A 2022 Year in Review

There is an overwhelming amount of noise online, but each week of 2022 I dug through the trenches of social media to extract the conversations from the online water cooler to discuss cultural shifts and forecast audience trends. Below is a 2022 round-up of the conversations, jokes, and slang that set the internet on fire this year.
What was your favorite moment? 

Euphoria Took Over Twitter (Before Elon)

It was the most tweeted show of the decade. I had recently mentioned back in January that it felt like the online water cooler was consistently obsessed with Euphoria in a way that only compared to Scandal’s early Twitter convos, and wow, was that true. Alexa Demie memes are still holding on from the latest season, with TikTokers leaving random comments that say, “Rue still owes that lady money…I’m nervous” on videos with quite literally nothing to do with Euphoria. 

Digital Tech 

Phew! What a year for NFTs. There were feature films released, people paid top dollar for graphics of apes (some of those people are now being sued), Crypto-billionaires that seemed to be altruistic were actually scammers, Bitcoin Bandits will now be a Netflix doc. Chat AI bots can write anything from clever birthday cards or short film scripts, and some AI models have more Instagram followers than long-established brands. Wild.

Nostalgia Here to Stay

People may suggest that they have a little bit of malaise for reboots, but the nostalgia was STRONG this year. There was a rise in y2k-inspired fashion and a re-emergence of 00s pop culture icons. Personally, my fingers are crossed rom coms get a boost with this wave of nostalgia –if gen z can make lowrise jeans and skinny eyebrows come back, anything can. Whether it’s because GenZ thinks it’s cool or Millennials are sadists longing for the past, nostalgia sells. 

TikTok 2022 Trend Report

TikTok generates its annual year-in-review report to showcase and highlight some of the major moments of the year that created a buzz on TikTok. 

Instagram Trend Report

Instagram reflects on the year’s trends, but instead of looking back, the app uses data and interviews from Gen Z users to project 2023 trends. 

BeReal (App of the Year)

Apple announces its annual “App Store Awards” which is to highlight apps that inspired innovation. BeReal – a social media app that encourages users to post unfiltered, in-the-moment photos. A much different proposition than the sleek expectation of the Instagram highlight reels we’ve grown accustomed to. 

Spotifty Wrapped

It’s a three-peat for global recording artist Bad Bunny. The singer-songwriter is the year’s most-streamed global artist on Spotify—a spot he’s held since 2020. Taylor Swift is at the top if most viral artists globally, meaning her songs are the most shared on the internet. 

Top 15 Pop Culture Social Media Moments

Everyone’s timelines probably had at least one friend talking about at least one, if not all of these people, places, or things in 2022. Here are my top 15 memorable social media moments (in no particular order) with articles for general context, in case you spent most of your time touching grass this year. If you can’t get enough internet recaps you can also check out Time Magazine's top 10, NYTimes’, and Refinery29’s #BlackTwitter top moments. 

1. Lea Michele in Funny Girl 

2. Tom Brady/Giselle Bundchen

3. Amber Heard/Johnny Depp

4. “The Slap”

5. Twitter talks about Queen Elizabeth II 

6. We Don’t Talk About Bruno

7. Don’t Worry Darling/Spitgate

8. Try Guys

9. Julia Fox Uncut Gems

10. Little Miss meme

11. Che Diaz!

12. Nepo babies

13. Jack Harlowe and Emma Chamberlain met gala

14. Elon takes over Twitter

15. negroni sbagliato
    
    Honorable mentions: Would You Love Me If I Was a Worm?, Bennifer 2.0, Chris Evans, Meme Queen Keke, “nobody wants to work these days”, Nick Cannon's many kids, Doja Cat/Noah Schnapp, Hailey Bieber/Selena Gomez

Internet Argot

Language is a great barometer for culture. Below is a recap of some internet terms we’ve talked about in the last year that are shaping our online (and sometimes offline) culture. *adds to dictionary* 

“Thirst trap”, touch grass, “Main Character” Syndrome, NPCs (non-playable character), Gaslighting, BBL, “bussin”, “yassification”, 

Google It

Lastly, here is what the people wanted to know this year! 
Top Google Searches This Year, although TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest are closing in on the search engine of choice for many people. 

May 23, 2022 | Vol. 22

The BBL Effect

When it comes to BBLs and the impact they have had on culture over the last decade, there is a lot of junk in the trunk to unpack. What may seem like a flippant body trend has had a much more expansive impact, but the conversation online surrounding this topic has many levels.

 First, let’s get on the same page and answer, “what is a BBL?” BBL stands for Brazilian Butt Lift. Relatively expensive, painful, and statistically dangerous, a BBL is a surgery an individual can do to transfer fat from one part of their body to their derriere to enhance the size and shape. This procedure usually is to give an individual a “coke bottle”/ hourglass figure.

 While this body transformation trend surged tremendously from 2010 to 2015, the  effect of the BBL is still tremoring through culture, as many have monetized and exploited this look for business gain through social media. On TikTok, #BBL has 5.6 billion views. Content creator, Antoni Bumbi (she/they), has created a whole merchandise line and online persona around what they call “the BBL effect.” A celebration/satire of those who get the BBL surgery. The joke makes sense to those who have paid close attention to the highly monetized social media influencers, models, rappers, or entrepreneurs who have BBLs, and watched how they move. Some have claimed Antoni is mimicking Kylie Jenner, but she claims that it’s an act celebrating the empowerment of the hyper-feminine.

 This celebration of the hyper-feminine is what Nicki Minaj’s 2014 song “Anaconda” was pursuing in its interpolation of Sir Mix A Lot’s 90s anthem, “Baby Got Back.” However, more recently, Minaj has been transparent about the pressure she felt to conform to a body trend and undergo a BBL procedure early in her career. 

Singer K. Michelle has a television series, “My Killer Body,” where she explains the dangers of this pressure to conform to body standards. Body standards that many blame Kim Kardashian for making popular with her “Break the Internet” shape.

 Furthermore, what makes this particular curvaceous body standard so tiresome is that it was not previously glamorized by mainstream media until a fairer-skinned woman made it a “trend.” However, this leaves women of many cultures who are naturally shaped this way feeling ostracized and objectified. This online conversation usually centers on women saying, “my body is not a ‘trend’.” 

In the current version of this online conversation, some say the BBL is now out of style due to some famous celebrities reversing their injections. A BBL is reversed usually by melting the fat with a special solvent that is injected. The question then becomes, how should media continue to have the representation of body diversity beyond just what is trending? While movie star looks have traditionally included a barely-there waistline, the average woman is a size 18 - 20 with a 38-inch waist.  It’s going to become exceedingly important to recognize that media consumers are able to find more and more content online of people who are relatable, likable, and who praise the body shape they see in the mirror themselves, and they’re clicking the follow button. Would this translate beyond the phone screen? I think so, and whoever gets the body diversity representation right, will win the attention of those who haven’t felt seen.

Anne at Cannes

Anne Hathaway is blowing the internet away with her looks while at the 2022 Cannes Film Festiva for her latest film Armageddon Time. Basically, every blog with a primarily female fashion or culture audience is and has been talking about her nearly every day of the festival. Deservedly so. A few weeks prior a Tik Tok went viral to discuss the rise and fall and rise again of Anne Hathaway, what struck me the most was how this content creator discussed Anne’s audience that never left her side, Black women and Latinas. However, with the widespread nostalgia, that most women of a certain age feel for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and THE PRINCESS DIARIES, there are many people who’ve forgotten the Queen of Genovia ever fell from public grace, even for only a slight second (it was after the Oscars in 2013).

Internet Argot 411: “Hot Girl Walk”

A few summers ago Meg Thee Stallion gave everyone permission to be a “hot girl.” Which is actually just a gender-neutral phrase describing someone being their best, most esteemed, confident self. In the latest adaption of “Hot Girl”-isms the internet has empowered everyone to take “hot girl walks.” As Meg has told us, being a “Hot Girl” has nothing to do with how you physically look, it’s all about how you feel about yourself. The goal of a hot girl walk is to help you feel your best. Essentially, a Hot Girl Walk or #HGW is a more fun version of what a more spiritually inclined person may call a “gratitude walk” or a “walking meditation.” It’s choosing to be intentional; it’s choosing to get moving, and doing it while listening to a great playlist. The #HotGirlWalk hashtag has 153 million views and growing, and as the summer sun shines on the western hemisphere, the girls (gender-neutral) will be taking their hot girl walks, unless, of course, they’re more into taking a fugly-hag stroll.

May 16, 2022 | Vol. 21

Emma Chamberlain: “Culture Shift” Episodes

Emma Chamberlain, 20, from San Mateo, California, skyrocketed into internet fame after beginning a YouTube channel during her sophomore year of high school. The viral sensation was named one of TIMES 25 most Influential People on the Internet. One of Emma’s claims to internet fame is that she pioneered an approach to vlogging that was unique – explicitly using the zoom feature for facial expressions or emphasis and adding text on the screen in a fun way – concepts early YouTubers weren’t necessarily doing. 

She launched a podcast in 2019 called Anything Goes, where she shares her thoughts on a wide range of topics. Emma’s popularity and importance in culture earned her an invitation to the coveted Met Gala. Interestingly, Emma’s fame has caused her to reflect on what fame will look like in the future. A standard, almost watercooler, conversation for those who work in media - what does it mean to be a celebrity? Do stars exist? Will fame even matter in a world where everyone has access to a screen and can hit the viral lottery with a cat video to potentially segue into a cat sock line, followed by a few talk show interviews to lead to a reality show to end up with a podcast? Potentially not. 

Emma released a three-part episode on this very topic, and it had the internet doing what it does best, creating content in response.  Moreover, discussing “influencer culture” and what it means to be “famous.” Emma argues that because everyone can be an influencer, no one will be an influencer. Media consumers want to see relatable content; being told who to like won’t be enough. Emma calls this a “culture shift.” She unpacks how mainstream celebrities are sometimes not so great at being influencers and how influencers sometimes do not have the talent, aside from the relatable personality, to expand beyond their audiences. While this isn’t necessarily a new take, I’ve heard peers and colleagues have this same conversation; it is interesting to hear one of the top influencers discuss what could be a forecast of a bottlenecking of internet fame. 

Given that humans have always made things popular within their own villages or communities, what we’re most likely seeing unfold is separate communities forming online. Emma almost arrives at this point. The appeal for creators on web3 and the design of the metaverse is these individual communities. Where Web2 was consumers being captivated by the same screens, we are moving to a place where people can just be fed what they want to see; therefore, breakthroughs of new ideas or people for a collective zeitgeist may be more challenging. If you’re fascinated by the idea of how people or ideas hit the zeitgeist, I recommend Hitmakers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson( 2017). 

Maxwell MJ Tribute 

Speaking of celebrities, one of the most famous people of all time, Michael Jackson, was trending on Twitter Sunday night and Monday morning, over a decade after his passing. Why? Well, MJ fans all over the internet were thrilled that Maxwell ended his Michael Jackson tribute performance of “The Lady in My Life” at the Billboard Music Awards by saying, “we love you, Michael Jackson.” Fans jumped to Twitter to thank and agree with Maxwell. The BBMA buzz follows the MJ broadway musical being nominated for 10 Tony Awards last week, which makes an interesting parallel to Emma’s point of view on fame and celebrity. How many people, if any, have reached Michael Jackson’s level of fame? Will that ever be achievable again? Culture has already shifted away from that, in my opinion, but this bubbling of positive MJ popularity makes me curious about what longevity some people’s fame will afford them. In a world where Kim Kardashian is dusting off a 50-year-old dress, the prophecy of celebrities or influencers creating that kind of lore for themselves right now for future generations is still percolating. 

Internet Argot 411: 
“She ate (left no crumbs)!”

A phrase that means some did an excellent job. While the internet is known for the sometimes outlandishly mean comments on message boards and social media sites, other times, the internet wants to hype people up, potentially for no reason other than they look amazing. When hyping someone up online, people will sometimes say a person “ate” followed by “and left no crumbs” - meaning they absolutely perfected a look, talent, or skill.  Leaving no crumbs behind is just the cherry on top of blowing everyone away.

May 9, 2022 | Vol. 20

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar released new music Sunday night, and the internet rejoiced as we are days away from him releasing his new album, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s new song and music video for “The Heart Part 5” proliferated the internet with buzz. Interestingly, the music video used deep fake technology to integrate Lamar’s rhymes with the interchanging faces of culturally significant Black men from Nipsey Hussle, Will Smith, Kanye West, OJ Simpson, Jussie Smollet, and Kobe Bryant. The use of technology is..interesting because I think deep fakes make most people a little uncomfortable - especially deepfake Tom Cruise. However, “The Heart Part 5” synthesizes the technology artistically, giving the viewer the ability to imagine as if each prominent figure is the one rapping K. Dot’s (Kendrick Lamar’s rap name from 2003-2009) flow. This POV is the most significant when Lamar transforms into the Nipsey Hussle deep, aligning the lyrics to speak directly to the listener from Nipsey’s perspective. The song discusses “doing it for the culture” and what that culture gives and takes to those who represent it. It’s powerful. 

Internet Argot 411: “Never let them know you’re next move.”

This phrase, “never let them know your next move,” has been popular online in the comment section of videos that are more chaotic in energy for a while but recently became a video trend on TikTok. One of the original viral mentions of this phrase began on Twitter, with Lil Nas X tweeting a photo of some funky boots pointed in two directions. The video's captions read: “Never let them know you’re next move.” TikTok videos show users performing mundane and predictable tasks but doing something entirely different instead.

Examples: one, two, three

While social media may be partially to blame for the shortening of attention spans, this trend, if anything, is also foreshadowing audience expectations. A key factor of storytelling is the element of surprise, but if  “never let them know your next move” was a movie, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is an excellent example of the audience wanting to be surprised and spreading that feeling through word of mouth growth. Multiverse movies are a great example of audiences loving the element of surprise. Severance on Apple TV+ is also a great example of audiences loving the element of surprise, but Stiller leans into keeping the visual storytelling compelling. 

Because screen enthusiasts (people who look at screens all day) are getting used to quick cuts and INSANE transitions, theatricality will also mean keeping visual language aligned with a compelling story to keep audiences on their toes.

May 2, 2022 | Vol. 19

Benito Skinner: BennyDrama7

If you were to browse some of the most popular meme pages on social media, you’d likely see a video of Benito Skinner AKA @bennydrama7. Skinner made his way to California from New York, where he moved after growing up in Boise, Idaho. His brand is impressions, and Benito impersonates both celebrities and characters he makes up, like Deliverance Richards: real estate agent. Benito will be in the upcoming rom-com, BROS, with Billy Eichner and in the latest reboot of “Queer as Folk” in a reoccurring role. Skinner is repped by WME, and has been featured in Vogue, Nylon, Rolling Stone, and collaborated with the White House. His content is pop culture-specific and speaks to an audience of high media consumers. 

Nicole Kidman AMC, but at Coachella 2M
White House Intern IG
Kardashian Final Season 2M
Getting kidnapped 3M 

TikTok
Instagram

Boman Martinez-Reid: Bomanizer

Boman Martinez-Reid, also known as Bomanizer, is a Canadian creator of TikTok comedy videos. In 2021 TikTok named him a LGBTQI+ TIKTOK TRAILBLAZER. His videos parody reality television by featuring his family and friends getting into overly dramatized fights and feuds about small, everyday matters. While he rose to TikTok fame from these reality show spoof videos, the 24-year-old aspires beyond the social media platform. He signed with CAA in July 2020 and is a part of The Gag, which is a collaboration between LOGO and Comedy Central as an online platform for queer comics. Boman’s content is silly, self-aware, but with high-quality editing and directorial choices that stand out in the sea of content online.

 Competition Reality Show Sob Story 3 M views
Married to the Disrespect 2.1M views
CrazyCondo 3.9 M views
Making a joke on a Zoom 1M
Met Monday Bonus: The Designer 

Read more about Boman from Out, Paper, Vice I-D

TikTok
Instagram

Internet Argot 411:
“Bussin”

Ate something super tasty? That food is "bussin!" Yep, the word bussin is an adjective used to refer to something that tastes excellent. Whether it’s pizza or ice cream, if it tastes delicious, you'll say, “Ooh, this lasagna is bussin!" There was a conversation online from people who were using “bussin” regarding anything that was good, but this caused a frenzy, with one Twitter user tweeting: “bussin is AAVE and it only applies to food! A FIT CANNOT BE BUSSIN” (fit meaning an outfit). There could be a more explicit meaning to this word, but I’ll let you put those pieces together yourself. The Sun made a great article to explain further.

April 25, 2022 | Vol. 18

Elon Musk Buys Twitter 

The timeline on how Elon Musk has taken complete control of Twitter moved pretty quickly since his tweet on March 26th, 2022, when he stated he was seriously considering building a social media platform to his 80 million followers. This takeover is one of the most significant acquisitions in tech history. The WSJ said that it “will likely have global repercussions for years to come related to how billions of people use social media.”

Musk laid out his plan for funding the deal in an SEC filing on Thursday, including $25.5 billion in loans and $21 billion in personal equity. Analysts believe the loans could cost Twitter as much as $1 billion a year in servicing fees, or roughly 20 percent of the company’s annual revenue. 

The timeline gif above (made by yours truly) will give you the headlines, but Musk initially claimed that Twitter must go private to undergo the changes he felt were needed. These include an edit feature, an open-source algorithm, less moderation, and a higher bar for removing offending tweets. When will these changes go into effect now that Musk has control of the company? We shall see, but I’m not necessarily eager to see an “edit” feature as it has the potential to leave too much uncertainty that can become unethical for the many journalists on the platform.

The Verge talks about the acquisition here.

Killer Microwave: Lucas Builds the Future

Many people have a love/hate relationship with technology and AI because, let’s be honest - it can seem a little creepy. This Twitter thread/YouTube video from a self-proclaimed “mad scientist,” Lucas Rizzotto, a.k.a. Lucas Builds the Future, gives insight into how creepy AI can get. The 23-tweet Twitter thread breaks down the story of how Lucas brought his childhood imaginary friend to life by using GTP-3, the language model from OpenAI that produces human-like text. He named his microwave companion “Magnetron.” 

Rizzotto is no stranger to techy stunts like creating a holographic chemistry app, but in this particular case, he gave a microwave a soul, sort of, and learned quite a bit. If the microwave actually got an AI soul is kind of irrelevant - and according to Lucas, it is sort of the point. He writes a filmmaker's note in the comments of the video.
Full story on InputMag.

Internet Argot 411: “Mid”

The term ‘mid’ might have been used as an adjective in slang vocabulary for a while, but the word had its peak breakthrough this past Winter/Fall. Why the sudden surge? Well, American professional wrestler Maxwell Friedman seemed to spark a particular interest in the expression after he roasted the Midwest on AEW.

In a live showing of All Elite Wrestling, Friedman shouted: “It’s called the Midwest because everything in it is mid.” The sportsman then continued to list common parts of Midwest concepts that he deems mediocre. It seems that the Midwest was able to recover fairly unscathed from the attack. However, TikTok went crazy over this, and it has now become a full zeitgeist term garnering over 1.3 Billion hashtag uses on the app.

Mid is essentially a snappy shorthand for mid-tier or mediocre – not terrible, but nothing to get excited about, either. If you’re looking for a way to describe something as decent, mid might not be the most neutral term but have at it if you want to roast a friend playfully.

InTheKnow talks about it here. 

April 11, 2022 | Vol. 17

Viral Dances

Dance has long played a critical role in entertainment, but as visually oriented social media platforms have risen over the past several years, dance has increasingly become “the main character.” Beyoncé’s 2009 “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” video, with its unequivocal celebration of choreography, heralded a new era: one where a great dance propels a song to the top of the charts. JaQuel Knight, the choreographer of the now iconic dance, noticed how this trend was harming creators - specifically creators of color. 

In 2021 Knight launched Knight Choreography and Music Publishing Inc. with the goal of addressing that inequity head-on. To compel the entertainment world to respect dance artists, his new enterprise has begun copyrighting commercial choreography—not just Knight’s work, but also the work of other creators. 

This would mean popular choreography which spreads like wildfire across social media would have an easier way to be linked to their original creator, they just would need to submit a copyright request for approval. Some may think, “who cares?” but take into consideration that these dances have created multi-million dollar content creators. Many copy what another person created, but get millions of views for copying. It’s a bit like that scene in BRING IT ON when the Compton Clovers find out that the Rancho Carne Torros are stealing their cheer routines and winning competitions with them. 

 Here’s a list of some of recent popular internet dances:

Say So: Haley Sharpe
Unwritten: Ronald Michel
Twerkulator: Layla Muhammad
Renegade: Jaliah Harmon
Savage: Keara “Keke” Wilson

Ultra Fast Fashion

Over the course of the 20th century, high fashion gradually moved from purely aspirational to somewhat accessible. The average person still couldn’t get their hands on haute couture, but high fashion became easier to reproduce in a way that the general public could afford. If you've been on social media – specifically TikTok or YouTube, there's no doubt you've seen a handful of Shein hauls, reviews, and so on. 

The fast-fashion giant has quadrupled its revenue over the past three years, reaching $15.7 billion in sales, and is now looking for $1 billion in funding, and a $100 billion valuation. Shein reportedly adds over 1,000 new styles to its website every single day. Zara, a decades-long fast fashion juggernaut, typically has 2,000 items over a 30-day period, for comparison. Fashion Nova, a similar fast fashion power player, creates about 1,000 new styles per week. 

Fashion Nova was under fire for an FTC complaint for hiding negative customer reviews. For the final order, the fast fashion brand will be required to pay 4.2 million dollars and is prohibited from suppressing future customer reviews of its products. 

Both Fashion Nova and Shein used social media to dominate fast fashion - tailoring to customers who didn’t always have access to fashionable apparel either due to cost or, in Fashion Nova’s sake, body size. What’s fascinating is that as conscious as Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Millennials alike try to be conscious of the environment - many get pulled into the ultra fast fashion e-commerce cycle. Thrifting or clothing rental companies have increased in popularity as a way to combat the fast fashion industry, but in a social media world where people feel the need to be “camera-ready” daily, the pressure to look good is high. 

Shein’s $100 Billion valuation showcases that this fast fashion trend may not be slowing down soon, despite consumers knowing the long term consequences. Shein, is taking strides to help find more sustainable ways to create fast fashion, but is it too late? Not for consumers to spend more money, and feel less guilty.

Internet Argot 411: “Main Character Syndrome”

In psychology, Main Character Syndrome is described as being… well, it actually doesn’t exist as a diagnosable mental illness, at least not in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. As it turns out, “Main Character Syndrome” exists only in the overactive — and healthily deluded — minds of the internet’s many self-identified protagonists. But while Main Character Syndrome — a situation wherein people think of themselves as being the top-billed star of the feature film that is their regular lives — might sound like the kind of distorted sense of reality digitally averse boomers warn everyone under the age of 30 about, Main Character Syndrome is also an important coping technique for going after one’s dreams or in the latest iteration of this trend, “being delusional.” 

In psychology, Main Character Syndrome is described as being… well, it actually doesn’t exist as a diagnosable mental illness, at least not in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. As it turns out, “Main Character Syndrome” exists only in the overactive — and healthily deluded — minds of the internet’s many self-identified protagonists. But while Main Character Syndrome — a situation wherein people think of themselves as being the top-billed star of the feature film that is their regular lives — might sound like the kind of distorted sense of reality digitally averse boomers warn everyone under the age of 30 about, Main Character Syndrome is also an important coping technique for going after one’s dreams or in the latest iteration of this trend, “being delusional.” 

April 4, 2022 | Volume 16

DOJA CAT

Grammy-winner, Amalaratna "Amala" Zandile Dlamini known by her stage name "Doja Cat," due to her love of weed and love of cats, boosted into fame over the last couple of years which landed her a Grammy this past weekend for Best Pop Duo with SZA for their song, “Kiss Me More.” While Doja Cat was making music for Soundcloud,  her entry into celebrity status began with viral occurrences on the internet that eventually led to the singer having some of the most listened to songs in the past few years. In 2021 she was nominated for Best New Artist, losing to Meg Thee Stallion, an internet favorite. 

Doja Cat's famous song "Say So" went viral on TikTok in 2021, turning into a dance trend that took over the app for months. Although her career was already taking off before this, her song taking over the internet magnified her entry onto the Hollywood throne. With her viral moments on social media and dedication to her craft, the singer followed an incredible journey to releasing her third and latest album in 2021, "Planet Her." which spent three consecutive weeks at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the top 10 singles "Kiss Me More" (featuring SZA), "Need to Know" and "Woman."

Doja Cat’s connection to her audience runs deep because, as many TikTok comments say, “she doesn’t feel like a celebrity.” Her ability to remain relatable and yet, so talented has convinced many that Doja Cat is a bonafide pop star with staying power. 

Jerrod Carmichael: “Rothaniel”

It was a big weekend on the internet for Jerrod Carmichael. The caustic comedian isn’t typically too involved with internet chit-chat. Still, the release of his HBO special, “ Rothaniel,” directed by Bo Burnham, created a buzz online just in time for his SNL hosting debut. The special doesn’t necessarily feel like a stand-up routine, but it is. The special is personal, raw, and compelling, standing out amongst the residual noise of the “the Slap” online, which Carmichael spoke of being so tired of in his SNL monologue…relatable! The jokes are veiled under Carmichael’s uncomfortable truths and his exploration of the complexity of secrets. He gently guides the audience through tales of his childhood and family secrets, ultimately landing on delivering a secret of his own, coming out as a gay man.

Internet Argot 411: “Periodt”

Periodt is a purposely misspelled variation on the word "period," which means to conclude one's thought. The extra "T" is used to add emphasis and give a phonetic spelling to align with AAVE. Deriving and frequently found in Black online and offline communities, the word is commonly used in the expression, "and that's on peridot." Black people have been using the term period for decades, but it crept its way online in the early days of Twitter. From 2017 to 2019, the internet began adding “t” to many words and phrases for the AAVE emphasis, but where that trend waned, “periodt” kept the momentum.  People lost their minds when former first lady Michelle Obama used it in a speech discussing voter’s rights in 2018. I’m also going to credit the City Girls rap duo for making it such a ubiquitous internet term, as their virality of periodt certainly helped the phrase cross all socioeconomic and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Periodt! 

March 28, 2022 | Vol. 15

Unhinged: Sylvanian Drama

A mild video of this series includes a miniature toy bear getting a toy piano dropped on his head from the second story of a dollhouse. These videos are an ABSURD sequence of non sequiturs captioned, so matter of fact, it can leave your jaw on the floor. The videos get released weekly and gain millions of views. This particular video set to The Killers “Mr. Brightside” has 20 million views, and as many commentators noted, it’s an emotional rollercoaster.

 The account covers quite dark topics like domestic abuse and getting into car crashes, but it was initially set up as a satire of how these topics are shown on our favorite TV dramas. Which it executes perfectly. Many people comment, “I love this episode of Euphoria.”The series is likely popular due to the ironically innocuous nature of the Sylvanian Family dolls - which many people have shoved in their closets from their childhood. 

While there was plenty of other family drama to discuss (you know, the whole Oscar’s slap thing), why not dive into Sylvanian drama as an internet palate cleanser.

More Time for TikTok

Known for its short-form content, TikTok is preparing to push the boundaries of our attention spans once again by expanding the options for users to upload/create 10-minute videos.  I don’t find this decision that surprising, as TikTok’s algorithm has always reminded me of the algorithm of a pre-2012 YouTube, meaning it supports high engagement, helping people who rage-bait get high engagement and taking users down rabbit holes both positive and negative. However, the changes have begun to slowly phase into the app, where users will be able to watch longer videos. While it seems that short-form content isn’t going anywhere, especially since TikTok is also adding a “stories” feature, a Snap concept adapted by Meta/Instagram. 

Effective monetization of short-form content is a challenge; ask Vine (R.I.P.). Vine’s parent company Twitter could never work out how to generate significant revenue from Vine clips because you can’t insert pre or mid-roll ads into such short content. That, eventually, saw its biggest stars moving on to greener pastures, and ultimately forced Vine to shut down.
For TikTok, allowing longer videos will keep users on the platform longer. Additionally, because TikTok has its own language, in a way, and since users have grown accustomed to seeing a similar style of content, there is certainly potential to create fair competition for YouTube. One place where the competition gets very stiff– paying creators. YouTube has prioritized "watch time" as a metric since 2012. 

Internet Argot 411: “Gif”

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a gif is worth millions. The image file format has been a defining element of internet culture for decades, but many don’t know how to pronounce the name for the compressed image file type that creates short, animated loops or who created them in the first place.

We can thank Stephen Wilhite, the inventor of the gif, who passed away last week at age 74. Wihite created the gif in 1987 while working at CompuServe. By  1996 the ‘dancing baby’ image took the internet by storm. 

In 2012, “gif” was dubbed word of the year by Oxford American Dictionaries. The following year, the New York Times called the format “the aesthetic calling card of modern Internet culture.”

So in honor of Stephen Wilhite’s legacy of helping the internet generate amazingly funny and entertaining memes, let’s be sure we pronounce it correctly, the way the creator intended, like the brand of peanut butter, “Jif.” Although the Oxford dictionary says, either a “hard G” or “soft G,” pronunciation is correct.

It’d be remiss of me to not include a bit more of the Oscars Internet discourse, and some of the best memes, tweets, viral content of film’s biggest night. So top 5 internet moments from the 94th Annual Academy Awards. 

March 21, 2022 | Vol. 14

Baby, This is Keke Palmer

( a reference to a Twitter meme regarding Keke Palmer in AKEELAH AND THE BEE) 

Keke Palmer had an interview with online women's magazine Bustle to discuss her 20-year long career. The self-proclaimed "Millennial Diva" and multi-hyphenate actor/writer/host/director/singer attributed her work ethic to being a Virgo, in true Millennial form. There have been a few internet jokes that Keke Palmer has received massive notoriety for over several years. The first, of course, is giving us the all-time line, "Sorry to this man." More recently, her viral "Oh, oh, oh" Met Gala interview with Megan Thee Stallion remains a trending sound on TikTok. In fact, if you think about some of the most viral memes and expressions of the past few years, Keke "in her bag" Palmer's name is probably attached. The Bustle interview was a perfect reminder that the internet loves Keke, but her audience has the potential to be so much more than that. 

Palmer will appear in three theatrical movies in 2022: the Sundance Festival slave revenge drama Alice, Jordan Peele's highly anticipated Nope, and the Buzz Lightyear origin story Lightyear and two animated shows (The Proud Family and Human Resources). While Palmer is also a host and social media content creator, many are looking forward to seeing her return to her roots as an actor. Based on this interview and people's sheer love for "baby Angela Bassett," she is just getting started.

Freedom of “Cancel Culture”

In the first week of "What's Going on, on the Internet?" I touched on "Cancel Culture" as the first internet argot. To me, it's felt omnipresent in recent times because the media, Gen X and Baby Boomers, are kind of obsessed with "cancel culture." These generations probably think Gen Z and Millennials are obsessed with, though. Hence, it's basically just the Spider-man pointing meme. Head back to early archives to understand where the term "canceled" comes from because it was a hot topic on Twitter this weekend, thanks to the New York Times.

The NY Times conflated "cancel culture" with the destruction of the First Amendment in an article titled, "America has a Free Speech Problem." This was "Real Housewives"/" Big Brother" level pot-stirring, and the hot (and probably wrong) take inspired Twitter threads, think pieces, and content galore. 

You can read the editorial article here. The initial paragraph states, "For all the tolerance and enlightenment that modern society claims, Americans are losing hold of a fundamental right as citizens of a free country: the right to speak their minds and voice their opinions in public without fear of being shamed or shunned." 

Not to be reductive, but the culture of "cancel culture" is probably closer to a moral panic than an actual downfall of society. Especially when it comes to being canceled for making statements. It is not too far off from the "political correctness" backlash. Still, words have always had consequences for various groups. "Canceled" gets overused when people actually just mean "accountability." Because of this overuse, many people want to cancel 'cancel culture." Truthfully, every generation would likely be okay if we never heard the word canceled again because we're probably all sick of it. Still, there is a difference between relinquishing people back to the previous way, where folks would yield their power over the disempowered, without any recourse. It's a social shift that supports the marginalized, and is probably why there is so much resistance in the first place…

Internet Argot 411: “Team Wheel/Team Door”

Wheels vs. Doors is the latest debate to consume the internet — following in the viral footsteps of The Dress and "Yanny or Laurel?" TikTok-ers have taken it upon themselves to defend each position. This has launched the debate into the mega-viral sphere (309M videos with #doorsvswheels) because everyone is committed to their team. Team door people are making a note of lockers and skyscrapers; people who are team wheel are pointing to Hot Wheels, Legos, and office chairs. Asking someone if they are team wheel or team door is the latest way of asking someone how dialed in they are to the internet. Does it actually matter? No, but their answer can be the perfect ice breaker to bond or feud over.

March 14, 2022 | Vol. 13

The Advice Heard ‘Round the World

I rarely talk Kardashians around here as they are pretty omnipresent in the cultural zeitgeist at this point. Still, this past week Kim Kardashian gave the Internet fresh meme material after offering up “work advice” for women in a Variety piece that many call insensitive and tone-deaf. The advice heard around the world? “Get your f--king ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”

The controversial comment stoked up plenty of online conversations (and memes) surrounding privilege, wealth inequality, the effects of the pandemic on career women, and the overall unpaid labor of women worldwide. This backlash highlighted the shift in culture that’s been moving away from a particular type of “celebrity influence” - one where famous people “know best.” There is more of a desire for consumers of content to want celebrities to feel real, at best, or at the very least not so out of touch with what it’s like being working class. With a Hulu show on the horizon for the Kardashian crew (without Caitlyn), Kim has yet to address the controversy so maybe cancel culture isn’t that real, and “no press is bad press” still might ring true. 

Podcast Recs

The pop-punk resurgence is fully underway, and so I’m not surprised by the latest podcast called “WHO KILLED AVRIL LAVIGNE?” It’s a scripted time-travel pop-punk podcast about a teenager in 2022 who feels he should have grown up in the era of pop-punk. That dream gets slightly fulfilled when he has to go back in time to Warped Tour 2005 to stop the abduction (and replacement) of pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne. The podcast's premise is very, very internet in nature - if you’re unaware, the collective internet created an “Avril Lavigne replacement conspiracy theory.” I’ll spare you the details of the conspiracy, it’s a minor rabbit hole in the previous link, but this podcast essentially makes a joke of the conspiracy theory and brings in the pop-punk resurgence as it’s the entire reason for being, and it works. The podcast is written by Ben Lapidus and Anderson Cook and directed by Duncan Gregory with an original pop-punk score. 

DEAD EYES, a podcast where actor/comedian Connor Ratliff sets out to solve why Tom Hanks fired him from a small speaking role in Band of Brothers, finally got resolved. After two years, Tom Hanks joined the podcast to discuss the decision that changed Ratliff’s life and inspired the podcast. The resolution of the journey ended with Tom Hanks not remembering any of the events that went down, but ultimately apologizing and giving insight into how they could have occurred. It helps to go back and listen to a few of the early episodes, if not the whole thing, to truly appreciate Ratliff’s journey to land Tom Hanks - who sent a cold email to get on the show! 

Internet Argot 411: “Touch Grass”

Telling someone to "touch grass" is essentially a way to say to a person they need to log off of social media because their take on a certain topic is too bizarre or misses the mark. Although it is an insult, occasionally, someone will direct the phrase themselves.

The phrase grew in popularity through Twitter, Reddit, and 4chan. As the phrase gets more commonly known, some have pointed out that it’s an insult that may have the spirit of ableism, as not everyone can leave their house walk outside to touch grass. Usually, this response provokes other people in the comments to say, “go touch grass.

March 7, 2022 | Vol. 12

ZERO CONTACT: A Feature-Length NFT

Anthony Hopkins stars in the Lionsgate/Grindstone acquired thriller, ZERO CONTACT, which was released February 28th as a feature-length NFT through the platform VUELE. VUELE positions itself as, “The premier platform for watching and collecting exclusive, limited edition feature-length films, and collector #NFT content.” 

Essentially, consumers get a free membership to VUELE and then pay for the content they would like to see via NFT through a credit card or cryptocurrency. By using the NFT technology members are then given access to a community of other fans of the content, and collect “#filmobelia.” ZERO CONTACT  is the first of three films to be produced by Enderby Entertainment with plans to be distributed through VUELE. A theatrical release of the film is to follow.

The $59 NFT bundle includes a lot of what most consumers were used to getting with Blu-Ray or DVD sets: the film, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an autographed digital poster, and three (there isn’t any explanation why only three) ZERO CONTACT character bios. While this film hasn’t quite shaken the tree for attention, I would be curious to see how this world of NFT film distribution potentially expands as more producers enter this space; especially given the Hello Sunshine rights acquisition of World of Women, which opens the door for a less traditional distribution model to be tested for a strong female audience.

Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow is set to make his acting debut in “WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP,” which is probably one of the best acting debut choices that truly only compares to Lady Gaga in “A STAR IS BORN.” Harlow will be taking on the role that Woody Harrelson portrayed in the original film. It feels reductive to explain Jack Harlow’s celebrity as a “white rapper,” as his popularity has grown amongst a diverse swath of fans. 

In 2019 he was nominated for BET Hip-Hop Award and in 2020 he was included in XXL’s Freshman Class. His first #1 single was a song he wrote with Lil Nas X, “Industry Baby,” which helped build his most recent wave as the music video has over 300 million views and was a #1 song for 18 weeks the summer of 2021. The summer prior a viral video of Chet Hanks (yes, Hanks like Tom Hanks’ son) mentioned Harlow in what he teased as a, “White Boy Summer.” A play on Meg Thee Stallions, “Hot Girl Summer.” Hanks proclaimed, “I’m not talking about, like, Trump, you know, Nascar-type white,” Hanks said. “I’m talking about me, Jon B., Jack Harlow-type white-boy summer.” While Chet may not have caught the wave, Harlow certainly did.

 In September 2021 a YouTube video of Harlow joining UK vlogger, Amelia Dimoldenberg, in her series “Chicken Shop Date” went viral with 8M views - comments lamenting over just how cute his personality was. 

Jack Harlow’s unproblematic persona coalesces with his charisma and charm in a way that makes it hard to not root for him. To many of his fans, the Kentuckian just does things right: mostly he’s just self aware. And while Harlow may not have as distinguishable of a sound, or the number of streams in comparison to his highly popular contemporary rap counterparts, like Doja Cat, he’s definitely on the rise with this role opening a door for him to make his own lane. Also, important question: who gets to play the Wesley Snipes and Rosie Perez roles?!

Internet Argot 411: “Sending Me”

Tired of using “LOL” or the laughing crying emoji to express just how funny something is? Or may you’ve seen someone say, “this sent me,” and you thought, sent where? Well, a fun way to show that something has you laughing so hard that you “literally can’t” is to say, “this is sending me.” Think of it as you’ve been sent into a state of laughter, joy, or excitement.

February 28, 2022 | Vol. 11

Who is the Internet, Anyway?

It’s always “what’s going on, on the internet,” but never who is on the internet. Deadline article comments have claimed that “no one is on social media.” So, let’s unpack who social media users are.

Most social media users (78%) earn more than $75,000 each year, over the U.S. median income of about $67,521.

“When Pew Research Center began tracking social media adoption in 2005, just 5% of American adults used at least [one]…platform. By 2011 that share had risen to half of all Americans, and today 72% of the public uses some type of social media” (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ April 2021).

While young people (18 - 29) were the first early adopters of social media, in recent years, the number of older Americans has also increased.

In 2021 the stats for social media users by age were as follows: ​​
18- 29: 84% 30-49: 81% 50- 64: 73% 65+: 45%.

74% of rural Americans are on YouTube. Four in ten Americans use Instagram, but only 6% trust it as a place to get news. As suspected, Twitter and TikTok both take up a little over 20% of social media users. Still, both platforms have about 60% of users between 18 and 49. Men outnumber women on Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Women, in general, are more likely to have a social media profile than men. 

It’s true. No singular platform could fully predict what the general public feels about a particular issue, tv show, or cultural moment. However, an amalgamation of those conversations (LinkedIn and Pinterest, too) can provide helpful audience listening. According to Twitter, one in three users has watched a TV show just because of a Twitter conversation.

Nostalgia

Nostalgia, roughly translated from Greek, means “a longing to return home.” Posts containing the term “nostalgia” increased by 53% from 2020 to 2021 on Twitter, an exciting trend, considering that Twitter users are the most passionate about pop culture than any other social media platform users. LinkedIn posts questions on whether brands have adopted a “nostalgia marketing” strategy. There is plenty of content capitalizing on the feelings of nostalgia - “Bel-Air,” for example. At a certain point, nostalgia becomes boring. There are only so many reboots audiences will watch before original content reigns again, but in the meantime, leaning into what is familiar is undoubtedly a way to be a part of the conversation online.

Internet Argot 411: “Hank the Tank”

'Hank the Tank,' a 500-pound bear, was thought to have broken into many California homes, but a recent development in DNA proves that there may be at least two other bears working with him. While the revelation that Hank was merely part of a grander larceny scheme is a comical new wrinkle to the viral story, it also means that Hank and his "friends" could see a softer punishment for their crimes. 

Initially, “Hank” had a story that felt relatable to many when the news first appeared about his breaking and entering. An early article described him earnestly. “He just sits there and eats,” Ann Bryant, executive director of the Bear League, a wildlife rescue service in Homewood, Calif., said this week. “He doesn’t attack them. He doesn’t growl. He doesn’t make rude faces.” 

The bears will likely be trapped in the South Lake Tahoe area and tagged if it's up to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The CDFW will also plan to gather evidence for genetic analysis before releasing the bears into their appropriate habitat. 

February 14, 2022 | Vol. 10

Bitcoin Bandits

This past week the Department of Justice seized $3.6 billion of stolen Bitcoin and arrested the couple accused of laundering it. It was the department's largest financial seizure ever.  Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Morgan, 31, are not quite the Bond villains you’d be expecting. In fact, many of their social media videos are pretty…quirky, to say the least. She goes by the rap name, Razzlekhan. Together, the self-proclaimed weirdos appear to have led a wealthy, hipster-chic lifestyle, but, according to federal investigators, it hid a double-life in which they worked hard to cover up an enormous financial crime.  There are many unknowns in the case. The DOJ does know that after the money was stolen, it was transferred to a crypto wallet later found to be controlled by Lichtenstein.

The initial amount stolen was probably about $71 million but has ballooned up to $4.5 billion, leaving the alleged hackers not much opportunity to remove the funds from the wallet. Since cryptocurrency is relatively transparent, people follow on etherscan, it doesn’t seem like the couple had a true escape plan.  This unusual pair has sparked so many conversations that Netflix has ordered a docuseries to be produced by the producer behind TIGER KING and the FYRE FEST doc because don’t we all love a good scammer story? Read the DOJ report here.  

The Greatest Comeback of All Time: QR Codes

There was a time when QR codes were a thing that businesses were trying to make happen, but none of us were buying it. So, how did one of the most popular Superbowl ads this year include a QR code? Like many things in today’s world, the pandemic played a part in the resurgence of QR codes. Initially, the QR code needed a special reader, much like a bar code reader. But as smartphones grew in popularity, there were QR code reader apps that allowed easy scanning from phones. QR stands for “quick response.” Online, many people refer to the QR codes’ come back as one of the greatest comebacks of all time, and I’d have to agree. One thing for the less tech-savvy worth mentioning is not to scan random, unknown codes, as it can be an easy way for hackers to access your information. Scanners ye’ been warned.

Internet Argot 411: Cap/No Cap

You might have seen or heard people saying “no cap” (sometimes presented as the baseball cap emoji) in comments or captions online. The terms and adlibs “Cap” “No Cap” “Capper” and “Capping” was popularized in Atlanta, Georgia when Young Thug and Future released the track “No Cap”.  When someone writes “no cap,” it “basically means that they’re not lying or ‘capping’ like they did something”. In other words, people say “no cap” to convey that they’re being totally and completely honest. Videos tagged #nocap have amassed over 727 million views on TikTok. Most of the TikTok use the term to highlight something that feels unreal.

February 7, 2022 | Vol. 9

OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS

Oprah Winfrey revealed the cast to the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical, based on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, “The Color Purple,” in a recent Vanity Fair interview. The Warner Bros. film will be directed by Blitz Bazawule, the director behind Beyoncé's visual album Black Is King, and will star Fantasia Taylor (Celie), Colman Domingo (Celie’s abusive husband, Mister), Danielle Brooks (Sofia), Halle Bailey (Celie’s sister, Nettie), Corey Hawkins (Harpo), musician H.E.R. (Squeak) and Taraji P. Henson (Shug Avery). Winfrey is producing the movie musical alongside Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, and Steven Spielberg. The Broadway musical certainly had some catchy songs, and these stars should undoubtedly cast a wide net for an audience, but is the theatrical musical still an overcome for this project? 

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY IT

A viral video of popular podcast host, former MMA fighter, and previous host of “Fear Factor,” Joe Rogan, saying the N-word multiple times gathered from clips of prior podcast episodes has ignited several reactions and discussions online. Spotify has pulled over 110 episodes of the podcast from its lineup since the video came out on February 3rd that used racial slurs. This can be seen as the latest battle in the ongoing fight against Joe Rogan that was re-ignited when Neil Young and Joni Mitchell tried getting Spotify to remove Joe Rogan or lose their music entirely. Rogan put up an apology video to try and address the concerns and say that the clips from many years prior were taken out of context, prompting a more significant response from people reacting to his apology. A fascinating thing about the whole debacle is that while Rogan suggests he doesn’t use this word anymore, the question remains does anyone have to use it ever? When slurs are used in the media we consume, whether scripted or unscripted, are we permitting others to continue to use these words? For me, when it comes to any slur, no one ever has to say them. I never leave a movie theater or go back to the streaming home page after viewing and think, “I wish that movie/show used more slurs,” in any context.

Internet Argot 411: “YASSIFICATION”

Early last week, a good portion of the internet lost their minds over the  Pinocchio: A True Story trailer. It dropped on January 26th but started going viral online on February 1st, causing the internet to collectively cringe at the incredible sound of Pinocchio’s voice, led by actor Pauly Shore. A clip of the trailer shared on Twitter has been viewed nearly 10 million times, with thousands of users sharing their mixture of confusion and amusement. Some folks online joked this is the “yassification of Pinocchio; even the Lionsgate TikTok account got in on the jokes, but what does “yassification” mean?

The Urban Dictionary definition describes “yassification” as “The action of making someone more yass,” which might not make that much sense, so let’s go a little further.

The meme can take the form of a straight text meme — writing that something has been "yassified,” or also taking an image of a pop culture reference or high profile person and editing it to look super glam, overly Photoshopped, and, well, yassified. "Yassifying" refers to beautifying something, typically something that is unappealing or heteronormative. Because of it, the internet has blessed us with outrageous makeovers of the Grinch, the Quaker Oats guy, and even the Annabel doll. People have also yassified our President, multiple former presidents, and the VP.

January 31, 2022 | Vol. 8

Miss Jackson…!

Twitter was abuzz with people thrilled to watch the four-part Janet Jackson docu-series on Lifetime. The four-hour event celebrated the 40th anniversary of Janet’s first album, Janet Jackson (1982). There were hundreds of millions of social media impressions under #JanetJackson over the past week alone. I think this proved that any form of Janet Jackson project will have a massive fanbase rumbling. Is there a POETIC JUSTICE reboot or sequel?

It was also surprising to see how many fans were still harboring negative feelings, while oftentimes in jest, for those with whom Janet faced turbulent times, i.e. Jermaine Dupree, Justin Timberlake, but not for her father, Joe Jackson. Some conversations online included her brother, Michael, who appeared in the doc via voiceover and also footage, but those conversations entailed mentions of the song and music video “Scream” and the Jackson 5.

On January 29th, “Janet and Michael” trended. Ben Hirsch, the director, threads the needle between sharing new information but keeping Jackson enigmatic. Could the story have been a deeper dive into Janet’s POV? I think so, but many of the positive feedback seems to forgive this flaw, as they were thrilled to celebrate Janet as the icon she is.

Sam Levinson: It’s Complicated

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed how Euphoria has the girls (used here as a gender-neutral phrase) in a frenzy on Twitter. Still, this week’s latest episode had fans of the show taking it a step further, talking about its creator, Sam Levinson. Sam was trending Sunday night into Monday morning two weeks in a row, as fans of the show enjoy and despise many of his choices.

Levinson is not the first creative to trend on Twitter. As consumers demand transparency, many people who used to be behind the scenes face a lot of scrutinies when fans don’t like the storyline, behind-the-scenes gossip, or sometimes these creators just to become a meme because of how recognizable their tropes have become. We’ve seen similar conversations regarding Lena Waithe, Tyler Perry, Lin Manuel Miranda, and John Green.

While sometimes these conversations online aren’t favorable, they have levity that I don’t think hurt the creator's future endeavors. These conversations also don’t lessen their audience impact, so context is essential. Data will also support these artists due to an inevitable increase in name recognition.

Internet Argot 411: “POAP”

We’ve all saved the ticket stub to a memorable concert, movie, or sporting event. Why not do the same in the metaverse? 

Well, when it comes to POAP (pronounced Poh-Ap) - proof of attendance protocols event attendees can collect their own POAPs as a sort of digital scrapbook. To qualify as a POAP, an NFT needs to come from the POAPs official smart contract. Additionally, the POAP needs to have a custom image and include the metadata for a particular time and event. 

POAP allows event organizers and brands to better engage with their consumers by providing a personalized experience. POAPs offer unique designs and allow for a variety of specialized services such as private chat rooms, airdrops, giveaways, and more. 

For non-digital natives, this feels like more NFT nonsense, but when it comes to making movies a theatrical experience and an event worth attending - would it make sense for studios to expand on POAPs to get audiences excited for theatrical movies? I think yes. In my opinion, the future of theatrical is fans of large franchise movies being incentivized to attend the film opening weekend by studios working with select exhibitors for an opening weekend POAP.  

You can get more of a deep dive into the world of POAPs here. 

January 24, 2022 | Vol. 7

LOL: Laugh On-Line - Rickey Thompson 

Rickey Thompson has been one of the rare influencers to prove he has staying power, probably because as he says he stays, “booked and busy.” The comedian/actor/influencer became notable in 2019 when Kylie Jenner shared a video of his, but the laughs didn’t stop, gaining Thompson 5 million followers on Instagram who have fallen in love with silly, snarky (PG-13/R rated language) comedy that is both physical and punchy. 

In 2020 he and his best friend Denzel Dion debuted their Spotify original podcast, “We Said What We Said,” where the two talk about pop culture, sex, love, struggles, music, and more, with season two underway as of August 2021. 

Recently, he was a part of Katy Perry’s promotion for her new single. He has worked with fashion brands such as Calvin Klein, Coach, Alexander Wang and featured in Essence, Teen Vogue, and Vogue. Rickey acted in the YouTube original,  “Foursome” for four seasons. He also worked with the queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. 

Rickey is definitely an influencer to watch, as he has a snarky character all of his own, that people have come to love and root for online. He embraces the generational shift in radically loving yourself, and he also has made some awesome Halloween costumes in past years.

Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy was trending for a couple of days this past week on Twitter due to the unfortunate passing of COMING TO AMERICA co-star comedian, Louie Anderson. Fans took to Twitter to discuss the movie but then ultimately began giving Eddie Murphy (and also, Steve Martin) his flowers for his iconic roles. This trend coincided when Eddie Murphy was also featured on Nick Cannon’s show this past week for his “unconventional” family. Many in the “#BlackTwitter” space believe Eddie Murphy has been undervalued, bringing up that a few of his roles should have made him an Academy Award winner, like DOLEMITE or DREAMGIRLS. While Eddie has clearly been a multigenerational comedian, this past week’s trending tweets show that he still has an audience that is invested in seeing him have more success. Personally, I’d love to see Eddie in another multigenerational story, and the fact he is trending shows that he still has remained his relevance. 

 
Internet Argot 411: “West Elm Caleb”

Why was “West Elm Caleb” one of the most googled term searches this past week? Simply because this story brought together many think pieces about whether we should be so comfortable with the doxing of strangers on the internet.

The story was compared to a modern “JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE,” where multiple women in their 20s who live in New York shared videos on TikTok about being ghosted by a Hinge match; known as “West Elm Caleb.” Caleb, a designer who worked at West Elm, allegedly matched with all of these women and then disappeared. His fatal mistake? Probably matching with people who share their dating lives on the internet. This story of lost love was picked up by The Washington Post, Slate, Wired, GQ, NY Post, Rolling Stone, Vice and was basically everyone’s favorite thing to tweet about last week. It reminded people of Couch Guy and created a community for those who have been ghosted.

The wildest part about the West Elm Caleb saga? Caleb has now scrubbed his internet presence from various platforms, but maybe that’s for the better.

January 17, 2022 | Vol. 6

TV: Peak Online Water Cooler Talk

Abbott Elementary breaking through as a network show through social media buzz, certainly stems from “Black Twitter,” celebrating star/creator Quinta Brunson of internet fame, but also feeling nostalgic for Tyler James Williams many fans of the show remember from his role in “Everybody Hates Chris” as young Chris Rock. 

The reason why I think these shows have captivated the audience online is that they both know their audience so well that the casting choices, storylines, and comedy resonate so deeply that people feel they must be discussed immediately. 

Internet Argot 411

“It’s Giving” – is a slang phrase to use when describing an experience, outfit, item, feeling. The exact origin of the term is unknown. A possible origin of the phrase getting pushed into the internet zeitgeist is influencer Rolling Ray, a disabled Black gay man. In 2019, he appeared on an episode of Divorce Court and used the slang term a number of times, notably introducing himself to the judge by saying, "It’s giving very much how you doing your honor Ms. Judge Lynn Towler.” Like a vast majority of what has been designated as “Gen Z” slang, “It’s Giving” is a phrase that was used amongst the Black LGBTQ+ community first. 

January 10, 2022 | Vol. 5

K-PopCULTURE

The basics: K-pop is not a genre, nor do K-pop fans behave like a monolith. The term means "Korean pop," but like "Latin pop," the title is more of a geographic designation for the industry than a sonic one. An "idol system" for auditioning and creating pop talent, not unlike the mechanization of Berry Gordy's Motown in the 1960s and '70s, and financial support for the arts by the South Korean government is responsible for K-pop's dominion. Still, the music's current popularity in the United States is a relatively new trend: born online, streamed, and consistently shared. 

It’s not just K-pop music that has captivated Americans, but films and tv too. We all know how popular “Squid Game” and PARASITE were, the former leading South Korean model/actress Hoyeon Jung, Player 067, to become only the second Asian to grace the covers of American Vogue. Priyanka Chopra was the first Indian and Asian woman to be on the cover of Vogue, making Hoyeon Jung the first East Asian. 

It may seem like Korean pop culture influence went from niche to mainstream in a snap. However, Korean culture has been appealing to Americans for some time now, partially because the two cultures have been copesetic for decades, likely due to U.S. military presence in South Korea. Whether it was  Korea’s red ginseng in American skincare products to Korean celebrity fashion influenced by Western designers, what's popular has been intertwined for decades. I think that the more profound, dark social commentary aligned with captivating aesthetics and productions makes Korean pop culture stand out.

INTERNET ARGOT 411

“Metaverse” – The metaverse refers to a fully-realized digital world that exists beyond the analog one in which we live. There were 120 mentions of the metaverse for publicly traded companies during Q4 earnings calls. While the metaverse is not a place yet, outside of some gaming versions like Animal Crossing or Fortnite, there is no denying that the metaverse is coming. For many companies in the space, it’s both a technological arms race and a community effort to disrupt the internet as we know it. A few key players in the build-out of the metaverse are Roblox, Epic Games, and Meta (formerly known as Facebook). 

The metaverse will include video, augmented reality, and virtual reality to help users live and assemble in a virtual world for entertainment and work purposes. There will likely be multiple versions utilizing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. People will have avatars that represent themselves for various activities where brands will be able to capitalize. Gucci, for example, has been expanding its presence in the Roblox world. Roblox featured a Paris HiltonNew Year’s Eve digital rave, and many of now heard of Fortnite hosting a Travis Scott concert in 2020. 

Skeptics believe all of the buzzwords will become meaningless over time, and worry there is so much hype that nothing will actually happen. The potential downsides of the metaverse can seem scary: addiction, losing track of time, and inability to discern reality from the virtual world, but one could associate these risks with most new technology. Overall, while the multitude of uses for the metaverse may not be apparent yet, the speed at which this technology is forming makes many online believe that it will soon just be a part of how we all consume products and technology. It won’t be just gaming, and it will be another road to communicating and having experiences with people globally. Still unsure? Bloomberg: Into The Metaverse podcast is a great way to get informed, and the below video is a fun time capsule of Today show hosts questioning the internet. 
What is the Internet, Anyway?

January 3, 2022 | Vol. 4

TikTok Music/Culture Report 

Everyone knows that dancing videos made TikTok so popular. Still, TikTok recently released its annual music report, which, when read alongside this last summer’s MRC Data study and their annual brand impact review, sheds some insight into the cultural impact TikTok continues to have. 75% of TikTok users say they discover new artists through TikTok, and 71% of users believe the biggest trends start on TikTok. 430 songs surpassed 1 billion video views as TikTok sounds in 2021–a threefold increase over 2020. Megan Thee Stallion led the pack, followed by Doja Cat, whereas Lil Nas X was the most viewed artist.

The TikTok audience values organic connection from brands and creators, catchy beats, and ultimately wants to feel like they’re a part of the community. Great examples of this from 2021 were Travel Channel and Netflix successfully connecting to their audiences with live streams. Joel Courtney promoted THE KISSING BOOTH 3 by watching the trailer for the first time on a live stream on Netflix’s official account and reacting to the cast’s messages. Travel Channel and Discovery+ partnered with ghost detective Ryan Bergara to host a LIVE paranormal investigation at the notoriously eerie Winchester Mystery House that captivated many into a ghost hunting live stream.

My takeaway, 60% of TikTok users, are Gen Z. They are trendsetters. In 2021, 74 million people in the U.S. will be part of Gen Z, and surveys have shown that watching tv and movies is not one of their top pastimes. I don’t believe it is too late to capture this audience, however, I think overlooking what will be hallmarks of their entertainment experiences as silly dancing videos misses the point. 

Tony Hawk, Pro Impersonator

Tony Hawk is an icon. He completed the first documented "900" skateboarding trick in 1999, licensed a video game series named after him published by Activision that same year, which now has had 18 iterations, and is a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding…no big deal. Although he is the most famous skateboarder ever, Tony hilariously gets asked if he is Tony Hawk regularly or told how much he looks like, well, himself. He often shares these innocent interactions on his Twitter. Given that skateboarding became an Olympic sport and its popularity continues to rise, it would be interesting to see what types of stories can be told in the world of skateboarding that would feel like events. 

Internet Argot 411

December 6, 2021 | Vol. 3

Too Soon for This Story?

Hulu released and removed the 50-minute documentary special that recapped the events of Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert that turned deadly, as it received much social media backlash. The majority of vocal social media users felt that this special was too soon, given the tragedy. While many people would agree that profiting off the deaths of innocent concert-goers is morally questionable; this can also yield a conversation examining how this sequence of events speaks to the difficulty for streaming services to communicate what is on their platforms. The documentary special was apparently not a documentary at all, but an investigative local news special from ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston that originally aired on November 20th. The consumer confusion makes a lot of sense, but also exemplifies a form of tone-deafness on Hulu’s behalf, as it didn’t take into consideration how the communication efforts would be generally perceived. Especially considering how much outrage people felt worldwide in regards to the Travis Scott-led concert travesty. Additionally, how soon is too soon to tell a story that captures the attention of the masses? How should gatekeepers make sure to share stories that are important and timely, but do it respectfully?

Tell Us Everything, Okay..Not That Much!

Dexter Morales created a petition that gained over 20,000 signatures supporting the media to no longer interview Will and Jada Smith. The signature itself on Change.org does not explain why Morales started this petition; however, many who have signed on the website commented things like, “everything I know about this couple has been against my will.” While the Smiths might have a habit of oversharing, it also seems that they’re the easy scapegoat here. Currently, it seems, many celebrities are trying to maintain shelf space in a crowded ecosystem by being “relatable,” which sometimes can mean telling too many people you don’t bathe your kids *cough* Ashton Kutcher *cough*.

Internet Argot 411

“Spotify Wrapped” –Spotify released its yearly amalgamation of user data this week, more notably called “Spotify Wrapped.” The phrase was the #1 most Googled term the day it was released on Dec. 1st. The term was only one of two top searches of the week not to be sports-related. There is an interesting mix of how this streaming service has used their ability to collect data as also a benefit to their service, which ultimately provides users with highly shareable content prime for social media. Interestingly enough, Spotify also shares its data for most-streamed artists. Bad Bunny took the top spot globally for the second consecutive year, followed by Taylor Swift, BTS, Drake, and Justin Bieber, respectively. In contrast, many are sensitive about tech companies taking their data, the viral tweet pictured above taps on a truth that many Spotify users find their data collection to be more fun. Apple Music has a slightly similar tracking, but because it doesn’t make one’s music choice feel like a magazine personality test, it doesn’t capture the same level of internet attention this time of year.  

November 30, 2021 | Vol. 2

Eddie Redmayne caused quite a stir during his press circuit for CABARET. The Academy Award-winner expressed thoughts regarding his former critically acclaimed role as Lili Elbe in THE DANISH GIRL with the Sunday Times. Redmayne’s statement generated a mixed conversation online, both internationally and domestically. Some stated that this apology was long overdue, and others did not understand why he should apologize at all, “it’s just acting,” a user tweeted. Eddie is not the first actor to play a person not reflective of who he is in real life, and according to some involved in the online conversation, Eddie was likely aware of the potential backlash before he took the role for the 2015 film. It seems, however, that time has helped him reflect. He shared with The Sunday Times, "No, I wouldn't take it on now," adding: "The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don't have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling. Otherwise, we are going to carry on having these debates."

Some may think society has become too sensitive and that people apologize for everything. However, I would encourage those who have more privilege to reflect on if their actions could have contributed to a cycle of keeping historically excluded groups marginalized. If an apology is necessary, then the apology should occur within the domain of the misdeed. Simply put, public actions warrant public apologies. Eddie Redmayne’s comments engendered a conversation without an attack on him, likely for this reason.

Internet Argot 411

“Woke” –Woke is a slang term from some African American Vernacular English ( AAVE). In AAVE, awake is often rendered as woke, as in, “I was sleeping, but now I’m woke.” Woke’s transformation into a byword of social awareness on the internet likely started in 2008, with the release of Erykah Badu’s song “Master Teacher,” but traces back to as early as Marcus Garvey’s work in the 1920s, and was printed in a piece by William Melvin Kelley in the New York Times in 1962 where he implies that to be “woke” is to be a socially conscious Black American. Stay woke continued to be a part of the Black community, describing self-awareness, questioning the dominant paradigm, striving for something better, and sometimes simply used ironically. Stay woke and woke became part of a broader discussion in 2014, shortly following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The word woke became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement; instead of just being a word that signaled awareness of injustice or racial tension, it became a word of action. Due to social media, Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, Saturday Night Live, and TV political talking heads, “woke” became a part of the zeitgeist, but in a much more ✨appropriative✨ way. Initially, an in-group conversation to help warn members of potential danger became the center of think-pieces and opportunities to shame those embarking on performative social justice. Folks on both sides of the political spectrum have become weary of “woke” -ness. One side sees it as forced political correctness; the other, how harmful the claim of being woke without doing real work to understand and change systems of oppression. Overall, woke/stay woke says more about the person saying the phrase, then it does about the person or people being described.


Bonus Request: Celebrity Liquor
The overall internet consensus on celebrity liquor, in general, is no, but below are three links where you can decide which you’d maybe like to try yourself.
Variety, Esquire, Men’s Journal

November 22, 2021 | Vol. 1

T-Pain – a world-renowned and loved producer/hip-hop star, made a seemingly earnest tweet that did not bode too well with the greater online community when he asked about the thought process surrounding money. It opened up a conversation about how people view celebrities and the ethics of the wealth disparity in this country. Similarly, #SurvivingSophia, a hashtag describing a young woman from Toronto who fronted as a social media influencer in NYC/LA and scammed influencers. However, there is a split decision of “girl boss1/city girls2” life/ethical discourse. The significance of this discussion is how it showcases how people interpret celebrities, and something to keep in mind as we move forward with casting decisions, stories we are deciding to tell, and how we examine audiences.

1.     #girlboss, a term made widely popular by the founder of online fast fashion retailer, Nasty Gal, founder Sophia Amoruso. Recently, this phrase has been used ironically to mock “hustle culture.”

2.     City Girls are a rap duo, who have songs regarding female empowerment, discussing women valuing themselves,, and gaining all they can in a patriarchal society through using street smarts as an advantage. https://www.thecut.com/2018/09/city-girls-are-more-like-you-than-you-think.html

Kanye West & Drake reconciled by posting photos with each other on Instagram, ending a five-year-long feud. The two are coming together to support Larry Hoover, who is currently serving six life sentences in prison for his alleged involvement in a gang-affiliated murder. Kanye announced he and Drake will have a concert together on Dec 9th to support a movement for Larry Hoover to gain his freedom.

Despite how problematic Kanye West has been, he has an audience that overall, online, is still reasonably positive, and at worst, neutral with this current news. He likely gains more from this reconciliation than Drake does in the public eye. Still, for Drake, this allows him to work with Kanye, the producer, who has made undeniably good beats for decades - some that launched Drake’s career. 

Internet Argot 411

“Cancel Culture” – Created as a colloquialism within the Black community, which made its way online and has recently become a cultural phenomenon, but also, in some ways, a dog whistle, similar to the word “woke” (we will cover “woke” in subsequent weeks). I would suggest not using this word flippantly, as there is no indication that “canceling” someone online has any significant implications. However, in a society guided by free-market capitalism, consumers have always decided where and whom to spend their money, but gatekeepers also get to determine what choices consumers have. This weekend Ansel Elgort was featured at the American Music Awards – despite being “canceled” online. Would consumers have an option not to watch the AMAs? Sure, but they then decide to skip seeing all of their favorite, presumably less problematic artists/celebrities or make noise online about seeing Elgort included in the lineup of those artists. In this case, consumers didn’t have a choice, and in a world where all award show numbers are lower than ever, is it worth choosing a controversial guest to create more social media buzz? It helped get a former president elected, after all.