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A NYT piece has Twitter buzzing about a question regarding cannibalism, and why it's so trendy now ... ominously reminding people of an old movie touching on just this topic.

The story published by the paper Saturday is titled, "A Taste for Cannibalism?" ... and the Times' tweet promoting it reads ... 'Cannibalism has a time and a place. Some recent books, films and shows suggest that the time is now. Can you stomach it?"

The whole premise explores why eating people has appeared so prevalently in our pop culture these past few years -- whether it's in newer movies like "Raw" or "Fresh," shows like "Santa Clarita Diet" and "Yellowjackets" ... or even novels of late that delve into the subject.

It's an interesting read -- different theories are mulled, like cannibalism being embraced anew in fiction as a response to angst over the pandemic, climate change, food shortages, capitalism, eating disorders, politics or just old-fashioned thrills from societal taboos.

But as the Times also notes, cannibalism in media is nothing new ... with depictions of it dating back to olden times -- but more recently in films like 'Silence of the Lambs,' or perhaps more prominently in 1973's 'Soylent Green' ... which is trending right now over this.

Naturally, the memes are flying ... with some jokingly pointing out 'SG' actually takes place in the year 2022, and that all this cannibal content might be a forecast of what's to come.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Bill Maher misses the days of old -- especially when it comes to James Bond ... whom he says has gone soft and mushy in the Daniel Craig era, going so far as to call him "woke."

The 'Real Time' host dished his thoughts on the fictional spy character during the most recent episode of his podcast, "Club Random with Bill Maher," where he was chatting with YouTuber Hannah Stocking about how he feels Bond has changed ... for the worse.

Watch ... Bill says they've turned 007 into a watered-down stud, who's deeply in love and in a committed relationship in this last installment, "No Time to Die" -- which BM says is so unlike Bond and counterintuitive to the spirit of the OG character by author Ian Fleming.

To make his point, he recalls when Denise Richards starred in "The World Is Not Enough" -- Pierce Brosnan's 2nd-to-last go-around -- and killed it by playing a hottie scientist/the love interest.

It's unclear if Bill's suggesting that actress Lea Seydoux, who's Craig's GF in the last two flicks, *isn't* hot -- because that's just wrong, she totally is -- or if his beef is more so with the dynamic in these newer Bond movies ... aka, lovey-dovey. In any case, he doesn't dig it.

Bill even says Bond bringing his gal (and their kid) along for the climactic mission at the end is super weird -- joking the MI6 agent might as well have stopped off for tampons.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Bill's take -- there are a lot of folks who actually like how Bond has progressed over these past several years ... with some saying he's perhaps more fleshed-out, complex and interesting than any other iteration before this.

Martha Stewart sure knows how to set the mood -- but the one she went for with this sad announcement might be ... a little off.

The famed home-life guru made news Saturday by revealing several of her peacocks had gotten murdered by wild coyotes at one of her farms -- presumably the one she has in upstate NY ... an attack that apparently happened in broad daylight.

MS writes, "RIP beautiful BlueBoy. The coyotes came in broad daylight and devoured him and five others including the magnificent White Boy any solutions for getting rid of six large and aggressive coyotes who have expensive tastes when it comes to poultry??"

She goes on to explain she's no longer gonna let her peacocks -- of which she has upwards of 21, as she's previously explained -- roam outside of their enclosed yard. Martha also says they're going to add wire fencing to the top of their pen area to avoid more episodes.

Like we said ... definitely a sucky update. And while we're sure Martha is devastated -- she sorta suggested the opposite with the music she set her IG post to ... namely, Marvin Gaye.

Dr. Jill Biden is taking hate aimed at her hubby in stride -- absorbing a heckler's harsh words and redirecting them right back at 'em with a little reverse psychology.

The First Lady showed grace this week while out in New Haven, CT -- one of 3 states she's set to be visiting as part of a new tour to promote summer learning -- where some dude standing on the sidewalk about 30 yards from her let Mrs. Biden how he felt about Joe.

Check it out ... while Jill was heading into a building -- reportedly for an ice cream break amid the day's event -- the man shouts from a distance ... saying JB's the "worst president we ever had," and adding that she (and Joe maybe?) owe the American people gas money.

Nothing too crazy, but what's wild is Jill heard it loud and clear ... and responded. Rather than just ignore the jab, which she could've done, she spun it around -- and gave thanks!

DJB says she appreciates this fella's support and keeps it moving ... looks like the back-and-forth actually gave some of her Secret Service members a chuckle -- 'cause, yeah, it's funny.

Henry Cavill was rumored to possibly be a presence at Comic-Con this weekend on behalf of Warner Bros. -- but its time came and went ... and there was no red cape in the sky.

A Deadline report suggested there were rumblings Cavill might actually be appearing this weekend down at the event to talk more "Superman" during the WB/DC panel, which just wrapped ... and no sign of HC anywhere (unlike in 2012, where he was front and center).

So, yeah ... the rumor and/or report was BS -- which is a bummer, because fans were juiced about the possibility of Henry being announced for more movies in the titular role.

It's not in the stars, though, it seems. This would've been a perfect opportunity to signal some sort of plan about what Warner -- now fused with Discovery -- is going to do with their biggest IP ... but it sounds like they're still unsure of where the brand is going. That, or they're sure they're done with Cavill. Of course, some have already seen that coming.

Instead of 'Superman' news ... WB trotted out new trailers for 'Shazam! 2' and 'Black Adam' -- with The Rock actually making allusions to the Man of Steel in a hypothetical match-up.

Ben Affleck is ready to hit the deck -- which is exactly what he did on his honeymoon ... just so he could hit the hay.

The actor was seen catching a nap on his family-style excursion with Jennifer Lopez and their respective children Saturday -- this while they cruised down the Seine River in Paris on a boat ... where they've been for the past several days enjoying their post-nuptials chapter.

As you can see, BA has no problem falling into what looks like a pretty deep sleep -- dude's literally got his feet kicked up and his head back. We can almost hear the snoring!

BTW, this comfy position wasn't the only he tried to get into dream mode -- at one point he was seen curled up in his own knees, kinda like one would do on a bus or plane. Fortunately for him, he was able to find the sweet spot toward the front of the vessel.

No sign of Jen and the kiddos here -- but that's probably for the best. Papa Bear mustn't be disturbed in situations like these ... a man's gotta get his rest, after all.

Kid Cudi was no substitute for Kanye West at the Rolling Loud Festival Friday night ... at least according to some fans who pelted Cudi with objects, including a bottle to the head ... and Ye got some lyrical licks in too.

Cudi was on stage at the jam-packed event in Miami when some hecklers -- clearly Kanye fans -- started yelling at the "Day N Nite" rapper and throwing objects at him.

Getting more and more angry, Cudi stopped his performance and screamed into the mic, “I will f**king leave … If I get hit with one more f**king thing — if I see one more f**king thing on this f**king stage, I’m leaving!”

Then someone from the audience hurled a bottle, hitting Cudi on the side of the head. Cudi dropped the mic and said nothing as he turned and walked off the stage.

Fans were undeterred, chanting Kanye's name, and they got more than they expected. Lil Durk took the stage and guess who walked out as well ... none other than Kanye, who made a grand entrance to the mighty approval of the crowd.

Kanye belted out his hit, "Father Strech My hands, Pt. 1" from "The Life of Pablo" album, which the rapper recorded with vocals from Cudi, which has gotta be a dig.

The fans were clearly choosing sides ... Kanye and Cudi are in a massive feud, after Kanye called Cudi out for being friends with Pete Davidson. Cudi responded by calling Ye a "dinosaur."

Cudi landed the headlining gig after Kanye bowed out of the festival at the last minute without providing a reason.

Kid Rock canceled his concert Friday night in North Dakota due to bad weather ... triggering an angry backlash from fans who trashed the venue.

KR was supposed to take the stage around 9:30 PM at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot ... following a 2 1/2 hour performance by his opening act, Night Ranger.

We're told a storm was brewing on the outskirts of town with some wind and lightning, but no rain, which kept delaying KR's show.

By the time 11 o'clock rolled around, lots of folks in the 18,000-strong audience were pretty drunk ... and pissed because it seemed as if the storm had passed.

An officer from the Ward County Sheriff's Department then walked up to the mic and announced the concert was canceled.

The crowd went berserk and turned the place upside down, throwing beer cans at the stage.

One guy climbed onto the stage and took a threatening stance before security tackled him.

Another man was handcuffed and led away by the police.

Ricky Martin made his first public appearance since winning a big court victory against his nephew ... at the Hollywood Bowl no less.

Ricky took the stage to a packed house and obliquely addressed the drama, asking the crowd, "Are you really having a good time? All I want is for you to forget all your issues tonight and just focus on love and light and let's just have a good time. Are you ready Los Angeles to have a good time?"

Ricky, who performed with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra, never directly addressed his nephew's accusations or the court hearing.

TMZ broke the story ... Ricky's nephew withdrew his restraining order petition, and although Ricky was present for Friday's hearing on Zoom, he never spoke ... he didn't have to. As you know, his 21-year-old nephew claimed he had a 7-month sexual relationship with Ricky, after which he says the singer stalked and harassed him. Ricky adamantly denied there was ever any relationship and his lawyers said the nephew suffered from serious mental issues.

After the nephew withdrew his claim and the judge dismissed the case, Ricky's legal team told TMZ, "Just as we had anticipated, the temporary protection order was not extended by the court. The accuser confirmed to the court that his decision to dismiss the matter was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure."

Ricky appeared on a video in which he talked about the pain this caused him and his family.

Legendary actor James Caan died from a combination of serious heart problems ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease -- the most common heart disease in the U.S.

The certificate says James also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and congestive heart failure.

As we reported ... James died July 6 at 82 years old, but details were scarce aside from a family statement.

The death certificate says James died at 9:02 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He's since been buried at Eden Memorial Park, the final resting place for many celebs.

Hailey Bieber is legally cleared to launch Rhode -- her new skincare line -- after a judge shot down a NY company's claim she's stealing its trademark, and she's wasting no time in using it.

TMZ broke the story ... a clothing company called Rhode NYC filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Hailey in an attempt to block her new biz venture. Hailey, whose middle name is Rhode, argued her company is strictly dealing with skincare ... and not clothing, so there would be no confusion for the public.

Well on Friday afternoon, a federal judge sided with Hailey ... denying Rhode NYC's motion for a preliminary injunction.

Shortly after the emergency hearing, Hailey released a behind-the-scenes documentary called, "The Making of Rhode" on her YouTube channel.

Her lawyers submitted the documentary to the court -- after the clothing co. filed a complaint with the court over its release -- but the judge saw no reason to shut down the film's debut.

This is a huge victory for Hailey -- Rhode NYC lost its battle to immediately shut down her company. While the clothing co. can still make arguments that she's causing market confusion ... it's gonna be an uphill battle, now that Hailey's biz is up and running.

Storm Reid is all about dorm life on the West Coast as she continues her acting career ... and it's a balance she thinks is crucial to being a well-rounded person.

We got the "Euphoria" star at LAX ... and she tells us school's always been important to her -- she's gunning for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the USC School of Dramatic Arts, studying film production and African American studies.

She thinks it's important for people to get an education, no matter their situation. Now the dorm thing. Yes, she lives in a dorm at USC, but it's not the garden-variety dorm you see on most campuses. It's way bigger, kitchen and all!

In case you missed it, Storm did a collab with Amazon recently, giving an "MTV Cribs"-style tour of her 450-square foot dorm room ... clearly showing off baby blue as her favorite color.

Storm tells us she's got a great friend group in her dorm. She's even joined some social clubs on campus, to make sure she gets the full experience.

Thursday's primetime January 6th hearing was gripping and the Trump outtakes were deeply troubling, and geez J Lo and Ben ... get a room!!! So, we gotta ask ...

Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah just pitched in front of a sold-out stadium full of fans and celebs at the All-Star Game -- but there's one guy he really wishes would have come to watch him throw ... Drake!!!

Manoah made it clear to TMZ Sports just before he took the bump at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday that he really wants the "God's Plan" rapper to catch one of his games.

"Come watch me pitch!" Manoah said in a message to Drake.

The 24-year-old even offered some incentive to the entertainer if he does make the trek to one of his outings soon ... telling us, "We'll give him a uniform!"

Of course, Drake is a big Blue Jays fan -- he's worn the home team's jersey at his concerts in the past ... and even famously put a pic of Joe Carter on his "Back to Back" hit's cover art.

But, it's obvious he's far more into Toronto's basketball team than its baseball team ... and it seems Manoah is trying to work his magic to get that to change.

Stars are in the thick of summer and according to social media, they've been fleeing their everyday lives and drifting off to Italy. Whether sailing the Amalfi Coast or sipping Florence's finest wines, celebs are living quite lavishly, and they are giving you a little taste.

In typical Kardashian-Jenner fashion, Kris Jenner and her boo Corey Gamble are having yachts of fun under the Italian sun, while daughter Kourtney Kardashian and new hubby Travis Barker kept the Italian romance alive and waltzed through the streets of Milan.