People are sharing the telltale signs that it’s definitely time to ‘leave a party’

Here are 18 of the best responses.

Dec 16, 2024

Photo credit: via Mike Burns/Flickr – Is it time to bail?

There are few things more satisfying than knowing you left a party before things turned sour. You came, had a good time, and had the sense to hit the exit before a fight broke out, the cops showed up, or a bunch of people got into a drunken debate about politics.

There’s one rule my wife and I have: When the couple throwing the party starts to fight, that’s when you grab your things and go.

When you’re younger, it’s a bit harder to recognize the telltale signs that a party is about to go sideways. But when people age and have seen a thing or two, they start to develop a “Spidey sense” for the moment when it’s time to hit the exit before all hell breaks loose. They also know how long to stay before they’ve become an unwanted house guest.

It’s one thing to know how to leave before things get lame. But it’s seriously important to identify situations that could lead to physical violence or sexual assault.

Reddit user u/mharris1405 must have gone to a rager a few years ago, because in a now-archived post to the online forum, they asked, “What are some signs you need to leave the party?” The Reddit community responded with some funny and practical advice on when they know it’s time to head for the day.

Here are 18 of the best responses.

1. A party rots from the host down

“When the host is the cause of any form of drama,” – Nova_Phoenix

2. When the drunks are the only folks left

“When all the fun people have left and it’s just the last of the fucked up people hanging out,” – ParsnipBusy.

3. Don’t be the last person standing

“When it suddenly goes from 30 people to you and 2 randoms,” – hoot69

4. When things turn sloppy

“When people start getting obnoxious. If you see drunk or high people breaking shit, or screaming, interrupting others’ conversation, that’s when you can see that the party is going to get worse,” – ToastedMaple

5. “Who invited these dudes?”

“When a group of 5-10 unknown men arrives, which weren’t invited,” – Katsudonisyummy

6. When the antisocial crew arrives

“If a group of guys come in and don’t greet anybody, they just stand around looking around, someone is about to be jumped or shot. Leave.” – CGY-SS

7. When the night has peaked

“There usually comes a point in the night, usually around 2-3am, where everyone’s drunkenness wanes from energised to a bit sloppy. A lot of people start sitting down in increasingly insular circles, and drinks just stop going down so well. A lot of people will just hang around because it was fun earlier and they don’t want the night to end, but you start to really compromise on tomorrow’s happiness by drawing out the night.” – Tosslebugmy

8. When it devolves into a sausage fest

“When you’re a young female and suddenly realize the male-female ratio is more than 12-1 and the crowd is taking on a shark-like circling motion with a lot of side-eye. The actual nice guy I was chatting with suddenly said, ‘You need to leave’ and I jumped to my feet and bailed like the place was on fire. I suspect the nice guy covered my exit. See, there are nice guys and scary ones and fools like I was,” – Melina26

9. When your phone is more fun

“You’re starting to be on your phone WAY too much,” – Pillsbury Toasters

10. Guns? No thanks

“I once walked into a party and saw a bunch of guns just laying around and I grandpa Simpson’d myself right back out the door,” – popcornkernels

11. Leave before you get pulled in

“When you realize you’re just standing there watching the shit show. There’s a time limit to that. No need to become part of the show. Get out while you can,” – toriaehi

12. When you’re the third wheel

“Everybody is hooking up except you and you’re sitting next to a couple making out on a couch,” – OliveaSea

13. When the cops arrive

“I have a rule. No matter how good a time I am having, even if I have done nothing wrong, when cops show up, I leave then,” – Latvian_Pete

14. When your friends have left

“When you feel as though you’re ‘on the outside looking in,’” – Back2Bach

15. Trust your gut

“I saw no one mention this so here I go. When your 6th sense or danger sense is screaming at you. You know that feeling when you suddenly feel unsafe, where there is no reason to be so? That is basically your unconscious mind screaming at you, because you unconsciously noticed something wrong, but cant put your finger on what. For those who have not had this yet, the most easily identifiable signs are, cold running down your neck, sudden extreme vigilance, the hair all over your body stands, and in general you feel like death itself is breathing down your neck.

If you have this (gut) feeling, flee. I am not kidding. Run like the wind. This saved me from some hairy situations.
As for an example that would be, something along the lines of seeing someone spike a drink at the edge of your vision, you personally did not notice it, but deep down you realized what is what so your body warns you about it. Even if this gut feeling is only correct 1 out of 10 times, you will thank it when it does,” – TehBuckets

16. The rule of two

“Never be the drunkest person in a room. If you are at a party and can’t identify 2 people more intoxicated than you, find a safe ride home or quit drinking for awhile,” – YeaahProlly

17. Terrible DJ

“When the music just sucks,” – JuliusTaka

18. Again, trust your gut

“When you can tell there is an emotionally unbalanced person there who you have a feeling will be a problem, you may consider leaving if it escalates. Whether it be starting a fight, or you can tell they are going to cause a problem later in the night or you feel uncomfortable around them always trust your gut. The same goes with a person you just feel is ‘off’ around. You are there to have a good time, not be anxious,” – foofighterfoos

Parties are fun but they can’t last forever. Stay safe out there.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Homeowners celebrate the completion of their new home in Cambodia's Siem Reap Province alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and staff.

Culture, Family

A safe, stable home can change lives for the better. Here’s how Habitat for Humanity wants to make that possible for everyone.

Better health, better jobs, and a brighter future all start with access to a safe, affordable home.

Sarah Watts

3/25/2026
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.

A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.

Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.

Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.

Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.

Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.

Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.

Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
- Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
- Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
- Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
- Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
- Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.

Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today.
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Photo credit: YouTube – His face is all of us after that first summer job paycheck.

Culture, Pop Culture

Jimmy Fallon asked people to share their wildest stories from their bad summer jobs

Is it ever worth that paycheck?

Heather Wake

Upworthy Staff

4/30/2026

Call it a rite of passage, a baptism by fire, or simply a necessary evil, but a terrible summer job is pretty much a staple of young adulthood. Those concert tickets aren’t gonna pay for themselves, after all. Some summer jobs are heinous by the sheer amount of manual labor involved. Others are just plain weird. I remember one year working as a “live strolling table.” Yep, just walking around attached to an elaborately dressed table offering hors d’oeuvres and champagne. A human-furniture hybrid. How do you put that on a resume?

No matter the role, there is one thing all summer jobs have in common: they teach us humility in one way or another … especially once we see that first paycheck. There’s simply no way to prepare for seeing two weeks worth of hard work equate to a (usually) paltry sum. Hopefully that experience alone makes generous tippers of us all.

Back in 2022, during one of his popular “hashtag” bits, Jimmy Fallon asked people to share their own “funny, weird, or embarrassing story about a bad summer job” as part of his iconic #hashtags challenge.

When Jimmy Fallon asked, people delivered

Here are 15 that might make your own summer job memory feel a little less dreadful:

“I planted trees for the US Forest Service one summer in HS. Our foreman would go through our lunches, eat our cookies and chips, and take bites out of our sandwiches. We were all about 15 so too afraid to tell.” – @dumpster_diva

“One summer I worked at Taco Bell during lunch and Furr’s cafeteria during dinner. People would see me at both and ask if I was twins.” – @kerrikgray

“As a young comedian I was hired to MC an event for a furniture store. The owner paid me 5 bucks for every time I would fake trip and fall on my way to the mic. He said he was a 3 stooges fan.” – @Brentfo4242

“I applied for a job while in high school at a toy store. I called back days after the interview asking if they had any news for me. They told me I got the job, and they forgot to tell me. They had me scheduled for that day and was told ‘you’re late.’” – @RockerSam91

“In high school, I worked at an insurance agency…let’s just say the bus ride to and from work was the best part of the job.” – @SharonZurcher

“In high school I worked at a bounce house company. My first day working was an elementary school field day and the huge inflatable slide starting deflating and collapsing with kids at the top…angry parents staring at me like I had an answer for this at 16 years old.” – @calamari_carly

“In middle school my friend and I got paid to fill, lick and seal about 500 envelopes with documents for a lawyer – a penny per envelope. 3 hours later, we asked for 2 cans of soda from his cooler. He said sure, and took $2 each from our pay. We made a dollar.” – @CameronFontana

It gets weirder from here

“I worked at a dog kennel. A guy brought in 2 dogs to stay a month. He told me to give a pill every morning to dog #1. So, I did for the month. When he returned, I brought out dog #1 and he said, ‘Hi, dog #2!’ My face turned so red. Oh, well. The dog survived.” – @TheTomeWebster

“I babysat identical twin boys where one constantly screamed and got into mischief but potty trained early while the other was quiet, well behaved but always blowing out diapers. They never did anything ‘identical’. I’m shocked that I still wanted kids after that!” – @overbaughs

“Worked at Crumbl in high school. One coworker had the exact same shifts as me, and she was a theater kid. Like MAJOR theater kid, was cracked out 24/7, randomly performing theater at work. I am not proud to say I memorized 10 Shakespeare monologues because of her.” – @itstherealmeboo

“I held human hearts with a white cotton glove during open heart surgeries, so they didn’t ‘slip’.…No pressure! That’s why l am now a planetary medium and asteroid deflector. Much less stress.” – @rosamalvaceae

“I worked for a local sweet corn farm. I had to sort the corn into boxes for their stands around the state or local grocery stores. It came off the truck onto a conveyor belt by the 1000s. I literally saw thousands of corn cobs in my dreams at night.” – @jdianemiller

“In high school my mom got me a job working with the city to clean an island in the local lake that ducks lived on. Everyday I had to fight a duck, and everyday I needed a bandaid after getting bit by a duck. It was a nightmare and I still hate ducks 30 years later.” – @KingSergioS

“Hired at an amusement park for the summer, taking summer college classes at the same time…Show up for my 1st day to a supervisor who says ‘Oh, the girl who didn’t show up!’ Proceeds to show me the previous week’s schedule where I had 40 hours during my class time. He rolls his eyes when I explain and gives me every crappy task he can find…….I left after the 2nd day, never picked up my check, but kept my employee ID & got in for free all summer!” – @trixiebelle47

What bad summer jobs actually teach us

While certain summer jobs, like the ones above, sound like a total nightmare, there have been studies that indicate they may lead to better school outcomes, similar to other out-of-school activities such as sports and clubs. That said, recent reporting from CNBC and other outlets confirms that low-wage, entry-level positions are among the first to be compromised by the rise of artificial intelligence. So unfortunately, not as many heart-holding gigs will be available.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

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Photo credit: Canva – A couple posing for pregnancy photos and a cherry tree.

Culture, Wholesome

Couple shares photo of cherry tree they planted as teens has now ‘mirrored’ their pregnancy

The cherry tree they planted as teenagers never sprouted a single offshoot. Then she got pregnant.

Adam Albright-Hanna

Upworthy Staff

4/30/2026

In 2007, Wes Dixon gave his teenage girlfriend Kelsey Dixon (@kelseyrileydixon) a cherry tree sapling for their first anniversary. They planted it in his mother’s backyard in Pennsylvania and did what seemed like a sweet but slightly impractical thing: they decided to take a photo with it every year.

They kept that promise for nearly two decades. Through high school graduation, through moving 3,000 miles away, through marriage, through the year they forgot and had to make peace with the gap in the series — they kept coming back to that tree. The annual photo became a living timeline of their relationship, the tree growing taller and wider behind them as they changed too.

Then came the pregnancy photo. Kelsey was expecting twins, and her mother-in-law was keeping an eye on the tree back in Pennsylvania. That’s when she noticed something she’d never seen before in 17 years.

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The cherry tree had sprouted new shoots from one of its roots. Basal sprouts, sometimes called suckers, a cluster of small new growth emerging from the base of the original tree. In nearly two decades it had never done this. It did it the year the Dixons were expecting their first children.

“My mom sends me a picture,” Kelsey narrated in a video posted to her Instagram, “and there’s a little baby tree growing. She pointed out that it’s growing from one of the roots of the main cherry tree.”

The video hit 48 million views. Kelsey and Wes appeared on ABC News and the TODAY show to tell the story. The comment that seemed to capture what people were feeling: “We’re so much more connected to these beautiful living beings on earth than we can even fathom.”

There’s no scientific reason to think the tree knew. Basal sprouting is a normal form of vegetative reproduction for ornamental cherries, triggered by stress, root disturbance, or just the right conditions underground. The timing was coincidence.

But it was a very good coincidence, and the Dixons are not inclined to overthink it. Kelsey has since written a children’s book called “Roots and Wings,” inspired by the tradition and the sprout, and partnered with plant retailer The Sill on a line of trees meant for marking meaningful moments — anniversaries, births, new beginnings.

They also, for the record, skipped 2019. Kelsey said she’s made her peace with it. “I kind of love it now that we missed it,” she told Newsweek. “It’s a good demonstration of imperfection being part of life and relationships.”

The tree is still in the backyard. The baby branches are still growing.

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Photo credit: TikTok/@theclassyclinician [with permission] – School counselor and social worker Korynn Patterson comforts new student.

Culture, Wholesome

A school counselor comforted her crying student new to the United States. Her tender response is an emotional lesson in empathy.

“I’m always happy to be a safe space for my students.”

Emily Shiffer

4/29/2026

Korynn Patterson, an elementary school counselor and social worker in Maryland, knew exactly what she needed to do when a brand new student walked into her office “sad” and “scared”—she took her into her arms for an empathetic embrace.

Patterson shared the sweet interaction with the young student who recently moved to the United States from a Spanish-speaking country. And with the help of a fellow female student to translate, she was able to comfort her.

“Our new student doesn’t speak any English and I paid my translator in fruit snacks ☺️,” she wrote in the caption.

@theclassyclinician
Our new student doesn’t speak any English and I paid my translator in fruit snacks ☺️ How would you comfort and empower her? #fyp #explore #schoollife #schoolcounselor #socialwork
♬ Relaxing Music – kucing tetangga

Ms. Patterson models empathy with emotional student

In the viral video shared with her followers on TikTok, Patterson hugged her student and asked her student translator to say, “I know you must be very scared, but can you tell her you’re very brave? You’re a very brave girl.”

The student is crying and tells Ms. Patterson that she misses her mom and doesn’t want to go to class. Patterson responds, “Tell her I am going to sit in class with you for a little bit, okay?”

Patterson offers her a fidget toy to help her with anxiety and more reassurance that she “knows she is scared [and] that she is there to help her.” The three keep things light talking about Paw Patrol. Ms. Patterson then tells the upset student that they can spend time at lunch and recess together as well.

@theclassyclinician
#stitch with @theclassyclinician Here’s the update before the real update! ☺️ I will be posting the students update video on Monday. Stay TUNED and Thank you guys so much for ALL of your support! Welcome to the family! ❤️✨ #schoolcounselor #socialwork #fyp #explore
♬ Relaxing Music – kucing tetangga

In the video overaly, Patterson explains more about the girl’s story.

“At her age, school was optional in her country,” she shared. “She is experiencing HUGE culture shock…I’m always happy to be a safe space for my students. Being that her whole world is changing, she needs to feel some sense of safety. I affirm them just as they affirm me.”

@theclassyclinician
Here’s the update on the girls that have stolen our hearts, our little translator and new student. She calls me azul 🦋🩵 Thank you all SO MUCH for your love and support. All links to support us are in my bio 🥹💙 Stay tuned for the next update! #schoolcounselor #socialwork #fyp #explore #schoollife
♬ original sound – theclassyclinician

Ms. Patterson reacts

In an interview with Upworthy, Patterson shared, “I am overwhelmed in the best way by all the love and the support that we have gotten from all of you! I am so grateful to be in position to touch so many lives of all ages, races, and walks of life.”

She created an Amazon Wishlist for those looking to support her students.

Patterson also created two follow-up videos (here and here) that updated viewers on the student. In one video, the girls are back in Ms. Patterson’s office eating lunch and chatting with each other. They tell her they are now “best friends.”

Ms. Patterson shared that the student was moved down a grade to help her “catch up” with English, and the young girl notes that she is trying to learn English through her schoolwork. Ms. Patterson continues to pick up Spanish through her students.

Viewers respond

The emotional video garnered an overwhelming response from viewers, who praised Ms. Patterson for her tenderness towards the student as well as her translator:

“the baby who’s translating is such an empath i’m crying rn🥺.”

“She is not only translating words, she translates empathy. That girl did an amazing job.”

“As a future school counselor, I am CRYING 🥺 kids are so precious.”

“All of us immigrant kids are crying coz we know exactly how that lil girl feels 🥺🥺”

“I cried for this whole interaction. My heart breaks for baby girl but you guys are awesome.”

“The fact she felt SAFE with you speaks volumes!!!!! Great job Queen 👸🏽.”

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Photo credit: Canva – A woman jogs with her little dog.

Culture, Wholesome

She didn’t tell anyone about the divorce. Then a neighbor noticed the running.

She had no idea anyone had noticed. Her neighbor had noticed everything.

Adam Albright-Hanna

Upworthy Staff

4/29/2026

Hope MacGregor (@hopemacgregormusic) had been going through her divorce quietly. No announcements or no dramatic posts, just long walks with her dog through her neighborhood in Jackson, Tennessee, sometimes twice a day, letting the movement help her think. After a while she started running.

She didn’t know anyone was watching.

One afternoon a neighbor stepped out of her house and waved her down mid-run. MacGregor stopped, assuming something was wrong. The neighbor came toward her and said she didn’t want to seem intrusive. Then she said what she’d stepped outside to say.

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“I just want to let you know how proud I am of you. You were walking, and now you’re running.”

MacGregor burst into tears on the spot.

The neighbor hadn’t known about the divorce. She’d just been watching someone move through the neighborhood over weeks and months, noticing the quiet progression from walks to runs, and decided one day that she was going to say something about it. She hadn’t known what it would mean.

MacGregor shared the story on her Instagram account @hopemacgregormusic on April 18. “It meant so much to me,” she said in the video. “This genuine angel came out of her house.”

They didn’t exchange numbers. MacGregor kept running. But the moment stayed with her in the way that only certain unexpected kindnesses do — the ones that arrive at exactly the right time from someone who had no way of knowing that.

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MacGregor is a West Point graduate and former Army helicopter pilot who later became a lawyer and then an Americana singer-songwriter. Her music, she’s said, is about helping people feel a little less alone when they’re lonely. Apparently the same is true of her neighbors.

Follow @hopemacgregormusic on Instagram for more entertaining content.

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Photo credit: Canva – A man holds Canada's flag.

Culture, Wholesome

Buffalo fans come together to sing Canadian national anthem after singer’s mic cuts out

“Thats the America I remember.”

Evan Porter

4/29/2026

National anthem fails can be really uncomfortable. Sometimes, a singer just can’t hit the notes, or worse, they forget the words mid-song. The American national anthem, for example, is notoriously difficult to sing due to its unique pacing and wide vocal range. Other times, even when the singer is flawless, technical difficulties involving stadium equipment can cause the whole thing to go awry.

Viewers and fans watching the Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins NHL playoff game the other night were nearly treated to yet another national anthem disaster. Instead, something pretty amazing happened.

Singer’s mic cuts out, fans pick her right up

The Sabres have a tradition. They play the Canadian national anthem—”O Canada”—before each and every game, even when their opponent is not Canadian. It is a noble way of honoring the sport’s large Canadian fan base and a friendly wave to Buffalo’s nearby neighbors in Ontario. Residents of the two regions intermingle constantly, and Southern Ontario is actually visible from Buffalo’s arena.

But when singer Cami Clune stepped up to perform the anthem before Game 5 of the NHL playoff series between the Sabres and the Bruins, she immediately ran into technical difficulties. Just seconds into the song, her mic cut out.

The 19,000 or so hockey fans at KeyBank Center—most of whom are American—didn’t skip a beat. They chimed in without hesitation and helped Clune finish the anthem with flair as her mic went in and out.

Just listen to the incredible unscripted moment:

Moment sparks a huge reaction

The clip of the group singing went viral across social media, racking up more than 100,000 views on the official NHL YouTube channel. Clune’s video drew another 60,000 views. The Sabres post, captioned simply “Chills,” racked up nearly a million views on its own.

Commenters from Canada were incredibly moved by the seemingly simple gesture:

“Thanks Buffalo fans, means a lot in these times, it’s good to see this.”

“This is exactly what Canada needed. Thank you Buffalo!”

Americans, for their part, were proud to be reminded of the goodness of their friends and neighbors:

“Was at the game last night and we did not hesitate. We Love You Canada our great neighbors.”

“Thats the America I remember. Thank you, Buffalo.”

Clune, meanwhile, took the near-gaffe in stride. She was moved by the way the entire stadium came together to have her back.

“Well that was interesting!! Thank you all for singing along with me. We have the best fans ever!” Clune wrote on Instagram.

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It’s common for sports fans to boo other countries’ national anthems. Buffalo fans made an inspiring choice.

Booing at sports games does not usually come from a place of hatred. It is often a playful way to engage in the rivalry. For example, American and Canada hockey fans have long booed each other’s national anthems during high-stakes Olympic Games matchups.

However, Buffalo fans have proven themselves over and over to be a little bit different. Not only are they some of the fiercest (and wildest) sports fans around, but they are also among the most hospitable.

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In this case, maybe they just sensed the moment. It has not been an easy year or two when it comes to United States-Canada relations. And let us be frank, Canada has not been super pleased with the U.S. for some time now, as evidenced by its own sports fans’ reactions to our anthem.

But the real story is not on the news every night or coming out of the mouths of politicians. Basic human kindness and mutual respect between neighbors still exist. Buffalo fans took the opportunity to remind us that we are all on the same team. The fact that they already knew every word of their neighbor’s national anthem is incredibly moving and powerful.

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Photo credit: @treehousedetectiv/Instagram, used with permission – Rasputin is a notable figure in Russian history. But he made his mark on Hollywood as well.

Culture, Pop Culture

The strange, forgotten reason so many movies have that ‘all characters are fictitious’ disclaimer

Nobody had Rasputin on their bingo card.

Heather Wake

4/29/2026

If you’ve ever watched an outrageously outlandish movie with the warning “All characters in this movie are fictitious…” and thought, “Well, duh,” it turns out Hollywood had a very specific (and very expensive) reason for spelling that out. It ties into not only forgotten cinema history, but Russian history as well.

A mystic, a murder, and a very messy memoir

In a video by Andrew Price, known for his deep dives into pop culture via @treehousedetective, we go back to the early 1900s, when Siberian peasant turned mystic power player Grigori Rasputin had already made more than a few enemies with his superstition-fueled cons.

A portrait of Rasputin Wikipedia

By 1916, a group of aristocrats led by Felix Yusupov decided enough was enough. What followed, ironically, does sound like something out of a movie script. Cyanide-laced cakes and beverages didn’t poison him. Multiple bullets, including a headshot, did nothing. The only thing that did finally put Rasputin in his final resting place was getting tied and thrown into an icy river. All of these details came from Yusupov alone, who later published a wildly popular memoir while living in exile. Not exactly an unbiased narrator, but certainly an entertaining one.

Felix Yusupov and Princess Irina with their child Wikipedia

That exile, by the way, came courtesy of the Imperial Russian Family as punishment for the assassination. That consequence was a blessing in disguise, because when the Bolsheviks later rose to power and executed members of the aristocracy, the Yusupovs were already safely out of reach. Not the worst trade-off, all things considered.

When Hollywood got a little too inspired

Fast forward to 1932, when MGM released Rasputin and the Empress, dramatizing the infamous killing. The studio took some liberties, like combining the group of assailants into a singular fictional character named Prince Chegodieff. Yusupov, now living in Paris, found out about the movie and tried to sue MGM for defamation of character. Considering he outright confessed to the crime in the source material, that case had no legs.

However, the film also added a scandalous subplot involving Yusupov’s wife, Princess Irina. In the film, her fictional counterpart is hypnotized and seduced by the titular villain. In reality, however, that never happened. And unlike her husband’s case, Irina’s lawsuit for libel had real teeth. She won a massive settlement, to the tune of what would be around three million dollars today.

The disclaimer that stuck

The real kicker was MGM’s own prologue, which practically invited trouble by suggesting the characters were, in fact, based on real people. That line helped seal the studio’s fate, which prompted the company to make a change that would ripple across the entire film industry.

From then on, studios started adding that now-familiar disclaimer distancing their stories from real individuals, just in case anything felt a little too familiar.

View this post on Instagram

So, the next time you see that “purely coincidental” message pop up before a film, remember that’s not just legal fluff. It’s a bona fide Hollywood story in its own right.

For even more fun tidbits, be sure to give @trehousedetectve a follow.

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Angelina Jordan performs on AGT.

Culture, Pop Culture

13-year-old’s unique ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ rendition was so impressive it even wowed Queen

The judges didn’t see this coming

Annie Reneau

Upworthy Staff

4/29/2026

We’ve shared a lot of memorable “America’s Got Talent” auditions over the years here at Upworthy, from physics-defying dance performances to jaw-dropping magic acts to heart-wrenching singer-songwriter stories. And after watching Angelina Jordan’s “AGT: The Champions” audition, we’ve added it to the list because wow.

Jordan came to “AGT: The Champions” in 2020 as the winner of Norway’s Got Talent, which she won in 2014 at the mere age of 8 with her impressive ability to seemingly channel Billie Holiday. For the 2020 audition, she sang Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but a version that no one had ever heard before.

With just a guitar, a piano, and her Amy Winehouse-esque voice, Jordan brought the fan-favorite Queen anthem down to a smooth, melancholy ballad that’s simply riveting to listen to, especially considering that Jordan was only 13 years old when she did this.

The judges didn’t see this coming

What this video doesn’t show is Heidi Klum hitting the Golden Buzzer faster than you can sing, “Nothing really matters to meeee.” The judges were blown away by Jordan’s performance, as were the people in the comments.

“That’s a ONE in A BILLION voice right there. Just amazing,” wrote one commenter.

“I am typically not a fan of songs being redone particular to such a magnitude,” shared another. “They almost always fall short of the original. But to completely rearrange a song in the manner that she has, from a legend, and then make you forget about how the original even sounded because her rendition is so good is utterly amazing.”

“As Freddie once said, ‘Do whatever you want with my music as long as you don’t make it boring.’ I think he’d really like this,” shared another.

Though Queen’s beloved lead vocalist Freddie Mercury is no longer with us, the band did offer words of praise for Jordan’s performance, retweeting her audition video with the comment, “Wow! What a rendition of #BohemianRhapsody.”

Why she always performs barefoot

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is such an iconic song, it’s hard for anyone to do a cover of it justice. But 13-year-old Angelina Jordan managed it masterfully. In bare feet, no less, which she explained in a thank you video to Heidi Klum for the Golden Buzzer honor.

“When I was around 6 years old, I see this little girl around my age,” Jordan shared. “I gave my shoes to her because she had scars on her feet and it was really cold. So whenever I’m on the stage, I was reminded about all the children that don’t have any parents, clothes, and shoes. She’s always in my heart.” Jordan has shared that she “made a promise many years ago to a beautiful soul” to not wear shoes on stage—a promise she has kept.

Jordan would move on to the Top 10 in “AGT: The Champions,” and though she didn’t take home the top prize, she did impress the audience with another classic rock tune, Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

Since her time on AGT, Angelina has been building a full career as a singer-songwriter, releasing original singles throughout 2024 and two full albums in 2025. You can follow her on YouTube and TikTok and find her growing catelog of music (including “Bohemian Rhapsody”) on Spotify.

This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

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Photo credit: Harald Krichel via Wikimedia Commons – Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

Culture, Pop Culture

Why Dwayne Johnson’s advice for new dads comes down to one simple thing: take off your shirt

“Take your shirt off. I need you to go skin to skin.” The Rock’s advice for new dads is simple, a little unexpected, and completely backed by science.

Adam Albright-Hanna

Upworthy Staff

4/29/2026

When Canadian TV host Chris Van Vliet (@CVVClips) told Dwayne Johnson he was about to become a father for the first time and asked for advice, Johnson didn’t hesitate. He gave him a hug, told him his instincts were right, and then got specific.

“Take your shirt off,” Johnson said. “I need you to go skin to skin.”

Johnson explained that holding a newborn skin-to-skin right out of the womb builds what he described as an energetic and emotional anchor between parent and child. He’s not just talking theoretically. When his daughter Tiana was born in April 2018, he posted a photo to Instagram of himself cradling her against his bare chest, shirtless in the hospital, with a caption about how being her dad was the role he was most proud of. Days later, her mother Lauren Hashian shared her own photo doing the same.

The practice Johnson is describing has a clinical name: kangaroo care. According to the Cleveland Clinic, skin-to-skin contact involves holding a newborn against a bare chest and has well-documented benefits for both the baby and the parent. For the baby, it helps regulate body temperature, stabilizes heart rate and breathing, supports early breastfeeding, and reduces stress. For the parent, it triggers hormonal responses that promote bonding and can reduce postpartum anxiety. The research backing it is extensive and the recommendation applies to both mothers and fathers.

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What Johnson is doing is essentially making the case for something pediatricians have been saying for years but that new dads don’t always hear directed specifically at them. Most kangaroo care conversations are aimed at mothers. Johnson’s version of the advice is pointed squarely at fathers, delivered by someone whose public identity is built on being the biggest, toughest person in the room — which probably makes it land differently.

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Van Vliet, for his part, went on to have a daughter. He hasn’t said whether he followed the advice. But the comment section on the video is full of fathers who either did and are glad they did, or didn’t and wish they had.

“I got a bit teary-eyed during that,” one wrote. “I regret not doing the skin-to-skin with my son.”

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