Month: April 2024

When Michael Todd started his freshman year at MLK prep school in Memphis, Tennessee two years ago, he only had one outfit to wear to school. High school kids can be incredibly cruel and Michael was mocked for three weeks for wearing the same clothes every day.

“I really don’t have clothes at home,” he told KTVI. “My mom can’t buy clothes for me because I’m growing too fast.”

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Kristopher Graham, a football player at MLK Prep, thought the bullying had gone too far and wanted to do something to help. “When I saw people laugh at him and bully him, I felt like I needed to do something,” Kristopher said. He texted his friend Antwan Garrett asking for help.

The next day, Michael was taken out of third period and when he stepped out of the classroom he was approached by Kristopher and Antwan. He froze with nervousness when he saw the two football players stopped him by the lockers.

Football players give student clothes

“I want to apologize to you for laughing at you and I want to give you something to make it up,” Kristopher told Michael. The football players handed Michael a gift, bags full of shirts, shorts, and shoes.

Michael couldn’t believe the football players’ kindness.

“I’ve been bullied my entire life.” But getting the gift was “awesome,” he said according to USA Today. “The best day of my entire life, basically.”

Video of the gift exchange went viral and has been seen millions of times. A few weeks later, the three teenagers were invited to appear on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” where they were greeted by Will Smith who gave them $10,000 each.

Antwan plans to use the money for trade school to become a diesel engine mechanic and Kristopher wants to invest his portion.

Antwan helped Michael because he understood what he was going through.

“We weren’t expecting the video to go viral. We just wanted to make a change,” Antwan said according to Commercial Appeal. “I know how it feel not to have nothin’. I don’t have much, but it made me feel better by seeing somebody else have. I haven’t had like the best of life. Everybody struggles.”

“My life has changed from sleeping in a house without no lights. With what is going on the outside affected me in school,” Antwan added. “I didn’t want to be in school. I wanted to help Michael and make him happy and it made me happy.”

The good deed was also commemorated by the Memphis City Council who honored the teens with a resolution and a round of applause.

Kristopher and Antwan are wonderful examples of what can happen when teens are taught that they have a responsibility to one another. While countless kids mocked Michael for something well beyond his control, they saw his plight as an opportunity to drastically change his life by taking action.

Just imagine if everyone saw others’ misfortune as an opportunity to help instead of judge.

This article originally appeared on 07.10.21

If you’re looking for a reminder of the good in people, we’ve got some sweet evidence for you.

Madison Mealy and her husband Blake recently moved to a rural area in the Blue Ridge Mountains and are new to country living. Mealy shared a video on TikTok showing her husband mowing the lawn with their baby in a backpack.

Cute, right? The only problem is they have a humongous lawn and her husband was mowing it with the teeniest push mower.

To be fair, if you’ve never had a big lawn, you may not realize how long it takes to mow and that not all lawn mowers are created equal. (They make riding lawn mowers for a reason, and it’s not because of laziness.)

Mealy shared her amusement at having sent her husband out to buy a mower and seeing him come back with the tiny mower. It was going to take him hours to mow their grass.

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But after she took a shower and went back to check on his progress, what she found was so heartwarming.

Not one, not two, but several strangers—presumably neighbors—had seen Blake trying to tackle their acreage with a subpar mower, and they showed up to help.

“We don’t know any of these people,” Mealy wrote.

Watch:

See on Instagram

“Reminder: there’s a lot of good left in this world,” wrote Mealy.

It’s true. Helping without being asked. Showing up when you see a need. Taking a burden off of someone’s back without expecting anything in return. There are instances of pure human kindness like this all around us, every day, even if they’re not right in front of our faces.

We have plenty of viral examples of people at their worst, so it’s important that we share humanity at its best. And if you’re tempted to think that the former is the norm while goodness is the exception, don’t. Studies show that most people are honest, generous and helpful.

As Mealy said, “People are so good.” We just need beautiful reminders like this on occasion.

Thanks for providing one of those reminders, Mealy family. (Now go get yourselves a proper mower.)

This article originally appeared on 06.17.22

Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.

Frye began working at Rosalie’s Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.

After graduating high school, Frye started college at Ohio State with plans of studying business or environmental engineering. But when she came back to work a shift at Rosalie’s for winter break, an opportunity arose—the owners had planned to sell the restaurant.

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“I was thinking that maybe [buying] was something I wanted to do,” she told News 5 Cleveland. “I had savings because I was saving for college, so I had quite a bit of money saved away. And I was like, I could possibly do this.”

Frye acted on that gut feeling, and used her college funds to buy Rosalie’s. Now she spends every day at her new business, either in the kitchen, on the floor or in the office meeting with sales reps.

This Ohio diner is under new ownership: an 18-year-old who started out as a dishwasher and is carrying on a legacy of the past. https://t.co/7VShD0O6n0

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 13, 2023

Though Fyre’s mother, Brandi Beitzel, confessed to USA Today that she wasn’t initially “on board” with her daughter abandoning college plans, over time she became very “proud” of her for forging her own path, and applauded her “drive and ambition.”

That sentiment is echoed both by Rosalie’s regulars and staff, who are amazing at the young woman’s drive and confidence.

“I just really think she’s a great example of a young lady that is following her dreams and doing what she loves,” said Leanna Gardner, an employee.

It’s no secret that there are significantly less students attending college—down by about a million since the start of the pandemic. And while there are no doubt potential long term collective consequences to that, with exorbitantly high student loan rates, it’s easy to see why young adults would avoid massive debt for careers that don’t require a college degree.

Luckily, there are more efforts to make college an affordable option being made nationwide, like offering a free two years worth of college to graduating students.

And as Frye is proving by example—not going to college is certainly not a death sentence for one’s future. There are many ways to plant seeds for success. Honestly, college or no college, no matter which path is taken, there will likely be more uncertainty than there are guarantees. Perhaps the best bet then is trust those pings of intuition.

“You don’t need college to make a decent living, and I think that’s what a lot of people think nowadays,” Frye attests. “Follow your instinct, honestly. If it feels right, just do it.”

This article originally appeared on 5.22.23

Childless women in the public eye are often plagued by the question: “So, why don’t you have any children?” It’s a deeply personal question that cuts right to the bone, and there can be many answers. But, if the woman doesn’t want children and says so publicly, she is bound to face some judgment.

“[I don’t] like [the pressure] that people put on me, on women—that you’ve failed yourself as a female because you haven’t procreated. I don’t think it’s fair,” Jennifer Aniston told Allure. “You may not have a child come out of your vagina, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t mothering—dogs, friends, friends’ children.”

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On the Monday, March 6 episode of “The Diary Of A CEO” podcast, host Steven Bartlett asked actor Seth Rogen about why he’s childless, and it was a rare moment where a man in the public eye was challenged on the topic. Rogen gave a thoughtful explanation for his and Lauren Miller’s decision to be child-free.

Rogen and Miller were married in 2011.

“There’s a whole huge thing I’m not doing, which is raising children,” Rogen told Bartlett. The host attempted to play devil’s advocate and asked Rogen if he considered whether having children might have made him and his wife “happier.”

“I don’t think it would,” Rogen responded.

Then, as if anticipating the question, the “Pineapple Express” star upended one of the arguments that people who have children often make: that people who don’t have children have no idea what it’s like.

“I’ve been around obviously a lot of children; I’m not ignorant to what it’s like…Everyone I know has kids. I’m 40, you know? I know,” Rogen said. “Some of my friends have had kids for decades. Some people want kids, some people don’t want kids.”

He added that many people seem to have kids without considering the issue.

“I mean, a lot of people have kids before they even think about it, from what I’ve seen, honestly,” he said. “You just are told, you go through life, you get married, you have kids—it’s what happens.”

Rogen and his wife have only grown stronger in their decision and they believe that it has helped their relationship.

“Now, more than anything, the conversation is like, ‘Honestly, thank God we don’t have children,’” he continued. “We get to do whatever we want.”

“We are in the prime of our lives. We are smarter than we’ve ever been, we understand ourselves more than we ever have, we have the capacity to achieve a level of work and a level of communication and care for one another, and a lifestyle we can live with one another that we’ve never been able to live before. And we can just do that, and we don’t have to raise a child—which the world does not need right now,” Rogen concluded.

Everyone has the right to choose whether or not to have children, and no one has the right to judge them. Rogen and Miller have thought their decision through and should be applauded for living how they see fit. It’s cool to see Rogen with such a thoughtful opinion on the matter. It’d be even cooler if celebrities never had to discuss the topic in the first place.

This article originally appeared on 3.9.23

On December 10, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas set sail on the Ultimate World Cruise—a 274-day global trek that visits 11 world wonders and over 60 countries. This incredible trip covers the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Mediterranean and Europe with a ticket price that ranges from $53,999 to $117,599 per passenger.

Aboard the Serenade to the Seas is popular TikToker Marc Sebastian, who has been sharing his experience on the platform.

In a recent video with over 4.3 million views, he revealed what he’s learned over his first few weeks aboard the ship; the biggest was the one word you’re not allowed to say: Titanic.

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“Who knew that? I didn’t,” Sebastian said. “I brought it up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic — when I tell you that utensils dropped. Waiters gasped. It’s dead silent.”

@marcsebastianf

someone get whoopi on the line girl i have some goss for her #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #serenadeoftheseas #cruisetok #cruise #9monthcruise #titanic

After the unexpected reaction, his cruise friend told him, “You’re not allowed to talk about the Titanic.” It makes sense. Who wants to be reminded of the tragedy that killed around 1,500 people while sinking one of the most impressive engineering feats of the era? “When I went on a cruise, my mom told me saying Titanic was equivalent to screaming ‘bomb’ at an airport,” Mikayla wrote in the comments.

Later in the video, Sebastian admits he was surprised to learn that cruise ships have godmothers and that the pools are filled with seawater.

This article originally appeared on 1.25.24

Spotify users might get the chance to remix songs from their favorite artists, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The outlet claims that the streaming service is currently “developing tools that would allow subscribers to speed up, mash-up and otherwise edit songs,” as they recognize the popularity that remixes have with younger audiences.

However, this new feature will not be free to the public. Not only would those who want to use it need a Spotify Premium subscription, but they would also need to pay more for the upcoming “super-premium” level that Spotify is planning to roll out soon.

The last part of the agreement is that those who use Spotify’s remix feature cannot share their creations on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. These are the two social media apps that have the most popularity for remixes. Those who want to upload there will need to stick to “unofficial” spins on songs.

This is due to financial and legal reasons, particularly the fact that “artists and labels don’t often get paid for those altered versions of their songs,” and if Spotify would allow that, remixes would run rampant and the money would be even harder to track.

Spotify’s rumored feature is also still at least a few months away, so it will be interesting to see how they approach this.

You know Lily Allen is a real one because she saw David Harbour using a photo of himself on Stranger Things on celebrity dating app Raya, and she still wanted to be with him. She also wanted to have sex with him, but not before checking into Google to see how long she should wait.

On Thursday’s episode of her podcast Miss Me?, Allen shared details about the early days of her relationship with the dad bod king. She had been married before, but Harbour was the first time she really went on an official date with someone. “I remember Googling when I was with him, when I first started dating David, like, how many dates are you meant to go on before you sleep with someone,” Allen shared. “And there was a different answer depending on whether they’re English or American. I think English was five and American was seven. That was the Google protocol that I read.”

Google is no help with “how long do Hellboys wait?”

BuzzFeed has more:

Recalling how she used to initiate romantic relationships, Lily said: “My thing had always just been, like, when I drank, it was like you go to a pub — not even with the intention, sometimes you just go out with some friends! You get really, really drunk, you meet someone, you’d end up sleeping with them, and then either they called you back or they didn’t. That was how my dating experience went.”

Allen and Harbour exchanged vows in 2020 in Las Vegas after waiting five to seven dates before Doing It for the first time. And speaking of waiting for good things, the wait for Stranger Things season five continues.

You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via BuzzFeed)

When Maggie Rogers announced The Don’t Forget Me Tour Part 1 in February, that “Part 1” spoke volumes: Surely a Part 2 would be on the way. That has of course proven to be true: Today (April 11), Rogers announced additional tour dates, but this time, she’s playing arenas.

When Rogers announced her 2023 tour, she decided to sell tickets in person, and she’s doing that again this time around, with tickets for certain shows available to buy on certain days coming up. Find more information about tickets on Rogers’ website.

Check out all of the dates below, with the dates and locations where Part 2 tickets will be available to purchase in person noted in parentheses.

Maggie Rogers 2024 Tour Dates: The Don’t Forget Me Tour Part 1

05/04 — Charlotte, NC @ Lovin’ Life Festival^
05/23 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park
05/24 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
05/27 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre +
05/28 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre +
05/31 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
06/01 — The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
06/03 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
06/05 — Indianapolis, IN @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
06/07 — Cincinnati, OH @ The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park
06/08 — Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Pavilion
06/09 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
06/11 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
06/14 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival^
06/16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion +
06/19 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park
06/20 — Charleston, SC @ Credit One Stadium
06/22 — Miami, FL @ FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park

Maggie Rogers 2024 Tour Dates: The Don’t Forget Me Tour Part 2

10/09 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center (4/17 at Moody Center)
10/15 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center (4/14 at The Fillmore Philadelphia)
10/17 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden (4/16 at Paradise Rock Club)
10/19 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden (4/13 at Irving Plaza)
10/22 — Toronto, ON @ Coca-Cola Coliseum (4/14 at Coca-Cola Coliseum)
10/24 — Chicago, IL @ United Center (4/19 at House of Blues)
10/25 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center (4/20 at Target Center)
10/29 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena (4/20 at Climate Pledge Arena)
10/30 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center (4/20 at Moda Center)
11/01 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center (4/20 at Chase Center)
11/02 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum (4/17 at Kia Forum)

Don’t Forget Me is out 4/12 via Capitol Records. Find more information here.

On Thursday morning, O.J. Simpson’s family announced on his Twitter account that he had died at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer. Simpson was a former star running back at USC and a Hall of Famer with the Buffalo Bills, but he became a notorious figure well beyond the sports world in 1994 when he was on trial for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles.

That trial and the bizarre events that preceded it with a slow speed chase in a Ford Bronco became a national fixation, and his acquittal by the jury remains a wildly controversial decision — with renewed interest into the case thanks to recent documentaries and drama series that have come out about the trial in the last decade. O.J.’s death brought back a lot of that conversation, and despite Thursday being a rare off day for Stephen A. Smith on First Take, he could not simply sit idly by while that discussion happened without him.

Smith called in to his own program to talk about Simpson’s death and make clear that he believes O.J. was guilty of the murders, noting if he was on the jury, “he would’ve been under the damn jail.”

Stephen A. has never shied away from giving his opinion on any topic, and even a day off was not about to stop him from discussing Simpson’s death.

Kendrick Lamar might be making headlines for declaring himself the biggest thing in rap, but next year, he could become one of the biggest things in Hollywood too. According to Variety, the release date for his live-action film production debut (first announced in 2022) has been set for July 4, 2025.

Kendrick is partnered with his pgLang co-founder Dave Free and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker on the film, which is described as a comedy about “a young Black man, who is interning as a slave re-enactor at a living history museum,” who “discovers that his white girlfriend’s ancestors once owned his.” It’s written by Vernon Chatman, whose credits include the Adult Swim show Wonder Showzen and stop-motion animated anthology horror comedy The Shivering Truth. He also, unsurprisingly, contributed to several episodes of South Park.

The release date for the as-yet-untitled film was announced by Paramount Pictures at CinemaCon, with CEO Brian Robbins calling the script “one of the funniest and most original scripts we’ve ever read and it’s certain to create some fireworks.” With that release date, even if it doesn’t, there’ll be fireworks aplenty outside.

Kendrick’s docket for the year seems to be wide open, giving him plenty of time to focus on the project. He hasn’t announced any new music or live shows, so this is all he’s willing to let us know he’s doing for the foreseeable future — unless, that is, Drake responds to his “Like That” call-out.