Is This an Even Sadder Meal Than a Microwave Brownie for One?
And the survey says??
Goodbye, Enlightened
Enlightened, the HBO show about Amy Jellicoe, an aspiring agent of change, ended its second tremendous season with Jellicoe royally fucking with the status quo of corporate America. Her radical whistleblowing — while sometimes a world-class annoyance — made her a hero to beleaguered employees and social justice…
The Real Reason We Love to Watch Tearjerkers
We all know the value of an evening spent in, drinking wine and watching a tragic movie that makes our tears flow freely. As sad as those movies are, we seem to crave them and whatever magic they perform on our souls, and now science has figured out why that might be. It turns out watching tragic stories unfold, while…
Brave Scientists Record and Study Kids Losing Their Shit
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.
The Scientifically Proven Saddest Movie Scene Ever
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…
Baseball Reveals Women Get Sad, Men Get Angry
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.
Facebook Will Make You Feel Like A Loser
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.
Cure For Male Depression: "Women Need To Lower Their Expectations"
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.
President Obama: Team Pie
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]
Actress Dixie Carter Dies At 70
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]
Poet Lucille Clifton Dies At 73
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]
When Will The United States Tighten Up Its Sex Offender Registry?
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.
Jake Gyllenhaal And Reese Witherspoon Call It Quits
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
Morrissey Collapses On Stage, Is Taken To Hospital
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]
"Mermaid Girl" Shiloh Pepin Dies At Age 10
Sad news: 10-year-old Shiloh Pepin, who appeared on Oprah last month
R.I.P. Norma Fox Mazer
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]
Are Public Sobfests Ruining Crying Forever?
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.
Man Propositions His Estranged 13-Year-Old Daughter For Sex Via…
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.
Female Pastor Sentenced To Life In Prison For Abusing Adopted Daughters
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.
Poet Jim Carroll Dies At 60
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]
12-Year-Old Child Bride Dies In Labor
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]
"Bag Of Crack" Found In DJ AM's Pants
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]
Is Jaycee Lee Dugard's Kidnapper Also A Serial Killer?
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.
Boys Attempt To Set 5 Year Old Girl, Battling Cancer, On Fire
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]
81-Year-Old Groom Disappears After Marrying His Childhood Sweetheart
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.
Eight Year Old Girl Shunned By Her Family After She Is Raped By…
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.
1 In 4 South African Men Admit To Rape
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.
Woman Charged With Murder After New Mother's Body Found In Crawl Space
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.
The Grim Reality Behind Dwindling Female Populations
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.