&#8220;Star Wars&#8221; creator George Lucas is returning to the big screen for the first time in nearly two decades, taking on a voice role in the newest film in the &#8220;Despicable Me&#8221; franchise.
Lucas hasn&#8217;t had a single acting credit since a 2007 &#8220;Robot Chicken: Star Wars&#8221; appearance, and largely stepped away from the film industry altogether after he sold Lucasfilm to Disney — but he will voice a surprise role in the upcoming &#8220;Minions and Monsters,&#8221; due out July 1.
The role <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/george-lucas-role-minions-and-monsters-illumination-1236786427/">came about</a> as a result of Lucas&#8217;s love for the franchise, according to Illumination Studios founder Chris Meledandri.
&#8220;I had this privilege of meeting George about two years ago, and what led to my meeting him is how much he loves Illumination movies, and specifically ‘Despicable Me,’ and even more specifically, the &#8216;Minions,&#8217;” Meledandri told Collider. “It was such a thrill to learn that and then to share it with the team, because obviously he’s among a very small group of people who the entire studio shares a level of respect for that is just off the charts.&#8221;
Meledandri went on to say that as he and his team began to prepare for &#8220;Minions and Monsters&#8221; — which is set in the 1920s film industry and follows the little yellow imps as they attempt to make a monster movie — he had an idea for a role that might be a good fit for Lucas.
&#8220;An idea for a character came up out of the story, and so I said to Pierre [Coffin], who co-wrote the movie with Brian Lynch, and Bill Ryan, who produces with me on the film, and I just said, ‘Well, what if we could get George?’ And they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I had no idea, but I got such a fast yes,&#8221; he said.
And the collaboration may not end there: Meledandri also revealed that Lucas has spoken to him about a possible role in the next &#8220;Minions&#8221; movie as well.
The team has been tight-lipped about which role Lucas might play in the soon-to-be-released installment, but he&#8217;ll be joining fellow voice talents Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, and Trey Parker, among others.

Rendez-Vous With George Lucas – The 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival

‘Star Wars’ Creator George Lucas Is Returning To The Big Screen

animated movie

Animation

George Lucas

Hollywood

Star Wars

The reviews are in, and while “Toy Story 5” is getting high marks, it currently holds the lowest critic score out of all the mainline films in the franchise. 
The latest installment, which hits theaters this Friday, June 19, has a 94% critics’ rating on the review aggregator <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story_5">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
In “Toy Story 5,” the gang must contend with children who are enamored with technology and what it means for the future of play. Woody, Buzz, and the others are all highly skeptical of a new tablet named Lilypad.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Toy Story 5 | Official Trailer | In Theaters June 19" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c51ND9Hdbw0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“As a piece of family-entertainment content it has the unblemished sheen of a brand new smartphone. But at heart, it has gone dead,” the reviewer from the Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/16/toy-story-5-review-pixar-franchise-needs-new-batteries">wrote</a>, giving the new film just two stars out of five. 
“For all the intensive, high-energy creative work that has clearly gone into this film’s every frame, the jeopardy, the novelty, the ideas and the passion are lacking; the crucial Toy Story theme of mortality feels underpowered.”
“Alas, Toy Story doesn’t follow through on its initial thesis that technology has turned humankind into a bunch of cruel, narcissistic zombies &#8230; But we have enough of that in the real world, so consider this movie an escape of sorts,” the Boston Globe reviewer <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/16/arts/toy-story-5-review-lilypad/?p1=StaffPage">wrote</a>.
“The studio naturally holds back from portraying Lily as an all-out villain — more a misguided soul, merely concerned with what’s best for Bonnie. But the film fails to drum up any kind of meaningful conclusion on the matter, even if it’s a nuanced one,” said the <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/toy-story-5-review-release-pixar-b2997450.html">review</a> from the Independent.
Not all the reviews were negative, however, with the reviewer from Variety saying, “It’s a sublime summing up, a movie that reflects the whole series in its magic mirror, and (just maybe) a perfect ending.” But even with the support, it fell behind the rating of the original “Toy Story” and the other three sequels. The next lowest-rated installment is “Toy Story 4,” which has a 97% rating. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” each have a perfect 100%. 
Film director Andrew Stanton explained during a previous interview that Lilypad is not the villain of the movie in the traditional sense.
The teaser trailer, released in November, indicated that a new tablet called “Lilypad” steals main character Bonnie’s attention as she forgoes playing to scroll. This recognizable storyline immediately resonated with parents and helped justify the idea of yet another “Toy Story” sequel.
“[Lilypad] is [the villain] to the toys because they’re understandably intimidated,” Stanton told Variety while clarifying the iPad stand-in is not meant to be the overall bad guy.
“She’s just the next phase in Bonnie’s life. She’s built like a toy in the sense that she wants to help the kid go forward, but she’s got very different skills and zero experience, whereas Jessie has nothing but experience and is probably unprepared for what to do.”
Co-director McKenna Harris told the outlet that several “Toy Story 5” creators pushed to turn Lilypad into a true villain, but that idea was ultimately shot down.
“Lots of people at the studio wanted her to be a villain, and it was so hard to strike the balance because I think we all come in with such loaded emotions towards devices. At the end of the day, it never made sense,” she said.

Toy Story 5

‘Toy Story 5’ Breaks The Wrong Kind Of Record For Pixar

Entertainment

Movies

Toy Story

Parents who were excited about the villain of the next “Toy Story” franchise film are about to be disappointed. Film director Andrew Stanton explained during a recent interview that the rumors aren’t technically true.
The teaser trailer, released in November, indicated that the villain this time around is a new tablet called “Lilypad,” which steals main character Bonnie’s attention as she forgoes playing to scroll. This recognizable storyline immediately resonated with parents and helped justify the idea of yet another “Toy Story” sequel.
“[Lilypad] is [the villain] to the toys because they’re understandably intimidated,” Stanton <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/toy-story-5-aging-woody-lilypad-1236750424/">told</a> Variety while clarifying the iPad stand-in is not meant to be the overall bad guy. 
“She’s just the next phase in Bonnie’s life. She’s built like a toy in the sense that she wants to help the kid go forward, but she’s got very different skills and zero experience, whereas Jessie has nothing but experience and is probably unprepared for what to do.”
Co-director McKenna Harris told the outlet that several “Toy Story 5” creators pushed to turn Lilypad into a true villain, but that idea was ultimately shot down.
“Lots of people at the studio wanted her to be a villain, and it was so hard to strike the balance because I think we all come in with such loaded emotions towards devices. At the end of the day, it never made sense,” she said.  
Harris added that the filmmakers tried to make the narrative realistic, which in this case meant learning to coexist with tech. “We’re not getting rid of these devices, no matter how hard we try. I’m always going to have my phone. I’m probably going to be partially addicted to it. So it felt right for the toys to have to grapple with that nuance.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Toy Story 5 | Final Trailer | Get Tickets Now" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QftAW9TTmuQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
While the minds behind “Toy Story 5” agree that tech is here to stay, they also revealed that the film relied on traditional animation techniques instead of straight AI.
“We’ve had machine learning since the beginning of Pixar as far as figuring things out for you occasionally, but it’s always been to make the tools work better. I have no interest in doing anything but working smarter, faster with another artist,” Stanton said.
Harris agreed, telling Variety, “Pixar is a technology company first, and so things are changing. Pixar is figuring out how to change along with it. But as far as our process on ‘Toy Story 5’ went, we had to figure it out ourselves, mainly because ultimately, what you’re seeing on screen is the work of a lot of awesome artists.”
The voice cast for &#8220;Toy Story 5&#8221; includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack, who return to their roles of Woody, Buzz, and Jessie. Greta Lee voices Lilypad.
The official synopsis says, “The toys are back and this time, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?”
The full trailer was released on February 19. “Toy Story 5” hits theaters June 19.

‘Toy Story 5’ Plot Twist Set To Disappoint Parents

'Toy Story 5' Director Shares Plot Spoiler That Parents Won't Like

Children

Technology

The Trump Kennedy Center will host the premiere of the family-friendly film, “Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie,” on Flag Day: June 14, 2026.
The animated family film brings American history to life with humor and heart, tracing the nation&#8217;s founding ideals through adventure and storytelling that’s fun for the whole family.
The film features voice performances from well-known actors and public figures, including Kirk Cameron as Brutus Wigglesthorpe, Kevin Sorbo as George Washington, Pat Boone as Abraham Lincoln, Gary Sinise as Robert E. Lee, Rob Schneider in a cameo role, Alveda King as a civil rights activist, Jarrett Ellis as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Dr. Ben Carson appearing as himself.
Per the <a href="https://www.starspangledadventures.com/">website</a>, the narrative “begins in 1775, as Liberty the Eagle is sent as an apprentice to watch over Freedom in pre-Revolutionary America … In preparation for what will become a truly revolutionary act, brave colonists draft the Declaration of Independence — setting the stage to change the world. Cue the fireworks! As America&#8217;s story unfolds, the promises of the Declaration echo through each generation. When fireworks burst across the sky during a modern-day July 4th celebration, young viewers are left with a powerful truth: our cherished freedoms were not only hard-won, but they must be protected. And now, it&#8217;s up to them to carry the torch.”
The premiere marks the latest addition to the Trump Kennedy Center’s faith and family-based programming initiative. The Center has previously featured screenings of faith-centered films such as “King of Kings,” CBN’s “Revival Generation,” and “El Tonto Por Cristo,” along with its first-ever Christmas spectacular – “Noel: Jesus is Born!”
This upcoming Flag Day event will encourage Americans to celebrate our great nation.
“As we celebrate America&#8217;s 250th anniversary, the Trump Kennedy Center is proud to bring families together for the premiere of ‘Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie,’ a patriotic experience the whole family can enjoy. This continues our promise of more family-friendly show options at America&#8217;s cultural center,” said Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations.
The film was made as part of the American Cornerstone Institute’s Little Patriots initiative, expanding on the popular “Star Spangled Adventures” cartoon series.
“‘Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie’ brings the story of America to life for our youngest learners in a way that will educate and inspire them. By honoring the courage, faith, and love of liberty that has shaped our great nation over the years, we are helping the next generation understand that freedom is not automatic — it is something that must be understood, loved, and protected,” said Dr. Ben Carson.
The premiere aligns with a broader cultural push to reclaim American institutions for faith, family, and patriotism. As the country prepares for its 250th anniversary, “Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie” offers parents a wholesome, educational film that celebrates the principles of liberty, courage, and self-governance that built the United States.

Star Spangled Adventures

Trump Kennedy Center Announces Pro-America Content For Kids

America

Kennedy Center

Patriotic

Boy Scout Shirt with Rank Badge and Merit Badges

Everything In Society Has Been Feminized, And It’s Been A Total Disaster. Here’s Proof.

Everything In Society Has Been Feminized, And It's Been A Total Disaster. Here's Proof.

Boy Scouts

Feminism

J.R.R. Tolkien

Opinion

Women

Just before Pixar celebrated their first big win of the year at the box office with “Hoppers,” Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter explained why the company decided to cut the gay storyline in the original film “Elio” last year.
“Hoppers” is being lauded because it doesn’t push any inkling of LGBT themes that have become quite common in animated films recently. “Elio,” meanwhile, flirted with the idea, and it was widely considered to be a box office flop.
The original narrative included tidbits about former director Adrian Molina’s experience growing up gay, as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/pixar-disney-franchises-pete-docter-80c57f9d">reported by</a> The Wall Street Journal. But Docter said the studio opted to change it up because parents weren’t necessarily ready to have those discussions with their young children watching the film.
“We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy,” the Pixar exec said. “As time’s gone on, I realized my job is to make sure the films appeal to everybody.”
The film tells the tale of an 11-year-old boy, Elio, who bonds with aliens. The outlet noted that the original storyline showed Elio raising a child in the future with a same sex partner.
Upon its release, The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elio-pixar-america-ferrera-director-queer-2-1236301860/">described</a> Elio as a “queer-coded character” whose “characterization gradually faded away throughout the production process.”
LGBT activists who worked on the film blamed these edits for its poor performance. “Suddenly, you remove this big, key piece, which is all about identity, and Elio just becomes about totally nothing,” one former Pixar artist told THR. “The Elio that is in theaters right now is far worse than Adrian’s best version of the original.” Another said the final character version was “generic.”
Meanwhile, there was speculation that “Elio” never took off because those “queer coded” themes were leaked to the media and parents were avoiding it.
After being understood as a hitmaker for years with beloved projects such as the “Toy Story” franchise beginning in 1995, “Monsters Inc” (2001), “Finding Nemo” (2003), “The Incredibles” (2004), “Up” (2009), “Inside Out,” (2015), and a slew of others, Pixar, which was acquired by Disney in 2006, seemed to lose its way by going too niche. It produced sequels to some of its most popular titles, but also came up with out-of-the-box concepts like the controversial “Turning Red” (2022), a movie about puberty.
Then there was that whole “Lightyear” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-kiss-included-woke-toy-story-spinoff-lightyear-struggles-at-box-office">same sex kiss fiasco</a> in 2022, which proved that even Pixar films based on treasured IP weren’t guaranteed to hit, especially if they included topics parents didn’t want their kids to see.

Elio

Pixar Exec Explains Why Studio Killed Gay Storyline In Animated Children’s Film

Disney

LGBTQ

Pixar

U.S.

In recent decades, the leftist political ethos has taken over how to tell fairy tales.
My favorite example is the arc Disney has gone through.
I&#8217;m a huge fan of the old Disney films. It makes me really sad how Disney has destroyed its own intellectual property and really screwed itself up as a company in the service of politics.
My favorite example is the difference between the film “Pinocchio” and the film “Frozen.”
In “Pinocchio,” Jiminy Cricket sings, “Always let your conscience be your guide.” The entire story of “Pinocchio” is that the boy who is coming of age refuses to let his conscience be his guide. He has to explore every bad idea, and finally learns that responsibility for protecting his own family and his father is actually how you become a real boy. The way that you actually mature in the world is to take on responsibility and duty and act with conscience, as opposed to going to Pleasure Island.
The theme could not have been more clearly stated.
Contrast that with the immorality of the most popular song in the last 20 years from Disney, “Let It Go,” in which there is literally a lyric that says “No right, no wrong, no rules, I&#8217;m free,” which is about as pagan an ethos as is possible to get.
You can see the arc of American morality in three generations right there.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-251223-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
If you look back to Shakespeare, he sometimes creates a toned-up version of fairy tales. All of his comedies are essentially a type of fairy tale, and every single one of them ends with a marriage. That’s because life is funny; all these bad things happen, and yet the generations move on. You get married, and you build something.
With the tragedies, everyone dies at the end. In these works, death is a tragedy because the characters have not fulfilled their function of passing it on to the next generation.
Moreover, in the tragedies, it&#8217;s not just an old person dying, it&#8217;s the young person dying that&#8217;s the real tragedy. The tragedy of King Lear isn&#8217;t Lear&#8217;s death; it’s Cordelia&#8217;s death.
That’s true throughout all of the stories of the West: the importance of the deepest things. And because we have become a sterile civilization, I wonder, how much of that is connected to the sterility of rationality?
I really pride myself on rationality. I love reason, reason&#8217;s great; logic is great. But the truth is that the things that people tie themselves to are beyond reason.
I’ve spoken about what I call role theory, which is the idea that all of religion and all of culture is built around particular roles that are universal to human beings.
But we as a society have decided that roles are bad. Roles are impositions from the outside. What we really are is free-floating, authentic desire. And because roles come with rules, they are an imposition on us, and therefore, we have to explode those roles to live a free and full life. In reality, the roles are what make us who we are. And that’s pretty much what every fairy tale is about.
What every great story is about is a person reconciling and making the most of the role that has been laid out for them; the world pre-exists you; you&#8217;re meant for a role the minute you&#8217;re born. That role is laid out for you. You have liberty to live out choices within that role, but the minute that liberty becomes a universal asset that destroys the role, the minute that happens, it&#8217;s no longer liberty.
Then it becomes libertinism, and everything descends into chaos.

Traditional wooden Pinocchio toy.

From Conscience To Chaos: How Modern Storytelling Abandoned Moral Roles

Ben Shapiro

Cartoon

Culture

Morality

Social Issues

Woke Culture

After a string of high-profile failures, Disney finally scored a win with the animated sequel “Zootopia 2” over Thanksgiving weekend.
The movie broke records for the House of Mouse. It raked in over $559 million globally since its premiere on Wednesday, earning the highest international earnings ever for an animated film, and the highest international earnings for a sequel. “Zootopia 2” also earned the fourth-highest earnings among all films, according to <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/11/zootopia-2-box-office-records-1236631348/">Deadline</a>. 
The animated sequel boasted a $156 million estimated gross total domestically over the five-day holiday, putting it second in line behind “Moana 2,” which earned $225 million domestically in 2024. 
“Disney has made it an event that comes virtually every year over the Thanksgiving holiday,” Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, said of the results, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/30/business/zootopia-sequel-thanksgiving-box-office">CNN</a>. “Families just embraced (‘Zootopia 2’) in such a profound way.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Zootopia 2 | Final Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5AwtptT8X8k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The analyst noted that the second-highest earner, “Wicked: For Good,” also performed strongly for its second week.
“They did not really detract at all from each other … This performance was born out of having a perfectly curated, perfectly strategized release of these two movies,” Dergarabedian added.
The original “Zootopia” was released in 2016. The story follows a bunny cop, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), who must work with sarcastic con artist fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to solve a mystery in a city full of talking animals. In the follow-up, Nick is Judy’s partner as they take on another case.
While Disney has been pushing the envelope with leftist themes and LGBT storylines, it’s worth noting that “Zootopia 2” didn’t necessarily follow that script. While some viewers pointed out how the plot of both movies could be seen as taking a progressive stance on topics such as racism and colonialism, there are no same-sex kissing scenes or LGBT-identifying characters. 
The film currently has a 91% critic score and 96% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia_2">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. 
“‘Zootopia 2’ is pure delight, every bit as exciting and heartwarming and imaginative as the Oscar-winning original and maybe even funnier,” said film critic Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com.

Zootopia 2

Disney Rebounds With ‘Zootopia 2,’ Breaking Box Office Records

Disney Rebounds With 'Zootopia 2' Bringing In $156M At Box Office

Box Office

Elon Musk confirmed that he would cancel his Netflix subscription after clips of animated shows aimed at children featuring pro-trans content started circulating on X.
Musk posted on X, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” on Wednesday, which included a cartoon of the “transgender woke agenda” inside a Trojan horse.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids <a href="https://t.co/uPcGiURaCp">https://t.co/uPcGiURaCp</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1973292474375479556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The billionaire Tesla founder also <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1973101319222165785">commented</a> “Same” to someone on X who wrote, “Just cancelled my Netflix subscription. If you employ someone who celebrated the murder of Charlie Kirk and makes content that pushes pro-trans content on my kids&#8230;you will NEVER get a dime of my money. It&#8217;s as simple as that.”
This was after clips from multiple shows marketed to children ages seven and up were being shared on X. The short-lived series “Dead End Paranormal Park,” a Netflix original that aired 20 episodes across two seasons in 2022, featured a storyline in which the main character claimed to be transgender.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
OMG. Dead End Paranormal Park, a show on Netflix, is pushing pro-transgender on CHILDREN.
This show is advertised for 7-YEAR-OLDS
It’s being promoted on <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@netflix</a> kids now.
Parents- BEWARE <a href="https://t.co/gh5UZftKns">pic.twitter.com/gh5UZftKns</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1972756249986126260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another clip going viral was part of the animated show “Ridley Jones,” which includes Fred, the non-binary cow, fretting over using a “different name and pronouns” for the first time since last seeing his grandmother.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
ANOTHER kids&#8217; show on Netflix is pushing pro-trans propaganda with the use of pronouns
This show, Ridley Jones, is targeted towards 7-YEAR-OLDS
Parents, do you know what your children are watching? <a href="https://t.co/YMFpWf7qwk">pic.twitter.com/YMFpWf7qwk</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1973050371300868281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Chaya Raichik, who runs the popular account Libs of TikTok, has been leading the charge to expose the content of these shows and has been reposting many screenshots of users proving they canceled their Netflix subscriptions, too. 
She also noted that Hamish Steele, the trans-identified creator of the show “Dead End Paranormal Park,” made vulgar comments on Bluesky following the assassination of Charlie Kirk last month.
“Why the f*** are you even commenting on this d***head? You [sic] sympathy for any of the families being slaughtered by your weapons but a random nazi gets shot and its a public statement. You’re such a f***ing evil sh**,” Steele’s alleged message said.
The post has since been deleted, but screenshots allegedly show Steele was replying to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, offering condolences after Kirk’s murder.
Steele has addressed the controversy in a few posts on Bluesky, writing, 
“It&#8217;s all lies and slander! Netflix is NOT promoting [the show] at the moment!” 
A few hours later, the series creator wrote, “I have mostly been very ok today and found it all quite funny, while really appreciating everyone who has reached out, but the extremely nasty weird [homophobic] and antisemitic emails have started rolling in and it is getting a little scary so I apologise if I take longer to respond to stuff.” 
Steele also referenced backlash following the surfacing of the post about Kirk, writing, “My Instagram comments are now flooded with replies saying I AM CHARLIE KIRK and that I celebrated his death (which I never did).”

Elon Musk

Elon Musk Says He Will Cancel Netflix Subscription Over Trans Propaganda Aimed At Children

Elon Musk, Others Say They're Canceling Netflix Over Trans Propaganda Aimed At Children

Libs of Tik Tok

Netflix

Television

Transgender

“South Park” announced that it wouldn’t be airing a new episode on Wednesday night as planned because they “didn’t get it done in time.”
The update came from series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/south-park-delays-episode-1236522027/">Variety</a>.
“Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done,” they said. “This one’s on us. We didn’t get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and ‘South Park’ fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!”
This will be the first new episode of “South Park” since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was parodied on the August 6 episode called “Got a Nut.” Cartman appeared as a character meant to mimic Kirk’s method of debate.
At the time, Kirk <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1953290604365885923">reacted</a> by laughing at the bit, writing, “Not bad, Cartman,” and saying it was “eerily spot on.”
At one point during that episode, a character who wins the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Master Debaters” says, “You can’t trust Jews, white people are the underprivileged, and women belong at home.”
After Kirk was assassinated while giving a campus talk last week, the episode was removed from Comedy Central reruns, but was still available to watch on Paramount+, the outlet noted.
Andrew Kolvet, an executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show” and a friend of Kirk’s, said the Turning Point USA founder would have wanted the episode to stay up. 
“As someone who can speak with some authority on this, Charlie loved that he was featured in ‘South Park,’” Kolvet <a href="https://x.com/andrewksway/status/1968375140280123478?s=46">wrote</a> on X. “He told me many times. He would want the episode back up.”
This season of the series has been going hard with jokes about the Trump administration, including the president, Vice President JD Vance, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The season 27 opener started with a bit about Trump being in a romantic relationship with Satan, and the writers have continued pushing that trope in subsequent episodes.
While President Trump has yet to react to the bit publicly, Vance tweeted, “Well, I’ve finally made it,” after an episode featuring his likeness aired. Noem reacted by telling Glenn Beck, “It never ends, but it’s so lazy to constantly make fun of women for how they look. It’s always the liberals and the extremists who do that. If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly, they can’t. They just pick something petty like that.”
Homeland Security used the show to advertise its ICE recruitment currently underway.
“We want to thank ‘South Park’ for drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment,” the agency said in a statement just ahead of the “South Park” episode airing. We are calling on patriotic Americans to help us remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent criminals from our country.”
A new episode of “South Park” is slated to debut on Wednesday, September 24.

South Park

‘South Park’ Postpones New Episode Hours Before Airtime

'South Park' Delays New Episode Hours Before Scheduled Airing, Claim They 'Didn't Get It Done'

Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump

Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro reacted with good humor after being referenced on Sunday night’s episode of the adult animated comedy, “Family Guy.”
“Happy to hear I was on Family Guy last night, but bummed the entire scene didn’t make the cut, so watch to the end of the clip,” the conservative commentator shared on X.
He also reacted to one specific line of the bit, writing, “BTW my new book Lions and Scavengers is coming out 9/2 and you’ll be number 3, dumb dog.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Happy to hear I was on Family Guy last night, but bummed the entire scene didn’t make the cut, so watch to the end of the clip. BTW my new book Lions and Scavengers is coming out 9/2 and you’ll be number 3, dumb dog. <a href="https://t.co/cWXqHofdIm">pic.twitter.com/cWXqHofdIm</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1944811032163016974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the clip, the family dog named Brian Griffin, who is also a staunch liberal on the series, is upset to find out that his previously published book “Faster Than the Speed of Love” has returned to the bestseller list because it’s being promoted by conservatives.
“Hey look, did you see this?” Stewie Griffin asks Brian. “Your book, &#8216;Faster Than the Speed of Love,&#8217; is back on the shelves.”
“Really? Nice!” Brian replies.
“With a new forward by Ann Coulter,” Stewie adds, prompting Brian to respond, “Less nice.”
“And a very forward by Lauren Boebert,” says Stewie.
Brian proceeds to read the foreword. “When I’m not rubbing my hand over a tented khaki, I’m curled up with a copy of Brian Griffin’s excellent book. And does anyone know how ‘Beetlejuice: The Musical’ ends?”
“Ugh, my book is being co-opted by the Right,” Brian complains. “Gross!”
“And it’s selling,” Stewie tells him. “It’s number two on the neo-Nazi best seller list, behind Ben Shapiro’s ‘Tyranny: How the Radical Left Made Me Bad at Sex.’”
The scene next cuts to a cartoon version of Shapiro saying, “Oh God. It’s that kid and his dog again. Never as good as ‘The Simpsons,’ not nearly as smart as ‘South Park.’ I wonder how [show creator Seth MacFarlane] still writes this from inside the closet.”
Most of Shapiro’s followers found the extended version of the clip hilarious, which was reflected in the comments.
“Even when they cut the scene, you still stole the show,” one person <a href="https://x.com/maverick2886/status/1944813207572357493">wrote</a>.
“Iconic,” another <a href="https://x.com/joelxroberts/status/1944812959424761975">agreed</a>.
“‘Family Guy’ or not, I’m just here for the sass and the book drop,” a third person <a href="https://x.com/WholesomeTrad/status/1944812170245783982">replied</a>.
“Lions and Scavengers: The True Story of America (and Her Critics)” is Shapiro’s first book in four years, and he recently called it his “most important book, certainly my most passionate.”
“Lions and Scavengers” will release on September 2, 2025. It is now <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Scavengers-Story-America-Critics/dp/1668097885/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Pg18nHlVX2neyh7VlgVdIKje9EBKlWHDPzfz2hz6y3Q3oyWp8Jv4YdfQyesgs3y-.a1CzqX5hmYc9zIJ3x9S3IyReflqRxvFeP5akr1dlPB8&amp;qid=1749148351&amp;sr=1-1">available for pre-order</a>.

Ben Shapiro Reacts To Being Referenced On ‘Family Guy’

Family Guy

Disney and Pixar&#8217;s latest offering is lagging well behind box office expectations — and the animation studio isn&#8217;t taking it sitting down.
“Elio” has earned just $35 million worldwide since its June 20 release, a record-low for Pixar. The film — which addresses themes like childhood and social isolation through the story of &#8220;Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession&#8221; — only brought in $21 million in ticket sales during its first three days in theaters.
In response to the disappointing numbers, Pixar shared a snarky post on its official Instagram account.
In the video, a woman addresses the reaction to &#8220;Elio,&#8221; which isn’t a remake or sequel, saying “Stop complaining that Disney doesn’t make original stories if you don’t show up to movie theaters and support them in the first place.”
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“Who… who said that?” a woman in her car says by way of reaction. “Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one in my car. But anyway, there’s a new original story,” she continued, holding up a photo of the movie poster.
“Look at that, from Disney-Pixar, called Elio,” she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLaQFO-yad-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went on</a>. “You should go ahead and support it, it comes out this Friday so yeah, you should go to the movie theater, thank you.”
Commenters on the Instagram post noted the lack of marketing for the film, which they indicated may have contributed to the lackluster results.
“Maybe actually market the movie then???” one comment read.
“Some marketing would&#8217;ve helped… but yes it deserves way better; it&#8217;s such a good movie!!” another commenter echoed.
“I think what drove people away from this one was reusing that same animation style. So many people are wanting something different and we’ve now gotten it quite a few times with movies and shorts,” another person wrote.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond excited to see this new movie! I think it’s just time to switch up the animation again. Also there was barely any marketing for the movie,” a third said.
“Elio” is the latest in a long line of Disney flops, but there have also been several success stories, including the live action remake of “Lilo &amp; Stitch,” which earned over $945 million worldwide.

Pixar Blames Fans For ‘Elio’ Flopping, Says ‘Stop Complaining’ About Lack Of Original Content

Pixar Blames Fans For 'Elio' Flopping, Says 'Stop Complaining' About Lack Of Original Content

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