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Why should a superintendent get a raise while teachers in the same district struggling to make ends meet see their paychecks flatline — year after year after year?

Teacher Deyshia Hargrave begged the question. Minutes later, she was handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a cop car.

The scene was captured below by YouTube user Chris Rosa, who attended a board meeting for Vermilion Parish Schools in Louisiana.

You can watch Hargrave begin speaking about 33 seconds in. The situation starts becoming contentious around 6:35 minutes. Hargrave is arrested at 8:35, and then walked outside in handcuffs and placed in the back of police vehicle.

Teacher Deyshia Hargrave was questioning the school board how they can vote to give the superintendent a raise when school employees have not gotten a raise …

“We work very hard with very little to maintain the salaries that we have,” Hargrave, who teaches middle school language arts, said during a public comment portion of the meeting, stating that she’s seen classroom sizes balloon during her time at the school with no increased compensation. “We’re meeting those goals, while someone in that position of leadership [the superintendent] is getting raise? It’s a sad, sad day to be a teacher in Vermilion Parish.”

According to comments Hargrave made to BuzzFeed News, she believes Superintendent Jerome Puyau was already making $110,000 before the board voted to give him a raise of $38,000. The raise alone is roughly the salary of “a teacher, or two cafeteria workers, or two janitors,” Hargrave told the outlet.

After Hargrave spoke out again later in the meeting, a city marshal on duty asked her to leave — even though the school board was still addressing her.

“You’re going to leave, or I’m going to remove you,” the officer told her, as seen in the video. Many people in attendance seemed shocked. “Are you serious?” someone asked, aghast, in the crowd.

Hargrave leaves the room, followed by the officer. But moments later, someone chimed in, “he’s putting her in handcuffs” — and the room erupts in disarray.

“I am not [resisting], you just pushed me to the floor!” Hargrave is heard screaming at the officer, as he forcibly removes her down the hallway and out the building in handcuffs. “Sir, hold on! I am way smaller than you!”

Teacher removed from Vermilion school board meeting in handcuffs

According to KATV News, Hargrave was booked in the city jail for resisting an officer — a fact that left many commenters online flabbergasted. School officials are reportedly not pressing charges. “Umm … what charges could they possibly make?” one Redditor noted.

With help from the Reddit community, Rosa’s video has gone viral, garnering more than 600,000 views in less than 24 hours. Clearly, Hargrave’s earnest question about inequality in our education system — met with a grotesque abuse of power — has clearly touched a nerve with people across the country.

“I don’t know how this teacher could have been more polite and patient in her earnest desire to find out why the superintendent deserves a raise while the teachers work harder with less,” YouTube commenter Scott Wells chimed in. “She continued to press because they refused to come up with an answer. Seems like a good question to me.”

We agree.

This article originally appeared on 01.09.18

TMZ reports that Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, has died from an apparent drowning. He was 54 years old.

Perry was found earlier today at his home in the Los Angeles area where he was allegedly discovered by authorities in a jacuzzi. According to TMZ, “there were no drugs found at the scene” and “there is no foul play involved.”

Outside of Friends, which was one of the biggest shows on television for 10 seasons and over 230 episodes (and a high-profile reunion), Perry starred in numerous movies, including Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again. His filmography also includes leading roles in the sitcoms Mr. Sunshine and a reboot of The Odd Couple.

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, Perry opened up about his history with drug and alcohol addiction. “I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” he told People in 2022. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”

(Via TMZ)

Steve Smith was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL during much of his career, but he was just as well known for being someone not to be messed with.

But fellow slight-finder and NC State head coach Dave Doeren did not like what Smith had to say as a guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay when he – along with the rest of the panel – picked Clemson to win.

So after NC State beat Clemson for the second straight season and got its best win of the year, Doeren wanted to let Smith know.

“Tell Steve Smith this ain’t a basketball school,” Doeren said to wrap up his postgame on-field interview. “He can kiss my ass.”

NC State got the upset win over Clemson, so it was quite the walk-off line from Doeren, even if the game was on the CW instead of ESPN and Smith was merely the guest picker so he wouldn’t have likely been in the studio.

What he seemed to be responding to was Smith’s comment after picking Clemson: “But NC State, unfortunately, they’re waiting for basketball to start.”

It’s unclear whether Smith meant to imply they were a basketball school specifically or if he meant that the fans had given up on the football season, but either way, Doeren understandably did not care for it.

Smith remains one of the more beloved former Carolina Panthers in the team’s history and has shown even recently he’snot afraid to get into a war of words, so it was certainly bold of Doeren to take a shot at him.

But Doeren had defended his team fiercely leading up to his Smith call-out in that same interview, getting choked up as he said that he wished others believed in them as much as he did.

NC State’s men’s basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament once in the last five seasons and has not won a conference title since 1987. But the Wolfpack women under Wes Moore are a power, reaching the Sweet 16 or better in four of the last five NCAA Tournaments.

For some, Halloween is a day to play dress up. But for others, like Uproxx cover star Ashnikko, it’s a lifestyle. Yesterday (October 27), the “Dying Star” singer brought back her annual Halloweenie single series. The latest addition to the collection is “Halloweenie V: The Moss King,” and its official visual is the perfect way to kick off your spooky night festivities.

In the video, an animated version of Ashnikko causes havoc in the forest with the help of a few ghoulish friends. Last year, Ashnikko decided not to release a Halloweenie track, as they were working on their Weedkiller album.

“Just to soften the blow, I’m just gonna tell you now there won’t be a ‘Halloweenie’ song this year because I’m literally ripping my hair out trying to finish this album, and I have to focus! It will be worth the wait, I promise! So grateful to you all for listening to my songsies,” wrote Ashnikko on their official X (formerly Twitter) page.

Fast-forward to today, the temporary deviation from tradition, which started in 2018, was all worth it.

Watch Ashnikko’s “Halloweenie V: The Moss King” visualizer above.

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

How sure was Mike Pence that he could win over a party dominated by someone whose supporters wanted him dead? Perhaps we’ll never know. But on Saturday, after nearly five months on the trail, the former veep announced he was suspending his 2024 presidential campaign. And people weren’t exactly sad to see him go.

“I came here to say it’s become clear to me this is not my time,” Pence told the crowd at the annual Republican Jewish Coalition convention in Las Vegas. “I have no regrets. The only thing that would have been harder than coming up short would have been if we never tried at all.”

There have been two kinds of Republican presidential candidates this season: ones critical of former president Donald Trump, hoping to bring the GOP back to its foundations, and ones who were probably just trying to be Trump’s vice president. Pence was of the former, although his attacks on his former top dog were never as blistering as they should have been, especially considering Trump defended those who wanted his VP hanged.

But now it’s over. Some of his fellow Republicans (not Trump) had nice things to say about Pence. Ron DeSantis called him a “principled man of faith.” Meanwhile Nikki Haley described him as a “good man of faith.”

Others on social media weren’t surprised that Pence ultimately caved, especially considering Trump is clobbering all the competition.

There were lots of jokes.

Few of those jokes, however, were as gutting as this one:

While some Republicans mourned Pence’s aborted campaign, others did not.

But at least by running a doomed presidential campaign, Pence made sure we all got a surreal ad in which he pretends to pump gas.

(Via NBC News)

Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody has been covered dozens of different ways. But you’ve never seen it performed like this.

As one of the most iconic songs in rock music, Bohemian Rhapsody is recognizable no matter how it’s done. As children, my brother and I used to belt out Galileos and Figaros in the backseat of our parents’ Volkswagon whenever the song came on (yes, just like in Wayne’s World). While other kids learned about Beelzebub in Sunday School, I learned about him from Queen’s perfect harmonies. If there were an anthem from my classic rock-filled childhood, it would be Bohemian Rhapsody.

It’s one of those songs that is hard to cover well, though it hasn’t stopped people from trying. I’ve enjoyed some renditions, but nothing has caught my attention or delight more than this kapa haka version from New Zealand.

A Māori choir in native garb sang the song live in the Māori language, and it is something to see.

The group Hātea Kapa Haka performed the song on February 21 at New Zealand’s national kapa haka festival, Te Matatini, in Wellington. The festival brings 46 kapa haka (Māori performing arts) groups together to compete against one another.

Newshub reports that Hātea Kapa Haka collaborated with musical artist William Waiirua to create a “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover in the Māori language, both as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and to celebrate the Oscar-nominated movie about his life.

The group had previously created a music video for their cover, but seeing it performed live is something else. The voices, the harmony, the presentation—everything—is wonderful.

This kind of cultural mashup reminds us how small our world has become.

The contrast between Queen’s 1970s British rock and the Māori people’s traditional kapa haka could not be more striking. And yet, the melding of the two totally works. Music has the power to bring people together, and this performance is a great example of how it can bridge cultures with beautiful results.

Watch the live performance here:

And if you want more, check out the music video too:

William Waiirua got more help from Hātea Kapa Haka than he bargained for when his car broke down… For more Queen, check out this playlist: https://umusicNZ…

This article originally appeared on 03.01.19

Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old, Grace. Sadly, Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor.

“I didn’t get one dance,” Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. “And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said, ‘Dad, if you embarrass me, I will never talk to you again.’ But what she did do is she hung out with me.”

No matter who your dad is, especially if you’re a 10-year-old-girl, you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.

But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school ’90s Marky Mark moves.

However, Wahlberg couldn’t help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.

Let’s not forget, he didn’t get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the “Good Vibrations” video.

Being that Wahlberg’s time as a pop star was three decades ago, he couldn’t believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance.

“[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage, by the DJ. And then I’m sitting there with one other dad and I’m like, ‘This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I’m like no good,'” he said.

“I told the DJ and he’s like, ‘Oh, I thought it was.’ I said, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m hearing F-bombs and this and that’s not okay,” Wahlberg said.

He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.

Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.

A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.

Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.

It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.

That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.

“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.

“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”

Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.

Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.

Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.

“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.

“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”

He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.

Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.

A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.

Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.

It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.

That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.

“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.

“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”

Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.

Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.

Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.

“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.

“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”

This article originally appeared on 03.03.20

Software developer Angie Jones’ recent girls trip revealed that America still has a long way to go when it comes to race.

To most, that’s not surprising. But what’s unique is how the specific experience Jones and her friends went through revealed the pervasive way systemic racism still runs through our culture.

Jones is the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Applitools, holds 26 patented inventions in the United States of America and Japan, and is an IBM Master Inventor.

On July 27, she tweeted about a flight she took with nine other Black women and they all sat in first class. “People literally could not process how it was possible,” she wrote. “Staff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled ‘are they a higher class of people than I am?!'”

this weekend I went on a girls trip. 10 Black women flying first class. People literally could not process how it was possible. nnStaff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled “are they a higher class of people than I am?!”nnStay mad.

— Angie Jones (@Angie Jones)
1627433914

Jones and her friends were the targets of racism that ranged from the seemingly unconscious — people who assumed that Black people don’t sit in first class — to the blatant — those who were seriously bothered that Black people were being treated as having a higher status.

It’s interesting that she didn’t mention anyone saying “good for you” for succeeding in a world that often holds people of color back. Instead, she was greeted with incredulity and jealous rage.

There are a lot of white people who can’t stand the idea of a Black person being elevated above them. It’s disturbing that in 2021 there are still some who will admit it publicly.

Jones’ tweets inspired a lot of people to share their stories about the racism they’ve experienced while flying first class.

Jones’ tweets also angered some people to the point that they denied her story. To which she responded, “To those saying I’m lying, you’re a huge part of the problem,” she wrote. “You tell yourself a notable person is lying (for what reason, I cannot figure out) before you believe there are actual racists in…America.”

pic.twitter.com/EkhqeU58yg

— Mr. Skilling (@Mr. Skilling)
1627571128

One Twitter user came up with the perfect retort to the person who asked, “Are they a higher class of people than I am?!”

fuck I wish I would’ve thought to say this!!!

— Angie Jones (@Angie Jones)
1627436122

fuck I wish I would’ve thought to say this!!!

— Angie Jones (@Angie Jones)
1627436122

This article originally appeared on 07.29.21

On Friday, October 27, Taylor Swift’s latest re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) dropped across all digital streaming platforms. On Saturday, October 28, it has already smashed one platform’s documented history.

In a post shared to Spotify’s official X (formerly Twitter), the streamer revealed the news. “She’s done it again!” read the note. “On October 27, Taylor Swift became the most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.”

So far this year, Swift has already entered the history books for her The Eras Tour earnings, box office profits from the supporting concert film, and now her latest re-recording joined the long list of accomplishments.

Before its release, Swift took to Instagram to share a note about the record. “The ‘1989’ album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27,” wrote Swift. “To be perfectly honest, this is my most favorite re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 ‘From The Vault’ tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long.”

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic Records. Find more information here.

Spider-Man is so popular he’s been played by three live-action actors and even inspired an animated series, in which there’s an entire multiverse of them. And yet in each of them his origin story is the same: Peter Parker or Miles Morales or Spider-Ham is bitten by a radioactive spider. But what if he hadn’t been? What if he became a web-flinging do-gooder by other, maybe less ridiculous means? That’s what would have happened had Marvel dug David Fincher’s threatened version, which they did not.

In a sprawling interview with The Guardian (in a bit teased out by The AV Club), the director of Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and the new hitman saga The Killer recalls being one of the filmmakers who got to pitch their take on Spidey back when Marvel and Sony were rolling out their first big screen iteration. It didn’t go so hot. For one thing, he wanted to skip the whole spider bite aspect.

“They weren’t f*cking interested,” Fincher recalled with a laugh. “And I get it. They were like: ‘Why would you want to eviscerate the origin story?’ And I was like: ‘’Cos it’s dumb?’”

Perhaps, but it’s also evidently not something one messes with, which he gets. “That origin story means a lot of things to a lot of people,” Fincher said, “but I looked at it and I was like: ‘A red and blue spider?’ There’s a lot of things I can do in my life and that’s just not one of them.”

Instead the gig went to another iconoclastic filmmaker, Sam Raimi, who kept the “bitten by a spider” jazz and launched a franchise that couldn’t even be killed by a cheerfully ridiculous montage where Tobey Maguire’s evil Peter Parker does a Tony Manero-style dance through the streets of New York City. Still, one can dream of what could have been.

The Killer, meanwhile, is now in select theaters. It hits Netflix on November 10.

(Via The Guardian and The AV Club)