You Might Want to Rethink

Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, should stop insisting on people calling her "Dr." because her doctorate is meaningless ... so argues a writer, who's getting destroyed over his hot take.

Essayist Joseph Epstein penned a bizarre piece for the Wall Street Journal this weekend that's being called sexist, misogynistic, belittling ... and every other name in the book -- and rightly so, because he publicly asks the future First Lady to "drop the doc."

The op-ed is titled "Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D." -- and his opening graph is a doozy (in a bad way). Epstein writes, "Madame First Lady -- Mrs. Biden -- Jill -- kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name?"

He goes on ... "'Dr. Jill Biden' sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title 'Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.'"

Then the proverbial dagger ... "A wise man once said that no one should call himself 'Dr.' unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc."

Epstein goes on to lay out a theory that folks who get their PhDs and other doctoral degrees in the humanities or social sciences -- and then tack on the "Dr." before their names in correspondence thereafter -- are considered "bush league" in contemporary university circles ... at least from what he's heard.

Not only that, but JE says getting a doctorate degree these days just isn't as hard as it once was -- and, therefore, isn't nearly as prestigious, despite still being hailed as a high achievement. To him, it's pretty darn easy, especially if it's outside the science realm.

He ends his diatribe by saying, "As for your Ed.D., Madame First Lady, hard-earned though it may have been, please consider stowing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the small thrill of being Dr. Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden."

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's condition in the days before his demise was alarming -- but the guy was confident he'd be taken care of by the man upstairs.

Actor/rapper Chris La Vrar tells TMZ ... he was with Tiny Monday at the 'Friday' star's Marina del Rey home, where Tiny was recording a live stream video session with fans and fielding questions for a Q&A. Part of the convo was posted on social media -- and while you can see Tiny was not well here ... Chris says it was much worse up close in-person.

In the video, you see Tiny struggling to speak and breathe ... much like he had during his interview with Brandon Jay. Only difference here is that Tiny kinda nods off at various points, and his energy and focus are low compared to the rest of the chat room.

Good sport that he was, he did his best to engage with fans as best he could -- but Chris tells us that behind the scenes ... Tiny was startling him. He says the man was coughing nonstop, and when Chris asked if he was okay, 'Tiny' told him he was fine.

We're told Chris pressed to see if he felt like he needed to go to a doctor -- as Chris believed he did -- and Tiny responded ... "No, God's got me." Chris let it go.

BTW, as we reported, Tiny apparently contracted COVID 4 months ago, like many suspected -- Chris tells us it was confirmed, but Tiny believed he'd beaten it and gotten past the symptoms. As we can now see, that was not the case. After hanging out with Tiny for a couple hours and subsequently learning of his death days later -- we're told Chris is now concerned he might have COVID and plans to get tested ASAP.

Huge. Scary. Terrifying. Take your pick ... they all apply for the wave you're about to see -- and yet, surfer Peter Mel totally owned this insane wall of water!!!

Surfers flocked this week to Mavericks -- the big wave mecca in Northern California -- for what many of them called the best conditions in years, and this footage backs that up.

No jet ski tow-in for Peter, who fearlessly (we think) paddled in and bombed down a wave witnesses estimated to be at around 50 feet high. You gotta watch how it unfolded -- to an amateur's eye it didn't look good for him halfway through, and "not good" at Mavericks can mean broken bones or worse.

Dude's got a brass pair though, because he positioned himself perfectly for the "ride of the day" ... according to other surfers who watched in amazement.

Peter, an OG at Mavericks, tells TMZ Sports it was the "best feeling" wave he's ever caught in his 29 years surfing there. He says he knew it was something special when he heard cheers from family, friends and fellow surfers.

Let's be honest ... just surviving a wave like that makes it plenty special.

Veteran photog Bo Bridges had a front-row seat for Peter's epic ride, capturing it from start to finish, and check out his office for the day. Watching from a dingy like that looks only slightly safer than surfing the waves.

Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Teair Tart has been officially banned for one game ... after he was caught on video stomping on the back of a Cleveland Browns star's leg.

Tart had appealed the 1-game suspension this week ... but the NFL upheld the ban on Friday -- 'cause, well, the whole incident was clear as day on camera.

In Sunday's Browns vs. Titans game ... Tart blew through the backfield but couldn't make the play. On his way back up the field, Tart JUMPED on Cleveland star O-lineman Wyatt Teller with one leg.

Check out the clip ... the play was SUPER dirty -- Tart put his spike right into Teller's hamstring.

Fortunately for the Browns, Teller avoided injury ... but the play will cost Tart and the Titans -- the NFL has now barred the dude from suiting up for Tennessee's game against Jacksonville on Sunday.

LeBron James was so outraged after watching a youth football coach smack a child during a game this month ... he said he might've straight-up fought the guy over it all if he were there in person.

"If I there and it's not even my kid we gone have more than words for sure," the Lakers superstar said Wednesday night.

If you haven't seen it ... the video is pretty disturbing -- a grown-man ATTACKS one his players after a play on the field, hitting the kid in the head multiple times before throwing him to the sideline.

The incident all reportedly went down at the American Youth Football National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida ... and the child is reportedly only 9 years old

The man was hit with a TON of backlash on social media for his actions ... with many people calling for his job -- and even jail time.

The coach issued a video apology ... saying, "At the end of the day, I am a man. I'm not going to make no excuses for what I did" -- but, clearly, the mea culpa wasn't enough for LeBron.

James Instagrammed the video and SLAMMED the coach ... adding, "Ain't no way!! Couldn't be my kid."

Other athletes have expressed similar outrage ... with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe writing, "Even IF* that’s his kid, I’ll whip him."

"I won’t let anyone prey on the weak or vulnerable in front of me," Sharpe continued. "Not going to happen."

It's unclear if the coach will face any criminal charges -- or even discipline from the youth league -- over the incident.

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."

Teyana Taylor's gotta be feeling appreciated today ... she celebrated her 30th birthday with a flashy Miami shindig, packed with her celeb friends.

The newly-retired singer danced her ass off Wednesday night at the bash ... surrounded by folks like Diddy, Lil Wayne and A$AP Ferg, just to name a few. You can see in the video ... people were shoulder-to-shoulder at times on the dance floor.

Unclear what, if any, testing went down beforehand -- but there was no social distancing and very few face masks.

Also worth noting, there are very few COVID restrictions right now in Florida.

The party, sponsored by the clothing line Pretty Little Thing, came less than a week after Teyana announced she was retiring from music because she felt underappreciated by the industry.

She said, "I’m retiring this chapter of my story with the comfort that I can depart with peace of mind seeing that all the hard work & passion put was indeed loved & supported somewhere in the world!"

She definitely got love and support to ring in the big 3-0.

The pandemic hasn't stopped people from getting their freak on at possible COVID super-spreader events -- they've simply gone underground, and they're going to extremes to keep it hidden.

A source with direct knowledge tells us the events have been happening since the start of COVID, but the recent surge in cases has made them more hush-hush. There's a vetting process, but more for secrecy than public health issues.

For starters, we're told anyone looking to access these speakeasy-esque events will first have to get in touch with a real sex worker.

Alice Little, a popular prostitute in Nevada, tells us sex workers -- who advertise on social media and escort sites -- serve as gatekeepers, giving only their most trusted clients the hookup to a party.

Alice says the sex worker might ask for references -- not unlike a job interview -- but we're told the grilling is more to sniff out narcs and undercover agents ... and not about health issues.

While you'd think there would be testing -- for COVID and STIs -- we're told that's not the concern for these underground parties ... they're more worried about getting busted by law enforcement.

This is a big change, and a dangerous one considering we're in a pandemic. Alice says pre-COVID these events would typically be run by brothels ... which were more likely to require medical testing.

Anyway, if you pass muster, we're told the sex worker takes you to the so-called kingdom -- which could be at a strip club, a private residence or even a literal underground hideaway.

As we reported, a swingers party in NYC was busted and more recently ... 158 people were arrested in L.A. County. So, these events are clearly on law enforcement's radar, and for good reason.

Party-goers risk arrest, but now the other major concern is the threat to public health and spreading COVID.

Tiffany Haddish says she turned down an offer to host a Grammys pre-show -- and it's all because the org was trying to make her foot the bill ... for everything.

The comedic actor says she was offered the hosting gig for the Recording Academy's 3-hour pre-telecast ahead of the main show in January, but when she was told she wouldn't get paid ... it gave her pause. Then she was told everything else would come out of her own pocket as well -- including hair, makeup and wardrobe costs -- so Tiff told them to kick rocks.

She tells Variety, "I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful." Tiffany is, in fact, up for a Grammy this year for her Netflix comedy special, 'Black Mitzvah' ... she was nominated last year too for a spoken word project.

The Recording Academy tells Variety that because the pre-telecast isn't put on by CBS but, rather, themselves (a non-profit), they say it's normal for the hosting job to be pro-bono -- and apparently has been for a while. They also said Tiff's decision would have no bearing on any future nominations whatsoever.

That still didn't stop TH from openly criticizing them though -- she says, "How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it."

This is just the latest controversy to dog the Grammys this year ... coming a couple weeks after The Weeknd's outrage at being snubbed, and his allegations there were shady politics behind it.

Killer Mike says playing identity politics won't pay off for Democrats and Kamala Harris -- instead, he says she'll have to lean into the progressive movement if she wants the presidency.

We spoke with the rapper and activist Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about the upcoming run-off elections in Georgia that will determine who controls the Senate during Biden's term -- but also about the widely held belief the VP-elect will run for Prez in 2024.

Mike says Dems would be wise to stop worrying about how to frame Harris as a candidate 4 years from now, and focus on the present. He also feels it's clear a progressive agenda -- as championed by his fave candidate, Bernie Sanders -- is actually needed and more widely supported than Dems think.

He tells us the Pineapple Saloon & Grill owner in L.A., whose plea for help went viral, is the epitome of that -- and says he's looking to make things more equal for all.

Speaking of that, Mike also tells us the pandemic has crystallized the need for healthcare-for-all, and Andrew Yang's universal basic income concept.

The Run the Jewels rapper stresses that it's time for Democrats, in general, and Kamala specifically to step up for the Black community on a number of issues -- because that's how she can secure that support when she runs for the top job.

Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin is apologizing for his "inappropriate behavior" in a video he posted on social media ... in which he gropes an unsuspecting woman's chest.

In the video, which was posted (and since deleted) from Mazepin's Instagram page ... you can see the 21-year-old reach over and grab a female's chest while the two are riding in a car together. The woman reacts by trying to block her chest and then she flips him the middle finger.

"I would like to apologize for my recent actions both in terms of my own inappropriate behavior and the fact that it was posted onto social media," Mazepin said in a statement.

"I am sorry for the offense I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team."

He continued, "I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down. I promise I will learn from this."

His bosses on the Haas F1 team ripped the driver over the video -- calling the footage "abhorrent."

"Haas F1 Team does not condone the behaviour of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media," the racing team said.

"Additionally, the very fact the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team. The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time."

Mazepin is an up-and-coming driver in racing -- or at least he was before this incident.

He's been driving in Formula 2 -- and Haas had planned on moving him to F1 for the 2021 season.

Gabourey Sidibe didn't need a super offensive photo to check Twista for posting a disgusting, bullying meme -- she just destroyed him with words, and even got him to apologize ... but that may not be nearly enough.

The "Precious" star brilliantly clapped back at the fast-spitting MC after he posted a meme displaying a side-by-side photo of her and model Bernice Burgos. Gabourey's captioned "Option A," adding she's super successful while Bernice is listed as "Option B" ... a couch surfer with no car, 3 kids and 12K Instagram followers.

Twista then asked his 438K followers "Who y'all choosing A or B."

Once Gabourey got word of the meme, she obliterated him, saying ... "Wow. I um…. gee. @twistagmg I only like you as a rapper I forgot about in 2005. But good luck with option B!" She added a kissing emoji ... for good measure.

Twista deleted the post but furious reactions continued, like this one ... "Twista a bitch for this post and you are the lowest of the low."

Twista's now apologized ... telling The Shade Room it was an "honest mistake," adding "I was traveling most of the day when I saw the mistake. I immediately had it taken down. I don't know her directly but my sincere apologies to her."

Oh, boy, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino has pissed off his probation officer cause she's asking the judge to slap him on the wrist for falling way behind on completing his community service hours.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... the "Jersey Shore" star has only completed 18 of the 500 hours of community service he was ordered to complete as part of his tax evasion sentence.

In the docs, the probation officer says she's continually talked to Mike about where to volunteer in his community ... like at Toys for Tots, his church and several food banks, but so far he's only done 18 hours since his release from prison in 2019. In fact, the probation officer says Mike was scheduled to volunteer back in August, but failed to attend due to COVID-19 concerns.

Still, the probation officer says she's reminded Mike "at nearly every interaction to find a venue for community service, including service that could be performed from home" but she claims he's made next to no effort. The probation officer told it to the judge ... who's now issuing Mike a written warning.

Sitch was released from prison in September 2019 after 8 months behind bars. He and his wife, Lauren, recently announced they're having a baby boy due in May 2021 ... so, dude's gonna be busy.

One thing the coronavirus pandemic won't dramatically change is President-elect Biden's inauguration ceremony -- although there will be a few COVID safety measures in place ... TMZ has learned.

A rep from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies -- which oversees the swearing-in process -- tells TMZ, the team is still planning to hold the big event in-person ... not virtually.

We're told the JCCIC is going to require masks and social distancing for everyone sitting on the dais with Biden -- which you'd expect -- but the Committee is also considering imposing mandatory testing for anyone who will be in the Prez-elect's immediate vicinity.

The stage construction is in full swing and, at this point, a pivot to a virtual ceremony or one significantly scaled back on head count is not in the works. However, a lot can change between now and January 20, as far as the pandemic's concerned.

We're told the congressional committee is still weighing how to go about ticketing, hoping to make it safe, but also inclusive.

Now, as far as the folks who wanna gather on the National Mall and watch the inauguration -- the District of Columbia has already laid out ground rules. It's requiring masks and distancing ... which most likely will translate to a limited capacity.

Outside of the Inauguration, DC already has pretty strict regulations for out-of-town travelers ... including negative tests, and a 14-day quarantine if you're coming from certain states.

Regarding the parade that usually follows the swearing-in, we're told that falls on the city as well. The D.C. Mayor's Office tells us they are planning for a parade as well the other inauguration traditions.

The guy who used to run Israel's space security program is sounding the alarm -- claiming aliens are real, and they're secretly working with our governments and biding their time.

Haim Eshed reportedly told the Israeli publication Yediot Aharonot he can confirm the existence of aliens, because he claims they've been among us for a damn long time. He even says they have their own org ... the "Galactic Federation."

Not only that, but Eshed -- who worked for the Israeli government from '81 to 2010 -- also alleges President Trump was about to blow the lid off the whole thing recently, but that he was convinced to shut his trap, 'cause most humans weren't ready for the truth ... yet.

The 87-year-old reportedly said, "There’s an agreement between the U.S. government and the aliens. They signed a contract with us to do experiments here. They, too, are researching and trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe, and they want us as helpers."

So ... they come in peace???

One more outlandish claim -- Eshed said there's an underground space base on Mars RIGHT NOW, where man and alien are working side-by-side for the betterment of the "Federation."

Ooookay ... so why's he going public? Much like comedy, Eshed says it's all about timing -- noting that if he had brought this up 5 years ago, he would've been written off as nuts.

BTW, plenty of people are still going with that take ... insinuating the dude's not all there anymore.

Conspiracy theorists, on the other hand, are pointing to Trump's fascination with ramping up Space Force, as evidence Eshed's on to something. And, don't get us started with UFO sightings either.

Remember, Obama all but confirmed the existence of aliens himself too -- but wasn't as loose-lipped as old Haim is here.

Here's a new one.

UNLV quarterback Max Gilliam is apologizing for eating sushi off a naked model's body in an episode of "Below Deck" ... with his coach saying the incident made the football program look bad.

The 23-year-old shot the risqué scene for the Bravo reality show back in the spring ... but it didn't air until November.

During his episode, Gilliam and his girlfriend join two other couples on a boat in Antigua as they dine on raw fish served off a nearly-naked female model, who was paid to be there.

In fact, the model said on the show, "This is the funnest job ever!"

So, what's the problem if a bunch of consenting adults did something legal with another consenting adult?

Seems UNLV's head football coach, Marcus Arroyo, felt it was a bad look for the program ... a program that's currently 0-5 and straight trash.

In fact, Coach Arroyo even issued a statement saying UNLV players -- especially seniors -- "must recognize that when we go out in public we’re representing this team, this university and the alumni and fanbase."

He added, "How we conduct ourselves in public is just as important as how we do on the field."

So, Gilliam apologized ...

"I would like to apologize for my poor judgment while on the TV show 'Below Deck' and acknowledge that I have made a mistake that I will learn from," the QB said in a statement.

"While it was not my idea nor any of my friends' ideas to eat sushi off of a model, I should have exercised better judgment and declined the idea immediately when it was brought up by the producers."

"This is not a reflection of my character or the way I was raised nor a reflection of the culture of UNLV football."

The senior QB has played in each game for the 0-5 Rebels ... and says he "would like to humbly move past this and focus my time and energy on our game against the University of Hawaii this weekend."