Academy apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for 'abuse' after she refused Marlon Brando's Oscar

[Academy apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for 'abuse' after she refused Marlon Brando's Oscar]( Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather endured boos and abusive jokes at the Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is issuing a formal apology. In 1973, Littlefeather refused Marlon Brando's Best Actor Oscar on his behalf for his iconic role in “The Godfather” at the ceremony to protest the film industry’s treatment of Native Americans. She explained that Brando "very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, the reasons for this being … the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee." Littlefeather is a Native American civil rights activist who was born to a Native American (Apache and Yaqui) father and a European American mother. The unexpected surprise was greeted with a mixture of applause and boos from the audience and would be the butt of jokes told by presenters, including Clint Eastwood. Littlefeather later said that John Wayne attempted to assault her backstage. "A lot of people were making money off of that racism of the Hollywood Indian," Littlefeather told KQED. "Of course, they’re going to boo. They don't want their evening interrupted." The Academy is apologizing for what she endured with “an evening of conversation, reflection, healing, and celebration with Littlefeather” on September 17, 2022, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, it announced on its blog. [Bobby McFerrin made an audience into an instrument to show the power of the pentatonic scale]( Bobby McFerrin is best known for his hit song “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” which showcased his one-man vocal and body percussion skills (and got stuck in our heads for years). But his musicality extends far beyond the catchy pop tune that made him a household name. The things he can do with his voice are unmatched and his range of musical styles and genres is impressive. The Kennedy Center describes him: “With a four-octave range and a vast array of vocal techniques, Bobby McFerrin is no mere singer; he is music's last true Renaissance man, a vocal explorer who has combined jazz, folk and a multitude of world music influences - choral, a cappella, and classical music - with his own ingredients.” McFerrin is also a music educator, and one of his most memorable lessons is a simple, three-minute interactive demonstration in which he doesn’t say a single word. In a video shared by the World Science Festival, McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale by prompting the audience to sing specific notes when he stands in specific places on stage. With just his body movements and a handful of sung notes, he turns the audience into an instrument, showing them how intuitive the pentatonic scale truly is for all of us. [TV anchor parents deliver comedy gold with hilarious news report on their baby daughter]( What happens in a day in the life of a couple of news anchors and their newborn baby? Pure hilarity, that’s what. Jeannette Reyes and Robert Burton—both professional news anchors—decided to “report” on the morning happenings of their baby girl Bella, and it rapidly went viral with more than 7 million views. People loved the perfect combo of impressive production value (the hair and makeup, the music, the 100% commitment to their broadcast voices) along with some all-too-relatable parent content. “Good morning, Bella! It’s 9:52. Hopefully you slept well. Certainly no one else did, but we’re not going to point any fingers,” Reyes fires off before “sending it over” to Burton for the weather. The camera quickly cuts to Burton, playing more of a field reporter role, who smoothly exits a building while boasting of a “beautiful day outside with temps in the mid-80s.” “Will we get to enjoy it?” he asks. “Well, if spit ups, feedings and diaper changes don’t get in the way, we just might be able to make it out of here before midnight.” [Researchers have found that 'baby talk' connects all of humanity]( It's almost impossible to be handed a baby and not immediately break into baby talk. In fact, it seems incredibly strange to even consider talking to a baby like one would an adult. Studies have shown that babies prefer baby talk, too. Researchers from Stanford found that babies prefer to be spoken to in baby talk or “parentese” as scientists refer to the sing-songy cooing we do when talking to infants. “Often parents are discouraged from using baby talk by well-meaning friends or even health professionals,” Michael Frank, a Stanford psychologist, told Stanford News. “But the evidence suggests that it’s actually a great way to engage with your baby because babies just like it–it tells them, ‘This speech is meant for you!’” The big question that has eluded scientists is whether parentese is a universal language or varies by culture. [A man was caught on video introducing his puppy to the neighborhood cat and it's adorable]( A video of a man introducing his new puppy to the neighborhood cat is a wonderful piece of optimism. Why? Because the man shows he believes that if we make an effort, even nature’s fiercest enemies—dogs and cats—can get along. Heck, it’s the type of thinking that could solve a lot of problems between humans as well. Maybe if we took some time to understand one another and get past negative stereotypes we could coexist without any trouble. A TikTok user named Cheyenne caught the “pure moment” on video and says she hasn’t “stopped smiling since,” she captioned the video. After she posted the video it received more than 7.7 million views and 1.4 million likes. It even caught the attention of the dog’s owner who commented on the video as Ted’s Dad. “I should point out that I had petted the cat first and assessed how this might turn out. Ted is 4 months old and has been introduced to cats before,” he commented. “Hope you enjoyed the video! Sorry if it’s intrusive but the moment was too sweet not to record! Glad it found its way to you! Ted is lovely,” Cheyenne responded. 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