I’m on the fence about Bradley Cooper. Possibly because, when I watch him on the big screen, I can’t help but remember his initial foray into douchebaggery in Wedding Crashers. What can I say? I struggle to separate the man from the myth. Even the name: Bradley. Sounds like an asshole to me.
But as Tim Grierson writes today, Cooper knows he’s got this bro-y exterior, and thus, is attempting to craft a new image of himself. I see what you’re doing, Brad, and I like it.
Check out that story and everything else from MEL today, below.
Must Read
“Bradley Cooper Doesn’t Want to Be Your Hero”
“There are lots of leading men Bradley Cooper could have been. He decided to be one who plays guys who aren’t entirely comfortable with the spotlight.” So sayeth Tim Grierson, and he’s right—after Cooper’s breakout hit, The Hangover, he had every opportunity to play the prototypical leading man. But since stumbling in The A-Team, Cooper’s been testing the limits of what it means to be the good guy. And it’s starting to pay dividends. READ MORE
Bad Men in Sports
What’s the difference between Harvey Weinstein and Ben Roethlisberger? Or Louis C.K. and Jameis Winston? Or Les Moonves and Kobe Bryant? All have been accused of sexual misconduct (or much, much worse), but only the athletes—Roethlisberger, Winston and Bryant, respectively—have survived their scandals with their careers intact (at least so far). So why hasn’t #MeToo been as effective in culling bad men in sports as it has in the entertainment industry? Miles Klee puts forth a few theories.
Where Are They Now?
If you were born in the 1970s, 1980s or early 1990s, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Raffi, the beloved children’s folk artist responsibly for this little ditty:
Really brings you back, doesn’t it?
It’s been a few years since Raffi’s heyday, though. But that doesn’t mean the Canadian-Iranian singer has decided to rest on his laurels. In fact, Raffi’s been busy using his Twitter soapbox to fight the slow creep of fascism, using his money to fund a nonprofit focusing on supporting children and writing new music about the importance of being an environmentalist.
Public Service Announcement: Your Toilet Tools Are Shitty
When was the last time you replaced your plunger? How about your toilet brush? Have you given them a bleach bath at any point since Reagan was president? Then—Earth to Brent—THERE IS SHIT ON THEM. Here’s how often you need to be disinfecting everything even remotely close to your toilet.
Lay Off Stepdads
Stepfathers have often been portrayed in pop culture as unloving at best, and abusive at worst. And that might be because art imitates life—i.e., the widely believed trope that kids with stepfathers are more likely to be abused or killed by them. That belief even has a name—the “Cinderella effect.” But new research shows that the negative role stepfathers allegedly play in their stepchildren’s lives has been greatly exaggerated.
Everything in Moderation
If you have trouble controlling your drinking, you might have considered at some point quitting hard alcohol and limiting your intake to beer and wine—the thought being that the slower burn of the softer stuff might afford your addled brain the opportunity to push back from the bar before it’s too late. But is this really a viable way to cut down on your drinking? Hell no. Here’s why—and here’s what you should be doing instead.
Hey Jealousy
Is jealousy a red flag in a relationship? Sure, if that jealousy comes with a side of emotional abuse. But perhaps a little jealousy is a good thing. In fact, it might be an aphrodisiac.
From the Back Catalog: Bar Fights
It was revealed today that noted lover of beer Brett Kavanaugh is the kind of guy who settles arguments in bars with his fists (especially when involving UB40). Despite what you might have read on Twitter, fighting in a bar isn’t a thing normal people do. It’s something angry—and more than likely drunk—people do. Back in 2016, we took a look at why the seemingly mild-mannered turn into monsters after a couple drinks:
Inside the Mind of an Angry Drunk
But if you’d just as soon skip the psychoanalysis and get to the actual fighting, here’s a bartender on all the brawls she’s seen while slinging cocktails:
All the Bar Brawls I’ve Witnessed While Slinging Drinks
So fight on!
Jeff Gross
Jeff Gross is MEL’s senior editor for social media and content marketing. His daily ICYMI column, which chronicles all things meta on the site, is the quickest way to catch up on MEL, and the funniest thing you’ll read all day. Follow him on Twitter.
