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P.T. Anderson's newest movie, "Licorice Pizza," is getting unleashed to the masses this weekend -- and with it, so are uncomfortable themes of racism and would-be pedophilia.

The esteemed director's latest offering got a wide release Saturday -- this after a multi-week run in very select theaters throughout L.A. and elsewhere -- and now that folks are able to catch it for Christmas ... some are walking away saying what early viewers also echoed.

One of the big takeaways, it seems ... the movie is problematic, not just for its premise about a 25-year-old woman in a cat-and-mouse love dance with a 15-year-old boy, but just as cringe-worthy -- the fact there's overt mocking of Asian culture, depicted at length twice.

First ... the weird relationship. The flick's about this teen, Gary, who falls head over heels in love with a gal 10 years his senior, Alana, who then go back and forth pursuing each other amid a ton of misadventures ... all with the backdrop of the San Fernando Valley in the '70s.

At one point, she flashes her breasts at him ... and by the end, it's implied they get together as a couple. Folks online are saying the age gap is grossly inappropriate -- and that if the shoe was on the other foot (adult male and female teen), it probably wouldn't fly in 2021.

Perhaps just as bad is the fact that a white restaurateur in the movie -- played by John Michael Higgins -- introduces two different wives of his, who are Japanese and look similar. In both scenes, he speaks to them in a caricatured Japanese accent ... which a lot of people also found offensive and unnecessary for the story. Indeed, it reeks of blatant racism.

The latter criticism has become quite loud, especially among those who belong to MANAA -- the Media Action Network for Asian Americans. They penned an open letter to the Academy and other governing bodies during this award season, asking that 'LP' be snubbed.

There's a new Grinch among us this holiday season -- it's Neil deGrasse Tyson, whose party-pooping amounts to debunking the existence of Santa Claus ... with cold, hard physics.

The famed astrophysicist went on a tear in the days leading up to Christmas this year, tweeting out fact after fact after fact ... all of which were intended to clear up the reality -- namely, that there's no way in hell Old Saint Nick could deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

First, NDT tackled the North Pole and what every little kid imagines his workshop/village might look like based on storybooks. According to Neil, that's all rubbish ... due to basic geography.

He writes, "Since the Northern Arctic is just ocean, Santa’s North Pole workshop has only ever existed on a floating sheet of ice. Images that portray Santa’s workshop with pine trees and snow-capped hills on the horizon are geographically underinformed."

Here's another not-so-fun fact for all the boy and girls who were waiting on Papa Noel this year -- the guy apparently wouldn't be able to deliver gifts to all of them in one night, because he'd be going so damn fast ... he'd literally burn up and die. Reindeer, too.

As Neil delicately puts it, "For Santa to deliver gifts to all world's Christians in one night requires hypersonic speeds through Earth’s lower atmosphere, vaporizing his reindeer & sleigh. Just sayin’.

And, one more for the all-inclusive crowd ... which has to do with gender, and the assumed sexes of Santa's flying motors. It would seem that whoever came up with the Christmas mythology way back when didn't take into account the differences between male and female reindeer.

Neil explains, "Santa doesn’t know Zoology:  Both male & female Reindeer grow antlers. But all male Reindeer lose their antlers in the late fall, well-before Christmas." He adds, "So Santa’s reindeer, which all sport antlers, are therefore all female, which means Rudolf has been misgendered."

As you might imagine, his harsh read on the holiday got a ton of pushback online ... with folks telling him to kick rocks and that he deserved a lump of coal for keeping it too real.

The Pope has died while discussing Covid-19 -- at least that's what one broadcaster almost had her viewers thinking ... when she mistakenly said the guy had croaked.

Francis' Christmas day remarks were being recapped Saturday by ITV broadcaster Kylie Pentelow, who was plugging along nicely ... until a little slip at the end when she said, "His death was announced ..."

Pentelow caught herself before she said anything more, and then apologized briefly before doing a hard pause and moving on to the next story.

There didn't seem to be any explanation as to why she said that -- but the obvious answer seems to be that she was reading off of a teleprompter, which must've said something to that effect. Indeed, a true Ron Burgundy moment in real-time.

Of course, the Pope isn't dead -- he's alive and kicking. And as for what he had to say about 'rona during his speech at the Vatican ... it was all about praying the pandemic away, and lamenting those who've suffered through the era of Covid.

President Biden heard what his haters have been saying in code for months now -- a "f*** you" jab that one guy had the gall to say right to POTUS' face, on Christmas Eve no less.

JB and the First Lady were making calls to military families and their kids Friday from all over the country ... talking Christmas, presents, wish lists and of course, Santa Claus. In fact, 46 and the missus were using the trusty NORAD Santa tracker to help in their discussions.

During one of the calls ... a father hopped on, and wished the Bidens a Merry Christmas. All seemed fine until his last words before hanging up ... as he clearly said, "Let's go Brandon."

Joe and Dr. Biden didn't seem to understand what it really meant, especially Joe -- who actually repeated it word for word himself and added, "I agree." Both even chuckled upon hearing it, which doesn't make sense on its face ... y'know, since it's super derogatory.

You probably know by now ... the phrase "Let's go Brandon" has become a joke in conservative circles. It actually means "F*** Joe Biden" ... and got flipped into 'LGB' because of a reporter's attempt to cover up what a NASCAR crowd was chanting during a live shot.

Even though the guy who unintentionally spurred the meme, Brandon Brown, has said he's not a fan of it at all ... that hasn't stopped lots of people from adopting it and using it in several different settings ... like on the intercom of an airplane, for example.

Some have called this a slur, and highly disrespectful -- but in light of Donald Trump receiving similar treatment from his own opposition throughout his presidency, others say it's fair game.

Two more BTS members have now tested positive for Covid-19 -- bringing the total to 3 out of 7.

Rapper RM and singer Jin also contracted the virus of late ... this according to their management company, Big Hit Music. The diagnoses came down after the group's return to South Korea after touring the United States.

As far as the contraction timeline ... Reuters reports RM and Jin both received negative tests in early December after touching down in their home country -- but still had to quarantine anyway per S. Korea's Covid rules.

It wasn't long after that RM tested positive ... just as he was about to exit the local 'rona protocols. Jin, meanwhile, tested negative twice upon leaving quarantine ... but soon, he too felt symptoms and was deemed to be positive. They're considered breakthrough cases.

Like we told you ... Suga, another BTS member, tested positive as well. Big Hit Music makes sure to note that none of them have been in contact with their other bandmates ... the remaining 4 who are negative for now.

The NYPD rookie who was caught on video giving a lap dance to a married lieutenant at a holiday party is super emotional, apologizing to the lieutenant's wife and also saying if she were a man who did something similar it wouldn't be nearly as big a deal.

Vera Mekuli tells TMZ ... she hasn't spoken to the lieutenant since the party and hasn't been comfortable showing up at her precinct. She says her fellow officers at the station have been pretty understanding, allowing her to work from home. She wants to eventually return to the station house and then go back to duty on the streets.

The dance went down last week in a bar in Yonkers. The 26-year-old had only had worked at the 44th Precinct for 4 months before the incident. She says she had no idea the lieutenant was hitched and even apologized to him for the position he's now in.

Vera says she's often the life of the party and believes she can be 2 different people -- buttoned up at work and loads of fun off duty. She says she did the lap dance as a dare as the party was winding down.

She tells us she's so embarrassed she hasn't left her house since the video surfaced. Really sad, because she's really shaken to her core over this ... and for her, it was just a fun moment at a Christmas party.

Scary Xmas over at Windsor Castle ... an armed dude somehow penetrated the grounds before getting nabbed by cops.

The intruder is 19, carrying what British authorities call an "offensive weapon." That, folks, is British to the core.

Here's the thing ... it's scary because the Queen was at Windsor with Charles and Camilla.  Edward, Sophie and their 2 kids were also on hand to celebrate.

The armed trespasser did not make it inside any of the buildings, but still, getting on the grounds is crazy!

Queen Elizabeth skipped Xmas service ... staying indoors -- presumably because of COVID.

The suspect was busted on suspicion of trespass of a protected site, and possession of an offensive weapon. He's still in custody.  Police said, "We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings. Members of the Royal Family have been informed about the incident. We do not believe there is a wider danger to the public."

Pete Davidson is venturing out to parts of L.A. where a Rolls-Royce has rarely traveled -- 7-Eleven!!!

Pete was tooling around again Friday in GF Kim Kardashian's tank of a car, breezing into the store that never closes for a pack of smokes.

And, this is interesting ... he's not spending Xmas in Staten Island, which he has called home since birth. He's ensconced in L.A. with Kim, although we're told he's staying at a hotel.

He was also not at the Kardashian/Jenner Christmas Eve soiree ... a scaled-back affair because of COVID.

Kim and Pete are definitely a thing ... they've been bouncing back and forth between coasts to see each other, although it seems Pete's traveling west more than Kim's going east.

They've certainly made the rounds ... grabbing grub at the Bev Hills Hotel after both returned from NYC. They had a very public date on Staten Island last weekend ... where Kim and Pete rented out a private theater just for them ... but they were busted by a bunch of moviegoers who went crazy with their cell phones.

Merry Xmas everyone, and let's celebrate with an insane fight that erupted for no particular reason.

It went down on a late-night Delta flight from L.A. to Memphis. An eyewitness tells TMZ ... the man in blue had been drinking and was loud. The eyewitness says he was only wearing his mask sporadically, which pissed off some of the other passengers.

The guy he was fighting had apparently said something like, "You must be from L.A. because you think you're better than everyone else" ... whatever that means.

One of them said to the other, "You're a really horrible person," and that apparently triggered the fight.

They really went at it ... causing chaos in the cabin.

Strangely, police were nowhere in sight when the flight landed. The 2 men both went to baggage claim but kept their distance.

Happy holidays, everybody.

Derek Chauvin will eat his first Christmas meal behind bars, while other infamous figures like R. Kelly, Joe Exotic and El Chapo already know what to expect ... so we thought we'd give you a peek at the menus.

R. Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell are under the same roof at MDC in Brooklyn, and they'll share a menu that includes cornish hen and mac n cheese -- not to mention holiday activities like drawing, painting and a musical talent show.

A definite change for Robert ... it was just after Xmas in 2019 when he ate one of his last meals as a free man at a local McDonald's.

Derek Chauvin, locked up in Minnesota, will get beef stroganoff, carrots, bread, an orange and a slice of eggnog cake.

Joe Exotic, who's locked up in North Carolina, will get Cornish hen, mac & cheese, salad and a baked sweet potato -- there's a tofu option if he feels for the animals.

El Chapo's in Colorado, where Cornish hen's on the menu with peanut butter pie for dessert.

Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer, will get a chicken breast, potatoes, spinach and an ice cream sundae before getting to watch "It's a Wonderful Life."

A woman committed the cardinal sin in the wedding world -- she apparently looked better than the bride, and says that's why she became persona non grata at the ceremony.

Alena Yildiz from Germany shared her story ... "My close friend uninvited me to her wedding because she thought I looked too good in the dress she chose for me," immodestly adding, "Still took some fire pics in it though."

Now here's the thing ... it ain't the usual ugly bridesmaid's dress, so what gives? Yildiz opened up to Insider, saying she's being treated differently from the other bridesmaids ... "all of our other friends wore extravagant dresses as well, but she only had a problem with me."

We'd call it a humble brag, but the fact is ... she pulls off the look in spectacular fashion!

Yildiz claims the bride was honest and insecure, saying the dress was "too attention-grabbing." She thinks it's all the bride's screw-up ... if she thought the dress would be too sexy on any of the 6 bridesmaids, she should have chosen an uglier garment ... certainly not one with a thigh-high slit.

BTW ... the friendship between Lildiz and the bride is kaput ... "It made me feel like I had no value to her as a friend."

LeBron James is playing his hand on COVID, or at least it seems this way ... suggesting we've gotten a little crazy with panic over contracting the virus.

LeBron posted a meme called "Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man" ... featuring 3 Spidies -- one representing COVID, another representing the flu and the third repping the common cold.

When you break it down ... it seems LeBron is shading the NBA for protocols that have sidelined a bunch of players -- even some who have tested negative -- and canceled a number of games.

The Lakers have benched head coach Frank Vogel, along with Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk and Austin Reaves ... all because of its COVID rules. There's a big game set for this weekend -- Lakers vs. Nets -- but Kevin Durant is out because of COVID protocols.

You'll recall ... LeBron played his cards close to the vest for a fairly long time before finally acknowledging back in September he was vaccinated, but he made it clear -- he wouldn't pressure other players to get jabbed, saying, "That's not my job."

There's gonna be less space in space, because the newest clutter is the most powerful telescope ever hurled into the heavens, and it promises a new, never-before-seen look that could alter the way earthlings live.

We're talkin' The James Webb Space Telescope, which lifted off early Xmas morning from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

NASA described the launch this way ...  "At 7:20am ET (12:20 UTC), the beginning of a new, exciting decade of science climbed to the sky. Webb’s mission to #UnfoldTheUniverse will change our understanding of space as we know it."

That may not be an overstatement ... the telescope is the most powerful and most complex ... a space observatory that will study exoplanets -- those are planets outside our solar system.

Thing is ... scientists think some of the exoplanets could be habitable, and that means 1) is there existing life on any of them? And 2) could we live there either by choice or necessity?

There have been years of delay in launching the scope for various reasons. As for specs -- its mirror can extend more than 21 feet, which gives it the ability to capture more light from the objects it's photographing ... and that will enhance the details scientists will study.

The mirror has 18 hexagonal, gold-coated segments ... fancy!

Bottom line ... scientists should be able to see things, including planets, they've never seen before.

For NeNe Leakes, Christmas will be different this year -- very different -- because Gregg won't be around.

Our sources tell us the 'RHOA' star is bracing for an extremely hard holiday for herself and her family, their first Xmas without Gregg.

NeNe's got a new man in her life, businessman BF Nyonisela Sioh, but our sources say there are no big plans for him to join the fam for Christmas.

Remember ... NeNe's new boyfriend has met her family, spending time with them at her surprise birthday party in Atlanta, which was organized by her son ... so he could in theory still join the fold.

NeNe's just now trying to move on with her life, getting back into dating some 3 months after she lost her husband of over 20 years to a long battle with cancer ... but the holidays are always tough for those who've lost loved ones.

Britney's promising new music, but it's unclear when, and how 'bout that Jake Paul?!!? So, we gotta ask ...

Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight!

Christmas is here so it's time to indulge in presents, sweets, and these sexy Santa Clauses coming to town!

These festive females -- including Remy Ma, Chanel West Coast, and Sabrina Carpenter -- are draping themselves in their best red rendition of St. Nick's classic clothes ... and it's up to you to figure out who's who!

Dash through this gallery of sexy celebrity Santas and see if you have what it takes to guess which holiday hottie is bringing the best gifts this season!