In this issue of The Upworthiest, Cecily Knobler explains how a fan's failed photo turned into the kindest tutorial on the internet. Plus, what a meltdown in a Lowe's aisle revealed about boomer panic, and the five Beatles songs the Bee Gees played when their own hits stopped working.
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Brendan Fraser saw a fan struggling to take a photo. He patiently gave him a whole tutorial. | ||
“We need more like him, more than ever in today’s society.” | ||
By Cecily Knobler | ||
We typically see superheroes in comic books and big, blockbuster movies. The fantasy of it all can make the concept of a superhero seem like pure fiction, but there are super heroes who quietly walk around in the real world every day, working to make it a bit better through service, philanthropy, and, of course, simple acts of kindness. | ||
Actor Brendan Fraser is one of those real-life heroes, and he has done it yet again. His acts of kindness seem to be constant, and without publicist flair. Luckily, his latest was caught on camera. | ||
In a clip circulating from the London premiere of Fraser’s latest film Pressure, Fraser is seen milling about the bustling red carpet in Leicester Square. An announcer overhead gives a rundown, presumably to journalists, about the remarkable film. (In the movie, Fraser plays General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who must make a crucial decision about the World War II Normandy landing, alongside meteorologist James Stagg, played by Andrew Scott.) | ||
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These students are changing lives in their communities with help from the Ciena Solutions Challenge, a global challenge by Digital Promise and Ciena where students and teachers design solutions to real problems and take action to build a better world.
Middle and high school educators worldwide can register for the Ciena Solutions Challenge and apply for $3,000 in grant money for their own student projects.
Grams was locked in. 🤣
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‘Boomer panic’ is a real phenomenon, and there’s a heartbreaking reason for it | ||
This isn’t just young generations bashing the old. | ||
By Tod Perry | ||
In a video posted in September 2023, TikToker @myexistentialdread used the phrase “boomer panic” to explain how baby boomers (1946 to 1964) can quickly become unhinged when faced with the most minor problems. It all started when she visited a Lowe’s hardware store and encountered a boomer-aged woman working at the check-out stand. | ||
“I had a dowel that didn’t have a price tag on it, whatever, so I ran back and took a photo of the price tag. And as I was walking back towards her, I was holding up my phone… because I had multiple dowels and that was the one that didn’t have the price tag on it,” she said in the video. “And she looks at me and she goes, ‘I don’t know which one that is,’ and she starts like, panicking.” The TikToker said that the woman was “screechy, panicking for no reason.” | ||
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An Upworthiest Quiz
By the official US definition, baby boomers were born in which stretch of years?
Yesterday’s Results
In yesterday's issue, we shared Cecily Knobler's story on how each generation behaves the moment they sit down on a flight.
And we asked: You have just sat down on the plane. First move? Almost 40% of you are quick to tidy up the space.
Wipe down every surface within reach (39.9%)
Headphones on before the bag is even stowed (15.0%)
Full snack and entertainment setup, immediately (18.5%)
Strike up a conversation with my neighbor (26.6%)
Reader Ikujo13 voted with the biggest group and added, “I was born in 1964, the tail end of boomerism. The urge to strike up a conversation with my neighbor is not strong in this one. As a matter of fact, if I could wear a sign that says, "don't talk to me" I would. 😁”
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In 1973, the Bee Gees sang an unplugged medley tribute to the Beatles. It’s gorgeous. | ||
The ’70s legends were inspired by the greatest band of the ’60s. | ||
By Tod Perry | ||
By 1973, the Bee Gees’ career had hit a low. After a series of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including “To Love Somebody,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” and “I Started a Joke,” the band was in a rut. Their latest album, Life in a Tin Can, and single “Saw a New Morning” sold poorly, and the band’s popularity declined. | ||
On August 10, 1973, the Gibb brothers (Barry, Robin, and Maurice) appeared on The Midnight Special, a late-night TV show that aired on Saturday mornings at 1 a.m. after The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Given the lukewarm reception to their recent releases, the Bee Gees decided to change things up and play a medley of hits from their idols, The Beatles, who had broken up three years before. | ||
The performance, which featured five of the Fab Four’s early hits, including “If I Fell,” “I Need You,” “I’ll Be Back,” “This Boy,” and “She Loves You,” was a stripped-down, acoustic performance that highlighted the Bee Gees’ trademark harmonies. | ||
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