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An anti-gay pastor tried to visit Jamaica. The entire country said, 'No thanks.'

He's running out of places to spread his hateful message.

Steven Anderson is infamous for his hateful statements against Barack Obama, the LGBTQ community, and many others.

But when the Arizona preacher tried bringing his divisive message to Jamaica, the country's leaders responded with a message of their own — stay home.

Anderson is the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled an "anti-gay hate group" based on Anderson's statements celebrating acts of violence against LGBTQ people. Anderson was reportedly planning to board a flight to Kingston for a religious mission when he was informed he was no longer welcome in Jamaica.

Photo by Gail Frederick/Flickr

A spokesperson for Jamaica's Ministry of National Security explained the move in a statement:

"The decision was made by the chief immigration officer because the pastor’s statements are not conducive to the current climate."

The ban is a surprising move for many, considering Jamaica has a less-than-stellar record on LGBTQ issues. In 2014 the Human Rights Watch issued a report outlining violences encountered by LGBTQ people in Jamaica, ranging from discrimination to criminalization to assault. But in the years since, the country has been making strides toward equality, with the ban on Anderson just the most recent in a string of efforts to increase LGBTQ equality on the island.

Image via Wikicommons

The announcement of the ban was met with praise from individuals and LGBTQ groups alike.

The decision was praised by the Human Rights Campaign, which credited activism from LGBTQ advocates around the world as pressuring Jamaica into issuing the ban.

A change.org petition asking Jamaica to ban Anderson helped create momentum too, garnering nearly 40,000 signatures.

Change.org

And of course, Anderson quickly weighed in on the decision as well. In an unintentionally ironic post to his YouTube channel, Anderson vented about what he called a movement toward a "one-world government" for following the lead of the other four countries who have barred his from visiting. "Apparently, Jamaica they can't really do their own thing, because obviously this is an outside influence," he said.

Photo by Chad Sparkes/Flickr

‌That's a lot coming from a person who wanted to visit another country to preach his own perspective on what he thinks should be universal moral laws.

Jamaica isn't the first to make clear that Anderson, and his message, are not welcome.‌

It's now the fifth country to ban Anderson from visiting, as he was previously barred from entering the U.K., South Africa, and Botswana after announcing plans to visit each country. Those countries banned Anderson after his repeated public statements calling for the stoning deaths of members of the LGBTQ community, advocating the death of President Barack Obama, and denying the Holocaust.

It goes to show that public pressure can be a powerful tool in supporting LGBTQ people around the globe.

Jamaica still has a long way to go in addressing its own support LGBTQ communities, but this ban and the country's improving attitude toward equality shows that it's moving in the right direction. With some helpful public pressure, they're following the example set by other countries when it comes to responding to missionaries for hatred like Anderson.

No one is stopping Steven Anderson from holding, or even expressing, his hateful views. But, as Jamaica has shown, communities and nations can choose not to enable those who preach violence and hate against others.

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5 ways people are going "All In" this week

From the silly to the sentimental, there are so many ways people like to go “all in” on something. Here are our five favorite examples this week.

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When you hear the words “all in,” what do you think? You might picture a color-coordinated, fairy-themed surprise proposal that took months to create, or maybe you think of a singer who went on stage and nailed the perfect high note in front of everyone (like this girl). Whatever you picture, the idea is the same: Going “all in” means doing something with total commitment—literally giving it your “all” and going completely over the top. No second guessing, no holding back—just full-throttle enthusiasm with some creativity and flair thrown in. That’s how we get those viral internet moments we can’t stop watching.

When people decide to go “all in,” something special usually happens as a result, and we’re here to show you how. This week, we’ve found the very best examples of people going “all in” across the Internet—moments where passion, creativity, and commitment take center stage. Follow along and feel inspired.

Hamilton superfans 

@itz.unique POV: You seen Hamilton the first night in theaters #hamiltonmusical #fyp #relatable #hamilton ♬ original sound - Uniii 😜

You already know we love a good Hamilton reenactment. This past weekend, though, Hamilton fans took their love for the musical to a whole other level. As theatres released the filmed stage production in honor of the musical’s tenth anniversary on Broadway, theatre kids everywhere showed up in costume and belted out every single word (it’s okay to sing in the theatre this time, by the way! Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda totally said we could). Some theatres sang along quietly, some chimed in loudly at the emotional parts, and some theatres truly went all in, staging elaborate reproductions of the scenes in the aisles, in time with the music. A bunch of theatre kids totally nerding out together, having fun, and celebrating good art? We love to see it.

Everyone's love of Pumpkin Spice Lattes

@deangelodbyrd It’s hereeee 😂🍂 #pumpkinspicelatte #fall2025 #funnyvideo #silly #funnydance @Starbucks ♬ original sound - DeAngelo

You know it's fall when you start seeing those plastic cups everywhere. That's right—it's Pumpkin Spice Latte season. Everyone is drinking them. Everyone is posting about them. Everyone is figuring out the perfect PSL pairing, whether that's pumpkin spice matcha lattes or just drinking a PSL curled up on the couch watching some spooky movies. (How about all of the above?)

Here's our recommendation: Pumpkin spice lattes pair perfectly with All In snack bars—specifically the Madagascar Vanilla + Almond option. It's got honey, it's got pumpkin seeds, and it's even got tons of fiber so you're getting some nutrition along with all the deliciousness. Don't take our word for it, though: Click here to try it yourself (for free).

This rendition of the Happy Birthday song

@kamoramakaylee Happy 84th birthday to our dad #tbt ♬ original sound - Kamora

There’s singing the Happy Birthday song, and then there’s singing the Happy Birthday song. This group of sisters did the latter. For their father’s birthday, they presented him with a cake (aww) and then launched into an embellished musical production of the last two lines that would put Whitney Houston to shame. The girls truly went all in, but perhaps the best part of this entire video is their dad,sitting wide-eyed at the table and gritting his teeth until the performance is over. (“He’s fine,” someone said in the comments section. “He lost his hearing ten birthdays ago.”)

Llama costumes

@kristeninmn Some of the costumes from the Minnesota State Fair’s 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest! #minnesotastatefair #mnstatefair #exploremn #onlyinmn #stpaulminnesota ♬ Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Every year at the Minnesota State Fair, the 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest steals the show. In it, participants dress their llamas in wildly imaginative costumes—everything from a sea anemone to a bucket of popcorn to Buzz Lightyear from the movie Toy Story—and transform the livestock barn into a whimsical runway. Every glittery cape, hand-painted prop, or themed outfit is a testament to their creativity, their time and effort, and most importantly their love for animals. All of it is on full display and it’s seriously impressive work. You can tell when it comes to their animals (and creativity), Minnesotans don’t hold back.

This dog who's totally faking it. 

@binkythechichi2

The king of drama

♬ original sound - cass

Okay, you have to give this guy some respect—he really doesn’t want his owner to go to work and he’s found an absolutely genius way of showing it. As soon as her alarm goes off in the morning, TikTok creator Cassidy Butler shared that her chihuahua Binky runs to the front door and actually starts faking injuries to get her to stay home with him (and sometimes, she admits, it works). Binky is absolutely committed, holding up his paw as though it were injured, plus shivering and even squinting one eye to show just how injured he is. He’s almost perfectly convincing—until Cassidy offers to take him outside to play and he momentarily breaks character. Oops! Still, we respect his dedication to the craft.

Snag your free (!!) snack bars here while this deal lasts. Just pick up a box at Sprouts and text a pic of your receipt to get it for free. Enoy!

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A hundred years ago, everyone wore hats. In 1960, they suddenly stopped. Here's why.

Old footage from the '50s shows men, women, and children wearing hats everywhere they go.

via Warmbru Curiosity/YouTube

When did everyone stop wearing hats?

It was everywhere. Men, women, and even children did it every time they left the house. If you see old newsreel footage of men in the office or on commuter trains from the advent of the motion picture camera to the early ‘60s, nearly everyone is wearing a hat. Hats were just as common for women in that era. For a woman to go out without a hat in the first half of the 20th century was akin to going out without clothes.

The funny thing is that everyone’s headgear is so similar in the old-timey footage that it makes previous generations look like big-time conformists. Then, in the early ‘60s, everything changed, and men and women started to go out in public with their hair exposed. Why did such a big aspect of fashion seem to change overnight?

Warmbru Curiosity investigated the question recently in a popular YouTube video. Warmbru’s channel is a lighthearted look at some of the more unusual people and events from our history and how they have influenced the world in which we live.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Why did people stop wearing hats?

Warmbru says fashion changed dramatically after World War II, when people in developed countries began to care less about expressing their social status. “This was especially true among the younger generation the rise of youth culture in the 1950s and 1960s emphasized rebellion against traditional norms, including formal dress codes,” the YouTuber says.

Mad Men, Don Draper, Jon Hamm, hats, mens fashion, men's hats, 1950s Don Draper from AMC's "Mad Men" Image via "Mad Men" AMC

Another big reason for the change in fashion was technology. Cars became the preferred mode of transportation for many after World War II and indoor environments became more hospitable. “People spent far less time exposed to the elements as people increasingly moved to urban areas and started using cars,” Warmbru says. “The practicality of wearing hats diminishes. Hats can be cumbersome in cars and on public transport, improvements in heating and air conditioning reduce the need for hats to provide warmth.”

Warmbru adds that President John F. Kennedy, elected in 1960, rarely wore a hat and his decision to go bareheaded became associated with modernity. Further, in 1963, the mop-topped Beatles proudly flaunted their hatless heads as they shook them while singing, “Wooooo.” Hat-wearing among women began to decline around the same time as the restrictive and complex headgear clashed with the burgeoning women’s liberation movement.

Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, hats, men, men's fashion, 1960's, 1950's John F. Kennedy with his family Image via Wikicommons

The decline in hat purchases meant that manufacturers closed and the headgear became harder to come by. This reduced availability further contributed to the decline in hat-wearing. As fewer people wore hats, there became a greater demand for high-quality hair products and services. “Why spend a fortune at the hairdressers or the barbers just to cover the end result with a hat?” Warmbru asks.

Ultimately, there were many reasons why people stopped wearing hats. It appears that it was a combination of technology, influential people such as Kennedy and The Beatles, and the overwhelming mood of change that swept most of the Western world in the 1960s. But if one thing is true about fashion, it goes in cycles. So, it seems that hats may be ready for their big comeback.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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How humanitarian parole programs help migrant families in crisis

Through her work as a humanitarian parole sponsor, Sandra McAnany has helped uplift more than a dozen Latin American migrants and changed lives in the process.

Sandra visiting E’s family in Georgia (2023)

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Sandra McAnany isn’t one to sit on the sidelines. A 58-year-old grandmother from Wisconsin, McAnany spends her days teaching soft skills classes to adults and spending time with her family. Outside the classroom, however, she’s taken on a role that’s helping people in a big way: serving as a humanitarian parole sponsor and personally taking on the financial responsibility of supporting families fleeing from persecution, violence, and instability.

Since 2023, McAnany has welcomed 17 migrants—11 adults and six children through the CHNV humanitarian parole program, which allows individuals and families from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to live and work temporarily in the United States with the support of an approved sponsor.

“Everyone has their own views and perspectives, but every person I sponsored is thriving and doing well here,” McAnany said.

McAnany didn’t know any of the parolees before sponsoring them, but she had a commitment to helping families from Venezuela specifically, hoping to reunite them with their families who were already living in the United States. After “praying a lot along the way” and communicating with the applicants through WhatsApp, she decided to apply as a sponsor and help them settle into the United States.

“I have a bedroom and a bathroom in my basement,” McAnany says. “My door is open and will always be open for any of the people I sponsored, if they ever have a need for housing.”

Sandra’s granddaughter, E’s daughter, and another friend at an indoor park (July 2025)

At the time, McAnany decided to volunteer as a sponsor to make friends and help other people through hardship. Now, her mission has grown: Seeing how humanitarian parole programs have changed her parole beneficiaries’ lives—as well as her own—for the better.

Humanitarian parole: A long history

Humanitarian parole programs are nothing new. Since 1952, both Democratic and Republican administrations have used humanitarian parole to provide a safer, lawful pathway for noncitizens to enter and live temporarily in the United States. In recent years, through different programs, people from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, and other countries have been able to come to the U.S. to escape urgent crises in their own countries, such as political instability or war.

Coming to the United States through humanitarian parole is no easy feat. The process has its own strict criteria and involves extensive applications and vetting for both beneficiaries and their sponsors. Parolees don’t need to qualify for any other immigration benefit like asylum, but they need to meet the standard for humanitarian parole and successfully pass vetting requirements.

According to Refugees International, 532,000 people have been granted parole through the CHNV program.

A life-changing experience

From the moment she met her first parole beneficiaries at the airport—two families —McAnany already knew it would be a life-changing experience. “It immediately felt like family, like we were lifelong friends,” she said. But she could also sense that it was a culture shock for the parolees. On the way home from the airport, McAnany pulled into a nearby McDonald's and encouraged them to order dinner. Hearing the word “Big Mac,” the families smiled in recognition.

Despite the culture shock, McAnany’s parole beneficiaries had to adapt quickly to life in the United States. Once they were settled, McAnany worked “nonstop” to help the families acclimate to their new lives, answering questions about school and vaccinations while also helping them create resumes, search for jobs, and find English classes online.

It was through this process that McAnany realized just how resilient people could be, and was amazed “not only how hard it was for individuals to leave their loved ones behind, but the amount of work they did to come to the country and remain here.” McAnany also realized how fortunate she was to have her own family living nearby. “I can’t imagine any one of us leaving a country and being apart for an unknown length of time,” she said.

Eventually, and as circumstances changed—one of the parolees found a new job in another city, for example, and was able to move out. But no matter the length of time they spent with each other, McAnany says that with every parolee they formed a bond built for life. One woman, who she refers to as ‘E,’ has even become “like an adopted daughter.” McAnany has traveled to Georgia, where E now lives, three times to visit her.

Uncertain ground: What’s next for humanitarian parole programs

Despite being a critical part of immigration policy in the United States for the last 73 years, humanitarian parole programs are under threat. Immigrant justice nonprofits Justice Action Center and Human Rights First are currently suing the federal government to protect humanitarian parole programs and allow parole beneficiaries to remain in the country for the duration of their parole. McAnany is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

One of the ladies Sandra sponsored from Venezuela and her partner during Sandra’s first visit to meet her (December 2023)

Participating in the lawsuit has only further bolstered McAnany’s belief in and support for humanitarian parole programs. She hopes the lawsuit will be successful, she says, so that parole beneficiaries and their families can finally have some stability.

“We don’t know what the future is,” she says, “but I want to be optimistic and hopeful that every person I sponsored will be able to stay here safely in the U.S. and continue to thrive.”

This article is part of Upworthy’s “The Threads Between U.S.” series that highlights what we have in common thanks to the generous support from the Levi Strauss Foundation, whose grantmaking is committed to creating a culture of belonging.


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A millennial was annoyed that boomer parents hoard food. But there's a deeper reason for it.

"My grandfather felt that if he saw the fridge fully stocked, everything else in life would fall into place."

Image via Canva/alicat, Wavebreakmedia

Millennial calls out boomers for hoarding food.

Millennials and their boomer parents don't see eye to eye on many things. As one millennial pointed out, that includes their food shopping habits.

A frustrated millennial posed a question on Reddit to fellow millennials: "Why does our parents generation feel the need to keep so much food in the house?" They went on to rant about whenever their boomer parents stay with them, their fridge is overstuffed with food.

"They buy so much food that we literally run out of room and our countertops end up lined with a bunch of junk," they wrote. "I’m talking like multiple types of bread, endless amounts of snacks, enough meat to fuel the an army, 12 different kinds of drinks…I mean even staple things like butter, salt, condiments. It’s pure insanity."

groceries, grocery haul, full grocery cart, food shopping, buying food Grocery Store Halloween GIF by Laff Giphy

After expecting to be met with similar gripes, many millennials instead expressed a more tender understanding for their parents' full pantries. "THEIR parents lived through the great depression and/or WWII rationing," one commented. Another added, "Yep they all have the reverse of scarcity trauma, call it abundance disorder lol."

Many millennials could see the connection between their boomer parents being raised by Silent Generation (born between 1928-1945) parents. "My grandfather felt that if he saw the fridge fully stocked, everything else in life would fall into place," one millennial commented.

Hunger was rampant during the Great Depression. According to the Library of Congress, one in four people were unemployed by 1932, and hunger and malnutrition were widespread. And during World War II, rationing became law and part of the effort on the home front to support the United States. According to the National Park Service, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration (OPA) under Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. It was the beginning of rationing, and Americans began receiving ration cards in May 1942.

rations, rationing, world war II, wwII, world war 2 rations Rations during World War II.Image via Wikipedia/U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Another millennial pointedly shared, "That’s because you’ve never known what farming/harvesting takes or what going hungry feels like. We are a blessed generation for even having this conversation. Probably the first in tens or thousands of years of our existence."

Other millennials tied together the cultural reasons why their boomer parents shop and store food like this. "And, when they were growing up there were still things like Blue Laws on Sundays, stores didn’t open on many holidays, and more limited grocery store hours," another shared. "Even in the early 90s, 9 p.m. was a fairly common closing time for full-service grocery stores."

fridge, full fridge, food security, food scarcity, food Hungry Food GIF by Kawan Foods Giphy

Some millennials owned up to hoarding and overstocking their pantries, too.

"I'm a millennial and this is why I have a deep freezer and enough pantry items to make multiple meals," one wrote. "I'm sure part of it is learned behavior from my mom who, in turn, learned it from her parents whose formative years were The Great Depression." Another added, "Add in a bit of borderline poverty and food insecurity growing up yourself on top of their trauma, and you’re left taking pride in a pantry full of non perishables."

The discussion among millennials also focused on better understanding the generations that came before them.

"Some people’s response was to be hyper aware of waste and make things stretch as far as possible," one wrote. "Some people’s response was to panic if there’s spaces in the food storage because it might mean it’s running out. Trauma impacts different people differently." Another concluded, "Man, generational trauma is real."

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A dad was camping with his kids when a fellow camper slipped him this handwritten note

"From one dad to another."

Photo credit: Canva, Note image via RCampR6/Reddit

A dad got a sweet note from a fellow father after camping with his kids.

There are a lot of challenging things about being a parent; take your pick. The sleep deprivation, the overwhelming responsibility, the lack of free time. But truly, one of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you're doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you're conscientious enough to even wonder if you're a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there's always a lingering voice in your head saying, "What if you're really screwing this whole thing up?"

Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.

"You are killing it as a dad."

Someone on Yosemite Reddit thread shared a photo of a handwritten note with the caption, "To the man who left this thoughtful note on my windshield at Lower Pines Campground this weekend, I extend my heartfelt gratitude; your acknowledgment of my efforts to be a good father means a great deal to me."

The note reads:

Windshield Note.
byu/RCampR6 inYosemite

"Bro,

I camped in the spot behind you last night. Let me just say, you are killing it as a dad. First off, I watched your wife guide you in as you backed up your trailer and nailed it on the first try without any yelling. Then your kids unloaded from the truck and were mild-mannered and well behaved. You told stories around the campfire and I had the pleasure of listening to the sounds of giggles and laughter.

From one dad to another, you are killing it. Keep it up.

P.S. Whatever you cooked for dinner smelled delicious!"

How often do we share these thoughts with strangers, even if we have them? And who wouldn't love to get a surprise bit of praise with specific examples of things we did right?

Everyone needs to hear a compliment once in a while.

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A handwritten note with the words "good job!" on itPhoto credit: Canva

So many people found the note to be a breath of fresh air and a good reminder to compliment people when we feel the urge:

"That would make any daddy's eyes water."

"It’s always nice, as a guy, to get a compliment."

"I complimented a guy's glasses at work (I'm also a guy, and btw they were really cool glasses, I wasn't just being nice) and now he keeps trying to tell me where he got his glasses and how I should get some. But I'm just having to be polite because I already have glasses and I'm not in the market. I finally had to tell him I'm not going to buy them lmao I just like them on him.

Made me feel like that's the first compliment he's had in years because he can't stop talking about it. Also I mainly liked the glasses because I think he's cute but he really thinks it's just the glasses haha jokes on him that cute bastard.""I was in the store with my wife and one of our 'adopted nephews' yesterday (we’re close friends with his parents and we’ve known him and his brother since they were newborns and 2yo, respectively). A woman came up to me at checkout while my wife was running out to the car and said 'I’m not sure what your family relationship is here, but I just have to tell you how nice and refreshing it is to hear all the laughter and joy from the 3 of you. You both seem like such a good influence on him and it warms my heart.' It’s such a small thing but as a dude, I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a compliment in public and it made my freaking day."

"10/10 letter. The and not yelling part gave me a good chuckle lol."

"We need so much more of men getting such heartfelt and sincere compliments. Thanks for sharing. ❤️"

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A man smilingPhoto credit: Canva

"I’ve never considered leaving a note, but when I see a harmonious family with good parenting, it’s healing for me. My childhood was awful."

"Such an awesome compliment! Even though I don't have children myself, I like to remind my friends too that they're doing great & it brings them happy tears."

"This made me cry. I love that you are getting your 'flowers.' My dad sucked, I’m so glad you are one of the good ones."

"This made me cry too. It’s so hard to be a human. Let alone a parent. Getting a good job sticker every now and then really means a lot these days."

"I'm a big bearded guy and I would cry if I got this note. More people like this, please."

The best part of this story is that no one knows who the dad who wrote the note is, not even the dad who shared it. It wasn't written for clout or notoriety, it wasn't to get attention or make himself look good. No name or signature, just an anonymous act of kindness to uplift a stranger whether he needed it or not.

dads, giving men compliments, fatherhood, camping, camping with kids A dad with his kid on his shouldersPhoto credit: Canva

We all need to hear or read kind things said about us, and sometimes it means even more coming from an anonymous stranger who has nothing to gain by sharing. A good reminder to share it when you feel it—you never know how many people you may move and inspire.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Watch Britt Lower's 'Severance' bathroom floor audition tape to witness foreshadowing of Emmy win

Ben Stiller called her at-home audition tape "the best I've seen."

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A photo of Britt Lower.

Every so often, an actor is just born to play a role. This seems to have been the case for Britt Lower, who brought so much life and nuance to the part of Helly R. in the Apple TV+ hit show Severance, that it led her to a well-deserved Emmy. But the thing is, she was able to snag the role with an audition that she taped herself in her own bathroom.

Self-audition tapes are becoming more common these days as the industry becomes saturated with movies and TV. But actually standing out in a self-tape is a different story. In black pants and a simple white tee, Lower has the camera trained on her while she lies on the black and white tiled floor. To an unknown voice, she asks, "Hello? Who's speaking?" (that unseen voice is playing the character of Mark S., who is later portrayed by Adam Scott in the actual series).

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Confused, Lower stands up and begins demanding that someone open the door. She kicks, screams, and falls into a breathless heap as she shows off her rebellion against the "cold disembodied voice" who continues to ask questions. It's when her character is unable to recall her name or the state in which she was born that Lower's acting chops begin to shine. Her panic jumps through the lens as though it were completely real. She's able to, with only a camera, a floor and a door, create her own stakes with no gimmicks. She takes her time and pulls the audience in with her long beats.

Executive producer/director Ben Stiller took to X to share her self-tape with these supportive words: "This and @MrEricLange self-tape for Escape at Dannemora are the best I’ve seen. It’s so amazing when you see someone nail a character like that at home. The hard work that goes into it for actors on a daily basis, with no guarantee they will even get a callback."

A scene from the TV show Severance www.youtube.com, Apple TV+

The YouTube commenters take note as well. One suggests that the clip is so realistic, it must have been somewhere in the show: "This isn't an audition tape – this is an alternate universe Severance which is shot as found footage! Britt deserves all the hype."

Others point out her true commitment, even at the expense of a paint job: "Just destroyed the paint on that door. That's commitment."

This person shares, "Masterclass in self-tapes. She embodied Helly perfectly & left an impression on anyone who watches this. So happy she gets to be our Helly R."

There are threads dedicated to the self-tape on Reddit. From a production point of view, this Redditor shares, "Yeah, the set design, props, costume, and hair and makeup people all do a hell of a lot to make your job easier, but if you're a pro you absolutely cannot rely on them to do your job for you -- you need to be able to transport yourself to a bizarre otherworldly place when you're just standing in some mundane basement in front of a green screen and not let it show how dumb and awkward the whole thing feels (at least until the camera is off.)"

The tape, of course, led her to callbacks and eventually the role of the unhappy Lumon Industries employee. As a nod to the ever escape-attempting Helly, Lower had the words "LET ME OUT" written on the back of her exquisite Emmys acceptance speech.

At the backstage press conference, Lower was asked about the leaked audition tape. She proudly revealed an interesting tidbit.

"Yesterday, we were at an event and one of the waitresses came up and said that they had watched my audition tape in their acting class a couple of days ago," she said. "It brought me a great sense of pride and I hope it was helpful. I like that it's out in the world. I hope it's inspirational or just helpful in some way."


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Gen Alpha is revolutionizing slang in ways that even Gen Zers find confusing

There's a reason their slang words seem meaningless.

Photo credit: Canva

Some of Gen Alpha's slang terms are as nonsensical as they sound.

As a Gen Xer, I have vague memories of adults getting confused looks on their faces when my fellow youth uttered phrases like "That's totally rad" or "Gag me with a spoon." Slang has always befuddled older generations—in fact, that's a primary feature of slang as a phenomenon—but something about slang is shifting with Gen Alpha.

There's a lot of overlap with Gen Alpha (born after 2010) and Gen Z slang, of course, with both using terms like "sus" (suspicious), "no cap" (no lie), "mid" (mediocre), and "bet" (sure, I agree). Some Gen Alpha slang is pretty fun, using terms like "rizz" (charisma), "aura points" (likeability), and "sigma" (good/cool) to describe people's positive qualities. But Gen Alpha has also started coining slang that is unique in that it seems to have no real meaning at all, which is even confusing to some Gen Zers.

skibidi toilet, gen alpha, slang, generations, culture Skibidi toilet Giphy

My Gen Z daughter and I were walking by a playground one day when a kid around maybe 9 or 10 years old shouted out, "Skibidi toilet!" in our direction. If you're wondering what that means, don't bother. It doesn't mean anything, literally. It has an origin in a bizarre video series, but no meaning. Another nonsensical Gen Alpha-ism at the moment is "6 7." Not "sixty-seven," just "six seven." Why? It apparently originated from the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by the rapper Skrilla, which alludes to a basketball player who is 6'7", but the phrase itself, when used by Gen Alpha, doesn't really mean something specific. It's just something they randomly say.

What's with the nonsensical slang? While slang may seem confusing outside of the generation that coined it at first, slang words generally have a specific meaning that can be gleaned. With Gen Alpha, it appears that specific slang has no meaning—simply saying this nonsensical slang is a way to signify being part of the "in-group." In other words, the kid yelling "skibidi toilet" wasn't making a direct insult, but rather it was essentially him saying, "I'm young and you're old, and I'm going to confuse you with this nonsensical slang term to reinforce the fact that I'm young and you're old."

gen alpha, tweens, kids, slang, playground Gen Alpha are today's elementary schoolers and middle schoolers.Photo credit: Canva

Linguist and cultural expert at Babbel, Esteban Touma, tells Upworthy that part of what makes Gen Alpha's slang different is the fact that they were born into a world with a fully formed online culture.

"Gen Z still has some members who can recall a time before social media, and many Millennials remember a time before the Internet even existed," says Touma. "Gen Alpha simply doesn’t have that frame of reference."

As a result, most Gen Alpha slang originates in online games, social media, and meme culture, spawning and evolving at lightning speed compared to older generations.

gen alpha, tweens, kids, slang, generations, online culture Niche online culture is influencing Gen Alpha's slang more than previous generations.Photo credit: Canva

"Previous generations had to almost 'agree' on what was going to be slang because pop culture was more monolithic," says Touma. "For example, we as Millennials had to watch Anchorman or Napoleon Dynamite, agree they were funny movies, and take our slang from there. But now, each pre-teen and teenager has their own microcosm of culture in their pocket. And because the platforms that are pushing culture forward are fast-moving–like Twitch and TikTok–a phrase can go viral in a matter of hours. Gen Alpha also shows less attachment to traditional spelling and grammar, giving their language and slang a lower barrier to entry than previous generations."

Yaron Litwin, CMO at Canopy Parental Control App, tells Upworthy that Gen Alpha's slang expressions can be "ephemeral, purposefully misspelled, and heavily ironic." Some refer to meaningless slang like "skibidi" and "6 7" as "brainrot" humor, where the absurdity and nonsense are the entire point.

One possible underlying reason nonsense slang appeals to Gen Alpha is that everyone now spends a lot of time online. Since we're all online, adults are catching on to youth slang more quickly than they used to. There are even teachers who share what slang is currently popular among kids, making it harder for it to remain with the "in-group."

@mr_lindsay_sped

Which one is gonna live longer? #67 or #41 ? #genalpha #genalphaslang #teachersoftiktok

If older folks can't figure out what these terms mean, they'll give up on trying to use them, which helps the slang retain its purpose as a youth culture identifier. Slang already comes and goes quickly thanks to the Internet, but keeping it confusing also keeps grownups from ruining it.

"The slang is driven by algorithms which are constantly in flux," Litwin says, "and when a word or expression becomes too popular, especially as it is picked up by older generations, it becomes 'cringe' and fades away—at least for Gen Alpha."

Using slang that is nonsensical and meaningless, or that has such obscurely ironic usage that it's hard to know how to use it, makes it less likely that cringy adults will start using it.

Well played, Gen Alpha. So very sigma of you.

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