#_author:Adam Rosenberg

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Let's just call Donald Trump's Kentucky Derby tweet performance art

Donald Trump's Twitter feed stopped mattering long ago.

Sure, it's his always-online bully pulpit. He uses it daily to attack enemies and hand down various decrees. But when you strip away all the bluster, Trump is a feckless leader who constantly undermines his own agenda with lies and hatred. 

The majority of America sees it at this point (did we ever not?). It's our national embarrassment.

Every once in a while, though, Trump tweets something so outlandish, so wrong-headed, and so downright nonsensical that it's impossible to ignore. Sunday, May 5 brought us one such tweet.

(He deleted it, as is the custom when there's a Trump tweet typo, but this is what screenshots are for. The replacement tweet is otherwise the same.)

Image: screenshot by mashable

Yes, he misspelled the "Kentucky" in Kentucky Derby. And yes, he weirdly called the winning horse Country House's surprise upset victory — the product of a post-race disqualification — an example of "political correctness." (NPR's Linda Holmes had a thoughtful explanation for that.)

There's also a magical self-own here in Trump stridently declaring that "The best horse did NOT win." His legions of critics have been shouting words to that effect since Nov. 2016.

This is like the perfect storm of Donald Trump tweets, a blast of text that so perfectly nails the relentless idiocy of this president and his ideas, it may as well have come from a parody account. (I double-checked. It did not.)

It doesn't even really matter how people reacted. We're more than two years into this thing and all the good jokes have been made. But watching the people of Twitter grapple with this unhinged rant's intrusion into their Sunday morning is the only real reward we get for tuning into Trump Twitter.

So let's have at it.

Trumpism in a nutshell: Kentucky voted overwhelmingly for Trump and he can’t even spell the state right.

— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) May 5, 2019

This is gold. The Kentucky Derby is an analogy of Trump’s 2016 win but that thought totally blows over his tiny brain. And he still can’t proofread or spellcheck. If only he had spelled it Kenf@cky. 🤪🤪 https://t.co/a1Qx0FL8lA

— Midnight (@McBanio) May 5, 2019

If you are just waking up and wondering why Kentuky is trending, here is why... Donald Trump is an uneducated imbecile.

— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 5, 2019

I know nothing about the Kentucky Derby disqualification but based on Trump's tweet I now assume the horse was concealing razors in his ankle tapes

— Maria Schneider (@marlaschnelder) May 5, 2019

Kentucky Derby Winner Country House has been invited to the White House by President Trump. Country House replied, “If I wanted to see a horse’s ass I would have came in second!”

— Travis Allen 🇺🇸 (@TravisAllen02) May 4, 2019

The best shade is the subtle shade. Dictionary.com wins this time, with a tweet posted one hour after the "Kentuky" incident.

The name Kentucky is thought to be of Iroquois or Shawnee origin, perhaps a Wyandot (Iroquoian) word meaning "meadow."https://t.co/d30jzumoOz

— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) May 5, 2019

UPDATE: May 5, 2019, 12:21 p.m. EDT Added a screenshot of Trump's original, now-deleted tweet and linked out to the corrective tweet, in which "Kentucky" is no longer misspelled.

WATCH: Donald Trump met with Twitter's CEO

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

An actual real-life hero ran the London Marathon dressed as Big Ben

To the total stranger who seemingly ran all 26.2 miles of the London Marathon while wearing a full-body Big Ben costume: I salute you.

Who does this? What kind of a brain dreams it up? There's actually a good, heartwarming reason. But first, you need to see it. Behold the excellence of this absolute real life superhero....

Meet Lukas Bates, who is aiming to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a landmark building. Live👉https://t.co/Iu4lj6ixO3 📺 @BBCOne 📻 @5livesport extra#GetInspired #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/e7RUIG0dSL

— BBC Get Inspired (@bbcgetinspired) April 28, 2019

While yes, that tweet is correct about the Guinness attempt, Bates had a selfless reason for dressing up like Big Ben for 26 miles. He did the run to benefit Alzheimer's research in the UK, and at the time of this writing he has so far managed to secure £3,645.48.

As Bates himself wrote on the above-linked website:

I've seen the ravages of Alzheimer's disease firsthand in my own family, so I think this is a lovely effort.

Getting back to that world record attempt, to be clear, Bates was specifically running to break the record for fastest marathon dressed as a landmark. I bet you didn't know that was a thing (I sure didn't), but now you do.

Big Ben is of course London's famed clock tower situated at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. For my money, pop culture references to Big Ben don't get much better than that one moment from National Lampoon's European Vacation.

As delightful as Bates costumed run was for us, the viewers at home, it didn't unfold without frustrations. Notably, Bates ran into some technical issues when he reached the finish line but couldn't cross it, because his costume was too tall.

Legendary.

Kudos to Bates for sticking out the whole race, and for using the sure-to-go-viral moment (hi!) as an opportunity to raise money for a worthwhile cause.

WATCH: 102-year-old great-grandma skydives 14,000 feet for charity

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

LeSean McCoy spoiled 'Avengers: Endgame' on Twitter, that's why he's trending

This is like the Infinity Gauntlet of dick moves.

There are no spoilers for Avengers: Endgame in anything you'll read below. That's more than can be said for the Twitter feed belonging to the NFL's LeSean McCoy, former star running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and current Buffalo Bills player.

McCoy, in three separate tweets that are still up even now, completely gave up the goods on a major Endgame plot point. It's a big movie and there are lots of things to spoil, but it's safe to say that this plot point in particular is among the most significant.

A brutal move, and a strong argument to unfollow McCoy. Spoilers are always a risk when you look at social media in the run-up to a big movie or TV episode, and most people get that in this day and age. McCoy's tweets about [SPOILER] are a cautionary tale.

That said, as a public figure and a celebrity with a Twitter following of more than 730,000, McCoy could've demonstrated better judgment here. His tweets, which were delivered on the movie's official April 26 opening day, flagrantly disregards the possibility that some of his fans might not have seen the movie yet.

What a guy! Even worse: he misspelled a key character's name in two of his tweets. So even if you were on top of blocking certain words, names, and phrases to protect yourself against Endgame spoilers, some of his tweets could have conceivably slipped through.

Predictably, Twitter let McCoy have it for his egregious breach of social media etiquette. 

Man, LeSean McCoy must feel terrible. He’s out here disappointing Captain America. https://t.co/1HWS8T8oNY

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 26, 2019

LeSean McCoy losing half of his followers like pic.twitter.com/viIUh9L3CJ

— Jon Berry (@JonBerryM) April 26, 2019

I hope Lesean McCoy gets Theismann’d for spoiling Endgame. Jackass. If you frequent sports twitter, you might want to mute his name.

— Arya’s Needle Sharpener (@onedankmom) April 26, 2019

MARVEL: “Please don’t spoil the #Endgame.” LeSean McCoy: pic.twitter.com/IvkAHeKMTF

— Lord Vic of Durham (@slickvick_24) April 26, 2019

Lesean McCoy spoiling his 735,000 Twitter followers about Endgame is bad, doing it to the people who blocked a bunch of phrases/character names to avoid spoilers because he spelled a characters name wrong is fucking hilarious.

— Drew Madsen (@drewboo62) April 26, 2019

This cat Lesean McCoy just reminded me that some people are just turrible to be turrible. Is it ignorance or malice? 🤷🏾‍♂️ But it also reminded me why I muted Avengers, Endgame, and all the main characters names before I got a chance to see Endgame. Gotta do ya due diligence. pic.twitter.com/rbzGPIXPV0

— Marshall Harris (@mharrisonair) April 26, 2019

Of course, as some have pointed out: this is small potatoes. McCoy hasn't always behaved like an upstanding citizen during his NFL tenure (in some cases, allegedly).

LeSean McCoy: is accused of domestic violence, child abuse, and animal abuse Everyone: "Meh" McCoy: tweets an #Endgame spoiler Everyone: pic.twitter.com/cFkGrfmyJ4

— Lisa Anne fav bot (@attorney_troy) April 26, 2019

WATCH: 'Avengers: Endgame' has historic debut in China

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CNN's Dickensian Trump / Mueller tweet brought out the Twitter peanut gallery in force

If you write something silly or foolish on Twitter, you're gonna get dragged.

CNN is getting a firsthand lesson in that universal truth after a Saturday tweet went decidedly off the rails. It was supposed to set the scene, pulling a particularly descriptive line from a story about Donald Trump's first evening in a post-Mueller Report world.

SEE ALSO: Two CNN reporters wore matching green jackets, and of course they got green screened

Instead, it set off a minor uproar as Twitter's forever-savage peanut gallery responded with a swarm of one-liners. To its credit, CNN chose to let the wave of snark break over the tweet rather than just deleting it (which would have surely made things worse, let's be real). Good sports over there at CNN.

Here's the offending tweet:

On the evening Robert Mueller submitted his report to the Justice Department, President Trump was on the tiled patio of Mar-a-Lago, bathed in golden light, with his wife and son Barron, who had reached teenagerhood two days earlier https://t.co/hJ6Mtvkqru pic.twitter.com/STbnNwEQYi

— CNN (@CNN) March 23, 2019

"On the evening Robert Mueller submitted his report to the Justice Department, President Trump was on the tiled patio of Mar-a-Lago, bathed in golden light, with his wife and son Barron, who had reached teenagerhood two days earlier."

It paints quite a picture, right? You can almost see the fading Friday sun's rays rippling across Trump's unusual skin shade of radioactive orange. It's like a scene out of some really messed up Charles Dickens story.

Troll Twitter trotted out its best material for this one. A bunch of people pondered about the literary inspiration behind the tweet. (It's actually a line from the linked story, FWIW.)

Is Danielle Steel writing for CNN now? https://t.co/rzg5vZovjE

— Judi Garcia (@JudiSGarcia) March 24, 2019

Somebody fed the CNN AI a copy of Gilgamesh. https://t.co/XbfQ3Mylqg

— Bill Kartalopoulos (@bkny) March 24, 2019

Ah, a bold choice to try and channel Fitzgerald? 'Gatsby' isn't a bad choice, but poorly executed. Re-read the text or just the quotes. https://t.co/PPWSXdTRQD

— Julie Wilcox WX (@JulieWilcoxWX) March 24, 2019

CNN just completed a creative nonfiction writing seminar and desperately wants someone to ask how it went. https://t.co/Ya2Ajsg3ch

— Dwayne David Paul (@DwayneDavidPaul) March 24, 2019

Wasn't aware Nicholas Sparks was writing for CNN... https://t.co/PH8ApbMfLZ

— Andrew Donaldson (@four4thefire) March 23, 2019

reads like the opening of a Vonnegut short story where some booj suburban parents eat their kids https://t.co/VZ1gaNIKYu

— please @ me for access to my powerful brain (@ChrisCaesar) March 23, 2019

Others couldn't help noting the tweet's use of the word "golden," and that word's connection to a certain alleged incident referenced in Christopher Steele's infamous dossier.

Bathed in golden what now? https://t.co/HpUrrCv8Os

— David Stassen (@davidstassen) March 23, 2019

being showered with golden light you might say https://t.co/TpQ8exmu1j

— Adam (@sooner930) March 23, 2019

*whipping head around like Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock* bathed.... golden.... golden shower.... pee tape https://t.co/CcM4iYtHxK

— Bud Tendy (@alexqarbuckle) March 23, 2019

A bunch more got creative and flexed their chops as writers.

And as the president glistened with luxuriant amber gris, he looked directly into the solar eclipse and saw God. https://t.co/E4wyvJPDVC

— lvl 45 thetans potus (@thetomzone) March 23, 2019

, and whose hand shook as he gripped the ceremonial knife and watched the sacrificial bull be led toward the dias, its horns festooned with fresh flowers. But this was the rite that all boys of the Order must perform. https://t.co/goT8S9jXMl

— Emma (@Merman_Melville) March 23, 2019

STATELY, PLUMP TRUMP DONALDO CAME FROM THE OMELETTE STATION, bearing a television remote control on which lay an emolument and an Adderall pill. A thread-of-gold dressing gown, ungirdled, was sustained gently behind him by the mild morning air. He held his hair aloft and tweeted: https://t.co/2laSemw6tm

— Kurt Busiek Resists (@KurtBusiek) March 24, 2019

A few people asked the most obvious question of all.

pass the blunt, CNN social media editor https://t.co/oPc3Yc3Nmh

— Tony Webster (@webster) March 23, 2019

how high are you guys right now https://t.co/DpTToFuxEC

— Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) March 23, 2019

But my very favorite of all the tweets immediately tickled my grammar nerd sensibilities.

pretty amazing that the poor syntax implying he is married to his son is only like the third weirdest thing about this sentence https://t.co/1Kpnc1JfEi

— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) March 24, 2019

GGWP, Twitter.

WATCH: Steve Carell to reunite with 'The Office' creator for Netflix's 'Space Force'

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Why is Fox News so quiet about Jeanine Pirro's anti-Muslim remarks?

Jeanine Pirro is making trouble for her employer, that much is clear.

The host of Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News is off the air and allegedly suspended. After her weekly talk show didn't air on Saturday night, CNN reported Sunday, via "a source familiar with the matter," that the network has shut her down for some indeterminate amount of time.

SEE ALSO: 'Fox & Friends' apologizes for making it seem like Ruth Bader Ginsburg died

The move comes a week after Pirro opened her March 9 episode with some words for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. At one point during the nearly 10-minute rant, Pirro fixated on Omar's hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women.

Pirro suggested that Omar's religious beliefs — the sum total of which are communicated by her decision to wear a hijab, in the Fox host's view — put her at odds with the U.S. Constitution. The blowback came swiftly.

As of March 12, at least four advertisers had fled, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Fox even made the rare move of issuing a statement: "We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro’s comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly."

That was all the network had to say on the matter, but eyebrows raised when Pirro's show didn't air on Saturday. Even Donald Trump himself noticed, spending some of his Sunday morning Executive Time on Twitter defending her.

Fox News would neither confirm nor deny any suspension or firing in CNN's report, nor did it say if she'd be back on March 23. (CNN's source did note that Pirro hasn't been fired, so take that for what it's worth.)

It's worth nothing: this whole song-and-dance with Fox News publicly disengaging while unconfirmed reports spring up around its internal decisions feels familiar. It reminds me of the news wildfire that took off in Nov. 2018 when the network suddenly stopped updating multiple Twitter accounts, including its main Fox News channel (which still has more than 18 million followers).

Much like what's happening now, everything we know comes from anonymous sources. Reporting at the time suggested that the sudden Twitter stoppage was a kind of silent protest. It was prompted after protesters who showed up at Fox News host Tucker Carlson's house posted his address on Twitter (an address that is publicly available, it's worth noting). The network reportedly felt that Twitter didn't move quickly enough to remove the offending tweets.

That's why the Fox News Twitter account has been silent since Nov. 8, or so unconfirmed reporting on the matter has stated. The network hasn't said a word on it publicly, but — if you believe the reports, most of which come from reputable news outlets — someone (or multiple someones) is/are obviously talking.

Now, we see a similar situation taking shape with Pirro. The news of actual repercussions is out there, but the network hasn't taken any public steps to explain its response outside of a vague condemnation.

Why should it? Think about it from the Fox News perspective. The majority of the network's viewers are aligned with Trump's view of the mainstream media as "fake news" and an "enemy of the people." They don't trust the media, but they do trust Fox.

That makes it risky for the network to act publicly in these situations, whether it's admitting to an act of protest or accepting responsibility for an embarrassing moment. The news is allowed to "leak" out to conventional media sources — the "fake news," to most Fox viewers — while the network itself says nothing, subtly reinforcing its viewers' doubts.

It's a real have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too move. The "leaks" handle the more traditional PR messaging to mainstream media while the silence sits fine with Fox News viewers who just want to see the network keep on owning the libs.

Here's what we know for sure, the actual, provable facts: Pirro's offensive comments about Omar and, more generally, Islamic beliefs cost her advertisers. Fox News came out against the rant with a vague "we have addressed the matter with her directly" promise, and then her show didn't air on Saturday. 

That may be the extent of Pirro's punishment for this transgression. Instead of getting mad about her seemingly light slap on the wrist, I'd urge you to consider the bigger picture here. 

Look at what Fox News is doing and how it operates in a post-Trump world. Take note when controversy springs up around the network and really think about who stands to benefit when inside sources give scoops to CNN, New York Magazine, or literally any mainstream media outlet not called Fox News.

WATCH: Twitter turned Fox News' coverage of the Manafort and Cohen trials into a hilarious meme

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The Museum of English Rural Life found an adorable bat and named him Merlin

The Museum of English Rural Life is already internet-famous because of its animal tweets. The thicc ram has nothing on a live bat, however.

This story actually started back in Nov. 2018 when a bat was discovered just chilling out near the ceiling of the museum's book store. The museum called in an expert: retired librarian and licensed batworker Rose-Ann Movsovic — also a museum volunteer.

Seriously, she saves bats and nurses them back to health in a spare room and then releases them back into the wild. Our team is full of secret X Men.

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) February 24, 2019

What a rad hobby. Movsovic actually tweeted out a photo of the adorable little critter back in November, but that was all we were told at the time.

The bat found in @TheMERL and @UniRdg_SpecColl rare book store has turned out to be a fairly rare Nathusius’ pipistrelle! We were thinking of calling him Merlin? He’s a bit underweight for the time of year so we’ll feed him up before releasing him pic.twitter.com/ZWJtAovXrz

— Rose-Ann Movsovic (@athena_42) November 12, 2018

Now, the museum — or MERL, as it's often called — is ready to tell the whole story. First, the bat was inspected. Closely. NSFW?

SEE ALSO: Museums are sending each other their best duck pics on Twitter

That examination is actually what led to the exact species of bat being identified. It turns out these little rascals are relative newcomers to the UK. As MERL notes, they hail from the Baltic states and have migrated to Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

First things first is to check the gonads, which confirmed the bat is a boy. Male bat genitalia look like, and we quote, ‘an albino hedgehog’.#NSFW pic.twitter.com/XnvzcUUzok

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) February 24, 2019

We thought the bat was a type of pipistrelle, and after examining the ratio of forearm to 5th finger, and wing venation, it turns out to be a Nathusius' pipistrelle. pic.twitter.com/AhPtPVIGec

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) February 24, 2019

As of Feb. 2019, little Merlin is still in the care of Movsovic. He's apparently participating in a project aimed at helping researchers better understand the species' migratory habits.

But! Under Movsovic's care he's also been learning how to live as a normal-sized adult bat that can fly. He was an underweight baby bat when the museum found him, you see. 

The latest update on Merlin is that: ‘it took him ages to get the hang of self feeding but there’s no stopping him now so he’s put on rather a lot of weight and needs a bit more flying practice before we can release him.

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) February 24, 2019

Hopefully Merlin will be free soon. Until then, we get to marvel at this adorable little wingmouse with his tiny button nose and his very relatable money stress.

pic.twitter.com/y2HirKaZgX

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) February 24, 2019

Since you're here, follow MERL's advice and take a few minutes to learn more about bats, why they're important, and how you can help ensure their healthy continued existence.

WATCH: New study says honeybees can do basic math

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

The star of the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards was Glenn Close's dog, Pip

Glenn Close had a big night at the 34th annual Independent Spirit Awards, but her dog Pip was the evening's real winner in the internet's eyes.

Close, who scored a Best Female Lead win for her star performance in The Wife, brought along her dog, a Havanese, as her arm candy for the evening. And given that Pip is a tiny, fluffy pooch who clearly loves his mama, he became an instant star.

Safe to say that Glenn Close’s dog Pippin is star of this blue carpet so far. She told me that she’s going to bring him inside to her table and on stage if she wins. #SpiritAwards pic.twitter.com/KB1wOKhzXl

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 23, 2019

(NOTE: She did win, and Pip did join her on stage. It was adorable.)

SEE ALSO: Lady Gaga, Spike Lee, and other Oscar nominees face off on 'SNL' Family Feud

Pip scored all of this acclaim without ever having to field asinine red carpet questions like "Who are you wearing?" Hero.

Please enjoy these looks at Pip, who seemed unimaginably chill — even playful! — amidst all the noise and popping flashbulbs of a Hollywood red carpet and subsequent awards show.

Pip giving Glenn Close a pre-awards show PIP talk. (sorrynotsorry)

Image: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock

"Maaaaaaaaahm I want to go back to the table with the food!"

Image: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock

Look at this ridiculous pup hamming it up for the crowd with a full on play bow.

Image: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock

"Clap louder, people. I can't hear you."

Image: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock

*flop*

Image: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock

Congratulations to Close, who swept up yet another big award ahead of Feb. 24's Oscars night, and to Pip, the true star of 2019 awards season in our hearts.

WATCH: King the wire fox terrier named best in show

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Tony Hawk teaching his daughter to skateboard is the sweetest all-star dad moment

Plenty of kids give their parents a few extra gray hairs when they take up skateboarding. That's even true for the Tony Hawk household, apparently.

The legendary skateboarder delighted his Twitter fans on Saturday with a heartwarming father-daughter moment. Kadence Hawk, 10, is just starting to pick up her dad's hobby, and this video shows her conquering her fear of falling while the senior Hawk cheers her on.

The video only shows half the story. As Papa Hawk himself notes in the accompanying tweet, "I might have been more nervous than she was."

SEE ALSO: Finally, a New Tony Hawk Game

In this moment, Hawk ceases to be the greatest skateboarder in the sport's history; he's just a nervous dad, quietly cheering on his daughter and hoping she comes out of the moment a stronger and more confident young person.

It's a very sweet family moment, and Hawk's decision to share it is one of the reasons he's become such a beloved figure on social media.

WATCH: You don't need coordination to glide on this new one-wheeled board

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Taylor Swift surprised one *very* lucky couple's engagement party

Alexander Goldschmidt's engagement party was better than everyone else's engagement party.

After popping the question and getting an emphatic "yes!" from fiancé Ross Girard, the happy couple headed off to party with friends and family. Also, a big surprise: Taylor Swift and her acoustic guitar.

During his big toast thanking everyone for coming and keeping the engagement plans quiet, Goldschmidt admitted that he had one more big secret that he hadn't shared with anyone. Then he invited "my friend Taylor" to join him.

Swift glided into the room at that point, guitar in hand, as the small crowd gasped and squealed with excitement. The pop star explained that Goldschmidt had emailed her to ask for the surprise performance of a special song for the couple, "King of My Heart."

I have no words. Thank you, @taylorswift13. ❤️ https://t.co/NBYfyVGxqp

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) February 24, 2019

What a sweet way to celebrate such a joyous moment. Not everyone can get in touch with Taylor freaking Swift, but this just goes to show: it never hurts to ask!

SEE ALSO: Want to see a musical 'Sesame Street' movie with Anne Hathaway?

Based on Goldschmidt's Twitter feed, Swift stuck around for at least a little while after her performance to chat with the happy couple and pose for a few pics.

She came, she sang, I’m dead. 😱https://t.co/Kw6YGdTjQN pic.twitter.com/9IFNGOAfm3

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) February 24, 2019

Dads out here living their best lives. 👏 pic.twitter.com/HXy4E2f9Xe

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) February 24, 2019

Big congrats to the happy couple. And to anyone who's preparing to pop the question themselves, I'm sorry. The bar has just been raised.

WATCH: Taylor Swift was dubbed 2018's most influential person on Twitter

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Disney's 'Incredibles 2' Oscars pitch hilariously brings out the 'Spider-Verse' stans

When Oscar voters cast their ballots ahead of the 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24, Disney wants them to remember Incredibles 2.

"For your consideration" ads and social media posts are a common sight in the run-up to the big show every year. But the typically dominant showing from Disney-Pixar productions is facing major competition in the universally well-received Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.

And that movie's fans are internet-savvy, to say the least.

SEE ALSO: What exactly is the Spider-Verse?

So when Disney dropped into Twitter on Friday with a "for your consideration" shout-out to Incredibles 2, every Spider-verse fan's Spidey sense started to tingle. 

“Incredibles 2 is Both Super and Subversive” ROLLING STONE, Peter Travers. For Your Consideration - Best Animated Feature pic.twitter.com/NtSA3yQFdA

— Disney•Pixar (@DisneyPixar) February 15, 2019

Check the replies to that tweet and you'll see a flood of GIFs from a moment in Spider-verse when Peter Parker's Spidey sense goes off. No one got mad, really. It feels more like a "You really think that, huh? That's cute." kind of response.

Honestly, clicking through is the best way to take in the hilarious reaction to Disney's tweet. It's quite something to scroll down through the replies and see the same GIF again and again. Spider-verse fandom is united in their collective "wtf lolno Disney" response.

Here's one.

pic.twitter.com/K8ta1scFYp

— Joelrat (@JoelratResort) February 15, 2019

The wry response — which feels more like a playful goof than some kind of knock on Pixar or Incredibles 2 (which is wonderful) — went big. Even brands started to get in on the fun. 

pic.twitter.com/ICnbdKUlNi

— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) February 16, 2019

But really, the best thing about the reaction is just getting to scroll through pages and pages of... this. Wiseass internet is forever the best internet.

Image: screenshot by mashable

Or if you prefer, here's a video that sums up the experience quite well:

Look, this is the internet. It's rare to see people agree on anything. So when you open up a tweet and find a crush of social media users joining hands in an act of solidarity, that feels like an occasion worth marking.

Good luck to the talented teams behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse AND Incredibles 2 at the Academy Awards.

WATCH: 'Marvel's Spider-Man' for PS4 is a win for both gaming and inclusivity

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

YouPorn bans Starbucks products from its offices after the cafe chain bans porn

Starbucks doesn't want customers using each cafe's free WiFi to look at porn. Now, YouPorn has apparently responded with a blanket ban on Starbucks products in its offices.

The coffee company confirmed on Thursday that a plan is in motion to prevent customers from accessing online pornography over in-store WiFi. "We have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our U.S. locations in 2019," a spokesperson said.

SEE ALSO: Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers in the U.S. celebrate Starbucks' first 'Signing Store'

That's probably a smart move for a family-friendly business like Starbucks, but YouPorn had a little fun with the news. In an internal memo obtained by Forbes, YouPorn vice president Charlie Hughes imposed a blanket ban on Starbucks products in the company's offices, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

"In light of the news that Starbucks has blocked customers from searching and viewing adult content within their establishments, Starbucks products will officially be banned from the YouPorn offices," Hughes wrote.

(A YouPorn spokesperson later confirmed to Forbes the authenticity of the memo.)

It's hard to imagine an employer actually taking disciplinary action against one of its workers over their coffee brand preference. Maybe Hughes is serious, but the more likely explanation is this memo "leak" is just a clever public relations move aimed at getting YouPorn into a few headlines.

In which case, job well done. In the dumpster fire that is our current 24-hour news cycle, YouPorn's silly, hopefully non-serious clapback at this sensible move from Starbucks amounts to a welcome break.

WATCH: Join us in ogling these Starbucks holiday drinks from around the world

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Please enjoy a photo of Emmanuel Macron crushing Donald Trump's hand

French president Emmanuel Macron added another chapter to his ongoing handshake journey with Donald Trump on Saturday.

It all started in May 2017, the first time the two leaders met. In the months leading up to their meeting, Trump had built up a reputation for being kind of a dick about his handshakes. So when he met Macron, the French president came prepared to do battle.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump's first tweet about the California wildfires blamed the victims

Macron later admitted that the handshake "wasn't innocent." As he told a French newspaper a couple days later: "One must show that you won’t make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but also not over-publicize things, either."

Then, a few months later, things got real awkward when Trump paid a visit to France for the country's Bastille Day celebrations. When he and First Lady Melania Trump met with President Macron and his wife Brigitte, their handshake went on so long — and weirdly, featured an interlude where Brigitte joined the fray as well — that CNN devoted a short segment to dissecting it.

(Plenty of non-newsworthy stuff draws attention during the Trump era, but this was different. It was a bizarre moment.)

Tensions between the two men simmered down until April 2018, when they met again at the White House and held a joint press conference. This one left handshakes behind entirely, entering into a whole new realm of greetings. There was a bro clutch. An air kiss. A hug.

Then they did it again at the end of the press conference. It's a rare moment where, instead of just being a narcissistic monster, Trump just came off as amusingly weird. (He's still a malignant cancer eating away at the democratic heart of the USA, to be clear.)

We're still not done, folks. Just over a month later, at the 2018 G7 summit, Macron escalated. He gripped Trump's hand so tightly with his expert-tier handshake that he went and left marks on the U.S. president's hand. 

Like I said, there's a history. Now, here we are in November 2018... and Macron is at it again. One might say he crushed it.

He met with Trump on Saturday in an effort to ease tensions around Trump's criticism of European security. But let's be real: We're here for the handshake. And what a moment it was. Macron knows how to play for the camera. He let Trump try to pull away first, pausing for a moment before he let go himself.

The result? This perfect photograph:

Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/REX/Shutterstock

A tweet that has since gone viral praises the photo work of Reuters shooter Carlos Barria, who got a more front-and-center look at the scene, as you can see in this Reuters story.

Our great photographer Carlos Barria captured Macron’s grip in Trump’s hand at Elysee Palace pic.twitter.com/MZ2YBbE9Vl

— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) November 10, 2018

Of course, this is just a frozen moment that looks especially bad out of context. It's just a tiny snippet of the actual handshake. Macron just timed his release of Trump's hand well. 

See for yourself (the handshake happens near the end):

Was it intentional? I wouldn't dare speculate. But it sure is a treat to see Donald Trump experiencing even a moment of discomfort, and in close-up no less. Beyond that: whether or not he did it on purpose, Macron is the clear winner of his latest handshake showdown with Trump.

WATCH: Trump is getting crushed at his own handshake game

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The NRA told doctors to 'stay in their lane.' Doctors aren't having it.

#ThisisMyLane

The National Rifle Association has a bone to pick with "anti-gun doctors" (what) and their collective desire to stop pulling bullets out of patients. They don't know what they're talking about, the NRA contends, when they argue in favor of common sense gun control.

"Someone should tell self-important  anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane," the Wednesday tweet read. "Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves."

SEE ALSO: Doctor: Asking Patients About Gun Ownership Is a Healthcare Issue

The tweet then links to an NRA website article deriding a position paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP). The paper lays out a number of policy recommendations that, its abstract notes, "the evidence suggests will be effective in reducing deaths and injuries from firearm-related violence."

The NRA takes issue with the fact that the paper's authors didn't consult with "firearms experts or lawyers." I'm not personally well-versed enough in these issues to respond to that charge, though I feel like a paper — even a policy paper — from a national health care organization is probably not in the wrong for focusing on what doctors think.

What's important here, however, is how doctors responded. Many did not take kindly to the NRA's assertion that health care providers should "stay in their lane." They were quick to remind the NRA that guns and the wounds they cause are very much in a doctor's "lane."

And so, a hashtag was born: #ThisisMyLane. I may not have a strong enough grasp of the complexities here to rebuff the specifics of that NRA article. But the health care providers sharing their gun violence horror stories here are all the convincing anyone should need that gun control is an issue that sorely needs to be addressed.

Hey @NRA, so a 4 year old comes into the ER with a GSW to the chest, but it hasn't crossed the midline. Please inform me, a pediatric intensive care physician, what is the trauma protocol for this? I'm confused since this is not my lane. #ThisisMyLane

— pachec (@pachec) November 10, 2018

.@NRAsays docs should “stay in [our] lane. My lane is a son shot walking down the street with his mother. I opened his chest and repaired his heart after it stopped, but I couldn't prevent the brain damage from lack of oxygen during CPR#ThisisMyLane . What’s yours?

— Stephanie Bonne (@scrubbedin) November 8, 2018

@nra This is the chest x-ray of my 15 year old patient shot by an R.I.P. bullet, how many of those fragments could you find and fix? #ThisisMyLane https://t.co/zIUtjA5JG8 pic.twitter.com/i4LG83WUEd

— Ellie Curtis (@elliecurtismd) November 10, 2018

Oops @NRA - forgot to consult you on that gunshot victim I treated. Turns out, THEY came into MY lane, and I heard YOU were driving. Next time, what’s your number? I’ll call you to deliver the bad news, since clearly you claim this lane as YOURS. #Docs4GunSense #ThisISMyLane

— Brandon Morshedi, MD, DPT (@bbmorshedi) November 10, 2018

My kids’ pediatrician sent me a picture of her altered water bottle in her (parked!) car. Considering that in 2015 alone, 2,824 children died by gunshot and 13,723 others were injured, this is very much her lane. #ThisIsMyLane @NRA @momsdemand #ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/H6mKBCmo0a

— Alyson Gilles (@AlysonGilles) November 9, 2018

#ThisisMyLane: 15 yo boy, innocent bystander, shot in the pelvis by a stray bullet. Obliterated iliac vessels, we couldn’t save him. His poor mother crumpled and screamed when I told her he died. Her screams haunt me.

— Jill Streams (@JCRStreams) November 9, 2018

.@NRA says docs should “stay in [our] lane. My lane: a resident, watching my mentor desperately try to save a 6 year old accidentally shot by his brother. When he knew it over, he stopped, held the boys hand and wept at the OR table as he died.#ThisisMyLane What's yours?

— Stephanie Bonne (@scrubbedin) November 9, 2018

I worked in a trauma unit and had to hold together the skull of a young man who was shot in the head, so we could wrap it up enough for his family to see him and say goodbye. #ThisisMyLane

— Kelly Pavelec (@kelly_pavelec) November 10, 2018

Moments you always remember. Furious honking in the ambulance bay. Picking up the lifeless 12 yo from the front seat like he weighed nothing. Putting him on the cot, A,B... So many holes. No breathing, finger thoracostomy, so much blood shooting up my arm. He died. #ThisIsMyLane

— Dr. Howie Mell (@DrHowieMell) November 10, 2018

I’ve been reading statements from the trauma surgeons and ED docs about gun carnage. As rehab doc, let me mention lifetimes in wheelchairs with SCI, useless arms from brachial plexus destruction, colostomies from belly destruction and years of dependence with TBI #ThisIsMyLane

— Kathleen Bell, MD (@KathleenBellMD) November 10, 2018

Hey @NRA ! Wanna see my lane? Here’s the chair I sit in when I tell parents their kids are dead. How dare you tell me I can’t research evidence based solutions. #ThisISMyLane #ThisIsOurLane #thequietroom pic.twitter.com/y7tBAuje8O

— Stephanie Bonne (@scrubbedin) November 9, 2018

WATCH: 'We're being used': Rapper Vic Mensa pleads for gun control legislation.

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Donald Trump's first tweet about the California wildfires blamed the victims

More than 100,000 acres of land have been consumed by wildfires in California since Thursday night. Donald Trump would have you believe it's all the state's fault.

There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018

California's "forest management" is to blame. Not the confluence of environmental factors that most experts have pointed out. In Trump's view, California isn't using federal funds correctly. He even threatens to cut the state off from that money in the future if something doesn't change.

Yeah. That'll show 'em.

SEE ALSO: Intense videos show the Camp Fire ravaging Northern California

Of course, the reality of what caused this fire (and so many others across the western U.S. in recent decades) is quite different. "Climate change" is the short explanation, since a warmer climate means more of the dry vegetation that helps to kindle and propagate these massive fires.

The current spate of fires is still unusual, however. As Mashable's Mark Kaufman noted on Friday, we've reached the time of year when wildfire risks start to abate. As more rain starts to fall in mid-October and beyond, the dry conditions that feed these fires change.

Unfortunately, California is in the midst of a record-setting dry spell for the fall season. A lack of rain, coupled with strong, dry winds from the north and east, have combined to create the conditions needed for large fires to start, and then spread.

While fire-vulnerable communities can take steps to protect themselves by reducing the amount of vegetation in the surrounding area, it's not an issue that is solved by federal funding (or exacerbated by mismanagement of those dollars).

Even setting aside Trump's inability to appreciate the complexity of the situation — we've all been dealing with the same historically stupid leader since Jan. 2017 — the timing of his victim-blaming tweet is highly questionable, given the tragic impact the fires have had so far. Not to mention the fact that Thousand Oaks, one of the California communities affected by the fires, is still dealing with the fresh grief of a mass shooting.

Angry Twitter users were quick to school the president on all of this in the hours after his ill-advised (aren't they all?) Saturday morning tweet.

We are being ravaged by these fires out here within 24 hours after we personally lost friends and family from a horrible shooting and this is your response to us! God forbid you actually support us and try to help! We’ve gone through enough and then you twist the knife!

— Sam (@mssnewcomb) November 10, 2018

This piece of shit flew to France to celebrate our victory in WW1, blew off the ceremony because it’s raining and instead is threatening California while we are literally on fire. Scum https://t.co/8vAUjfrqPG

— Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) November 10, 2018

I agree with you Garrett. I’m right next door to all of these fires in Santa Monica, I see the fire, people fleeing, devastated, and not knowing where they will be sleeping tonight. And you know what? Our “President” Trump could probably care LESS. And that’s the TRUTH.

— Tiffany Bahr (@tiffany_bahr) November 10, 2018

At least nine people dead, hundreds of homes destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people evacuated, terror from mountains to the sea. The president’s first tweet about the California fires misstates the cause of all the awful destruction to blame the state: https://t.co/NIvNe3dCBr

— Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) November 10, 2018

@SRuhle Trump is clueless/heartless about what is happening in CA.He doesn’t care. In any other Admin, the pres.&his cabinet would focus on helping impacted Americans & mourning the deaths.I worked in fire mgt and trump’s words are reckless and irresponsible beyond measure https://t.co/Yy1mh4DSGH

— Joan Anzelmo (@JoanAnzelmo) November 10, 2018

A lot to unpack here. 1. "Poor forest management" is a dog whistle for logging interests. 2. California has always burned. It's a fire based ecosystem. What's new is the scale 3. Fires are exacerbated by human behavior (including fire suppression) and climate change... pic.twitter.com/ahrgGCCoU0

— Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis (@KendraWrites) November 10, 2018

Nearly half of the forest land in California is managed by ... wait for it ... the federal government. https://t.co/U4iwgJeJvJ

— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) November 10, 2018

Trump is now gaslighting a forest fire.

— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) November 10, 2018

A man just died in a fire in Trump Tower because you were too cheap to install sprinklers. https://t.co/dJhm8RC6rF

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) November 10, 2018

WATCH: Social media in the midterms, e-waste culture, Amazon's new headquarters: A tech news breakdown — Technically Speaking

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Viral clip of Donald Trump and his umbrella is a metaphor for his whole presidency

Donald Trump did more than just play the victim-blaming game after Saturday's horrific synagogue shooting. He also abandoned an umbrella as he climbed aboard Air Force One.

In a clip that quickly went viral, Trump is seen walking up the stairs leading to his presidential jet, umbrella in hand. As he reaches the door, Trump's hand drops lower and lower until the umbrella is scraping the floor. Seconds later, he ditches it entirely and disappears into the plane.

Unbelievable — Trump doesn't know how to close an umbrella, so inside of closing it and bringing it aboard Air Force One with him, he just dropped it outside the plane. pic.twitter.com/G5AtmPaRvz

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2018

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump’s election was a 'traumatic experience' for many college students

If video shares are any indication, the American public loves seeing Trump play the part of a buffoon. Probably because those moments offer a momentary distraction from the fact the he's still the U.S. president. 

And so it went that this video surfaced and many in the Twitter peanut gallery seized on the most obvious angle for razzing the president: LOL Trump can't close an umbrella. Which, fair! He doesn't close that umbrella. 

Tip: if you're gonna to join a cult try to find one where the leader knows how to close an umbrella Trump today. When you can't figure it out, just drop it pic.twitter.com/Ksw1m8LtEr

— ☇RiotWomenn☇ (@riotwomennn) October 27, 2018

But there's more going on here. See, this whole ditching of the umbrella is a metaphor. Right?

Trump is Trump The plane is money The umbrella is our well being https://t.co/JCkkrhS69v

— amber ruffin (@ambermruffin) October 27, 2018

This umbrella is violence in the USA. Trump built it up, left it at the door, and then calmly just walked away from it while it does it's thing... https://t.co/AufsxLTXKt

— Charlie McEwan (@CharMcew) October 27, 2018

Metaphor alert. Trump cannot close his umbrella as he boards his plane. Just leaves it there. An upturned, abandoned umbrella, rolling about in the wind. pic.twitter.com/4mOsSdfkz2

— SimonNRicketts (@SimonNRicketts) October 27, 2018

Personally, I look at this viral umbrella clip and see a perfect reflection of the man we've come to know since he settled into the Oval Office.

Trump is in this for no one other than himself (and maybe his family, I guess). He plays to his base and riles progressives to maintain chaos. He proposes destructive policies with an eye toward lining his pockets. 

He's not here to "own the libs" specifically, but doing so is useful sleight of hand. It keeps his voting base focused on the vague idea of an enemy at home, rather than the politicians who continue to grift their way around Washington's as-yet-undrained swamp.

And now we have this umbrella. A useful tool in the moment as Trump holds it over his head to shield himself from the rain. Then, once he gets to the moment of boarding Air Force One, he drops the umbrella without any care or thought.

It's just an umbrella, his defenders will no doubt scream. And they're right, it is. But the lack of regard shown in this one instance says so much about the man who was carrying that umbrella. 

Sometimes things go viral because they're cute, or horrifying, or incredible, or in some other way highly noteworthy. And sometimes they just resonate with the moment. On a day when the nation and the world were focused on the horrors unfolding in Pittsburgh, Trump's stupid umbrella moment resonated.

WATCH: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. It's an inflatable Trump baby flying around London

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Trump's indefensible response to the synagogue shooting draws outrage

"If they had protection inside, the results would have been far better."

That's what Donald Trump had to say after learning of a shooting that occurred at a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday. He thinks that good guys with guns — whether in the congregation or via hired security — could have stopped this bad guy with a gun.

Instead of making the easy choice to condemn the violent actions that led to multiple deaths, the President of the United States paraphrased an NRA talking point.

Trump says Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh has “little to do with” gun laws, says the synagogue should have “had some kind of a protection” inside the temple, and later blames synagogue for not having armed guards. pic.twitter.com/AWg5AwkEKp

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 27, 2018

Trump made a different kind of easy choice here. He doesn't care about this country. He doesn't care about his "base," the voters who still support him despite his active efforts to make many of their lives worse. He only cares about himself. And there's money to be made in keeping the NRA happy.

SEE ALSO: Twitter shames Trump for doing the absolute least in the wake of explosive devices

So he shifted the blame. It's not the gunman who strode into a synagogue during Saturday morning Shabbat services who's at fault. It's the synagogue for not hardening itself against such threats.

His critics on Twitter saw right through it of course, just like they always do. The outraged response Trump drew won't change his behavior in the slightest, but here's yet another receipt, another example of wounded voters struggling to comprehend the evil actions of their president, added to the pile.

Donald Trump just said the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting has little to do with gun laws and if they’d had “protection,” they may have survived. What kind of human blames victims for their own deaths because they were unarmed during a bris? One who took $30 million from the @NRA. https://t.co/zatVYPWCcf

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 27, 2018

Getting ready to blame more victims? Maybe you wanna tell everyone you’re a Nationalist again. Or perhaps you wanna talk about all the fine folks on the side of the Nazis? Maybe you & your @NRA friends can talk about arming rabbis, or bar/bat mitzvah kids? https://t.co/xrck529myu

— tara strong (@tarastrong) October 27, 2018

No need to worry people Trump has the answer. They should have had armed #Jewish worshipers in the Synagogue. That would have solved everything. Too bad the three armed cops who was shot didn’t think of that. I wonder how much is the #NRA paying Trump? #synagogueshooting pic.twitter.com/D6XScF63wx

— Ryan Guillory Sr. 🇺🇸 (@Mr_RyanGuillory) October 27, 2018

So in Trump’s fantasy world, this is our new reality: Armed security in every place of worship. Armed security in every school. In every grocery story. Every restaurant. Every YMCA. Every JCC. Every bar. Every dance club. Every Starbucks. There has to be a better idea.

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) October 27, 2018

Trump says that the synagogue should have had “protection.” There was reportedly a bris going on. A baby was being circumcised. He would have us believe that this sacred event is one for which congregants should have thought to have armed security present. pic.twitter.com/YaboszuU3e

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) October 27, 2018

The $20 million @NRA recipient @realDonaldTrump just blamed on live TV right now the Pittsburgh synagogue because they don't have an armed security. Unbelievable.

— Bros4America (@Bros4America) October 27, 2018

These are the more even-tempered responses, pulled primarily from heavily followed "verified" accounts. And remember, this is what the Jewish community is dealing with on Saturday:

"This is likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States.” — Anti-Defamation Leaguehttps://t.co/K3IHq8LqNq

— Philip Gourevitch (@PGourevitch) October 27, 2018

Just remember to vote on Nov. 6 like your life depends on it. Because unless you're a straight, white, conservative Christian, it probably does.

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