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Whitney Houston may have turned the 1974 anthem “I Will Always Love You” into a record-breaking hit, but it was originally sung as a country folk ballad by iconic singer Dolly Parton.

More than five decades after its original release, the song’s enduring success in both its original and revived versions remains a significant achievement.

It continues to resonate with listeners after being named one of the “greatest country songs” of all time.

Billboard, an established music publication, ranked the top 100 songs in the genre that continue to spark nostalgia and excitement among listeners, regardless of the era in which they were released.

Dolly Parton during a performance in 1978.

Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

With the Tennessee-born singer securing the No. 1 spot with her smash hit “Jolene,” her two other songs, “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers at No. 54 and “I Will Always Love You” at No. 31, also made the list.

Described by the publication as timeless, the song expresses heartbreak without bitterness, as well as strength and love while saying goodbye.

Adding to the list of publications that have recognized the track, “I Will Always Love You” was also named bySiriusXM as No. 4 on the 100 Best Country Songs, proving that it is far more than a timeless breakup ballad.

Written by Parton in the early 1970s, it served as a farewell to her mentor and business partner, Porter Wagoner, as she pursued her solo career.

"How am I going to make him understand how much I appreciate everything, but that I have to go?” she said in an interview as cited by the BBC, recalling breaking the news to Wagoner. “I thought, well, what do you do best? You write songs. So I sat down and I wrote this song."

During the celebration of the song’s 50th anniversary in 2024, the Queen of Country music expressed its significance to her as an artist.

“Happy 50th Anniversary to my song, “I Will Always Love You.” It will always hold a special place in my heart as I hope it does yours,” she captioned her Instagram post.

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As for Houston's 1992 cover, the singer-actress helped introduce the song to a new generation while delivering its emotional message.

Moreover, “I Will Always Love You” was transformed into a dramatic pop-soul powerhouse, beginning with a striking a cappella intro before transitioning into a full orchestral arrangement.

While Parton’s original version spent one week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1974, Houston’s cover became the best-selling physical single by a solo female artist, according toGuinness World Records.

Related: Dolly Parton's Latest Post Draws Attention After Unfortunate 80th Birthday News

If you're over 40, there's a good chance that brain health is on your mind. A 2026 survey by the Alzheimer’s Association indicated that nearly all (99%) of adults 40 and up reported that their brain health is as important to them as their physical health.

Increased interest in and awareness of brain health aren't bad. After all, more than 7 million people in the U.S. live with Alzheimer's. But this has led people to seek quick fixes to prevent, slow or reverse cognitive decline, and neurologists warn that these "fixes" aren't typically grounded in science.

"There are an incredible number of supplements claiming to improve brain function, ward off dementia or prevent Alzheimer’s," states Dr. Jessica Schultz, MD, a neurologist with Memorial Hermann Mischer Neuroscience Associates. "However, these supplements do not go through the rigorous testing that the FDA requires of prescription medication."

Dr. Schultz explains that the quality, amount and source of the ingredients can vary, even within the same brand, sharing, "Also, supplement manufacturers do not have to prove that the supplements actually work the way they claim. Some manufacturers have been fined by the FTC for false advertising because of this."

Speaking of money: People often spend it on certain brain health supplements that aren't effective, especially one in particular. Below, neurologists share which supplement they're talking about, and better ways to support your mind as you age.

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This Supplement Is a Waste of Money for Brain Health, Neurologists Say

Neurologists say that Ginkgo biloba, a supplement derived from the leaves of a Ginkgo tree, likely won't help your brain health.

"Ginkgo is one of those supplements that has been touted as a natural treatment for dementia," Dr. Schultz tells Parade. "It is a tree, and its leaves and fruit are used in traditional medicine. It has been used for centuries to treat asthma, stomach disorders and dementia."

However, neurologists point to several studies that didn't show a significant benefit for brain health in humans. These studies include the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM), published in JAMAin 2010. It looked at more than 3,000 people aged 72 to 96 years old between 2000 and 2008. Researchers followed up with participants at around the six-year mark (give or take). Cognitive decline rates didn't differ between people who were taking Ginkgo and the placebo group. A 2012 meta-analysis supported these findings.

But Ginkgo biloba proponents cite a small number of studies suggesting the supplement may have a modest effect on brain health.

"Because of these varying studies, it's remained very
popular to treat cognitive issues, particularly as people get older," explains Dr. Noah Rosen, MD, a neurologist and director of headache medicine at Northwell Health. "The problem is that, even though it's been used for centuries, the research is still very limited. It's contradictory.
And despite people wanting it to work, there's still a dearth of evidence that it does."

For what it's worth, many of the components of Ginkgo that might support brain health are readily available in whole foods.

"The flavonoids in Ginkgo extract, which seem to be beneficial, are quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin," Dr. Schultz says. "These can be found in many foods, including onions, broccoli, apples, spinach, kale, cherries, berries and almonds." 

Related: Scientists Reveal This Many Daily Steps Could Cut Your Dementia Risk by 51%

What Are the Risks of Taking Ginkgo Biloba?

Ginkgo biloba doesn't appear to have a significant positive effect on your brain health, but neurologists like Dr. Schultz warn that it might have unwanted and even dangerous side effects.

"There are risks of taking any supplement," she explains. "Just like a medication, supplements can cause side effects."

Dr. Schultz says that potential side effects of Ginkgo include:

• Allergic reactions
• Increased risk of bleeding
• Interactions with some medications, including antidepressants
• Serotonin syndrome
• Headache
• Nausea

Related:We Asked 3 Neurologists About the Best Breakfast for Memory and They All Said the Same Thing

5 Proven Ways To Support Your Brain Health

So, Ginkgo biloba may not improve your brain health, but some diet and lifestyle tweaks may. Here are neurologists' top five tips for keeping your brain healthy, and what to do if you're concerned about cognitive decline in yourself or a loved one.

1. Follow a brain-healthy diet

Dr. Schultz suggests the MIND diet, a mix of the Mediterranean and DASH eating plans. Think fruits and vegetables, lean and plant-based proteins, healthy fats (like olive oil) and foods low in sodium, added sugar and saturated fat.

2. Get consistently good sleep

Dr. Rosen isn't pulling any punches with his top tip for brain health: "Probably number one, two and three are sleep, sleep and sleep," he says. "It's probably the single greatest modifiable risk for impaired concentration."

3. Move your body

Dr. Schultz advises people to try to log 30 minutes of exercise five days per week to slow brain aging.

"This exercise can be broken into shorter sessions. It does not have to be very rigorous," she adds. "Walking, chair exercises and yoga are good ways to get exercise."

4. Stay social

Dr. Schultz says social engagement (not just on Facebook) is vital to keeping the brain healthy.

"We need to be around other people and interact with them to maintain cognitive health and function," she emphasizes. "Isolation can accelerate memory loss, especially in patients who are already having problems with this."

5. Seek help

If you're concerned about cognitive decline in yourself or someone else, Dr. Schultz recommends speaking with your family doctor or primary care physician. They may refer you to a neurologist. "Not all memory loss is normal aging, but it takes a neurological evaluation to determine that," she says. "The sooner it is done, the better."

If nothing else, the evaluation results might set you up for greater success with the second tip (getting good sleep).

Up Next:

Related: Always Tired? Doctors Say This Common Nutrient Deficiency Could Be To Blame

Sources:

• Dr. Jessica Schultz, MD, a neurologist with Memorial Hermann Mischer Neuroscience Associates
• Dr. Noah Rosen, MD, a neurologist and director of headache medicine at Northwell Health
• New Alzheimer’s Association Report: Americans Care Deeply About Brain Health but Most Don’t Know How to Maintain It. Alzheimer's Association.
• 2026 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's & Dementia.
• Ginkgo biloba for Preventing Cognitive Decline in Older Adults. JAMA.
• Is Ginkgo biloba a cognitive enhancer in healthy individuals? A meta-analysis. Human Psychopharmacology.
• Examining Brain-Cognition Effects of Ginkgo Biloba Extract: Brain Activation in the Left Temporal and Left Prefrontal Cortex in an Object Working Memory Task. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Matthew McConaughey just hit the red carpet with his wife and kids, and it's almost shocking how much the children resemble their parents.

Matthew, 56, who kicked off his career with classics like Dazed and Confused, went on to become an acting powerhouse with rom-coms like How to Love a Guy in 10 Days and game-changing films like The Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street. Of course, his role on True Detective will always be a fan favorite. But the family man, who has been married to Camila Alves McConaughey since 2012, has always made it clear that his family comes first. Now, the whole family is hitting the red carpet together, and the kids are absolutely adorable.

Kids Levi, 18, Livingston, 13, and Vida, 16, joined Matthew and Camila at the Matthew McConaughey Cinema's dedication ceremony in Austin Texas, where the group enjoyed a special screening of The Rivals Of Amziah King. One glance at the sweet family makes it clear who their parents are, since each one is the perfect fusion of their mom and dad. Now that's one happy family.

Rick Kern / Getty Images

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What Has Matthew McConaughey Said About Parenting?

McConaughey opened up about the trials and tribulations of parenting on the April 21 episode of Bear Grylls Is Running Wild. The star discussed how important parenting is, saying the “greatest art” a man can create is being a “good father to a son or a daughter.”

“I think a man’s a prince until he has children, then he becomes a king. I don’t think there’s anything more important that a man can do,” he told Grylls. “In fact, man, we’re mortal. That’s the beginning of our immortality, and hopefully, we’re lucky enough for them to have offspring, and it continues to pass that down. I think that’s the greatest art that a man can make is being a good father to a son or a daughter.”

Check out the clip below:

Related: Matthew McConaughey’s Unconventional Bedroom Advice for Couples Has Fans Seriously Polarized

Before The Beatles and The Rolling Stones transformed British pop, the early 1960s charts were already producing a new generation of young stars. One of the biggest was Helen Shapiro, whose powerful voice and debut single turned her into a teenage sensation. 

Shapiro was just 14 when she released “Don’t Treat Me Like a Child” in February 1961. The song became her breakthrough, climbing to No. 3 on the U.K. singles chart and launching a remarkable career that would eventually take her from the pop charts to the West End stage.

Shapiro had been making music since childhood. At just 10, she was singing with her cousin Susan Singer and guitarist Mark Feld, the future Marc Bolan. Her unusually deep voice also earned her the nickname “Foghorn.”

At 13, Shapiro enrolled at the Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing, where successful singer Alma Cogan had also studied. She quickly caught Maurice Burman’s attention, and just six months later, he was ready to introduce her to the music industry.

Burman reached out to EMI producer Norrie Paramor and invited him to hear seven students. Paramor sent pianist and arranger John Schroeder instead, who was immediately struck by Shapiro. “There was a touch of Jazz and Soul about her phrasing, as though she had been singing for years,” Schroeder later recalled, per Bear Family Records.

Once Shapiro was signed to EMI’s Columbia label, the next challenge was finding the right song for her debut. Paramor suggested Schroeder write one himself, so he brought in his friend Mike Hawker to help with the lyrics. Together, they wrote “Don’t Treat Me Like a Child,” a title and message that fit the young singer as she worked to prove herself as a serious artist. 

They recorded the song at Abbey Road’s Studio One with a nine-piece band. “[It] was enormous and where they did all the film music with Philharmonic Orchestras,” she told Mojo. “I remember going into the studio and seeing all those great musicians ... A wonderful, wonderful experience.”

Released in February 1961, “Don’t Treat Me Like a Child” quickly began climbing the charts. Shapiro’s appearance on ITV’s Thank Your Lucky Stars helped propel the record, and by May it had reached No. 3 in the U.K. 

Her debut success was only the beginning. Shapiro's next two singles, “You Don’t Know” and “Walkin’ Back to Happiness,” both reached No. 1. “Tell Me What He Said” followed with a No. 2 peak, while “Little Miss Lonely” hit No. 8. 

As Shapiro started gaining attention, she also crossed paths with The Beatles, who were still working their way up. In 1963, they supported her on her winter tour, with Shapiro topping the bill. 

During the tour, John Lennon and Paul McCartney reportedly wrote “Misery” with Shapiro in mind. However, her producer ultimately passed on the song. 

The Beatles soon took over the British pop scene, but Shapiro continued working. She appeared in Play It Cool with Billy Fury and starred in Richard Lester’s musical comedy It’s Trad, Dad!

By the late ’60s, Shapiro had moved into clubs, jazz and musical theater. After years of touring, she announced her retirement following a performance at Peterlee’s Senate Club in 1972.

She eventually returned to performing and reinvented herself as a jazz singer and musical-theater actress. Among her notable stage roles were Nancy in Oliver! in the West End and Sally Bowles in Cabaret. She also appeared in the television soap opera Albion Market.

Related: 1964 Folk Song, Written by Bob Dylan, Launched a 19-Year-Old Singer’s Solo Career

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As we begin the transition from hot summer days to cool evenings and mild fall temperatures, there’s nothing better than having a warm and cozy sweatshirt that you can count on. Whether you're stepping out for a morning coffee, layering up for an evening walk, or just trying to stay warm at your desk, the right one makes the change in seasons feel a little easier. One comfy and affordable favorite popping up on Amazon is the Efan Drawstring Zip-Up Hoodie.

Right now, select colors and sizes are on sale for as low as $24, down from the usual $46 cost. This means you can save up to 48% as we approach the end of summer. It’s soft, relaxed, and available in a wide range of colors to suit any mood. Easy to layer and even easier to live in, it’s the kind of hoodie you’ll find yourself reaching for every single day.

Efan Drawstring Zip-Up Hoodie, From $24 (was $46) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

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With dropped shoulders and a loose, relaxed fit, this cotton-polyester blend hoodie is built for comfort. The adjustable drawstring hood and split front kangaroo pocket add the cozy details you want on cooler days and nights. 

It comes in 13 colors — ranging from neutrals to jewel tones and bold primaries — and sizes extra small through extra large. Whether you’re throwing it on with leggings, jeans, or even an athleisure dress, it adds just the right touch of warmth without feeling bulky. It works just as well zipped up to trap heat as it does left open to let in a soothing cool breeze, making it one of those pieces that quickly becomes your favorite.

Earning high marks for its “high-quality” material and “comfortable” silhouette and feel, this hoodie has amassed over 5,800 five-star reviews. “This hoodie fits perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places without feeling restrictive,” one shopper wrote, “The fabric feels luxurious against the skin, providing warmth and comfort that is perfect for chilly autumn days.”

Another shopper added that “it feels durable and well-made,” which gave them confidence that it will “last through many seasons to come.”

Related: Amazon's 3-Drawer Dresser Is 'Great for Small Spaces' and Comes in a Vintage-Style Floral Print

At nearly 50% off, the Efan Drawstring Zip-Up Hoodie is more than worth picking up to keep out the late summer and early fall chill. Grab your size and favorite color at Amazon before it's gone! 

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Whether you’re feeling like a fire’s been lit in your belly to chase your dreams with more fervor than ever before or you’re feeling wired and drained, you’re far from alone—you’re just feeling eclipse season rolling through. The first event of the season falls on Wednesday, August 12 at 10:37 a.m. PT/1:37 p.m. ET in the fixed fire sign Leo. It’s the first solar eclipse we’ve had in Leo since August 11, 2018, and the first one we’ve had with the South Node in the sign of the Lion since August 1, 2008. 

You can think back to both of those periods for a sense of what life-altering changes might be on the horizon for you as we move into this shake-up-bringing moment, which will center on a particular narrative in your life that kicked off at the start of this eclipse series on February 17 and will last through January 26, 2028. 

It’s important to bear in mind that eclipses are linked to karmic experiences, because they involve the North and South Nodes, points in space that are aligned with your destiny and your past respectively. This solar eclipse in Leo, associated with self, identity, leadership, confidence, and visibility, involves the South Node, so it could inspire you to step away from a pattern, a relationship, an experience, or a way of living that no longer serves you. 

Read on for what you can expect to release over the course of this eclipse, based on your sign.

Your August Solar Eclipse Horoscope

Read for your Sun and Rising signs.

Aries

This eclipse hits your fifth house of romance and self-expression, hosting a game-changing moment when you’ll likely become more aware of your need to let go, have fun, own your voice, and infuse your life with more spontaneity, creativity, and joy. As much of a go-getter as you tend to be, you’ll increasingly take note of how certain habits could be standing in the way of following your heart and feeling truly fulfilled. 

Taurus

Falling in your fourth house of home life, this eclipse continues a particular story that you’ve been experiencing for at least the past six months around your bonds with loved ones, sense of security, and potentially work-life balance. Think about what you need to feel comfortable, centered, and emotionally at peace. It may be time to tend to wounds that you’ve turned away from or to talk through an ongoing conflict with a loved one.  

Gemini

With the eclipse impacting your third house of communication, this can be an especially buzzy, active, high mental energy moment. You could be embarking on a short-distance trip, engaging more with your social circle, or diving into a cerebrally-charged project. Allow your curiosity to soar, and take note of to-dos and commitments that might be stretching you a bit too thin.

Cancer

The energy around this particular eclipse brings your attention to money matters, material possessions, and your cash flow as it falls in your second house of income. You might be inspired to revise your budget, go to bat for a new cash stream, and do inner work tied to your values and self-worth. While you’ve likely been exploring these themes for a moment, given the sun’s presence here, too, your ruler, the moon, is now fueling change that needs to occur in order for you to feel most secure. 

Leo

Think back to late February to get a sense of how this current eclipse series is impacting your sense of self and one-on-one bonds. How are you showing up in the world differently? What do you need to let go of in order to make your mark and be perceived as your most genuine self? With the eclipse impacting your first house of self, you’re on a wild ride over the next couple of years that will overhaul how comfortable you are in your skin. More self-love, self-compassion, and self-care could be in order. 

Virgo

This solar eclipse falls in your twelfth house of spirituality and dreams, making it feel very different from the ones you’ve been going through over the last two years that were all about you being more visible and comfortable in your sense of self. This meditative lunation is asking you to work on trusting your intuition and inner voice. You’re moving through a healing journey that will make it possible to feel even more in tune with your heart, your head, and your soul.

Libra

With this eclipse hitting your eleventh house of friendships, you’ll be opening your eyes to patterns, habits, and realities within your social life that aren’t serving you. It could be time to steer toward people or groups who are more aligned with your long-term wishes, passions, and dreams. This is also a time when thrilling team projects could pop up out of nowhere, allowing you to feel even more connected and supported by your community. 

Scorpio

Because it activates your tenth house of career and public image, this solar eclipse will thrust you into the spotlight—or make you even more aware of how you want to be recognized for everything you bring to the table. It’s possible that it’s time to shed outdated ways of thinking about leadership and your sense of authority, and once you’re able to reframe how you want to make your mark, you’ll step even more into your power. 

Sagittarius

This eclipse falls in your ninth house of adventure and higher learning, which is also the house associated with your sign, making its themes especially resonant for you. You could be fired up to chase opportunities to absorb new knowledge, see the world through other people’s points of view, work closely with a mentor, or act as one yourself. Long-distance travel or advancing your education could also play into how you’re evolving now. 

Capricorn

Steel yourself for shifts tied to physical and emotional connection, shared resources, and deep, transformative experiences, because this eclipse is activating your eighth house of joint resources. The way you’re thinking about and dealing with investments or savings is changing, and it’s also wrapped up with your sense of security and how you're connecting with a significant other or loved one around money and intimacy. Embracing uncharted terrain in this part of your life could prove truly empowering. 

Aquarius

This solar eclipse sits opposite your sign and impacts your seventh house of partnership, highlighting themes like your one-on-one relationships, reciprocity, balance, and how you feel you’re showing up for yourself versus others. Think back to February for a sense of the story that’s continuing now. You may be on the brink of beginning a new relationship chapter or taking a commitment to the next level. Either way, being open to cataclysmic shifts in your closest bonds—romantic, platonic, professional—can pave the way to personal growth. 

Pisces

This solar eclipse falls in your sixth house of wellness, bringing to light changes that need to happen tied to your everyday routine or health. Whether you’ve been feeling vital or dragging, you could be headed for an epiphany about how you can care for your overall well-being even more effectively. Allow yourself to acknowledge and move through any grief around how you’ve handled this in the past before embracing the path ahead. 

UP NEXT:

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When shopping for a new sofa, it's important to consider the size of your space before anything else. If you have a small living room, apartment, or seating area, a bulky sofa can quickly overwhelm the room and make it feel cramped. While traditional sectionals might not be the best fit, a loveseat can give you comfortable seating without taking up quite as much space.

One option that won't break the bank is the Aaqz Corduroy Loveseat Sofa. Right now, it's on sale for 39% off at Walmart, bringing the price down from $330 to just $200. For a compact sofa that still offers plenty of comfort and support, that's a pretty impressive value.

Aaqz Corduroy Loveseat Sofa, From $200 (was $330) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

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Measuring 71 inches long, this loveseat is designed to provide plenty of room to stretch out without taking over your living area. It features a 7.5-inch high-elasticity sponge cushion and a supportive backrest designed to follow the natural curve of your spine. The 21.5-inch ultra-deep seat also gives you plenty of space to get comfortable, while the overall dimensions measure 71 inches long by 25.2 inches wide by 36.2 inches tall.

The sofa is upholstered in soft corduroy that feels cozy while offering solid durability for everyday use. It also has a convenient side storage pocket where you can keep books, magazines, remotes, or electronics within easy reach. The loveseat comes in four colors — beige, black, gray, and green — so you can choose an option that works with your space.

Comfort is another major selling point. The seat features a supportive cushion, plush backrest, pillow-top armrests, and an included lumbar pillow for extra support. It's designed to give you a comfortable place to relax, whether you're watching TV, reading, working from home, or simply stretching out after a long day.

Despite its compact size, this loveseat is built to be sturdy. Its reinforced frame has an impressive 850-pound weight capacity, so it can comfortably handle multiple people at once. Assembly is also designed to be straightforward and tool-free, while the detachable seat cover makes cleaning and maintenance easier.

Shoppers have praised both its size and comfort. One reviewer shared, “The sofas are small but exactly what we wanted!" They also added, "I have back issues, the firmness in the seats is just what I needed.” Another shopper wrote, “I am amazed at how soft and cozy this sofa is. It’s so easy to fall asleep on.”

Shop More Deals

• KeepCharm Corduroy Boneless Sofa, $110 (was $140) at Walmart
• BedLuxury Chenille Loveseat, $170 (was $300) at Walmart
• LLappuil Pull-Out Sofa Bed, $449 (was $800) at Walmart

Related: Target's 'Extra Comfy' Cloud Sofa Brings the Cozy Couch Trend to Your Home for 64% Less

For a value-packed sofa that prioritizes comfort, durability, and style without taking over your space, the Aaqz Corduroy Loveseat Sofa is tough to beat. And with Walmart's current 39% discount, you can save $130 on this compact but surprisingly roomy loveseat right now.

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Sherilyn Fenn, who rose to stardom on David Lynch‘s iconic series, Twin Peaks, is making it clear that she's confident in herself at 61.

Fenn skyrocketed to fame in the role of Audrey Horne on the show, which boasted a significant cult following. She also garnered serious acclaim thanks to roles in films like Wild at Heart and Of Mice and Men. Known for her dark, brown hair and sultry style, Fenn was the dream of many TV fans throughout the ’90s. But in the present day, Fenn is embracing aging and feels better than ever with gray hair. That means she has a few words for the haters who criticize her looks.

"Ode to Kate Winslet post. This is what an actress w her soul intact & who does not drink children’s blood. No makeup. This is 61. A little colored lip balm…💋💋💋
I know poor haters gotta hate as they hate themselves. Make my day a BLOCK A FOOL day🔥😻💋," Fenn captioned her selfie, which showed her rich gray hair and smiling face with a little bit of pink lip balm.

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What Has Fenn Said About Losing David Lynch?

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Back in October 2023 at the Hollywood Show, Fenn spoke about her close relationship with the legendary director, who passed away in January at age 78.

“I love David,” Fenn said, according to Remind Magazine. “He has the best coffee at his house, he has David Lynch coffee. I bring him over sometimes homemade tomato soup, and things that he likes, for his birthday … I love him very much. He saw something in me that nobody saw at that point. And wrote me a character that changed my life.”

What is Sherilyn Fenn Up to These Days?

Fenn has tackled some new acting roles in recent years. She appeared in 4 episodes of Goliath in 2019, and had a recurring role on S.W.A.T. from 2017 to 2021. She was also a recurrent cast member of Shining Vale from 2022 to 2023. However, she’ll always be instantly identifiable for her role in the David Lynch universe.

Related: ‘90s ‘Twin Peaks’ Icon Sherilyn Fenn, 61, Is More Stunning Than Ever With Full Gray Hair

The Challenge Season 42 is here! Throughout the season, Parade.com will speak with the challengers who were eliminated from Cutthroat.

One of the benefits of competing on The Challenge is the opportunity to appear across multiple seasons. One of the downsides is the difficulty of replicating a successful performance, something that Cedric Hodges learned firsthand. The former Marine was one of the standout recruits in Season 41, winning dailies and eliminations and playing as both a top dog and an underdog, culminating in a respectable third-place finish. But, while he was hoping to come into his second season with momentum, he instead entered with a reputation — and a far from kind one.

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For the majority of Vets and New Threats, he and Michaela Bradshaw seemingly had a lock on the game, working a bunch of different relationships in the house. But, at a certain point, they all blew up, and the two were labeled as the biggest snakes in the game. Cedric and Michaela were thrown into the last two eliminations, where they took out both Will Gagnon and Justin Hinsley. And, when they all returned the next season, it was far from water under the bridge. Cedric had earned a reputation for being "conniving" from even people outside of his season, and his fellow new threats were eager to draw first blood. And so, Sydney Segal made the first titular cutthroat move of the season, sending him into elimination against Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, where he got demolished in a lights-out performance from the seven-time champ. Host T.J. Lavin called a tearful Cedric the nicest person who's ever been on The Challenge. And, in this case, nice guys finished last.

Now out of the game, Cedric speaks with Parade about how surprised he was to be sent into elimination, the reaction to his "snaky" perception, and the unseen fight he got into with Chris Underwood while the teams were being picked.

Related: 'The Challenge’ Star Nelson Thomas Speaks Out on Historic Return After Amputation: ‘This Comeback is Everything’ (Exclusive)

So throughout that elimination, we see you miss hitting some lights, and you seem gassed by the end of it. What exactly happened that led to Bananas beating you so handily?
It's very unfortunate how the season turned out for me, but I'm gracious enough to be on a new season. Because ultimately, what happened in the elimination is I panicked. Going into the season, I thought Justin and I were all good. Justin hit me up like a week before we were supposed to film. It was like, "Hey, you want to go run on High Rocks with me?" Like we're besties, all this stuff. So I was like, "Oh, I'm good with Justin." And then I get there, I see Justin, Will, Sydney, Izzy. I'm like, "Oh, I'm chilling! I didn't do any of these people dirty. So it threw me off.

And in the elimination, I was just panicked. I was emotional. I was frustrated. But now I know that, no matter what happens, I have to stay calm. Because I'm not gonna lie. I was a little bit cocky in the previous years. No matter what happens, I'm gonna stay calm. I got ice in my veins. I'm a cool dude. And then I got in there. My friends threw me in. I felt betrayed. My emotions were high. My game plan that I had went out the window. I started panicking and just moving instead of thinking about what to do. And I'm a very calculated person, so it just led to my demise.

So you were completely shocked to get thrown in by Chris and Sydney?
I mean, on the day of, I kind of knew. I was like, "Okay, I'm going in." But I still had some hope in me. I still had some hope that they weren't going to do me like that. And what got me is this is the first elimination, Sydney! We're not going to try to make amends or anything?! Over some BS, Mike! I'm confused how I'm a snake still.

I want to talk more about that. We see Sydney say in the premiere that you're "extremely conniving." Even Anna Leigh, who you didn't play with, called you "snaky." Did you have any sense this was your perception going into your second season?
Oh no, not at all! I'm a logical person. I talk about everything logically. Did I vote for any of my allies to go into elimination last season? No. Did I play in anybody's face? No. Yeremi asked me at the end of the season, "Oh, did you say this?" I told him yes. I can't be more honest! It was frustrating. But I've learned. The lesson this season is that perception becomes reality more so in this environment than the truth that matters. And I also learned that people know they can't manipulate me. They manipulate everyone around me to do their bidding for them, which is, I don't know, something I'll have to figure out how to navigate.

Lete gets loud after you were eliminated, yelling, "That's bulls—t!" Was that in response to something that happened in the elimination? I wasn't sure if it was referring to something production-wise.
I mean, I can't speak for Lete. You know what I mean? I was sad, so I don't know.

If you had stayed, who would you have wanted to work with moving forward?
I was so excited to meet Cory and Nelly. They're always solid dudes. I'm really excited to hopefully have an opportunity to play with Cory, Nelson, Nurys. When I go into the seasons, I always want to have like a mafia kind of mindset. The people that I'm rocking with, I'm really riding for, and the people that I don't, like I'm not. Which is crazy because that's my mindset and people are like, "He's so snaky." What are you guys talking about?!

What was your reaction to watching Justin talk in confessional about how he was petty about you eliminating him just before the final last season?
From an outsider's perspective, I respect Justin for at least being honest. Like Sydney wasn't even honest, so I respect Justin for being like, "Yeah, I'm petty about it. He's the reason why I didn't see a final." I have an enemy now, so I respect him for that front. But to me, that is the most fake kind of thing because we were supposed to be friends. We were supposed to be friends. He was inviting me to things. We were hanging out; I saw him when I went to L.A. And I want all my friends to do well. Regardless of if I do well or not, I want all my friends to succeed. And for him to be like, "Yeah, no, I want him to go first," it's just goofy to me. You're a goofball!

You alluded to this before. But if you played a third season, what would you change the most about your game?
If I'm fortunate enough to play, I think that I just have to take that same sort of mindset. Honestly, it'll probably be really hard for me, regardless, because everyone thinks I'm a snake for some reason. So maybe in the off-season, I can figure out why. I don't think it's a legit reason. I think it's just made up so people could throw me into elimination, which is fine. But it's really going to come down to training super hard if I go into elimination. That's the best thing about The Challenge. Turbo gave me a good quote. He said, "No one can send you home. They can only send you into elimination."

How did it feel to have T.J. call you the nicest person to ever be on The Challenge?
Oh, it made me super happy. I think you can kind of see the switch in my face where I go from trying not to cry to just giving up because it made me happy, and I was very appreciative of that. It's nice to be noticed that my vibe or impact with the people around me is true, and it was completely opposite to what everyone in the house was saying, which was helpful to me. I started thinking, "Am I really a snake?" And then he was like, "The nicest human we've ever had on the show." So I was very appreciative.

Finally, in honor of the infamous "S—t They Should Have Shown" episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what's one moment from your time on the show that you wish you had made the edit?
I think another contribution to me going in was that I got into a little argument with Chris, which didn't help me. So we were doing teams, and that's how I knew [I was screwed]. I was like, "Justin, this is ridiculous. You're gonna send me to the team you know you're about to mess over first, with the very first pick!" So as we were going, I was telling Anna Leigh, I was like, "Yo, they're ganging up on you." And then, so at the very end, Chris was like, "Oh, let me get this favor," and I was like, "Absolutely not! You railed us for the whole entire last seven picks, and now you want a favor?!" So then that happened. But that's why I said it's water under the bridge. Because he pulled me aside and he's like, "Yeah, it's all good. It's water under the bridge." I was like, "I'll remember this. I like you, Chris."

Related: Where Was 'The Challenge' Season 42 Filmed? Here's Every Location Featured in 'Cutthroat'

If your child is still a toddler, chances are you know all about Peppa Pig.

The timeless humor and life lessons taught through its beloved characters evoke a sense of nostalgia — though the series has been maintaining a modern edge. On Tuesday, August 11, Peppa Pig is breaking new ground with its first-ever animated special created specifically for parents.

Following the viral success of Mummy Pig's pregnancy reveal on Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast last year, Kylie, 34, and Mummy have reunited for a new adventure set in the world of Peppa Pig. In case you need a refresher, see the 2025 clip between Kylie and Mummy below.

Cut to 2026, and premiering Tuesday, August 11 on the Not Gonna Lie YouTube channel is an all-new Peppa Pig special exploring the realities of modern parenting through heart and humor.

In the animated special, Kylie is reimagined as a kangaroo and welcomed into Peppa's world during a trip to the U.K. While abroad, Mummy Pig and Kylie are treated to a well-deserved mums' getaway, filled with friendship, laughs and self-care.

Jason Kelce even makes a special appearance as a Kodiak bear, joining Daddy Pig on kid duty and proving that keeping a house full of kids entertained is an adventure all its own.

"Peppa Pig has always done such a great job of telling stories that feel true to family life, which is one of the reasons we've loved it for so long," Kylie said in a statement shared with Parade. "What really resonated with me about this story is that it explores something so many parents experience."

The mom of four continued, "As your family grows, it's easy to put yourself at the bottom of the list while you're busy taking care of everyone else. I love that Mummy Pig reminds parents that making time for yourself isn't selfish, it's important. She approaches that journey with the same humor and heart that families have always connected with, and I think a lot of parents are going to see themselves in it. Getting to be part of that story was incredibly special."

Check out the special episode on YouTube below.

By the time The Animals released "When I Was Young" in 1967, Eric Burdon had already spent years performing in one of Britain's best-known rock bands.

But the song that became one of The Animals' most memorable later hits was deeply personal.

"When I Was Young" was written by Burdon, 85, and his Animals bandmates as a reflection on childhood, growing up and the realization that adulthood did not necessarily bring the freedom or happiness he had imagined.

Burdon was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1941 and grew up in a working-class environment. His memories of that upbringing informed the song, which looks back at childhood with a mixture of nostalgia and disillusionment.

The lyrics recall being young and believing in a simpler future, while contrasting those expectations with the realities of adulthood.

Musically, "When I Was Young" also marked a shift for The Animals.

The band had become famous for raw blues-rock performances, but by 1967 its sound was evolving alongside the psychedelic and experimental music emerging from both Britain and the United States.

"When I Was Young" reflected that change. The recording had a darker, more atmospheric quality than some of the band's biggest early hits, while Burdon's vocals gave the song a reflective edge.

Released in 1967, the song became a Top 20 hit in the United States and remains one of The Animals' most recognizable recordings.

More than a typical nostalgia song, "When I Was Young" captured something universal: the realization that growing up can look very different from what a child imagines.

"Some of my favorite rock lyrics ever from When I Was Young by Eric Burdon and The Animals," one Reddit user posted.

"This one and also 'Sky Pilot!'" one fan added.

"Eric Burden was a killer vocalist," another Redditor commented. "So much passion and power."

For Burdon, that feeling came from his own life. For listeners, it became another reason The Animals' music continued to resonate long after the band's first wave of success.

RELATED: The Animals’ Rock Hit Was First Recorded by Nina Simone

Oprah Winfrey just made a rare public appearance with her longtime love, Stedman Graham.

The legendary former host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, 72, and Graham, 75, have been a couple for 40 years. But in contrast to Winfrey's public persona, Graham prefers to fly under the radar. But the duo stepped out in anticipation of her legendary show's 40th anniversary.

Pictured together at Chicago's Navy Pier, Winfrey looked happy and healthy as she held up a plate of fried chicken alongside Graham and her former colleagues.

"5 year reunion for The Oprah Winfrey Show. The best segment 1 surprise guest showed up. A night of all love and pure joy. Forever grateful @oprah. + @thechefartsmith hosting at his fabulous @reunionnavypier was an added treat! Love our Ty for organizing," the caption read.

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What Has Oprah Said About Using Weight Loss Medication?

Winfrey looked quite svelte at her appearance alongside Graham in Chicago, and it's a result of her focus on her health these days. Her slimmed-down physique comes after decades of struggling with her weight. When she finally found weight loss medications like Ozempic to deal with her issues, the TV icon found a way to “release her shame” about it.

“I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control,” she told PEOPLE in December 2023. “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain.”

Earlier this year, Winfrey spoke on her podcast about the realizations that she had about how her brain operated differently from someone who doesn’t struggle with weight issues.

“One of the things that I realized the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought that thin people, those people just had more willpower,” she said on the Jan. 14 episode of The Oprah Podcast. “They ate better foods. They were able to stick to it longer. They never had a potato chip. And then I realized the very first time I took the GLP-1 that, ‘Oh, they’re not even thinking about it. They’re only eating when they’re hungry and they’re stopping when they’re full.’”

What’s Oprah’s Workout Routine?

In addition to weight-loss medication, Winfrey has added a rigorous workout regimen to her routine. In her ABC special “Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” Winfrey shared that she is “hiking three to five miles a day.” She also does strength training and has taken up running. For her 70th birthday, Winfrey shared a video of herself jogging on the beach. She used a hashtag that read “health is the best gift.”

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Related: Oprah Winfrey in Head-To-Toe Leather Is the Most Unexpected Paris Fashion Week Look

By 1975, Charlie Rich was one of the biggest names in American music, famous for his soulful voice, white hair, and rebellious streak.

But when he stepped up to the podium to hand off his Entertainer of the Year crown at the CMA Awards, nobody in the audience was prepared for what he was about to do. With the cameras rolling, the superstar turned a simple envelope opening into the most shocking broadcast moment in country music history.

According to History, as the envelope containing the winner's name was handed to him onstage at the Grand Ole Opry House on October 13, 1975, Rich tore open the paper. He subsequently pulled a pocket lighter from his coat and set the card on fire right on live television.

Silence fell over the room as the paper burned before Rich finally announced the winner: "My friend, Mr. John Denver." Denver accepted the award via satellite, seemingly unaware of what the audiences just witnessed.

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Following, two camps were evident. Those who were against pop music's invasion of country music traditions, or those who felt Rich was in the wrong, causing an instant backlash and damage to his career.

J.P. Foster, the accountant representing the firm that tabulated the votes for the awards show, told The Tennessean newspaper (as reported by the website Echoes of the Ozarks) that he felt something was amiss when he handed Rich the envelope containing the name of the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year,

“‘All you’ve got to do is tear the end off the envelope,’” Foster said he told the entertainer. “That didn’t appeal to him. I tore it open and pulled the slip out a little bit.”

RELATED: This 1973 Country Hit Was So Controversial, Radio Wouldn’t Play It

After Rich's stunt, country star Narvel Felts was quoted by Echoes of the Ozarks as saying, “Glen Campbell came and got him by one shoulder and Charley Pride by the other one, kind of trying to move him out of that place because Chet Atkins was coming up next. And then some person came out there, like a producer or something, saying something to Charlie and pointing his finger at him,” Felts concluded.

Almost 20 years later, Rich said in a 1992 statement to NPR’s Fresh Airhost Terry Gross in 1992, “It may have been that I had been overworked in ’73, ’74, ’75 and that sort of thing, and maybe I was rebelling; but not against John Denver and not against country music.” 

Rich continued, “I just – like I say, it was just a mistake that I made that I guess was important. But, actually, I think everything works to the good, so maybe I was saying, ‘Well, I want to try something else besides country,’ or something. I don’t know.”

Per History, Rich's son, Charlie Rich Jr., was quoted as saying his father “used bad judgment. He was human after all. I know the last thing my father would have wanted to do was set himself up as judge of another musician.”

Charlie Rich had a career comeback in 1992 with the LP Pictures and Paintings. He died in July 1995 at 62.

Related: 1973 Heartbreak Country Music Ballad Became an Unforgettable No. 1 Hit

The View is celebrating nearly three decades on the air as the hot-button daytime series gears up for the return of one of its most controversial former hosts.

Rosie O’Donnell is set to return to The View as a guest during Season 30, revealing that she’ll be back “in whatever way they want me,” she said on The Tanglepodcast.

As the show looks ahead to its milestone season, The View marked its 29th anniversary Tuesday with a throwback to its very first episode, featuring the late Barbara Walters.

“I’ve always wanted to do a show with women of different generations, backgrounds and views,” Walters said on the series premiere on Aug. 11, 1997. “This is that show. We call it ‘The View.’”

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“Thank you to our loyal viewers for joining us every morning — see you back at the Hot Topics table soon!” the show captioned the post.

O'Donnell is excited to return to the Hot Topics table, sharing that while she'll be “just as a guest,” she dished that The View is “bringing back all the hosts, I think, for the 30th season.” 

She also noted that the show has evolved since she was host and that she's "pretty proud of that show, what it’s become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics."

O'Donnell added, “Many, many people got the short end of the stick there. It was, you know, it was a factory where people were being churned in and out and their tenuous security, nobody got to be calm. It also was a show at the time that was run by a man. A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about. And that didn’t sit right with me, you know.”

The View is on weekdays on ABC.

At the height of the 1960s counterculture movement, The Animals traded some of their usual blues-rock grit for a song inspired by one of America's most famous cities.

"San Franciscan Nights," released in 1967, became one of the band's signature songs of the late 1960s and captured the atmosphere of San Francisco's famous Haight-Ashbury scene.

Written by Eric Burdon, John Weider, Vic Briggs, Barry Jenkins and Danny McCulloch, the song arrived during the period commonly associated with the Summer of Love.

San Francisco had become a center of the counterculture movement, attracting young people, musicians and artists from around the country. The city's reputation was closely tied to psychedelic music, changing social attitudes and a growing rejection of traditional expectations.

The Animals' song reflected that atmosphere.

Rather than presenting San Francisco simply as another city, "San Franciscan Nights" treated it as a place where a different kind of life seemed possible. The now 85-year-old Burdon's vocals gave the recording a dreamy quality that set it apart from the band's earlier blues-driven hits.

Released in 1967, the song became an international success and reached the Top 10 in the United States.

Its timing helped make it especially memorable. The song arrived just as San Francisco was becoming one of the defining cultural symbols of the 1960s.

The Animals had already established themselves through songs such as "House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," but "San Franciscan Nights" showed another side of the group.

RELATED: The Rolling Stones’ Early Rock Classic Began With a 1957 Blues Song

Skywatchers across much of the United States will have a chance to catch a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12, although the best views will be reserved for those in the Northeast and Alaska.

Unlike the spectacular total solar eclipse that crossed the U.S. in April 2024, this event won't plunge any part of the country into darkness. Instead, the moon will cover only a portion of the sun, creating the appearance of a crescent-shaped sun for viewers in the eclipse's path. The total eclipse, however, will only be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, northern Russia and a small corner of Portugal.

Related: These Additional Delta Flights Will Bring Travelers to the Path of Totality for Unparalleled Views of a Rare Solar Eclipse

Where to watch the solar eclipse in the U.S.

In the United States, the eclipse will be visible across much of the northern and eastern portions of the country. According to astronomy experts, Alaska will see the deepest partial eclipse, with up to 37% of the sun obscured in Fairbanks. In the Lower 48, northern Maine will enjoy some of the best viewing, where nearly 28% of the sun will be covered at maximum eclipse.

Montpelier, Vermont, will get 17% coverage, while Manchester, New Hampshire, and Boston, Massachusetts, will get 16% coverage. Providence, Rhode Island, will get 15% coverage.

At least 20 U.S. states will see something. Other states expected to see at least part of the eclipse include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Connecticut. Exactly how much of the sun will be covered depends on your location, with the percentage generally increasing the farther north and east you are.

The eclipse will occur during the late morning or early afternoon, depending on your time zone. NASA and several astronomy organizations offer interactive maps that allow viewers to check the exact start time, maximum eclipse, and end time for their city. NASA will also be livestreaming the solar eclipse here.

And the celestial show comes with a bonus for astronomy enthusiasts. After sunset on August 12, the annual Perseid meteor shower will be nearing its peak, giving skywatchers the rare opportunity to witness two major astronomical events in a single day. Under dark skies, observers could catch dozens of meteors streaking across the night sky after the moon sets.

Protecting your eyes during the solar eclipse

If you're planning to watch, don't forget proper eye protection. Because this is a partial eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the sun without certified solar eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not deemed safe.

If you're using binoculars, a telescope or a camera, you'll also need a specialized solar filter placed over the front of the optics. Looking through magnifying lenses without the proper filter can cause permanent eye damage.

Although the partial eclipse won't rival the dramatic totality experienced in 2024, it offers another chance for millions of Americans to safely witness one of nature's most captivating celestial events without having to travel halfway around the world.

Related: The Underrated Spanish City Outranking Barcelona for the 2026 Solar Eclipse

Disney foodies, clear your schedules and loosen your belts: Walt Disney World has officially served up the details for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. The iconic culinary celebration will officially run from August 27 through November 21, 2026. That nearly three-month window gives parkgoers plenty of time to sip and stroll through World Showcase as late summer transitions into the crisp fall season.

According to Disney Parks Blog contributor Maura Consedine, this year’s festival brings back beloved fan-favorite traditions alongside a brand-new interactive experience celebrating everyone's favorite ingredient.

While chefs are still putting the final touches on the full marketplace roster, Disney offered a mouthwatering sneak peek at three returning favorite dishes. Guests can look forward to savoring the Street Corn-style Dumplings from Gyozas of the Galaxy—featuring pan-fried chicken dumplings served with tomatillo salsa verde, street corn salad, cotija cheese, lime crema, and fresh cilantro. The Australia booth will bring back its Grilled Bushberry-spiced Shrimp Skewer served alongside sweet-and-sour vegetables and a coconut-chili sauce, while The Alps booth will serve up the decadent Kirschwasser Torte, complete with cherry-brandy buttercream, fondant, sugared almonds, and cherry compote.

Related: Disney Just Revealed Its Fall 2026 Lineup

The biggest news for cheese lovers comes with a fresh addition to CommuniCore Hall. Starting September 18, the venue will debut an all-new interactive exhibit titled "Cheers to Cheese!". Designed to celebrate one of the culinary world's most popular foods, Consedine notes that visitors will be able to "discover fun facts and the fascinating history of cheese around every corner… or should I say wedge?". Naturally, Emile’s Fromage Montage is also making its return, allowing guests to purchase cheesy dishes across select Global Marketplaces, collect stamps in their festival passports, and earn a special complimentary festival treat once they complete the stroll.

Related: Classic Rock Legend Set to Play EPCOT Food & Wine Concert Series

Beyond the food booths, parkgoers can expect a packed lineup of returning fan-favorite activities and entertainment. Live music returns nightly to the America Gardens Theatre for the popular Eat to the Beat Concert Series, with festival dining packages—which pair a sit-down meal with guaranteed concert seating—set to go on sale July 16. Families can also hunt for hidden Remy statuettes across World Showcase pavilions during Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt to earn a special commemorative keepsake.

To commemorate the visit, this year's bright merchandise line pops in playful shades of blue, orange, yellow, and purple. Highlights include a crisp white EPCOT Food & Wine logo tee, cozy hoodies, a foodie baseball cap, and chef-themed Minnie ears equipped with a mini whisk and a movable rolling pin. Finally, PhotoPass photographers across the park will feature limited-time photo opportunities, including new Waiter Mickey shots in select pavilions alongside returning favorites like the Swedish Chef and the iconic "Leaning Tower of Cheeza".

Related: This Under-the-Radar Food & Wine Weekend Stars Big-Name Chefs, Cliffside Cabanas and Sunken S'mores Fire Pits

Throughout the day, many of us are bombarded with all sorts of requests, check-ins and invitations. "Do you have time for a huddle later?" "Can you chaperone the field trip?" "Are you able to grab coffee next week?" "Can you stay after on the call to discuss something else?" "Is it OK if I call you on my way home?"

Sometimes, the questions might give us "decision fatigue" or "analysis paralysis," especially if we need to check both our work and personal calendars, coordinate with other team members or friends, deprioritize something else, or rearrange our schedule in order to make it work.

But other times, the requests are a lot easier to consider, and our go-to response might be a simple yes or no. However, a psychologist says that "high-class" people often agree to do something with a specific four-word phrase—instantly elevating the conversation in a way that feels effortless.

Below, find out which phrase makes you sound sophisticated and "polished" when you're agreeing to do something, and when not to use it. Plus, we reveal a few different examples of classy, expert-backed responses to use when you have to decline instead, and why they do the trick.

Related: 9 Things High-Level Thinkers Notice That the Average Person Ignores, According to Psychologists

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

The Phrase That High-Class People Use To Agree To Do Something: “I'd Be Happy To”

Licensed psychologist Dr. Noëlle Santorelli, PhD, previously shared with Parade her definition of a "high-class" individual, explaining: "Someone might be described as high-class, regardless of actual wealth or status, if they show refinement in manners, speech and dress, demonstrate grace under pressure, treat others with courtesy and carry themselves with a calm confidence."

And she revealed that responding to a request with "I'd be happy to" is incredibly classy.

“[This phrase] is a polished way of saying ‘yes’ to requests that signals high social etiquette,” she told Parade. The only catch? You have to mean it. Authenticity makes a difference here.

Related: 10 Phrases That Make You Sound Gracious (Even When You’re Annoyed)

3 Polite Ways To Decline a Request or Invite

So, what if you wouldn't actually "be happy to"? What if you need to say no to request or invitation instead? Fortunately, there are high-class ways to hold boundaries and decline, while still remaining polite.

1. “I would love to say yes, but can I get back to you?”

“This also communicates to others that you appreciate being considered and that you need some more time to consider their request,” psychologist Dr. Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, Ph.D., previously told Parade.

It also gives that person the opportunity to tell you if they need an answer immediately, or by a certain time.

Related: 7 Helpful Phrases for Politely Expressing a Different Opinion, According to a Psychologist

2. "I'm not available for that."

“This is a phrase that you can use when someone makes a request that you cannot take on. It is simple and direct, and doesn’t over-explain,” clinical psychologist Dr. Holly Schiff, Psy.D.,previously shared with Parade. “You are drawing a boundary without getting defensive.”

Related: 6 Polite Phrases To Tell Someone You’re Not Interested, According to a Psychologist

3. “It means a lot to be included in [event]. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend due to a scheduling conflict.”

Nicole Rose, founder and CEO of Poised & Proper, previously told Parade, “Show empathy and acknowledge the significance of the event for the host. Express your regret for not being able to attend and convey your best wishes for a successful event.”

Up Next:

Related: This Phrase Is How ‘High-Class’ People Say Goodbye, Psychologist Explains

Sources:

• Dr. Noëlle Santorelli, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia
• Dr. Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, Ph.D.,psychologist and Hope for Depression Research Foundation Media Advisor
• Dr. Holly Schiff, Psy.D., clinical psychologist
• Nicole Rose, founder and CEO of Poised & Proper

Despite overseeing 14 seasons of the long-running CBS hit police drama Blue Bloods, it turned out that showrunner Kevin Wade had more stories to tell about those who serve and protect thanks to the writers' strike, which forbade him from writing for TV or film.

Instead, he sat down in his writer's room at home and created the character of sharp-witted, down-to-earth, Long Island North Shore police chief Jeep Mullane. The first novel, Johnny Careless, was released in 2025. And today, One Good Eye is hitting bookshelves.

“If I were better at relaxing, I would have just gone with [the strike]. But I was 13 years into the run of Blue Bloods where I was used to writing 6-1/2 days a week, so I took a couple of weeks off and then thought, ‘You’ve got to do something,’” Wade tells Parade in an exclusive interview. “I'd always wanted to write a mystery novel, and I just sat down and started doing it.”

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Wade was familiar with mystery novels from all the reading he had done over the years, so he set his sights on paying homage to some of his favorite authors:  John D. McDonald, Robert B. Parker,Raymond Chandler and Carl Hiaasen,

“All these guys culled from where they lived,” says Wade, who has predominantly lived on Long Island for the past 25 years. “The deadbeats, the heroes, the shysters, the con men, so I tried to do it that way, so I wrote about the North Shore of Long Island.”

Courtesy Celadon Books

The novel turned out to be a success and sold to Celadon Books, but it was a transition because writing a novel is very different than writing for TV or film.

“The hardest part of the transition was all my life I'd written plays and screenplays and then a lot of television, and I collaborated with directors and cinematographers and casting people and, most importantly, actors. And then all of a sudden I had none of them,” Wade explains. “Actors are so important because you're writing a character knowing that someone with charm and charisma and beauty and wit is going to turn it into a three-dimensional aspirational thing. The novel is your words on a page and that's it. There has to be some muscle to the language that wasn't really necessary in screenwriting.”

Related: Boston Blue Will Return for Season 2 With Time Jump After Shocking Finale Cliffhanger

Prior to joining Blue Bloods, Wade had famously written two rom-coms that always make the best of lists, Working Girl and Maid in Manhattan, both of which are thematically similar in the premise of have-nots striving to succeed and making it. Jeep Mullane similarly is the odd man out in a group of friends who are wealthy and he’s the blue-collar contingent.

“I don't if it's subconscious or unconscious, I've never tried to figure it out, but I've always been attracted to protagonists who essentially have their nose pressed to the glass and on the other side of the glass, it looks like a better life, and so they end up -- if they get in there at all -- it's by using their wits and not their bona fides. They're good at improv,” Wade says. “They know who they are. Usually in the middle of those stories, they lose who they are, and then in the end, they go, ‘I need to reclaim myself to get to the next step.’”

Kevin Wade

Photo Credit: Michael Parmalee

It was Wade’s work on the film Mr. Baseball, which starred Tom Selleck, and the fact of having worked with Leonard Goldberg on Working Girl, that resulted in Wade’s being hired for Blue Bloods.

“They were there working on this new show Blue Bloods, and I was around, and someone asked me to come in and meet them,” Wade says. “The next day I started work there as a staff writer, and then I guess I had a feel for it. I got along very well with Leonard, and I was friends with Tom and got him, so I ended up running the show by the end of that first season.”

Fourteen seasons later, the show came to an end, even though it was still winning its Friday night timeslot on CBS and even though the cast and crew were gung-ho to continue making it. But Wade says you can’t argue with the moneymen.

“Everybody who wanted it to go on weren't budgeting it and paying for it,” he says. “There is that element that is unmovable. Briefly, the economics of a one-hour television show shot in New York with a large cast, lots of locations, and everybody gets more year to year — everybody negotiates whatever — and all the union crews, it's baked in. So the reason was – and I'm not saying I agree with it, I've just reporting to the reporter — that it just got too expensive.”

That said, CBS did replace Blue Bloods with Boston Blue, a show very similar and one that also has Donnie Wahlberg reprising his role as Danny Reagan, but Wade explains that after making 300 episodes of a police drama, it isn’t something he regularly watches.

“I watched the pilot, and I loved Donnie [Wahlberg] in it,” he says. “I don't really have a judgment. I did notice, and I was pleasantly surprised that family dinner was there and that the set design even included a similar table and sideboards. And as you moved in through the living room, a very similar fireplace with a very similar mantle. I thought, ‘OK, very well. I guess if you're going to steal from us, just put it out there.’ Good for you.”

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There are songs beloved by listeners, and then there are songs beloved by fellow artists. But when it comes to Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman," made into a top 5 Billboard chart smash by Glen Campbell, the song is undeniably beloved by all. Bob Dylancasually once called it "the greatest song ever written," while Billy Joel once claimed he wished he was the one who wrote it.

Believe it or not, though, this prolific tune was written as a follow-up to another hit song and was somehow done within a matter of hours. Webb was personally called by Campbell while he was in the studio, trying to replicate the success of Webb's 1967 song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," which spent weeks on the charts.

“For all we know, ‘Phoenix’ could have been a one-off thing,” Webb said to American Songwriter, noting that he and Campbell hadn't even met at the time. “Glen might never have recorded another song of mine.”

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After finally meeting at a jingle session, Webb's phone rang, and it was Glen calling from the studio. “He said, ‘Can you write me a song about a town?’” Webb remembers. “And I said, ‘Well, I don’t know … let me work on it.’ And he said, ‘Well, just something geographical.’ He and [producer] Al DeLory were obviously looking for a follow-up to ‘Phoenix.’ And I remember writing ‘Wichita Lineman’ that afternoon. That was a song I absolutely wrote for Glen."

Funnily enough, Webb had no idea Campbell actually used it until they ran into eachother. When Webb began protesting that the song wasn't ready, Campbell stated that it had already been cut.

Jimmy Webb's Inspiration for "Wichita Lineman"

Though Webb wrote the song in record time inside a compromised studio, he told the BBC that inspiration struck when he closed his eyes and remembered a trip he took as a younger man across the Oklahoma panhandle.

"There's a place where the terrain absolutely flattens out," he told the BBC. "It's almost like you could take a [spirit] level out of your tool kit and put it on the highway, and that bubble would just sit right there on dead center. It goes on that way for about 50 miles. In the heat of summer, with the heat rising off the road, the telephone poles gradually materialize out of this far, distant perspective and rush towards you. And then, as it happened, I suddenly looked up at one of these telephone poles and there was a man on top, talking on a telephone. He was gone very quickly, and I had another 25 miles of solitude to meditate on this apparition. It was a splendidly vivid, cinematic image that I lifted out of my deep memory while I was writing this song."

"I thought, 'I wonder if I can write something about that?' A blue-collar, everyman guy we all see everywhere — working on the railroad or working on the telephone wires or digging holes in the street. I just tried to take an ordinary guy and open him up and say, 'Look, there's this great soul, and there's this great aching, and this great loneliness inside this person, and we're all like that. We all have this capacity for these huge feelings'."

It was something Billy Joel picked up on almost immediately, calling it "a simple song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts."

"That got to me," Webb confessed. "It actually brought tears to my eyes. I had never really told anybody how close to the truth that was.”

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