Entertainment
Why Simpsons Night With Your Kids Should Be Mandatory
By Robert Scucci
| Updated
I’m not a religious person, but I consider myself blessed to have grown up in real time as The Simpsons was airing its Golden Era. It was that magical time in my life when the show was still appointment viewing, and Sunday night meant it was time for a new episode. It was my favorite part of the week by a long shot.
My love of The Simpsons translated well into adulthood, where I’d get invited to social occasions and suss out the people I’d actually want to hang out with by saying things like “Dental plan!,” or “Are you saying ‘Boo’ or ‘Boo-urns’?” and waiting for the appropriate response.
It’s a perfectly cromulent way to make friends that will embiggen even the smallest of men.
By the time The Simpsons hit Season 12, it was no longer appointment viewing for me, and until Disney+ came along, I was relegated to watching the DVDs I’d accumulated over the years, all of them from Season 10 or earlier. Suddenly, I could fire up every single episode with the click of a button, and it dawned on me that I could watch some of my favorite episodes with my kids.
Now that my son and daughter are 5 and 7 years old, respectively, I’m reveling in the fact that I can corrupt their blank slates with some of my favorite episodes. What I didn’t expect was for my daughter to barrel into the later seasons and actually pick out some certified bangers that are now in my regular rotation, even though I’m still a purist who barely dares venture past Season 10.
The moral of the story? If you grew up during the Golden Era and have kids of your own now, Simpsons night should be mandatory.
Transcends Generations
As somebody who chose to die on the “Simpsons haven’t been good since the ’90s” hill, one thing I really admire about the Golden Era is that it became the perfect time capsule. Everything about The Simpsons during that stretch is so undeniably ’90s that you can’t ignore it. I’m pretty sure my kids learned what a payphone was by watching The Simpsons with me.
But it’s not just about educating your kids on what a great animated sitcom looks like. Episodes like Season 7’s “Summer of 4 Ft. 2.” land especially well with my daughter, who’s about Lisa’s age and navigating some of her first friendships at school. My son, who’s so into dinosaurs that he has a Jurassic Park-themed bedroom, loves “Treehouse of Horror XXIX” for its third segment, “Geriatric Park,” which revolves around Grandpa Simpson turning into a Grampasaurus.
Ironically enough, it’s one of my favorite modern Halloween specials in the entire series, and I have my kids to thank for that.
Now that the kids are older, and they actually let me choose the episodes with a little more authority, I’ve been shoving them headfirst into the Golden Era because I want them to grow up to be superior human beings.
Here’s how it’s working out for me.
The last time we went to the zoo, my daughter said, “Remember, we’re in the Itchy lot!” when we parked the car, and nobody batted an eyelash because even my wife, who’s a casual Simpsons fan at best, knew it was an “Itchy & Scratchy Land” reference.
The last time I cooked burgers at home, my son started ranting about the Northern Lights being localized entirely in my kitchen. He couldn’t quite enunciate “Aurora Borealis,” but credit where it’s due.
Those little moments are honestly my favorite part. Half the fun of introducing my kids to The Simpsons isn’t watching the episodes. It’s hearing those jokes come back days or weeks later in completely unrelated situations, knowing they landed the same way they did when I was their age.
Let Them Get On Your Level Sometimes, They’ll Surprise You
I’m beyond guilty of showing my kids The Simpsons, South Park, Futurama, and Rocko’s Modern Life. Obviously, I’m not showing them the extremely risqué episodes, and they’re not watching unsupervised, but if you show your kids something that’s even remotely adult adjacent while you’re just vegging out around the house, they’re surprisingly receptive to shows that aren’t Bluey or Paw Patrol.
But the real party starts when I barge into their rooms at midnight on a Friday yelling, “Kids, I don’t want to alarm you, but there may be a boogeyman, or boogeymen, in the house!”
I, of course, follow this upsetting, Jerkass Homer, statement with, “Just kidding, we’re watching The Simpsons,” and then we all pick an episode and let it rip on the projector we have set up in the apartment.
Sidebar: if you want your kids to not watch TV during the day, get a cheap projector, because you physically can’t use it when the sun is pouring into the room.
We’re able to bond over one of my favorite shows, but for different reasons. I love the scathing satire of yesteryear, while the kids are mostly into slapstick humor. It feels like a full-circle experience because when I was their age, I valued the show for the exact same reasons they value it today. When a joke flies over their heads, I get to offer sage-like advice like, “You’ll understand when you’re older,” knowing full well I used to hear the same thing.
One day, they’ll probably outgrow our midnight Simpsons binges. They’ll have their own friends, their own hobbies, and eventually they’ll think hanging out with Dad isn’t nearly as exciting as it is now. That’s just part of growing up. But for the moment, I get to share something that meant the world to me with two little people who are discovering it for the first time, and that’s a pretty incredible feeling.
At my house, Simpsons night has become a staple. It starts with doors getting kicked open in the middle of the night and ends with everybody quoting along in real time before I tell them to promise me they’ll let Mom and Dad sleep in because they got to stay up way past their bedtime.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, it never works.
Entertainment
Paramount agrees to delay merger with Warner Bros. after legal challenge
The prospective merger between entertainment giants Paramount and Warner Bros. has been officially delayed, prolonging the drama over what is proving to be an extremely controversial business decision.
Twelve states, led by California, and the Writers’ Guild of America have filed a lawsuit to block the $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. by Paramount Skydance, citing antitrust concerns, and a recent court order, voluntarily agreed to by Paramount, will see the merger delayed until either June 2027 or five days after the judge’s ruling, whichever comes first.
Amusingly, though, both sides of the case are claiming the delay as a victory. New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement on Friday describing the delay as a “critical victory in our efforts to uphold the law and protect the film and television industry.” At the same time, California Attorney General Rob Bonta characterized the delay as a “tremendous win” and “great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy.”
But a Paramount spokesperson told Variety that the company was also viewing the agreement as a victory: “Today’s agreement is a significant win because the result is exactly what we have sought from the outset: a direct path to a trial based on the evidence. This is the fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators, a conclusion dozens of competition authorities around the world have already reached.”
Mashable Top Stories
Any time two massive corporate entities merge, antitrust concerns arise. After all, LAMagazine has estimated that the two companies combine for roughly 34 percent of combined streaming viewership, which would give them significant control over industry practices. Concerned critics, who have mobilized behind the hashtag #BlockTheMerger, allege that this acquisition jeopardizes everything from fair hiring and wage standards to the artistic freedoms of creators, and it will be the job of the courts to assess these claims. But there’s another angle adding fuel to the fire: politics.
Paramount CEO David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, is perceived to be sympathetic to President Donald Trump, whose own Justice Department approved the merger back in June. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN, the media network most critical of the President, whom Trump has singled out for criticism and name-calling on numerous occasions.
Since David Ellison took over Paramount, the company has been accused of purging unfriendly CBS staffers and skewing coverage of the President in a favorable direction, as well as “spineless capitulation” in agreeing to a $16-million settlement with the President in his lawsuit against 60 Minutes.
In addition to the typical antitrust concerns, this merger also raises serious issues about freedom of the press, as more and more newsrooms end up in the hands of an ever-smaller number of media conglomerates. In other words, expect to hear a lot more about this deal in the near future.
Entertainment
We spent 12 months testing red light masks: Here are 6 that gave us real results (and 2 to skip)
How to choose a red light face mask: Look at wavelength first
There are some ways to tell that a red light face mask won’t be effective before you buy it and use it for a few months.
Wavelength is the first factor anyone will tell you to consider. You want to find products that emit light within the therapeutic window, or the range of wavelengths that can be effective when treating common skin conditions. There is now an abundance of evidence that specific wavelengths of red light can be effective for:
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Reduction of fine lines, dark circles, and crow’s feet
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Improving skin texture
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Fighting wrinkles
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Boosting collagen production
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Reducing inflammation and redness
To be effective, the light coming from the mask must penetrate different layers of your skin. There are optimal wavelengths for each type of light a face mask emits, and any reputable brand will put their mask’s wavelengths front and center in the listing. These carefully chosen ranges are strong enough to penetrate your skin, but gentle enough to avoid over-activating delicate face skin.
Red light does its work in the middle layer (dermis) of your skin, requiring wavelengths between 630 and 633 nm to reach past the top layer. There, red light stimulates cells to produce rejuvenating proteins like collagen and elastin, evening out surface redness, and preventing scarring or post-pimple red spots.
The Shark CryoGlow’s Better Aging routine combines red and near-infrared light.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The Shark CryoGlow’s Skin Clearing routine uses a special sequence of red, near-infrared, and blue light.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Most red light masks also use near-infrared red light therapy, which requires longer wavelengths to travel further than regular red light. Near-infrared light between 830 and 850 nm reaches into tissue under the dermis to further stimulate cell turnover, firm skin, and heal deep-seated spots or stubborn dark circles.
What about blue light therapy?
Blue light is often used to target acne, and some of the best red light masks use a combination of blue and red light therapy.
Blue light operates on the top layer (epidermis) of your skin, so its ideal wavelength is shorter than either red light standard. Blue light at 415nm has an antimicrobial effect, ideally killing the bacteria that cause acne before a breakout starts. If hellbent bacterial acne makes it past the blue light phase — or if you’re also dealing with hormonal or cystic acne not caused by bacteria — red light swoops in to neutralize inflammation and speed up the healing process.
The thing is, most mainstream LED face masks hit those wavelength marks. So, how do you choose between masks if their wavelength numbers are all the same?
The importance of irradiance
Irradiance is another major element that determines whether or not a red light mask actually works. While wavelength refers to the length the light can travel, irradiance refers to the amount of light energy that’s actually reaching your skin per session (not just the intensity of light being generated at the bulb). If wavelength numbers are correct but irradiance is low, the mask will still be kind of a dud.
Bulb placement is one of the key factors we considered in our test.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Comfort is another key factor, as consistent use is key to results.
Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Irradiance is officially expressed as milliwatts per square centimeter. The optimal irradiance range for a red light face mask is pretty wide (anywhere between 30 and 100 mW/cm²), though many brands don’t directly provide that number.
Most brands do note the length of each session, which is one way to quickly gauge irradiance without getting into calculations. Dr. Mamina Turegano sums it up best on her YouTube account: “Higher irradiance means more effective energy delivery per minute of use.” Longer sessions don’t automatically mean that results will be more powerful — a mask with sessions that last for less than 10 minutes has higher irradiance than a mask with sessions that last for 20 to 30 minutes. Since a mask with lower irradiance needs to sit on your face for longer, you might be less likely to keep up with wearing it.
Are bulb count and bulb placement a big deal?
The number of bulbs and the placement of bulbs inside the mask can also impact efficacy, especially if you’re expecting results on a specific area of your face. Masks with more bulbs packed evenly across the face will provide more even coverage across every inch of your face than masks with more sporadically-placed bulbs.
Some masks also provide more light sources overall by emitting both red and blue light simultaneously from every single bulb, like the Shark CryoGlow. This would be a better option for full-face acne prevention than masks with blue and red LEDs only concentrated in certain spots, like the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite.
What red light masks worked for us?
Of course, you probably didn’t come here for a science lesson. You want to find the best red light masks Mashable’s testers used and loved.
After trying out 11 different products, we ultimately found six that we can recommend. These masks delivered visible results for our product testers.
Remember: Consistency is essential for the best results (or any results)with LED face masks. You’ll need to wear your mask consistently for at least 1-2 months.
Entertainment
Free iPhone deal: T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify
TL;DR: The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are available for free right now with T-Mobile. Here’s how to qualify for this limited-time offer.
Free when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan..
Free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan.
Samsung has been the center of attention this week, and that’s totally fair. It’s not every week that a major brand drops three new foldables smartphones, two smartwatches, and smart glasses. But can we hold some space for Apple?
Apple prices are bumping in the face of RAMageddon, but you can still secure a special offer on iPhones from T-Mobile. This popular mobile carrier has just dropped a fresh batch of free iPhone deals on the latest handsets:
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Apple iPhone 17 — free when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro — free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).
Needless to say, T-Mobile isn’t handing over a new iPhone without some strings attached. The retail cost of your new phone is offset by 24 consecutive monthly bill credits. Your monthly statement will show a standard charge for financing the phone, which is immediately balanced out by an equal credit.
What exactly does this mean? You’re signing up for a 24-month commitment with the network, and any unpaid balance on the phone’s retail value will become due immediately if you decide to cancel your service, switch to another carrier, or upgrade to the iPhone 18 before the end of your deal.
You will also need to pay standard upfront taxes and a one-time $35 activation fee, but that’s a small price to pay for the latest iPhone.
Mashable Deals
We get that at this point, it’s tempting to wait for the next batch of iPhones to be announced. According to our rumor tracker, Apple is “widely expected to launch a new lineup of iPhones later this year, including the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the rumored iPhone Ultra, the company’s first-ever foldable.” That’s exciting news for iPhone fanatics, but with prices on the rise, this could be the last example of mobile carriers offering new phones for free.
Get the Apple iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.
Paramount agrees to delay merger with Warner Bros. after legal challenge
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