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One of the most interesting things about traveling the world is noticing how people from your country are a bit different from the place you’re visiting. In America, you’re mostly around fellow countrymen so it’s hard to notice the things that make us stand out.

But when you travel abroad, you quickly notice that no matter how hard you try to blend in, there are a lot of dead giveaways that show people you’re from the states that go way beyond your accent.

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A Reddit user named ILoveTallWomen asked the online forum “Non-Americans of Reddit, what is a dead giveaway that somebody is American?” to see what they think makes us stand out. “I’m not American and am curious about what other foreigners think,” they added.

There was one answer that people in the thread repeated over and over again—Americans are very friendly people. Countless commenters noted that Americans will approach anyone and start up a conversation. As a person from the U.S., I think that’s a positive stereotype. There’s nothing wrong with being overly friendly.

​People also noted that Americans tend to carry themselves with a lot of confidence and have an abundance of infectious enthusiasm.

On the negative side of things, a lot of people also noted that Americans are loud and have questionable fashion sense. We stand out abroad because we love staying comfortable by wearing white socks and sneakers on just about any occasion.

Maybe we’re happy because our feet don’t hurt?

Here are 17 of the best responses to the dead giveaways that someone is American.

Upworthy Podcast: Dead Giveaways Someone is American

On a recent episode of Upworthy Weekly, hosts Alison Rosen and Tod Perry discuss the internet’s hottest, most uplifting and most amusing topics – including d…

1.

The most popular poster shared a list:

• Wearing sneakers with anything
• Big smiles, firm handshakes
• Lots of Northface products
• Renting Segways for sightseeing tours (sometimes using those on cobblestone)
• Using big adjectives generously (“Wow, your aunt’s kidney stones sound awesome!”, “This Euroshopper beer tastes great!”)
• Clapping and cheering
• Telling one’s whole life story within 15 minutes of meeting them
• Loving stories and narratives in general (which makes them fun companions) — [Deleted]

2.

“Apart from the accent? Mostly its the ‘prepared for anything’ look they have about them (fanny pack, backpack, bottled water, camera pouch) compared to various other tourists – Asians tend to herd together for safety, while Europeans vary between blend-right-in Scandinavian to designer-brands-everywhere French and traffic-laws-are-for-others Italian. But Americans are the only ones who seem to view a perfectly civilised, modern city like some kind of uncharted jungle that doesn’t have places to shelter in the rain or buy cheap bottled water.” — Yorkshire_Pudden

3.

“Incredibly loud but incredibly friendly.” — kevio17

4.

“I asked my wife (Japanese) she said ‘In Japan I can spot Americans by the way they dress. Compared to Europeans, Americans tend to lack fashion sense.'” — RegionFree

5.

“When you can hear them before you see them.” — C1t!zen_Erased

6.

“‘On the streets they are instantly recognizable. They walk in an ugly indifferent manner, usually with their hands in their pockets. Or they’re leaning against a pole or wall with a newspaper in their hand and gum in their mouth. According to the people who met them they are more human than the English, for example, whenever someone needs help they do it quicker and better than the English.’ — My Grandpa in the Netherlands. In a letter to his sister. June 4th 1945.” — MidnightWineRed

7.

“North Face jackets. I went to college in the US (I’m not American) and when I went home for my first winter break wearing my brand new North Face jacket my friend asked me if I was given American citizenship with the purchase.” — merbonobo

8.

“I’m English, but I’ve lived here for 14 years. It’s pretty obvious just from your demeanour. Americans generally are more confident in the way they present themselves, most other countries tend to be more reserved. Walk into a room full of different nationalities, I guarantee the American person will be the first to introduce themselves. It’s a confidence thing, and I admire it.” — zerbey

9.

“When I was visiting Germany in college, a girl said to me, ‘Do you know how I know you’re an American? You wear white socks.’ Needless to say, I haven’t worn white socks since.” — ars3nal

10.

“We (Americans) describe distances in driving time, as opposed to miles or kilometers. My European relatives always make fun of me for having no clue how far away the next town is, but knowing exactly how long it takes to get there.” — hbombs86

11.

“Canadian here…the dead giveaway is when they call me ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ or ‘darling.’ I fucking love Americans and I love those terms of endearment!” — AraEnzeru

12.

“Dead giveaway: They’re surprised we can drink a beer (or any alcohol) in public in my country.” — P1r4nha

13.

“European here … there’s a noticeable trend among Americans to wear jeans, t-shirts, and hooded sweaters when they’re abroad. Lots of branded goods too (North Face, A&F, Hollister, Ed Hardy mostly). And in summer, a great percentage of the cargo-shorts-wearers are Americans. But among all that, visible tattoos on otherwise ‘normal-looking’ people (i.e. not looking like street thugs) are a common indicator too. Americans love tats.” — I_AM_A_IDIOT_AMA

14.

“In WWII, my grandpa’s company had a problem with German spies. At night the guards could not tell if intruders were returning patrols or enemy soldiers; especially since the spies spoke with flawless American accents. Before opening the gates, they tried asking questions like “What’s the capital of Nebraska?” but it didn’t always work since the Germans were highly trained and could answer most of the trivia questions. Finally, they stumbled upon a simple but effective test. They would ask them to sing the 4th verse of the Star-Spangled Banner. He told me ‘If they start singing, then you shoot ’em. No American knows the 4th verse.’ Turns out the whole song had been included in one of the German espionage training manuals.” — [Deleted]

15.

“They ask you what you do.” — Askalotl

16.

“They say ‘like’ a lot and seem to start sentences with ‘so’ for no apparent reason. Good bunch, though.” — [Deleted]

17.

“MM/DD/YYYY.” — dusmeyedin

This article originally appeared on 2.20.23

Humans may not always recognize greatness right away, but sometimes it’s so clear it simply can’t be denied.

You don’t have to be a dancer yourself to see when someone’s got moves, and a viral video from choreographer Phil Wright spotlights a kid who’s got moves. Like, wow.

Mariandrea Villegas may be tiny, but she packs a mighty amount of energy, skill, coordination and x-factor into her dancing. Oh and joy. Did I mention joy?

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Villegas, 13, danced alongside choreographer Phil Wright at The Dance Awards and holy moly. She snatched the stage right out from under him.

“I think I got smoked,” he wrote when he shared the video on his Instagram page. “I need to stop dancing with these kids. 😂 They’re low-key superheroes.”

If Villegas is any evidence, he’s right. Watch:

See on Instagram

Upworthy shared the video on Instagram as well, and people loved it.

“When you find your passion at a young age, it’s a beautiful thing to see,” wrote one commenter.

“And all with a smile on her face,” wrote another.

“This kid is an absolute star 🙌” shared another, echoing the sentiment of the copious fire emojis in the comments.

Keep on dancing with joy and passion, Mariandrea! We can’t wait to see more from you. (You can follow her on Instagram if you want to see what she’s done up to now. It’s impressive.)

This article originally appeared on 2.20.23

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for working professionals to connect and find employment that aligns with their skills and values. With company layoffs continuing (even increasing in some industries) people have also used the website to courageously share their layoff experiences.

While the main intent behind this is, of course, finding a new job, there have also been some lovely displays of humanity that not only challenge the stigma of being laid off but show the power of a supportive community.

Take this heartwarming story, for example.

Patrick McCarthy, Communications Management & Marketing Leader, recently posted about a layoff that quickly went viral on the platform. Not for himself—for his father.

“This is Pete. He’s my dad,” his post began. “My dad lost his job yesterday. I would tag him here, but he doesn’t have a LinkedIn.”

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Pete, who has had a “starkly different professional journey” than his son, spent most of his life working in the service industry and absolutely loved interacting with customers. His empathy and knack for listening made him perfect for the role. Over his career, Pete had collected thousands of interactions from working at Walgreens, Fry’s, and (most recently) Winco, often being the reason folks came back.

And then, Pete was laid off. His job as a cashier, one that he loved and was good at, was gone.

“As anyone would be, he’s shocked. Overwhelmed. Scared. Emotional,” Patrick wrote.

Knowing his dad didn’t have the same network to easily find a new job, Patrick reached out on his behalf, wholeheartedly believing in the “magic” of the LinkedIn Community. He implored that anyone looking for a candidate with “a LOT of customer-facing, customer service, and service industry experience” send him a message so that he could put them in touch with Pete.

Patrick’s faith paid off—way more than he thought it would. In less than a week, the post was shared over 500 times, with over 600 comments from people wanting to help.

A manager at a nearby Sprouts grocery store said Pete sounded like a perfect match for a clerk position that could even pay his daily wage ahead of time. Another suggested he could be an excellent outdoor tour guide for REI. Someone else referred them to a weekly meetup group led by a career coach.

Even LinkedIn responded, writing, “Pete sounds like a top-tier employee! 💙 Keep us posted as he progresses on his journey, as well as any tips or insights either of you learn along the way—it may help those in a similar situation.”

Truly, Pete’s story already provides some helpful insight. While he might still be in the job-seeking phase, things certainly look more optimistic. And all it took (besides Pete being a lovely human being) was one simple, honest post. As Patrick told Upworthy, “Clearly something about his story connected with others. Humanity. Vulnerability. Empathy.”

The words “social media” and “job market” can elicit some pretty negative visceral responses. Of course, this viewpoint has some merit, but it’s refreshing to see the power of human connection break through the disheartening headlines. Here’s to Patrick and his father Pete, for reminding us that even when things seem bleak or uncertain, the world is full of people trying to help out one another.

This article originally appeared on 2.28.23

Parenting comes with lots of magical moments, unlocking a newfound sense of joy, love, wonder and purpose with each completed milestone. However, as any parent would tell you, it’s not a never-ending Disney movie. Far from it. In fact, many of the things parents thought they would enjoy the most about raising a family can end up being the thing they dread the most.

That’s why so many parents are loving Hayley DeRoche’s now-viral TikTok listing all those things she thought she’d love as a mom that turned out to be…a living hell, to put it mildly. As a comedy writer, DeRoche (aka “That Sad Beige Lady”) knows how to deliver some ultra relatable content in a hilariously deadpan way.

“A list of things I thought I would enjoy as a parent that actually I do not,” she says at the top of her video. “These are jokes…for legal reasons.”

First thing on DeRoche’s list of disappointments? Family dinner.

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“I thought it would be a lovely bonding experience at the end of the day. Jokes on me because it is not,” she jokes. “Imagine inviting multiple wild mongoose to your dinner table. They’re ravenous, but they are also immediately full because they do not like what has been placed on the table.”

“Also, they have no bones—just flopping right out of those seats. I don’t know why you even have seats, honestly. Do you get to enjoy your meal at least? No. No, you don’t,” she adds.

@sadbeige #parenting #parentingfail #fyp ♬ original sound – That Sad Beige Lady

Vacations are equally disappointing. “Did you know that once you have children, vacations are just ‘trips’?” DeRoche asks. Yes, I think many parents have come to know this truth the hard way.

“You will be vacating your sanity,” she jokes. “Otherwise all of the normal frustrations of parenting will be coming with you. In fact, that’s probably the only thing that does get packed.”

DeRoche attests that the only true relaxation you might be lucky enough to get is “between the hours of 10 and 11 p.m.” but odds are you’ll just collapse on the bed from exhaustion, and you’ll happily take the rest because “you’re gonna need it.”

Nope, not even hiking is what DeRoche thought it would be, which apparently moves at an even slower-than-glacial pace thanks to the kiddos.

“I have had some success with the Hansel and Gretel method where you take some of your trail mix and you just drop it along behind you ,and the child will eventually catch up because they want to catch up to the M&Ms. But yeah, otherwise, do not recommend,” she quips.

Also, “reading anything out loud”…not enjoyable, apparently. Though DeRoche is happy she’s passed her love of graphic novels down to her kid, lately they’ve been into reading the graphic novel “Dog Man” out loud.

This, DeRoche explains, means that all one hears is the dialogue really, since it’s basically a more nuanced picture book. Hearing dialogue with zero context “is confusing for everyone involved, including me, frankly. It’s just, I don’t know, it’s not enjoyable.”

“I don’t wanna burn books, okay? But the thought has crossed my mind,” she says.

Last but not least—and not gonna lie, this one stings a bit—is baking. Rather than a wholesome, Hallmark-worthy activity, DeRoche likened it to “A flour factory exploding in your house.”

Did this video resonate with other parents? You betcha. Many chimed in with their own rude awakenings.

“I spent my entire pregnancy and the 1st year of my son’s life looking forward to spending time in the kitchen together. I hate it so so much,” one mom wrote.

“I thought I would love chaperoning field trips. NOPE,” added another.

With all the less-than-glamorous aspects of parenting, it’s no wonder that more and more people are opting out. Needless to say, raising a family is a big commitment, and many don’t view it as the ultimate outlet for happiness. Honestly, all life decisions come with pros and cons. All we can do is try to go for whatever we think will bring us the most fulfillment, and try to appreciate what manifests.

Even with family dinners, hiking, vacations and baking being ruined, DeRoche confirms that she still wouldn’t trade it for the world. In her words, she doesn’t really “hate it as a whole recipe…just some ingredients.”

By the way, there’s a part two to DeRoche’s list of parenting things she does not actually enjoy, which you can find here.

A fun and educational video posted on YouTube by chess streamer Anna Cramling, 21, shows how someone can be sitting in the presence of greatness and have no idea. It’s also an excellent explanation of chess from a passionate street player.

In the video, Anna sits down in Washington Square Park in New York City with a street player named Johnny, who thinks she and her mother, Pia, are beginners. In reality, Anna is the daughter of Juan Manuel Bellón López, a five-time Spanish champion, and her mother is Pia Cramling, the fifth-ever female grandmaster.

“You want me to show you some basic stuff?” Johnny asks the mom and daughter, who happily sit at his board. The street player then goes into a passionate speech about how chess is a warlike game and that there are two “fundamental things” grandmasters teach.

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He had no idea that he was sitting in front of one.

Johnny then challenges Pia to a game, and in just a few moves, she has him in double-check, winning the game. Johnny can’t believe that he was beaten so quickly by a beginner. “Do you want to know something, Johnny?” Anna asks. “I’m going to tell you a little secret.”

Pia then reveals that she’s been playing for 50 years. “My mom is a grandmaster,” Anna says excitedly.

The great thing about the big reveal is that Johnny doesn’t get mad when he learns that he was fooled. Instead, he’s excited to keep playing. “I want to play you one more!” Johnny says. What a great sport.

Empathy is often viewed as a miraculous cure-all against humanity’s suffering. If only we were better able to tap into another living being’s feelings, then perhaps we would treat each other kinder. There would be a better sense of social justice. Maybe there would be less violence and hatred. All in all, the world would be a better place.

Author and psychologist Paul Bloom thinks that notion couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, he believes empathy often makes things worse.

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In 2016, Bloom came out with a book titled “Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion,” where he uses personal anecdotes, moments from history, scientific evidence and philosophy to make the argument that empathy, while certainly important, is a poor moral guide. Furthermore, he noted that judgments made from empathy often reflect a bias, as we naturally feel the most empathy for the people who look, speak or behave similarly to us. It’s easy to see how that can quickly become a problem.

Instead, Bloom advocates for something he calls rational compassion. In his opinion, our fairest, most equitable decisions happen when there’s a healthy combination of both logic and caring for another. This way, we can be motivated by someone’s feelings to do the right thing, without being stuck (and aimless) in their suffering.

Bloom’s book was ultimately met with mixed reviews, with some calling his work “brilliant and humane” while others deemed it an argument of semantics rather than an unconventional take. Regardless, his work shines a light on the necessity of action for creating positive change, and he makes a compelling case for examining the motivation behind even our best intentions.

You can learn more about his case against empathy in the video created by Big Think below

The Boys‘ baddest supe, Homelander is a role that any actor would relish, although it’s hard to imagine anyone pulling off the role like Antony Starr does. Or really going for it like Starr does, either.

Homelander has gone increasingly off the rails and more sadistic with each passing season, and Starr is no spring chicken to acting (his performance in Banshee is great, too), but he actually “never wanted to be an actor.” That’s the revelation that surfaced above (in a clip from Amazon Prime Video) while Starr and Karl Urban enjoyed a meeting of the Kiwi minds in conversation.

Starr continued: “I didn’t know about the film industry. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m gonna do when I grow up.”

This led to a chuckle from Urban, who reflected upon why this actually makes sense. “I think that’s what makes your character so vibrant and so scary,” he observed. “You just have no idea of what you’re gonna do at any particular juncture.”

To that, Starr agreed wholeheartedly, and Urban further reflected, “And that translates to the audience.”

Well said, and to be perfectly clear, Starr is incredibly talented, but he does have a knack for making it seem like Homelander has no idea what he’s doing and, as a result, is frequently covering his own ass. This vibe probably also translated to poor Timothy the Octopus. RIP.

Ideally, Antony Starr will see an Emmy nomination this year for his performance. Voting will begin for those nods on June 15.

This past weekend, The Eras Tour brought Taylor Swift to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a three-night run. Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman turned up to yesterday’s (May 14) show, where Urban (who featured on Fearless (Taylor’s Version)) accidentally let a celebrity romance cat out of the bag.

This afternoon, Urban shared a TikTok video of himself and Kidman singing and dancing along to Swift’s performance of “Style,” before panning the camera around to reveal the rest of the audience. People quickly noticed, though, that in the first half of the video, Bo Burnham and Phoebe Bridgers appear to be behind them. Both are pretty easy to identify, even just in the background of a dark, strobe-lit video: Bridgers has her distinctive silvery blonde hair and Burnham stands at about 6’5″ tall. Most notable, though, is in the final seconds before Urban pans the camera around, as it sure looks like Burnham and Bridgers share a kiss.

The top comments on the post are all about Bridgers and Burnham, including ones like, “Everyone say thank you to Keith Urban,” and, “Keith having the time of his life with Nicole not knowing the chaos he just put out on the internet.”

As People notes, Bridgers and Burnham have been linked since January, when they were spotted at LAX together. So, for some fans, this clip has been a long time coming.

This whole thing has made Urban a trending topic on Twitter today, so check out some reactions below.

[WARNING: potential spoilers for Fast X]

Have Vin Diesel and The Rock set aside their “candy ass” feud for the sake of da family? The Wrap reports that Dwayne Johnson, who has a, let’s say, complicated history with his Fast and Furious co-star, will make be “making an appearance in the post-credits sequence” of Fast X.

It’s a bald boys reunion (Jason Statham is invited, too).

The Rock was supposedly done playing Luke Hobbs after starring in franchise highlight Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, and the Fast and Furious-presented spinoff Hobbs and Shaw, “for all the evident reasons.” He even went so far as to tell CNN that “when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly – and privately – that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return.”

It’s nice that they made up (or Universal Pictures drove a dump truck full of money to their mansions… one of the two). It’s not official, however, until The Rock shares an Instagram post where Diesel is giving a thumbs up while the two of them share a bottle of Teremana tequila. Then I’ll believe it.

Fast X opens on May 19th.

(Via The Wrap)

Iyla Pozin brought free TV to the streaming world with Pluto, and now, he wants to up the ante by bringing free TVs to the masses. On Monday, Pozin unveiled Telly, a free 55-inch TV set loaded with a sound bar and a second screen that represents a massive gamble for the new startup.

According to the specs for the free Telly TV, the set will include a 4K-HDR screen for normal television viewing. Below that will rest a second LED smart screen that will feature everything from sports scores to stock prices, options for interactive games, and most importantly, a constantly cycling assortment of ads, which is where the free part comes in.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“For too long, consumers have not been an equal part of the advertising value exchange,” Pozin says. “Companies are making billions of dollars from ads served on televisions, yet consumers have historically had to pay for both the TV and the content they watch. All of that changes today. When I co-founded Pluto TV, we created an entirely new model that offered amazing TV content to viewers for free. Now, with Telly, we are providing the actual television for free as well.”

Naturally, the big question is how crappy is the TV. Well, according to Pozin, the Telly TV is comparable to most 55-inch TV sets that are on the market for around $1,000. The goal is to “future-proof” the sets so they’re not outdated in a few years, which requires investing in the tech.

“Don’t be fooled by the price point. It’s not a budget TV by any means whatsoever,” Pozin said. “It’s by far the smartest TV on the market. There’s nothing even that comes close to it.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)