Jezebel: Sadness

Brave Scientists Record and Study Kids Losing Their Shit

Erin Gloria Ryan — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:10:00 EST

A team of scientists have spent the last several months studying the moments in a parent's life that seem like they last an eternity— children's temper tantrums. And they found there's a lot more to the angry screaming and flailing and hysterical "I HATE YOU"s than meets the eye. More »

The Scientifically Proven Saddest Movie Scene Ever

Whitney Jefferson — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:10:00 EDT

Have you enjoyed your daily cry yet today? If you're not in the mood for an emotional roller coaster right now, it's probably best to avoid this heart-wrenching scene from 1979's The Champ at all costs. The movie is a remake of a 1931 Oscar-winning film of the same name, telling the story of a washed-up boxer (Jon Voight) who — spoiler alert — dies in front of his young son (played by 9-year-old Ricky Schroder.) More »

Baseball Reveals Women Get Sad, Men Get Angry

Anna North — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:02:00 EST

A new study suggests that people think anger is for dudes and sadness is for ladies — so much so that they sometimes think a sad person is a lady, even if that person's gender isn't apparent. More »

Facebook Will Make You Feel Like A Loser

Anna North — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:26:00 EST

You know when you go on Facebook and all your friends are going to a million parties every second with people who are more awesome than you? Scientists say that's an illusion — but it can still make you sad. More »

Cure For Male Depression: "Women Need To Lower Their Expectations"

Anna North — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:20:48 EDT

Writing in the Daily Mail, Tim Lott claims male depression is often caused by unhappy women. Amid the lady-blame, though, are some serious thoughts on men's problems. More »

President Obama: Team Pie

Hortense Smith — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EDT

From the Associated Press: "Presidents have had their indulgences - Ronald Reagan loved jellybeans and Bill Clinton binged at McDonald's. What's President Barack Obama's weak spot? Pie." Oh, the heart, how it breaks! What about the Yes We Cakes? [Yahoo] More »

Actress Dixie Carter Dies At 70

Hortense Smith — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:59:06 EDT

Actress Dixie Carter, who is perhaps best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom Designing Women, has passed away at the age of 70. As a tribute, here is one of her greatest speeches. [BroadwayWorld] More »

Poet Lucille Clifton Dies At 73

Hortense Smith — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:10:00 EST

National Book Award-winning poet Lucille Clifton has died at the age of 73. Says her sister: "Everything touched her. Everyone mattered to her. She was such a loving person." Here, Clifton reads her poem, "Homage To My Hips." [BuffaloNews] More »

When Will The United States Tighten Up Its Sex Offender Registry?

Hortense Smith — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST

In 2001, James Leggs was convicted of the rape of a minor and deemed a "high risk" sex offender by the state of Delaware. Eight years later, he's now suspected of kidnapping and killing 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell just last week. More »

Jake Gyllenhaal And Reese Witherspoon Call It Quits

Hortense Smith — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Sadness: according to People, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon, who began dating in 2007 after working together on the film Rendition, have split, which means we may very well have a celebrity "turkey drop" on our hands, people. More »

Morrissey Collapses On Stage, Is Taken To Hospital

Hortense Smith — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:25:00 EDT

Morrissey has reportedly been taken to a local hospital after collapsing on stage during a performance tonight at The Oasis in Swindon, England. According to The Telegraph, his current condition is listed as "stable." [ONTD], [Telegraph] More »

"Mermaid Girl" Shiloh Pepin Dies At Age 10

Hortense Smith — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:55:00 EDT

Sad news: 10-year-old Shiloh Pepin, who appeared on Oprah last month, to discuss her struggles with sirenomelia, perhaps better known as "mermaid syndrome," passed away yesterday afternoon after spending a week in critical condition at the Maine Medical Center. [SanFranciscoChronicle] More »

R.I.P. Norma Fox Mazer

Hortense Smith — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Sad news: Norma Fox Mazer, the author of several critically acclaimed books for children and young adults, including When She Was Good, Silver, and Newbery Honor Book After The Rain, has died at the age of 78. [PublishersWeekly] More »

Are Public Sobfests Ruining Crying Forever?

Hortense Smith — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:25:00 EDT

Writing for the Times of London, Tom Whipple wonders when everyone decided it was okay to cry in public, and if our tendency to cry over seemingly everything is taking the true meaning out of our tears. More »

Man Propositions His Estranged 13-Year-Old Daughter For Sex Via Facebook

Hortense Smith — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EDT

A 39-year-old man from Lititz, Pennsylvania has been arrested after he reportedly tracked down his estranged 13-year-old daughter, whom he hadn't seen in 10 years, on Facebook, and then tried to get her to meet up with him for sex. More »

Female Pastor Sentenced To Life In Prison For Abusing Adopted Daughters

Hortense Smith — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:50:00 EDT

65-year-old Jessica Banks, a former pastor, has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 36 years and 8 months, after being found guilty of drugging and sexually and physically abusing her five daughters, aged 4 to 11. More »

Poet Jim Carroll Dies At 60

Hortense Smith — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:55:00 EDT

Punk rock poet Jim Carroll, who is perhaps best known for his memoir, "The Basketball Diaries," has died of a heart attack. As Patti Smith told the New York Times, Carroll's "work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty." [NYTimes] More »

12-Year-Old Child Bride Dies In Labor

Hortense Smith — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EDT

Fawziya Abdullah Youssef, a 12-year-old child bride from Yemen, has died of severe bleeding after spending three days in labor. She was married to a 24-year-old last year; the child she struggled to deliver was stillborn. [CBS] More »

"Bag Of Crack" Found In DJ AM's Pants

Hortense Smith — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EDT

RadarOnline is now reporting that a "bag of crack" was found in the sweatpants DJ AM was wearing when he died, according to "an NYPD source." DJ AM, a recovering addict, had been clean for 11 years. [RadarOnline] More »

Is Jaycee Lee Dugard's Kidnapper Also A Serial Killer?

Hortense Smith — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:55:00 EDT

Investigators are now searching through the labyrinthine home of Philip Garrido, the convicted rapist accused of kidnapping and imprisoning Jaycee Dugard in his backyard for 18 years, for evidence connecting him to the deaths of ten women in Northern California. More »

Boys Attempt To Set 5 Year Old Girl, Battling Cancer, On Fire

Hortense Smith — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EDT

Police are currently searching for two boys, aged 7 and 10, who sprayed 5-year-old Scarlett Hellewell, who is currently battling cancer, with aerosol deodorant and attempted to set her on fire. The match, luckily, did not light. [DailyMail] More »

81-Year-Old Groom Disappears After Marrying His Childhood Sweetheart

Hortense Smith — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Last month, a charming story made the rounds on the internet. Bob and Fontelle Harrod, childhood sweethearts, found each other after 59 years and were married on June 29. But a month later, the story has taken a sad turn. More »

Eight Year Old Girl Shunned By Her Family After She Is Raped By Several Young Boys

Hortense Smith — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:15:00 EDT

An absolutely heartbreaking story is unfolding in Arizona, as an 8-year-old Liberian girl has been shunned by her own parents after being the victim of a gang rape by four boys aged 9, 10, 13, and 14. More »

1 In 4 South African Men Admit To Rape

Hortense Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:45:00 EDT

According to a government-funded survey, 1 in 4 men in South Africa admit to committing rape, a result that researcher Professor Rachel Jewkes notes is "shocking, but not unexpected." The survey, Jewkes claims, highlights the male-dominated culture of the country. More »

Woman Charged With Murder After New Mother's Body Found In Crawl Space

Hortense Smith — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT

In yet another horrific case of women killing pregnant women in order to pass a baby of as their own, 27-year-old Korena Roberts has been charged with the murder of a mother and her child. More »

The Grim Reality Behind Dwindling Female Populations

Hortense Smith — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EDT

Several readers wrote in to tip us to a fascinating article in today's Toronto Star, which explores the grim realities behind the dwindling populations of women of all ages in several countries across the globe. More »

Man Gets One Year In Prison After Wife Dies On Honeymoon Scuba Dive

Hortense Smith — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:40:00 EDT

Six years ago, Gabe and Tina Watson headed to Australia to celebrate their honeymoon. Tragically, only Gabe returned from the trip. Tina died while scuba diving, and a court says that Gabe is to blame. More »

Iran Executes 23-Year-Old Woman

Hortense Smith — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:30:00 EDT

When Delara Darabi was 17 years old, she confessed to the murder of her father's cousin. She later retracted her confession, claiming that she was trying to protect her older boyfriend by taking the blame. More »

Internet Becomes A Never-Ending Nightmare For One Family

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Nikki Catsouras, 18, died in a horrifying car crash in 2006. Days afterward, her father received an email with a picture of the bloody accident scene and the caption, "Woohoo! Hey daddy, I'm still alive." More »

We Will Miss You, Bea Arthur

Hortense Smith — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:07:00 EDT

In extremely sad news, beloved actress Bea Arthur has passed away at the age of 86. Arthur is perhaps best known for her roles as Maude and, of course, as Dorothy Zbornak on Golden Girls. More »

Sunday School Teacher Arrested In Murder Of 8-Year-Old Girl

Hortense Smith — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EDT

A female Sunday School teacher has been arrested on charges of murder and kidnapping in the death of 8 year old Sandra Cantu, who was found dead on Monday after being missing since March 27. More »

The Passengers Of Flight 3407

Hortense Smith — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST

When Flight 3407 crashed on Thursday, it took the lives of 50 people with it. A reader wrote to ask us if we would consider writing about a few of the extraordinary women who died. More »

Alfie Patten To Take DNA Test

Hortense Smith — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST

At the urging of his father, young Alfie Patten will take a DNA test after two boys, aged 14 and 16, emerged to state that they believe they are the father of his alleged daughter. More »

13-Year-Old Father's Sister Also Had A Baby At 13

Hortense Smith — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST

Oh, dear. The sad story of 13-year-old father Alfie Patten and 15-year-old mother Chantelle Steadman just keeps getting worse- it turns out Patten's sister, Jade, now 19, also had a baby at 13 years old. More »

Chicken Soup For The (Depressive) Soul

Sadie Stein — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST

When you're really down, sometimes only a few things can cheer you up. More »

18-Year-Old Arrested As Suspect In 13-Year-Old Girlfriend's Murder

Hortense Smith — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST

In incredibly sad news: an 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of his 13 year-old girlfriend. Kelsey Shannon disappeared on October 14, and her body was found just three days ago. More »

20 Year Old Model Dies Of Bacterial Infection

Hortense Smith — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST

Very sad news: Mariana Bridi da Costa, a 20-year-old Brazilian model who recently had to have her feet and hands amputated after an contracting septicemia, a blood condition triggered by bacterial infection, has died. [CNN] More »

Lawmakers Attempt To Stop The Rise In Dating Abuse Amongst Teens

Hortense Smith — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST

In the wake of several brutal murders involving teenaged girls and their abusive boyfriends, many states are implementing programs designed to educate young people about the dangers of unhealthy relationships and the signs of abuse. More »

"Missing Baby" Turns Out To Be A Hoax To Win Back Ex-Boyfriend

Hortense Smith — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Meagan McCormic went before television cameras on Christmas Day, pleading for the return of her missing baby. 2 days later, police are claiming that that baby never existed, and McCormic's "plea" was all a hoax. More »

In incredibly sad and disturbing news, an...

Hortense Smith — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:15:00 EST

In incredibly sad and disturbing news, an 8-year old Arizona boy has been arrested and charged with the murder of his father and another man last Wednesday. Authorities are holding the boy on two counts of premeditated murder, which means they have reason to believe that the boy knew what he was doing and had a plan to do so. The State of Arizona currently allows charges to be filed against anyone age 8 or older, which is causing a dilemma amongst local law enforcement agencies, who are finding it difficult to reconcile the young boy's age with the brutal nature of the crime he committed. "It was such a tragedy," Benjamin Brewer, the boy's lawyer said, "You have two people dead; you have an 8-year-old in jail. It tugs at the heart strings. It's a shocker, no doubt about it." The boy is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation; he had no record of emotional, disciplinary, or psychological problems in the past. [AP] More »