Summary

Charlotte the stingray, who gained fame on social media through her immaculate conception, has passed away due to a medical complication. Ye is sued by former employees at Yeezy for discriminatory and racist treatment during app development. 2024 BET awards shockingly paid tribute to OJ Simpson during In Memoriam segment. Despicable Me 4 releases this week, but the reviews do not give it a desirable reception. Hulu’s “The Bear” crushes viewership with its newest season. A24’s “Maxxxine” comes to theaters this weekend with positive ratings as it concludes the X horror franchise. The BET awards continue to shock viewers as they mute Usher’s acceptance speech during broadcast. Charli XCX’s “Brat” album is the unofficial official album of the year as ‘brat’ green becomes a signature color. 

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For those who read...

Today is July 2nd, my name is Jake, and you’re listening to Current2 Pop Culture! Today’s episode is brought to you by Just Bagels, the best NYC bagels delivered.

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Trending Topics…

• Charlotte the Stingray, who gained popularity on social media for her immaculate pregnancy, has died. It was discovered in February that Charlotte was carrying between 3-4 pups, yet she lived in a tank without any male stingrays. It was assumed she conceived through asexual reproduction,  but when Charlotte was due to give birth at the end of February, no pups came. Researchers at the North Carolina aquarium discovered that she suffered from a rare reproductive disorder that ultimately led to her death. 
• Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is being sued by 8 former employees of Yeezy alongside the company’s chief of staff for alleged “extreme racism and bullying.” The employees, all young adults and teenagers between the ages of 14-17 claim they experienced unnecessary discrimination and unpaid labor while working on development of an app. Looks like Ye is a new kind of “famous” now. 
• and the 2024 BET awards shocked viewers with a tribute to OJ Simpson during the “In Memoriam” section of the broadcast. The families of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman slammed the awards, calling it disgusting and unacceptable, demanding an apology. Viewers also took to X to voice their own opinions, with many saying they turned the awards show off the moment Simpson’s picture was shown. 

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Popcorn Picks…

• The fourth installment of the Despicable Me franchise premiers this Wednesday and the reviews are in… and they aren’t glowing. Will Farrell joins the cast as the film’s villain, but many critics admit that the series is growing tired and they made it clear that there is no need for a Despicable Me 5. It’s still a great family film that all the kids are sure to love, so if you’re in need of Fourth of July weekend plans for the family, it’s a great option! 
• Hulu’s “The Bear” season 3 premiered last week, and the first episode ‘cooked’ with 5.4 million views in only the first 4 days after its premier. The entire season is now available for streaming, and if you haven’t watched it yet, what are you doing cousin! 
• and the third and final film in A24’s “X” franchise, Maxxxine, hits theaters this weekend, and critics have agreed that this is Mia Goth’s best performance yet, truly making her a star now. The raunchy and gnarly horror series welcomes Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon to the cast, and everyone seems to agree that director Ti West has gone three for three with the final film. 

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Rhythm Report…

• The BET awards must have been craving controversy because we have another story about Sunday night’s awards. Usher was awarded the lifetime achievement award, but as he began his acceptance speech, the audio was inadvertently muted for 4 of the 13 minutes of his speech. BET issued an apology to the rapper, thanking him for his participation and extending their deepest regrets. It seems like BET has a lot of apologies to work on this year… 
• and it is officially “Brat girl summer” due to Charli XCX’s sixth studio album’s booming success. Currently at the No. 3 spot on the US charts, the album is all over TikTok with the acid green album cover becoming a strong contender for the 2024 cover of the year. 

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That’s all for your pop culture news, this is Jake signing off, thank you for listening to Current2 Pop Culture, if you enjoyed it, tell yours friends to listen so you have someone to talk to about it. We are the easy way to stay entertained, have a great rest of your day.

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Sources:

Social media star Charlotte the Stingray has passed away (CBS, NPR)

Ye sued over improper work conditions at Yeezy (Today, NBC)

2024 BET awards pay shocking tribute to OJ Simpson (Daily Mail, NBC)

Despicable Me 4 receives less than perfect reviews (Guardian)

“The Bear” season 3 sizzles with its premier (Wrap)

Maxxxine ramped up to be a solid conclusion to the “X” trilogy (Rotten Tomatoes)

BET Awards issue apology to Usher for muting his acceptance speech (Variety)

Charli XCX’s “Brat” album becomes summer hit (NYT)