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It’s always amazing to see a great impressionist, such as Frank Calliendo or Melissa Villaseñor, put on another persona for comedic effect. There is something magical about people who can uncover a person’s mannerisms and essence and replicate them for comedic effect.

It’s one of the oldest forms of comedy, but when done right, it’s still as entertaining as ever.

Massimo Mandato, a 24-year-old Canadian TikTokker, has devised a new way of impersonating people simply by making a face and striking a pose. The incredible thing is that, for some reason, he has the ability to look like different people, regardless of their gender or age. The magnificent thing is he can pull off their look in just a few seconds, and once you see it, you can’t unsee the resemblance.

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“It’s the way that I literally look like everyone,” he opens his first video in the series. “Don’t believe me? Buckle up.” What is it about this man’s face that makes it a blank slate that can transform into just about anyone?

Let’s take a look at some of his fabulous work.

In this video, he shows us that he looks like Kendall from “Dance Moms,” Elvis Presley, Sam Smith, Gru (from “Despicable Me”) as a kid, Shane Dawson and YouTuber Dream. How in the world can he look like all those people when they don’t even look like each other?

Commenter Camille Roe asked the same thing: “None of these people look similar, but somehow you look just like every one of them.”

@massmandato

tell me who else I look like☠️ #shanedawson #samsmith #dream #gru #elvis #fyp #greenscreen

After the video went viral, the commenters began asking him to do impressions of some more people they think he looks like. That led to a follow-up where he poses his face to look like Elizabeth Moss from “Mad Men,” Emma Chamberlain, Dina from “Superstore,” Ellen DeGeneres, Napoleon Bonaparte and Tobey Maguire.

[Video 2]

@massmandato

Wait till the end I was shook☠️ #emmachamberlain #tobeymaguire #ellen

Again, Napoleon looks nothing like Ellen, and Tobey Maguire looks nothing like Peggy, the copywriter from “Mad Men,” so how does he look like all 4? The commenters were blown away by Mandato’s resemblance to the French emperor.

“Why are you literally Napoleon?” Vee asked in the comments. “Napoleon had me dead,” Karolastrona added. “When you zoomed out and Napoleon appeared, my eyes popped out of my head,” Michelle Lee wrote.

In this video, Mandato looks like Katy Perry, Paris Jackson, Lorde, Balloony from “Phineas and Ferb,” JoJo Siwa, British racing driver George Russell, and Lenny from “Shark Tale.”

@massmandato

The list just keeps increasing😫#jojosiwa #georgerussell #lorde #greenscreen @JoJo Siwa @

Last, but not least, here’s Mandato as Dolly Parton.

@massmandato

Literally how😭 #dollyparton

Even though impressionists have been working throughout human history, technology has opened up a new way for these artists to show off their craft.

Mandato isn’t just great because he poses like the people he’s impersonating. The videos flawlessly morph into a picture of the person, which is why the illusion works so well. Without TikTok, it’d be a little hard for Mandato to pull off his act. It would be interesting to see how he would present his unique talent in a live stage show.

In the sun-soaked wilds of South Florida, a biologist and his girlfriend are building a one-of-a-kind animal sanctuary on a 40-acre property in Ocala. Chris Gillette and Gabby Sampone are on a mission for Florida’s Wildest Animal Rescue to not only save animals but transform public perception of some of the state’s most dangerous inhabitants.

“I was born and raised in Florida and grew up as a kid catching rattlesnakes and gators. I have been around wildlife my whole life and made their preservation my life mission,” says Chris, who’s been working in various animal parks and appearing on wildlife TV shows for over a decade. Today, he and Gabby, a New York transplant who shares his love for animals, are working towards the ultimate goal of providing a haven for rare and dangerous animals and the everyday wildlife of Florida.

Chris placed a massive bet on himself to pay for the rescue by putting up his life savings to fund the project. “This has been my dream my entire life, and I’m spending every cent I have on it,” he says.

The couple hopes to open the rescue to the general public within weeks after the 8-foot-tall perimeter fence is built. When fully operational, the sanctuary will be a place where visitors can learn about wildlife and be inspired to protect these amazing creatures and the planet in which they live.

From iguanas with scoliosis and deformed turtles to a 250-pound tortoise, their sanctuary has a unique group of residents. Their recent rescues also include a three-legged goat, a coatimundi (a South American cousin to the raccoon) and foxes with adorably oversized ears. Chris says the foxes look like “Pokémon.”

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A primary goal of the sanctuary is to change public perceptions of alligators. “A lot of these animals are misunderstood, feared and hated by so many people. The root of the problem is miseducation. My goal is to make content that is fun and interesting, so people don’t hate them,” he explains.

“When people think of gators and crocs, they imagine them to be these mindless killing machines obsessed with eating humans, like some monster movie,” Chris continued. “People don’t realize gators and crocs are incredibly intelligent animals capable of learning training and have intricate social lives, as well as being keystone species in the ecosystems they inhabit. I have gators better trained than most people’s dogs.”

His commitment to these often-misrepresented creatures is evident in his gator presentations and posts on Facebook and Instagram. “If you read my comments on social apps, you’ll see people who say they used to want gators killed, but now they’re actually excited to see them in the wild,” Chris says.

Social media plays a pivotal role in the rescue’s operations, serving as both an educational tool and a fundraising platform. Gillette has over 2.5 million followers on social media, and Gabby has over 500,000. Through their considerable Facebook and Instagram followings, they’ve managed to rally the support of thousands. Their recent fundraisers have helped them tackle significant costs, from enclosure fencing to unexpected vet bills.

“I make reels, posts, and do fundraisers on Facebook and Instagram,” Chris says. “The fundraisers on Facebook are really successful, and I raised $9,000 last time. On Instagram, I’ll usually get $1,000 per fundraiser. These really add up and help with all the costs.”

These fundraisers are necessary for the couple to keep operations going until they can open their doors and charge for tours. “We’re required to have perimeter fences that are at least 8 feet high. That alone is $50,000. That’s how we’re spending most of the donations we’re getting these days,” Chris says.

Between raising funds, ensuring the construction of perimeter fences, and caring for the diverse dietary needs of animals like toucans and hornbills, rescue is a full-time endeavor that takes a lot of teamwork.

Chris works at two alligator parks in South Florida on weekends to keep up with the couple’s everyday expenses and those at the rescue. “I’m doing tours and presentations there, so we have money,” Chris says. “When I’m gone, Gabby’s caring for all the animals and making sure everything’s getting built.”

Chris can’t wait until the rescue is ready for its main attraction. “In a year, I hope everything for the alligators is set up. And in three years, maybe even have swimming tours,” he says.

Beyond the fences of the sanctuary, Chris and Gabby hope to change hearts and minds. Whether it’s emphasizing the intelligence of alligators or highlighting the ecological importance of rattlesnakes, he wants Floridians to appreciate and coexist with their local wildlife. “They were here before us and have just as much right to exist in this space as we do. It is our responsibility to be educated and act as good stewards of the environment we are lucky enough to have before us,” Chris says.

The sanctuary’s story is one of dedication, resilience and love for the wild inhabitants of Florida. As the founder aptly puts it, “To save ourselves, we must educate people to respect and protect native animals and ecosystems.”

Being a new mom can be a scary time because everything is new to you and your baby. But when you’re nursing it can be a lonely time as well since so many times it can be physically isolating, especially if you’re not comfortable nursing in front of others. Sometimes the need to find a private place to nurse is because your baby is easily distracted.

This can make any mom feel alone in her struggle but in Pittsburgh International Airport, moms are pitching in to remind others that they’re part of a larger community. Jenna Dillulio is a mom of a toddler who also happens to have anxiety around flying who was flying solo with her toddler daughter to Pittsburgh.

While on her way home from her trip, she stopped in the nursing lounge to nurse her toddler before their flight and noticed something that brought her to tears.

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Hundreds of sticky notes lined the walls of the nursing lounge. They were all from mother’s who had sat in that very room to nurse their own babies leaving sweet encouraging messages to other moms that may need a boost. Dillulio happened to be one of those moms and the messages came just when she needed them the most.

“Immediately when I opened up the door, I just was overcome with emotion. It was my first time traveling with her, so to walk in there and then to need the support and then you get it without expecting it, it warmed my heart to see all those post-its,” Dillulio tells Good Morning America.

Before catching her flight, the mom stopped to write her own encouraging note for another overwhelmed mom to find. The entire practice is beautiful in a place people least expect it. Watch the entire thing below.

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”

In October 2016, that was a quote from Albert Einstein that sat atop the Facebook page of Tim McMillan, a police officer in Georgia.

McMillan become a sensation after a post he wrote on his Facebook wall went viral in 2016. In his post, he explains how he pulled over a Black teen for texting while driving:

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“I pulled a car over last night for texting and driving. When I went to talk to the driver, I found a young black male, who was looking at me like he was absolutely terrified with his hands up. He said, ‘What do you want me to do officer?’ His voice was quivering. He was genuinely scared,” McMillan wrote.

But McMillan said he wasn’t interested in harassing or arresting the young man, let alone inflicting violence upon him. Nonetheless, the teen’s emotional response hit McMillan like a punch to the gut.

“I just looked at him for a moment, because what I was seeing made me sad. I said, ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt.’ In which he replied, with his voice still shaking, ‘Do you want me to get out of the car.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want you to text and drive. I don’t want you to get in a wreck. I want your mom to always have her baby boy. I want you to grow up and be somebody. I don’t even want to write you a ticket. Just please pay attention, and put the phone down. I just don’t want you to get hurt,'” he wrote.

McMillan said the interaction made him reflect on a deeply personal level about the national attention being paid to acts of police violence against Black Americans, particularly young Black men.

“I truly don’t even care who’s fault it is that young man was so scared to have a police officer at his window. Blame the media, blame bad cops, blame protestors, or Colin Kaepernick if you want. It doesn’t matter to me who’s to blame. I just wish somebody would fix it.”

This story originally appeared on GOOD.

This article originally appeared on 08.31.18

Freddie Mercury had a voice and a stage presence unlike any other in rock music history. His unique talents helped propel the band Queen to the top of music charts and created a loyal fan base around the world.

Sadly, the world lost that voice when Mercury died of AIDS at age 45. For decades, most of us have assumed we’d heard all the music we were going to hear from him.

However, according to Yahoo! Entertainment, remaining Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May announced this summer that they had found a never-released song they’d recorded with Mercury in 1988 as they were working on the album “The Miracle.”

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“We did find a little gem from Freddie, that we’d kind of forgotten about,” Taylor said in June, according to the BBC. “It’s wonderful, a real discovery. It’s a very passionate piece.”

That “little gem” is a four-minute ballad called “Face It Alone.” Queen released a lyric video of the song on its YouTube channel, and it’s bringing fans to tears.

The lyrics are particularly heart-wrenching, considering the timing of the song’s recording. Mercury was reportedly diagnosed with HIV in 1987, though kept it a secret from the public and even from many who worked closely with him until shortly before his death.

Comments have poured in from around the world in multiple languages, and the sentiment is universal—people are deeply moved.

“Over 3 million views in one day. To hear Freddie’s voice again is so special. You live forever, darling. The song is heart breaking but then again, Queen’s songs are from the heart and that can never go wrong. Thank you to all who made it happen.” – sweet pea

“One day Freddie said: ‘I won’t be a star, I will be a Legend’ And yes we all agree, he STILL REMAINS A LEGEND even after 31 years after his death. AMAZING.” – Gloria Sousa

“Freddie’s vocal is killing me same today as 20 years ago. Thank You Queen for this amazing gift after so many years. We love You.” – Adrian Kufel

“What to say?? A great magnificent surprise. All I know is that I cried the moment I heard this voice, these words…. Only Freddie. Love this man for eternity.. It seems as if he returned briefly to us!! To send us a message… What a beautiful present for all his fans, for this generation that has had the impact of the pandemic, this strange war, these strange times. So happy and touched to hear this now. Thank you Queen… Thank you Freddie forever !!!” – Fern 19671

“So great to see all the Freddie and Queen fans here today celebrating this song and Freddie’s amazing voice. I love how much Freddie is still treasured. I remember the day he passed away, how I cried. It’s like a gift to get this new song and have his song playing loud throughout the house today. We all love you dear Freddie.” – Sarah-Louise ASMR

Mercury was truly a legend in his own time, and hearing his voice anew almost makes it feel like he’s time-traveled to the here and now. What a lovely gift for Queen fans everywhere.

This article originally appeared on 10.14.22

James Harden was finally granted his trade request after months of trade talks with the Clippers came and went without a deal manifesting itself.

After a hot start by Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers finally felt it was time to remove the Harden question and just move forward with Maxey and Joel Embiid leading the way. The Clippers were the beneficiary, getting Harden for picks and a quartet of wings to help declutter their rotation without having to give up Terance Mann or any core pieces. While the upside to Harden is clear, as they could use another facilitator and initiator in the backcourt, there is the question of how he will fit with their other stars.

While they will all say the right things now and Harden figures to buy in initially, a quote from Thursday nights intro presser for Harden raised some eyebrows. While talking about his role in Philly, Harden said he felt like he was on a leash, before offering a Jay-Z-esque line about how he isn’t a system player, he’s just a system, player.

This tracks with Doc Rivers’ recent comments where he said things turned for the Sixers last year when Harden stopped buying in to being the point guard and leading with his passing rather than his scoring. Rivers believes Harden wanted to start scoring more after being snubbed from the All-Star team, and that things deteriorated from there with the coach-player relationship after that.

Harden notes it’s not a matter of scoring as much as playing his way, and he clearly didn’t feel Rivers respected what he could do for the Sixers, while Doc seems to believe Harden’s perception of what he can provide a contender at this point might not be in line with the reality at his age. That figures to make for a fascinating dynamic in L.A., where Kawhi Leonard is the leading man with a strong No. 2 in Paul George, and what they need more than anything is Harden’s passing.

The good news is, there should be plenty of run to be had with a second unit that can be Harden’s all his own if he’d like, as he requested in Philly. If that satiates his desire to score and play his preferred style and then he falls in line with the starters, then the Clippers might just put it all together. However, we’ve said that before with Harden and he is firmly in the position of needing to prove he will do that before getting the benefit of the doubt from many.

April 24, 1976, was the last time former Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, saw each other. McCartney would later recall that the last words Lennon ever spoke to him were, “Think of me now and then, old friend.”

Lennon would be gunned down in front of his apartment on December 8, 1980.

It feels somewhat prophetic that the final Beatles song featuring all four members, released on Thursday, November 2, is called “Now and Then.” The song was built from a demo that Lennon recorded at his Manhattan apartment in 1978. Although no one knows if it was written about McCartney, it’s a redemptive ballad about how Lennon found the strength to overcome hardships through a loved one.

I know it’s true

It’s all because of you

And, if I make it through

It’s all because of you

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The song was written at a time when the pair had gotten past years of hard feelings and legal battles after the Beatles’ breakup and had considered recording together again. Of course, the song could also have been about his wife and creative partner, Yoko Ono, who was the subject of some of Lennon’s most heartfelt ballads.

“Now and Then” has one of the most prolonged gestation periods of any piece of modern music. The Lennon demo was already about 16 years old when it was handed to the surviving Beatles by Ono as part of the Beatles ‘ Anthology project in 1994. Although the surviving Beatles would complete Lennon’s “Real Love” and “Free as a Bird,” the band did work on “Now and Then” but never finished the song.

McCartney says the band “ran out of steam and time,” and, in the past, he’s claimed that Harrison didn’t like the song. Harrison would die in 2001 from lung cancer.

But thanks to an AI program developed by filmmaker Peter Jackson that was used to make The Beatles’ “Get Back” documentary, the band was able to complete the song. “Since Peter took John off [the cassette] and gave him his own track, it’s like John’s there. It’s far out,” Ringo Starr said in a BBC documentary.

While some feared that McCartney and Starr were using AI to resurrect Lennon from the grave, their use of AI is tasteful because it doesn’t create anything new. It just bring’s Lennons voice to the forefront.

“My dad would have loved that because he was never shy to experiment with recording technology. I think it’s really beautiful,” Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, told the BBC.

The performances by all four Beatles over 6 decades were augmented by sweeping orchestrations composed by McCartney and producer Giles Martin, son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin.

Although there are sure to be more projects involving the surviving Beatles and the band’s legacy as recording artists, this is the last time we will ever get to hear a new song from the group. “Now and Then” is a fine curtain call that sits nicely along with their incredible catalog of music. It’s a song about perseverance through the power of love and friendship, a theme that’s prevalent in the band’s most important songs, from “Help!” to “All You Need is Love” to “Hey Jude.”

A mom who admitted she packs her 2-year-old a meal when they go out to dinner has started an interesting debate on TikTok about restaurant etiquette and how it applies to young children.

The video posted by Ohio mom, Karlie Smith (unbreakablemomma on TikTok), has received nearly 600,000 views and has over 1,850 comments.

“Call me cheap, call me whatever, but if we’re going out to a restaurant, I’m packing my kid a meal,” Smith, 21, said in her post. “I do this for many reasons. On Friday nights, my family and I get together, and tonight, we’re getting food out. My son is not getting food out.”

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“For one, you want me to pay $6.99 for chicken tenders and fries that my son is going to throw half of it on the floor? You’re crazy,” she continued. “Also, whatever I pack is probably going to be healthier than what the restaurant has anyways.”

Smith’s example of a $6.99 kids’ meal is generous. In some parts of the country, a kids’ meal will set you back a lot more than that.

@unbreakablemomma

Visit TikTok to discover videos!

In the video, Smith demonstrated what she prepared for her son’s meal that day: a sandwich filled with peanut butter and jelly, banana slices, cubed cheddar cheese and a chocolate-flavored Lara bar, all neatly organized in a plastic container.

Smith added that when they get to the restaurant, her child can begin to eat immediately without having to wait for a server to take their order and the kitchen to prepare the food.

“I can just hand him this and let him go to town,” she said. “Also, my child is not opinionated. He does not care what he eats; he just wants to eat.”

The mother of two created quite a stir on TikTok after posting the video, with some people shaming her for bringing outside food into a restaurant. Many felt she wasn’t being fair by taking a seat without buying a meal, while others thought the restaurant was a good place for a child to learn patience. Others felt she wasn’t being fair by eating a restaurant-cooked meal while her child ate food from home.

“$6.99 is not a outrageous price. Eating out is definitely a experience a child deserves while everyone eats out,” Suki commented.

“It is sooo important that they learn patience at that age. The same two-year-old who doesn’t learn that becomes a screaming five-year-old,” Heth added.

“Someone once told me if u can’t afford to let your kid get whatever meal they want at a restaurant, u shouldn’t be eating out,” Kiana stated.

“You are paying for the seat at the table, not just the food. The price of the food to the restaurant is a tiny part of it,” LiverpoolLilac wrote.

However, many people felt for Smith and thought she was doing the right thing for her child and finances.

“This is a great idea and I will be using it! Why would I buy a 2-year-old a meal they won’t eat? People need to stop harassing you,” Katy Brown wrote.

“This is great cause restaurant food is rarely healthy for kids. Always chicken tenders and grilled cheese or corn dogs etc, and fries fries fries,” Luna added.

“This is so smart, my kids always waste out food & always eat what I make so thanks for this tip!” Ceryna said.

After the video was bombarded with comments, Smith told Today.com that, as a former server, she always leaves a tip that compensates for the food brought from home and cleans up the table.

Smith put out a follow-up video where she had some fun with the negative comments she received on the video.

@unbreakablemomma

Visit TikTok to discover videos!

This article originally appeared on 5.26.23

It has been over two years since J. Cole’s last album The Off-Season, and fans can’t wait for his next album, The Fall Off. He’s been teasing it for some time, but what exactly does he mean by titling it “The Fall Off?”

He’s gone into some detail before, but today, he gave much more insight while appearing on Lil Yachty’s A Safe Space Podcast. He tells his “Secret Recipe” collaborator that the title originated from a moment in which he felt “comfortable” with his success and began contemplating retirement.

“Oh, you lost a step in this regard,” he told himself, talking about his usually witty lyrics. “I had a real talk with myself… ‘You made it to where you wanted to make it to. Do you wanna keep going or do you just want to chill and go start a family? Do you want to retire right now?’”

The answer was that if he was going to walk away from the rap game, he wanted to do so at the height of his powers, not after a long … fall off.

Cole previously addressed the subject in his cover story for Slam, saying, “It was the first time that I became conscious of, like, Oh, this is where n****s fall off. This is where it happens. This is the point where it takes place, where the n****s that you love, when it just didn’t hit the same. It was literally like looking at a fork in the road. OK, you can go this way and continue to grow and get better, and push yourself and still feel feelings of exhilaration when you tap into new sh-t and move on. Or, you can go this way and live a more comfortable life that’s less inspired, less push, less stretching yourself, and getting out of your comfort zone.”

You can watch the full episode of A Safe Space With J. Cole above.

After spending some time as a columnist for the Daily Mail, professional John McCain daughter and political commentator Meghan McCain has entered the world of podcasting. However, podcasting involves a constant need for content, so McCain went back to an always reliable well: Her time on The View.

After giving birth to her daughter, McCain returned from paternity leave in 2021 only to announce she’d be exiting the talk show after just a few months. This led to McCain spending the last two years going back and forth between not wanting to talk about The View to, well, talking about The View.

Despite saying just this summer that she’s “at peace” with her time on the show (while calling her former co-workers “crazy”), McCain brought up her old stomping grounds during the latest episode Meghan McCain Has Entered the Chat. With CNN’s Brian Stelter as her guest, McCain proceeded to rant about why she had to quit The View immediately.

“For me, being on The View and being around so many people who’ve been on TV daily, for decades, I was like, I cannot live my life on camera like this anymore, because it’s bad for me. It’s bad for me emotionally,” McCain said via Entertainment Weekly. “I just felt like I could not be the kind of mother, wife, and commentator I wanted to be in that kind of a chaotic environment. I didn’t want to be the type of person that couldn’t live without being on TV every day — and I, too, questioned, when I left, if I could live without it, and then I was just so happy that I didn’t have to wear makeup every day.”

McCain then likened her experience to The Devil Wears Prada.

“Working on The View is a big job, people watch it, but for me, it was like in The Devil Wears Prada where it’s like, ‘a million girls want this job,’” McCain said. “What I thought I wanted was the most miserable I was in my entire life.”

She also equated her exit with a “bomb going off” and “very dramatic,” which her co-stars would probably agree with. After she left, Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t help but notice how much “calmer” the show became with McCain no longer at the table.

“Nobody wants to be that tired every day. We’ve always had disagreements and stuff, but this one was a little bit different,” Goldberg said about McCain’s time on The View while appearing at the 2022 New York Film Festival. “I think [the show], it’s better. I feel it’s better, but I’m still tired!”

(Via Entertainment Weekly)