You Might Want to Rethink

Xzibit is learning a hard lesson about the rules of engagement when it comes to selling weed, and rule #1 seems to be ... don't name your company after a chemical weapon.

The rapper/entrepreneur's company -- Napalm Cannabis -- has been dragged online because its name is a sore reminder of a chemical agent that was used in firebombs during the Vietnam War ... firebombs that killed and maimed innocent citizens, including the little girl whose photo became a symbol of the horror of the United States' involvement in the war.

Napalm was also used against Japan in WWII. Its use on civilians was banned internationally in 1980 by the U.N.

Customers of The Higher Path dispensary were deeply offended by the name, not to mention one product in particular -- a pre-rolled joint known as "The Grenade." Seems people didn't like the cavalier reference to deadly weapons of war.

As Asian hate crimes are on the rise ... the name conjures up images that should not be celebrated.

As for how this product line could even make its way to digital shelves in the first place -- Higher Path is chalking it up to ignorance and a lack of diversity. HP says, "As an entirely-white marketing team that lacks knowledge or trauma surrounding this weapon, we didn’t realize how violent and ignorant it was to promote such a brand/product. That’s on us." Fact is ... plenty of white people also knew the misery napalm caused.

"Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others," Licht said in a statement.

Super Bowl champion Carlton Davis is in hot water for tweeting out a VERY offensive Asian slur -- though Davis claims he didn't know the "dark" history behind the word.

"Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami," the Tampa Bay Bucs cornerback posted on Sunday evening in a since-deleted tweet.

Obviously, the tweet went viral and people couldn't believe an NFL player would hurl such an offensive word around so casually.

Davis initially offered an explanation -- and actually had the balls to attack the media for criticizing him in the first place.

The 24-year-old posted a screenshot from the Urban Dictionary definition of the word (which, conveniently, wasn't even the top definition).

"A term commonaly [sic] used in South Florida to describe a person who is Lame. Synonym for Lame, wack, Fool or Stupid."

Davis added, "I would never offend any group of people. You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he 'ran Miami.' With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring."

Just minutes later, Davis was changing his tune in another statement.

"I used a term that from where I come from has always meant 'lame' but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times."

FYI, the g-word is an incredibly offensive anti-Asian slur that's been around for decades. It was widely used by American soldiers against Koreans and Vietnamese people during military conflicts.

Ans since Davis is into using definitions ... how about this one from Merriam-Webster.com:

"offensive -- used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a nonwhite, non-American person and especially for an Asian person."

No word if the NFL plans to take action.

Davis was a 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and had a pretty solid 2020 season ... logging 68 tackles and 4 interceptions during the Bucs' championship run.

LisaRaye McCoy is clarifying what she said about the Buffalo radio host who compared Black women to "toast," saying she is NOT defending the guy -- but simply pointing out ... yeah, he can have an opinion on the subject.

We got the actress Sunday at LAX and asked if she was standing in support of broadcaster Rob Lederman -- this after seemingly coming to his defense last week on her show, 'Cocktails with Queens,' with co-hosts Claudia Jordan, Syleena Johnson and Vivica A. Fox.

ICYMI ... LisaRaye didn't appear all that bothered by what Lederman had actually expressed at its core -- namely, that he prefers lighter-skinned Black women over darker-skinned ones.

The other women took issue, saying there was colorism at play with that type of thinking ... but LisaRaye is standing firm, even now ... the dude has a right to express what he likes, even if he's white. She notes his word choice was awful and demeaning, but when you drill down to the core ... she doesn't find it all that triggering.

LisaRaye says the reason some could've been more offended than others might have to with the climate we're in, and the fact people are way more sensitive these days.

BTW, she flatly denies being a colorist herself -- telling us she's got family members who are darker-skinned. That said, our camera guy asked her a provocative question ... and that would be, does colorism lend itself to racism by default?

A woman in Memphis made it clear -- she's having it her way or else -- and when she didn't get what she wanted, she unloaded a couple rounds inside the fast-food joint.

Cops say the suspect was beefing with employees because she felt she was waiting too long at the drive-thru. She got out of her car and the argument got more intense.

It escalated further, turning violent when she grabbed a gun from her car and, according to cops, fired shots through the window ... sending employees scurrying in terror as they fled through the back door. Thankfully no employees were hurt.

The woman was brazen ... staring right into the surveillance cam right before she unloaded her gun.

According to cops ... the suspect got back in her car and sped off with a man behind the wheel. No arrests have been made but cops are on the hunt.

A Canadian pastor quite literally exorcised the local police from his building after they apparently tried breaking up his church service over COVID rules ... and the video is wild.

Check out this clip that Artur Pawlowski posted Sunday, live from a church in Calgary ... where he seemed to be holding a service in observance of Passover, which ends the same day as Easter this year. His video picks up with him confronting several cops, along with what appears to be a municipal worker accompanying them ... and things get heated fast.

He calls them "Nazis" and part of the "Gestapo" repeatedly, telling them they're not welcome there and that if they wanna try shutting something down, to come back with a warrant.

The police and the worker appear to pushback at first, trying to explain the situation -- looks like someone might've called in to complain about the number of people inside -- but Pawlowski was having none of it ... screaming at them in a rage and giving 'em the boot.

Eventually, Calgary PD caved ... and they left the premises as Pawlowski followed them out, with his congregation in tow. He said he couldn't believe the cops would come and make a stink on the holiest of days for his religion, which appears to be some form of Christianity.

Now, some are praising Pawlowski for standing up to them ... calling him a "hero." However, others point out that if he was, indeed, breaking regulations by hosting too many people ... that's not cool. Calgary has a 15% in-person capacity limit right now for worship.

Cher is not backing down from a comment that got her dragged online ... that George Floyd might be alive if she'd have been there.

The 74-year-old singer had first tweeted, "Was talking with Mom & She Said 'I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd, & Cried ... I Said 'Mom,I Know This Is Gonna Sound CRAZY, But.. I Kept Thinking ... Maybe If I'd Been There, ... I Could've Helped."

People went crazy, criticizing her and calling the post a show of the "white savior complex."

Cher was not silenced, and posted again, saying, "Wrestled With This Twt,  Because I Thought some ppl wouldn’t understand, Or Believe an Entertainer Could have Honest emotions about a human Being,suffering & Dying,even if It’s Only Shown On tv. You Don’t Know What I’ve Done,Who I Am,Or What I Believe.I CAN,I HAVE,& I WILL..HELP"

What's unclear ... even if Cher truly believes she would have stepped in, exactly what would she have done with multiple officers there who were clearly keeping the crowd at bay as Derek Chauvin had his knee planted on George Floyd's neck?

Cher seemed to absorb the criticism, adding, "I Just got off phone With Friend Karen.Told her what Happened,& Realized,You Can Piss Ppl Off,& Hurt Them By Not Knowing Everything That’s”NOT Appropriate”To Say.I know Ppl Apologize When They’re In a Jam,BUTRaised back of handTO GODFolded hands,IM TRULY SORRY If I Upset AnyOne In Blk Community.I Know My (heart)"

Self-help books can be good for the soul, but it comes at the expense of driving skills ... as you can see in the insane video.

A driver was absorbed in the audio version (thank God) of "The Four Agreements," when he lost control of his car and careened into a driveway ... slamming into a car and then striking the driver who was running for his life.

The distracted driver had the volume cranked up as he apparently reached for his phone which had fallen to the floorboard. The man he hit looked like a rag doll as he went airborne.  His daughter watched the whole thing and was remarkably unfazed.

The distracted driver apparently took the book-on-tape to heart ... as the author reads, "You're impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions," the driver checks on the driver to see if he was okay, and he was not. The victim says he has what appears to be a torn muscle/ligament around the ankle area.

It gets worse ... the driver allegedly had a suspended license .... which is weird because he was driving an Avis rental car.

The victim, not surprisingly, says he's gonna lawyer up.

While Pepe Le Pew's "rape-y" behavior was apparently deemed too problematic to include him in the 'Space Jam' sequel, a group of actual onscreen rapists is set to cameo.

The first official trailer for "Space Jam: A New Legacy" dropped this weekend -- and it shows LeBron James descending not just into the Looney Tunes world for a do-or-die basketball game ... but in a world full of classic movie characters, hand-drawn or otherwise.

In the new teaser, you see LeBron and co. on a basketball court in a stadium-like setting -- which is full of real-life human cameos from the likes of Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Diana Taurasi, but there's also pantheon greats from the cinematic universe sprinkled throughout ... like 'Batman' characters, 'Mad Max' characters, 'Scooby Doo' characters, 'GOT' characters ... and strangely, "A Clockwork Orange" characters too.

Yes, we're talking Alex and his gang of Droogs -- famous for their all-white outfits and their bowler hats. And, even more famous (or infamous) is their brutal rape scene in the 1971 Kubrick film, which is depicted in graphic detail ... and definitely NOT family-friendly by any stretch.

A lot of people quickly noticed the Droogs' presence ... and questioned why they were even in the film at all, considering the nature of their scripted backstory. There doesn't seem to be much of an explanation at this point, other than 'Space Jam' cramming as many memorable movie characters into the plot as possible ... "Ready Player One" style.

Of course, the inclusion of the Droogs makes ya wonder ... if they're in, why is Pepe out?

You'll recall ... Pepe's grabby approach toward Penelope Pussycat was recently put under a microscope and was even likened to perpetuating rape culture, which drew mixed reactions. Interestingly enough, it was reported that Pepe ended up getting axed from the new 'Space Jam' script entirely after some consideration. It's unclear if the "rape" criticism had anything to do with it directly ... but it seems likely WB execs might've already been thinking that.

Paul Simon will be a forgotten name in the history books when scholars look back on 20th-century music and see only Bob Dylan and The Beatles standing tall -- that's the polarizing take of one NBC writer, anyway.

Jeff Slate -- a NYC-based songwriter and journalist -- penned a controversial piece for NBC Think ... titled, "Paul Simon sold his catalog to Sony for millions. He'll still end up a historical footnote to Dylan." Indeed ... it is triggering.

His subheading reads, "He was a prolific songwriter with a lucrative catalog any corporation would happily monetize. But there are only a few names our descendants will ever learn."

We know, we know ... you're fuming already. That's exactly what the internet is doing as well as it jumps to PS's defense.

You can read Slate's take in full for the big picture -- which is all about how Dylan recently sold his catalog of music and the rights to it to UMG for a reported $400 million, and how Simon followed in his footsteps by doing the same with Sony for his rights -- but the gist here is ... Paul Simon will be an "also-ran" compared to BD when it's all said and done.

In Slate's view, Dylan will perhaps be alone with John, Paul, George and Ringo and as the standout folk/rock acts of the '60s/'70s -- and that artists like Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and others will fall by the wayside, especially among younger, average-Joe listeners.

That seems to be what Slate's getting at -- and of course, A LOT of people disagree ... with some arguing Simon is just as prolific and culturally impactful as Dylan ever was. We don't have to get into a pissing contest ... both guys have scores of songwriting credits and hits under their belts. Of course, you could argue Dylan is perhaps the better-known of the two.

What a shock ... Russians cast their vote on the sexiest man in the country, and guess who won?

Yep, the guy with the killer smile, Vladimir Putin, snagged top honors ... maybe under fear of death. More than 2,000 Russians say the 68-year-old dictator is the hottest man in the land.

The Moscow Times published the results -- 18% of Russian men and 17% of Russian women thought Putin also ruled when it came to looks.  We're guessing it was a secret vote, because God help the remaining 82% if the sexiest man finds out they didn't vote for him.

Some of the 80+% may be in the clear ... turns out 19% of the men surveyed said THEY were the sexiest in the land. And, 18% of the women said there were no sexy men in Russia.

The iconic Hollywood sign has a new neighbor mooving in ... because there's a giant cow in the middle of the landmark.

As you can see, the sign was vandalized Friday with an image of a dairy cow taking over the middle of the first 'O.' Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 3 people have been arrested for trespassing, with a police helicopter helping officers track the suspects as they made their way back down the hill.

We're told the alteration to the sign was done as a joke, and not as a protest for or against bovines.

There's a band out of Los Angeles, called Junior Varsity, appearing to take credit for the vandalism. JV just released its debut single, "Cold Blood," which features a dairy cow as the cover art and their social media accounts have been telling folks to "Look for the signs."

It's the second time in as many months the Hollywood sign is getting an illegal makeover ... back in February, model Julia Rose was arrested for altering the sign to read, "Hollyboob."

Ya might say folks are milking the poor sign for all its worth.

The U.S. Capitol is in lockdown mode after someone in a car tried ramming a security barrier ... and hit 2 U.S. Capitol Police Officers.

Capitol Police issued an alert Friday telling people inside the complex to remain indoors due to an "external security threat" that required a massive police presence ... including the landing of a helicopter on the east side of the Capitol.

USCP said it responded to the north barricade vehicle access point along Independence Ave. "for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers." The suspect is in custody. The officers, along with the suspect, were transported to a hospital.

Neither the House nor the Senate was in session at the time of the incident and President Biden had left Washington earlier in the day for Camp David. The alert instructed people inside the Capitol to "stay away from exterior windows, doors" and "if outside, seek cover."

According to reports ... Capitol Police opened fire when the suspect attempted to ram the car through the barriers. It's unclear if the suspect was hit but one of the officers is reportedly in critical condition.

Story developing ...

WNBA star Angel McCoughtry is insulted by Draymond Green's claim that female athletes have only "complained" about the pay gap and haven't taken any real meaningful action ... and she's ready to educate him.

The 5-time WNBA All-Star says she's personally been in the trenches trying to get powerful sports leagues, production companies and sponsors to spotlight more women's sports ... but she keeps getting shut down.

McCoughtry even called out Lebron James and Steph Curry -- saying she's brought female athlete-centric projects to their production companies, but no one is pulling the trigger.

The 34-year-old -- 2-time Olympic gold medalist -- even invested in the PlayersTV network with the hopes of bringing more female athlete stories to the masses.

So, when she saw Draymond saying he's "really tired of seeing [female athletes] complain about the lack of pay" and suggesting they take more action ... it really rubbed her the wrong way.

"Draymond, have you done your research?! Have you asked us questions," Angel said Thursday during a USA Basketball training camp news conference.

"Don't you think we've tried to do that kind of stuff?! No, he hasn't done his research! That's my only thing with Draymond!"

Angel continued, "We want to get our stories out. I created a TV show about these kinds of issues, its a dramatic comedy called 'Fair Game.' I've gone to Springhill Entertainment, I've gone to Sony where Steph Curry's people are. We got turned down! 'Oh, we don't want a show about the WNBA.'"

McCoughtry says she's happy Draymond is keeping the women's pay issue in the headlines -- but suggests he "talk more to the women before just thinking he had a bright idea."

One of the TikTok dance creators who didn't get credit last week in a controversial 'Tonight Show' bit has mixed feelings about what went down ... and her mom does too.

Mya Johnson tells TMZ ... she was initially excited to see her "Up" challenge -- which she choreographed with her friend Chris Cotter back in February -- made it all the way to Jimmy Fallon's show.

But, Mya says she also couldn't help but wish she and Chris would have been invited on TV to perform their dance ... instead of Addison Rae.

As we told you ... Fallon and Addison are catching flak for their segment where she taught Jimmy how to do 8 popular TikTok dances, none of which she created.

People are upset 'The Tonight Show' didn't give proper attribution to the Black creators of the dances. Addison told us they definitely deserve the credit and she supports them, but her response has left people unsatisfied as well.

One of those people is Mya's mother, Candice Rangel, who says Addison's comments came off a bit insincere. However, she also doesn't believe Addison had bad intentions ... and offers suggestions for how she can make things right.

Draymond Green says he's "really tired of seeing [female athletes] complain about the lack of pay" -- insisting the time for griping is over, and there needs to be more action.

Maybe not the best choice of words -- but ultimately, Green is arguing that women DESERVE better pay, and need to change their PR strategy in order to achieve their goal.

Draymond explained during a Wednesday interview why he believes female athletes -- specifically WNBA players -- are "doing themselves a disservice by just complaining."

NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Kerith Burke pushed back and told Green "the women are doing more" than voicing their displeasure ... and that's when the Golden State Warriors star explained his position.

"They’re not laying out steps that they can take to change [the pay disparity]," Draymond explained ... "So, it’s coming off as a complaint."

"Because the people that can change it, they’re just going to continue to say, 'Well, the revenue isn’t there. The revenue isn’t there. So, if you don’t bring in the revenue, we can’t up your pay.' They’re going keep using that."

Green argued that female athletes need to band together to hold sports leagues, advertisers and other influential organizations responsible for effectively marketing women's sports -- including putting real time, energy and money into promoting talented superstars like WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.

A sheriff's deputy in Texas is under investigation after he was captured on camera threatening to beat the crap out of a teen ... and then actually did punch him in the face.

The disturbing incident went down last Friday in Harris County where a 16-year-old named Carlos and his buddy had just pulled into a gas station on their ATVs. The deputy beelined it for Carlos and asked him for ID, and things went south real quick.

You can see in the video, shot by Carlos' friend, the deputy initially tells Carlos to turn around put his hands behind his back. He started to do that, but took one step away, prompting the deputy to grab him and yell, "Don't run from me boy, I will beat your (expletive) right here."

Carlos appears to panic at that point and the deputy barks out, "Turn around and put your hands behind your back before I beat the (expletive) out of you. Don't be (expletive) stupid."

And, then ... bam, the deputy squarely punches Carlos in the head, knocking him to the ground. The deputy didn't let up either ... you can see him unload a few more punches while they're both on the ground. He eventually arrested Carlos for evading arrest.

Carlos told KTRK-TV he and his friends may have previously driven away from deputies -- you hear the cop reference that -- but adds, he didn't think getting gas would lead to a violent encounter with law enforcement.