+
upworthy
Pop Culture

Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno champion the perks of aging: 'You get better at everything.'

The two actresses are having the time of their lives.

80 for brady, jane fonda, rita moreno, aging

Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno co-star in "80 for Brady"

Take it from the ultimate leading ladies themselves, getting older can also mean getting better.

In the upcoming sports comedy “80 for Brady,” legendary stars Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno play best friends and devoted fangirls to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who are hell-bent on watching their favorite football player in the Super Bowl. The story was inspired by a gang of real-life besties from 2017.

As the cast has been promoting the film, it’s been one hilarious story after another. From Fonda cracking Sally Field up over a naughty football pun to Moreno sharing flirty locker stories, it’s clear that for these ladies the fun has only just begun.

"I think as you get older, you get better at almost everything," Fonda shared in an interview with AARP. “I love my work more than ever, and it feels more balanced now. I take things in stride more than I once did. Things are a little simpler.”

The “Grace and Frankie” actress has previously shared that even her sex life had improved over the years as she learned how to better understand and communicate her needs.

“Women, I think, tend to get better because they lose their fear of saying what they need,” she said. “We waste way too much time not wanting to say, ‘Wait a minute, hold it, hold it, no, no, no. Slow down, and a little to the left.’ We don’t want to do that…But when we get older it’s like, ‘No, I know what I want. Give me what I want.’” she told Andy Cohen during his SiriusXM radio show, “Andy Cohen Live."

Moreno seconded Fonda’s statement in the AARP interview, saying “I will confess that I wake up smiling.” She added that when looking in the mirror she would sometimes find herself taken aback at all the years that have gone by, but it doesn’t take away any confidence. “I’ll put on some makeup and I’m absolutely amazing,” she quipped.

It’s certainly a refreshing take. Generally speaking, American culture often views youth as the holy grail of happiness, with the false assumption that somehow joy is a limited resource that is slowly siphoned off beginning at the age of 30. In fact, it’s not only joy that supposedly fades, but beauty, health and overall value.

But as many older people will tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. You actually get more self-assured, more powerful and (perhaps most important of all) more present to actually look around and appreciate the blessings surrounding you. All in all, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal.

Thankfully, conversations like these are becoming more widespread, helping us to remember that in many ways, our best days are still ahead of us.

True

Larissa Gummy was first introduced to the work of the Peace Corps in high school. All it took was seeing a few photos shared by her ninth-grade teacher, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, to know that one day, she would follow in those footsteps.

This inspiration eventually led Larissa away from her home in Minnesota to Rwanda in East Africa, to give back to her family’s country of origin and pursue her passion for international development. Though her decision confused her parents at first, they’re now proud and excited to see what their daughter has accomplished through her volunteer work.

And just what was that work? Well, it changed from day to day, but it all had to do with health.

Mostly, Larissa worked for Rwanda’s First 1,000 Days Health project, which aims to improve the conditions that affect the mortality rate of kids within the first 1,000 days of being born (or almost three years old). These conditions include hygiene, nutrition, and prevention of childhood diseases like malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Addressing malnutrition was a particular focus, as it continues to cause stunted growth in 33% of Rwandan children under the age of five.

In partnership with the local health center, Larissa helped with vaccination education, led nutrition classes, offered prenatal care to expecting mothers, and helped support health education in surrounding communities. Needless to say—she stayed busy with a variety of tasks.

Keep ReadingShow less

The Starkeys' epic dance battel.

Chris Starkey posted a video to Facebook on Monday of himself and his daughter Brooklyn doing a dance-off to Flo Rida's "Low"—and it's unexpectedly awesome. Starkey wrote, "My daughter challenged me to a dance off and said I don't have it anymore. See that closet in the back she is still crying in it!!!" So much silly shade thrown around in this family, it's delightful.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

People are ready to throw down for an adorable little girl who just wants her pencil back

You have to hear Taylor tell her story to understand why this travesty of justice went viral.

As the nation helplessly watches our highest halls of government toss justice to the wind, a 2nd grader has given us someplace to channel our frustrations. In a hilarious video rant, a youngster named Taylor shared a story that has folks ready to go to the mat for her and her beloved, pink, perfect attendance pencil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Dad takes 7-week paternity leave after his second child is born and is stunned by the results

"These past seven weeks really opened up my eyes on how the household has actually ran, and 110% of that is because of my wife."

@ustheremingtons/TikTok

There's a lot to be gleaned from this.

Participating in paternity leave offers fathers so much more than an opportunity to bond with their new kids. It also allows them to help around the house and take on domestic responsibilities that many new mothers have to face alone…while also tending to a newborn.

All in all, it enables couples to handle the daunting new chapter as a team, making it less stressful on both parties. Or at least equally stressful on both parties. Democracy!

TikTok creator and dad Caleb Remington, from the popular account @ustheremingtons, confesses that for baby number one, he wasn’t able to take a “single day of paternity leave.”

This time around, for baby number two, Remington had the privilege of taking seven weeks off (to be clear—his employer offered four weeks, and he used an additional three weeks of PTO).

The time off changed Remington’s entire outlook on parenting, and his insights are something all parents could probably use.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Pre-K teacher stays in character while pretending someone is robbing his home and it's perfect

"Honey, I don't see your getaway car, are you sure they're coming to pick you up?"

He managed to get in ton of teacher-isms and also make it clear how little money he has.

Teachers deserve lots of kudos, but teachers who teach little kids deserve an extra measure of admiration.

I know this first hand, having been a middle and high school teacher who substitute taught a first-grade class once for two days. By noon on the first day, I found myself slumped over the teacher's desk in a daze while the kids were at lunch. Teaching tweens and teens isn't easy, but teaching little ones with their relentless needs and squirrel-like attention requires a whole other level of energy.

Pre-K? Can't even imagine. Give those teachers alllll the money. They deserve it.

Of course, preschool teachers do not get all the money, which is why a video from a Pre-K teacher pretending his house is getting robbed keeps going viral.

Keep ReadingShow less

Phil Collins and George Harrison

Beatle George Harrison was pigeon-holed as the "Quiet Beatle," but the youngest member of the Fab Four had an acerbic, dry sense of humor that was as sharp as the rest of his bandmates.

He gave great performances in the musical comedy classics, "A Hard Days Night" and "Help!" while holding his own during The Beatles' notoriously anarchic press conferences. After he left the band in 1970, in addition to his musical career, he would produce the 1979 Monty Python classic, "The Life of Brian."

Keep ReadingShow less
via TechCrunch/Wikimedia Commons and MTV International/Wikimedia Commons

"That '70s Show" stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

Actor Danny Masterson, 47, best known for playing Steven Hyde on “That ‘70s Show” from 1998 to 2006, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in the early 2000s. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology helped cover up the assaults—an allegation the organization denied.

The victim's dramatic, horrifying testimony revealed Masterson as a violent predator who pried women with substances before having sex with them against their will. One accuser admitted that she thought she was “going to die” while being raped by Masterson.

After Masterson was found guilty, the judge received over 50 letters asking for leniency in his sentence. Two letters came from Masterson’s “That ‘70s Show” costars, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who are married.

Keep ReadingShow less