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There are a lot of great bourbon whiskeys in the $30 to $40 range. While we’re still pretty far away from the special bottlings, wild single barrels, and unique finishings, this is where it gets pretty hard to find a bad bottle.

For this ranking, I’ve chosen ten bourbons that all cost between $30 and $40 (according to Total Wine in Louisville, Kentucky) and ranked them by taste. Naturally, some of these bottles are going to cost a little more in other regions, but that’s true of every single bottle of booze out there (bourbon or not).

As for the ranking, this is according to my personal palate [which is pretty renowned, FWIW — ed]. Moreover, there are so many bourbons at this price that I could make this list about 50 bourbons long and still not touch on all the decent ones. These are simply the ten that I like best.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

10. Penelope Bourbon

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

Standard Penelope Bourbon is a great place to start with the brand’s ever-expanding line. This expression is an MGP four-grain bourbon that’s aged a minimum of two years before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey opens with a nose full of wet yellow masa next to a buttery Graham cracker crust holding a light vanilla pudding that’s countered by a note of red chili spice and a touch of cinnamon. The taste is very soft and touches on stewed raisins, more of that vanilla, sweet oak, and some orange. The softness leans back into that wet masa while the finish smooths out with vanilla before ending on that chili pepper spice.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t bold, by any stretch. It’s very much a getaway bourbon that’s meant to be enjoyed by passive bourbon drinkers. Still, it works perfectly well on the rocks or in a highball but sort of gets lost in a cocktail.

9. Basil Hayden’s

ABV: 40%

Average Price:

The Whiskey: $33

Unlike standard Jim Beam, this mash bill leans more heavily into the rye, creating a solid base for two very closely related bourbons — this and Old Grand-Dad. Basil Hayden’s is made from barrels pulled from specific tricks, “mingled,” cut down to 80 proof, and bottled under the watchful eyes of Jim Beam’s master distillers and blenders.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of sweet yet slightly bitter tea next to rye crust and winter spice next to a flutter of fresh mint on the nose. The palate carries that spice into peppery territory with hints of oak, vanilla, tart apples, and honey alongside light but spicy tobacco lurking in the background. The spice gets a little more peppery as a final spritz of orange oils arrives to help the end slowly fade out towards a lush vanilla-honey end.

Bottom Line:

This is shockingly easy to drink with medium depth. This whiskey is built to be a crowd-pleaser and it really is. It’s hard not to dig this over some rocks.

8. David Nicholson Reserve

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Luxco is a throwback brand that the company is pushing for a bit of a comeback. This expression is a high-rye whiskey they source an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky. The whiskey is cut down to 100 proof and bottled in the old-school bottles.

Tasting Notes:

This opens very nut-forward with a walnut bread vibe with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg (maybe a hint of clove) next to vanilla extract, a dose of buttery toffee, and a hint of Graham cracker. The palate largely builds on those flavor notes while leaning into the nuttiness and creating a sort of walnut pie with plenty of vanilla-laced whipped cream drizzled with syrupy toffee and just touched with dry brown woody spice. Those dry and woody spices drive the finish towards a soft and thin finish.

Bottom Line:

While this sort of disappears on the finish, it’s pretty solid up front. It’s also well suited for mixing cocktails, thanks to that higher ABV.

7. James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

James E. Pepper whiskey has a long and tumultuous history as a brand that was on top of the whiskey world until the late 1950s when everything started falling apart for bourbon. The brand was resurrected in the 2010s and currently sources its high-rye bourbon — 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent malted barley — from MGP in Indiana and Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky. That three to four-year-old juice is vatted and then proofed with water from the old James E. Pepper limestone water well.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with hints of dry cloves soaked in fresh honey with touches of vanilla bean, cinnamon-stewed pear, a hint of popcorn, and mild chocolate powder. The palate adds a nutty base to the chocolate as more warming spice kicks in and leads towards an echo of wet grain, damp wicker, and old vanilla pods. The finish sweetens again thanks to that chocolate-nut vibe as a spice kicks back up with plenty of cloves, a hint of orange marmalade, and vanilla-laced tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is really solid bourbon for this price point. This is also an excellent mixing bourbon for cocktails thanks to that higher ABV and the clarity of those flavor notes.

6. Smooth Ambler Old Scout

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

Old Scout is MGP’s classic high rye bourbon — 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent malt barley — that’s aged for five years. The juice is batched in small quantities and proofed down with West Virginia’s Appalachian water.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with a soft masa vibe with a mix of Tex-Mex spices (think chili powder and a hint of cumin and garlic powder) that’s countered by cedar park and chocolate-laced tobacco leaves (the nose takes me straight back to my favorite childhood Tex-Mex joint). The taste veers more towards a classic bourbon with cherry tobacco and bales of damp straw next to a smooth vanilla foundation cinnamon-infused dark chocolate and a touch of dry oak. The finish lingers for a bit as vanilla toffees, a smidge of marshmallow, and spicy cherry tobacco round everything out.

Bottom Line:

That Tex-Mex note really drives home how uniquely different bottlers can manipulate MGP’s bourbons. This is just interesting and damn easy to drink, especially if it’s Taco Night.

5. Legent Bourbon

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The juice is then blended by whisky blending legend Shinji Fukuyo at Suntory.

Tasting Notes:

Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose. The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet. The finish is jammy-yet-light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.

Bottom Line:

This is a fantastic cocktail bourbon. That flavor profile really stands up to mixing. Though, this is a pretty solid on the rocks sipper too.

4. High West American Prairie

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

American Prairie Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced whiskeys. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye, low-rye alongside undisclosed whiskeys, some of which are sourced from MGP. The release supports the American Prairie Reserve by highlighting the project and supporting it financially.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with caramel apples next to new leather, vanilla pudding, and sweet buttered corn with a touch of salt. The palate has a nougat svelteness next to creamed corn and Southern biscuits dripping with butter and honey. The mid-palate to finish starts to dry out with vanilla husks and cedar bark but then veers into apple candy.

Bottom Line:

This is a damn fine dram of whiskey for around $32 (though it may cost more where you live). This works well over the rocks but really stands up to mixing in classic cocktails. It’s versatile!

3. Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

This is a true Texas corn-to-glass experience. The whiskey is made from Texas grains and corn in old-school stills and then matured under the warm Waco, Texas sun in Balcones’ own warehouse. The results are small-batch blended, slightly proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

You get a real sense of kettle corn covered in caramel next to hints of oak, sweet apples, and worn leather. The taste veers away from these notes slightly, with pecan pie topped with vanilla cream, more of that leather and oak, and a touch of honey. The end is chewy and lingers as almost-spicy tobacco arrives late to accentuate the oak.

Bottom Line:

This is unique and very drinkable. While I prefer to mix with this (especially Sazeracs or boulevardiers), I do drink it over a tumbler full of rocks from time to time too, especially when I’m looking for something different.

2. New Riff Bottled In Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

This four-year-old whiskey is rendered from a mash bill of 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye, and five percent malted barley. That whiskey is then blended under the bottled-in-bond laws and proofed down to 100 proof before bottling in New Riff’s flashy bottles.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a rush of cinnamon rolls with plenty of butter, brown sugar, spice, and an echo of sourdough next to oily vanilla, baked apple, and a hint of firewood on the nose. The palate leans into baked apples with more wintry spices, dry vanilla pudding packets, deep caramel, a touch of sweet cedar, and apple-laced cotton candy. The finish leans into the winter spices with sharp cinnamon next to lush vanilla, a hint more of that sweet cedar, and a note of spicy yet dry tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This really punches far above its class and price point (and will likely cost more where you are). That aside, this is a legitimately solid sipper, especially on a rock or two, while also shining in cocktails.

1. Maker’s Mark 101

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s Mark classic wheated bourbon that’s bottled at a higher proof to bring about a “richer flavor.” Well, that’s what the label says anyway. This is classic Maker’s that’s treated with a little less of that limestone water to let the barrel techniques shine a bit more while still holding onto the Maker’s vibe.

Tasting Notes:

This is a bowl of vanilla ice cream covered in stewed apples that have been drizzled with extra caramel. The taste really focuses on that caramel with hints of oak next to roasted almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, dry wicker, and a drop of soft mineral water. The end lingers while it fades through salted caramel apples towards a mellow floral spiciness with a dried reed finish and a touch of vanilla tobacco chew.

Bottom Line:

This was a “Traveler’s Exclusive” up until the pandemic. Now you can find it on most shelves, making this one finally accessible to the masses. All of that aside, this is an excellent sipper or mixer, which is all you can really ask for at this price point.

Nearly two years ago, Megan Thee Stallion landed her first No. 1 song with a remix of Beyoncé’s “Savage.” The song was the first collaboration between the Houston natives and it also proved to be one of the biggest moments in Megan’s career. Now she’s ready to work with some more superstars. During a recent interview with People, the rapper listed two big names she’s ready to collaborate with. “Because I’ve manifested Beyoncé, I feel like I have reached my ultimate goal,” she told the publication. “Well, I also would really, really, really love to collab with Rihanna. Like that is my next dream collab.”

Another name on Megan’s list, she also told People, is Adele. “If Adele wants me to come get on the track, be the dancer. I’m there, I’m here for it,” she said. “Somebody tell her to call me because I’m ready!” That would be apropos: It was just a couple of months ago that Megan and Adele went viral on TikTok after a fan mashed up Megan’s 2020 song “Body” with Adele’s “Water Under The Bridge” which can be found on her 2015 album 25.

Megan was recently announced as one of the headliners for the UK’s Parklife Festival, joining 50 Cent and Tyler The Creator as some of the big names who will perform.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tension are high in America right now, as they have been since, oh, let’s say June 16, 2015. But nothing will prepare you for the brawl that broke out in a Golden Corral outside of Philadelphia on Friday night, in which what appears to be a simple misunderstanding mushroomed into fists and chairs alike being thrown like mad. Perhaps the most amazing part? No one got injured.

As per ABC Action News in Philadelphia, the melee occurred at a Golden Corral located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, about a 20-minute drive from the City of Brotherly Love. One person who was there, Alexis Rios, said it began when he received his steak before another person, who had ordered before. The man became irate, but it was a mere mistake: Rios had simply ordered his steak rare while the man who instigated the fight ordered his well-done.

Rios postulated that masks made the situation more confusing than it should have been. “With Covid right now, masks and everything, nobody can hear nobody sometimes,” Rios told the local ABC affiliate. Things escalated quickly. “I grab a chair to defend myself,” Rios said, “and then sooner or later that was it. Punches were getting thrown. Chairs were getting thrown.”

Video of the incident, which went viral a few days later, makes it look perhaps worse than it was. “Nobody was on the ground. Nobody got hurt,” Rios said. “I got a bruise on my nose. My brother got a black eye. My brother got a lifted nail. That was it.”

Still, it’s important to know that different steaks preferences have different cooking times, lest you inadvertently foment a large-scale skirmish.

For those whose knowledge of the Philadelphia area largely comes from Mare of Easttown (or its spot-on SNL send-up), Bensalem is located in the opposite direction of Delaware County, which lies immediately to the south of the city. Still, you wouldn’t see this kind of behavior at a Wawa. Or maybe you would.

You can watch video of the brawl and ABC’s Action News’ reportage in the video above.

In late January, the NBA announced a revised format for the annual Rising Stars matchup at All-Star Weekend, featuring the game’s best young players. As part of the new design for the event, 28 players are involved, with four teams of seven in a bracket-style format that features two semifinal games and a final matchup. On Tuesday, the official selections were released on TNT, including 12 rookies, 12 sophomores, and four members of the G League Ignite program.

First, the rookie crop was revealed, headlined by No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Evan Mobley. While top picks are usually projected to appear, the rookie group also features a pair of second round picks from 2021 in Pelicans wing Herb Jones and Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu.

The sophomore crop also features star power with Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Wolves wing Anthony Edwards, both of whom would be at least peripheral candidates to be selected as All-Star reserves. Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane is also enjoying a breakout this season, making the cut for Rising Stars in the process, and he is joined by Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton and others.

Finally, the G League Ignite squad will be represented by Jaden Hardy, MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, and Scoot Henderson. Hardy is considered to be a potential lottery pick in 2022 and, while Henderson is not draft-eligible in 2022, he is considered to be one of the best prospects in the world.

The showcase will take place on Friday, Feb. 18 at 9 pm ET on TNT.

Later this month, Netflix will release the documentary Jeen-Yuhs, which will document Kanye West’s career. But the rapper has a history of delaying releases, and last month he threw a wrench into its rollout by requesting final edit approval on the documentary. “I’m going to say this kindly for the last time,” he wrote. “I must get final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix. Open the edit room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image. Thank you in advance.”

Unfortunately for West, the directors of Jeen-Yuhs won’t submit to his request. Rolling Stone says Coodie and Chike, the directors behind the film, denied West’s demand for multiple reason,s including that the documentary and its three parts are already complete. “Me and Chike have a company called Creative Control,” Coodie added, “because you don’t want to lose your creative control.”

Coodie also revealed that he ran into West in Los Angeles on Tuesday where they briefly discussed the matter. “I asked him, ‘Did he watch the film?’ And he said, ‘I have a process,’” Coodie said with a laugh. “I said, ‘That’s great that you got your process.’ And we just talked as brothers from that point.” Chike says that he views Kanye’s Instagram post as “a blessing” because it helped bring extra attention to the upcoming film. As for the idea of someone having a final say of the documentary, Coodie said, “God has the final cut.”

It might seem like hazy New England IPAs have been around forever. But this juicy, cloudy, and fruity version of the popular IPA was actually invented in 2004, when famed Vermont-based Alchemist brewmaster John Kimmich first brewed his now-iconic Heady Topper. Back then, the New England IPA sparked plenty of intrigue. In the 18 years since, it has grown into a behemoth — becoming one of the most popular craft beer styles in the country.

Dave Lopez, co-managing partner at Gun Hill Brewing in Bronx, New York has seen so NEIPAs brewed in the past few years, he has trouble picking out his favorite.

“There’s not a specific NEIPA that I want to drink all the time,” he says. “It’s more important to me to have one that is as fresh and local as possible. These beers need to be consumed in a relatively short time frame after packaging, so in many ways, the proximity to the source takes precedence over any specific brand.”

This fresh, floral, juicy, drink-it-right-now nature is why so many drinkers enjoy this hazy beer. To find the best options, we asked a handful of brewers, beer professionals, and craft beer experts to tell us their absolute favorite New England-style IPAs. Check their picks while keeping Lopez’s very insight advice in mind!

Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing

Ashley Benson, head brewer at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I love to have a six-pack of Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing in my fridge for pool days. It’s on the moderately dry side of where hazies seem to be these days, so it’s super drinkable in the Arizona summer heat or any time of year. Plus, it has a touch of bitterness on the palate, which helps emphasize the citrus-forward hop profile.

New Image Coriolis Effect

Eric Warner, brewmaster at Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I’m pretty sure “Hazy IPA” was the category with the greatest number of entries at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival, so it’s getting hard to pick a favorite. That said, every time I’m in the Denver area, I make sure to grab some Coriolis Effect from New Image Brewing. The Citrus and Tropical notes in the aroma are incredibly juicy and like any NEIPA worth its salt, the impression on the palate is smooth and creamy with very minimal lingering bitterness.

Keep an eye out for one-offs of this “flagship,” featuring different hops from around the world.

Platform Haze Jude

Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $11 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Haze Jude from Platform Brewing is probably my favorite New England IPA. It has a great haze on the appearance with a nice fluffy white head. The aroma of the beer is beautiful. The hops create a bouquet of tropical fruits and you get notes of pineapple, orange, and mango with hints of some stone fruit like peach and apricot. It’s incredibly smooth with a very nice mouthfeel. It’s not bone dry and not overly sweet. It has a nice silky body with a touch of honey on there that rounds out the aroma and flavor just perfectly.

I drink it whenever I can get my hands on it and it’s usually my drink of choice among the rest. It’s perfectly crafted.

Zero Gravity Conehead

Joe Connolly, director of Springdale Beer Co. in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 5.7%

Average Price: $11 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

I love the IPAs from our friends at Zero Gravity, especially Conehead. It has just the right touch of haze, fruity hop character without ditching the delicious hop bitterness.

WarPigs Foggy Geezer

Kelly Laut, brewer at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Foggy Geezer by WarPigs is a great juicy New England IPA. Foggy Geezer is citrusy with some tropical and resinous aromas. With a little sweetness, a medium-bodied mouthfeel, and a quickly fleeting bitterness. You’ll want to take another sip just to experience the aromas all over again.

North Park Art is Hard

John “Magic” Montes De Oca, co-head brewer at Barebottle Brewing Company in San Francisco

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $8 for a 16-ounce can

Why This Beer?

I never thought I’d have one of the best hazy IPAs I’ve ever had out of San Diego. North Park’s Art is Hard takes a style that is all about excess and massages all the rough edges out of it. It’s juicy and smooth with an insane aroma. There is just enough bitterness to make it immensely refreshing.

This is the kind of New England IPA you could actually drink more than one of.

Denver Juicy Freak

Lauren McCaffrey, packaging technician at WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley, Colorado

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I regularly find myself drinking Juicy Freak by Denver Beer Co. It’s such a nice fruity New England-style IPA with just enough hoppy bitter character to keep it interesting. It’s definitely an easy drinker.

Drekker Ectogasm

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $45 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Drekker’s Ectogasm is a mainstay at our bar and my hazy New England IPA go-to. The flavor is a berry-medley combination of Mosaic hops and orange citrus from the Citra hops. It’s simple and effective. While brewers add oats for haze, head retention, and body, this is a beer where there’s a present oatmeal grain flavor from the addition. It’s slight but provides a sort of flavor pillow for the papaya and grassy flavor notes to rest on.

Writer’s Pick: Lagunitas Hazy Wonder

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

This hazy, juicy, tropical fruit-filled beer was brewed with Sabro, Cashmere, and Citra hops. It’s so filled with fruit flavors that it’s the kind of beer that works just as well to refresh you on a hot summer day as a beer to remind you of warmer days ahead in the midst of the dark, cold winter.

Writer’s Pick: Belching Beaver Hazers Gonna Haze

ABV: 6.6%

Average Price: $8 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

This 6.6 percent ABV hazy, juicy, totally crushable New England IPA is well-known for its bold, ripe flavors of guava, mango, passionfruit, tangerine, pineapple, and a nice kick of herbal, piney hops to hold everything together nicely.

There’s no question that filmmaking has come a long, long way in 100 years. Thanks to green screens, digital effects and CGI, today’s filmmakers can make almost anything they can imagine come to life on screen. Moviegoers have grown used to seeing magical worlds, supernatural powers and impossible feats in movies, we get quite finicky if the quality of the effects doesn’t hold up to our high standards.

Sometimes we watch movies from decades ago and giggle at how undeveloped the special effects were. And sometimes we watch old films and marvel at what they were able to do with the technology they had available to them at the time.

That’s where Buster Keaton comes in.

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Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were both kings of physical comedy during the heyday of silent film, with Keaton being known for his expressionless physical feats and Chaplin being known for his goofy expressiveness. Both men excelled in their craft, and looking at Buster Keaton’s stunts today is still incredibly impressive.

The man was fearless. And so physical. It’s like watching “Mission Impossible” Tom Cruise mixed with peak Jackie Chan. But what’s most impressive is that he did it all without the benefit of modern film technology. Naturally, there were some 1920s-era film tricks involved in some scenes, but he really did some incredibly difficult and dangerous things—things most people wouldn’t even attempt.

Such impressive feats didn’t come without a cost, however. Despite his stunt skills, he sustained some significant injuries throughout his film and television career, including broken bones, some severe neck damage and a near-drowning incident.

“He’s like a human cartoon,” someone commented, and it’s true. It’s like watching a real-life cartoon. Even today, nearly 100 years later, his physical comedy genius stands out among the best ever. Countless comedians and stunt performers have looked to him as an example and have used his performances as inspiration for their own.

It’s not often that we can look back at something someone did a century ago and still hold it up as impressive by today’s standards, but Keaton’s feats fit that bill. What a treat that we got such a talent captured on film.

Before Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson, before Chuck Jones and Jackie Chan, there was Buster Keaton, one of the founding fathers of visual comedy.

Not that she ever really left the spotlight, but the iconic Juliette Lewis has recently reached a new chapter in her stardom thanks to her role of Natalie in Showtime’s obsession-worthy new series “Yellowjackets.”

Her social media is filled to the brim with excited fan theories, juicy behind-the-scenes questions and enthusiastic character appreciation posts. There’s no question about it; people love her performance as the tough, haunted, shotgun-savvy Nat.

But fun “Yellowjackets” trivia isn’t the only thing Lewis talks about with her following. She recently posted an Instagram Q&A with the caption, “I know some things ‘bout livin, love-ASK ME.”

One fan wrote, “ a lot of times I feel alone and like no one is there for me.”

Lewis’ advice for overcoming loneliness is something I think bears repeating.

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“The only cure-all for this feeling- is being there for another,” the actress replied.

Lovliness!! Was so much fun to answer peoples questions and possibly help them with a different perspective. Helped me too! 🙌❤️ https://t.co/3fZr7SEwyf

— Juliette Lewis (@JulietteLewis) January 31, 2022

In times of helplessness, being there for someone else might feel impossible. Counterintuitive even. But research has repeatedly shown that acts of altruism can help us live longer, lift us from depression and fulfill our very basic psychological need to belong. There’s a reason why loneliness feels so awful, and why generosity is a gift that keeps on giving.

In other words, Juliette Lewis is onto something here.

Proud to showcase the power of all women in my @elleryland for @netaporter T shirt. Get yours here now https://t.co/Ymp8pAN9gx

All profits to @womenforwomen An incredible charity that supports survivors. For #internationalwomensday #incrediblewomen #gotherback @portermagazine pic.twitter.com/O9wySpPTwm

— Juliette Lewis (@JulietteLewis) March 7, 2019

Lewis really does walk the talk with this. It only took a few seconds of searching on Google to see that she regularly supports charities, including (but not limited to) Little Kids Rock, an organization dedicated to providing music education to disadvantaged schools.

But working with charity organizations isn’t the only avenue. Lewis added that a generous act needn’t be a grand gesture. Your act of kindness could be as simple as “show[ing] up for another in [a way] they’d like–a phone call, give food, give them kindness and show care/interest…chat with them…make them feel less alone…make them feel heard or happier.”

There’s an added benefit of making someone feel heard, too. According to a study published in 2017, by helping others manage difficult emotions, we enhance our own ability to self-regulate and therefore improve our own emotional well-being. Think of it as psychology’s way of saying “what goes around comes around.”

As Lewis advises, the person you help can be someone you know or a complete stranger. The only real caveat here is that it should be “a person you are not trying to get something from in return,” to prioritize “connecting without expecting.”

Odds are, those words of affirmation you long to hear … someone else longs to hear them as well. That longing you have to be surprised with a random bag of goodies … someone else feels the same way. Fulfilling another person’s wish opens us up to our own power.

As Lewis writes, “once you know you can give love to another generously I assure you [that] you will open up this energy flow. And might even notice you are not ‘needing’ as much.”

Shifting our perspective to focus on others while at a low point might at first seem like pouring from an empty cup, but maybe the opposite is actually true. Maybe by realizing how we can affect the lives of others, our cups are then filled with the discovery of how influential we really are.

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Next time you’re having trouble keeping your chin up, see how it feels to lift someone’s spirit. This article from Mental Health offers some great ideas to start. But odds are your heart already knows what to do.

Thanks Juliette Lewis for the sage wisdom.

… and seriously, what happened to Nat?!

Last November, Upworthy published a popular story about Chloe Sexton, a mother who went viral on TikTok for a video she made explaining “daddy privilege” or the idea that fathers are applauded for doing things that mothers are supposed to do.

“In my opinion, ‘daddy privilege’ is that subtle upper hand men sidestep into as parents that allows them to gain praise for simply…being a parent,” she said. “You fed the baby? What a great dad! You held the baby while mommy bathed? So considerate of you! You picked up something for dinner? What would your family do without you?! It’s all the little ways mothers do exactly what the world expects of them without a second thought and then watch fathers get praised for simply showing up.”

Sadly, the post resonated with a lot of mothers, because it’s true. Expectations for fathers are so low that men are commended for handling basic parenting tasks. But if a mother falls short of perfection, she faces harsh criticism.

Mary Catherine Starr, a mother living in Cape Cod who owns a design studio and teaches yoga, is getting a lot of love on Instagram for her cartoon series that perfectly explains daddy privilege.

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In “An Illustrated Guide to the Double Standards of Parenting,” Starr shares this concept by showing that when a man comes home with fast food for his kids he’s the “fun dad.” But if a mom comes back with a bag from McDonald’s she is seen as a “lazy mom.”

In the comics, the same double standards apply whether it’s how they handle technology or parent at the park.

(Note: Click the arrow on the right-hand side of the image to see the slideshow.)

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Starr was quick to point out in the comments that the target of her comics isn’t fathers, but society at large. “This is not a dig at dads, it’s a dig at our society—a society that applauds dads for handling the most basic of parenting duties + expects nothing short of perfection from mothers (or even worse, shames them for every decision and/or move they make!),” she wrote.

The comics resonated with a lot of women.

“This hit a nerve with so many women! I was a single mom living in an apartment,” an Instagram user named Saturdayfarm wrote in the comments. “Next door – a single dad. Neighbors felt so bad for him that they helped him with his laundry, brought over food, and babysat. For nothing. I just shakily carried on somehow. And I had so much less money and opportunities.”

“This is exactly part of the why I feel like being ‘just’ a mom isn’t as valuable. Being so run of the mill. But if my husband has the baby in a sling, the toddler in the pram and is out walking the dog, he’s superman for letting me have one hour for zoom work,” rebecca_lee-close_yoga wrote.

A father who understands his privilege completely supports Starr’s message.

“It actually annoys me when I get those types of comments / ‘compliments’ knowing it’s totally a double standard,” JonaJooey wrote.

Starr’s comics and Sexton’s TikTok videos won’t stop the double standards when it comes to parenting, but they do a great job at holding a mirror up to the problem. Where do we go from here? We can start by having greater expectations for fathers and holding them up to a higher standard. Then, we should take the energy we put into praising dads for doing the bare minimum and heap it on mothers who thanklessly go about the most important job in the world.

(Spoilers for The Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai will be found below.)

The Karate Kid franchise celebrates the underdogs, and there’s no greater underdog than a revival series that hits all four quadrants. That’s Cobra Kai to the point where Netflix couldn’t help but immediately greenlight several additional seasons after picking up the show following two YouTube Red seasons. The show’s still infuratingly good, and the show left viewers with several lingering questions: (1) What will happen to John Kreese after Terry Silver betrayed him in the worst way? (2) Will Tory depart from the Cobra Kai dojo after her discovery? (3) Where the hell will Miguel end up after heading towards Mexico to find his father?

Those questions will have to wait for answers. In the meantime, when will we see Season 5 and more crane-kicking goodness? Creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg have been running a (relatively) tight ship during the pandemic by continuing to shoot at warp speed (working with a half-younger cast means that is a very smart approach), so we’re still receiving new seasons like clockwork. And here’s what Hawk actor Jacob Bertrand recently told us about the already-wrapped Season 5:

“We actually just wrapped… It was weird because we filmed two seasons in one year. In 2021, we filmed both Season 4 and Season 5, so it’s really hard to differentiate what happened before in Season 4 and things that I’m not even allowed to bring up about Season 5. This year has felt long but short at the same time.”

Jacob obviously couldn’t spill too much about what’s going down with the questions that need answering. However, we do know that Hawk will be back and fresh off his trophy-winning spree. And we know that the creators are committed to staying faithful to the spirit of The Karate Kid franchise. They’ve kept things authentic and real here while staying just serious enough about the characters’ struggles. And we can probably expect the show to stick with a Winter 2022-2023 release, so it’ll either mean new episodes in December 2022 or January 2023. And more knockouts at the dojo(s).

Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai’ is currently streaming the first four seasons on Netflix.