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Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

YouTube, founded in 2005, was still in its infancy when Soulja Boy uploaded an instructional dance video for his track "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" on the platform. The video quickly racked up millions of views, launching the young artist's career. 

Screencapture: YouTube // @Soulja Boy

From viral sensation to industry architect—Soulja Boy brings his legacy to Bloomington’s Castle Theatre

More than a one-hit wonder, a music pioneer
Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
Mar 7, 2025

From the phonograph to the Discman, the iPod to TikTok, the music industry has always been about evolution. But few shifts have been as rapid—or as disruptive—as in the digital age. From SoundCloud breakthroughs to TikTok-fueled superstardom, the way we discover, share and consume music has been...

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Why Harrison Gordon is the band you need to see live

Why Harrison Gordon is the band you need to see live

Lyra Townsend, Staff Reporter
Feb 21, 2025

From basement shows to booking sets at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen, Harrison Gordon has put in the work to earn their place in the Midwest indie rock scene. Now, the band is bringing their signature sound back to Bloomington-Normal, headlining The Castle Theatre on Feb. 28—and if you haven’t seen them...

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WWE RAW Raw debuted on Netflix in early January as part of a $500 million agreement between the TKO Group, the parent of WWE, and Netflix.
Graphic Courtesy of: TKO Group

From Body Slams to brand deals: WWE’s Netflix era leaves some fans tapping out

Mr. Christopher Belt says the company’s Netflix deal boosts accessibility—but at a cost
Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
Feb 21, 2025

The world was forever changed when the World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday Night Raw” debuted in 1993, bringing suplexes, powerbombs and piledrivers into American living rooms. Over three decades, WWE’s flagship show became a fixture on the USA Network, a tag team that helped “Raw”...

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Photo Illustration: Brad Bovenkerk // Image Partially Created Using Artificial Intellegence: Adobe Firelfly

Hollywood’s game plan: 3 video games begging for screen adaptations

Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
Jan 2, 2025
The clash between Hollywood and video games began in 1993 with the release of “Super Mario Bros.,” a box office disaster now immortalized on “Worst Movie of All-time” lists. For years, video game adaptations struggled to level up, the victim of flimsy plots, awkward pacing and a lack of respect for the source material. 
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The 2024 Game Awards: Who deserves the spotlight this year

The 2024 Game Awards: Who deserves the spotlight this year

One writer’s dream winners
Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter
Dec 11, 2024
The 2024 Game Awards has cemented its status over the past decade as not just the biggest night in gaming, but one of the most celebrated award shows across all entertainment industries.
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Promotional Image Courtesy of: Studio Ghibli

Top 5 Studio Ghibli films

A journey through timeless worlds
Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter
Dec 2, 2024
I didn’t grow up with Ghibli films like a lot of the studio’s fans—a casualty of my parents’ “quality control,” turning off anything they deemed “stupid.” Anything animated, like “Adventure Time” or “Regular Show,” automatically fell into this category.
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Tyson vs. Paul: Community weighs in on boxing’s generational showdown [video]

Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
Nov 15, 2024

Boxing legend Mike Tyson, 57, is stepping back into the ring to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, in a highly anticipated exhibition match on Nov. 15. The bout, set to stream live on Netflix at 7 p.m., will follow a modified rule set with eight two-minute rounds and fighters wearing 14 oz gloves,...

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Tyler, the Creator served as "Chromakopia's" producer, writer and arranger. Among some of the features on the album's 14 tracks are Daniel Caesar, Teezo Touchdown, Lil Wayne and Santigold. 
Album Art Courtesy of: Columbia Records

Tyler, the Creator’s ‘Chromakopia’ delivers bold introspection, evolution

Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
Nov 11, 2024

Tyler, the Creator’s eighth studio album, “Chromakopia,” proves that even after 15 years in the industry, the artist can still push boundaries. That is a tall task for an artist whose career has been defined by creation, innovation and reinvention, as the musician, born Tyler Okonma, adopts...

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‘Alien: Romulus’ returns to franchise roots [review]

‘Alien: Romulus’ returns to franchise roots [review]

Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter
Aug 27, 2024

Casting a long shadow over the vast expanses of the “Alien” universe is the Weyland-Yutani corporation, a gluttonous mega-company that prioritizes profit over people and pursues corporate goals with little regard for the catastrophic consequences. “Alien: Romulus,” the franchise’s seventh...

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Comfort viewing: 3 reasons I love ‘The Good Place’

Comfort viewing: 3 reasons I love ‘The Good Place’

Leonor Rivas, Staff Reporter
Mar 15, 2024

A lot of television sitcoms have us wishing we could erase the memory of ever watching them, wishing to forget we ever saw a single episode of the show.  “The Good Place” is one of them.  You’ll wish the plot could be wiped from your memory just so you can watch and love it again and again,...

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Comfort Viewing: 3 reasons Pranathi Ganti loves ‘One Tree Hill’

Comfort Viewing: 3 reasons Pranathi Ganti loves ‘One Tree Hill’

Pranathi Ganti, Staff Writer
Feb 21, 2024

I was heartbroken when Tristan Dugray, Chilton Prep’s quintessential swoon-worthy bad boy, got the boot from “Gilmore Girls”; crushed when the character was sent to military school during the show’s second season. But somebody at the WB, the network behind the hit show, must have seen...

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"Writing music and inspiring people is my passion, it's what I love to do," Benson Boone said in October 2023. 
Two years ago, the TikTok star turned 'American Idol' drop out wasn't so sure.
Photo Courtesy: WB Music

Benson Boone: ‘American Idol’ exit to excellent EP ‘PULSE’ [review]

Inkspot Staff
Feb 14, 2024

It was Valentine’s Day 2021 when Katy Perry fell in love with Benson Boone during the 18-year-old’s audition for the nineteenth season of “American Idol.” Boone would punch his ticket to Hollywood, with judge Perry predicting to the up-coming singer, “I see you winning American Idol if...

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Epic finales and epic failures: A tale of triumph, tragedy in TV shows finales

Epic finales and epic failures: A tale of triumph, tragedy in TV shows finales

BJ Dumas takes a look at some of the best and worst television series' final episodes
Brantley Dumas II, Senior Staff Reporter
Jan 11, 2024

A TV series finale may very well be the most important episode of a show’s entire run, making or breaking the entire journey. Regardless of how captivating the episodes or seasons have been, the show must stick the landing. The ultimate test of a show’s legacy lies in its final episode–the moment...

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1988's "Die Hard" follows New York City police officer John McClane as he tries to save his estranged wife and several others after they are taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.


Film Still // 20th Century Fox

Yippee-Ki-Holiday: The enduring legacy of ‘Die Hard,’ a Christmas classic

Charles (Charlie) Faulkner, Staff Writer
Dec 22, 2023

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through LA Only one man was stirring, and his name was McClane The explosives set off on the roof with a flare In the hopes that the hostages must have been be there The vault had been breached as they planned their escape While McClane dragged his feet,...

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