You Might Want to Rethink

President Biden brings up his late son, Beau, way too much for comfort, and it might be a political mistake -- so suggests the NYT, which had to tweak a headline over this.

The paper of record published a story Saturday that's all about how some people are seriously tired of Biden invoking Beau in seemingly any context ... and citing his grief over his boy's death as a way to connect to the topic at hand. Lately, that's been Afghanistan.

The Times' OG headline for this story read, "Biden, Still Grieving His Son, Finds That Not Everyone Wants to Hear About It" -- which caught TONS of backlash, and was changed. Now, it says, "In Invoking Beau, Biden Broaches a Loss That’s Guided His Presidency."

The NYT reports some Biden advisers acknowledge that, yeah, JB does name-drop Beau a lot ... and doesn't always tweak his approach based on his audience, which might be smart in certain situations -- as Biden's gotten criticism over this of late ... including from one Gold Star father, whose own kid recently got killed in Afghanistan during the chaotic pull-out.

Mark Schmitz told WaPo that during a dignified transfer last week for the 13 Marines killed during a bombing in Kabul -- for which Biden was present -- the Prez apparently steered a private convo they had to his own son, which Schmitz found inappropriate ... seeing how they were there to remember the recently fallen. Not just that, but many point out Beau wasn't killed in combat ... he died of brain cancer, after serving as a military lawyer in Iraq.

With all that said, that first headline is pretty harsh ... and fairly insensitive. Many online say Biden should be allowed to grieve however the hell he wants -- and the Times seems to have taken notice, 'cause they changed how they phrased it. Still, the sentiment remains.

On the flip side ... there are other families who've lost children to tragedy -- and have gotten face time with Joe after the fact -- who've said they appreciate Biden connecting with them on a personal level by talking Beau, humanizing him. So, it's a mixed bag of reception here.

Bobby Shmurda almost came to blows with a fan this weekend -- but it wasn't unprovoked ... the guy had an object hurled at him, and then went after the suspected assailant.

The recently prison-sprung rapper was caught on video Saturday night at the Made in America Festival in Philly ... where he's said to have made appearances throughout, but stopped short of performing himself that night. He is, however, scheduled to go Sunday.

Before he could do that, though, he ran into trouble -- which required him to be yanked back and dragged away by his team. Watch the clip ... it's crazy how close to a brawl he gets.

As for why Bobby tried climbing beyond the stage barricade to reach a fan (or more) ... eyewitnesses tell us someone chucked a water bottle at him during Meg Thee Stallion's performance, which sent him into a rage -- and ended with him brushing shoulders with security.

Luckily, one of his guys got a good hold of him and pulled him away from the scene entirely ... which is probably best for BS's situation. Remember, the guy's on parole and has to abide by strict conditions.

Angelina Jolie says Brad Pitt's continuing to associate himself with Harvey Weinstein during their marriage led to some bad blood between the couple ... adding it was painful.

The actress spilled the beans to The Guardian, saying "it hurt" when her then-hubby kept partnering with Weinstein and/or his production company -- be it in distribution deals or any other capacity ... 'cause Angie notes he knew how she felt about the disgraced movie mogul.

AJ says her hatred of Weinstein first surfaced back when she first worked with him for the '98 flick "Playing by Heart," during which time she claims she "escaped" an alleged attempt of his to get her alone in a room ... something she now characterizes as an assault itself.

She goes on to say that she warned others about Weinstein after that, and even told her first husband, Jonny Lee Miller, to spread the word to other guys as a warning. Angelina also says she turned down a role in "The Aviator" just to avoid having to work with the guy again.

And yet, she points out that Brad continued to rub shoulders with Weinstein in the 2000s -- teaming up, indirectly, to put out "Inglourious Basterds" -- which The Weinstein Company helped release. Not just that, but she claims Brad went against her wishes in approaching HW to help make his 2012 movie, "Killing Them Softly," which TWC distributed as well.

She says of that time, "We fought about it. Of course it hurt," while adding that she refused to plug the movie ... saying she didn't attend promotional events with Brad.

The interesting thing about this, of course, is that Brad is said to have confronted Harvey back when his then-girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow, was first working with the producer in the late '90s ... and allegedly got accosted by HW for sex -- something Brad apparently nipped in the bud after hearing about it from her in a face-to-face with the man himself. In a CNN interview, he said that's just how boys from the South dealt with things like that back then.

He didn't shy away from the heroics of that moment -- but it's crazy to hear Angie say, years after that, he was presumably OK working with that same guy ... even amid her objections.

David Spade says his stage name might as well be Marlon Blando ... because he keeps his standup comedy super vanilla for fear of the cancel culture mob.

We got David at LAX and our photog asked him about Mike Richards' downfall at "Jeopardy!" ... and if David stays awake at night worrying about jokes he told back in the day.

David says he does indeed worry about his old standup sets, crossing his fingers that his jokes don't unleash the mob.

The way David sees it ... audiences these days don't want comics shaking the tree, so he follows the playbook and plays it safe ... but he says there's collateral damage -- it's just not that funny anymore.

As for Mike, David says the whole thing just unraveled on him when he went from "Jeopardy!" executive producer to Alex Trebek replacement.

David says there's always someone looking to take people down when they move up the ladder, and everyone's got some dirt or skeletons in the closest if folks look hard enough.

Daymond John thinks restaurants and retail companies recruiting minors to fill job vacancies is a BRILLIANT idea ... and he has harsh words for those who are sitting on the sidelines and not willing to work.

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on "TMZ Live" ... praising business owners who are hiring 14 and 15-year-olds, especially in the food industry.

He makes solid points ... Steve Jobs and Bill Gates started early learning their craft before taking over the world. He says many 13 and 14-year-olds aren't distracted by things like romance, and they are reliable workers who are eager to learn and excel.

It would definitely fill a void ... there are more than a million job openings that have gone unfilled for various reasons. Daymond says if adults don't want to fill the positions, they're gonna be left in the dust because these kids can do their jobs just fine.

A McDonald's in Oregon posted a sign that read, "Now Hiring 14 & 15 Year Olds." A Burger King in Ohio said "Do You Have A 14 Or 15 year old? Do They Need A Job?? We Will Hire Them!" A Texas chicken chain has even promoted teenagers to management positions that pay more than $50k a year.

The Supreme Court has all but said Roe vs. Wade is history, but not without a few justices railing on the majority for grossly abdicating its responsibility.

The justices -- by a 5 to 4 margin -- refused to hear a challenge to the Texas anti-abortion law, which essentially makes it illegal for abortions to be performed after the 6th week of pregnancy. And, there's no exception for rape or incest. And, anyone in the United States can sue anyone who facilitates an abortion after the 6th week and collect $10k.

The justices who formed the majority were predicable ... Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and the 3 Trump appointees -- Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Barrett. Trump said he was picking justices who would overturn Roe, and his picks were true to form.

The majority said the case was just too complex for a quick ruling ... presenting novel issues. The fact is ... the Texas law is squarely, undeniably at odds with Roe vs. Wade. The justices hung their hats on the enforcement mechanism -- that private citizens and not the State itself was responsible for enforcing the law. But the reality is ... the ground rules for an abortion in Texas fly in the face of Roe. Nevertheless, the justices chose to punt.

The dissents were blistering. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision was "stunning," adding the majority chose to "bury their heads in the sand." She calls the law "clearly unconstitutional.

Sotomayor said, "In effect, the Texas Legislature has deputized the State's citizens as bounty hunters, offering them cash prizes for civilly prosecuting their neighbors' medical procedures."

A gay couple in Nashville was told they couldn't get married at the venue they wanted because of their sexual orientation, and the venue's owner certainly had an awkward way of turning them down.

Mike Gill tells us he recently got in touch with Jackie Daniel, who owns Barn in the Bend. Mike tells us he and his partner, Coty, thought the spot would be perfect, but it didn't take long for things between him and Jackie in email exchanges to get weird.

Mike says at some point, Jackie apparently figured out he was going to be marrying another man. She sent Mike an email, but it clearly stated the opposite of what she actually wanted to say -- It read, "We offer same sex marriage ceremonies only."

Jackie apparently figured out her mistake and fired off another email about an hour later with a different signature, saying, "We do not offer same sex marriage ceremonies."

Mike told Jackie he'd let everyone in the area know that BITB was bigoted, but Jackie let him know her decision was based on her religious beliefs, saying, "I wish you the best in life and the best future in all that you do."

While Mike and Coty are pissed -- they may be fighting an uphill battle. You'll recall the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was permissible for a baker to refuse to decorate a cake for a gay couple based on religious convictions. That case isn't the same as Mike and Coty's, and it's unclear how SCOTUS would rule.

As for Mike and Coty, they tell us they don't want anything from Jackie and BITB -- just to make it known gay couples aren't welcome at the venue -- and are working to lock down a more inclusive spot.

P!nk seems quite concerned a teen influencer is being used by her parents in an unsettling way -- but the kid's speaking for herself, saying she is in the driver's seat here.

Piper Rockelle -- a YouTuber who just turned 14 -- tells TMZ ... "The first thing I want everyone to know is that my mom doesn't make me do anything. Quite the opposite, I'm a kid who had a dream and my mom is amazing enough to help me live it out."

She adds this of P!nk's worries ... "I don't think P!nk has ever seen one of my YouTube videos because if she did she'd see it's just my friends and me having fun and acting like ourselves. The content we make is the kind of stuff anyone can watch."

ICYMI ... P!nk took to social media over the weekend to address what she considered the over-sexualization of children -- and specifically name-dropped Piper to make her point. The singer seemed to take exception with a bikini photo posted to Piper's IG recently.

Piper touches on that too, telling us she rocked the bikini 'cause ... well, it's summer, adding she doesn't see anything sexual about a 14-year-old wearing a 2-piece in and of itself.

The YT'er told us she just did a crash course on P!nk, and learned she started following her dreams for stardom right around the same age Piper is now ... so, she questions why P!nk's giving her flak for doing the same thing.

A Southern California teacher is in the hot seat for suggesting her students pledge allegiance to the Pride flag ... instead of the American flag.

The lady's name is Kristin Pitzen, and she works for the Newport Mesa School District in Orange County -- which can lean pretty conservative compared to L.A. To that point, she apparently pissed off a lot of parents and Twitter users over this video she posted.

Check it out ... Pitzen says she packed away the U.S. flag in her classroom during COVID -- because it made her uncomfortable -- and hasn't been able to find it (nor does she seem to want to). The lady's giggling through her story pretty much the whole way through.

Fast-forward to the 2021 school year, where she says some students -- at least those who've chosen to partake, that is -- have asked what they're supposed to pledge allegiance to during the morning announcements ... seeing how Pitzen still hasn't gotten Old Glory back up yet.

She jokingly says she told one of the students who asked her that ... well, there's one flag they could pledge to if they wanted -- and pans to the rainbow flag behind her.

The video has reportedly triggered outrage in the community for a variety of reasons -- some feel like she's "indoctrinating" their children while others feel she was just outright disrespectful to the flag and the U.S. by extension ... especially hurtful during this Afghanistan moment.

JuJu ... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and influencer JuJu Smith-Schuster just joined the biggest craze on the internet -- the milk crate challenge -- days before the NFL season is about to kick off ... and we're concerned.

If you've been living under a rock, the crate challenge is when people try to climb unstable stacks of plastic bins ... balancing on as many as 7 at one time.

It's a seriously dangerous act -- some people have reported major injuries from trying it -- and even social media platform TikTok has banned the content due to safety concerns.

But, that hasn't stopped JuJu from getting in on the action ... with video surfacing Monday of the 24-year-old recently attempting the challenge.

Thankfully, JuJu was able to make it across the line of crates without a problem ... but the big issue is that there's a chance it could NOT have ended well.

Granted, it looks like there were a couple of guys ready to catch him if he fell ... but still, who knows what coulda happened.

BTW -- JuJu recently signed a 1-year, $8,000,000 deal with the Steelers ... and plays an important role in the team's offense.

He's come under fire in the past for antics like posting TikToks in the locker room and dancing on opposing teams' logos.

With Week 1 approaching, it sure seems like there are much safer ways to pass the time.

Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis is gutting it out onstage as he continues to recover from the coronavirus -- he needed an oxygen mask onstage just to get through a performance.

Jonathan and Korn returned to the stage Friday night in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park after canceling a bunch of shows when he contracted COVID-19 earlier this month -- and it's clear he's still struggling with the lingering aftereffects.

Video shows Jonathan taking occasional breaks to suck in SOME pure O2 between songs, and he spent the majority of the concert sitting down on a huge throne.

Korn guitarist Brian Welch says Jonathan's still feeling "physically weak and having a mental battle" ... and he's drawing on the energy from fans.

Jonathan confirmed as much to the crowd, saying ... "I'm f****** feeling very weak but I f****** refuse to f****** cancel!!!"

Mets exec Sandy Alderson is furious with Javy Baez and other players for giving thumbs down gestures to fans this weekend ... with the team prez calling the moves "unprofessional."

Baez, Kevin Pillar and Francisco Lindor all made the hand movements during their win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday ... with Baez later explaining it's all 'cause NY fans have booed them during their recent slump.

"They gotta be better," Baez said of Mets fans after saying he does hear the jeers after poor at-bats at the plate.

"I play for the fans and I love the fans, but if they're going to do that, they're just putting more pressure on the team and that's not what we want."

"We’re not machines," Baez added. "We’re going to struggle. We’re going to struggle seven times out of 10"

Not long after Baez finished giving those comments ... Alderson made it known he would NOT accept the gesture from the team's new superstar or anyone else on the squad going forward.

"These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Alderson said.

"Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right."

73-year-old Alderson added he will be meeting with Baez and the rest of the team and staff to make sure they get the message.

"The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans," Alderson said, adding, "Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves."

"We love them for every one of these qualities."

Scott Zolak is issuing an apology for saying Cam Newton is "distracted" by rap music at Patriots practice ... saying on-air he should have never made the "racially insensitive" remarks.

The ex-New England QB issued the mea culpa on the 98.5 The Sports Hub pregame show just before the Patriots played the Giants in their preseason game ... adding that he had spoken with Newton in person over it all.

"I'm sorry for that comment," said Zolak, who played QB for New England from 1992 through 1998. "I didn't need to make that comment."

Of his conversation with Cam, Zolak said, "I got a chance to talk to him, and Cam's nothing but class. Great guy. He handled it perfectly."

If you missed it, while Zolak was reporting from Patriots practice last Thursday ... he said he believed rap music blaring over the speakers was hurting Cam's game.

Zolak then urged his former team to turn the music off.

"I think it's distracting for Cam here," Zolak said. "Because in between every throw he's dancing."

Zolak continued, "He can't help himself."

Newton played sparingly in the Pats' preseason finale Sunday ... completing just 2 of his 5 passes while throwing an interception. He's expected to be the team's starter when the Pats open up regular season play on Sept. 12 against Miami.

Jennifer Lopez was letting it all hang out this weekend for Dolce & Gabbana -- and that goes doubly for her outfit ... which you almost could've scanned yourself at a checkout line.

She was down in Venice Saturday for a fashion show put on by the luxury brand -- and they decked her out in the ultimate Your Highness getup that they had on the rack ... a flowery 3-piece ensemble consisting of black pants, a crop top and a freakin' cape (Batman-style).

Sure looked good on her, no doubt -- but as Jen made her way down a dock to a waiting boat along St. Mark's Square en route to the shindig ... an unremoved price tag flashed.

Yep ... you could clearly see the barcode attached to the inside of the cape -- and while the actual price wasn't visible, it still looked pretty tacky. Of course, this is something JL was likely lent for the ball-like event ... but a label like this makes it all the more obvious. Oof ...

Jenny didn't seem to mind, though ... because she didn't really see it or notice, it appears. And, with a faux pas like this, "ignorance is bliss" is definitely the motto. See no evil, right?!

Lizzo has weighed in on the King/Queen of Pop debate -- and she's stirring the pot big time by crowning the great Janet Jackson as the latter ... which has Madonna fans up in arms.

The singer dished her rankings Sunday -- this after Justin Bieber took the title of Prince of Pop among his fanbase following a milestone Spotify record -- and she seems to concur ... saying that the Biebs is, indeed, the Prince ... still behind Michael Jackson, the King.

Then, Lizzo threw a wrench in things with her Queen bestowment -- saying Mike's sister is actually right alongside him on the pop throne ... and that was met with pushback.

Of course, music fans had to interject and point out that Madge has long claimed that title for herself -- as she's an iconic artist who did A LOT for the genre in her heyday, and just in general over the years. Some feel Lizzo's putting her head in the sand on this one.

We should point out -- before people start getting too crazy on this whole thing -- that this is simply Lizzo's opinion ... and that none of these titles are all that official anyway. Still, Lizzo seems to have taken notice of the online ruckus she caused ... writing "Ruhruoh."

She clarified later saying that there's a new generation of up-and-coming artists who might take these folks' place one day -- but, for now, Lizzo considers this the standard.

As for the rest of her list -- she thinks Britney's the PoP, Rihanna's the PP, and Beyonce's in her own category. Honorable mentions for other genres include Usher (R&B King), Aretha Franklin (Soul), Mariah (R&B Queen), Tina Turner (Rock and Roll) and Mary J (Hip-Hop/Soul).

Kanye West hosting Marilyn Manson at his latest "Donda" event has spurred a reaction from one of the latter's most notable accusers ... Evan Rachel Wood's got a response, in song.

The actress hit the Bourbon Room in Hollywood Saturday night, where she got on stage and did an impromptu performance of the New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" ... with just a guitarist and an iPhone on hand to help out.

It's pretty clear who ERW was dedicating the song to, because her caption alluded to "survivors" who she feels were betrayed this week -- of course, in relation to Manson. Also, as you may know, Manson is name checked in the lyrics ... and when she sang that line (4:40 in the video), Evan threw up a middle finger.

She writes, "For my fellow survivors who got slapped in the face this week. I love you. Don't give up." Evan also said that she'd been saving this cover, and that Saturday felt like an appropriate time to let it rip.

This all comes on the heels of Kanye's third listening show in Chicago this week -- where he not only had Manson come hang out, but DaBaby as well ... both of whom have been embroiled in controversy of late. Manson, however, is another level ... he's been accused of rape and sexual abuse by numerous women -- all of which he's vehemently denied.

Still, it was a bizarre move on Ye's part to bring both of those guys out -- not to mention feature them on one of his tracks. DB and MM are on "Jail, Pt. 2." Some reports say Kanye did it just for shock value and publicity ahead of the release ... which if true, is bonkers.

Speaking of the chaotic upload of "Donda" ... Ye spoke on that just today, saying it was put out by UMG without his final approval. But, he still appears to be firmly in support of "Jail, Pt. 2" being included. For the record ... the song did end up making it on Apple and Spotify.