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relationships with the people around them. Strong ties with friends or family members who share the same or similar cultural backgrounds create a sense of belonging and motivation, which can increase overall well-being. What are a few fun teaching methods? Luckily, there are plenty of fun ways to teach cultural heritage to your kids, teens, and young adults. Apart from sitting down with your kids or grandkids to talk about your family’s past, it can be fun to get online and do some research. Dig deeper into your family traditions, family heirlooms, or even the country where your ancestors come from. Learn about what your ancestors’ lives may have been like when they were growing up and the environment they lived in. If conditions permit, you could also plan a trip to the country or community your family comes from. Even just sitting down to plan or start preparing for a trip can be a fun and exciting pastime. However, if travel is out of the question, you and your family can also try recreating a few traditional dishes from your culture, drafting up a family tree chart, or looking into doing DNA tests. With a little thought and effort, you can encourage future generations to understand and treasure their cultural heritage and be proud of who they are and what they can contribute in the future. Catchphrase! Celebrities love to trademark all sorts of things for one simple reason: People associate certain words with the celebrity’s brand, and the celebrity wants to protect that. It makes sense from a business perspective, but sometimes, it can get a little silly. Read on to see what the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office gave its blessing to and which trademarks it outright refused to create. Blue Ivy Carter Just days before their first daughter was born in 2012, Beyoncé and Jay-Z filed for a trademark on her name. The problemwas that a wedding planning company called Blue Ivy was already using the name. Plus, Jay-Z mentioned to the media that their intention was to prevent others from using it. The trademark was denied. Kylie This generic trademark was filed by Kylie Jenner (of the Kardashians and Jenners). Her intention was to use her trademarked name for marketing purposes. The trademark was denied, and Jenner even ended up in a brief legal battle with singer Kylie Minogue. ‘Let’s get ready to rumble!’ One of the most well-known catchphrases of all time was successfully trademarked in 1992 by its creator, boxing announcer Michael Buffer. Even
6 THINGS CELEBRITIES TRIEDTO TRADEMARK—AND SOMEWHO SUCCEEDED
better, it’s made Buffer a very wealthy man. To date, he has made nearly $500 million dollars by licensing the trademark. ‘Rock Star FromMars’ Back in 2011, actor Charlie Sheen had a very public meltdown. During the episode, he rambled off countless phrases such as “Duh, winning,”“tiger blood,” and“rock star fromMars.” In the end, he tried to trademark a total of 22 phrases, but all were rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ‘You’re fired!’ Donald Trump is known for many things, including emblazoning his name on everything he owns. Long before he was president and while host of “The Apprentice,”he filed a trademark on the show’s catchphrase. It was denied because it was too close to a preexisting (and trademarked) board game called You’re Hired. ‘BAM!’ TV chef Emeril Lagasse was a pioneer in the world of cooking shows. He popularized cooking on TV and captivated audiences by exclaiming one simple phrase every time he added an ingredient to whatever he was making: “BAM!”Naturally, he trademarked his signature phrase, but he doesn’t discourage people from using it as long as they keep it in the kitchen.
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