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Donald Trump's major fat-shaming problem was on full display at the debate.

Another day, another group belittled by presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Women. People with disabilities. Muslims. Jewish people. Black people. Mexicans. Gay people. Prisoners of war. Transgender people. (Did I miss any?)

There's one group, though, that Trump has repeatedly, consistently mocked time and time again throughout his entire career, long before he got into politics — and it's one not enough people are talking about.


Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

Trump has great disdain for fat* people. And it was on full display during and immediately after the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, 2016.

*Note: I will use the term "fat" to describe people in this article. Unlike Trump's usage, I am using "fat" as an adjective, not an insult.

Let's break down the three fat-phobic things Trump promoted at (and shortly after) the debate with some classic, cold, hard fact-checking.

Trump's two cents: After Hillary Clinton pointed out that Trump has called women "pigs, slobs, and dogs," Trump resurrected and defended his offensive, decade-old remarks against Rosie O'Donnell, claiming "she deserves it, and nobody feels sorry for her."

Fact-check: Calling O'Donnell a "slob" is a play right out of the Fat-Phobic's Handbook of Fallacies. Although our society pushes this narrative, the truth is that being fat does not mean a person is inherently lazy, unhygienic, incompetent, or any of the other negative stereotypes often ascribed to people with bigger bodies — including being a so-called "slob."

Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images.

Trump's two cents: In a mind-bogglingly random aside, Trump suggested during the debate that "someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds" could have been the one who broke into the Democratic National Committee's email server — a not-so-subtle suggestion that any know-nothing, inept person could do so.

Fact-check: Again, Trump perpetuated a seemingly inconsequential — but actually pretty dangerous — connection between undesirable traits and having a body that happens to be fat.

"Trump didn’t just express the standard disgust for fat bodies," writer Lindy West penned in The Guardian. "He positioned fat people as dangers to national security. The implications are familiar, even if the context is outlandish: fat people are lazy, bedridden, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, antisocial, gluttonous (for secrets!) and worthless as anything but a punchline."

West wasn't the only one unimpressed. Former Republican rival and Trump supporter Rick Santorum was seemingly just as perplexed as many of us watching at home:

Trump's two cents: During the debate, Clinton said Trump allegedly once called former Miss Universe Alicia Machado "Miss Piggy." He doubled-down on his attacks against Machado the following morning — as though her weight would ever be a legitimate reason to condemn her as a pageant winner — explaining in an interview with "Fox and Friends" that Machado had gained "a massive amount of weight" and it had become "a real problem."

Fact-check: In his follow-up interview, Trump didn't even try to deny that Machado's weight had become an underlying issue for him. And that's ... an issue. Instead of using his platform to help change a sexist, fat-phobic industry standard, Trump allegedly threatened to take her crown away after she'd gained weight, and, astoundingly, invited reporters to film her exercising without telling her beforehand in order to show the public she was on a weight-loss regimen.

"It was very humiliating," Machado said years later of Trump's treatment. "I felt really bad, like a lab rat."

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Of course, none of this is probably all that surprising to you — even if you're a Trump supporter. Voters have come to expect he'll spout whatever's on his mind, for better or worse. If that means saying something fat-phobic — like bullying overweight people at his rallies, demanding Chris Christie stop eating Oreos, or body-shaming Diet Coke drinkers — so be it.

But really, this isn't about Trump or whether his fat-phobic remarks will change the presidential race. It's about how those remarks hurt us — everyone watching at home.

Fat-shaming is often overlooked, sometimes because it becomes so frequent and so subtle that we get used to it. But we shouldn't.

Many of us have rallied together in defense of other groups — women, Muslims, military families — after Trump has insulted them, and rightly so. We should be doing the same right now for fat people.

Again, it bears repeating: "Fat" should not be an insult. It is an adjective. The problem isn't just that Donald Trump is calling people fat — it's that he uses "fat" as a catch-all term that implies a whole host of other negative, undesirable qualities.

The prevalence of fat-phobia continues to promote real-world discrimination, and comments like Trump's only add fuel to the fire.

Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images.

Fat-phobic biases by medical professionals means fat people are more likely to receive poor health care services. Being fat means you look more guilty in jurors' eyes. If you're fat, you're more likely to be seen as unhealthy despite the fact you can't actually tell much about a person's health just by looking at their waistline. And because workplace discrimination is a thing, fat women are more likely to get smaller paychecks than their skinnier counterparts. (Isn't it fun when sexism and fat-phobia collide?)

To be clear, Trump's certainly not the only politician who's made fat-phobic remarks — although maybe he's the worst offender? — and expecting him to change his tune before Nov. 8 is unlikely.

I'm not holding my breath, hoping Trump transforms into a body-positivity champion — but I am hoping his fat-shaming will spur some backlash from all of us and the way we treat fat people as a society.

I'm hoping Trump's blunt, non-P.C. style will actually shed a light on how hurtful, ignorant, and dangerous this "tell it like it is" mentality can be when it comes to fat-shaming.

When reality TV show hosts make fat-phobic remarks, it's a problem — but when those remarks are coming from someone who wants to be the leader of the free world, it's an utterly unacceptable show of disrespect and discrimination.

partnerships

5 ways people are going "all in" this week

From the silliest to the most sentimental, there are so many ways people are going “all in” on the internet this week. Here are our five favorites.

True

There's something truly special about watching someone go "all in." This could mean throwing an elaborately themed birthday party for a Chihuahua (see below) or something a little simpler, like surprising someone with a long-anticipated birthday present. Whatever it is, going "all in" means total commitment—no holding back, no second-guessing, just passion and full-throttle enthusiasm. It means being fully present in the moment and creating something truly special as a result.

In this roundup, we’ve scoured the internet for the best examples of people going all in—those moments where passion, creativity, and total commitment take center stage. Some are silly, some are sentimental, but all of them are a reminder that giving 100% is the only way to truly leave a mark on this world. Buckle up—these folks didn’t just show up, they went all in.


1. The guy who learned Mandarin to propose

@yinrun_hello He secretly learned Chinese to Propose 😭😭😭 #fiance #proposal #engagement #love ♬ pluto projector - ☆

Talk about commitment. Getting married is the ultimate example of being "all in," but this guy takes it to a whole other level. Shared to social media by content creator Yinrun Huang, the emotional video captures a marriage proposal that's completely in Mandarin from a non-native speaker. That's right—this guy learned a whole language (and executed it pretty well) to win his girlfriend's hand in marriage. Not only are the words beautiful, his dedication is, too.

2. Kid-approved snacks that help local communities  

It’s scientifically proven that kids are brutally honest, unfiltered, and don’t hold back—which is why our friends at All In couldn’t resist sitting down with this group and getting their honest opinion. Are these snack bars really that good?

The Bite Size Board has spoken—and they’re all in. Not only are these snack bars delicious, they’re also an easy way to help people in need: Every time you buy a bar, 2% goes to a community to help them get fresh food.

Want to try these Board-approved treats? Snag a free box by signing up with your phone number on Aisle. Then grab two boxes of All In bars at Sprouts, snap a picture of your receipt, and text it through Aisle. They’ll Venmo or PayPal you back for the cost of one box. Easy and delicious.

3. This Chihuahua’s extravagant birthday bash

@phoebeparsons__ Tell me you’re a DINK family without telling me #chihuahua #dink #mexican ♬ EVERLASTING LOVE - GROWS

Do you love your dog? Would you throw a birthday party for them? How about a full-out celebration in a Mexican restaurant that includes banners, party hats, and the entire restaurant serenading him? Yeah, we thought not. These pet owners are absolutely "all in" on this dog's birthday, and we love to see it. Not only is this celebration extravagant and clearly well thought-out, people in the comments section are jokingly pointing out that taking a Chihuahua to a Mexican restaurant is a nod to the dog's cultural heritage. If that was intentional, this might be the best dog birthday party we've ever seen.

4. Truly unhinged (and maybe true?) Taylor Swift theories

@grindcitymedia did taylor swift drop super bowl hints? 😲 #swifties #nfl #taylorswift ♬ original sound - grindcitymedia

OK, whether you love Taylor Swift or not, you have to admit that her fans (known as “Swifties”) have an incredible commitment to the fandom (and an eye for detail). Case in point: Last week on her boyfriend’s podcast, Taylor announced the upcoming release of her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. The news was responsible for breaking the internet, and also for spurring a ton of fan theories about the future album and her future performances. In case you didn’t know, Swift is famous for dropping “Easter eggs” that hint at things she’ll be doing in the future, such as when she kept flashing peace signs and dropping the number 2 in her instagram posts in the weeks leading up to her double album “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024. This time, Swifties have taken to social media to discuss potential Easter eggs that were hidden throughout her podcast appearance. The latest theory? Her constant references to sourdough bread were actually Easter eggs hinting at a 2027 Super Bowl Halftime performance. Only time will tell if that's accurate, but the enthusiasm, the attention to detail, and the hours of research that must have gone into all these fan theories is truly something to behold.

5. This dirt bike birthday surprise 

@dmndboys_

This is why I look forward to fatherhood 🔥

♬ original sound - dmndboys_

These parents didn't give their kid a birthday present—they gave him the best birthday present of all time. Not only did the setup require a lot of thought and planning, but check out this kid's reaction. You can tell this was something he'd been wanting for a long time. Going "all out" and getting such a great response in return—it's something amazing to see.


Snag your free (!!) snack bars here while this deal lasts.

Two women walking through the park.

When did working out become so…complicated? Pricey gym memberships, workout systems that take up precious space in the garage, and don't even get me started on finding the "right" running shoe for your feet (if such a thing even exists).

Yes, there's far too much confusion surrounding walking and running in terms of fitness. But it doesn't have to be this way. Working out using your own two feet does not need to resemble an excellent Avril Lavigne song.


Enter: Japanese Walking.

@coacheugeneteo Walking 10,000 steps... But better 😯 I know I can’t be the only one who looks at my step count at the end of the day and feel like a failure. Some days, I get around 2,000 steps. I still aim for at least 8,000 a day - but sometimes, life just gets in the way. But even if it's only an extra ~3000 steps, this simple 30 minute protocol on my walking pad can make a huge difference.
♬ original sound - Eugene Teo

Also known as Interval Walking Training (IWT), it's a straightforward yet highly effective fitness technique that incorporates interval training methods used by professional athletes. So, it's no surprise that once TikTok caught wind of this simple, low-impact, 30-minute workout (and discovered it works!), Japanese Walking went viral.

Fitness influencers and news outlets alike heralded Japanese Walking as the real deal: a science-backed, lab-tested alternative to high-intensity sweat sessions that also works better than those flashy, fleeting fitness fads, like the (now debunked) 10,000 steps a day challenge or the "12-3-30" treadmill trend.

Ready to find out what all the buzz is about Japanese walking? Let's dive in.

The story behind Japanese Walking

In the early 2000s, a team of researchers at Shinshu University in Nagano, Japan, found themselves grappling with a head-scratching dilemma.

Japan's population is consistently ranked as one of the world's oldest. In 2023, it was reported that nearly a third of Japan's population had already hit 65 years old (an estimated 36.23 million people—approximately the population size of Ghana), with one in every 10 people being 80 years or older.


In the study conducted at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, exercise physiologist Hiroshi Nose and his collaborator Shizue Masuki led a research group on a quest. The goal? To make walking an aging person's new best friend. They wanted to discover a highly effective walking routine for middle-aged and older adults that would help improve their physical and cardiometabolic health.

Early trials in Japan showed promising results. In Nose and Masuki's landmark 2007 study, they observed the physical fitness and blood pressure of 246 participants between the ages of 44 and 78 for five months. The results confirmed their suspicions: that those who followed the IWT program showed greater improvements in strength, endurance, blood pressure, and aerobic capacity, compared to moderate, steady-paced walking or those in the no walking regimen.

In older adults, these benefits increased even further, with significant increases to thigh muscle strength (up to 17%) and a reduction in systolic blood pressure.

What a perfect ending, right?

If only.

"No one completed the program, and they complained that the program was too boring and too difficult," revealed Shizue Masuki.

Rather than give up when participants found their fitness program boring, Nose and Masuki's research team turned to a popular training method sworn by in the professional sports world: interval training. This type of training is beloved by runners, cyclists, and others who want to increase their speed, agility, endurance, and/or muscle power. It's efficient (you can achieve more results in less time) and prevents boredom.

For example, if you're doing jump squats for a few minutes, then burpees and mountain climbers, or shuttle runs and bicycle crunches, repeatedly, it's pretty challenging to get bored.

What makes Japanese Interval Walking so special?

There's a certain symmetrical beauty to interval walking training.

Rather than maintaining a quick, steady pace, ITW devotees alternate between three-minute bursts of fast, energetic walking and three-minute intervals of slow recovery periods. Alternate between the two speeds for a total of five rounds, or 30 minutes, and that's it! You're done.

outdoors, walking, sports, intervals, fitness Two people walking outside. Photo credit: Canva

For those who want to get technical, during the speedy portion, Nose and Masuki recommend trying to hit 70-85% of your maximum heart rate. Then, during the more relaxed intervals, your heart rate should reduce to 40-50% of your maximum heart rate.

If you're unsure about your heart rate, consider investing in a heart rate monitor. This one doesn't need bells and whistles; make sure that it has a stopwatch and the ability to set a target rate with an alarm.

Why this actually works—while other walking exercise plans fail

Your body craves challenge, but it also needs recovery. Japanese interval walking gives you both. During those high-intensity bursts, you're creating what cardiovascular expert Dr. Mir Ali calls "healthy stress" on your heart and muscles.

"When you increase your intensity of walking or other exercise that raises your heart rate, it's helpful to cardiovascular health and increases aerobic capacity," said Mir Ali, general and bariatric surgeon. "Once you're settled down from that increase, over time, your blood pressure improves."

The benefits don't just stop there. Nose and Masuki's studies also show positive effects on sleep, cognitive function, and depression. Imagine being able to sleep better, think more clearly, and feel happier, all from a simple 30-minute walk. That's the power of Japanese Walking.

- YouTube www.youtube.com


In a world where fitness increasingly feels expensive and complicated, people want something real and accessible. Japanese Walking connects with so many people because it works—it's not a fad or a viral moment. Interval walking training was developed in a lab to scientifically strengthen the bones and bodies of Japan's growing elderly population, and by doing so, offered a rare gift to the rest of the world: a path to fitness that's not just effective, but also efficient, and. most importantly, sustainable.

Oh, and it's accessible! You already possess everything you need to succeed in Walking Interval Training. You, a pair of shoes, and 30 minutes to spare, preferably outdoors.

Humor

Millennials didn't invent the meme. The Silent Generation did...in 1921.

Honestly, the 'first meme ever' is still pretty funny.

The Wisconsin Octopus/Public Domain

People think they've found the "first meme ever" in a cartoon from 1921.

There was once a guy affectionately known on the Internet as "Bad Lucky Brian." He was a scrawny, geeky kid caught posing awkwardly for his school photo. And shortly after his unfortunate picture first appeared on Reddit in 2012, he became the face of one of social media's earliest memes.

All millennials and Gen Xers remembers this golden era of simple memes, when every joke on Facebook and a very young Instagram looked like this:


memes, humor, funny, internet, internet culture, cartoons, generations, generational differences, silent generation, baby boomers, gen x, millennials Bad Luck Brian was one of the earliest Internet meme formats.Ranker

Bad Luck Brian was joined around the same time by Scumbag Steve, Overly Attached Girlfriend, the "Ermagherd!" girl, and the fist-pumping baby. These characters gave a face and a repeatable format for people to create an endless variety of new jokes. The humor was straightforward and predictable, simple, but still funny enough to bring a smile to your face.

At the time, it was relatable and didn't usually require any special knowledge of current events or other memes.

To me, as a 38-year-old millennial, this is about where memes began—with Bad Luck Brian and the rest of the gang. But the truth is that they started earlier—far, far earlier than I ever could have imagined.

In 2018, savvy social media sleuths uncovered an old comic from a July 1921 issue of the satirical magazine Judge. The comic is further attributed to a cartoonist named Hubert F. Townsend for The Wisconsin Octopus earlier that same year.

It reads: "How you think you look when a flashlight is taken." (A 'flashlight' being an archaic way of referring to a flash photograph.) The caption goes along with a drawing of a very dapper man, hair neatly combed, chiseled features, and a meticulous tuxedo.

To the right, it reads: "How you really look," which goes along with a sillier, dumbed-down version of the same character.

If you can look past the drawing style and some of the outdated vernacular, this little cartoon will seem extremely familiar to you.

memes, humor, funny, internet, internet culture, cartoons, generations, generational differences, silent generation, baby boomers, gen x, millennials "Expectation vs reality" meme from 1921.The Wisconsin Octopus/Public Domain

This cartoon from 1921 is a textbook example of the popular "expectation vs reality" joke format. Apparently, millennials did not invent it! The evidence actually points to the Silent Generation coming up with the template.

It seems that worrying how you look in pictures is not only a modern problem. People have been frustrated with it for over a century now, which is what makes this cartoon so resonant.

One commenter on Instagram wrote, "It's an older meme, sir, but it checks out."

"So this would be the predecessor to the 'accidentally switch the phone camera to selfie' meme," said another.

And, in fact, this piece from Townsend isn't the only example of a meme from the era.

BBC uncovered another comic from The Wisconsin Octopus which also makes use of the same joke template—though you have to look past a little outdated, sexist humor.


memes, humor, funny, internet, internet culture, cartoons, generations, generational differences, silent generation, baby boomers, gen x, millennials "arranging a date" meme from 1921The Wisconsin Octopus/Public Domain

It's a lot of fun to imagine our grandparents or even great-grandparents cracking up while reading comic strips like these, laughing at more or less the same stuff we're still making jokes about to this day.

In a sense, memes go back even further than that.

But we have to think beyond just "Internet memes" to really see the history.

Author Richard Dawkins coined the term "meme" in 1972, calling it a "unit of cultural transmission." The New York Times defined it as, "a piece of media that is repurposed to deliver a cultural, social or political expression, mainly through humor."

Imitation is the key element of a meme. Memes reproduce and spread when people take hold of them, adapt or tweak them, and share them. That's what makes them so powerful and sticky.

PBS argues that a mosaic from the year 3 B.C. could be considered one of the earliest memes. Of course, it became a lot easier for memes to be copied and transformed and imitated once the printing press came around. In fact, every generation since the days of Hubert F. Townsend has had their own memes, or repeatable media formats that allow for easy imitation.

Baby boomers lived in the heyday of jokey bumper stickers and physical chain letters. They also had the little character featured in "Kilroy Was Here" who would show up in graffiti all over major cities during World War II.

memes, humor, funny, internet, internet culture, cartoons, generations, generational differences, silent generation, baby boomers, gen x, millennials "Kilroy was here," is considered a popular meme from World War II.By Luis Rubio from Alexandria, VA, USA - Kilroy was here, CC BY 2.0

Gen X had email forwards and the Dancing Baby meme of the early Internet. If you weren't old enough to live through email forwards, a humorous version of the antiquated chain letter, well...you seriously missed out on some of the best comedy writing of the last few decades. Or maybe I just remember it that way.

(On second thought, they were pretty corny.)

memes, humor, funny, internet, internet culture, cartoons, generations, generational differences, silent generation, baby boomers, gen x, millennials Believe it or not, this simple gif once ruled the Internet. Giphy

Millennials had tons of memes to choose from, from the Chuck Norris jokes to Bad Luck Brian. Gen Z and Gen Alpha have their own specific brand of memes, usually one that requires a deep knowledge of brainrot slang and up-to-the-minute Internet lore to understand.

There's a lot of focus on the differences between the generations these days. How boomers and millennials clash, and how Gen X can't understand the Gen Alpha kids, and how Gen Z doesn't approve of their parents' fashion choices. It goes on and on and on. But the long history of memes show that we have more in common than we might think. Though the specifics have changed, we all find humor in life's little frustrations (like not looking good in a picture), and we all respond to the way memes make us feel like we're not alone in how we feel about the world.

I guess what I'm saying is, don't leave out your grandpa next time you're sending a funny meme around to all your friends. He might relate to it more than you'd think.

A photo collage from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

It's really interesting what nearly 35 years does to the lens of perspective. When my friend invited me to join her family for their once-a-month movie night, she asked which John Hughes movie she should show her 14-year-old twins. The answer was obvious. It had to be something fun, school-related, and iconic. Ferris Bueller's Day Off seemed to be the perfect choice as we Gen X-ers loved it when we were exactly their age in 1986.

The fraternal twins (one boy, one girl) sat down on a rare early Saturday evening when neither had dance practice or a sleepover. We gathered in our comfy clothes, popped some popcorn, and hit "rent now."


They were excited by the opening scene, where an adorable Matthew Broderick (doesn't matter what generation one is, he transcends them all) is pretending to be sick in bed with worrying parents. His sister Jeanie is suspicious and exhausted by his antics, but Ferris prevails. He then proceeds to give a brilliant monologue about eating life up and living in the moment. His now-famous line, Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” is still plastered in quote books and on Bumble profiles.

The twins seemed inspired, and one of them actually teared up in the first five minutes.

- YouTube youtu.be

Spoilers ahead: the movie is pretty simple. Ferris is a super cool high school kid with a beautiful girlfriend, Sloane, played by Mia Sara. His best friend is a depressed hypochondriac named Cameron, who is played to perfection by Alan Ruck. Ferris skips school a lot (nine times!) and grabs each day by the neck. There are themes of hedonism, nihilism, and Taoism, but neither of the twins mentioned that.

The first thing both kids did bring up was how privileged the characters were. Affluent Chicago suburbs, after all, was the setting John Hughes knew best. They also noted, as many have over the years, that Ferris seemed rather selfish and insensitive to what others in his life wanted and needed.

Ferris Bueller, 80s movies, Gen X, Gen Z A Ferris Buellers Day Off Film GIF Giphy Paramount Pictures

There have been many conversations over the years about Cameron being the true hero of the film. He has a story arc, unlike Ferris, that is unwavering. He's sad, but pushes through it and even gets the guts up to stand up to his father after accidentally totaling the old man's prized Ferrari.

In fact, there was a theory that Ferris was a figment of Cameron's imagination—a Fight Club scenario, if you will. Robert Vaux writes on CBR, "The theory holds that the entire day is a fantasy taking place in Cameron's head while he lies sick in bed. His sickness actually supports the theory: once Ferris comes over, it vanishes, and Cameron plunges energetically, if reluctantly, into the events of the day. According to the theory, it's because there are no events of the day. He's still sick at home, and the whole thing is a daydream."

cameron, ferris bueller's day off, 80s movies, john hughes, gen x, gen z Cameron GIF in Ferris Buellers Day Off 80S Giphy, Paramount Pictures

I fully expected the twins to have similar thoughts. If not the Fight Club part, at least the idea that Cameron was the true protagonist. But what they (both of them) said instead was shocking. "No," the daughter told me. "I mean, I liked Ferris and I loved Cameron. But it's Jeanie who's the hero here."

Jeanie, the sister mentioned earlier, was played with pure rage by Jennifer Grey. She spends most of the movie attempting to narc on Ferris rather than enjoying her own beautiful day. She is angry and determined until…she meets a "bad boy" at the county jail, played complete with bloodshot eyes by Charlie Sheen.

Taken aback, their mom pushed back. "Jeanie, the sister? Why?"

The son answers, "She just changes the most. She starts out, like, having it in for Ferris. Really, having it in for EVERYONE. And then she just like figures it out." The daughter adds, "Yeah, in the end she was rooting for Ferris. She came the farthest from where she started and she's the one who kinda saved him."

- YouTube youtu.be

gobsmacked, I turned to Reddit for more answers. In the subreddit r/movies, someone recently posted, "Something I noticed about Ferris Bueller's Day Off." They then proceed to drive the Cameron theory forward. "At the start of the film, Cameron is in bed sickly and not really confident in himself, but as the movie progresses, he starts to get more confidence, and by the end, he gains the courage to stand up to his father."

A Redditor replies with this thoughtful answer: "I've heard it called a flat character arc when the protagonist doesn't change but is instead the catalyst for those around them to change. It's hard to pull off but is often the most satisfying kind of character. Ted Lasso (especially in season one) is a good example."

Others echo that idea, offering up characters like Forrest Gump and The Dude from The Big Lebowski. They stayed exactly the same while the world or others in their lives changed around them. It's described on a YouTube clip as "The moment you realize the main character is not actually the main character."

- YouTube youtu.be

This would give credence to the twins' opinion. But I'd never heard anyone choose Jeanie before (and they weren't swayed by Grey's performance in Dirty Dancing because they haven't seen it yet). When pressed one more time, their answer didn't change. "No doubt, it's the sister. She should have a spinoff." Their mom was so proud and we all totally agree.

This article originally appeared in June.

Image via Reddit/CremeSubject7594

Mom shares proud video of 14-year-old son's first day of work.

Getting your first job is a major milestone moment for most teens. It's a first taste of freedom and a nice paycheck to boot.

For 14-year-old Sheldon, his mom Lexy is making sure she knows how proud she is of his new career status as an employee at grocery chain Publix. In a sweet video, Lexy shared what it was like picking Sheldon up from his first day of "real" work.


"Our 14 yr. Old got his first “real” job today @Publix Our 4th son in a row they’ve hired 💚," she captioned the video.

@blendedlyblessed

Our 14 yr. Old got his first “real” job today @Publix Our 4th son in a row they’ve hired 💚 #parents #teen #grocerystore #publix #job #working #boymom #proudmom #workethic

Sheldon hops in the car and Lexy can hardly contain her excitement. "My baby just got his first job! Just went through orientation," she says as she pulls up. She asks Sheldon about when he will get his uniform, and she asks to see his new name tag.

"Sheldon! You are officially in the corporate world of life, business, working...a working man!" she says. Sheldon responds, "Working 9 to 5 forever!" Lexy loves it, adding, "Working 9 to 5! Not really, but..."

Sheldon continues to show her all the new hire paperwork he received, and Lexy asks him if it was a long day at orientation. He walks her though the whole day, from walking through the store to food prep. "I didn't know that they actually cut up their watermelons in the store! And the fish. I saw them cutting them up," he says.

He talks about setting up direct deposit, and how his first paycheck will be a physical paper check, before adding he worked in the office and also saw the freezers. "I've got to hit the hay," he says as they pull into home. I'm exhausted!"

@blendedlyblessed

14yr. Olds reaction to his first paycheck from @Publix #parents #teen #grocerystore #publix #job

The video got lots of encouraging comments from viewers. "Aww I don’t even know y’all but I’m so proud of him!! Publix is such a great employer, they have awesome benefits and are great to their employees. Way to go mama, teaching responsibility and a good work ethic!" one wrote. Another offered "14 so young, but I guess learning young will teach him responsibility in life and working hard congratulations buddy you got this."

Others agreed that 14 was too young for him to be working. "Let this kid be a kid!" one wrote, and Lexy replied, "Ok. I’ll let him sit and play video games all day like all the other great parents are letting their kids be kids right now 🙄," she wrote. In another comment she added, " It’s sad so many people don’t want their kids to learn work ethic that really is only taught as children…:when they try to pick it up at 18 it’s just forced bitterness and entitled and never ingrained work ethic."

@blendedlyblessed

14yr. Old Sheldon recounts his work day @Publix! He’s loving it! #teen #boymom #financialliteracy #hardwork #employee

Some people further debated if 14 years old is too young to work. "Never should one exist where we promote children working instead of children fulfilling their lives and interest. Stop downplaying the evils of capitalism," one commented. Another added, "I started working at 12 at a family friend's bar washing dishes. Some work younger in family shops and restaurants. Some work in factories despite the law. Legal work at 14 doesn't seem so bad or like an issue culturally or legally when children younger work out of necessity."

The U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has set the minimum age for employment to be 14 years old, and also puts restrictions on hours for employees under 16 years old.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

However, Lexy noted in the comment section that Sheldon was only working a handful of hours. She shared, "😂😂😂 As if his 10 hours of work each week kills his childhood 😂😂😂."

Another viewer commented, "I'm sure she isn't forcing her kid to work & I'm sure she still pays for everything. But its important for a kiddo to learn money management, to feel how good it is to buy something you REALLY REALLY want, with your own money. He seems like he has a great attitude & happy to work based on that smiled plastered on his face."

Lexy added more details about why Sheldon chose to work, and explained that three of her older sons also began working at Publix at 14. "He’s so excited! We still pay for everything of course but if he wants a car, he will have to start saving for that and a job is needed for that. Everyone is projected to have around 12-14k saved by the time they graduate high school if they don’t buy a car in that time. Oldest son did it. 2nd son is right there. Next one is on his way. And now this one will be too. Everyone enjoys working and having their own bank accounts, debit cards, etc.," she shared.

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A time machine sits in between two people who have visited their younger selves.

We often hear that with experience comes wisdom, but once we garner that wisdom, oftentimes it's too late to actually implement it into our lives. If only we had a time machine, so many of us think. If only

For example, as a proud Gen X-er, I'd take that time machine and pop right on back to 1995, wherein I was convinced to wax my eyebrows so thin they looked like pencil marks. I did it so many times, they never grew back.


thin eyebrows, waxing, time machine, gen x, beauty trend A girl with thin eyebrows. Giphy

But on a deeper level, (though the eyebrow situation was quite deep,) I'd love the chance to go back and tell the late teen to late 20s version of me: go easier on everything. Heartbreak, body image, rejection, success status. I took every break-up, every failed audition, every time I stepped on a scale so hard that it was like an anvil of self-shame dropping on my head daily. What I wouldn't give to be able to wrap my arms around myself and say, "Good job." Or, regarding heartbreak, "If this were a screenplay, this guy wouldn't even make it into the rewrites."

If we live a relatively full life, on average, we've got just over two billion seconds. Sounds like a lot, but when you put it in perspective, it's a blip. The Earth itself is estimated to be over four billion years old, and we are just a tiny flash in its ever-changing pan. I'd love to go back and tell myself to make those flashes count—each and every one of them.

What if, in examining the ideas of what we and others would tell the younger versions of ourselves, we could use it to somewhat heal our mistakes, even if only metaphorically? On the subreddit r/whatif, a person asks, "What if, Gen X-ers you could go back and talk to your younger self from the ’80s or ’90s?" They add, "What would you say about how life turned out? Are you where you thought you’d be, or did life take a different path than you imagined?"

Some people get into the logistics of it—how if you alter one thing, the rest will unravel. "I would not change a thing because I like the person I am today. Once you start unwinding the tapestry of your life and try to change things, it will change the person you are today."

butterfly, butterfly effect, time machine, gen x A psychedelic butterfly flaps its wings. Giphy GIF by Trippyogi

Some of the answers are downright practical. "$100 investment in Apple back then would be about $3 mil today. So I’d certainly not spend so much of my birthday money on Nintendo."

This Redditor combined a heartfelt answer with a pragmatic one: "I'd love to talk to my family members! Everyone who isn't around anymore. It would be amazing to spend a day with each of them again. That said, maybe I do talk to myself, and maybe I make myself repeat the following sentence over and over until I never forget it: 'As soon as you hear about Bitcoin, start mining it.'"

Just a couple of weeks ago, another thread popped up and opened the question up to all generations beyond Gen X. They posed a similar query: "Knowing what you know now - if you could go back in time, what would you tell your young adult self?"

Many responses are absolutely poignant. Despite the fact that we don't have time machines—unless there's a DeLorean idling somewhere near Christopher Lloyd—we can still use this advice going forward: "You don’t have to be perfect to be loved or respected. Show up, try your best, and don’t shrink yourself for people who wouldn’t do the same for you."

Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future, time machine, DeLorean, hindsight Christopher Lloyd means business in a scene from Back to The Future. Giphy Back to the future flux capacitor GIF, Universal Pictures

Commenters did not hold back. "I'd grab my younger self by the shoulders and say, 'Relax. Like really, chill out.' I'd tell them, Hey, it's okay not to have it all figured out. No one does. Not even the people who look like they do."

This person was very direct and many, including myself, could relate: "I’d tell myself to not ignore the red flags that were everywhere I looked. Focus on money and not that s----y relationship you thought you wanted."

And this comment truly allowed for vulnerability: "Great question. I think I would tell my younger adult self to seek professional help sooner and not be so afraid to open up to trusted people. There was no reason to carry my struggles alone. That self-imposed isolation was my biggest mistake. It was painful, alienating, and it held me back for more than a decade."