Martin Short Called 'Desperately Unfunny' In Op-Ed ... Fans Defend Him On Social Media

Published | Updated

Martin Short's fans are coming to his defense on social media after he was skewered as a "desperately unfunny" comedian in a recent op-ed.

All the drama started Friday when Dan Kois published an opinion piece for Slate, calling into question Short's talents as a funnyman to the point of what many might interpret as being rude.

Kois wrote, "He (Short) would do anything, anything, for a laugh" ... "I find Martin Short's whole schtick exhausting, sweaty and desperately unfunny."

Continuing his takedown, Kois said ... "Every time he dresses up in a silly outfit or says something outrageous or mugs for the audience, I want to shout at the screen: 'Why are you being like this?'"

Kois also attacked Short's hugely popular TV show, "Only Murders In The Building," co-starring Selena Gomez and Steve Martin. Even though the series received Emmy nominations, Kois still thinks Short's character is not funny.

And the criticism went on and on and on.

But a lot of people disagreed with Kois and took to social media to show their support for Short, while posting clips of his best moments.

One fan wrote on X, "There's literally nothing that's not funny about martin short i dont understand this."

Another devotee said, "Martin Short has been hysterical since I was born lol."

A third person called Short a great human being who lost his wife of 30 years to ovarian cancer in 2010, yet still considers himself married, holding conversations with her spirit.

Chiefs' Kadarius Toney Drops X Account ... After Brutal Game

Published

Kadarius Toney is going ghost after his abysmal Thursday Night Football outing ... 'cause the Kansas City Chiefs receiver just deactivated his X account.

There's no sugar-coating it -- Toney had a bad game in the Chiefs' loss to the Detroit Lions in the opening game of the 2023 season ... missing three targets and deflecting a pass that was intercepted for a pick-six, which ended up being the game-changing play of the matchup.

Toney finished the game with one catch for one yard and one rush for a loss.

Fans were quick to share critical posts throughout the game ... mentioning Toney's account as they expressed their frustrations with his performance.

They can complain all they want, but Toney's tuning out the haters ... 'cause a visit to his "0fficialC2N" profile now reads "This account doesn't exist."

While Chiefs Kingdom and trolls are spewing hate, the guy's still getting support from his team ... as Patrick Mahomes said despite the drops, he has faith in Toney.

"Obviously he would've wanted to catch a few of those in the game, but I've trusted he's going to be that guy that I go to in those crucial moments, and he's going to make the catch and win us some games like he did last year," Mahomes told reporters after the 20-21 loss.

"So we're going to continue to work him in, get him more and more reps, and I'm sure that those drops will kind of disappear."

Artificial Intelligence Social Media Says It's Racist ... After AI-Generated Images Of People From All 50 States

Published | Updated

Artificial intelligence relies on ethnic stereotypes and is completely racist ... that's the majority view on social media after computers imagined what someone from each state looks like.

Here's the deal ... one advanced AI model cranked out 50 images of what it imagined folks from all 50 states would look like, and real people are saying the results reek of racism.

Folks on Elon Musk's app are saying AI is playing into racist tropes when it comes up with images of minorities, and they're ripping the computer model for basically ignoring Black couples in favor of white or mixed couples.

One example getting a lot of attention is Mississippi ... the AI-generated image is a Black man dressed like he's been working in the fields, with tons of dirt covering his clothes.

The AI model had some fun with Florida though ... the person the computer thinks best resembles the Sunshine State has some oddly reptilian features.

So, yeah, this is what these computers are coming up with. Bizarre, right?!?

Lots of folks also have issues with the Alaska image being a "delicate looking white girl" ... and they point out all the white couples seem to be men with much younger-looking wives.

Bad sign for when AI takes over the world?!? 😅

For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Blink-182 Tour Temporarily Postponed ... 'Urgent Family Matter' Involving Travis

Published | Updated

Blink-182 has temporarily pulled the plug on 3 European concerts because Travis Barker had to leave to deal with an "urgent family matter."

The band was not specific, other than to say ... "Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States. The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available."

Hours before Blink-182 broke the news, Travis posted photos of a prayer room to Instagram, though it's unclear where he was or why he did so.

As you know, Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant and seems to be far along. Nevertheless, no one is saying what urgently caused the postponement.

061723_travis_kourtney_kal
SURPRISE!!!

Kourtney announced her pregnancy with a big sign at Blink's show back in June.

Hope everything's ok.

Eric Lewis NBA Ref Retires ... Amid League's Social Media Burner Probe

Published

Longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis is retiring ... just a couple months after the league announced it was looking into allegations he wrongfully used social media.

The 19-year-vet, who's officiated over 1,200 regular-season and playoff games, informed the league of his decision on Wednesday ... according to NBA officials.

The league added its probe into Lewis' alleged social media activity is now closed.

As we previously reported, the NBA initially began its investigation back in the spring ... after some claimed now-deleted tweets regarding the league's officiating came from a burner account belonging to the 52-year-old.

The NBA, of course, does not allow refs to publicly comment on officiating ... and while they looked into the matter, they pulled Lewis from his role as an NBA Finals ref.

At the time, Adam Silver said he didn't think it would be "appropriate for him to work" the games amid the allegations.

It's still not yet clear if the account did, in fact, belong to Lewis.

UFC's Natan Levy Learn From Troll Beatdown, Bullies 'Words Have Consequences!!!'

Published
082923-natan-levy-kal
KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YA
TMZ.com

UFC fighter Natan Levy is hoping bullies everywhere take serious note of his recent beatdown of an internet troll ... saying on Tuesday he wants anyone who's even thinking of spewing hate speech going forward to know "words have consequences."

Levy absolutely mauled a smack-talking social media user named Ben recently ... after the guy had defended noted antisemite Nick Fuentes in an exchange on X.

Levy, who's Jewish, met the dude at his gym and pounded on him for several minutes -- forcing the guy to tap out.

Eventually, he got Ben to say on camera following the sparring sesh that six million people were murdered in the Holocaust -- an atrocity Ben didn't previously acknowledge.

When Levy joined Harvey and Charles on Tuesday's "TMZ Live" to talk about it all ... he said he was pleased with how it turned out with Ben -- and now, he wants others to keep the incident in mind before they hit their keyboards with similar nonsense.

"The big lesson I wanted to teach this guy -- and hopefully everybody who is watching -- is words have consequences," he said. "Actions have consequences."

"If you say something, you better stand behind it," he added, "'cause this hate turns into hate in the real world. So we need to cut it off."

Levy will have to take a brief moment from policing bullies on social media -- he's got a big UFC fight coming up against Alex Reyes on Sept. 16 -- but when that concludes, sleep with one eye open, trolls.

Bad Bunny Out In the Wilderness ... A Whole Lot of Bush Included!!! 😳

Published | Updated

Bad Bunny probably ain't gonna be the face of Manscaped anytime soon -- especially south of the equator -- 'cause the dude's letting the hedges run wild ... just look for yourself.

The Latin rapper/pop star appears to be on vacation right now -- or, at the very least, recently was -- and he's throwing up a crap ton of pictures on his Instagram story right now that's documenting the trip, which appears to be somewhere quite scenic and outdoorsy.

Of all the photos he's posting, one in particular has caught the Internet's attention -- it's a nude selfie, which shows BB silhouetted ... and which teases his junk toward the bottom.

His penis isn't totally exposed, but the top of it most certainly is ... a tease for the ages.

Yes, Twitter's losing right now over his hot shot ... but what's also noticeable are his pubes -- which are robust and aplenty. In other words, he's rocking a very vintage look. BTW, the way people know this is because his original photo has been brightened -- including by us -- so we can all get a peek at the goods. Dude isn't shy about it ... take a gander!

What also stands out is that Bad Bunny is looking yolked these days -- he threw up some other shots of himself shirtless and in the gym ... and yeah, homeboy's putting in work.

Again, we don't know when this was all taken -- despite it being posted Sunday -- 'cause there's a clip in there that appears to feature Kendall Jenner ... and BB calling her "mami."

We know KJ's been in Mexico lately, and she was just in L.A. last night. In any case, they're going strong -- and you gotta imagine she likes what he brings to the table, bush and all.🌳

Adele Defends Fan in Crowd Tells Security to Stop Hassling Him

Published | Updated

Adele continues to be the people's champion ... turning on her own security for bothering a fan of hers in the crowd, and stopping the whole show to do it.

The singer was performing Saturday at her Vegas residency -- getting ready to belt out "Water Under The Bridge" -- and right as she seemed ready to start crooning ... she came to an abrupt halt, telling the band to stand down as she addressed something out in the audience.

Watch ... Adele zeroes in on a man out in the seats that she can see is being hassled by security, and she wasn't having it -- demanding to know what was going on/what he'd done.

Adele says she noticed he'd been getting bothered by security almost the entire time she'd been on stage, and when she didn't get an adequate response ... she ordered the guards to leave the dude alone -- noting he was just there to have fun, as was everyone else.

There's another angle that captures the action from a further vantage point, and you can actually see the security guard in question. He's a bald guy, and he's aggressively talking to this man before Adele calls him out. Sounds like it might've been over him standing up.

As you can tell, the rest of the concert-goers were thrilled that Adele was defending her own ... and they cheered as she scolded the staff. Once again -- Adele speaks to the people.

Considering how beloved she is -- and how good she is at talking to audiences -- something tells us there might be something else in her future. This woman knows how to connect!

Steve Harvey Sorry for Unfunny Comic Tweet ... Someone's Getting Canned

Published | Updated
082623_steve_harvey_kal
clickbait BS

Steve Harvey asked fans which comedian they thought was the worst , and it sounds like word of that just made its way back to the man himself ... 'cause he's apologizing.

The veteran comic and jack-of-all-trades host hopped online with a personal video Friday -- showing that he's out in nature -- and he addresses a recent tweet posted by his personal account. A simple question was posed ... "A Comedian you don't find funny at all?"

Steve says he's got official social media people handling his accounts, and insists it wasn't him who posted it ... going on to lament the tweet as mean-spirited and downright negative.

It's unclear what sorts of names people responded with ... but the fact Steve felt he needed to clarify his/his team's intent suggests it got some traction on X.

A screenshot of the since-deleted tweet shows that it was viewed at least a million times, so folks definitely saw it.

Anyway, Steve says the explanation he got from his handlers was that they were just trying to get some engagement ... but he adds they're gonna be needing new employment now.

SH says sorry ... he's clearly annoyed by the whole thing. When pot-stirring backfires. 😅

Nicki Minaj Fans Attack Stephanie Bell Accounts After Swatting Suspect Called Out

Published | Updated

Nicki Minaj fans are on the hunt for "Stephanie Bell," who has a warrant for arrest after allegedly swatting the rapper, but lots of folks with the same name are getting caught in the crossfire.

Here's the deal, Stephanie Bell just isn't the most unique name, and ever since Nicki name-dropped her alleged harasser ... everyone with that name is taking it on the chin, at least on social media.

Some of the Stephanies are coming forward to air their grievances.

One wrote, "I've never been so angry at another Stephanie Bell. You're f***ing it up for all of us.." and another said, "Why y'all still in my inbox."

For what it's worth, some Stephanie Bells online know all about Nicki, but not about her swatting issue ... so, they're pretty confused about why the Barbz are swarming.

BTW, it doesn't sound like anyone getting dragged is the real Stephanie in question ... at least, not yet.

As we reported, law enforcement sources told us Bell, who Nicki put on blast Wednesday, is facing 2 charges of deliberately reporting a false emergency.

We also confirmed there is, indeed, a warrant out for her arrest, as Nicki claimed.

TMZ broke the story, cops told us the attempted swatting occurred in June, with an anonymous caller claiming child abuse was going down at Nicki's L.A.-area home.

Police also got a call that same night about her house being on fire -- and both reports were totally untrue.

Courtney Stodden I'd Never Buy Chrissy Teigen's New Wagon ... Review-Bombs Are Karma

Published
082523_courtney_stodden_kal
DON'T BUY FROM BULLIES
TMZ.com

Courtney Stodden says folks shouldn't be spending money on Chrissy Teigen's new child wagon ... and she'd never support someone who told kids like her to take a "dirt nap."

We got Courtney in L.A. and asked what she thought about folks bagging on Chrissy's new stroller wagon, given the toxic history ... and while she claims to have moved on, she had some stern words for anyone looking to buy.

Courtney tells us she's gone through hell over the years, thanks to Chrissy -- and the irony is blinding ... selling a children's product when she was an online bully to kids.

BTW, we ask Court if folks need to move on, or if Chrissy's review-bomb is fair game ... check out her response.

As we reported, Chrissy's collab with Wonderfold has been flooded with 1-star reviews ... and many of the reviews are all about the celeb attached to the product.

One wrote, "To sell a product with its purpose to be used with CHILDREN, you chose a "woman" who told a CHILD (Courtney Stodden) to kill herself?!"

You'll recall, Chrissy had a bit of a mean streak in the past, especially with Courtney, who was a teenager at the time. Chrissy tweeted, "Go. to sleep. forever," and "I hate you."

The barbs came at the time Courtney was married to actor Doug Hutchison, tying the knot when she was 16 and he was 51.

Chrissy's since publicly apologized to anyone she hurt in the past with her trolling, but it sounds like Courtney still isn't going to forgive and forget.

Plies 'N****s 4 Trump' Dude's Been Dusty 4 Life!!!

Published | Updated

Plies is having a field day on Donald Trump in the wake of the ex-president's 4th indictment ... gunning for 45's Black supporters wearing their allegiance on their chest.

The "Ritz Carlton" rapper poked fun at Trump's mug shot and the seemingly inaccurate stats -- 6'3", 215 lbs -- on his booking sheet. Plies is also taking it to the Georgia man who went viral earlier this week for conducting an interview while wearing a shirt that says "N**** 4 Trump."

Plies didn't hold his tongue and accused the man (and everyone like him) of being cornballs back in high school ... while smelling funky and never getting haircuts.

There's been a lot of contention for African Americans affiliated with the Republican party as of late ... Charlamagne and GOP presidential candidate Larry Elder went blow-for-blow this week, splitting opinions down the middle.

Not Plies though ... he's as anti-Trump as it gets!!!

Donald Trump Social Media Calls BS On His Booking Stats ... Ain't Buying 45's Height or Weight

Published | Updated

Donald Trump's now infamous mug shot was not the only hot topic burning up the Internet Thursday ... there was a HUGE debate over 45's physical attributes on his booking form.

As everyone already knows, the ex-POTUS surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail last night after he was criminally indicted for allegedly trying to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

DT posed for his scowling mug shot, which was then beamed around the world. Then something else caught the public's eye ... on his booking sheet, Trump's hair was described as "Blond or Strawberry," and his height and weight were listed as 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds.

Many people -- mostly on the left -- weren't buying DT's physical description and took to "X," the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to weigh in on the matter.

Film Director Rob Reiner wrote, "215 pounds. No f**king way!"

Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett insisted, "There is ZERO chance Trump is 6'3 and 215 pounds."

NFL reporter Scott Kacsmar posted a side-by-side photo comparison of chubby Trump and muscled football star Larry Fitzgerald, each with nearly the same physical characteristics. The caption read, "LIKE HELL."

082423-donald-trump-speaking-kal
"I DID NOTHING WRONG"
Fox News

ABC News noted Trump's height and weight were pre-reported to the jail to speed up the booking process ... giving skeptics even more ammo to think the numbers don't add up.

Whatever the case ... Trump has made history once again.

WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt Dead At 36

Published | Updated
UPDATE

5:43 PM PT -- Wyatt died of a heart attack, according to wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp, who says he spoke to the Rotunda family after the fatal medical emergency, which occurred earlier today.

WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt has tragically died at the age of 36, WWE executive Triple H announced on social media.

"Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda - also known as Bray Wyatt - unexpectedly passed earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time," the Hall of Famer wrote.

Wyatt joined WWE’s main roster in 2010 under the name Husky Harris, before leaving a year later. He rejoined the main roster in 2013 as the leader of The Wyatt Family.

He was a three-time world champion in WWE, including the WWE Championship once and Universal Championship, twice. He took a brief hiatus from August 2018 to April 2019 and returned with a new character, a mix of Bray Wyatt and his other side, The Fiend.

Wyatt came from a long line of wrestlers. His dad was Hall of Famer, Mike Rotunda. His grandfather was Blackjack Mulligan, and his uncles were Barry and Kendall Windham.

Bray was a part of a bunch of big matches throughout his career ... including his WrestleMania 31 match against The Undertaker in 2015.

Before joining the world's biggest wrestling promotion, Wyatt wrestled under the name "Alex Rotundo" in the FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling).

As you'd expect, Wyatt was a helluva athlete ... and even won a state wrestling championship at Hernando High School in Florida, where he wrestled at 275 lbs. Bray was also a star football player in H.S. and even went on to play at the College of the Sequoias (a Juco in Cali) for two seasons, before transferring to Troy University. Wyatt, a guard, was listed at 6'2" and 295 lbs.

The WWE Universe was crushed by the news ... with fans and fellow wrestlers sharing condolences on social media.

The Rock wrote ... "Im heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing. Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with @wwe universe."

Johnson continued ... "Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling. Still processing losing the goat, Terry Funk yesterday and now Bray today. My love, light, strength & mana to the Rotunda family and Funk family during this tough, heartbreaking time."

FYI, Funk, a legend, passed away on Wednesday.

Ric Flair also shared his thoughts on the awful news ... "When Your Great Friend And Someone Your Son’s Age Dies Within 2 Days, It Really Makes Me Reflect & Think About Life! Don’t Take Any Second For Granted! Rest In Peace Terry Funk & Bray Wyatt!"

Alexa Bliss weighed in, as well ... "I’m just in shock. Extremely heart broken And at a loss for words. What I can say is what an amazing human being Windham is. Amazing friend & one of the most creative minds to ever walk this earth."

"Windham, you’ve brought so much joy and happiness to everyone around you. It’s going to take me some time to really process this. Sending my love to the Rotunda Family & Jojo. We love you Windham 🖤"

032919_bray_wyatt_kal 3/29/19
LAST TIME WE SAW HIM
TMZSports.com

Details surrounding Wyatt's death are not yet clear.

R.I.P.

Story developing ...

Originally Published -- 3:57 PM PT

Nicki Minaj Swatting Suspect Revealed Warrant Out for Arrest

Published | Updated

Nicki Minaj is declaring victory after falling victim to a swatting prank ... cops have an arrest warrant out for the suspect allegedly behind the calls

The rapper went on social media Wednesday and called out a woman named Stephanie Bell, who Nicki is accusing of making swatting calls to her San Fernando Valley home.

Nicki says ... "Stephanie Bell. A warrant is in the system. Great detective work. So grateful. The DA filed one count for the swatting call and one for the false report to DCFS. To God be the glory."

Law enforcement sources confirm to us Bell's facing two charges of deliberately reporting a false emergency ... and there's a warrant out for her arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Nicki was the victim of a swatting prank back in June when a caller falsely claimed Nicki's child was being abused and her house was up in flames, resulting in a police response.

In another post, Nicki says ... "To the woman who made those swatting calls to my home… #WasItWorthItDumbo ?"

Jacquees Ella Mai Still Salty Over 'Trip' Cover ... I'm Blocked On IG & Twitter!!!

Published
082323-jacquees-kal
STILL BLOCKED
Baller Alert

Jacquees says Ella Mai still hasn't forgiven him for covering her 2018 R&B smash "Trip" ... with all the evidence on his social media -- he's been blocked!!!

The notorious song remixer shared his truth with "The Baller Alert Show" podcast Wednesday ... revealing Ella spoke to him for the first time in years at this year's Roc Nation Brunch, yet still doesn't want any parts of him on IG and Twitter.

Jacquees infamously earned a cease-and-desist from Ella's label when he released his unsanctioned "Trip" remix to enormous popularity ... with many fans claiming it was better than the original version.

Jacquees recalls Ella being a bright-eyed young fan back then ... remembering her even camping out backstage while he was on tour with Chris Brown just to meet him.

He blamed her negative reaction on her newness to the industry at the time ... but also owned up that his self-appointed "King of R&B" title may have caused some backlash on himself all the same!!!

Fans have been wanting these two to collaborate since the "Trip" controversy. They're now on speaking terms ... it's a start, at least!!!