5 Far-Out Facts About Legendary “Rocketman” Elton John

Music icon Elton John’s biopic, Rocketman, is in theaters and  72-year-old singer/songwriter/showman extraordinaire is also in the middle of a three-year-long farewell tour. Safe to say, he’s got a lot going on!

In celebration of his final bow from the stage and the new film based on his life, here are 5 facts about the man, the myth, the legend: Elton John.

1. He’s had the same songwriting partner for over 50 years


John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin have been a team since 1967. Together, the duo is responsible for over 50 Top 40 hits and over 225 million records sold.

2. He released four albums in one year

Between October 1970 and November 1971 John was extremely prolific, releasing four albums – an unheard of number in today’s musical era. He released Tumbleweed Connection, Friends, the live album 17-11-70, and Madman Across the Water during this period, the latter of which featured his enduring hit, Tiny Dancer.

3. That’s not his real name

John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, in England. He grew up being called “Reg” or “Reggie” but he legally changed his name in 1972 and didn’t want any association with his birth name after that. John said, “Reg is the unhappy part of my life. If my mother can call me Elton, then everybody else can.”

4. He shared the stage with John Lennon in Lennon’s last ever performance

On November 28, 1974, Elton John convinced John Lennon to join him onstage during a concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden for three songs, including Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and I Saw Her Standing There. It was Lennon’s last public performance.

5. He was a bonafide hit-making machine

During the 1970s, Elton John was on a serious roll. He recorded 15 hit singles between 1973-1976, including fan favorites Don’t Go Breaking My HeartRocket ManCrocodile Rock, and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.

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10 Awesome Facts That’ll Rock Your World

Are you ready to ROOOOOOOCK????!?

With facts, that is.

Just look at the gentlemen of Black Sabbath above. You know they’re ready for some serious factinating. So let’s rumble, y’all!

1. Fascinating

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2. Which house do you belong to?

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3. Cool!

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4. Beautiful

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5. Sign me up!

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6. BFF

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7. Get on board!

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8. Sea Peoples

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9. Trouble makers

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10. Strange…

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Now you’re rockin! With facts, I mean…

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LEGO’s New “Stranger Things” Set Literally Goes to the Upside-Down

Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things will release its third season on July 4, 2019. The series has a pretty rabid fan base that can’t get enough of the show. They always want more – more merchandise, more news, more behind-the-scenes info.

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JULY 4

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Well, ST fans, I’m here to share some good news with you. LEGO has teamed up with Netflix and launched a new toy set featuring 8 character figures, the Byers’ house…and the Upside Down.

Take a look at this, it’s pretty amazing.

You can see from the video above that the detail in this set is really extraordinary. The launch was announced at LEGO stores in London and New York City, and you can order the set from the LEGO online shop HERE. The set costs $199.99 and has 2,287 LEGO pieces.

You know you want a LEGO replica of Chief Hopper’s police cruiser, don’t even try to deny it.

This commercial for the Stranger Things LEGO set has a pretty awesome vintage, 1980s feel to it.

The Byers house is shown in incredible detail, with Will’s room all decked out, “Have you seen me?” flyers plastered on the walls, a dining room, and the alphabet wall from Season One (it lights up!) among other things. Then you can flip that house upside and get…The Upside Down! Which is totally awesome in its own right!

I bet you can’t wait to get your hands on this and play for days on end – am I right?

Are you excited for the new season of Stranger Things? What are your predictions? Sound off in the comments!

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“The Simpsons” Accurately Predicted the End of “Games of Thrones” Years Ago (Among Other Things)

Game of Thrones is over, and most of the show’s fans are incredibly disappointed. Naturally, a lot of them have turned to other shows and the internet to try to find some kind of closure.

*spoilers* You have been warned.

One of the most shocking/frustrating moments of the last season was the second-to-last episode, The Bells. In a fit of somewhat inexplicable rage, Daenerys Stormborn and her dragon, Drogon, completely torch King’s Landing even after the citizens of the city had already surrendered. Dani goes on to slaughter thousands of innocent men, women, and children, along with her entire character arc.

The insane thing is, this carnage was predicted by The Simpsons back in 2017! It’s as if the show’s creators knew this was coming.

In this episode, “Serfsons” you’ll see Marge, Homer, Bart, and Lisa looking down over their city dressed in medieval clothing.

“Look,” says Bart, pointing out the massive red dragon burning down the city, “the dragon is burning our village.”

“I love our life,” Homer says.

Easy for Homer to say. He’s a cartoon! When this GoT episode aired we were all like, “I hate my life!” No? Just me?

Anyway, moving on. After the showed aired, Twitter immediately clapped back:

It seems The Simpsons have a knack for predicting the future. 18 times, actually! Like when the US beat Sweden in curling at the Olympic games (Episode “Boy Meets Curl”) and the Siegfried and Roy tiger attack (Episode “$pringfield”).

Check out a bunch of other things The Simpsons got right:

Pretty interesting…

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Jenna Fischer’s Visit to College Doesn’t Go as Planned. Now She Wants to See a Change

When actress Jenna Fischer paid a visit to DePauw University in Indiana for a Q&A and a book signing on April 17, 2019, the former star of The Office got more than she bargained for.

In fact, Fischer was so moved by what she saw that she took to Twitter after her visit to explain her feelings and her outrage.

Fischer learned that there had been four separate hate-filled incidents in Greencastle, Indiana, in one week before her visit, including the N-word spelled out with rocks in a local park, and anti-gay and anti-Semitic messages found scrawled in a bathroom.

While Fischer was at DePauw to promote her book, The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide, a group of demonstrators from the university’s Association of African-American Students interrupted the event, displaying a banner that read “We are not safe.”

Fischer was shocked by what she witnessed, and she shared her thoughts about the visit to DePauw on Twitter. Please read the whole post.

Fischer announced that she will be donating the money she was paid for her visit to DePauw to three organizations that for equal rights for minorities and LGBTQ people: the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and The Trevor Project.

In her tweet, Fischer said, “My hope is for all people to be respected, accepted, and loved for their individuality and uniqueness. And, above all, to be safe.”

Amen to that.

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New Study Finds Netflix May Be to Blame for the Falling Fertility Rate in the US

It’s funny, just a few years ago, the term “Netflix and chill” was synonymous with hooking up. Now, it seems Netflix may be to blame for the falling fertility rate in the US. How the tables do turn.

Wall Street Journal conducted a survey for the story, which showed that an incredible 25 percent of respondents have declined sex in favor of binge-watching a show in the last six months.

The problem arises particularly from streaming services; back when regular tv ruled mass entertainment, you could only watch one episode at a time, and each episode was filled with commercial breaks. The reward part of your brain wasn’t nearly so activated.

Photo Credit: iStock

“Now, if you’re watching something streaming, the next episode is immediately available, and there are no commercials where you could look over and say, ‘Honey, you look cute tonight,’” explained Jean Twenge, Ph.D., who authored a 2017 study on the topic.

While it is true that Americans are having fewer babies than ever before in history, it’s not entirely clear that Netflix is playing a direct role in the phenomenon. Technology in general, maybe (and like, a thousand other major societal factors). For every couple binging Netflix, there’s another couple scrolling through social media in bed.

“There has never been a time you could feel more alone with your partner right next to you,” clinical psychologist Dr. Megan Fleming said.

Photo Credit: iStock

Netflix commented on the study to deny that they’re contributing to the lack of American babies.

“We take pride in being part of the cultural zeitgeist, but getting credit for a decadeslong decline in sex is beyond even our programming abilities,” a spokesperson said.

That’s ok, Netflix spokesperson. It’s good to have goals.

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10 “Game of Thrones” Easter Eggs Most People Missed

Game of Thrones is well-known for hiding all kinds of easter eggs in the show. Sharp-eyed superfans have noticed all kinds of interesting little details are hidden references throughout the series. Some of them foreshadow a character’s impending doom, while others are just a fun joke for the cast and crew. They’re all quick moments, however – take one quick trip to the kitchen, and you might miss them.

For those who don’t know, and easter egg is a hidden gem, a secret feature or an intentional inside joke. Think of it sort of like an actual easter egg hunt. Fans search for these underlying messages as clues to unlock hidden secrets, or simply to have a laugh.

Here are a few GoT easter eggs for you:

1. Harry Potter lives in Westeros

Well, not really. But there were two nods to the famous wizard in season 7. First of all, Archmaester Ebrose is played by Jim Broadbent, who was the man behind Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter. But the script takes this easter egg one step further. Samwell Tarly asks the Archmaester if he can go into the “restricted area of the library” inside the Citadel. Didn’t Harry ask him that same very thing at Hogwarts?

2. R + L = J

Photo Credit: Blog WSJ

This is one of the first major easter egg theories made by fans early on in the show’s run. Carved into the wood are the letters RL (as pictured), right next to Jon Snow. What does it mean? Glad you asked. R is Rhaegar Targaryen. L is Lyanna Stark. And together they made Jon Snow… Farfetched? Maybe. Maybe not.

3. Famous face found on Euron Greyjoy’s fleet

It was the moment we’ve been waiting for – Theon finally saves his sister, Yara. It’s the least he could do after he leapt off the boat in season 7, leaving her to Euron’s mercy. Thank goodness Euron had other things in mind, like claiming Queen Cersei…I digress.

During their attack on Euron’s fleet, Theon and his gang killed many men. One right in the eye with an arrow! That man was Rob McElhenney the co-creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The link? David Benioff (co-creator of GoT) also wrote for that show.

4. Foreshadowing the death of Joffery, Shae, and Tywin

Photo Credit: Mashable

You could watch the series straight through a million times and never catch all the secrets scribed in the script. Littlefinger, the sly menace he is, is (was) one character to keep an eye (and ear) on. In Season 4 he says:

“People die at their dinner tables. They die in their beds. They die squatting over their chamber pots. Everybody dies sooner or later.”

Sound familiar? Joffrey died of poison at the wedding feast. Shae died in her, or rather Tywin’s, bed. And Tywin himself, the patriarch of the Lannister family, died on the toilet.

5. Ed Sheeran was, in fact, killed off the show.

Photo Credit: Instagram. @teddysphotos

Remember when Ed was in season 7, singing songs with army bros and feeding Arya rabbit? Many people who watched where like, “Wha?” As a joke, the co-creators brought it back in season 8, episode 1. To teach us about Ed’s fate, the brothel gals chatted about him while—ahem—you know…with Bronn. They mention a ginger named “Eddie” who had his eyelids seared off…ie, he was killed by a dragon.

6. The Hall of Faces featured co-creators David Benioff and David Weiss

According to Weiss,

“You need enough faces that you don’t sense the repeats, but you obviously can’t face cast thousands and thousands of people because that’s prohibitively expensive. We used all the face molds we have ever used before. Both [series co-creator] David [Benioff] and myself appeared many, many times in the Hall of Faces … there is at least 20 or 30 of me in there, which is, I suppose, my cameo for the show.”

7. Ser Davos of Seaworth reveals Jon Snow’s birth name in season 3

Photo Credit: Huffpost

Davos may not seem like the smartest man, at least when it comes to books. After all, he can’t read – or at least he couldn’t at the start of the series. Princess Shireen Baratheon taught him early on, and one of his first words was Aegon. None other than Jon Snow’s real name.

Coincidence? It never is.

8. A regime never truly dies – just consult the furniture in the Red Keep.

While many may not have noticed, some of the furniture in the Red Keep (primarily in the Small Council room and Tommen’s bedroom) still has dragons carved into the wood. The co-creators left this element to show the history of the Lannister coup over the Targaryens. This is a subtle reminder to viewers about the long struggles between the two houses.

9. Sansa Stark’s wedding gown tells her story

Photo Credit: HBO

Costume designers take in every detail when designing the Game of Thrones garb. These garments are a major part of the show, if not an actual additional character. If you take a good look at Sansa Stark’s wedding gown (from when she wed Tyrion Lannister), you’ll find embroidered fish, dire wolves, and lions along a path. This is the journey from Sansa’s birth to her wedding day. And since Sansa is known for her mastery in needle and thread, it isn’t far fetched that this may have been made by her. Michele Clapton, a major designer on the show, said,

“The embroidery is a subliminal way to tell someone’s story. You can see the influence of her mother, Catelyn Stark, in the House of Tully fish that swim around her body, then the emergence of the Stark Direwolf and eventually the heavy stamp of the Lannister lion on the back of her neck.”

10. The Iron Throne pay homage to past fictional heroes

Photo Credit: Ign

The Iron Throne, arguably one of the BIGGEST characters on the show, is hiding a few secrets of its own. Though it’s ostensibly made from 1,000 of the Mad King’s enemies’ swords melted together (actually 200, as Littlefinger points out), it has some hidden gems, such as Gandalf’s sword, Glamdring, from The Lord of the Rings.

Fan-freaking-tastic!

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How to Recap ALL 67 Episodes of “Game of Thrones” in Just 12 Minutes

Winter is here, b****es!

After almost TWO WHOLE YEARS of waiting, Game of Thrones fans will finally get a chance to see how it all ends! Who will sit on the Iron Throne? Will it be Daenerys and her dragons? Is Jon Snow the “Prince That Was Promised?” Will the Night King and his White Walkers destroy all life in Westeros?

We’ve spent eight whole years getting this invested in the eventual fate of Westeros, and a LOT has happened over that time. All told, there are 67 episodes to catch up on if you want a full recap, which amounts to almost 3 straight days of binge-watching with no sleep.

Photo Credit: HBO

If you’re like most working adults and don’t have that kind of time to set aside, however, don’t fret. The good people of ScreenCrush have got your back with this comprehensive recap that takes you through all of the show’s most memorable moments in less than 15 minutes!

For the throne!

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Take a Look at These Photos of Celebrities Before They Were Famous

One of the biggest drawbacks of life in this digital age is that anything you post will stay online indefinitely. People can easily dig up the embarrassing photos of your youth, before you understood style and/or fully grew into your own body.

The digital age also makes it a lot easier to share embarrassing photos of days gone by, as long as someone else does the work of digging up those photos from physical archives. Which is what we did for you with these 10 celebrity photos from before they were household names. So, all you’ve got to do is enjoy and share.

#1. Elon Musk

Photo Credit: Instagram,elonmusk

Who comes to mind when you think of the most innovative minds in the world today? That list is bound to include South African businessman Elon Musk. The entrepreneur is the founder of Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX, and is one of the most successful and wealthiest people on the planet.

He was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1971 to a South African father and a Canadian mother. He was frequently bullied as a youngster. Musk started on his career path early and taught himself computer programming at the age of 12. He moved to Canada to attend college at the age of 17. After earning his college degree, he started a Ph.D. program at Stanford but dropped out after only two days to focus on a career as an entrepreneur.

Musk has been the brains behind many projects throughout the years but it is his more recent work that has garnered him more attention. He launched SpaceX in 2002. His Tesla, Inc. endeavors promise to (hopefully) revolutionize the auto industry. Tesla’s designs for passenger cars as well as heavy trucks are revolutionary and aerodynamic. Time will tell if Musk’s various ideas pan out, or just remain the concepts of a very imaginative individual.

10+ Insanely Cool Behind-the-Scenes Facts about “Game of Thrones”

Are you obsessed with Game of Thrones? I sure am!

I’ve been on edge for weeks now waiting to see how the series ends! While I waited, I spent all my time finding all kinds of awesome facts about the show.

1. The death count stands at 150,966.

This number counts all the battles as well as the many speaking characters that met their demise throughout the series.

Photo Credit: HBO

2. Season 3 was challenged with filming around Kit Harrington’s broken leg.

Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, broke his leg climbing into a window at his London flat after losing his keys. Stand-ins with wigs were sometimes needed for his scenes.

Photo Credit: HBO

3. In Season 1, Emilia Clarke was covered in so much fake blood she got stuck to a toilet.

Her character, Daenerys Targaryen, ate a stallion’s heart in a scene. When it was time to take a bathroom break, the sticky prop blood glued her to the seat.

Photo Credit: HBO

4. Kit Harrington did his audition with a black eye.

The night before the audition, Kit and the woman he was dating at the time had to share a table at a McDonald’s with another couple they didn’t know. The man said some rude things to Kit’s date from across the table. Kit stood up to challenge the man before realizing how big the dude was. But he credits the black eye for getting him the role!

Photo Credit: HBO

5. Co-creators and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss pranked castmember Alfie Allen.

Allen was sent fake script pages suggesting Allen’s character, Theon Greyjoy, would be killed yet somehow remain on the show. Benioff and Weiss would call him and ask how he felt about being a naked zombie with no dialogue. Allen said sure, no problem. Then he figured it out.

Photo Credit: HBO

6. There’s a pilot that never aired.

Directed by Tom McCarthy, this pilot was shelved and reshot. Benioff told Variety, “We got everything wrong on a very basic level with the writing of it.” Including omitting the major plot point that Jaime and Cersei were brother and sister.

Photo Credit: HBO

7. Mathematicians have proved Tyrion is the series’ true protagonist.

After searching through George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, analysts determined Peter Dinklage’s character is the most interconnected with the other characters. Tyrion also appeared in every episode of Seasons 2 and 5.

Photo Credit: HBO

8. Sophie Turner adopted the ill-fated direwolf Lady.

After Season 1, the trainer was looking for a home for Zunni, the dog who played Lady. Turner stepped up and gave her co-star a forever home.

Photo Credit: HBO

9. George R.R. Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the series, for the past 8 years.

A release date has still not been set. A seventh book is planned, to be titled A Dream of Spring. Martin has said he is surprised that the show has gone ahead of the books, but also he does have a reputation for writing a little slow…

10. There are only 5 episodes in the entire GOT series that don’t involve death.

Photo Credit: HBO

11. Peter Dinklage was almost not Tyrion Lannister.

Dinklage wasn’t sold on the whole fantasy genre thing and thought he would only end up looking foolish as Tryion. “They told me about his complexity, the fact that he wasn’t a hero or a villain, that he was a womanizer and a drinker, and they painted a flawed and beautiful portrait of him, so I signed on.”

Photo Credit: HBO

12. Emilia Clarke did the “Funky Chicken” during her audition.

After she finished her scene, she asked Benioff if there was anything else she could do for the audition. As a joke (see #1), he said she could dance for them. Clarke, riding a Diet Coke buzz, did the only dance she knew–the funky chicken.

Photo Credit: Game of Thrones Season

Hopefully, you’ve combed through your memory for all the important plot points from the past 7 seasons so you’ll be totally on top of exactly what is happening as the new mayhem begins. Or maybe it won’t matter what you remember – if we’ve learned anything from watching Game of Thrones, it’s that what might happen this final season is anyone’s guess.

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