There’s a fun video circulating TikTok showing a Philadelphia teacher and her second grade student perform an epic dance battle set to the “Veggie Dance” from the popular kids Youtube channel “Grace’s Corner.”
The best part is that the young student has no idea the kind of moves his opponent has up her sleeve.
In the clip, we see 8-year-old Ahmad confidently showing off as the audience cheers him on. From the look on his face, he’s already won. Spoiler alert: he didn’t.
That’s because it was 2nd grade teacher Regina Laurie’s turn, and she was ready to “teach Ahmad a lesson.”
Laurie told Philadelphia ABC station WPVI, “He kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mrs. Laurie, you’re old. Look at your (gray) hair.’ So I said to myself, ‘I’m going to challenge this boy to a dance-off. I’m going to dance rings around this boy and he doesn’t even know it yet!'”
Watch her do exactly that below, in a video posted by @jiggythegod:
Viewers were blown away by Laurie’s moves, chiming in with comments like “left not a piece of crumb she ate” and “she in fact ate em up.”
Others simply applauded the lighthearted moment. One viewer even wrote, “it’s giving real life Abbott Elementary.”
This “Veggie Dance” battle is part of the school’s weekly lunchtime break called “Fun Friday,” where both kids and teachers can take a break from academia and simply feel some joy.
And clearly, as we can see from this dance battle, there’s more than one way to get schooled.
Graduations can be emotional no matter if it’s preschool, high school or college. Something about watching a loved one close one chapter to open a new one just does something to you. But sometimes people have a few more challenges getting across the stage that make it feel even sweeter.
One new mom, Kisha Rose Woodhouse, who goes by @kiisha.rose on TikTok, became pregnant and gave birth while finishing up her college degree. Clearly, determined to finish, Woodhouse walked across the stage at graduation with her baby on her hip. But that wasn’t what got people all choked up while seeing her video, it was Woodhouse’s partner who stood alone in the auditorium.
The man was visibly filled with pride from Woodhouse’s accomplishments when he began doing the Tautoko, also known as the haka. Immediately the auditorium fell silent as the man’s words and sharp movements filled the air. Seeing him perform such an emotional dance alone to honor his partner is enough to get just about anyone’s eyes to water.
Woodhouse was visibly overcome with emotion when she heard her partner start the traditional Maori dance. While originally the haka was performed as a war dance, it has become a dance performed for major occasions, celebrations and funerals.
“Honestly that moment felt so surreal, it was completely unexpected and the way he expressed himself through his haka really summed up the respect and love we had for each other throughout all the challenges we faced to finally get me up on the stage and earn my diploma. And on that note, our son came with me as he deserved the diploma just as much as I did (he did attend every class while being in my tummy!),” Woodhouse tells Upworthy.
With everything the couple has been through up until that moment, it’s no wonder they were both emotional. Their emotions and love can be felt through the video and it seems like just about everyone has something in their eye.
“I will never not cry when I see the haka. I think it’s inside us as humans to know that outward display of passion, emotion and strength moves our souls. Imagine releasing that energy in celebration, in mourning or in the face of fear. You would never know what it meant to not face your emotions,” one person writes.
“Performing haka alone, for her and their son, ALONE, in front of thousands. This is an existential form of love,” another says.
“Whoa, that haka gave me goose bumps. You could hear a pin drop. Definitely felt the wairua [soul] in that one. Well done mama bear ka pai [good]. Good on you, someone writes, complete with heart emojis.
One commenter had a front row seat, “I was there graduating that day too and this made my eyes water! So beautiful.”
It’s nearly impossible to watch someone perform the haka without something getting into both of your eyes as you feel their passion move through you. If you’ve never seen the haka performed, you may want to grab a tissue because this is one of the most beautiful acts of love people get to witness.
It’s been a weird few years for theU.S. economy as the COVID-19 pandemic threw the entire system into disarray and recovery from it took some unpredicted turns, for better and for worse. One thing we knew would be coming was inflation, and Americans have felt it at the checkout counter. Price increases on basic food staples as well as restaurant prices across the board have been painful reminders that, despite record unemployment and a booming stock market, everyday life has gotten ridiculously expensive.
But there are some signs things may be taking a positive turn, such as Target’s announcement that they will be cutting prices on thousands of items, including household essentials, in the coming months. Here’s what shoppers can expect:
Target has already reduced prices on approximately 1,500 items and will continue through the summer to drop thousands more. “Consumers will enjoy savings on everyday items such as milk, meat, bread, soda, fresh fruit and vegetables, snacks, yogurt, peanut butter, coffee, diapers, paper towels, pet food and more. These price reductions will collectively save consumers millions of dollars this summer,” the company shared in a press release.
More specifically, a pound of Good & Gather Unsalted Butter that was $3.99 will be $3.79, Good & Gather 5 oz. Organic Baby Spinach will drop from $3.29 to $2.99, and a 20-ounce package of Thomas’ Plain Bagels is going from $4.19 to $3.79. Just in time for summer, Aveeno SPF 50 Sunscreen (3 fl oz) will drop from $13.89 to $13.19.
Savvy Target shoppers know how to get the most bang for their buck on a Target trip by using their Target Circle Card, which gives them an additional 5% off purchases, and the company recently reintroduced Target Circle, its free-to-join membership program that applies deals automatically at checkout and features member-exclusive sales throughout the year like Target Circle Week and Target Circle Bonuses—personalized deals to help members earn rewards and get extra savings.
LinkedIn editor Cate Chapman calls Target’s price cuts a “sign of disinflation at work”—a hopeful sign, considering Target isn’t the only store to announce price drops . Walmart predicted months ago that a “deflationary environment” would mean lower prices on dry groceries and consumables and they were already seeing lower prices on grocery items such as eggs, apples and deli snacks.
Even already-low-priced grocery chain Aldi has announced lower prices on 250 items for the summer of 2024. “We don’t want food prices to hold people back from getting together with friends and family or spending time outdoors this season,” Dave Rinaldo, president at Aldi U.S., said in a statement.
People have reacted to the news of lower grocery prices with a mix of relief and annoyance at feeling like they were being price gouged. They have a point. In fact, President Biden had taken aim at corporations in November of 2023, saying, “Any corporation that has not brought their prices back down, even as inflation has come down, even as the supply chains have been rebuilt, it’s time to stop the price gouging.”
Whatever the reason for the lowered prices, feeling a little ease instead of squeeze at the checkout counter will be a refreshing change from the past few years.
During a recent livestream on Instagram, the rapper now known as Yasiin Bey appeared to take shots at some participants in a recent rap beef as he freestyled over one of the songs they battled with. Over the instrumental from Metro Boomin’s “Like That” beat, Bey raps, “Greedy, seedy, and creepy/ Corny, horny, and boring/ Bougie, goofy, and moody/ Foolish, ruthless, and clueless/ Variations on a petty Big 3/ A whole lot to look at, but not much to see.”
The mention of the Big 3 has fans thinking the verse is a disappointed reference to Drake, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar, after repeated mentions of their grouping as a unit on records wound up touching off the battle between them. It was on “Like That” that Kendrick first yelled “motherf*ck the Big 3,” sparking the conflict between them. After J. Cole dropped out of the feud for personal reasons, Drake and Kendrick’s back-and-forth became increasingly noxious to the point that even the fans who egged them on quickly became disgusted with the vitriolic rhetoric.
None of the old heads seem to be feeling that beef. I was already under the impression it wasn’t going to age well but im even more convinced of that now. https://t.co/zMjDzhCOIv
It probably shouldn’t surprise anyone that Bey was equally disgusted with the beef. Back in 2003, the April 9 episode of Chappelle’s Show featured musical guests Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli — collectively known as Black Star. The two Brooklyn rappers performed a new song called “What’s Beef.”
Over the course of his verse, Bey decried various high profile rap beefs, contrasting them with more dire current events. He even name-checked the conflict in Gaza, which goes to show how long people have effectively ignored what Bey would consider “real” beef in favor of WWF-style rap antics. “Beef is not what Jay said to Nas,” he said. “Beef is when working folks can’t find jobs / So they try to find n****s to rob / Try to find bigger guns so they can finish the job.” Bey later released a solo version on a mixtape, Mos Definite .
20 years later, it seems his opinions about rap beef he expressed in that verse haven’t changed, even though his name has.
Of course it does: the Mad Max movies are undefeated when it comes to Outback freaks and their insane names. 1979’s Mad Max gave us Toecutter, Mudguts, and Grease Rat, while 1981’s Mad Max 2 and 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome added The Toadie, Lord Humungus, The Feral Kid, Aunty Entity (RIP Tina Turner), Dr. Dealgood, and Scrooloose to the crew. Director/writer/mad genius George Miller needed to take a 30-year break before coming up with Immortan Joe, Toast the Knowing, and The People Eater (I wonder what his deal is) for 2015’s Best Picture nominee Mad Max: Fury Road. And who could forget dear Pissboy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?
Pissboy plays a small but significant role in the aforementioned best scene in the exhilarating Fury Road prequel, which rides eternal into theaters this weekend. I won’t give away the specifics, but picture a truck. No, even bigger than what you’re imagining. The rig has hidden compartments and enough room for food, supplies (mostly gas and bullets), and stowaways. During a run on the Fury Road, the vehicle is ambushed by rogue raiders, who attack by land and air. There’s fiery explosions, deception, vegetables, small but meaningul character moments amidst all the frenetic action, and — this is the last time I bring him up, I swear — Pissboy.
If I had my notebook with me, I would have written “hell yeah” over and over again like Jack Torrance sharing his thoughts on all work and no play at his typewriter in The Shining. It’s the kind of magical movie moment that once it’s over, you can hear people in the theater shifting in their seats; everyone was so enraptured for the last 20 minutes, they forgot to move.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a different beast than Mad Max: Fury Road. It follows a more “traditional” plot structure: Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) is out for revenge on the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) who killed her mother (Charlee Fraser). Along the way, she teams up with War Rig driver Jack (Tom Burke, who reminds me of original Mad Max star Mel Gibson, minus… y’know). Furiosa is thrilling and funny and has multiple stunts that once again make you wonder how no one died during filming, but I still prefer Mad Max: Fury Road, a stone-cold masterpiece. Some of the CGI in Furiosa is distracting, and there’s unnecessary “fan service” to fill in the blanks between the films.
But these complaints are minor: Fury Road vs. Furiosa is like pitting Breaking Bad against Better Call Saul. They’re both great on different terms. Charlize Theron should be proud of Taylor-Joy and her younger counterpart Alyla Browne (who previously played young Tilda Swinton in Miller’s last film, Three Thousand Years of Longing) as Furiosa, and Chris Hemsworth gives the kind of goofy-yet-malicious performance that deserves Oscar buzz. Miller’s direction is as active as ever, even as he nears 80 years old, while Junkie XL’s score pulses and pounds with energy. I left the theater exhausted, but it was the good kind of exhausted, the way I feel after a workout.
In a recent interview with the Critics Choice Association, Miller was asked why the Mad Max films continue to resonate decades after the first film. “I don’t think you could come down to a fixed answer to that. But I think it’s a thing why I’m still sort of drawn to telling these kind of stories. They’re basically allegories. In the same way that the American Western you could argue is allegories. And indeed, certainly for everything from fairy stories to folklore, mythologies, even religious stories, where the story is in the eye of the beholder, wherever you are. Wherever you are in time or space,” he replied.
That’s all well and good, George, but there’s another reason why people love the Mad Max movies: they rock.
Of the five Mad Max movies, three are classics (Mad Max 2, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga); one is half-great, half-good-but-could-use-less-kids (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome), and one is a strong introduction that feels somewhat slight compared to the insanity to come (Mad Max). The “worst” of the bunch (either Thunderdome or the original) is, what, a B+?
That’s a strong overall grade. If movie franchises with at least three films were The Citadel, Mad Max would be among the greenery, alongside Toy Story; Mission: Impossible; Lord of the Rings (the brilliance of the originals makes up for the middling Hobbit films); Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy; maybe Evil Dead; Rocky if the Creed movies count; and Paddington (I’m assuming Paddington in Peru will be a masterpiece).
Miller wants to return to the Wasteland, but if Furiosa is the heavy metal conclusion to the saga, the complete Mad Max franchise was anything but mediocre.
Nicole Kidman and David E. Kelley love to make addictive TV together. That much is evident from The Undoing and Big Little Lies, and with the former series (which still might see a third season), the pair grew accustomed to adapting Liane Moriarty’s source material. That vibe is still alive with Kidman and Kelley’s Nine Perfect Strangers for Hulu. The series also felt like an answer to The White Lotus, given that both shows involve satiric takes on travelers who are fairly wealthy and rather miserable.
We are here today, however, to only discuss the Nine Perfect Strangers variety of malaise, which involves communing with Kidman’s enigmatic “wellness resort” leader, Masha. The first season used Moriarty’s same-named novel for its backbone in what was presumably a limited series. Plans have changed, however. The show took off so marvelously that Hulu couldn’t resist granting the wish of another season. With that said, this show will have to do what Big Little Lies did and go off-book (although Moriarty was involved in writing that continued story) to continue Masha’s psychedelic-soaked adventures. Let’s get down to business on what we can expect.
Plot
Masha is definitely on the scene again, although the scene in question will not take place at Tranquillum House (located in fictional Cabrillo, California). Where is the next wellness-based location for this show? Kidman recently revealed to Deadline that “Swiss Alps and crazy!” are involved. What about a warm chocolate beverage? “And a lot more than that!” responded Kidman. So, warm beverages laced with Psilocybin, supposedly for therapeutic purposes? Got it. Maybe? Perhaps she will be able to get away with even more abroad.
Nicole Kidman teases Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2: “Swiss Alps and crazy! Hold on tight cause it’s going to get wild!” pic.twitter.com/DBQcj7Eq9b
As viewers will recall, Kidman ended up drugging her resort guests that included characters portrayed by Bobby Cannavale, Michael Shannon, Samara Weaving, Melissa McCarthy, Regina Hal, and Melvin Gregg. These unhappy characters were hoping to find some form of enlightenment or at least a method to ease their malaise-filled mind, body, and spirits. The first season finale wasn’t entirely clear on whether each character’s fates were real or actually fictional and dreamed up by McCarthy’s Frances in the book-inside-the-book, also referred to as Nine Perfect Strangers. Masha had also, curiously enough, supposedly gone free after her arrest and in a car with her dead daughter. And it’s still whack that nobody knew that Carmel was actually the cause of Masha’s previous near-death experience.
With that said, the season finale didn’t make clear whether Masha was having a similar experience, but we can assume that she is alive and sort-of-well, given that Kidman is leading the second season. We also know that an assortment of new guests will be attending the next ominous wellness escape.
Cast
Kidman is at it again. She will be accompanied by another ensemble cast including The White Lotus passive-aggressive-master-extraordinaire Mr. Murray Bartlett as well as Annie Murphy, Christine Baranski, Henry Golding, Dolly De Leon, Lucas Englander, Mark Strong, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lena Olin, and Aras Aydin.
Release Date
The first season freaked people out in 2021, and renewal news came in 2023. Bet on 2025 for a second-season air date.
Trailer
Since nobody has hallucinated a real trailer into existence yet, enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Kidman stepping into people’s souls. Hopefully, that’s what Masha will be doing again.
Hollywood has been bombarded with subpar bears for long enough. Evil Winnie has already terrorized children while Chauncey summoned some demonic energy. And Ted is a whole other thing. What ever happened to cute cuddly bears with posh accents that just want to have a picnic with you? Enter: Paddington.
Our beloved bear best friend Paddington will be retuning for a third adventure with Paddington In Peru, a follow up to 2017’s Paddington 2. While Paul King won’t be returning, Dougal Wilson is set to direct, and he made Coldplay’s best music video, so Paddy is in good hands with him. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming threequel.
Plot
Details are sparse, but we know the general idea. The story will bring Paddington back to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who resides at the Home for Retired Bears, of course. Bears need community in their old age too! Paddington then embarks on an unexpected journey through the Amazon.
At The Licensing Expo in Vegas this week, new key art for the upcoming sequel was revealed, featuring our favorite bear and his signature accessory snack, a marmalade sandwich. He’s clearly up to his same antics.
Cast
Ben Whishaw will return as Paddington, and Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy, while Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent will also return. Paddington will be joined by some new friends, including Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, and Rachel Zegler, who also joined the cast.
Sally Hawkins, who played Mrs. Brown in the first two installments revealed she would not be returning for the third, though she will always miss the little guy. Emily Mortimer will take over for Hawkins. “For me it has felt the right time to hand the reins over to another, and one can’t get much better than the truly wonderful Emily Mortimer, she is extraordinarily special,” Hawkins announced last year. “She will embody the essence of Mary Brown and yet make it utterly her own. However, I am, and will always be in love with Paddington’s world. I already greatly miss my on and off-screen family — the experience of making the first two films has truly been some of the best and most creative times I have had in the world of film. They both gave me so much joy. I will forever hold them so very close to my heart indeed.”
Release Date
Paddington In Peru will be released in theaters in the U.S. on January 17, 2025. Can’t wait that long? You’re not alone! The good news for Paddington super fans is that the movie will be released in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2024. Buy your plane tickets now!!
Trailer
No trailer yet for our furry friend, but filming wrapped last fall, so there should be a teaser sometime this summer.
In July 2021, Clairo released Sling, which Uproxx reviewed as “ambitious” and “quiet.” On Thursday, May 23, Clairo announced Charm, her third studio album described in a press release as “a collection of warm, ’70s-inspired grooves that move lithely between jazz, psychedelic folk and soul, an extroverted bounce back from her beloved 2021 album Sling.” Charm is due out on July 12.
That description shines through on “Sexy To Someone,” the balmy, flirty first single arriving simultaneous with Clairo’s album announcement. “Sexy to somebody, it would help me out,” Clairo sings. “Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house.”
As per press release, Clairo co-produced Charm with Leon Michels (The Black Keys, Sharon Jones). “In Charm, she reprises the live instrumental sounds she first played with in her 2021 album Sling, yet raising an even mightier ensemble of horns, woodwinds and vintage synthesizers, all while infusing the songs with a rhythmic foundation that recalls her debut record Immunity,” it additionally relayed.
Listen to “Sexy To Someone” above, and find more information about Charm below.
Clairo’s Charm Album Cover Artwork
Clairo’s Charm Tracklist
1. “Nomad”
2. “Sexy To Someone”
3. “Second Nature”
4. “Slow Dance”
5. “Thank You”
6. “Terrapin”
7. “Juna”
8. “Add Up My Love”
9. “Echo”
10. “Glory Of The Snow”
11. “Pier 4”
Charm is out 7/12 via Clairo Records LLC. Find more information here.
One of this year’s best R&B albums came from Nigerian born British singer Shae Universe with her second project Love’s Letter. Released back in February, the 10-track project is a beautiful display of what love looks and feels like in its purest form. At its conclusion, listeners are left with no doubt about Shae Universe’s full and thorough approach to love. She free falls into optimism when the door for romance opens and she yearns for more when that door suddenly closes.
Love’s Letter is birthed from the classic, tender ballads that R&B greats like India.Arie, Lauryn Hill, and Brandy delivered in their careers. These are artists that Shae Universe is heavily influenced by, and the influenced gained through listens of Brandy, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, and Acoustic Soul are undeniable on Love’s Letter. Still, Shae makes the project her own to deliver something that is nostalgic yet up-to-date and refreshing in today’s R&B landscape.
Months removed from the arrival of Love’s Letter and ahead of more music on the way, we put Shae Universe under the Uproxx Music 20 to learn more about her inspirations, influences, aspirations, and more.
My earliest memory of music was hearing Nigerian praise & worship music around my house around 4 years old.
Who inspired you to take music seriously?
My community and supporters.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
Unfortunately, I don’t. I used to take piano lessons for a period of time in my teens but I wasn’t interested in it enough to keep it up at the time, I definitely regret that.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I’ve been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to think of all the things I’d do. I’m too much of a Gemini for this question lmao. You gotta just put me in the situation and let me be spontaneous.
What are your three most used emojis?
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
Brandy!
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
Issa Rae’s Insecure purely because that show is genius and I love it.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality, and why?
Tems. I love how she’s humorous and humble but effortlessly assertive. I also respect how she’s protected her privacy amidst her superstardom.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
God is real and our existence is spiritual before it’s physical.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life, and what do you love about it?
There’s too many, however “Borderline” by Brandy is up there. I love the unconventional groove of the song and her pen was crazy, as usual! I also love “Nothing Even Matters” by Lauryn Hill & D’Angelo and “Message In A Bottle” by Ty Dolla Sign.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
I haven’t been to enough places yet to decide that one yet, but so far it’s been Austin, Texas. I’m also super excited to perform in Brazil for the first time.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
It would have to be held in Houston, Texas and I’d have an all-female line-up consisting of Tems, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy, Tiwa Savage and Lauryn Hill.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I’d probably be an Olympic athlete running the 110m hurdles.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Five years into the future, for sure. I’d love to feel the comfort of seeing how happy and stable my future self is, seeing how abundant and seamless life will be. That image would be a constant encouraging reminder to keep me going in present moments when I feel discouraged.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
I’d tell her there’s no need to be so self-conscious. I’d tell her she’s beautiful and a natural-born leader, then I’d hug her.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I’d love for my music to be remembered as being timeless and bringing about healing. I hope it’s described as a sound that never goes “out of fashion” with lyrics that penetrate every time that make a long-lasting, healing impact.
Love’s Letter is out now. Find out more information here.
Why Is The Justice Department Suing Ticketmaster And Live Nation?
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland explained why the DOJ has filed the suit. “We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” he wrote. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
According to the suit, among Ticketmaster’s illegal practices are tactics like using long-term contracts to keep venues from choosing other ticketing companies, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers, and threatening venues into choosing Ticketmaster by withholding Live Nation artists from performing there. This allegedly gives Ticketmaster and Live Nation an effective monopoly, with the resulting lack of competition allowing them to set prices and fee structures as high as they want.
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