Restaurant bans diners under 30 in search of ‘grown and sexy’ vibe - The Washington Post

When Marvin Pate and his wife opened Bliss, their Caribbean restaurant outside St. Louis, they were aiming for an upscale, luxe vibe. They put jollof rice and tropical cocktails on the menu, offered hookahs for patrons to enjoy — and banned diners under the age of 30.

Since opening its doors in May, the restaurant has operated with an unusual age restriction, allowing in only women at least 30 and men at least 35, rules that the owners have been defending as necessary to maintain the kind of “grown and sexy” atmosphere they’re aiming for. “This policy is in place to ensure a mature, sophisticated, and safe dining environment for everyone,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

The age restriction has polarized customers, but Pate and his team have defended it as needed to keep out a rowdy younger crowd. “It’s just something for the older people to come do and have a happy hour, come get some good food and not have to worry about some of the young folks that bring some of that drama,” assistant manager Erica Rhodes told local news outlet KSDK News.

Happy hours are billed as a civilized experience: “This is strictly for the grown and sexy, so we’re keeping it classy — ladies 30 and up, fellas 35 and up,” Bliss posted on Facebook.

Jordan Johnson, who DJs on Wednesday nights at the restaurant under the moniker DJ Durrty Burrd, said the policies have drawn crowds who appreciate older-school acts including Usher, Tevin Campbell and Bobby Brown. “There’s not a problem with a younger crowd,” he said. “But this provides an environment for us so we can be around like-minded people and people who have the same energy.”

Many of the spot’s patrons seem to appreciate the restrictions. “Some people wanna celebrate or kick it to a different vibe sometimes,” one person posted on Facebook. “Bliss gives you that. I think this is what the city needs.” And he had a message for young people: “WE’RE TIRED OF YALL TEARING EVERYTHING UP!!!!!”

But others chafed at the rules, with some suggesting that managers should simply crack down on unruly patrons if that is the problem. “Age does not guarantee behavior, as there are individuals above the age of 30-35 who may still engage in disruptive behavior,” one wrote. “It’s crucial to address the issue of behavior rather than solely focusing on age restrictions.”

Some people wondered whether the rules would hurt Bliss’s bottom line at a time when many restaurants are struggling with rising costs and tighter-than-ever margins. Others, though, just seemed to be having fun with the idea. “If u can’t eat broccoli without cheese u ain’t old enough to get in Bliss,” one wrote.

Pate told the local news outlet that he was undeterred by the criticism. “Of course, we have been getting a little backlash, but that’s okay, because we’re sticking to our code,” he told KSDK News.

Johnson seconded that: “We are standing on this age restriction. It’s a brand and vibe we are trying to protect,” he said.

Legally, restaurants have the right to impose age limits, because age is not a protected class in that context. Controversies around age restrictions usually have cropped up when restaurants have banned children. Last year, Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in New Jersey was both rebuked and praised when it banned kids under 10, citing the noise and “crazy messes” they brought.

It’s far less common for such rules to target adults. But there are exceptions: In San Antonio, Horizons & More bills itself as a 30-and-up destination “for the grown & mature.” And in New York, the Auction House cocktail bar imposes a 25-and-up policy on Fridays and Saturdays.

Two years ago, two TikTokers shared a tale of being turned away from Melody Bar & Grill in Los Angeles because they weren’t old enough for the establishment’s 30-plus night. One response to the video seemed to come from someone who appreciated the idea of a 20-something-free zone: “I know it hurts right now, but when you are 30 you’ll understand.”

Amber Ferguson contributed to this report.

correction

A previous version of this article incorrectly said when two TikTokers were turned away from Melody Bar & Grill. It was two years ago, not last year. The article has been corrected.

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The sexiest books of all time: Goodreads has ranked them – and Mister Orgasm is on top - The Guardian

Name: The sexiest books of all time.

Age: Surprisingly youthful.

Appearance: They’re books – don’t judge them by their covers.

So what is the sexiest book of all time? Is it DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover? Hang on: for this particular survey, the cataloguing website Goodreads ranked a total of 45 saucy books based on scores out of five.

OK, I get it. Is it Fear of Flying by Erica Jong? Wait. The books are spread across three categories: BookTok, romance and romantasy.

I only know one of those words. BookTok is a TikTok subgroup for book lovers – mostly very young ones – and “romantasy” is a genre blending romance and fantasy.

Too complicated. Just give me the top sexy book from any category. The No 1 spicy romance novel is Mr O by Lauren Blakely.

I’ve not read that one. It concerns the exploits of a character called Mister Orgasm and his best friend’s sister, Harper.

Any good? As one reviewer put it: “Someone get me a fan, stat! And a new pair of panties!”

That’s certainly an endorsement of a kind. What came in second? The Sexy One, also by Lauren Blakely.

I’ve not read that one either. Really? Blakely has sold more than 1m books.

Can we try the romantasy list? No 1 is Obsession by Jennifer L Armentrout.

I’m not sure I’m familiar with Armentrout’s work. You’re missing out: her books also occupy the No 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 spots on that list.

Where does Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin come? Nowhere.

Well then, shall we just keep going until we get to one I’ve read? Let me stop you: unless you are a devotee of this sort of thing, it’s unlikely you will have read any of them.

Why? The books are just genre-specific and quite, erm, modern.

I read modern sex books! What about Normal People by Sally Rooney? Did you read that?

No. But I saw the TV series. Normal People is not on any of the three lists.

How did they pick these books? They analysed Goodreads reviews across the three categories, looking for keywords such as “sexy” “hot” or “smut” and used them to give each book a “spice score”.

And Mary Wesley’s The Camomile Lawn didn’t make the list? Not this time.

Do say: “The sexiest book I’ve come across – and I’ve come across a few!”

Don’t say: “We’re going to need sturdier pants.”

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Hot Rodent Boyfriend Celebrities Poll Quiz - BuzzFeed

2024 has already been a big year for "medium attractive" men and it's only getting better...for the rodent men.

By rodent men, I, of course, mean the new "hot rodent boyfriend" type that's been circulating.

Here's a quick breakdown of the typical "hot rodent boyfriend" features people recognize: unkept hair, lanky limbs, an angular face, and smaller eyes.

So, quick lesson out of the way, I need to know which celebs we're coining as "rodent hot":

What did you think of this article? Create your own emoji and post it in the comments.

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Restaurant bans diners under 30 in search of ‘grown and sexy’ vibe - The Washington Post

When Marvin Pate and his wife opened Bliss, their Caribbean restaurant outside St. Louis, they were aiming for an upscale, luxe vibe. They put jollof rice and tropical cocktails on the menu, offered hookahs for patrons to enjoy — and they banned diners under the age of 30.

Since opening its doors in May, the restaurant has operated with an unusual age restriction, allowing in only women at least 30 and men at least 35, rules that the owners have been defending as necessary to maintain the kind of “grown and sexy” atmosphere they’re aiming for. “This policy is in place to ensure a mature, sophisticated, and safe dining environment for everyone,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

The age restriction has polarized customers, but Pate and his team have defended them as needed to keep out a rowdy younger crowd. “It’s just something for the older people to come do and have a happy hour, come get some good food and not have to worry about some of the young folks who bring some of that drama,” assistant manager Erica Rhodes told local news outlet KSDK News.

Happy hours are billed as a civilized experience: “This is strictly for the grown and sexy, so we’re keeping it classy — ladies 30 and up, fellas 35 and up,” Bliss posted on Facebook.

Jordan Johnson, who DJs Wednesday nights at the restaurant under the moniker DJ Durrty Burrd, said the policies have drawn crowds who appreciate older-school acts including Usher, Tevin Campbell and Bobby Brown. “There’s not a problem with a younger crowd,” he said. “But this provides an environment for us so we can be around like-minded people and people who have the same energy.”

Many of their patrons seem to appreciate the restrictions. “Some people wanna celebrate or kick it to a different vibe sometimes,” one patron posted on Facebook. “Bliss gives you that. I think this is what the city needs.” And he had a message for young people: “WE’RE TIRED OF YALL TEARING EVERYTHING UP!!!!!”

But others chafed at the rules, with some suggesting that managers should simply crack down on unruly patrons if that is the problem. “Age does not guarantee behavior, as there are individuals above the age of 30-35 who may still engage in disruptive behavior,” one wrote. “It’s crucial to address the issue of behavior rather than solely focusing on age restrictions.”

Some people wondered whether the rules would hurt Bliss’s bottom line at a time when many restaurants are struggling with rising costs and tighter-than-ever margins. Others, though, just seemed to be having fun with the idea. “If u can’t eat broccoli without cheese u ain’t old enough to get in Bliss,” one wrote.

Pate told the local news outlet that he was undeterred by the criticism. “Of course, we have been getting a little backlash, but that’s okay because we’re sticking to our code,” he told KSDK News.

Johnson seconded that: “We are standing on this age restriction. It’s a brand and vibe we are trying to protect,” he said.

Legally, restaurants have the right to impose age limits because age is not a protected class in that context. Controversies around age restrictions usually have cropped up when restaurants ban children. Last year, Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in New Jersey, drew both rebuke and praise when it banned kids under 10, citing the noise and “crazy messes” they brought.

It’s far less common for such rules to target adults. But there are exceptions: In San Antonio, Horizons & More requires bills itself as a 30-and-up destination “for the grown & mature.” And in New York, cocktail bar The Auction House imposes a 25-and-up policy on Fridays and Saturdays.

Last year, two TikTokers shared a tale of being turned away from Melody’s Bar & Grill in Los Angeles because they weren’t old enough for the establishment’s 30-plus night. One response to the video seemed to come from someone who appreciated the idea of a 20-something-free zone: “I know it hurts right now, but when you are 30 you’ll understand.”

Amber Ferguson contributed to this report.

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Fortune EIC: Microsoft is sexy under CEO Satya Nadella - Yahoo Finance

On the cover of the newest Fortune 500 annual list is the one-and-only Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella, with a profile on the work he's done transforming the company after succeeding Steve Ballmar in 2014. Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell spoke to Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi about the CEO's biggest impacts. "One of the big things Satya did for culture, which needed a massive transformation, was to change it from a know-it-all [culture] to a learn-it-all culture," she said.

Watch the full interview here.

Video Transcript

On the cover.

Microsoft is back on top.

Satya Nadella, longtime CEO uh Microsoft uh his photos on there 10 years as CEO and it's strange because I'm now at the point and I don't know if you feel like this way.

Um Alison, I it's hard for me to remember the Steve Bomber days.

Uh It's hard for me even more so to remember the Bill Gates, Bill Gates Day.

I think Microsoft, I think Satya Nadella and here's a company that got a slow moving asset under Steve Ballmer.

Uh He had to come in there and just improve the culture, but look what he's done since acquisitions.

Uh Now pivoting to A I, he's got copilot deals with open A I.

This is a completely transformed company under Satya.

Yeah, I never thought I would say that Microsoft could be sexy but it almost under Satya, I mean, under Ballmer, it was like deeply, he was entertaining the company itself, deeply boring and very know it all.

One of the big things Sata did for culture, which was, you know, needed a massive transformation was to change it from a know it all like we know everything we're gonna force our vision on the world to a learn it all culture and even Sata and our opening anecdote, you can see him doing this with a customer where he's just like asking questions and learning, learning, learning about why they're actually in the opening anecdote using Facebook's LLM instead of his for a certain component.

Um So I think that was a big cultural shift, but he's just made smart move after smart move with his acquisitions like github.

Um And the way he leads the engineering team is with that idea of like you are not the customer, you're serving the customer.

So find out what they want and build for them and don't force our products on them, let them shape what we're doing.

Um So he's really just transformed everything from how the company is thinking the products that they're producing.

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'You Gotta Become Sexy': Anthony Mackie and Tyler James Williams on Getting Past Child Stardom and Actors Who ... - Variety

Tyler James Williams is shifting through poses in front of a photographer when Anthony Mackie appears on set, voice booming, to poke some fun. He asks Williams to coach him on pursing his lips like he’s Trey Songz. During their conversation, Williams outlines his path from “Everybody Hates Chris,” where he played the 13-year-old title character, to starring as first-grade teacher Gregory Eddie on ABC’s hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” In exchange, Mackie explains how he played an amnesiac named John Doe in Peacock’s video game adaptation “Twisted Metal,” and what it was like to take his Marvel character, Falcon, from film to TV and back.

ANTHONY MACKIE: Since the last time I saw you, you’ve been nominated for an Emmy 35 times and won, like, 20.

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TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS: Just two. And same thing: You’re superhero-ing everywhere.

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MACKIE: I didn’t even get nominated for a BET Award. I ain’t got nothing.

WILLIAMS: We’ve come a long way. Last time I saw you, we were doing “Detroit” with Kathryn Bigelow.

MACKIE: You were in your mid-20s. A kid. You asked for a cup of milk, eating peanut butter cookies.

WILLIAMS: “Can someone please shell my pistachios for me? I’m a child.”

MACKIE: You’ve been doing this for a long time, and in a way that a lot of actors have not been able to. Looking at your career, there’s a certain dignity that came with it. You’ve been in it since before “Everybody Hates Chris.” How did that work, blowing up at a young age and transitioning to a professional adult actor?

WILLIAMS: I had to fight for my career to survive, and I feel like if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have gone as hard as I did. I was fighting for staying power — fighting to say that I wasn’t just a cute kid who could land a joke every now and then. I didn’t really start to feel stable in it until we did “Detroit.” Everyone has that period when you have a role here and there to “No, I’m going to consistently work with great people.” You made that transition really well. I remember [Spike Lee’s] “She Hate Me.”

Mary Ellen Matthews for Variety

MACKIE: A lot of people hated that movie. And my first movie with Spike, nobody saw it: “Sucker Free City.” One day on set, a Volkswagen dealer came and goes, “Yo, you’re the lead of the Spike Lee movie? Here, take this.” The whole time I’m in San Francisco, I have this Volkswagen that ain’t even out yet. I’m living. Then the movie came out, and it was just silence. While we were shooting that, Jeffrey Wright was supposed to do “She Hate Me.” One day Spike goes, “Man, Jeffrey’s not doing my movie. What you doing after this?”

WILLIAMS: You had the same thing with Kathryn Bigelow. You’ve worked with her how many times now?

MACKIE: Twice — “Hurt Locker.” When I met with Kathryn, they wanted me to play one of the other soldiers, and I explained to her how war wasn’t about race; they’ll kill you whatever you look like. She saw what I was implying. And I was doing this movie that never came out with this awful director — his name was Dan, I won’t say his last name — and we go over by six months. I was supposed to leave to do “Hurt Locker.” Kathryn was like, “I’m sorry. Maybe the next one.” So they go and offer it to another actor, and he said no. So they came back to me like, “Look, we’ll wait, if you leave the day you wrap.” That movie literally started my career, because one dude said it wasn’t enough money.

WILLIAMS: I tell people all the time, if whether or not you do a movie is because of the money, you’re handicapping yourself.

MACKIE: Around the time you were doing “Everybody Hates Chris,” you did a lot of voice-over work. How did you venture into that part of your career?

WILLIAMS: My voice dropped, and it scared production. My voice was deeper than Chris Rock’s voice-over, and it didn’t make sense anymore. I was trying to make that transition from child actor to adult, and the voice-over space allowed me to do that because I sounded older than I was until I was able to have my body and face catch up.

MACKIE: You work with a lot of kids now. Do you offer advice?

WILLIAMS: There’s several kids who I’ve passed along to my old child agent like, “Hey, there’s something here.” Cindy Osbrink, one of the best child agents of all time. She had me, Dakota Fanning — everybody who made that transition.

MACKIE: Is your agent different now?

Mary Ellen Matthews for Variety

WILLIAMS: Yes. I turned 18 and was like, “Should I leave? How does this work?” She said, “No, not yet. When it’s time, I’ll tell you.” I was like 21, 22. I had just done “Dear White People.” Right around then, she was like, “I think you’re ready to go.” And she handed me off. I don’t know where I would be in my career had I not been with somebody like her who could handle those transitions.

MACKIE: How was it going into “Abbott” and emerging as the hot piece of ass on the show? You’re street meat now. How do you feel about that?

WILLIAMS: Part of the transition of getting the industry to see you as an adult is that you gotta become sexy at some point.

MACKIE: But a lot of people did it in the wrong way. In the ’90s and early 2000s, when we actually had Black shows with kids and families, everybody would come off those shows like, “I gotta kidnap babies on ‘Law & Order’ so you see me as an adult.” You did it in a way that’s mature.

WILLIAMS: The goal here is not to be sexy. The goal is to show your heart, and there’s something sexy about that.

“Twisted Metal” may be one of the hardest shows to do on TV right now, because you’re dealing with source material that doesn’t really give you a lot. There’s no backstory [in the video game]. Did you find that limiting or freeing?

MACKIE: It’s freeing as hell. It was literally demolition derby: Blow each other up, whoever’s the last to get blown up wins. That was it. So John Doe lived in this world of boundless possibilities. I had to take everything that Quiet [played by Stephanie Beatriz] was saying, everything that the writer was saying, everything that Samoa Joe as Sweet Tooth was saying, and build the character and make him this quirky, awkward dude who had no connection to anybody or anything. He was a nomad. And there were so many things in this show that weren’t on the page.

WILLIAMS: Film and TV need to be approached very differently a lot of times. You’re now taking a character that was developed in film, Falcon, and transitioning that to TV. What are the challenges you faced there?

MACKIE: My first episode of television was “Law & Order.” It was the hardest seven days of my career. TV is a different beast. I can handle a movie, but TV — that’s six to eight months. With “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” instead of a two-and-a-half-hour movie, you have eight hours. Luckily, it was a transition with great leadership. They utilized that show to [set Falcon up] as Captain America, so they had something to aim toward. But for the most part, it was a daunting task for me. How do you make that worth those eight hours?

WILLIAMS: People don’t realize that about TV, especially when you do it at a high clip. We do 22 episodes a year.

MACKIE: Are you able to go into the [writers’] room and fight for stuff you want? How do you make sure you’re telling the story you feel is right for your character without being perceived as difficult and an asshole?

WILLIAMS: It really does start with your showrunner. If your showrunner wants to protect the characters and can hear them in your voice, then so can the room. But, yeah, there are times. We were shooting our finale recently. Something didn’t sit right with me, and it felt like we weren’t protecting Gregory properly. It was going to be really hard for me to turn on a dime for what we knew was coming in Season 4. Sometimes it has to get a little tense. But that’s the collaborative effort that is TV.

MACKIE: Last thing: When watching [Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and “Abbott Elementary” guest star] Jalen Hurts act, did it make you feel like a better actor?

WILLIAMS: Jalen did do that in the midst of trying to make a playoff run. But yes.

MACKIE: I’m not mad; I’m just saying.

WILLIAMS: But that’s the thing. I can’t throw a ball 70 yards. It’s just as hard to throw a ball 70 yards as it is to land a joke.

---

Production Design: Keith Raywood

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The hot rodent boyfriend: why gen Z has gone wild for ‘sexy rat’ guys - The Guardian

Name: Hot rodent boyfriends.

Age: Brand new.

Appearance: Imagine if vermin were sexually attractive.

What do you mean, “imagine”? I can see you’ve been reading online Ratatouille fan fiction again. But this isn’t about sexy rats.

Boo. It’s about famous men who look like sexy rats.

Yay? There are more of them than you could possibly believe, too.

There are? Oh boy, there sure are. Timothée Chalamet? Total sexy rat. Barry Keoghan? What a sexy rat that man is. Jeremy Allen White? Sex on four tiny legs. Josh O’Connor? He could scurry up my drainpipe.

Oh my God, you’re right. I know I’m right. Ever since someone on the internet said that this was going to be the summer of sexy men who look like rats – hot rodent boyfriend summer – it’s become impossible to unsee. What’s really amazing is that they all look like slightly different types of sexy rat.

They do? Oh, sure. Chalamet looks like a rat from a Disney film. White looks like a slightly tranquillised rat. O’Connor looks like a sort of sexy henchman rat, the sort of tall and lumbering rat employed to maintain the personal safety of the Rat King. The Rat King is obviously Keoghan, who looks like the sort of rat that would have your face off if you cornered him.

You know, this seems problematic. I don’t believe it. You think that a popular if short-lived internet fad might not be ideologically sound?

All the men you’ve mentioned are white, for example. Hey, listen, I’m just reporting the men that maybe seven or eight extremely online people have called sexy rodents. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Also, it doesn’t seem very nice to compare people to rats. Not just rats. Sexy rodent boyfriends, which implies that a) they can be any form of rodent from rat to mouse to potentially capybara, b) people find them sexually attractive and c) they also seem like nice enough people to get into long-term relationships with.

I still don’t know. Matty Healy is a sexy rodent boyfriend.

Actually, you know what? I get it now. See? There’s nothing wrong with having the pinched and delicate facial features of a rodent. In fact, it’s highly desirable these days. Maybe you’re just jealous because you’re broad and conventionally attractive.

No, I can change! What do I need to do? Mess up my hair? Make my teeth more prominent? Break into your kitchen and defecate everywhere? It’s too late. You’ve missed the trend. You’ll never be attractive to a bunch of weird internet posters. Deal with it.

Do say: “My ideal man is a sexy rodent boyfriend.”

Don’t say: “Please can he have a little bit of cheese?”

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