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from chat donations to praying for probation
Is there anything greater than seeing a pal bolt awake after a boozy night out like a wobbly Nosferatu hellbent on finding anywhere appropriate to hawk their guts up? Maybe I’m just an arsehole.
You might not glean the same level of sadistic pleasure from it, but you’ve almost certainly borne witness to it. Reckless abandon and the ensuing anatomical punishment, that’s the rite of passage.
For some of Gen Z, though, the toilet-hosted exorcism of Sunday mornings has become tiresome, and plenty are now consciously prepping to ensure they aren’t a write-off until the following Tuesday.
The Millennial gluttony of all-or-nothing has been diluted, and in its place comes a ritual that’s more measured, rich in electrolytes, and less likely to end with the subject attached to a stomach pump: drinking like you’ve got Microsoft Outlook on the mind.
The strategy is called ‘zebra striping,’ according to Business Insider, and involves alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks throughout the night. The piece describes THC and CBD drinks, fizzy drinks, mocktails, and water – not just to wash down a pill, either – as becoming increasingly popular in bars throughout the US, particularly when those who still need to present IDs approach the bar.
The logic is all about self-preservation. We already know that Gen Z is drinking far less than their elders, and is keen on establishing their own boozy path that doesn’t lead to being completely skint, potentially fucking up relationships with friends and partners, and ousting every speck of serotonin from their brains for the following day.
Search and social media momentum for zebra striping is apparently up 30% year-over-year, and ‘no hangover Gen Z’ is up 101% in the same time, according to data from consumer intelligence group Tastewise.
Suffice to say, the wellness stuff has definitely bled into the nightlife rigamarole, and it’s honestly fair enough. While some of the rigid focus of optimisation around sleep, fitness, supplements, and mental health management can seem like a bit much, employing self-control with alcohol now and then is surely just good old common sense?
There is a physical and monetary price to be paid for backing a bottle of Smirnoff, hoovering the contents of little bags, and eating a dodgy kebab every weekend. Plenty of Gen Zers will take a bit of grief if it means avoiding a Sunday wrapped around a mate’s bog while a video of them with their arse out does the rounds on Snapchat.
😏 body politics
Is Gen Z’s obsession with ‘mogging’ becoming toxic? – thred
If your algorithm isn’t full of streamers in their early 20s telling people they’re ‘low-key chopped’, consider yourself lucky. I’ve clearly lingered on clips from Kick streamers like Clavicular, Marlon3lg, and Drago just long enough for their content to invade my X timeline like an STD. The grim commonality these blokes share, aside from all being unbearable c*nts, is that they’re bang into ‘mogging’, the act of beating someone on the attractiveness scale and rubbing it in their faces. Entire streams revolve around ranking jawlines, facial symmetry, hair density, and buffness, and fans of these streamers are willingly being humiliated in front of millions. You may think it’s unnecessary moral panic, but here’s why it’s becoming problematic for the youngens. Read more
The Olivia Rodrigo Dress Outrage Feels Like Bot Behavior – rolling stone
Rolling Stone has unpacked the backlash to Olivia Rodrigo’s baby-doll dress worn at the Spotify Billions Club show, which somehow became another storm in a teacup over perceived infantilisation. While the heat was somewhat justified for what was obviously bait put out by Euphoria for season 3, Rodrigo is merely leaning into the aesthetic of grunge/mod icons like Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland. The piece points out that the whole lace, bows, messy eyeliner aesthetic has been around for decades as a way of showing sweetness and rebellion, especially when that’s their whole thing. Forget that, though. How about we dream up a public safeguarding incident that doesn’t exist and berate a 23-year-old woman? Read more
🚨 clout & consequences
The rage bait economy is officially a public safety issue – thred
If Dalton Eatherly, better known online as ‘Chud the Builder,’ has somehow escaped your feed, consider yourself lucky. His brand of rage bait is exactly the kind of content that keeps the attention economy thriving. In the most predictable set of circumstances ever, the 28-year-old streamer is now facing severe charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Last week, a heated altercation with a stranger outside a Tennessee courthouse led to shots being fired, and Eatherly was booked into the Montgomery County jail. His patterned routine of streaming involved provoking Black members of the public by using racist language, and the threat of real-world violence was constantly increasing with his viewership. As rage bait content snowballs, here’s a warning that shit can get real, fast. Read more
Pope Leo Hops on ‘6-7’ Meme While Greeting Group of Kids Visiting the Vatican – people
His Holiness is cracked at brain rot, my guy. Pope Leo jumped on the 6-7 meme while greeting a group of kids at the Vatican on Saturday, and the clip has since garnered over 26 million views. The People article rightly points out that this is a significant moment. The world’s oldest institutions are becoming absorbed into the world of short-form content. Memes used to exist in their own stupid little corners of the internet for a few days before dying quietly. Now they’re being absorbed into politics, branding, education, religion, basically every sphere where adults are scrambling to translate authority into something that can survive a 12-second attention span. Six seevveeennn! Read more
🍺 out out
90s rave-themed World Cup screenings announced for London this summer – nme
Nothing says ‘I’m not here for the love of the sport’ quite like a themed night taking place during the backdrop of a massive stakes game. The World Cup is coming up rapidly, and NME has reported that London venues are hosting ‘90s rave-themed World Cup screenings of England matches, complete with DJs, oversized football jerseys, and speakers blaring Baddiel & Skinner right up until we probably get spanked by Dembele and Doue. Gen Zers and younger millennials are apparently lapping up the opportunity to go, given their love for novel experiences and half-baked cultural memories most of them weren’t alive for. The only immersion breaker will be the torch lights flicking on absolutely everywhere to share moments of ecstasy (hopefully) on Insta and TikTok. Games are on late, though, so no need to get afters sorted. Read more
