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Recording Academy/Instagram, Warner Bros. Classics/Youtube

The most perfect mash-up in existence.

Long before Chappell Roan, there was another badass redhead who knew her way around the stage and owned both her glamorous and campy side. And that gal was, of course, the late, great, Lucille Ball. And while the two sadly shall never actually meet, thanks to the power of the Internet we have a pretty incredible collaboration nonetheless.

Before her I Love Lucy days, Ball worked as both a chorus girl in New York and on film, her most prominent film project at the time being The Ziegfeld Follies, shot in 1945. In one of the film’s iconic musical numbers, titled "Bring on The Beautiful Girls,” Ball enters on a white stallion, donning a gorgeous pink showgirl costume (made all the more dazzling in technicolor) then moves about gracefully and even cracks a whip to unleash a gaggle of ensemble dancers dressed as cats. They sure don’t make movies like they used to, right?

With all of these details—primarily the horse and the abundance of pink—it’s no wonder that someone thought to pair it with Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” which just so happened to also feature a horse (albeit a giant fake one) during her live Grammy performance. What is surprising, however, is just how well the two things mash-up together.

Watch the video, shared via Instagram:

Wow, just wow, right? This is a perfect blend of great editing know-how (thanks Peter Zachari) and stars aligning to create something magical. It’s kind of hard to watch this and not be instantly infused with joy.

“That was literally everything I needed right now!” one person wrote. While another said, “Is it terrible that I have watched this 10 times in a row. Absolutely love this you did amazing.”

Besides being amazing ear and eye candy, it reignited some fan love for Ball as well.

“Oh my god this is LEGENDARY. I’m old enough to remember Lucille Ball and she absolutely kicked ARSE in so many ways-fully called out misogynists ON CAMERA, was partly responsible for Star Trek becoming a cultural phenomenon & was immensely funny. This is one of the finest collabs to have ever existed. Pure dopamine, thank you…”

“RIP Lucy, she would have loved scheming to have Chappell perform at one of Ethel’s benefits.”

And in case you’re curious, here’s the original footage of "Bring on The Beautiful Girls,” with even more whip choreography.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

As well as Chappell Roan’s "Pink Pony Club” at the Grammys, swapping whip choreography for lasso choreography, and rodeo clowns instead of cat dancers.

By the way, Zachari actually has all kinds of cool edits on his Instagram page. That’s probably a good palace to start for some fun visual escapes.

a little girl sleeping in a bed with a blanket

One of the biggest battles all parents face is bedtime. Getting your kids to all asleep (in a timely manner) can be painstakingly difficult. Rather than being a time of peace and bonding, putting your kids to bed can be one of stress and dread. If you struggle each night at bedtime, there's a sleep hack you need to try.

Dr. Michael Milobsky (@dr_mikem), a pediatrician in Castle Rock, Colorado, shared a video with his followers on TikTok explaining the two-minute trick he learned from the Yale Department of Child Psychology to help anxious kids fall asleep in their own room.

"If you have a young child that struggles to fall asleep by themselves, try this new technique from the Yale dept of child psychology called, 'The Game'," he captioned the video.

@dr_mikem

If you have a young child that struggles to fall asleep by themselves, try this new technique from the Yale dept of child psychology called, “The Game” #preschooler #sleepproblems #toddlersoftiktok #sleepissues #parentingtips #pediatrics

Dr. Milobsky shares that according to Yale, this method is about 75-80% effective--and is meant for children 3 years of age or older.

"You discuss with your child that you're going to have them put on a show--show us what it looks like, like you're on a stage, to get into bed and fall asleep on your own," he explains. "You're gonna set the amount of time they're gonna do this. They (Yale) recommend starting at about 2 minutes."

Parents are instructed to leave the room for those 2 minutes, and your child will "go through the motions of what it looks like to get into bed and fall asleep." After those 2 minutes is up, if your child has not fallen asleep, they are free to get up and go where they please--including your bed. Parents will continue to do this every night for 1-2 weeks, increasing the amount of time to 4 minutes, then 6 minutes--working up to 15 minutes if necessary.


SleepTired Baby GIFGiphy

"What I have found in my office when I have given families this little formula is by the time you get past 10 minutes, a lot of kids are just falling asleep in bed. If they happen to wake up, the rule is that they can go wherever they want and go back to sleep. Once the child is falling asleep in their room by themselves playing 'The Game', you don't necessarily stop--you keep doing it in the same way."

Dr. Milobsky harps on the fact that it's all about giving your child positive affirmations. "You really praise the child for doing something that's hard, doing something that they're worries about--and being really excited about the accomplishment and accomplishing this milestone on their own."

Eventually, your child will get bored of 'The Game' after going through the same routine. "They just get more accustomed to getting in bed and falling sleep on their own and staying in their room," he adds.

What's more: Dr. Milobsky notes that for the families he offers this method to, he see a 90% success rate. After encouraging his followers to try 'The Game' with their children, many shared their experience after trying it in the comments.

"2.5 weeks in and my daughter just fell asleep for the 2nd time (non consecutively) on her own!! Game changer!!!" one wrote. Another added, "This is what we do but I tell her to just “pretend” she is sleeping for 10 minutes and I will come in to see if she is pretending really good. 🤪 Works every time 😂."

Education

Unearthed BBC interview features two Victorian-era women discussing being teens in the 1800s

Frances 'Effy' Jones, one of the first women to be trained to use a typewriter and to take up cycling as a hobby, recalls life as a young working woman in London.

Two Victorian women discuss being teens in the 1800s.

There remains some mystery around what life was like in the 1800s, especially for teens. As time marches on, we're moving further and further away from the Victorian era and what life was like for the people living through it. Thankfully, though, relics have survived that are not just historical treasures, but connections our human family now since passed. In this rediscovered 1970s clip from the BBC, two elderly women reminisce about what it was like being teenagers during a time when the horse and buggy was still the fastest way to get around.

While cars were just around the corner from being the common mode of transportation toward the end of the 19th century, it's pretty wild to imagine what these women experienced. Frances "Effy" Jones explained how, at age 17, she was encouraged by her brother to check out this new machine in a storefront window. Turns out that machine was a typewriter and, after being trained on how to use it, Jones would sit in the store window typing while people outside gathered to watch. Before long, classes began popping up for women to learn how to use a typewriter, starting a new movement for women of that era.

The second woman, Berta Ruck, told the BBC that she would get into a bit of trouble at boarding school for drawing instead of completing school work. This talent took Ruck to art school in London where she rode buses around town, attempting to avoid mud getting on her long skirt. But Ruck explained that it never worked and she would spend hours brushing the mud from her skirt before wearing it out again. I'm sure you're thinking, buses? They weren't the buses we would see nowadays. These were double-decker horse-pulled carriages. It may be hard to imagine, but life was just as vibrant and bustling then as it is now. Check out the video below to learn more:


This article originally appeared three years ago.

Pop Culture

Mom of three becomes 'accidental' American Idol contestant after nailing her audition

People are calling Sara Beth a relatable breath of fresh air and the show's new "hidden gem."

American Idol/YouTube

Sara Beth auditioning for "American Idol"

High-level talent competition shows have been around for a long time. And from them, we’ve come to expect spectacular performances from trained artists completely dedicated to their craft. While that’s remarkable to watch, sometimes it’s just as inspiring to witness average folks doing something they love.

Take it from Sara Beth, a mother of three recently dubbed the “Accidental American Idol.”

First of all, Sara Beth is filled to the brim with quirky charm and does nothing to try to hide her nervousness. Judge Katy Perry accurately described her as a “comic strip character brought to life.” In a sea of ultra confident divas it’s refreshing, to say the least.

Second, as a 25-year-old who married and started a family young, Sara Beth admitted that she had been focused on being there for her kids and only recently began pursuing music. Or as she called it, having “a minute for me.”

So when asked if singing was her dream, Sara Beth was hesitant.

“I’m still processing…I can’t even answer. This is so much,” she confessed.

That answer didn’t impress judges Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, but it certainly resonated with views in the crowd and at home—parents in particular.

“As a mother of two young boys I can easily relate to this not being her dream yet,” one mom wrote. “She has spent years pouring into others and taking it day by day and she just recently pulled her head out of water and remembered that she is a person with talents and hobbies and interests outside of being a mom...she doesn't even have the mental capacity for [American Idol] to be a dream yet but she took a huge bet on herself.”

Despite Sara Beth not fitting the usual parameters for an American Idol, there was no denying her incredible voice once she started singing.

Watch:

Sara Beth might have moved forward with only two out of three yes votes, but let’s just say her audience approval rate was pretty damn unanimous.

“Sara Beth is wonderfully herself and a breath of fresh air, judges are faced with a woman who is open with no filters of fear. I think she's amazing.”

“I think she IS the hidden gem in this competition. She could definitely win.”

“I won't be surprised if she wins this whole thing.”

Just take it from the “Accidental American Idol:" It’s okay to be unsure…and go for the thing anyway.

Soon after she shook things up in her American Idol audition, Sara Beth shocked everyone by leaving the show early to be with her children, and also citing discomfort after Katy Perry made a "Mom-Shaming" joke. Luckily for us, her exit from American Idol was not her exit from music. Sara Beth is still active and posting original songs on her TikTok and Instagram, and you can stream her music on Spotify.


https://www.instagram.com/p/DElIB4fT_PI/

This article originally appeared two years ago.