Most Shared

Portugal. The Man's new music video is a guide to resisting Trump.

Not only is it a catchy tune, but it's also packed with tips to making a better world.

Portugal. The Man's new music video is a guide to resisting Trump.

The music video for "Feel It Still," a song by a band called Portugal. The Man, isn't exactly what it seems.

To the casual observer, it's your standard music video. But if you look deeper, it becomes a bit more obvious what it actually is: a toolkit for resistance in the age of Trump.

An interactive version of the video is on the band's website.

There, viewers are instructed to click on a series of "easter eggs" hidden throughout the video, which depicts lead singer John Gourley as a party guest who, after getting knocked out during a fight, wakes up in a junkyard filled with problems that need fixing.


Every time a clue is clicked, a message such as "Give to the ACLU" or "Combat climate change" pops up on the screen. At the end of the video, viewers are taken to a page where they can take action on the items they've unlocked (as well as clicking an "unlock all" button to bring up the full range of choices). In all, there are 30 different action items.

This moment in the video, which links to the "Fight Fake News" easter egg, resulted in an angry tirade from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

This steamy shot of two people in the back of a car links to the band's "Fund Planned Parenthood" call to action. Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

The quick shot of a lawyer in a junkyard takes people to an "Understand Your Protest Rights" website. Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

Juxtaposing the devil-may-care attitude of the song with tangible ways to resist the Trump administration is by design.

"This project came at an interesting time where music and culture and politics are coming together in a way we haven’t seen in decades," explained Jason Kreher, the creative director of Wieden+Kennedy, the creative agency the band partnered with to bring the video to life, in a press release. "We loved the idea of presenting the apathetic, decadent 'rebel just for kicks' from the song against a hidden message of resistance."

He described the video as being "for the people out there who are still feeling something [...] a real, practical laundry list of ways you can get out there and fight injustice."

Down for the count and outlined in white chalk, this scene links to the "Stencil Your Own Designs" action item. Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

This woman, shown mouthing the lyrics during the party scene at the song's beginning, represents the video's clue to "Elect Women." Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

And this silhouetted man with a saxophone links to the "Support Undocumented Artists" action. Screenshot from Portugal. The Man/YouTube.

In all, there are 30 action items listed on the band's website along with links to get you started:

Give to the ACLU, fight fake news, stand up for equality, combat climate change, talk about difficult subjects, support Black Lives Matter, send native people to college, contact your representatives in D.C., fund Planned Parenthood, find out where to resist, pick up wheatpaste skills, call the White House, stencil your own designs, understand your protest rights, have a newborn outlook, aid refugees, protect people in the shadows, push for gun control, use your wallet, support undocumented artists, back reasonable drug laws, save an Alaskan village, cross out hate, learn about global warming dislocation, know your rights, download some posters, save the EPA, follow the money, elect women, and help the House Ethics Committee.

Were you able to find them all?

Portugal. The Man's new album, "Woodstock," is now available online and in stores.

Annie Reneau

A few years ago, our family took a two-week road trip through the Pacific Northwest. We visited six state parks and four national parks, camped under the Redwoods, frolicked in the Pacific Ocean, hiked through breathtaking scenery, and ate and laughed with friends and family who traveled with us.

Perusing the photos from that vacation (or "family trip" to be more accurate, per M. Blazoned's brilliant analysis), I see gorgeous vistas and genuine smiles, children playing and families picnicking, magical moments of beauty and bliss.

But photos never show the whole picture, do they? This is a problem in the social media age as studies suggest that constantly seeing people's "highlight reels" on Facebook and Instagram can lead to sadness and/or jealousy. Apparently, scrolling through photos of our friends basking on beautiful beaches while we're waging whining wars with our wee ones can make us feel all icky inside. Go figure.

Keep Reading Show less
Annie Reneau

A few years ago, our family took a two-week road trip through the Pacific Northwest. We visited six state parks and four national parks, camped under the Redwoods, frolicked in the Pacific Ocean, hiked through breathtaking scenery, and ate and laughed with friends and family who traveled with us.

Perusing the photos from that vacation (or "family trip" to be more accurate, per M. Blazoned's brilliant analysis), I see gorgeous vistas and genuine smiles, children playing and families picnicking, magical moments of beauty and bliss.

But photos never show the whole picture, do they? This is a problem in the social media age as studies suggest that constantly seeing people's "highlight reels" on Facebook and Instagram can lead to sadness and/or jealousy. Apparently, scrolling through photos of our friends basking on beautiful beaches while we're waging whining wars with our wee ones can make us feel all icky inside. Go figure.

Keep Reading Show less
True

If you've ever donated to a cause but worried that your contribution wasn't really enough to drive real change, you're not alone. As one person, it can be tough to feel like you're making a real difference, especially if you don't have a lot to donate or if times are tough (aka there's a worldwide pandemic going on.)

That's why, for years, the idea of philanthropy felt a little bit like a rich person's thing: if you had millions, you could donate and make change. The rest of us were just tossing pennies into a cup without really doing much.

But that's a problem: the priorities of a wealthy few don't represent the priorities of many, which means that good causes are often left underfunded, leading to a lack of meaningful action.

The thing is: it doesn't have to be like this. We can all make a difference, especially if we pool our money together.

Enter: Giving Circles. These are when groups of people with shared values come together to drive change. They do it by pooling their time and money together, then deciding as a circle where it should go. That way, they can cause a real targeted change in one place quickly in a very people-powered way by giving what they can, whether that's volunteer hours, money, or a mix of both. Best of all, Giving Circles are a social experience — you get to work together as a community to make sure you do the most good you can.

In other words, giving circles are a way to democratize philanthropy, making it more accessible regardless of your age, income, gender, or race.

That's why this year, The Elevate Prize, a nonprofit founded in 2019, is launching a new pop-up "Giving Circle" program so that problem solvers, budding philanthropists, and anyone that wants to do good can come together and drive real impact at a large scale. And you can do it all in just 90 minutes.

All you have to do is join one of the Elevate Giving Circles online. Learn about organizations doing good for the world, then pool your money together, and as a group, direct it where you think that donation could make the most difference.

But that's not all: every single donation made is matched by the Elevate Prize Foundation — basically guaranteeing that you double your impact for good. The theme for the first cycle is education, and Elevate Giving will match up to $75,000 in total donations for each cycle.

Ready to get involved? Elevate Giving experiences start June 26th, so sign up now for your spot to make a difference. There's no minimum fee to join either — so get involved no matter what you have to give. Now that's philanthropy for all.