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Joy

Daughter disguises Brussels sprouts as chocolates for her Dad in best Christmas prank ever

"I know his retribution will be swift and terrible, but no Christmas gift could be greater than this."

Ferrero Rocher, brussels sprouts prank, christmas pranks
@mcjude/X

Why save the pranks for April 1st?

Christmas might be a time for sentimentality and love and all that gushy goodness, but it can also be a time for unbridled antics. After all, it’s the one time of year when our inner child spirit is supposed to come alive, right? Some people’s inner child just happens to be a bit mischievous.

Singer Judy Louie Brown falls into this category with her hilarious, meticulous and downright diabolical prank played on her dad involving some delightful Ferrero Rocher chocolates…and brussels sprouts.


As Brown shared on X, formerly Twitter, that in 2012 she came up with an “ingenious” way to wind up her dad, something described as her “favorite pastime.”

Brown’s plan was simple: unwrap the chocolates. Wrap Brussels sprouts in the chocolate package. Close the box. And then play “the waiting game.”

pbs.twimg.com

Though Brown didn’t divulge her father’s reaction to unwrapping a cruciferous veg in a place of smooth creamy chocolate, it’s safe to say that the prank was a success. In fact, dad was so “spooked” that the next year he wouldn’t touch a Ferrero Rocher. Which is fine, because Brown had bigger plans in store.

“I decided to play the long game & didn’t tamper with the confectionary: spooked by the year before, he would not touch a single Ferrero Rocher (which was great because he usually inhales them at 750mph) so there were Ferreros aplenty for the rest of us. I bided my time,” she wrote on X.

Cut to two years later, Brown has “the devil at her elbow” as she reveals her “most audacious sprout prank yet.”

Her post is accompanied with a photo of some Ferrero Rochers, brussel sprouts, a bar of chocolate and a bag of mixed nuts.

“While he was out I dipped the sprouts in chocolate, rolled them in chopped hazelnuts, and did all I could to replicate the iconic Ferrero,” she wrote, adding, “I re-wrapped and (this is crucial) re-sealed the box with its original tape and a tiny dab of glue. Then secreted it amongst a bag of tasty gifts from my Aunt and retired to watch from afar.”

Thank goodness Brown uses her intellect for dad pranks and not crime.

Of course, dad was still suspicious at first, and only viewed the bag on Christmas Eve. But then on Christmas morning, he couldn’t resist. After all, “He quite likes a post-brekkie Ferrero.”

Brown waited in the kitchen, trying to avoid “spooking” him. In here words, here’s what happened:

“He EXAMINED. He unwrapped. He examined FURTHER. Fears allayed, he popped the whole thing in his mouth. His face played a symphony of emotions: satisfaction, triumph, smugness, consternation, confusion, realization, horror, disgust.”

On Dec 12, Brown shared that the Brussels sprouts saga has endured as a holiday tradition that she describes as “an even-sided conflict, with both resorting to greater nefariousness & descending to even more underhand deception each year.” For example, when Brown hid the sprouts on her father’s toothpaste one year, he apparently retaliated by filling her bedsheets with them.

More recently, Brown showed eager readers how she managed to sneak them into packaged mince pies.

With each new hilarious idea Brown comes up with, she earns her online moniker of “evil genius.”

Maybe it’s okay to be a little naughty for Christmas, especially when it brings such intense joy.

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3 organic recipes that feed a family of 4 for under $7 a serving

O Organics is the rare brand that provides high-quality food at affordable prices.

via Becca Tapert/Unsplash

A woman cooking up a nice pot of pasta.

Over the past few years, rising supermarket prices have forced many families to make compromises on ingredient quality when shopping for meals. A recent study published by Supermarket News found that 41% of families with children were more likely to switch to lower-quality groceries to deal with inflation.

By comparison, 29% of people without children have switched to lower-quality groceries to cope with rising prices.

Despite the current rising costs of groceries, O Organics has enabled families to consistently enjoy high-quality, organic meals at affordable prices for nearly two decades. With a focus on great taste and health, O Organics offers an extensive range of options for budget-conscious consumers.

O Organics launched in 2005 with 150 USDA Certified Organic products but now offers over 1,500 items, from organic fresh fruits and vegetables to organic dairy and meats, organic cage-free certified eggs, organic snacks, organic baby food and more. This gives families the ability to make a broader range of recipes featuring organic ingredients than ever before.

“We believe every customer should have access to affordable, organic options that support healthy lifestyles and diverse shopping preferences,” shared Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal.”

With some help from our friends at O Organics, Upworthy looked at the vast array of products available at our local store and created some tasty, affordable and healthy meals.

Here are 3 meals for a family of 4 that cost $7 and under, per serving. (Note: prices may vary by location and are calculated before sales tax.)

O Organic’s Tacos and Refried Beans ($6.41 Per Serving)

Few dishes can make a family rush to the dinner table quite like tacos. Here’s a healthy and affordable way to spice up your family’s Taco Tuesdays.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 packet O Organics Taco Seasoning ($2.29)

O Organics Mexican-Style Cheese Blend Cheese ($4.79)

O Organics Chunky Salsa ($3.99)

O Organics Taco Shells ($4.29)

1 can of O Organics Refried Beans ($2.29)

Instructions:

1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned; remove any excess grease.

2. Add 1 packet of taco seasoning to beef along with water [and cook as directed].

3. Add taco meat to the shell, top with cheese and salsa as desired.

4. Heat refried beans in a saucepan until cooked through, serve alongside tacos, top with cheese.

tacos, o organics, family recipesO Organics Mexican-style blend cheese.via O Organics

O Organics Hamburger Stew ($4.53 Per Serving)

Busy parents will love this recipe that allows them to prep in the morning and then serve a delicious, slow-cooked stew after work.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 7 hours

Total time: 7 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 ½ lbs O Organics Gold Potatoes ($4.49)

3 O Organics Carrots ($2.89)

1 tsp onion powder

I can O Organics Tomato Paste ($1.25)

2 cups water

1 yellow onion diced ($1.00)

1 clove garlic ($.50)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano

Instructions:

1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned; remove any excess grease.

2. Transfer the cooked beef to a slow cooker with the potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic.

3. Mix the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, onion powder and Italian seasoning in a separate bowl.

4. Drizzle the mixed sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix thoroughly.

5. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it on low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the potatoes are soft. Dish out into bowls and enjoy!

potatoes, o organics, hamburger stewO Organics baby gold potatoes.via O Organics


O Organics Ground Beef and Pasta Skillet ($4.32 Per Serving)

This one-pan dish is for all Italian lovers who are looking for a saucy, cheesy, and full-flavored comfort dish that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 27 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of O Organics Grass Fed Ground Beef ($7.99)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 can O Organics Diced Tomatoes ($2.00)

1 can O Organics Tomato Sauce ($2.29)

1 tbsp O Organics Tomato Paste ($1.25)

2 1/4 cups water

2 cups O Organics Rotini Pasta ($3.29)

1 cup O Organics Mozzarella cheese ($4.79)

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.

2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder

3. Add tomato paste, sauce and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir in water and bring to a light boil.

4. Add pasta to the skillet, ensuring it is well coated. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the lid, sprinkle with cheese and allow it to cool.

o organics, tomato basil pasta sauce, olive oilO Organics tomato basil pasta sauce and extra virgin olive oil.via O Organics

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Science

Astronaut shares the profound 'big lie' he realized after seeing the Earth from space

This change in perspective could change humanity.

via Rubén Moreno Montolíu/Flickr

Our home, from space.



Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the "overview effect." This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”

The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.

In a compelling interview with Big Think, astronaut, author and humanitarian Ron Garan explains how if more of us developed this planetary perspective we could fix much of what ails humanity and the planet.

Garan has spent 178 days in space and traveled more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits. From high above, he realized that the planet is a lot more fragile than he thought.

“When I looked out the window of the International Space Station, I saw the paparazzi-like flashes of lightning storms, I saw dancing curtains of auroras that seemed so close it was as if we could reach out and touch them. And I saw the unbelievable thinness of our planet's atmosphere. In that moment, I was hit with the sobering realization that that paper-thin layer keeps every living thing on our planet alive,” Garan said in the video.

“I saw an iridescent biosphere teeming with life,” he continues. “I didn't see the economy. But since our human-made systems treat everything, including the very life-support systems of our planet, as the wholly owned subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vantage point of space that we're living a lie.”

It was at that moment he realized that humanity needs to reevaluate its priorities.

“We need to move from thinking economy, society, planet to planet, society, economy. That's when we're going to continue our evolutionary process,” he added.

Garan says that we are paying a very “high price” as a civilization for our inability to develop a more planetary perspective and that it’s a big reason why we’re failing to solve many of our problems. Even though our economic activity may improve quality of life on one end, it’s also disasterous for the planet that sustains our lives.

It’s like cutting off our nose to spite our face.

Actor William Shatner had a similar experience to Garan's when he traveled into space.

"It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered," Shatner wrote. "The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness. Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna … things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind."

“We're not going to have peace on Earth until we recognize the basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality,” Garan said.

However dire the situation looks from the surface of Earth, the astronaut has hope that we can collectively evolve in consciousness and wake up and embrace a larger reality. “And when we can evolve beyond a two-dimensional us versus them mindset, and embrace the true multi-dimensional reality of the universe that we live in, that's when we're going to no longer be floating in darkness … and it's a future that we would all want to be a part of. That's our true calling.”


This article originally appeared on 12.16.22

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Joy

Now's your chance to help someone doing good in your community win $1000 towards the charity of their choice

Upworthy and P&G are back with the #ActsOfGood Awards.

Images provided by P&G

Three winners will be selected to receive $1000 donated to the charity of their choice.

True

Doing good is its own reward, but sometimes recognizing these acts of kindness helps bring even more good into the world. That’s why we’re excited to partner with P&G again on the #ActsOfGood Awards.

The #ActsOfGood Awards recognize individuals who actively support their communities. It could be a rockstar volunteer, an amazing community leader, or someone who shows up for others in special ways.

Do you know someone in your community doing #ActsOfGood? Nominate them between April 24th-June 3rdhere.Three winners will receive $1,000 dedicated to the charity of their choice, plus their story will be highlighted on Upworthy’s social channels. And yes, it’s totally fine to nominate yourself!

We want to see the good work you’re doing and most of all, we want to help you make a difference.

While every good deed is meaningful, winners will be selected based on how well they reflect Upworthy and P&G’s commitment to do #ActsOfGood to help communities grow.

That means be on the lookout for individuals who:

Strengthen their community

Make a tangible and unique impact

Go above and beyond day-to-day work

The #ActsOfGood Awards are just one part of P&G’s larger mission to help communities around the world to grow. For generations, P&G has been a force for growth—making everyday products that people love and trust—while also being a force for good by giving back to the communities where we live, work, and serve consumers. This includes serving over 90,000 people affected by emergencies and disasters through the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry program and helping some of the millions of girls who miss school due to a lack of access to period products through the Always #EndPeriodPoverty initiative.

Visit upworthy.com/actsofgood and fill out the nomination form for a chance for you or someone you know to win. It takes less than ten minutes to help someone make an even bigger impact.

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Joy

Man parodies wife's frantic cleaning 10 minutes before guests arrive and it's so relatable

"The quick mental break sitting on the toilet and staring into space just makes this a relatability masterpiece."

Photo credit: Canva

You can't let company know you actively live in your home, of course.

Unless you're someone who manages to keep a perfectly neat, tidy and sparklingly clean home every minute of every day, you're probably familiar with the mad-dash-to-clean-before-company-arrives. You know, when you start shoving random piles of things into drawers and closets and bedrooms, simultaneously dusting and vacuuming while yelling, "OMG, WE LIVE IN A PIG STY! DOES ANYONE EVER CLEAN THIS HOUSE?!?"

If that drill sounds familiar, wait til you see this parody video from online creators Micah and Sarah Wallace.

Micah shared a reenactment of his wife greeting guests at the door and "apologizing" for the state of their objectively clean house, claiming it's "a little messier than usual" and that they "have just not gotten around to cleaning it."

Lies. All lies, as evidenced by his reenactment of his wife 10 minutes before those guests arrived. That you just have to see.

Watch:

"WE NEED TO SET UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE LIVE!"

Feel that one? Yep.

"There should be NO TRASH in the TRASH CAN! I want them questioning if the bin is even real!!!"

Umm, ouch.

It's exaggerated for comedic effect, but it's actually not that far off of how many people panic imagining all of the imperfections someone might possibly judge them for when they come over and frantically clean accordingly.

"I DON'T APPRECIATE THIS ACCURATE IMPERSONATION OF MY HUSBAND'S WIFE!"

"Bro you took me out running the vacuum on the ceiling because it’s literally what I feel like I had to do‼️🤦🏾♂️😂😂😂🫠"

"The quick mental break sitting on the toilet and staring into space just makes this a relatability masterpiece."

"'There should be no trash in the trash can!!' 😂😂 I feel attacked!"

"She’s 1000% correct bc why is there Trash in the Trash can 🫣🤯🤯 Thats Honestly a serious violation in “Guests are coming Over 101” in my House 😂😂"

Some commenters added things he left out, many of which had to do with what the husband would be doing during the frantic clean-up.

"Forgot the part where you pretend to be a guest.. you go outside and come in the front door to make sure everything looks good!"

"You forgot to light the scented candles and make sure the wall flowers are full."

"Now make one where the wife needs assistance making the house presentable and the husband does some nonsensical unrelated chore like cleaning out the gutters."

"Meanwhile the husband is doing something completely useless like using the leaf blower on the roof 🤣"

"Every single time when we expected guests my husband do some nonsense stuff...like organizing his screwdrivers or something like this."

Some shared that guests coming over is the only thing that gets them to clean the house.

"Guest coming over is my biggest motivation for clean up the house within a day😎"

"Yes!!, for normal days, it feels like why the housework got no ending…
Before the guest coming over, oh so it’s possible to clean the whole house 😂"

"I only invite guests to finally be able to enjoy my clean home 😂"

"I invite friends so I clean the house 🤣🤣🤣🤣"

There's nothing wrong with wanting to provide guests with some nice, clean home hospitality, but there's also nothing wrong with letting people see that you actually live in your home. Micah and Sarah clearly hit a nerve with this one. You can follow them for more comedy on Instagram.


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Story of a woman who took someone's window seat on a flight has sparked a flood of advice

What would you do in the same situation?

Photo credit: Canva

Woman stole someone's window seat on plane, how to respond

Most everyone has been in a situation once or twice where you look down at your ticket while boarding your flight to double check your seat number only to find someone already sitting in your seat.

Typically the person responds respectfully and with a slight twinge of embarrassment as their error is pointed out to them. It happens to just about everyone at least once. There's no shame in accidentally sitting in the wrong seat.

But what happens when you notice someone sitting in your seat but instead of them excusing themselves from your space, they direct you to sit in their seat? Their middle seat. Unless your original seat was in the lavatory, there is likely zero world where being told to sit in the middle seat feels like an upgrade. There's nothing wrong with the middle seat per se, but unless your seat mate is your partner, friend or family member, you're squished between two strangers fighting for armrest space.

There are all sorts of qualms people have about the middle seat. Having to step over someone to get to the bathroom, having other people step over you to get to the bathroom, someone inevitably falling asleep on your shoulder. The list could go on but it just comes down to comfort, which is why many people pay for a window or aisle seat. But it can feel like you've hit the jackpot when the airline seats you in a window seat without you having to pay an upgrade fee. That's exactly what happened to this Reddit user.

The airline gods shone down on them that day and gifted them with a window seat that they were thoroughly looking forward to only to discover it occupied.

"It was an 8 hour flight, and I wanted to sleep with the wall support the window seat offers. However, when I get on the plane, a lady is in my seat. She says 'oh, I didn’t realize. You can just sit here' and points to the middle seat. I have a hard time with confrontation so I just accepted it. If this were to happen again, how do I respond," u/Hairy_Visual9339 asks.

Commenters were quick to give the timid flyer advice for future encounters with audacity filled seat mates.

Photo of airplane seats with overlay of Reddit screenshot

Photo credit: Canva/Reddit Screenshot

"No, that doesn't really work for me. I'd like my seat," one person quipped.

Another offered their own anecdote as a cautionary tale, "Made the mistake of not doing this on a train. Only one other person in whole carriage, of course it's my seat. They have a laptop set up act like I'm being very unreasonable and so I sit somewhere else. Fine whatever. Four hours into 8 hour journey and the train is now complete full. I've been forced to move seats twice already, everything is booked and I'm some desperate, seat-less vagabond with nowhere to store my suitcases, wandering the aisles in vain, despite having a perfectly good reservation."

When all else fails, tattle, "just say, "I'd rather have my window seat thanks." and if that doesn't work tell a flight attendant."

"My response is always “oh, no thank you” and I just stare at them until they move," someone shares.

Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you can't tell another adult so they can fix the situation when your discontent is being ignored, in one person's case, let the help come to you.

"Some guy tried to take my seat and stick me in his middle seat across the aisle so he could sit with his wife and teenager and I said “oh, no thank you. I picked this seat intentionally when I checked in”. He starts throwing a hissy fit, trying to get me to take his shitty middle seat and the flight attendant swooped in like a freaking goddess, and told him to move. He goes to the other side, still bitching, and banged his head on the luggage compartment so hard that three rows worth of people audibly gasped," says a commenter.

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Joy

Sorry soulmates, here's some tough news for couples who think they're made for each other

In relationships, perception is everything.

via Allen Taylor/Unsplash

A happy couple on the beach.

Romantic stories often involve people searching for “the one” or their “soulmate” who they fall in love with at first sight because their relationship was just “meant to be.” From a young age, we are sold the idea that the name of the person we’re destined to marry is “written in the stars” and that all we have to do is keep our eyes open and one day, they’ll cross our path.

Then, the only thing left to do is live happily ever after.

However, those who are skeptical about soulmates believe that relationships require work. These people think nothing is meant to be without hard work, couples therapy, and a little luck; even Cinderella and Prince Charming shouldn’t depend on living happily ever after.

So, the question remains: Which relationships end up being more successful? Couples who believe they were “destined” to be together or those who think that “love grows with effort”? Researchers recently studied the topic and published the results in the European Journal of Personality.

“In the case of the present study, our interest was sparked by the robust research finding that, on average, relationship satisfaction declines over time, meaning that for most couples, it gets worse – however, there are always exceptions who manage to maintain or even increase their relationship satisfaction,” Fabian Ganer, a research associate at the University of Basel, said according to Psy Post.



First, the researchers studied a sample of 904 couples who live in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, examining “whether destiny and growth beliefs predict current levels and trajectories of relationship satisfaction across 2 years.” Participants with a “destiny” mindset agreed that a “successful relationship is mostly a matter of finding a compatible partner.” Those with growth beliefs preferred statements such as a “successful relationship is mostly a matter of learning to resolve conflicts with a partner.”

The study's foundation was the idea that relationship satisfaction declines over time. So, which couples would be happier? Those with a “destiny” or growth mindset?

The initial study found that those who believed they were “meant to be” were happier during the first 2 years of their relationships, and those with a “growth belief” were less satisfied during the same time frame.

However, over time, things change.

“Our results suggested that those with higher destiny beliefs were more satisfied with their relationship at the beginning of the study. Over time, relationship satisfaction decreased on average. However, this decline was weaker for those with stronger growth beliefs,” Gander told The European Journal of Personality blog. The study also found that happier couples were more likely to develop stronger growth beliefs, creating a virtuous cycle that strengthened the relationship.



Ultimately, the study shows that a couple's perception can help determine their relationship's success. Relationships tend to become less satisfying over time, so the key is understanding that, much like a garden, they need tending to grow. Sadly, those who believe they are destined to be happy are likelier to follow the path of least resistance, leading to gradual dissatisfaction.

“However, for those who consider ‘love to grow with effort,’ relationship satisfaction goes down less strongly over time and they have better future expectations for their relationship,” Gander told The European Journal of Personality blog.

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Identity

LeVar Burton reveals why his chains from 'Roots' hang above his Emmys in his living room

"I want my guests to know, while I am unquestionably their friend, I am also absolutely filled with rage."

Tweigel59/Wikimedia Commons

LeVar Burton plays himself on the FX mini-series "Clipped."

LeVar Burton is probably best known—and loved—for his role as the host of the children's television series "Reading Rainbow." But his career as an actor has spanned a full 47 years, from his debut role as enslaved African Kunta Kinte in the mini-series "Roots" to his ongoing role of Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek spin-offs.

Now, he's playing another iconic role—a fictional version of himself.

In the FX mini-series "Clipped," Burton plays himself as a friend and confidant of former LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers, played by Laurence Fishburne. In a scene in the series finale, Burton and Rivers have a one-on-one conversation in which Burton shares that he has the chains he wore in "Roots" hanging above his 12 Emmys over the hearth in his living room—a real-life fact that he confirmed on social media after the episode aired.

"America first met me as Kunta Kinte, a young African kid who was kidnapped, tortured, refused his slave name," he told Rivers in the scene. "Then I read to their children and maintained the integrity of their favorite spaceship. Pretty soon, people began to think of me as…safe."

"Oh, the safest," agreed Rivers.

Burton then explained how he read the famous children's book, "Go the F**k to Sleep" for charity and lost one of his brand partners over it—a consequence of stepping out of line with expectations of him.

"If I showed how angry I really am?" Burton pondered. "But I'm not going to hide it. So I keep my chains on the wall in my living room. I want my guests to know, while I am unquestionably their friend, I am also absolutely filled with rage."

Watch:

According to an interview with "Clipped" creator Gina Welch in Vulture, Burton and Doc Rivers are not actually friends in real life, but Burton and Fishburne are, and this conversation is reflective of their real-life conversations about race they've had in the sauna.

At first, Fishburne didn't think Burton would be on board with playing the role. "Clipped" deals with the downfall of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was caught on tape making racist remarks. "The kinds of things we’re talking about in the show are really not part of his [Burton's] public persona," said Fishburne, according to Welch. Burton agreed to be part of the production on one condition.

"The conversations really changed once LeVar agreed to do the show," Welch explained. "He was great. He read the scripts very quickly and called me, and then we met and his caveat was, 'I’ll do the show as long as I can talk about my rage.' I was like, 'Welcome to the party.'"

When most people think of LeVar Burton, "rage" isn't usually the first word that comes to mind, which is part of what makes this clip so powerful. As writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin famously said in 1961, "To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost, almost all of the time."

Baldwin's full quote offers even more context:

"To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage almost, almost all of the time — and in one's work. And part of the rage is this: It isn't only what is happening to you. But it's what's happening all around you and all of the time in the face of the most extraordinary and criminal indifference, indifference of most white people in this country, and their ignorance. Now, since this is so, it's a great temptation to simplify the issues under the illusion that if you simplify them enough, people will recognize them. I think this illusion is very dangerous because, in fact, it isn't the way it works. A complex thing can't be made simple. You simply have to try to deal with it in all its complexity and hope to get that complexity across."

Hopefully, hearing that one America's "safest," most wholesome and most beloved Black celebrities experience the inner rage that racism engenders will help get that complexity across to more people who can benefit from hearing it.

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