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31 Days of Happiness Countdown: 100 hilariously bad Chewbacca impressions. (Day 24)

Hello and welcome to Day 15 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year for a lot of us, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of happiness? Check back tomorrow for another installment!

If the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song went all the way to 100, the absolute perfect gift to end on would be: ♫ 100 random people doing their best Chewbacca impression(...and a partridge in a pear treeeeee...)


What does 100 random people doing their best Chewbacca impression even look like? You're in luck! In honor of the release of "The Last Jedi,"  the folks over at Cut brilliantly gathered 100 strangers and had each person do their very best impersonation of everyone's favorite Wookiee battle cry.

It's a sound far easier to recognize than it is to imitate. Even more enjoyable than the puzzling cacophony of sounds the people in the video make are the ridiculous faces that go along with them.

Like this one:

[rebelmouse-image 19475746 dam="1" original_size="489x248" caption="GIFs via Cut/YouTube" expand=1]GIFs via Cut/YouTube

And this:

And whatever this is:

It's impossible to get through the video without laughing.

Watch the absolutely hilarious attempts below and share it with someone who needs a turbo-injection of joy this holiday season.

More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5/ DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17/ DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / [DAY 24] / DAY 25 / DAY 26 / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Community

Inspiring update on man who was recognized by sentencing judge as a childhood friend


He broke down in tears when he recognized her and promised to not let her down.

Inspiring update on man who was recognized by judge in court


There isn't a single person past the age of infancy who has never made a mistake, and the majority of people do something that they're not proud of at least once in their lives. While some mistakes are bigger than others, they're all moments we'd rather keep to ourselves most of the time. For some people those mistakes are poor decisions or lapses in judgment that land them behind bars.

One man found himself facing a judge for sentencing after making poor choices. Arthur Booth had the entire internet weeping after a video of him went viral when the sentencing judge in court recognized him as one of her childhood friends. When Booth recognized the judge, he began to openly sob with embarrassment. He was ultimately sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to a drug rehabilitation center.

People wondered what happened after that fateful day in court, and a couple of years later a short update came, showing him reuniting with the judge after finishing his sentence and rehab. But that was years ago, where is he now?

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Gen Zer asks what older generations did before Google

Google and smart phones have been around so long that Gen Z doesn't know a time before those things existed. They may have Googled what a card catalog was used for but plenty of them don't know the pressure we all felt having to learn the dewy decimal system while walking around the library with a card with numbers scribbled on it.

They've never experienced the frustration of having an out of date Encyclopedia collection from the thrift store that was missing books "D" and "X-Z" when you had a research assignment due. Oh, sweet tech savvy - we not me generation, doesn't understand that riding shot gun on a road trip meant you were suddenly a pirate with an Atlas map bigger than the dashboard.

Even as someone that was alive when having a rotary phone was the norm, I sometimes forget what life was like before all of the technological luxuries. It's not surprising that Gen Z is confused on how we survived back then without knowledge at our fingertips, so when one of them asked, Gen X, Xennials and elder Millennials entered the chat.

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Pop Culture

How Ryan Gosling won the Oscars without actually winning an Oscar

We've got answers to all of your questions about Gosling and his epic "I'm Just Ken" performance.

ABC/YouTube

From start to finish, Ryan Gosling's "I'm Just Ken" performance was one to remember.


At the 2024 Academy Awards show, Ryan Gosling managed a pretty incredible feat—winning the entire Oscars without taking home a single award with his performance of "I'm Just Ken."

Throughout the show, the songs that were nominated for Best Original Song were performed, with two songs from "Barbie" bookending the night. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas performed first, making everyone cry with the hauntingly gorgeous "What Was I Made For." But it was Gosling's "I'm Just Ken" spectacle that had everyone laughing, singing along and wondering how on Earth we got to this iconic cultural moment.

Let's face it—the entire idea of Ryan Gosling playing a classic Ken doll in a movie about Barbie sounded pretty goofy from the start. And yet the combined genius of the movie's creators and Gosling's abject refusal to phone in anything not only made it work, but earned the actor widespread praise and a nomination from the Academy for Best Supporting Actor. Throw in some cheesy-on-purpose songwriting and an over-the-top embrace of its own absurdity, and we get one of the greatest Oscar moments ever.

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Pop Culture

Gen X couple share a delightfully cheesy rap song welcoming millennials into their 40s

This club is a little different, there's Wordle, seltzers and lots of houseplants.

"Welcome to the club, Millenials."

It is pretty wild to consider that Millennials are now entering their 40s and no longer hold the mantle of the young and up-and-coming generation. According to Pew Research, Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, so these days they range between the ages of 29 and 42.

These are the years when people begin to settle down, start families and experience the first uncomfortable signs of aging.

The Holderness Family is headed by a Gen X couple, Kim and Penn Holderness, who are best known for their viral comedy songs. Their latest video is about welcoming Millennials to their next phase in life, one that’s less about spending all night in the club and more about embracing a quieter, more practical life.

In this case, “the club” isn’t a loud place to get a Long Island iced tea but a state of mind where you’re more likely to appreciate a good walk for your mental health.

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Humor

Mom shares idea for a Forever 41 for Millennials and people think it's brilliant

90's music, free coffee and awesome clothes that fit. Where do we sign up?

Mom advocates for store called forever 41 for elder Millennials

There's something that happens after you reach a certain age. It's almost like you're back to being stuck in between the aisles of your favorite department store. You no longer feel comfortable in the juniors section of the store but the other side of the aisle can sometimes feel a bit too mature.

If you're not quite ready for fully elastic waisted polyester pants but are way too old to feel comfortable wearing a shirt that's missing random patches of material, then Forever 41 may be the store for you. At least that's if Tara Joon gets her way.


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Pop Culture

Guy gives an Asian spin on classic American foods, and the results are truly delectable

From matcha Twinkies to pork bun Happy Meals, Frankie Gaw's creations are a delicious way to bridge a gap between cultures.

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels, Larry D. moore/Wikipedia

Imagine: Scallion pancake french fires and mochi Twinkies. Mouth watering yet?

We know that food and identity are intricately linked. And when we shame a person’s food choices—especially when the dish is representative of their culture—we are also shaming the individual’s heritage.

Asian-Americans in particular have been on the receiving end of this type of discrimination. It’s such a universal childhood experience that the term “lunchbox moment” was coined to describe having their school lunches being ridiculed.

Fortunately, society is evolving. Diversity, inclusion and blending culture is becoming more the norm. And food, like every art form, follows suit. Hence, delectable fusions that not only delight the taste buds, but cook up a more curious and compassionate world.

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