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The Boys Season 4

The news hit fairly recently that The Boys will end with season 5, a decision youll understand when you finish this season. By all accounts season 4 is the series darkest, serving as a sociopolitical commentarypoking fun of, as M.M. calls it, those Tin foil hat Nazi motherfuckers.

Homelander is an allegory for Trump and the season features some recreations poking fun at real-life alt-right ideology. There are a few court trials and direct references to Pizzagate and the far right, which, while funny, has also hit an inflection point where its just replaying real-world events. Showrunner Eric Kripke has even on the record and said, Go watch something else regarding right-wing fanaticism and how the show was meant to be satire and not a celebration of Homelanders terrible behavior.

That said, season 4 pokes fun at Americanas obsession with itself, with commentary that slaps mostly because its based on real-life events. Court trials, one-percenters, and movie franchises up on their umpteenth phase or reboots: what this season does well is poke fun at American culture, including fandoms, politics, and us versus them groupthink extremes all highlighted in feature as the idiocracy that keeps Homelanders agenda moving. Replace the word AMERICA with SUPES and its 1-1 in terms of MAGA.

In terms of tone, this is very much the Empire Strikes Back of the series. The darkest before the dawn season before the finale of the series in Season 5. The emotional journey is well-paced this season in terms of giving everyone an arc to experience this year, though the plot points are a little bit much in terms of jumping chaotically everywhere.

Still, it works because the format allows for some seriously tear-jerking episodes that serve as cap offs for some final arcs and characters that sadly, wont be seen ever again. It seems that everyones past comes back to haunt them this season and beloved figures youve followed since season one will not make it all the way through.

In terms of shock, the series cant really outdo itself it seems and so in lieu of a Herogasm theres just a lot more of what youve seen than ever before. In first few episodes of The Boys season 4, expect some clone-on-clone analingus with a side of floppy dick, along with a picstagram featuring everyones favorite arsehole (s arsehole). In fact, this season is full of butt shots, and a general abundance of butt play and excess sexual fetishization with Supes, along with a strange amount of bodily fluid.

The show can go from funny to uncomfortable real fast if youre binging all at once, like I am for this review, so I highly suggest following the weekly release method as it works better in terms of pacing.

As for whats happening with The Boys, Butcher is dying of a brain tumor and is struggling to make things right in his life especially with Ryan. Ryan meanwhile, struggles to fit in and accept Homelanders ways or the the B.S. propaganda hes being groomed into. Hughie has got parental issues in abundance this season. Starlight struggles to be the face of a resistance thats an allegory for leftmost politics. Frenchie has a guilty romance arc.

Kimiko deals with her traumatic legacy of death. The Deep falls in love with his Octopus. Black Noir struggles in understanding Black Noir. Mind you, all of this is happening during the backdrop of an election year (just like our real-life), and the only character thats honestly somewhat relatable to the audience is M.M., whos about one disaster away from saying,Im getting too old for this shit.

Most surprisingly, the newcomers to the series are fantastic despite being introduced this late in the show. Former The Tick star Valorie Curry, who plays Firecracker, is a female Alex Jones conspiracy theorist and Homelander sycophant you almost feel sorry for and the best surprise hit that everyone will be talking about will be Susan Heywards Sister Sage, a Black woman supergenius about as conniving as a Lex Luthor. Also, without spoiling it, the no-stranger-to comics-adaptations actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is incredible. Previously as Watchmens Comedian and The Walking Deads Negan. The actor is just great for comic book adaptations.

Now I must say, as a fan of The Boys whos watched the show, read the source material, and has spoken with and interviewed its comics creators, I cant help but feel like Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson deserve a bit more of a shout out.

The comic itself obviously has its own problems regarding subject material as culture is vastly different than when it debuted and the show has done quite a lot to characterize much as possible. Yet, this season goes full-blown Supes parody and its hard to divorce the style of the source material from whats about to happen by the seasons end.

For those who dont follow the comics, Billy Butcher is very much The Punisher, The Seven were the Justice League, and Victoria Neuman, known as Vic in the comics, was a George W. Bush parody. For the show they also took liberties to change Neuman as a woman thats an allegorical representation of AOC. The show takes liberties of course, and does more to address some problems like by tackling the original comics more R-rated material.

Issues about rape and corruptive power dynamics are explored and understood better, and for what its worth, this season actually does a lot to highlight how this horrendous act is really all about power. As Homelander in particular, being the alpha villain to quite literally everyone on the show, shows some terrible colors yet again.

These comic roots, without spoiling, are where we the viewer end up encircling together by the seasons end as the show makes its grand finale move towards something familiar to comics fans. Again, I cannot spoil this but causing this satire of extreme nationalism and the hostile sociopolitical climate, especially in this season, crosses that threshold from satire to just shitty meat hook reality, making a powerful statement of our times. Especially when we replace with the name Homelander with just outright the name Donald Trump.

Overall, The Boys season 4 is a great season and a terrifying testimony of our times. A great setup for the final stretch.

The Boys season 4 episodes one through three begin streaming on Prime Video today, June 13, 2024, with new episodes on a weekly basis thereafter.

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TV Review: THE BOYS Season 4 is a Pizzagate parody of Donald Trump's Alt-Right - Comics Beat

However, its not just hopelessness that worries Alison. Her son has become a political extremist. The first signs were a few sexist comments. Then the anti-migrant rhetoric, the racism, the homophobia. Today, hes praising Donald Trump and following the far-right ghouls stalking British Twitter.

Alisons son is a case study in why todays youth are moving towards the far right. The success of far right extremists in the European elections was helped considerably by the youth vote. Commentators blame TikTok propaganda, Covid desocialising the young, or the Ukraine conflict spooking kids that theyll one day have to fight a European war.

Thats just window-dressing. The young are moving to the far right for the same reasons as Alisons son: the political status quo in the West has failed them.

Todays young are the first generation to see living standards fall in comparison to their parents. Our children will not have better lives than us, and they know it.

If democracy has failed you, why vote for it any more? Its that brutally simple. Why be surprised at kids abandoning this failed settlement and seeking answers in strongmen and authoritarians?

Fascists and extremists offer scapegoats for the hopeless. Blame foreigners, blame minorities - blame anybody but your tribe.

Whats happening should scare us. Allegiance to the far right has traditionally been the reserve of angry, older men. However, now that the young are shifting to the extremes, were facing a demographic time bomb. If the young are embracing the far right now, what will their views be like when they hit middle age?

Statistics from the European elections should make us tremble. Were entering a new era of the far-right and much of the success of extremists is down to the young. In Spain, 22% of voters aged 18-24 say they back far-right parties like Vox.

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In Germany, the far right AfD polled 16% among those aged 16-24, and 18% for those aged 25-34. By comparison, only 8% of those aged 70 and older gave the far right their vote. When not excusing Hitlers SS, the AfD ruthlessly targets the young.

In France, Marine Le Pens National Rally is the most popular party for those aged 18-34. Opinion polls show NR on 32% among the young - far ahead of its nearest rival.

So much for the notion that every kid is woke. Rather, the kids are alt-right.

Le Pen is particularly savvy in messaging aimed at the young, promising to eliminate taxes for anyone under-30, and offering financial assistance and better housing to students. She made 28-year-old Jordan Bardella party president.

In Belgium, Portugal and Finland younger voters back the far right in numbers that either equal or exceed older voters. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders far right party won the 2023 election by linking lack of housing for young people to immigration.

It is long past time for the parties of the centre left and centre right to wake up. The failed status quo they offer is driving the young into the arms of extremists.

The far right bends the knee to Russia. Picture a world in which Trump is in the White House, and the far right in power across much of Europe. The result? Ukraine defeated, democracy cowed, Europes eastern border imperilled.

To halt the flight of the young to the far right, we must fix the economy. The young need hope. They need to know democracy works for them. The success of democracy is contingent upon the success of the economy. If the young dont believe theyve an economic future under democracy theyll shift to the extremes.

We can blame the young all we want. Call them stupid, say theyre disgusting, throw around whatever epithets and theories we wish. But the fundamental reasons for the rise of far right youth is us: their parents and grandparents.

We allowed this system to take root, we saw it going wrong and did nothing to change it. We voted in the same failed politicians who let it all stagnate. Build a swamp, and people will act like they live in a swamp.

Theres some hope. In nations where the far right and populists have tasted power - like Italy and Poland - the young have shifted away from the extremes. In other words, once kids get a taste of what theyve been fool enough to vote for, buyers remorse kicks in.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen with Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, after last weekends EU elections (Image: PA)

In Britain and America, the young havent been captured by right-wing extremists as they have in Europe. Why? Because Trumps Maga movement and Nigel Farages Reform havent got the brains to cut through with the young.

We should thank our lucky stars theyre too busy blaming the young and mocking them as snowflakes. When they start reaching out to them, matters might become more troubling.

For those clutching their pearls about Reform being referred to as "extremist", read the report in Tuesdays Times outlining how one in 10 Reform candidates are "friends"on Facebook with Gary Raikes, the former BNP organiser, who founded the New British Union.

NBU activists call themselves "Blackshirts"; the party wants a "fascist revolution", and sees democracy as an "obstruction"which needs replaced with dictatorship. One Reform candidate said Britain should have been neutral and not fought the Nazis.

If my friends son could afford to rent a flat, and be given some hope that one day hed get a job which matched his talents, then I know for sure that the anger which is tipping him to the extremes would fade and hed become the same decent democratic citizen as his mum and dad.

But while we live in a society controlled by politicians who couldnt care less about his life, how can I blame this boy for what hes become?

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The kids are alt-right: why todays youth are embracing extremism - HeraldScotland

Nicki Minaj performs onstage during iHeartRadio Y100's Jingle Ball 2023.

Nicki Minaj performs onstage during iHeartRadio Y100's Jingle Ball 2023.

This article is part of HuffPosts weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall.Click here to subscribe.

Correction:The Feb. 1 installment of the Culture Catchall newsletter formerly referred to Ben Shapiro as a white supremacist and alt-right, both of which Shapiro forcefully denies. The terms have been replaced. Shapiro is a conservative commentator and podcaster who rose to prominence as an editor at far-right media outlet Breitbart before founding The Daily Wire. HuffPost apologizes for the error.

Twas the night before Black History Month, and the rap girlies were beefing. Well, Nicki Minaj is beefing with herself, once again. Brilliantly summarized by HuffPosts Taiyler S. Mitchell, Megan Thee Stallion released a diss track called HISS last week, which presumably aimed a few lyrics at Drake and Minaj but did not name either person explicitly. One line mentioning a 1994 policy regarding sexual predators alluded to Minajs husband and brother, both of whom have been convicted of sexual crimes. While we have yet to hear a peep from the Canadian rapper, Minaj responded, albeit very poorly.

After what felt like a 24-hour-long Instagram Live tirade, Minaj released a track called Big Foot, a title that not only makes light of Tory Lanez shooting Megan Thee Stallion but ridicules and masculinizes the 510 Houston rapper. Moreover, Minaj invoked Megans late mother multiple times in the song; so much so that per TMZ, Minajs fans known as Barbz have reportedly leaked the location of the cemetery where Megans mother is buried. HuffPost reporter Mitchell provided a spot-on analysis of how the track further perpetuates misogynoir and, ultimately, how Minaj is tarnishing her own legacy.

As Barbz doxx those who speak ill of Minaj, a tried and true tactic of theirs, I have seen more people call out their unhinged behavior en masse and strike back, legally reporting them. But nonetheless, there are still some minions doing Minajs bidding, such as Vogue entertainment director Sergio Kletnoy. At his big age, Kletnoy was mocking Megan Thee Stallion in Nickis comments on Instagram Live. Then, Ben Shapiro yes, that annoyingly shrill conservative pundit Ben Shapiro chimed in. Lest we forget his reductive remarks on rap music.

Story continues

Desperate for supporters, Minaj congratulated the known bigot on his latest rap single. Remember when Issa Rae said, Im rooting for everybody Black at the 2017 Emmy Awards? Yeah, people like Minaj remind me why you cant take quotes, especially that one, out of context. Terms and conditions apply over here. Until then, Ill be waiting for stanning and stan behavior to find its rightful place in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

For more on the latest happenings this week, read up in this edition of The Culture Catchall.

Issa Rae is lifting the veil on how the entertainment industry approaches Black stories.

In a shocking development, after the release of her bombshell memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears has seemingly publicly apologizedto Justin Timberlake. Following the performance of his single Selfish on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Spears reposted a video on Instagram of Fallon and Timberlakes latest skit, praising his new music. Candidly, I dont know if Id be as gracious to an ex-boyfriend especially not one who responds by apologizingto absolutely f**king nobody but that is why Britney is Britney.Find out what else Spears said from HuffPosts senior trends reporter Kelby Vera.

Media mogul Issa Rae is shedding light on how the entertainment industry has abandoned Black stories, despite lofty commitments to bolster diversity after 2020. Covering the January 2024 issue of PORTER, Rae spoke to author Otegha Uwagba about the recent cancellation of many Black television series, her intent to become a more independent creator, and much more. In a Time Magazine exclusive, after the bitter end of Rap Sh!t, Rae announced she is working on two new HBO shows, including one shell write and star in.

Elmo asked everyone how they were doing, and the internet trauma-dumped on him. Thats it, thats the tweet. On Monday, our favorite friendly red Muppet tweeted on X, formerly Twitter, Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing? Apparently, not well! Not well at all, dear. Hell, journalist Samus Malekafzali wrote, Elmo Im gonna be real I am at my fucking limit. HuffPosts Elyse Wanshel reported on some of the most brutally honest yet hilarious responses from this ordeal. *sighs* Bless Elmos heart.

Speaking of the internet, America, we have an AI problem which ex-Googler and Ethiopian-American Timnit Gebru has been calling out for ages. Last week, sexually explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift, which were likely a product of AI, were widely circulated online. Since then, New York state congresswoman Rep. Yvette Clark (D) has called for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to find a solution to an issue that has affected thousands of women. HuffPosts Marita Vlachou reported the full details.

The future of TikTok is about to change. Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, has not agreed to the terms of a new deal with TikTok and will be removing its music from the platform. The label claims that TikTok is not paying fair value for the music, while TikTok claims that Universal is acting in self-serving interests. Read more on the debacle here.

Keke Palmer is the latest Teen Vogue cover star.

To get complete industry news and the full entertainment newsletter in your inbox weekly, subscribe toThe Culture Catchall here.

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Nicki Minaj Is Cozying Up To Ben Shapiro And Its A Good Reminder For Us All - Yahoo Canada Sports

Two Northern California journalists got to the bottom of who was disrupting various city hall meetings with anti-semitic messages in Berkeley and Marin County. The neo-Nazis then started impersonating those journalists in the same meetings, and others across the country.

Some changes that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to our daily lives became permanent, like parklets. And it seemed for a while that government meetings across the country would keep the COVID-era Zoom calls and remote public comment by telephone in place. Many of them did, until racist Zoom-bombs of city hall and county meetings led to the end of public comment by call-in, here in San Francisco and beyond. According to a new article in today's Chronicle, a spokesperson for the California State Association of Counties said that all counties have experienced some level of disruption in public meetings.

That Chronicle article profiles two northern California journalists who started uncovering who was behind this Zoom-bombing. But once they did uncover the perpetrators, the far-right, antisemitic Zoom-bombers started impersonating those journalists at public meetings not only in the Bay Area, but all over the country. (And it should be noted that both of the journalists are Jewish).

The Chronicle spoke with Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and Gabe Stutman of the Jewish News of Northern California. Barber wrote a lengthy expos this past September on the callers whove been disrupting various northern California government meetings with racist outbursts with remote call-ins.

He traced it to a character whom the Chronicle describes as a failed rapper, Jon E. Minadeo II. Minadeo had co-founded an antisemitic streaming channel called Goyim TV (Goyim is a Hebrew term for non-Jewish people), and that channel promotes anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.

Just days after Barbers article was published, someone who was not Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat called in to a Novato City Council meeting claiming to be Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. That caller then claimed a local Jewish center would be screening a documentary blaming 9/11 on the Jews.

That meeting got even weirder from there, as the next nearly dozen callers were all alt-right Zoom-bombers. The next 11 callers are more explicit, as the Chronicle explains. Two impersonate rabbis and claim to engage in pedophilia. One pretends to be a transit advocate recommending Jewish people be put on trains. Another makes up a nonprofit that turns Jewish people into soap. Some callers think theyre being funny; others sound angry as they accuse the council of oppressing white people.

The Jewish News of Northern Californias Gabe Stutman has also done extensive reporting on Minadeos exploits. And someone claiming to be Stutman called in to an October 4 Berkeley City Council meeting and spewed antisemitic, racist slurs. Even more bizarrely, people claiming to be Stutman even called in to rant racist invective at an October 23 city council meeting in Seldovia, Alaska.

At that point I knew this was definitely a widespread phenomenon, Stutman told the Chronicle. I have no idea how frequently this is happening. But my guess is if its happening in Seldovia, Alaska its probably happening in a bunch of different places.

Many of these cities, like San Francisco, have just flat-out banned calling in to government meetings by phone. That may solve the Zoom-bomb problem, but not the larger problem of antisemitic trolling. And as Barber told the Chronicle, he almost certainly will be writing about it again.

Related: Racists Have Been Zoombombing Public Meetings Across US, and SF's Board of Supervisors May End Remote Commenting Entirely [SFist]

Image: Novato City Council

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Alt-Right Wackadoodles Now Impersonating the NorCal Journalists Who Exposed Their 'Zoom-Bombing' of City Meetings - SFist

New poll looks bad for Republicans. Then it gets worse

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ICYMI: Trump loses in court again, and Taylor Swift broke their alt-right hearts - Daily Kos