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How can gender roles hurt daughters? This heart-wrenching ad sums it up.

It's everyone's responsibility to #ShareTheLoad.

Does this family sound familiar?

Mom cooks dinner, does the laundry, and takes care of the kids' mess, often after a long day at the office...

GIF via Ariel/Facebook.

...while dad rests comfortably in his favorite spot on the sofa.

GIF via Ariel/Facebook.

For many of us, the answer is "yes" — it could be a snapshot of a typical Tuesday in our own homes. But, come to think of it ... how backward is it that this is the norm?

A new ad by an Indian laundry detergent company is drawing praise around the globe for sparking a much needed conversation about gender roles.

The ad by Ariel (which, fair warning, may necessitate a few dabs at the eyes) is narrated by an elderly father who's visiting his adult daughter and her family. Throughout the video, he's reflecting on how he raised her, and regretting some of his decisions — particularly when it comes to gender roles.

GIF via Ariel/Facebook.

GIF via Ariel/Facebook.

"Sorry on behalf of every dad who set the wrong example," the father continues in the ad, which you can watch below.

By the end of the video, you learn that the narration is actually a letter he wrote to his daughter, apologizing for his wrongdoing and promising to do better.

"I will make a conscious effort to help your mom with the household chores," the letter reads. "I may not become the king of the kitchen, but at least I can help out with the laundry. All these years I’ve been wrong. It’s time to set things right.”

The ad touches on an important topic that doesn't get addressed enough: how time poverty disproportionately affects women.

We tend to overlook the critical work that needs getting done in any society in order for life to move onward, like caring for children or preparing meals. Around the world, this unpaid work is, more often than not, done by women. 

Image from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, used with permission.

The sexist double standard of time poverty — which affects women in the developing world far more than it does in North America or Europe —  was a focal point of Bill and Melinda Gates' annual letter, released earlier this week.

"Unless things change, girls today will spend hundreds of thousands more hours than boys doing unpaid work simply because society assumes it’s their responsibility," Bill and Melinda wrote in the letter.

It's this injustice that's inspiring many to applaud Ariel for its ad, including Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. 

"This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen – showing how stereotypes hurt all of us and are passed from generation to generation," she explained in a post. 

It's time we stood up to the sexist double standards that hold women back.

And it can start by just watching a two-minute video. Check out Ariel's ad below.

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Education

​​FIRST​​ students are changing the world through STEM, one challenge at a time

via FIRST

FIRST students compete in a robotics challenge.

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Societies all over the world face an ever-growing list of complex issues that require informed solutions. Whether it’s addressing infectious diseases, the effects of climate change, supply chain issues or resource scarcity, the world has an immediate need for problem-solvers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

Here in the United States, we’re experiencing a shortage of much-needed STEM workers, and forward-thinking organizations are stepping up to tap into America’s youth to fill the void. As the leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education, FIRST is an important player in this arena, and its mission is to inspire young people aged 4 to 18 to become technology leaders and innovators capable of addressing the world’s pressing needs.

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Joy

Carson Daly and his wife sleep in separate beds. Here's why a 'sleep divorce' isn't so bad.

It's a problem a lot of couples face.

via Unsplash

Co-sleeping isn't for everyone.

The marital bed is a symbol of the intimacy shared between people who’ve decided to be together 'til death they do part. When couples sleep together it’s an expression of their closeness and how they care for one another when they are most vulnerable.

However, for some couples, the marital bed can be a warzone. Throughout the night couples can endure snoring, sleep apnea, the ongoing battle for sheets or circadian rhythms that never seem to sync. If one person likes to fall asleep with the TV on while the other reads a book, it can be impossible to come to an agreement on a good-night routine.

Last week on TODAY, host Carson Daly reminded viewers that he and his wife Siri, a TODAY Food contributor, had a sleep divorce while she was pregnant with their fourth child.

“I was served my sleep-divorce papers a few years ago,” he explained on TODAY. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to us. We both, admittedly, slept better apart.”

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Pop Culture

Marlon Brando's compassionate insights on representation in Hollywood were far ahead of their time

He shared them in an intimate 1973 interview with Dick Cavett.

via The Dick Cavett Show/YouTube

Marlon Brando on "The Dick Cavett Show" in 1973.

Marlon Brando made one of the biggest Hollywood comebacks in 1972 after playing the iconic role of Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” The venerable actor's career had been on a decline for years after a series of flops and increasingly unruly behavior on set.

Brando was a shoo-in for Best Actor at the 1973 Academy Awards, so the actor decided to use the opportunity to make an important point about Native American representation in Hollywood.

Instead of attending the ceremony, he sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Yaqui and Apache actress and activist dressed in traditional clothing, to talk about the injustices faced by Native Americans.

She explained that Brando "very regretfully cannot accept this generous award, the reasons for this being...are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee."

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1991 blooper clip of Robin Williams and Elmo is a wholesome nugget of comedic genius

Robin Williams is still bringing smiles to faces after all these years.

Canva via wikicommons and flicker

Robin Williams and Elmo (Kevin Clash) bloopers.

The late Robin Williams could make picking out socks funny, so pairing him with the fuzzy red monster Elmo was bound to be pure wholesome gold. Honestly, how the puppeteer, Kevin Clash, didn’t completely break character and bust out laughing is a miracle. In this short outtake clip, you get to see Williams crack a few jokes in his signature style while Elmo tries desperately to keep it together.

Williams has been a household name since what seems like the beginning of time, and before his death in 2014, he would make frequent appearances on "Sesame Street." The late actor played so many roles that if you were ask 10 different people what their favorite was, you’d likely get 10 different answers. But for the kids who spent their childhoods watching PBS, they got to see him being silly with his favorite monsters and a giant yellow canary. At least I think Big Bird is a canary.

When he stopped by "Sesame Street" for the special “Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake” in 1991, he was there to show Elmo all of the wonderful things you could do with a stick. Williams turns the stick into a hockey stick and a baton before losing his composure and walking off camera. The entire time, Elmo looks enthralled … if puppets can look enthralled. He’s definitely paying attention before slumping over at the realization that Williams goofed a line. But the actor comes back to continue the scene before Elmo slinks down inside his box after getting Williams’ name wrong, which causes his human co-star to take his stick and leave.

The little blooper reel is so cute and pure that it makes you feel good for a few minutes. For an additional boost of serotonin, check out this other (perfectly executed) clip about conflict that Williams did with the two-headed monster. He certainly had a way of engaging his audience, so it makes sense that even after all of these years, he's still greatly missed.

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