I'm looking at these graphics, and I'm thinking to myself, "How did we ever put up with health care before the Affordable Care Act?" Were we really cool with paying $600 a year for birth control pills or being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions? Get the word out: The benefits of this law aren't good, they're common sense.
Cats are far more badass than we give them credit for.
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and standoffish, like they're better than everyone and simply can't be bothered. Those of us who have cats know they're not always like that … but yes, they're sometimes like that. They can be sweet and affectionate, but they want affection on their terms, they want to eat and play and sleep on their own clock, and we puny, inferior humans have little say in the matter.
There's a reason why we have obedience schools for dogs and not for cats. Maine coon or Bengal, Savannah or Siamese, ragdoll or sphynx, domestic cats of all breeds are largely untrainable little punks who lure us into loving them by blessing us with the honor of stroking their fur and hearing them purr.
But perhaps we assume too much when we think cats are full of themselves for no good reason. Maybe they are actually somewhat justified in their snootiness. Maybe they really, truly are superior to pretty much every other creature on Earth and that's why they act like it.
(Cats, if they could talk, would be nodding and prodding us along at this point: "Yes, yes, you're so close. Just a little further now, keep going.")
Think about it. They're beautiful and graceful, but also quick and powerful. They groom constantly so they're almost always clean and their fur even smells good. They can fall from ridiculous heights, land on their feet and walk away unscathed. They're wicked good ambush hunters. They can walk completely silently, like ninjas, then pull out the razor blades on their feet at will and do serious damage in an instant.
All of that makes them impressive specimens, but ironically it's their total hubris that makes them truly superior. When they feel like it (because cats only do things they feel like doing) they will take on anyone and anything. Big, small, dangerous, fierce—doesn't matter. That unbridled confidence—earned or not—combined with their physique and skill makes them the badasses of the animal world.
Want proof? Here ya go:
\u201cI love cats, they are very brave and there is a challenge in their nature! \u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\n\n\u201d
The lightning-fast smackdown is really the cat's weapon of choice, isn't it? They're so fast with the swipe-slap, it takes their victims by surprise. "Aww, you're so cute and cuddly, look at y—OUCH!" And then the way they just stand there and stare with their big eyes and their ears back. It's unnerving. Throw in a little hiss or yowl, and no thank you.
If that video wasn't enough to convince you, here's another.
The snakes, man. I can't get over the snakes.
Cats really are better than us and every other living thing, basically. And even if they aren't, they believe they are, which counts just as much. They're either the ultimate creatures or the ultimate conmen. Either way, you just don't mess with them.
Actor and director Jonah Hill at the Berlinale 2019.
It’s difficult to have a lot of sympathy for celebrities who have a hard time living in the spotlight. It’s generally accepted as the price one has to pay for all of the benefits that come with being famous. Most people would probably trade having negative things said about them in the press for the power, access, opportunities and money that come with living in the public eye.
However, there’s something to be said for creating art without having to risk your mental health. Or, simply performing your job without suffering from an anxiety attack.
Actor-director Jonah Hill wrote an open letter, first published by Deadline, announcing he will no longer do press appearances because they create too much anxiety. The announcement comes as he prepares for the release of his new documentary, “Stutz,” about his relationship with his therapist.
He’s also recently completed a film called “You People” for Netflix that stars Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lauren London.
“I have finished directing my second film, a documentary about me and my therapist which explores mental health in general called ‘Stutz.’ The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film,” Hill wrote.
“Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events,” he continued.
“I am so grateful that the film will make its world premiere at a prestigious film festival this fall, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those struggling,” Hill wrote. “However, you won’t see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself. If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film.”
To put it simply, Hill has learned a lot about himself through therapy and wants to put those valuable lessons into action. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Press tours are notoriously grueling and force people to travel across the world to do sit-down after sit-down with a gaggle of reporters.
Further, for most healthy people, it can be terribly uncomfortable to talk about yourself all day.
In the letter, Hill also acknowledged that he is in a unique position to make this request and he's grateful for the ability to choose how he works.
“I usually cringe at letters or statements like this but I understand that I am of the privileged few who can afford to take time off,” he wrote.
Hill’s latest film is an attempt to show the benefits of therapy and help people deal with their mental health struggles in a constructive way. By taking himself out of the public eye for his mental well-being, Hill is being the change he wants to see in the world.
Parenting is hard for just about everyone. You're completely responsible for a small human that doesn't come with an instruction manual, and it's a case of trying to do the best you can with what you've got. Some people seem to think that celebrities should be infallible, so when Kevin Federline shared a video of Britney Spears being stern with her children there was always going to be negative feedback. But surprisingly, the video has, in fact, stirred up more support for the star and her parenting methods.
If you've been on the internet for any amount of time you know that parent shaming is something that comes in like a tidal wave on an unsuspecting parent just sharing their truth. It seems especially vicious towards moms, so much so that the phrase mom-shaming was coined some time ago. Mom-shaming is the act of judging and attacking mothers for their personal parenting choices. But lately there's been some push back on the normalization of mom-shaming that has been a part of internet culture since mom groups were formed. Parents are daring to show their messy houses and parenting failures on their way to getting things right for their children.
Federline's reasons for posting the videos of Spears disciplining her children is unclear. Perhaps it was to embarrass her or show her as an unfit parent. But parents across the internet were having none of it. Sure there were a few here and there that criticized, but most comments were supportive of the pop star. Parents are owning that this parenting gig is hard and capturing a few minutes of out-of-context video doesn't show the whole story and they said just that.
One Twitter user, Ask Aubry, posted the "damaging" video of Spears and said, "Wait, Britney Spears giving her kids clear boundaries, expectations and wanting them to know her worth & value like millions of other parents have in a highly out-of-context and edited video, is Kevin Federline's 'gotcha' moment?" She wasn't alone in her musing. The Twitter users' comments were filled with parents agreeing with the sentiment.
Another person with the user name Arcane Saint commented, "I see not one thing wrong with this interaction. I am so upset & heartbroken for Britney 💔💔💔." Under TMZ's Twitter feed for the same video, the support was still overwhelmingly evident with many users echoing the same sentiment, that they saw nothing wrong in the video.
It seems the only parent being questioned in the comments is Federline, which may not have been what he was hoping for when he shared these private videos. It appears Spears has plenty of supporters who didn't take kindly to Federline's attempt to shame her.
There seems to be a noticeable shift from mom-shaming to mom-supporting on social media, and that can only be a good thing. Parenting is hard enough on its own and co-parenting with someone outside of your home can add an additional layer of hard, especially when things are less-than amicable.
After winning the fight to end her conservatorship in 2021, Spears is under even more scrutiny than the average celebrity. Seeing parents come to the defense of Spears as a fellow parent is heartwarming. Maybe the unintended result of all this could be the two of them working toward a more healthy co-parenting relationship, preferably outside of the public eye.
Kevin Federline Posts Videos of Britney Spears Arguing with Sons
Kevin Federline has had enough of Britney Spears' public attacks on their two sons, Sean and Jayden, and now he wants to show the world just how contentious he says Britney's relationship has been with the boys for years.