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Hello fellow web crawlers! Kira here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Today’s top stories are about: a new conspiracy about the massively viral hawk tuah girl, a roundup of nightmare car rental stories, a social media duel between the Empire State Building and the Chicago Bean, and the story of Maxwell the cat, an online gaming legend.
After that, check out Mikael’s “One Dumb Conspiracy” column.
Until next time,
— K.D.
⚡ Today in Internet Culture
💦 VIRAL CONSPIRACY
‘Victim of the CIA’: The hawk tuah girl’s instant virality brings about conspiratorial accusation
“They are purposely filling our culture with degeneracy to keep the population controlled, weak, and unhappy,” wrote a far-right content creator.
🚗 CAUTIONARY RENTAL TALES
‘It was so traumatic’: 5 nightmare car rental stories that’ll make you think twice
Via TikTok, here are five recent car rental horror stories that might give you pause the next time you need to rent a vehicle.
🗽 BRANDED ACCOUNTS BECOME SENTIENT
‘Clap if you care’: The Empire State Building mocks the Chicago Bean’s reopening online
A look at the online conflict between the two major city icons.
🐈⬛ THE INTERNET LOVES CATS
Maxwell the cat is a legend among gamers
Maxwell the Cat is a black-and-white tuxedo cat who went viral after a revived Imgur post, which led to him entering the gaming world as player-created content. If it sounds like a wild journey, it is.
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🔍 One Dumb Conspiracy
By Mikael Thalen
Staff Reporter
Viral ‘rubbery’ food video sparks Bill Gates conspiracies—but there’s just one problem
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 your inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the Web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🛒 One Trader Joe’s shopper called out other customers who give her dirty looks for not taking her shopping cart back to the cart return located in the parking lot. The video was met with harsh criticism.
🍴 This might be ServerTok’s most bizarre moment yet, as one former restaurant server goes viral after clocking someone’s surprise dinner guest.
🥪 Is this the “best” way to eat a sandwich from Subway?
📦 A UPS customer slammed the company for damaging her package and then destroying it without her knowledge.
🍦 Dairy Queen is known for its Blizzards and other sweet treats, but in a recent TikTok, one content creator questioned the base for many of these desserts: Is Dairy Queen using ice cream or some mysterious second thing?
📹 From the Daily Dot archive: Here’s how local governments are surveilling their workers.
📝 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.
THE HAWK TUAH GIRL MEME: FUNNY OR IRRITATING?
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🤳 Today’s Viral Video
Selected Walmart stores are doing this 😮
🎶 Now Playing: “Ride 4 Me” by Spice 1 Ft. C-Bo 🎶
