This week on my internet (8th Aug) 🐴

Ibiza final boss, summer of the crash out (aka no vibes summer), and the peak of millenial nostalgia (TSITP perhaps?),

Aug 08, 2025

Happy Friday angels,

I’m trapped in real vs AI TikTok this week, and it’s absolutely terrifying how consistently I get it wrong. For those of you without TikTok whichfaceisreal.com is also a blast.

Culture Beat

👷 One poor lad in Ibiza has become the Internet’s main character this week: Ibiza Final Boss. He comes complete with every caricature in the book - henry the hoover haircut, gold chain thicker than my bike lock and a new set of teeth from Turkey. Brands have jumped on the opportunity for a minute of fame. Fair play to the lad, who’s since got himself a manager, a free trip from Booking.com and has announced he’s “going on tour” - however that may manifest itself. .

🎭 Actor Sophia Carson is getting destroyed for her latest performance in Netflix Original “My Oxford Year”. It’s been described as a rom-com, but I can confirm there is not a single ounce of comedy in this entire movie. The 26% Rotten Tomato rating feels high for the delivery, but so far it’s sitting at the number 1 most streamed movie on Netflix globally. Sophie Carson is Netflix’s go-to leading lady, (possibly because her mother happens to be the Exec Producer for these movies), but this time, people are not happy. Her bridgerton co star, Corey Mylchreest, CARRIED the entire movie. Every review of this movie I have seen comments on her shitty acting but publications seem to

👟Gen Z are feeling like this is the Worst summer of all time. The “biggest vibe is the lack of actual vibes” resulting in this being “the summer of the crash out” (according to Glamour). Well, welcome to brain rot summer; dominated by Trump/Conservative news cycles, AI slop, algorithmically challenged echo-chambers and media fragmentation. It’s pushing people towards in-real-life activities, essentially anything that helps you avoid the complete absence of vibes.

🤪 I may be a little too embedded into the Formula one algorithm, but last weekend, Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix, and was filmed kissing his girlfriend, Portuguese actor Magui Corceiro. Somehow, this has resulted in a fan ending up in hospital. Said fan was seemingly in a Parasocial relationship and was so devastated, she ended up seeking medical attention. Perhaps Gen Z is more prone to obsessive relationships than other generations?

❌ Whilst some fans have responded to Justin Timberlake’s relentlessly debilitating diagnosis of Lyme Disease with sympathy and kindness, many others believe that if he couldn’t do the job properly, he should’ve cancelled performances and issued refunds to fans. Whilst it’s a valid excuse to his mute performances, it’s left a bitter taste for some fans, who have been comparing his battles with Lyme to Ozzy Osborne’s battle with Parkinson's, who famously came off pain killers in order to give everything to his performances.

💄 “Got bored so decided to turn myself into an LA 10” is the latest Beauty industry trend. Creators are doing complete makeup transformations to make themselves into a stereotypical LA-Girl. The trend has obviously taken off with creators applying it globally, from Texas and Florida, international to Ireland and China, and of course, a UK 10 ( a 13th century 10 anyone?).

👩🏻‍🍳 Being nice to your loved ones feels like it’s getting out of hand. From hosting your boyfriend’s “chill” 30th (complete with a Pizza van, cocktail bar, and 3 solid days worth of cooking prep), to bridesmaid proposal boxes (complete with £80 candles, Chanel lip glosses, handmade photo albums) to a casual brunch worth a month of my salary. I’m either the worlds worst friend, or incredibly sceptical, because these kind of performative videos just can’t be real. Can they?

⚖️ Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni came face-to-face last week as the It Ends With Us actress gave a deposition in the fierce fight over whether sexual harassment and retaliation occurred on the film and the online fallout around its premiere a year ago. A letter from Blake’s own attorneys filed today in federal court makes it pretty clear in hindsight the July 31 sit-down did not go well.

🐴 A short video of a miniature horse, Black Pearl, aggressively playing a keyboard to wake up a girl from anaesthesia at the Shriners for Children Medical Centre in Pasadena, California, is going viral. With her innovative method of treating post-anaesthesia anxiety, Black Pearl, from the NGO Mini Therapy Horses, is making waves online for her special role in post-surgical recovery.

Content Corner: Brands & entertainment

🎓 Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS is heading to college. The brand has unveiled its latest drop, The Campus Collection, a line of loungewear and casual staples designed with (and modelled by) real-life students. The campaign, fronted by undergraduates from various universities, taps into the brand’s knack for blending cultural relevance with everyday wearability. Take the term “real students” lightly - they all have significant followings and social presences.

🎥 My biggest issue with the new Channel 4 Bonnie Blue documentary is that it’s not a documentary. It’s a character study, there’s no depth or exploration into how or why she ended up where she is. The whole thing just feels like an advert for her Only Fans - so much so, that thousands of viewers have complained to Offcom to complain. Someone needs to get Louis Theroux on the case.

♫ Justin Bieber surprised dropped a music video for the song “Yukon” from his new album. The video features his family in a dreamy location. The song debuted at 17 in the charts, but since the release of the video is steadily gaining popularity. Many online are making covers, and fans are enjoying the video, hoping for more.

🕷 Spider man is being filmed in scotland for the rest of the month. Glasgow is (apparently) a great place to use if you need to double for New York. Fans have seen Tom Holland web-slinging his way through streets around the city, and he’s taken time to say hi fans. Brand New day is slated for release next summer.

⛱️ The summer I turned pretty has me (any many other millennial women) in a chokehold. Despite the show being centred around a teenage love triangle, the show may as well be made for millennials. The aesthetic is giving late 90’s early 2000’s rom coms, the plot may as well be twilight without the vampires, the main character is having an arc reminiscent of 2006 Lauren from the hills. I very much enjoyed this TikTokers analysis.

🎞 Side note: Millennial nostalgia is currently peaking - Freaky Friday reboot, Devil Wears Prada sequel, Girls rewatches and Tumblr tributes on TikTok - we’re a more lonely and isolated generation as adults than we ever anticipated in our youth.

Audience Insights: Gen Z (mostly)

💰 America’s youngest consumers are driving almost half of household spending. Ages 8-14 influences 42% of spending - from food to entertainment choices to vacation destinations, Gen Alpha have their parents wrapped around their fingers.

🧸 The obsession with Labubu dolls is fascinating to observe. But it begs the question: when does 'fun' turn into 'full-blown, slightly unhinged obsession'? (Cough *girl-in-hospital-because-Lando-Norris-was-seen-kissing-his-girlfriend* Cough) Because these things aren't cheap. In the UK, they've had to pull some because people were literally fighting over them. Gen Z, which experts say is leading the trend, tends to indulge in “emotional consumption,” or spending that is driven by emotions like nostalgia. As they collect, they’re not exactly “playing” with these toys the way kids do.

😞We know that Gen Z are facing a loneliness epidemic. Gen Z know that they’re facing a lonlieness epidemic. But it doesn’t make it any easier to meet people, with just 8% Of them saying that they often meet new people. Wellness priorities often get in the way - from working out, to hiking, to staying in and protecting mental health, Gen Z are avoiding spending their evenings Out out.

Social and Tech

🪭 Speaking of fandom (both Labubu’s and Lando Norris crash out), online writing platform, WattPad is poised to cash in, as a major hub for Gen Z to engage with pop culture.Companies now chase fans, but fans are loyal to creators, not corporations. After early clashes over fan-created content, fandom went mainstream by the late 2010s (think MCU, "Fifty Shades"). Wattpad is a key platform where millions read and write fanfiction and original stories, often leading to adaptations like "The Kissing Booth" and "After."

🧠 Apple has a new brain controlled iPhone and I hate it. Apple has been developing ways for Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI’s) to translate brain signals into control for its devices. It’s been implanted in 10 very brave people so far, and whilst technologically this is incredible, I find it absolutely terrifying.

💬 AI is doing job interviews now - but candidates would rather stay unemployed than talk to another robot. Human hiring managers have been replaced by AI, resulting in an interview process that feels like a red flag for company culture. HR teams are saying it’s “the only way” to handle thousands of applicants.

And finally two pieces of no context joy from my feed; dog surfing and an MC’d Mario Kart competition