Latest Stories from Charlie
Nicki Minaj and the rise of right wing grifting
Rapper Nicki Minaj was once considered a gay icon and a strong denouncer of Trump, having previously criticised his immigration policies and campaigns. Over the past year she has made a strong pivot the other way, appearing at right wing rallies with Erika Kirk in a likely attempt to boost her bank account and political standing. ‘I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,’ Nicki Minaj said to...
Why Marty Supreme’s Gen Z marketing worked
Josh Safdie’s latest film stars Timothee Chalamet as a troubled table tennis star on the cusp of greatness. It’s a hit with critics and audiences alike thanks to A24’s viral, new-age marketing campaign that has successfully tapped into Gen Z sensibilities. Marty Supreme, the latest film by Uncut Gems director Josh Safdie starring Timothee Chalamet as a troubled table tennis star, has become a cultural phenomenon. Released on Christmas Day, this...
Why are Gen Z suddenly so nostalgic for 2016?
2016 was the year of Pokemon Go, The Chainsmokers, Snapchat dog filters and skinny jeans. Gen Z are currently on a nostalgia binge, with searches for ‘2016’ having increased 71% in the last year over 2024. What’s going on? We’re not even two weeks into the year, and everything already feels exhausting. Trump is currently threatening to take over Greenland, Iran is in turmoil and Elon Musk’s X platform is under...
Reddit surpasses TikTok in the UK as Gen Z fuel growth
An urge for human-generated content has helped Reddit to push past TikTok in the UK to become the fourth most visited social media site, largely thanks to Gen Z. Reddit is enjoying a period of immense growth right now, at least in the UK. As The Guardian reports, the public forum platform has seen an 88% increase in users and reach across the country, with 60% of citizens now visiting...
New report suggests Gen Z are losing faith in the internet
A new survey by Ofcom has found that those aged 18-34 are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the internet, regarding it as detrimental for their mental health and society at large. It looks as though young people may be less enthusiastic about the internet and its wider consequences than older generations, at least according to a new survey by Ofcom. The organisation found that British Gen Zers are increasingly regarding the...
Millennial optimism? More like Gen Z cynicism
Gen Zers have been making fun of the early 2010s ‘millennial optimism era’ on TikTok this week, highlighting the naivety of the time. Compared to the cynicism of our modern world, it makes for a jarring case of cultural whiplash. Anyone heard of ‘millennial optimism?’ A new trend has been making the rounds this week in which Gen Zers and millennials remember the hopeful romanticism of online spaces in the early...
Study says most streaming shows made by white people
A new report published by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) has found that over 90% of the top 250 programmes on streaming services were made by white people last year, an increase over 2024. Cultural diversity has seen a significant decrease this year compared to 2024, a new study by UCLA has concluded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktJGNSf0zfc As part of its Hollywood Diversity report, the university published that 91.7% of the...
Trump doubles down on Rob Reiner criticism after murder
The US president posted that the sudden death of Hollywood director and actor, Rob Reiner, was related to ‘Trump derangement syndrome,’ before repeating this criticism to reporters in the Oval Office several hours later. Donald Trump has received flack from both Democrats and Republicans this week after publicly criticising Rob Reiner in the wake of his sudden death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p65gtuK6FhY The Hollywood actor and director, well known for his work on films...
It’s a Wrap(ped): analysing Spotify’s Gen Z success
Spotify Wrapped 2025 is out, baby. The streaming platform’s synopsis of our yearly listening habits has become a cultural staple, boosting the brand’s reach and engagement with Gen Z across social media. Spotify Wrapped is here, folks. We’re sure that you’re most likely aware of Spotify’s extremely popular end-of-year round-up of listening habits and stats by now. Launched in 2016, Wrapped gives listeners an opportunity to reflect on and share...
Opinion – Australia’s social media ban is kind of ludicrous?
Australia’s new social media ban is now in effect, barring anyone under the age of 16 from Facebook, X, Reddit and…YouTube? With plenty of kids likely to circumvent these new restrictions, the entire ordeal seems overcumbersome and flawed. Starting from December 10th 2025, all Australian citizens under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to make personal accounts on any of the major social media platforms. This includes...
