title: AR-15 style rifle

text: While most earlier breech-loading rifles had a single receiver housing both the trigger and reloading mechanism, an innovative feature of the AR-15 was modular construction to simplify substitution of parts and avoid need for arsenal facilities for most repairs of malfunctioning military rifles. A distinctive two-part receiver is used by both military and sporting AR-15 style rifles.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: As civilian ownership of AR-15 style rifles became sufficient to create a market for improvements, numerous manufacturers began producing aftermarket parts—including parts with features not found on basic AR-15 rifles, and individuals with basic mechanical aptitude can often substitute these pieces for original equipment without needing a gunsmith. Due to the vast assortment of aftermarket parts and accessories available, AR-15 style rifles have also been referred to as "the Swiss Army knife of rifles", "Barbie Dolls for Guys", or "LEGOs for adults". These more or less interchangeable modules are a defining characteristic of AR-15 style rifles.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Lower receivers may be bought "stripped"—a single solid part and legally a firearm in the United States, albeit nonfunctional, with no fire control group or lower parts kit installed. End users may install their own choice of fire control group and lower parts kit. A completed lower receiver, compared to a stripped lower receiver, may be visually distinguished by the trigger guard ahead of the detachable pistol grip, and behind the magazine well capable of holding detachable magazines. The lower receiver holds the trigger assembly including the hammer, and is the attachment point for the buttstock. The lower receiver is attached to the upper receiver by two removable pins. Disassembly for cleaning or repair of malfunctions requires disengaging these pins from the upper receiver. Releasing the rear take-down pin allows the receiver to be opened by rotation around the forward pivot pin as a hinge.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: The upper receiver contains the bolt carrier assembly and is attached to the barrel assembly. Sights may be attached to the upper receiver or the barrel assembly. A handguard usually encloses the barrel and is attached to the upper receiver, and depending on the handguard, also attached to the barrel's gas block.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: AR-15 style rifles may have folding or collapsible stocks which reduce the overall length of the rifle when folded, although some designs of the stock folding device may not allow the firearm to be fired until unfolded, or only fire once until unfolded. A few manufacturers have made full upper receivers, or even "bufferless" bolt carrier systems where the buffer system is wholly contained in the upper receiver, and therefore does not use the buffer tube, which allows for firing while the stock is in the folded position, or removal of the stock altogether.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: The standard design includes a gas block and tube to vent burnt powder gas back into the bolt carrier assembly where it expands in a variable volume chamber forcing the bolt open to eject the spent cartridge case. The buffer spring in the buttstock then pushes the bolt closed after picking up a new cartridge from the magazine. This Stoner bolt and carrier piston system has the disadvantage of venting un-burned smokeless powder residue into the receiver where it may ultimately accumulate in quantities causing malfunctions. Some AR-15 style rifles use an alternative short-stroke gas piston design borrowed from the ArmaLite AR-18, where a metal rod pushes against the bolt carrier, driven by a piston located just behind the barrel gas port. This piston design keeps the rifle cleaner by not exhausting in to the receiver. Other AR-15 style rifles feature redesigned gas systems so the rifle is "over-the-beach capable", allowing it fire safely as quickly as possible after being submerged in water. The original design features a free-floating firing pin. To theoretically reduce the risk of slam-firing, the HK416 and its civilian variant MR556 feature a proprietary firing pin safety in the bolt. Such firing pin safeties may obstruct the upper from working with standard AR-15-type full height hammers located in the fire control group of the lower.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Most rifles eject spent cartridges from the right side of the receiver away from right handed shooters who place the butt against the right shoulder while sighting with the right eye and using a finger of the right hand to pull the trigger. Right-side ejection is a disadvantage for the third of the population whose left eye is dominant, and for the tenth of the population who are left handed, because holding these rifles against their left shoulder for maximum accuracy may cause the rifle to eject hot spent cases toward the chest, neck, or face of a left handed shooter. When the M16A2 was adopted by the Army in 1986, it incorporated a built-in brass deflector to keep ejected cartridges from hitting the user. Most civilian variants also copy that feature. The modular design of AR-15 style rifles has encouraged several manufacturers to offer specialized parts including leftward ejecting upper receivers and left-handed bolts/bolt carriers for converting right handed AR-15 style rifles for left handed use.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Ambidextrous lower receivers, magazine releases, and safety selectors have also been produced, allowing release of the magazine from the left side, closing of the bolt from the right side, and operation of the safety from the right side, respectively.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: The AR-15 is nominally chambered in .223 Remington or 5.56×45mm NATO, with the .223 Wylde chamber allowing for the safe chambering of both, but many variants have been produced in different calibers such as .22 LR, 7.62×39mm, 9×19mm Parabellum, 6.5mm Grendel, and shotgun calibers. Some of these firearms chambered in smaller calibers such as 9mm or .22 utilize simple blowback or delayed blowback operating principles instead of the default direct impingement/internal-piston based operating system, as insufficient gas pressure or volume is produced by the round to cycle the action, or the simpler blowback system is sufficient and may allow removal of the rear buffer tube and spring.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Some AR-15 style rifles limit use of detachable magazines to comply with state regulations. Nearly all versions of the civilian AR-15 have a pistol grip like the military versions, but as the pistol grip is generally removable, grips and stocks that comply with various restrictions are available.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: While AR-15 style rifles are banned in New York City, the FightLite SCR has been explicitly allowed, even though it accepts standard AR-15 upper receivers. The SCR lower receiver differs from the standard AR-15 lower receiver in that it uses a Monte Carlo stock instead of a pistol grip, which may allow it to be legally possessed in jurisdictions with assault weapon restrictions in place. It also uses a proprietary bolt carrier due to the angled buffer tube, and a proprietary fire control group that moves the trigger rearward.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: A few manufactures offer bolt action or pump action AR-15 style rifles incapable of semi-automatic fire. These are most commonly marketed in jurisdictions where ownership of semi-automatic rifles is heavily restricted, such as in the United Kingdom. One manufacturer has even invented a non-semi-automatic firearm that fires one shot with each pull of the trigger, although none have yet entered the market.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: The semi-automatic civilian AR-15 was introduced by Colt in 1963. The primary distinction between the civilian semi-automatic rifles and the military assault rifles is select fire. Military models are produced with multiple firing modes: semi-automatic fire, fully automatic fire mode and/or burst fire mode, in which the rifle fires several rounds in succession when the trigger is depressed. Most components are interchangeable between semi-auto and select fire rifles including magazines, sights, upper receiver, barrels and accessories. The military M4 carbine typically uses a barrel. Civilian rifles commonly have or longer barrels to comply with the National Firearms Act.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: To prevent a civilian semi-automatic AR-15 from being readily converted for use with the select fire components, several features were changed. Parts changed include the lower receiver, bolt carrier, hammer, trigger, disconnector, and safety/mode selector. The semi-automatic bolt carrier has a longer lightening slot to prevent the bolt's engagement with an automatic sear. Due to a decrease in mass, the buffer spring is heavier. On the select-fire version, the hammer has an extra spur which interacts with the additional auto-sear that holds it back until the bolt carrier group is fully in battery, when the automatic fire is selected. Using a portion of the select fire parts in a semi-automatic rifle will not enable a select fire option (this requires a registered part with the ATF). Lower receivers that are select-fire are identified by a pinhole above the safety/mode selection switch. As designed by Colt, the pins supporting the semi-auto trigger and hammer in the lower receiver are larger than those used in the military rifle to prevent interchangeability between semi-automatic and select-fire components. The pivot pin may also be slightly larger in diameter.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: The first version produced for commercial sale by Colt was the SP1 model AR-15 Sporter in .223 Remington, with a barrel and issued with five-round magazines. Initial sales of the Colt AR-15 were slow, primarily due to its fixed sights and carry handle that made scopes difficult to mount and awkward to use. Military development of the compact M4 carbine encouraged production of a barreled civilian SP1 carbine with a collapsible buttstock beginning in 1977. These carbines have become popular for police use in confined urban spaces, and the collapsible buttstock compensates for the additional thickness of body armor. The shorter barrel reduced bullet velocity by about five percent, and bullet energy by about 10%. The shorter barrel required moving the gas port closer to the chamber, exposing the self-loading system to higher pressures and temperatures which increased stress on moving parts like the bolt lugs and extractor. Although Colt offered a heavier 20-inch barrel for improved accuracy beginning in 1986, increased barrel weight may impair ergonomic balance; so shorter barrels have dominated recent rifle production.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: In the 1990s, sales of AR-15 style rifles increased dramatically, partly as a result of the introduction of the flat top upper receiver (M4 variant) which allowed scopes and sighting devices to be easily mounted as well as new features such as free floating hand guards that increased accuracy. While only a handful of companies were manufacturing these rifles in 1994, by the 21st century the number of AR-15 style rifles had more than doubled. From 2000 to 2015, the number of manufacturers of AR-15 style rifles increased from 29 to an estimated 500. AR-15 style rifles are now available in a wide range of configurations and calibers from a large number of manufacturers. These configurations range from standard full-sizes rifles with barrels, to short carbine-length models with barrels, adjustable length stocks and optical sights, to long range target models with barrels, bipods and high-powered scopes.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: In September 2019, Colt Firearms announced it was discontinuing production of the AR-15 for the consumer market, citing "significant excess manufacturing capacity" across the industry and the company's "high-volume contracts" with military and police forces that were "absorbing all of Colt's manufacturing capacity for rifles". However, in 2020, Colt resumed production of the AR-15, following a surge in demand in the United States consumer market.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Estimates vary as to how many of the rifles are owned in the United States. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated in 2016 that approximately 5 million to 10 million AR-15 style rifles existed in the U.S. within the broader total of the 300 million firearms owned by Americans.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Many hunters prefer using AR-15 style rifles because of their versatility, accuracy, wide variety of available features, and wide variety of calibers (see below). Collapsible stocks are convenient for hunters who pack their rifles into remote hunting locations or for length of pull adjustments to fit any sized hunter. Construction with lightweight polymers and corrosion-resistant alloys makes these rifles preferred for hunting in moist environments with less concern about rusting or warping wood stocks. Positioning of the AR-15 safety is an improvement over traditional bolt action hunting rifles. Many states require hunters to use reduced-capacity magazines. If a hunter misses with a first shot, the self-loading feature enables rapid follow-up shots against dangerous animals like feral pigs or rapidly moving animals like jackrabbits. Hunters shooting larger game animals often use upper receivers and barrels adapted for larger cartridges or heavier bullets. Several states prohibit the use of .22 caliber cartridges like the .223 Remington on large game.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Since the upper and lower receivers may be swapped between rifles, forensic firearm examination of bullets and spent cartridges may reveal distinguishing marks from the barrel and upper receiver group without identifying the lower receiver for which legal records may be available. An individual may use several upper receiver groups with the same lower receiver. These upper receiver groups may have differing barrel lengths and sights and may fire different cartridges. A hunter with a single lower receiver might have one upper receiver with a .223 Remington barrel and telescopic sight for varmint hunting in the open country and another upper receiver with a .458 SOCOM barrel and iron sights for big-game hunting in brushy woodland. The dimensions of upper and lower receivers originally designed for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge impose an overall length limit and diameter limits when adapting modules for other cartridges included in this list of AR platform cartridges. The same magazine in the lower receiver group may hold differing numbers of different cartridges.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Most firearm-related homicides in the United States involve handguns.<ref name="CBS_2/16/2018"></ref> A 2019 Pew Research study found that 4% of US gun deaths were caused by semi-automatic rifles, a category which includes AR-15 style rifles. According to a 2013 analysis by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, 14 out of 93 mass shootings involved high-capacity magazines or assault weapons. Nevertheless, AR-15 style rifles have played a prominent role in many high-profile mass shootings in the United States and have come to be widely characterized as the weapon of choice for perpetrators of these crimes. AR-15s or similar rifles were the primary weapons used in half of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern American history: the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting, the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. Gun expert Dean Hazen and mass murder researcher Pete Blair think that mass shooters' gun choices have less to do with the AR-15's specific characteristics but rather with familiarity and a copycat effect.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: Following the use of a Colt AR-15 rifle in the Port Arthur massacre, the worst single-person shooting incident in Australian history, the country enacted the National Firearms Agreement in 1996, restricting the private ownership of semi-automatic rifles. (Category D).


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: As a result of the Christchurch mosque shootings with an AR-15 during Friday Prayer on March 15, 2019, the New Zealand government enacted a law to ban semi-automatic firearms, magazines, and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms.


title: AR-15 style rifle

text: After the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, the deadliest rampage by a single person in Canadian history, Canada banned a class of firearms, including the AR-15.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The Leaning Tower of Pisa (), or simply, the Tower of Pisa ("torre di Pisa" ), is the "campanile", or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square ("Piazza del Duomo"), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The height of the tower is from the ground on the low side and on the high side. The width of the walls at the base is . Its weight is estimated at . The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure's weight. It worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: There has been controversy surrounding the identity of the architect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For many years, the design was attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano, a well-known 12th-century resident artist of Pisa, known for his bronze casting, particularly in the Pisa Duomo. Pisano left Pisa in 1185 for Monreale, Sicily, only to come back and die in his home town. A piece of cast bearing his name was discovered at the foot of the tower in 1820, but this may be related to the bronze door in the façade of the cathedral that was destroyed in 1595. A 2001 study seems to indicate Diotisalvi was the original architect, due to the time of construction and affinity with other Diotisalvi works, notably the bell tower of San Nicola and the Baptistery, both in Pisa.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: Construction of the tower occurred in three stages over 199 years. On 5 January 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sixty soldi to the . The sum was then used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower. On 9 August 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid. Work on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on 14 August of the same year during a period of military success and prosperity. This ground floor is a blind arcade articulated by engaged columns with classical Corinthian capitals. Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote: "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in the year 1174, together with sculptor Bonanno, laid the foundations of the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa".


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-metre foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, as the Republic of Pisa was almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled. On 27 December 1233, the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the tower's construction.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: On 23 February 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni Pisano, was elected to oversee the building of the tower. On 12 April 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto, and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco. In 1272, construction resumed under Di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is curved. Construction was halted again in 1284 when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese in the Battle of Meloria.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was finally added in 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the belfry with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: Between 1589 and 1592, Galileo Galilei, who lived in Pisa at the time, is said to have dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass, in keeping with the law of free fall. The primary source for this is the biography "Racconto istorico della vita di Galileo Galilei (Historical Account of the Life of Galileo Galilei)", written by Galileo's pupil and secretary Vincenzo Viviani in 1654, but only published in 1717, long after his death.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: During World War II, the Allies suspected that the Germans were using the tower as an observation post. Leon Weckstein, a U.S. Army sergeant sent to confirm the presence of German troops in the tower, was impressed by the beauty of the cathedral and its campanile, and thus refrained from ordering an artillery strike, sparing it from destruction.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: Numerous efforts have been made to restore the tower to a vertical orientation or at least keep it from falling over. Most of these efforts failed; some worsened the tilt. On 27 February 1964, the government of Italy requested aid in preventing the tower from toppling. It was, however, considered important to retain the current tilt, due to the role that this element played in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: Starting in 1993, 870 tonnes of lead counterweights were added, which straightened the tower slightly.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The tower and the neighbouring cathedral, baptistery, and cemetery are included in the Piazza del Duomo UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was declared in 1987.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The tower was closed to the public on 7 January 1990, after more than two decades of stabilisation studies and spurred by the abrupt collapse of the Civic Tower of Pavia in 1989. The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away. Apartments and houses in the path of a potential fall of the tower were vacated for safety. The selected method for preventing the collapse of the tower was to slightly reduce its tilt to a safer angle by removing of soil from underneath the raised end. The tower's tilt was reduced by , returning to its 1838 position. After a decade of corrective reconstruction and stabilization efforts, the tower was reopened to the public on 15 December 2001, and was declared stable for at least another 300 years. In total, of soil were removed.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: After a phase (1990–2001) of structural strengthening, the tower has been undergoing gradual surface restoration to repair visible damage, mostly corrosion and blackening. These are particularly pronounced due to the tower's age and its exposure to wind and rain.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: In May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: At least four strong earthquakes have hit the region since 1280, but the apparently vulnerable tower survived. The reason was not understood until a research group of 16 engineers investigated. The researchers concluded that the tower was able to withstand the tremors because of dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI): the height and stiffness of the tower, together with the softness of the foundation soil, influences the vibrational characteristics of the structure in such a way that the tower does not resonate with earthquake ground motion. The same soft soil that caused the leaning and brought the tower to the verge of collapse helped it survive.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: About the 5th bell: The name "Pasquareccia" comes from "Easter", because it used to ring on Easter day. However, this bell is older than the bell-chamber itself, and comes from the tower Vergata in "Palazzo Pretorio" in Pisa, where it was called "La Giustizia" (The Justice). The bell was tolled to announce executions of criminals and traitors, including Count Ugolino in 1289. A new bell was installed in the bell tower at the end of the 18th century to replace the broken "Pasquareccia".


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: The circular shape and great height of the campanile were unusual for their time, and the crowning belfry is stylistically distinct from the rest of the construction. This belfry incorporates a correction for the inclined axis below. The siting of the campanile within the Piazza del Duomo diverges from the axial alignment of the cathedral and baptistery of the Piazza del Duomo.


title: Leaning Tower of Pisa

text: Two German churches have challenged the tower's status as the world's most lopsided building: the 15th-century square Leaning Tower of Suurhusen and the 14th-century bell tower in the town of Bad Frankenhausen. "Guinness World Records" measured the Pisa and Suurhusen towers, finding the former's tilt to be 3.97 degrees. In June 2010, "Guinness World Records" certified the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi, UAE as the "World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower"; it has an 18-degree slope, almost five times more than the Tower of Pisa, but was deliberately engineered to slant. The Leaning Tower of Wanaka in New Zealand, also deliberately built, leans at 53 degrees to the ground.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached number one on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and sold 11 million copies worldwide. Trainor has released five studio albums with the label and has received various accolades, including the 2016 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor became interested in music at a young age; she wrote, recorded, and produced three independently released acoustic albums, "Meghan Trainor" (2009), "I'll Sing with You", and "Only 17" (2010). She began writing and producing songs for other artists in 2013. In 2015, Trainor released her pop and hip hop major-label debut studio album, "Title", which included the top-10 singles "Lips Are Movin" and "Like I'm Gonna Lose You"; it debuted at numberone on the U.S. "Billboard" 200. The single "No" led her follow-up album, the R&B album "Thank You" (2016), both of which reached number three on the respective charts. Trainor created her third album with Epic, the electronic dance music-influenced "Treat Myself" (2020), as an attempt to adapt to ongoing musical trends. She followed this with the holiday album "A Very Trainor Christmas" later that year. Trainor's fifth studio album, "Takin' It Back", was released on October 21, 2022. "Made You Look", the first single off the album, reached the top 5 in many countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor's lyrics frequently include themes of womanhood, body image, and personal empowerment, though they have at times been criticized as antifeminist or regressive. Her music is influenced by the popular music of the 1950s, and blends the genres pop, R&B, doo-wop and blue-eyed soul. Outside of the music industry, she has had voice roles in the animated films "" (2017) and "" (2019). She served as a judge on the television talent shows "" (2018), "The Voice UK" (2020) and "Australian Idol" (2023). Trainor's accolades include a Grammy Award, four ASCAP Pop Music Awards, and two "Billboard" Music Awards.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Meghan Elizabeth Trainor was born on December 22, 1993, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to jewelers Kelli and Gary Trainor. She has an older brother named Ryan and a younger brother named Justin. She began singing at age six, at a Methodist church with her father who was a music teacher and organist. Trainor's family encouraged her to pursue her musical interests and she had told her father she wanted to become a recording artist. She began writing songs and recording them using the digital audio workstation software GarageBand. Trainor started with her own arrangement of the song "Heart and Soul" (1938). According to her mother, Trainor "did a lot [of playing] by ear", and played music without formal training. Her father wanted her to explore every musical genre. At the age of 12, Trainor began performing as part of the cover band Island Fusion, which also included her aunt, younger brother, and father. They performed soca music as well as Trainor's own compositions. She was in the group for four years, singing and playing piano, guitar, and bongo drums. They would play Bob Marley covers in bars and even opened for the Jamaican singer Beenie Man. By age 13, Trainor had written her first original song, "Give Me a Chance".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor and her family left Nantucket when she was in the eighth grade, temporarily relocating to Orleans, Massachusetts, before moving to North Eastham. She attended Nauset Regional High School and studied guitar, played trumpet, and sang in a jazz band for three years, and was a substitute cheerleader. While she was a teenager, Trainor's parents nudged her to attend songwriting conventions taking her to venues at which production companies were searching for new artists and songwriters. At 15, she took guitar lessons from former NRBQ member Johnny Spampinato. During this time, Trainor used Logic Studio to record and produce her compositions and later worked independently in a home studio built by her parents.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Between the ages of 15 and 17, Trainor independently released three albums of material she had written, recorded, performed, and produced. She enrolled in the Summer Performance Program at the Berklee College of Music during the mid-year months of 2009 and 2010. Her debut album "Meghan Trainor" was released on December 25, 2009. Trainor released the song "Take Care of Our Soldiers" on April 16, 2010, all the proceeds from which benefited the United Service Organizations (USO) and Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops. The following year Trainor released the acoustic albums "I'll Sing with You" and "Only 17".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: At a music conference in Nashville, Trainor introduced herself to former NRBQ member Al Anderson. He was impressed by Trainor's songwriting and referred her to his publisher Carla Wallace of Nashville-based music publishing firm Big Yellow Dog Music. Though Trainor had been offered a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, she decided to pursue her songwriting career and signed with Big Yellow Dog Music in 2012. She began her career as a songwriter-for-hire because of her ability to compose in a variety of genres, publishing songs for other artists but being unsure about becoming a recording artist herself. Her father said, "She thought she was one of the chubby girls who would never be an artist". Trainor graduated from Nauset Regional High School in 2012. She released her song "Who I Wanna Be" for digital download on April 24, 2012.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Throughout 2013, Trainor traveled to Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles, where she wrote and helped produce country and pop songs. She sang lead and background vocals on demos for other artists and her vocals were occasionally used on the final recordings. Trainor co-wrote the song "In the Sun", which was released as a single by Danish artist Aya Katrine in May 2013. In June 2013, Trainor met producer Kevin Kadish in Nashville via Wallace and a mutual friend. Both Kadish and Trainor liked retro style music and began recording together that month. Trainor later became frustrated with commuting from Nantucket to Los Angeles for songwriting sessions. Her parents did not want her to relocate as it would be expensive so in November 2013, Trainor decided to relocate to Nashville instead. There she wrote songs for a number of acts including Hunter Hayes, Rascal Flatts, R5, and Sabrina Carpenter.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Kadish and Trainor co-wrote "All About That Bass" in November 2013. The song was inspired by Trainor's struggle to accept her appearance and her feelings of insecurity about looking at pictures of herself. The duo offered the song to several record labels, all of which rejected the doo-wop song because it was not "synth-y, pop-y" enough. Trainor later met Paul Pontius, the A&R agent for Epic Records, and performed "All About That Bass" for him. Pontius arranged a meeting with label chairman L.A. Reid, during which Trainor performed the song for Reid, who signed her 20 minutes later. Subsequently, Trainor hired Troy Carter as her manager and released "All About That Bass" on June 30, 2014. The song reached numberone in 58 countries, its music video went viral, and it sold 11 million units worldwide. It spent eight consecutive weeks atop the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Media outlets including "Vice", "The Fader" and "Complex" accused Trainor of cultural appropriation in "All About That Bass", "The Seattle Times" Paul de Barros commented that Trainor affects an accent akin to that of a "young, urban, African American woman" in the song, while its lyric "bringing booty back/Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that" was criticized by Vox's Kelsey McKinney for dismissing people of smaller body types. Trainor justified her use of the lyric by stating "just kidding, I know even you think you are fat" right after it.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor's debut extended play (EP), "Title", was released on September 9, 2014. Trainor and Kadish composed its songs. The EP peaked at number15 on the US "Billboard" 200 and at number17 on the Canadian Albums Chart. "Stereogum" and "Out" noted the EP proved Trainor could outlast the success of her debut single. Music critics including McKinney and "Slate"s L.V. Anderson wrote that the EP's title track and "All About That Bass" are anti-feminist; Anderson stated that the songs send the message that "a woman's worth is defined by men" and set a negative example for Trainor's young female audience. Trainor responded to the anti-feminism claims by commenting, "I don't know, man! I just wrote a fun song about loving your booty and loving your body!" She released her second single "Lips Are Movin", a retro song in a similar vein to its predecessor, on October 21 that year. The song peaked at numberfour on the "Billboard" Hot 100, also reaching the top 10 in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. "Billboard" ranked her as the fourth Top New Artist of the year placing her 12th on their annual list of the most powerful people in music under the age of 21.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor's three self-released albums were removed from sale in the build-up to the release of her major-label debut studio album "Title", which replaced her EP of the same name on the iTunes Store, and was released on January 9, 2015. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 59 based on 13 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The album debuted at numberone on the US "Billboard" 200, earning a triple platinum certification from the RIAA. It was the ninth best-selling album of 2015 worldwide, with 1.8million copies sold according to IFPI. The album's later singles "Dear Future Husband" and "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" reached the Hot 100's top 20, and the latter reached numberone on the Australian Singles Chart. The music video for "Dear Future Husband", which depicts Trainor scrubbing a kitchen floor, drew criticism and online critics labeled it as "sexist" and "anti-feminist" for its portrayal of traditional gender stereotypes. She responded to the criticism by saying; "but no, I don't believe I was [being sexist]. I think I was just writing my song to my future husband out there, wherever he is". Trainor performed a duet with Charlie Puth on his debut single "Marvin Gaye", which was released in February 2015.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor began her first headlining concert tour, That Bass Tour, on February 11, 2015, with Australian band Sheppard as the opening act. The album was also promoted through the "MTrain Tour", with Puth and Life of Dillon as opening acts. The tour was set to begin on July 3 but Trainor was diagnosed with a vocal cord hemorrhage that month and her medical team ordered her to undergo complete vocal rest, delaying the first two dates of the tour. In July, she announced that she was writing the song "Better When I'm Dancin'" for "The Peanuts Movie" soundtrack (2015). On August 11, 2015, Trainor announced the cancellation of the remainder of her North American tour and said she would undergo surgery "to finally fix this once and for all". On September 1, 2015, she confirmed that she had successfully gone through the surgery and would need a six-week recovery period before performing again. Trainor appeared as a musical guest on the third season of the American television sitcom "Undateable". In late 2015, American singer Who Is Fancy released the single "Boys Like You", which features her and Ariana Grande. Trainor won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor told E! Online on January 7, 2016, she had almost finished working on her second major-label studio album "Thank You". She told MTV News the album was influenced by the music of Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Bruno Mars, and includes a collaboration between her and R. City. The album's first single "No" was produced by Ricky Reed and was released on March 4, 2016. The R&B song peaked at numberthree on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Shortly after the release of "No", Trainor released the promotional singles "Watch Me Do", "I Love Me", "Better" (featuring American rapper Yo Gotti), and "Mom", on which Trainor's mother appears. The second single from the album, "Me Too", was released on May 5; the accompanying video was released four days later but removed the same day because of unapproved digital manipulation of Trainor's body. An unedited version of the video was released the next day. The song peaked at number13 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. A performance of the song on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" drew attention when Trainor fell to the floor while trying to catch hold of a microphone stand.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: "Thank You" was released on May 6, 2016. The album received mixed reviews, resulting in a Metacritic score of 60 based on 10 of them, and debuted at numberthree on the US "Billboard" 200; it was certified platinum in the US for sales in excess of a million units. In July, Trainor embarked on The Untouchable Tour in support of it, with Hailee Steinfeld and Common Kings as opening acts. "Better" was released as the album's third single in August 2016, and received a music video that includes a cameo from Beau Bridges. Trainor appeared on three other artists' songs in 2016, "Forgive Me Father" from DJ Khaled's album "Major Key", "Someday" from Michael Bublé's album "Nobody but Me", and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from Brett Eldredge's album "Glow". She co-wrote multiple songs that year, including Jennifer Lopez's "Ain't Your Mama" and "You Gotta Not" from Little Mix's album "Glory Days". On February 24, 2017, Trainor released the single "I'm a Lady", which she recorded for the film "", in which she also voiced a character called Smurfmelody.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: In December 2017, Fox announced Trainor as one of the judges on the show "", along with Sean Combs, DJ Khaled and Charlie Walk. The program's first two seasons were broadcast in 2018. Trainor competed against singer Shania Twain in an episode of TBS's show "Drop the Mic", which aired in January 2018; both were declared winners. Trainor's third major-label studio album, "Treat Myself", was scheduled for release on August 31, 2018, but was delayed because Trainor wanted to write and record more songs for it. Its lead single "No Excuses" was released in March 2018 and peaked at number46 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The songs "Let You Be Right" and "Can't Dance" were released as singles two months later. "All the Ways" was released on June 20, 2018, and the title track was made available on July 20, 2018. The same year, Trainor appeared on Jason Mraz's song "More than Friends".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: In collaboration with Sigala and Ella Eyre, Trainor released the single "Just Got Paid" which features American rapper French Montana. The song reached number11 on the UK Singles Chart, number7 in Scotland, and number12 in Ireland. Trainor and Sean Paul appeared on a remix of CNCO's song "Hey DJ" later that year. Trainor launched The Salvation Army's 128th annual Red Kettle Campaign on November 22, 2018, performing at a Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins (then rebranded Washington Football Team; now Commanders) game. "Treat Myself" was later given a January 2019 release date but was not released until January 31, 2020. "All the Ways" was released to hot adult contemporary radio in February 2019 as a single. That month, Trainor also released an EP, "The Love Train", which was promoted through music videos and includes "All the Ways". She was a headliner, along with Years & Years, for the 2019 Los Angeles Pride festival.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor recorded the songs "Badass Woman" and "Run Like the River" for the 2019 films "The Hustle" and "", respectively. She also voiced a fairy godmother in "Playmobil: The Movie". In September 2019, ITV announced Trainor would join will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, and Olly Murs as a coach for the ninth season of "The Voice UK", which premiered in 2020. She released "Wave" as the second single from "Treat Myself", on September 27, 2019. The album was further promoted with the promotional singles "Workin' On It", "Evil Twin", and "Blink". Trainor wrote enough material for four albums while trying to adapt to new trends in the music industry, "Treat Myself" was released on January 31, 2020, along with its third single "Nice to Meet Ya" which features Nicki Minaj, to mixed reviews which resulted in a Metacritic score of 51 based on four of them. "Treat Myself" debuted at number25 on the US "Billboard" 200 and "Nice to Meet Ya" debuted at number89 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Trainor released a deluxe version of the album in July 2020, preceded by the single "Make You Dance" (2020). She released a holiday album, "A Very Trainor Christmas", on October 30, 2020. In March 2021, she signed an overall deal with NBCUniversal, which includes her starring in a comedy series.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: On June 21, 2022, Trainor announced the lead single from her upcoming fifth studio album. The single, "Bad for Me" featuring Teddy Swims, was released on June 24, 2022. The preceding day, she revealed the cover of the album, titled "Takin' It Back"; the album was released on October 21, 2022. On September 7, 2022, Trainor announced "Don't I Make It Look Easy" as a promotional single, which was released on September 9, 2022. On 28 September, Australia's Seven Network announced that Trainor will serve as a judge on "Australian Idol" in 2023. "Made You Look" was released as the second single from the album, and became her first UK Singles Chart top-10 single since "Marvin Gaye".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: During her childhood, Trainor's father introduced her to 1950s music, doo-wop, jazz, and the work of James Brown. She grew up listening to soca and Caribbean music, and credits 1950s music, soca, and the music of Frank Sinatra for influencing her blend of hip hop and pop music. Trainor had been introduced to soca at the age of seven when her aunt married Trinidadian soca singer Burton Toney. As a songwriter, she has been influenced by Sinatra's repertoire, saying, "No one writes like that anymore, because it's hard". She has described Stevie Wonder and Phil Collins as inspirations, and has cited Bruno Mars as one of her biggest influences. Trainor considers doo-wop the "catchiest stuff" and has stated that she wants to write a song in the vein of The Chordettes' "Lollipop" (1958). She has credited Beyoncé as "the one performer [she] stud[ies] a lot". Trainor has cited artists like Ariana Grande, Jason Mraz, and T-Pain as influences on the "upbeat and happy" nature of her music. Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley influenced "Thank You", whereas its lead single "No" draws inspiration from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, and NSYNC.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor is a singer-songwriter. Her music has been described as pop, R&B, doo-wop, and blue-eyed soul. Her debut EP "Title" is composed of throwback-style sound and "1950s doo wop-inspired songs that straddle the line between modern R&B and melodic pop". Her hook-laden songwriting style has been likened to that of Brill Building composers such as Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Ellie Greenwich, and Jeff Barry; while the sound of her debut EP has been compared to that of American indie pop singer-songwriters Jenny Lewis and Neko Case, and the "retro-girl-group" sound of her debut single to that of 1960s singers such as Betty Everett and Eydie Gormé. The album "Title" is a fusion of girl group pop and old-school hip hop and "Thank You" is an R&B album with dance-pop elements, while Trainor incorporated electronic dance music influences and funk on "Treat Myself". Trainor plays a variety of instruments: bass, guitar, ukulele, keyboard, trumpet, percussion, and piano. According to Trainor, a song's melody is more important than its lyrics. Other genres in which she composes include country, hip hop, reggae and soca, but she prefers doo-wop and reggae.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor's lyrics frequently refer to womanhood, body image, and personal empowerment. "Billboard"s Ashley Lee wrote that since receiving controversy for the lyrics of "All About That Bass", Trainor began writing "more inclusive" songs about body positivity, citing "Me Too" and the "Thank You" track "Woman Up" (2016) as examples. The album "Title" explores themes like heartbreak, one-night stands, relationships, and sex. According to "Slant Magazine"s Alexa Camp, Trainor continued to peddle a "myopic, commercialized brand of feminism" with "Thank You". Trainor incorporated empowerment as a lyrical theme on "Treat Myself", and also continued the theme of feminism with its lyrics; the latter drew criticism from "PopMatters" Jessica Brant.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor is an alto and her vocals have been described as "soulful" and "highly resonant", as well as "a reedy cross" between those of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. Chris DeVille of "Stereogum" said Trainor is "a very capable singer" and that she "project[s] lots of character and emotion within a relatively limited range". Writing for "Canadian Business", James Cowan compared the harmonies in Trainor's music to those of 1960s female groups. MTV News' Carvell Wallace wrote that the singer has charismatic vocals, her relatability is part of her appeal, and one can "imagine a drunken bachelorette party having a transcendent sing-along to [her music] in the back of a rented stretch Hummer". He also criticized Trainor for using African-American English. Trainor has said that her accent is "the Gary Trainor thing", and that her father is "very soulful" and emulates Brown sometimes.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: "Rolling Stone" described Trainor as 2014's "Most Unlikely Pop Star". Following the release of "All About That Bass", "Billboard"s Andrew Hampp reported that Trainor had "become a model of self-acceptance for kids across the globe". "The Guardian" Caroline Sullivan called Trainor "the poster girl for the larger woman" and "pop's emblem for self-acceptance". "Billboard" included her in its list of "14 Musicians With Body Positive Messages" while MTV Australia stated she has "always stood by what she believes in and attempted to promote body positivity for all women". In March 2015, Trainor partnered with plus-size retailer FullBeauty Brands as a consultant for the creation of clothing for women with varying body types. According to "Billboard"s Jada Yuan, Trainor's image is defined by her "curves" though she is not "curvy" like Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian but "she's not model-thin like many other stars". The author described Trainor's use of social media as "upbeat to goofy, with little soul baring or soapbox lecturing".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Some critics have described Trainor as anti-feminist and said she seeks self-worth based on the opinions of men. Trainor did not identify as a feminist in a 2014 "Billboard" interview, but two years later, she had changed her views. In a 2020 interview, Trainor said she was "just ... stupid and young", and did not identify as a feminist due to her mother's advice that she should not claim to be something if she did not understand the word, and thought feminists were "those people that hate [her]".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor met actor Daryl Sabara in 2014 at a house party in Los Angeles and began a relationship with him in July 2016. The couple were engaged on December 22, 2017, and married one year later on Trainor's 25th birthday. On October 7, 2020, Trainor announced on "The Today Show" that she and Sabara were expecting their first child together, and confirmed later that month on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" that she was pregnant with a baby boy. In February 2021, she gave birth to her son.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor has partnered with the American Cancer Society, and made public appearances in charity events such as We Day California, as well as "The Hollywood Reporter"s 24th annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast. In 2018, the British media company Global's in-house charity Make Some Noise invited Trainor to present a £77,200 check to the charity Reach. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trainor donated funds to feed healthcare professionals in Greater Hartford and pledged money for restaurants in Connecticut to provide 50 lunches to local hospitals daily for five days. She also held a Live At-Home concert series to raise money for Feeding America. In May 2020, "Rolling Stone" reported the tour had raised over $225,000 for the nonprofit organization.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: In 2016, Trainor said she had never voted in a United States presidential election and did not intend to do so in the future. She said she preferred Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election. Trainor is outspoken about LGBTQ rights and gun control, and was among the 200 artists and music executives to sign "Billboard"s open letter to the United States Congress demanding an end to gun violence. In 2017, she publicly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage while denouncing an Australian campaign against it. A year later, through "Billboard", Trainor published a "love letter" to the LGBTQ community in which she described the community as "some of [her] biggest fans since [she] came onto the scene". In 2022, she was among the 150 artists and influencers to sign their support for Planned Parenthood's #BansOffOurBodies campaign in support of "Roe v. Wade".


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Trainor has won four ASCAP Pop Music Awards, two "Billboard" Music Awards, a People's Choice Award, and a Grammy Award. Trainor was awarded Best Female Artist at the 2009 International Acoustic Music Awards and the Grand Prize at the 2010 New Orleans Songwriter's Festival; she has also won the 2011 Tennessee Concerts Song Contest and the John Lennon Love Song Songwriting Contest. She was named the "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" by the Music Business Association in 2014.


title: Meghan Trainor

text: Among her achievements, she became the 21st female artist whose debut single peaked at the top of the "Billboard" Hot 100, and the fifth female artist to follow up her chart-topping debut single with another top-five release. On the "Billboard" Year-End charts for 2015, Trainor was listed seventh on Top Artists and second on Top Female Artists. "Billboard" ranked her at number 40 on their list of the top artists of the 2010s. "Title" was placed 98th on the magazine's "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums by Women" list, with "All About That Bass" ranking at number 69 on the all inclusive list for singles. As of October 2015, "All About That Bass" was the only debut single by any artist to accumulate a billion views on YouTube.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Survivor is the American version of the international "Survivor" reality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series "Expedition Robinson" created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997. The American series premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. It is hosted by Jeff Probst, who is also an executive producer along with Mark Burnett and the original creator, Parsons.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: "Survivor" places a group of strangers in an isolated location, where they must provide food, fire, and shelter for themselves. The contestants compete in challenges including testing the contestants' physical ability like running and swimming or their mental abilities like puzzles and endurance challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted out by their fellow contestants until only one remains and is given the title of "Sole Survivor" and is awarded the grand prize of US$1,000,000 ($2,000,000 in "").


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The American version has been very successful. From the 2000–01 through the 2005–06 television seasons, its first eleven seasons (competitions) rated among the top ten most-watched shows. It is commonly considered the leader of American reality TV because it was the first highly-rated and profitable reality show on broadcast television in the U.S., and is considered one of the best shows of the 2000s (decade). The series has been nominated for 63 Emmy Awards, including winning for Outstanding Sound Mixing in 2001, Outstanding Special Class Program in 2002, and was subsequently nominated four times for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program when the category was introduced in 2003. Probst won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program four consecutive times after the award was introduced in 2008. In 2007, the series was included in "Time" magazine's list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time. In 2013, "TV Guide" ranked it at #39 on its list of the "60 Best Series of All Time".


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: In March 2022, the series was renewed for a 43rd and 44th season, and the 44th season is scheduled to premiere on March 1, 2023.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The first U.S. season of "Survivor" followed the same general format as the Swedish series. Sixteen or more players, split between two or more "tribes", are taken to a remote isolated location (usually in a tropical climate) and are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for 39 days (42 in "", 26 in post-COVID seasons). Frequent physical and mental challenges are used to pit the teams against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for "immunity", forcing the other tribe to attend "Tribal Council", where they must vote off one of their tribemates.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Signaling the halfway point in the game, survivors from both tribes come together to live as one, making it to the "merge". At this point, survivors will compete against each other to win individual immunity; winning immunity prevents that player from being voted out at Tribal Council. Most players that are voted out after the merge form the game's "jury". Once the group gets down to two or three people, a Final Tribal Council is held where the remaining players plead their case to the jury members. The jury then votes for which player should be considered the "Sole Survivor" and win the show's grand prize. In all seasons for the United States version (excluding ""), this has included a $1-million prize in addition to the Sole Survivor title; some seasons (particularly earlier seasons) have included additional prizes offered during the game, such as a car, as well as fan-favorite prizes awarded at the finale. All contestants are paid on a sliding scale based on the order they were voted out: the first player voted out has been given and the amount increases from there. Some of the seasons that have featured returning players have increased these amounts: "" featured payouts starting at , while "Winners at War" had a minimum payout. All players are offered for participating in the finale show.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The U.S. version has introduced numerous modifications, or "twists", on the core rules in order to keep the players on their toes and to prevent players from relying on strategies that succeeded in prior seasons. These changes have included tribal switches, seasons starting with more than two tribes, the ability to exile a player from a tribe for a short time, unannounced returning players, hidden immunity idols that players can use to save themselves or others at Tribal Council, special voting powers which can be used to influence the result at Tribal Council, chance to return to regular gameplay after elimination through the "Redemption Island," "Edge of Extinction" or "The Outcast Tribe" twists, and a final four fire-making challenge as of season 35.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The United States version is produced by Mark Burnett and hosted by Jeff Probst, who also serves as an executive producer. Each competition is called a season, has a unique name, and lasts from 13 to 16 episodes. The first season, "", was broadcast as a summer replacement show in 2000. Starting with the third season, "", there have been two seasons aired during each U.S. television season. Starting with the forty-first season, no subtitle has been used in promotion of the season. Instead, the show began following a number format similar to "Big Brother" and "The Amazing Race".


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The original idea of "Survivor" was developed by Charlie Parsons in 1994 under the name "Castaway". Parsons formed Planet24 with Bob Geldof to produce the show and tried to have the BBC broadcast it, but the network turned it down. Parsons went to Swedish television and was able to find a broadcaster, ultimately producing "Expedition Robinson" in 1997. The show was a success, and plans for international versions were made.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Mark Burnett intended to be the person to bring the show to the United States, though he recognized that the Swedish version was a bit crude and mean-spirited. Burnett retooled the concept to use better production values, based on his prior "Eco-Challenge" show, and wanted to focus more on the human drama experienced while under pressure. Burnett spent about a year trying to find a broadcaster that would take the show, retooling the concept based on feedback. On November 24, 1999, Burnett made his pitch to Les Moonves of CBS, and Moonves agreed to pick up the show. The first season, "", was filmed during March and April 2000, and was first broadcast on May 31, 2000. The first season became a ratings success, leading to its current ongoing run.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The American version of "Survivor" has been shot in many locations around the world since the first season, usually favoring warm and tropical climates. Starting with , two seasons have filmed back-to-back in the same location, to be aired in the same broadcast year. Since , the show has been filmed in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: From "The Australian Outback" to "Island of the Idols", the show's run ended with a live reveal of the winner with votes read in front of a live studio audience, followed by a reunion show, hosted by Jeff Probst. Reunion shows for the first three seasons were hosted by Bryant Gumbel and the fourth season by Rosie O'Donnell. Between "Africa" and "One World" the reunion locations alternated between Central Park, Madison Square Garden and the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City (home to the CBS' "Late Show" franchise) and CBS Television City or the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles. The reunion show continued to be filmed at CBS Television City from "Philippines" to "Island of the Idols".


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The exceptions to the above outlined live reunion were for "", which was filmed in front of a live studio audience but taped four hours in advance due to the controversy surrounding contestant Dan Spilo's behavior, and "", where a video conferencing event was used during the broadcast of the final episode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final episode of the latter did not include the live reunion, except for a brief moment at the beginning of the episode where all 20 contestants appeared together on screen from their homes, and promo for the upcoming 41st season, as the 41st season had not filmed at that time.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: As part of this, up through "", the production of the last part of the recorded final Tribal Council showed Probst taking the urn or container containing the votes and traveling with it by some means, transitioning this to the live show and suggesting a type of continuity between events; for example "" appeared to have Probst jet-ski from the Amazon rainforest directly to New York City where the live show was held. According to Probst, they had also filmed a similar sequence for the 29th season "": he had paddled out on a canoe from the location in Nicaragua, and then paddling into Venice, California from a nearby island. Once on the beach, he would have asked a teenager to borrow his skateboard in the same manner as the "Hey Kid, Catch!" Coke commercial with Mean Joe Greene, with Probst doing some tricks on the skateboard before tossing it back. However, Probst had no idea how to ride a skateboard and even after some basic training, he could not complete the trick for filming. Production opted to eliminate that transition for "San Juan del Sur", and they eliminated any similar transitions for future seasons.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Beginning with season 41, the winner was revealed on location during the final tribal council, which was previously done in the original season (""), as the producers were unsure on the ability to have a live finale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote reveal was then followed by a "Survivor After Show" special with the final players and the jury instead of a live reunion.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: "Survivor" had consistently been one of the top 20 most watched shows through its first 23 seasons. It has not broken the top 20 since. Probst acknowledged that Kelly Kahl, the current president of CBS, had been a significant proponent of the show. When "Survivor" had launched, Kahl, then vice-president of scheduling, took a risk and moved the show's second season to Thursdays in competition with NBC's "Friends". "Survivor" won viewership numbers over "Friends", giving Kahl significant sway within CBS to continue supporting "Survivor".


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of the United States version of "Survivor" on CBS.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: "Note": Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: At the end of each U.S. "Survivor" season from "" onward, various "Survivor" props and memorabilia are auctioned online for charity. The most common recipient has been the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Most recently, proceeds have gone toward The Serpentine Project, a charity founded by Jeff Probst, dedicated to helping those transitioning out of foster care upon emancipation at 18 years of age. Items up for auction have included flags, mats, tree mails, contestant torches, contestant clothing, autographed items, immunity idols and the voting urn.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The success of "Survivor" spawned a wide range of merchandise from the very first season. While early items available were limited to buffs, water bottles, hats, T-shirts, and other typical souvenir items, the marketability of the franchise has grown tremendously. Today, fans can find innumerable items, including computer and board games, interactive online games, mugs, tribal-themed jewelry, beach towels, dog tags, magnets, multi-function tools, DVD seasons, "Survivor" party kits, insider books, soundtracks, and more.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Seasons 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were released in stores. The remaining seasons have been released exclusively on Amazon.com through their CreateSpace manufacture on demand program. Select seasons have also been released on Blu-ray.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: All seasons are available on Paramount+, ViacomCBS's over-the-top subscription streaming service in the United States and Australia. In the United States and Australia, seasons of "Australian Survivor" made after CBS acquired Network 10 in 2017 are also available.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: "Survivor" was added to Pluto TV, ViacomCBS's free Internet television service, as a standalone channel along on September 1, 2020.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The 2001 PC video game "", developed by Magic Lantern and published by Infogrames, allows players to play and create characters for the game based on the Borneo or Australian Outback cast members. The game also includes a character creation system for making custom characters.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Gameplay consists of choosing survivors' skills (fishing, cooking, etc.), forming alliances, developing relationships with other tribe members, and voting off competitors at tribal council.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The game was very poorly received by critics. GameSpot gave the game a 'Terrible' score of 2.0 out of 10, saying "If you're harboring even a tiny urge to buy this game, please listen very carefully to this advice: Don't do it." Likewise, IGN gave the game a 'Painful' 2.4 out of 10, stating "It is horribly boring and repetitive. The graphics are weak and even the greatest Survivor fan would break the CD in two after playing it for 20 minutes." The game was the recipient of Game Revolution's lowest score of all time, an F-. An 'interactive review' was created specially for the game, and features interactive comments like "The Survival periods are about as much fun as" followed by a drop-down menu, "watching paint dry/throbbing hemorrhoids/staring at air/being buried alive."


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: On November 4, 2009, it was announced that a second video game adaptation would be released for the Wii and Nintendo DS. The game would require players to participate in various challenges like those in the reality shows in order to win.


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: Various soundtracks have been released featuring music composed by Russ Landau, including soundtracks for seasons 9 through 27 (with the exception of season 14).


title: Survivor (American TV series)

text: The Tiki Twirl thrill ride at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California was originally called "Survivor: The Ride". The ride includes a rotating platform that moves along an undulating track. Riders can be sprayed by water guns hidden in oversized tribal masks. Theme elements included drums and other familiar Survivor musical accents playing in the background, Survivor memorabilia throughout the queue and other merchandise for sale in nearby gift shops.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: Dog is a 2022 American comedy drama road film directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin, both making their respective film directorial debuts, based on a story by Carolin and Brett Rodriguez. The film stars Tatum as an Army Ranger who is tasked with escorting the military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral. The film also stars Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q'orianka Kilcher, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Nicole LaLiberte in supporting roles. The film was produced by Free Association on a budget of $15 million.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The film was released in the United States on February 18, 2022, by United Artists Releasing. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising Tatum's direction and performance. It was also a box office success, grossing $85 million worldwide.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: Jackson Briggs, a former U.S. Army Ranger suffering from PTSD, tries to apply for a rotation position in Pakistan, but is deemed unfit for service due to a brain injury. He is notified that his friend and former partner, Riley Rodriguez, was killed in a car accident the night before. The morning after attending a memorial service at a local bar, Briggs is called in to Fort Lewis on a special assignment to escort Riley’s military dog, Lulu, a Belgian Malinois with a history of aggressive behavior, to attend his funeral in Nogales, Arizona, after which he is to bring her to White Sands, where she will be euthanized. Initially hesitant, Briggs agrees when his former company commander, Captain Jones, promises to recommend him for the position.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: On the road, when Briggs stops at a shooting range, Lulu breaks out of her cage and destroys the inside of his 1984 Ford Bronco. Frustrated, Briggs hides sedatives in a hot dog, causing Lulu to fall asleep after she eats it. In Portland, Oregon, Briggs tries to hit on women in a bar, but most are repelled by his brash personality. Outside, he meets two friends, Bella and Zoe, who invite him to their house for a threesome. While Briggs is inside, Lulu panics, alerting a neighbor. Believing her to be the victim of abuse, the neighbor frees her from the car, but is promptly attacked. Briggs runs outsides and pulls them apart, but Bella and Zoe are disturbed by the display and lock Briggs outside.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The next morning, while on the Pacific Coast Highway, Lulu climbs out of the back of the car, forcing Briggs to pull over and chase her through a nearby forest. They stumble across a marijuana farm in the woods, where Briggs is tranquilized by the farm's owner, Gus. He wakes up tied to a chair in the shed, but he is able to escape. He reunites with Lulu, who has injured her paw, and is being treated by Gus's wife, Tamara. Briggs and Gus reconcile by looking through Lulu's "I Love Me" book, which contains photos from her service during the War in Afghanistan. After Lulu is treated, Tamara gives Briggs a psychic reading before Briggs and Lulu continue on the road.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: In San Francisco, Briggs cons a free hotel room by pretending to be a blind veteran, with Lulu as his seeing-eye dog. Briggs takes her to his room and gives her a bath. He tries to leave the room, but Lulu barks until Briggs relents and brings her with him. In the lobby, Lulu attacks a Middle Eastern man, Dr. Al-Farid, and Briggs is arrested for a hate crime. At the station, Briggs is put in a lineup, where he apologizes to Al-Farid, who agrees not to press charges on the condition that Briggs seek professional help for his behavior. While retrieving Lulu, the medic reveals that she has anxiety. In Los Angeles, Briggs tries to visit his estranged 3-year-old daughter, Sam, but his wife, Niki, does not allow him to. Briggs visits Noah, a former Army Ranger who adopted and rehabilitated Lulu's brother, Nuke. Noah teaches Briggs to bond with Lulu in terms she understands, allowing him to form a deeper connection with her.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: After leaving Noah's, the Bronco breaks down during a thunderstorm, forcing Briggs and Lulu to shelter in an abandoned barn. The next morning, Briggs and Lulu hitchhike to Nogales in time for the funeral, where Briggs stays with her to keep her calm during the traditional rifle salute. Afterwards, while Briggs gets his truck repaired, he calls Jones and tells him that Lulu's condition has improved, but Jones is unconcerned. Briggs drives into the desert and encourages Lulu to run away. When she does not, they stay in a motel overnight. Briggs suffers from a seizure, but is calmed by Lulu. In the morning, Briggs drops Lulu off at White Sands, but changes his mind when he sees her panicking. He drives back to the gate and takes Lulu back, driving away with her. Months later, Briggs writes a letter addressed to her, revealing that he has adopted her.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: Eric Urbiztondo appears as Riley Rodriguez in photographs. Lulu is played by three identical Belgian Malinois dogs named Britta, Zuza, and Lana 5, where Nuke is played by a Belgian Malinois named Sam. Comedian Bill Burr makes an uncredited cameo appearance as a San Francisco police officer.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The film was inspired by a real road trip director Channing Tatum took with his dying dog, a pitbull mix also named Lulu, after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Tatum told "Yahoo! News", "When I went on my last road trip with my puppy, [I experienced] that feeling of, 'There's nothing I can do. There's nothing left to do. You just have to accept it and be thankful for the time that you did get and know that they're not supposed to be here forever. I'm supposed to go on and she has to go someplace else." Tatum's dog died on December 19, 2018, and the film is dedicated to her memory. Tatum described the filmmaking process as "cathartic", telling "Forbes" that "It gave me a lot of perspective on what she meant to me, what her purpose was in this life that we had together."


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: On November 5, 2019, Tatum and Reid Carolin were announced as the directors, both to be making their directorial debuts, from a script Carolin wrote with Brett Rodriguez. Tatum and Carolin would also act as producers, alongside Peter Kiernan and Gregory Jacobs, through Tatum and Carolin's production company Free Association. Tatum, Carolin, and Rodriguez previously collaborated as executive producers on "" (2017), an HBO documentary that explored the relationship between soldiers and their military working dogs. On March 2, 2020, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired North American distribution rights to the film.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: In addition to co-directing the film, Tatum also stars in the lead role. On November 15, 2019, principal photography was announced set to start in the middle of 2020. It filmed in Valencia and Lancaster, California, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, Q'orianka Kilcher was added to the cast. Composer Thomas Newman composed the score for "Dog".


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The film was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on February 12, 2021, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but was pushed back to July, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The date was later revealed to be July 16. It was then pushed back again to February 18, 2022.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: According to iSpot, United Artists Releasing spent $16.3 million in television spots that generated 1.17 billion impressions. The film was particularly advertised on Fox News, CBS, TLC, NBC, and ABC across programs including the Winter Olympics, the NFL, re-runs of "Friends", and "Hannity". According to social media firm RelishMix, social digital awareness hit 81.9 million across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram before opening. Tatum's 45.6 million followers on social media were highlighted as a significant factor in the film's box office performance.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The film was released digitally on March 11, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on May 10, 2022, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The film was released to Amazon Prime Video on September 16, 2022, 210 days after its theatrical release.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: "Dog" grossed $61.8million in the United States and Canada, and $23.2million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $85million.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: In the United States and Canada, "Dog" was released alongside "Uncharted" and "The Cursed", and was projected to gross $6–11 million from 3,677 theaters in its opening weekend, and $7.5–14 million over the four-day Presidents' Day holiday frame. The film earned $5 million on its first day, including $1.26 million from Valentine's Day (February 14) and Thursday night previews. Its opening surpassed projections, grossing $14.9 million in three days and $17.4 million for the four day weekend, finishing second at the box office behind "Uncharted". Overall audiences during its opening were 54% female, 73% above the age of 25, 53% above 35, and 37% above 45. The film grossed $10.2 million in its second weekend, remaining in second place behind "Uncharted". It later made $6.1 million in its third, $5.2 million in its fourth, $4 million in its fifth, $2.1 million in its sixth, $1.3 million in its seventh, and $514,606 in its eighth. The film dropped out of the box office top ten in its ninth weekend, finishing twelfth with $143,811.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 82% positive score, with 66% saying they would definitely recommend it.


title: Dog (2022 film)

text: The score was composed by Thomas Newman. An official soundtrack was not released with the film. The film contains music licensed from artists such as Kurt Vile, A Tribe Called Quest, Anderson .Paak, My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes, John Prine and Kenny Rogers. Season Kent was credited as the music supervisor for the film and was solely responsible for selecting all the credited songs.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Aaron Josef Hernandez (November 6, 1989 April 19, 2017) was an American football tight end. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the New England Patriots until his career came to an abrupt end after his arrest and conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: An All-American at Florida, Hernandez was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Alongside teammate Rob Gronkowski, he formed one of the league's most dominant tight end duos, becoming the first pair to score at least five touchdowns each in consecutive seasons for the same team. He made one Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLVI.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: During the 2013 offseason, Hernandez was arrested and charged for the murder of Lloyd, a semi-professional player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. Following his arrest, Hernandez was immediately released by the Patriots. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. While on trial for Lloyd's murder, Hernandez was also indicted for the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado; he was acquitted after a 2017 trial.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Days after being acquitted of the double homicide, Hernandez was found dead in his cell, which was ruled a suicide. His conviction for Lloyd's murder was initially vacated under the doctrine of abatement "ab initio" because Hernandez died during its appeal, but was reinstated in 2019 following an appeal from prosecutors and Lloyd's family. Hernandez was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to speculation over how the condition may have affected his behavior.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez was born in Bristol, Connecticut, on November 6, 1989, and raised on Greystone Avenue. He was the son of Dennis Hernandez, of Puerto Rican descent, and Terri Valentine-Hernandez, of Italian descent. As an adult, Hernandez remembered his mother throwing his father out of the house on multiple occasions, but always letting him back in. The couple married in 1986, divorced in 1991, and remarried in 1996. In 1991, they filed for bankruptcy. Hernandez later stated there was constant fighting going on in the home. Both parents would be arrested and involved in crime during their lives.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez had an older brother, Dennis Jonathan Jr., known as D.J. Their father pushed them to excel, including through sports, but was often abusive towards both the boys and their mother. The beatings Hernandez's father gave him and his brother were sometimes for no reason at all or were alcohol-related, but often came when their father believed they were not trying hard enough in school or athletics. D.J. and Hernandez lived in constant fear of their father, but also revered him. Hernandez once came to school with a bruise around his eye, and his coach believed that the injury resulted from his father attacking him. His father once punched Hernandez's youth football coach after a dispute about coaching methods.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Publicly, their father projected an image of someone who had some run-ins with the police but turned his life around to become a good father and citizen. In January 2006, when Hernandez was 16, Dennis died from complications from hernia surgery. According to his mother, Hernandez was heavily affected by his father's death, and he acted out his grief by rebelling against authority figures. Those who knew him said he never got over his father's death.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez became estranged from his mother, and largely moved in with Tanya Singleton, his older cousin. Following Dennis' death, the family learned that Terri Hernandez and Singleton's husband, Jeff Cummings, had been having an extramarital affair. After the affair became public, Singleton and Cummings divorced, and Cummings moved in with Terri. This "enraged" Hernandez. It was while he was living with Singleton that Hernandez became more involved in criminal activity.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: In a jailhouse conversation, Hernandez accused his mother, Terri, of failing to obtain medication for his ADHD, which he said caused him to struggle in school. In another call, he told her, "There's so many things I would love to talk to you [about], so you can know me as a person. But I never could tell you. And you're gonna die without even knowing your son."


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: According to Hernandez's brother D.J., Hernandez was also sexually molested as a child. A teenage boy in his babysitter's house forced Hernandez to perform oral sex on him beginning when Hernandez was six years old and continuing for several years.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez attended Bristol Central High School, where he played for the Bristol Rams football team. He was also an exceptional basketball player and track runner. He started as a wide receiver before becoming a tight end, and also played defensive end. As a senior, he was Connecticut's Gatorade Football Player of the Year after making 67 receptions for 1,807 yards and 24 touchdowns on offense and 72 tackles, twelve sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four blocked kicks on defense. He was also a US Army All-American.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: The 1,807 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns were state records. Hernandez's 31 career touchdowns tied the state record. He also set the state record for receiving yards in a single game with 376, the seventh-best in national high school history; he set a national high school record for yards receiving per game with 180.7. Hernandez was considered the top tight-end recruit in 2007 by Scout.com. He was not known for working hard as a child but, by high school, when he was nearly 6'2" tall, he worked harder than anyone else on the team. During one game in 2006, Hernandez took a blindside hit to the head so hard that he was knocked out cold. An ambulance had to take him off the field.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez was popular in school. He first began dating his future fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, during high school. The two had known each other since elementary school. He also smoked a large quantity of marijuana, smoking before school, practices, and games. His social life included "a sizable amount of drinking" in addition to the marijuana.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: At first, Hernandez committed to play at the University of Connecticut with his brother D.J., but later chose to play for the University of Florida under head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer flew to Connecticut and convinced Hernandez's principal to allow him to graduate more than a semester early. This allowed Hernandez to move to Florida, join the team, and learn the playbook shortly after his 17th birthday. "The Boston Globe" later opined that Meyer was aided in the recruitment by Steve Addazio, a Connecticut native, and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Addazio and Meyer told Hernandez that they believed he had the potential to play in the National Football League (NFL). Hernandez's principal later said that the two were persuasive and heavily pressured Hernandez, but in retrospect that it was a mistake to allow him to graduate early.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez was not academically prepared for college and had to take remedial courses at Santa Fe Community College. Many of his teammates, particularly those whom Meyer convinced to come to Gainesville early, did likewise.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Between practices, games, team meetings, and other events, Hernandez put 40 to 60 hours a week into football, nearly year-round. As a freshman in 2007, Hernandez started three games for the Florida Gators. He finished the season with nine receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Though he excelled his freshman year, he was benched in the season opener of his sophomore year due to a failed drug test. Following that, he started eleven of thirteen games during the 2008 season in place of the injured Cornelius Ingram, and finished the season with 34 receptions for 381 yards and five touchdowns. In the 2009 BCS National Championship Game against the Oklahoma Sooners, Hernandez led the Gators in receiving yards with 57 on five receptions, as the Gators defeated the Sooners 24–14 to win their second BCS championship in three seasons.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: As a junior in 2009, and after leading the team in receptions with 68 for 850 yards and five touchdowns, Hernandez won the John Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end. He was also a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection and was recognized as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, "College Football News," and "The Sporting News." During his final game, he threw the ball into the stands to celebrate a touchdown. The excessive display risked a personal foul penalty, but sportswriters saw an athlete with little to lose personally if he chose to go into the NFL instead of returning for another year of collegiate football.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez later said that he was high on drugs every time he took the field. Meyer had wanted to remove Hernandez from the team for his chronic marijuana use, but relented after an appeal from Tebow. However, after Hernandez's junior year, Meyer told him that he would not be welcome back for a fourth year, and that he would have to try to get picked up by a professional team in the 2010 NFL Draft. Hernandez finished his college career with 111 receptions for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez was always trying to be "the life of the party," according to a teammate. His classes his first year included bowling, theater appreciation, wildlife issues, and a course entitled "plants, gardening and you." During his first semester, he largely earned Bs. He made the conference honor roll during his sophomore year, but as a junior got a D in a class on poverty and did not complete his second attempt at an introductory statistics class.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Meyer later said that he found Hernandez to be "a distressed person" when he arrived on campus and tried to steer him in the right direction. Florida coaches aligned Hernandez with Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. He reportedly grew close with the twins after rooming with them and staff considered the Pounceys a positive influence on Hernandez.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: On January 6, 2010, Hernandez announced his decision to forgo his senior year and enter the draft. He attended the NFL Scouting Combine, but was unable to perform any physical drills after tearing a muscle in his back during the offseason. On March 17, 2010, Hernandez participated at Florida's pro day and performed all of the combine drills. His time in the 40-yard dash would have ranked fourth among all tight ends at the NFL Combine. Hernandez also performed 30 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press and would have been the top performance of all tight ends, surpassing Dennis Pitta's top performance of 27 repetitions.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: NFL analyst Mike Mayock stated that "off the field concerns" and concerns over Hernandez' physical size were causing his draft stock to plummet, but believed that Hernandez would still be drafted in the second round. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, he was projected to be a second round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the third best tight end prospect in the draft by Bleacher Report, was ranked the fourth best tight end by Mayock, and was ranked the fifth best tight end by DraftScout.com.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: The New England Patriots selected Hernandez in the fourth round (113th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. The previous day, the Patriots drafted Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski. Hernandez was the sixth tight end drafted in 2010. Despite his being considered a top tight end prospect, multiple teams reportedly chose not to draft him because "he was a problem."


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez's draft stock plummeted due to multiple off-the-field issues during college, rumors of multiple failed drug tests, and character concerns. Multiple teams elected to remove Hernandez from their draft boards entirely due to character concerns, including the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Miami Dolphins. Hernandez received the lowest possible score in "social maturity" in a pre-draft report. The Patriots signed free agent Alge Crumpler and drafted Hernandez and Gronkowski after they overhauled the tight end position by releasing Benjamin Watson and opting to not re-sign Chris Baker and backup Michael Matthews.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: On April 27, 2010, "The Boston Globe" reported from multiple sources that Hernandez admitted to scouts and team representatives during interviews at the NFL Combine that he had a history of marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college. Later that day, the Patriots released a statement from Hernandez, who said that he had failed only one drug test while in college and was candid about it to interested teams at the NFL Combine. He wrote a letter to every team, offering to be tested every other week during his rookie season. Patriots owner Robert Kraft later said, after Hernandez's arrest, that the Patriots drafted him after he gained their trust and said they had "absolutely nothing to worry about" in a letter sent to Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio before the draft.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: On June 8, 2010, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a four-year, $2.37 million contract that included a signing bonus of $200,000. The terms of his contract limited Hernandez's signing bonus to $200,000, which was less than half the signing bonus received by Patriots' fourth-round pick (118th overall) placekicker Stephen Gostkowski in 2006. The Patriots declined to give Hernandez the expected $500,000 signing bonus as a precautionary measure. To compensate for the smaller signing bonus, he received a contract that included a series of roster and workout bonuses up to an additional $700,000. If Hernandez reached all bonuses and escalators he could receive an annual salary comparable to a third-rounder, but would have to "walk the straight and narrow line to do so".


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Throughout training camp, Hernandez competed to be a starting tight end against Crumpler, Gronkowski, and Rob Myers. Hernandez had an impressive preseason alongside Gronkowski. Their preseason performance would ultimately foreshadow their future success as one of the top tight end tandems in league history. Head coach Bill Belichick named Hernandez the third tight end on the Patriots depth chart, behind Crumpler and Gronkowski. Hernandez was used as the receiving tight end option with Crumpler inserted for plays that required blocking. Hernandez started the 2010 season as the youngest player on any active roster in the NFL.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: Hernandez made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Patriots' season-opener against the Bengals and recorded one reception for 45-yards during their 38–24 victory. On September 19, 2010, he made six receptions for a total of 101 receiving yards during the Patriots' 28–14 loss at the New York Jets in Week 2. Hernandez became the youngest player since 1960 to have more than 100 receiving yards in a single game. In Week 3, Hernandez led all Patriots receivers with six catches for 65-yards during a 38–30 win against the Buffalo Bills. He also had his first career carry for a three-yard gain against the Bills in Week 3. On November 7, 2010, Hernandez caught five passes for 48-yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his career during a 34–14 loss at the Cleveland Browns in Week 9. He caught his first career touchdown on a two-yard pass by Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady during the second quarter. His second touchdown of the game was scored on a one-yard pass by Brady in the fourth quarter.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: On December 19, 2010, Hernandez made four catches for 31-yards and caught two touchdown passes in the Patriots' 31–27 win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. His two-touchdown performance earned him the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. Hernandez was inactive for the last two games of the regular season (Weeks 16–17) due to a hip injury. He finished his rookie season in 2010 with 45 receptions for 563 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions over 14 games with seven starts. Hernandez and Gronkowski began having success as Belichick increased the use of two-tight end sets to capitalize on their exceptional receiving ability. Together, they combined for 87 receptions for 1,109 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: The Patriots finished the 2010 season first in the AFC East with a 14–2 record and earned a first round bye. On January 16, 2011, Hernandez started in his first career playoff game and caught one pass for a four-yard gain as the Patriots lost 28–21 against the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Round.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: On February 21, 2011, it was reported that Hernandez had undergone hip surgery after injuring it in Week 15. He entered training camp slated as a backup tight end and competed to be the secondary tight end against Crumpler and Lee Smith.


title: Aaron Hernandez

text: During training camp, wide receiver Chad Johnson arrived in a trade from the Bengals. Hernandez immediately let Johnson, who then legally had the last name "Ochocinco" based on his uniform number, have the No. 85, choosing to go back to his college number of No. 81, which was worn in 2010 by wide receiver Randy Moss, but became available after Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. Johnson and Hernandez both claimed no compensation was arranged and the transaction was a kind gesture between teammates and nothing more. Hernandez's attorney, Jose Baez, claimed Hernandez saw an opportunity after the arrival of Johnson and offered No. 85 to Johnson for $75,000. It was claimed by Baez that Johnson countered with a $50,000 offer that Hernandez accepted. The money was reportedly used to finance a wholesale marijuana purchase by Hernandez for his cousin's husband, T.L. Singleton, who later paid Hernandez back $120,000 for the loan.