It’s well-known in LA circles that Terrence “Punch” Henderson has plenty of artistic and musical talent of his own, even though he’s spent the last several years as one of the architects behind the Top Dawg Entertainment empire. Now, Punch is readying another collective, and the trailer for what they’re about to do just dropped yesterday. A Room Full Of Mirrors will feature Punch alongside other artists like Nick Grant, DayLyt, Earlee Riser, Billymarie, Lyric Michelle, Ichiban Don, Hari and Jrias Law. They released “Mirrors” back in February and “RawR” in April to preview their first EP together, and now that project is only a few days away.
To further whet fans’ appetites, last night they dropped a trailer that revealed the EP title and gave a taste of what’s to come. Money Bags is teased in the minute-long clip (above) as a visual EP, with some clear inspirations from Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs. The film was directed by Lyric Michelle, and as far as the music, most of the project was produced by Hari and “and constructed from a narrative and detail standpoint by Punch himself.” Punch has overseen every release for TDE, so needless to say he knows how to roll an album out. Check out the preview for Money Bags above, dropping in just a few days on November 17.
There is no bottom for Donald Trump. For his entire life, he’s shown he’ll say or do to get ahead, or simply to create chaos for chaos’s sake. The former president-turned-failed blogger (and maybe future failed social media honcho) was suspiciously quiet after one of his many enemies, SNL impersonator Alec Baldwin, was involved in a tragic shooting on the set of Rust, which resulted in the accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. But that restraint didn’t last too long.
According to The Wrap, Trump appeared on the right-leaning podcast The Chris Stigall Show, where he ran his mouth about things he doesn’t know about. Inevitably the Rust shooting came up.
“In my opinion, he had something to do with it,” Trump said. “But if nothing else, how do you take a gun, whether it’s loaded or not loaded, how do you take a gun, point it at somebody that’s not even in the movie, and just point it at this person and pull the trigger, and now she’s dead.”
Trump then intimated that Baldwin fired a live round on purpose, calling him a “sick guy.”
“Even if it was loaded, and, you know, that’s a weird thing, maybe he loaded it,” Trump told Stigall. “If they handed me a gun, I would never point it at somebody and shoot it.”
He added that Baldwin, per his judgment, is “a troubled guy. There’s something wrong with him. I’ve watched him for years. He gets into fistfights with reporters… I mean, everything he does, he’s a volatile guy. He’s a nutjob.”
Of course, a lot of this flies in the face of what has been revealed by reporters during an investigation that is still ongoing. (Though there have been some dicey things said by those involved, too.) But this is just the “opinion” of a guy who floats baseless conspiracy theories about non-existent voter fraud, and who has a long history of making bizarre claims preceded by the words “people are saying…” The only surprise is that he didn’t spout this nonsense earlier.
The Black Panther sequel, subtitled Wakanda Forever, won’t open for just over another year from now, but it’s still shooting. And this week it was announced production would need to take a little pause. As per The Hollywood Reporter, at the end of this month cast and crew will take a break until the beginning of the year so that one of its stars can convalesce after an injury.
Sources tell THR that Letitia Wright was injured back in August while shooting a sequence that involved a stunt rig while production had moved from Atlanta to Boston. What exactly happened to her has not been revealed, but the injury was severe enough that production has had to work around her. At this point, though, it appears they shot all they can that doesn’t involve Wright’s Shuri, sister to the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. Production is expected to reconvene in early 2022.
None of this will delay the film’s release. As of now, it’s still scheduled to bow on Nov. 11 of next year. A few weeks ago the film, along with many Marvel and/or Disney titles, was pushed back, moving from July 8 to its current spot, just ahead of Thanksgiving 2022.
Wright’s Shuri was a fan-favorite, and she was given a more prominent role in the sequel after people praised her for being both a comic relief and a bona fide badass with STEM skills. In real life, Wright has denied claims that she’s being skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines, which have become requirements across the industry.
After he was forced to cancel last year’s edition of the festival, Travis Scott and his fans were extremely excited for the return of his trademark Astroworld Festival which he launched back in 2018. However, that excitement quickly turned into tragedy and chaos on the showcase’s first day. Houston’s KHOU and the Associated Press report that at least eight deaths and hundreds of injuries occurred during Travis’ solo set to end the first night of the Astroworld Festival. Fire Chief Samuel Peña spoke about the incident during a press conference after the festival on Friday night.
“The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,” he said to reporters. “People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.” He added that around 9:38 PM local time, the incident became a “mass causality event” as medical units on hand were “quickly overwhelmed” by the “scores of people” that were treated for injuries. Peña confirmed 17 people were transported to local hospitals, including 11 who were under cardiac arrest. A 10-year-old was one of the many people hospitalized as a result of the incident at the festival. In total, more than 300 people were treated on-site at Astroworld.
As a result, Astroworld Festival organizers announced that day two of the showcase is canceled. They also released an official statement on the matter early Saturday morning. “Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight especially those we lost and their loved ones,” they wrote. “We are focused on supporting local officials however we can. With that in mind the festival will no longer be held on Saturday. As authorities mentioned in their press conference earlier, they are looking into the series of cardiac arrests that took place. If you have any relevant information on this, please reach out to @houstonpolice.” They added, “Thank you to our partners at the Houston Police Department, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their response and support.”
A number of posts from fans show the frantic moments that took place inside the crowd as many were left to give CPR to fellow attendees while screaming for help from security and medics. One post went into great detail about the chaos and suffocating atmosphere that was present in the crowd. Another showed attendees’ desperate but unfortunately unsuccessful attempt to grab a cameraman’s attention and notify them of what was happening within the crowd.
You can view the statement from Fire Chief Samuel Peña and Astroworld Festival organizer above. You can also view tweets from attendees below.
If you have a loved one who went to #ASTROWORLDFest who you can’t get in touch with, the reunification site is at the:
Wyndham Houston 8686 Kirby Dr Houston, TX 77054 United States
I screamed for help so many times, alerted security, asked everyone in the crowd if there was anyone who was CPR certified. Every call went unanswered. I was told, “we already know, and we can’t do anything to stop the show, they’re streaming live” Disgusting. #ASTROWORLDFest
One of Kyrie Irving’s final remaining paths to potentially being able to play for the Brooklyn Nets this season without getting a COVID-19 vaccine was effectively closed off on Friday night. New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams appeared on CNN on Friday and got asked by Wolf Blitzer about the city’s vaccine mandate, which is the reason why the unvaccinated Irving is unable to suit up for the Nets right now.
While Adams said that he is a Nets fan and that he thinks Irving is “a piece that we need for a championship,” he said that any resolution to the situation would have to come on the NBA’s end.
“Our national government, the lawmakers, they will make decisions, but really it’s on a city level that we have to carry out those decisions… I think it’s imperative that we keep our eyes, our ears, and our focus on the cities.”
“New York City is not going to change their rule,” Adams said. “And again, it is up to the NBA and Kyrie to come to a full understanding on how to keep him on the Nets and to continue to look at all of our athletes that are coming here. Again, I think the NBA and Kyrie’s going to come to a conclusion on this.”
Nets coach Steve Nash was informed of this after the team beat the Detroit Pistons on Friday night and made clear he did not expect the city to change its mandate once Adams is sworn into office.
Steve Nash on NYC mayor Eric Adams saying he wouldn’t change the vaccine mandate for Kyrie Irving: “I didn’t expect the mayor to change the mandate.”
The Brooklyn Nets headed to Detroit on Friday night to take on the upstart Pistons. With Brooklyn leading by double digits during the third quarter, James Harden found himself in a situation where all he had to do was bend over and pick up a basketball that was rolling directly in front of him.
That, however, did not happen, for some reason. Harden tried to take Saddiq Bey 1-on-1, but the second-year forward poked the ball away from him. It rolled into the backcourt, where Harden sprinted after it before the ball was at his feet.
At this point, one would think he’d just pick it up and go about his business, but for one reason or another, he kinda just stood there and seemed like he thought it was going to roll out of bounds? Anyway, Harden didn’t realize that Bey saw him slow down and started chasing after the ball, and Bey scooped it up, took a few dribbles, and got a pretty easy dunk.
Ian Eagle called this a “mental mistake” by the former league MVP. That very well might be the case, or something else could have happened here. Whatever the case may be, hopefully Harden addresses it after the game, because it’s a unique one.
In 2021, celebrity weed brands are far from a new phenomenon. From Seth Rogen and Travis Scott to Justin Bieber and Jay-Z, famous people cannot stop digging their hands into the fertile soil that is the modern cannabis space. But scanning the names above, it’s hard not to notice that most of those famous faces seem to be dudes. This despite the fact that according to Forbes, a 2019 study found that 37% of executive-level positions in the cannabis industry were held by women — much higher than the national average across other industries.
Still, famous women don’t seem to be scooping up weed partnerships at the same rate as famous men. Where is our Rihanna or Doja Cat weed? Ariana Grande doesn’t have a strain yet?
Enter Forbidden Flowers, actress, model, and singer Bella Thorne’s new cannabis brand. Forbidden Flowers, at least by marketing standards, is a breath of fresh air in the cannabis space, with its aggressively feminine branding splashed across colorful pre-rolls and sparkling flower jars, it’s probably the only weed brand with packaging that can be described as “pretty” (though Rogen’s Houseplant, with its fancy tin boxes, comes incredibly close).
“I wanted the brand to be an embodiment of my free spirit and personality,” Thorne said in an interview with Forbes in March. “That is why you see the fun, soft, glitter aesthetic. I feel this type of flirty aesthetic is something you don’t see a lot in the industry.”
Though the aesthetic is front and center, it seems Thorne is relying less on her famous face to move product and more on an eye-catching visual and a smart partnership with a cultivator that knows what they’re doing. Each strain of Forbidden Flowers has been cultivated by beloved California brand Glass House Farms (Mission Health Associates) and feature sun-grown cannabis straight out of Santa Barbara.
On paper, that all sounds great. But all that really matters is how it smokes. To get a full picture of the brand, we smoked four different strains from the line to see whether Forbidden Flowers is merely another celebrity vanity project or if it deserves to sit amongst the best of celebrity-branded cannabis. Ready? Let’s smoke.
Presentation & Labeling
Dane Rivera
The full line of Forbidden Flowers consists of four different strains all curated toward specific moods or mindsets. Each jar contains the strain name, as well as an indicator of the strain’s general vibe but refrains from disclosing whether the strain is an indica, sativa, or hybrid. I’m not totally against this idea — as I’ve always considered sativa, indica, and hybrid to be very vague umbrella terms for bud that can impart a wide variety of different effects and moods — but that might matter to you, so it should be mentioned.
The labeling also leaves off any terpene information and only lists the THC content, CBD content, and packaging date. It’s pretty barebones.
The moods and strains are as follows: Hype Up — Topanga Sunrise, Chill Out — Midnight Thornberry, Turn On — Violet Daydream, and perhaps the weirdest Zone In — Low Key Lazy. That last mood and strain name don’t match up, but I love how evocative the presentation is. When coupled with that colorful glass jar and sparkly top, the whole thing helps to create a sensory experience before we even smoke it. We’ve come a long way from the days of illegal cannabis when we’d get strain names like “Chemical Cat Piss” in tiny ziplock bags
On presentation, we give it a B+. Any time a weed jar makes for great decoration while still providing an air-tight fit that’ll keep your bud from stinking up the room, it’s a winner, but we’d have liked to see some more concrete information on the labeling for the hardcore stoners who like to get granular on the details.
Zone In — Low Key Lazy
Dane Rivera
THC: 27.78% CBD: 0.06%
Contradictory strain name aside, Low Key Lazy’s labeling suggests it’s aimed toward focus and productivity, and it pretty much delivers on that front. If you’re expecting a strain that will somehow boost your creativity, I don’t know that any truly can, but what Low Key Lazy will do is not weigh you down, and that’s important if you’re in the mindset of getting things done.
On the nose, this bud is pungent with a slight sweetness that makes it a pleasure to smoke. The high comes on quickly, but not in a way that makes you feel heavily stoned. It’s mostly cerebral but doesn’t leave you feeling spacey or forgetful. After a few minutes, I started to feel light-headed and a glossy glaze covered my eyes, so I’d suggest this strain as an accompaniment to more menial work that you need to get done, rather than your passion projects. If it’s something that requires a high level of focus, this might make you a little too high if you aren’t an everyday smoker with a high tolerance.
Hype up — Topanga Sunrise
Dane Rivera
THC: 31.56% CBD: .11%
I love a good wake and bake strain, and Topanga Sunrise offers just that. This one is geared toward energy and motivation, and while I can’t say a big bowl of this stuff made me motivated or energetic, it is the sort of strain you want to smoke before entering an amusement park, going on a hike, to a concert, or the beach. It gets you incredibly high, without feeling lazy or like you can’t function. The high is completely cerebral, almost psychedelic. It’ll make you marvel at shit like glittering sun rays or the smell of wet grass, while still allowing you to feel fully functional.
It’s very sweet on the nose with a dirty earth and pine flavor. It’s not the best tasting strain, so I wouldn’t reach for the vaporizer or bong to get a better taste. Roll this one up as a joint or a blunt and make whatever daily activity you have ahead of you a million times better.
Chill Out — Midnight Thorneberry
Dane Rivera
THC: 21.56% CBD: 0.04%
Midnight Thorneberry is easily Forbidden Flowers’ most flavorful strain. On the nose, you get deep and fragrant berry notes and that smell thankfully translates to the flavor. This strain smokes smoothly and is not in the least bit harsh or cough-inducing. Midnight Thorneberry is geared toward chilling out and it delivers, after a few minutes my eyelids felt heavy and my body was vibrating in euphoric tingles. It’s the perfect strain for binge-watching marathons or any other activity that involves snacking and hanging out on the couch.
Unlike the other strains this one doesn’t pack as powerful a punch, so just because you smoke it, that doesn’t mean your day is done as you sink deeply into the couch. Having said that, if you’re trying to kill some intense pain or a headache, you’re going to need something a bit more powerful than this. But for de-stressing, it’s perfect.
Turn On — Violet Daydream
Dane Rivera
THC: 25.92% CBD: .07%
Now here we are at the strain everyone is going to be most interested in, Violet Daydream. Violet Daydream is sub-labeled as Turn-On and is geared toward intimacy and connection. That sounds nice but we know where your head went. Everyone wants to get their hands on the strain that’s going to get them to f*ck, and marijuana can absolutely be a sexual enhancer in multiple ways, but it’s a case-by-case basis. There is no single marijuana strain that is going to turn people on, we need to accept that, but marijuana can help people better perform in a multitude of ways, whether that’s from simple de-stressing, lowering inhibitions, anxiety, or upping your sensory experiences.
This is the sort of case where knowing which terpenes are present in the strain would help some people. Will Violet Daydream definitely turn you on? No, not necessarily. But it is a great social strain.
On the nose, Violet Daydream is very sweet, almost strawberry-like with frosty green nugs and a sweet fruity taste. The high provides you with a giggly euphoria that will remind you why getting high in a group so fun. This is a great one to bring out when you have a house full of people you haven’t seen in a while and want to connect without any awkwardness. It opens you up socially and in general, just makes you feel good.
The Bottom Line:
Overall Bella Thorne’s Forbidden Flowers exceeds what we’ve come to expect from a celebrity-branded weed. It doesn’t sacrifice quality or try to upsell you with Thorne’s famous name. One major gripe I had with the bud was that each jar featured a fair share of thick stems and overall wasn’t quite as sticky as I’d like it to be.
Shortcomings aside, this is one of the better celebrity-branded cannabis brands out there and we look forward to how they continue to evolve. As of now, the crown still belongs to Rogen though.
Fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are gonna love this: Some guy just broke up a fight using the power of pizza.
A restaurant surveillance video has gone viral on Reddit, showing two dudes getting into a sidewalk brawl. Outside diners enjoy a free show as one guy slams the other into the concrete. Then suddenly, our hero emerges. Whoosh!
He walks out of the restaurant toward his table, pizza in hand (is he bringing the pizza to his family? Is he a waiter? So much mystery). The Pizza Man does a double take, then hurriedly walks toward the scuffle.
Is he about to “use the molten cheese method” and smash the pizza into one of the dudes faces, as one Reddit user mentioned? Nay, the Pizza Man is altruistic. Instead of inciting violence, he presents a pepperoni flavored peace offering, helping the men to their feet. Seriously, is it too late to give this man a Nobel Prize?
As if lifted from a spell, the two men take a slice and cease to punch each other senseless. Which begs the question: Were they both just hangry?
Pizza Man’s heroic deed even inspired a new song in the Reddit comments:
“Whennnn youuuuu fight your homie, then there’s pepperoni That’s Amore!!”
“When you fight with a lust but you prefer pizza crust, that’s amore!!”
“When a guy hits your eye but there’s free pizza pie — that’s amore!”
That, my friends, is what the kids would call a “bop.”
After a few pats on the back, the would-be brawlers each go their separate ways, proving once again that pizza solves everything.
Next time you are about to enter a murderous rage, follow the Pizza Man’s example and just grab a slice instead.
It’s hard to pin down the exact number of people who have been canonized or beatified by the Catholic church, but scholars say the number may be beyond 10,000. The most recent canonization by Pope Francis was Margherita della Metola in April of this year.
Margherita della Metola was an Italian Roman Catholic and professed member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic who lived 1287 to 1320.
A satirical Facebook page for God a.k.a. The Good God Above has nearly 4 million followers and he asked them an important question on November 1: “I have not canonized any new saints in a while. Any suggestions?”
The post received more than 9,000 responses of people debating which modern-day heroes are so holy they deserve to become saints. We decided to rank the top 20 vote-getters based on how many likes they received after being nominated by a commenter.
The number one vote-getter won by a landslide.
(Note: Some people were mentioned multiple times, so the numbers on the posted comments aren’t the only numbers that we considered.)
Here are the top 20 people “God’s” followers believe should become saints.
Alex Trebek (1940 – 2020)
“Who should be a saint?” for $800, Alex. Trebek was the host of “Jeopardy!” for 37 years and one of the most recognizable TV personalities of all time. He should be canonized for his calm presence on one of TV’s most tense game shows.
Lemmy Kilmister (1945 – 2015)
Ian Fraser Kilmister was known worldwide by one name: Lemmy. The lead singer and bassist of Motörhead should be canonized for partying as hard as he rocked. “I don’t do regrets,” Lemmy once said. “Regrets are pointless. It’s too late for regrets. You’ve already done it, haven’t you? You’ve lived your life. No point wishing you could change it.”
George Takei (1937 – )
Takei has had one of the greatest second acts in American life. He became a sci-fi legend and one of the first Asian-American TV stars in the late ’60s as Sulu on “Star Trek.” In the social media era he’s become one of the most popular faces of trending content. He should be canonized for the incredible work he’s done for the LGBTQ community.
Pope Francis (1936 – )
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis has been one of the most popular and controversial Popes of the modern era for his unapologetically progressive views. He should be canonized for his work on climate change reform.
Sir Terry Pratchett (1948 – 2015)
Pratchett was an English humorist, satirist and author of comic fantasy novels, including the “Discworld” series. He should be canonized for celebrating all of the quirky and strange things that happen in “real life.”
Brandon Stanton (1984 – )
Stanton is an American author, photographer and blogger best known for “Humans of New York,” a photoblog and book. He should be canonized for his portraits of strangers who share intimate stories of strength, addiction, redemption, regret and love.
David Bowie (1947 – 2016)
Bowie is one of the most enigmatic performers of the past century whose work highlighted the concept of the outsider, whether it was an astronaut in space or someone living outside of traditional gender norms. Bowie should be canonized for showing humanity that there are no limitations on who they can be and how they can change.
Sir David Attenborough (1926 – )
Sir David Attenborough is the undisputed father of the nature documentary. Throughout his eight-decade career, his gentle, awestruck voice has served as humanity’s guide to nature. He should be canonized for “Life on Earth,” his series that examined the role of evolution in nature.
Dr. Anthony Fauci (1940 – )
Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institutes of Health, has come to the forefront of American life for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He should be canonized for not losing his mind during former president Trump’s long, rambling and factually inaccurate COVID briefings in 2020.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933 – 2020)
The “Notorious RBG” became a liberal, feminist icon for championing women’s rights as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1993 to her death. She should be canonized for her strongly worded dissents in women’s rights cases.
Robin Williams (1961 – 2014)
Williams was one of the most unique performers the world has ever seen. He completely changed American comedy with his intense, high-energy improvisational comedy performances on stage, TV and in film. He was also a talented actor, winning critical acclaim in films such as “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Dead Poets Society.” He should be canonized for his child-like love of whimsy.
Bob Ross (1942 – 1995)
Ross was the creator and host of “The Joy of Painting,” an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS. His infectious love of art, distinctive hair and gentle voice made him the ultimate calming presence. He should be canonized for teaching the world how to paint “happy little trees.”
Elon Musk (1971 – )
Musk is the closest we’ll have to a living Bond villain. He’s a visionary billionaire who isn’t shy about wanting to change the world, from how we travel to spend money. Like him or not, he should be canonized for creating the Tesla, a high-performance electric car that brought EVs into the mainstream.
George Carlin (1937 to 2008)
Carlin came to prominence as a counter-culture comic in the ’70s where he was famous for outlining the “seven dirty words you can’t say on television.” However, clips of him from the late ’90s and early 2000s where he eviscerates American greed, materialism and entitlement have made him still relevant to this day. He should be canonized for this incredible clip where he discusses the fact that there’s a big club and “you’re not in it.”
“It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
George Carlin – It’s A BIG Club & You Ain’t In It!
Fred Rogers (1928 – 2003)
Rogers touched the lives of countless children from 1968 to 2001 as the host of PBS’ “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The puppeteer, songwriter and Presbyterian minister revolutionized children’s television and should be canonized for changing the way we think about the inner lives of young children.
Jimmy Carter (1924 – )
Carter served as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and his biggest accomplishment was the Camp David Accords that ended the Israeli-Egyptian disputes. His post-presidency life has been dedicated to humanitarianism causes through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter should be canonized for his humility and commitment to service.
Steve Irwin (1962 – 2006)
The “Crocodile Hunter” wowed audiences by fearlessly tangling with deadly snakes, spiders, lizards and crocodiles. But at his heart, he was a true lover of nature and wildlife, and an educator who shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for animals with millions. Irwin should be canonized for his many contributions to the field of wildlife education and conservation.
Dolly Parton (1946 – )
Parton is such a national treasure that when they began pulling down Confederate statues in Tennessee a few years back, there was a petition to have them replaced with statues of Dolly. As a musician, Parton has sung some of the biggest hits in country music history, including “I Will Always Love You” and “Islands in the Stream.” But she has also been a generous philanthropist, helping charities that benefit children and veterans.
If you got the COVID-19 vaccine you should thank Dolly. In 2020, she donated $1 million to help fund vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dolly should be canonized for creating the Imagination Library that has donated more than 100 million books to children.
Bernie Sanders (1941 – )
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is one of the most beloved political figures in the United States because he has always stood on the side of the oppressed and the working class regardless of whether it was popular. He’s refused to be bought by Wall Street and has stood up against the Department of Defense, the fossil fuel industry, drug companies and private prison industries.
He should be canonized for his relentless quest to provide healthcare for all Americans.
Keanu Reeves (1964 – )
Reeves is a beloved figure in Hollywood because of his kind, down-to-earth nature. There are countless anecdotes around the internet of Reeves going out of his way to please a fan or inviting a member of the paparazzi to his table to sit with him during dinner. “The internet’s boyfriend” is also a gentleman who never touches women when taking a photo with them.
Reeves should be canonized for quietly donating millions to children’s hospitals.
Miscarriage is a tough topic that many are hesitant to talk about. The private nature of losing a pregnancy and the complex feelings that come along with it creates a silence that leaves those experiencing it feeling alone and those not experiencing it ignorant of the reality.
According to the Mayo Clinic, about 10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, which means we all know someone who has or will experience it at least once, even if we don’t experience it ourselves. To best support those who do, it’s important that we all have a better understanding of what a miscarriage can entail, logistically, emotionally and even financially.
Twitter user Kristen R. Moore shared 15 things she learned about miscarriage that she didn’t know before going through one herself, and her thread has prompted others to share their experiences as well.
Today, I paid over $1000 out of pocket for my miscarriage. They didn’t tell me it would cost so much to lose a baby. Here are other things they don’t tell you about miscarriages. A thread based on my experience. CW: miscarriage & infertility.
“Today, I paid over $1000 out of pocket for my miscarriage,” she wrote. “They didn’t tell me it would cost so much to lose a baby. Here are other things they don’t tell you about miscarriages.”
Then she shared a thread describing 14 other eye-opening realities she went through during and after her miscarriage.
“1. It takes a long time. It’s not an event that’s suddenly over. It’s like a fucking marathon. A sad, dehydrated marathon with nothing on the end but empty.
2. Practitioners who support birth don’t necessarily know how to support miscarriage—the joy of birth is so stark when compared to the grief and loss of miscarriage. Some of y’all need training.
3. There is medication to help the miscarriage along. It is used for abortion, too, and your pharmacist may treat you like you’re entering an abortion clinic when you want more information about how it works.
3. There is medication to help the miscarriage along. It is used for abortion, too, and your pharmacist may treat you like youu2019re entering an abortion clinic when you want more information about how it works.
4. The most commonly used medication is officially prescribed for ulcers; all use for miscarriage management is “off books.” This gives your pharmacist permission (tacit or explicit) to deny you information about vaginal (rather than oral) use.
5. The informational inserts for the medication—Misoprostol—warn you about how it can trigger miscarriage. If you have a decent pharmacist, they’ll give you supplemental information that they print off from the internet.
6. When you’ve been through infertility treatments, a natural pregnancy doesn’t always feel like a miracle. Sometimes it feels like a tightrope walk, a risk, a pain waiting to happen.
7. Miscarriage is so, so lonely. Y’all. The emptying of your body like that…bless it. You really DON’T want to talk about it, but you sometimes want to scream about it. Where can we go to scream?
9. Non-birthing parents are ignored in the miscarriage experience: their grief and pain and suffering is real, too.
8. You want it to speed up and slow down all at once. Hurry, hurry, hurry up, and then no, don’t go–please don’t go.
9. Non-birthing parents are ignored in the miscarriage experience: their grief and pain and suffering is real, too.
10. When the miscarriage happens at 13 weeks, the weight stays on; you still have to pull out the pregnancy pants, as a reminder of your previous maternity state.
11. No one talks about it, so you don’t know how to talk about. People say the wrong thing, but you’re so sad that you don’t want to say, ‘don’t ever say that to a person miscarrying.’
12. Related, do not recommend: ‘But you can try again soon, right?’ upon hearing the news. Also, do not recommend: ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ Or ‘This is all part of God’s plan.’
12. Related, do not recommend: u201cBut you can try again soon, right?u201d upon hearing the news. Also, do not recommend: u201cEverything happens for a reason.u201d Or u201cThis is all part of Godu2019s plan.u201d
13. There are humans who feel like little angels, the tech who asks if you want to hear the lack of heartbeat, the friend you can scream with, the partner who’ll hold you in your grief. Mostly they feel like blips on a terrible painful road.
14. It’s expensive and painful (like birth) and at the end you don’t get anything except a bill and a new playlist called, ‘Shit to help you get through the baby that never was.'”
It’s rare that we get the inside look at miscarriage that Moore’s thread offers, and her courageous sharing will undoubtedly help both those who have experienced it to be seen and those who haven’t to understand.
Others added to the thread with their own details as well.
I took a few days off but at the end of the year in my performance review it wa a mentioned how I took additional time off without having any accrued time left (even w/o pay!) I was dinged in my bonus pay for the year because of it.
Some commenters pointed out how their work provided no paid time off so they either had to work right after their miscarriage or take unpaid time off (and still get flack for it). Reason #3,782 why the lack of universal guaranteed paid leave in the U.S. is ridiculous. (In the meantime, New Zealand offers bereavement leave after a pregnancy loss. Why Americans aren’t marching in the streets daily over our healthcare and paid leave situation is a mystery.)
The cruelty of that reality is compounded by the fact that miscarriage is not a one-time event that is then over and done with. For some people, in so many ways, the trauma of it ends up being relived over and over again.
Your body isn’t pregnant, but it doesn’t know it yet. Like having duct tape over a knife wound ripped off again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.
These are things that we all need to understand for ourselves, for our loved ones and for anyone we know who might experience losing a baby through miscarriage.
The full picture is even more complex, of course. Everyone’s emotional experience is unique, and how someone feels about a miscarriage depends on many factors, so broad generalizations aren’t necessarily helpful. For people with an unwanted pregnancy, a miscarriage might even come as somewhat of a relief. However, that doesn’t change the physical or financial realities of going through one.
Whatever the circumstances, having greater knowledge of what a person might be going through when they have a miscarriage can help us offer more compassionate support. Thank you, Kristen Moore, for being open about your experience and getting the ball rolling on this important conversation.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
