These are the top maybe-not headlines from the past 84-hours presented by The Conversation Project from raw engagement data from our social media to the headlines posted over the past day.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER | BECOME A SUPPORTER VIA BUY ME A COFFEE
The 8 headlines that our followers ranked as the most conversational are:
MARVEL BOSSES REPORTEDLY UNHAPPY OVER VIRAL TAIKA WAITITI, TESSA THOMPSON AND RITA ORA PHOTOS
Last week, the director, singer and actor made headlines when photos of the trio sharing an intimate moment on the balcony of Waititi’s Sydney home went viral on social media. Waititi is currently filming the highly anticipated sequel Thor: Love and Thunder together with actor Thompson (who plays Valkyrie) in Australia. The director and Ora sparked dating rumours last month, arriving together at the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under in April. According to The Daily Telegraph, Marvel bosses have reportedly reprimanded the Kiwi filmmaker for the photograph. An insider close to Thor: Love and Thunder’s production told the publication that the behaviour exhibited in the photo is “not exactly the image they’re looking to project in relation to one of their biggest franchises”. They added that although the 45-year-old has a reputation for being a “party animal”, the photos “crossed a line” for Marvel bosses. Fans were sent into a frenzy when the photographs were released, with the image of the three sharing kisses quickly going viral on social media.
[SOURCE: independent.co.uk / ENGAGEMENT: 7.50%]
JEWELRY STORE EMPLOYEE CALLS OUT GUY WHO BOUGHT A RING FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND—AND ONE FOR HIS ‘SIDE PIECE’
A woman working in a Jewelry store in Montreal, Canada caused quite a stir in her viral TikTok video exposing a man for buying two rings: one for his girlfriend and one for his ‘side piece.’ Eli, who goes by @ferreiroroche on TikTok, posted a video about a man who came into the store named Jake. She captioned it with: “Gotta support my girls.” The TikTok text said: “If your boyfriend’s name is Jake and he lives in [Montreal]. He just bought two rings for ‘his girl and his side piece’. You deserve better.” Then she showed a ring with a silver band and a red heart shaped gem next to a silver band with a diamond. Hopefully, not every boyfriend named Jake is getting dumped after this. Though, the comments were making some bold statements about men named Jake, or J names in general.
[SOURCE: comicsands.com / ENGAGEMENT: 4.54%]
MARY J. BLIGE INDUCTED INTO NYC’S APOLLO WALK OF FAME
The nine-time Grammy-winning singer and music icon celebrated her induction into the historic theater’s Walk of Fame on Friday in New York City. “None of this is possible without the fans, so thank you to all the fans,” she said during Friday’s event in Harlem, the New York Daily News reported. Blige, who has racked up two Oscar nominations for the 2017 film “Mudbound,” also reflected on her first time performing at the famed venue in the early stages of her career. “My very first time performing here at the Apollo, I was not onstage as myself, I was onstage singing background for Jeff Redd,” she told the crowd, according to a clip from CBS New York. “From there on it was all history.” The Apollo Theater, a staple in New York City with a rich history of highlighting and celebrating Black artists and performers since the 1930s, began the installation of its Walk of Fame with plaques honoring famous entertainers in 2010. The Walk of Fame is located on the sidewalk in front of the theater on 125th Street, which is a popular destination in the neighborhood. Prior to her induction into Apollo’s Walk of Fame, Blige received an abundance of love from her fans when she celebrated her 50th birthday in January.
[SOURCE: reuters.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.99%]
‘HOOKED ON A FEELING,’ ‘RAINDROPS’ SINGER B.J. THOMAS DIES AT 78
B.J. Thomas, the Grammy-winning singer known for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,’ died Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas, from complications due to stage four lung cancer. He was 78. Thomas’ death was announced via his official Facebook page. “It is with profound sadness we confirm the passing of BJ Thomas,” read the post. Among his hits were the 1966 cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” — which was released by Skepter Records and became Thomas’ first million-selling single — and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” His single “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” which was penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, appeared in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and won the Academy Award for best original song. The trackreemerged in Forrest Gump, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Clerks 2 and Spider-Man 2. During his career, of which he was particularly active in the 1960s and ’70s, Thomas won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, with eight No. 1 hits and numerous top 10singles on the country, pop and Christian music charts. Thomas was born in Oklahoma in 1942 and raised in Houston, where he sang in church as a child. His songwriting portfolio also included the hits “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “Don’t Worry Baby” and “What Ever Happened to Old Fashioned Love.” His 1968 song “Hooked on a Feeling” became his second million-selling single. The singer is survived by his wife, singer-songwriter Gloria Richardson; their daughters, Paige Thomas, Nora Cloud and Erin Moore; and grandchildren Nadia Cloud, Keira Cloud, Ruby Moore and Billy Joe Moore.
[SOURCE: hollywoodreporter.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.99%]
ONE DEAD AND SIX WOUNDED IN MIAMI SHOOTING
One person has died and six others wounded after a shooting late Friday in Miami, police said. Officers responding to gunshot detection system alerts in Wynwood shortly before midnight found several people with what appeared to be gunshot wounds, Miami Police Department spokeswoman Kiara Delva said. Some shooting victims arrived at the hospital on their own, Delva said. One victim was taken to University of Miami Hospital, and six others were at Jackson Memorial Hospital, according to Delva. Delva said one person later died and six others were recovering. Detectives are searching for a silver Nissan Maxima that may have been involved in the shooting, according to police.
[SOURCE: cnn.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.47%]
‘GREATER IDAHO’ TOOK ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING A REAL THING AS 5 MORE COUNTIES VOTED TO EXPLORE LEAVING LIBERAL OREGON FOR CONSERVATIVE IDAHO
Seven rural Oregon counties have voted in favor of an effort to become part of Idaho, and organizers of the Greater Idaho movement say more counties could soon have the option on the ballot. “We want out from underneath Oregon’s governance and go underneath Idaho’s governance, which we tend to match up better with, as far as our values go,” the group’s president, Mike McCarter, told Insider. “Now for 20 years-plus we’ve been trying to change the makeup and improve the makeup of the Oregon Legislature, but when you haven’t got the vote, there’s not much you can do about it.” The ballot measures in the counties called on county officials to consider the move. Last week, five counties voted in favor of the effort, bringing the total to seven. Leaders of the movement told Insider that it started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic after Oregon’s GOP attempted to recall Gov. Kate Brown. “We’ve had two legislative sessions in our state Capitol where Republicans walked out and denied votes because for these rural communities that was their last-ditch effort to make sure their livelihoods were protected. So this was the natural solution to all those and learning from all those other experiences,” Keaton Ems, a spokesman for the group, told Insider. Ems said that he was hoping the group’s goals could be met in the next four to six years but that they were taking small steps alongside the legislative sessions to push the effort along. McCarter told Insider the proposed new border would encompass 18 full and three partial Oregon counties and account for about 860,000 people in Oregon. While that would be only about 21% of the state’s population, it would represent 70% of its land — McCarter said that figure highlighted how centralized the state’s government is. Changing the border would require the approval of Oregon’s and Idaho’s legislatures and the US Congress, but McCarter said he saw no reason why it wouldn’t go through. McCarter said that in the seven counties that had voted in favor of the effort, support ranged from 54% to 74%, but two counties have so far voted against it.
[SOURCE: businessinsider.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.33%]
ALL FOUR GRAND SLAMS ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT THREATENING NAOMI OSAKA WITH DISQUALIFICATION AND SUSPENSION IF SHE BOYCOTTS MEDIA
Naomi Osaka won her first round match at the French Open earlier today in two sets, but her off-court media boycott continues to dominate the narrative. Earlier this week, Osaka announced her plan to skip media obligations at Roland-Garros, citing mental health concerns. The tournament was always going to respond to this, and they have, fining her $15,000 for skipping media after her first round win. More than that, though, the French Open along with the three other Grand Slam tournaments issued a joint statement addressing Osaka’s plan, noting that further punishment could include default from a tournament and suspension from future Slams. Following this announcement, the Roland-Garros teams asked her to reconsider her position and tried unsuccessfully to speak with her to check on her well-being, understand the specifics of her issue and what might be done to address it on site. Following the lack of engagement by Naomi Osaka, the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open jointly wrote to her to check on her well-being and offer support, underline their commitment to all athletes’ well-being and suggest dialog on the issues. She was also reminded of her obligations, the consequences of not meeting them and that rules should equally apply to all players. Naomi Osaka today chose not to honour her contractual media obligations. The Roland-Garros referee has therefore issued her a $15,000 fine, in keeping with article III H. of the Code of Conduct.
[SOURCE: awfulannouncing.com / ENGAGEMENT: 3.22%]
ISRAEL MOVES TOWARD COALITION DEAL THAT COULD SIDELINE NETANYAHU
The longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, Benjamin Netanyahu, faced the most potent threat yet to his grip on power Sunday after an ultranationalist power-broker, Naftali Bennett, said his party would work with opposition leaders to build an alternative government to force Mr. Netanyahu from office. If the maneuvering leads to a formal coalition agreement, it would be an uneasy alliance between eight relatively small parties with a diffuse range of ideologies. The prime minister’s post would rotate between two unlikely partners: Mr. Bennett, a former settler leader who rejects the concept of a sovereign Palestinian state and champions the religious right — and Yair Lapid, a former television host who is considered a voice of secular centrists. “I will work with all my power to form a national unity government together with my friend Yair Lapid. If we succeed, we will be doing something huge for the state of Israel.” Mr. Bennett said in a speech Sunday night. Mr. Bennett’s announcement came shortly after an armed conflict with Palestinians in Gaza that many thought had improved Mr. Netanyahu’s chances of hanging on to his post. Because of the profound ideological differences within the emerging coalition, which would include both leftist and far-right members, its leaders have indicated their government would initially avoid pursuing initiatives that could exacerbate their political incompatibility, such as those related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and focus instead on infrastructure and economic policy. If forced from office, Mr. Netanyahu is unlikely to leave politics. Either way, however, he has left a lasting legacy. He shifted the fulcrum of Israeli politics firmly to the right — Mr. Bennett’s prominence being a prime example — and presided over the dismantling of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, all while scoring groundbreaking diplomatic agreements with four Arab states, subverting conventional wisdom about Israeli-Arab relations.
[SOURCE: msn.com / ENGAGEMENT: 2.78%]
Eight Things To Talk About uses the raw engagement data from the social media engagement from The Conversation Project to generate the top-ranking headlines over the course of the past day.
A full weeks’ data (from Friday to Friday) is compiled, weighed, and sorted to produce the content for the Weekly Wrap-Up with J Cleveland Payne, published every Saturday as a podcast available at ThisIsTheConversation.com or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
To ‘participate’ in the rankings of the headlines for this newsletter or the podcast, follow the Conversation Project on social media and engage with the posts to give them more ‘votes.’ The Conversation Project can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Connect with us directly by emailing us at theconversationinbox@gmail.com or by simply visiting thisistheconversation.com.
