"Awesome guys can be predators and abusers.”
Following the 30 year sentencing of Danny Masterson, it was revealed that his “That 70s Show” co-stars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher wrote letters “vouching” for his “remarkable” character.
Kunis and Kutcher were lambasted for defending Masterson, who had been found guilty for raping two anonymous women 20 years ago, and the couple issued a public apology, saying that they had never intended to “undermine the testimony of the victims or re-traumatize them in any way.”
Seemingly in reference to the letters, Christina Ricci, perhaps best known as Wednesday in “The Addams Family”, but also stars in the breakthrough Showtime series “Yellowjackets,” posted an Instagram Story urging folks to remember, that one simple, yet brutal truth:
"Awesome guys can be predators and abusers.”
"Sometimes people we have loved and admired do horrible things” the actress wrote, adding that “they might not do these things to us, and we only know who they were to us, but that doesn't mean they didn't do the horrible things, and to discredit the abused is a crime.”
"Awesome guys can be predators and abusers.”
Ricci continued, “Unfortunately I’ve known lots of ‘awesome guys’ who were lovely to me but have been proven to be abusers privately. I’ve also had personal experience with this. Believe victims. It’s not easy to come forward. It’s not easy to get a conviction.”
This might be a “tough” thing to accept, but Ricci argues that it is completely necessary if we really want to support victims—that includes men, women and children.
Believe victims.
Ricci, of course, makes good points. People are complex and contain multitudes. A person can be outwardly kind, loyal, generous, brilliant, wonderful…and still be capable of causing great harm. This becomes all the more evident as more and more popular icons (and regular folks, too, for that matter) are held accountable for their actions.
But still, there is a prevailing misconception that someone is either a gallant hero or a monster lurking in the shadows. And it’s with this kind of black-and-white thinking that leads to victim blaming or gaslighting when the accused is a well-liked person.
In general, victims are more likely to not report when they have been assaulted, and it’s often for fear of not being believed, or for being blamed for the incident. That needs to change, if we actually mean to make the world a safer place for everyone. It starts by entertaining the fact that just because someone is a good friend, it doesn’t mean that they don’t commit unspeakable things when you’re not looking.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."