Here's what's happening today in pop culture:
• Country singer Trace Adkins said he meant no offense when he wore an earpiece decorated with a Confederate flag pattern on NBC's Christmas special from Rockefeller Center. [AP, via Yahoo!]
• Director James Gun ("Slither"), who's making the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie for Marvel, has apologized for a blog post that many people (like, those who read it) considered mean to women and gays. [Vulture]
• It's a tween convergence: Nickelodeon has greenlit "Sam & Cat," a spinoff of two different Nickelodeon sitcoms, "iCarly" and "Victorious." [The Hollywood Reporter]