internet culture
The Net Gala hosts its first event for the stylish and chronically online
The warehouse was dim and slightly misty. But the bar was open, and a photographer was snapping away anyway. On Friday, the crowd followed the white rabbit to Brooklyn for…
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Reddit IPO could usher in the next big meme stock, users speculate
Jeremiah Johnson says he has “an embarrassing amount” of Reddit karma. So, as a longtime moderator of subreddits like r/economics, he was part of a select group of power users who were granted first dibs to buy stock in Reddit’s IPO as the company prepares to go public. “You would…
Reddit cites r/WallStreetBets as a risk factor in its IPO filing
As Reddit finally files to go public, the company wrote in its S-1 filing that “meme stock” schemes on r/WallStreetBets could pose a risk to investors. The subreddit r/WallStreetBets, a…
Tumblr CEO publicly spars with trans user over account ban, revealing private account names in the process
Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr owner Automattic, is supposed to be on sabbatical. Instead, he’s arguing with Tumblr users over an individual content moderation decision, which has sparked communitywide outcry…
Reesa Teesa’s ‘Who TF did I marry?’ TikToks are like an audiobook
TikTok’s latest viral superstar is Reesa Teesa, a Georgia woman who posted 50 videos — just under 10 minutes long apiece — chronicling her tumultuous relationship with her ex-husband. That’s…
President Biden has a meme strategy, and it’s leaning on Dark Brandon
President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has finally set up shop on TikTok. Despite controversy in Congress over the app, TikTok is an indispensable tool for presidential candidates to reach young…
Swift retaliation: Fans strike back after explicit deepfakes flood X
Nonconsensual deepfake porn of Taylor Swift went viral on X this week, with one post garnering more than 45 million views, 24,000 reposts and hundreds of thousands of likes before…
The internet can be bad. But mmm.page might just be good. The platform is hard to explain, but it describes itself as “Tumblr x Animal Crossing x Mii Plaza,” which…
Twitch announces 60/40 revenue split in expanded Plus Program
Twitch is introducing a new tier to its premium revenue share program — currently known as the “Partner Plus Program” — that would grant a 60/40 revenue split and has…
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Selkie founder defends use of AI in new dress collection amid backlash
When Selkie, the fashion brand viral on Instagram and TikTok for its frothy, extravagant dresses, announces new collections, reception is generally positive. Known for its size inclusivity — its sizing ranges from XXS to 6X — and for being owned and founded by an independent artist who’s outspoken about fair…
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The creator economy is ready for a workers’ movement
Erin McGoff has 3 million followers on social media, but with the money she gets from Instagram and TikTok, she wouldn’t be able to pay for the plate of mozzarella sticks we’re sharing in a Baltimore bar. “On Instagram, I’ll have a video hit 900,000 views and make six dollars,”…
‘Cooking with Lynja’ star and ‘the internet’s grandma’ Lynn Yamada Davis has died
“Cooking with Lynja” star Lynn Yamada Davis, the TikTok creator known as “the internet’s grandma” and beloved for her quirky, educational cooking content, has died. She was 67. Her daughter…
Discord has become a mainstay for many online communities in recent years, but its relative success hasn’t shielded the platform from the financial woes plaguing the tech industry. Like other…
The World Cruise on TikTok is an unintentional online reality show
“New characters unlocked on the nine-month Ultimate World Cruise TikTok channel!” says an older man as pink letters fly across the screen to form a kooky subtitle. “Who are they?”…
Another round of layoffs is hitting Twitch. The Amazon-owned livestreaming platform will cut 35% of its staff, or roughly 500 employees, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Twitch publicly confirmed the layoffs in…
Logan Paul promises CryptoZoo refunds, as long as you don’t sue him
Logan Paul is offering refunds for CryptoZoo, the failed and allegedly fraudulent Pokémon-inspired NFT game that he launched in 2021. The catch? You can’t sue him if you get a…
Twitch is effectively banning the “topless meta” and other implied nudity streams with another update to its attire policy. Under the new policy, announced on Wednesday, streamers are no longer…
Public domain Mickey Mouse is the first meme of 2024
The new year marks the nerdiest holiday you maybe didn’t know about: Public Domain Day. But this year’s celebration is extra special. After years of legal battles, “Steamboat Willie,” a…
Skincare girlies, fear not — your moisturizer probably does not attract spiders. Sol de Janeiro’s Delícia Drench Body Butter, which launched earlier this month, is quickly becoming a holy grail…
Can you believe that it was only this summer when Baby Gronk rizzed up Livvy Dunne? Sometimes, the internet’s most viral memes may seem entirely incomprehensible (like when Baby Gronk…
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The first annual VTuber Awards was a win for VR
On stream, Filian took the stage at the center of a colossal arena, lit with violet spotlights and surrounded by crowds of fans holding lightsticks. The streamer opened the show dressed in a vivid purple skirt, magenta bow tie and high white boots that matched her jacket — a ritzy…
Why videos of $500 beauty advent calendars are flooding TikTok
Are you in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you? Dior sells an advent calendar for $4,200. It comes with white-glove delivery. And there’s more where…
Twitch cracks down on boobs again by rolling back its ‘artistic nudity’ policy
Days after freeing the (fictionalized) nipple, Twitch is backtracking on its “artistic nudity” policy that allowed streamers to show illustrated, animated or sculpted renderings of breasts, butts and genitals. The…
Twitch’s new nudity policy allows illustrated nipples, but not human underboob
Twitch announced sweeping updates to its sexual content policy and content classification system, which now allows previously prohibited content like illustrated nipples and “erotic dances,” in addition to clarifying what…
Welcome to Gag City, the pink metropolis inhabited by stans and brands alike. In the days leading up to the release of “Pink Friday 2,” Nicki Minaj’s fifth studio album…
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Mulch and the enduring appeal of internet absurdism
I am haunted by mulch posts. The most recent mulch video came to me in the middle of the night, when I was hours into scrolling through a particularly nasty bout of insomnia. The video was an edit of a tiny dog surrounded by a frame of glittering hearts, with…
George Santos, Republican ex-congressman, certified grifter and unlikely gay icon, is now on Cameo. Santos’ stint in Congress — checkered with a slew of criminal fraud charges, a House ethics…
Happy Spotify Wrapped Day! It’s that time of year again where half of your social media feed is clogged with graphics from Spotify’s annual, personalized roundup, and the other half…
Twitch launches Privacy Center to educate users about their personal data
In the name of transparency and accessibility, Twitch launched its new Privacy Center to educate users, after conducting “extensive research” and finding that many of its users had no idea…
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Kids on Roblox are hosting protests for Palestine
In the Lego-like world of Roblox, about a hundred blocky avatars march through a lamplit street, wielding Palestine flags that are larger than their own animated bodies. Characters dressed like cartoonish dinosaurs, steampunk zombies and pastel pink pop stars chant together via instant messages in both Malay and English as…
