By Wonderwall.com Editors
3:19pm PST, Dec 2, 2020
Why Taylor Swift's fans think she dissed Scooter Braun in Ryan Reynolds'-penned ad
On Wednesday, Dec. 2, Taylor Swift's fans woke up to a little treat from the singer — a tidbit of her new version of "Love Story," from the six albums she vowed to re-record after her nemesis, Scooter Braun, acquired the masters to her back catalog, thereby taking over rights to make money on her original music. "Okay so while my new re-records are NOT done," she tweeted, "my friend @VancityReynolds asked me if he could use a snippet of one for a LOLsome commercial he wrote so…here's a sneak peak of Love Story! Working hard to get the music to you soon!!" The clip is an ad for Match.com, written by Ryan Reynolds, in which lonely old Satan finds true love with the year 2020 (for reasons we need not re-hash here). As Taylor's new music plays in the background, romance blossoms between the new couple, who at one point, stop in front of a dumpster fire for an emoji-ready selfie. Cue the "aws" and "LOLs" but before you let the video play past the 1:13 mark, take note of what Taylor's fans are pretty sure is one of her increasingly bold Easter eggs. To fans, this one's hiding in plain sight. Behind the evil twosome of 2020 and the devil, off to the side of the dumpster fire is — wait for it — a scooter, knocked over on its side. Behind it? The number "6" — the same number of Taylor's albums that Scooter got in his Big Machine Label Group deal — is scrawled on a wall in graffiti. As one fan put it on Twitter: "The fallen Scooter. I love Taylor omg." Wrote another, presumably to Scooter and his supporters: "BYEEEEE …"
Keep reading for the latest on Harry Styles and conservative pundit Candace Owens' would-be feud …
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Harry Styles drags Candace Owens on 'manly men' critique, Candace claims 'shots fired'
Harry Styles is not above trolling his trolls. Amid news there's a waitlist for copies of Harry's December 2020 Vogue cover — the one featuring Harry in a dress, much to the chagrin of conservative pundit Candace Owens — Harry Instagrammed a photo of himself from his Variety cover. Before we get to Harry's Variety cover plug, let's take a quick refresher on Candace's response to the skirt he wore for Vogue. "There is no society that can survive without strong men," she tweeted. "The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men." Fast forward to Harry's new post: In the pic, he's wearing a a light blue tux-type getup by Palomo Spain and a whole lotta ruffles while eating a banana. The caption reads simply, "Bring back manly men." Candace, by the way, caught wind of Harry's post and responded with this political pundit vs. pop star pseudo-feud challenge: "When people try to tell me I don't have influence, and then @Harry_Styles dedicates an entire post to my tweet. I inspire global conversation. #BringBackManlyMen Shots fired." Moving on …
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Jessica Simpson reveals she's dyslexic
In her widely praised, No. 1 New York Times bestseller, "Open Book," Jessica Simpson revealed she'd overcome an addiction to alcohol and pills — and that she was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. This week, the memoirist made one more revelation. "Fact: I'm dyslexic and this was the first time I have ever read out loud without hesitation," she wrote in an Instagram post celebrating the inclusion of her memoir on Apple's Best Audiobooks of the Year list. "I did it for the listener. I did it for my family. I did it for myself." Dyslexia "is characterized by trouble with reading despite normal intelligence," according to Wikipedia. Prior to her note about her reading disorder, Jess, 40, thanked Apple Books, "for recognizing and respecting my story." Added the mother of three: "Turning my fears into wisdom has been a soulful journey to say the least. I appreciate the power of this praise with all of my heart."
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Jennifer Lopez weighs in on A-Rod elopement rumors
Easter egg queen Taylor Swift may be hiding some secret kernel of truth for fans at every turn. Jennifer Lopez? Not so much. J.Lo's new movies, "Marry Me" and "Shotgun Wedding," recently stirred up buzz about whether the films somehow suggest she and her fiance, Alex Rodriguez, have already said "I do." "It's funny because life does reflect into things you are doing at times," Jennifer said while chatting with ET this week. "But it's just kind of a coincidence because when I did 'El Anillo,' the song in Spanish, which is, 'When are you going to give me a ring?,' I was not really trying to send a message," she continued. "It was just a song that we wrote that we liked and with 'Marry Me,' it was something we were developing for, I would say, seven years." She added: "All of that stuff and it was happening now where Alex and I are engaged and about to get married at some point," she continued. "It just happens that way. It's a funny thing, life and art, they kind of intersect."
Prince Harry on how becoming a dad 'changed everything'
Prince Harry's long supported conservation causes, but he recently came to understand just how essential it is that we take action now to protect the environment before it's too late. He and Meghan Markle welcomed their first child, Archie. "The moment you become a father everything really does change," Harry says in a video posted this week by WaterBear Network. "… Because then you start to realize, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it's on fire? We can't steal their future. We really can't. That's not the job we're here for." Filmed in Harry, Meghan and Archie's California home, the 9-minute clip shows Harry explaining "the importance of storytelling to drive meaningful action," according to the caption from WaterBear, which calls itself, "the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet" on its website. Harry — who was named President of the NGO African Parks in 2017 after physically helping to save hundreds of elephants and other wildlife in Malawi — also urges viewers to do more than just talk about conservation issues. "For me, it's about putting the do's behind the say's, and that is something that WaterBear is going to be doing: capitalizing on a community of doers," Harry continues. "There's a lot of people that say, but this is about action." Since its launch, Vogue UK and other outlets have likened WaterBear to "Netflix for climate docs."
Cardi B talks staying true to herself and teaching Kulture to do the same
Billboard announced this week that Cardi B is the outlet's official Woman of the Year — and not just because of her music. As Cardi herself recently broke down in an Instagram video aimed at haters who griped she doesn't deserve the honor, there are plenty of reasons to give Cardi props in 2020. Per Billboard, "WAP" spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and "set a new record for most streams for a song in a single week," with 93 million. The rapper also promoted women collaborating in hip-hop — still a rarity, Billboard notes — as her huge hit became a women's anthem for the year. Finally, Cardi tackled politics, interviewing Bernie Sanders on social media and having Bernie and, later, Joe Biden, explain to her massive fan base why voting is so important. "I want to show people that you can do positive things, but you can also be yourself," Cardi tells Billboard. As for those very vocal haters? Cardi doesn't seem to sweat 'em. "They want you to be Mother Teresa, they want you to put out music, and they want you to look a certain way," she explains. "It's like, 'Y'all gotta chill — I'm just a regular-degular b—-, man." Finally, asked about how she'll raise her toddler, Kulture, Cardi says she'll teach her little girl to be strong and believe in herself. "I want her to be confident always," she says. "Don't let one comment break you and make you feel like you're not that girl. You that girl."
Would newly single Becca Kufrin give 'The Bachelorette' another try?
Is the third time the charm when it comes to the Bachelor Nation? Maybe not for 2018 "Bachelorette" Becca Kufrin. The publicist– who split from Garrett Yrigoyen in September after they got engaged on the show — joined Kaitlyn Bristowe on her latest episode of her "Off the Vine" podcast. Since Becca previously appeared on Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season of "The Bachelor," Kaitlyn wondered if she'd consider returning to her "Bachelorette" role if asked. Becca didn't exactly jump at the idea. "Oh god! I don't know. Lately, people have been asking, I think just because I'm single," she admitted (via ET). "I never want to say no and I'd never want to say never. But also, I am 30. I feel like a grandma. I love to sleep. I love my bed. I love snuggling with [my dog] Minno." Filming a whole season means "there's no sleep for two-plus months," she said. "I don't know if I could do it again." Becca's also not sure she needs another engagement prospect right now. On "The Bachelor," Arie infamously proposed, Becca accepted — then Arie changed his mind and proposed to Lauren Burnham instead. "I was engaged two times already. I don't want to keep racking up the rings," Becca joked. "As much as I love Neil Lane, I don't want to have a ring graveyard."
Pharrell launches inclusive entrepreneurship program
Pharrell Williams is working to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products and services, with a new initiative called Black Ambition. Launched on Tuesday, Dec. 1, the program aims to create a more inclusive entrepreneur community by strengthening access to resources like seed capital, mentorship and strong peer networks. "Recent events and tragedies have illustrated the always existent stark divisions in the American experience, and while entrepreneurship has long been a tenet of the American dream, marginalized people have faced long-standing barriers to success," Pharrell told THR in a statement. "With Black Ambition, the goal is to help strengthen the pipeline of talented entrepreneurs and close the opportunity and wealth gaps derived from limited access to capital and resources." The Grammy winner is kicking things off by opening up two prize competitions, one of which is a collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities for students developing ideas for and starting up companies in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products and services. Speaking at a virtual press conference, Pharrell explained: "We need a voice and in order for us to have a voice, we have to have some ownership. We have the smallest slice of the American pie in terms of ownership. We would like to manifest our ambitions. We can't just say we have them. What do they look like? This is what it looks like. This is what Black Ambition looks like."
Lady Gaga's 'Chromatica' is getting the Oreo cookie treatment
Lady Gaga and Oreo cookies present … one more reason to love your pandemic uniform of leggings/sweatpants/choose your own stretchy waistband adventure. Delish reports Oreo is releasing a limited-edition cookie line inspired by Gaga's new album, "Chromatica." Think pale pink Oreo cookies sandwiched around green creme and three designs on the outside that riff on the "Chromatica" album art. The Mother Monster approved treats hit stores in January.
