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James Marsden’s mom sent a Golden Globe text that was pure sweetness

Can she please adopt us?

Gage Skidmore/ Wikimedia Commons

James Marsden and Thandie Newton at Comic-Con

There’s no shortage of stories of celebrities whose family members are wholly unimpressed by their fame.

“When I see myself up on a billboard, I have this complete dissociation with it ... I’m like, 'Who’s that?'” actress Emily Blunt told InStyle. "And I can see my children doing the same […] it’s not exciting for them. What’s exciting for them is when I can pick them up from school and take them swimming.”

Meanwhile, Matt Damon told Seth Meyers that his daughter goes out of her way to watch his flops. “She is very clear about not wanting to see anything that I’m in if she thinks it might be good,” Damon told the TV host. “If I get bad reviews in something, that’s the one she wants to see.”

These stories are common and admittedly amusing. Who doesn’t enjoy finding out that even A-listers are treated like mere regular people sometimes? But what about tales of stars’ family members who are just as impressed by the glitz and glamour as we might be?

These stories are far fewer.

Maybe for this reason, everyone is going absolutely bonkers over James Marsden’s mom’s sweet and uncynical reaction to his Golden Globes nomination.

The "Dead to Me" actor, who was nominated for his role as himself in the genre-bending mockumentary "Jury Duty," posted a message from his mom to his Instagram, and it’s unbelievably sweet and maternal.

We love you James Marsden’s mother!!!! 😩😩😩 pic.twitter.com/BNSP7VD3pe
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) January 9, 2024

"My favorite moment of tonight was when they had your picture up with the other five nominees," Kathleen Marsden wrote. "Just like I've seen all my life of different nominee pics all together like that. “And I [was] saying to myself — my son is one of the 6 chosen and there he is up on the tv screen next to the other nominees. MY son did that. I can't quit smiling.”

James Marsden first golden globe nomination for playing James Marsden pic.twitter.com/BcvslRYI1P
— wengel (@wengelll) January 8, 2024

Marsden ultimately lost to Matthew Macfayden for his role in "Succession," but that didn’t seem to tarnish the wholesome mother-son moment.

“My mom, I love you,” Marsden posted on Instagram in response to his mom’s text. He followed it with the red heart emoji.

Fans were understandably moved.

“We love you, James Marsden’s mom!!!!” X user Meech wrote about the sweet text in a post viewed over 1.4 million times.

“This is so wholesome and adorable!” JaydeExotic responded.

“This is so sweet, no wonder he’s a peach,” deedeedeeobrien said, using the crying and heart emojis.

we need more wholesome things like this on the internet.
— Baz 😷 (@allthatbazzz) January 10, 2024

“We need more wholesome things like this on the internet,” said allthatBaz (quick: someone send her a link to Upworthy!)

Multiple fans made a note of crying from the poignancy of the exchange.

“I just applied lash serum. I’m trying not to cry,” wrote AziaraNaskshatra. “Crying in the club,” lovekatebray added.

One fan took it as an opportunity to reflect, in a pretty relatable way, about how their own mom might not have offered the same unvarnished support. “I love this because my mom would be like “you looked shiny I don’t care for that lipstick color congrats on just being nominated there’s no shame in losing,” said AKCooper315832.

This is not the first time Marsden has featured his mom on social media.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by James Marsden (@james_marsden)

A few years ago, on Mother’s Day, he posted a photo of himself with his mother and wrote, “To my loving Mom and to every mother out there, guiding our ways, filling our hearts, and teaching us what love is, we owe you everything. Happy Mother’s Day!”

If there’s a takeaway here, it’s that we all want to feel the people closest to us support us. We also all want James Marsden’s mom to be our mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!”

If there’s a takeaway here, it’s that we all want to feel the people closest to us support us. We also all want James Marsden’s mom to be our mom.

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Japanese women are fighting their country's insanely sexist high heels "dress code."

#KuToo

Women in Japan are being discriminated against for not wearing heels to work. But now they won't stand for it anymore.

High heels used to be worn by men, then they were like, "Oh, no. These hurt. Let's let women wear them. They give labor. They're used to feeling unspeakable pain."

Sure, heels elongate your legs, making them look better, but is the pain even worth it? We don't think so, and it turns out, a group of Japanese woman that is 20,000 strong don't think so either.

Alice McCall - Runway - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2018 Getty Images

Recently, a group of Japanese women petitioned their government to ban the requirement for women to heels to work or in job interviews.

The movement, which is known as "KuTu" or #KuToo, was launched by Japanese writer and actress Yumi Ishikawa. The name is a play on words. Kutsu means shoes, and kutsuu means pain, making the moniker very appropriate.

Ishikawa has her own experience with shoe pain, saying she had to change careers after a hotel made her stand in heels for eight hours during her training. Ouch.

The movement has been gaining a lot of momentum, with nearly 20,000 people signing the petition to relax the standards on footwear for women at work. The campaign went viral after Ishikawa tweeted about having to wear heels at her part time job at a funeral parlor. "It's hard to move, you can't run and your feet hurt. All because of manners," said Ishikawa.

— (@)

But it's not just high heels that are the issue. It's what the heels represent, which is deeply rooted misogyny in Japan.

In the World Economic Forum's ranking of gender-equality, Japan sits at 110 out of 149 countries, so it really isn't about the shoes. "Expecting or imposing a feminine standard at the workplace is the issue here," Shino Naito, vice senior researcher at the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training in Tokyo, said. Some people have even said the practice of making women wear heels to work is only a step above the practice of foot binding. Anyone who's ever had to spend more than an hour in heels would have to concur.

— (@)

The women might have a longer road to walk, and they'll unfortunately have to do it in shoes that hurt their feet. Takumi Nemoto, the minister of health and labor in Japan said that wearing heels to work, "is socially accepted as something that falls within the realm of being occupationally necessary and appropriate." It makes sense if you don't think about it.

If you don't have to spend eight hours a day with your foot wedged into a heel, you probably shouldn't be the one to say it's "necessary."

A mass-shooting in Virginia Beach has left 11 people dead and many other injured. According to the Washington Post, a longtime municipal employee opened fire in a public works building before being killed by police who exchanged gunfire with the assailant.

One officer is among the wounded. Police Chief Kames A. Cervera said that his life was saved by his protective vest as he was hit by the gunman who "fired indiscriminately" throughout the building. "This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach." said Mayor Bobby Dyer.

— (@)

As our own writer Annie Reneau eloquently stated less than one month ago:

I am a person of faith, but I am done with our first and only response to mass shootings being to think about and pray for victims. Thoughts and prayers are a given, not a solution.

I'm done with lone wolf after lone wolf after lone wolf—the majority of which actually have some striking commonalities—terrorizing my country because we refuse to take any serious steps to prevent the easiest means of mass murder.

I'm done with blaming mental health when every other country in the world has mentally unstable people and nowhere near our number of mass shootings.

— (@)

Now, with yet another mass shooting on the books, it's time to shift away from "thoughts and prayers" and lean into common sense action.

After the Parkland shooting, one site put together a list of 30 concrete examples of things we can all do now to support sensible gun control and put an end to mindless, and yes, systemic, gun violence. That was followed by another guide to sensible gun control solutions that gained immediately popularity but is in continual need of greater attention. Here are 10 of the best solutions, but you can read all of them here.

DONATE TO A GUN REFORM (GVP) GROUP. It's sad but true - money talks.
CALL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
JOIN A LOCAL GUN REFORM GROUP
DONATE TO POLITICIANS, WHO ADVOCATE FOR COMMONSENSE GUN REFORMS (See #1)
SHOP WITH AMAZON? MAKE SURE THAT YOU SIGN UP FOR AMAZON SMILE AND DONATE TO A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (GVP) ORGANIZATION
IF YOU HAVE GUNS IN THE HOME, LEARN ABOUT PREVENTING CHILD ACCESS TO GUNS IN THE HOME
ASK YOUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THEIR GUN POLICIES AND DEMAND THAT THEY PUBLISH THEM
OIN A CAMPAIGN TO GET COMPANIES TO BAN GUNS IN THEIR STORES
SPEAK AT YOUR HOUSE OF WORSHIP OR COMMUNITY GROUP ABOUT GUN REFORM
PLEDGE TO SUPPORT ONLY CANDIDATES WHO WILL FIGHT TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE

We can't stop gun violence overnight but we can change our cultural approach to guns and gun violence very quickly. Politicians and corporations follow the lead of the people, for better and for worse. Sending a message through our voices, and our wallets, that we demand sensible change now is the surest way to create a cultural wave that protects all Americans and puts our nation's First Amendment back on top of the interests of those who seemingly only think about our Second Amendment.

twitter com

James Marsden’s mom sent a Golden Globe text that was pure sweetness

Can she please adopt us?

Japanese women are fighting their country's insanely sexist high heels "dress code."

#KuToo

Women in Japan are being discriminated against for not wearing heels to work. But now they won't stand for it anymore.

The movement, which is known as "KuTu" or #KuToo, was launched by Japanese writer and actress Yumi Ishikawa. The name is a play on words. Kutsu means shoes, and kutsuu means pain, making the moniker very appropriate.

But it's not just high heels that are the issue. It's what the heels represent, which is deeply rooted misogyny in Japan.

11 people killed in Virginia Beach mass shooting, several others injured. 'Thoughts and prayers' are not enough.

A mass-shooting in Virginia Beach has left 11 people dead and many other injured. According to the Washington Post, a longtime municipal employee opened fire in a public works building before being killed by police who exchanged gunfire with the assailant.

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