While the much-needed conversation about diversity on screen is picking up steam, the demographics of writers' rooms are discussed much less often. TV writing staffs are still mostly 70% white, which is why viewers are stuck with the same hack stereotypes and cliché jokes.   

A new video by Slate cuts together clips that show even your favorite shows like New Girl and Modern Family fall into the dumb trap that is stereotypes. With no writers who can speak to the actual experience, TV shows and movies just cycle through the same weird Hollywood fantasies about what people of color act like. There are tropes that you didn't know were tropes, like the Ostensibly Asexual Asian Male and the fact that the black guy is almost always The First to Die. 

The video is long, but it's both entertaining and enlightening. 

A mom was flying on a plane with a one-year-old from Atlanta to Wichita. Anyone who has ever flown with a child knows the potential for disaster is high, but this mom actually had a good experience, courtesy of Sergeant Robert Bolin. It was so good, she even took the time to write to the Wichita Police Department where Sgt. Bolin works in recruitment and teaches defensive tactics. They shared her letter in this viral post:

It reads:

I just want to say thank you to one of the kindest men I have ever met. Sergeant Robert Bolin, of the Wichita Police Department, was seated in the same row as my son, Jude, and I today as we flew from Atlanta to Wichita. Once we took off, my one year old became antsy and began trying to climb to Sgt. Bolin's window seat from where we sat near the isle. Without hesitation he welcomed Jude onto his lap. Multiple times during the flight he held Jude and let him look out the window. He also never complained about the numerous toys/cups/magazines Jude continuously threw on the ground, but would, instead, reach to grab them for me each and every time. After the flight, Sgt. Bolin, happily volunteered to help me take my luggage and car seat to the rental car counter. 
To Sergeant Bolin: Thank you for your kindness today. I was so nervous that Jude was going to bother you, but you just seemed to enjoy him. Thank you for your help, on and off the plane. Thank you for making my first time traveling alone with an infant quite enjoyable. Your kindness will not soon be forgotten.

This story is probably popular because people are always hopeful they'll have both positive experiences while traveling and with police officers. For a few blissful hours, this mom got to live our dreams!

A breast cancer survivor's pictures of her chest are stirring up controversy. Jenn Atler from St. Louis, Missouri underwent a 35-day radiation treatment for breast cancer back in 2013. She is currently in remission, but still carries scars from her chemo. She posted the pictures to combat what she sees as a white-washing of breast cancer awareness. According to Jen:

Breast cancer isn’t sexy. It’s not about saving the boobies. It’s not about no bra day, which is really just an excuse for women to post sexy pics of their nipples pressing through their clothes. [...] 'This disease has been sexualised in order to supposedly raise awareness, and, because of that, society is able to ignore the brutal, ugly truth of breast cancer and breast cancer treatment. 

Here are some pictures of Jen, along with the aforementioned photos of her chest. 

WARNING: Some readers might find the photos graphic.

She's gotten a few negative reactions, but for the most part, people are admiring her for using topless pics for a good cause.

The "Titanic Cracker" is not just a hilarious thing to call Leonardo DiCaprio, it also refers to a real food item that unbelievably survived the sinking of the famous ship back in 1912. This weekend, someone who's probably not Billy Zane bought the 103 year-old cracker for $23,000 at an auction in the UK, where they call them biscuits. The Titanic Cracker is now the world's most expensive cracker, and it's not even gluten free.

The Spillers & Bakers Pilot cracker was taken from the survival kit of one of Titanic's lifeboats by James Fenwick, a passenger and food hoarder, on the Carpathia. (Carpathia helped rescue Titanic passengers after the "unsinkable" ship hit an iceberg, causing the death of over 1,500 people.) Fenwick took the cracker and instead of shame-eating it, put it in an envelope labeled "Pilot biscuit from Titanic lifeboat April 1912." Dude must've been cutting carbs.

The existence of this century-old cracker raises so many questions, like, why didn't bugs eat it? How'd they keep it from getting crushed? Why didn't Rose share the door with Jack? OH MY GOD, WHY THOUGH?

Whatever the answers, one thing's for sure: The Titanic still captures the imaginations and wallets of many. Which is lucky for Fenwick's heirs, who are $23,000 richer. I bet they're glad he held on to the treasure and didn't just toss it overboard like some old people we know... 

I thought you said you'd NEVER let go?!

Self-described "biggest hypocrite ever" and former fundamentalist rising star Josh Duggar was uncovered as a serial cheater shortly after the Ashley Madison account hack. He also, it turned out, had an OKCupid profile and a secret Facebook identity for picking up chicks. Josh likes to spread it around...to different dating sites. Someone just sent in what they claim are screenshots of photos of Josh (as opposed to the guy he used as his stand-in on OKCupid) Josh's actual Ashley Madison account to Gawker. Though the accounts have been deleted, some of the info is still cached in the Internet's undefeatable brain.

So the questions is: would you hit it? He's wearing a sexy mask. And flexing. So. Would you?

Opal Covey is a self-described "prophetess" who is running for mayor of Toledo for the fifth time, because apparently the first, second, third, and fourth times weren't the charm. Actually, that's not entirely true — according to Covey, she was the rightful winner in the 2013 election, but her votes were stolen because the city is corrupt. So why does Covey keep trying to run for mayor despite these losses and secret forces working against her? Because God sent her to "look upon Toledo," of course.

Covey isn't just trying to ascend to mayor through the grace of the Lord, however. She also has big plans for Toledo's citizens. Namely, filling pot holes and building amusement parks, because amusement parks are "gold mines," and not just because they have mine-themed roller coasters. But be warned, Toledoans: As you can see in the video below, Covey has received a confirmation from God that great horrors will rain down on the city if she is not elected as your mayor.

Thank you Jesus, indeed. 

Target, the store that previously decided to remove gender distinctions from its toy section, is continuing its tradition of being one of the less-sh*tty big box stores. Their recent Halloween ad flyer featured a girl modeling an Elsa costume — a girl who also happened to be disabled and using arm crutches. People have been praising Target for their inclusiveness, especially parents of disabled children. One of these parents was Jen Spickenagel Kroll, whose post on Facebook was one of the first to highlight the ad. She wrote:

I love you. Thank you for including a child with braces and arm crutches into your advertising campaign! And as Elsa, no less! My daughter (with arm crutches and prosthetic legs) is going to FLIP when she sees this! Including children with special needs into advertising makes them less of a spectacle to the general public when they venture out into the real world. Normalizing disabilities in children is PRICELESS.

 Many others have joined in on the praise:

Target has responded to some of the tweets noting that "Our Advertising team tries hard to include all of our guests." Hopefully they continue that.

Jimmy Fallon's hands are alright, and he's back in full Fallon mode. To show that he is back to being himself after a quick trip to the hospital, he brought on the coaches from The Voice to play a little game of "Spin the Microphone." Sadly, you won't get to see Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams kiss each other, but you do get to see pairs of these celebs duet. It's nice to see people actually sing rather than just lip sync for a change. Watch spirited renditions of songs like "Oops I Did It Again" and "Hotline Bling" here: 

Since the advent of Pizza Rat, we've been inundated with different animals videos and photos that involve scrappy urban scavengers eating something disgusting. None have touched the nerve that Pizza Rat has, but we have a strong contender here. Imgur user connierubirosa posted the photo below, with the title "Most New York photo I've ever taken." Introducing: Bagel Pigeon.

Much like Pizza Rat, Bagel Pigeon's story has a hint of melancholy. Pizza Rat doesn't get its pizza, and Bagel Pigeon is imprisoned by the food it loves, in a suffocating bread hug. Will this bagel embrace keep it bound to the earth? Or will it have the bravery and fortitude to escaped by eating its way out? The world will never know, but in this town, anything's possible. New York, New York!

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live star turned indie darling with a big blockbuster on the way, debuted the trailer for her latest, "extremely independent" movie on last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live. With emotional depth, festival pedigree, and raw, real performance, Wiig will make you wish both that her fake tailer was for a real movie, and that it's OK to wear sweaters in the bathtub.  

At a track meet in Des Moines, Iowa for a district championship in Davis County, a high school runner named Zach Hougland won first place in the cross country race. Then, he turned back and saw his competitor Garret Hinson of Minneapolis struggling to finish the race due to severe dehydration. Zach looked around, but no one was helping, so he went back to help Garret cross the finish line in a display of good sportsmanship that made everyone's hearts grow three sizes.

Almost everybody. After Zach and Garret got to the finish line together, Zach was notified that he'd lost his medal. According to the rules of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, a runner is automatically disqualified for giving or receiving help. So, Garret is also technically disqualified, but people are focusing on Zach for this story. 

A rep for the organization, Bud Legg, said that while he admires Zach's impulse to help, their hands are tied:

An athlete who receives or gives assistance to another runner in the same race is disqualified. While it was a sportsmanlike act to help someone in distress it remained a violation and the official had no choice but to enforce the rule.

On the bright side, Zach's team still scored well enough overall that he'll be able to compete on October 31st for the state meet. Hopefully, no one will fall down and need to get dragged over the finish line, because Zach says he wouldn't do anything differently, and it would be cool if this kid could keep a medal for once.

The Internet is a wonderful place full of long reads, binge-watchable TV series, and all the information known to man. But what people really want is to laugh right now. Recently, someone asked reddit for their favorite videos under a minute long, and Internet dwellers lept at the opportunity to dig up old favorites many of us had forgotten for years, some from the very early days of the Internet. From there and from a few other sources, here are a truckload of short, funny videos:

1. Joaquin Phoenix's Forehead

2. "Wobbly Sausage" aka "Kid Finds Mums Dildo" (Warning: Is exactly what it says it is.)

3. The Turkey Whisperer

4. Benedict Cumberbatch Trying To Pronounce "Penguins"

5. Kevin Everett Recovery Blooper

6. Swedish Girl Accidentally Terrifies Herself Using Snapchat's "Scary" Effects

7. Dana Is Off Tonight

8. Rusty The Narcoleptic Dog (Note: one of the Internet's first viral videos)

9. "This Is A One Of A Kind Piece"

10. Medical Miracle Woman Regains Ability To Speak

11. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Of The News World

12. Han Solo Realizes

13. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi Saves The Day

14. "Jesus, Man!"

15. Two For The Price Of One

16. Give It All Ya Got, Goat!

17. Cream Of The Crop

18. You Can If You Ask Nicely

19. Why Wasn't This Edited Out?!

20. I Didn't Choose The Magic Life, The Magic Life Chose Me

21. Poorly Installed Subwoofer (Warning: Loud)

22. Bucket-Headed Man Protests Illegal Blue-Light Cars In Russia

23. That Shouldn't Be Possible

24. Watch Your Profanity

25. THIS OWL IS SO CALM RIGHT NOW

26. But Get This: He's—

27. I Don't Need A Jacket

Bonus: The Remix

28. Nobody Effs With Gary

29. Motherf***ing Bootleg Fireworks! (NSFW Language)

Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to get through the day, but you definitely want to see a photo of Kim Kardashian's baby bump. Ever since you heard that Kim Kardashian was pregnant, then heard more about it, then heard more about it, then heard more about it, you've been curious. You don't have to admit that to anyone. You don't even have to admit it to yourself. You can just keep on scrolling and pretend you don't even care and you're not even going to look that long and then you're not going to store the memory of what you saw in the long-term part of your brain. Sure. That's great. Now here's a photograph of Kim Kardashian's baby bump:

The photo, which Kim shared on Instagram and on her app, is from her recent Troop Beverly Hills-themed baby shower. Do you want to see a closer shot? You don't have to answer that.

It definitely looks like there's a baby in there.

Susannah Mushatt Jones was officially declared the oldest person in the world earlier this year, winning a difficult competition that depends on staying alive while other people die. She's six years away from beating the world record previously set by Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 years and 164 days. At the tender age of 116, Mushatt Jones lives a good life in Brooklyn, with a positive attitude and comforting routine. Her day begins with eggs, grits, and four strips of bacon, which comes as a surprise after the World Health Organization's boner killer about bacon yesterday.

Yesterday, the WHO (who?) announced the devastating news that bacon and other delicious processed meats cause cancer, but perhaps Mushatt Jones has a special immunity. Still kicking it at 116,  she understands that bacon is one of the only things worth living more than a century for.

Presidential hopeful and renowned xenophobe Donald Trump has shocked everyone by saying Muslim women should be able to wear burkas, a robe and headdress that covers them from head to toe, if they want to. Rules about headdresses and face coverings are always controversial, and in some countries even wearing the less extreme hijab has been outlawed, though it's an expression of faith for many women. One would assume that Donald Trump's general mistrust of anyone "foreign" would lead him down a similar path, but no. Here he is talking about the issue at a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire:

Oh, wait. It's because he thinks Muslim women don't want to be bothered with make-up. That's much more on brand. In the clip above, he says: "They want to. What the hell are we getting involved for? You don’t have to put on make-up...wouldn’t that be easier?" He adds, "I tell ya, if I was a woman, [pretending his hand is the religious garment in question] I’m ready darling, let’s go."

Gosh, can you imagine if Donald Trump were a woman? He would absolutely freak about getting his period, but he'd be sooooo attracted to himself.

Bella Younger is a Scottish comedian who has created the wonderful Instagram account Deliciously Stella. The posts are a complete middle finger to the pictures of yoga and healthy food choices you'll find on other Instagram feeds. If only this were what made up a majority of Instagram: gluttony and mocking people who take themselves too seriously.

For starters, the snack we all know and love, plus taking a shot at engagement pictures!

A breakfast of champions, against the advice of her mother.

Wine that is not aged or allowed to breathe, but rather fortified with caffeine.

A solo picture from a bachelorette party. Yes, this is from a bachelorette party. 

Mocking the legs perspective shot taken by every girl at a pool or on a beach.

She demonstrates the only appropriate way to show your ribs.

No one cares about your half marathon or 5K.

She still tries her best to be into sports.

Next time you think about posting a picture of your healthy dinner or exercise feat, just remember that Bella is watching. She manages to swiftly destroy bachelorette parties, engagement announcements, and just about every stereotypical picture on Instagram that is worthy of being taken down a few notches. She should have her very own filter.

Boys and their toys. This young lady was trying to entice her gamer boyfriend into some fun role-playing in her Halloween costume, but he just couldn't pull himself away from playing with his own joystick. What is she dressed as? Maybe...Cat woman? Whatever. If you don't want to have sex, that's cool. But take ten seconds to write a polite "no thank you" instead of going out of your way to say as explicitly as possible that the only game you want to play is in virtual reality.

Rude. It also could be fake, like everything on the Internet, but the girl in the photos messaged Dude Comedy with the story and they provided screenshots.

Well, if it is made up, at least the mysterious authoress breaks up with the guy in the end. Catwoman FTW.

Two weeks ago, over a million fools helped a fake Facebook post supposedly written by Richard Gere go viral. The message—from an unverified account...look for the blue check, people!—said that Gere was so humbled when he went unrecognized while posing undercover as a homeless person that he gave $100 to a bunch of actual homeless people. None of that happened, but he did play a homeless person in an upcoming film, Time Out Of Mind.

Now, Gere has followed up on the viral hoax through a baffling social media message that also conveniently markets the film. Time Out of Mind's director, Oren Moverman, shared a post on his own (verified) Facebook account that begins with the statement "Hi, Richard Gere here." Yes, Gere's clarification post is confusingly written in first person from a different person's Facebook account. Or the director of Time Out Of Mind is catfishing us, which would be hilarious.

Hi, Richard Gere here. I was completely surprised to find that last week someone posted a photo of me on a Facebook fan page as a homeless man on the streets of New York that drew 1.6 million likes and over a half-a-million shares.
While the story that accompanied the photograph was somewhat fictional (especially the $100 hand-outs), it seemed to have touched something important in people. I'd like to find out what that is and what we can do together to make something good and meaningful happen for our homeless brothers and sisters.
The image was from Time Out of Mind, a film we released this fall, that follows a homeless man in New York City.I'd like you to join me for a conversation on the issue of homelessness and how it impacts your lives. The film's director Oren Moverman and I will be taking questions live on Wednesday, 10/28 at 11AM ET on Jena Malone's public page, I hope you'll join us. We're excited to see what happens, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS AND SHARE YOUR STORIES BELOW. 
Talk to you soon, Richard

And yes, the post then very straightforwardly directs people to a different person's Facebook page tomorrow for an interactive question session. Maybe someone should ask how old the person who came up with this social media strategy is.