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A few weeks ago I came across an article about a kid who watches television at 1.5x speed so he can cram as much viewing in as he can. It seemed that his unquenchable desire to get through shows in the Golden Age of television meant he’d sacrifice the entertainment value of the show just to get to the end.

“Man, this guy would have been crucified in 1993,” I thought.

As a 45-year-old card-carrying member of Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1979), I remembered a time when nobody bragged about the amount of TV they watched. In fact, they bragged about not owning a TV. “I don’t watch TV, man,” people would say. “It only exists to sell you stuff.”

This complete reversal on the social acceptance of gluttonous TV viewing made me wonder what happened to the values we were raised on as Gen Xers? We were taught that sincerity was for simpletons, everything corporate is evil, old school is always better than the latest and greatest, authenticity is king, conformity is death and there is nothing worse than being a sell-out or a poser.

Nobody would have ever referred to themselves as an “influencer” in 1991—that’s the definition of a sell-out.

“After writing this book, I’m back in the mindset of ’90s thinking, which is that nothing is worse than selling out,” Chuck Klosterman, author of “The Nineties: A Book,” told Esquire. “Nothing was more embarrassing in the ’90s than trying to convince people to like the thing you made.”

Deep inside the heart of almost every Gen Xer is a deep-seated feeling of nihilism. We didn’t trust the corporations that laid off our parents or gutted their pensions in the ’80s. In fact, everything corporate was predatory. We didn’t have a lot of faith in family values because we were the first generation raised by single parents or in daycare. We didn’t care much about politics either. Back in the ’90s, Gen X’s aversion to politics was historic.

Of course, these are all generalities about a generation of nearly about 65 million people, but studies show that there are some definite hallmarks of being a Gen Xer.

According to a generational differences document circulated through the business community, Gen X’s core values are “skepticism,” “fun” and “informality.” They’re described as “self-reliant,” “independent,” “unimpressed with authority” and motivated by “freedom.”

In the young Gen Xer, the culture of the era “instilled a wariness and skepticism, and a kind of ‘figure it out for yourself’ mindset,” Paul Taylor, author of “The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown” told The Washington Post. And with that came a sense “that you don’t have to shine a light on yourself. You’re not the center of the universe.”

But things have changed since the ’90s when Gen X was coming of age. We live in an American culture that is fractured by political partisanship, fueled by a constant culture of outrage, crippled by a preoccupation with technology, plundered by greedy boomers and annoyed by overly sensitive millennials. All of this is happening while we face the greatest challenge of our times, climate change.

The answer to all of these problems is simple: admit that Gen X at one point had it right and if we followed its lead, we could reverse these terrible trends. OK, it might not fix all of our woes, but the way things are going now surely aren’t working. Plus, weren’t the ’90s great?

Also, with hat in hand, I must admit that this message is for Gen Xers as well. Many of us have lost our way by forgetting our disdain for authority and skepticism toward institutions. This is a call for us to remember what we once stood for and to fight back by doing what we do best—staying above the fray.

Gen X, it’s time to strap on your Dr. Martens boots and get back to fighting the “Battle of Who Could Care Less.” It’s time we collectively got our “whatever” back and showed the other generations how powerful dismissiveness can be.

Here are the top five Gen X values that we need to embrace again.

5.  Buying vintage items

Nothing was less hip in the early ’90s than wearing mall clothes. If you had any style you shopped at a thrift store and bought used duds from the ’70s and early ’80s and remixed them into something awesome. If you were into hip-hop or skating you shopped at the surplus store and rocked some super-durable Dickies or Carhartt gear. The mood of the times was totally anti-fashion. These days, we live in a world where fast fashion is killing the environment. By embracing the Gen X value of old-school cool, we can help the planet while looking much more fashionable in the process.

4. Corporate skepticism

In the early 2000s, people fell head-over-heels in love with smartphone technology and social media so quickly that nobody stopped and said, “Hey, wait a minute!” Now, we have a world where kids are depressed, the culture has become divided and nobody talks to each other in public anymore, they just stare at their phones. I can totally understand why young millennials and Luddite boomers would fall for the big-tech ruse, but sadly, Gen X was asleep at the wheel and fell victim, too. The generation that embraced the notion that TV rotted your brain needs to remind everyone to go outside and play in the sunshine or read a book. And if you read a book it should be by Bret Easton Ellis.

3. Just say “whatever”

Two of the most popular Gen X phrases were “whatever” and “talk to the hand (because the face don’t give a damn).” These may seem to be flippant responses but they are the correct way to deal with other people’s nonsense and in 2022, we have to deal with a constant barrage of it.

Somewhere along the way, people forgot that it’s even more powerful to ignore someone than to admit they got under your skin. In the world of social media, we unintentionally amplify the most wretched voices by subtweeting, commenting and liking the posts from the army of grifters fighting for our attention.

We also live in an era where many seem to be addicted to outrage. The quickest way to stop fanning the flames of outrage is with a simple, “whatever.” Like dogs distracted by squirrels, we’ve got our heads on outrage swivels these days. Throwing around the occasional “whatever” gives us the time and energy to focus on the problems that really matter and take action.

These days “whatever” matters more than ever.

2. Bring back snobbery

Good taste used to matter. In the 2000s, millennials decided that people have the right to like what they like and that it’s worse to judge someone’s personal taste than to have bad taste. Gen Xers based their entire personalities on taste and demanded integrity from artists and were rewarded by living in a time of superior films and music. These days, no one listens to new music and we’re stuck in a world dominated by comic book movies because no one stood up and shamed people for liking low-effort culture.

1. ​Political apathy

America’s political divide has calcified over the past decade because more and more people are basing their personal identities on their politics. This has created a culture where the dialog between liberals and conservatives has become a shouting match that only makes people dig their heels in further. It’s also created a culture in Washington, D.C. that has attracted a more debased form of politician and led to the gridlock that has halted any sense of progress. Sadly, Gen X has also been sucked into this vortex.

Things were a lot different in the ’90s. Back in 1999, Ted Halstead at The Atlantic noted that Xers “appear to have enshrined political apathy as a way of life.” He added that Gen Xers “exhibit less social trust or confidence in government, have a weaker allegiance to their country or to either political party.”

Compared to what’s going on in America in 2022, this type of apathy seems welcome. Back in the ’90s, taking a “chill pill” could solve everything. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took one, and then we could open our ears and hearts and have some constructive discussions?

There was a common lament in the 1980s that the boomer hippies had sold out and became boomer yuppies. They went from being concerned with peace, love and the planet to stocks, bonds and conspicuous consumption. Gen X is now in its 40s and 50s and it’s fair to say that we’ve moved from being the outsiders to creating technological and political machines that are generating the type of conformity that we once railed against.

Now that Xers are at the age where we get to run the world for a few decades, it’s time to recommit to the core values that make us well … us. The great news is that as Gen Xers, it’ll be easy to get back to our roots because we were raised to ironically love the past.

This article originally appeared on 03.10.22

In an ironic twist, Drake has been issued a cease-and-desist letter by the estate of the late Tupac Shakur over using an AI-generated reproduction of the West Coast rap icon’s voice in a Kendrick Lamar diss track. According to Billboard, the estate sent the letter today demanding he pull the “Taylor Made Freestyle” from streaming services or face legal action.

The estate’s attorney Howard King wrote, “The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality. Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the estate’s legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use.”

The irony comes from the fact that Drake himself seemed to frown on the use of AI to duplicate his own voice as recently as last year, when a fake song using his and The Weeknd’s digitally reproduced voices was taken down by Universal Music Group copyright strikes. He also personally shaded an AI-generated version of Ice Spice’s “Munch” that used his voice. Incidentally, Kendrick Lamar also cobbled together a conversation between himself and Tupac on his 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly, but in that instance, he had the estate’s permission to re-use audio from an interview, which demonstrates the whole point around publicity rights.

Today, in a move sure to endear him to a younger generation of voters, President Joe Biden signed a bill that requires ByteDance to sell its US-based interests in TikTok or see the app banned from cell phone marketplaces. While it has been described as a bill banning TikTok outright, it’s actually pretty vaguely written and probably more or less unenforceable as is, the equivalent of “okay, Boomer” in legal form.

But that hasn’t stopped the offers from rolling in, including a (probably facetious) one from Soulja Boy, who asked on Twitter, “How much yall want for TikTok?” declaring, “I’ll buy it.”

The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” (say that five times fast) has otherwise been met with widespread criticism. From its oblique wording to its borderline hypocritical positioning — focusing on TikTok after Meta actively engaged in the promotion of phony news propaganda aimed at influencing the last election, for instance — TikTok’s user base has pointed out a number of flaws in the political strategy behind the bill. For instance, do you all remember those hilariously (terrifyingly) off-base hearings with ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo? By the way, here’s his response to all the kerfuffle:

As for Soulja Boy buying TikTok; well, that seems about as likely as his promise to create his own social media app.

Lauv is inviting us into the new chapter of his life. Last year, Lauv identified as sexually fluid in a letter to fans. Today (April 24), he has shared his new single, “Potential,” on which he fully embraces himself.

On “Potential,” Lauv ponders the thought of getting close with a longtime friend. A poppy, queer bop arriving just in time for a sweet, sexy summer, “Potential” signifies new beginnings for Lauv.

“Oh, damn, I think we got potential / I call it how I see it, and I see it in my mental / Like, damn, I know we could be special / I’ll sell you on the vision, but this heart is not for rental / Like, damn, don’t mean no disrespectful / I know you’re with somebody, but your body shouldn’t settle,” Lauv sings on the song’s chorus.

Though Lauv has many love songs in his catalog, including his viral hit “I Like Me Better,” he has been teasing the song on social media over the course of the past few months, noting that it’s his first song about a guy.

‘Potential’ is about realizing you have feelings for someone and dreaming about the potential of what it could be,” Lauv shares. “It’s the beginning of my next, most authentic chapter, and I can’t wait to share this and everything that’s coming next.”

The song’s accompanying video features Lauv dancing through a room, guided by dancers symbolizing his thoughts and emotions, as they all lead him to a special person.

You can see the video for “Potential” above.

In 2016, My husband and I started renting our basement apartment out as a short-term rental on Airbnb. We live in a college town and figured we’d get some guests during football game weekends and graduations. We didn’t realize how many people come to our town to visit their college kids or check out the school, so we were pleasantly surprised by how regularly we were booked.

In 2019, we bought the house next door and now rent out both floors of the old house as separate units. We love being Airbnb hosts and have had a very successful run of it, with hundreds of 5-star reviews, Superhost status and lots of repeat guests.

We also don’t charge a cleaning fee or make guests do check-out chores. In fact, we find both things rather loathsome.

What makes us good hosts is that we’ve been Airbnb guests for years. As a family of five that travels a lot, we’ve found far more value in Airbnbs than in hotels over the years. We love having a kitchen, living room and bedrooms and feeling like we have a “home” while traveling. We even spent a nomadic year staying at short-term rentals for a month at a time.

When you’ve experienced dozens of Airbnbs as a guest, you learn what guests appreciate and what they don’t. You see what’s annoying and unnecessary and what’s to be expected in comparison to a hotel. We started taking mental notes long before we started our own rental about what we would want to do and not do if we ever had one and have implemented those things now that we do.

As guests, we know the pain of the cleaning fee, so we don’t charge one.

via GIPHY

It helps that my husband has a flexible schedule and grew up helping with his parents’ janitorial service, so most of the time he cleans the apartments himself. We could charge a cleaning fee for his time and labor, but even if we were paying for outside cleaners, we still wouldn’t put a separate fee onto guest bookings. It makes far more sense to us to just wrap the cleaning fee into the per-night price.

From a host’s perspective, the one-night stay is where the cleaning fee question hits the hardest. Whether someone stays one night or 10 nights, the cleaning cost is the same. But spreading the cost over 10 nights is a very different beast than adding it to one night, especially from a guest’s perspective. On the host side, if we had to pay cleaners without passing that fee onto guests, we’ve barely make anything on one-night stays. But on the guest side, a $100 a night stay suddenly jumping to $150 because a cleaning fee was added is painful, and often a dealbreaker. You can see the conundrum.

$200 cleaning fee Airbnb

— (@)

The way we see it, and as other Airbnb hosts have found, wrapping cleaning costs into the base price comes out in the wash over time, as long as you have some longer-term stays mixed in with the one-nighters. And it’s a much better experience for the guest not to get hit with sticker shock on the “final cost” screen, which is already eye-popping when service fees and taxes are added on.

(I will say, this may only ring true for smaller units. If you’re renting a huge home, cleaning costs are going to be higher just because it takes longer to clean. But I still don’t think the full cost should be passed onto guests as a separate fee.)

If you charge a cleaning fee, you should not be allowed to include CHORES in your AirBnB rules

— (@)

As for check-out chores—asking guests to do things like start laundry, sweep the floor, take out the trash, etc.—those have never made sense to us. Hosts should have enough switch-out linens that laundry doesn’t have to be started prior to checking out, and none of those chores save enough time for the cleaning people to make it worth asking guests to do it. I can see taking out trash if there wasn’t going to be another guest for a while, but usually you’d want to clean right away after a stay anyway just in case it does get booked last minute.

The only thing we ask guests to do is to start the dishwasher if they have dirty dishes (as a guest, I’ve never found that an unreasonable request), lock the door and have a safe trip home. Don’t need to pull the sheets. Don’t need to take out any garbage or recycling. Those things don’t take that long, but that’s just as much a reason not to ask guests to do it. Annoying your guests by asking them to do something extra isn’t worth the tiny bit of time it might save the cleaning people.

And you know what? This approach works really well. Approximately 95% of guests leave the apartments clean and tidy anyway. In seven years, I can count on one hand how many problems we’ve had with guests leaving a mess. That’s been a pleasant surprise, but I think part of the reason is that guest are simply reciprocating the respect and consideration we show them by not making them pay extra fees or do chores on their way out.

To be fair, it probably also helps that we aren’t some big real estate tycoon that bought up a bunch of apartments and turning them into short-term rentals run by impersonal management companies. People’s complaints about how short-term rentals impact local housing economies are legitimate. We’re more aligned with the original “sharing economy” model, renting out our home to guests who come through town. And in a small college town with a large university, there often aren’t enough hotel rooms during busy weekends anyway, so it’s been a bit of a win-win.

I think being right next door, having personal communication with our guests (but also leaving them their privacy), and not charging or asking anything extra of them makes them want to be respectful guests. From our perspective, both as guests and hosts, cleaning fees and check-out chores simply aren’t worth it.

It’s incredibly rare to see a dog, especially a large one, sitting upright at a dinner table. It’s probably even more rare to see one that isn’t bothering with any food. That’s why a video posted by Federica Finocchiaro has captivated the public.

In a video seen over 2.3 million times on TikTok, Federica Finocchiaro shares how her dog, Grayson, a Weimaraner, is a very polite table guest.

“Does anyone else’s dog just sit at the table?” Finocchiaro asked as she and her mother, Domenica Vinci, enjoyed breakfast together. “He just sits with us, and we didn’t make him sit here… He just loves the company,” she continued.

Finocchiaro then shared a video of Grayson sitting with the family on Christmas. “My mom and I will come downstairs, or we’ll be doing something and he’s just sitting at the table casually,” said Finocchiaro. “He never tries to eat the food that we’re eating—ever.”

@federicafinocchiaro_

Love u grayson #greenscreen #dog #puppy #funnydogs #fyp #wiemeraner #dogsoftiktok #dogtok #foryoupage #pup

Love u grayson #greenscreen #dog #puppy #funnydogs #fyp #wiemeraner #dogsoftiktok #dogtok #foryoupage #pup

Some people in the video’s comments speculated about Grayson’s past. “He was human in a past life for sure,” Ariel T wrote. “He thinks he’s human,” David added.

“His love language is quality time,” nonshowbizgf wrote.

Even though it seems strange that a dog would want to hang out at a dinner table, it could be because Weimaraners are very dedicated to their owners. “They can get depressed and act out if they are ignored,” the American Kennel Club wrote on its website. “This can lead to separation anxiety problems, notes the Weimaraner Club of America, so it’s important to teach puppies that there will be times when they will have to be on their own.”

Research shows that couples are becoming more egalitarian as it pertains to income. But when it comes to the division of domestic labor and taking care of families, there is still a considerable gap between the work done by men and women in heterosexual marriages.

Consider this: the average woman dedicates 4.6 hours per week to housework, while men contribute only 1.9 hours. Furthermore, women spend nearly 2 more hours on caregiving, including child-rearing than men.

Men and women are still having a hard time creating equal partnerships, and, more often than not, it means that women are the default parents of their children. They are also in charge of domestic duties and often have to make lists for their husbands and nag them to do their part.

​Abby Eckel, a popular social media wife and mother, thinks this needs to end and uses her considerable platform to push to equalize domestic labor. In a video with over 900,000 views, she explains the harsh truth of why some men take advantage of their wives and refuse to change.

This is a harsh truth. But it needs to be said. He simply doesn’t care. 

@itsme_abbye

This is a harsh truth. But it needs to be said. He simply doesn’t care. It should not take conversation after conversation after conversation for your husband/boyfriend/partner to list, learn, and change. It’s because he doesn’t care. It doesn’t benefit him to change. Approaching your husband AGAIN to discuss household inequity is likely to fall on deaf ears because he has been EXPLOITING your time, energy and labor. And if he didn’t care when he started doing it, he sure as shit isn’t going to care now. And he likely knows there will be no consequence when he doesn’t. Because again, this probably isn’t the first time this conversation has been had. And nothing happened the last time you had, so why would it happen no? This is the very reason I tell women who are early in relationships, and those that are single – start out as you mean to go on. This requires setting boundaries for yourself and the person you’re in a relationship with. Be clear and upfront on what you expect out of it, what you will and won’t do. Because the second you start cleaning up his place, or your shared space, doing his laundry, looking after and caring for pets without setting firm expectations, you’ll soon find yourself being the sole owner and doer of those tasks. And trying to set boundaries after the fact – AFTER a man has benefited from you doing it, isn’t likely to happen. #marriage #datingadvice #relationshiptips #marriedlife

“This is going to sound harsh, but I think a lot of people actually just really need to hear the truth, and it’s because he doesn’t care. It doesn’t benefit him to change,” she says in the viral video.

“Approaching your husband again to discuss an issue, whether it’s household inequity, you not feeling considered, or you not feeling like he’s putting any time and effort into it, is likely going to fall on deaf ears because he’s been exploiting your time, your labor, your energy and if he didn’t care when he started doing it, he’s not going to care now,” Eckel continues.

Unfortunately, according to Eckel, if there are no consequences for refusing to be an equal partner, he won’t change. She equates it to parents who make threats to child children but don’t follow through.

“Eventually, things are going to go back to how they were. You’re going to stop nagging him and he’s going to be fine with it. Until you bring it up again. And then again, nothing happens because there’s no consequences. So why would he want to change?” she says.

Eckel believes the key to avoiding this trap is to set firm boundaries at the beginning of the relationship.

“Be clear and upfront on what you expect out of it, what you will and won’t do,” she continues. “Because the second you start cleaning up his place, or your shared space, doing his laundry, looking after and caring for pets without setting firm expectations, you’ll soon find yourself being the sole owner and doer of those tasks, and trying to set boundaries after the fact — after a man has benefited from you doing it, isn’t likely to happen.”

Obviously, not all men have problems doing their fair share of domestic labor in a family. Eckel made another video in which she shares the positive qualities that an equal partner brings to the table.

See on Instagram

“I don’t have to make him a list.”

“I don’t have to ask him to help with things around the house.”

“He knows how to shop at the grocery store without pictures.”

“He doesn’t expect me to handle everything alone.”

“He plans date nights without me having to beg for it.”

“He does his own laundry.”

“He makes his own appointments.”

“My stocking has never been empty.”

“He makes his kids’ lunches in the morning.”

“He makes his son’s therapy appointments and takes his son to them.”

“He doesn’t believe that just because he goes to work, he shouldn’t have to do anything when he gets home.”

“He takes a genuine interest in me and my interests.”

“He knows how to fold towels.”

“He takes our kids to bed and knows our teachers’ names.”

“He doesn’t make me feel bad if I’m not in the mood.”

“He acknowledges and appreciates what I do and tells me often.”

“He does basic adult tasks without being asked.”

It’s no secret that there’s a housing crisis in America. That’s not to say that there aren’t enough houses for people to live in, there are plenty of houses and apartments available, they’re simply unaffordable. Over the past several years the cost of housing has increased to an amount that is so out of reach for the average person, that homelessness is on the rise as people unable to pay their rent are evicted.

While the housing prices continue to climb, wages have essentially stayed the same. This has led to people across the country making difficult decisions in an attempt to keep a roof over their heads. But most people have no idea why rental rates have skyrocketed in less than a decade. One nonprofit is exposing where this unexplained increase is stemming from with the help of the attorney generals’ of Arizona and Washington D.C..

More Perfect Union is a nonprofit media organization aimed at empowering working people. Recently, the organization tackled the American housing crisis with a pretty shocking discovery.

There’s a singular company behind the exorbitant housing prices in Arizona and D.C. though the states are thousands of miles away from each other. The attorney general of the District of Columbia calls the company an illegal housing cartel due to the tactics used and the money made. The company is called RealPage, which uses an algorithm that pulls from renters confidential information to skew the housing prices.

Landlords sign a contract to work with RealPage, but according to documents uncovered by the investigators, if a landlord pushes back against the rates, the company can expel them from the program. But what about all the empty units? There doesn’t seem to be a concern because the rates are so high that the landlords still increase their revenue even when some apartments are empty for long periods of time.

This may feel a bit like a movie plot, but it’s not science fiction. RealPage may be operating in multiple states across the country contributing to the unaffordable price of housing for American citizens.

“We’re talking about an algorithm that aggregates otherwise confidential information that the landlords have that ordinarily they would not share with their competitors,” Washington D.C. Attorney General, Brian Schwalb says. “That allows then the algorithm to spit out a pricing recommendation. All designed to keep the overall market at its highest peak.”

Arizona Attorney General, Kris Mayes explains, “they’re not charging what the market can bear they’re controlling the market. It’s leading to the exacerbation of our affordability crisis, our housing crisis here in Arizona.”

RealPage’s practices are so concerning that the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice stepped in to remind landlords and companies of antitrust laws. “Your algorithm can’t do anything that would be illegal if done by a real person,” the text reads on the screen, in part.

Landlords who sign up are bound by the rules set by RealPage, which state RealPage sets the rental rates, leaving landlords little option to opt out. They company even sends out “policing agents” to enforce these prices by physically checking on the landlord and leasing agents. Landlords are lured in with the promise of increased profits, some may not realize at the outset that the prices their renters would be expected to pay would be unaffordable causing some to become homeless.

But with RealPage working with landlords across the entire state, every rental property would increase nearly simultaneously, leaving renters no choice but to pay more than they can afford. In reality this may mean getting second and third jobs, foregoing important medications, pulling children out of afterschool care to allow them to care for themselves and more just to afford housing.

The problem with algorithms setting rental prices and anything else that has to do with human needs is that computer codes are not human. They don’t know that Alice living in 3B is a single mom out of work because she just had a mastectomy. An algorithm doesn’t factor in that Marc in the split level is having to drive an hour every day to help care for his elderly mother or that Carol on the first floor left an abusive relationship and this was the only place she could afford.

Leaving the lives of people up to an algorithm can have disastrous affects, and the lawsuit the attorney generals are bringing will highlight that concern using RealPage as the example.

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all, it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show, rich historical experience and scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all, never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine, if you will.

Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research, she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck, Sweden with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence, she felt good about her odds.

However, as soon as she landed, snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible,” she told Upworthy. Martin, the Airbnb host, was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle, even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything.

Then one night, the knock came.

In a video Lucero posted to TikTok, which now has over 12 million views, we hear Martin ushering her out to take a peek. Then we see Lucero’s face light up just before seeing the sky do the same.

“I thought it was a prank,” the onscreen text reads in the clip. “And then I see it….”

Watch:

@penslucero

I’m on the verge of crying every time I watch this video I still cannot believe it. 📍 Rörbäck, Sweden

“I was mostly in awe of what this Earth is capable of,” Lucero recalled. “I never expected it to be THAT beautiful for the naked eye.” This is a hopeful sentiment against the widely accepted notion that the northern lights are often better looking in photos than they are in real life.

As Lucero asserted in a follow-up video, “Our video doesn’t do it justice at all…I would argue it’s even better for the naked eye.”

@penslucero Replying to @PatriotFamilyHomes ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version – Andy Morris

Others were quick to back Lucero with anecdotes of their own experience.

“It’s definitely possible to see it like in the pics. I saw it this winter in Norway, there was bright green, purple and so much movement.”

“They’re so much better in person, the way they dance and move around is insane and beautiful.”

Of course, if you ask Martin, who everyone agreed was the best host ever, seeing guest reactions of pure wonder and joy is even “better than the lights themselves.” But still, he can’t deny that there’s a breathtaking magic to it all. He shared with Upworthy that “Sometimes it feels like it will pull you up in the sky like you are in the middle of it. I wish everyone would have the chance to witness it.”

When it comes to tips for actually seeing the northern lights, Martin admits it still mostly comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Luckily, his Airbnb listing can help with that.

Nature has a great way of reminding us that beyond the distractions and distresses of modern life, there is sublime beauty waiting for the chance to capture our hearts.

This article originally appeared on 03.27.23

Social media has made it very easy to alter your appearance using filters. They may come in handy when you need to record a video but look a bit under the weather—just turn on a soft glow or a makeup filter, and boom, you’re camera-ready in less than two seconds. But there has been a lot of talk around the use of filters and teen girls’ self-esteem and unrealistic expectations seemingly placed on women.

One woman has taken it upon herself to strip away the filters to prove that, while she is beautiful, her face doesn’t actually look the way it does with the filter on. The most interesting thing about these filters is that they’re so good, you can’t tell they’re filters. Gone are the days of filters that made everyone look like a Glamour Shot from the 90s. These filters move with you and even have pores so no one can tell it isn’t actually your face.

Well, it is your face—kinda.

Mimi Webb starts off the 20-second clip using the infamous Bold Glamour filter. It’s the filter that has people questioning their perception of their own faces because the contrast is so jarring. But Webb doesn’t stop with one filter. She puts on another and makes sure she emphasizes her use of a ring light. After turning the ring light off and taking all the filters off as the video is ending, the woman removes her makeup, revealing an inflamed, irritated and blemished face.

People flocked to the comments to thank her for exposing the truth behind filters.

“You’re beautiful & this message is SO important thanks for the reminder,” one person wrote.

“You are beautiful. In real life, we all have imperfections. As a mature woman, I appreciate your honesty. Thank you,” another said.

“Thank you so much. You did not know how much this was needed,” a woman commented.

Social media can really do a number on people’s self esteem, especially when they’re comparing themselves to something that’s not real. Messages like the one Webb shared can help pull back the curtain on the reality of social media. Watch her video below.

@missmimiwebb

#greenscreenvideo

This article originally appeared on 6.9.23