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An affectionate teardown of 'Peppa Pig' by a doctor who's seen way too many episodes.

This British doctor's 100% serious, completely scientific, not tongue-in-cheek-at-all analysis of "Peppa Pig's"Dr. Brown Bear is hilarious and completely relatable for anyone who has (or has even been near) small children, who don't annoy their parents at all when they watch the same episode about George's woolly hat six times in a row.

"Peppa Pig" is a British children's program about a small, anthropomorphic pig named Peppa, her family, and the community she lives in, including one Dr. Brown Bear. Who is a bear. Obviously.


[rebelmouse-image 19474730 dam="1" original_size="480x270" caption="Obviously. Image from RR and J/Wordpress." expand=1]Obviously. Image from RR and J/Wordpress.

In the 100%-real, scientific paper, titled "Does Peppa Pig encourage inappropriate use of primary care resources?" and published in the prestigious British Medical Journal, Dr. Catherine Bell highlights tough issues like:

  • Is it appropriate for a medically-trained bear professional to make so many house calls?
  • Should small singing pigs be allowed into surgery?
  • And how is Dr. Bear's mental health holding up?

Meanwhile, peppered (must resist puns...) throughout are wonderful little flourishes, like:

"Peppa Pig conveys many positive public health messages... However, from (repeated, mostly involuntary) review of the subject..."

or

"Conflicts of interest: None declared. It may look like my child is sponsored by 'Peppa Pig,' but any claims to this effect are false."

The paper's only about two pages long and is a very easy read, even for a nonscientific person.

As to how it got published, the paper is part of the British Medical Journal's annual Christmas issue. While each paper and article must still be held to scientific standards, the journal embraces the holiday spirit once a year and opens itself up to more, let's call them "original" topics, like how nice hospital gardens are or whether the BONG-BONG-BONG of London's Big Ben is interrupting a good night's rest.

Bell's paper is a delightful, cheeky, and affectionate dig at children's programming that anyone who's ever been near a television or a toddler can relate to and enjoy.

And, if nothing else, it's a reminder that maybe someone should check in on poor Dr. Brown Bear.

Family

Mom calls out teacher who gave her son a 'zero' grade for not providing class with supplies

Her viral video sparked a debate as to whether or not providing school supplies should be mandatory for parents.

@shanittanicole/TikTok

A zero grade for not providing school supplies?

The debate as to whether or not parents should supply classroom supplies is not new. But as prices continue to rise, parents are growing more baffled as to how they can be expected by teachers to provide all the various glue sticks, colored pencils, rulers and other various items the incoming students might need.

What’s even more perplexing, however, is penalizing the children of parents who won’t (or can’t) provide them.

This was the case for Shanitta Nicole, who discovered her son received a zero grade in his new school for not bringing school supplies for the entire classroom.
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When the world returned to work after COVID, many believed they deserved to be treated better by their employers. This resulted in many taking a break from the workforce or changing professions altogether. It also helped usher in a more comfortable culture for calling out companies that don’t treat their employees respectfully.

Recently, a group of thousands came together on Reddit to expose the common mistruths that people often hear at the workplace. It all started when a Redditor named PretenstoKnow asked: "What's the most common lie employers tell their employees?" And over 2,600 people responded.

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Golden Retrievers are the ultimate good doggos.


If there's any dog breed that encapsulates "good doggo" energy, it's the Golden Retriever. Friendly, gentle, good-natured and oh-so-affectionate, Goldens have come by their reputation honestly. Even "I'm not a dog person" people tend to find themselves taken by Golden Retrievers, and a post on TikTok demonstrates why.

The video shared by @hugoandursula is captioned "my dog getting cuddles from strangers on the train," and that's exactly what it shows in the most adorable montage ever.

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Amanda Seals breaks down history of DAP handshake

We've all seen people do it. Anywhere from basketball players on television to kids meeting up at the skating rink. Even former president Barack Obama when greeting a mixed group of men gave "DAP" to the Black men in the group, yet switched to a firm handshake when greeting the other men.

It was almost like watching the president code switch, but with body language, in a move that many Black Americans recognize as a gesture of acceptance and comradery. But did you know that there's an actual history behind the DAP that has nothing to do with looking cool? Social justice educator and actress, Amanda Seales, recently re-shared a clip from "The Real" where she was diving into the history of the handshake.

Seales, who has a master's degree in African American Studies from Columbia University, was also admittedly surprised when she learned there was a deeper meaning to the gesture.

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Neuroscientist reveals perfect amount of time to spend on social media for your mental health

Over several weeks, the participants felt less loneliness, depression and anxiety.

@rachelle_summers/TikTok

Anyone can use this checklist.

There are pretty clear cut guidelines on how much screen time kids should have, but for adults…not so much. And perhaps it’s this lack of clarity that leaves people to go on full blown digital detoxes or get off social media entirely.

And while there is certainly a case to be made for that decision, for many of us, that isn’t quite feasible—especially in certain lines of work.

Luckily, according to neuroscientist Rachelle Summers, there is a way we can still be on social media, without being subjected to its negative side effects.
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Photo by Kats Weil on Unsplash

Ready for a refreshingly wholesome story?

The stereotypical image we get of bachelor parties is a booze-filled evening of depravity and bad choices. Followed of course by a massive hangover…and some regrets.

And granted, there are plenty of viral videos to show that this is sometimes the case. But there are also plenty of grooms who don’t see it as their “last night as a free man.” On the contrary, they see it as an opportunity to simply celebrate the next chapter with close friends.

Case and point: a husband-to-be named Luke, who apparently couldn’t stop “gushing” about his bride, Sam. This, according to a woman also named Sam, who happened to be at the bar Luke was having his bachelor party at.
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