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Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is aiming to close the mentorship gap for Black youth as it looks to attract 1 million supporters.
The effort comes as the organization reports there are 30,000 backlogged mentees waiting to be matched with a mentor. The BBBSA declares there are five times more boys on the waiting list than girls hoping for a “Big.” Most of the youth are boys of color.
“It Takes Little to Be Big,” the new national brand campaign, is intended to challenge myths and shift perceptions. The supporters BBBSA is recruiting include mentors, volunteers, influencers, strategic partners, and alums.
The BBBSA, which identifies itself as “the nation’s largest and most experienced mentoring organization,” plans to unite alums, supporters, celebrities, and partners to become mentors and show its efforts are vital to the success of today’s children. BBBSA reports serving 400,000 young people in 5,000 communities across 50 states. The organization says over 70% of young people, or “Littles,” are from communities of color.
BBBSA President and CEO Artis Stevens stated, “We believe in the power of mentorship — we’ve seen its lifelong impact for the millions of kids we’ve served, and on the lives of Bigs who serve as mentors.”
Stevens is the first Black CEO in the BBBSA’s 100-plus-year history.
The push comes as BBBSA says one in three kids today in America is growing up without a sustained, positive adult mentor. It believes the gap between mentorship and youth who mostly need it keeps widening because of perceived barriers and expertise needed to become a mentor.
According to a news release, a cornerstone of the campaign is “A Million Little Moments,” a digital storytelling initiative on BeBigNow.org and BBBSA’s social media platforms.
Other campaign details, with some big names behind it, include:
- A new PSA, created in partnership with Dentsu Creative and the Ghanaian-American creative entrepreneur Joshua Kissi. “It features real Bigs and Littles, bringing the authentic moments of mentorship to life to show the impact and importance of mentorship through visual storytelling.” Kissi has worked with the likes of Serena Williams, LeBron James, and the beauty brand Ulta.
- Grammy-nominated recording artist Aloe Blacc created a campaign anthem called “Never Let You Down.” BBBSA says the song will be available for download on all streaming platforms, with a portion of the money raised going to the organization.
- BBBSA has partnered with industry leaders to amplify the campaign and encourage the support of volunteers and donors. It says Clear Channel Outdoor will launch a series of “It Takes Little to Be Big” billboards in key U.S. markets including New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Visit here to gain more details on the campaign.
We’ve seen some awesome, nerdy Airbnbs in our day. We’ve seen a few that look like Hobbit holes and some that emulate the Haunted Mansion or Scooby’s Mystery Machine. But this Airbnb based on the Shrek franchise just might beat them all. Located in Scotland’s Highlands, this is a perfect replica of the home of everyone’s favorite green ogre. Shrek’s Swamp is available for one weekend only, October 27-29 of this year for $0. (We’re guessing Shrek is on vacay that weekend). Bookings open on October 13 at 6 PM BST. So whoever wants to stay there, we wish that the keyboard gods look kindly upon you.
Shrek himself won’t be home, but it appears by the listing that Donkey will greet visitors. This house features everything you’d want from Shrek’s Swamp house that you saw in the movies. It’s got a dirt floor, a wood bed, and a dinner table with a candle designed to mimic the earwax candle. The adherence to Shrek details extends beyond the immediate interiors and exteriors of the house, with “Beware Ogre” and “Stay Out” signs outside. Luckily, the house has an actual working toilet with a sink, so you won’t be forced to use the outhouse like Shrek did in the movies. No one needs that level of sticking to Shrek canon.
So who actually owns this property? All we know is that the Ardverikie Estate owns it. We don’t know why they built it, as it doesn’t seem to be permanently meant for Airbnb. Maybe they’re just the world’s biggest fans of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away, and wanted a little slice of it for themselves? The listing for the Shrek house notes that they paid Universal Studios for the rights to any characters and similarities to the animated franchise. Airbnb is making a one-time donation to Scotland’s HopScotch Children’s Charity as part of this promotion.
The post Shrek’s Swamp Is Now a Screen Accurate Airbnb appeared first on Nerdist.
It’s a well-established fact that the DCEU as we knew it — and some of us even loved it — was discontinued when James Gunn and Peter Safran became co-chairpersons and CEOs of DC Films, which is now rebranded into DC Studios. These were disheartening news for Batman fans, mainly because Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne, polarizing as it was, was actually one of the most accurate portrayals thus far.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman was and still is a cinematic masterpiece, but it doesn’t really belong to either DCEU or the newly formed DC Universe — which was actually confirmed by Gunn at one point. This would effectively leave the new DC Universe without its Batman. However, recent rumors suggested that John Krasinski, the star behind Doctor Strange‘s Mr. Fantastic and Jack Ryan, might don the mantle of Gotham’s Caped Crusader and play the city’s favorite vigilante son. But is there any truth to those rumors? Is John Krasinski the next Batman?
Well, to be entirely honest, Krasinski isn’t a stranger to action-intensive releases; the audiences were fairly impressed with his transformation into an action hero in Michael Bay’s 13 Hours, after which he landed the headline role of Jack Ryan before he went on to portray Reed Richards in the MCU and even voice Superman in DC’s League of Super-Pets. So, why wouldn’t he be Batman in the upcoming The Brave and the Bold film, and thus mark the Caped Crusader’s entry into the newly formed DC Universe?
We’re actually sad to inform you that the rumor was actually conjured out of thin air by the fans after Bill “Jett” Ramey — @BATMANONFILM on X, formerly Twitter — posted a photo of Krasinski, without any captions that would provide context for why they, a prominent everything-Batman account, posted it. Of course, zealous and die-hard fans and rumor excavators wasted no time in spinning the rumor further until it eventually got the internet media attention. Suddenly, everyone was talking about John Krasinski being the next Batman.
According to actor, writer, and host Mike Kalinowski, who commented on the post, this is how no-basis rumors start, with prominent entities failing to provide context and clickbait websites spreading such rumors to get traction. Truth be told, many online news outlets even started publishing that John Krasinski is ready to suit up for the next Batman movie, raising the fandom’s expectations further and adding more fuel to the wildfires of misinformation.
That is, until James Gunn publicly disproved the rumors by stating that DC still doesn’t even have a script for the movie, let alone a cast, which would’ve been impossible with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. So, it would seem that John Krasinski isn’t playing Batman, at least not in any project that has been associated with the newly formed DC Universe. However, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t potentially involved with the film.
There’s still much we don’t know about the upcoming The Brave and the Bold movie, apart from the fact that it’s based on Grant Morrison’s comic book run — which ironically isn’t a part of the original Brave and the Bold comic book run. More specifically, the film will focus on the Batman & Son storyline, in which Bruce Wayne first learns of Damien, a son he has with Talia al Ghul. As Damien becomes Robin later on, this might be the first time we see a Robin suit-up in a live-action movie since 1997’s Batman & Robin with George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell.
But the Batman & Son story actually features the Joker. While Krasinski’s involvement with The Brave and the Bold still hasn’t been confirmed, the fandom has given their fan-casted votes to Krasinski to portray the Clown Prince of Crime for quite some time now — even before the rumors of him as Batman started. So, while we’re still in the realm of speculation here, and nothing has been confirmed, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Krasinski might be involved with the next Batman film — as the Joker.
To be entirely honest, his roles in The Office, Jack Ryan, and A Quiet Place have demonstrated Krasinski’s acting prowess and his performance ability having the emotional depth to tackle diverse roles in a very convincing manner. This versatility could help the actor interpret a dark, brooding side of the Caped Crusader, the charm and wit of Bruce Wayne, or the insanity of Jack Oswald White — which is Joker’s real name, according to DC Comics.
Furthermore, as DC Comics and the DC Universe continue to evolve, there’s actually a growing trend towards portraying the Caped Crusader as a more experienced and mature character. This would make Krasinski into the perfect Batman. He’s in his early 40s, and his dedication to transforming his physique for past roles, including 13 Hours, could certainly help him achieve the imposing physical presence required for the portrayal of battle-hardened Batman.
And in the end, let’s not underestimate the power of fan appeal. Sure, Gunn stated that the role hadn’t been cast yet, but with Krasinski amassing a dedicated fan base from his previous work, casting him as Batman could potentially generate a lot of excitement among Batman enthusiasts.
Whether John Krasinski ends up donning the mantle of Gotham’s Caped Crusader remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that the potential for his casting is an exciting prospect for the fans of both Krasinski and Batman.