Month: July 2024

Every couple that has ever considered being child-free has had to deal with people who have children telling them they will regret their decision. They’re often told that they’ll be lonely when they get older and never understand the joy and fulfillment of having a child.

Even though there is so much pressure for couples to have kids, more and more people are deciding to live child-free lives. A recent study found that 47% of adults under 50 without kids say they’re unlikely to have them — up 10 percentage points from 2018.

There are many different reasons why people don’t want to have kids, whether it’s affordability, the state of the world and the environment, or they just don’t feel like it. The child-free movement gets even stronger as people get younger.

Sixty-seven percent of young women and 50% of young men say they just don’t want children. So, are all of these people setting themselves up for a lifetime of regret because they choose not to have kids? A recent study out of Michigan says no, they probably won’t.

The Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University studied 1,000 Michiganders, asking whether they have or want children. The study separated those who wish to be child-free from those who want children but can’t have them.

The study found that by the time people reach the age of 70, people who have children and those who decided not to are just as satisfied with their lives.

A couple enjoying coffeevia MART PRODUCTION/Pexels

“Childfree people, especially women, are often told they’ll be dissatisfied with life or regret their decision later,” Jennifer Watling Neal, one of the study’s authors, told PsyPost. “In this study, we compared how much adults age 70 and older said they’d want to change something about their life — in other words, whether they had any regrets about how their life had gone. We didn’t see any difference between child-free people and parents. This suggests that child-free people are similar to others in terms of life satisfaction and often don’t regret their decision later.”

The researchers found that child-free people may be happier than those with kids.“In fact, older parents were slightly more likely to want to change something about their life,” Neal said in a statement.

The study was conducted on 1,000 people; times change and everyone’s experience is different, so there’s no telling who will or will not have regrets about their decision to have children. But the study should bring some peace of mind to those who are tired of hearing that they may regret their choice to be child-free, whether from friends, family or the little voice in their heads.

The discussion also raises a deeper question: How do we create a society where people are excited about having children? What changes could be made to make it affordable for people to have families? How can we create a brighter future so that parents can feel confident that the children born today will be able to thrive as adults?

Being a woman comes with certain expectations, no matter where in the world you live. Becoming a mother adds another layer to those expectations, with traditional society often not considering the impact on the woman experiencing that shift. For instance, many women work outside of the home and are still expected to be the one who figures out which childcare center would be best.

Women are also often expected to put their careers on hold to stay at home if it’s decided that outside childcare isn’t feasible. Sure, some dads may do the heavy lifting in this area, but that’s not a societally expected thing. Because these things are typically expected of women, men don’t generally have to consider many of the logistics of children if they’re partnered with a woman.

Paige Connell sparked a conversation when she shared on social media that she doesn’t take advice from men, even if it’s their job. On the surface that sounds harsh, even though she clarifies that she considers the advice but takes it with a big grain of salt, and her reasoning involves the invisible labor aspect.

“I do not tend to take a lot of advice from men, even the most successful men. And I mean advice in the form of self-help books, podcasts from successful men or just men in general. I tend to take their advice with a grain of salt because I do not think it is applicable to women and mothers in particular,” Connell share before revealing her reasoning.

In the video she shares that she was recently listening to “The Diary of a CEO” podcast where the man talked about all the risks he took, including moving from Connecticut where his young child and ex-girlfriend live to New York. Connell pointed out through the entire episode detailing his risks and upward mobility, he never mentioned his child, which caused her to surmise that it was because childcare concerns weren’t a part of his journey.

She continued explaining how the burden of childcare tends to fall on women, working and nonworking, allowing the male parent to be free to corporate climb uninhibited by the worry. Connell shares that she prefers to listen to professionally successful moms because they share the help needed with childcare and how they navigated these spaces being the default parent. Others agreed to much of what she was saying.

“I came to a similar conclusion…I have read quite a few books of men going on their ‘hero’s journey’ where they did all these extravagant endeavors and eventually found success or enlightenment. But nothing about how a mother deep in the trenches of child raising is the [true] hero’s journey. Motherhood can chew you up and spit you out. A mother dies a million deaths and finds strength to continue to show up for her child day and night. Motherhood changes and refines us. No mother goes unchanged after motherhood. It is late nights and isolation. The flames of motherhood, the true hero’s journey,” one person revealed, describing her own experience of realization.

“I love that you talk about it. Also all the so called geniuses, poets, writers, great personalities were able to accomplish all they did because their wives babysat their 8 kids at that time,” someone else sighed in frustration.

“Couldn’t agree more. It’s the equivalent of men being able to work late, work weekends, put in the face time, to get ahead – whilst someone else is looking after their children,” another wrote.

“I remember reading one comment in the daily routine of a successful writer. He had four kids and yet he could write for 6 hours daily during the day. Never once mentions his household manager, cook, cleaner, nanny—his wife,” a commenter pointed out.

What do you think? Should more women be talking about this reality when it comes to the success of their male partners?

Weddings are often catalysts for happy tears, but sometimes an extra special moment or gesture pushes it into “everybody grab a tissue” territory.

This video is one of those. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.

Avery Albrecht shared a clip from her wedding reception in which her baby brother asked her for a dance. But Albrecht had no idea what kind of surprise the 15-year-old and her parents had in store for her. As the music begins, we hear children’s voices singing—the two of them singing Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart” together as children. And then the real song begins, with the bride and her brother—along with everyone watching—in a puddle.

Watch all the way to the end:

See on Instagram

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Albrecht shared. There doesn’t appear to be a dry eye on the internet, either.

“Stop it!! It’s 4 am in Sydney, and I’m a 43-year-old man sobbing while hiding under a blanket with my wife and 2 kids on the same bed, 😭” shared one person. “Family is the most important precious thing in the world!! ❤️”

“I went from cracking up about a stupid Hello Kitty video to sobbing in under three minutes. That must be so confusing to my central nervous system,” shared another.

“I have to stop watching these things at work… people are thinking I am depressed, 😂” wrote another.

Some people shared how much it reminded them of their close sibling relationships:

“One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. And being a much older big sister of littles (not little anymore by a long shot), I know the exact place this came from.”

“I don’t know if she’ll read this but sweetheart you are so lucky! Please give your baby brother a hug for me. I lost my little brother 19 years ago this past June while I was pregnant with my first born son. I named him after him. And miss him so very much. 😢❤️”

“My little brother had a severe case of cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. He’s gone, but as I am watching this video, I can’t stop wondering what my life would be if he was healthy and still around… same about my older sister, who had also passed away. Crying my heart out now.”

“Awwwwwwwe! The sweetest! You can tell how close you both are! Me and my sister are 12 years apart and she got married when I was 12 and she moved out and I had THE HARDEST time and cried almost everyday for a month!! ! I still would go over to her house and spend the night all the time… and then when she had children I became the built in babysitter for my nieces and nephew (also my fave ppl on the planet) She’s always was and still my very best friend. ♥️♥️”

Here’s to the beautiful bond siblings can share, the families that nurture those bonds and this sweet brother-sister pair who gave us all the cleansing cry we needed.

Celine Dion’s last performed live on July 5, 2019, at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park in London; her planned Courage tour was canceled in 2022, as she announced she was suffering “severe and persistent muscle spasms.” She was diagnosed in with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder characterized by her symptoms often triggered by noise, touch, or stress.

Tonight, at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, the Canadian diva performed for the first time since being diagnosed beneath the Eiffel Tower. Singing Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour,” Dion hit every note, as if only days, rather than half a decade, had passed since her last time on stage. Standing beneath the Olympic Rings, accompanied by a grand piano, and doused by the rain that had drenched the athletes during the Parade of Nations, Dion made a triumphant return that brought hope to viewers of her rumored comeback Las Vegas residency and tears to the choked-up commentary team, who recounted her struggles through their emotions.

Dion described the symptoms of Stiff Person Syndrome in a documentary about her life with the disorder, saying, “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl. And I won’t stop. I won’t stop.”

You can watch the performance (at least, until the inevitable copyright strikes get it removed) above.

The Bear recently brought back Carmy’s temper tantrums in a season that had some outstanding episodes but didn’t overall hit the same (extremely high) bar of the FX show’s first two seasons (that exclusively appears on Hulu via streaming) in quality. Still, the stress-packed series’ return managed to yield extraordinarily high streaming numbers, as the Nielsen data shows.

As Indiewire relays below, The Bear did notch 1.2 billion viewing minutes within five days of third-season launch, which qualified the show as the top original streaming series of the week. Yet two already-aired Showtime series managed to eclipse those Chefs. Those would be Dexter (which will soon hatch a prequel called Original Sin) and Your Honor (which has been absurdly popular relative to original Showtime numbers because the Internet loves it when Bryan Cranston breaks bad) with both now streaming on Netflix.

Hmm, The Bear really wasn’t the winner?

It would have been, if not for the pesky “Your Honor” (1.6 billion viewing minutes) and “Dexter” (1.5 billion minutes). The two over-and-done-with Showtime dramas both now stream on Netflix and Paramount+, though Netflix is really the only difference-maker. Both had two extra days of availability vs. “The Bear” Season 3; Advantage: Not “The Bear.”

“Your Honor” (2020-2023) had a “broader appeal” than “Dexter,” Nielsen said. Viewers were more diverse – and older. “Dexter” mainly reached viewers 18-34, which is the core streaming demo.

Another qualifier exists here. Dexter‘s eight seasons became Netflix-streamable as of June 19, and only a pair of Your Honor seasons exist. That means that both shows are being streamed like wildfire, but Your Honor is scoring more viewers overall. Of course, there are also questions about whether the show’s newfound popularity could resurrect the Panic Cranston for a third season, but more certainty exists in Dexter: Original Sin likely arriving with a bigger audience than Showtime has ever seen for the franchise. Get ready.

(Via Indiewire)

It was Amy Astrauskas’ dying wish was to see her daughter Emily Elizabeth Creighton in a wedding dress.

Though Creighton had no wedding plans on the horizon, she was able to help that dream come true for her mom—and managed to capture the touching moment on camera.

In a video posted to her Instagram, Creighton explained that her mom actually called a nearby bridal and lied, saying her daughter was getting married, which Creighton joked was “such a savage move.”

As they sipped champagne and answered “a million questions” about this made-up fiancé, Creighton tried on dress after dress, each more gorgeous than the last. The joy felt in the clip is palpable, to say the least.

Finally, they did indeed find the one. And it’s on hold for when and if Creighton decides to tie the knot.

“Honestly one of the funniest and saddest moments of my life,” she said “But now, even though she’s gone, I get to say she helped me to pick out my wedding dress.”

See on Instagram

People were, understandably, moved by the entire thing.

“What a beautiful story! I’m sure it was one of the best days of her life ❤️❤️,” one person wrote.

Another added, “Wow that’s beautiful and sad and just sums up life. ❤️”

A few even shared their own similar stories.

“I was a bridal consultant and this happened. But I knew it was her dying wish, and we did a whole bridal photo session. She ended up buying it and got married a couple of years later in that dress. One of my proudest moments as a consultant.,” one person commented.

“Me and my sweet Mumma did the same when she was dying. It’s one of my most precious memories. I have a video of her saying ‘we said yes to the dress!’ No dress was purchased 😂 I am so sorry for your loss but so happy you also shared this beautiful memory with your darling mum 🥰” wrote another.

In an interview with Today, Creighton shared that even though her mom (who died of breast cancer on March 2021 at age 63) will no longer be around to actually see the wedding, it will have all the other details she had previously conjured up. All except one tiny thing.

“The only thing that has changed is, my mom thought the person at the end of the aisle would be a man!” Creighton quipped, since she came out as gay in 2022. Still, she knows her mom would have been “totally fine with it.”

“All my mom ever wanted was for me to be happy.”

What a beautiful reminder to truly savor whatever time we have on this Earth with the people who matter the most.

Being an Xennial is like being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. This group of people are too young to be Gen X but feel too old to be millennials. They’re designated as a microgeneration, though they’re constantly lumped in with millennials, hence how they got the name “Xennial.” But it’s this distinct characteristic that has resulted in Xennials having the some of the most eclectic music tastes out there.

Nick Harrison posted a video on social media showing what it’s like to road trip with an Xennial and it’s an entire vibe. The man starts the video in the car off strong jamming to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. The music quickly changes to “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre causing Harrison to switch up his dance moves.

It’s a cornucopia of songs that make up multiple generations of popular music and as an Xennial, he’s grooving to them all, calling himself “polyjamorous.” He’s not alone either. The comments are full of people that knew every word, agreeing that road tripping with an Xennial is a unique experience that includes lots of seat dancing and fun.

“YESSS!!! I also love Doja Cat and Harry Styles. I’ve said Xennials have the most rich and diverse exposure and taste in music in all of history!! I stand on that! We are unlike any other gen,” someone says.

“And this is why my child has superior taste in music,” another writes.

“Xennial here. Literally all of these are in my main playlist. lol,” one person laughs at the realization.

“4010% correct. I’m pretty sure I have a playlist with every single one of these songs on it,” another person admits.

“These are all on my ‘road trip’ mix. Constantly updated and perpetually giving whiplash,” a commenter shares along with the universal sign for rock-and-roll.

The Xennials are living their best life through Harrison’s road trip playlist with many of them asking him to share his playlist so they can easily download it. Guaranteed most of the people watching his video had “Love Shack” by the B-52’s stuck in their heads for the rest of the day. Party on, Nick!

The 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in Paris turned out to be a grand spectacle, with Lady Gaga putting on a dazzling show on the banks of the Siene, metal band Gojira putting in an unexpected appearance alongside a reminder of the French attitude toward royalty, and a performer that viewers couldn’t help comparing to an American peer with dog-themed name. Incidentally, it wasn’t Snoop!

As French rapper Rim’K, a long tenured fixture of the French hip-hop scene, performed, Twitter’s trending topics lit up with mentions of “French Pitbull” as viewers noted his uncanny resemblance to Mr. Worldwide.

Rim’K is of Algerian descent, and regularly references the country in his often political songs. He released his debut album, L’enfant du pays, in 2004, reaching No. 8 on the French charts, and he’s continued releasing music at a fairly impressive clip until recently; his last album, Mutant, came out in 2018 and peaked at No. 6 on the French charts. Rim’K is also a member of the group 113 and the larger collective Mafia K-1 Fry. He’s credited for introducing Maghrebian folk rhythms to rap, and is considered one of France’s premier rappers.

Speaking of dog-themed rappers, Snoop Dogg carrying the torch has sparked its own run of hilarious jokes.

The Boys recently crushed souls with a jam-packed season finale, and now, the audience awaits the second season of Gen V along with word of whether Cate and Sam will head back from the main series to resume being the “Guardians of Godolkin.” A fifth season of The Boys will follow to tie up the Homelander-Butcher rivalry, and that isn’t all that Eric Kripke (as based upon Garth Ennis) and the writers’ rooms wrote. Another spin off has been greenlit by Amazon.

This isn’t in reference to the reported The Boys: Mexico spin off (supposedly starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) but a completely different show that will feature Soldier Boy and Stormfront. Of course, the latter died after being burnt to a crisp in The Boys second-season finale, and the former resurfaced (in stasis) in the fourth-season finale. And unlike with the Mexico spin off, which Kripke recently revealed is actually “a while away” from an official greenlight, the two early Vought Supes’ spin off — called Vought Rising — is fully on the way as a prequel.

Soldier Boy himself, Jensen Ackles, made the announcement on Friday at San Diego Comic-Con, via Entertainment Weekly:

Ackles teased that the new series “will be a lurid pulp prequel set in New York City at the dawn of the ‘50s about the humble beginnings of the Vought Corporation.”

Ackles will be joined by another former star of The Boys: Aya Cash, who will be reprising her role as Stormfront in the series. Although Stormfront was initially presented as a new member of the Seven, she was actually a long-lived Nazi and the very first subject of Frederick Vought’s superpower serum Compound V. So it makes sense that she would be a factor in this new ‘50s-set series

Additionally, Soldier Boy, who also made a Gen V cameo, will apparently wake up in The Boys‘ final season, so now, we can wonder whether he will be the Supe to kill Homelander. His resurgence will be music to Supernatural fans’ ears, since it’s likely that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will still be visible as Joe Kessler/Butcher’s Devil Inside, and they can have a perpetual reunion party with Kripke.

Aya Cash, as well, was pumped. She surfaced in a video clip for the SDCC audience to declare, “We’ve got everything from Judy Garland to Joe McCarthy. How? I don’t know, I didn’t write it. But I have read it, and it’s really really good.” And very intriguing.

(Via EW)

Being an Xennial is like being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. This group of people are too young to be Gen X but feel too old to be millennials. They’re designated as a microgeneration, though they’re constantly lumped in with millennials, hence how they got the name “Xennial.” But it’s this distinct characteristic that has resulted in Xennials having the some of the most eclectic music tastes out there.

Nick Harrison posted a video on social media showing what it’s like to road trip with an Xennial and it’s an entire vibe. The man starts the video in the car off strong jamming to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. The music quickly changes to “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre causing Harrison to switch up his dance moves.

It’s a cornucopia of songs that make up multiple generations of popular music and as an Xennial, he’s grooving to them all, calling himself “polyjamorous.” He’s not alone either. The comments are full of people that knew every word, agreeing that road tripping with an Xennial is a unique experience that includes lots of seat dancing and fun.

“YESSS!!! I also love Doja Cat and Harry Styles. I’ve said Xennials have the most rich and diverse exposure and taste in music in all of history!! I stand on that! We are unlike any other gen,” someone says.

“And this is why my child has superior taste in music,” another writes.

“Xennial here. Literally all of these are in my main playlist. lol,” one person laughs at the realization.

“4010% correct. I’m pretty sure I have a playlist with every single one of these songs on it,” another person admits.

“These are all on my ‘road trip’ mix. Constantly updated and perpetually giving whiplash,” a commenter shares along with the universal sign for rock-and-roll.

The Xennials are living their best life through Harrison’s road trip playlist with many of them asking him to share his playlist so they can easily download it. Guaranteed most of the people watching his video had “Love Shack” by the B-52’s stuck in their heads for the rest of the day. Party on, Nick!