Why is Andrew Tate #1 on Substack?
Manosphere figurehead and notorious misogynist Andrew Tate has the #1 bestseller spot on Substack this week. Is the platform at risk of becoming as toxic as every other social media platform? Andrew Tate has found his way onto Substack. The long-form essay sharing platform (where we publish The Common Thred...
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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...
Authors protest AI at London Book Fair with ‘empty’ book
Over 10,000 writers have contributed to ‘Don’t Steal This Book,’ an empty publication that only contains a list of their names. Organised by Ed Newton-Rex, the book will be given out for free at the London Book Fair in protest of AI tools stealing the intellectual property of creatives. Thousands...
Gen Z are yelling in public and pretending to auramax
The latest ‘auramaxxing’ TikTok and Instagram trend has Gen Z yelling in public before taking a misleading picture. It is hilarious and has unsurprisingly gone viral. In need of a confidence boost? Looking to maximise your social aura? Forget the gym, have you tried yelling embarrassing nonsense in public to...
McDonald’s CEO mocked for weirdly ‘eating’ new burger
Chris Zempczinski described the new McDonald’s Big Arch burger as a ‘product’ in a new promotional video, before taking the smallest possible bite. The bizarre, awkward post has been mocked heavily online. What happens when an awkward CEO takes a fake bite of a new ‘product’ they’re promoting for social...
Sinners’ Delroy Lindo thankful for ‘support’ after Baftas incident
Delroy Lindo has said that he is ‘thankful’ for the ‘support and love’ that both he and ‘Sinners’ co-star Michael B. Jordan have received following an incident involving Tourette's Syndrome activist John Davidson at this year’s Baftas. Delroy Lindo, ‘Sinners’ co-star alongside Michael B. Jordan, has said he is...
Why has the Winter Olympic village run out of condoms?
Athletes in Italy have reportedly run out of condoms, which are offered out for free at the Olympic Village every year. More are ‘on the way’ say organisers, though athletes say the initial supply was unusually low. There’s a crisis happening at the Winter Olympic village in Italy, and no, we’re not talking about the athlete who confessed to having an affair on live television. Reports from anonymous athletes...
What was Turning Point’s ‘All-American Halftime Show?’
Last weekend, the right-wing political organisation Turning Point hosted its own, alternative NFL Super Bowl LX halftime show in protest of Bad Bunny’s official stadium performance. The reviews were less than stellar. Turning Point USA, a right-wing political organisation founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has faced criticism and ridicule for its ‘All-American Halftime Show’ during the NFL Super Bowl LX this past weekend. Positioned as an ‘alternative’ to the...
BBC set to make shows for YouTube in new deal
Amidst Trump’s legal threats and a waning Gen Z audience, the BBC is hoping to gain back some much-needed goodwill with a landmark new YouTube deal. The BBC has struck a deal with YouTube to make brand new content tailored specifically for the digital platform. It comes after months of turmoil for the BBC. Its editing blunder in November saw US president Donald Trump launch a multi-billion dollar lawsuit, and...
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...
