upworthy
Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button
Joy

Gen Z woman who went viral for being devastated after first day at 'typical' job gets laid off

She was on the job for 2 months.

brielle asero, employment, gen z woman
via @brielleybelly123/TikTok and @brielleybelly123/TikTok

Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

TikTokker Brielle Asero, 21, a recent college graduate, went viral on TikTok in October for her emotional reaction to the first day at a 9-to-5 job. The video, which received 3.4 million views, captured the public’s attention because it was like a cultural Rorschach test.

Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

“I don’t have the time to do anything,” she continued. “I want to shower, eat my dinner, and go to sleep. I don’t have the time or energy to cook my dinner either. I don’t have energy to work out, like, that’s out of the window. I’m so upset, oh my god.”

@brielleybelly123

im also getting sick leave me alone im emotional ok i feel 12 and im scared of not having time to live

On December 16, Asero gave an update on her professional life, and sadly, things aren’t going too well. After just 2 months on the job, she was laid off. It had taken her 5 months to find the job and she had recently relocated to New York City to be near the office.

"I worked for a startup, and they didn't have the workload or the bandwidth they needed to train me and to give me work to do," she said. Being laid off during the holidays makes Asero's situation even more difficult because most employers are closed for business in late December and early January.

Asero had some stern words for those who would blame her for losing her job.

"I know that I'm a hard worker, and my boss literally said that I'm one of the smartest people he's ever had working under him, and he knows that I'm going to land on my feet, and he will give me a great referral to anybody, so don't start," she warned.

@brielleybelly123

can someone tell me im going to be okay !!!! feels like the world is ending i need a job immediatley i am feeling so lost rn like i moved for this...!?

"I have done everything I possibly could have, and it's still not enough," she said. To supplement her income while looking for her next big break, Asero says she will look for work as a server or nanny.

Even though Asero took a lot of criticism for crying after her first day at work, the comments on the new video were overwhelmingly positive and supportive. There were also a lot of people who shared how they had recently been laid off, too.

"Just want to note that there’s no shame in taking a service job while you’re still looking. You’re going to be okay, you got this," Baby bel wrote. "It happened to me, seems like ur life is ending, but I promise it's just getting started. You’ll laugh about it at some point," Rachie added.


This article originally appeared on 12.22.23












From Your Site Articles
jobs
JoyCommunity
Pop Culture

15 years ago, a Russian gymnast was interrupted by her 2-year-old daughter. It became a historic performance.

"This is beyond beautiful. 🥲"

dance, motherhood, mommy daughter dance, mother daughter relationship, parenting, wholesome
Umi4ika/Youtube

Svetlana Putintseva with her daughter Masha.

In 2005 at only 18 years old, Russian rhythmic gymnast Svetlana Putintseva became a world champion, after which she retired and eventually became a mom. Then, in 2011, Putintseva came out of retirement for one special Gala performance.

Little did anyone know that her then two-year-old daughter named Masha would be the key to making that performance so special.

As the story goes, the young child refused to leave her side that night. But rather than stopping the performance, Putintseva did what so many incredible moms do: she masterfully held space for two different identities.

As we see in the video below, Putintseva simply brought Masha onto the dance floor and incorporated her into the routine—holding and comforting her at times, performing impressive moves while she ran around at others…letting it all become a lively, endearing interaction rather than a rote routine. It became something really touching:

Watch:

Now, a bit of fact-checking as this video has once again started going viral. Despite what many captions say, Putintseva‘s daughter was likely always a planned part of the performance (the tiny leotard is a bit of a giveaway). But that doesn’t really take away from the message behind it: motherhood weaves another soul into one's identity, forever. And one of the biggest lessons it teaches is how to hold someone else steady, all while becoming ourselves.

Every day, moms are engaging in a similar type of “dance”: navigating through the world while guiding and nurturing their little ones. It probably doesn't always feel quite as graceful as what Putintseva put out, and, yet, it is just as beautiful.

dance, motherhood, mommy daughter dance, mother daughter relationship, parenting, wholesome A mother hugging her daughter.Photo credit: Canva

Maybe so many thought it was an improvised moment because improvising is a very real parent superpower. That’s certainly the takeaway we get from some of these lovely comments:

“You cannot control life but you can learn to dance with it. 🤍”

"This is beyond beautiful. 🥲"

“If this isn't a metaphor for motherhood. We improvise so much.”

“A mother’s unconditional love 🥹❤️ She just made my whole month.”

“I do this sometimes while deejaying. My daughter comes up so I hit the slicer and let her chop it up. A few chops and she is happy and goes about her business. 🥰”

“I can see my daughter doing this to me soon whenever I get up on stage on perform. She already stares long and hard at me whenever I am onnstage singing. She doesn't take her eyes off me. Sure she would be running up to stand with me when she starts walking 😂😂 i look forward to it tho”

“Sobbing 😭😭😭😭 As a dancer who hasn’t performed since having a kid, this inspires me in so many ways 🥹🥹 So beautiful and it’s clear that she admires her mom so much 🥰”

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Though not much is written on Putintseva following this performance, one blog post says that Masha has followed in her footsteps by getting into rhythmic gymnastics. Maybe it all started with this one performance. ❤️

From Your Site Articles
wholesome
Pop CultureInternet
Music

Spin Doctors singer delights car-rental employees with acoustic version of '90s hit 'Two Princes'

Just go ahead now.

spin doctors, chris barron, two princes, '90s music, rental cars, spin doctors video
Photo credit: screenshots via Spin Doctors Instagram

Spin Doctors' Chris Barron delighted car-rental employees with an impromptu version of "Two Princes."

Securing a rental car is usually, at best, a boring and tedious process—not usually the kind of thing you’d want to livestream or film for posterity. But that’s probably because you’ve never waited in line for your compact Sedan next to the singer of a popular alt-rock band. Chris Barron, singer of Spin Doctors, went viral on Instagram for an impromptu performance at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. It was a jovial acoustic version of the band’s 1991 classic "Two Princes," and the Internet loved every second of it.

The clip opens abruptly, with Barron strumming and singing the chorus. John Hampson of the band Nine Days, best remembered for their 2000 single "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)," films the clip and harmonizes nearby. It’s lovely to see Barron beaming—according to Setlist.fm, Spin Doctors have played this song 740 times, but that doesn’t seem to have diminished his joy for it. Equally great is the response from the Enterprise workers happily recording with their phones. (Kudos to the employee on our right, who dances and claps along.)

"They clearly don’t know that I’m the dude from Spin Doctors"

Upworthy reached out to Barron, who offered some backstory of this "organic" human moment. On December 13, 2025, he played an unplugged "Story of a Song" show alongside Hampson, Brian Vander Ark (The Verve Pipe) and J.R. Richards (Dishwalla) in Des Plaines, Illinois, but his flight wound up canceled due to weather conditions. "We got to the airport, and the new flight got delayed until 7 that night," Barron says. "[Hampson and I] looked at each other like, 'This flight’s not gonna happen.' Both of us are very seasoned travelers, old-school road dogs. We’re like, 'Let’s rent a car and drive. Let’s make it to Pittsburgh tonight and grab a hotel.'" After sorting out baggage, they headed down to Enterprise, which was empty except for four employees. When the workers saw the guitar cases, they asked the musicians to play a song.

"I just pull out my guitar and start playing 'Two Princes,'" he says. "They all pull their phones out, and John pulls his phone out. They’re clearly like, 'Wow, this guy is good, but they also clearly don’t know that I’m the dude from Spin Doctors.'" When he stepped away for a second, Hampson gave the workers that extra info: "They’re all like, 'Wait, that's the guy?'" Barron adds with a laugh. "I come out of the bathroom, and they all want to take pictures." The vibes was "all smiles"—plus, Barron's travel hunch was right: "We get to Pennsylvania at 1 a.m. and look at our phones, and at that flight had been canceled, so we definitely wouldn’t have gotten out that day. The next morning at 10 a.m.—about 24 hours after John and I decided to pull the plug and get it in a rental car—I was sitting on the couch with my cat at home. [Laughs.]"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Love the one gentleman not recording it! Living in the moment!"

The video blew up on Instagram, with hundreds of people praising both the performance and the sweetness of this random encounter. Some celebrities and musical peers even weighed in, including singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, who responded with a simple, "Yeah!" Here are some more great comments, including more than a couple rental-car jokes:

"I’m a firm believer this is one of the greatest songs ever made."

"I was getting ready to say damn this dude did a good job with this cover until I noticed it was the spindoctors page 😂👏🔥. One of my favorite songs growing up"

"Not me being like oh my God this is a great cover only to realize it’s you. Happy holidays, indeed."

"Feels like a complimentary upgrade to me"

"Most perfectly crafted pop rock song of the 90’s"

"I’m sorry sir but we still cannot upgrade your Kia Forte"

“'That’s great, but sir, you’re still going to need to purchase comprehensive coverage.'"

"Making the most of the situation! 👏"

"This song is forever in my shower-singing repertoire"

"This is just… fun. Life needs more of this."

"Real artists will play even the smallest of stadiums"

"Love the one gentleman not recording it! Living in the moment!"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Virality, it should be noted, was never on Barron's wish list: "I really don’t think in terms of viral-video stuff," he says. "I’m not that generation. I’m a 20th-century guy. I was born in 1968. But John was like, 'We should post this. I bet it would take off.’ [The video is] very organic. It’s very analog. It’s a real moment that somebody captured."

"Two Princes" was one of two major hits from Spin Doctors’ debut LP, 1991’s Pocket Full of Kryptonite, along with "Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong." The former song hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. But the band is still going—they’ve released five more albums over the years, including their most recent, 2013’s If the River Was Whiskey, and they have tour dates scheduled throughout 2026, including a run with Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms.

From Your Site Articles
music
MusicPop Culture
Culture

Gen Xers and Millennials share the 'distinct smells' from the '90s that defined the decade

"Cucumber Melon and Camel Lights."

90s smells, scents of the 90s, bath and body works 90s, cucumber melon, runts, runts candy
Images via Reddit/Dove04

Gen Xers and Millennials describe what the '90s smelled like, from Bath & Body Works' Cucumber Melon to banana-flavored Runts.

The '90s were a decade like no other. With TV psychics, parachutes in gym class, and iconic TV shows binged during sick days, the era was packed with uniquely memorable moments that Generation X and Millennials still feel nostalgic about today.

Beyond the epic CDs and cartoons, the '90s were also defined by specific scents. Gen Xers and Millennials on Reddit recently discussed the nostalgic smells of the decade—from specific foods like banana-flavored Runts to the distinct scent of roller-rink carpet and classic Bath & Body Works fragrances. Here's what they had to say:

@jennaabarclay

‘90s bath & body works scents WITH the ‘90s label 🥹 the nostalgia hit so hard and I’m so happy #90s #bathandbodyworks

"Cigarettes and this [roller rink] carpet….Ahhhhh memories." - Battlerapschef

"And teen spirit." - UbermachoGuy

"5 year old Runts in the quarter vending machine. Banana." - 9829eisB09E83C

"Cucumber Melon and Camel Lights." - Heatherjjjjjjjj

"This nasty [Glad Country Garden] potpourri spray. I can hear the very specific sound that spray made with its thick *ss pressed button. CHSHHHHH." - abby-rose, Constant-Net-4652, D4FF00

"[Victoria's Secret] Love Spell." - a_solid_6

" McDonald's happy meal toys had a certain smell that I can remember to this day. Probably poison." - ogmoss

"CK one everywhere." - snn1326j

"Clove cigarettes and espresso. Especially for goths." - Lost_Balloon_, Vesper2000

"Let's not forget Drakkar Noir." - Technical-Donut-7354

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"LA Looks hair gel." - FarAd1429

"Electronics. The smell of cathode ray monitors and TVs, Blockbuster VHS tape boxes, the inside of Nintendo cartridges when you blew the dust out, etc." - oceanicwhitetip

"Fresh vinyl from blowup furniture." - Asterclad

"Herbal Essence." - barcham22

"The 90's had a number of unique smells. Especially if you were a kid. Lots of toys had these weird off gassing smells, like the creepy crawlers set. Sort of a sweet plastic smell. We also had the blessing of grandparents old Christmas decorations that smelled different from the stuff manufactured overseas today. The things our grandparents stored were probably slightly toxic but had a very, very nostalgic energy to them. You could almost smell the past." - TrillDough

"Like dew evaporating off the pavement." - zekerthedog

"Nautica, Cool Water, Hugo Boss, Curve and Polo Sport." - GurrenLagann214

"Apple shampoo, mall food courts, and movie theater popcorn." - thatmattschultz

@tara_town

The smells of our childhood 🥰 #90s #2000s #millennial #nostalgia

"Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers or Gap Grass." - Apprehensive-Stay196

"The smell from traffic…inescapable. Before catalytic converters were regulated you could smell transportation on you. Go stand in a busy covered parking garage and you will get a hint of what the cities smelled like." - h1storyguy

"LEMON PLEDGE!!!!!" - BlackDynamite58990

"I remember many girls almost choking us with their vanilla perfume. God it was sickening." - fettoter84

"Little incense candles inside incense warmers. Bong hits filtered thru a shampoo bottle stuffed with dryer sheets. Ralph Lauren Polo. JOOP! Any cologne/perfume sample from a magazine. Marlboro Lights. Empty Busch Light cans. And the sweet sweet smell of slacking..." - Live_Past_8978

"The inside spine of a plastic VHS tape cover." - canoe4you

"Wet JNCO's and wet barefoot sandals with a mix of Polo or Pear Berry Splash and cigarette smoke." - xxMalVeauXxx

"Fruitopia." - No_Tart686

"Go into a old school bowling alley and that's exactly what 90's smelled like." - ItsBal707

"And Extra chewing gum." - Ill-Emu-1121

"Sbarro pizza in a mall. That weird smell of water from a hose in the heat. Sunblock. The smell of a new Gameboy game." - Eris_Balm

From Your Site Articles
smells like the 90s
CultureJoy
History (Education)

15 intriguing metaphors we still use that were inspired by famous historical people

"Boycott was one of the earliest examples of this—named for Charles Boycott, a British land agent in Ireland in the 1880’s."

harry houdini, houdini, annie oakley, metaphor, metaphors, metaphors inspired by famous people
Photo credit: Canva, Wikimedia Commons

Harry Houdini and Annie Oakley are two examples of metaphors inspired by historically famous people.

People become famous for a gamut of reasons—unforgettable appearances, feats of heroism, good (and bad) reputations. Some simply lived iconic lives that cannot be copied.

So, it's no surprise that historically famous people who have lived extraordinary lives have become the source for many metaphors. Merriam Webster defines a metaphor as "a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in swimming in paperwork)."

And although they're no longer with us, their memories continue to live on in daily conversations. On Reddit, people shared their favorite metaphors inspired by historically famous people. These are 15 of the most intriguing.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Harry Houdini

"'That guy can get out of anything he’s a real Houdini'." - rakfink

Benedict Arnold

"He’s become a Benedict Arnold (a traitor to his country)." - Bo-Jacks-Son

Charles Boycott

"Boycott was one of the earliest examples of this - named for Charles Boycott, a British land agent in Ireland in the 1880’s." - F*CKYOURCOUCHREDDIT

Annie Oakley

"She’s a regular Annie Oakley with her rifle (a good shot)." - Bo-Jacks-Son

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Marilyn Monroe

"Yeah, she thinks she’s Marilyn Monroe (a sexy woman)." - Bo-Jacks-Son

Evel Knievel

"He’s a regular Evel Knievel (a daredevil)." - Bo-Jacks-Son

John Hancock

"John Hancock - Associated with your signature. Yes, just for people who don't know, on the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock's signature is the largest and very central, and everybody else's is smaller and somewhat squeezed in. He signed it first, or at least early, before it became clear how much room people would have. So sometimes a signature is referred to as a John Hancock--like 'Put your John Hancock right there!'" - GabbyWic, Effective_Pear4760

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

"I think Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are often mentioned (in the US anyway) when you're trying to say someone's a great dancer." - Effective_Pear4760

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The Joneses

"Keeping up with the Joneses. 'There was an actual Jones family who built a 7,690-square-foot mansion in Rhinebeck, New York, a summer vacation spot for well-heeled, wealthy families from New York City. Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones commissioned the formidable brick-and-slate structure in 1853...'." - BabySlothDrivingFast

Saint Thomas

"A Doubting Thomas is named after the apostle who doubted Jesus." - ThimbleBluff

Judas Iscariot

"Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus. His name has become a synonym for reviled traitor." - NonspecificGravity

Albert Einstein

"Einstein has become a synonym for genius, often used ironically. When your roommate burns popcorn in the microwave, you might yell 'Hey, Einstein!'" - NonspecificGravity

einstein, albert einstein, albert einstein metaphor, einsstein metaphor, metaphors Albert Einstein's name is often used as a metaphor.Image via Wikimedia Commons

Queen of Sheba

"This is an old one but any time a woman was feeling herself, my grandma (who was born in 1912) used to say, 'she thinks she’s Queen of Sheba'. The Queen of Sheba is based on a scriptural character (both Jewish and Christian, also Islamic) character who visited King Solomon because she heard he was so amazing she had to meet him and test his knowledge. She brought tons of gold, spices, etc. They established trade routes and other political alliances. She is known as a very powerful and wealthy ruler. The phrase your grandmother (and many other women) used is an insult, as if the subject was overly glitzy, even fake. I think that's sad, because he Queen of Sheba was the Bible's most powerful women. I'd be happy to be referenced as a Queen of Sheba!" - Optimal_Management_7, pioneercynthia

Bonnie and Clyde

"Some of our American gangsters fit here…Bonnie and Clyde to describe any modern crime duo." - Optimal_Title3359

Vidkun Quizling

"Calling someone a quizling. Named after Vidkun Quisling who was a Norwegian Minister and Nazi collaborator during WW2. It's come to mean a citizen or politician of an occupied country who collaborates with an enemy occupying force; it may also be used more generally as a synonym for traitor or collaborator." - cleanrato

From Your Site Articles
examples of metaphors
History (Education)Education
Pets

Elderly rescue dog can't stop putting random items in his bed, keeping his family entertained

"He has stolen a lamp, framed poster art, a cooler. He took a teapot."

rescue dog; elderly dog; dog that steals; resource guarding; dog ptsd
Photo credit: Canva

A dog lies in a bed.

Not all dogs are created equal. Some don't get the best start in life and end up in situations where they need rescuing. That was the case for an elderly golden retriever named Duke, who had been returned to a rescue so many times that he was nearly labeled unadoptable. His "bad dog" reputation wasn't due to aggression or destructive behavior. Instead, some might say Duke simply has sticky paws.

The golden retriever is something of a canine kleptomaniac, constantly stealing objects from around the house only to put them in his dog bed. He's not eating them, burying them, or even playing with them. Duke is a collector of sorts, a trait his previous owners couldn't get used to. But his current owner, Cathy Hoyt, understands the pup's strange behavior and rolls with it.

rescue dog; elderly dog; dog that steals; resource guarding; dog ptsd A lazy afternoon nap on the couch.Photo credit: Canva

According to Hoyt, the sweet rescue originally came from a home with domestic violence, which likely left Duke with lasting trauma. Dogs, like humans, can be affected by trauma in ways that surface through behaviors others may find confusing. While some dogs become skittish, aggressive, or have accidents when they are nervous, others engage in resource guarding, as Duke does. Although resource guarding typically involves food, the behavior this elderly golden retriever displays is still classified as such.

Duke doesn't steal sandwiches or other edible items. Instead, the pooch absconds with household objects that make little logical sense for a dog to want.

"Duke has very severe resource guarding," Hoyt tells GeoBeats. "Most dogs have it with food, but Duke does not have it with food. He has it with the items he steals. Household items."

rescue dog; elderly dog; dog that steals; resource guarding; dog ptsd A happy golden retriever relaxing indoors. 🐕❤️Photo credit: Canva

In clips shown in a video by GeoBeats, Duke can be seen trotting away with his dad's pants before the footage cuts to him carrying something else. Hoyt explains:

"He steals electronics, my Kindle, my phone, laptops. He has stolen a lamp, framed poster art, a cooler. He took a teapot. He took creamer, a sugar bowl. Just the oddest items. He just places them on his bed. He guards them. We've spoken to professionals about this, but because of his age, it's very difficult to reverse."

There isn't much Duke's new parents can do to reverse a behavior that has likely been with him for most of his life. Thankfully, the Hoyts understand his condition and meet him with patience. They don't punish him for snagging things that aren't his, nor do they try to force him to give the items up. Instead, Hoyt says they simply wait until Duke is ready to allow them to retrieve the item from his bed.

"So we give him space. He will just have them around him, especially the household items. He just takes such comfort in them. It's really remarkable," Hoyt shares.

Hoyt says that while some people have suggested Duke's item collecting could be a sign of canine dementia, she insists his behavior is intentional. Duke isn't confused. Hoyt believes that after leaving behind so many people and belongings throughout his life, he has developed what she calls a "hoarding personality." By collecting items around the house, even ones that make no sense to anyone else, Duke creates a sense of safety and security for himself.

"We'll never really know, but he's happy doing it, so we let him do it," Hoyt exclaims.

People who've watched the video can't get enough of Duke's bizarrely sweet behavior.

One person gushes, "Poor Duke. Sweet boy. He's an emotional hoarder. Poor guy. I'm so grateful he's found acceptance and safety with you. Thank you for not allowing him to be abandoned once again!"

rescue dog; elderly dog; dog that steals; resource guarding; dog ptsd Gentle comfort for a sleepy golden retriever.Photo credit: Canva

Someone else shares, "He is seeking stability. These things represent you and he's trying to keep you. Poor old fella. So happy you are kind. Let him have this. Very loving."

One woman points out Hoyt's calming voice, writing, "I've seen a few videos of this dog. I love how mom speaks to him with such a kind, soft voice all the time even when he's taking something she really doesn't want him to have. Her tone of voice never communicates anger…perhaps bewilderment at times but never anger. Great mom!"

From Your Site Articles
resource guarding
PetsJoy
Trending Stories