Month: November 2022

This weekend, Eminem entered the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Predictably and appropriately, it was longtime associate Dr. Dre who was there to induct him. Dre gave an entertaining and moving speech, during which he also made time for some humor.

At one point, Dre joked about Eminem’s history with drugs, saying, “Em would go on to overdose, relapse, and recover not only on his albums, but also in real life. Let me tell you something: this guy goes through a lot of sh*t just to get a concept for a song.”

Eminem addressed the overdose in his own speech, too, saying, “I almost died from an overdose in 2007, which kind of sucked. Hailie, plug your ears: because drugs were f*cking delicious, and I thought we had a good thing going, man, but I had to go and f*ck it all up and take too many. G*ddamn. OK Hailie.”

Read a full transcript of Dre’s speech below (via The Detroit News) and find Eminem’s full speech here.

“OK, let me get serious.

Over 20 years ago, Jimmy Iovine, who is also one of tonight’s inductees and one of my best friends, played a demo tape for me from a guy who called himself Eminem. The first thing I said when I heard it was, ‘What the f*ck did he just say?’ I loved it so much that I couldn’t stop listening to it.

A few days later, Jimmy called me and said, ‘You know he’s a white guy, right?” F*cked me up! The last thing I was thinking about when I was listening was that he was white. It never even crossed my mind. Looking back, I don’t know why it didn’t cross my mind. He certainly didn’t sound like a Black rapper, especially because of what he was saying. I guess it was my ignorance at the time, thinking that if you’re a really good rapper, you must be Black.

Not too long after that, we met for the first time. We hit it off and the next thing you know, we’re at my house working. The first time I put on a beat, he gets on the mic and says, ‘Hi, my name is.’ Boom! And that was the beginning of what became an amazing creative collaboration.

Then came the backlash. ‘Look at him, Dre! He has blue eyes! You can’t sign him!’ There was a massive amount of resistance from my own team and from a lot of people around me: people who had never even heard the music, but didn’t want me to sign him or work with him simply because he was white.

While everyone else around me had their doubts, I knew that his gift was undeniable. His raw, dark, and humorous lyrics coupled with an impeccable cadence stood out from anything I had ever heard before, and he was hungry. Both of us were. We were two artists in do-or-die situations: he was desperate to find a way to feed his family and I was searching for something to sink my teeth into creatively. Each of us was exactly what the other needed and I was willing to bet my entire career on it.

My rebuttal to those naysayers went something like this: ‘He’s going to be the biggest-selling artist on our label.’ Little did I know he was going to be one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

From the moment he introduced himself to the world with The Slim Shady LP, he skyrocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for 100 weeks while earning a Grammy for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance.

Can you believe after promoting violence to little children and killing his daughter’s mother, this guy still had more sh*t to get off his chest?

Well, then The Marshall Mathers LP dropped. On that album alone, his alter ego, Slim Shady, tied me up in his basement, had sex with his mother, and killed his daughter’s mother, again, while proceeding to offend just about every special interest group we have. It clearly struck a collective chord and became one of the fastest selling solo albums in United States history.

Em would go on to overdose, relapse, and recover not only on his albums, but also in real life. Let me tell you something: this guy goes through a lot of sh*t just to get a concept for a song.

But here is Em’s genius, with his incredible wit and wild imagination: he was able to hold up a mirror to White America while also expressing the pain of living through poverty in dysfunctional families devoid of hope. Eminem brought hip-hop to middle America and offered kids who looked like him a way to connect to it.

Hip-hop wasn’t just for Black kids in desperate inner-city circumstances anymore. People of every stripe could have the art form speak to their struggles, too.

Eminem wasn’t just the underdog who broke through the glass ceiling of hip-hop. He shattered it: 220 million albums sold, 13 No. 1 albums, 10 of which all consecutively debuted at No. 1, making him the first artist ever to achieve this. Grammy Awards, an Emmy, and an Oscar. Best-selling music artist of the 2000s. Best-selling hip-hop artist ever. And he doesn’t care about any of that. I care about it more than he does.

What’s most important to him is that he’s earned the respect of his peers as one of the best to ever do it.

Turns out this unassuming white guy with blue eyes from Detroit went from being repeatedly turned down to turning everything we thought we knew about hip-hop on its head while forcing us to confront our own biases, growing not only the genre, but all of us right along with it.

It is my great honor to induct my friend, Eminem, into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.”

There was some sad news this weekend: Aaron Carter, best known for fun singles like 2001’s “That’s How I Beat Shaq” and his 2000 gold-certified hit “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It),” died at 34 years old. This was tough for many to swallow, but especially for Backstreet Boys, of which Aaron’s brother Nick Carter is a member. On Sunday (November 6), the group put on a concert in London and emotionally paid tribute to Aaron.

At the O2 Arena, the group performed 2019 single “No Place” and dedicated it to Aaron as a photo tribute played on screens behind them. After the song, Kevin Richardson noted the tune is “very special to us because that song is about family.” He also said, “We’ve been through highs and lows and ups and downs — we thank you for being with the Backstreet family for 29 years, for all the love. Tonight we’ve got a little bit of heavy hearts because we lost one of our family members yesterday. We just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognize him.”

As Richardson spoke, Nick was clearly emotional and seemingly holding back tears. Nick’s bandmates also each took a moment to give him a hug.

Check out the moment below.

Eminem had one of the biggest moments of his career yesterday (November 7): He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Aside from performing with Ed Sheeran, he also gave a speech, which he used to shine a light on the many rappers who helped pave the way for him.

Em spent a significant portion of his speech listing off a lengthy roster of rappers. Among many others, the list included Tupac, the Beastie Boys, Biz Markie, The Notorious B.I.G., Chuck D, De La Soul, Dr. Dre, EPMD, Fat Joe, Ice Cube, Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince (the latter of whom is now better known as Will Smith), Kid & Play, LL Cool J, Nas, Outkast, Andre 3000, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Redman, Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Snoop Dogg, Stetsasonic, The Roots, Black Thought, Too Short, A Tribe Called Quest, and Wu-Tang Clan. All in all, Em named over 100 rappers.

Read a transcript of Eminem’s full speech below (via The Detroit News).

“Can y’all hear me? I can’t hear me. Can you hear me?

This sh*t’s crazy. So I wrote some sh*t down tonight that I’m never going to f*cking remember, so I had to read it off the paper and sh*t, but it’s from the heart. I realize what an honor it is right now for me to be up here tonight, and what a privilege it is to do the music that I love, and the music that basically saved my life.

Where’d the man… where did Dre go? The man who saved my life, ladies and gentlemen, Dr. motherf*ckin’ Dre. So I’m going to try to make this as quick and painless as possible. I’m f*cking stuttering and sh*t, I mean Jesus Christ.

So I’m probably not supposed to actually be here tonight because of a couple of reasons. One of them that I’m a rapper, and this is the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And there’s only a few of us right now that have been inducted in already, but there’s only a few of us.

Secondly, I almost died from an overdose in 2007, which kind of sucked. Hailie, plug your ears: because drugs were f*cking delicious, and I thought we had a good thing going, man, but I had to go and f*ck it all up and take too many. G*ddamn. OK Hailie.

OK, so… hold on, I lost my motherf*ckin’ spot. Paul, did I say… I said drugs were delicious, right? And finally, I had to really fight my way through man to try and break through in this music, and I’m so honored and I’m so grateful that I’m even able to be up here doing hip-hip music, man, because I love it so much.

And they say you won’t work a day if you love your job and sh*t. This part I’m not crazy about? But, OK.

My musical influences are many, and they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it took a whole genre and culture to raise me. They say success has many fathers, and that’s definitely true for me. So whatever my impact has been on hip-hop music, I never would have or could have done this sh*t without some of the groundbreaking artists that I’m about to mention right now.

And this is a list, man. I put this list together yesterday, and I kept adding to the sh*t, adding to the sh*t, and if I forget anybody, I apologize. But these were my teachers right here.

I’m gonna start with the 2 Live Crew, Tupac, 3rd Bass, Alliance, Apache, Audio Two — Milk Dee, what up! — Awesome Dre, the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Big Pun, Big L, Biz Markie, the Notorious B.I.G. of course, Black Moon, the Boogie Monsters, Brand Nubian, Brother J from X Clan, Buckshot, Casual from Heiroglyphics, Chill Rob G, Chubb Rock, Chuck D and Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, D-Nice, Dana Dane, De La Soul — now I’m about a third of the way done.

De La Soul… did I say De La Soul? Def Jef, Del The Funky Homosapien, DJ Quik, Dr. Dre of course, Dres from Black Sheep, Ed O.G., EPMD, Fat Boys, Fat Joe, Fu-Schnickens, Gang Starr, Geto Boys, Heavy D, House Of Pain, Ice Cube, Ice-T, the Intelligent Hoodlum, JJ Fad, Jaz-O, Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince, Just Ice, K-Solo, Kid & Play: I’m a tenth of the way done.

King Sun, King Tee, Kool G Rap, Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, Kwame, Lakim Shabazz, Large Professor, Leaders Of The New School, the one and only LL Cool J — love you bro. Lord Finesse, Lords Of The Underground, Mantronix, Masta Ace, MC Breed, MC Lyte, MC Shan, Melle Mel, Merciless Ameer, Mobb Deep, Monie Love, Nas, Newcleus, Onyx, Organized Konfusion, Outkast, Andre 3000, Paris, Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Redhead Kingpin, Pete Rock and CL Smooth… I’m almost done.

Redman, Roxanne Shante, Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, Snoop Dogg, Souls Of Mischief, Special Ed, Stetsasonic… now I’m all down to the S’s. Super Lover Cee and Casanova Rud, the D.O.C., the Roots, Black Thought, the Skinny Boys, Tony D, Too Short, Treach from Naughty By Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, U.T.F.O., Whodini, Wise Intelligent and the Poor Righteous Teachers, Wu-Tang Clan, and YZ.

Those were my rock stars, man, and I just want to say, like, those are just a few of the names that I hope will be considered in the future for induction. Because without them, a lot of us wouldn’t be here. I know I wouldn’t.

So that’s all I had to say, man. I know this induction is supposed to be me talking about myself and sh*t, man, but f*ck that. I would not be here without them. I’m a high school dropout, man, with a hip-hop education, and these were my teachers. And it’s their night just as much as it is mine, so thank you.”

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

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Enola Holmes 2 (Netflix movie)

Henry Cavill might be everywhere right now (and will leave The Witcher building soon), but for now, you can enjoy him in this charming followup to Millie Bobby Brown’s introduction as Sherlock Holmes’ plucky little sister. She’s got her own detective shingle now, and she’s digging into a case that strongly resembles infamous match-factory happenings. That subject’s a grave one, but the mood stays relatively breezy nonetheless. Get ready for more madcap hijinks.

TIE: 10. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix series)

October might be over, but the spooks continue with this anthology series that’s chock full of sinister happenings and led by an array of passionate directors, including The Babadook helmer Jennifer Kent and O.G. Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke. Who says the witching season should only be confined to one month out of the year? Especially with Daylight Savings time ending, you gotta get in on the literal darkness by enjoying episodes starring Ben Barnes, Andrew Lincoln, Rupert Grint, and more.

9. All Quiet On The Western Front (Netflix movie)

There’s a surplus of WWII films, and plenty of them lately, but this one happens to be the best of the most recent bunch. No gimmicks here, only pure-war drama. It’s visually stunning and viscerally grueling, and fortunately, Daniel Brühl (Inglorious Basterds) shows up because that’s practically obligatory at this point.

8. Don’t Worry Darling (New Line/WB Film on HBO Max)

Finally, the steep PVOD price has yielded to HBO Max streaming, so you can see what all the fuss is about after Harry Styles didn’t spit on Chris Pine after all. That was only the beginning because Olivia Wilde drummed up enthusiasm about the sex scenes and then didn’t seem to understand why people were excited about them. Yet the actual movie itself failed to scintillate as much as one would expect. Still, it’s not a bad way to spent 2 hours and 3 minutes, give or take.

7. From Scratch (Netflix series)

Are you in the mood to cry? Well, you’re in luck, and you wouldn’t be alone. This series (starring Zoe Saldana) adapts the From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home memoir by Tembi Locke, and tells the story of loss and love that reaches beyond the grave. Saldana’s Amy falls in love with an aspiring chef in Italy, and the story moves to Los Angeles, where everything should be perfect, but then a tragedy strikes. Yes, it sounds like a Nicholas Sparks novel for solid reason, but it’s good counter programming for all the superhero and dark-fantasy shows that have recently prevailed on streaming.

6. The White Lotus (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

The second season’s debut episode dissed Ted Lasso; for better or worse, and this season’s already hitting satiric beats with Aubrey Plaza and Theo James’ uncomfortable exchange. Everyone wants to know who that floating body belongs to, and I’m secretly hoping that it’s the latter, or maybe Murray Bartlett’s Armond made it all the way to Sicily after his demise? Don’t put it past this franchise to go there, but the best thing about this season is that Jennifer Coolidge returns for one hell of an awkward sex scene. There’s been no poop in a suitcase yet, but this season is young, so we’ll see what happens.

5. Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix series) and Conversations With A Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (Netflix docuseries)

This late serial killer won’t stop dominating the Netflix charts, first with Ryan Murphy’s dramatized limited series (starring Evan Peters) and next with Joe Berlinger’s docuseries that takes a more hard-hitting approach to a serial killer who flourished until “that smell” brought him down. Yes, this is difficult subject matter to watch, but that hasn’t stopped the masses from continuing to binge this content.

4. The Watcher (Netflix series)

More Ryan Murphy. You can’t escape him, and given his twin Fall 2022 successes practically guarantee that his Netflix contract will be re-upped into infinity. In this inspired-by-real-life limited series, Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannivale portray the heads of a terrorized family who’s receiving threatening letters after they moved into what they thought would be their dream abode. Soon enough, they’re questioning everything, and everyone is truly a suspect. The series has fun with every conceivable possibility while also remaining relatively innocuous in terms of triggering any old memories that you might have. The story might not be prestige TV, but the cast (including Margo Martindale, Mia Farrow, and Jennifer Coolidge) qualifies it as much.

3. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku movie)

Daniel Radcliffe continues to give no f*cks while proving that there’s truly creative life after starring in a franchise for over a decade. He’s obviously “Weird” Al Yankovic, the king of musical parody, in this accordion-wielding, semi-fictional biopic that co-stars Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna. Man, this will bring back memories of watching float parades themed to “Like A Virgin” while your grandmother mutters about the disgrace in front of her. The 1980s ruled.

2. Manifest (NBC-turned Netflix series)

Showrunner Jeff Rake received a second chance (after an NBC cancellation while this show sat atop the Netflix charts), and he’s attempting to bring this turbulent ride in for a semi-crash landing. This show still doesn’t make sense, and Flight 828 passengers are as clueless as the public at large when it comes to why they disappeared for five years from the mainstream human timeline. Cal is suddenly a teenager, and I’m waiting for an announcement about the Olive-only spinoff. Justice for Olive, and down with Angelina. Manifest superfan Stephen King must have some theories for this batch of episodes, and hopefully, we’ll hear about them soon.

1. Interview With The Vampire (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

If you haven’t tuned into this reboot yet, then you are sorely missing out. Lestat and Louis have decloseted their relationship, and Lestat throws the biggest tantrum over Claudia beating him at a chess game. Seriously though, this show is not only greater than the 1990s movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, but the show has also been renewed for a second season. It won’t love and leave you, in other words, and Jacob Anderson has moved well beyond his stoic Game of Thrones role with Sam Reid giving Lestat some irresistible swagger for the ages. This one’s about to wind down for the year, so get on it.

The Tennessee Titans put forth a gutty performance on Sunday night in Kansas City, but ultimately fell short in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Chiefs. Tennessee jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the early third quarter, finding a ton of success on the ground with Derrick Henry in the first half, but their inability to move the ball through the air became too much for them to overcome.

Malik Willis, their third-round rookie QB making his second start of the season, completed just five passes on the night (on 16 attempts) for 80 yards as the Chiefs ran nearly 50 more offensive plays than the Titans in the game. It was a testament to the Titans defense that the game went to overtime and they had a chance to win, but over the last 10 Tennessee offensive drives of the game, they gained 10 combined yards and just one first down.

It was brutal to watch, particularly as Willis got hammered over and over in the fourth quarter and overtime by the Chiefs pass rush any time they got forced into a passing situation.

A big reason for that was his receivers simply weren’t ever getting open, as he didn’t have a single completion to a wide receiver all night — two to running backs and three to tight ends. The end zone angle of the second down sack in overtime provided a glimpse at the nothingness Willis was staring at much of the night.

For most, it was depressing to watch the Titans second half offense, particularly if you are a Tennessee fan, but one man found it hilarious that the Titans receivers couldn’t come close to getting open in the game: former Titans receiver AJ Brown.

https://twitter.com/1kalwaysopen_/status/1589480468725972992

Brown, who the Titans traded on draft night to the Eagles for the 18th overall pick because they didn’t want to extend him long term, has enjoyed watching his old team flounder without a No. 1 option while he thrives in Philly. Brown has 718 yards and six touchdowns on the season for the undefeated Eagles, while the Titans entire receiving corps has 655 yards and one touchdown this season. It’s safe to say the Titans miss Brown, particularly Willis and the injured Ryan Tannehill, who have very few options when they drop back to pass.

This story originally appeared on 02.13.20

There’s a lot of men out there that shy away from discussing menstruation with women. But any man who’s ever taken a class in basic human biology or had a mother, sister, wife, girlfriend or any other woman in their life should know the basics of how it works.

That’s why a mother on the Mumsnet message board was completely “shocked” that her daughter’s teacher told her to “hold in” her period.

Does he think a woman can hold in her period like it’s pee?

Mumsnet is a UK website where parents come together to discuss anything from adoption to women’s rights. This post appeared under the “Am I Being Unreasonable” thread.

via Mumsnet

According to the post, the 15-year-old’s teacher prevented her from using the bathroom because he legitimately thinks women can hold back period blood. Or he knows a bit about biology but still decided to put her in the position to be mortally embarrassed.

The mother later said that the lessons last two hours so the girl had a long time to wait before being able to change her pad.

A few parents said that the teacher was correct to say no because students often lie about their periods to get out of class.

But most parents thought the teacher did the wrong thing and needs a lesson in basic biology.

One poster was irate but completely right about the issue.

Another believes the daughter should have disobeyed the teacher and gone to the bathroom.

This poster did a great job at re-framing the situation so that the teacher’s actions seem even more ridiculous.

Why should the mother even have to justify herself?

The $50,000 question: What subject does the instructor teach?

This article originally appeared on 07.21.17

When your toddler has a meltdown, it’s perfectly natural to want to fly off the handle.

There’s nothing more infuriating than a small human repeatedly demanding something that’s physically impossible for you to give them, or wailing because you had to punish them after repeatedly telling them to knock it off.

“I CREATED YOU, YOU LITTLE MONSTER. I CAN DESTROY YOU,” you might want to say (though you never would). You love your kids — of course you do — but damn if they aren’t the best at pushing you to your breaking point.

As tempting as it may be to raise your voice, yell, and keep ramping up the punishment to ridiculous levels, some parenting experts say there’s a much better option.

Vanessa Lapointe, a mom and professional psychologist, suggests something called “discipline without damage.”

Lapointe defines this practice, sometimes called “compassionate parenting,” as an intervention that reinforces connection, not separation — in other words, staying calm and kind while setting firm boundaries for kids in a way that doesn’t dampen their spirits or preach obedience above all else.

This isn’t just some new-agey, feel good stuff: Lapointe says it’s all based on science and the way children’s brains develop.

“Our job as parents is to grow up children who are hardy. Not children who are hardened,” she explained in an essay for The Huffington Post. “Children who are hardy can weather the storms of life. Children who are hardened cannot, and instead tend to shut down and have ineffective coping strategies.”

Lapointe recently released a nifty “Discipline Cheat Sheet” that offers some simple changes to the words we use when faced with a meltdown that can completely change the tenor of the situation for the better.

Here’s how this technique might play out.

Say your toddler colored on the wall with bright green crayon.

Instead of screeching something along the lines of “What were you thinking?!??!” Lapointe recommends using a kind and compassionate tone and saying something more like, “You know I don’t want you coloring on the walls. We need to get this cleaned up.”

“No!” your kid might respond, with a stomp of a tiny foot. “I don’t want to!”

“Come on,” you say, keeping your voice calm. “I’ll show you where the cleaning supplies are and help you get started.”

Now, ideally, that would be enough. Your toddler would calm down and gladly help you clean the walls. When it comes to toddlers, however, parents know things are rarely that easy.

What if by then he’s too upset and has thrown himself to the ground in protest, banging fists against the floor? Instead of finally breaking and losing your temper, it’s time to try a different tactic from the cheat sheet.

“I can see this is tricky for you. We’re going to solve this later. Let’s get a drink of water,” you can say.

He may agree or not. But eventually, he will calm down (every parent knows that they always do), and you can show him how to get the crayon off the wall.

When the wall is finally clean, turn to him and say, “Let’s find a better place to keep your coloring supplies so this doesn’t happen again.”

The whole conflict may take a while, and you may have to go back to the cheat sheet to try many of these different techniques, but in the end, you get what you want (a clean wall) without yelling at, frightening, or physically forcing your toddler to clean it up. At the same time, your kid learns that their actions have consequences.

The reality is that most toddlers are nearly psychologically incapable of impulse control. No amount of yelling or being a strict disciplinarian can change the wiring of their brains. And though the phrases in the chart above are best for young children, the same principles of compassionate parenting apply to older kids, too.

The chart has been shared far and wide across the web, though Lapointe’s approach isn’t without its critics.

Some parents worry that her recommendations feel an awful lot like “helicopter parenting” and isn’t strong enough to teach kids about independence and feeling the consequences of their actions.

Lapointe says these people are missing the point. She spells out the difference:

“The hoverer is worried, nervous, and uncertain, and prevents their child from ever having to come to terms with the things in life that simply cannot be. The provider is confident, all-knowing, and in charge, and supports the child in regulating around their upset in coming to terms with the things in life that cannot be. “

She urges parents to remember that kids are kids and not to expect them to understand the world as adults do.

Compassionate parenting is more than just a few handy phrases.

The phrases on Lapointe’s cheat sheet are a great first step for reframing the way we react when our kids start misbehaving, but they’re not the only tool a compassionate parent can keep in their back pocket. For parents looking for an alternative to punishment and escalating behavior, however, Lapointe’s cheat sheet could be just the help they need to stay calm in the face of a toddler tornado.

Though easier said than done, a simple, “Come here, I’ve got you,” could be exactly what your kid needs to hear.

This article originally appeared on 07.28.17

Parents — especially those with multiple kids — know the phrase: “Oof, you must have your hands full!”

It’s a common refrain from strangers who see us out and about.

Sometimes it even comes along with an “I feel sorry for you,” if you’re really lucky.

While it’s a mostly harmless comment meant to show admiration, it struck a nerve with one mom when a stranger in Walmart dished it out to her while she shopped with her three kids.

Courtney Lester took to Facebook to share how she wishes she had responded to the man who told her he felt “sorry” for her.

After all, dealing with those raucous kids (who were riding quietly in the cart) must be such a burden!

For starters, Lester wrote, never comment on the size of someone’s family — more than likely, you don’t know the whole story.

“What you can’t tell is that I lost 2 babies before being blessed with my last 2,” she wrote. “So if you want to feel sorry for me, there’s the only reason why you should.”

With as many as 20% of pregnancies ending in miscarriage, it’s best to never assume.

But the even bigger takeaway from Lester: Raising kids is hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s a burden.

In fact, quite the opposite. Doctors initially told Lester she likely wouldn’t be able to get pregnant again after having her first child, so she knows a thing or two about being appreciative of all the little moments, the ups and downs, the long days, and the laughs and the tears along the way.

“Some days, I can’t wait for bedtime. My children keep me on my toes and one of them always needs something, but I have never viewed them as an inconvenience or a reason for someone to ‘feel sorry’ for me. Even on days when they won’t listen, have meltdowns, and when it seems like nothing I do is good enough, I have never felt sorry for myself and I don’t expect others to either. If having 3 kids automatically makes my hands full, so be it… But please, never feel sorry for me because my heart is more full than my hands could ever be.“

Judging by the overwhelming response to her post, which has gone viral with over 22,000 Likes on Facebook, she’s not the only parent around who wouldn’t trade her little rascals for anything.

Even a judgment-free stroll through Walmart.

This article originally appeared on 07.28.21

Simone Biles withdrawing from the team final in the Tokyo Olympics and subsequently withdrawing from the individual all-around finals after getting a case of the “twisties” has the world talking. She’s received overwhelming support as well as overwhelming criticism for the move, with some praising her for recognizing her limits and others blasting her for not persevering through whatever she’s dealing with.

Some people pointed to Kerri Strug, who landed on one foot after vaulting with a broken ankle in the 1996 Olympics to help the U.S. win gold, as an example of the kind of sacrifice an athlete should be willing to make for their country.

Byron Heath shared some thoughts about that fateful day in a viral Facebook post that has been shared more than 370,000 times in less than a day.

Heath wrote:

“This realization I had about Simone Biles is gonna make some people mad, but oh well.

Yesterday I was excited to show my daughters Kerri Strug’s famous one-leg vault. It was a defining Olympic moment that I watched live as a kid, and my girls watched raptly as Strug fell, and then limped back to leap again.

But for some reason I wasn’t as inspired watching it this time. In fact, I felt a little sick. Maybe being a father and teacher has made me soft, but all I could see was how Kerri Strug looked at her coach, Bela Karolyi, with pleading, terrified eyes, while he shouted back ‘You can do it!’ over and over again.

My daughters didn’t cheer when Strug landed her second vault. Instead they frowned in concern as she collapsed in agony and frantic tears.

‘Why did she jump again if she was hurt?’ one of my girls asked. I made some inane reply about the heart of a champion or Olympic spirit, but in the back of my mind a thought was festering: *She shouldn’t have jumped again*

The more the thought echoed, the stronger my realization became. Coach Karolyi should have gotten his visibly injured athlete medical help immediately! Now that I have two young daughters in gymnastics, I expect their safety to be the coach’s number one priority. Instead, Bela Karolyi told Strug to vault again. And he got what he wanted; a gold medal that was more important to him than his athlete’s health. I’m sure people will say ‘Kerri Strug was a competitor–she WANTED to push through the injury.’ That’s probably true. But since the last Olympics we’ve also learned these athletes were put into positions where they could be systematically abused both emotionally and physically, all while being inundated with ‘win at all costs’ messaging. A teenager under those conditions should have been protected, and told ‘No medal is worth the risk of permanent injury.’ In fact, we now know that Strug’s vault wasn’t even necessary to clinch the gold; the U.S. already had an insurmountable lead.

Nevertheless, Bela Karolyi told her to vault again according to his own recounting of their conversation:

‘I can’t feel my leg,’ Strug told Karolyi.

‘We got to go one more time,’ Karolyi said. ‘Shake it out.’

‘Do I have to do this again?’ Strug asked. ‘Can you, can you?’ Karolyi wanted to know.

‘I don’t know yet,’ said Strug. ‘I will do it. I will, I will.’

The injury forced Strug’s retirement at 18 years old. Dominique Moceanu, a generational talent, also retired from injuries shortly after. They were top gymnasts literally pushed to the breaking point, and then put out to pasture. Coach Karolyi and Larry Nassar (the serial sexual abuser) continued their long careers, while the athletes were treated as a disposable resource.

Today Simone Biles–the greatest gymnast of all time–chose to step back from the competition, citing concerns for mental and physical health. I’ve already seen comments and posts about how Biles ‘failed her country’, ‘quit on us’, or ‘can’t be the greatest if she can’t handle the pressure.’ Those statements are no different than Coach Karolyi telling an injured teen with wide, frightened eyes: ‘We got to go one more time. Shake it out.’

The subtext here is: ‘Our gold medal is more important than your well-being.’

Our athletes shouldn’t have to destroy themselves to meet our standards. If giving empathetic, authentic support to our Olympians means we’ll earn less gold medals, I’m happy to make that trade.

Here’s the message I hope we can send to Simone Biles: You are an outstanding athlete, a true role model, and a powerful woman. Nothing will change that. Please don’t sacrifice your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment or national pride. We are proud of you for being brave enough to compete, and proud of you for having the wisdom to know when to step back. Your choice makes you an even better example to our daughters than you were before. WE’RE STILL ROOTING FOR YOU!”

Many people shared Heath’s sentiment, with comments pouring in thanking him for putting words to what they were feeling.

We’re in a new era where our lens of what’s admirable, what’s strong, and what’s right has shifted. We understand more about the lifelong impact of too many concussions. We have trainers and medics checking on football players after big hits. We are finding a better balance between competitiveness and well-being. We are acknowledging the importance of mental health and physical health.

We are also more aware of how both physical and mental trauma impacts young bodies. Though Kerri Strug pushing through the pain has long been seen as an iconic moment in sports, the adults in the room should have been protecting her, not pushing her through an obvious injury.

And the way this fall of Dominique Moceanu at age 14 was handled is downright shocking by today’s standards. She said she never received an exam for it, even after the competition was over. So wrong.

u201cIn our sport, we essentially dive into a pool w/ no water. When you lose your ability to find the groundu2014which appears to be part of @Simone_Biles decisionu2014-the consequences can be catastrophic. She made the right decision for the team & herself. @bispingu201d

— Dominique Moceanu (@Dominique Moceanu)
1627483863

“@Carolinafan0279 @Simone_Biles Nope 👎🏻”

u201c@Carolinafan0279 @Simone_Biles Nope ud83dudc4eud83cudffbu201d

— Dominique Moceanu (@Dominique Moceanu)
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Athletes are not cogs in a wheel, and the desire to win a competition should not trump someone’s well-being. Elite gymnasts already put themselves through grueling physical and mental feats; they wouldn’t be at the top of their sport if they didn’t. But there are limits, and too often in our yearning for a gold medal—or even for a triumphant Olympic story—we push athletes too far.

Now we see some of them pushing back, and knowing what we know now, that’s 100% a good thing.

This article originally appeared on 02.24.21

It’s amazing to consider just how quickly the world has changed over the past 11 months. If you were to have told someone in February 2020 that the entire country would be on some form of lockdown, nearly everyone would be wearing a mask, and half a million people were going to die due to a virus, no one would have believed you.

Yet, here we are.

PPE masks were the last thing on Leah Holland of Georgetown, Kentucky’s mind on March 4, 2020, when she got a tattoo inspired by the words of a close friend.

“We were just talking about things we admire about each other and he said, ‘You courageously and radically refuse to wear a mask,’ like meaning that I’m undeniably myself. I thought that was a really poetic way of saying that,” Holland told Fox 13.

So, she had “courageously & radically refuse to wear a mask” tattooed on her left forearm. It’s a beautiful sentiment about Leah’s dedication to being her true self. It’s also a reminder for Leah to remain true to herself throughout her life.

However, the tattoo would come to have a very different meaning just two days later when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Kentucky.

“It basically looked like I’m totally, you know, anti-mask or whatever, which is not the case,” said Holland.

Now, she was embarrassed to be seen with the tattoo for fear she’d be associated with the anti-maskers who either deny the existence of the virus or refuse to wear a mask to protect others. Either way, it’s a bad look.

So Leah started wearing long-sleeve shirts and cardigan sweaters whenever in public to cover up the tattoo.

On Monday, TikTok users asked each other to share their “dumbest tattoo” and she was pretty sure she had the winner.

In her video, she talks about how her tattoo was about “not pretending to be something you’re not,” but then revealed it to show how — after a historical twist — it made her out to be someone she isn’t.

“I just kind of wanted people to laugh with me because I think it’s funny now, too,” said Holland.

Plenty of people on TikTok laughed along with her with one user suggesting she update the tattoo with the phrase: “Hindsight is 2020.”

“I was dying laughing. I’m like, I’m glad there are people that find this as funny as I think it is,” said Holland.

“It will be a funny story to tell years from now,” she said. “I don’t think it will ever not be a funny story.”

Unfortunately, even when the pandemic is over, Leah will still probably have to explain her tattoo. Because most won’t soon forget the COVID-19 era in America and there’s no doubt many will still feel passionate about those who refused to wear a mask.