When Gang of Youths released “the man himself” last month, it set the stage for frontman Dave Le’aupepe to explore his connection with his late father’s ghost on the band’s yet-to-be announced upcoming album. On the track, Le’aupepe sings about how he’s been struggling with looking towards the future since his father’s death in 2018.
Now in the song’s new video, director Joe Barney adds a new dimension to Le’aupepe’s plight, juxtaposing a visceral performance from the singer with a portrait of him as a boy. It drives home the internal monologues that Le’aupepe has been having with himself as he digs deeper into his father’s Samoan/Australian roots, and it shows the journey his father made to pave the way for his son life.
In a statement, Barney shed some light on the video’s concept:
“Dave came to me with the idea of creating a video that incorporated the idea of a younger version of himself. We wanted to blur the lines of the connection by making it seem like flashes of Dave reminiscing on his childhood or the younger version of himself imagining the future. One of the main focuses for the video was pulling together a sense of nostalgia whilst keeping it feeling dreamlike. We wanted to incorporate elements of stop motion 2D animation to give the video a textured feeling to it and to separate the two parts of the video visually, whilst still existing within the same world. Mickey, the animator, used real textured brush strokes and materials to give the video an authentic feel that visually brings the video out of the screen into something feeling material.”
You can watch the video for “the man himself” above.
Gang Of Youths is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Ever since the accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western Rust, Alec Baldwin, the man who unwittingly pulled the trigger on a live prop gun, has played it safe. The actor, who was also one of the film’s producers, has cooperated with authorities and investigators and, apart from a testy yet measured run-in with paparazzi, kept quiet from the public. But on Tuesday, he did something on social media that shed even more doubt on already chaotic situation.
As caught by Deadline, Baldwin retweeted a lengthy Facebook post from Terese Magpale Davis, Rust’s costume designer, who asserted that widespread reports of the set’s “unsafe, chaotic conditions” are “bullsh*t.”
Baldwin shared Davis’ words over seven different Instagram posts. It found the designer contradicting a number of claims made to the press. Davis alleged that the crew were not overworked and that the hotels were not as far from set as they said. She professed that they had gun safety meetings “sometimes multiple per day.” She claimed that the producers “worked tirelessly alongside us” and that David Halls, the Assistant Director who admitted he didn’t thoroughly check the gun before handing it to Baldwin, “never seemed flippant about safety.”
Davis also trashed the camera crew, claiming they wanted to “hold the producers over a barrel” when they walked out, which she alleged was not due to poor working conditions but because they “tried to negotiate their contracts halfway through.”
It will be up to investigators to determine how much of what Davis wrote is accurate. But whatever the case, Baldwin felt compelled to share it with his followers, along with the words, “Read this.”
The stories that have emerged from the set of Rust have been both shocking and chaotic, with crew members like Hall and the set’s armorer making harrowing admissions. The entertainment production industry is already in upheaval. The same day as Baldwin’s Instagram share, over 200 cinematographers demanded an end to “functional firearms” on sets.
This past weekend, 50 Cent served as the headliner for the opening day of Rolling Loud’s New York Festival. 50 Cent brought out DaBaby during his headlining performance, a move that proved to be controversial, coming just three months after he made homophobic comments during his performance at Miami’s edition of Rolling Loud. Many raised an eyebrow at DaBaby’s appearance, but TMZ claimed a number of LGBTQ organizations have approved of it. However, one of the organizations said this is far from the case.
The publication claimed that Gwendolyn D. Clemons, CEO of Relationship Unleashed, which is an LGBTQ nonprofit organization, said that she and her fellow representatives approved of DaBaby’s appearance, as well as any other concerts he performs at in the future. TMZ added that Clemons said that she believes DaBaby understands the harm behind his comments after she met with him and more than a hundred organizations that advocate for the LGBTQ community. But in posts on Relationship Unleashed’s Instagram page as well as an interview with The Unleashed Voice Magazine, Clemons is saying she was “grossly misquoted.”
“Our organization stands on strong principles of being defenders of the LGBTQIA Community and nothing has changed,” the post read. “We will never normalize ‘trash TV or trash news stories!’ Today we were [engulfed] by the news outlet in a fire we did not start! Our comments to a brief question was grossly misquoted and intentionally framed in a click baiting headline to drive traffic to TMZ.”
They added, “We have written and repeatedly spoke with the News [Editor] @jacobwasserman to retract, correct, or delete this erroneous story. As of this time some modifications have been made but not enough to our satisfaction. We vehemently deny this assertion and the reporting does not align with our values or mission.”
Clemons’ full comments through The Unleashed Voice Magazine can be read here.
A group of students at Hillsboro High School in Ohio was crushed when they heard the school play they had been working on was canceled because there were complaints about a gay character.
However, instead of taking the news lying down, they banded together to perform it at a community theater instead.
The students at Hillsboro were working on a production of “She Kills Monsters.” It’s the story of a high school senior who loses her sister in an accident. She then embarks on a journey to discover who her sister really was through the Dungeons and Dragons campaign she wrote.
In the play, it’s implied that the main character’s sister is gay.
“We’re all excited,” student Christopher Cronan told WCPO. “We really wanted to do this, and when we heard it was going to be canceled we were devastated, and the overwhelming support from even outside of the state is great.”
The inclusion of a gay character in the school play led to a parent meeting where questions were raised about its sexual content. The theater students believe that the play was ultimately canceled due to the prodding of Jeff Lyle, an influential local pastor.
Via email, Lyle told WCPO that he was in favor of canceling the play but never spoke to the school board. Lyle said the play is “inappropriate for a number of reasons” that conflict with his personal religious beliefs, including implied sexual activity between unmarried people, foul language and innuendo.
The Hillsboro City Schools released a statement on October 25 that attributed the show’s cancellation to the play’s “use of inappropriate language, profanity, homophobic slurs, sexual innuendos and graphic violence.”
Laura Pickering-Polstra, a parent of one of the theater students, refuted the district’s statement by saying, “To set the record straight, the homophobic slurs had already been removed from the script by the directors before the Oct 18th parent meeting, which I attended. The sword-fighting wasn’t ‘graphic violence.’ It’s stage combat, not actual bloodshed.”
After the play was officially canceled, the students didn’t back down. Instead, they announced they would perform the show at a local theater where they won’t be censored. The one problem was that they didn’t have any funding for the project, so they set up a GoFundMe campaign with the modest goal of $5,000.
“While the play is no longer sponsored by the school, we are planning to perform the show in the summertime as a community theatre project with a different venue,” the organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Without the show being sponsored by the school, though, we have no funds to produce it, which is why we need your help!”
Jake Zora, who has over 480,000 followers on TikTok, posted a link to the GoFundMe campaign. The video has received more than 315,000 views.
Hi gay 👋 We need your help today #gaytiktok #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #theater #school #drama
Hi gay 👋 We need your help today #gaytiktok #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #theater #school #drama
In just 10 days, the campaign has raised over $22,000, more than enough to stage the play. The students are looking to use the leftover money to start a trust to create a nonprofit theater group for young people in the Hillsboro community.
Pickering-Polstra thanked everyone who participated in the GoFundMe with a post on the site.
“I wanted to take a moment to tell you all how much your support, love, and encouragement have meant to all of Hillsboro’s theatre kids,” she wrote. “This week has been a roller coaster of emotions, but, thanks to you, no one will be silencing these amazing human beings.”
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the very ending of The Sopranos, a program you ought to watch sometime.
It’s been almost 15 years since The Sopranos dropped the mic with one of the most shocking endings in television history. If you were there, you know what happened: a cut to black so sudden that viewers across the country initially thought their cable had gone out. Some were delighted; others were annoyed. David Chase, creator of the show that changed TV, was annoyed, too, but not for the same reasons as most.
In a new career-spanning interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chase — there partially to talk about the newish prequel The Many Saints of Newark, which even managed to blow the mind of its narrator and Sopranos alum, Michael Imperioli — inevitably wound up talking about the ending of his most famous work. He seems to dodge the question that everyone asks: Did James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano get whacked? (At one point he almost appeared to confirm that, yes, he did, but that’s not exactly what he said.) But while the lack of closure as to Tony’s fate frustrated many, Chase was vexed for another reason: that the ending was all people talked about.
“I had no idea it would cause that much— I mean, I forget what was going on in Iraq or someplace; London had been bombed! Nobody was talking about that; they were talking about The Sopranos,” Chase said. “It was kind of incredible to me.”
But there was something else that really got to him. “What was annoying was how many people wanted to see Tony killed. That bothered me,” Chase said. That people wanted confirmation did not sit well with him:
“They wanted to know that Tony was killed. They wanted to see him go face-down in linguini, you know? And I just thought, ‘God, you watched this guy for seven years and I know he’s a criminal. But don’t tell me you don’t love him in some way, don’t tell me you’re not on his side in some way. And now you want to see him killed? You want justice done? You’re a criminal after watching this s*it for seven years.’ That bothered me, yeah.”
In other words, Chase found a way to avoid the traditional ending to the gangster movie, which is that our law-breaking antihero gets killed, to appeal to censors and restore law and order. But what people wanted, in his estimation, was just that.
Then again, as Alan Sepinwall argues in The Sopranos Sessions, the book he wrote with Matt Zoller Seitz, even if Chase ever admitted, point blank, that Tony did indeed get whacked, that’s not what happens in the text of the show. What happens in the text of the show is Tony eats onion rings with his family and then it suddenly ends. And that’s that.
Although maybe the real crime is that the show ended with Journey and not Al Green.
Cool fall weather calls for warming whiskeys. And there’s no better whiskey to help scare away that autumnal chill than a spicy, warming rye. While whiskey actually cools you down, the sensation of warmth is high with rye whiskeys (especially those with higher levels of rye in their mash bills), thanks to commonly-occurring red, white, and black pepper flavor notes.
To find the best examples of this style, we went to the bar pros, asking them to name complex, well-balanced rye whiskeys well-suited to warm you up this fall. If any of these jump out at you, click on those prices to give them a try.
Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Rye
Knob Creek
Christopher Rodriguez, lead bartender at Lucy Bar in Yountville, California
The best rye whiskey to warm you up is Knob Creek Rye. It is 100 proof and delivers the feel of warmth when drinking neat or hot totty. It’s spicy, sweet, and complex.
This whiskey combines excellent flavors and spice with the incredible legacy of the 10th mountain Division that trained in the very mountains we call our home. Without these guys, there would be no Vail Valley or Beaver Creek to enjoy 12 months a year and you have to pay respect to that.
Whistlepig PiggyBack 6 Year Rye is my selection. I feel like it’s Whistlepig’s best-kept secret. It’s spicy with subtle citrus and goes down super smooth.
Frey Ranch Rye out of Fallon, Nevada has been sustainably growing grains on their farm longer than Nevada has been recognized as a state. They are a true farm-to-bottle company. Their 100 percent Rye has notes of ginger, caramel, pepper, and honey. It’s a full-bodied whiskey that is smooth enough to drink neat or hold up in a cocktail and really feels like fall in a glass.
Exclave Rye
Exclave
Nicholas Karel, director of bars, lounges, and beverages at Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans
One of my favorite ryes is by FEW. They’re local to us, but after ten years in business, you can find them in more and more places. It’s got the delicious, sweet notes balanced out with that warming spice that I want from a rye whiskey.
A great rye whiskey to warm you up this fall is Angel’s Envy Rye. This particular rye is finished in Caribbean rum casks, which gives it a much different taste compared to many ryes.
On the nose, you will pick up on sweet caramel, maple syrup, and orange zest tones. The palate is almost like sipping on a Werther’s Original candy. It’s sweet, smooth, but at 100 proof it still boasts enough kick to keep you feeling warm inside.
Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye
Jim Beam
Robert Kidd, head bartender at Le Cavalier in Wilmington, Delaware
Basil Hayden’s makes a great dark rye. It’s rich with notes of molasses and dried fruit. The rye brings in some outstanding spice notes and the molasses really adds some sweetness to balance the spice. Overall, it makes for a great rye to enjoy on a cold night.
Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond
Rittenhouse
Mickey Mullins, bar manager at The Bower in New Orleans
The best fall rye whiskey I reach for is Rittenhouse Rye. This one packs a punch while still being able to blend with other spirits. Rittenhouse also lends itself well to be mixed into classics like an old fashioned or Manhattan. This spirit is warm on the nose all the way through to the finish.
Pinhook Kentucky Straight Rye
Pinhook
Roger Eyles, general manager and sommelier at Mister Mao in New Orleans
Pinhook 2-Year Rye Whiskey is my go-to on a fall night. It’s not super-aged so you can still enjoy the rye taste. It’s also not too bready or spicy and is subtle yet assertive.
High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram
High West
Christy Bradley, spirit guide at Virgin Hotels in New Orleans
ABV: 49.3%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Whiskey?
I love High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram. They start the aging process in new charred white oak and finish it in French oak port barrels. It overloads the sense with baking spices, caramel, and molasses. It reminds me of Christmas.
Made by the legendary Dave Pickerel, this rye benefits from a second casking in French Sauternes wine barrels, which adds a sweeter note to the rye. It’s spicy with clove and pepper rounded off with honey and a light nuttiness.
I’m not a big rye drinker, so if I’m grabbing something rye-like to sit in front of the fire with, it’ll probably be a glass of Hochstadter’s Rock and Rye. The honey and orange make it taste cozy and warm.
My go-to bottle for a post-shift drink this fall is the San Luis Valley Straight Rye from Laws Whiskey House. It has a lovely bouquet of orange spice, a rich mouthfeel, and a pleasant peppery finish that showcases the 100 percent rye mash bill. Everyone I’ve introduced it to has fallen in love with it and you can understand why.
Whistlepig 12 Year Old World Aged Rye
Whistlepig
Nicholas Bennett, beverage director at Porchlight in New York City
It might be a little pricy, but I would recommend the WhistlePig 12 Year Old World Rye. The juice has 95 percent rye in the mash bill so it’s packing a lot of flavor. Then WhistlePig finishes the whiskey in Madeira, French Sauternes, and port casks at the WhistlePig Farm. The Madeira finish highlights peach and mint. The French Sauternes and port finishes bring out maple sugar, salty caramel, and winter berries.
I love a whiskey that doesn’t punch you in the face with every flavor it has and I feel like I can find something new and warming every time I pour from this bottle.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
On Tuesday night, the College Football Playoff selection committee dropped its first ranking of the 25-best teams of America as things stand right now. In the least-stunning turn of events imaginable, the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs sit atop the rankings, as Kirby Smart’s team has largely steamrolled opponents en route to an 8-0 record and unanimous No. 1 rankings in the eyes of the AP Poll and the Coaches’ Poll.
If the Playoff started tomorrow, the Bulldogs would be joined by second-ranked Alabama, third-ranked Michigan State, and fourth-ranked Oregon, with Ohio State and Cincinnati sitting just on the outside looking in at fifth and sixth. Here’s the remainder of the top-25:
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Michigan State
4. Oregon
5. Ohio State
6. Cincinnati
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Wake Forest
10. Notre Dame
11. Oklahoma State
12. Baylor
13. Auburn
14. Texas A+M
15. BYU
16. Ole Miss
17. Mississippi State
18. Kentucky
19. NC State
20. Minnesota
21. Wisconsin
22. Iowa
23. Fresno State
24. San Diego State
25. Pitt
While much of the top-4 will figure itself out — Georgia and Alabama will likely play in the SEC title game, Michigan State and Ohio State have a regular season matchup, and Oklahoma seems primed for a big move if it can win out with games against Baylor and Oklahoma State on the horizon — there were plenty of questions asked about these rankings. The biggest ones, at least with regards to the teams in prime Playoff position, involved Alabama at No. 2 despite a loss to Texas A+M and Cincinnati, which is undefeated and boasts a win over 10th-ranked Notre Dame, being on the outside looking in altogether.
Danni Washington is a lover of the natural world. A woman making waves and diving deeper into the health of our oceans while also advocating for women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in STEM fields. A science communicator who uses her voice, social media platform, and engaging personality to serve a larger cause.
The world is taking notice of her efforts. Washington recently joined the judging panel for the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize, powered by Adrian Grenier’s 52HZ. This million-dollar competition, tied to a three-year accelerator program, will create and adopt alternatives to thin-film plastic — the material used in over 300 billion non-recyclable polybags every year.
“I want to see a science-informed society making better choices around building a regenerative future,” Washington says of her role as a judge in the competition (though it could also double as her overarching mission statement). “A future that’s for all of us.”
Danni Washington
A first-generation Jamaican-American, Washington has a B.Sc. in Marine Science Biology, speaks around the globe about ocean science, and hosts podcasts and science-based TV Shows like Xploration Nature Knows Best, an educational TV series featuring innovations in clean technology and design, making her the first Black woman to host a nationally syndicated science show in the US. All of this is by design. Growing up in Miami, she grew curious about the ocean at seven-years-old. From that point on, her focus never wavered — though there have been obstacles along the path.
“I think the biggest challenge is being underestimated because I’m a Black woman,” Washington says. “I walk into a room and immediately people think, ‘Oh, she doesn’t have the skillset. She doesn’t have the knowledge.’ At this point in my life, I’m just used to it, and I’m excited to prove them wrong. It’s fuel for my fire. It always has been.”
Washington’s mom, Michelle, recognized her passion early and moved so that her daughter could attend a marine science magnet program. The school gave her a jumping-off point to launch her career arc. She celebrated her high school graduation by getting her diving certification, which she used to help land an internship studying great white sharks in South Africa, her first solo trip.
At the end of the project, Washington moved on to the University of Miami — becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. There, her mindset was to take every opportunity she could get her hands on.
“Get experience,” she says. “You have to find a way, and you can’t expect anyone to give that to you. You have to work and put in an effort.”
Witnessing a lack of representation firsthand, Washington set out on an unconventional path for a marine biologist after her graduation, deciding to focus on ocean science education, especially for girls and BIPOC youth. After winning a $10,000 grant from the surf brand Roxy, in 2008, she and her mom co-founded the ocean conservation non-profit Big Blue and You. The foundation is dedicated to sparking conversations about ocean conservation in young people through art, science, and media.
“The ocean absolutely has that power and that magic,” Washington says. “All I want is for everyone to experience it because then everyone would be inspired and want to protect it. It just begins with exposure.”
In 2011, at the historic Virginia Keys Beach Park in Miami — established in 1945 by the Black community as a response to segregation — Big Blue and You launched Art by the Sea. The now annual event encourages local marine scientists and students to come together at the beach and collaborate with local artists. It’s since expanded globally. Last summer, a coalition of organizations, led by Big Blue and You, supported students as they campaigned to convince more than 40 restaurants in Miami Beach to stop using single-use plastics.
“We can confidently say that we’ve just helped take 1.2 million pounds of trash out of the waste stream,” Washington says.
Danni Washington
To extend her mission even further, Washington recently authored Bold Women in Science, exploring the paths of different trailblazing women in STEM. The message is clear: we can all be leaders in climate action. It’s about making decisions that benefit the planet and our shared sustainable future.
Is the work hard? Absolutely. Washington doesn’t sugarcoat it.
“There are moments where I sporadically break out in tears just because of the weight of it all,” she says.
Still, she preserves.
“I don’t like people telling me what I can’t do when they don’t even know me.”
Clearly, Washington’s mentality is unapologetically fierce. And the world’s oceans are better off for it.
A group of students at Hillsboro High School in Ohio was crushed when they heard the school play they had been working on was canceled because there were complaints about a gay character.
However, instead of taking the news lying down, they banded together to perform it at a community theater instead.
The students at Hillsboro were working on a production of “She Kills Monsters.” It’s the story of a high school senior who loses her sister in an accident. She then embarks on a journey to discover who her sister really was through the Dungeons and Dragons campaign she wrote.
In the play, it’s implied that the main character’s sister is gay.
“We’re all excited,” student Christopher Cronan told WCPO. “We really wanted to do this, and when we heard it was going to be canceled we were devastated, and the overwhelming support from even outside of the state is great.”
The inclusion of a gay character in the school play led to a parent meeting where questions were raised about its sexual content. The theater students believe that the play was ultimately canceled due to the prodding of Jeff Lyle, an influential local pastor.
Via email, Lyle told WCPO that he was in favor of canceling the play but never spoke to the school board. Lyle said the play is “inappropriate for a number of reasons” that conflict with his personal religious beliefs, including implied sexual activity between unmarried people, foul language and innuendo.
The Hillsboro City Schools released a statement on October 25 that attributed the show’s cancellation to the play’s “use of inappropriate language, profanity, homophobic slurs, sexual innuendos and graphic violence.”
Laura Pickering-Polstra, a parent of one of the theater students, refuted the district’s statement by saying, “To set the record straight, the homophobic slurs had already been removed from the script by the directors before the Oct 18th parent meeting, which I attended. The sword-fighting wasn’t ‘graphic violence.’ It’s stage combat, not actual bloodshed.”
After the play was officially canceled, the students didn’t back down. Instead, they announced they would perform the show at a local theater where they won’t be censored. The one problem was that they didn’t have any funding for the project, so they set up a GoFundMe campaign with the modest goal of $5,000.
“While the play is no longer sponsored by the school, we are planning to perform the show in the summertime as a community theatre project with a different venue,” the organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Without the show being sponsored by the school, though, we have no funds to produce it, which is why we need your help!”
Jake Zora, who has over 480,000 followers on TikTok, posted a link to the GoFundMe campaign. The video has received more than 315,000 views.
Hi gay 👋 We need your help today #gaytiktok #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #theater #school #drama
Hi gay 👋 We need your help today #gaytiktok #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #theater #school #drama
In just 10 days, the campaign has raised over $22,000, more than enough to stage the play. The students are looking to use the leftover money to start a trust to create a nonprofit theater group for young people in the Hillsboro community.
Pickering-Polstra thanked everyone who participated in the GoFundMe with a post on the site.
“I wanted to take a moment to tell you all how much your support, love, and encouragement have meant to all of Hillsboro’s theatre kids,” she wrote. “This week has been a roller coaster of emotions, but, thanks to you, no one will be silencing these amazing human beings.”
It can be hard for anyone to bounce back after being ridiculed, but especially a kid who is just figuring out how to make their way in this wacky world. Bullies only succeed when we change our behavior because of them, so it’s important that we don’t let jerky behavior keep us down and destroy our joy.
Ten-year-old Evan learned that lesson firsthand last week.
It all started with Evan preparing for his school Halloween party by getting decked out in a sweet Tony Stark costume, complete with facial hair makeup, glasses and pomaded hair. His mom, Jill Struckman, shared photos of him in his costume on Facebook.
True to Tony Stark style, Evan wanted to be driven to school in the family’s Mercedes, but his mom wasn’t able to take him so he had to take the school bus.
“He was over the top excited about his costume…” Struckman wrote in another post. “He couldn’t stop smiling when he left home.”
Unfortunately, that excitement was ruined by some kids on the school bus who told him he looked stupid.
“Evan got to school and immediately went to the bathroom and washed his face,” Struckman wrote. “When he called he was crying and sooo hurt that he didn’t even want to stay for his party.”
“Kids need to understand that WORDS hurt,” she added.
After she got the call from the school, Struckman picked Evan up and took him out for a treat and a talk. She told TODAY Parents that Evan kept apologizing for washing his makeup off. “He kept saying, ‘we worked so hard on it,'” she said. “He was really thinking about how I would feel, which tells you a lot about him.”
Sometimes a little TLC from mom and a little space from the situation (and a little Starbucks as well) is enough to help a person rally, though.
“After going to Starbucks and talking through his feelings, Evan decided he didn’t want to miss his school party!!! So we went home and redid his AWESOME makeup and marched right back into school!”
“He was a little scared walking back into school,” Struckman told TODAY. “But he had a great rest of the day. And he was so proud of himself. It was absolutely a defining moment in his life. If he hadn’t gone back, it would have broken his spirit.”
Struckman shared in another post that Evan is a kid who usually enjoys standing out. “This boy has swagger and usually doesn’t let things that people say get to him,” she wrote. “I don’t want him to ever lose that and for a minute I thought he had let others’ opinions get the best of him and it crushed me!”
She also wrote that she doesn’t think the kids who bullied him are evil. “I think one kid said something mean and that others got caught up in it and it snowballed from there. It’s another important conversation we should all be having with our kids—DON’T just go along with something you know is not right… I think all kids just want to fit in and sometimes that might mean agreeing with something you know is wrong.”
Struckman’s posts on Facebook have received overwhelming attention, with thousands of comments of support pouring in. She says she’s also received countless messages from all over the world, as well as offers to send Evan money. He doesn’t need cash, she has said, requesting that people make donations instead. However, for the people asking if they can send him a card, she provided a PO box number.
What a great example of resilience on Evan’s part and loving support on his mom’s part. Bullying only prevails if we let it. Good job owning your own self, Evan. And good job, mama, for teaching your kid to be compassionate even as you teach him to stand up for himself.
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