Upworthy’s book GOOD PEOPLE is coming this year — pre-order now!

Shop
 Explore 

billie eilish

Pop Culture

Woman plays mom's childhood videos next to her own, set to 'What Was I Made For?' Cue tears.

It's 37 beautiful years of girlhood in less than a minute.

Billie Eilish/YouTube, @carie_momo/TikTok

Life is beautiful.

Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” can bring most folks to tears already. After all, the song, created for a pivotal part in the “Barbie” movie, touches on the special kind of grief one feels for their younger, more carefree self that often fades away as we become adults. Plus Eilish’s airy, wistful voice feels innocent and weary all at the same time, touching right on the heartstrings.

Now, add onto that home video footage that perfectly shows the beauty and wonder of childhood that exists beyond the limits of time and space… and…excuse me? Does someone have a tissue?

In a viral video created by Carrie Moses, we see a side-by-side comparison of clips from her own childhood and those from her mom’s childhood, all while the song plays. There’s something so beautiful and healing about seeing how, whether it’s in the 60s or the 90s or even today, childhood still feels the same.

Joyful. Playful. Full of games. Full of dancing. Full of silly faces and pretty dresses. Full of zest. Full of life. Full.

Somehow along the way, our lives become full of responsibilities, worries, regrets…you know, adulting. And that light begins to dim. But it does come back in fleeting moments.

Moments like the ones below. Watch:

@carrie_momo Replying to @Vanessa’s Travels & Tips 🛩️🌎 Ask and you shall receive! Had to do a part 2! Me and my mom are overwhelmed by the response to the first one. My mom is so happy. She’s watched it so many times and read all the comments. First clip is mom with Midge (Barbie’s BFF 😭😍) FAQ: to transfer I bought the Wolverine super 8 movie maker on Amazon. Expensive but worth it for the memories. Thinking about opening up a service to transfer Super 8 reels to digital when I get back from my trip. #barbie #barbiemovie2023 #barbiemovie #billieeilish #whatwasimadefor #whatwasimadeforbillieeilish #thenandnow #super8 #super8film #fyp ♬ original sound - Carrie_momo

As you wipe the snot away, I leave you with one last touching quote from "Barbie," which clearly resonated with Moses as she created her montage, since she put it in her TikTok video:

“We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they have come.”

From Your Site Articles

music

Pop Culture

Resurfaced interview clip shows Billie Eilish opening up about her Tourette Syndrome

The singer was in an interview with David Letterman when she began ticking.

"Still Watching Netflix"/Youtube

During an interview with David Letterman, Eilish began visibly having tics.

We’ve come a long way in our understanding and representation of chronic conditions. However, certain disorders, like Tourette Syndrome, remain mostly under mystery and stigma.

Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome revolve around involuntary, repetitive movements or sounds known as “tics,” such as facial grimacing, twitching, humming, jerking the head and yelling out phrases or even swear words. These behaviors, which aren’t the norm in most social interactions, have often been the punchline of a joke or resulted in bullying.

Over the years, several celebrities have come forward revealing themselves as having Tourette Syndrome in an effort to raise awareness of the neurological disorder, perhaps the most well known being pop idol Billie Eilish.

A year ago in May 2022, Eilish sat down for an interview with David Letterman for his Netflix show “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” when she began visibly ticking. The conversation that sprung from that moment has recently resurfaced online, and it is a still great example of how we can avoid misconceptions with sensitivity.

While on camera, Eilish experienced a tic where she quickly shook her head, prompting Letterman to ask if something was wrong. When she matter-of-factly stated what was happening—“I’m ticking”—Letterman began asking sincere, thoughtful questions.

First, he asked if something triggered it, to which Eilish replied it was the lights (bright, fluorescent, flickering and flashing lights are a common sensory trigger for Tourette’s). Previously the “Bad Guy” singer shared that her tics manifest less when she’s concentrated on something like performing or horseback riding, but otherwise, they are quite common.

“If you film me for long enough, you’re gonna see lots of tics,” she told Letterman.

Tics can understandably be easy to misinterpret, especially for those who don’t know much about Tourrette’s. Even Letterman admitted thinking that she was “fed up” and looking away on purpose.

“The most common way that people react is they laugh because they think I’m trying to be funny,” Eilish explained. “I’m always left incredibly offended by that.”

Letterman then shared his appreciation for Eilish including him in the conversation, along with concern as to whether or not he might have exacerbated the situation. On the contrary, Eilish was grateful to him for asking and with enthusiasm stated that she “loves answering questions about it.”

Watch:

Though diagnosed at age 11, Eilish didn’t go public about having Tourette’s until 2018, for fear of being identified solely through her condition. If this is a fear for an insanely popular music icon, imagine what it must be like for folks in everyday life.

In fact, the video prompted a lot of heartfelt responses in the comments section from those who either have Tourette's themselves, or have loved one who displays symptoms. Here are just a few:

"As someone who has Tourette’s, it can be really frustrating how misunderstood it is by the general population. I appreciate her being open about it and bringing attention to it."

"The worst reaction to my Tourettes is 'what the f**k is wrong with you?' Its honestly heartbreaking, and makes me hide away and avoid going out most of the time. And I'm not even on the high end of the spectrum, mine is more stress and anxiety induced, I could go months without ticking."

"When I was little, my parents would make fun of me in front of my siblings. Never realized how much of an effect it would have on me as an adult. Having a supportive inner circle is so important."

"Sometimes my tics are really bad during college, and I frequently get odd stares. I appreciate Billie being more open about it — maybe if more people knew, they’d react differently."

"I’m honestly so glad there's a celebrity as big as Billie who has Tourette’s and will make it more known to people because a lot of people don’t know what Tourette’s are."

This is why awareness is so important. Insensitive reactions can be more than just hurtful—they can steal away a person’s humanity. Tics or no tics, people deserve to be treated with respect. And often that begins with honest, compassionate conversations.

From Your Site Articles

celebrity

Well Being

Billie Eilish opening up about her porn use at age 11 offers a prime opportunity for parents

Lars Crommelinck Photography/Wikimedia Commons

Billie Eilish shared with Howard Stern that early porn use "destroyed" her brain.

In the internet age, parents have to talk to their kids about pornography. If parents don't, someone else will, and that someone else will more than likely be a peer or peers who don't really know what they're talking about.

But talking to kids about porn can be tricky. The when, how and how much questions are hard to navigate. Parents might worry about saying too much, too soon or too little, too late. Research shows that it's not uncommon for kids to see pornography online, either intentionally or unintentionally, and the age at which some kids are first exposed is far younger than parents might think. However uncomfortable parents might be about it, the conversation needs to start early.

Thanks to singer Billie Eilish's openness about her own porn experiences, parents now have an especially opportune "in" to bring up the subject with their kids. She recently shared with Howard Stern that consuming porn at a young age "destroyed" her brain, and that as a woman, she finds porn "a disgrace."

"I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest," she told Stern. "I started watching porn when I was like 11. I think it really destroyed my brain, and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn."

Part of the problem with porn is that so much of it depicts violence and aggression and the objectification of women. Eilish told Stern that she frequently watched violent porn, and the first few times she had sex, she didn't say "no" to things that were "not good" because she thought that's what she was supposed to find attractive.

Another problem with porn is that is gives kids unrealistic portrayals of what sex is like as well as unrealistic images of people's bodies.

"I'm so angry that porn is so loved, and I'm so angry at myself for thinking that it was okay," she said. "The way that vaginas look in porn is f—king crazy. No vaginas look like that. Women's bodies don't look like that. We don't come like that."

Hearing someone like Billie Eilish say things like this is refreshing. Eilish, 19, came onto the music scene at 14 and made it big at 17. She's attracted fans of all ages, but much of her fanbase is young, which makes her an ideal bridge between generation smartphone and the parents who didn't grow up with pornography constantly accessible at their fingertips.

If parents aren't sure where to start the conversation about porn, start here. "Hey, you know the singer Billie Eilish? Here's what she says about her experiences with porn." It's a good opportunity to ask kids what they hear in their social life, what they think, what questions they have. For kids who might think their parents are old or out of touch, hearing a young, hip celebrity drop such wisdom from a place of experience may lend some credibility to the "why you should avoid porn" lessons parents are trying to teach.

And again, it is vital that parents teach it. Dr. Michael Flood of Queensland University of Technology shared research on the negative impact of porn use on young people, including:

- shifting sexual interests, behaviors and expectations, which can impact relationships

- lowering men's relationship satisfaction and leading to coercion in sexual acts

- teaching sexist and sexually objectifying understandings of gender and sexuality

- increased violent behavior, sexually aggressive behavior and sexual harrassment, especially from men toward women

Ideally, discussions about porn are a part of larger, ongoing conversations about sex kids start having with parents at a young age. Children are curious, and answering their questions matter-of-factly (and without embarrassment, which for some parents might take some practice) provides a solid foundation for frank conversations about sex as kids get older.

Kids may not always want to talk to their parents about sex as they go through adolescence and puberty, but if they don't learn from you, they're going to learn from somewhere. It may never dawn on kids that their parents have a lot more experience with sex than their peers do, so the more we normalize talking with them about sex in healthy ways, the less (hopefully) they'll seek out answers from unreliable sources like peers and pornography.

From Your Site Articles

Billie Eilish and AOC made powerful fashion statements at yesterday's Met Gala

Images via Wikicommons here and here

Billie Eilish and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

It seems like every year someone makes a splash at the Met Gala with their fashion choices. In 2018 it was Lena Waithe's "queer cape" that enthralled the press and public alike, with its simple but powerful message about inclusivity and LGBTQ rights. In 2016, Emma Watson used that year's technology theme to send a more subtle but equally powerful message about the environment with a dress made entirely from sustainable products.

Even with America and much of the world still reeling from COVID-19, this year is no different.

In fact, two dresses, in particular, have gone viral with very different but very powerful messages about life in 2021. This year, the honor of showcasing the most talked about outfit is being shared between singer Billie Eilish and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). And much like Waithe and Watson before them, one dress wore its heart on its sleeve (or tails to be exact), while the other was subtle in its vital message about animal rights.

First was Eilish. Everyone is talking about her stunning homage to Marilyn Monroe and we get it. Eilish has been getting increasingly comfortable stepping out publicly in more adult, form-fitting attire, such as her appearance on the June cover of Vogue. During the Met Gala, Eilish talked about finding new confidence in having her figure on public display and the personal empowerment she's gained while staying true to her past comments about body positivity. "I've always wanted to do this," she said during her red carpet appearance when asked about the Monroe comparison.

However, it wasn't just about a killer gown. There was a catch and we love Eilish all the more for it: She only agreed to wear the Oscar de la Renta dress on the condition that the acclaimed fashion designer agrees to stop using animal fur.

See on Instagram

"It is an honor to wear this dress knowing that going forward Oscar de la Renta will be completely fur free!!!" Eilish, who is vegan, wrote to her 91 million Instagram followers. "I'm honored to have been a catalyst and to have been heard on this matter."

At the same time that Eilish was going viral, AOC was making waves of her on the political front. The New York Democrat showed up to the Met Gala in a white dress with red lettering on the back that read "Tax the Rich." Ocasio-Cortez said she was proud that her dress was drawing attention to what she called the nation's unfair taxation system which enables seemingly endless loopholes for wealthy Americans and corporations.

The medium is the message. https://t.co/b4Ssr6HkYR
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1631593932.0

"When Aurora and I were first kind of partnered, we really started having a conversation about what it means to be working-class women of color at the Met, and we said, 'We can't just play along, but we need to break the fourth wall and challenge some of the institutions,'" AOC said during a red carpet interview about her collaboration with designer Aurora James. "While the Met is known for its spectacle, we should have a conversation about it."

Ocasio-Cortez did receive some criticism from both the political Right and Left for her appearance, with some saying it was hypocritical for a public servant so critical of economic privilege to appear at an event with a $30,000 ticket price and attendees paying an estimated $250,000 per table. However, others praised the lawmaker for bringing her message of equal taxation directly to those who would be most affected by it.

Regardless of your politics, it was refreshing to see both Eilish and AOC using their respective perches and power to make bold statements for the causes they care about. And let's be honest, it doesn't hurt when those more serious topics are conveyed with some top-level fashion sensibility.

From Your Site Articles

Billie Eilish says Instagram comments were ruining her life. So she quit reading them. Smart.

via crommelincklars / Flickr

Billie Eilish has gone from being a pop star to a superstar over the course of about a year. Her meteoric rise to fame has forced her to reevaluate how she deals with her fans online.

She used to be happy to read the comments on her Instagram feed, but the tone of the posts has become exceedingly negative. So she's decided to stop reading them altogether.

According to psychologists, that's a very good idea.

Eilish admitted she quit reading the comments during an interview with Louise Minchin from the BBC where she was joined by her brother, writer and producer, Finneas.

"Do you still read everything that's on Instagram?" Minchin asked.

"No, no. I stopped like two days ago," Billie responded. "Literally two days ago. I've stopped reading comments fully. Because it was ruining my life. It's weird. The cooler the things you get to do are, the more people hate you. It's crazy."

"How do you make it better?" the interviewer asked.

"The internet is a bunch of trolls. And the problem is that a lot of it is really funny," Billie said.

"Everyone is much braver behind a cell phone screen than they would be if they walked down the street," Finneas added.

"It's way worse than it's ever been right now," Billie admitted.

"It's insane that I even have been reading comments up until this point. I should've stopped long ago, it's just the problem is I've always wanted to stay in touch with the fans and keep talking to them, and people have ruined that for me, and for them. That sucks," she added.

However, the negativity Billie has faced online hasn't affected how she treats her fans in public.

"If I see fans anywhere, I just want to talk to them and be around them, because they're people. They're me! They're like other me's," the "Bad Guy" singer said. "They're like friends of mine, but the internet is ruining my life, so I turned it off."

Reading the comments on social media shouldn't be a huge problem for those of us who post things that are only seen by people we know. But for anyone in the public spotlight, being bombarded by negative comments day in and day out can be damaging.

That's because of a psychological trait called negativity bias.

According to Psycom's Margaret Jaworski, "We're more likely to register an insult or negative event than we are to take in a compliment or recall details of a happy event. The negativity bias can even cause you to dwell on something negative even if something positive is equally or more present."

Research suggests that it takes three positive comments to cancel out the effects of one negative remark.

Billie Eilish is smart to protect her own sanity by staying out of the comment section and not allowing it to affect her art or life. It's fine for the public to have access to her art but there's no reason she should be handing over her sanity as well.

billie eilish

Woman plays mom's childhood videos next to her own, set to 'What Was I Made For?' Cue tears.

It's 37 beautiful years of girlhood in less than a minute.

Resurfaced interview clip shows Billie Eilish opening up about her Tourette Syndrome

The singer was in an interview with David Letterman when she began ticking.

Upworthy Weekly podcast: Tear-jerker movies, Billie Eilish's brave admission, mixed-height couples

Billie Eilish opening up about her porn use at age 11 offers a prime opportunity for parents

Billie Eilish and AOC made powerful fashion statements at yesterday's Met Gala

Billie Eilish says Instagram comments were ruining her life. So she quit reading them. Smart.

'90s kid shares the 10 lies that everyone's parent told them

Boomer dad plays song to comfort his daughter going through divorce and it's simply perfect

Steve Martin has the best response to hearing that his book was banned in Florida

Woman fights to give her baby a name that her husband says is 'abusive'

What will Earth look like if all its land ice melts? Here's your answer.

Women were asked if they'd rather be trapped in the woods with a bear or a man