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Let's talk about Adam Scott's nuanced portrayal of new love vs. old love in 'Severance'

Give the guy an Emmy for that season finale alone, for the love.

Apple TV/YouTube

Adam Scott plays Mark Scout in "Severance" on Apple TV+

Apple TV+ had had some real winners with their original programming, from "Ted Lasso"" to "Shrinking," but few shows have wormed their way into people's minds as thoroughly and mysteriously as "Severance." The basic premise of the series alone is intriguing—a brain implant that splits a person's psyche in two, completely separating their work life from their home life—but the implications of people's brains being "severed" combined with the strange, cult-like nature of Lumon, the company utilizing the procedure for its employees, makes for riveting television.

Spoiler alert: Stop reading if you don't want to know what happens in the Season 2 finale.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The two seasons (so far) of "Severance" have revealed a growing pile of questions and only a handful of answers, as we've watched the main character, Mark, grapple with increasing unknowns as both his "innie" work self (Mark S.) and his "outie" personal self (Mark Scout). The two Marks, played by Adam Scott, literally live two different lives, with each one trying to uncover secrets about their individual and shared experiences.

In the Season 2 finale, we see the two Marks interact directly and ultimately clash over the one thing they completely diverge on—the women they love—and not only is it a wild ride, but it perfectly demonstrates the differences between new and long-term love. If there was any question about Adam Scott's acting chops before this episode, it was answered in the form of his award-worthy portrayal of Mark being in love in two different ways with two different women in two overlapping realities.

Mark and Gemma have the love of a real-life marriage

This season, we've learned that Mark's wife, Gemma, not only didn't die in a car accident like he'd been told, but she's been part of a big secret project at Lumon that Mark had been working on himself as Mark S. We've now seen Mark and Gemma's backstory, how they met and fell in love, the struggles they went through trying to start a family, and the tensions that can inevitably creep into long-term relationships. We see a loving marriage that's been tested, the devotion and dedication it takes to keep long-term love alive and thriving, and the grief of a man who thought he had lost that lifelong love forever.

When Mark finds out that Gemma's actually alive, he does everything he can to find and get to her. And when he finally does, we see the power of that kind of love. We see how the familiarity of a husband reaching out to his wife seems to break the spell Lumon had over Gemma. This love passionate, but not desperate. It's calm and confident. Solid and enduring. Scott plays it beautifully.

Mark S. and Helly have the love of teenage desperation

Mark's innie, Mark S., however, has formed his own relationship within the walls of Lumon. He and Helly R. have fallen in love, and his love for her causes the tension between him and his outie in the finale. While outie Mark is desperate to save Gemma and take down Lumon the process, Mark S. realizes what that would mean for him and the other innies. Without Lumon, they won't exist, which means he and Helly won't get to be together. The existential threat of non-existence is one thing, but losing love appears to be an even more powerful motivating force for Mark S.

But Mark S. and Helly's love is markedly different than Mark and Gemma's. For one, it's limited to the severed floor of Lumon. It's like when teens fall for one another in the confined, separate world of summer camp. The feelings are intense and real, but the relationship little chance of lasting out in the reality of normal life. The innies' world at Lumon isn't really real, even if their experiences there are.

However, Lumon is the only world they know and Mark S.'s love for Helly is the only love he's ever known. Add to that the fact that innies are simple and innocent with no baggage, no memories, nothing but the here and now, and you have the makings of an early life, immature romance. That fresh, first love is exciting, intoxicating, and desperate. It's the kind of love that makes people lose their minds and defy logic and reason. We see it in Mark S. grappling with what he knows he should do—go with Gemma so his outie that created him can have the life he's meant to have—but the pull to be with Helly (if it really is Helly and not Helena) proves to be too much for him to resist.

Fans of Mark and Helly's relationship may not like hearing it, but this is a Romeo and Juliet love, the all-consuming, self-destructive kind that will eventually end in disaster because desperation only leads to poor choices. And again, Adam Scott plays it perfectly.

Watching one actor play two roles, which are supposed to be two parts of the same person, is impressive enough. But to see him play those two selves in love in such different ways, nailing the subtle differences, is just mind-blowing. Just give that guy the Emmy now. He's definitely earned it with this stellar performance.

And yes, fans, there will be a Season 3 as confirmed by Tim Cook and Ben Stiller. Praise Kier.

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pop culture

Culture

Adults who lived through the 80s share 15 things pop culture gets wrong about that time

"Pop culture acts like the '80s were just a sea of nothing but neon for 10 years."

Image via Canva

A woman dressed in 80's styled workout clothes

Judging by Gen Z’s Y2K-inspired fashion trends, you’d think the 2000s were nothing but people walking around the mall in pleated miniskirts and bucket hats. We can mostly chalk this up to the depiction of the era in movies like “Clueless” and “13 Going on 30.” Anyone born before the 90s can tell you that life was definitely not like that. But hey, sometimes fantasy is more fun.

Same goes for other time periods as well. For those of us without a degree in history, much of how we picture other eras is influenced by pop culture. Like how we think of Victorian women being obsessed with waist cinching thanks to almost every Hollywood movie showing a woman getting bound by an excruciating tight corset. Yep, that was previously debunked.

And sure, some movies and TV series, like “Mad Men” or “Schindler’s List,” make painstaking efforts to achieve historical accuracy. But often, they are works of fiction, and creative liberties are taken. And those liberties create the world for those who did not live in it.

That can even be said of the 80s, rife with Cold War threats and colorful leggings. Or…was it? Recently, user Jerswar asked Reddit: "People who were adults in the 1980s: What does pop culture tend to leave out?" Here are the raddest, gnarliest, most tubular response people gave.

smoking, cigarettes, 1980s, 80s, health A man smokes while sitting on a boatImage via Canva

1."The insane amounts of smoking inside. Especially in restaurants."

"When I worked in a restaurant, the smokers (backroom dishwashers/cooks) got more chances to sit around and take breaks to smoke. Then, when I got an office job, people had ashtrays at their desks. Often, the ashtrays were hand-made by a young relative in an elementary school class."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

2." Anything we wore that wasn't neon. Pop culture acts like the '80s were just a sea of nothing but neon for 10 years."

“And as if every girl and woman was dressed up in tulle tutus with off-the-shoulder lace shirts and a giant bow tied atop our heads.Not all of us were lucky enough to have our parents buy us new outfits like that. My wardrobe was full of old hand-me-downs. No neon, lace or tulle in the bunch."

"I graduated high school in 1984, and never dressed like Madonna or wore neon anything. We were poor, so it was crappy jeans that never got soft and T-shirts until I got a job. Even after that, I wore cords and overalls and sweaters from Chess King."

1970s, 70s, 80s, 1980s, fashion, 70s style, 70s decor A woman lounges in a room full of 1970's decorImage via Canva

3. "How much decor from the '70s and '60s were still in houses and offices throughout the decade."

"This is something that I thought 'Stranger Things' REALLY got right. All the kids' houses look like they were built and decorated in the 1960s–'70s, which is how it really was. Nobody was living in fancy candy-colored Memphis-style apartments except California yuppies."

handicap, parking, 80s, 1980s, accessibility, disability A handicap parking spaceImage via Canva

4. "I was born in the early '80s. I've been totally blind since birth. In the '80s, accessibility was virtually non-existent.That new Nintendo that the kids had? Good luck. Scholastic Book Club? Not in braille or audio. Everything is in print. Nothing to see here for me or mine. Then computers finally got accessible and Windows came out and they had to start all over again. I wouldn't want to go back to the '80s. I now have my phone that I can use to access the world, read what is on my grocery labels, have pictures described to me, and basically know what's going on in the world. In the '80s, so much went by without any context, and that was in the formative years of my childhood."

cereal, cereal box, grocery shopping, groceries, grocery store, 80s, 1980s A woman reads a cereal box inside a grocery storeImage via Canva

5. "Reading everything — literally everything — I could get my hands on. Cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines. Luckily, my library was a bike ride away but carrying those back on my bike was fun."

"OMG, you are so right. That reminds me of things I hadn't thought about in ages.I used to feel so very bored that I'd read anything that had text on it, from cans of food to cereal boxes to whatever books (however insipid) I could lay my hands on. Even the obituary notices in the newspaper were worth a read. The internet really did away with the boredom, didn't it?!"

Speaking of reading…

toilet, bathroom reading, 80s, 1980s A frustrated man sits on the toiletImage via Canva

6. "Trying to find something to read in the bathroom to pass the time. I remember shampoo bottles and the contents of my wallet were my go-to's when a magazine or book was unavailable." "Yes! Shampoo bottles for desperate moments of boredom."

7. "Might be my own bias but being a kid in the '80s there was a lot of casual bullying and conformism. Not that bullying and conformism ever went away, but the '90s was more about counter-culture a bit."

Cyndi Lauper Party GIFGiphy

8. "I was a child in the '80s, but something that I don't think I've ever seen in modern pop culture retellings of '80s life, which I recall witnessing, is this: people think of the weird, wacky, fun colors and hair, etc., of the 1980s — like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Boy George styles. BUT for many people and mainstream communities, that was considered a 'weird' or 'rock and roll character' kind of presentation. People would often openly stare, laugh at, or disparage people who looked openly unique. It took a lot of courage to go out styled like that. It was acceptable to have a more 'subtle' take on the fun color trends."

"I believe the best real-time representation/evidence of this is in Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' music video, there’s a scene where she sits down in a diner with her boyfriend and his friends. She pulls off her cap to reveal her new hairstyle - half-shaved and dyed bright colors. Her boyfriend's friends start hysterically laughing, the boyfriend is quietly embarrassed, and she runs out of the diner in tears."

tv, 1980s, 80's, 80's TV, sitcoms A retro family watches TV in their living roomImage via Canva

9. "TV was just adult shows for most of the week, especially during summer break. Just soap operas and other boring things." "Staying home sick from school and all there was to watch were game shows and soap operas until the Gilligan's Island reruns came on."

savage reagan GIFGiphy

10. "The sheer sense of doom and pervasive low-key terror of nuclear war. The Soviets' nuclear arsenal pointing at us, and their nihilistic posturing in some ways remind me of the climate change dread we now have. Living with an existential threat is not something new."

"This is so completely underestimated or misunderstood. All through high school, I was convinced that the world would just end one day, and I'd have to figure out how to survive in a post-apocalyptic world afterwards. Yeah, we thought that people would survive an all-out nuclear war."

11. "The homophobia."

"It was casual, rampant, and virtually unquestioned. If you were gay or lesbian, and not living in a major city like New York or San Francisco, you were probably in the closet, at least to everyone but some close friends and (maybe) family. If you were trans, forget about it. Enjoy your life of dysphoria and misery. You don't really see that depicted so much in pop culture now."

"AIDS and '80s homophobia went hand in hand, and it's hard to overstate how much AIDS destroyed the gay community and how the dominant culture thought that was a good thing."

latchkey kids, 80s, 1980s, children, child safety A child opens a door to their homeImage via Canva

12. "Being a latchkey kid it was no frequent communication with your parents. I can't tell you how many times I stayed out all night as an 18-year-old and no one but who I was with knew where I was or what I was doing. My parents didn't know what I was doing all day as a 12–17-year-old, either! You only called your parents at work only if it was an emergency."

"Yes. It's almost like a 'parents didn't care' attitude that would be ascribed to that behavior now (but that wasn't right). Ma needed to work and that she didn't get home until 7 p.m. was just a reality. Oftentimes, she was gone when I got up and we had zero communication until she got home. I was just responsible for the whole shpiel of keeping myself alive."

1950s, 1980s, 80s, 50s, nostalgia A 1950s familyImage via Canva

13.The obsession people/media had about the '50s and '60s.”

“Part of it was stuff like 'Back to the Future,' '50s-themed diners and baseball jackets being popular, then there was the 20th anniversary of things, like various Beatles albums. I think the boomers at that point were in positions of influence and were looking back on their teens and twenties with rose-tinted glasses, so the rest of us had to suffer these cultural echoes from the generation before."

14."Cruising. Before social media, we would drive up and down the street, see and be seen. Stop at different businesses, the cool kids hung out at the Walgreens parking lot, the jocks at the McDonald's. But it was a small town so we would stop at all of them during the evening. That was our social world along with keggers in the desert all through high school and for folks that stayed in town for years after high school.

"It was like a social network but with your car."

And lastly…

15. "What a mess it was to get cleaned up!”

“That sparkle-blue eye shadow didn't come off easily and if it got in your eyes it was torture! That red lip gloss ran all over. And shampooing your hair three times to get out all the hairspray and the mousse. I loved the '80s and I had a marvelous time. But it was messy... but way worth it!"

This article originally appeared last year.

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1980s

Culture

People cast their vote for which fictional character would make the best president

Make it so.

Wikipedia

Leslie Knope, Jean-Luc Picard and Kermit the Frog.

A thread on Ask Reddit posed the question: Which fictional character would make a great U.S.A. president? Some answers were simple and lighthearted. Others were drawn out and thoughtful. Some characters are well-known. Others are a bit more obscure. Regardless, it’s a fun read and offers an insightful way to look at what it really means to be a leader.

Optimus Prime—Transformers

optimus prime GIFGiphy

This comment was so passionate I had to keep the entire thing:

“He's the perfect balance of introspection, deliberation, decisive action, compassion, toughness, fighting spirit, humility, and inspires others to greatness not because of his ego, but because he sincerely wants the best for everyone. He's eloquent enough to work with intellectuals, strong enough to keep corruption out, hard working and honest enough to connect with and inspire the working classes, and an absolute paragon of ethics. When it comes down to it, he puts his own ass on the line without hesitation. I'd vote for Optimus Prime. I'd work on his campaign staff. I'd canvas for Optimus. I'd fight his fights. He's the heroic leader we need. I wish he were here.” – Cephelopodia

Jean-Luc Picard—Star Trek: The Next Generation

jean luc picard, star trek next generation

Well Done Reaction GIFGiphy

“Make it so” is an awfully good campaign slogan.

“This character has informed so much of what I think of as the political ideal that's it's almost absurd.” – Tactius_AMP

Aragorn—The Lord of the Rings

the lord of the rings GIFGiphy

The King of Gondor rallied some intense loyalty and humorous political banter.

“He would have my allegiance until my sons, sons die.” – Radda210

“Well, he’s got eight years.” – AutismFractal

Captain Raymond Holt—Brooklyn 99

Season 8 Nbc GIF by Brooklyn Nine-NineGiphy

The stoic, pragmatic and serious-to-the-point-of-absurd police captain would bring a level of sophistication to the role. Plus he stands up for what he thinks is right.

The only drawback is we might have the more frivolous holidays cancelled. Like Christmas.

President Josiah Bartlet—The West Wing

The West Wing Lesson GIF by HBO MaxGiphy

“During 2020 with all the presidential speeches that sounded non presidential, I kept thinking that we needed a couple of Josiah Barlet speeches during that time.” – southdakotagirl

Uncle Iroh—Avatar: The Last Airbender

Animated GIFGiphy

For those not familiar with "Avatar: The Last Airbender," Uncle Iroh was a fan favorite, arguably for being the show’s moral compass and source of wisdom. Which was pretty remarkable, considering he was technically on the “bad side.”

“Calm, wise, friendly and best of all he already got all that war crime stuff out of his system years ago. He’d be the best us President in history.” – Lord Noodles

“…Iroh is the benevolent father we need, with quiet dignity and terrifying power.” – spaceman_spyff

Kermit the Frog—The Muppets

Press Conference Kermit GIFGiphy

“The lovers, the dreamers, and me would vote for him” – DrOddcat

Steve Rogers—Captain America

captain america GIFGiphy

I mean, he does stand for America’s ideals like no other. He has integrity, courage, honesty and let’s not forget stamina. He can do this all day, after all.

Leslie Knope—Parks and Recreation

Season 1 Leslie GIF by Parks and RecreationGiphy

“Leslie wouldn’t get sucked in to corruption. She would negotiate and compromise, as one should, but she wouldn’t “make deals” like most politicians. Above all else, she would always be honest!” – Happy_Camper45

“And she has binders of plans for everything” – Big_Economy_1729

(Sadly, there were very few female characters I saw on the thread. I’m hoping I just didn’t scroll far down enough.)

Last but not least … Captain Planet

Captain Planet Film GIFGiphy

Maybe then we’d take climate change seriously.

Okay, look, maybe it’s impossible for a real-life person to 100% embody these heroic traits. But that’s the beauty of fiction: It reveals our ultimate potential (for both good and bad). It can’t always take into account all the complexities and inevitable drawbacks of the human condition. It can, however, inspire us to be better.

Maybe there is no President Picard or President Rogers out there, but seeing them portrayed in our stories is still important. Observing the virtues they represent (and let’s not forget that they are representations and symbols, rather than multidimensional human beings, after all) might help inspire the next generation of heroes, leaders and politicians. That’s what well-written characters do.

In the meantime, I’ll start working on my campaign for "Ted Lasso"’s Keeley Jones for President.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Pop Culture

Jimmy Kimmel hosted an emotional reunion between 'Abbott Elementary' creator and her sixth-grade teacher

Ms. Abbott is the beloved 6th-grade teacher Quinta Brunson named her hit TV show after.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/Twitter

"Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson named her hit TV show after her beloved sixth grade teacher.

Few people have as profound an effect on a child's life as a teacher does. Most of us have educators who stand out in our memories for the way they taught us, encouraged us, challenged us or nurtured us. The powerful impact of a good teacher is priceless, which is why a surprise reunion between "Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson and her sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Abbott, is giving people all the warm-hearted feelings.

"Abbott Elementary" is an ABC mockumentary sitcom that debuted in December and has been getting rave reviews. It follows the daily life of teachers, administrators and students in a Philadelphia public school. People are loving it—especially teachers.

Jimmy Kimmel brought the show's creator Quinta Brunson onto his late-night show for an interview, and as they got chatting he pointed out that "Abbott Elementary" was named after a former teacher of Brunson's—Ms. Abbott from sixth grade. And when she showed up on a huge screen behind them, Brunson almost immediately started crying.

The joyful exchange they had was sweet, but it also illustrated how incredible teachers can be. Educators who have been in the classroom for a whole career have taught hundreds, if not thousands, of kids, and yet they can so often remember details about individual students who came through their classroom.

Watch:

The first thing Ms. Abbott said was, "I'm so proud of you!" Of course. Not only did Ms. Abbott remember Quinta Brunson, but she gave details about what kind of student she was.

"When she came into my class, she was really shy, timid," Abbott said. But she challenged her students and built up their confidence, and Brunson blossomed and "came out of her shell" during that school year.

Ms. Abbott told Kimmel that she was preparing to retire after teaching for nearly 30 years, and Kimmel surprised her with a special gift—an all-expenses paid, first-class, 5-day trip for two.

"You don't have to take Quinta with you, but she kind of did name the show after you," Kimmel joked.

As a teacher, seeing your students grow up to succeed in whatever they put their mind and heart into is rewarding enough. But every teacher who dedicates themselves to their students deserves this kind of extra gift as a thank-you for the work and the care they put into helping students grow and learn. And having an entire TV show named after you? That's just icing on the cake.

Congratulations to Quinta Brunson on the success of "Abbott Elementary" and to Ms. Abbott for the deserved recognition she's received from it. Teachers are heroes who should be highlighted like this more often, so seeing this joyful reunion and celebration is lovely to see.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Is Cocomelon ruining kids? Parents and experts weigh in.

Baby JJ just can't stay out of the headlines.

*Hajee/Flickr & Unsplash

When my oldest daughter was little, Cocomelon wasn't the sensation it is today. It didn't take over on YouTube until around 2018 and it didn't show up on Netflix until 2020. We discovered it around the time my youngest was born, and it was a lifesaver! What an amazing tool to have in our arsenal when we needed a break from chasing her around or needed her to sit still and eat for a few minutes.

She absolutely devoured it, and I never had an issue with JJ and the gang being on in the background. The show had cute songs, bright colors, and seemed to have some light teaching elements that I liked (letters, manners, eating fruits and vegetables, that kind of thing). Little did I know that Cocomelon was actually the most destructive show on television. At least, according to some parents and experts.

More and more has come out in recent years about Cocomelon's methods and how they're able to make their content so sticky.

The show is meticulously engineered to hold the attention of babies and toddlers. Everything is intentional, from the bright colors to the frequent cuts and scene changes.

In fact, during testing, Moonbug Entertainment (the producers behind the show) use something called a "Distractatron" to measure exactly when they're losing kids' attention. Basically, the Distractatron is a screen with mundane real-world footage rolling on it next to the episode they're testing. When kids look away from the show to watch whatever boring thing is being shown on the Distractatron, producers know they can tweak those moments in the episodes to make them more engaging.

Or addicting, depending on how you look at it.

There's a growing chorus of parents online that think this kind of testing and optimization is not just icky, but truly harmful.

Some even accuseCocomelon of causing or contributing to serious lifelong issues like delayed speech, ADHD, and even Autism.

People claim it turns kids into zombies and that they show symptoms of withdrawal when you make them turn it off.

The experts have weighed in, too: Cocomelon isn't necessarily great for kids, but it might be getting a bad rap.

"Cocomelon is very stimulating thus it really draws in the attention of children and it is also faster paced than some other shows for children which can make it more addictive," says Dr. Maya Weir of Thriving California.

The bright colors and quit camera cuts definitely contribute to the dopamine reward response in children, which makes watching it feel extra exciting. It can also make them really not want to turn the show off.

But... it's probably misguided to single out Cocomelon in particular.

"All screens and tv shows are attention grabbing and addictive for children. Any show will activate dopamine which will create the child to desire the show again and again. I don't think it is appropriate for parents to attribute speech delay, autism and ADHD to watching Cocomelon," says Weir.

Let's say that again for the folks in the back.

Watching TV, even hyper-optimized shows like Cocomelon, will not give your kids ADHD or autism.

It is worth having a look at how much overall screentime your kids are getting, however, whether it's with Cocomelon, another show, or a mix of different content.

"Highly stimulating shows like Cocomelon can make quieter activities feel as exciting as watching paint dry," says Veronica West, psychologist at My Thriving Mind. "That doesn’t mean it causes ADHD or speech delays, but too much screen time can crowd out important interactions like chatting, playing, and, you know, digging through the trash when you’re not looking. So, let’s blame screen overuse, not just JJ and his catchy tunes."

Screentime guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics are a good starting point. For kids 2-5, they recommend keep it to an hour or less per day.

Parents panicking over TV shows is nothing new. And it's totally understandable.

Anyone remember when Barney was thought to be subliminally sending satanic messages to kids through songs and leading to a generation of morally-bankrupt children?

Remember when Caillou was going to, for lack of a better term, turn kids evil through his modeling of horrible behavior?

Peppa Pig was even accused of quite literally causing autism in kids. The study the rumor was based on turned out to be a complete hoax, but those rumors have stuck around and turned a lot parents away from the show.

It's a good idea to try not to get caught up in the panic whenever a new show starts getting criticism.

In the last year or so, we've drastically reduced the amount of Cocomelon we use in our house. Down to almost zero. Part of that is that my youngest daughter is getting older. But I admit that I don't necessarily love the way it's engineered to be addicting, and that's been part of the decision.

But again, it's not just Cocomelon.

Our beloved Disney and Pixar do similar testing on their movies — they want to make sure they're triggering the right emotions at the right times and, of course, not losing your attention along the way.

That's just the world we live in now, and it continues through adulthood with Instagram, TikTok, and pretty much everything else we interact with.

I get the instinct to protect your kids from as much of this stuff as possible for as long as you can.

You're not going to mess your kids up by letting them watch Cocomelon! But here are a few things you might keep in mind if you choose to.

First, remember to set screentime limits. Just as important as what you choose to watch, is how much of it you allow.

Next, if possible, watch Cocomelon with your kids! The APA actually recommends zero solo media usage for kids under two. If you can, sit and watch with them and ask them questions about what they're seeing on the screen.

Similarly, sing the songs and do the dances with them after you've turned the show off. This will help reinforce critical social and speech skills.

And finally, remember that it's your choice. You don't have to allow Cocomelon in your house if you want. But we do need to be careful about casually implying that anything causes ADHD, autism, or speech delays when the evidence just isn't there.

And if you find JJ and his pals annoying and just don't want to listen to it anymore? Well, you're definitely not alone!

kids

Joy

People are convinced an Australian's cheeky little neighbor is a 'Bluey' character

It's seriously uncanny.

Representative photo by Gustavo Fring/Pexels

What do you do when your kindy-age neighbor challenges you to a bake-off?

It's been six years since "Bluey" debuted in Australia, and since then, the show has grown into a global phenomenon. Though it's aimed at kids, the series has created a passionate following among people of all ages who adore the heart and humor the Blue Heeler dogs from down under have to offer.

And it's been just over seven years since an adorably cheeky little girl, Harper, made her way into the world, and she has also grown into a viral Aussie phenomenon.

Harper lives next door to Brandon and Jordan Nolan, the twin music duo Take Two, in Sydney. Her interactions with their family seem like they come straight out of an episode of "Bluey," right down to the uncanny similarity between Harper's voice and the young "Bluey" cast members (whose identities remain anonymous).

Many of the interactions take place through the fence between their yards and Harper is never shown fully (a wise choice). The neighbors will share things over or under the fence, with Harper pranking the guys more than once with something that looks like food but contains dirt.

In a particularly hilarious video, Harper shares the "legit" cheesecake and ice cream she made as part of their bake-off competition. Seriously, 5-year-old Harper sounds just like Bluey's little sister, Bingo, with the quick wit to match.

Watch:

Harper also met Brandon's baby boy, Grayson, when she was 5, and that video is also an instant classic.

When she was 6, Brandon went for a walk with her and talked to her about him moving 10 minutes away. Her reaction is perfect.

Now that she's 7, her voice sounds a bit more like Bluey than Bingo, and still just as surreal to hear in real life asking questions like, "Have you been achieving much in life?"

It's hard not to hear the resemblance to the "Bluey" characters, as evidenced by the comments.

"Is that bluey and bingo on the other side of the fence!? 😅"

"Literally thought 'how could bluey and bingo are their neighbors?'"

"There needs to be an episode of Bluey where they get new neighbors and the girls befriend them like this."

"Bluey and Bingo living next door is wild."

"Please tell me that we all think the same thing because we are parents? It took me one second to say Bluey!"

"Omg I’m not the only one that thought omg BINGO!!!"

You can follow @alwaystaketwo on TikTok for more fun with Harper and her neighbors.

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Popular

'Why Schitt's Creek Deserved All Those Emmys' by someone who hated the show at first

Sarah McGonagall/Twitter

My husband and I had just finished watching "The Office" for the third time through and were looking for a new show to watch before bed. I'd seen a couple of friends highly recommend "Schitt's Creek," so we decided to give it a try.

My initial reaction to the first episode was meh. The characters were annoying and the premise was weird (pretentious and previously-filthy-rich family lives in a scuzzy motel in the middle of nowhere??). I felt nothing for the main characters, and I hate shows with horrible main characters that I can't root for. Even predicting that they were going to eventually be transformed by their small town experiences, I didn't see liking them. It didn't grab either of us as worth continuing, so we stopped.

But then I kept hearing people whose taste I trust implicitly talk about how great it was. I know different people have different tastes, but I realized I had to be missing something if these friends of mine raved on and on about it. So we gave it another shot.

It took a bit—I don't know how many episodes exactly, but a bit—to start liking it. Then a bit longer to start really liking it, and then at some point, it became a full-fledged, gushy, where-have-you-been-all-my-life love affair.

So when the show took home nine Emmy awards over the weekend—breaking the record for the most wins in a season for a comedy—I wasn't surprised. Here's why:

The character development—but not in the way I expected

This part seems predictable just based on the premise, right? The characters are self-centered and snooty in the beginning, but they're going to be changed by their experiences in this small, quirky town, blah blah blah. And they are. That happens. But what I found surprising about the character development in the show is how much they didn't change. The town and the people they got to know certainly had an affect on them, and vice versa, but the changes in the characters felt more like a slow revealing of the different dimensions of their personalities rather than an actual change in who they were. We got to see the characters bloom into themselves as opposed to change from one thing to another, which is honestly the best kind of character development.

I was also surprised to find that some of the things I found annoying in the beginning became endearing. The Roses didn't give up the frivolous complaints, the bizarro accents, or the distinct fashion sense that they started with, and those things became lovable quirks, endemic to their characters. So while transformation was predictable, it didn't play out quite the way I expected, and I found myself oddly happy that it didn't.

The wide range of relationships

Along with the individual characters, the relationships between the characters also bloom into themselves. John and Moira's marriage is steady and solid throughout, and it's sweet to see their consistent and genuine support of one another. Alexis's relationships fluctuate between sexy and sickeningly cute, and we get to see her grow and mature through them.

David and Stevie's friendship is hilarious—to see these two sardonic souls find one another in the unlikely setting of a cheap motel and navigating that "are we or aren't we" question until they figured it out is just plain old good TV.

But David and Patrick's relationship is where Schitt's Creek really shines. Though seeing homosexual relationships on television isn't really novel anymore, I don't recall ever seeing the entire arc of one, from meeting to marriage, in a TV series. And the way they made it a classic rom-com romance, with a sort of sweetness and purity to it, was something new and fresh. They're genuinely adorable.

And then there were the Roses as a unit. It feels like they became a true family in Schitt's Creek before ultimately going their separate ways because they were ready to. I really did find myself rooting for all of them.

The humor and the GIFs

Honestly, I wasn't sure about the humor at the beginning of this show. Much like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation," "Schitt's Creek" is a character-driven comedy, so the laughs take a while to develop. Once they do, though, it's sheer delight. When my husband and I started quoting lines from the show, from Moira's "Alexis can't have a be-be" to Alexis's "Ew, David," all the time, we knew we'd found a winner.

And the GIFs. There is a "Schitt's Creek" GIF for every occasion, which in the age of social media is pretty much the hallmark of a good comedy. Eugene Levy is always funny, but Dan Levy (his son in real life as well as on the show) is simply genius in this role. His facial expressions, body language, inflections—he's so dang hilarious. Catherine O'Hara is so over the top as Moira that it somehow works, and Annie Murphy rounds the family out with her own brand of physical comedy and iconic voice work.

And this...

It's hard to describe how lovely and enjoyable this show is without making it seem boring or unrealistic or silly or simple. And maybe it's some of those things, and maybe that's okay. More than that, though, this show created a story that didn't rely on so many of the problematic tropes that show up in practically every show, whether it's a comedy or drama. This tweet by Sarach McGonagall said it perfectly.

"Schitt's Creek made a point to make viewers feel safe by showcasing women without harassment, queer love without trauma, sexual fluidity without shame, economic disparity without mockery, and creativity without limitation. What they built is just so special. They deserve it all."

It's just so good. So much better than the first few episodes would indicate. If you watched an episode or three and it didn't take, I highly recommend sticking it out. It's well worth it, and totally deserving of the Emmy Awards sweep.

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