Entertainment
Classic Underdog Comedy On Disney+ Is The Positivity We All Need Now
By Robert Scucci
| Published
When it comes to movies about body positivity and loving who you are, 1995’s Heavyweights sits on the top of the feel-good mountain for not only its vicious and borderline insensitive sense of humor, but for its teachable moments about getting out of your comfort zone with a positive attitude. Comedy at the expense of a bunch of overweight adolescents isn’t easy to execute with tact, and I’ll always have an appreciation for crude humor at the expense of others, but there’s a catch – you can’t just be crude for the sake of being crude, or mean for the sake of being mean.
Heavyweights is a perfect example of how tasteless jokes, especially when directed toward children, won’t come off as politically incorrect, even when its principal characters are the butt of too many fat jokes to count, because its humor never comes off as punching down.
From Camp Hope To Perkis Power
No kid who’s metabolically challenged ever wants to find out that their parents are sending them to fat camp, and Heavyweights begins with a gut punch to Gerry Garner (Aaron Schwartz) when he finds out he’s going to be shipped out to Camp Hope, a summer-long weight loss program, against his will. But it’s not all bad because Camp Hope is led by the warm and welcoming Harvey (Jerry Stiller) and Alice Bushkin (Anne Meara), has a great diet plan in place, and a number of attractions like go-kart racing and “the Blob” (a large inflatable water platform) that will make any kid go nuts for the sake of fun without realizing that they’re actually exercising.
Just as Gerry finds friends in Josh (Shaun Weiss), Roy (Kenan Thompson), and a whole bunk full of other horizontally challenged kids his age, the Bushkins break the news that they have to file for bankruptcy, and that Camp Hope has been purchased by fitness influencer Tony Perkis Jr. (Ben Stiller), who wants to spend the summer filming a weight-loss infomercial for his “Perkis Power” program, and rebrands the camp as such.
Heavyweights Wouldn’t Work Without Its Antagonist
Ben Stiller fires on all cylinders in Heavyweights as Tony Perkis Jr. with his brutal diet and fitness program, as well as his mean-spirited attitude towards overweight children, even though he claims that he used to be overweight himself. His first order of business is raiding the cabins for hidden junk-food stashes that actually make you want to root for him for a second because he’s not wrong about the lack of self-control that has become the modus operandi of Camp Hope over the past 18 years under the guidance of counselor Pat Finley (Tom McGowan). Think about it – these kid’s parents are spending a lot of money with the hope that their children will adopt healthy habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives, and they’re treating it like a long vacation full of forbidden junk food without ever making any progress.
However, Tony Perkis Jr., who would be one of those fitness influencers on Instagram selling snake oil in the form of supplements that don’t work while fat-shaming anybody who comes across his feed if he existed in 2025, is such a jerk that you realize he doesn’t care about these kids improving their health at all, and will stop at nothing to make their summer as miserable as possible so he can sell his infomercial.
He also removes the motors from the go-karts and pops The Blob, squashing any notion of fun that the kids were looking forward to.
Though you’ve seen Ben Stiller play very similar character archetypes in films like Dodgeball, Tony Perkis Jr.’s over-the-top attitude and proclamation that he “eats success for breakfast, with skim milk” drives the point home that he’s a psychotic opportunist with no redeeming qualities, and a tremendous proof of concept for the kind of bully you see Stiller portray later in his career. Similar to Al Bundy from Married … with Children, Tony is unlikeable by design, which allows the humor in Heavyweights to land because at the end of the day, he’s the joke.
If you need a prime example of how much of a cringe-inducing loser Tony is, I’ll point you to the assembly scene when he runs from the stage with both arms outstretched to receive high-fives from the audience, who are so unenthused by his presentation that they all leave him hanging.
Lessons Are Learned After Everything Falls Apart
Heavyweights does teach a valuable lesson by the time it concludes, and it’s that even though the weight-loss camp was taken over by a tyrant whose unconventional methods are the stuff of nightmares, his presence leads to the catalyst that’s needed for each and every kid and counselor who’s trying to get rid of him. Learning that there are better ways to approach health and fitness, they also realize how the old way Camp Hope operated wasn’t doing anybody any favors either, and you have to thank Tony Perkis Jr. for being the extreme countermeasure that proves this point.
At the end of the day, Heavyweights is an effective feel-good comedy because not only is there a common goal to restore status quo at Camp Hope, everybody also learns that they need to change how they do things on a fundamental level, and still have fun in the process while being proud of who they are and setting goals for who they want to be.
As of this writing, you can stream Heavyweights on Disney+.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 19, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Mashable Top Stories
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
-
Yellow: Lippy
-
Green: Gowns
-
Blue: Played in Vegas
-
Purple: Sweet treats
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
-
Yellow: Cheeky
-
Green: Dress measurements
-
Blue: Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em
-
Purple: Last words of candy brands in the singular
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1043 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
-
Cheeky: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE
-
Dress measurements: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST
-
Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
-
Last words of candy brands in the singular: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
Mashable Top Stories
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
NYT Strands word list for April 19
-
There I Fixed It
-
Adjust
-
Modify
-
Alter
-
Improve
-
Tweak
-
Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
To rise.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
STAND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Blazers face Victor Wembanyama, Spurs to open playoffs
CF Montreal wins first game under Philippe Eullaffroy, beat Red Bulls
