Nicholas Barber wants a relationship filled with growth, adventure and complementing partnership

Comic genius often comes with a dark side, as Matthew Perry knew all too well. The Friends star, who died on Saturday, aged 54, battled against addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol for decades. And yet, he was known as a funny man – whose biting wit and mastery of sarcasm made him an icon in the eyes of millions. These two distinct, yet intrinsically linked, sides of his character no doubt helped him empathise with another legend of the big and silver screens: Batman. Indeed, Perry’s last Instagram post, shared just five days before his death referenced the comic book character – with the 54-year-old dubbing himself “Mattman”. Mourning fans were also quick to point out that the accompanying photo of Matty (as his friends called him) showed him relaxing in his outdoor hot tub at home in LA. On 28 October, that same jacuzzi would become the scene of his death, according to law enforcement sources. But this final post wasn’t the only indicator of the 17 Again actor’s fixation with Batman – his previous six were all allusions to the caped crusader. The first of the series, shared a week before his death, showed a home cinema room, with three screens set up to show the latest film in the franchise: The Batman. Others showed the iconic bat symbol in various settings, including carved into a Halloween pumpkin, with Perry repeatedly referring to himself as Mattman. The American-Canadian actor had long, and openly, celebrated his love of the comic book character. In a 2022 interview with GQ, he admitted that he once bought a 10,400-square-foot LA penthouse simply because it resembled the home of Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight. Perry’s reasoning at the time was apparently: “Bruce Wayne had a penthouse – I’m going to have one.” During the interview, he also revealed that he was building a dedicated Batman room in his new house (which he branded “a Matt cave”), with a pool table, large TV, and black sofa surrounded by shelves of his Batman paraphernalia. Probed on the reason for his obsession, Perry replied: “I am Batman.” He then explained: “Well, he’s a rich loner. We both drive black, cool cars.” He then conceded: “I don’t solve crime. But I’ve saved people’s lives.” In one of GQ’s ‘10 things I can’t live without’ segments, Perry shared further insight into his batty mania, saying that it began with the Christopher Nolan movies but extended to the latest instalment, staring Robert Pattinson. During the deadpan runthrough, he admitted that he had “too much Batman stuff”, but then ended the video by joking that after seeing all his essential items, viewers “should probably know by now that I'm Batman.” 10 Things Matthew Perry Can't Live Without | GQ www.youtube.com Perry’s fans and many of his 8.1 million Instagram followers speculated whether his most recent run of themed posts was more than just another outpouring of adoration for the franchise. They thought it was a hint that he’d been cast in a new Batman role, particularly given that one of the captions penned by Perry read: “Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?” Still, all we know for sure is that Perry saw a lot of himself in Batman – or should that be, he saw a lot of Batman in himself? Regardless, the similarities are striking, especially when you consider what Perry once responded when asked what he’d like his legacy to be. “I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people,” he replied. The sentiment is an undeniable echo of one of Batman’s most famous quotes: “It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” And what Perry did was make people laugh and cry and, ultimately, save lives. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

A popular Hong Kong protest song was no longer available on several major music streaming sites as well as social media platforms

While Weston did not specifically name his ex-wife Hila, his statement comes after she filed a lawsuit seeking additional spousal and child support

Let’s be honest: none of us saw a song about being possessed by the ghost of writer Edgar Allan Poe coming at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, but we’re all here for it. In Austria’s entry for the competition – taking place in Liverpool on behalf of last year’s winners, Ukraine – singers Teya and Salena ask “Who the Hell is Edgar?”, and that’s a blooming good question. The answer? Edgar Allan Poe… poe, poe, poe, poe, poe… Yes, that is the chorus, and yes, it is that catchy. So aside from being supposedly possessed by Poe, what prompted the duo to write about the American writer, who died all the way back in 1849? According to the lyrics, the singer is “happy” to be taken over by Poe because the song is “feeling special” and will “make me rich”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, arguably the more interesting lines come later in the track, when Teya and Salena reference the figure “0.003” – the amount of money music streaming giant Spotify pays artists after a single stream of a song. The lyrics continue: “Give me two years, and your dinner will be free / Gas station champagne is on me / Edgar cannot pay rent for me. “Zero, dot, zero, zero, three / At least it pays to be funny / Ugh.” So yes, “Who the Hell is Edgar” does appear to actually be about the poor treatment of artists in the music industry. We love to see it – and so do other Eurovision fans: However, Austria’s chances of winning the contest may be scuppered now, after it was revealed on Friday that they would be first up to perform in Saturday’s Grand Final. According to an online article from the Eurovision Song Contest itself back in 2019, at the time, only three songs in the competition’s history won after performing first. Out of 67 winners, just over 34 per cent came from the first half of the show, so it doesn’t look that good for them. Elsewhere, though, there is some good news for Luxembourg, as it’s been announced the country will return to compete in the show from next year – ending a 30-year hiatus after they were relegated in 1993. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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