Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: A guest claiming that an Airbnb host started harassing him after he left an “honest” review, why a weird picture of colored lines is crashing ChatGPT, how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staffers and boosters are freaking out after Iowa was called for Trump, and a woman sharing a viral hack to get a free Roku stick with a library card.
After that, our Senior Reporter Audra has a “That One Sound” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🏠 WTF
‘How can a SUPER HOST get away with this??’: Guest says Airbnb host started harassing him after he left an ‘honest’ review
The videos, presented as slideshows, unfold the story of a couple’s stay and the subsequent fallout with their “super host” that escalated dramatically after their departure.
💻 TECH
Why is this weird picture of colored lines crashing ChatGPT?
An image of descending colored lines on a black background—like a faulty digital TV screen—is going viral after people discovered that whenever you input it into ChatGPT it crashes the program.
🗳️ POLITICS
DeSantis team immediately blames media, claims conspiracy after Iowa called for Trump
An early call by several media outlets that former President Donald Trump won the Iowa caucus has Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ staffers and boosters crying foul.
👀 HACKS
‘I haven’t paid for HBO Max and Netflix in God knows how long’: Woman says you can get a free Roku stick with a library card—but that’s not all
Libraries have long been pillars of communities, providing not just books, but a wealth of resources and services. And they continue to expand their offerings to meet the needs of their communities in the age of the internet.
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🎵 That One Sound
By Audra Schroeder
Senior Reporter
How a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ cover became an anthem for North Sea TikTok
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. “That One Sound” is a weekly column from senior internet culture writer Audra Schroeder that explores the origin of popular sounds heard on TikTok. It runs on Wednesdays. 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 your inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🤳 You’ve seen the videos of people acting quite out of character after getting laughing gas for tooth surgery. This woman took things one step further, sending her manager an out-of-office video while medicated right before giving birth.
😮 A franchise owner posted a viral video saying the parent company is trying to arrest her and her husbandwith the support of a “billionaire-backed private equity firm.”
🚗 Viewers of this viral video are divided after a woman shared that she was considering canceling her second date without someone because her potential match didn’t offer to pick her up.
🛋️ This couch-purchasing horror story is getting a lot of attention online, especially since the couch cost $5,000.
🛒 A user on TikTok has sparked discussion after claiming that she waited an hour and a half for a curbside grocery order from Walmart.
📺 This Best Buy customer blasts the store’s new return policy in a viral video after learning the hard way.
💼 One jobseeker is fed up with having to do “free labor” during the interview process and believes he has the perfect response to such requests.
🏳️🌈 From the Daily Dot archive: Long before #instagays, YouTube’s gay celebs blazed the trail for a generation of LGBTQ youth.
📝 Question of the Day
Everyone’s got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered.
HAVE YOU TRIED TO BUY ONE OF THE VIRAL STANLEY CUPS?
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👋 Before you go
Artificial intelligence has infiltrated the workforce, from writing scripts in the entertainment industry to working in restaurants.
Different fast food places, such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Checkers, have implemented AI. Now, a woman has gone viral for filming her interaction with Carl’s Jr.’s AI drive-thru assistant. Needless to say, the system has glitches.
TikToker Kelly Blackheart (@kelly_blackheart) filmed the drive-thru at Carl’s Jr. while in front of the speaker. “Uh, give me a moment, please,” Tori, Carl’s Jr.’s AI drive-thru attendant, greeted. After a few seconds of silence, the AI returns, apologizes, and asks, “I’m back. What can I get for you?”
Before Blackheart could respond, Tori started repeating her question, sounding like she was malfunctioning. When the content creator and acquaintance tried speaking, the machine spoke over them, reiterating her apology and question. “I think Tori’s on one right now,” Blackheart commented.
🎶 Now Playing: “World Domination” by Joey Bada$$ 🎶
