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NBCUniversal is trying to use the Winter Olympics to get the ad industry to ditch old-fashioned TV ratings — but it won't be easy

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Luge, 2018 Winter Olympics

  • NBCUniversal is using the Olympics to tout its custom Total Audience Delivery metric as an alternative to the classic Nielsen ratings.
  • The media company wants to stop advertisers and media journalists from focusing on Nielsen ratings at a time when people are watching less live TV.
  • It won't be easy to shift the industry's fixation on this type of data. But most in the TV business recognize that traditional measurement systems are inadequate for fragmented digital viewing.


NBCUniversal is taking reporting ratings for the Winter Olympics into its own hands. The question is whether the rest of the TV industry will follow.

The media giant is using the Olympics to push its case for reporting what it calls Total Audience Delivery. This NBCU-created ratings construct is essentially a medley of data from different sources designed to help get across how many people are actually watching the games, whether on live linear TV, NBCU's apps, or mobile devices.

TAD is NBCU's not-so-subtle message that when it comes to measuring modern TV viewing, the incumbent TV researcher Nielsen can't cut it.

For example, NBCU says it delivered 26 million viewers on Sunday night, an audience it's calling the most "dominant" opening Winter Olympics Sunday ever.

That TAD number is made up of 22.7 million people watching on NBC along with a 15% boost from other platforms.

In fact, NBCU says that this year's games through Monday afternoon had already generated 445 million live-streaming minutes, which is more than the 420 million live minutes recorded during the entirety of the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

"We want a holistic picture and a way to capture all that consumption," Krishan Bhatia, NBCU's executive vice president of business operations and strategy, told Business Insider. "We're going with best measurement available. And there is no single source that can do that for all platforms."

"And this is not just limited to the Olympics," Bhatia added. "If you look at a show like 'This is Us,' 50% of that show's audience is not captured in the linear rating."

Bhatia says what most big advertisers care about is running their ads during a certain time period (during a particular promotion, or holiday season), having their ads run alongside premium content, and reaching the right audience demographics.

And whether people watch on TV, the web, on a Roku, or on their phones — the Olympics delivers on all fronts.

"So if we can track those, it should count," Bhatia said.

adam rippon pyeongchang winter olympicsYet the way NBCU compiles TAD reporting is unorthodox and, according to some, less than ideal from a data-science perspective. That's because rather than using a single third-party measurement vendor (typically the preferred approach among media researchers), NBCU pieces together data from Nielsen, Adobe, the advertising technology firm FreeWheel, and Oracle to produce TAD numbers.

NBCU has two overarching goals with TAD. For one, it wants to get the ad-buying world accustomed to thinking of TV audiences as being less confined to live airings of shows and more like something that is compiled across multiple platforms over varied time periods. For the first time, NBCU sold advertisers packages that guaranteed specific audiences across platforms rather than that treated TV and digital audiences and ad sales separately, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In addition, NBCU with TAD most likely wants to nudge the press to stop reporting solely on Nielsen ratings on a given night. The company clearly wants to kill the narrative that took hold during the most recent Olympics, the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Right out of the gate, reports swirled that ratings for the 2016 Games were down considerably compared with the 2012 London Olympics. That led to stories questioning whether the Olympics were fundamentally in decline as a live TV event and whether millennials even liked sports.

Weeks later, NBCU was able to pump out data showing how many people were streaming various Olympic events on various platforms, particularly younger people. But by then it was tough to change the narrative.

Chloe Kim

It's hard to communicate all that in a press release, especially as TV media is trained to report straight ratings. Thus, you get headlines such as:

As Business Insider has reported, TV measurement is facing something of a crisis, and NBCU wants to be seen as a change agent. Plus, the company spent over $7 billion to secure rights to air the Olympics through 2032, so it needs to get this right.

Over the past few years, NBCU executives have been openly critical of Nielsen's ability to track how people view TV outside traditional live TV viewing. The company has gone as far as publishing an open letter to Nielsen in late 2016 calling for a delayed rollout of its Total Content Ratings product and even hosted an industry-wide summit in November partially aimed at trying to fix media measurement.

Getting a huge industry to change the way it thinks and operates is never easy. But NBCU says however painful, it's necessary.

"It starts at the top. Consumers are shifting the way they watch TV," Bhatia said. "Millennials do watch the Olympics. But the industry is tethered to an airdate. If you're still focused just on ratings, you are missing the point. So when we have discussions with major agencies, we're trying to figure our a new approach."

Part of that approach is partnering with digital platforms to push out Olympics content (though, it's worth noting, not all big tech platforms are part of the mix). The list includes Apple News as well as Snapchat, where NBCU is streaming live Olympic footage.

"We're leaning in there," Bhatia said. "At the same time, we're doing less on platforms where monetization and measurement don't work for us here. Like Facebook."

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The 11 most popular gaming YouTube stars — some of whom made over $10 million last year

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dantdm

  • Gaming videos are incredibly popular on YouTube, and some stars can make millions of dollars off of them.
  • We ranked the top gaming YouTube stars, who play games from "Minecraft" to "Call of Duty," based on how many subscribers they have.

 

Gamers rule YouTube.

Throughout the years, gamers have taken to the video site to upload their own commentary or play-throughs of games, building loyal fan bases in the process. Some of these gamers have reached insane levels of popularity, with millions of subscribers. And, in some cases, they are making millions of dollars as well.

Whether they focus on the world-building game "Minecraft" or shooters like "Call of Duty," YouTube gaming is an essential part of the website's culture, both for the viewers who spend many, many hours eating up content, and the creators, some of whom make a living off of sponsorships and advertising. 

To calculate which stars were the biggest, we turned to Socialblade to see the 11 most popular YouTube stars in the world focused on gaming by subscriber count. When possible, we also included their estimated earnings from 2017 (via Forbes.)

Check out the list below:

SEE ALSO: YouTube's CEO explains why the site hasn't banned Logan Paul over his recent controversies

11. TheWillyrex

Subscribers: 13.3 million

24 year old Guillermo Diaz, from Spain, has become a prominent gamer on YouTube mainly through his "Minecraft" videos. According to his Twitter, he's uploaded a daily video since 2010.



10. rezendeevil

Subscribers: 15.2 million

Pedro Afonso Rezende is a 21-year-old Brazilian YouTuber who won the Nickelodeon Brazil Kids' Choice Award for Gaming in 2016, and for "Trendy Guy" in 2017. He's best known for playing "Minecraft" and "Resident Evil."



9. DanTDM

Subscribers: 17.8 million

2017 income: $16.5 million

UK professional gamer Daniel Middleton, formerly known as The Diamond Minecart, is best known for his "Minecraft" videos. Like many big YouTubers, he has an online store where fans can purchase his merchandise. But unlike those other YouTube stars, in 2017 he was the highest paid YouTuber in the world



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Nearly two years later, I still play 'Overwatch' every day — here are 7 reasons why I can't stop

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The best game I've played in 2018, and the best game I played last year, are the same as the best game I played way back in 2016.

That game, of course, is Blizzard Entertainment's masterpiece "Overwatch."

reaper overwatch

As Business Insider's only reporter wholly focused on video games, I play as many as I can — but I always make time for "Overwatch." It's been the one constant in my gaming habit since it arrived back in May 2016. 

Here are just a few of the reasons why, after literally hundreds of hours playing "Overwatch," I keep coming back for more:

SEE ALSO: 'Mario Kart' is finally coming to smartphones — here are 5 things we know (and don't know) about it

1. The core of "Overwatch" is immensely enjoyable and well-designed.

In case you're totally unfamiliar, here's a quick primer on "Overwatch":

It's a so-called "class-based first-person shooter," which means it's like "Call of Duty" (a first-person shooter) except you play as one of 26 unique characters. Each of those characters is part of a "class" — healers can heal themselves and/or teammates, defense characters are built for defending, etc. Playing on a team of six unique characters, your goal is to complete one of several objectives before the other team can.

It's a simple concept that Blizzard meticulously crafted into something magical. There are loads of online, multiplayer-focused first-person shooters out there, from "Call of Duty" to "Battlefield" to "Star Wars Battlefront." But "Overwatch" stands out because of its tremendous attention to detail.

Take just the game's controls, for example: There is one set of controls across all 26 characters, yet each character is remarkably different and nuanced. No two characters play the same, yet all of them are controlled using the same easy-to-understand layout.

At once, the game is superficially accessible and tremendously deep. That's "Overwatch" in a nutshell.



2. "Overwatch" is always growing.

Since the game's launch, "Overwatch" has grown significantly.

It started with 21 characters, and has since added five entirely new ones. The same can be said for maps and game modes, to say nothing of the ongoing ranked "seasons" of the game (which add a layer of sports-like ranking to the game's online modes). 

Tired of playing the game's standard capture the objective mode? Jump into the Arcade section and play Deathmatch, or one-on-one, or Capture the Flag. 

It's standard shooter stuff, don't get me wrong — what makes "Overwatch" stand out is how completely different each character is.



3. "Overwatch" is built on variety.

"Overwatch" is largely praised by critics and fans for its broad representation of the world's cultures and different people. On a gameplay level, though, "Overwatch" is similarly varied. With 26 characters, you might think one or two play similarly — and you'd be wrong.

What makes "Overwatch" so enticing for me is thinking about all the characters I've yet to even try playing. For the most part, I focus on one or two main characters as my standards: Pharah and Torbjörn. 

Overwatch

Since each character feels so distinct, and comes with so much nuance to learn, there's a tremendous depth to "Overwatch" that gives it endless replayability. It's so easy to come back to, over and over and over, for precisely this reason



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This is everything celebrities will be eating and drinking at the BAFTAs — including perfectly square meat and chocolate shaped like award trophies

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F2018_TOB_TA001 The EE British Academy Film Awards

  • The 71st British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) will take place on Sunday February 18 in London.
  • The guests at the Royal Albert Hall will be served a three-course meal, spirits, wine, and Champagne.
  • You can see the full menu below.


Award shows are known for their glitz and glamour and fabulous food, drink, and goody bags. The BAFTAs — or British Academy Film Awards — are no exception.

The 71st BAFTAs is happening on Sunday, February 18 at London's Royal Albert Hall — and the attendees are in for a treat.

The organisers shared the menu for the evening with Business Insider after showcasing the food and drink offering at an event called "A Taste of BAFTA" earlier this month.

The three-course menu was designed by Grosvenor House’s Executive Chef Nigel Boschetti and Anton Manganaro, Head Chef at the BAFTA's HQ in Piccadilly.

F2018_TOB_TA155 The EE British Academy Film Awards

Here's everything celebrities will be served at the BAFTAs:

Starter

Celeriac cream and apple jelly served with pickled celeriac and apple, golden raisins, seeded crackers, and toasted hazelnuts.

starter

Main course

Lamb cutlet and slow-cooked shoulder of lamb, roast garlic and thyme jus, potato gratin, kale, heritage carrots.

main course

Vegetarian main course

Sweet potato, pan-fried bok choy, ginger and coriander parcel, coconut, mango and chili salsa, basil sauce.

Dessert by Hotel Chocolat

76% Supermilk Nicaragua Chuno Pebble, Sesame and Nigella Seed Brittle, Salted Caramel Chocolate Ganache.

F2018_TOB_TA107

Drinks

The official spirit of the awards is Rémy Martin Cognac...

F2018_TOB_TA175 The EE British Academy Film Awards

The wine is Villa Maria...

F2018_TOB_TA041 The EE British Academy Film Awards

...And, of course, there will be Champagne — guests can expect to be served Taittinger.

F2018_TOB_TA074 The EE British Academy Film Awards

The EE British Academy Film Awards will be broadcast on BBC One at 9 p.m. on Sunday February 18.

For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru.

SEE ALSO: The 15 best restaurants in London to try in 2018

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NBA star Kevin Durant is backing startup Overtime in its bid to become the ESPN for Generation Z

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kevin durant

  • Sports media startup Overtime raised a Series A funding round of $9.5 million from investors like NBA star Kevin Durant and Andreessen Horowitz.
  • Overtime wants to build a digital sports network for Generation Z.
  • Overtime's relationship to the next generation of NBA superstars and big sports personalities will be a key to success, since it doesn't have marquee sports rights.


Media startup Overtime is ready to launch into the next phase in its bid to become the next great digital sports network — and to do so it's grabbed $9.5 million in fresh capital from the likes of NBA superstar Kevin Durant and Andreessen Horowitz.

When Business Insider spoke to Overtime last year, CEO Dan Porter said the startup was in the midst of a transition.

Overtime started in 2015 with a slick app that let people easily capture and edit footage from sports games, particularly high-school basketball, and export the highlights around the internet. That app served to build a fan base, a relationship with elite high-school athletes, and a brand. Porter wanted to use those three things to create the ESPN for Generation Z.

Now the Overtime team is 100% focused on building the entertainment network, and 0% focused on trying to innovate and expand the app, Porter told Business Insider in a recent interview. Overtime gets nearly real-time footage of all the top high-school players in the country, Porter said. The new financing is to staff up and invest in the next phase.

"That really becomes our angle,” Porter said: Defining what a digital sports network looks like for Generation Z.

The next generation of NBA stars

One big factor in the potential success of Overtime is the goodwill the startup is trying to foster with the next generation of superstars, particularly in the NBA.

Overtime cofounder Zack Weiner gave the example of Trae Young, the Oklahoma freshman LeBron James recently said “better go pro” as soon as possible.

“We covered him in high school, he’s blowing up in college,” Weiner said. “He’s not going to create his own highlight [on the Overtime app]. But we are going to film Trae Young going back to his high school … Rocking our gear … That will continue as [stars like Young] grow into the NBA.”

“When they are pros, it’s not about finding their highlights,” Porter said. “We don't need to have access to those.” The rights to those clips are also extremely expensive, and mostly locked up by sports media incumbents. So Overtime will have to make do without them.

It’s “having a relationship to [the stars] so we can create all that secondary content,” Porter said. He gave the example of the Super Bowl, which he said was as much focused on storylines like Tom Brady and Gisele as it was on the actual football.

As to where the programming will live, Porter said Overtime is trying to succeed in as many places as possible: from Snapchat to YouTube to linear TV. As with most digital media companies these days, the name of the game is diversification of revenue. You can’t ride one platform to victory.

 

But even with diversification, building a video-focused sports brand without rights to game footage is a tough proposition. Bleacher Reporter, which Porter said has done a good job at the intersection of sports and pop culture, makes use of the rights secured by its parent company, Turner.

Because of this, Overtime’s success will likely hinge on whether it can build an authentic relationship not just with fans, but with the next wave of superstars and personalities (like Trae Young).

“We are covering high-school basketball players who have more followers than anyone in the NFL does,” Porter said. But will they have loyalty to and affinity for Overtime as a brand?

Kevin Durant, as well as Andreessen Horowitz partner Jeff Jordan (who led the round), are betting on it.

Durant “has been critical of major sports news media in the past,” Porter said. But Durant felt like Overtime was fundamentally different.

Porter, who sold a previous startup for $200 million, contends that Overtime's advantage is "how rigid and static" the incumbents in the space are. But as we've seen many times in digital media, it isn't always enough to be facing a sluggish older company: People have to connect to your brand.

Overtime has already convinced people like Durant to put money into the company, now it has to prove its relationship with stars like Young — who will be challenging Durant on the court in years to come — is strong enough to last.

Overtime previously raised $2.5 million in a seed round. Here were some of the other investors in its Series A: Greycroft, Afore Capital, Box Group, Fitz Gate Ventures, Imagination Capital, 645 Ventures and TACK Ventures; and Rich Kleiman, Geoff Yang, and Michael Spirito.

SEE ALSO: Disney thinks it has a big advantage in its coming war with Netflix — but Wall Street is split on whether it has the right battle strategy

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7 modern romantic comedies that redefined the genre

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend The CW

Romantic comedies have changed significantly over the years.

The days of formulaic stories starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, and Judy Greer as the best friend, are gone.

And that's a good thing. The traditional rom-com got old, and cheapened the great ones like "Moonstruck," "Working Girl," and "Say Anything." 

As our culture changes, so does the entertainment. Over the past decade, rom-coms have advanced their premises, the stories they tell, and the message they send. Judd Apatow's comedies, while vulgar, have a romantic element and an underlying message about life. Oscar nominee "The Big Sick" (produced by Judd Apatow) tells the story of a budding romance and a girlfriend in a coma, but also captures what living in the United States as an immigrant from Pakistan is like. 

Romantic comedies have also made their way onto television, which has allowed the genre to take more time to tell its stories and develop characters.

Here are the 7 best modern romantic comedies, from "Knocked Up" to "The Big Sick:"

7. "The Lobster" (2015)

"The Lobster" is a dark take on the rom-com with sci-fi elements and social commentary. That's a lot of things to pack into a rom-com. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz star as single people in a society where single people have an expiration date to find someone to be with. If they don't find anyone, they turn into an animal of their choice. With its dark, bitter take on mankind, "The Lobster" proves that rom-coms can be absurd, have sci-fi elements, and have a poignant message.



6. "Obvious Child" (2014)

"Obvious Child" follows a woman who gets pregnant from a one-night stand and chooses to get an abortion. The movie makes a typically sad story — usually saved for gut-wrenching, hard-to-watch dramas — into an adorable story about a budding romance. It makes the abortion a side story, and not the main reason the movie exists. The film is filled with sweet and funny little moments that capture the awkwardness of a new romance. The movie also proved that Jenny Slate, who had a brief stint on "SNL," was a promising actress with some serious talent. 



5. "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)

"Silver Linings Playbook" takes characters with mental illness seriously by portraying them as protagonists, and not side characters there for cheap laughs or tears. The smart and fast dialogue showed that anyone can be a hero and that a story about broken people doesn't have to be sad. The movie has dramatic elements, of course, but the performances and chemistry from Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Julie Weaver, and Robert De Niro turned a good screenplay into an excellent movie.



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This $400 smart-TV box lets you control your Apple TV, cable box, and everything else with your voice

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caavo tv box

  • Caavo is a new smart-TV device from a startup of the same name.
  • Caavo manages all the stuff you plug into your TV like Apple TV, cable boxes, DVD players, and video game consoles.
  • It's a great device if you're tired of managing multiple remotes and inputs, but the $400 price tag might turn a lot of people away.


Here's my living room TV setup:

I have a 65-inch Samsung smart TV. Plus a Verizon Fios cable box. Plus an Apple TV. Plus a PlayStation 4. Plus a Nintendo Switch. All of those devices have their own remotes, and switching between them means juggling a variety of different controllers cluttering my coffee table.

This is an all-to-familiar situation for many. As more people turn to streaming services pumped through boxes like Roku or Apple TV, there's still no easy or coherent way to manage all the stuff you subscribe to and just get what you want to watch when you want to watch it. And most cable-box interfaces are still stuck in the early 2000s. Good luck finding that show you DVR'd.

A startup called Caavo thinks it solved this problem with a new $400 box that promises to create one unified hub for all the stuff you plug into your TV. I've been testing a Caavo with my complicated setup for the last week or so, and it works as advertised for the most part. But it's really only ideal for people with three or more things plugged into their TV. The convenience might not be worth the heavy price tag for the rest of you.

How it works

caavo watch list

Caavo is a long, thin box that lets you plug in up to eight different devices through HDMI. That's about twice as many ports as most high-end TVs have. You then plug the Caavo into your TV and use it for everything you want to watch or play from — cable boxes, DVRs, video game consoles, Rokus, Apple TVs, Amazon Fire TVs, Chromecasts, DVD players, and so on.

Caavo's software is based on Android, and it can automatically detect what your devices are. Caavo also comes with a universal remote that controls your TV, the Caavo box, and all your other devices.

If you want something even easier, you can use the remote's built-in microphone to tell Caavo what you want to watch and let the machine do all the switching and searching for you. (Caavo also works with Amazon Alexa, so you can use voice commands on your Echo instead of the remote. But that feature just launched in beta, so I haven't had a chance to thoroughly test it.)

That's the real benefit to Caavo. This isn't just an HDMI hub paired with a universal remote; it's a streamlined interface for almost everything you want to watch.

Caavo's software keeps track of everything you have plugged into your TV and does the heavy lifting for you. For example, telling Caavo to "watch 'Stranger Things'" will automatically switch inputs to your your Apple TV (or Roku or whatever), launch Netflix, and play the latest episode. 

It also works for cable boxes. Saying, "watch ESPN" will automatically tune to ESPN, for example. Caavo can also access content recorded on some DVR models, but it didn't work with the one I use through Verizon Fios.

One interface for everything

caavo tv Sources

Caavo's software was compatible with almost everything I use, and it covers all the basics like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and iTunes. If you ask for a show that's available on multiple services, Caavo gives you the option to select the one you want.

But there are some missing pieces. For example, when I asked Caavo for "The Good Place," it brought up an option to watch the first season on Netflix, but not the NBC app, which I had been using to watch season two. A Caavo representative told me the device doesn't index all streaming services yet, so there are likely a bunch of other holes like this I haven't run into yet.

Besides the voice control, my favorite aspect of Caavo was using just one remote for everything. I locked all my remotes away in my entertainment center cupboard and used the Caavo remote for everything without too many problems. That alone almost made it worth it. Caavo takes away the stress of managing multiple devices and remotes.

The software is clean too. Setup can be a bit tedious depending on how many devices you have. (It took me about 15 minutes to get my system going.) But everything just works once you're finished. There's a big "Caavo" button in the center of the remote that you can use to switch between devices, and you select the device you want to switch to, instead of having to remember which HDMI port number you plugged it into. The other menus are clean and easy to navigate, but you don't even need to look at them if you use voice controls for everything.

Still, Caavo feels more like a hack for today's fragmented internet TV ecosystem rather than a realization of the dream that all your TV stuff can live on the same platform. When you ask Caavo to watch something on a streaming service, you can see it working in the background, adjusting the input and navigating where it needs to go. It can take up to a minute for what you want to actually appear on your screen. So while it's a great first start, it's not as ideal as having this intelligent software built into a TV. 

Not for everyone

Overall, Caavo pulled off an impressive feat on its first try. There are a lot of great connected TV boxes out there, but none of them provide a singular solution for everything you want to watch. Caavo fills in a lot of the gaps, and it's the best answer I've seen so far if you find yourself routinely juggling between multiple TV inputs.

Still, the price can be hard to swallow. You can buy several Apple TVs or Rokus for the price of one $400 Caavo. I also wouldn't recommend getting a Caavo if you only have one or two devices plugged into your TV. 

But if you're like me and subscribe to multiple streaming services across multiple different devices, Caavo will be a great fit in your living room.

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Spotify shares its 10 most popular 'love,' 'sex,' and 'anti-Valentine's' songs for Valentine's Day

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the weeknd

  • Spotify has shared four Valentine's Day-themed lists of popular songs in categories it labeled "love," "sex," "heartache," and "anti-Valentine's."
  • The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran each made multiple appearances on different lists.

 

Depending on the state of your personal life, Valentine's Day can either be a celebration, a source of anguish, or a total non-event. 

To cover all of those bases, Spotify has shared lists of its 10 most popular songs in four Valentine's Day-themed categories — "love," "sex," "heartache," and, for the rancorous, "anti-Valentine's."

Spotify's release called Ed Sheeran the "the king of modern day love songs" for having three songs on its "love" list, while Canadian R&B star The Weeknd had three songs appear on the "sex" list. 

The service counted streaming figures and playlist appearances on its platform to come up with the following global lists: 

Top Global Love Songs

  1. Ed Sheeran - Perfect
  2. James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go
  3. Ed Sheeran - Photograph
  4. John Legend - All of Me
  5. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
  6. Bazzi - Mine
  7. Christina Perri - A Thousand Years
  8. Sam Smith - Stay With Me
  9. Kendrick Lamar - LOVE. FEAT. ZACARI.
  10. G-Eazy - Him & I (with Halsey)

Top Global Sex Songs

  1. The Weeknd - Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
  2. Jeremih - Birthday Sex
  3. The Weeknd - Often
  4. Jeremih - All The Time
  5. Ginuwine - Pony
  6. SoMo - Ride
  7. Rihanna - Sex With Me
  8. Trey Songz - Slow Motion
  9. Ty Dolla $ign - Or Nah (feat. The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard) - Remix
  10. The Weeknd - The Hills

Top Global Heartache Songs

  1. Sam Smith - Too Good At Goodbyes
  2. Adele - Someone Like You
  3. Passenger - Let Her Go
  4. A Great Big World - Say Something
  5. Gnash - i hate u, i love u (feat. olivia o'brien)
  6. Birdy - Skinny Love
  7. Post Malone - I Fall Apart
  8. Ed Sheeran - Happier
  9. Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts
  10. Sam Smith - Stay With Me

Top Global Anti-Valentine's Songs

  1. TLC - No Scrubs
  2. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
  3. Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
  4. CeeLo Green - Fuck You
  5. Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River
  6. Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
  7. Justin Bieber - Love Yourself
  8. Cherish - Unappreciated
  9. Kanye West - Heartless
  10. Destiny's Child - Survivor

SEE ALSO: The 27 best romantic comedy movies of all time, according to critics

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling albums of all time

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The 17 weirdest jobs of US presidents

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Ronald Reagan actor

• Many US presidents ascended to the White House with a background in law or politics, or a record of military service.

• But, over the course of history, some presidents have held down rather unusual jobs.

• From bartenders to Hollywood actors, here's a look at some of the weirdest roles presidents had on their résumés.



Picture the résumé of an average US president.

It likely starts off with a degree from a top school, and includes a stint working in law or Congress. It might even feature some military service.

But the presidents on this list have a few unconventional gigs to add to their experience. At some point in their lives, these 17 presidents tended bars, crafted toys, and even personally hung criminals. Whether or not these odd jobs helped prepare them to take on the White House remains to be seen.

Here are the 17 weirdest jobs of US presidents:

SEE ALSO: 29 American presidents who served in the military

Andrew Jackson was a 13-year-old militia courier during the Revolutionary War

The turbulent, controversial seventh president of the US was actually the last head of state to serve in the Revolutionary War, in some capacity. Andrew Jackson joined the fighting at the age of thirteen and served as a courier, according to a report from CNN.

His position with the local militia was informal, but that didn't stop the British from imprisoning the teenager, along with his brother Robert. Some accounts say that when Jackson refused to clean an officer's boots, the enemy soldier slashed his face with a sword, leaving a permanent scar.



Abraham Lincoln owned a bar

Did you know that Lincoln was the only licensed bartender to rise to the position of chief executive?

According to Amy Cavanaugh's article in the Chicagoist, the future president launched a business in New Salem, Illinois. The joint, known as Berry and Lincoln and co-owned by an old militia friend named William F. Berry, functioned as both a store and a drinking establishment. In 1833, Berry and Lincoln received a liquor license and began selling brandy, wine, and whiskey. Later on, the future president would leave the business to become the postmaster of New Salem.

Unfortunately, Berry's alcoholism caused the duo to fall into debt — which Lincoln wouldn't fully pay off until he became a congressman.



Andrew Johnson worked for his mom as an apprentice tailor

Johnson — who was vice president at the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, and became the country's 17th president as a result — started off as an apprentice tailor for his mother while he was still a teen, according to CNN. Later, he moved up to a tailoring position in South Carolina and Tennessee.



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Everything we know about Magic Leap's crazy-looking new headset that cost $1.9 billion and six years to make

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After six years of hype videos and nearly $2 billion in funding, the secretive Florida startup that's backed by the likes of Google and Alibaba finally unveiled its first product late last year: Magic Leap One.

It looks nuts.

Magic Leap One

But, uh, what is it? 

Magic Leap One is a futuristic-looking augmented-reality headset that's powered by a small, circular computer that hooks onto your belt. All the stuff that your smartphone does? It does that stuff, but it does it within your field of view. Instead of looking at your phone for email, you can project your email right into the world in front of you (where only you can see it). 

Here's everything we know so far.

SEE ALSO: After 6 years and $1.9 billion, secretive startup Magic Leap unveils its smart glasses for first time

First things first: This is an example of augmented reality, powered by Magic Leap's new device.

The idea is simple: Magic Leap intends to bring your online life into your real life. 

In the image above, for instance, you can see a user scrolling through their Gmail account. In the lower right, you can see the time and date, and a battery meter for the headset. 

Rather than looking down at your phone, or at your laptop (or whatever other computer device), you can straight up project that stuff into your field of view.



This entire setup — the glasses, and the circular thing on the left, and the controller on the right — is "Magic Leap One." It's an all-in-one augmented-reality system.

At some point in 2018, Magic Leap plans to release the Magic Leap One augmented-reality system. There's no price yet, nor is there a more specific release window than the entire year of 2018. We don't even know the specs of this thing yet.

What we do know is this: Magic Leap One combines a headset with a computer and a controller to enable augmented-reality experience.

Sounds similar to Microsoft's HoloLens headset, right? That's because it's very similar to Microsoft's HoloLens headset.



The headset is called "Lightwear."

The Lightwear headset uses a mess of sensors and cameras to "see" the world around its user, thus letting you interact with the augmented reality projected through the headset's lenses.

As the Magic Leap website says, the headset merges "environment mapping, precision tracking and soundfield audio." What that means in practice is whatever you see in the world through the glasses can be interacted with. 

For example:

Magic Leap

In the example above (from Magic Leap), a user has our solar system projected in the world in front of them. The glasses have sensors and cameras that see the user's hands interacting with the projection.

It's not actually clear if the Lightwear headset can track hands, but this example certainly gives that impression.

(Of note: Since the other user in this example isn't wearing a headset, she wouldn't be able to see what the user here is seeing. She'd just see a person wearing glasses while waving their hands in the air.)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Netflix jumps after announcing a deal with famed 'Glee' producer Ryan Murphy (NFLX)

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Ryan Murphy

  • Netflix shares are spiking after the company announced a deal with "Glee" and "American Horror Story" producer Ryan Murphy. 
  • Netflix's fourth-quarter revenue beat was "fueled by our original content," according to the streaming giant.


Netflix shares are spiking Wednesday after the streaming giant announced a deal with Ryan Murphy, the producer of "Glee" and "American Horror Story," reportedly worth up to $300 million over five years. 

Netflix's stock is trading up more than 3% to above $266 a share. Netflix shares hit an all-time high of $284 in late January.

Murphy will remain with 21st Century Fox through the end of his current contract this summer, and Disney's pending acquisition of several Fox businesses was reportedly a factor in his decision to leave the traditional television studio for Netflix, according to The New York Times.

This is Netflix's latest move to steal top producers from traditional television in order to create original content as it competes with other streaming giants like Hulu, Apple, and Amazon. Last August, Netflix signed a deal with Shonda Rhimes, the producer behind ABC's hit shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal."

Netflix said it will spend up to $8 billion this year on original content, which comes as no surprise to investors who have grown accustomed to Netflix's propensity to spend big. By comparison, Apple said it will only spend $1 billion on original content.

After Netflix beat Wall Street estimates on revenue for the fourth-quarter, the company said in its earnings report that the strong revenue was "fueled by our original content."

Follow Netflix's stock price live here.

Screen Shot 2018 02 14 at 10.16.45 AM

 

SEE ALSO: 'Glee' and 'American Horror Story' producer Ryan Murphy lands 5-year deal with Netflix worth up to $300 million

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'Black Panther' is the rare Marvel movie that makes you care about the villain — and Michael B. Jordan delivers an incredible performance

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  • Marvel finally gave Black Panther his own movie, and it was worth the wait.
  • It's a movie that has lots of action, but also has a deep story about family, heritage, and community.
  • Michael B. Jordan elevates the movie from good to great.


Like “Wonder Woman” last year, “Black Panther” is a project that fans have been waiting decades to see. And just like “Wonder Woman,” it was worth the wait.

The latest superhero movie brought into Marvel’s MCU may be its most meaningful yet. In a time when audiences want different stories told by (and focused on) people who rarely get the spotlight, “Black Panther” comes at the perfect time.

Director Ryan Coogler — who showed with “Creed” that he could work within the confines of an existing franchise and still give us something special — uses the tools and resources that come with Marvel Studios to build out a movie that isn’t just filled with action (and sometimes has a Bond film vibe), but also brings the audience on an emotional journey about family and community.

We meet up with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) following the death of his father (which happened in “Captain America: Civil War”) and his return to Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. Immediately, we are thrust into the beauty, technology, and heritage that is Wakanda, a nation located in Africa that Black Panther rules over, and is technologically advanced due to the use of a special material called Vibranium.

Black PantherThe fact that Wakanda is hidden has protected its people, but T’Challa knows that the tech they possess could help those outside its walls. Should he let his kingdom be more open to the outside world? It’s something he ponders until he learns that Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), now sporting an arm cannon since “Age of Ultron,” is causing trouble with the Vibranium he possesses. When T’Challa investigates with his new and improved Black Panther suit, it’s revealed that Klaue has teamed with Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who has a shocking backstory related to T’Challa and his family that could affect everything T’Challa is trying to do.

Honestly, there are moments in this movie that get really deep. This is far from a Marvel movie with constant action. There’s a solid story in “Black Panther” (written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole), which might get tiresome for some audiences. But what it does is help with delving into the story arc of Killmonger, and bolsters Jordan's standout villain performance.

Jordan plays a Killmonger fueled with hate and emptiness — we won’t give away why — but he also delivers it with a swagger that’s just a joy to watch. The movie takes off more in story and viewing enjoyment whenever Jordan is on screen.

Perhaps the biggest strength of “Black Panther” is its character development. This is particularly true for T’Challa’s sassy sister/tech wiz Shuri (Letitia Wright), and the head of his royal guard, Okoye (Danai Gurira), who are major scene-stealers.

Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Freeman, Forest Whitaker, and a small (but important) role for Sterling K. Brown, round out a really strong ensemble.

And the movie isn’t all serious, just so you know.

There are a lot of lighthearted moments — from Shuri making fun of T’Challa’s footwear, to Serkis’ over-the-top antics as Klaue (honestly, it’s nice to see Serkis get to perform on screen once in a while in his own skin and not motion-capture form), to Martin Freeman as CIA operative Everett Ross who is used perfectly as the vessel for any soft-handed jokes about race (as he’s the only white guy on Black Panther’s team).

“Black Panther” opens in theaters February 16.

SEE ALSO: The 100 best movies on Amazon Prime right now

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Barstool Sports radio host apologizes after making sexually inappropriate comments about 17-year-old Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim

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Chloe Kim

  • A Barstool Sports radio host apologized Wednesday for calling the 17-year-old US Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim a "hot piece of ass" in a SiriusXM radio appearance. 
  • Kim won the gold medal in women's halfpipe on Tuesday. 
  • Patrick Connor, the Barstool commentator, tweeted Wednesday that his comments about Kim were "were lame & gross." 
  • Connor's comments fit a pattern of sometimes-offensive behavior for the controversial Barstool Sports, a digital media company with a valuation of $100 million.

 

A Barstool Sports radio host apologized Wednesday for calling the 17-year-old US Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim a "hot piece of ass" following her gold medal performance at the Winter Olympics. 

After Kim won the gold medal in women's halfpipe on Tuesday, Barstool Sports commentator Patrick Connor appeared on the "Dialed-In with Dallas Braden" show on Barstool Radio's SiriusXM channel and made a series of inappropriate comments about Kim.

"She's fine as hell," Connor said. "If she was 18, you wouldn't be ashamed to say that she's a little hot piece of ass. And she is. She is adorable. I'm a huge Chloe Kim fan."

"Her 18th birthday is April 23, and the countdown is on baby, 'cause I got my Wooderson going. 'That’s what I like about them high school girls,'" Connor said, referencing Matthew McConaughey's character in the film "Dazed and Confused," who pursues high school-aged girls. 

Connor apologized Wednesday after he drew criticism for his comments, which a Deadspin story called out on Tuesday.

"Yesterday in a weird attempt to make people laugh I failed," Connor tweeted. "My comments about @chloekimsnow were more than inappropriate they were lame & gross. Im truly sorry Chloe. You've repped our country so brilliantly. I apologize to my colleagues & the listeners for being a total idiot."

Connor's comments fit a pattern of sometimes-offensive behavior for the controversial Barstool Sports, a digital media company with a $100 million valuation. Some critics have questioned the long-term growth potential of the company, citing concerns about "sexist" content and behavior.

Last year, ESPN dropped Barstool Sports' TV show after one episode, after ESPN anchor Samantha Ponder tweeted screenshots from Barstool articles published three years earlier that made sexist remarks about her.

In January, Barstool CEO Erika Nardini countered calls of sexism against her company in an episode of the "Success! How I Did It" podcast with Business Insider's US editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell.

"This is a company that intentionally is not PC," Nardini said. "At our core, our guys just want to do things that are funny and that's what I'm focused on and that's what I believe in."

"If I came into Barstool apologizing for every time Barstool offended someone over the last 14 years, I basically would not do anything else in my job," she continued. "But I don't believe in that."

SEE ALSO: The best current TV show on each network — from ABC to FX to Netflix

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Netflix has a new 'Black Mirror' dating app that tells you how long your relationship will last

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black mirror

  • Netflix's "Black Mirror" has created a website app, based on the fan-favorite episode "Hang the DJ," that puts an expiration date on your relationship.
  • Go to www.coach.dating to see how long you and your partner will last.

 

As a Valentine's Day promotion, Netflix's dystopian series "Black Mirror" has created a dating app based on "Hang the DJ," a fan-favorite episode of the show.

The show's Twitter account shared a clip promoting www.coach.dating. The link leads to a simple app inspired by the episode's dating "System." In the show, the system pairs people based on compatibility, and tells them through a digital "coach" app when their relationship will end. They then have to move onto the next person until they find their ideal match — decided by the system.

black mirror

The app asks you to share a link with your partner. Upon clicking together, you can see how long the "Coach" predicts your relationship will last. 

Twitter users replied to the "Black Mirror" tweet with a wide range of responses. 

Watch "Hang the DJ" on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: The 27 best romantic comedy movies of all time, according to critics

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Apple admits its new $350 speaker can leave permanent white rings on wooden surfaces and furniture (AAPL)

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Apple WWDC 2017 HomePod

  • Some reviewers of Apple's new $350 smart speaker, HomePod, have noticed that the device can leave behind white rings on certain wooden surfaces. 
  • Apple confirmed to two outlets that HomePod can damage oiled wooden surfaces thanks to a reaction with the device's silicone base. 
  • While the marks may fade over time, it's possible that the surfaces would need to be re-sanded to remove the damage altogether. 

Early reviewers of Apple's new HomePod smart speaker have noticed an issue with the $350 device: it can leave white rings on some wooden surfaces. 

Reviewers at two publications — Wirecutter and Pocket Lint— noticed that HomePod left behind a semi-permanent white ring on certain wooden tables and countertops. Both publications noticed that HomePod doesn't leave rings on every type of wooden surface. Instead, it seems to affect countertops or tables that have been treated with oil.

Apple confirmed to both publications that the device can causes damage to some surfaces, but noted that the marks should fade over time. 

 

Here's how Pocket Lint described it: 

"When questioned, Apple told us it was 'not unusual' for a speaker with a silicone base to leave a 'mild mark' when placed on certain oil or wax based wood finished surfaces, suggesting the marks are caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface."

Apple told Wirecutter that "cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method" should remove the marks. If not, refinishing the surface altogether would solve the issue — though that isn't a great option for anyone with high-end furniture. 

As Apple pointed out, this likely isn't a HomePod-specific issue. Twitter user Ted Landau tweeted that the same thing happened to him while using an Echo Dot, and putting a cork coaster underneath the device solved the issue.  

SEE ALSO: 9 reasons you should buy an Amazon Echo instead of an Apple HomePod

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50 romantic photos show why everyone misses Barack and Michelle Obama

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barack michelle obama fist bump

On October 3, 1992, Barack Obama married Michelle Robinson.

Since Barack became president of the United States in 2008, the Obamas have captured our hearts with their love for one another. Obama mentions his wife in almost every speech he gives, and often showers her with PDA, even when the cameras are rolling.

On Wednesday, Michelle tweeted a playlist titled "Forever Mine" to Barack, wishing "Happy #ValentinesDay to my one and only." Many of the replies said they missed the couple, comparing them to the current occupants of the White House.

SEE ALSO: 17 of President Obama's most inspirational quotes

DON'T MISS: This one quote reveals the secret to the Obamas' extraordinary 25 years together

Barack and Michelle Obama were married on October 3, 1992. Michelle worked as a Chicago city government as an assistant to the mayor while Barack taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.



Here's the night where Obama formally announced his campaign for US President in the 2008 election on February 10, 2007.



Campaigning at the Iowa State Fair in 2007, Barack gives his wife a playful kiss.



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The most and least expensive Oscar best-picture winners of all time

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The Oscars' best-picture award can go to a low-budget indie darling or a monstrous hit with a blockbuster budget to match. And looking back at the winners, comparing budgets gets tricky because of inflation.

A movie that had what seems like a low budget could actually be quite expensive when adjusted for inflation.

Thankfully, Reddit user Joe Falchetto put all the work of adjusting the budgets of best pictures for inflation into one chart, so we can see what movies really cost the most. 

“Titanic,” the epic 1998 Oscar winner, tops the chart of priciest best pictures by millions of dollars. Behind it comes “Gladiator,” the 2001 best-picture winner, and “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which won best picture in 2004. 

According to Box Office Mojo, the 1997 budget for “Titanic” was about $200 million. And according to an inflation calculator, that equals $302,603,115.26 in today's US dollars. 

The best-picture winners with the lowest budgets adjusted for inflation include “Moonlight” (2016), “Crash” (2005), and “Rocky” (1976).

“Crash” had a budget of $6.4 million. Adjusted for 2017, that would be $8,227,472.74. The budget for “Rocky” was $1.1 million in 1976, or in today's dollars, $4,694,602.81. 

This chart documents the budgets of the last 50 Oscar best-picture winners, adjusted for inflation: 

Best Picture Inflation Chart

SEE ALSO: The 27 best romantic comedy movies of all time, according to critics

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Netflix signed TV giant Ryan Murphy to a massive $300 million deal — here are his series ranked worst to best, from 'Glee' to 'American Horror Story'

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american crime story The People v. OJ Simpson

  • Top showrunner Ryan Murphy signed a five-year deal with Netflix, reportedly worth $300 million dollars, in a major win for the streaming service.
  • Murphy has created such hit shows as "Glee," "Feud," and "American Horror Story," and has a bevy of content still on the way, including a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" prequel for Netflix starring Sarah Paulson as Nurse Ratched.
  • We ranked all of Murphy's shows past and present based on Rotten Tomatoes critics scores.

 

Superstar television showrunner Ryan Murphy has signed a five-year deal with Netflix, worth a reported $300 million. The deal will mean all of Murphy's future shows will be on Netflix.

And Murphy has an amazing track record in the industry.

Two Murphy-created shows are currenty airing: new law enforcement procedural "9-1-1" on Fox and a new season of "American Crime Story" — "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" — on FX.

These won't go to Netflix, unless Fox makes a deal, but Murphy already has some upcoming shows made for Netflix.

His "Ratched" series — a prequel to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" focused on the vile Nurse Ratched (played by Louise Fletcher in the original 1975 film, this time played by Sarah Paulson) scored a Netflix order in September. A Murphy comedy starring "Dear Evan Hansen" star Ben Platt called "The Politician" is also set to stream on Netflix.

Prior to the Netflix deal, FX had greenlit a second season of Murphy's anthology series "Feud", this time focused on Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Murphy has also been developing a drama-musical series called "Pose" for FX, with the largest transgender cast ever for a scripted series. 

With so much TV coming from Murphy, it's easy to forget what he's already put out.

Here are his major shows, past and present, ranked from worst to best by Rotten Tomatoes critics scores:

Side notes: We broke ties with audience scores, and his first show, "Popular" in 1999, had no score. Rotten Tomatoes also takes the average of each season's score for the show's score, which is the number we used. We decided to separate the two seasons of "American Crime Story" because they are so wildly different, whereas the seasons of "American Horror Story" are far more connected.

SEE ALSO: Netflix has a new 'Black Mirror' dating app that tells you how long your relationship will last

9. "The New Normal"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%

Network: NBC

Years it aired: 2012-2013

Plot summary:"A single mother's life after she accepts the offer to be a surrogate mother for a gay couple."

What critics said: "'The New Normal' wants what 'Modern Family' is having. But if we're going to catapult from South Park to a Hallmark movie, we need a smoother ride." — David Hinckley, New York Daily News

 



8. "9-1-1"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

Network: Fox

Years it aired: 2018-present

Plot summary:"Explores the high-pressure experiences of police, paramedics and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. They must try to balance saving people with solving problems in their own lives."

What critics said: "The Fox procedural '911' is absolutely impossible to watch with a straight face, despite the earnest attempts of its A-list cast." — Ben Travers, Indiewire



7. "Glee"

Rotten Tomatoes score: 70%

Network: Fox

Years it aired: 2009-2015

Plot summary:"A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club, where they find strength, acceptance and, ultimately, their voice, while working to pursue dreams of their own."

What critics said: "At its best, 'Glee' is not just entertaining but elating, dramatizing Breakfast Club-quality teen angst with the aid of tight production numbers covering new and classic popular songs." — Troy Patterson, Slate



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7 adults went undercover as high school students — and discovered why teachers today have less control than ever

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  • Seven young adults went undercover as students at a Kansas high school for the show "Undercover High" on A&E.
  • They found that smartphones have made it harder and harder for teachers to do their jobs.
  • Students are constantly distracted by phones in class, even though the school has a no-phone policy.


At Highland Park High School, technology is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, computers and Smart Boards have transformed the way teachers can convey information in the classroom.

But on the other hand, the ubiquity of smartphones has made students more distracted than ever, leaving teachers with less control than ever.

The relationship between students and their phones is highlighted on the A&E documentary series "Undercover High," in which seven young adults pose as students at Highland Park for a semester to understand the problems facing teenagers today.

The undercover students immediately noticed that teachers at Highland Park struggled to get students off their phones during class.

"I'm in my first class just looking around to see, like, what does a high schooler do? And I notice that everyone is on their phone," said Daniel, a youth minister from Nashville and one of the undercover participants.

undercover high phoneSeveral scenes from "Undercover High" show students using their phones to text, look at pictures and use social media while teachers went on with their lessons.

"When I was in high school, it was a no-phone zone," said Daniel, who graduated high school in 2012. "Now, you're allowed to be on your phone while the teacher's teaching, and it's a huge distraction."

Computers at the school have firewalls in place to prevent students from accessing social media sites, but students easily circumvent them by using their own devices, according to Beryl New, who was principal of Highland Park when the show was filmed.

Students at the school are technically forbidden from using their phones during the school day unless teachers incorporate them into lessons, New said. In practice, however, students said they use their phones at all times of the day.

"You're not supposed to have your phone out, but honestly, we don't care," one student said. "I probably check my phone about four times every five minutes," said another.

undercover high danielRampant phone use has a number of detrimental effects on Highland Park students. For one, conflicts between students often play out over social media and group texts rather than in plain sight, leaving school staff helpless in identifying and stopping bullying.

"Bullying has been a thing since the beginning of time, but it's very different today," Shane Feldman, an undercover student who graduated from high school in 2012, told Business Insider. "The 24/7 nature of it, the way that it transfers onto the online word, has an impact on everything." 

On top of that, frequent social media use has contributed to rising rates of depression among teenagers.

Administrators expressed hope that the use of technology in schools would be more carefully implemented. But for now, they are stuck playing catch-up to a rapidly changing world.

"I'm old enough to remember when we had no cell phones 12 to 15 years ago," New told Business Insider. "To go with from a few people having them to most of the adults, to almost every single child — they can be a homeless child and have a cell phone, free and reduced meals and have a cell phone."

"It's a great leveler, socially."

"Undercover High" airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. on A&E.

SEE ALSO: Adults who went undercover at a high school found 7 things people don't realize about life for teenagers today

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Michelle Obama dedicated a Valentine's Day Spotify playlist to Barack, and it includes Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Michael Jackson

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Michelle Obama Valentine's

Barack Obama is feeling the love from wife Michelle this Valentine's Day.

Michelle Obama dedicated a Valentine's Spotify playlist to the former president.

She posted the playlist art to her personal Instagram on Wednesday with the caption: "Happy #ValentinesDay to my one and only, @BarackObama. To celebrate the occasion, I'm dedicating a little Valentine's Day playlist to you! Click the link in my bio to hear the playlist."

The playlist includes a total of 44 songs that include a variety of genres and musicians, from modern-day R&B powerhouses like Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, to classic pop sensations like Michael Jackson, to country stars like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Barack Obama reciprocated the heartfelt message with one of his own:

Happy Valentine’s Day, @MichelleObama. You make every day and every place better.

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) on Feb 14, 2018 at 8:26am PST on

These aren't the first mushy posts from the two; the former President and First Lady have been vocal about their relationship on social media since leaving office, with birthday and anniversary posts.

Apart from Valentine's Day, the two are also celebrating their official portraits revealed by the Smithsonian on Monday.

Listen to the entire playlist below:

XX

 

SEE ALSO: Spotify shares its 10 most popular 'love,' 'sex,' and 'anti-Valentine's' songs for Valentine's Day

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