Culture

Family

Nature

Science

Subscribe

Sports? The Royal Family? Joe Rogan? 15 things people can’t believe adults take seriously.

“Sports. I get it. It’s entertainment. But calm down. You aren’t on the team.”

By

Tod Perry

royal family, joe rogan sports fans
Photo credit: via Daveynin/Flickr and Do512/Flickr – Should adults take sports or Joe Rogan so seriously?

When we take a look at humanity, there are countless things we take seriously, that may not matter in the grand scheme of things. Many of us also have a soft spot for ideas that aren’t exactly scientific.

No one is perfect, and it’s okay for us to take pleasure in being invested in some forms of inconsequential entertainment simply because they are fun. The trouble comes when people waste their lives and resources on ridiculous things that do more harm than good.

The key idea is that no one is immune from taking something seriously that others may think is a waste of time. But, to each their own or vive la différence as the French put it.

A Redditor who goes by the username Hogw33d asked the AskReddit forum, “What is something you can’t believe real grownup people take seriously?” Many people responded that they don’t understand how some people can invest so much time and energy into things they deem frivolous.

The list was a great way for some to vent but it also provides a solid skeptics guide to some of the pitfalls we may unwillingly fall into in life.

Here are 15 things people “can’t believe” that “real grownup people take seriously.”

​1. Community theater

“This is niche but community theatre. The DRAMA among grown adults is insane, worse than when I was in high school. Like yall, we are singing and dancing and wearing silly costumes. It’s not that serious.” — MediocreVideo1893

2. MLMs (multi-level marketing)

“I just don’t understand how people keep falling for it. They always think that there’s a difference. It’s all the same pyramid scheme y’all.” — IsItTurkeyNeckorDick

“I think we should take them way more seriously. They can do massive damage to a person’s financial and mental health. We need to stop treating them as a cute thing that naive people get sucked into, and ban them for the scam they are.” — Hydro123456

3. Flat Earthers

“I think it actually started as a sort of debating society. Just for people to practice and become better at rhetoric. But, they actually convinced some people and now, this is what we have.” — Addicus

“There’s one of those apocryphal quotes that goes along the lines of, ‘Any group of people that get their laughs pretending to be idiots is bound to be taken over by actual idiots who think they’ve found good company.” — RilohKeen

4. Social media outrage

“Social media in general. Too many people believe every clickbait headline or buy into whatever trend is taking over. Feels like people can’t self soothe and need the validation or something, it’s just weird.” — Cynn13

“‘Outrage over Z’ ‘People slam Y’ And it’s only like a few people on Twitter or Reddit and they present it as some huge backlash or major issue lol.” — Sclubadubdub

“The political news channels do almost nothing other than this. They tell viewers the other party is outraged about something that you never find a real person outraged by and create culture wars that no one is actually fighting.” — Herbdontana

5. Reality TV

“It’s all fake, too. An acquaintance of mine works at a major studio. Those shows are all scripted and fake.” — SpaceMoneky3301967

6. Sports fans

“People take being a fan of a sport (or team) way too seriously, imo. I promise you don’t need to riot because ‘your team’ lost.” — AdmirableProgress743

“My husband works himself into such a state over something he can’t control and is, imo, of absolutely no consequence to his life. He’s toned it down because I told him the screaming and cursing terrorize me and our daughter. But he stews and mutters obscenities.” — Complex_Yam_5390

7. Scientology

“Might as well just say every religion. They’re all coocoo bonkers.” — JenniferC1714

8. Gossip

“Gossip in general. I live in a small town and it is maddening how people here are so serious about it. It’s not light fun chatting, it’s all SCANDAL and we need to take ACTION. I swear a lot of people’s problems would be immediately solved if they just stopped giving a sh*t what everyone else does (to an extent).” — Buffalopantry

9. Facebook

“My mom will literally call me up if I didn’t like a recent post of hers. There have been a few times where she asked why I didn’t like every photo she just posted. It’s maddening. I’ve also had periods of deactivating my fb only for my mom to guilt me into reactivating it.” — Zealousideal_Mix6771

10. Billionaire ‘geniuses’

“Elon Musk and other billionaire ‘geniuses.’ People are pretty freaking gullible.” — GladysSchwartz23

“Most average people don’t realize that being incredibly smart doesn’t automatically mean you are good at doing things like running a large company. They tend to assume people at the top must be there based on merit. In reality, there are some massively stupid people running huge companies, and there some brilliant people who are shoveling shit for a living.” — Captcha_Trampstamp

11. The royal family

“I have a news app on my phone and no matter how much I tweak my interest to avoid any gossip BS I still get “Breaking News! Some insignificant bullshit about the Royals”. It’s not news, it’s not interesting, stop reporting this utter drivel.” — Sclubadubdub

12. Religion

“The creator of the universe impregnated a virgin, only to deliberately kill the child 30 years later, to save people from…himself.” — Opteryx5

“I grew up figuring everyone was just roleplaying and was shocked to learn religion is taken seriously by many people. It was a real eye-opener for someone who grew up in a secular environment.” — Kilterboard_addict

13. Vaccine skeptics

“I work in medicine and am starting to get really worried about the vaccine skepticism. It used to be a little more rare, so I would counsel, they spout incorrect information, I tell give a little retort/response, and then move on because time is tight. But now it’s happening so often that I’m working way harder to persuade because I feel a strong obligation to fight all the bullshit info that has obviously taken hold.” — KellyNJames

14. Loud exhaust systems on cars

“As someone who lives next to traffic lights and can hear all y’all shi**y music and loud exhausts all day… I approve this message.” — Rainbow-Singbird

15. Joe Rogan

“The whole ‘I’m just an idiot don’t pay any attention to what I say’ schtick doesn’t really work anymore.” — FoucaultsPrudendum

“It was great when he had a guest that was in academia, like a physicist or something. I would skip over most of the comedy buddy circle jerks he would host. Then when COVID happened I had to stop entirely. He fully went off the deep end then. Still, he introduced me to Dan Carlin’s work, for which I am very grateful.” — Xczechir

Add to Google News

Tags

More for You

  • The Bee Gees’ perfect harmonies on Johnny Carson in 1973 left him completely speechless
    Photo credit: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson/YouTube – The Bee Gees perform on "The Tonight Show" in 1973.
    ,

    The Bee Gees’ perfect harmonies on Johnny Carson in 1973 left him completely speechless

    When family members harmonize, there’s nothing quite like it.

    Tod Perry

    Upworthy Staff

    The Bee Gees were one of the most popular pop groups in the world from the late ‘60s to the late ‘70s. In the early years, they had big hits such as “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” “I Started a Joke,” and “To Love Somebody.” In the late ‘70s, they found a new sound, disco music and made massive hits for the dance floor, including “Staying Alive” and “More Than a Woman.”

    However, between those booming Bee Gee eras, their career seemed to be on the way down. By 1973, their most recent album, “Life in a Tin Can,” and single, “Saw a New Morning,” had flopped, and they began to play smaller clubs. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t win people over with their incredible harmonies. Case in point was their March 23, 1973 performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”

    Carson introduced the band by touting its history as songwriters. “My next guests have had quite a career. Their compositions have been recorded by people like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, Tom Jones and hundreds of others,” Carson said.

    The band opened their set on stage performing “Wouldn’t I Be Someone” and “Saw A New Morning” and then sat down for a chat with Carson, discussing why they don’t like playing large arenas and how they got started performing together as children. After the break, they returned with an acoustic guitar and performed their first number 1 hit, “Massachusetts,” from 1967, with Robin Gibb on lead with his brothers Barry and Maurice chiming in perfect harmony. 

    If you look closely in the background, Maurice is having fun goofing off when he’s not on vocal duties. At the end of the performance, Carson appears to be a bit choked up as he adjusts his tie.

    “Massachusetts” was written about the great migration of young people to San Franciso in 1967, as the hippie movement began to take off in the mid-to-late ‘60s. Interestingly, the Bee Gees had never been to the state.

    Tried to hitch a ride to San Francisco

    Gotta do the things I wanna do

    And the lights all went out in Massachusetts

    They brought me back to see my way with you

    “There are two different memories, Robin remembers us doing it in a boat going around New York City. And I remember us checking in at the St. Regis with Robert, going to the suite, and while the bags were being brought in we were so high on being in New York, that’s how ‘Massachusetts’ began,” Barry recalled the song’s creation in the “Horizontal” liner notes. “I think we were strumming basically the whole thing, and then I think we went on a boat round New York. I don’t know if we finished it, but I think that’s where the memories collide. Everybody wrote it. All three of us were there when the song was born.”

    The song was initially written by the band for The Seekers, but they were unsuccessful in getting it to the band, so they recorded it themselves.

    The Bee Gees would have a career turnaround in 1975 when they experimented with a new, more soulful sound with the song “Jive Talkin.” This became a big hit and propelled them into the world of disco, where they would become one of the era’s most popular acts.

    The Bee Gees’ historic career ended when Maurice passed away in 2003 at age 53. Robin followed in 2009 at age 62. Barry, 79, is the final surviving member of the band.

    This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

    Keep Reading →
  • Māori singer wows all four judges on ‘The Voice,’ then she teaches them how to do the haka
    Photo credit: Talent Snacks/Youtube – Aunty Ora teaches the haka on The Voice Australia
    ,

    Māori singer wows all four judges on ‘The Voice,’ then she teaches them how to do the haka

    Moments like this show how culture can be shared with care and enthusiasm.

    Heather Wake

    Back in 2017, Māori singer Ora Taukamo, known as “Aunty Ora,” wowed judges on The Voice: Australia with her rendition of Adele’s “One and Only,” somehow making it even more soulful than the original. 

    It was then that judge Delta Goodrem asked Taukamo what she did outside of singing.

    Taukamo answered, “I teach the haka.”

    Intrigued, judge Kelly Rowland asked, “Can I learn the haka?” Taukamo giggled while saying, “Sure!” Then, Rowland, Goodrem, and the two other Voice judges, Boy George and Joe Jonas, stepped up on stage for an impromptu lesson. 

    The group put their hands on their hips, bent their legs into a squat position, and began stomping on their right foot in unison while hitting both hands on their thighs. As their percussion began setting, Taukamo began leading them through a chant. 

    The moment was cool enough on its own, but made even more heartening by the way it instilled pride among fellow New Zealanders. 

    “You make me feel proud to be a Kiwi you lovely woman!”

    “I aroha ahau ki taua haka.  (I loved that haka.)  Really nice how the panel joined in. Beautiful voice.”

    “Taahua… making Aotearoa proud.”

    “Adore you !!! Aroha (Luv) your whanau (family- all of the 5 million) in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

    Taukamo would eventually end up going home on the show after singing these showstoppers: “Circle of Life” from The Lion King,  “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston, a ”Love Me Tender” cover by Norah Jones,  “Open Arms” by Journey, “All of Me” by John Legend, “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly, a “With A Little Help From My Friends” cover by Joe Cocker, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, and “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.

    Aside from her powerhouse vocals and her impressive haka teaching abilities, Taukamo is remembered for her infectiously positive energy, which che clearly infuses into her craft in order to lift others’ spirits up. This can clearly be seen on her Facebook bio, where she writes, “Your voice is a tool to help heal others.🎙️Sing from your heart at all times and just be yourself, most of all be natural.”

    That philosophy came through in that brief, joyful exchange on stage.

    The haka is more than choreography. It carries history, identity, and connection, and Taukamo shared it in a way that welcomed others while honoring where it comes from. Watching the judges laugh while trying to follow her lead created a sense of togetherness that reached far beyond the studio audience.

    moari, the voice, the voice australia
    Four different colored figurines on a globe Photo credit: Canva

    Moments like this show how culture can be shared with care and enthusiasm. A few minutes of music and movement turned into something people across the world could feel a part of. Taukamo may not have taken home the top prize, but in this way, her impact was all the more meaningful. She left behind a performance that people still talk about, one that celebrates voice in every sense of the word.

    Keep Reading →
  • Emma Thompson reveals the detail that made that big ‘Love Actually’ scene so heartbreaking
    Photo credit: STUDIOCANAL/YouTube – Emma Thompson's bedroom scene in "Love Actually"
    ,

    Emma Thompson reveals the detail that made that big ‘Love Actually’ scene so heartbreaking

    Thompson beautifully explained the layers that make the scene so iconic.

    Annie Reneau

    Upworthy Staff

    The 2003 film Love Actually is probably best known for its controversial-ish cue card scene, where Andrew Lincoln’s character professes his love for Keira Knightley by silently showing her cue cards, including the famous (or infamous) line, “To me, you are perfect.”

    But there’s another scene in the film that doesn’t get nearly the recognition it deserves. It’s well-regarded, but not nearly well-regarded enough.

    It’s been over 20 years since the late Alan Rickman broke Emma Thompson’s heart by buying that little office tart a necklace in Love Actually, and some of us still haven’t forgiven him.

    With its overlapping love stories set during Christmastime, the film has become a holiday classic, despite some controversy over whether it’s actually any good. Some people love it, some people hate it, but no one can deny that Thompson gives an Oscar-worthy performance in one utterly heart-wrenching scene.

    Of the eight “Love Actually” relationships, Harry and Karen (Rickman and Thompson, respectively) is the one that gives the film some serious gravitas. While other characters are pining or shooting their shot with varying levels of success, Harry is having a midlife-crisis affair with a modelesque coworker, while Karen shuffles their children to and fro and keeps Harry’s life running smoothly. We see him lie, we see her start to suspect, but the scene where she opens her Christmas present from Harry (a Joni Mitchell CD, not the necklace she had found hidden in his coat and thought was for her) is when we see Thompson’s acting strengths in full view.

    Like, phew.

    What’s so striking about the scene, however, is that it’s not dramatic in a typical way. There’s no external conflict—it’s just Thompson excusing herself from the family to process, in secret, what she’s just discovered. We see and feel her heartbreak—it’s so visceral—but that’s not what makes the scene so powerful. Heartbreak happens all the time in movies.

    As Thompson explains in a BBC Radio 1 interview, it’s the fact that she can’t react the way she wants that pulls at people’s heartstrings so hard.

    “I think it’s just because everybody’s been through something like it,” Thompson says. “What I think really gets to them, though, is that she has to pull herself together. It’s not that she’s upset. That’s, you know, ten a penny. But it’s that she has to pull herself together.”

    It’s true. The conflict in the scene is between her wanting to break down and her wanting to keep her family’s Christmas memories happy and intact. She is a devastated wife, but she’s also a devoted mother who doesn’t want to devastate her kids. We feel the tension between those two roles and the way she swallows up her grief in order to get her kids to their holiday concert right after finding out her marriage isn’t what she thought it was.

    When you think about it, it’s incredibly poignant. And though not everyone loves the film, it’s moments like this one that have helped it stand the test of time and stay on many people’s holiday watch-list.

    “I think it’s to do with the fact that we’re required in our lives to repress the things that we’re feeling,” Thompson explained on TODAY. “So, you can be hit right between the eyes with some terrible piece of news, but you can’t react immediately because you’ve got your children there. It’s that thing of not showing — that’s why it hurts. That’s why it moves us.”

    “If she went, ‘Oh my God! I thought you were going to give me a necklace! And now you’ve given it to somebody else,’ we would not be moved, you know?” she continued. “We’re moved because she just goes, ‘I’m not gonna do it.’ And then she makes the bed, the bed that sort of suddenly feels so empty of meaning. And then she goes down and goes, ‘Hello, everyone! Let’s go.’ That’s why people identify.”

    And the way she plays it is perfect. Any actor can cry, but it’s her crying while trying not to cry, and the way she shows us her inner emotional turmoil without ever saying a single word is impressive.

    If you’ve never seen “Love Actually” and want to see the Harry and Karen story, here are just their scenes:

    Some people have asked whether Harry actually physically cheated or not, but “Love Actually” script editor Emma Freud clarified that he did. “DEFINITELY had an affair,” she wrote on X in 2015. “I begged Richard just to make it a flirtation, but no. The whole way.”

    And did Harry and Karen stay together in the end? The film doesn’t really make it clear, but at the screening Freud answered the question: “They stay together but home isn’t as happy as it once was.” Oof. There’s just no non-heartbreaking answer to that question.

    This is why we watch films, though, isn’t it? To see our humanity reflected back to us? To feel what the characters feel? To have our hearts broken vicariously so we can have a good cry without going through the actual pain ourselves?

    People usually watch rom-coms for the romance, the comedy, and the happy endings, though. So here’s to Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman for giving us one of cinema’s most poignant scenes in one of its most unexpected places.

    This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

    Keep Reading →
  • Responses to silly ‘depluralize a movie’ prompt showcase how delightfully clever people can be
    Photo credit: Canva – Depluralized movie titles have brought out people's wordplay skills.
    ,

    Responses to silly ‘depluralize a movie’ prompt showcase how delightfully clever people can be

    These went so much harder than expected.

    Annie Reneau

    For all of the downsides of social media, one of its biggest upsides is how it highlights how incredibly funny some people are. Short form posts are a perfect place for quippy wit and humor to shine, and when you toss in a prompt with a grammatical twist, the result is a showcase of human cleverness.

    A perfect example is the “Depluralize a movie” prompt, which has made its way around various social media sites and brings out the most concisely skilled word nerds among us.

    “JAW.” Cute, simple, straightforward. You can take any movie with a plural “s” and just remove it for a tiny chuckle. “The Avenger.” “Star War.” “Heather.” But the best responses make you think for a minute before the light bulb goes on and the belly laugh hits:

    “Lion and Prejudice.”

    “Tree Gump.”

    “Snow White and no one else.”

    “A Crow on the Orient Express.”

    “Gone with the Air Molecule.”

    “The Breakfast Individual.”

    “Fish of rock.”

    “Indiana Jone.”

    “Child of the kernel.”

    “Clause of Endearment.”

    “Cheaper By Myself.”

    “Chitty Bang”

    “Monster, Sole Proprietor.”

    “BRICK-E.”

    @dadchats

    Currently the only thing keeping me going

    ♬ original sound – dadchats

    “Inchloose.”

    “A Single Ado About Nothing”

    “One Good Man.”

    “Something, Somewhere, Once”

    “Saturday at Bernie’s”

    “One Dollar Baby.”

    “Mario Only Child”

    “The Postman Rang Once The One Time He Stopped By.”

    “I for Vendetta”

    “Malcom I”

    “Jumanjus.”

    That last one is a perfect example of why people are loving the responses to this prompt. “Jumanji” isn’t even plural, but applying the rule that gives us cactus/cacti and octopus/octopi, we get “Jumanjus.” Cleverly hilarious.

    Some adjustments are just so silly, you can’t help but laugh, like “Indiana Jone.” Many of them use animal groups (pride of lions, murder of crows, school of fish) that you have to decipher or stretch your logic to break down things we don’t think of as plural (wall to brick, wind to air molecule, corporation to sole proprietor). And “I for Vendetta” and “Malcolm I”? Perfect. (As one person said, we don’t have enough Roman numeral humor in the world.)

    People loved seeing how creative others were in their responses:

    “This thread is for the ‘pleasure to have in class’ kids only and I love it. 😂”

    “Gods everyone is so much smarter than me. I’m just over here trying to think of titles ending in S.”

    “I’ve never been more ok with everyone been smarter than me. 😂”

    “I cannot read this thread while my partner is trying to sleep beside me. I am SHAKING the bed, laughing.”

    Woman, laughing, humor, wit
    Why do we find wordplay so funny? Photo credit: Canva

    Why do people find these depluralized titles so funny, though? Likely the same reason we delight in puns and spoonerisms. Wordplay tickles our brains and our funny bones.

    As neuroscientist Dean Burnett shared with BBC Science Focus, “Humor is essentially our brain going ‘This isn’t how things usually work… but I’m okay with it!’”

    Burnett explains that humor happens in our brains when there’s incongruity between what we expect to happen and what actually happens and we resolve that incongruity.

    “Basically, thanks to these complex systems in our brains, humour can be derived from things being surprising, unexpected or wrong in some form, as long at it’s resolved, without negative consequences,” he writes.

    That’s essentially what’s happening when we see a familiar movie title altered in a way that we don’t expect but that ultimately makes sense. Whatever the humor trigger, it’s so fun to have so many people enjoy some wordplay together.

    Keep Reading →
  • 56 years after it first debuted, Robert Plant performs a majestic version of ‘Ramble On’
    Photo credit: Raph_ph, Ella Mullins/Flickr – Robert Plant, then and now.
    ,

    56 years after it first debuted, Robert Plant performs a majestic version of ‘Ramble On’

    “It’s why this man is on the shortest of short lists of the best front men of all time.”

    Cecily Knobler

    In 1969, the Juggy Sound Studio in New York City was forever changed. It was that year and place that Led Zeppelin recorded (at least part of) their album Led Zeppelin II, with the song “Ramble On” its 7th track. The song, co-written by front man Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page (who also produced the track), has remained a staple in their extraordinarily rocking catalogue for over half a century.

    So when Robert Plant, at the ripe young age of 77, casually strolled onto the set of The Late show with Stephen Colbert and flawlessly belted out the song, fans sure noticed. Yes, his face has more wrinkles – time will do that to a person. But it’s time itself that made the lyrics to this particular song all the more meaningful.

    “Like he wrote it this morning”

    Guitar Gods Unleashed took to X to share the video, writing “’Ramble On’ is 56 years old, and Robert Plant just walked onto The Late Show and made it sound like he wrote it this morning.”

    The comments are so fitting for such a powerhouse performance. One X-er notes that some rock stars age. But Robert Plant? “You see the aging rock star trying to replay their youth, then you have Robert Plant being Robert Plant, and it rivals the original from a half century ago. Just incredible.”

    Lord of the Rings

    Another points out the lyrics, which reference J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular book series turned movies, Lord of the Rings. “I like that ‘Ramble On’ has Lord of the Rings references from back when Robert was reading the book series. I had no idea what Lord of the Rings was back when I first became a fan of the song, but eventually I said, “wait…did he mention Gollum and Mordor?”

    In a piece for Far Out Magazine, Jack Whatley discussed the fact that many bands are influenced by authors. “The singer used moments throughout the lyrics to express his connection; lines like ‘the darkest depths of Mordor’ and ‘Gollum and the evil one’ are both doffs of the caps to the writer. Many artists have made references to great literature in their time; whether it is The Beatles and C.S. Lewis’ influence on ‘I Am The Walrus’ or The Cure’s nod to Albert Camus.”

    The lyrics

    The lyrics are so hauntingly beautiful and even more impactful now that Plant is older.

    “Leaves are fallin’ all around
    It’s time I was on my way
    Thanks to you, I’m much obliged
    For such a pleasant stay

    But now it’s time for me to go
    The autumn moon lights my way
    For now, I smell the rain, and with it, pain
    And it’s headed my way

    Ah, sometimes I grow so tired
    But I know I’ve got one thing I’ve got to do

    Ramble on
    And now’s the time, the time is now
    Sing my song
    I’m goin’ ’round the world, I gotta find my girl

    On my way
    I’ve been this way ten years to the day
    I’m gonna ramble on
    Gotta find the queen of all my dreams

    Got no time for spreadin’ roots
    The time has come to be gone
    Though our health, we drank a thousand times
    It’s time to ramble on

    Ramble on
    And now’s the time, the time is now
    Sing my song
    I’m goin’ ’round the world, I gotta find my girl

    On my way
    I’ve been this way ten years to the day
    I’m gonna ramble on
    Gotta find the queen of all my dreams

    I ain’t tellin’ no lie

    Mine’s a tale that can’t be told
    My freedom I hold dear
    How years ago in days of old
    When magic filled the air

    ‘Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor
    I met a girl so fair
    But Gollum and the evil one
    Crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, her, her, yeah

    And ain’t nothin’ I can do, no
    I guess I’ll keep on

    Ramblin’, I’m gonna say
    Sing my song, I’ve gotta find my baby
    I’m gonna ramble on, sing my song
    Gonna work my way, gonna ramble on
    Gonna ramble on, yeah-yeah”

    “A completely new composition”

    Another fan shares their thoughts on just how brilliant the performance was. “To craft a new arrangement of a rock classic – a completely new composition – centered around the limitations your aging 80-year-old voice… and create something still so artistic and beautiful… it’s why this man is on the shortest of short lists of the best front men of all time.”

    Keep Reading →
  • Michael J. Fox has the best response after CNN accidentally prompts death scare
    Photo credit: Chuck Kennedy (Pete for America)/ Wikipedia – Michael J Fox is not, in fact, dead.
    ,

    Michael J. Fox has the best response after CNN accidentally prompts death scare

    Don’t worry, “Michael is doing great.”

    Heather Wake

    Michael J. Fox is very much alive. And so is his wit. 

    CNN had created a remembrance video for the Back to the Future star, titled “Remembering the life of Michael J. Fox.” Now, it’s fairly standard practice for news outlets to make these sorts of posthumous tributes in advance. But publishing them before the celebrity actually passes away? Not so much. 

    And yet, on Tuesday, April 7, that’s what happened. But when Fox saw the accidental announcement of his death, he met it with a bit of philosophical humor.

    On Threads, Fox wrote, “How do you react when you turn on the TV and CNN is reporting your death? Do you…A) switch to MNSBC, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, (B) Pour scolding hot water on your lap, if it hurts your fine, (C) Call your wife, hopefully she’s concerned but reassuring, (D) Relax, they do this once every year, (E) Ask yourself wtf ?” 

    @realmikejfox Threads

    Ending with just a dash of self-deprecation, he concluded, “I thought the world was ending, but apparently it’s just me and I’m ok. Love, Mike.”

    As to be expected, fans were quick to “yes and” Fox’s sense of humor. 

    “Go outside and ask the first person you come across: ‘Can you see me?’ Glad you’re ok btw!” wrote one person.

    Meanwhile, actor Kathy Griffin quipped, “You’re a helluva ghost.”

    In CNN’s defense, the tribute, however premature, did respectfully honor Fox’s legacy not only as a beloved actor, but also as an active Parkinson’s advocate. 

    According to Entertainment Weekly, the narrator in the now-deleted video said of Fox:  “He came into our living rooms on the small screen each week as Alex P. Keaton [on Family Ties] and eventually onto the big screen as Marty McFly in [Back to the Future]. But Michael J. Fox had a compelling third act as a Parkinson’s sufferer and stem cell research advocate.”

    “His most lasting role may have been as a tireless voice against Parkinson’s, a performance the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2022,” the clip went on. “In the end, Fox came to understand that his battle against the disease brought out the best in him.”

    A CNN spokesperson also stated: “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”


    On Wednesday, Fox’s rep assured TMZ that “Michael is doing great.”

    So great, in fact, that he was out and about in Los Angeles speaking on a panel for the Apple TV series Shrinking, in which he filmed a three-episode guest arc playing a character who also deals with Parkinson’s disease. The guest spot marked his first on-screen appearance since 2020. Harrison Ford, who also plays a character with Parkinson’s on the show, regarded Fox as “an extraordinarily powerful person” after meeting and working with him on set. 

    So, Michael J. Fox is still kickin’. And he’s still meeting each moment with a tremendous amount of humility and humor, lifting our spirits as he does it. 

    Keep Reading →
  • Watch dancers with ‘insane core strength’ appear to float in mid-air for iconic AGT audition
    Photo credit: America’s Got Talent/YouTube – Sofia Vergara's jaw dropping while watching dance audition
    ,

    Watch dancers with ‘insane core strength’ appear to float in mid-air for iconic AGT audition

    Instant AGT legends.

    Annie Reneau

    Upworthy Staff

    “America’s Got Talent” auditions have given us all manner of dance performances, from expressive individuals to impressive group numbers that got the judges praising and the audience roaring. But AIRFOOTWORKS’ gravity-defying, core-busting dance routine, performed in 2024, is one that will surely go down as one of the greatest dance performances in AGT history.

    As the music began, no one knew what the apparatus made of poles and bars surrounding the dancers was for. But it soon became apparent that they would use it to lift themselves off the ground. What started with a simple pull-up, however, turned into an incredible synchronized dance to Justin Bieber’s “Where Are U Now” in which the dancers synchronized their movements without their feet even touching the ground.

    AIRFOOTWORKS dancing to Justin Bieber on AGT 

    The dancers, who hail from Japan, were mentored by Kenichi Ebina, who won AGT Season 8 in 2013. Their performance earned them a standing ovation from all four judges and the audience.

    “Everything about the performance was perfect,” said judge Sofia Vergara.

    “It was so creative and so different—and so difficult, by the way,” said judge Simon Cowell. “So you have a great mentor. However, even if you’ve got a great mentor, you’ve still got to be able to do what your mentor helps you to do. And you did it immaculately.”

    AGT fans agree with the judges 

    People in the comments were equally blown away.

    “How do people find out they have talents like this??? ✋ “

    “My toxic trait is thinking I can do this without any difficulty .”

    “Insane core strength.”

    “OBSESSED with this audition.”

    “What kind of core strength is this… flawless, “

    Many people were disappointed that none of the judges hit the Golden Buzzer.

    “Why no Golden Buzzer?!?!?! If I’ve seen any act more deserving of it, I can’t recall. These guys were AWESOME!!!!!!!”

    “Did they run out of golden buzzers? This is worthy.”

    “THEY DESERVED THE GOLDEN BUZZER!”

    “This performance absolutely deserved a golden buzzer. It was just spectacular.”

    “Can only assume all the judges were so enthralled and mesmerized by this performance they forgot there was a golden buzzer.”

    The ‘Golden’ performance

    AIRFOOTWORKS did, in fact, earn a Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel during the Quarterfinals sending them directly to the finale, where the group performed to an EDM mix by Steve Aoki. While they didn’t receive enough votes to win the entire competition, they have certainly earned AGT royalty status.

    Since their AGT run, AIRFOOTWORKS have continued to take the world stage – reaching the finals of talent competitions in France and Italy, and performing at the Royal Variety Performance in the UK.

    For more talent auditions, you can follow America’s Got Talent on YouTube and TikTok.

    This article originally appeared 2 years ago. It has been updated.

    Keep Reading →
  • Netherland-based dance troupe performs epic routine to “Somebody That I Used to Know”
    Photo credit: Sergio Reis/Youtube – The costumes, the choreo, the camera work…just, wow.
    ,

    Netherland-based dance troupe performs epic routine to “Somebody That I Used to Know”

    Everything about this is pure magic.

    Heather Wake

    Upworthy Staff

    Odds are you’ve heard Wally de Backer, aka Gotye, and his song “Somebody That I Used to Know.” It’s the Australian musician’s biggest commercial hit, selling more than 20 million copies since its release in 2011, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. Not to mention it inspired several amazing covers, which you might have also stumbled upon.

    The music video, in its poignant simplicity, is every bit as iconic. Gotye stands naked facing the camera, as featured singer Kimbra faces him. As they sing, they are slowly “painted” into and out of the background of geometric shapes using stop motion animation. There’s a very Wes Anderson feel to it that adds so much to the story told in the song, making it all the more memorable.

    This dance troupe was up to the task

     All this to say…it would be a challenge to recreate the magic that’s so inherent in the original. And yet, Netherland-based dance troupe CDK clearly understood the assignment with their highly stylized movement performance set to the well-known art pop ballad.

    As thousands of viewers were quick to note, it’s not just the incredible dance moves that made this performance so captivating. It’s the killer combination of choreography, camerawork and costumes that make the piece impossible to turn away from.

    “This is pure art,” one person wrote. While another added, “I think I’m going to watch it everyday for the rest of my life.”

    Watch CDK’s Stunning Performance Here

    This group is clearly at the top of their game, simply by how easy they make it all look (like, I’ve already convinced myself that I can pull off those moves). But what’s more evident is that they enjoy what they’re doing to the nth degree. Over on their Instagram page, you’ll find equally mesmerizing routines set to Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, and more.

     

    Some fun facts about the song and its legacy

    1: Gotye allows small independent projects, like student films—and probably this dance piece—to use his music free of charge. “If someone wants to use it commercially I look at what the budget is and the creativity of the project,” he said, according to News.com.

    2: CDK isn’t the only group to have recently breathed new life into the song. Also in 2024, an electronic remix of the song titled “Somebody (2024),” created by electronic music producers Chris Lake, Fisher, and Sante Sansone, debuted. Much like its predecessor, “Somebody (2024) topped the charts.

    This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

    Keep Reading →
Bee Gees, Johnny Carson, Tonight Show, classic TV performances, music history
Pop Culture

The Bee Gees’ perfect harmonies on Johnny Carson in 1973 left him completely speechless

abba, lip synch, mati baran
Culture

Employee says goodbye to his coworkers with an over-the-top ABBA performance

the voice, the voice australia, haka
Culture

Māori singer wows all four judges on ‘The Voice,’ then she teaches them how to do the haka

Gene Kranz at Mission Control in 1965 and Kranz in 2022
Technology

93-year-old Gene Kranz shares how he felt watching the Artemis II mission

washing new clothes, new clothes, washing clothes, science, culture
Science

Dermatologist explains why you absolutely must wash new clothes before wearing them

Get stories worth sharing delivered to your inbox.

Advertisement

Featured

All Featured Stories →
NASA, Gallaudet Eleven, space travel, research
Science

In 1958, NASA recruited 11 Deaf men to test how zero gravity affects humans

Cecily Knobler
gay, straight, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, gay voice, speech, linguistics, funny, tiktok, instagram, skits, culture
Identity

Gay man learning how to say goodbye ‘like a straight man’ is pure comedy gold

Evan Porter
rachel lee higgins, relationships, marriage, 3 hour night, tiktok
Family

Married couple says the ‘3-Hour Night’ hack has totally improved their marriage

Heather Wake & Upworthy Staff
baby talk; talking baby; video of talking baby; echolalia in babies; baby repeats mom; talking infant; family; parenting
Family

“He’s a baby genius”: 3-month-old stuns mom by perfectly repeating full sentences

Jacalyn Wetzel & Upworthy Staff