ChatGPT is Wikipedia’s most viewed subject of 2023
ChatGPT sits atop the most viewed subjects on Wikipedia for 2023. Given the meteoric rise of OpenAI and generative AI in general, it’s hardly surprising. The annual ranking of the most popular searches on Wikipedia is a solid indicator of what was big in the zeitgeist that year. Somewhat predictably,...
Current in Culture
‘Rizz’ named word of the year by Oxford University Press
Gen Z’s favourite TikTok buzzword ‘rizz’ was crowned word of the year for 2023. Unsure what that means? A brush up on your social media dialect might be in order. The word ‘rizz’ has been named word of the year by the Oxford University Press. Based on more than 32,000 votes...
Olivia Colman stars in satirical ad mocking the fossil fuel industry
The Oscar winning actress became a fossil fuel baron draped in latex for a recent Make My Money Better ad campaign. Her sarcastic taunts aim to educate the British public about how their pension funds are bolstering oil and gas profits. No reading between the lines is required for Make...
Ofcom report says people watch porn most often during the workday
A new report by the UK communications regulator Ofcom reveals that people across the country visit porn websites more during the workday than any other time. Bored at your desk? Try whacking on an X-rated adult video. Only kidding. Obviously. Watching porn at work probably isn’t the best cure for boredom –...
LGBTQ+ people still feel unsafe on London transport
A new report suggests that, despite widespread effort, LGBTQ+ abuse still prevails in our everyday spaces. Though the rise in LGBTQ+ figures in the mainstream media – and flourishing national pride campaigns – may foster some ignorance to the realities of queer life in the UK, that reality is still painful...
Why is Kim Kardashian on the cover of GQ’s ‘Man of the Year’ issue?
She’s a businesswoman, reality TV star, aspiring lawyer, and mother of four. Despite her long list of accolades, many people can’t help but ask: why is Kim Kardashian the face of GQ’s ‘Man of the Year’ cover spread? People may be rolling their eyes and wishing they could banish the...
YouTuber ‘The Completionist’ facing claims of charitable negligence
Long time YouTuber Jirard Khalil, known as ‘The Completionist’, is facing accusations of withholding over $600,000 USD in charitable donations over a span of nine years. If you’ve ever donated money to the Open Hand Foundation as part of the annual IndieLand livestreaming event, it’s likely that your money hasn’t actually gone anywhere. Organised by Jirard Khalil, a gaming YouTuber better known as ‘The Completionist’, IndieLand brings together tons of...
M&S ad controversy highlights social responsibility of brands
Amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, marketing blunders like these demonstrate the urgency of brand due diligence. Each year, the arrival of Christmas creeps slightly earlier. Nowadays, we’re still busy binning Halloween decorations and transforming pumpkins into a buffet of soups and risottos when Mariah Carey starts defrosting. And it hardly raises an eyebrow if major brands launch their festive campaigns on the 1st November. We might still be waiting for...
14-year-old develops new bar of soap to treat melanoma
Heman Bekele may have found a strikingly simple answer to skin cancer treatment: a bar of soap. Despite extortionate amounts of fundraising and tireless research, a cancer cure still often feels like a pipedream. But as far as cancer research goes, it's long been suspected that the answer to one of humanity’s biggest killers could lie anywhere, or be discovered by anyone. This week, a 14-year-old from Virginia is the latest...
The Rock’s wax figure is part of a much bigger problem
The actor reached out to a Parisian museum after his wax figure was revealed to have a much paler complexion than his own. Last week, the unveiling of a Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson statue raised eyebrows not for its impeccable likeness, but for a glaring issue that’s sparked a broader conversation about whitewashing in major cultural institutions: the colour of its skin. Musée Grévin is modelled on London’s Madame Tussauds, where...
