News of Twitter's new 'Super Followers' feature has people Super Pissed. For quite a long time, committed Twitter users have urged the app's developers to introduce an 'edit' function so that users can fix embarrassing typos instead of deleting and reposting a whole new tweet. Seems like a reasonable request, but apparently Twitter didn't think so. Instead they'll be introducing a monetization feature, which will allow users to charge their followers to see their best content. Thus, Super Followers. Sounds a little bit like Only Fans, doesn't it? But just because Twitter thinks your shitposts are worth anything doesn't mean its users agree. Historically, the main draw of the platform has been its simplicity. Unlike other community-based social networks, Twitter is a vast and singular public forum—the internet's Speaker's Corner, for better or worse. Twitter is aiming to move away from that by encouraging smaller, insular communities to form through monetization. 'Rip Twitter' ironically started trending on Twitter as soon as the announcement about the new features were made. We'll see how users respond once Twitter introduces the testing phase. In the meantime, we've collected some meme'd out reactions to the news.
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We never thought we'd have to say this sentence, but the new USPS delivery vehicle design is absolutely adorable. Which is kind of surprising considering Oshkosh Defense was contracted to build the next-generation truck—you'd think it would look like a tank with canons that launch packages into neighborhood yards. Instead it looks like a cute cartoon version of the mail truck we all know and love, or the flying car from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The last time USPS delivery trucks got a make over was about 30 years ago, so it's safe to say they're due for a green new makeover.
Twitter is (mostly) smitten with the new design and it didn't take long for the truck to get meme'd. Not everyone is head-over-heels though—some would rather see something akin to Tesla's 'Cybertruck' (though we're not quite sure how practical that would be), and others care less about what it looks like and more about how environmentally friendly the vehicle is. We've collected some fun reactions to the newly released images of the USPS delivery vehicle.
Last year, an unfortunate conspiracy theory spread all over TikTok denying Helen Keller's disabilities and achievements. Welp, the truthers are apparently back at it as 'Helen Keller' trended on Twitter this week for all the wrong reasons. So where the hell did this theory come from? At the beginning of 2020, crass Helen Keller jokes were trending on TikTok, which might have inspired TikToker @mygrandmaslooselip to post a video claiming that Helen Keller wasn't actually blind. What might have started out as a tacky ploy to take advantage of a trending hashtag quickly became a full-blown conspiracy theory, mostly backed by zoomers claiming she was either faking her disabilities, that her teacher Anne Sullivan was fabricating Keller's achievements, or that she didn't exist at all. The truly hard thing to believe is that the conspiracy itself is real. Many of these TikTok videos have an air of twisted irony about them—maybe it's all just a bit. Though one shouldn't underestimate the idiocy of TikTok trends. Maybe some would rather believe a conspiracy denying Helen Keller's existence than admit they'll likely never measure up to the achievements and activism of a woman who lived with blindness and deafness. We should say that not all of TikTok is all gung ho about the conspiracy. Many have posted responses debunking the theories. For example, TikToker @diwhine posted a rebuttal video with captions that read, "This is the worst thing I've seen on this app. TikTok is so toxic. People are literally denying the fact that Helen Keller existed & discrediting her...She knew five languages because she wanted to learn them and she was given the tools to do that. She was able to thrive because people accommodated her. She was able to do all these things because instead of people saying 'oh, you can't do that, you're blind and deaf'—no, they said 'sure, we'll make it work."
It's not totally clear why the theory has recently had a resurgence, but Helen Keller denial discourse has made its way to Twitter after a history teacher uploaded a TikTok video of himself reacting to his middle school students claim that 'Helen Keller was fake' or that she was 'the nazi guy.' Even more theories have since circulated, claiming that Keller was a racist eugenicist and that Anne Sullivan owned slaves. Despite the well-documented fact that Keller was an outspoken socialist, feminist, and early supporter of the NAACP, Helen Keller deniers are calling for her to be 'cancelled.' We can't make this stuff up. Unsurprisingly, Twitter has takes on all this. While most write off the theories as baseless and inherently ableist, some have used ironic jokes to mock those who believe in the conspiracy.
Everyone's favorite sinister fashionista is back in the live-action form of Emma Stone as Cruella De Vil. This isn't the first time Disney has turned one of its classic evil villains into a feature-length origin story. In 2014, Disney portrayed Maleficent's wicked fairy queen of the moors as a tragic figure rather than the 'Mistress of All Evil' we remember her as in Sleeping Beauty (1959). For many, the humanizing depiction of Maleficent was refreshing—especially after decades of tired character tropes from Disney giving us the same old formula: the evil witch, the meek young princess, and her dashing man-savior. But in light of the new Cruella trailer, it seems like the same enthusiasm isn't being extended to this particular villain. I mean, the character literally kills puppies—do we even want to know that origin story?
One common pre-emptive criticism of Cruella is that the trailer hints at a 'jokerfied' character arc. It's hard to imagine young Cruella as an Arthur Fleck—a distinctly anti-social man who grew up in poverty—but hey! Anything can happen in fiction, baby. Others have compared Emma Stone's Cruella to Harley Quinn, which makes some sense when weighing their basic aesthetic similarities, but otherwise they don't have a whole lot in common as characters. Harley Quinn broke into Gotham Zoo to free the hyenas, whereas Cruella De Vil probably wouldn't set foot in a zoo unless it was to shop for a new coat. Does Cruella fit the Joker archetype of outcast scorned by 'society,' or is she just a dog-hating psycho? I guess we'll find out when the movie is released this May. For now, we've collected some pretty amusing reactions to the new trailer.
In the age of online dating, sliding into DMs, and social distancing, romantic pursuit is looking more like a casual 'wyd' text and less like the elaborate, tenacious courtships we grew up marveling at in Hollywood movies. Not that there's anything wrong with a more straightforward, no-bullshit approach to flirting—the concept of dating lots of different people throughout one's adulthood is much more socially accepted now than it used to be. And as the social conditions change over time, it's only natural that our behavior should change accordingly. The problem is, we're complicated, overthinking humans. We still have to reconcile the realities of modern dating with desire, fantasy, and unrealistic expectations. In 1960, French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan said of love and desire, 'imagine you see in front of you a beautiful flower, or a ripe fruit. You reach out your hand to grab it. But at the moment you do, the flower, or the fruit, bursts into flames. In its place you see another hand appear, reaching back towards your own.' Lacan believed that desire is produced in the margin between one's appetite for satisfaction and the demand for love. He theorized that desire isn't exactly innate—desire is actually mediated by the desire of the 'Other.' And what does this big Other desire? Well if we knew that, then our desire burst into flame like Lacan's beautiful flower. Because it's the very recognition of the object of desire that we lack and therefore seek. Our desire is like an empty vessel that constantly gets filled with the desire of the Other, always changing as the socio-cultural context changes. And so it makes sense then that millennials are unsatisfied with certain normalized social behaviors that have been shaped by new social conditions. Reality is at odds with what we are made to desire—an idealized version of reality that fiction routinely implants into us.
We're featuring a viral Twitter meme that very succinctly illustrates this age-old problem of expectation vs. reality. The meme cleverly takes that familiar 'wyd' text (which is comically concise and yet loaded with implications) and juxtaposes it with absurdly theatrical shows of concern from well-known romcom scenes, television dialogue, and corny song lyrics. It's always 'wyd' and never 'but, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?' It's always 'wyd' and never 'you had me at hello.' It's always 'wyd' and never 'you're like my own personal brand of heroin.' Get it?
Perhaps the best thing about this meme is the level of self-awareness it reveals about the poster. Those tweeting the meme are simultaneously admitting their desire for a vague, idealized version of romance and making fun of themselves for it, which becomes evident in the more absurd tweets. One of the funniest examples of this meme is perhaps the one that uses Anakin Skywalker's infamous line in Star Wars: Episode II—"It's always 'wyd' and never 'I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.'" The notoriously cringey scene was supposed to represent a romantic, intimate turning point in the characters' relationship. Instead it feels more like a terribly awkward Tinder date that would have had a real-life Padme running in the other direction. The decision to insert this line into the meme turns it into a hilarious mockery of its original sentiment. We've collected some of the funniest examples of the trending Twitter meme for your amusement.
In light of the release of New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, many have expressed outrage over the way Britney was dragged by the media and ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s. Although the pop stars dated nearly 20 years ago, fans have been newly riled up over the doc and many have since demanded that Justin apologize for his cruelty towards Britney during the fallout of their very public breakup. Back in the aughts, when men could do no wrong and women were disproportionately scrutinized by the media, the public narrative heavily sided with Justin, which arguably contributed to Britney's tarnished image.
On Friday, Justin posted an apology on Instagram, which has only caused Twitter to roast him even harder. Many argued that lumping Janet Jackson and Britney Spears into one screenshot notes app apology was in bad taste, while others mocked him for waiting decades to say sorry. Though some are satisfied with the singer's attempt to hold himself accountable, the general sentiment seems to be that Justin's forced and lackluster apology is too little too late. He's probably scrolling through Twitter as we speak, thinking, 'the damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving.'
We've collected some of the spiciest Twitter reactions to Justin's Instagram apology.
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and you know what that means—couples everywhere will be framing pointless expectations for each other based the hype of a highly commercialized holiday. Some will set themselves up for failure, while others will humbly remind themselves that performing romance on a single day doesn't make your relationship as a whole any more or less enriching. Since Valentine's Day is so rife with clichés, we thought it might be fun to highlight one trending Twitter meme that pokes fun at hetero couples. We love this meme because there's a lot of room to get clever with it. Some play with familiar stereotypes, like the 'homophobic BF and "oh my god babe, don't say that!" GF.' And others invent couple archetypes that are funny in their absurdity. We've collected some of our favorite 'BF/GF' Twitter memes to celebrate yet another Valentine's Day.
Recently released New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears has sparked a conversation around what really happened to the pop legend in the early aughts and who is to blame. We all remember watching voyeuristically as Britney Spears suffered a harrowing public breakdown in 2008. While the rest of us usually have the benefit of privacy when we face life challenges that threaten our mental health, someone like Britney grew up in front of the camera, and in 2008 the paparazzi were more vicious than ever. The infamous images of Britney shaving her head, attacking a paparazzo's car with an umbrella, and being shipped off to a hospital are what many remember before she started to disappear from the public eye, and Framing Britney Spears gives important context to these events. From the moment Britney became famous as a teenager, her image was aggressively scrutinized by the media, whose self-proclaimed arbiters of morality acted as if a sixteen-year-old girl ought to bear the responsibility of being a perfect role model to an entire generation.
Britney fans are particularly enraged by an interview excerpt that was included in the documentary. In 2003, at the height of Britney's career, Diane Sawyer interviewed the pop star on ABC's Primetime Thursday. One could hardly call it an interview—it feels more like an attack. In the scene, which is difficult to watch without cringing, we see a visibly uncomfortable 21-year-old Britney endure sexist questions from Sawyer about Britney's virginity and her responsibility as a role model to young girls. At one point Sawyer brings up tabloid rumors that Britney had cheated on Justin Timberlake. 'He has gone on television and pretty much said you broke his heart. You did something that caused him so much pain, so much suffering. What did you do?' Asks Sawyer. Can you imagine an interviewer today asking a young woman this same question? 'What did you do to him?' The cringe is severe and the resurfacing of this interview has many millennials questioning their own complicity at the time. It's sad to be reminded that not long ago, treating women this way was completely normal.
The Diane Sawyer interview was just one example of how the media publicly ripped Britney apart when she was most vulnerable, and not only contributed to the decline in her mental health, but profited from it. Sadly, Britney is still experiencing the fallout of those years—she is locked in a court-ordered conservatorship that has stripped her of control and agency over her own life. Those who have watched the documentary are now dragging Sawyer on Twitter and demanding that she apologize to Britney Spears for the wanton misogyny of that 2003 interview. We've collected some Twitter reactions from some of the people who have revisited the brutal and inappropriate media coverage of Britney's life from that time. We appreciate biographical profiles like Framing Britney Spears and HBO's Tiger because they remind us that even the most iconic and god-like public figures are still just human beings.
You've probably seen the terms 'alpha' and 'beta' floating around the internet used to describe different male archetypes. Well, apparently there's a new level in the hierarchy of males called 'sigma'. If you're wondering what the hell that means, you're not alone. We're not really sure either. It has something to do with lone wolves who are kind of like alpha males but they also exist outside of the hierarchy somehow? Well good ol' Twitter caught wind of this pseudo-intellectual nonsense and went to town with the roasts. We've collected some of the most entertaining tweets dragging the supposed 'sigma male.'
Andrew Yang has taken to the streets of NYC since the announcement of his 2021 mayoral campaign. His first stop was a spacious, pristine, well-lit convenience store that he featured in a video about supporting local bodegas. Anyone who lives in NYC knows that bodega discourse is a contentious subject for New Yorkers, and so it is unsurprising that Yang's message was completely eclipsed by the fact that he was not, in fact, in a bodega.
The bodega warriors of Twitter wasted no time roasting Yang for the faux pas. Many tweeted photos of Whole Foods and CVS with the caption, 'on my way to my local bodega!' Sorry Yang, but no one wins in the bodega wars. We've collected some of the funniest reactions to Yang's viral Twitter video.
If you're as online as we are, you've probably heard about the whole Bean Dad saga by now. You know, the guy who bragged on Twitter about watching his nine-year-old daughter struggle to open a can of beans for six hours. Anyway, the grown-up daughters and sons of Twitter have been texting their own dads asking, 'if I were nine and I asked you how to open a can of beans, what would you do?' It's been dubbed the 'Beanchdel Test' (like the Bechdel Test, get it?) and it's yielding some promising results. Most dads would simply show their kids how to use a can opener, which has given us hope for the future. We've singled out some amusing screenshots of the conversations between Twitter users and their dads. Makes us wonder what our own dads would do!
No one asked for these tweets, but we were all secretly thinking the same things. Sometimes you just really gotta get your thoughts out to someone, even if no one wants to hear them. From irrelevant celebrities (we're not naming any names) to 12-year-old emo you, we all do it sometimes.
We all love a good self-deprecating joke. It gives you the opportunity to make fun of yourself before anyone else can make fun of you. Accordingly, this trending Twitter meme, "Some of you were never...," highlights some of the embarrassing behaviors of the past that we can all relate to!
We love these "Broke/Woke" memes, but they might not make a lot of sense to you if you're really not into weird Millennial humor - they signify the shift from one pop culture trend that's going out of style to another, more enlightened version of said pop culture trend.
Scroll down and enjoy the freshest versions of the meme that we could find!
It's that time of year again when college students everywhere are applying for financial aid applications, otherwise known as FAFSA. These tweets make fun of how strict FAFSA is with who they give aid to, and about how less-than-financially-savvy college students can sometimes be seen spending their money on expensive things.
