This week on my internet (16th May) 🧌

Thirsty for National Parks, A questionable skincare "Caveman Method",

Happy Fritag gang,

Been a minute, but catching you up with the last couple weeks of scrolling in case you missed it:

Culture Beat

🌲 Over the last week or so, Yellowstone National Park has gone viral for posting, of all things, thirst traps. TBH I’m down with whatever helps with awareness and funding over the Trump administration staff and service cuts for parks across the country.

@visit.yellowstoneMammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine in Yellowstone National Park adjacent to Fort Yellowstone @Johnathon Caine #stitch #booktok #darkromance #masktok #fantasy #momsover30

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🥵 The accounts themselves are unfortunately not the official national park profiles, but fan accounts. A new park fan account seems to be kicking off weekly and joining the fun.

@appalachiamountainhighNatural Bridge Caverns- A dark and dreary place where the only sound that can be heard is the drip, drip, drip of water from the growing stalagmites… #naturalbridgecaverns #mountaintok #cavetok #booktok #naturetok #nature

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👗 This year's Met Gala theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, the first focus on menswear for the gala since 2003. People are pissed TikTok fashion king Wisdom Kaye wasn’t invited back this year, he would’ve literally DEVOURED this years theme. Rihanna announced her preganancy, (much to the dismay of her fans, we’re never getting another album) Katy Perry has risen from her PR deathbed post space trip after being dubbed “best dressed” at the Met Gala. Ironically, she wasn’t there, and didn’t have a hand in any of this: AI-generated photos of her at the Met ended up being shared (without many realising they were AI). “Ghost lashes” - aka not wearing mascara - have been deemed a big trend from the event, and possibly a look at a rising beauty trend for ‘25 (stripped back, no-makeup makeup, CharliXC style).

🧌 A 22-year-old creator named Tia Zakher has recently gone viral for her skincare routine, or lack of, that’s been termed the “Caveman Method”. In a bid to repair her skin barrier, she’s stopped washing her face entirely for 2 months. Dermatologists and publications have jumped on this, saying it’s highly dangerous, and could even cause fungus.

📖 BookTok is going feral over a new release “Silver Elite”, by an unknown writer (which seems to be purposeful: the ambiguity has readers speculating that this is a pen name of a more renowned author). The marketing is what is pissing people off: “Katniss for grown ups” “The new Acotar” “To fill the Fourth Wing void” - pitching the novel against these popular books (the ‘best’ in the genres) has earned scepticms and pushback from readers. Is this a well written book? Absolutely not. But did I enjoy reading it? Totally. If it was written by AI (And it certainly feels that way), then hats off to you, chatgpt.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Running influencer Kate Mackz (know for her run & interview style TikToks that all start with “how many miles are you running”, has done a very off-brand paid for video for Trump. The video is flooded with comments of her fans that are NOT happy.

Things that are hard to explain to people not on TikTok:

TikTok’s “Gingers are black” trends exposes ‘white-on-white discrimination’, but on TikTok has created a kinship between black communities and white red heads.

Blue Shirt Guy dancing the samba, and everyone Trying to recreate it.

FKA Twigs thought she was being profound by asking “where are the thinkers”. Not sure what she thought would happen.

Brands & Entertainment:

🥳 Brat summer may be over, but Charli XCX isn’t slowing down. She’s released a music video for “Party 4 U”, as part of a celebration of the 5th anniversary of her album “how i’m feeling now”. The song has had an exceptional amount of popularity over the last couple of months on TikTok, (thanks to the party4u trend); whether it’s perfectly timed coincidence or Charli continuing to ride her wave with marketing genius, we’ll never know.

🖥️ Streaming service Peacock has launched an accelerator program for creators who can serve as writers, producers and stars of the scripted projects that come out of it. Only big names are invited, and it’s a clear move for the streamer to blur the lines between social & streaming by tapping into internet virality.

🗑 As part of HBO Max’s ongoing brand changes, the brand is brutally roasting itself over on X (Twitter), by using quotes from its own shows. Glad they can have a sense of humour about 3 brands in less than 5 years.

🪵 Final Destination is still going: the 6th installment of the franchise came out last week and has had some fairly solid reviews. I’ve really enjoyed the marketing, which leans into the one traumatising log truck scene from Final Destination 2. Trucks have been rigged to look like log trucks, some covered in blood, advertising the new movie.

🩳 Abercrombie deserves a mention for this stellar piece of creator content. 10/10 no notes.

@yungjackinnanen #abercrombiepartner day in the life of a performative man in nyc <3 Shop 30% off ALL shorts and swim @abercrombie to match us this summer + use code TIKTOKAF for an additional 15% off!

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Audience Insights: Gen Z (mostly)

👶🏻 Trump has a vision for a Gen Z “baby boom” to boost the economy, and is considering ideas like a $5000 ‘baby bonus’ for new moms. Unfortunately for trumop, you can’t bribe and shame your way to more babies; crazy idea, why not address the reasons why Gen Z is having fewer children, or better yet: let them make their own choices.

🐤 Teens are finding happiness in highly personal and analog rituals. From falling asleep on the phone to their friends, talking to rubber ducks, listening to gospel to solo fishing, young people are finding joy in the small habits that create agency or build human connection.

💸 Gen Z is “Soft saving”; gently saving where they can, but putting their mental health and well being first. Sacrificing isn’t something they like to do, and doing so for an uncertain future isn’t exactly appealing. I’ve written time and time again about Gen Z’s struggle in home ownership & quality of life, so it may not be surprising that “hard saving” isn’t on their agenda when there are no guarantees at the end of it. More than 40% of young americans say they’re “barely getting by” financially, despite 86% of them saying financial stability is important.

😴 Straight Gen Z women are dating less than other generations before them. A viral TikTok skewering hyper-indendent single women has racked up over 8 million views that has formed the base of a conversation.

“You aren’t competing with other men, you’re competing with her peace.

Some women have been single for so long, they don't date anymore. They grant you access to their peaceful little empire like a reluctant queen handing you a visitor's badge,”

And finally, tell me he’s not wrong:

@theguysetThey don’t make them like this anymore #shestheman #amandabynes #channingtatum #movies

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That’s it from me,

xoxo