Internet cultureInternet cultureIt’s hard to keep up with internet culture, but don’t worry: every week we tell you the best of what you need to know.
This week, fake things are bubbling up on the surface of the internet, whether it’s fraudulent superfans, a poseur punk band, or a despicable “national holiday”. (Content warning: The following story concerns sexual assault.)
The internet reacts to a particularly rough, bogus vacation
April 24th is dubbed “National Rape Day”, according to alarming rumors from TikTok and Twitter. Allegedly, a group of six men posted a video on TikTok promising sexual assault when the day comes and encouraging other men to join their twisted vacation. Some even seemed to believe that rape had been legalized, but only for April 24th.
None of this is true, of course. There is no evidence for the video of the “six men,” rape is illegal every day of the year, and “National Rape Day” is not a new lie: rumors about it have apparently been circulating on the internet since at least 2010. There are There is also no evidence of an increase in sexual assault in relation to the date.
This Week In Music: Is This Online Punk Band Real Or Fake?
The internet is full of rumors this week that the band “Tramp Stamps” is an “industrial factory,” with hundreds of videos and thousands of comments showing up as poseurs on Tramp Stamps.
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The official story of Tramp Stamps is that singer Marisa Maino, guitarist Caroline Baker and drummer Paige Blue formed the band after “getting drunk in a bar and writing a song”. They dye their hair crazy colors, cite Weezer, Paramore and Blink-182 as influences and write a song with the chorus “I’d rather die than meet a straight, white man.”
If all of this is a little on your nose, you are not alone. TikToker @hard_copeIn a video revealing the band’s pro-musician background, the collective outrage was summed up as follows: “It’s almost like it’s a group of people who are like theater majors for money. “
The band responded to the online whirlwind with the contribution “F * ck you. Don’t you like our music? Do not listen. “
To be honest, I can’t disagree with them. Each band is an “industrial plant”; Punk Gods The Sex Pistols were put together to promote a clothing store. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the Tramp Stamps are fake, real, or intentionally creating buzz by intentionally looking fake while they’re rocking. I reserve my judgment on your rock-itude and encourage you to do so Check out the Tramp Stamps I’d Rather Die video. and form your own opinion.
Big jokes and urban legends from yesterday
Don’t fall into the trap if you think that young people are stupid for spreading false rumors. You did it too.
Urban legends used to repeat like a gospel in elementary school playgrounds from New York to Portland and everywhere in between, going viral before there was even an internet to go viral on.
- Spider Eggs in Bubble Yum. The idea that Bubble Yum chewing gum was full of spider eggs was so prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s that Bubble Yum’s parent company spent $ 100,000 on ads in over 50 newspapers to expose them. However, children get their news at the playground, where a fifth grader solemnly telling them about a child he knew completely died when the spiders hatched and who choked him to death by spinning webs in his throat, a newspaper is far more convincing than anything else.
- Mikey from the Life Cereal commercial died of Pop Rocks and Coke. It was common knowledge that the kid died in the Life Cereal commercials when his stomach exploded after eating Pop Rocks candy and cola. This made Mikey’s appearance in his famous commercial positively scary. The thing ran every 10 minutes and you couldn’t see it without the terrifying image of its stomach exploding, splattering its horrified parents with a mixture of half-digested cola, pop-stones, and guts that filled your mind.
- The unique personal lives of Richard Gere and Rod Stewart. If you are the right age You know exactly why singer Rod Stewart had to pump his stomach and why actor Richard Gere went to the emergency room. And if you don’t, find a fifth grader to spell it out.
This week in fake sports: Lakers fans have been fishing for years
Creating a fake person to trick people is a hobby as old as the internet, but whoever is behind the social media accounts of Lakers superfan “Vivian Flores” has taken the genre to exciting new levels .
“Flores” has been online since 2009 and has gained a sizable following by posting pictures of themselves describing their battle with leukemia. Interaction with Laker Kevin Durantand posting analysis of Lakers games and news. She even co-hosted a podcast with Josh Loussaint, another Lakers fan.
Everything was going great for Flores until Toussaint tweeted this week that his co-host had suddenly disappeared. Concerned fans spread the word to look for her. The Lakers organization offered support, as did actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Lakers striker Markieff Morris.
A few hours later, Toussaint reported that his co-host had been found, but the controversy made fans curious as to why none of them had ever met Flores, despite reporting being at various games. It didn’t take long for internet detectives to pull the strings that unravel Flores’ entire online sweater. They discovered that they were Images were photoshoppingHer voice on the podcast sounds a lot like an open man’s voice, and someone with very similar images and usernames fished Raiders fans a few years ago.
Flores (or whoever is running the account) first decided to end the controversy, tweet and even pitch various defenses a short video where she holds a sign with her name on … but her name is misspelled. Then Flores deliberately deleted her accounts and disappeared.
While some believe Toussaint was behind the joke, he vehemently denies it, claiming he was betrayed just as much as everyone else, which leaves the question of why. Why would anyone devote an entire decade to counterfeiting being a Lakers fan? Deep psychological problems? Performance art? Who can say that?
Viral Video of the Week: How Long Could You Survive in a Grocery Store?
Unmask different ones if not Food hoaxes and Myths, YouTubers The food theorists Answer deeply ridiculous fan-submitted questions with a seriousness and dedication the questions absolutely don’t deserve. This week they present a plausible answer to the question “How long could you survive in the average supermarket?”
The question is more complicated than it initially seems – even calculating how many calories are in the foods in a market is tricky, and when you factor in the different half-lives of various consumer products, spoilage, and how much agriculture gets you off the ground in the plant department becomes very complex very quickly. The food theorists are better at math than I am and can come up with a reasonable answer. I don’t want to spoil it, but you could probably live in a supermarket a lot longer than you think … if you are willing to make certain sacrifices.
