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I imagine there were a lot of people sitting around on Sunday with a great amount of anxiety – trying to piece together the hazy parts of their Friday and Saturday nights, wondering if the basketball team from your alma mater will make it off the “bubble” and into the tournament. I was not one of those people – sadly, I was forced to spend the weekend working on a school project so no booze haze for me, and not-so-sadly, my alma mater has an automatic bid to the tournament, so my only concern is when, not if, they will play. But there are definitely some people who didn’t have a great weekend.
The Most Interesting Man In The World
How do you go from being the most interesting man in the world to being… just like everyone else? Well, Jonathan Goldsmith is about to find out.
77-year-old Goldsmith has played “The Most Interesting Man in the World” in Mexican beer brand Dos Equis’ commercials for the last nine years. However, it was revealed last week that his run in the role will soon end, when he is sent to Mars in his upcoming final commercial. The move will pave the way for a new spokesman to take over the character for the brand in an attempt to attract new drinkers, according to Andrew Katz, Dos Equis vice president of marketing.
In his last spot, Goldsmith utters his famous tagline – “stay thirsty, my friends” – as the rocket carrying him into space takes off. And while Katz says Goldsmith’s trip to the red planet is one-way, you never know. I mean, Matt Damon made it back to earth in The Martian, right? [via Breitbart]
Employees at Reebok
I’ve been generally “off” caffeine for a while, but sometimes the only way to get through the day is to chug a Diet Coke and hope that the caffeine-rush takes the edge off whatever issue is pissing me off that day. But if you work at Reebok here in my home state of Massachusetts, that’s no longer an option for you in the office.
Managers at the athletic apparel manufacturer made the decision to remove all soda, pasta and white bread from the employee cafeteria. Additionally, large candy bars and fried foods have also been removed from the office vending machines and replaced with nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
The company says that both moves are an attempt to help employees be healthier. According the Reebok’s president, Matt O’Toole, “We want to be the very best fitness brand in the world and to inspire everyone who touches our brand – consumers, fans, and employees – to reach their potential. And our mission starts right here, with our own people.”
Looks like there’s one place I won’t be sending my resume anytime soon. Sometimes Mama needs a Coke Zero and a Reese’s peanut butter cup, and I won’t apologize for it. [via Daily Mail UK]
People Who Enjoy Bitter Food
Do you prefer an IPA over a good ol’ Bud Light? Take your coffee black? Or like bittersweet chocolate more than milk? Well, it turns out that you’re probably a sociopath.
A new study from Austria’s University of Innsbruck found that people who favor bitter food items are more likely to exhibit antisocial tendencies. The study was conducted in five phases, according to Esquire:
Diverse participants “indicated their preference of [40] various food items representing sweet (e.g., candy, chocolate cake), sour (e.g., lemons, vinegar), salty (e.g., beef jerky, bacon), and bitter tastes.” Subjects indicated how much they liked each food based on a six-point scale.
Second, they took a personality test, assessing “four dimensions of aggression, namely, verbal aggression, physical aggression, anger, and hostility.”
Third, they took another survey based on the “three socially undesirable personality traits of Machiavellianism (the example they give as a statement for which subjects should agree or disagree with is “I tend to manipulate others to get my way.”).
Fourth, participants took a quick ten-item personality survey, wherein test takers self-reported on how extraverted, agreeable, and conscientious they believed they were.
Finally, they took a sinister-sounding test called the “Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies,” which, well, was what it sounds like. Statements on this survey included gems like, “When making fun of someone, it is especially amusing if they realize what I’m doing,” and “I sometimes replay my favorite scenes from gory slasher films.”
For the participants that preferred bitterness, “the hypothesis that general bitter taste preferences are associated with malevolent personality traits” as well as a “strong association with narcissism” were confirmed.
Note to self: next time a guy orders black coffee on a date, bail. Immediately. [via Esquire]
Chris Matthews
With the scandals of Dan Rather and Brian Williams in recent years, one would think that news personalities would watch their step. But apparently Chris Matthews didn’t get the memo.
The “Hardball” host’s wife, Kathleen, is running for the open seat in Maryland’s 8th district, and last June Matthew’s pledged that he could be “transparent and fair” in regards to coverage of her campaign, saying, “As a journalist, I also know how important it is to respect certain boundaries on my support for her both in my public role and here on MSNBC. And while most of you know that our show doesn’t typically cover congressional races, I will continue to fully disclose my relationship with her as part of MSNBC’s commitment to being transparent and fair in our coverage.”
But that notion of transparency apparently doesn’t extend to donations to Ms. Matthews campaign. On Friday, it was revealed that a total of $79,050 in contributions had been given by “former and current politicians featured on her husband’s long-running cable-news show,” according to The New York Post. Among those guests who had donated (or had their spouses or PACs donate) are Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) – both in the days leading up to appearances on the show.
Matthews did not return The New York Post’s calls requesting a comment; however, MSNBC issued a statement, which said it “does not book guests on the basis of political contributions. That would violate not only our ethical obligation as journalists, but also violate the standards of NBC News.”
Better hope she wins that seat, Chris – just in case you become unemployed soon. [via New York Post]
Bubble Teams That Didn’t Make It in
Sorry to St. Bonaventure, Valparaiso, Monmouth, South Carolina…looks like your bubble burst. Better luck next year, guys. And Go Gonzaga! Or Oregon…I’m smart enough to root for my boss’s alma mater – even over my own..
Image via Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com
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Jenna Crowley
Jenna used to be known as 2NOTBrokeGirls, but then one of the girls actually went broke, so she's struck out on her own. Jenna spends her free time saving the world, one sorority girl at a time (usually while wearing yoga pants), questioning why she decided to get a doctorate, documenting her love of all things cheese related, and hosting the new PGP podcast Don't Take It From Us. You can ask her anything you want about football, using your boobs to get what you want, and pizza at @JennaLCrowley on Twitter or via email at JennaLCrowley@gmail.com.
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Surprised CBS/NCAA didn’t make it. While they were spending two hours jerking themselves off someone leaked the actual bracket onto Twitter
Looks like they were a bubble team…
O’Toole is a pretty fitting name for a douche who takes away everything nice in the cafeteria
Close enough.
Sounds like Chris Matthews is stuck between a rock and a Hard Ball place.
I like my coffe like I like my women….. lots and lots of milk
Blonde and expensive.
Dark, grande and…. Wait never mind.
The anti-social/narcissistic correlation with enjoying things with high IBUs explains everyone I hate in Seattle (hipsters and hopheads.)
How about you fuck off about my IPAs? My cat will tell you I’m plenty social.