Jesus Models and Luigi-Scolds
+ A YouTuber on the picket line, Jello's return, the Bop House vs the YeHouse, and the man who lost $70k on Hawk Tuah memecoin
With a lot of people traveling this week I thought I’d put together a longer reading list:
Holiday reading
It Pays to Have Long Hair and a Beard in Utah—Jesus Models Are in Demand
Lookalikes are being hired for family portraits and wedding announcements but expectations can be high; ‘You know I’m not the real Jesus, right? - WSJ
The Luigi-Scolds Don't Care About Changing Your Mind
Online scolds know their tactic doesn't persuade people. That's not why they do it. - Idiot Box
Not Like Us: How hip-hop podcasters became the headline in rap’s big battle.
The Kendrick Lamar and Drake rap battle played out on podcasts, how new hip hop media reported the beef. - Good Tape
The Ghosts in the Machine: Spotify’s plot against musicians
How Spotify used its Perfect Fit Content program to rig its system against musicians, filling popular playlists with “ghost artists” to cut its royalty payouts. - Harper’s
Could This 20-Year-Old Be One of the Democrats’ Bro Whisperers?
Dean Withers argues online with right-wing stars like Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro. His goal? To reach their young, male followers. - NY Times
They Really Mean It: A Gala for Right-Wing Revenge
The far-right internet is even more shocking in person. - The Atlantic
How the Far Right Reports on the Border
Wid Lyman, who tries to document crossings on the southern border, is one of a growing number of citizen journalists who portray immigrants with a sense of menace. - New Yorker
What Professional Organizers Know About Our Lives
Overwhelmed by too much stuff, we hire experts to help us sort things out. But what’s really behind all the clutter? - New Yorker
Hollywood’s DEI Programs Have Begun to D-I-E. How Hard Did the Industry Really Try?
“I knew not to expect much,” says a TV creator, “but it’s still pretty disheartening when even the façade totally falls away.” - Vanity Fair
More fun stuff
Videos going around of “shark rescues”? are often staged for clicks and sharks are being killed to make them.
Soho house has not once posted a profit in 30 years.
The 2024 hater’s guide to the Williams-Sonoma catalog.
Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business :(
Marc Benioff tried to pass off a years-old photo ripped from a government website as his own on Twitter for some reason.
YouTuber music critic Anthony Fantano has joined the Amazon Teamsters picket line extension in Connecticut.
Writer
spoke to the X user who made Cookie an online phenomenon.The New York Times finally acknowledged Skibidi Toilet.
TikTok transformed $5 pajama pants by the brand Five Below into a uniform for middle schoolers.
Blackstone dropped their 2024 holiday video and it’s country western themed.
Here’s a look behind the scenes of Blackstone's video team who produces the video each year.
Sam Altman went on a Bari Weiss’ podcast and spoke about his ongoing feud with Elon Musk calling him “clearly a bully.”
The best explainer on Brianna Chickenfry and Grace O’Malley’s friendship breakup. (Two childhood best friends who became Barstool sports podcast stars and influencers)
A Kickstarter campaign for a competitive card game where you try to build the biggest and best social media platform.
Lily Jay, ex of "Wicked" star Ethan Slater (who ran off with co star Ariana Grande) wrote a gutting essay about her divorce.
An X user compiled over 2800 clips of money being mentioned in Mr. Beast videos and put them all in ascending order.
A Luigi Mangione look-alike contest took place in Brazil.
The year in micro news.
YouTube is taking a tougher stance on clickbait, saying it will remove content with titles or thumbnails that promise viewers “something that the video doesn’t deliver.”
Jello is making a comeback.
Sabrina Carpenter did an NPR Tiny Desk concert (with a creative Juno position).
Hollywood insiders answer 20 burning questions about the entertainment business. In a survey of 400+ Hollywood insiders 50% would sell a show to Netflix over its rivals.
Inside 50 years of iconic ‘Saturday Night Live’ opening credits.
Haliey Welch, aka the "Hawk Tuah Girl," has resurfaced with a public statement after a controversy over her memecoin $HAWK, which plummeted in value after launching. Welch said she planned to “hold the responsible parties accountable.”
Meanwhile, here’s an excerpt from the Hawk Tuah memecoin lawsuit showing who is suing, how much they lost. Condolences to Eric Porat of Brooklyn who lost $70,000.
Tech journalist Kara Swisher is apparently trying to buy the Washington Post.
Elon Musk is downplaying his political influence after people online started calling him President Musk.
Why you can’t switch seats on an empty airplane (an interesting explainer on airplane weight distribution).
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Another great compilation. The marc benioff story was enjoyable. And the line "You know I'm not Jesus, right?" said so much.