Month: April 2024

It’s one thing to talk about the unfair and unrealistic societal expectations that are still put on women. But it’s another thing to see exactly what those double standards look like in real life.

And, that, in essence, is often what artist Lainey Molnar’s work is all about.

On her popular Instagram account, Molnar has tackled all kinds of topics around womanhood and feminism—everything from the unsettling differences between men and women’s safety items that appear on a Google search to generational toxic relationships with food—using strikingly candid comic illustrations, many of which have depict cartoon versions of herself.

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While Molnar told Upworthy that her work generally aims to make “complex topics simple and thought provoking,” she often wishes to delve more into nuance, like the intersection of class, race and religion in women’s issues. And that is what inspired some of her latest images.

“I wanted to create a series with all female characters about predominantly female experiences that show the double standards stemming from these issues. Because we can’t empower women without supporting social justice all the way, everything connects,” she shared.

One image shows a white woman, affluently dressed, being praised as a “single mother of three.” While a Black woman is noted for having “three baby daddies.” Another of a similar theme shows a young white girl getting commended for learning another language, while an Indian girl of the same age is chastised for “not speaking English properly.”

There’s also a white woman who is told it’s “cool” that she’s embracing her natural curls, while a Black woman sporting an afro is called “unkempt and unprofessional.”

Touching on wealth status, Molnar depicted one girl being complimented for her “vintage” outfit while another is patronized for getting hand-me-downs.

Lastly, a woman wearing a hijab is told that she’s “oppressed” and “can’t think for herself” while another woman is called “classy” for her modesty.

Take a look at all eight in the carousel below:

See on Instagram

In her post’s caption, Molnar wrote “We are just humans, multifaceted and fascinating, divided by judgment, discrimination, and double standards. The world needs to do better.” Many of her comics tend to have a thoughtful musing attached to them.

When it comes to having meaningful conversations about important issues, it can be hard to strike a balance between oversimplification and getting buried in nuance. But art can be a valuable tool in not only helping people understand a message on an emotional and visceral level, but also be able to carry an image with them. One that helps them have better conversations moving forward.

To check out more of her work, check out Molnar’s Instagram here.

Almost every long term relationship suffers from a rut eventually. That goes especially for married partners who become parents and have the added responsibility of raising kids. Maintaining a connection is hard enough in this busy, fast paced world. Top it off with making sure kids are awake, dressed, entertained, well fed, oh yeah, and alive…and you best believe all you have energy for at the end of the day is sitting on the couch barely making it through one episode on Netflix.

And yet, we know how important it is to maintain a connection with our spouses. Many of us just don’t know how to make that happen while juggling a million other things.

According to one mom, a “three-hour night” could be just the thing to tick off multiple boxes on the to-do list while rekindling romance at the same time. Talk about the ultimate marriage hack.

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The three-hour night was something that Rachel Higgins and her husband began incorporating into their lives at the beginning of this year. And so far, “it’s been so fun and such like a game changer for how our evenings go,” she says in a clip posted to TikTok.

Before using the three-hour night, the evening would look a bit like this: their daughter would go to bed, they would lounge on the couch, scroll through social media, then fall asleep. Sound familiar?

But with a three hour night, Higgins and her husband divvy up the time before bed into three section, each for a different focus.

In the first hour, starting around 7 p.m., is what Higgins calls “productive time,” during which the couple sees to any household chores that might need to be done.

“So start with like a quick cleanup of the kitchen or just like things that accumulated throughout the day, and then we try to do something that either … has been being put off or cleaning the bathroom or like organizing the pantry or hall closet or something like, super random like sharpening the knives. Anything that’s productive for the household,” she explains.

@rachelleehiggins if you’re stuck in a rut with your evenings try this! i saw someone do something similar to this a while ago but can’t remember who! #marriage #1sttimeparents #newyearsgoals ♬ original sound – Rachel Higgins

Next, the second hour is geared towards re-establishing a physical or emotional connection in their marriage. The phones go away, and they focus only on enjoying one another.

“So, that could be things like showering together or ‘having fun’ together, playing a game together, or just like anything that’s gonna get you guys talking and connecting or like debriefing from the day or just like talking about what you’re doing and like the plans for tomorrow or like how works going or whatever. So, anything that’s gonna connect and strengthen and build your marriage,” Higgins says.

Lastly, the final hour of the night is dedicated towards anything Higgins and her husband individually want to do, any sort of personal recharge activity.

Since this is a judgment free time, Higgins states that “If you just want to lay on the couch and scroll your phone and watch TikToks or whatever like watch YouTube videos,” it’s totally acceptable.

Higgins’ novel approach definitely interested viewers, who chimed in with their own questions. One major concern was how the heck this could be done every night. But even Higgins admits that she and her husband don’t succeed at having a three-hour night every night—they usually try for about 3-4 times a week. And honestly even once a week could still probably be beneficial in building intimacy.

Others wondered how to have a three-hour night when things randomly popped up in their schedule, like when kids won’t magically go to sleep promptly at 7pm. Higgins shares that in these cases, they tend to just shorten each phase. The point being: these can and probably should be customizable, even fun, rather than yet another rigid chore.

Plus, a three hour night (or whatever your version of a three-hour night may be) is a great way to remind yourself just how high of a priority your relationship has in your life…no matter what else is going on at the time. Odds are you’ll probably find you do have more time for it than you previously thought when you set aside time for it.

This article originally appeared on 1.8.24

When Arnold Ford went to work on his birthday in February of 2024, he knew he was in for a treat. One of his students, a girl named Cali, has the same birthday as he does, and Ford was ready.

As soon as he saw Cali come bounding down the hallway with her arms spread wide, the assistant principal tossed his backpack aside, swooped the girl up and spun her around in joyful celebration. Then the two raced down the hallway, arm in arm, so Cali could give him a balloon and a cupcake she had saved for him.

All of this was captured on the security cameras at west Philadelphia’s Mastery Charter School, Mann Elementary, and the footage has people cheering for amazing educators.

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“I’m so grateful to God for allowing me to see another year,” Ford wrote when he shared the video on his Instagram page. “I’m even more grateful that LOVE continues to be the centerpiece of my entire life.”

“And… as you can see… I’m also grateful that I get to share a birthday with one of my favorite students,” he continued. “And yes… she brought me a balloon and a cupcake, and in exchange, I told her she could dress down today. Fair trade if you ask me!

Watch:

See on Instagram

People are gushing over the exchange in the comments.

“Do y’all teach 25th grade!? I need an elementary school experience do-over!” wrote one person.

“Bro my own parents never been that happy to see me 😭,” wrote another.

“Can you imagine marinating in that love on a daily basis? What a gift this man is!” shared another.

Several people pointed out that no one else in the video so much as blinked, which is a testament to the fact that this wasn’t out of the ordinary. Clearly, Mr. Ford brings this energy to work every day.

“I think it’s important for us to celebrate WITH our students and families,” Ford tells Upworthy. “[Cali’s] birthday is a big deal to her, and so is mine. We talk about it ALL year. So when that day came, what you saw was just a natural, genuine reaction that we both had. She was excited to be celebrating me, and I was excited to be celebrating her.”

Educators like Ford can make such an enormous difference in children’s lives, transforming a school into a place filled with positive interactions where kids know people genuinely care about and enjoy being around them. That’s what Ford loves about his job as well.

“It really is the reciprocal nature of the work,” he tells Upworthy. “We get so much more than we ever put out. Love. Joy. Laughter. The more we sow those things, we see them return exponentially in this work. That’s why when I often say ‘Love is the curriculum,’ it’s because I recognize how blessed I am to be able to put positivity and joy at the center of my experience with them. It’s humbling.”

“In other words, I love that I don’t have to wait until Fridays to get paid.” he adds.

Here’s to Mr. Ford and all of the dedicated, incredible educators out there who pour their love into helping children learn and grow and thrive. They really do deserve all the balloons and cupcakes—and all the pay raises as well.

You can follow Arnold Ford on Instagram.

Forgetting something is part of the human experience. At some point in everyone’s life they’ve forgotten something at least once, sometimes it’s something big but most people forget things that can be quickly rectified. One woman has gone viral after not realizing that she forgot to leave the Target basket at the store after shopping.

The TikTok account, Chris and Erin uploaded a video recently of Erin leaning over a Target basket on her kitchen counter. She looked exhausted and slightly annoyed with her husband repeatedly asking her if she forgot something. The woman had a travel pillow wrapped around her neck as she looked through the basket trying to figure out what Chris could possibly be going on about.

Chris doesn’t let up. He chuckles and asks, “Okay, so you have no idea what you have done?” Erin simply looks back through the basket confused before commenting on getting herself the fancier neck pillow. It’s as if the basket does not exist.

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Does the basket exist? Does Erin have a reusable Target shopping bag that looks exactly like the red baskets in the store? It was clear that she was not picking up on her husband’s hints so he very clearly explains they have to go back to the store because she brought the basket home. That’s when the realization hits as her mind registers the clearly marked basket on the counter causing an expletive to slip. Commenters had questions, including the official Target account who chimed in on the mishap.

“I knew I was missing something,” Target jokes.

“Are we even sure she paid for the stuff,” one person asks.

“How often do you hold a Target basket for it to feel natural for it to be in your home,” someone questions.

“Either she was trying to reduce plastic bag use or she needs a week or two of a beach vacation,” a commenter notes.

Chris and Erin were quick to respond that a vacation was indeed needed. Hopefully Erin gets that beach vacation and not a vacation that involves a view from behind bars for accidentally lifting a Target basket while shopping.

Watch the video below:

@chris_erin

Judge Away We’ve All Done It Right? #fyp #basket

Dreamville Festival’s return to the south engaged one performer to show his stomping grounds some love. Yesterday (April 6), during his set at the 2024 installment, JID took a moment to tease an upcoming collaboration.

The unnamed track debuted as part of his performance and is set to feature fellow Atlanta native Anycia. With the crowd’s full attention, JID gave them a taste of the coming bars. “You ain’t no killas / Y’all just a bunch of cover girls / All that complimenting n****s sh*t / Leaving a comment, you leave it to me I’d send you to another world with dis sh*t / Magic wand, b*tch the work in my wrist / Magic Johnson, man I’m sick with assist / Bron Bron when I jump in the 6,” he rapped.

Once users online gained wind of the forthcoming record, they began to tag Anycia to verify the news. So, Anycia did just that. On her personal X(formerly Twitter) page, she confirmed she is indeed featured on the unreleased song. “This is not my announcement, but here goes another cool thing I did,” she wrote. “Thank you, brother man.”

JID returned the love, writing: “See you at the Grammys, Nene, LOL.”

It is unclear when the track will hit streaming platforms or if it will be featured on JID’s long-awaited collaborative album, Forever & A Day, with Metro Boomin. So, you will have to wait until more details are shared.

Drew McIntyre was prophetic in saying Rollins would “crash and burn” on Night 1 before the same happening on Night 2 when he pinned Seth Rollins. But it was Damian Priest who would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to claim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the opening match of WrestleMania 40 Night 2.

Right from the opening bell, McIntyre hit the Claymore for two. Rollins rolled out of the ring as McIntyre set up for a second shot. McIntyre followed him outside and immediately targeted the knee that was repeatedly beaten during his war on Night 1 against The Rock and Roman Reigns.

McIntyre got cocky, took a photo of the injured Rollins, sent an incredible tweet, then received a pedigree on the outside. Back inside the ring, Rollins hit the Stomp on McIntyre for two. Rollins went for another pedigree, but was back body dropped. McIntyre and Rollins traded shots in the ring until McIntyre hit a headbutt and a neck breaker. McIntyre kipped up and set up for a Claymore before Rollins caught him in a powerbomb, hit a pedigree, and another stomp for two.

Rollins and McIntyre traded missed finishers before he connected on a double arm DDT. He then mocked CM Punk, who was at commentary, with a Go To Sleep gesture, a GTS attempt, then a rollup reversal. McIntyre ran the ropes and hit a Claymore for two again. McIntyre rolled out to ringside and broke down the table. McIntyre tried to put Rollins through the table, but he reversed, super kicked him, and then hit a Stomp on top of the table.

Rollins rolled him back in the ring, McIntyre hit another Claymore for two. McIntyre hit another Claymore for the pinfall and victory.

After the match, McIntyre celebrated in front of Punk, who swept his legs and attacked him before Damian Priest’s music hit, who hit him with the briefcase, landed a chokeslam, and pinned him to win the belt.

McIntyre earned his way into a title shot after CM Punk was injured, Cody Rhodes chose to face Roman Reigns in the Night 2 main event, and the Scottish Warrior won the Elimination Chamber.

Megan Thee Stallion isn’t phrased by Instagram’s stern warning over posting NSFW content. To prove how unfazed she is, Meg has put her “best ass on Instagram” title on the line for an open twerk challenge.

Yesterday (April 6), the entertainer took to her official page to announce the competition. “IG after dark LOL,” she wrote. “And nobody better not challenge me because this the best ass on Instagram . Or, if you think so, tag me in your video . Stream ‘Wanna Be.’”

So far, only two brave souls have come forward to battle it out. The first submission came from Baddies producer Natalie Nunn. Users online didn’t quite feel that attempt.

But the fitness model Scotty’s clip has users online ready to crown a winner.

“I’m afraid she already won.”

Now, Meg’s followers are attempting to tag others into the challenge. The names thrown around so far include SZA and Uproxx cover star Chlöe. However, the “FYS” singer laughed off supporters request. “I’m afraid she already won ,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The only person who could potentially compete with Meg is her “Wap” collaborator, Cardi B. This could motivate Cardi to redeem herself from the last zero-rated twerk video she released.

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

Dawn Staley cemented her place among the all-time great women’s college basketball coaches on Sunday, winning her third national championship as South Carolina’s head coach as the Gamecocks finished off a perfect season with an 87-75 win over Iowa.

It was a thrilling game that saw Caitlin Clark go supernova early with 18 points in the first quarter, but after that the Gamecocks locked in on the star, keeping her to 12 points the rest of the way. Raven Johnson led the way as the primary defender on Clark, with the rest of the South Carolina defense providing help, and with Iowa struggling to knock down threes around their star (and struggling on the glass on the other end), the Hawkeyes just couldn’t keep up.

For Staley, this win might’ve been the sweetest, as it came in a year where most expected the Gamecocks to take a step back. They saw Aliyah Boston go to the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick and win Rookie of the Year, along with Zia Cooke and most of the rest of their starting five that lost to Iowa in the Final Four a year ago. This year’s team lacked that same level of star power, but made up for it with depth and an incredibly unselfish style that was the product of buy-in to what Staley was asking of them.

After the game, Staley was extremely emotional, letting it out in an incredible scene surrounded by her players celebrating.

Once on the stage to receive the national championship trophy, Staley wanted to take a moment to shout out Clark, giving Iowa’s star her flowers, calling her one of the GOATs, and offering an appreciation of what Clark did in shouldering a heavy burden as the face of women’s college basketball, bringing so much attention to the sport and handling it as well as she did.

It’s a very cool thing for Staley to do in that moment, and it was something Clark didn’t take for granted when asked about it after the game.

Clark has certainly raised the profile of women’s college basketball, and as Staley notes, she’ll continue to do so at the WNBA level when she gets drafted in just over a week’s time. Clark returned the favor, noting what Staley has done for the game as a coach and player, and you could tell it really did mean a lot to her to get that kind of affirmation from a true legend of the sport.

Staley’s resume is impenetrable, with three Olympic gold medals as a player, one as a coach, six WNBA All-Star teams as a player, and now three national titles as a coach (and counting). To get that kind of praise from her is certainly a big deal, and it’s another reminder of how Staley is one of the great ambassadors for the game, along with being an incredible coach, knowing how important it is to lift up the next generation, even when they play for the other team.

After a thrilling tournament, the women’s national championship game saw the two teams that dominated headlines all year meet in Cleveland, as Iowa and South Carolina went head-to-head with a title on the line.

It was Iowa that came out and landed the first punch, jumping out to a quick 20-9 lead thanks to an offensive onslaught led by Caitlin Clark, who had 18 first quarter points — including some deep threes — to help the Gamecocks take a 27-20 advantage after the first 10 minutes.

It didn’t take long for South Carolina to get right back into the game, as they rattled off a 7-0 run to open the second quarter to tie the game. The Gamecocks dominated the offensive glass, as Iowa struggled with their size inside, headlined by Kamilla Cardoso who had 11 points and 7 rebounds (4 offensive) in the first half. Along with their size, South Carolina’s depth proved to be crucial, as they got a big boost from MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson off the bench to briefly grab their first lead of the game.

From there, Te-Hina Paopao heated up, knocking down a trio of threes including one in the final minute that gave the Gamecocks a one-point lead, which got stretched to three at the half thanks to a Raven Johnson steal and score off of Clark.

As they often have this tournament run, South Carolina came out of the locker room at halftime on a mission, scoring six quick points to open up a nine point lead and force an Iowa timeout. Iowa would claw back to within two, but the Gamecocks had another response ready, as Tessa Johnson and Bree Hall got it rolling from three to push the lead up to a game-high 11 with just over a minute to go in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, the South Carolina lead grew to as many as 13 and it looked like Iowa might just not have enough juice to get back into the game. But Clark started creating some space for her shot and Gabbie Marshall hit a timely three to help cut the deficit to six midway through the final period.

Iowa would get to as close as within five, but could never fully reel in the Gamecocks. Offensively, they just couldn’t create enough good looks against the swarming length of South Carolina’s defense, and on the other end of the floor, a familiar story emerged as Cardoso got a huge putback bucket to effectively ice the game.

The Gamecocks ultimately pulled away to an 87-75 win, as they held Iowa scoreless for nearly four minutes in the closing stretch of the game. It was a tremendous effort from their entire group, a fitting end to a season where they lacked the kind of star power that has defined South Carolina teams in the past, but made up for it with incredible depth and a desire to play unselfish ball. Tessa Johnson finished as the leading scorer with 19 points off of the bench, while Cardoso had 15 points and 17 boards, and Paopao added 14 points of her own.

For Iowa, Clark finished with 30 points (10-of-28 shooting), eight rebounds, and six assists, as her illustrious career came to a bittersweet end in a loss. Kate Martin added 16 points for the Hawkeyes, but they just did not shoot well enough as a team (39.7 percent from the field) to overcome getting out-rebounded 51-29 by South Carolina. The Gamecocks also shot the ball extremely well (47.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three), polishing off a perfect season in style and giving Dawn Staley her third national championship as a head coach.

City Girls’ Yung Miami can’t seem to catch a break.

Lil Rod’s scandalous allegations against Diddy pulled the “Face Down” rapper’s name into the mountain of legal paperwork. Although she had continued to distance herself from her former beau, even denying claims of being a sex worker and allegedly transporting drugs at his behest. Somehow, Yung Miami still found herself at the center of another brewing legal matter.

Yesterday (April 6), Yung Miami was served with trademark infringement paperwork over her reported ‘Act Bad’ merchandise. A gentleman named Larry Taylor showed up at the rapper’s Houston, Texas, booking to give her a copy of the lawsuit.

In the now-viral video uploaded to his Instagram, Taylor explained that he was working on behalf of the alleged trademark owner, Charlie Cee (real name Charles Kenyatta Jr). Kenyatta, who owns Act Bad Entertainment, believes Yung Miami’s items conflicted with his company’s branding and overall likeness.

Yung Miami took to X (formerly Twitter) to refute the allegations. During an exchange with a user online, Yung Miami claimed that she never profited from the line.

In May 2023, as a member of City Girls, Yung Miami helped to popularize the phrase following the release of their collaborative song with Diddy and Fabolous.