+
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM UPWORTHY
We are a small, independent media company on a mission to share the best of humanity with the world.
If you think the work we do matters, pre-ordering a copy of our first book would make a huge difference in helping us succeed.
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

Fashion

Pop Culture

A comic about wearing makeup goes from truthful to weird in 4 panels.

A hilariously truthful (and slightly weird) explanation of the "too much makeup" conundrum.

Image set by iri-draws/Tumblr, used with permission.

A comic shows the evolution or devolution from with makeup to without.

Even though I don't wear very much makeup, every few days or so SOMEONE...

(friends, family, internet strangers)

...will weigh in on why I "don't need makeup."


Now, I realize this is meant as a compliment, but this comic offers a hilariously truthful (and slightly weird) explanation of the "too much makeup" conundrum.

social norms, social pressure, friendship, self esteem

“Why do you wear so much makeup?"

Image set by iri-draws/Tumblr, used with permission.

passive aggressive, ego, confidence, beauty

“See, you look pretty without all that makeup on."

Image set by iri-draws/Tumblr, used with permission.

expectations, beauty products, mascara, lipstick

“Wow you look tired, are you sick?"

Image set by iri-draws/Tumblr, used with permission.

lizards, face-painting, hobbies, hilarious comic

When I shed my human skin...

Image set by iri-draws/Tumblr, used with permission.

Not everyone is able to turn into a badass lizard when someone asks about their face-painting hobbies. Don't you kinda wish you could? Just to drive this hilarious comic all the way home, here are four reasons why some women* wear makeup:

*Important side note: Anyone can wear makeup. Not just women. True story.

Four reasons some women* wear makeup:

1. Her cat-eye game is on point.

mascara, eyes, confidence

Her cat-eye game is on point.

Via makeupproject.

2. She has acne or acne scars.

acne, cover up, scarring, medical health

She has acne or acne scars.

Via Carly Humbert.

3. Pink lipstick.

lipstick, beauty products, basics, self-expression

Yes, pink lipstick.

Via Destiny Godley

4. She likes wearing makeup.

appearance, enhancement, creative expression

Happy to be going out and feeling good.

Happy Going Out GIF by Much.

While some people may think putting on makeup is a chore, it can be really fun! For some, makeup is an outlet for creativity and self-expression. For others, it's just a way to feel good about themselves and/or enhance their favorite features.

That's why it feels kinda icky when someone says something along the lines of "You don't need so much makeup!" Now, it's arguable that no one "needs" makeup, but everyone deserves to feel good about the way they look.

For some people, feeling good about their appearance includes wearing makeup. And that's totally OK.


This article originally appeared on 05.28.15

Pop Culture

These 10 super-popular and swanky foods from 1924 are still our biggest favorites in 2024

We love baked ham. Our great-great grandparents loved it, too, but theirs had an extra kick.

Jell-O and pineapple upside-down cake.

If someone mentioned Jell-O, deviled eggs, baked ham and Chicken à la King to you and then asked you what era these foods were most popular in, you’d probably guess the '70s.



Turns out you’d be wrong by about half a century. The above foods were among the most popular in the 1920s. That’s right, a whole hundred years ago! When flappers were flapping and people were drinking bathtub gin and ladies were bobbing their hair and drawing lines up the backs of their legs.




Advances in refrigeration, farming, marketing and technology meant that a full century ago, people were eating in a fashion that really isn’t all that different from what we consume today.

But while the foods weren’t that different, the prep was. It’s estimated that in 1920, people spent 44 hours per week on meal preparation and cleanup. Six and a half hours a day!

salad, 1923 salad, mrs. beeton

Ten beautiful salads from 1923.

via Free Public Domain Illustrations by Rawpixel/Wikimedia Commons

Compare that to 2014 when Americans spent an average of just 37 minutes a day (roughly four and a half hours a week) on meal prep. In 2024, one imagines that number has gone down even more given the ubiquity of meal delivery apps.

Read on for some top foods of 1924 compared to 2024.

Here are 10 of the top foods in 1924 that people still love today.

Spinach dip: Popular in speakeasies, this dip made with sour cream, mayonnaise and thawed spinach was affordable, easy to make, and quietly elegant.

Do we eat it today? We do! Fancy people add artichoke.

Inexplicable '70s factor: 5 out of 5 bell bottoms

snacks, pretzels, 20s

Pretzels!

via Couleur/Pixabay

Pretzels: Native to Europe, pretzels were a popular appetizer and bar snack in the 1920s.

Do We Eat Them Today? Yes!

Inexplicable '70s factor: 1 out of 5 feathery Farrah Fawcett hairdos

deviled eggs, mustard, mayonnaise

Deviled eggs

Busra Yaman/Pexels

Deviled eggs: Now a relic of potlucks and the occasional too-hip boutique bar, these eggy treats were hugely popular in 1924 because they were easy to make, customizable, and traveled well.

Do we eat them today? Yes, but they’re certainly less popular than they once were.

Inexplicable 70s factor: 5 out of 5 lava lamps

Clam Chowder: This creamy uber soup has been a staple of American cuisine for over a century.

Do we eat it today? You bet your clamshells we do.

Inexplicable '70s factor: 2 out of 5 sideburns

Baked Ham: in 1924, alcohol would be banned for 9 more years but recipes that called for alcohol were popular, perhaps because of the scarcity. Prohibition-baked ham, which was popular at home and at speakeasies, incorporated whiskey or bourbon.

Do we eat it today? Yes, but it isn’t sought after in the same way it was.

Inexplicable 70s factor: 2 out of 3 Charlie’s Angels


Chicken a la King: Another dish served both at home and at restaurants, Chicken à la King involves a cream sauce over chicken and vegetables. It’s served on top of or alongside rice or pasta. Sometimes sherry or mushrooms are incorporated and sometimes tuna or turkey is used in place of chicken.

Do we eat it today? Occasionally, but it’s hardly on every menu like it once was.

Inexplicable '70s factor: 5 out of 5 disco balls

pineapple upside down cake, cherries, dessert

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Derrick Luciano/ Pixabay

Pineapple upside-down cake: Combining pineapples, cake ingredients, maraschino cherries and gravity, this delectable confection has remained one of America’s most popular desserts.

Do we eat it today? Yes, but it feels kitschy and retro.

Inexplicable '70s factor: 5 out of 5 Watergate scandals

Jell-O: In 1924 you couldn’t swing a watch chain without hitting Jell-O. It was everywhere: on dessert tables, in recipe books put out by Jell-O themselves, and even served with seafood.

Do we eat it today? Yes! And if you’ve ever found yourself at a frat party, you know a whole cottage industry has sprung up around clever ways to combine it with alcohol.

Inexplicable '70s factor: 8 out of 10 shag carpets


Devil’s food cake: In 1924 they deviled eggs, they deviled ham and they also deviled cake. Supposedly more sinfully indulgent (hence the “devil”) than regular chocolate cake because it’s made with chocolate squares instead of cocoa powder, this was a popular dessert.

Do we eat it today? Yes!

Inexplicable 70s factor: 2 out of 5 Macrame plant holders

For comparison, here are the most popular American food dishes in 2024 as determined by YouGov.

10. Corn on the cob

9. Southern Style Fried Chicken

8. Fried Chicken

7. Steak and Baked Potato

6, Cheeseburger

5 Hashbrowns

4. Grilled Cheese

3. Mashed Potato

2. French Fries

1. Hamburger

True

Music’s biggest night took place Sunday, February 4 with the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Now, fans have the opportunity to take home a piece of the famed event.

Longtime GRAMMY Awards partner Mastercard is using this year’s campaign to shine a light on the environment and the Priceless Planet Coalition (PPC), a forest restoration program with the goal of restoring 100 million trees. Music fans are 1.5 times more likely to take action to help the environment, making the GRAMMY Awards the perfect opportunity to raise awareness.

“Through our GRAMMY Awards campaign, we’ve created an opportunity for our brand, our partners and consumers to come together over shared values, to participate during a moment when we can celebrate our passion for music and our commitment to make meaningful investments to preserve the environment,” says Rustom Dastoor, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, North America at Mastercard.

The campaign kicked off with an inspired self-guided multi-sensory tour at the GRAMMY House presented by Mastercard, where people journeyed through their passion of music and educational experience about Mastercard’s longstanding commitment to tree restoration. Then, this year’s most-nominated GRAMMY artist and a passionate voice for the environment, SZA, led the charge with the debut performance of her new song, Saturn.

Mastercard’s partners are also joining the mission by encouraging people all over the country to participate; Lyft and Sirius XM are both offering ways for consumers to get involved in the Priceless Planet Coalition. To learn more about how you can support these efforts, visit mastercard.com/forceofnature.

While fashion is always a highlight of any GRAMMY Awards event, SZA’s outfit worn during her performance of Saturn was designed to make a statement; made of tree seeds to help spread awareness. Fans can even comment ‘🌱’ and tag a friend on Mastercard’s designated post of SZA’s GRAMMY House performance for a chance to win a tree seed from the performance outfit*.

“SZA has a personal passion for sustainability – not just in forest restoration but in the clothes she wears and the platforms and partners she aligns herself with. It was important to us to partner with someone who is not only showing up big at the GRAMMY Awards – as the most GRAMMY-nominated artist this year – but also showing up big for the environment,” says Dastoor.


Due to factors like factory farming, logging, and urban growth, the Earth is losing trees at an alarming rate. According to Earth.org, approximately 10 million hectares of trees are lost each year.

Forests regulate the air we breathe and are highly effective in moderating greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, tropical forests provide up to 30% of the global action needed to stop climate change.

"Planting trees can help improve everything – from air quality to economic opportunity to mental health – and everybody deserves these benefits,” SZA said in a press release about her previous environmental activism.

Guided by Conservation International and World Resources Institute, the PPC employs science-based best practices for the selection, implementation, and long-term monitoring of their restoration efforts.

In addition to their goal to restore 100 million trees, the PPC also works to regrow forests in geographies that represent the greatest global need. This includes areas with the greatest potential for positive impacts on climate, with community and biodiversity goals being prioritized as they set out to restore forestland across the globe.

To learn more about the Priceless Planet Coalition or how you could get involved in forest restoration, visit mastercard.com/forceofnature.

* Additional Sweepstakes Details: No Purch. Nec. Void in Quebec and where prohibited. Mastercard cardholders before 2/4/24, who are U.S. & Canada res 18+ at time/date of entry. Ends 2/10/24. Winners/ARV: $30 USD each. Entry must include a “seedling” emoji and tag a friend. Canadian winners must answer a time-limited skill-testing math question. Odds of winning depend on the total number of entries received. Rules: priceless.com/forceofnature

2023 is all about maximalist Christmas.

Every era has its own taste in interior decor, and the typical post-Millenium American home is saturated in grays and beige, or “Greige,” as the vibe is known. It’s a far cry from the flashiness of the late ‘60s and ‘70s, the Brownpolcalype that was the ‘80s, or the hunter green-hued ‘90s.

The current trend in minimalist decor, even during the holiday season, rubbed TikTokker Ave the wrong way, and she’s fighting back with an audacious display that recalls a world before farmhouse chic was a thing.


“I have decided that I will not be participating in ‘Minimalist Beige Christmas’ this year,” TikTok user Ave says while showing a picture of some very beige, very sparse holiday decor. “If this is what you like, if this is what you want, good for you, do it, enjoy the hell out of it. It's not for me. I think this is pretty, I think it's simple, I don't think it's giving enough. Not for me.”

@aver.deedle

I usually dont decorate until after thanksgiving but I might change that this year #christmasdecor #nostalgicchristmas #colorfulchristmas #maximalist #maximalistchristmas #nostalgia #interview #fyp #greenscreen #christmaslights

Ave wants to embrace the history and playfulness of the holiday by making her home a place where nostalgia trumps taste.

“The theme this year is nostalgic early 2000s Christmas. I want all the rainbow lights. I want the mismatched ornaments. I want the random wrapping paper. I want nostalgia,” she says. She wants her home to look like someone lives there on Christmas, not a “Crate & Barrel showroom.”

People in the comments feel she totally read the room regarding the vibe of Christmas 2023. “I loved the minimalist Christmas until I had kids, now I want to make sure they experience the Christmas magic I did growing up,” Makayla wrote. “The theme is to try to feel something this year,” NikandTorrie added.