facebook-pixel

The Cricket’s Daily 3: Is Taylor Swift’s new video racist?

This March 14, 1992 photo provided by NBC shows announcer Don Pardo on the set of "Saturday Night Live." Pardo, the durable television and radio announcer whose resonant voice-over style was widely imitated and became the standard in the field, died Monday, Aug. 18, 2014 in Arizona at the age of 96. (AP Photo/NBC, Al Levine)

Here's what's happening today in pop culture:

• Taylor Swift announced her new album, "1989," and released a video for the first single, "Shake It Off" — drawing criticism that the singer was misappropriating or mocking black culture. [Vulture, The Huffington Post, Consequence of Sound]

• NBC announcer Don Pardo, who intoned "It's 'Saturday Night Live'!" for 38 of the show's 39 seasons, has died at the age of 96. Pardo was also the announcer on the original "Jeopardy!," with quizmaster Art Fleming. [Los Angeles Times]

• A new set of posters for "Dumb and Dumber To" cleverly spoofs the ads for Scarlett Johansson's "Lucy." [Entertainment Weekly]