TV mastermind Taylor Sheridan isn’t a conservative. He’s suggested as much in various interviews, and there’s little reason to doubt him. He just knows how conservatives think and refuses to ignore them. And, sometimes, he lets them speak without a filter. If Hollywood wants to thrive in the Trump 2.0 era, it should watch a Sheridan show. And take some notes. Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman.” Photo by Emerson Miller/Emerson Miller/Paramount+. Copyright 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sheridan’s newest series, “Landman,” recently went viral for a character’s screed against the green movement. Billy Bob Thornton plays Tommy Norris, an oil company executive who puts a green activist in her place. You have any idea how much diesel will have to burn to mix that much concrete or make that steel and haul this s*** out here and put it together with a 450-foot crane? You want to guess how much oil it takes to lubricate that f***ing thing? Or winterize it? In its 20-year lifespan, it won’t offset the carbon footprint of making it. And don’t get me started on solar panels and the lithium in your Tesla battery. That’s just part of Tommy’s stemwinder. Is it any wonder social media ate it up? Can you imagine that dialogue coming from a network TV show? What about an HBO original? A Netflix and Chill affair? Impossible. Sheridan is willing to share stories and angles others miss. It’s why he conquered the small screen in dramatic fashion. It’s not surprising that “Landman,” co-starring Jon Hamm, Demi Moore and Ali Larter, is another Sheridan smash. The Paramount+ original’s debut drew a total of 14.6 million viewers in one week across the streaming network and the Paramount Network. That’s the biggest debut for a Paramount+ streaming original. That matters in the highly competitive streaming landscape. In just six years Sheridan has upended the world of television with his muscular, uncompromised vision. In that span he’s given us “Yellowstone,” “Tulsa King,” “Special Ops: Lioness.” “1883,” “1923,” “Mayor of Kingstown” and now “Landman.” Taylor Sheridan, Kelly Reilly and Kevin Costner attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Yellowstone” at Paramount Studios on June 11, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images) Not every series is a blockbuster, although “Yellowstone” more than qualifies. The series inspired two prequel shows and more spinoffs may be on the way. “Tulsa King,” starring Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone as a mafioso who brings his thuggish acumen to the Midwest, is another hit. Paramount+ is teasing a deal to bring a third and fourth season of the show to viewers. The first season found Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi railing against some of the cultural changes that happened while he was in prison. “And these pronouns. What the f*** is with the pronouns? He, she, him, they, the, boom, bang, ba, fa, foo. You know what my pronoun is? Guess. Time’s up. It. As in, it can’t take this s*** anymore. I’m all for change. I am. I really am. But somebody keeps moving the goalpost.” Sylvester Stallone in “Tulsa King” (2022). Paramount+. IMDB. Sheridan isn’t just making up dialogue. He’s listening to both halves of the country. Another sequence found Stallone’s character accusing someone of racially profiling his young black colleague. It’s precisely how a shrewd operator like Manfredi would shift the balance of power to his advantage. It’s not woke. It’s storytelling. Keep in mind Manfredi is the story’s anti-hero. Viewers are rooting for him, despite his flaws, much like they rallied behind James Gandolfini’s patriarch in “The Sopranos.” Conservatives quickly latched onto “Yellowstone” as that rare conservative show early in its run. The saga followed an old-school rancher, memorably played by Kevin Costner, and his complicated brood. How many shows are set in Montana these days? (L-R) Helen Mirren, Taylor Sheridan, and Harrison Ford attend Paramount+’s “1923” Las Vegas Premiere at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on December 03, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Small/Getty Images) Yet some conservatives railed against progressive elements in the saga, from vegan protesters to a lesbian romance. Sheridan politely disagreed with the conservative label some slapped on the drama. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’ The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated…about corporate greed…the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?” He’s right. It’s not a red-meat entrée for a famished heartland. It’s just been so long since conservatives saw themselves on screen they embraced the saga, warts and all. That’s ultimately Sheridan’s trick. He’s not looking to score cheap partisan points or curry favor with progressives. The story comes first. And he doesn’t seem to care that his apolitical bent may hurt him come awards time. Sam Elliott (L) and Taylor Sheridan attend the after party for the world premiere of “1883” at SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas on December 11, 2021. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) “Yellowstone” earned strong reviews and endless audience praise, but to date, it’s snagged just one Emmy nomination for Outstanding Production Design. It’s a populist hit, and that’s more than enough for Sheridan. After all, network executives care more about ratings than awards. The actor-turned-showrunner is neither Right nor Left, but he certainly isn’t woke. That became clear during a January chat with Spotify superstar Joe Rogan. The two mocked the notion of “toxic masculinity,” with Sheridan revealing the thinking behind his TV empire. “You need masculinity and femininity,” he explained before taking on the Left’s word police movement. “It’s fascinating that language is being reinvented before our eyes. There’s all these new words that are just meant to keep one person from disagreeing with another person’s position.” Woke is the enemy of creative storytelling. Sheridan, no matter his political leanings, instinctively gets that. His growing body of work captures that philosophy. It’s no wonder he conquered TV in the Age of Woke. He had little competition. * * * CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE * * * Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

British star Paapa Essiedu is reportedly being looked at to play the role of Professor Severus Snape in a new HBO adaptation of “Harry Potter,” and fans have made it clear they aren’t happy about it. On Thursday, several sources confirmed to Variety that the 34-year-old actor could land the role of Snape in the upcoming series, a role previously held by the late Alan Rickman in the “Harry Potter” movie franchise. There’s no word yet if Essiedu has accepted the part and HBO would only release a statement to that outlet that read, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.” According to the logline, the series will be “a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.” No. Please, no. Severus Snape should follow the character described in the book. It’ll be awry seeing a black man play Snape (and I’m black so it’s not a race thing) These cultural swaps would become the main focus of the series instead of what it actually is@jk_rowling https://t.co/Qy6DcZgkpo — Ogbe Precious (@ogbeprecious_) December 5, 2024 “The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years,” it added. “Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.” It was the line about a “faithful adaptation” of the book that many fans who criticized the British star’s possible part pointed out in their comments online. “No. Please, no,” one person wrote on X. “Severus Snape should follow the character described in the book. It’ll be awry seeing a black man play Snape (and I’m black so it’s not a race thing) These cultural swaps would become the main focus of the series instead of what it actually is @jk_rowling.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE A “Harry Potter” fan account wrote, “The creators of the show, including J.K. Rowling, said that the TV series would be a faithful adaptation of the books. Snape is described in the books as being a ‘thin man with greasy, shoulder-length black hair, a large hooked nose, sallow skin, and cold, black eyes.’” “The drawing below was drawn by J.K. Rowling herself, which correlates with how she described Snape’s appearance in the books,” the post added. “They haven’t even started filming this TV series and they are already deviating from the books. Personally, I am disappointed…” While a third person wrote, “Why is my timeline full with this s*** ??? Cancel the whole show I bet he’s an amazing actor but he’s NOT Severus Snape f*** this woke s***.” The “Harry Potter” series is slated to be released on HBO in 2026. Related: Warner Bros. Discovery Announces Release Date For ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series

If you remember when the Backstreet Boys were topping the charts, you’ve probably started having strange aches and pains you can’t explain and perhaps began wearing cheater glasses. Getting older means evolving into a different version of ourselves. That doesn’t mean we have to forget who we were or where we came from. That goes for all of us, including our favorite boy bands. Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, and Kevin Richardson now have kids, laugh lines, and maybe orthotics in their shoes, but some things have stayed the same. The Backstreet Boys are back and did a little performance with the Rockettes, which is a must-see. New York City’s favorite high kickers shared a video of the performance on Instagram, and fans love it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rockettes (@therockettes) The Backstreet Boys And Rockettes Make A Dream Team The boys and girls gathered in a studio, presumably before their performance, at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting to perform Everybody. The first shot shows all five boys standing in the studio and singing. As soon as we hear, “Rock your body now,” a dance in gold breaks through the boy banders, and the whole crew performs their legendary choreography. The Backstreet Boys had the same swagger, and the Rockettes added some high kicks and a bit of flair. It will give you the warm fuzzy feelings you need around the holidays. “The collaboration we didn’t know we needed,” a fan cheered. The nostalgia was real for this fan. “All of my childhood dance dreams in one Instagram post.” We agree with this person 100%. “The boys still got SWAG, and they are always the best boyband in the world!” Some people have the Backstreet Boys and Rockette’s collab or repeat. “I could watch this a million times (I have).” We loved it, boys. By next Christmas, we better see you in a kick line. Start practicing. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post The Backstreet Boys & The Radio City Rockettes Teamed Up For An “Everybody” Dance & It’s Perfect appeared first on InspireMore.

'Phelan’s legacy is one of betrayal'

What do you think of the case?

'She had a remarkable way of making everyone feel special'

'Thank you Daniel for serving your country'

'The sports league seemed intent on flexing their authority'

His cause of death has not yet been officially reported

Imagine seeing this on tomorrow’s front page: Biden Announces New “Give It to Gaza” Parole Program: 1,000 Palestinians per Week to Fly in From Designated Middle East Airports to Chicago, Detroit, and New York. That’s not a real headline—but it could be. “They can’t do that!” you say? Not so. Previous presidents realized they were constrained by U.S. laws. That’s our system, we were taught. Three branches of government. Checks and balances. Separation of powers. But we’ve seen few checks on Joe Biden’s arrogation of power when it comes to the border. Despite clear congressional intent, Biden decided he could use immigration parole to allow unlimited numbers of foreign nationals to enter the United States, and for an indefinitely renewable period. The only limits on this imagined authority are logistical. The government phone app CBP One (for “Customs and Border Protection One”) was intended to speed the legal transport of goods through U.S. ports of entry from Mexico, but the Biden administration has hijacked it to facilitate mass migration. Biden’s parole programs have already brought in more inadmissible aliens (meaning they have no valid visa to enter the U.S.) so far—well over a million a year—than the number of visas Congress has authorized for legal immigrants each year (about 850,000).  There is nothing stopping a future president from ramping up parole into even more of a fire hose of illegal immigration with merely a fig-leaf of legality. Axios recently reported that outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a plan to put Gaza back together. What if it had contained a new parole program, just for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip? The template is there already. Biden has mass parole programs specifically for Afghans, Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and more. Plus, his administration allows 1,450 additional inadmissible aliens to schedule their illegal entry using CBP One every day. A recent notice in the Federal Register reveals how CBP One is used to allow aliens who don’t qualify for a U.S. visa to bypass the limits Congress has set and show up at designated border ports of entry. There, almost all of them are let in on “parole”—supposedly so they can claim asylum. As the notice says, “CBP collects certain biographic and biometric information from undocumented noncitizens … to streamline their processing.” That’s the point: “streamlining” the processing of aliens. Not verifying their identity or vetting them for criminal records or national security threats. Some information CBP One collects is useful, such as name, address, and country of birth, but none of that information can be confirmed. Gender (which today can be changed on a whim) is required, but employment history is “optional.” There’s also nothing about police records or whether applicants are already living in a designated safe country—which should render them ineligible from getting asylum in the U.S. CBP One requires a photograph, but it can be matched only with U.S. databases, not with any in the applicant’s home country. So, if we don’t have someone’s picture in our records, which we usually don’t, the photograph doesn’t help us to verify their identity. Customs and Border Protection estimates it will let in 500,000 inadmissible aliens using CBP One by the end of the year, with each person taking 12 minutes to process. Yes, just 12 minutes to figure out whether someone is telling the truth and who they really are. The 100,000 officer-hours it will take every year is time CBP could have spent looking for human traffickers, interdicting fentanyl, or interviewing legitimate travelers. U.S. law clearly states that parole can’t be used to bypass the U.S. refugee program, but Congress didn’t set numerical limits for parolees. That was a big mistake. In the hands of an activist president, any leeway is a fatal liability. There is nothing to stop a future president from increasing parole with another country-specific program or by using CBP One at the border for more than the current limit of 1,450 a day. Why not a “Pakistan, Palestine, and Syria” parole program, with another 30,000 parolees a month—or why not 300,000? Why not parole 5,000 more aliens a day at the border using CBP One? With the rules out the window, there is nothing to constrain a rogue administration from diverting more officers and resources to CBP One instead of border security and interior enforcement. Unchecked abuse of immigration parole by any president is an abuse of executive authority, an abuse of the American people, is detrimental to U.S. national security, and is unfair to immigrants and visitors who play by the rules. Congress should numerically limit parole to 1,000 cases a year—or just end it entirely. The BorderLine is a weekly Daily Signal feature examining everything from the unprecedented illegal immigration crisis at the border to immigration’s impact on cities and states throughout the land. We will also shed light on other critical border-related issues such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, and more. Read Other BorderLine Columns: Sanctuary Cities—A Dangerous Game We All Lose How Trump Reverses the Destruction Biden’s Pro-Illegal Immigration Ideologues Wrought To Have a Serious Talk About Immigration, You’ve Got to First Debunk the Myths The Mass Hysteria Over Deportation What Would Harris and Trump Do Differently on Immigration? The post Biden’s Illegal Immigration Phone App Could Allow Millions of Gazans Into US: The BorderLine appeared first on The Daily Signal.