous that you'll never be Mr. Nickolas Gene Carter.
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How can one be too old to like boy bands? Should old people not like rap, because I’m pretty sure Snoop Dogg is close to 40. I mean, really.
*Deep breath* WRONG. BAND.
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It’s more than part of a balanced breakfast.
“We’re building wee nests,” one organiser told BuzzFeed News as the camp prepares for winter.
The camp is near the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.
Monk of Mayhem / Via Twitter: @MonkofMayhem
Eight people have taken up residence in a camp next to the Scottish parliament and have vowed to stay there until Scotland becomes independent.
The camp, which was set up on Saturday, sits to the side of Scotland's devolved parliament in Edinburgh and organisers have told BuzzFeed News it will be permanently occupied until the country declares independence.
Organisers hope the camp will eventually house 100 people, having drawn inspiration from from the 14th century declaration of Scottish independence known as the Declaration of Arbroath, which stated: "As long as but 100 of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule."
Organiser Moira Williams said the camp will welcome anyone who's disappointed with what has happened since the independence referendum last year; particularly those who feel "The Vow", which promised more powers for Scotland, has not been delivered.
"You know the Declaration of Arbroath? We'll build this movement until we have a hundred good men who will man the camp until independence," said Williams.
"People were getting a wee bit upset when the Scotland bill went through the way it did and with EVEL going on as well, and basically 'The Vow' being broken. We had all of these protests and events but we needed something a bit more solid so we decided on the camp, and we wanted to show the will of the Scottish people so we're starting it in winter."
The camp settles in for its first night on Saturday.
Craig Jardine
Some residents of the camp intend to stay there seven days a week, whereas other will be returning to their homes intermittently depending on their work and family commitments.
"Some are permanent," said Williams. "I'm a carer, so I'm going two days on two days off, some are doing weekdays, some will be here for weekends. There will always be someone here and as it grows there will be more people to rotate and have a bigger presence at different times."
Food and other supplies are either being taken care of by the residents themselves or will be brought in by pro-independence volunteers who want to help the effort but are unable to dedicate time to staying at the camp.
Williams, who organised the anti-BBC protests during the referendum campaign, said she had had "loads of offers" from people willing to give campers hot meals, cooking equipment and blankets.
Posts on the camp's Facebook event suggest there's a power supply and some "disco lights", and Williams said they will stay at the camp never regardless of how cold it gets during the winter.
"It's just something the Scottish people want to do so we don't feel completely lost," said Williams. "We have Facebook, we have events, but this brings it all together and gives people a place to come to if they need to.
"We're building wee nests," she said. "If you're a novice camper like me you have to rely on the more experienced campers to build wee nests and keep us warm."
When researchers at Yale University put these questions to U.S. adults, most failed miserably. Can you do better?
Check out the full results of the Yale survey here.
“I’m scared. I have this weird stabby pain in my chest and it really hurts and… Dorito. It was a Dorito in my bra.”
Looking for ways to feel your best? Then this newsletter is for you.
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Who it's for: Anyone looking to take their health and fitness to another level — with friendly, body-positive advice on how to get there.
What you'll get: Expert fitness tips and awesome workout plans — plus inspiring advice to help get you going. Easy ways to build healthy habits, from the kitchen to the bedroom and beyond. Things you should definitely know about your body. Answers to all your questions about sex. Plus life-changing beauty hacks, brilliant style advice, and much more!
When you'll get it: Wednesday and Saturday.
Cards Against Humanity was selling nothing for $5 this Black Friday, and more than 11,000 paid for it. This is what they bought with the money.
Cards Against Humanity / Via cardsagainsthumanity.com
Black Friday is the day to buy stuff for crazy low prices, so Cards Against Humanity offered people a chance to buy nothing for the low-low price of $5.
That's right.
For five bucks, the card game company offered nothing, and more than 11,000 people took them up on that deal.
Saturday, the company announced it made a total of $71,145 of pure profit from the deal. No labor costs. No manufacturing costs. No delivery costs.
In fact, even when online orders failed to go through people were still guaranteed to get their order of nothing.
The Duchess of Cambridge took pictures of the six month old royal baby at their home in Norfolk.
Princess Charlotte appears even cuter and cuddlier than last time we saw her at her baptism in July.
"The Duke and Duchess hope everyone enjoys these new photos of Princess Charlotte as much as they do," read a message accompanying the brand new images.
The first photos of Charlotte to be shared with the public by the royal family were also taken by the Duchess.
Charlotte was pictured being kissed by her brother Prince George when she was just a month old.
Would you find romance? Or no mans?
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Real talk.
You probably grew up in the '80s or '90s when sagging your pants (to varying degrees) was the norm. I was there, too.
Paramount Pictures
More likely, your style came into its own (aka you started shopping for yourself) in the 2000s, when low rise jeans (like Levi's 511) were super popular, and you never recovered.
“I could even argue that having blood on your penis is kinda fun sometimes.”
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Of the many small indulgences and unbidden conveniences the current tech boom has given us, one of the most enticing might be the luxe meal-kit-in-a-box: A cardboard box of pre-packed ingredients, delivered to your door once a week or so with idiot-proof recipes included. For anyone who's come home after a long day at work to find an empty fridge and an utter unwillingness to cook or shop the appeal is obvious: A kit offers the ease of takeout, but the joy (or bragging rights) of cooking, all for the low, low price of (roughly) $10 per meal.
Indeed, the consulting firm Technomic estimates that over the next decade, the meal-kit market will become as big as a $5 billion industry. More than half a dozen venture-backed, slickly marketed companies — among them Plated, Purple Carrot, HelloFresh, ChefDay!, Chef'd, GreenChef, Din, Peach Dish, and Blue Apron — are chasing the space, all with slightly different glosses and specialties. But at three years old, Blue Apron appears to be the breakout, with a $2 billion valuation, a footprint covering the majority of the country, and monthly delivery rate north of 5 million meals a month, according to a November Forbes profile. (Blue Apron declined be interviewed for this article.)
Last week, the service offered omnivores on the two-person plan "trattoria-style cheeseburgers with crispy rosemary-garlic potatoes and aioli," "seared chicken and roasted sweet potato rounds with a chestnut and Brussels pan sauce," and "North-African spiced shrimp with dates, kale, and carrots" — all delivered to your door in pre-portioned packages, and with prep times of about 45 minutes at most. Here's what it would all look like on the table, according to the recipe cards enclosed:
And straight out of the box, this is what it looked like:
Michelle Rial / BuzzFeed News
And this is what remained, after cooking: Nine plastic baggies of varying sizes; four clamshells, also plastic; a pair of tiny containers that had held about a tablespoon of chicken demi glace and a pat of butter, respectively; a sheaf of recipes, instructions, and promotions printed on thick cardstock; the foil bag from a few tablespoons of tomato paste; three paper bags, now soggy and damp from refrigeration and condensation; a cardboard box stamped with cheerful, cartoonified cooking implements; three thick plastic meat packages; two gel-filled icepacks; and a foil bag not unlike the ones marathoners wear to keep warm. (Plus the compostable peels from three lemons and skins from a head of garlic and a purple onion.) It was, in other words, a lot of waste for three meals for two people. But that's just a mere six meals; consider Blue Apron's 5-million-meals-per-month figure, and you start to get a sense of what kind of waste it produces — to use a Silicon Valley term of art — at scale.
Michelle Rial / BuzzFeed News
Blue Apron argues that by portioning out its ingredients exactly, it helps cooks reduce the approximately 31% of post-harvest food that goes wasted in the country. That's a compelling argument on paper, and one that makes intuitive sense to anyone who's ever tried to follow a fancy recipe exactly and ended up with a partially zested lemon and seven-eighths of a head of black garlic in her fridge. (WTF, black garlic?) But it's a little harder to swallow when you're staring down a plastic bag containing about three tablespoons of all-purpose flour — a bag that's likely been shipped across the country to your doorstep.
According to that same Forbes article, Blue Apron sources its ingredients from 100 different family-run farms, and according to an August Pacific Standard report, it delivers to 85% of the country from two distribution centers nationwide — meaning that before it makes it to your doorstep, there's a decent chance your lacinato kale and premium ground beef crossed the better part of the United States in a refrigerated truck.
Blue Apron also makes a point that "all of [its] packaging material is biodegradable to recyclable" — in fact, it's stamped right on the box, under a headline saying "Eco-Friendly Packaging." And its website offers an extensive (if hard to find) guide to recycling packaging. But as Nathanael Johnson points out in a deliciously irate Grist post titled "Blue Apron, You're Just Making it Worse," all that recycling is easier said than done.
Those tiny baggies, for example, are made of low-density polyethylene, a type of plastic that is nominally recyclable, but that most cities won't accept for curbside pickup. (Mine is one of them; Blue Apron's "recycling locator" tool suggested that I walk the trash about three-quarters of a mile away to, ironically, my local grocery store.) The ice packs are only recyclable once you "let [them] thaw, cut off a corner, and empty the water-based solution into the trash," according to Blue Apron's own guidelines. The foil liner is #7 — "miscellaneous" — plastic, which, according to Earth911, "many curbside programs will not accept at all." Of course, you can always take all this stuff to your municipal waste facility, but it's hard to believe that the type of person who doesn't have time to go to the grocery store would willingly hop in the car for a weekend trip to the local recycling plant, either. Blue Apron also offers cooks the option of sending back the waste (save for "any meat or seafood packaging") — once it's been collected from at least two deliveries, and rid of food residue, carefully rinsed, and compacted.
Blue Apron does seem to be thinking about this stuff. The recycling guide is helpful, if optimistic, and founder Mathew Wadiak told Pacific Standard's Keira Butler that the company "buys from environmentally conscious suppliers — farms that use cover crops and no-till techniques instead of carbon-intensive synthetic fertilizer, for example." (BuzzFeed News couldn't verify this.)
And besides, industrial food production is already an incredibly complex and tangled process. Meal-delivery services might produce a whole lot of landfill waste, but for someone who lives miles away from a grocery store, the fossil-fuel impact of hopping in the car and picking up a meal's worth of ingredients — which were likely also shipped across the country, or even across the planet — might be worse.
But the shrimp and couscous were genuinely delicious, and all the rest of it was pretty good. And cleanup was a breeze, because everything went straight into the trash.
Life is about priorities. And by priorities, I mean coffee.
Amy Sefton / for BuzzFeed
