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Pop Culture

Selma Blair shines in final 'Dancing With the Stars' performance

'I pushed as far as I could.'

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Blair and Farber shared "one last beautiful dance."

Selma Blair might have left the competition early, but in many ways, she’s already won.

The actress had been one of the main celebrities to watch on “Dancing With the Stars” since this season’s first episode, when she and pro dance partner Sasha Farber delighted audiences with a moving waltz number. This feat was, of course, made all the more impressive considering Blair has multiple sclerosis (MS), which affects her motor abilities and coordination.

What has been really inspiring, however, is Blair's unwavering sense of purpose to, as she shared with ET Canada, “show people with disabilities the joy that can be found in ways you never expected.” Each week she succeeded with that mission. And even though her health condition might have forced an early exit, her resilience has helped others imagine new possibilities for themselves—that’s a much bigger victory than any competition title.

Through tears, Blair broke the news to Farber. “You know I've been monitored and in touch with my doctors this whole process. The results came back and it all just adds up to that I can't go on with the competition. I pushed as far as I could." Pushing further would risk extensive damage to her body, she explained.

However, Blair was determined to share “one last beautiful dance” on the stage, and she did just that. As they yet again waltzed—this time to “What the World Needs Now”—there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

One person with MS shared in the YouTube comments, “There are times where I feel like my life has ended because I no longer have control of my body. Selma’s journey has empowered me. I cried each time she danced because it gives me hope that maybe I will still be capable in my 40s.”

“This is a dance for everyone that has tried and hoped they could do more, but also the power in realizing when it’s time to walk away," Blair told the audience after judges gave the duo honorary perfect 10s for their emotional performance.

To her 11-year-old son (and biggest supporter) Arthur, Blair left a special message. “I love you the most and I just want to say, I loved this,” she told him. “Sometimes there's going to be uncomfortable things to do in life and you just do it with a smile."

People might watch “Dancing With the Stars” to be entertained by spectacle and technique, but thanks to Blair, viewers became witness to true courage and grace. She will be missed, but has forever made a positive lasting impression, and we will undoubtedly continue rooting for her.

A Korean mother and her son

A recently posted story on Reddit shows a mother confidently standing up for her family after being bullied by a teacher for her culture. Reddit user Flowergardens0 posted the story to the AITA forum, where people ask whether they are wrong in a specific situation.

Over 5,600 people commented on the story, and an overwhelming majority thought the mother was right. Here’s what went down:

“I (34F) have a (5M) son who attends preschool. A few hours after I picked him up from school today, I got a phone call from his teacher,” Flowergardens0 wrote. “She made absolutely no effort to sound kind when she, in an extremely rude and annoyed tone, told me to stop packing my son such ‘disgusting and inappropriate’ lunches."

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It's incredible what a double-sided magnet can do.


A new trend in treasure hunting called magnet fishing has blown up over the past two years, evidenced by an explosion of YouTube channels covering the hobby. Magnet fishing is a pretty simple activity. Hobbyists attach high-powered magnets to strong ropes, drop them into waterways and see what they attract.

The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.


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Pop Culture

Woman was mocked online for calling an $80 purse a 'luxury item.' Her response went viral.

"I'm so grateful that my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for that money.”

@zohtaco/TikTok

Zoe Gabriel, showing off her new purse from Charles & Keith

Insults of any kind are painful, but jabs towards someone’s financial status are their own breed.

In January 2023, Singapore-based Zoe Gabriel was on the receiving end of this particular flavor of mockery when she posted a TikTok about a purse from local retail brand Charles & Keith—a gift bought for her by her father.

In her excitement, the 17-year-old called the bag, which costs around $80, a “luxury” item as she unwrapped it. Her excitement was sadly cut short by some of the negative comments she received.

One comment seemed to stand out above the rest and prompted Gabriel to post an emotional response video.

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Ring doorbell video captures what it's like to be the default parent.

Kids, man. I'm not sure of the scientific way audacity is distributed, but kids have a lot of it and somehow make it cute. That audacity overload is especially interesting when you're the default parent—you know, the parent kids go to for literally everything as if there's not another fully capable adult in the house. Chances are if your children haven't sought you out while you were taking a shower so you could open up a pack of fruit snacks, then you're not the default parental unit.

One parent captured exactly what it's like to be the default parent and shared it to TikTok, where the video has over 4 million views. Toniann Marchese went on a quick grocery run and *gasp* did not inform her children. Don't you fret, they're modern kids who know how to use modern means to get much-needed answers when mom is nowhere to be found. They went outside and rang the doorbell.

Back when we were children, this would've done nothing but make the dogs bark, but for Marchese's kids, who are 3 and 6 years old, it's as good as a phone call.

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Pop Culture

'American Idol' contestant has perfect response to Katy Perry's 'mom-shaming' joke

The 25-year-old used the moment to stand up for moms everywhere.

@sarabethliebe/TikTok

"Keep loving your babies."

You might recall us singing the praises of Sara Beth, the exuberant young mom with major vocal chops dubbed the “Accidental American Idol.”

During Sara Beth’s initial audition for the show, judge Katy Perry made a joke that rubbed many viewers the wrong way.

Before Sara Beth even began to sing, the 25-year-old revealed that she had three children, which prompted Katy Perry to dramatically stand up from her seat and feign shock. When Sara Beth, all smiles, said, “If Katy lays on the table, I think I’m going to pass out,” Perry retorted, “Honey, you’ve been laying on the table too much.”

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YouTube creator Steve Mould shows us what echo looks like through an acoustic camera.

It’s bizarre to think about seeing sound, but nowadays we can do just that. If you haven’t seen an acoustic camera before, that’s because they’re mainly used for industrial purposes, but they’ve been available commercially from gfai tech since 2001.

YouTuber Steve Mould, who has a science channel with over 2.1 million subscribers, took the complicated concept of the acoustic camera and made it easy to understand in his latest video, “Acoustic cameras can SEE sound.”

In the video, Mould explains how an acoustic camera is much like your smartphone's video recorder. But it also creates visual representations of sound emanating from where it’s generated within the video.

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