Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: Trump ordering “30 milkshakes and some chicken” at Chick-fil-A, how Airbnb’s new policy is sending the conspiracy theory crowd into a frenzy, a Chili’s customer finding something disturbing in her order, and an explainer on what “TikTok Rizz Party” is.
After that, we’ve got another edition of Meme History for you.
Also: If you didn’t take our short survey yesterday, there’s still time! Scroll down below to fill it out. If you do, you’ll be entered to win our brand new “Take Me Out To The Blog Game” shirt.
See you next week!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🍗 POLITICS
Trump’s ’30 milkshakes and some chicken’ order at Chick-fil-A astounds
While some posters saw Trump’s Chick-fil-A visit as a smarmy, glad-handing photo op, others thought that the casual visit was a good look for him.
🏡 CONSPIRACY
‘They are telling you what’s coming’: Airbnb’s new refund policy for ‘government travel restrictions’ sends QAnon crowd spiraling
Airbnb announced late last month a planned update to its “Major Disruptive Events Policy,” a decision that’s led some online to believe the company has foreknowledge of an upcoming disaster.
😱 VIRAL
‘I’m in shock’: Chili’s customer notices something unusual in her salsa after ordering the 3 For Me deal to-go
The Chili’s 3 For Me deal starts at $10.99 and includes an entrée, appetizer, and beverage. One customer ordered the meal to-go and was aghast when she opened it up.
📱 INTERNET CULTURE
The ‘TikTok Rizz Party,’ explained
Rizz, for the uninitiated, is a Gen-Z/online term for being charming and having charisma. It started on Twitch a few years back and has since blown up everywhere—particularly TikTok.
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⚾ Take me out to the blog game
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🤓 Meme History
By Kyle Calise
Video Producer
Meme History: Let Him Cook
Meme History is a weekly column that dives deep into internet lore to uncover the history of famous memes. It runs on Saturdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🤖 While having an AI boyfriend might sound strange, it’s no longer impossible.
🍴 It’s not uncommon for servers to share storytimes of “Karens” they encounter on shifts on TikTok, but did this customer take things a step too far?
🛍️ Ordering grocery pickup through Instacart may be one of the best conveniences to come out of the 2010s for working folk who may not have the time to get to the grocery store. That is, until it isn’t anymore.
💼 A man shared his promotion on LinkedIn, but it created complications when a co-worker who thought he’d been passed over unfairly sent “a slew of unhinged texts” to the promoted man.
🛒 The line at Walmart was moving way too slow for this woman, so she took matters into her own hands.
💤 A woman called out a new iPhone 15 feature after she discovered the real reason she’s been sleeping in.
🏳️🌈 From the Daily Dot archive: Long before #instagays, YouTube’s gay celebs blazed the trail for a generation of LGBTQ youth.
👋 Before you go
Costco’s generous return policy is the stuff of internet legend. Remember the viral video about a woman who returned a whole couch to the big-box retailer? After a popular TikTok creator recently had a little fun with the policy in a new video, viewers are sharing their wildest return stories.
Comedian Brian Herzog (@herzy1000)’s comedy skit about the Costco return policy has 6.5 million views and 366,000 likes.
