Entertainment
‘Duck Dynasty’ Legend Chops Off His Beard
Duck Dynasty enjoyed a historic run as one of A&E’s top-rated shows. After spending 11 seasons on the air, Duck Dynasty fans grew close to the Robertson family and their many misadventures. Thanks to their strong Louisiana heritage, commitment to duck hunting, and gigantic beards, it is easy to spot the Robinson family in pictures and on television. While their distinctive beards might have made them famous, wait until you find out what implored Jase Robertson to chop his own hair off!
Starting at the End
Here we have the iconic Jase Robertson seated before a mirror, moments prior to his hair being completely chopped off. Missy watches on in the background with a smile on her face. How did Jase come to be in this position? Why was the young Robertson family leader preparing to chop away his iconic brown locks and beard?
Back to the Beginning
Before we dig too deep into the #ShaveJase campaign that rocked the Duck Dynasty fandom, let’s peel things back a little bit in order to start at the beginning. Duck Dynasty rose to fame on the A&E Network because it provided viewers with an up-close look at duck hunting through the eyes of people who had been doing it their entire life. Fans quickly fell in love with the bearded and eccentric family, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear how invested the fans still are int heir lives.
Quite the Unusual Backstory
Before Phil Robertson was taking over the television world with his duck hunting skills, he was tearing up the gridiron as a quarterback. Phil came into his own as a collegiate quarterback who started for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Robertson actually started ahead of NFL Hall of Famer, Terry Bradshaw. Robertson would turn down an opportunity to play in the NFL in order to focus on his duck empire.
The Iconic Robertson Beard
By this point in time, you have to know about the Robertson-family beard. We’ll dig more into the history of their facial hair later, but this picture pretty much sums it all up. The Robertson’s have always been known for their big and burly beards. Jase’s decision to chop off his own beard was a huge deal not just to fans, but to the family as well.
Meet the Robertson Family
Here’s another group shot of the Robertson family. A brief survey will quickly reveal to you that beards are incredibly common among the grown men in the family. In fact, every older gentleman in this picture, sans Al, is rocking a massive and bushy beard. Does it run in their DNA or is Al the only Robertson family member without the strong beard trait?
The Most Popular Robertson
Jase Robertson has always been considered one of the most popular members of the family. Thanks to his relative youth and easy good looks, Jase became a fan-favorite almost from the word shoot. Jase is the COO of the family duck hunting business, as well, which means that he’ll stay quite busy long after the show has become history.
Deciding to Lose the Beard
For Jase, the iconic beard became intrinsic to his brand and his image. However, with the show canceled, there was very little reason to keep the facial hair. What’s more, Jase had a good reason to shave it all of. What do we mean by this? Well, as you’ll soon find out, Jase’s decision to shave his beard was about helping other people, not just himself.
Honoring Mia Robertson
The driving force behind Jase’s decision to shave his beard has everything to do with his daughter, Mia. Mia had been born with a cleft lip and a cleft palate. This is a natural condition that can cause the upper lip to improperly form, thus leading to aesthetic problems. While generally painless and always non-fatal, life with a cleft lip and palate can be hard for a young girl.
Mia Undergoes Surgery
Fortunately, Jase made more than enough money during his Duck Dynasty run that he could afford the surgery that Mia needed in order to repair her lip. Mia was able to have her cleft lip and palate repaired and that might have been where the story ended had it not been for Jase. Jase realized that many other children did not have the same benefits as Mia when it comes to treatment. This thought led Jase to think of ways to help out other people who had been suffering with a cleft lip or palate.
Doing Something Special
Jase and his family knew that they could raise money to help other children with cleft palates. In order to most effectively help out these kids, the Robertson’s would need a fun and viral way to spread the word. Are you starting to see where we are going with this? As it turns out, shaving Jase’s beard was the perfect way to launch their newest non-profit, The Mia Moo Fund.
Enter the Mia Moo Fund
The Mia Moo Fund was established by Jase as a way to raise money for children who could not afford to have the surgery to repair their cleft lip. Jase decided to create the foundation as a way to honor his daughter while improving the lives in children all over the country. In order to make the Mia Moo Fund a success, Jase wanted to shave his beard off for charity.
Excited Yet Nervous
Jase was obviously thrilled at the idea of helping out those in need. However, the beard had become such an intrinsic part of his life that he felt a certain level of nervousness at the thought of chopping it off. Fortunately, Missy was supportive when it came to ditching the beard. In fact, some may argue that Missy was the one pushing for the clean-shaven look!
Not the First Beardless Brother
While Jase was about to turn the fandom upside down, he wasn’t the first brother to go without a beard. While most of the Robertson male family members had beards of some sort, Al had never been one to grow out his hair. Al Robertson is notoriously clean-shaven in every picture that he has appeared in with the family. Whether he didn’t like beards or couldn’t grow one, we’ll never know!
Fans Are Shocked By Jase’s Decision
You didn’t have to be a huge fan of the show to realize how big of a deal this was. While Jase Robertson is no Britney Spears, his decision to lop off his beard is just as striking as her decision to shave off her head. To put this plainly, shaving Jase’s beard was kind of a big deal.
Regaining Pre-Fame Anonymity
While Jase was rightfully nervous about shaving his beard off, he knew that there were plenty of benefits to look forward to. For starters, Jase had become famous while rocking his beard. After shaving it all away, Jase was confident that he’d be able to live life as if he weren’t famous at all. His desire to remain anonymous while out in public would help fuel the choice.
#ShaveJase
In 2013 when the program was dwindling to an end, Jase revealed that he had actually considered shaving his beard off completely. Jase admitted that he wanted to shave off the facial hair after the show ended so that he could regain his anonymity and make his wife happier all at the same time.
Practical Benefits of Beards for Duck Hunters
Even though Jase was about to have his beard shaved off, he had to admit that there were many advantages to the facial feature. For duck hunters, giant beards work as natural camouflage as well as facial protection. During the winter, it can help to have a huge bushy beard to keep your face warm!
Unfortunate Beard Pitfalls
Jase did reveal that having the huge beard wasn’t always a benefit during the filming of the show. In fact, Jase would later reveal that his large beard was probably to blame for all of his trouble in airports. According to Jase, he frequently would get pulled out of line by the TSA because his beard looked ‘suspicious’.
Hilarious Fan Encounter
One time, Jase had an encounter with a fan that had him ready to shave his beard off then-and-there. Approached by a random fan on the street, Jase agreed to take a picture. Simple, right? Well, not exactly! According to Jase, the fan had thought that Jase was the actor who played the famous Geico caveman.
Ready to Rest on Laurels of Success
Even if Jase looked like the Geico caveman when you squinted, he had still grown quite fond of the facial hair. Jase had become an international celebrity worth more than $10 million thanks to his incredible beard, family, and television show. Now the show was gone and his beard would soon be following it. Times were changing for Jase and the Duck Dynasty family!
Life After ‘Duck Dynasty’
Following the end of the television show, Jase decided to keep busy. Instead of resting and relaxing with the family, Jase launched his own website titled CamoFix. The goal of the website is to create a sense of online family between Jase and his fans. Jase considers CamoFix to be the only way to see what the Robertson family is up to.
Making #ShaveJase Official
Before Jase could relax with CamoFix, he first had to head to Fox News in order to appear on their daily morning show. While on the program, Jase revealed that he would be shaving his beard off for charity. Here you can see the entire morning crew, along with Missy and Jase, smiling for the camera. Is it just us or does Jase look a little bit hesitant?
The Big Day Begins
No matter how hesitant Jase might have been, the day of the beard shave was rapidly approaching. This picture showcases Jase just moments before having his iconic mop hacked away. Missy had taken the photo, and she would be there to document the entire event. After having raised so much for the Mia Moo Fund, Jase knew it was time to do his part.
Hair Begins to Fall
Jase watched in the mirror as his face and head slowly transformed. In the blink of an eye, Jase went from a hardened duck hunter to someone a little more, well, presentable. This shot shows Jase halfway through the transformation and you can already tell the difference! As the hair fell away, so too did the years from Jase’s face.
A New Jase Emerges
By the time that his hair and beard had been completely trimmed, Jase was almost unrecognizable. Here we can see the first moment that Jase saw his clean face. Missy was overjoyed by the transformation as she felt like she had finally gotten her husband back from the television show.
Appreciating the New Face
Missy would later admit that Jase’s lack of a beard made it even easier for her to flirt with her husband. As it turns out, Missy was quite done with the beard, herself! This picture shows Jase’s happy family posing for the camera with nary a beard or cleft lip among them.
Look Back in Time
While Jase’s transformation was incredible to watch, it isn’t the only transformation that has rocked the family. In fact, seemingly the entire family has spent time without their infamous beards bedecked upon their faces. This shot shows Willie posing before and after his time on the show. On the left, Willie looks like a mullet-rocking athlete.
Duck Dynasty Boys Before Beards
This amazing picture shows Jep, Jase, and Willie all rocking a clean face during their childhood. Raising a bunch of boys was tough for Phil and Kay as we have no doubt that the Robertson kids liked to get in trouble. How could a family of duck hunters NOT have a few exciting stories to tell from childhood?
Si Robertson Before the Hair
Even Si Robertson had enjoyed a period of time before his face had been overtaken by a giant beard. Here we see Silas Robertson looking mighty sharp in his uniform. Si Robertson had spent time in the armed forces, so how hard could hunting a couple of ducks on television actually be?
Celebrating Their Marriage
Swinging the focus back to Jase and Missy, we can see how the lovely couple looked when they first met. Here we can see that Missy had fallen in love with the clean-shaven version of Jase, well before the beard was even a thing! When Jase shaved his beard off, Missy must have had flashbacks to when they first started dating. That could explain the extra flirting!
Fresh Faced Couple
It’s wild to see such famous individuals while they were still children. Jase and Missy look like they could be any other regular couple from the Midwest or down south. You wouldn’t know that these two would soon be on television as part of the most famous family in A&E history.
One Happy Family
For another photograph that really takes the family away from their television roots, look no further. This beautiful picture shows the Robertson family posing with their young children. Decades before Jase and co would become one of the most popular shows in A&E history, they were just another regular family.
Beardless Phil Robertson
It seems strangely sacrilegious to say, but even Phil Robertson once rocked a clean-shaven face. Phil Robertson hadn’t always been a huge fan of the beard, but we definitely think he made the right choice when he decided to stick with it. Robertson began growing his beard while the boys were still in high-school, and he hasn’t shaved it since.
Life as Professor Phil
We already revealed that Phil Robertson was a beardless football fanatic in his youth. What else could shock you? What about learning that Mr. Phil Robertson once worked as a substitute teacher? It’s true! Before Phil was the grizzled leader of the Duck Dynasty team, he was a regular old professor at a local high school with a B.S. in English. This almost seems too weird to be true, doesn’t it?
Birth of the Beard
The origins of the Robertson family’s beard can be traced back to when Phil’s kids were in high school. Phil decided to start growing out his beard on a whim. His kids agreed to start growing their beards out after graduating from high school. Together, the Robertson boys would make burly beards a part of the family tradition.
In a sweet gesture this Christmas, renowned musician Eddie Vedder, known as the lead vocalist of the iconic band Pearl Jam, gifted electric guitars to young aspiring musicians in Kailua, Oahu. The story was shared by Harry Koizumi, a music teacher at Coconut Grove Music, who played a crucial role in connecting Vedder with the talented youngsters.
Eddie Vedder, a celebrated singer, songwriter, and guitarist, is best known for his role in the influential rock band Pearl Jam. With a career spanning decades, Vedder has left a significant mark on the music industry, known for his distinctive voice and meaningful lyrics. Recently, Vedder made headlines for spreading holiday cheer in an unexpected and generous way.
According to Koizumi, Vedder visited Coconut Grove Music seeking the expertise of a long-term music teacher, and Koizumi was more than happy to help. During the visit, Vedder expressed his desire to choose electric guitars suitable for younger players. He went on to purchase three guitars with a heartfelt intention – to gift them to young musicians who could benefit from the inspiration.
After the guitars were selected, Koizumi reached out to three deserving students in his music program. The surprise took an even more delightful turn when he discovered that all three students’ mothers were already fans of Eddie Vedder. Koizumi encouraged them to play Vedder’s music at home to build excitement and anticipation for the surprise gift.
Following the surprise guitar delivery, Koizumi asked his students to express their gratitude by writing thank-you notes to Vedder. In a heartening twist, Vedder himself returned to Coconut Grove Music to personally deliver notes to each of the young musicians who received the guitars.
“What a beautiful blessing and a wonderful experience to be involved as Santa’s helper!” Koizumi exclaimed, capturing the joy and magic of the unexpected musical gifts.
In addition to this heartwarming story, Pearl Jam fans have another reason to celebrate – a new album from the band is on the horizon, promising more of the impactful and resonant music that has defined Eddie Vedder’s career and left an enduring legacy in the world of rock.
In the lush landscapes of Thailand, amidst the gentle giants of the animal kingdom, there exists a unique bond between a pianist and a group of elephants. Meet Paul Barton, a self-taught piano maestro, who has discovered a harmonious connection with these majestic creatures. Through the soothing melodies of Beethoven and the artistry of compassion, Barton has transformed the lives of elephants at the Elephants World sanctuary, proving that music and kindness know no bounds.
Paul Barton’s love affair with the piano began in his grandmother’s living room and at the church, where he taught himself the art of playing. His passion for Beethoven’s compositions found a new rhythm in the heart of Thailand, where he met his wife, an artist sculpting elephants at the Elephants World sanctuary. Their shared love for these gentle giants set the stage for an extraordinary endeavor – bringing the magic of music to the lives of elephants.
For his 50th birthday, Barton, with the support of his wife and the sanctuary’s manager, accomplished something remarkable. He brought a piano into the sanctuary, where elephants who had worked for humans all their lives, often in harsh conditions, found solace. Barton felt a profound connection with these creatures and wanted to contribute positively to their lives.
As Barton played Beethoven, something magical unfolded. The elephants, known for their perpetual hunger, would pause and listen attentively. Barton observed that their breathing slowed down, a sign of relaxation and happiness. One blind elephant, trapped in a world of darkness, particularly seemed to love the music. This moment marked the beginning of a beautiful connection, where the piano became a source of joy for the elephants.
Beyond the music, Barton recognized the importance of building trust with the mistreated elephants. Many of them bore the scars of a difficult past. He dedicated time to cleaning and feeding them, gradually earning their trust. Over the years, Barton has played for the elephants approximately 150 times, creating a unique bond that goes beyond the realm of human and animal.
Notably, Barton discovered that elephants, like humans, have musical preferences. While one elephant would walk away during Schubert, they would stay for hours listening to Beethoven. Barton even witnessed elephants appearing to dance to the rhythm of Beethoven’s compositions, showcasing the depth of their connection with the music.
Barton’s story reminds us that even in the most unexpected places, love and harmony can flourish, bridging the gap between species and creating a family that extends beyond borders.
The well-known “Goonies House” in Astoria, Oregon has recently been purchased by a new owner who intends to keep it open for movie fans.
For decades, fans of the film have visited the house, which is located at 368 38th St, Astoria, OR 97103. Many visitors have taken pictures outside the house, and some have even climbed to the roof to reenact the iconic scene in which the Goonies slide down the chimney to escape the Fratellis.
The new owner stated that they have always been fans of the film and were thrilled to be able to purchase the house. They intend to renovate the property, but they want to ensure that it remains true to its appearance in the film.
“I have always been a fan of The Goonies, it was my favorite movie as a child, and I remember visiting the house when I was a kid. I just couldn’t let it go when it went up for sale. It is such an iconic piece of movie history,” said the new owner. “I’m excited to share the house with fans from all over the world and to give them a chance to experience the magic of the film in person.”
The new owner also intends to open the house to the public for tours, and they are currently developing a website where visitors can learn more about the house’s history and purchase tour tickets. They also intend to have a gift shop on the premises where visitors can buy Goonies merchandise.
The Goonies House is located in Astoria’s historic district, which was also used for filming. The house was used as the exterior of the Fratelli’s house, where the Goonies characters Mikey, Brand, Data, Mouth, Chunk, and Andy try to save their neighborhood from demolition by searching for the treasure of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate.
Richard Donner directed and Steven Spielberg produced this film, which starred Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Jonathan Ke Quan. The film was a smash hit, grossing over $61 million in the United States and Canada, and has since become a cult classic.
Overall, the new Goonies House owner is thrilled to be preserving a piece of film history and sharing it with fans from all over the world. Visitors can expect tours, merchandise, and the opportunity to witness the film’s magic in person.
Streaming events are easily the fastest, widest way to reach the biggest audiences with entertainment today. However, the Z Event has now raised things to an all new level, boosting a charity event to one of the biggest financial donation drives ever. Combining the marketing for five different environmental causes and their non-profit organizations, the Z Event consolidated giving to an eye-popping €10.1 million.
The Z Event took a combined effort of 57 different streamers working together to pull it off. Focusing on their audiences, channel tools, and various related activities, the streamers consolidated traffic and attention on the charity drive, pushing digital focus on boosting the financial commitments well beyond previous amounts realized in earlier drives. Each year has been a record-breaking performance, so the latest one wasn’t going to be an exception from the participants’ perspective. Just from a technical perspective, the logistics for the latest Z Event took some serious marketing. Streaming is generally based on the assumption that everyone has sufficient technology to watch and listen to the event online with a browser and sufficient hardware. However, at some point the event also has to be managed to the lowest common denominator in terms of being viable, otherwise people don’t “show up” online. Doing the same with 57 plus providers as well as the variety of tools used in a coordinated fashion is still eye-popping in retrospect.
Interestingly, the Z Event has generated such a sizable audience in France, it has even dwarfed the individual industry channels. Rather than just being confined to the gaming arena, the Z Event organizers broadened their scope to include popular music channels as well as even politics. That doesn’t mean there weren’t challenges; for example, one of the charity organizations to benefit was the Goodplanet Foundation, which was reeling from earlier criticism about its operations and connections. So, to address any concerns about where the money went, participants and fans were allowed to choose the organization they wanted to benefit from the pool of eligible charities. That easily shut down criticisms and allowed the Z Event to move forward in a positive light.
Despite the biggest blowout yet in response, the latest Z-Event is scheduled to be the last in the planned strategy. No one is quite sure whether it will come back in a new format or just be repeated or done at all after 2022. Given the results, there’s going to be considerable pressure to bring it back in 2023, especially from the organizations that benefit from the sizable charity generated. However, no commitments have been made to take on the next Z Event per se.
People are afraid of different things. Some freak out from spiders, others can’t stand the sight much less the feel of a snake, and still others go into a panic over fish in the water. However, for Amulya Vadali, her fear was rooted in dogs. It didn’t matter the breed; all dogs were a primal threat to her as far as Vadali was concerned. If a city park allowed dogs, even in a fenced dog run, she wouldn’t go near the location. As it turned out, things were going to get even more challenging in high school. Attending her AP English class at Southern Regional High School, Vadali realized not only that her teacher had a dog, but she would bring the dog to class occasionally as well. It was the worst possible combination of academic stress and
Vadali was fit for a panic attack. Looking back on the matter after the fact, she is fairly convinced that the lack of any exposure to a pet dog in her younger years had a lot to do with her fear later on. As it happened, later in high school, Vadali’s brother was able to convince their parents to have a pet dog, and with exposure to their pet, Brody, she overcame her fear of canines in general. Much of the transition had to do with being with a dog from the beginning, puppy stage to full adult. In particular, the change catalyst came in the form of a golden retriever.
Named Cosmo, Vadali’s new pet was a gamechanger for her. In fact, the dog became her best friend. She went from being deathly afraid of dogs in general to practically having to be pulled away from them. It literally was a night and day change for Vadali.
Years later, Vadali made it through college, and then she found her husband and got married. However, one thing has remained constant: her four-legged partner, Cosmo. While the dog didn’t move away with her, Cosmo still gets visits almost regularly from Vadali. Every chance possible, she’s back with her childhood pet, most often on the weekends. She spends her work days functioning as a biotech researcher and scientist, but interestingly, Cosmo has also become her muse to be a children’s book author as well.
Vadali admits she loved the idea of writing early on, remembering back as far as when she was six and listening to her father read stories. And in school classes, Vadali tried her hand at writing. Her work was notable enough to earn some good marks, which inspired her, but Vadali ultimately ended up fading away from the practice. College science classes and similar kept her so busy, Vadali didn’t think about writing at the time. It wasn’t until she was back to regular life again, settled in marriage, that Vadali began thinking about stories once more. And that was enough to spark her mind towards writing again.
So, in October of 2021, Vadali decided to take a leap and write her first children’s book. And, no surprise, the focus of the book was on Cosmo saving his sister in a big, dark and gloomy forest. Named, Cosmo Faces the Forest of Fear, the book manifested Vadali’s early fears and how Cosmo helped her overcome them so much. Using tools of confidence, perseverance and patience, Vadali’s story provided a child’s resource for understanding how to deal with fear and overcome it. The book turned out to be a hit, sells well on Amazon today, and memorializes her years of relationship with Cosmo. Most importantly, she has put into words the love Vadali has for her best friend and dog.
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