Will Ludacris perform with Usher at the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show this weekend? What about Justin Bieber? We don’t know for sure about either of them yet, but speculation has been flying. Now, we have our first report that claims to confirm a guest is joining in on the fun.
According to a report from TMZ, Alicia Keys is set to join Usher during his big performance this weekend, on February 11. The publication notes, “Sources close to the production confirm eyewitness accounts that AK rehearsed with Usher inside Allegiant Stadium on Thursday.”
This follows a February 8 tweet from Las Vegas Locally, a popular X (formerly Twitter) account that covers Vegas-related news, that said, “Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, and Usher are at Allegiant Stadium practicing their Super Bowl performances.” So, if that tweet is accurate, Lil Jon is involved, too, not just Keys.
Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, and Usher are at Allegiant Stadium practicing their Super Bowl performances.
Keys and Usher, of course, collaborated on “My Boo,” which was a No. 1 hit in 2004. So, presumably, the song made Usher’s Super Bowl setlist. Usher and Jon, meanwhile, linked up (along with Ludacris) on “Yeah!,” another No. 1 single from 2004, so it appears we can expect to hear that classic song in Las Vegas, too.
Learn more about how to watch Usher’s (and Keys’, it looks like) performance here.
The Batanga is one of those cocktails that feels new and fresh (because people are just coming to it in 2024) but is actually an old-school classic. The highball is a mix of salt, fresh lime juice, blanco tequila, and Coke. It’s a simple “tequila and Coke” with a little extra oomph to elevate it. You don’t need any special skills to make this one — it couldn’t be more straightforward.
The drink goes back to Tequila, Mexico, and legendary bartender Don Javier Delgado Corona. He came up with the drink back in 1961 for tourists visiting nearby tequila distilleries. The moment that made this drink so special was that when Corona was mixing them up at La Capilla in Tequila he would use his paring knife to mix the drink — the same knife that was used to cut mountains of limes, make pico, and slice avocadoes for decades. This cool moment added that little bit of magic that made a simple drink into an iconic cocktail.
While I too have a paring knife dedicated to cocktails, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. This drink will still shine either way.
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
Two things are crucial here. The first is Mexican Coca-Cola — made, famously, with real cane sugar. Luckily, you should be able to find that at any good grocery store these days. The second is a quality blanco tequila. I’m using the newly minted and organic Pantalones Tequila Blanco Organico from husband and wife team Matthew and Camila McConaughey.
The tequila has a nice velvety vanilla and citrus base that just works with real Coke. It’s a match made in tequila heaven.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Highball glass
Paring knife
Hand juicer
Zach Johnston
Method:
Use a sliced lime to wet the rim of the highball glass. Coat the rim in salt.
Add the ice to the glass. Then add the tequila and fresh lime juice with an extra pinch of salt for good measure.
Lastly, fill the glass up with the cola and give it a short stir with the paring knife. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
Tequila and Coke are a great mix. I’d argue that it’s leaps and bounds better than its overly sweet cousin, the rum and Coke. But that’s just me.
The beauty of this drink is the balance between the lime juice and tequila with the spicy soda. There’s depth that gives you something new on each sip. The salt adds a nice savory counterbalance to all the sweetness and citrus that makes it all the more refreshing sip after sip.
This is a perfect weekend sipper that’s going to have a cornerstone placement in your cocktail/highball rotation going forward. It’s tasty AF, super easy to make, and perfectly balanced.
It seems that the days of musicians rejecting the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime show slot are long over. Thanks to the co-sign of Jay-Z, the league has been able to secure some of the industry’s biggest acts in recent years. As the recently dubbed King Of Vegas, Usher was the only logical headliner for Super Bowl LVIII’s show.
But for the 2025 show in New Orleans, there’s one person who just leapfrogged to the front of folk’s minds. Yesterday (February 8), Hollygrove representative Lil Wayne put his bid in to play the coveted concert. During a chat with YG and Stevie on their 4HUNNID podcast, Lil Wayne not only expressed interest but lamented that he hasn’t even been contacted yet to begin talks.
“I will not lie to you, I have not got a call or nothing,” he said. “But we are praying. We praying. We keeping our fingers crossed. I’m working hard. I’mma make sure this next album and everything I do is killer. I wanna just make it hard for them not to holler at the boy.”
Lil Wayne is an avid sports fantic (even a part-time commentator), hometown hero, and rap superstar, so why not? It’ll be a good while before an act is secured for the 2025 Super Bowl, but as Lil Wayne implied, it’s best to put your bid in early.
Super Bowl LVIII will air on CBS starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, February 11. Find more information here.
Jake Gyllenhaal took on quite the challenge when he signed onto director Doug Liman’s remake of Road House. Not only would he have to compete with the cult classic status of the original film starring Patrick Swayze, but he’d also have to go toe-to-toe with UFC fighter Conor McGregor as well as a slew of other stuntmen who’d be landing blows on the actor.
While the jury’s still out on whether Gyllenhaal can match one of Swayze’s most iconic performances (although, the trailer did look fun as hell.), there’s no denying that Gyllenhaal pushed his body to the limit for the film. We’ve already seen stills of the actor’s insanely jacked transformation, but now he’s revealing how much punishment he learned to take while prepping for Road House.
In a new video posted to Instagram, Gyllenhaal showed his millions of followers that he’s fully prepared to take a punch and then some.
“Lots of punches thrown, lots of punches taken,” Gyllenhaal wrote. “Thanks @stevebrownwrestler & @garrettxwarren and the incredible stunt team on @roadhousemovie”
Gyllenhaal isn’t exaggerating. In the training video, he’s seen taking 40 punches (2o on each side of his torso) and that’s just in preparation for the film. That doesn’t even count the actual blows he’ll have to take on set, which judging by the trailer, will be a considerable amount and brutally delivered by Conor McGregor no less.
You can watch Jake Gyllenhaal take a whole lot of punches straight to the torso below:
“Why are you being so silly? Why don’t you just do the thing that’s in front of you?”
With those questions, British actor Malcolm Kamulete accurately captures the frustrations viewers, like myself, had with his character Bosco Champion in the BBC and Netflix series Champion.
Bosco Champion is a complicated man, to say the least. His trajectory as a successful British in the U.K. was stunted after a stint in prison. Following his release from prison, he hopes to return to a world that exists in the same way that he left it. However, the conundrum with re-establishing his career, the trauma that’s attached to being imprisoned, accepting his sister’s decision to break out from his shadow and establish her own music career, and fighting for his desires in his respective families as both a son and a father.
For Kamulete, his lead role Champion marks a return to the spotlight after nearly a decade following his appearance on Top Boy: Summerhouse. That return resulted in a new understanding of himself and the real-life world and people that inspired a character like Bosco Champion. Though it wasn’t clear to him in the Summerhouse days, today, acting is his undeniable passion and he couldn’t have found a better role to exhibit that.
Following the release of Champion on Netflix, which came six months after its original release on the U.K.’s BBC, Uproxx caught up with Malcolm Kamulete to discuss Bosco Champion, his growth as a result of being on Champion, and what he would love to see in a yet-to-be-confirmed season two.
What about Champion, its script, your character — everything — made it the perfect role for you to take on as the next step in your career?
What made Champion the perfect fit for me would ultimately be the fact that I was as multifaceted as the character. I did the music [and] I did the acting, I was juggling an innate sense of what his career situation was in terms of just wanting to be a musician of some kind and wanting to be in that fold. Having a role that allowed me to work on my two personal strengths was very endearing to me, [and] that was very attractive. Also, it was the element of being in something predominantly Black, telling a story that I truly understand in terms of the family dynamic and things of that nature.
Lastly, my biggest connector was that I had actually lost a very near and dear friend of mine, whose name was Champion Ganda. When the role like presented itself, I felt like it was my role to lose. From the beginning, it just felt like a calling more than a usual role.
There are so many ways to look at the show. There’s the rise of a young singer, Vita, who looks to get out of her brother’s shadow. There’s the return to form for Bosco as a rap artist after his prison release. There are the post-incarceration struggles for Bosco both for music and his mental health. There are the familial struggles of the Champion family and its dynamic. How do you best view the story of Champion from your or Bosco’s point of view?
If I’m talking from my character’s perspective, especially with the decisions he makes, his temperament, and things of that nature, I’d say it’s a very chaotic show. It’s very much of a roller coaster, we’re up and down, we’re happy then we’re sad, we go through all the emotions. I’ve said this before in a previous interview, but it’s an enigma. It’s one of its own kind. I’ve not seen a show with this many left turns you know. I’ve not seen a show with this many dislikable characters since like Game of Thrones or something. It has that very — oh, I can’t explain it, but it’s like a boomerang film and something keeps you hooked and something keeps you in that storyline. It’s amazing writing and amazing actors as well, so something keeps you in it. I think the shortest way I can describe it is crazy [and] chaotic.
Bosco fails to realize the value of his sister Vita as a collaborator in the early episodes. I see his ego and some insecurities as the root of that, but what do you think are the faults with Bosco that led to the split between him and Vita?
The fault is, well, my discovery of it when I was planning the character was to make it a thing where he is more so entitled, he’s more so comfortable. Because it’s his sister, he expects her to just do it whereas if it was somebody that he had on payroll or something or somebody that’s just a part of his team that’s not family, he wouldn’t probably feel that much comfort to throw his weight around or maybe make her feel small or not as good as she actually is. I feel like there is a naivety in him, like an ignorance, to be able to just expect Vita to turn out the goods for him. It’s like the end of episode one when he goes to her at the shop and he’s like, “Yeah, I need you to help me again. The label wants a single, help me write the single.” In his mind, this is such an easy ask because you do this all the time. So I think it’s just more entitlement in that sense.
It’s implied that Bosco had some connection to the streets and maybe gang life, but we never see anything worse than a fight. I feel like other shows would’ve showcased that, but why wasn’t it shown in this case?
We were so happy that we didn’t have that, that’s just the honest truth as an actor [and] as a performer. I didn’t want too many glorifying elements of life that we’re actually not writing about. It might remotely touch on it because we all come from these environments, but I was very happy that his story was he’s come out of jail and we’re not covering him inside there. I was happy that those little elements were left out. I was just happy that there was more of a positive ring to it and it almost even painted it as if he went to jail and it wasn’t really his fault. I liked how it was mapped out and put together, almost as if he shouldn’t have even been there in the first place. That gave it that strength and that power because if we had gone the opposite direction where it shows the flashbacks and we have the scenes of me being actually in the environment, then I think it’s harder to pull away from that and say this is a good guy. It plays hand in hand brilliantly.
Bosco’s growth and self-improvement are made clear when he returns to perform with Vita at the award show. As for you and your acting career, how do you feel like you’ve grown from the start of taking on this Bosco role to completing it and seeing the show be released to the world?
I think the biggest thing I’ve come away with is patience. I’ve always felt like I’m a person who carries a lot of humility, but since doing this role, I’ve had a lot more humility [and] a lot more awareness. These are the main things I’ve taken from this because also, it opens your eyes to a world you might not understand or know about. It opens your eyes to certain things — things as little as just telling myself, “People are all going through their own sh*t,” and having the patience, the understanding, and the awareness to say, “Don’t jump the gun with anybody.”
It can be something as small as me arguing with my sister, my actual sister in real life or something, and we fall out about, I don’t know, who ate the last chocolate bar or something. In reality, that could just be a projection of me having a bad day or her having a bad day. People actually go through things outside of you and bring that energy from the outside, inward. So yeah, just taking the example of being Bosco and having to be in those environments and understanding his headspaces. Even with his impulsive nature, some of his decisions are crazy, but if you put yourself in his shoes and give yourself some empathy in that moment, you start to kind of come around and say to yourself, “Oh, well, maybe he’s already going through that because of this, or maybe this is only happening because of that. Oh, it’s not personal.” That would be the main thing, just not taking anything personally. I’ve learned a lot, I’d say I’ve grown with Bosco.
The show recently premiered here in the States, how has the perception of the show and your role been different considering that it’s also an introduction to a new culture?
It’s been very good. Honestly, I’ve been very, very impressed by how people have taken to the series. A lot of people want a second series, [and] so do we. [Laughs] No disclaimers, but so do we. We’re getting a lot of like 8 Mile comparisons and Empire comparisons. A lot of people say we’re likeRap Sh!t, I haven’t seen it, but I’ll give it a watch. But we’re getting good reviews, good benchmarks, good comparisons, and a lot of people are actually gunning for a second season. So it seems like it has made a good connection, it seems like it made the translation that we were hoping for in the beginning because it did come out on BBC nearly a year ago and it just didn’t translate as well as it’s translating now. We had high hopes for it from the beginning and I personally believe it’s not only until now that it’s done the Netflix one that it’s getting the flowers that it deserves.
I read that you made music prior to your role on Champion and that you even submitted two original raps for your audition. How did your work on the show, and working with Ghetts who wrote music for Bosco, influence your approach or thought process around the music you make?
It influenced me massively because Ghetts just took me under his wing. He treated me like a little brother from the beginning and it was nothing short of organic to just be in a setting and see how he works. We were working on Bosco’s songs [and] I was finishing Bosco’s songs quite quickly, they set a time for a session, maybe 2-3 hours, to get two songs done or something and I’d finished the songs in maybe like 30-40 minutes. So [they’d say], “Oh we’ve got a lot of time, you can chill if you want or wherever.” I’d just chill and watch him go into his own process because he was in his album mode at that. Seeing him in his element, how he created, how quickly he made songs, and the type of ways he makes songs, his routine if you like, in the studio, soaking it up and being a part of that readied me to be an artist. It readied me to be in those environments, it readied me to understand what it takes to be good [and] consistently good as well.
This is your first big moment since Top Boy. Coming off the success of Champion, how are things different for you in terms of what you want to do next in your acting career and the certainty you have towards this passion?
It’s never been different, to be honest. I’ve locked in with acting to a sole purpose level where it feels like I’ve put all my eggs in this basket and I’ve really gone to this wholeheartedly. When you’re younger, you dibble and dabble with a lot of things. I wanted to be a footballer, I was following a lot of other things, obviously music and things of that nature. So acting was never really a sole decision. From when I’ve made the sole decision, I’ve not faltered from it. The goal is to build notoriety as well as I can just to be a great every time you mention my name. That’s literally what I’ve been on and how I felt about it. My personal goals or my personal drive towards this hasn’t faltered because this was all part of the plan for me.
What is something you would like to see in a potential storyline for season two of Champion? Whether it be about your character Bosco or someone else.
I’ve brought my long list! [Laughs] For Bosco, I’d like to see him get some good revenge on his dad, that would be greatly needed. I’d like to see it be made clear that he writes something, that he writes some form of music for himself. I would like maybe his redemption story, maybe his arc to go up. I feel like he just goes through a lot of trials and tribulations. I’d love to see my father’s downfall after this, I’d love to see what comes from him. I’d love to see what happens with Bula and Rusty’s characters because I feel like they’ve got a lot to give. I feel like Junior in Jamaica as well, I’d love to see what happens with his character. There are so many! Vita, with her newfound panic attacks, I’d love to see how she navigates through the musical world with bigger platforms and elements, having now found out that you’re dealing with the same thing I’m dealing with. I’d love to see what happens with mom because I’m seeing online that a lot of people don’t like her character. There are so many things going on, I’d love to see how everyone’s story blossoms from here. Also, some new faces if needs be, it’d be nice to like freshen it up and just get a mixture of different storylines going on.
The second episode of season 12 of Larry David‘s HBO comedy is titled “The Lawn Jockey.” It follows Larry, who’s still in Atlanta following last week’s premiere, as he “finds himself stuck at a rental home with a questionable lawn ornament. Meanwhile, Jeff pays the price for taking Larry’s advice for Susie’s birthday gift,” according to the official plot synopsis.
“The Lawn Jockey” premieres on HBO and Max this Sunday, February 11th, at 10 p.m. EST.
To go back to Wheaton: the Star Trek: The Next Generation actor called David a “stupid, self-centered, tone deaf asshole” for playfully attacking Elmo on the Today show (to be fair, Elmo had it coming). “He had to indirectly tell everyone who opened their hearts to a Muppet that they were stupid, and he thought it was a good joke to physically attack and choke this character who is beloved by children and adults alike “You know what that tells impressionable young people about sharing their feelings?” he wrote on Facebook.
Wheaton added, “A man who would belittle and mock that isn’t much of a man at all. Shame on you, Larry David.” It’s a shame this is the final season of Curb — this would make for a great Curb plot.
Usher played a major role in Justin Bieber’s career, as he served as a mentor to the eventual global pop sensation when Bieber was just a kid with a dream. So, with Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show coming up this weekend, people can’t help but wonder:
Will Justin Bieber Perform With Usher At The Super Bowl Halftime Show?
We don’t know for sure yet, and we might not until the performance is actually underway. But, it looks like Usher has at least put in the ask.
According to TMZ, Usher reached out to Bieber directly (meaning no “my people will call your people” situation, just two music superstars talking 1-on-1) and asked him to join him. TMZ’s sources didn’t know how that conversation ended up going.
Meanwhile, a previous Daily Mail report from October 2023 said, “[Usher] really wants to prove himself worthy of such an honor because he definitely sees that the excitement level for him doing it is not at an all-time high. He has asked some of his friends who are artists to help him out and join him on stage, and he has thrown a few ideas towards Justin.”
That report also noted Bieber “is leaning towards letting Usher do his thing and Justin would rather have the opportunity to do the Super Bowl on his own in the future if he were to be asked.”
Before hitting the road for her BB/Ang3l Tour, Tinashe was sure to make a quick pit spot at NPR Music’s headquarters. After initially being teased two weeks ago, the “Needs” singer’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance is available for your viewing pleasure.
In no stretch is this a typical Tinashe set, as the cramped space does allow much room for movement. But that actually worked in Tinashe’s favor. As she opened her set with “Treason” off her latest album, viewers at home are forced to give in to Tinashe’s vocal abilities. The transition between “Unconditional” (which appeared on her 2021 project 333) and her 2019 6lack collaboration “Touch & Go” (off Songs For You) paints the many facets of Tinashe.
Of course, the performance couldn’t end without Tinashe’s first big hit, 2014’s “2 On,” which featured Schoolboy Q. The stripped approach made it an interesting experience. During the performance, Tinashe was accompanied by a band of extremely talented musicians, including drummer Darion Ja’Von, electric guitarist Zach Fenske, bassist Edwin Carranza, keyboardist Phil Lewis, acoustic guitarist Sean Rosati, cellist Caleb Vaughn-Jones, and violinist Crystal Alforque. Even Tinashe chimed in to play the vibraphone for a moment or two.
Tinashe’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert set is available for viewing on NPR Music’s website. Find more information here.
Tinashe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
From 1940 to 1945, an estimated 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz, the largest complex of Nazi concentration camps. More than four out of five of those people—at least 1.1 million people—were murdered there.
On January 27, 1945, Soviet forces liberated the final prisoners from these camps—7,000 people, most of whom were sick or dying. Those of us with a decent public education are familiar with at least a few names of Nazi extermination facilities—Auschwitz, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen—but these are merely a few of the thousands (yes, thousands) of concentration camps, sub camps, and ghettos spread across Europe where Jews and other targets of Hitler’s regime were persecuted, tortured, and killed by the millions.
The scale of the atrocity is unfathomable. Like slavery, the Holocaust is a piece of history where the more you learn the more horrifying it becomes. The inhumane depravity of the perpetrators and the gut-wrenching suffering of the victims defies description. It almost becomes too much for the mind and heart to take in, but it’s vital that we push through that resistance.
The liberation of the Nazi camps marked the end of Hitler’s attempt at ethnic cleansing, and the beginning of humanity’s awareness about how such a heinous chapter in human history took place. The farther we get from that chapter, the more important it is to focus on the lessons it taught us, lest we ignore the signs of history repeating itself.
Lesson 1: Unspeakable evil can be institutionalized on a massive scale
Perhaps the most jarring thing about the Holocaust is how systematized it was. We’re not talking about humans slaying other humans in a fit of rage or a small number of twisted individuals torturing people in a basement someplace—this was a structured, calculated, disciplined, and meticulously planned and carried out effort to exterminate masses of people. The Nazi regime built a well-oiled killing machine the size of half a continent, and it worked exactly as intended. We often cite the number of people killed, but the number of people who partook in the systematic torture and destruction of millions of people is just as harrowing.
It has now come out that Allied forces knew about the mass killing of Jews as early as 1942—three years before the end of the war. And obviously, there were reports from individuals of what was happening from the very beginning. People often ask why more wasn’t done earlier on if people knew, and there are undoubtedly political reasons for that. But we also have the benefit of hindsight in asking that question. I can imagine most people simply disbelieving what was actually taking place because it sounds so utterly unbelievable.
The lesson here is that we have to question our tendency to disbelieve things that sound too horrible to be true. We have evidence that the worst things imaginable on a scale that seems unfathomable are totally plausible.
Lesson 2: Atrocity can happen right under our noses as we go about our daily lives
One thing that struck me as I was reading about the liberation of Auschwitz is that it was a mere 37 miles from Krakow, one of the largest cities in Poland. This camp where an average of 500 people a day were killed, where bodies were piled up like corded wood, where men, women, and children were herded into gas chambers—and it was not that far from a major population center.
And that was just one set of camps. We now know that there were thousands of locations where the Nazis carried out their “final solution,” and it’s not like they always did it way out in the middle of nowhere. A New York Times report on how many more camps there were than scholars originally thought describes what was happening to Jews and marginalized people as the average person went about their daily lives:
“The documented camps include not only ‘killing centers’ but also thousands of forced labor camps, where prisoners manufactured war supplies; prisoner-of-war camps; sites euphemistically named ‘care’ centers, where pregnant women were forced to have abortions or their babies were killed after birth; and brothels, where women were coerced into having sex with German military personnel.”
Whether or not the average person knew the full extent of what was happening is unclear. But surely there were reports. And we know how the average person responds to reports, even today in our own country.
How many news stories have we seen of abuses and inhumane conditions inside U.S. immigrant detention camps? What is our reaction when the United Nations human rights chief visits our detention facilities and comes away “appalled”? It’s a natural tendency to assume things simply can’t be that bad—that’s undoubtedly what millions of Germans thought as well when stories leaked through the propaganda.
Lesson 3: Propaganda works incredibly well
Propaganda has always been a part of governance, as leaders try to sway the general populace to support whatever they are doing. But the Nazis perfected the art and science of propaganda, shamelessly playing on people’s prejudices and fears and flooding the public with mountains of it.
Hermann Goering, one of Hitler’s top political and military figures, explained in an interview late in his life that such manipulation of the masses isn’t even that hard.
“The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders,” he said. “That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”
Terrifyingly true, isn’t it? This is why we have to stay vigilant in the face of fear-mongering rhetoric coming from our leaders. When an entire religion or nationality or ethnic group is painted as “dangerous” or “criminal” or “terrorists,” we have to recognize that we are being exposed to the same propaganda used to convince Germans that the Nazis were just trying to protect them. Safety and security are powerful human desires that make it easy to justify horrible acts.
Hitler was also great at playing the victim. While marching through Europe, conquering countries and rounding up millions of innocent people to exterminate, he claimed that Germany was the one under attack. Blatant anti-Semitic rhetoric surely fired up Hitler’s core supporters, but the message to the average German was that this was all being done in the name of protecting the homeland, rather than a quest for a world-dominating master race.
Lesson 4: Most of us are in greater danger of committing a holocaust than being a victim of one
I had to pause when this realization hit me one day. As fairly average white American, I am in the majority in my country. And as strange as it is to say, that means I have more in common with the Germans who either committed heinous acts or capitulated to the Nazis than I do with the Jews and other targets of the Nazi party. That isn’t to say that I would easily go along with mass genocide, but who’s to say that I could fully resist the combination of systematic dehumanization, propaganda, and terrorism that led to the Holocaust? We all like to think we’d be the brave heroes hiding the Anne Franks of the world in our secret cupboards, but the truth is we don’t really know what we would have done.
Check out what this Army Captain who helped liberate a Nazi camp said about his bafflement at what the Germans, “a cultured people” allowed to happen:
“I had studied German literature while an undergraduate at Harvard College. I knew about the culture of the German people and I could not, could not really believe that this was happening in this day and age; that in the twentieth century a cultured people like the Germans would undertake something like this. It was just beyond our imagination… – Captain (Dr.) Philip Leif – 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group, First Army
Some say that we can gauge what we would have done by examining what we’re doing right now, and perhaps they are right. Are we speaking out against our government’s cruel family separations that traumatize innocent children? Do we justify travel bans from entire countries because we trust that it’s simply our leadership trying to keep us safe? Do we buy into the “Muslims are terrorists” and “undocumented immigrants are criminals” rhetoric?
While it’s wise to be wary of comparing current events to the Holocaust, it’s also wise to recognize that the Holocaust didn’t start with gas chambers. It started with “othering,” scapegoating, and fear-mongering. We have to be watchful not only for signs of atrocity, but for the signs leading up to it.
Lesson 5: Teaching full and accurate history matters
There are people who deny that the Holocaust even happened, which is mind-boggling. But there are far more people who are ignorant to the true horrors of it. Reading first-hand accounts of both the people who survived the camps and those who liberated them is perhaps the best way to begin to grasp the scope of what happened.
One small example is Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower’s attempt to describe what he saw when he visited Ohrdruf, a sub-camp of Buchenwald:
“The things I saw beggar description. While I was touring the camp I encountered three men who had been inmates and by one ruse or another had made their escape. I interviewed them through an interpreter. The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.'”
And of course, the most important narratives to read and try to digest are the accounts of those who survived the camps. Today, 200 survivors of Auschwitz gathered to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its liberation. They warned about the rise in anti-Semitism in the world and how we must not let prejudice and hatred fester. Imagine having to make such a warning seven decades after watching family and friends being slaughtered in front of you.
Let’s use this anniversary as an opportunity to dive deeper into what circumstances and environment enabled millions of people to be killed by one country’s leadership. Let’s learn the lessons the Holocaust has to teach us about human nature and our place in the creation of history. And let’s make darn sure we do everything in our power to fend off the forces that threaten to lead us down a similarly perilous path.
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and standoffish, like they’re better than everyone and simply can’t be bothered. Those of us who have cats know they’re not always like that … but yes, they’re sometimes like that. They can be sweet and affectionate, but they want affection on their terms, they want to eat and play and sleep on their own clock, and we puny, inferior humans have little say in the matter.
There’s a reason why we have obedience schools for dogs and not for cats. Maine coon or Bengal, Savannah or Siamese, ragdoll or sphynx, domestic cats of all breeds are largely untrainable little punks who lure us into loving them by blessing us with the honor of stroking their fur and hearing them purr.
But perhaps we assume too much when we think cats are full of themselves for no good reason. Maybe they are actually somewhat justified in their snootiness. Maybe they really, truly are superior to pretty much every other creature on Earth and that’s why they act like it.
(Cats, if they could talk, would be nodding and prodding us along at this point: “Yes, yes, you’re so close. Just a little further now, keep going.”)
Think about it. They’re beautiful and graceful, but also quick and powerful. They groom constantly so they’re almost always clean and their fur even smells good. They can fall from ridiculous heights, land on their feet and walk away unscathed. They’re wicked good ambush hunters. They can walk completely silently, like ninjas, then pull out the razor blades on their feet at will and do serious damage in an instant.
All of that makes them impressive specimens, but ironically it’s their total hubris that makes them truly superior. When they feel like it (because cats only do things they feel like doing) they will take on anyone and anything. Big, small, dangerous, fierce—doesn’t matter. That unbridled confidence—earned or not—combined with their physique and skill makes them the badasses of the animal world.
Want proof? Here ya go:
u201cI love cats, they are very brave and there is a challenge in their nature! u2764ufe0fud83dude02ud83dude02nnu201d
The lightning-fast smackdown is really the cat’s weapon of choice, isn’t it? They’re so fast with the swipe-slap, it takes their victims by surprise. “Aww, you’re so cute and cuddly, look at y—OUCH!” And then the way they just stand there and stare with their big eyes and their ears back. It’s unnerving. Throw in a little hiss or yowl, and no thank you.
If that video wasn’t enough to convince you, here’s another.
The snakes, man. I can’t get over the snakes.
Cats really are better than us and every other living thing, basically. And even if they aren’t, they believe they are, which counts just as much. They’re either the ultimate creatures or the ultimate conmen. Either way, you just don’t mess with them.
This article originally appeared on 08.17.22
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