This year was supposed to be better than last year, but apparently 2021 didn’t get the memo. The world is still just as tumultuous, and we’re all still just as frazzled by nerves, overwhelmed by the news, and desperate to find some kind of escape.

Well, for the past year, we’ve had little else to do but retreat into filmed entertainment, so why should that stop now? To help you locate a smidge of solace, the Lifehacker staff has assembled a list of the movies that serve as a balm in troubled times — hopefully enough of them to last you until you can get vaccinated and actually go out into the world again. Check out our disparate suggestions, and share your own in the comments.

The Shawshank Redemption

There’s little not to like about this classic tale of redemption. From the script, to the acting, to the gorgeous score, to the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman, I find myself coming back to this film a lot — either watching the whole thing at once, or catching snippets via YouTube clips — whenever I could use a little pick-me-up. It’s just that good of an experience. — David Murphy, senior technology editor

Coco

Coco has everything you need in a comfort movie: a dramatic and compelling storyline, stunning animation, an adorable elderly character, beautiful music, and an ending that the kids will like and will make the grown-ups cry (happy) tears every single time. — Meghan Walbert, parenting editor

A Night at the Opera

The plot of any Marx brothers movie is somewhat inscrutable, but it doesn’t really matter. Groucho and the boys spend the movie running their various scams while a pair of star-crossed opera singers try to make it big and find love. What makes this movie so rewatchable are its unforgettable comic scenes, like the one where Groucho has to hide an ever-growing number of people in his phone-booth-sized stateroom, or the one where Groucho and Chico attempt to negotiate a contract — eventually throwing out the “sanity clause.” — Beth Skwarecki, senior health editor

Spirited Away

Hayao Miyazaki’s best film unfolds like a dream. A young girl, Chihiro, is on a road trip with her family. Her parents stop to investigate an abandoned theme park styled like a traditional Japanese bath house and are soon transformed into pigs by a strange spell, thrusting the girl into a supernatural world of wandering spirits, talking animals, and hungry ghosts. While the structure echoes Alice in Wonderland , the film draws about creatures, cultural traditions, and folklore totally foreign to me, an American, and I never tire of following Chihiro on her quest to get back to her normal life — because just like waking from a dream, I find I can never quite hold all of it in my mind, and I discover new things each time I watch it. — Joel Cunningham, managing editor

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has been criticised for being kinda flimsy, but you don’t go to a comfort movie for its substance. It’s the melancholic, wistful (yet ultimately hopeful) mood that I’ve always liked about this movie. I can watch it while lying under a blanket and not think too hard. Plus, Kristin Wiig and Ben Stiller, the end. — Alice Bradley, editor-in-chief

Face/Off

One of the most quotable movies of all time, Face/Off sits on Mount Rushmore as one of the best guilty-pleasure action movies of the 90s. The John Woo-directed film is full of comedy and charisma, as it abandons all logic for immutable fun that never fails to remind me of a more carefree time in my life. — Jordan Calhoun, deputy editor

Big

On paper, Big should be as silly as other 1980s body-swap films — like the execrable Vice Versa — but the character development and themes are so well executed in this film that it’s lived on as a classic that I’ll watch whenever it pops up on TV. And what are the themes? The insecurity of life at any age, the tendency of adults to rationalize their own juvenile behaviour, and the value of sincerity. — Mike Winters, personal finance writer

Night of the Zombies

I think this is the most relaxing horror movie ever made, and you can only find it on YouTube (or on VHS, which I have). It’s quiet, it stars Jamie Gillis in one of his rare non-porn roles, and the undead are much more restrained than your average zombie. I watch it at least once a month, or whenever I need to chill the fuck out. — Claire Lower, senior food editor

An American in Paris

I am a very cynical person who generally hates musicals. But An American in Paris is not a “singing” musical — it’s a DANCING musical. Oh the dancing! Basically the movie is about how Gene Kelly is an unsuccessful painter living in Paris, and some sort of love triangle ensues. But the plot is secondary to Gene Kelly and a then-unknown Leslie Caron’s spectacualr dancing (!), the technicolor sets (!), and glamarous 1950’s Parisian fashions (!). Bonus soothing points for a final dancing sequence that lets you fully mentally check out for nearly 20 minutes. Who could ask for anything more? — Joel Kahn, senior video producer

You’ve Got Mail

This Nora Ephron classic was my go-to every time I stayed home sick from school. I was too young when it came out to really find the story particularly romantic (Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks seemed super old to me, though they were only 36 and 41 at the time), but something about Meg Ryan’s super charming behaviour in the movie captivated me, and I would watch it again and again hoping to someday have an inexplicably gorgeous New York City apartment like hers. Now I can appreciate the movie for it’s Pride and Prejudice -style storyline, and love seeing a young Dave Chapelle, Parker Posey, and Steve Zahn make the most in their roles as supporting characters. It’s simply one of those movies that’s absent any darkness and is a very cute and clever rom-com. — Micaela Heck, podcast producer

The Rock

Instead of cartoons, I grew up watching The Rock religiously on Saturday mornings. I’m not sure what that says about my childhood, but this over the top action movie starring Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage was catnip to me then, just as it is now. Connery’s gruff Scottish bravado mixes with Cage’s wacky scientist energy in such a beautiful way that this movie will always be a nostalgic balm for my inner ‘90s child. It’s a perfect pre-millenium period piece that balances raucous action with unforgettably corny dialogue as Connery and Cage race to save San Francisco from an onslaught of chemical weapons deployed by a disaffected army general, played by Ed Harris. If that isn’t hilarious and bad arse in equal measure, then I don’t know what is. — Sam Blum, staff writer

Dredd

Sometimes, the best way to unwind is to watch someone just go ham on a lot of bad people. While my tastes typically turn to a movie like Tombstone for that, a more modern take on “ultimate badassery” can be found in the 2012 remake of the Judge Dredd franchise — simply titled Dredd . I’m not sure I’ll ever get sick of hearing Karl Urban sneer his way through an entire film, though I also love Lena Headey’s portrayal of the vicious (though poorly named) Ma-Ma. — David Murphy

A Few Good Men

I have watched A Few Good Men no less than 1,863 times — and if I happened upon it tomorrow, I’d stop whatever I was doing, curl up under a blanket, and watch it again, muttering along with my favourite lines in that annoying way one does with one’s favourite movie. I realise this movie came out 20 years ago, but if you’ve somehow never seen it, you surely remember the trailer for it: “I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!” It’s the most earnest of all legal dramas, and the dialogue is everything. — Meghan Walbert

The Thin Man

This 1934 classic is a paragon of snappy dialogue and silky gowns, and features an adorable dog to boot. William Powell and Myrna Loy play a married couple with devastating dry wit, who appear to genuinely love and support each other as they solve a murder mystery. The title originally referred to the murder victim, but when audiences assumed that the thin man was Powell’s character, the filmmakers just went with it. When you finish this one, look for all the sequels of the same name. — Beth Skwarecki

Broadcast News

When it came out, Broadcast News was the ultimate romantic triangle story for an up-and-coming young professional such as myself. A driven woman (Holly Hunter) pursued by two newsmen, one smart and funny (Albert Brooks) and one good-looking and also good-looking (William Hurt)? Sign me up. When I first saw it I thought she should have ended up with Albert Brooks, which says a lot about me; on re-watching I think he was a mean, miserable character. But he had some great lines. And the sweating scene is top-notch. — Alice Bradley

Moana

With no prince or even the hint of a love interest, Moana is one of the few Disney classics that helps compensate for the glut of damsel-in-distress movies from the company’s golden age. It’s inspiring and hopeful, and after singing “How Far I’ll Go” at the top of your lungs to the point of exhaustion, you will know true peace, if only for a moment. — Jordan Calhoun

Amadeus

The central conflict is between Salieri, a pious court composer of middling talent, and Amadeus Mozart, a supernaturally gifted boor with a fondness for fart jokes. Mozart betrays no particular malice towards Salieri, but that only makes Salieri’s humiliation more complete ( I watch this brilliant scene all the time ). Is god playing a joke on Salieri? Why would he bestow sublime talent to Mozart and not Salieri? I have a soft spot for themes of pride and jealousy in drama, and this is one of the very best examples. — Mike Winters

Strange Powers

I find Stephin Merrit’s voice (both singing and speaking) absolutely mesmerising, so this documentary — which features that voice very heavily — has a sedative-like effect on me. There is something very calming about watching someone else explain and hone their craft, and Stephin approaches his in a very unique, workmanlike fashion. Making good music is, as it turns out, a lot of work. — Claire Lower

Stop Making Sense

If you really want to unwind in front of a screen, why not try a movie without a plot? How about a concert movie ? How about the best concert movie ? Talking Heads’ 1984 concert film (directed by Jonathan Demme! A real director!) is the gold standard of the genre. At the very least, turn it on and enjoy 100 minutes of great music. — Joel Kahn

Pride and Prejudice

This movie transports me to the gorgeous English countryside and a whimsical version of the early 19th century every time I watch it. And for that, I consider it a comfort movie. Joe Wright’s take on this Jane Austen classic is the best, in my opinion. It’s beautifully shot, well paced, and has excellent performances by the entire cast. It’s also one of the most British movies of all time, and I love quoting lines from it as though I’m some English noblewoman from the early 1800s. — Micaela Heck

The Sweetest Thing

If you’re feeling irreverent, there’s probably nothing better than The Sweetest Thing , a 2002 romcom that revels in some pretty sultry stuff. Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, and Selma Blair are three women living in San Francisco and playing the field, until Christina (played by Diaz) all of a sudden isn’t. If you haven’t seen it, expect some raunchy escapades as these ladies resist emotional maturity at all costs. — Sam Blum

The Blues Brothers

Sometimes, it’s fun to funk. Though classic AF, The Blues Brothers — the first and original film, not that shitty 2000-era remake — is a delight in storytelling, cameos, and music (of course). There are so many fun and noteworthy moments of cinematic delight, it’s hard to know where to start. I also find it very difficult to get the main theme out of my head after I watch this. That, and “Rawhide.” — David Murphy

Steel Magnolias

I could make a joke about the correlation between the big hair and the big personalities of the ladies of Steel Magnolias , but they deserve better than that. It’s worth watching just for the freakin’ cast: Dolly Parton! Sally Field! Julia Roberts! Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine! (And as a bonus, a very young Dylan McDermott.) This movie rides on the charm of its southern belles and their friendships and loyalties: You will laugh, you will cry, you will be comforted. — Meghan Walbert

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim might seem a little frantic for a comfort film — it’s story of the hapless title character (Michael Cera) battling (literally) the “evil exes” of his new girlfriend, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), this one girl with hair like this , and it’s packed with whipsaw scene transitions, video game beeps and boops, and blaring rock, and garish digital effects. But it also combines all the things I love: Gen-X counter-culture cynicism, vintage video games, comic books, heartfelt romance, cute girls, and Jason Schwartzman delivering maximum smarm. — Joel Cunningham

All About Eve

This is the story of an ingenue who worms her way into the life of an esteemed stage actor who’s on the “decline” (my god, she’s FORTY. 4-0!). All About Eve has it all: backstabbing, treachery, biting wit, and Bette Midler doing more acting with her eyes than most actors can manage with every one of their body parts. — Alice Bradley

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

The best animated film of 2018 and arguably the best Spider-Man movie to date , Into the Spider-Verse is an instant classic for feel-good movie rosters. It’s funny, motivational, exciting, diverse, and one of the most beautifully animated movies of all time. And don’t get my started on the soundtrack — you probably started humming “Sunflower” already, and just like Miles, it helped you relax. — Jordan Calhoun

Office Space

I once worked in something called “a video store” and played this nearly constantly on a TV that we had on the counter. This movie was my first introduction to director Mike Judge’s pointillist satire, and he never gets enough credit for nailing a setting of suburban malaise in this movie (crappy chain restaurants with crap on the walls, highway traffic, poorly insulated tract condos) as well as he does cubicle culture. It’s funny and the character actors are brilliant — I think about this clip often. — Mike Winters

If You’re Feeling Sinister

This Pitchfork-produced documentary focuses on very calm, quiet Scottish people who make very soothing, beautiful music, and it is available for free on YouTube. It’s a very romantic documentary, with lots of footage from the band’s early days (the mid-’90s). It is fun to look at and fun to listen to, and I have looked at and listened to it more times than I can count. — Claire Lower

My Neighbour Totoro

There are several Studio Ghibli movies that could be considered calming (see Spirited Away , earlier in this very slideshow), but my pick is the studio’s signature film about two sisters who move to a new house in an enchanted forest. What is a Totoro exactly? It’s like a giant teddy bear mystical creature thing. Who cares! Totoro is gentle, cute, and fluffy — perfect soothing watching material. — Joel Kahn

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

If you’re looking for utterly stupid, pure ridiculousness, this is the movie for you. Really any of Mel Brooks’s films will do, but this is one of my earliest exposures to his slapstick foolishness and by far one of my favourites. Cary Elwes nails it as a foolish Robin Hood who takes himself very seriously, and a young Dave Chapelle basically plays a perfect straight man to the rest of the cast’s absurdity. I could go on about the perfection of this cast but I’ll just say that this classic parody is a delight and sure to make you “seeeew heppy.” — Micaela Heck

Space Mutiny (MST3K Edition)

I have a hard time putting a movie on as background, since I feel like somebody should be watching it. Fortunately, when you watch a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode, a man and two robots are watching it for you. They also point out the plot holes, so that when you’re confused, you can be reassured that someone else is confused, too. While many MST3Ks make good comfort movies, my pick is Space Mutiny . It’s got space people in shiny outfits, a gaggle of witches in the spaceship’s, uh, basement? And a muscular hero who gets constantly re-christened with new nicknames. Slab Bulkhead! Butch Deadlift! Blast Hardcheese! — Beth Skwarecki

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

There’s something about a heist movie — the mechanics of identifying the score, assembling a team, executing the con, and dealing with all the last-minute crises along the way. Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the not-very-good ‘60s original is packed with as many memorable scenes and lines of dialogue as it is big-named stars, and every time I watch it, I fall into it like quicksand. — Joel Cunningham

The post 32 Movies That Will Help You Chill the Eff Out appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

You’d be forgiven for not being thrilled about celebrating a(nother?) pandemic Valentine’s Day. It’s often a fraught, stressful occasion in the best of times. This year, it’s all a bit horrible.

So instead — and whether you are single or happily coupled — plan a night in. Make a romantic dinner for two (or a pleasurable meal for one ) and cosy up to your streaming device to watch a romantic movie. But because this is 2021, no mere flighty rom-com will do. You need a love story that will revive a heart numbed by the havoc of the last 12 months, and we’ve got a dozen suggestions — how apropos.

Beginners

RIP to the recently departed Christopher Plummer, who gives an unforgettable, Oscar-winning performance as a terminally ill septuagenerian who only embraces his long-denied homosexuality in the waning years of his life, inspiring his sad sack son (Ewan McGregor) to take his own shot at building a genuine connection with a vivacious French actress (Mélanie Laurent). Based on his own relationship with his late father, Mike Mills’ film offers an essential reminder that it’s never too late to live genuinely. — Joel Cunningham, managing editor

Find it on: YouTube

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Written by and starring Jason Segel, my favourite rom-com follows a composer named Peter who leaves on a Hawaiian vacation in hopes of getting over his ex. Of course, his ex (Kristen Bell) is coincidentally there with her new boyfriend (Russell Brand), and the result is the type of comedy that wins through sincerity. There are a million things to praise about this movie, but what makes it unique is Peter’s subversion of the typical male lead. His earnestness is enough to get you to let your own guard down, and it also features a song for the ages, “Dracula’s Lament,” which is enough itself to help you embrace vulnerability, life’s shittiness, and comedy all at the same time. — Jordan C alhoun, deputy editor

Find it on: Netflix

When Harry Met Sally…

When this now-beloved Nora Ephron/Rob Reiner collaboration was released in 1989, critics everywhere fell all over themselves to compare it (usually with some derision) to a Woody Allen film — but three decades later, the decade-spanning will they/won’t they romance between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal has aged line a fine wine, while some entries in Allen’s celebrated ouvre have, er, not . Credit, I think, goes not only to Ephron’s perfectly crafted screenplay and its winning performances (including memorable supporting turns from the late Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby), but to the film’s ultimately hopeful outlook on love. Finding a person that fits with you is hard, but, as Crystal’s Allen-eqsue grump Harry eventually figures out, sometimes you do want to join a club that would have you as a member. — Joel Cunningham

Find it on: Stan.

Chungking Express

Two policemen (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung), both hung up on different women, moon around Hong Kong. There’s about 30% too much eating of expired canned pineapple. Besides that one complaint, I deeply love this charming, quirky film. — Alice Bradley, editor-in-chief

Find it on: The Criterion Channel

A New Leaf

Henry Graham (Walter Matthau) is a playboy who finds himself out of money and in need of a rich wife: Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May, who also directed) is a shy, hopelessly awkward woman with the wealth that Henry requires. Will Henry find love, or murder Henrietta out of frustration and disgust? I’m not going to say, but then, this isn’t in “Most Murdery Movies.” — Alice Bradley

Find it on: YouTube

Moonlight

Often best remembered for the way its Best Picture Oscar win happened, we might be distracted from why it won: Moonlight is a work of art. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the story follows three stages of a boy’s life as he navigates being Black and gay through his boyhood, teens, and finally as an adult. It speaks on themes of Blackness, masculinity, and sexuality, and even aside from dozens of awards that celebrate its accomplishments, it would be worth it enough to watch the romantic dinner scene in the film’s third act. — Jordan Calhoun

Find it on: Netflix

The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro’s Best Picture winner has been referred to as “that movie where the lady fucks a fish” and, well, I can’t quite disagree. But it’s story of a meek janitorial worker at a secret government lab who forges an unexpected connection with a creature from another world is as touching a portrait of barrier-breaking love as it is a weird and imaginative science-fictional tale. If Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones can make it work despite language barriers, special differences, and a maniacal government agent (Michael Shannon), maybe love really can conquer all. — Joel Cunningham

Find it on: YouTube

Secretary

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) gets a job as secretary to a demanding lawyer, Edward Grey (James Spader). What happens next is 50 Shades of … Spader. Managing editor Joel Cunningham called this a “bold choice,” but I stand by this as a love story. What’s more romantic than two people with compatible kinks finding each other? — Alice Bradley

Find it on: Amazon Prime Video

The Half of It

Our most cynical natures need a cynical lead character to feel realistic enough break into our hearts, and I knew The Half of It ’s Ellie Chu would deliver from her opening warning that this one’s not a happily-ever-after love story. As it turns out, Ellie would find love in a place she least expected, but she’d find other things along the way that matter more. Written and directed by Alice Wu, this immigrant LGBT coming-of-age teen love story charming, unique, funny, and, perhaps most importantly, doesn’t make happily-ever-after the ultimate goal for a young girl who has so much else ahead of her. — Jor dan Calhoun

Find it on: Netflix

The Big Sick

Touching and hilarious in equal measure, The Big Sick illustrates that love can endure through any hardship. Kumail Nanjiani (of Silicon Valley fame) plays a working standup comedian and Uber driver who hooks up with a psychology student (Zoe Kazan) that hits the rocks due to cultural differences, then grows more complicated when she develops a mysterious illness. Considering it is based on the real-life relationship between Kumail and his wife and co-screenwriter Emily V. Gordon, you can guess how it ends — which really makes it that much more of a balm in these shitty times. — Sam Blum, staff writer

Find it on: Netflix

About Time

Everyone loves Love Actually (unless they hate it), but my favourite Richard Curtis movie is this later effort, in which a man (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers he has the power to move through time realises that true happiness isn’t found in changing the past, but embracing the magic of every present moment. (Which, to be fair, is probably easier when you’re rich, live in a gorgeous seaside home, and are married to Racel McAdams, but still, life lessons and such.) — Joel Cunningham

Find it on: Netflix

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I miss the days when screenwriter Charlie Kaufman didn’t direct his own projects; outside collaborators seem to have helped him temper the misanthropic doomer tendancies that have made his more recent works such downers. Consider this, his best film, directed with understated whimsey by Michel Gondry: A dysfunctional couple (played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) makes use of weird new tech (“Technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage,” the doctor notes) to erase their memories of one another from their minds, but still manage to find one another again, suggesting even (possibly) doomed love is better than no love at all. — Joel C unningham

Find it on: Digital rental

The post 12 Romantic Movies to Thaw Even the Coldest Hearts appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

In 2007, Britney Spears endured a very public downfall and quickly became a punching bag for the national comedy circuit. Skewering Spears for public gaffes — shaving her head, accidentally exposing herself while climbing out of a limo, marrying the backup dancer Kevin Federline in a shotgun wedding — became the kind of comedic layup that made late night show hosts salivate.

America’s gleeful schadenfreude is recounted in Framing Britney Spears , a new New York Times documentary about the pop-star, currently streaming on Hulu and HBO Max. The documentary’s crux is a focus on the conservatorship of Spears’ $US60 ($78) million estate , which her father, Jamie Spears, controls with sole authority. The movie also recalls the news cycle of public humiliation directed at Spears, who at the time was a 25-year-old mother of two who knew nothing beyond a life of performance.

With the country remembering the frenzy that followed Spears’ every waking moment, it’s worth discussing how one talk show host, Craig Ferguson, decided not to direct any barbs or zingers towards the singer out of respect for the state of emotional and psychological drudgery she was living through.

Never forget when Craig Ferguson refused to make fun of Britney Spears. pic.twitter.com/r8AuiNPW0L

— Britney Fan ???? (@BritneyHiatus) February 9, 2021

Putting humanity before cheap and pandering jokes, Ferguson refused to make fun of the megastar, despite most of us who found it pretty fair to “punch up” at the rich, popular, and successful. Ferguson’s monologue resurfaced for good, instructional reason: You, too, can recognise when it’s inappropriate to revel in another person’s despair, regardless of whether it’s a public figure or someone you know personally.

What is “punching up”?

In comedy parlance, to “punch up” means to skewer or mock someone who has a larger platform and public profile than you. Typically, punching up is kosher while punching down is gauche, though the circuses inspired by Spears — and later on, Tiger Woods — demonstrate how identifying which is which can be more art that science.

Personally speaking, everyday people tend to punch up towards similar figures: Maybe directing ire at a multi-millionaire performer who enjoyed worldwide adoration only to crumble beneath the spotlight, or cracking jokes at a sporting icon after their fall. There’s a psychological impulse to delight in the misfortunes of those more prominent and successful than us. It’s something of a psychological kink.

In a 2018 article in the Guardian , Tiffany Watt Smith distilled the cross cultural significance of schadenfreude — a German word that means delight in the misfortunes of others:

The Japanese have a saying: “The misfortune of others tastes like honey.” The French speak of joie maligne , a diabolical delight in other people’s suffering. In Danish it is skadefryd ; in Hebrew, simcha la-ed ; in Mandarin, xìng-zāi-lè-huò ; in Russian, zloradstvo ; and for the Melanesians who live on the remote Nissan Atoll in Papua New Guinea, it is banbanam .

Understand the nuance of the situation

There’s a psychological impulse to find solace in the tribulations of others. It’s only when you don’t understand the true situation behind someone’s erratic behaviour that the joke goes from seemingly harmless to vindictive. People don’t spiral without reason, so before we crack jokes at another’s expense, it’s worth asking ourselves if we adequately understand why someone might be behaving strangely.

To take the obvious example, Spears was moulded from the earliest stages of her life to become an empire, deprived of agency and thrust into megastardom. She was, in the words of Craig Ferguson, “a baby” in her own right, even when she seemingly had the world at her feet.

Ask who the person is hurting

Of course, our opinions can change if the person in question has done something terrible. But in the case of someone like Britney Spears, her meltdown came at the expense of herself and the people closest to her. It can be fun to luxuriate in the pain of someone who makes music you loathe, but it only makes us a bullies when we fail to see what’s causing someone to lose their grip, and the real-life effects that follow.

How to decide who’s worthy of ridicule

There are plenty of instances when punching up can be good, clean fun, and it includes lambasting people for their screw ups — especially when they’re unabashed arseholes about it. This works particularly well when it comes to political figures who aren’t always very becoming about their motivations and sometimes use words incorrectly . Know a celebrity who’s been blacklisted for doing something outrageous, only to double down on justifications for their behaviour? Disparaging people and situations like those are a bit different than reveling in someone’s meltdown, celebrity or not. There are plenty of villains who aren’t grappling with a toxic family or marauding paparazzi outside their door. It takes a little bit of effort to separate those worthy of playful ridicule from those who aren’t, but it’s worth it.

The post Who’s Worthy of Ridicule? appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

Managing your business’ presence on LinkedIn takes teamwork, but unless you really know and trust your colleagues, you probably aren’t comfortable sharing the company LinkedIn page’s password with another employee just so they can post updates.

Thankfully, LinkedIn now lets you add other users as admins for any page you own. With these new admin tools, you can give someone else the ability to post updates and manage new job listings for your company from their personal account. They never have to sign into the page.

There are obvious privacy benefits to using LinkedIn’s new admin roles, but they can also help you organise your business by assigning admin privileges based on a person’s role in the company.

There are two types of admins you can create for a LinkedIn page: Page Admins , who maintain the page’s content and communication, and Paid Media Admins who can create and manage ads and sponsored content for a page. Each type has a hierarchy of roles that grant the admin different features and privileges. Here’s a quick explanation of each:

Page Admins:

• Super Admin: Has full access to all admin tools, and is the only role that can edit a page’s information, deactivate a page, or add (and remove) other page admins.
• Content Admin: Can create, post, and manage page-related updates, Events, Stories, and job listings.
• Analyst: Can access a page’s analytics tab on LinkedIn and access the page in third-party analytics tools.

Paid Media Admins:

• Sponsored Content Poster: Can post sponsored content and ads on behalf of a company through their personal LinkedIn profile.

• Lead Gen Forms Manager: Can download marketing lead data from page-associated ad campaigns.

• Pipeline Builder: Can create and edit Pipeline Builder landing pages for other Media Admins and manage leads through LinkedIn Recruiter.

LinkedIn says the new admin tools are rolling out to all users, but it may take some time before they’re universally available. However, once they are, you can start assigning admin roles to any employee, advertiser, or member associate with your page.

How to become an admin on LinkedIn

Users can request admin privileges for any page they work for or are otherwise associated with. The process is identical on desktop and mobile:

1. Add current position with the organisation on your LinkedIn profile. As LinkedIn’s support page notes , this is a required step to ensure you’re qualified to be an admin.
2. Open the LinkedIn page you’re requesting admin privileges for.
3. Click/tap the three dot “More” icon.
4. Select “Request Admin.”
5. Confirm that you’re authorised to become an Admin, then click/tap “Request access.”
6. You’ll receive a notification once your request is approved.

(Note that requesting access grants that page’s Super Admins access to your profile’s public info.)

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