If you’re new here, thanks for the support! I usually write short pieces on the happenings in Internet culture, or long-form features about people in Belize. Today, I share a list of things from the hell-scape that is the Internet that I thought were worth checking out this week.
What people are talking about:
Elizabeth Olsen. Apparently, many Twitter users weren’t aware the WandaVision star was related to Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen…despite having the same last name and the same face.
USPS truck. Discourse has ensued surrounding the newly revealed USPS truck. Some are for it, stating it looks “cute",” others are creeped out by it. I still don’t know how to feel about it. A user took the liberty of editing Pixar-style eyes onto the truck, as the new design resembles something out of a cartoon. Let me know which side you’re on in the comments.
Emma Watson. The film world has lost another star. Apparently Emma Watson is retiring from acting at 30. The child star, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, is said to be laying low with her fiancé with no future commitments around film. Her last role as Meg March in Little Women (2019) was enjoyable and charming, a superb addition to Greta Gerwig’s rendition of the film.
Edit: She’s not retiring! In a recent statement released just this morning, February 26, 2021, her agent said while Emma’s social media presence is dormant, her career isn’t. Fans, rejoice!
David Dobrik/Vlog Squad. It was only a matter of time. While it’s still iffy whether cancel culture will come for David Dobrik and his goons, a controversy has immersed following the Insider story on one of the vlog squad’s former members. If you’re not familiar, the YouTube giant and influencer David Dobrik has a “creators” team called the Vlog squad, where they create videos, podcasts and other content for entertainment online for his cult followers. A former member, Seth Francois, says he was sexually assaulted during a video shoot. It was a prank where Seth was told he would be kissed by model Corinna Kopf, only to be tongued by 45-year-old Jason Nash in disguise instead. Dobrik or his team have yet to respond.
Spotify. Spotify is expanding to 85 countries, including Belize! This is a win for avid Spotify listeners who restart their VPN every 14 days (like me,) haha.
Fatal Gender Reveals. We thought the era of extravagant gender reveals was over, but – alas - we were mistaken. This week, a man expecting his first child died when the device he was building for the baby’s gender reveal exploded, killing him and injuring his brother. Dangerous gender reveal parties have been covered before, but this is probably the second or third time that someone has actually died. Aside from the warped social construct that gender = sex, these parties prove they can be detrimental to the environment and, apparently, human lives.
Snow isn’t real. Tide-pod eating kids are at it again, folks (kidding, don’t come for me Gen-Z.) TikTokers have fueled a conspiracy theory that the snow in Texas isn’t real, and was created by the government (because, of course) simply because it doesn’t melt when put to a flame.
“Many of the TikToks show someone burning a snowball with a match. When the flame hits the snow, the snow does not melt — the TikTokers claim this indicates the snow is abnormal. In reality, all snow reacts this way. Through a process called sublimation, the solid snow turns into a gas.”
What to read:
Mara Wilson on the Lies Hollywood tells about little girls. Re: Britney Spears (You might know her as the adorable, telekinesis-wielding little girl from Matilda (1996).
Some Tweets:
What I’m watching:
I tend to juggle a bunch of shows and then get overwhelming anxiety when I try to keep up with them as I only have time to watch on the weekends, but this is the new show I’m currently obsessed with.
WandaVision
What I’m reading:
I learned my lesson last year when I didn’t even remotely meet my Goodreads Reading Challenge (12/30 R.I.P.) so I’m taking it slow this year. This is the book that’s currently making it hard to put down. I know, it’s been out a while, but I finally had a chance to get my hands on it.
Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng
What I’m listening to:
Daft Punk’s Tron (2010) soundtrack. R.I.P. to the ever-evolving band that gave us almost three decades of good music.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Sharing my newsletter with a friend would mean a lot to me, plus it’s free! Next story will be on Clubhouse, the new audio-based social media app that’s taking the Internet by storm.
If you have any suggestions on what you’d like me to cover, something you liked/disliked, feel free to leave a comment.