Month: July 2021

Netflix can’t stop (and won’t stop, thank goodness) cranking out the content, and a sparkling new set of arrivals will be here for August. This means that not only will you have a good reason to hide from the heat, but also that Delta variant. With that in mind, there’s so much coming that it’s worth listing the biggest titles to come, and that includes an installment in The Witcher franchise. Not only that, but Sandra Oh’s newest TV show (don’t worry, she’ll still wrap up Killing Eve with a fourth and final season for BBC America) will suck us into the surprisingly dramatic side of academia.

In addition, the charismatic Jason Momoa stars in his own Netflix movie while the latest The Kissing Booth effort sees the final (?) film of the trilogy. Narcos fans will be thrilled to see a new crime docuseries on the way that revolves around coke, coke, and more coke from two notorious stinkers who reveled in evading law enforcement. And there’s an offbeat series that will bring you Halloween vibes in the dead of summer, so get your bingewatching instincts ready.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in August.

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (Netflix film streaming 8/23)

To tide us over until The Witcher‘s second season arrives with more grumpy Geralt of Rivia, please set your calendars accordingly for this prequel anime film. The picture will go back in time to explore the early monster-hunting years of Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir, who appears to be enjoying himself a lot more than his successor. Theo James voices the character, who will be live-action portrayed by Kim Bodnia further down the line. At least we’ll know that, although the iconic Witcher baths only recently become canon, they’ve always been there, at least retroactively. Also, zombies.

The Chair (Netflix series streaming 8/20)

Sandra Freaking Oh headlines this show about the first woman of color to become chair at a prominent university. In the process of adjusting to her job, she confronts dizzyingly high expectations while one of the university’s cornerstone programs is tanking. Jay Duplass co-stars, and are we ready for Sandra Oh supremacy yet? This trailer also features the latest song (aptly titled, “Oh!”) from viral punk teen stars The Linda Lindas.

Sweet Girl (Netflix film streaming 8/20)

Sweet Tooth, this ain’t. Yet the wordplay will fall by the wayside when Jason Momoa’s hellbent upon revenge against the pharmaceutical company who he believes are responsible for his wife’s death. He’s searching for the truth and attempting to protect his daughter, and he’s flanked by The Hangover trilogy’s Justin Bartha, who’s not so funny here. Seriously, Momoa might be all over the streaming realm these days, but everything he does is worth watching, and this film might work a little social good, too.

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Netflix series streaming 7/4)

There’s so much blow in this trailer, which gives the documentary treatment to the excess-filled life of two childhood pals who transformed into powerful Miami drug kingpins over the course of decades. There’s a tiger and bullfighting and speedboats and money flying everywhere, it’s no wonder why “Los Muchachos” were so darn popular. They were also slippery fellows, due to their world-champ powerboat-racing status. A $2 billion empire eventually came crumbling down, but not without a valiant fight from the duo and their prosecuting opponents.

The Kissing Booth 3 (Netflix film streaming 8/11)

This objectively bad franchise can’t seem to quit, but this might be the end of the trilogy line. At least Joey King is doing well for herself here, although this installment sees her character wringing her hands over whether to go to college with her best friend, Lee, or dreamy-faced Noah. Yes, this is very silly stuff, but watch the clicks roll in regardless.

Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix series streaming 8/13)

This pulpy series caters to a niche audience but might find a devoted mainstreamish fanbase, too. There’s sex, magic, revenge, and felines on hand for an early 1990s filmmaker, who’s attempting to make it big in Hollywood, but things get very spooky. Halloween arrives early this year, and since time means nothing anymore, it’s all good.

Here’s the full list of titles coming to Netflix in August:

Avail. TBA
Comedy Premium League
D.P.

Avail. 8/1
30 Rock: Seasons 1-7
Beethoven
Beethoven’s 2nd
Beowulf
Catch Me If You Can
Darwin’s Game
Deep Blue Sea
The Edge of Seventeen
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Five Feet Apart
Friday Night Lights: Seasons 1-5
Good Luck Chuck
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Hunter X Hunter: Seasons 5-6
Inception
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Losers
The Machinist
Magnolia
Major Payne
My Girl
My Girl 2
The Net
The Original Kings of Comedy
Pineapple Express
Poms
Seabiscuit
Space Cowboys
Team America: World Police

Avail. 8/3
Pray Away
Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord
Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified

Avail. 8/4
Aftermath
American Masters: Inventing David Geffen
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami
Control Z: Season 2
Car Masters: Rust to Riches: Season 3
Cooking With Paris

Avail. 8/6
Hit & Run
Navarasa
The Swarm
Vivo

Avail. 8/8
Quartet

Avail. 8/9
Shaman King

Avail. 8/10
Gabby’s Dollhouse: Season 2
Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang
Untold
Untold: Malice at the Palace

Avail. 8/11
Bake Squad
The Kissing Booth 3
La diosa del asfalto
Misha and the Wolves

Avail. 8/12
AlRawabi School for Girls
Lokillo: Nothing’s the Same
Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild

Avail. 8/13
Beckett
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 5: South Pacific
Gone for Good
The Kingdom
Valeria: Season 2

Avail. 8/15
Mother Goose Club: Seasons 3-4
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Season 1
Winx Club: Season 6

Avail. 8/16
Walk of Shame

Avail. 8/17
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 5
Untold: Deal with the Devil

Avail. 8/18
The Defeated
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
Out of my league
The Secret Diary of an Exchange Student

Avail. 8/19
Like Crazy

Avail. 8/20
The Chair
Everything Will Be Fine
The Loud House Movie
Sweet Girl

Avail. 8/23
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

Avail. 8/24
Oggy Oggy
Untold: Caitlyn Jenner

Avail. 8/25
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
Clickbait
John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer
Motel Makeover
The November Man
The Old Ways
Open Your Eyes
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes
Rainbow High: Part 2
Really Love
The River Runner
Tayo the Little Bus: Season 4
The Water Man

Avail. 8/26
Edens Zero
Family Reunion: Part 4

Avail. 8/27
He’s All That
I Heart Arlo
Titletown High

Avail. 8/28
Bread Barbershop: Season 2
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Avail. 8/31
Sparking Joy
Untold: Crime and Penalties

Here’s the full list of titles leaving Netflix in August:

Leaving 8/1
American Assassin

Leaving 8/4
#cats_the_mewvie

Leaving 8/7
The Promise

Leaving 8/9
El Cartel: Seasons 1 & 2
Nightcrawler

Leaving 8/12
Safety Not Guaranteed
Scary Movie 5

Leaving 8/14
Mother Goose Club: Seasons 1-2

Leaving 8/15
Jericho: Seasons 1-2
Wish I Was Here

Leaving 8/20
Kill the Irishman
Norm of the North: Keys to the Kingdom
The Founder

Leaving 8/22
1BR

Leaving 8/26
The Angry Birds Movie 2

Leaving 8/27
A Princess for Christmas

Leaving 8/29
Strange but True

Leaving 8/30
Casino Royale
The Eichmann Show
Full Out
Quantum of Solace
Stranger than Fiction

Leaving 8/31
Adrift
Angel Eyes
The Big Lebowski
Chinatown
The Departed
Election
The Girl Next Door
Hey Arnold! The Movie
Hot Rod
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Love Actually
Love Happens
The Manchurian Candidate
Monsters vs. Aliens
The Muppets
Muppets Most Wanted
Nacho Libre
Moon Kingdom
Pootie Tang
The Prince & Me
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Extinction
The Ring
Road to Perdition
The Social Network
Superbad
The Time Traveler’s Wife

Rap gets compared to basketball a lot, but I think it’s probably because the sport provides some of the aptest one-to-one comparisons to the art form. For instance, a lot of practice goes into both, and the most skilled practitioners make each look easy, even though the average person might find what they do incredibly hard. For another, fans of both love to debate who the “best” of each is, even though we all use different criteria to determine what “best” means.

For me, the best rappers aren’t the ones who rap the fastest or drop the most explosive, tongue-tying cadences, although that’s part of it. Nor am always impressed by the cleverest punchlines, which are in essence just dad jokes that rhyme. They can be pretty amusing though. I like rappers I can relate to, but I also like the ones who give listeners something to aspire to. Storytelling and concepts are important, too.

Overall, though, the best raps give some sort of insight into the person reciting them, then use that insight to reflect something true about the world, something universal. It’s a quality that’s a little difficult to explain, but it’s a little like Ted Lasso’s description of the offsides rule in association football: You know it when you see it. Each verse here has that quality, that thing that makes your ears prick up, that sets off sparklers in your brain, that makes you reach for the rewind button because you know something special just happened. These are the best verses of the year so far.

21 Savage on J. Cole’s “My Life”

21 Savage returns the favor J. Cole once paid him on his own hit single “A Lot,” popping in with a verse that shatters the myth that he only has one mode. Sure, he starts out there, justifying his homicidal tendencies with the trauma of watching his friends lost to street life, but then he slings some wicked wordplay (“I disrespect you respectfully”) and juxtaposes his menace with a mean sense of humor (“I got a good heart, so I send teddy bears every time we make they mommas cry”).

Chika on “Save You”

The Alabama rapper’s March EP Once Upon A Time was shamefully overlooked, especially as a document that explains exactly why she is who she is. While the first verse is a masterclass in petty, it’s the second verse that impresses, summing up Chika’s sense of betrayal at one-way relationships and the dangers of her anxiety and workaholism. Yet, she still ends on a positive note, reflecting the steely optimism that sustains her — and setting the example for listeners to snap their own metaphorical chains.

Guapdad 4000 on “Stoop Kid”

This might be cheating, but from the extended “porch” conceit that extends throughout the song, I’m going to consider both verses here as one verse that was broken in half for song construction purposes. Taken in this way, it may very well be the best verse of the year — or at least my favorite kind, one that sets a scene in vivid, glowing detail. It’s a concept that is fully written through and contains every spectrum of emotion, from warm nostalgia to brokenhearted paranoia.

Jay-Z on “Sorry Not Sorry”

Maybe it just sounds cooler in contrast to Nas’s nerdy Bitcoin boss talk, but Jay’s verse is a study in casual intricacy as he weaves multiple meanings throughout its repeated opening lines, juxtaposes his rags to riches, compares himself to a Messiah figure, and advocates fad diets all over a glittering Street Runner production that evokes the luxuries settings and items he describes. I know we’re all supposed to frown at such materialistic delights (pandemic’s still on, y’all) but damn if he doesn’t make them sound cool.

J. Cole on “Applying Pressure”

Here’s a controversial take: I really like when J. Cole raps over old-school beats about regular-guy things. The character he describes here isn’t just a straw man; it’s him, it’s me, it’s every disgruntled late-’90s backpacker who thumbed their noses at the popular kids and the Hot 100 hits, thinking his condescension made him cool. Here, Cole subtly admonishes that jerk we all used to be (or still are), reminding him/them/us that hating is bad for their/your/our health.

Lil Baby on “Pride Is The Devil”

I know a lot of these verses are coming from the same album but when the whole point of that album was getting bars off… I mean, mission accomplished, right? Here’s where I make a concession to the mainstream; Lil Baby’s verse here provides a strong argument toward defending his current placement in the upper echelons of hip-hop royalty, which I frankly never really understood. But I got an inkling here. Anyone who can make “schedule” rhyme with “forever” and “negative” is thinking on a different level.

Megan Thee Stallion on “Thot Sh*t”

In a song full of gems (“I walk around the house butt-naked / And I stop at every mirror just to stare at my own posterior,” “I’m the shit per the Recording Academy”), it’s the third verse that really unloads and showcases all the traits that have endeared Meg to her legions of loyal supporters. There are the unsubtle boasts, the clever punchlines, the unabashed self-confidence, the assured sex appeal, and the sort-of wholesome kernel at the center (Meg’s kind of a good-girl geek, what with her collegiate ambition), and that’s just in the first eight bars.

Nas on DMX’s “Bath Salts”

The Queensbridge veteran redeems himself on this gritty cut from DMX’s posthumous album, switching from his Escobar persona (which has always been kind of corny) back to Nasty Nas (a mode he should find himself in more often) for a braggadocious, pseudo-intellectual spin through some of the slickest sh*t talk he’s delivered in a decade. “I’d still be this fly if I worked at Popeyes,” he boasts and for once, he sounds — and I cannot stress this enough — utterly, completely believable.

Skyzoo on “I Was Supposed To Be A Trap Rapper”

For the past decade, Skyzoo has been one of the most consistent, creative, and criminally overlooked rappers in hip-hop. Even so, longtime fans can’t help but hold out hope for a breakthrough, when music listeners at large realize there isn’t that much of a difference between supposedly high-minded lyricists like Skyzoo and the more straightforward appeal of the dominant trap rap genre. Sky makes as much plain on this standout from his latest, All The Brilliant Things.

Tyler The Creator on “Lumberjack”

Sometimes, it’s more the context than the content that makes a verse stand out. Ty is more confessional on “Massa,” more observant on “Manifiesto,” and more unhinged on “Corso,” but “Lumberjack” was the first indication of what his new album Call Me If You Get Lost would be and it was a world-stopper. It’s Tyler in his bag, utterly confident, totally self-possessed, swaggering, cool. Plus Jasper and DJ Drama’s ad-libs just accentuate some top-notch, traditional “look at me”-ass rap.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t slept since winning the Milwaukee Bucks first NBA championship in 50 years on Tuesday night. We know this because he, the Larry O’Brien trophy he “stole,” and his Finals MVP trophy took to Instagram Live to hang out with all 150,000 of us as his girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, drove him to Chick-fil-A to order a 50-piece Chick-n-Minis (one for every point he scored during Game 6) in the company of hundreds of Bucks fans who shouted and cheered as the couple journeyed through the drive-thru.

I can’t stress enough how perfect every minute of Giannis’s Instagram Live was, but I’ll try and explain. Here were the best moments.

We’ll start with the first viral video where he:

1. Asks the Chick-fil-A employee if she was comfortable being on camera. After he pointed the camera at her, he told her 150,000 people were watching and she said “REALLY?!”

2. Asks the Chick-fil-A employee if he can have a 50-piece nugget, “not 51, not 49 Chick-n-Minis.” Then he asked for a large drink, no ice, half Sprite, half lemonade.

Then there’s the video where he:

3. Lets a random fan reach into the car and touch the championship trophy.

4. Asked Chick-Fil-A employees if he could get free food for life. (The answer is unclear, but also, give him free Chick-Fil-A for life, come on.)

And here’s the video where he:

5. Starts a “Bucks in 6 chant” at this random Chick-Fil-A, which is now the coolest spot in the world at 11:30 a.m. on a Wednesday.

The Instagram Live came to an abrupt end as Riddlesprigger suggested they circle the block waiting for their big order since they were causing traffic for the people trying to order behind them. (I doubt anyone would have had a problem with the wait once they realized Giannis was in the car, but she had a point.) This was a fun-as-hell moment watching one of the best athletes in the world celebrate just like we, the fans, would.

If you have time — and it’s worth it — here’s a full 15-minute video of the Instagram Live.

Last year, Omar Apollo made his major-label debut with his acclaimed album Apolonio. Since then, the singer has gone on to collaborate with artists like Kali Uchis and even create his own brand of hot sauce. Though it’s been less than a year since the release of his LP, Apollo has already started teasing a new era of music with his latest atmospheric single “Go Away.”

Apollo celebrated the start of his next chapter by taking his “Go Away” tune to the late-night stage with a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The song is about dreading the moment he has to say farewell to a long-distance lover, a theme that served as inspiration for his captivating performance. Rather than statically delivering the song into a microphone, Apollo got clever with the stage direction. Taking a trip for love, the set opens with him nonchalantly waiting for a bus with his bags packed before he boards an airplane to continue singing his lovelorn lyrics.

Shortly after his The Tonight Show performance, Apollo will embark on a lengthy North American tour promoting his debut LP. The tour kicks off in Chicago ahead of his performance at Lollapalooza and continues across the US before coming to a close in Boston.

Watch Apollo perform on The Tonight Show above.

Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As F9 prepared to rev into theaters in June, Vin Diesel gave an interview with Men’s Health where he essentially claimed that his infamous feud with The Rock was the result of his “tough love” approach to coaxing a better performance out of his Fast and Furious co-star. Considering Diesel’s remarks are almost a month old, it seemed like The Rock was going to just let that one go. Not so much.

While promoting the upcoming release of Jungle Cruise, The Rock responded to Diesel’s comments, and in the process, appears to be completely washing his hands of the Fast and Furious franchise. Also, Emily Blunt jumped in with a scathing burn, as she does. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

When asked about Diesel’s comments, Johnson says, “I laughed and I laughed hard. I think everyone had a laugh at that. And I’ll leave it at that. And that I’ve wished them well. I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me.” Blunt can’t resist extending the moment. “Just thank God he was there,” she says of Diesel. “Thank God. He carried you through that.” “Felliniesque,” Johnson says.

Here’s what Diesel said back in June about the feud, which started when The Rock, without naming names, essentially accused Diesel of being an unprofessional “candyass” who did not respect the cast and crew’s time.

“Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks. That’s something that I’m proud of, that aesthetic. That took a lot of work,” Diesel told Men’s Health. “We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Felliniesque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.”

Clearly, The Rock sees things very differently, and from the sound of it, he’s done working with the “family.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

This article originally appeared on 09.22.17

What can we learn from letting seventh graders take the SAT?

In the 1960s, psychologist Julian Stanley realized that if you took the best-testing seventh graders from around the country and gave them standard college entry exams, those kids would score, on average, about as well as the typical college-bound high school senior.

However, the seventh graders who scored as well or better than high schoolers, Stanley found, had off-the-charts aptitude in quantitative, logical, and spatial reasoning.

---

In other words, they were gifted.

In the 1970s, Stanley and his team launched a full-scale study, identifying many of America’s gifted kids and tracking them throughout their lives.

The study, called the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth never ended and is now nearly 45 years in the making. It has followed countless kids from middle school into their careers as some of America’s top politicians, scientists, CEOs, engineers, and military leaders.

Professor David Lubinski. Image via Vanderbilt University/YouTube.

Stanley passed away in the mid-2000s, but psychologist David Lubinski helped bring the study to Vanderbilt University in the 1990s, where he now co-directs it with Camilla P. Benhow.

It’s not a stretch to call this the biggest and most in-depth study on intellectual “precociousness.” The results of the study thus far are equal parts fascinating and genuinely surprising — a deeply insightful look into the minds and lives of brilliant children.

1. Some of what we used to think about gifted kids turned out to be wrong.

Ever heard the saying “early to ripe, early to rot”? It basically means doing “too much” to foster a kid’s special talents and abilities at too young an age could actually cause harm in the long term.

That’s not even remotely true, at least not according to Lubinski.

That might be an outdated example. But Lubinksi says there are plenty of other misconceptions still alive today, like the idea that gifted kids are so smart that they’ll “find a way” to excel even if those smarts aren’t nurtured and developed.

Not so fast. “They’re kids,” he explains. “They need guidance. We all need guidance.”

2. Intelligence is not the same as passion.

Quick, what’s the “smartest” career you can think of. Doctor? Scientist?

While you do have to be pretty brilliant to work in medicine or science, those are far from the only career paths gifted kids choose later in life.

“Quantitatively, gifted people vary widely in their passions,” Lubinski says. Many of the students in the study did end up pursuing medicine, but others went into fields like economics or engineering. Others still were more gifted in areas like logical or verbal reasoning, making them excellent lawyers and writers.

“There are all kinds of ways to express intellectual talent,” Lubinski explains.

When it comes to doing what’s best for a gifted student, it’s just as important for parents and educators to know what the student is passionate about rather than pigeonholing them in traditionally “smart” fields and registering them in a bunch of STEM courses.

3. Hard work definitely still matters.

Measuring a student’s aptitude, their natural abilities, is only one part of the equation when it comes to determining how successful they’ll be in life. Aptitude scores can identify a particularly strong natural skill set but tell us very little about how hard that person might work to excel in that field.

Effort, Lubinski says, is a critical factor in determining how far someone’s going to go in life. “If you look at exceptional performers in politics, science, music, and literature, they’re working many, many hours,” he says.

(And for the record, there are a lot more important things in life than just career achievement, like family, friends, and overall happiness.)

4. Regardless of aptitude, every kid deserves to be treated as though they were gifted.

The study’s focus is specifically on kids within a certain range of intellectual ability, but Lubinski is careful to note that many of its findings can and should be applied to all students.

For example, the kids in the study who were given an opportunity to take more challenging courses that aligned with their skills and interests ultimately went on to accomplish more than the students who were not afforded the same opportunity.

“You have to find out where your child’s development is, how fast they learn, what are their strengths and relative weaknesses and tailor the curriculum accordingly,” Lubinski says. “It’s what you would want for all kids.”

It may sound a bit like a pipe dream, but it’s a great starting point for how we should be thinking about the future of education in America.

If you’d like to learn more about the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, check out this short film on the project created by Vanderbilt University:

This article originally appeared on 06.01.18

If you’re a young kid, seeing a tattooed, dirt-covered man might make you do a double take.

Such was the case for a young girl in a Washington store. When construction worker Andy Ross walked to the store’s checkout line with dirt all over him after a long day at work, he noticed the young girl’s stare.

Knowing that children are curious and often stare at people, Andy paid her no mind. That is, until the mom and her daughter began walking out.

---

What Andy had expected to be a mundane trip to the store turned into a teaching moment about class, appearances, and creative expression.

In a Facebook post that’s since gone viral, Andy explains overhearing some insulting words from the child’s mother about his appearance.

“As they finished and headed towards the door, I hear her mom say quietly to the little girl ‘that is why you need to stay in school.’ I figured this was a great time to educate this mother and her 7/8 year old daughter.”

Tattooed and muddy, Andy knew the mom was referring to him.

Instead of yelling or getting aggressive, Andy used the opportunity to talk to the mom and share why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

This mother assumed things about Andy based on his appearance, so he broke it down piece by piece to explain exactly why she was wrong.

Firstly, he notes, he’s quite the outdoorsman. As the co-owner of Evergreen State Outdoors, Andy is often pretty dirty after a long day at work, an aspect of the job he truly enjoys.

He went on to defend his tattoos, a piece of his identity that he says not only represents his time in the service but also the importance of creativity.

“If you are telling your daughter to stay in school because I have tattoos up and down my arms, that will actually suppress her creativity and potentially hinder her imagination as she develops,” Andy said.

He also made a really good point about conflating one’s appearance to their education level.

“I happen to be a very educated dirty man,” Andy wrote. “I not only have a high school diploma, I also have a college degree and many medical certifications. So assuming that I am uneducated because of my appearance is actually quite ignorant in itself.”

But even though he is a college graduate, Andy notes, it shouldn’t matter whether he’s educated or not — blue-collar work is valid and deserves our respect.

Work that doesn’t necessarily require a college degree — such as construction, maintenance, warehousing, and firefighting — matters just as much as other types of work. There are about 19.6 million blue-collar jobs in the United States filled by a diverse group of hard-working Americans.

The woman who assumed that Andy was uneducated happened to be wrong, but her comment revealed her bias against blue-collar workers — a bias that, unfortunately, many Americans hold.

“People need to learn that blue collar workers are just like everybody else they meet in the world,” says Andy in a message to Upworthy. “Some have degrees, some are borderline genius, [and] some have been in trouble. They are from all walks of life and all have a story to tell. So before you assume that this dirty, farmers-tanned man or woman is unintelligent, pause and think.”

Ross’s experience shows that we shouldn’t be vilifying certain types of work to our children. We should be teaching them to respect and appreciate hard workers in all industries.

Granted, every parent gets to decide how to parent their child and what lessons they teach them.

Many parents, understandably, just want the best for their kids. But this desire to lead children to their best lives shouldn’t come at the expense of devaluing someone because they don’t meet antiquated standards of acceptable appearances.

It is absolutely possible to teach children good morals and values while also allowing them to pursue a variety of career options and safe and ethical ways to express themselves. Respecting those around us, even when they look a little different, helps to foster a more understanding and compassionate society.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to get a little dirty sometimes?

This article originally appeared on 03.16.18

If you’re living in the modern world, you’ve probably encountered mansplaining — the word or, unfortunately, the real thing.

What is mansplaining? Are you doing it? And what do you do when you find yourself up against a mansplainer?

Luckily, the good folks over at The Nib are here with handy answers to all three — in delightful comic form.

---

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “The last guy I dated was a real mansplainer.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “‘Mansplainer.’ I never get that word.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “Luckily, I’ve been on enough dates to prepare for this situation.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “It’s a word that describes a pattern of behavior in our culture.”

Mansplaining is a word that describes a pattern in our society of overlooking and dismissing women’s knowledge, experiences, and voices.

Many men grow defensive when they’re accused of mansplaining, but it’s not a direct attack on any one individual. Rather, it describes a pervasive cultural trend that almost all women face throughout their lives.

“Mansplaining, Explained”: Author Rebecca Solnit

Whether or not an individual man is guilty of mansplaining, the truth remains that it’s near impossible for women and girls to make it through life without coming up against it.

It happens in classrooms, universities, and even in instances where a woman has demonstrably more experience and knowledge on a topic than men present.

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “In elementary school classes, boys call out answers eight more times than girls.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “A 2004 study found the same pattern persisted at Harvard Law.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “Patients are twice as likely to interrupt a female doctor.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: Trump interrupts Clinton multiple times during their first debate.

Mansplaining can also be seen when women’s voices are conspicuously absent from cultural conversations — especially when the topic pertains to gender or women’s rights.

“Mansplaining, Explained”: #MeToo

It’s important to remember that mansplaining isn’t the only type of cultural silencing that occurs in society.

All minorities find themselves silenced at some point or another by majority groups.

The best way to solve mansplaining and other oppressions is to make sure you’re listening to all parties — and if the parties aren’t present, question why and fix it.

“Mansplaining, Explained”: “Who has a power and a platform in our society isn’t just about gender.”

“Mansplaining, Explained”: Who’s speaking? Whose voices are we missing?

This comic was originally published by The Nib and is reprinted here with permission.

This article originally appeared on 08.06.19

I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.

As such, I am a lot of people’s only black friend.

Being the only black friend is a gift and a curse. I am black and I love having friends. But I am also, at any given moment, expected to be a translator, an ambassador, a history teacher, and/or a walking, talking invitation into “I am not racist” territory. It’s a lot to handle. See what I mean about that curse?

---

Don’t get me wrong, my friends are awesome, just very white. Here are me and a few of my pixelated pals before a high school dance in the early 2000s. Photo courtesy of the author.

So when I saw the animated short-film “Your Black Friend,” I felt so seen. Clearly, I am not alone.

The film, which was written, designed, and narrated by Ben Passmore and is based on his mini-comic of the same name, is a brilliant, refreshing way to examine whiteness and racism. The comic and animated short are an open-letter from “your black friend” to you, their well-meaning white friend, about bias, alienation, and what it means to be a good ally and friend.

It’s funny, honest, and heartbreaking in equal measure. And speaking from personal experience, it captures the experience of being a black friend to white people pretty much perfectly.

So if you’re a “woke” friend and ally, here are some things your black friend wants you to know.

1. You’re going to have to get uncomfortable.

It could be something as obvious and upsetting as a racist joke. Or something as “benign” as your aunt suggesting you cross the street when she sees a group of black kids walking by. But either way, if you want to be a good friend and a real ally, you’re going to have to speak up. You’re going to have to have those tough conversations with people you care about.

It’s not easy to confront strangers or people you love, but if you don’t do it, you are part of the problem. Sitting out isn’t an option. No one said being an ally is easy.

All GIFs Silver Sprocket/YouTube.

2. “Your black friend would like to say something to the racist lady, but doesn’t want to appear to be that ‘angry black man.'”

“He knows this type of person expects that from him, and he will lose before he begins,” Passmore says.

Black people can’t always react or respond the way we want to. When I am followed in a department store, pulled over for no reason, or stared at while picking up dinner at the fancy grocery store, I can’t stop what I’m doing and yell, “YES, I AM BLACK. NO, I AM NOT A CRIMINAL YOU SMALL-MINDED, BIASED ASSHOLES.” Trust me, I want to. But especially when police are involved, I have to be calm, respectful, and obedient.

That’s where you come in. You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can’t. If you are not at risk, nor considered a threat, you have a certain amount of privilege in these situations. Use it to demand answers, speak to supervisors, or if things really get dicey, pull out your phone and hit record.

3. We are constantly monitoring our surroundings and adjusting our clothes, hair, speed, and speech to maintain white comfort.

We don’t like it, but one small choice — like deciding whether or not to wear a hood, or the speed at which we reach into our glove box — can be the difference between life and death.

When I am in a parking garage and walking behind a white woman, I intentionally cough or walk a little louder so she turns and notices me.

Why? Because when I don’t, that same white woman will often clutch her purse and occasionally let out an audible gasp as I pass her. This is something my white friends likely don’t realize I have to do. Some of them may even be the pearl-clutchers in the parking lot.

But to maintain white comfort and to avoid having the cops called on us, we often have to tamp down clothes, modify our speech and volume, even do our hair differently. We have to have “the talk” with our kids about how the world sees them, and how act in order to make sure they come home alive.

No, it’s not fair. No, we don’t like it. But so long as this country and its institutions are built on a solid foundation of white supremacy, it’s a grim reality. You need to know that, and take it up with your fellow white people about how to dismantle it.

4. “Your black friend wishes you’d play more than Beyoncé. There are more black performers than Beyoncé.”

“Lemonade” was awesome. There is no denying it. And yes, I love seeing her iconic looks on Instagram too. But there is more to black music and black art than Beyoncé. Dip a toe outside your comfort zone and try new new artists and genres you may not be familiar with. Go listen, see it, and experience it for yourself.

And while we’re here, you can’t say the n-word when you sing along. Nope. You just can’t.

5. Speaking of which, performative blackness is really uncomfortable.

When you wear that braided wig on Halloween, or use your “blaccent” when you’re around me or other black people, it hurts. It’s not cute or charming, and it definitely doesn’t make you seem cool.

Our culture and heritage are not costumes you can slide on and off at your convenience. We don’t get to be black only when it suits us. Neither do you.

6. “Your black friend feels like a man without a country.”

Having white friends and seeming to “fit in” with the majority can feel really alienating. You can feel too “white” for black people, and too “black” for white people when all you want to do is find people to eat pizza with. As Passmore wrote, “He is lost in this contradiction, and held responsible for it.”

7. We would love it if we could stop talking about our anxiety and frustrations regarding racism. But right now, that’s impossible.

Our concerns are urgent and real. We’re getting subpar health care. We’re disenfranchised. We’re over-policed. We’re thrown in jail. We’re killed by people sworn to protect us. It’s exhausting, but we have to keep talking about it. So do you.

We can’t be expected to dismantle white supremacy on our own.

Our white friends and allies need to step up and gather their people. Have the tough conversations. Speak up when you see racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. The time to talk about it is done. Be about it, or find yourself a new black friend.

Watch “Your Black Friend” in full and check out Passmore’s book, “Your Black Friend And Other Strangers,” coming in March.

This article was originally published on January 30, 2018.

Space Jam: A New Legacy sports a 31 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is high for a movie that made me question if I even like movies. That might sound hyperbolic, but you try watching a 20-years-too-late parody of The Matrix with Speedy Gonzales and Granny asking if a lady can check her Twitter (she can, but she won’t like what she sees). Anyway, the “haters” have shared their takes on Space Jam: A New Legacy, but surely the director of the original Space Jam liked it, right? Right…?

In comments made to TMZ, Joe Pytka revealed that it actually took him five different sittings to finish Space Jam: A New Legacy, rather than watching it all in one two-hour period. His biggest problem with it was mostly its protagonist, LeBron James. In Pytka’s eyes, James didn’t bring enough heart or reality to the film.

“The truth is that LeBron ain’t Michael,” Pytka said.

I’m sure Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers fans are taking this well.

Pytka criticized A New Legacy for its “insignificant” soundtrack and that unlike supporting cast members Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, and Bill Murray in the original, he thinks Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Damian Lillard (and Rick and Morty) didn’t add much. Pytka also laid into how Bugs Bunny was depicted in the sort-of sequel.

“[Bugs] looked like one of those fluffy dolls you buy at an airport gift shop to bring your kid when your business trip has taken too long,” he said.

That’s still one of the kinder things someone has said about Space Jam: A New Legacy.

(Via the Wrap and TMZ)