The Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott Newsweek Radio & Podcasts

If you’re like basically every American today, you’re asking yourself, ‘What happened at that presidential debate and is Joe Biden ok?’ At least that’s what Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott is asking himself. So today he’s joined by his colleague at Newsweek, Alex Backus (reporter and editor), to ask every question most Americans are asking after watching that dumpster fire of a debate.  

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The trailer for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ (June 28) shows star Lupita Nyong’o carrying a cat around moments before New York City is overtaken by aliens. For Nyong’o, the scariest thing on set weren’t the aliens, but rather the cat in her arm. “I had a deadly fear of cats. I couldn’t be in the same room as cats. I would break out in tears.” Calling herself a “scaredy cat,” the Oscar-winning actress worked with a cat therapist to get over her fear. “I can confidently say this film has changed my life.” The film, a spin-off prequel to the other two in the franchise, tells the story of the first day the aliens—attracted by noise—took over the world. Nyong’o calls New York “a character in and of itself” and “makes for a much more dexterous journey, I will say, compared to the last few films that were in a remote location.” As to how she’d fare in a world infested with noise-attracted aliens? “Not well, because when I am deathly afraid, I break out in fits of laughter. Which is the wrong thing to be doing when you’re scared, ever. So, I feel like I would die laughing, which is great.” 




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It's rare for a piece of theater to become such a cult hit that it moves from downtown to Broadway, but that's exactly what's happening with Cole Escola's ‘Oh, Mary!’ For Escola, who previously was best known for their YouTube sketches and collaborations with Amy Sedaris, "it feels like I scored a goal for the home team." Oh, Mary! is an absurd comedic send up on Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham's assassination. "It's about her hopes and dreams of being a cabaret star. It's a very stupid comedy. It's essentially a sitcom." The show has made Escola a bona fide star—they recently attended the Met Gala—something that doesn't sit well with the young playwright and actor, saying that "I don't even want to be minutely known. I don't have the constitution for it." And that's partly because this is all new to them. "This play is the first thing I've ever had produced of my first work. I'm trying to enjoy it, but it is a wild peek into a completely different level and world of the entertainment industry." Considering Oh, Mary! will run on Broadway until September, Escola's got a few months of notoriety to contend with. "I do look forward to disappearing back into the gay shadows of obscurity after this is over." 




Read full chat in the latest issue of Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/2024/06/28/cole-escolas-oh-mary-has-finally-made-mary-todd-lincoln-star-1910985.html 

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This year Kara Young broke a Tonys record, becoming the first Black person to receive three consecutive nominations and only the sixth person ever to do so. "It feels special that the third [nomination] is historical, but more historical in the sense that it's civil rights activist Ossie Davis' words that are being activated and recognized." Young's nomination is for the play ‘Purlie Victorious,’ a comedy written by Davis in 1961 and revived for Broadway this year with Young and Leslie Odom Jr. "This is 63 years since its last production on Broadway, and I feel like for this play to be recognized is so important." Young says the script of ‘Purlie Victorious’ is "such an American masterpiece of text" and that it was the diverse audiences that came to see the play that made it so special. "In the history of people being silenced, you are listening to a Black woman, a Black man, a Black cast, speak their truth, unapologetically speak Ossie Davis' words. How magical is that?" For Young, it's the power of plays that inspires her. "I feel like plays allow us to see each other as human." 




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What happens when superheroes turn evil? That’s the question ‘The Boys,’ based on a series of graphic novels, sets out to answer. “They’ve done such a good job of having the essence of these really insane comics, while also making them palatable for TV,” Chace Crawford, who plays superhero The Deep, says about the Prime Video original series, now in its fourth season. “The idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and that superheroes who have this power and kind of are gods, what would they really do out in the world?” Crawford, who rose to fame on the CW series ‘Gossip Girl,’ says he jumped at the chance to play The Deep because it makes fun of the pretty-boy image he’s been identified with. “These types of roles don’t come around a lot. Also, I think you have to have a sense of humor about yourself. To be like, Yeah, let’s make fun of that guy.” Ultimately Crawford credits show creator, Eric Kripke, for keeping the show grounded despite its “batsh** crazy” tone. “We want to talk about real issues through the lens of a superhero show, which is kind of amazing.” 

 

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When you’ve been a fat kid, a little bit of that fat kid stays with you, no matter if you stay fat or not. But how to cope with that? Well, that’s exactly what comedian Ian Karmel and his sister, Alisa Karmel, PsyD, aim to tackle in their poignant memoir T-Shirt Swim Club: Stories From Being Fat in a World of Thin People (June 11). “I’ve seen so often that people’s representation with fat was either as a punchline or as an object of pity. And I hated that we were either Cartman [from South Park] or the whale,” Ian says. The two write about growing up fat and not addressing it. Eventually Ian’s weight would reach 420 pounds when he decided to lose the weight, but not his humor. “I had two goals in writing my part of this book, which was to be as honest and as vulnerable as possible and even harsh on myself. And be clear about my opinions and my feelings and what I went through. I was like, if I’m gonna get my story out here, and help my sister get her story out there and her professional opinions too, I’m gonna have to do it through being funny.” 

For more on the book, visit https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723034/t-shirt-swim-club-by-ian-karmel-and-alisa-karmel-psyd/ 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

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