Month: August 2023

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Author is causing debate over theory that we’ve ‘tricked’ ourselves into loving lobster

This article was previously published on 3.20.2023.

Novelist Jason K. Pargin has inspired an online food fight after his video about lobster received over 500,000 views on Tiktok and nearly 6 million on Twitter. Pargin believes that we’ve all been tricked into liking lobster and that people only like it because it’s considered high class.

Pargin is the author of the “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Ashe” series and the former editor of Cracked.com.

“I don’t think anyone actually enjoys eating lobster. I think they’ve just been convinced that it’s a high-class food for a really specific reason,” Pargin says in his controversial video. He then describes how just a few centuries ago lobster was once used as prisoners’ food and ground into fertilizer.

But after the food developed a reputation for being hard to transport from the coastal areas inland and that it spoils quickly after being cooked, it began to be seen as a delicacy.

“So because it was difficult to mess with and because it had to be shipped live inside the country, away from the coast, it became known that lobster was difficult to obtain,” Pargin says in his video. “And because it’s difficult to obtain, it had to be expensive, and because it was expensive, we decided it was good.”

“You were eating lobster not because you enjoyed it but because you wanted it to be known to all who were watching you that you could afford lobster,” Pargin continues.

His final point was a real blow to those who only eat lobster if it’s drowned in butter. “You know what also tastes good when you dump it into a bucket of butter? Anything,” Pargin says.

The viral video sparked a hot debate on Twitter, where it appears that most people disagreed with Pargin—especially those who live in the northeast and enjoy lobster no matter how it’s prepared. Many had a problem with Pargin framing the argument from the limited American perspective.

Lobster is eaten worldwide and has been enjoyed by countless cultures since the prehistoric era. People enjoy lobster in places where it’s affordable and where it’s considered a delicacy. So that kills his argument that we’ve been duped into enjoying lobster simply because it’s expensive.

But Pargin is entirely correct when he claims that we value things more when they are scarce. In psychology, the concept is known as the scarcity effect.

“Scarcity is a pervasive condition of human existence,” Shahram Heshmat, Ph.D., writes in Psychology Today. “Everyday circumstances of limited resources (money and time) can make individuals experience a sense of scarcity. Scarcity functions like an obstacle to goal pursuit, which intensify the value of goal.”

Here’s what people are saying about Pargin’s videos on Twitter.

Sorry, Jason, history goes way past the 1800s.

Some swear they do not need to drown a lobster in butter to enjoy its flavor.

Many disagreed and shared why they love the cockroach of the seas.

Is lobster really just a butter-delivery system?

Some agree with Pargin that people only like lobster because it’s expensive.

Pargin’s argument makes sense. We value things harder to get, and anything dunked in butter tastes fantastic. But that doesn’t cover the fact that people enjoy lobster around the globe, regardless of its perceived scarcity. In the end, the real winners of this debate are those who don’t like lobster. Right now, a pound of Maine lobster goes for up to $80 a pound. That’s an expensive night out at the local fish joint.

This article originally appeared on 3.18.23

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A Pediatrician asked terminal kids what they enjoyed about life. Here are their answers.

Pediatrician Alastair McAlpine gave some of his terminal patients an assignment. What they told him can inspire us all.

“Kids can be so wise, y’know,” the Cape Town doctor and ultra-marathon enthusiast posted to his Twitter account. He asked the young patients, short on time, about the things that really mattered to them.

What followed was a string of life advice that’ll make you want to be a better person, no matter how old you are.

First, it’s worth looking at what wasn’t important to these kids.

“NONE said they wished they’d watched more TV. NONE said they should’ve spent more time on Facebook. NONE said they enjoyed fighting with others. NONE enjoyed [the] hospital,” tweeted McAlpine.

Many talked about the people and animals who would miss them when they were gone.

“I love Rufus,” one child told McAlpine about their dog. “His funny bark makes me laugh.” Others worried about whether their parents would be OK.

They all loved stories, and many wish they’d spent less time and energy worrying about what others thought about them.

“ALL of them loved books or being told stories, especially by their parents,” wrote McAlpine, who then shared a couple short anecdotes about Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and literary adventures in space.

They also understood that people who treat you differently for superficial reasons, like your hair or a surgery scar, aren’t worth worrying about.

What was important was having fun, being kind, and holding on to their sense of humor.

These kids loved swimming and playing on the beach, and they valued others who extended kindness to them along the way. “I like it when that kind nurse is here,” one patient told McAlpine. “She’s gentle. And it hurts less.”

Above all, they cherished their families (and favorite toys).

“They ALL valued time with their family,” said McAlpine. “Nothing was more important.”

There’s a lot we can learn from these kids — and it’s incredibly easy to incorporate their lessons into our lives.

There are seven simple takeaways (well, eight if you count “eat ice cream”):

“Be kind. Read more books. Spend time with your family. Crack jokes. Go to the beach. Hug your dog. Tell that special person you love them.”

Easy enough, right?

This article was originally published on December 12, 2022

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A Girl Scouts psychologist wrote a guide for parents to discuss body image. It rocks.

The Girl Scouts’ guide to help parents talk to their daughters about weight and body image is kind of amazing.

The guide, titled “Yes, Your Daughter Just Called Herself Fat,” written by Girl Scouts’ developmental psychologist, Andrea Bastiani Archibald, includes a step-by-step look at responding to your child should they come home one day from school saying, “I’m fat.”

First of all, it breaks down just how prevalent fat-shaming is in our culture:

“According to studies, a whopping 80 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat. Why? Because they’re constantly surrounded by both subtle and direct messages that curvier or heavier girls aren’t as well liked, aren’t as likely to succeed in business, and in general, aren’t going to have as much fun or happiness in their lives.”

Second of all, it explains why the knee-jerk response “You’re not fat. You’re beautiful!” that so many of us have actually isn’t helpful.

Honestly, this part is so good that I’m just going to include the whole thing (which in its own awesome way, features the only reference to “The Dress” that won’t make you want to scream):

“[I]f she really sees her body in a certain way, simply telling her to stop seeing it that way isn’t going to help much. Remember that infamous dress on social media a few years back that some people thought was blue and some thought was gold—and how frustrating it was when those who saw it differently insisted that you were seeing it wrong and tried to get you to see it their way? That’s kind of how your girl is going to feel when you tell her that her body simply isn’t the way she thinks it is.
…by essentially telling her that she’s not fat, she’s pretty, you’re reinforcing the idea that fatter, rounder, curvier or heavier bodies aren’t beautiful — which simply isn’t true. There are endless ways to be beautiful, and your daughter will grow up with a much healthier relationship to her body if you teach her that in a genuine way from a young age.”

This is such an important message that we don’t hear often enough. Calling someone fat isn’t bad because being fat is inherently bad, but it is bad to call someone fat as an insult because it implies that there’s something wrong with larger bodies.

Fat is just another type of body, and all types of bodies are OK.

The guide also features some great steps parents can take if their daughters feel negatively about their body fat.

1. Don’t assume you know where she’s coming from.

“A better approach is to pause for a moment and ask your daughter why she thinks she’s fat,” the guide advises. “Is it because her clothes are fitting differently than they used to or that a size she used to wear doesn’t feel comfortable anymore?”

Maybe her discomfort has to do more with the bodies of her classmates or what she’s seeing in the media. Or maybe she is fat, and really just needs you to tell her that’s OK too. Getting to the root of what’s causing body image issues is an important first step.

Again, the guide warns against those knee-jerk reactions: “If she says she thinks her legs are bigger or her tummy is rounder than those of her friends, those may actually be correct observations — and there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.”

2. Set a good example for her!

Kids pick things up from their parents all the time and internalize those messages even if parents aren’t trying to pass them on. This is just as much about setting a good example as anything else.

“Another reason your girl might call herself fat is because she’s heard you do the same to yourself,” reads the guide. “Your daughter listens to everything you say — and if you’re picking yourself apart in front of the mirror or complaining about your weight, there’s a good chance that she’ll follow in your self-disparaging footsteps.”

That means giving yourself a bit of a break too. Just as you don’t want her to have to try to live up to unrealistic beauty standards, remind yourself that you don’t have to either.

“Identify parts of your body that serve you well and make note of the things you really do love about the way you look,” says the guide. “Healthy habits like eating right and exercise are good for everyone and should be a daily part of your routine, but fixating on your body and how it could or should be different isn’t healthy for anyone.”

3. Pay attention to the kind of media she’s consuming and make sure she’s seeing a variety of body types being celebrated.

TV, movies, and advertising are chock-full of messages meant to instill shame around body appearance, especially in girls and women. A bit of emotional counterprograming can go a long way. For example, check out the upcoming children’s book “Glitter Stripes“; and for older girls, Hulu’s “My Mad Fat Diary,” Melissa McCarthy’s performance in “Ghostbusters,” and Chrissie Metz in “This Is Us,” and Lynn Champlin on “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” are great body-positive/fat-positive representations in the media.

Video of plus-size blogger posted on Girl Scouts Twitter page below:

The guide advises parents to “go the extra mile to compensate for some of the less-healthy messages your daughter may be getting from other sources” by exposing them to accomplished women of all shapes and sizes.

“She needs to know you don’t have to be a certain size or shape to make it big in life.”

This guide is just one of the many phenomenal parenting resources you can find on the Girl Scouts website.

Other topics include how to raise your children to be leaders, how to stand up to bullying, and how to be the best they can be in school. They’re all great in their own ways, but the body image article stands out especially.

Thanks to the Girl Scouts, parents can now feel equipped to handle this potentially difficult conversation.

This article originally appeared on 06.19.17

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11 fascinating facts—and one myth—about the American flag that you probably didn’t know

The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner — whatever you call it, the United States flag is one of the most recognizable symbols on Earth.

As famous as it is, there’s still a lot you might not know about our shining symbol of freedom. For instance, did you know that on some flags, the stars used to point in different directions? Or that there used to be more than 13 stripes? How about a gut-check on all those star-spangled swimsuits you see popping up in stores around the Fourth of July?

We’ll explore these topics and more in this fun list of 12 facts about the U.S. flag that you might not know about.

1. Betsy Ross, the woman often credited with sewing the first American flag, probably didn’t — or at the very least, there’s no proof that she did.

Legend has it that in 1776, a seamstress named Betsy Ross was approached in her shop by George Washington himself and was asked to help develop a flag for this soon-to-be-nation. Supposedly, she rejected the designs Washington presented to her and made a number of suggestions that would end up in the final version of the first American flag.

It’s a great story that humanizes Washington as a man humble enough to take feedback and gives Ross a boost as being uncharacteristically assertive for a woman in 18th-century America.

But the bad news is that this probably never happened. It was nearly 100 years before anybody spoke of Betsy Ross or her role in designing the flag. Most of what we know of this story came from her grandson, William Canby.

Unfortunately, though historians have long tried to verify any of the facts involved in Canby’s story, there’s nothing to suggest that Washington set out to commission a flag in 1776. In fact, it wasn’t until 1777 that Congress even passed a resolution ordering a flag to be made. Sure, it’s possible that Camby’s account of his grandmother’s story happened, but it’s more likely that this is simply an unverifiable piece of American lore.

2. It wasn’t until 1912 that the government standardized the proportions of the flag and the arrangement of its stars.

While most countries’s flags are rectangular, there are a few exceptions. In 1912, President Taft issued an executive order creating a uniform look for the flag — as prior to that, there were some interesting designs, with multiple flags sometimes in use simultaneously.

The executive order mandated that stars on the flag point upward, all in the same direction, and be placed in six horizontal rows of eight.

3. We all know the flag has 13 stripes, but for 23 years, it had 15.

Up until 1795, the flag had one stripe and one star for each of the 13 states. After Vermont and Kentucky were added to the union in 1791 and 1792, respectively, the flag was due for its first major redesign in the country’s history. Not only were two stars added to the blue field to represent the new states (a tradition that continues to this day), but designers also added two stripes.

The 15-star, 15-stripe flag existed from 1795 until 1818, when five more states were added. Designers realized that adding more stripes would quickly become unwieldy, so they dropped the stripe count back to 13.

Kentucky, Vermont, American flag, Union, 1795

4. We still honor the 15-star, 15-stripe flag today, as it’s the specific flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The outcast of all American flags lives on through the power of song. Key wrote “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” a poem about his experience watching from the Baltimore harbor as an American fort took fire from British troops during the War of 1812. In 1916, more than 100 years after its first publication, Key’s poem became our national anthem.

5. Yes, the Flag Code is the law. No, there’s no penalty for breaking it.

The U.S. Flag Code was signed into law by President Roosevelt on June 22, 1942. While it’s filed under Title 18 of the U.S. Code (“Crimes and Criminal Procedure”), the Flag Code exists as more of an etiquette guide than anything else.

So if you leave your flag up past sundown, that’s technically illegal — but no one’s going to arrest you for it.

6. When it comes to showing respect for the flag, there are 11 specific instructions to follow.

There’s a whole section of the U.S. Flag Code on how to show respect for the flag. Since this is a topic that gets discussed quite a bit lately, it’s worth a quick review of some of the highlights:

  • Unless you’re trying to signal distress “in instances of extreme danger to life or property,” you shouldn’t display it with the union (the field of blue with white stars) facing downward.
  • The flag should never touch the floor and should never be carried horizontally or flat, but “always aloft and free.”
  • You’re not supposed to wear the flag nor print its image on “anything that is designed for temporary use” (napkins, for example). Don’t use it in advertisements, either.
  • “No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform.”

7. You’re supposed to fly the flag on Christmas.

The Code says that “the flag should be displayed on all days,” but puts special emphasis on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Inauguration Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Easter, Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day (the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon), Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Constitution Day, Columbus Day, Navy Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The Code adds that states should display the U.S. flag on the anniversary of their admission to the union, on state holidays, and on any day observed by presidential proclamation.

8. If the U.S. ever adds a 51st state, the flag won’t be updated until the following Independence Day.

The flag won’t be getting any major redesigns in the near future, save for the addition of a star here and there. The Code reads:

“On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission.”

9. Flag Day dates back to the 1880s but wasn’t made an official U.S. holiday until 1949.

It’s thought that schoolteacher Bernard J. Cigrand was the first person to celebrate Flag Day, commemorating the 108th anniversary of the 1777 Flag Resolution (which outlined the flag’s basic design) on June 14, 1885. The tradition caught on among schools and, eventually, states.

In 1916, President Wilson established Flag Day through proclamation. In 1949, Congress passed and President Truman signed a bill making the holiday official.

10. The design for the current 50-star flag came from a high school student’s U.S. history project — which initially got a B-.

In 1958, Bob Heft was a junior in high school. In a 2009 interview with StoryCorps, Heft recounted what happened when he turned in a history project featuring a 50-star flag. Heft’s teacher gave him a B-, noting that he had the wrong number of stars on the flag (at the time, there were only 48 states).

When Heft expressed disappointment, his teacher said, “If you don’t like the grade, get it accepted in Washington, then come back and see me.”

After Alaska and Hawaii became states, the U.S. adopted Heft’s flag. He got a call from President Eisenhower and, more importantly, an updated grade on his project.

11. The Pledge of Allegiance was, in part, created as a gimmick to sell U.S. flags to schools.

The pledge’s history is fascinating and filled with controversy. Many know that it wasn’t until 1954 that the words “under God” were added to the pledge in response to the Red Scare, but what’s less discussed is the origin and purpose of the pledge itself.

Socialist minister Francis Bellamy penned the original pledge for an 1892 issue of The Youth’s Companion as a way to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ journey. The magazine offered U.S. flags to subscribers, and Bellamy and the magazine lobbied public schools to adopt his pledge as a show of patriotism. It was successful, too, selling tens of thousands of new subscriptions and flags. In hindsight, it’s a bit ironic that this lasting ode to America began as a socialist’s capitalist experiment.

12. No one is sure why we chose red, white, and blue as the color of our flag, but an explanation was made retroactively.

In 1782, Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson explained the significance of the colors red, white, and blue during the design of the official seal of the U.S.:

“The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness and valour, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.”

Ever since, we’ve just gone with that.

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Kelly Ripa tries to calm herself with meditation and fails hilariously

We’re all very, very aware that meditation is good for us. We know it’s proven to reduce anxiety, improve focus, help us reclaim a sense of gratitude, purpose, clarity, well-being, yadda yadda yadda…

But, just like eating vegetables or working out or creating a budget plan or literally anything else that’s good for us, some folks don’t enjoy the act of meditation. Maybe it’s having to sit still for that long, or having to listen to one of those affected “spiritual” voices (which are almost always Australian—why?), or because it feels a tad too woo-woo or because it never feels like you’re doing it correctly. The list goes on and on.

If you fall into this category, then you may find talk show host Kelly Ripa’s not-so-Zen take on meditation super relatable—not to mention laugh-out-loud funny.

In a video posted to her Instagram, we see Ripa, unable to stop giggling, sitting beside friends Jan Schillay Wiener and Albert Bianchini as Bianchini attempts to start an audio-guided meditation. (Key word: attempts.)

The ethereal meditation voice barely gets out, “Find a quiet place to sit down,” before Ripa, already lying down, declares, “Already, I hate it!” and asks if there’s a voice with a British accent.

“Or Australian!” quips Wiener. (See? Everyone expects an Australian accent. Why??)

Another clip appears—presumably Take #2—showing Bianchini, eyes closed in proper meditation pose, silent, while Ripa and Wiener fall into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Be quiet!” Bianchini shouts. But it is futile. The rest of the video shows poor Bianchini trying his damnedest to reach serenity as Ripa and Wiener’s antics ensue. Doing exercises, throwing on Star Wars helmets, just general buffoonery.

“Good job, Albert, that was fantastic,” Ripa says sarcastically as the failed mediation comes to a close.

“The two of you, bunch of f–ing a–holes,” says Bianchini. Though he is also laughing, so we can assume this is all in good fun.

Ripa is certainly not alone in her attitude toward mediation. Folks who watched the clip couldn’t help but commiserate.

“This is EXACTLY how I do meditation 😅 I keep trying!” one person commented.

Another added, “These are my ppl 😂👏👏 #cantdoit.”

Others were just applauding Bianchini for his relentless patience (perhaps from all the mediation?).

As one person put it: “LMAO I can’t stop laughing and yes we need Albert in our lives ❤️.”

Even if you do find yourself feeling more like Ripa when it comes to meditation, the good news is there are plenty of mindfulness approaches that can increase your well-being without feeling like a horrendous kindergarten quiet time session. There are movement-based meditations, like ecstatic dance, walking, yoga, tai chi…heck, even working out can be considered meditation by slowing down and infusing each exercise with awareness.

In fact, according to Psychology Today, applying slowness can make even the most mundane everyday task into a meditative ritual. Slowly stepping into the shower, consciously picking your socks for the day, taking your time to sip that morning coffee, etc.

Creativity is another approach. Whether it’s carving out the time to journal, collage, write poems, organize the fridge magnets or just perform a living room karaoke solo, simply making art in one way or another can be immensely therapeutic.

The point being: The opportunity to gain the benefits of meditation are fully available to us in a variety of ways. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. As we see hilariously demonstrated in the above scenario, one person’s idea of meditation is another person’s idea of torture. But truly, whatever gets us to a peaceful place without harming others is a completely acceptable strategy.

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We can’t get enough of America Ferrera’s ‘impossible to be a woman’ monologue in ‘Barbie’

“It is literally impossible to be a woman.”

At some point, most women find themselves confronted with the truth of those words, along with the 300 or so that follow them in America Ferrera‘s monologue scene in “Barbie.”

The “impossible to be a woman” monologue has been a major talking point of the film, with parts or all of it being shared widely on social media, and when you read it—especially if you are a woman, but even if you aren’t—it’s easy to see why.

It’s hard to explain the context of the scene in which she gives the speech without giving away too much of the plot, but let’s just say that Barbie is going through an existential crisis and Ferrera is talking to her (but also to her young teen daughter, and to all women, and to everyone, really).

Here’s the text in full:

“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin.

You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas.

You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people.

You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line.

It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out, in fact, that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”

Phew. So many of us saw ourselves in what she described.

“There’s no woman in my life who those words aren’t true for,” Ferrera told The Los Angeles Times. “Not a single one. And when we hear the truth, it hits in a certain way, and you can’t unhear it.”

But it wasn’t just a moving moment for women. The film’s creator and writer of the monologue, Greta Gerwig, told Variety about what it was like on set during the filming, “When America was giving her beautiful speech, I was just sobbing, and then I looked around and I realized everybody’s crying on the set. The men are crying, too, because they have their own speech they feel they can’t ever give, you know? And they have their twin tightrope, which is also painful. There’s something about some of these structures that are just, you know, ‘Somebody make me stop!’ That’s sort of, I suppose, the feeling behind Ken.”

Why do we do this to ourselves? Or rather, why do we allow the amorphous, intangible entity “society” to do this to us? The contradictory expectations we feel compelled to meet even while railing against them are maddening. But they exist, so we either strive to meet them, which we can’t, or we expend energy constantly fighting off the messaging that makes us want to meet them. It’s exhausting either way.

And that last line—”If all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.” Dang. Let’s just sit with that for a minute.

Well done, Greta Gerwig, for nailing the reality of womanhood.

(And if that monologue doesn’t make you cry, don’t worry. Billie Eilish’s original song for the film that rolls during the credits will probably do it. Gracious.)

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Live, Laugh, Love Like Gwyneth Paltrow By Renting Her (Guest)house On Airbnb

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Ever wonder what Gwyneth Paltrow keeps in her medicine cabinet? Wonder no more! The Goop queen is renting her (guest)house on Airbnb.

“Loneliness is a human condition, but in the past few years, increased isolation and our lack of community has made our lives even more fragmented,” Paltrow wrote on Instagram (these could have been the original lines for Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad). “@airbnb had the brilliant idea of doing something to make the world a little less lonely, which is why I’m inviting you to come stay at my Montecito guesthouse for a night.”

The listing for the Airbnb includes “a relaxing spa day featuring my favorite goop Beauty essentials,” “nourishing goop Kitchen-inspired meal,” and “guided transcendental meditation session.” Also, free wifi. Paltrow will be on-site to greet her guests to “ensure you have all the necessities for a comfortable and rejuvenating stay.” If it’s like every Airbnb I’ve stayed in, there will be a paperback copy of The Da Vinci Code somewhere in the house.

Paltrow won’t allow just anyone to check for hidden doors behind her bookcases, however: the stay is open to two guests for one night only on September 9th. You can find out more information here.

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A Fox News Analyst Is Warning Republicans That ‘Trump Can’t Win’ And Could Get ‘Drubbed’ In 2024

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A Fox News legal analyst is warning Republican voters not to be mesmerized by a new poll that shows Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a tie heading into the 2024 presidential election. Writing for the National Review, Andrew McCarthy bluntly stated that Trump has no chance of winning.

“I persist in the conviction that Trump doesn’t have a prayer of being elected president again,” McCarthy writes before laying out his case for why Trump is doomed going up against Biden, or any Democrat.

Via Mediaite:

“The problem for Trump is he has no upside,” McCarthy wrote. “He is as known a quantity as has ever sought the presidency. In a normal race, the 46 percent of Republicans who do not favor Trump could be expected to ‘come home’ in droves in the general election if he is the nominee. That is not true of Trump.”

McCarthy wrote that to have a chance at winning in 2024, “Trump has to make up that support. But from where?” noting that Trump’s “unfavorability” with the general public “hovers around 60 percent.”

McCarthy argued that Biden, or a theoretical replacement, won’t have a similar problem. “The Democrats — unlike the Republicans — are not going to have a quarter of their base refuse to support the nominee.”

To support McCarthy’s assertion, a recent poll of Fox News viewers showed that while 91% of the respondents said they don’t believe that Trump committed any crimes, only 42% said they’d support Trump in 2024. 43% said they would not support him. Those are not great numbers going into a rematch with Biden, who already mopped the floor with Trump in 2020 despite the former president’s never-ending claims to the contrary.

(Via Mediaite)

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Seth MacFarlane Has Opened His Wallet, Big Time, To Help Support TV And Film Workers During The Ongoing Strikes

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The WGA strike hit the entertainment industry from one end, and then the SAG-AFTRA picket lines walloped it from the other. As such, a variety of workers from writers to actors to crew members and everyone in between are financially hurting. Some have coped by pulling wild stunts, and others including Walter White himself, Bryan Cranston, are saying the name of certain executives who are suddenly interested in putting robots to work. Many others are wondering when they’ll receive their next paycheck. Meanwhile, some A-listers of the TV and film world are doing their part to help those who don’t receive eight-figure salaries for every project and therefore don’t have a nest egg to draw from during strikes.

That includes The Rock, who donated a record-breaking seven figure sum to The Entertainment Community Fund. As well, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has now dropped $1 million upon that same fund, and according to Variety‘s Marc Malkin, this couldn’t be more welcomed:

Due to the work stoppage during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the fund has seen a significant increase in requests for emergency financial assistance. Weekly distribution has increased to about $400,000-$500,000, compared to an average of $75,000 per week in the first half of 2023.

That will undoubtedly be a godsend to many industry workers who are struggling to afford groceries, rent, and much more. Malkin notes that many other powerhouses of TV, including Greg Berlanti, Vince Gilligan, David E. Kelley, and Shonda Rhimes have stepped up to add their own undisclosed amounts to the fund. As for The Rock, I’ve speculated that he didn’t reveal the actual dollar amount so that Vin Diesel couldn’t swoop in and donate that sum plus $1, but you know, that would give their notorious feud some new life for a good cause. No pressure, obv.

(Via Variety)

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Here Are The Outside Lands Set Times For 2023

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The summer season is cranking into high gear, as are the music festival events. Next week, Outside Lands 2023 is set to take over San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park from August 11 to 13. The festival boasts an impressively diverse lineup. The headliners for this year’s festivities are Kendrick Lamar (August 11), Zedd (August 11), Foo Fighters (August 12), Lana Del Rey (August 12), The 1975 (August 13), and Noah Kahan (August 13).

Across the three days, the festival will spread the billed talents amongst its Lands End Stage, Twin Peaks Stage, Sutro Stage, Panhandle Stage, Some Tent, Hard French Dolores Stage, Cocktail Magic Stage, and The Music Den by Toyota.

Continue reading for the set times of the most notable performers.

Friday, August 11

Yaya Bey @ 3 p.m. — Panhandle Stage
Alex G @ 5:10 p.m. — Sutro Stage
J.I.D. @ 5:25 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Samia @ 6:10 p.m. — Panhandle Stage
Willow @ 6:30 p.m. — Sutro Stage
Aespa @ 6:55 p.m. — Twin Peaks Stage
Janelle Monáe @ 6:55 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Kendrick Lamar @ 8:40 p.m. Lands End Stage
Zedd @ 8:35 p.m. — Twin Peaks Stage

Saturday, August 12

Mariah The Scientist @ 4:10 p.m. — Sutro Stage
Father John Misty @ 5 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Maggie Rogers @ 6:30 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Foo Fighters @ 8:15 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Lana Del Rey @ 8:40 p.m. — Twin Peaks Stage

Sunday, August 13

Lil Yachty @ 5 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Megan Thee Stallion @ 6:20 p.m. — Lands End Stage
Cigarettes After Sex @ 6:30 p.m. — Twin Peaks Stage
Tobe Nwigwe @ 7:05 p.m. — Sutro Stage
Soccer Mommy @ 7:30 p.m. — Panhandle Stage
Odesza @ 8:05 p.m. — Lands End Stage
The 1975 @ 8:20 p.m. — Twin Peaks Stage
Noah Kahan @ 8:25 p.m. — Sutro Stage

You can view the daily lineup and set times for Outside Lands 2023 below.

Single-day tickets are still available for Outside Lands 2023. Find more information here.

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