Hulk Hogan, wrestling legend and actor, dies at 71 / 60 Minutes names new boss / Anne Burrell’s death ruled a suicide
PLUS: White House blasts South Park's anti-Trump Season 27 premiere: "This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years."
Hulk Hogan, wrestling legend and actor, dies at 71
The former WWE star died today at his home in Clearwater, Florida. The Clearwater Police Department said they responded to a medical call of a cardiac arrest at the home of Terry Bollea, Hogan's real name. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Hogan's "flamboyance and star power helped transform professional wrestling from a low-budget regional attraction into a multibillion dollar industry," Victor Mather writes in Hogan's New York Times obituary, adding: "Hogan was the face of pro wrestling for decades, with his blond hair and horseshoe mustache, colorful bandannas and massive biceps, which he referred to as '24-inch pythons.' His routine before a match was guaranteed to send fans into a frenzy. He would cup his hand to his ear to encourage the roaring crowd and tear off his shirt, which was pre-ripped to ease the process. Fans loved him for his charm and physique as much as for his old-fashioned grappling ability." Hogan adopted the name “Hulk” because of comparisons to the muscular comic book character on the CBS television program The Incredible Hulk. In 1979, Hogan made it to the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE) and took on the alliterative last name Hogan. Hogan would go on to win the World Wrestling Entertainment championship six times during his career. Hogan's "over-the-top acting skills naturally led him to Hollywood, where he portrayed the wrestler Thunderlips in Rocky III (1982) in his big-screen debut," Rhett Bartlett writes in Hogan's The Hollywood Reporter obituary, adding: “Hogan went on to star in such other films as No Holds Barred (1989), Suburban Commando (1991), Mr. Nanny (1993) and Santa With Muscles (1996) and in the 1994 syndicated series Thunder in Paradise. He also appeared as himself in everything from The A-Team and Baywatch to Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Spy Hard (1996) and Muppets From Space (1999), and he lent his voice to episodes of Robot Chicken and American Dad! In 1985, Hogan co-hosted (with Mr. T) Saturday Night Live and was the star of the CBS Saturday morning cartoon Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. He faced Jay Leno in a PPV tag match — and lost! — and starred alongside his first wife and two kids in the reality show Hogan Knows Best." Hogan also played himself on The Goldbergs and The Inbetweeners and voiced The Dean on Adult Swim animated series China, IL. In April, Hogan and wrestling promoter Eric Bischoff launched the Real America Freestyle amateur wrestling league. Hogan made headlines on Monday with the announcement that Real America was joining Fox Nation. ALSO: President Trump joins Ric Flair, Jake Paul, Sgt. Slaughter, Vice President J.D. Vance and more in paying tribute to Hulk Hogan.
White House blasts South Park's anti-Trump Season 27 premiere: "This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years"
Trump White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers responded to last night's episode, depicting Trump in bed with Satan and which showed a deepfake of the president naked with a talking micropenis, by denouncing the Comedy Central show in a lengthy statement: “The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end — for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as ‘offense’ (sic) content, but suddenly they are praising the show,” said Rogers. “Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows. This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history — and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”
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Why hasn't President Trump personally responded to South Park's takedown of him?: "What Trump can’t do, apparently, is craft a snappy and timely comeback to the biggest haymaker any comedy show has ever landed on him during his time in the White House," says Cracked's Keegan Kelly. "At the time of writing, Trump, who will take to Truth Social to start a public flame war with any third-rate Fox News weekend commentator who fails to sing his praises, has yet to post an inflammatory retort to South Park’s no-holds-barred roast of him on any social media platform."
South Park launches a website for Naked Trump "His penis is teeny-tiny, but his love for us is large" parody PSA
Did South Park's season premiere end with a secret message in case it was taken off the air?
CBS News names Tanya Simon 60 Minutes' new executive producer
Simon, the daughter of late 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon, has been serving as interim 60 Minutes executive producer since Bill Owens resigned as the CBS newsmagazine's boss in April. Simon becomes the fourth executive producer since 60 Minutes launched in 1968. She'll also be the first woman to lead 60 Minutes. “Tanya Simon understands what makes 60 Minutes tick. She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer and someone who knows how to inspire people,” said Tom Cibrowski, recently named president and executive editor of CBS News, in a statement. “Tanya knows that the success of today’s 60 Minutes depends on delivering a weekly mix of the most informative, impactful and entertaining stories and investigative journalism from around the world. This is the true essence and foundation of 60 Minutes." According to Status' Oliver Darcy, "this news will come as a relief to the 60 Minutes team. There has been significant worry that when David Ellison’s Skydance took over they’d attempt to install their own pick into the role."
Jon Stewart says "what a f*cking week" in explaining how the "chilling effect" on media predates Trump
“Let me just begin with, what a f*cking week," Stewart said in his first Weekly Show podcast episode since CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, per The Hollywood Reporter. "I can’t even get into the Late Show, Daily Show of it all. Watch Steven’s (show) from Monday, watch ours from Monday. I think you’ll get a sense of how we’re feeling and just how tenuous this moment. Oddly enough, our episode today is about levers of power and coercion from the government and how they use their power to manipulate and to get what they want and to force people into the authoritarian tendencies.” Stewart added: “And by the way, it predates Trump. Ron DeSantis suing Disney, I have been in those meetings with executives who have said to me, ‘look man, we don’t want to get on their radar.’”
Anne Burrell’s died by suicide, medical examiner finds
The Food Network star, who was found dead in her home on June 17 at age 55, died from "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine," as determined by the New York City medical examiner's office, reports People. Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, ethanol is a compound found in alcohol and amphetamine is commonly used to treat ADHD.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr says "I was very pleased" with Skydance's plans for "serious changes" at CBS
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Carr said: “I was very pleased to see Skydance put in a filing that says, ‘If this deal goes through, they are committing to serious changes at CBS. I think that would be a good thing. They’ve committed to addressing bias issues. They committed to embracing fact based journalism. They’ve also committed to either not extending or removing hideous forms of DEI discrimination. I think those are all significant that they’ve offered. And so we’ll take a look at that.”
Octavio Pisano returns for Law & Order: SVU’s Season 27 premiere after exiting last spring
Pisano's detective character will be back after exiting at the end of Season 26. Pisano appeared in an Instagram video that the show and its star, Mariska Hargitay, posted Thursday to mark the cast’s return to set.
Joy Behar accidentally reveals The View is going on summer hiatus after this week
“Before we go on hiatus, we only have one more show after this, I’m allowed to say that, right?” Behar asked on this week's show, to which Alyssa Farah Griffin laughed and responded, “Too late now!,” according to TV Insider. "A producer chimed in from the background to add, “Doesn’t really matter.” The View's summer hiatus this year is slightly early, as in recent years the show has gone on hiatus after the first few days of August. ALSO: Whoopi Goldberg flirts with a robot on The View.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot pilot adds five, including Severance's Sarah Bock and Frasier alum Jack Cutmore-Scott
Hulu's Buffy revival has rounded out its cast with Bock, Cutmore-Scott, Ava Jean, Faly Rakotohavana and Daniel di Tomasso.
Fox News' Lara Trump won't run for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina
President Trump's daughter-in-law would had to have left her Saturday night Fox News show My View with Lara Trump if she entered North Carolina's senate race.
Andy Cohen calls Trump White House spokesperson who slammed Joy Behar a "jackhole"
“Finally, an administration who is going after the real enemies of the people, the 2007, Season 10 cast of The View,” Cohen said on Watch What Happens Live after White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called Behar an “irrelevant loser" over The View star's comments about Trump on Wednesday.
Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy's grandson, claps back at Ryan Murphy
Murphy recently said on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's This Is Gavin Newsom podcast that he found it "very strange" that Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s nephew, called him out over American Love Story’s season on JFK Jr. and his relationship with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. "I thought it was an odd choice to be mad about your relative that you really don't remember," said Murphy, noting that he was hurt by the criticism. Schlossberg reacted to Murph's interview by sharing an excerpt and posting: "Ryan Murphy: Say It to My Face."
NFL is in talks to buy a 10% stake in ESPN
Disney currently owns 80% of ESPN, while Hearst owns the remaining 20%. As part of a deal for ESPN to acquire NFL Media, CNBC's Alex Sherman reports the NFL is mulling taking a 10% stake in ESPN.
The Gilded Age hits a series high with this week's episode
Season 3, Episode 5 has reached 4 million viewers, beating the previous high from last week of 3.8 million viewers.
Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes to reunite for a Hallmark “Countdown to Christmas” movie
Four years after starring in Hallmark's It Was Always You, Krakow and Hynes have signed on to co-star in Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" movie Christmas Above the Clouds.
Beavis and Butt-Head reveals Season 3 premiere date and trailer
In the trailer for the Sept. 3 premiere on Comedy Central, Beavis and Butt-Head get a shoutout from Metallica in a dream sequence before the pair ask how much it would cost to buy the band.
Apple TV+'s The Last Frontier gets a teaser and premiere date
Jason Clarke, Dominic Cooper and Haley Bennett star in the drama series premiering Oct. 10. Clarke plays Frank Remnick, "the lone U.S. marshal in charge of the quiet, rugged barrens of Alaska," according to the official description. "Remnick’s jurisdiction is turned upside-down when a prison transport plane crashes in the remote wilderness, setting free dozens of violent inmates. Tasked with protecting the town he’s vowed to keep safe, he begins to suspect the crash wasn’t an accident, but the first step of a well-crafted plan with far-reaching and devastating implications."
Watch the trailer for Netflix's Hostage
Suranne Jones plays Britain’s prime minister, whose husband is kidnapped ,and Julie Delpy is France's president, who is blackmailed, in the action-packed thriller series premiering Aug. 21.