Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories to kick off the week include: Google’s AI having a pretty massive fail, a woman claiming an Amazon seller was trying to bribe her to take down a 1-star review, a fast food worker sharing what workers “secretly hate” customers for doing, and a look at how an actress in The Last Of Us is pushing back at sexist criticism.
After that, we have a “One Dumb Conspiracy” column from our Tech Reporter Mikael.
Quick programming note: I’ll be off for the next few days, so our Culture Editor Tiffany Kelly will be guiding you through the news starting tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
💻 TECH
Google built a competitor to ChatGPT—that got a basic fact wrong when it launched
When the artificial intelligence isn’t all that intelligent.
⭐ WTF
‘This is the 4th email they’ve sent me’: Customer says Amazon seller tried to bribe her to take down 1-star review
A user on TikTok has sparked discussion after claiming that an Amazon seller sent her 4 emails offering bribes to take down her negative review of their product.
🍟 LABOR
Fast food worker shares things customers do that workers ‘secretly hate’ them for
A longtime fast-food employee has gone viral for sharing things customers do that workers “secretly hate” them for, prompting criticism from viewers who have their own gripes with fast-food restaurants.
🎬 CULTURE
‘The Last of Us’ actress Melanie Lynskey hits back at sexist criticism of her character’s appearance
Lynskey’s mannerisms and identity sparked sexist criticism online, and the actress shot back at it.
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📺 Still watching
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🔍 One Dumb Conspiracy
Conspiracy theorists think Kamala Harris has gills… seriously
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🍴 Restaurants and delivery drivers working together can be a recipe for disaster.
💼 A woman says she was fired from her brand new job after she showed up to work two minutes late.
🥐 This Starbucks “hack” to make a honey butter croissant has a lot of people interested.
🍊 A user on TikTok has gone viral after claiming that he was charged $12 for a “stolen orange” after eating one off of a counter at a restaurant.
🍗 Have you ever wondered how the wings are tossed at Buffalo Wild Wings?
🍼 With these clever baby gadgets, a few seconds of shut-eye won’t drown you in anxiety.*
✈️ A user on TikTok has gone viral after claiming that Frontier tried to charge her $99 for a carry-on bag—only for her to prove that the bag actually fit their limit for a personal item.
⚰️ From the Daily Dot archive: Here are the real-life stakes of faking your death online.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 Before you go
A user on TikTok has gone viral after claiming they were fired less than an hour into their first day at Jamba Juice.
In a video with over 1 million views, TikTok user Jordan tells the story of his first and last day.
According to Jordan, he was being trained when the person training him decided to step out for a few minutes. While the trainer was away, a customer came in and ordered something off of the “secret menu.”
Things escalated from there.
🎶 Now Playing: “The Drugs Don’t Work” by The Verve 🎶