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1. Royal fans shocked to learn genetics actually work
Hold on to your crowns, royal devotees: This one's a doozy. Prince Louis, whose mother is Kate Middleton, happens to look like Michael Middleton, who is — get this — Kate's father. I know, we were shocked, too. In a rare public appearance over the weekend, the 2-year-old prince was photographed alongside his family, and royal fans were quick to point out the striking physical similarities between Louis and his maternal grandfather. It's unclear why commenters thought the resemblance was particularly noteworthy, although it wasn't the first time Grandpa Middleton and the royal children have proven genetics do, in fact, exist. At least we now know there's hope for a non-bald King of the United Kingdom sometime in the next century.
2. After 5 months of training, singer Cody Simpson qualifies for Olympic swimming trials
Despite the global pandemic, Cody Simpson has been pretty busy this year. He wasn't just singing, writing poetry, working as a United Nations Ocean Advocate, and falling in and out of love with Miley Cyrus. A "silent fire" in his stomach fueled his return to competitive swimming, and after five months of training, the Australian singer secured a spot in the 2021 Australian Olympic trials for the 100-meter butterfly event. "It is my greatest ambition to expand the limit and perceived notion of what's possible for someone to achieve in a single lifetime," Simpson wrote, "and I'm here to tell you can do absolutely ANYTHING if you are willing to work for it." H/T to Simpson for inspiring us while simultaneously putting us all to shame.
The Week
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
3. 'Shrek' to be preserved in the Library of Congress
The accolades start coming and they don't stop coming. Nearly 20 years after Shrek was released, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that our favorite ogre will be remembered for a long time to come. The Library of Congress announced this year's additions to the National Film Registry (which works to "ensure the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America's film heritage"), and Shrek made the cut, getting praise for being "entertaining and emotionally impactful at levels to be appreciated by both children and their adults." The 25 selected films also include a record number of films directed by women and people of color. "We are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight," Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said. Hallelujah.
4. A Peacock subscription will soon be required to stream most of The Office
Less than three weeks until The Office leaves Netflix? No, God, please no! The classic NBC show will be removed from Netflix at the end of the year and head to NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, and on Monday, it was announced that users will need a paid subscription to stream most of the episodes. Starting on Jan. 1, the first two seasons of The Office will stream on Peacock for free with ads, but seasons three through nine will require a $4.99 a month Peacock Premium subscription. That's yet another streaming service fans are being asked to pay for alongside Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, and more — enough to make you want to shout, "Ideclare bankruptcy!"
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5. Taylor Swift may have written a song about Princess Diana
Taylor Swift released Evermore less than a month after Netflix released season four of The Crown, so it's not entirely unreasonable to suggest every song on Swift's surprise album is actually about the monarchy. However, one song in particular seems like it really fits the narrative, leading many fans to speculate the album's fifth track, "Tolerate it," is based on the relationship between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The song, which distressingly details a broken relationship, references themes of infidelity and mental health that are also explored on The Crown. Swift also sings about using "fancy" tableware, and we all know the monarchy is very fancy. If that weren't enough, one of the song's lyrics is "You're so much older," which, hello, Charles was 12 years Diana's senior! Wake up, America — the writing is quite literally on the wall.
