Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: A renter who says she’s been dealing with a very annoying problem for months, a woman detailing the very bad blind date she had with a billionaire, a tech bro who is facing backlash online after claiming to use AI to steal page views from a competitor, and apparently conspiracy theorist Alex Jones launched a video game.
After that, our Senior Reporter Audra has a “That One Sound” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
💡 WTF
‘I am not exaggerating when I say that would literally make me go insane’: Renter says flashing light in empty building has been blinding her for months
A woman who has documented her “little life” in her “tiny home” in New York City in a series of TikToks has also uploaded one glaring problem she’s been dealing with over the past several months.
💰 VIRAL
‘It was my first blind date—I find out on the date’: Woman details her surprising date with a billionaire
A strange date with a billionaire has one woman sounding off on social media.
🤖 TECH
Tech entrepreneur blasted for gleefully publishing how-to guide for using AI to steal content from competitors
A tech bro is facing backlash online after claiming to have used artificial intelligence (AI) to steal millions of page views from a competitor’s website.
🎮 CONSPIRACY
Alex Jones launches arcade-style video game—where you go to Epstein Island to hunt Bill Clinton
The 2-D platformer has players battling against various boogeymen of New World Order conspiracies.
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🎵 That One Sound
By Audra Schroeder
Senior Culture Reporter
A song from an obscure 2000s Canadian kids’ show gets revived on 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.
🧀 People seemed to relate to this one man’s video where he revealed that his “famous” mac and cheese he brought to a potluck was actually just from Costco.
🌯 There seems to be no shortage of TikTok users who’ve criticized Chipotle for increasing prices. And other folks are less-than-impressed with the amount of food that they’re getting lately.
🍰 In a viral video, one woman recounted how a Cheesecake Factory server confronted her about not tipping.
💳 A Bank of America customer is contending that she had all of her credit cards with the bank canceled without warning.
🧇 How would you react if you ordered waffles at brunch, but were served Eggo frozen waffles?
🍸 Get into the holiday spirit with non-alcoholic spirits. These are the must-try non-alcoholic gins on the market.*
💵 This TikToker went viral after sharing that Dollar General was about to mark down thousands of items to just one penny.
👀 With the holidays upon us, Trader Joe’s is getting into the spirit. And a new viral video features one TikTok user revealing a “Trader Joe’s Thanksgiving surprise.”
🔍 From the Daily Dot archive: How Trump mainstreamed QAnon before anyone ever noticed.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
📝 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 HAD BAD EXPIERENCES WHILE RENTING AN APARTMENT?
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👋 Before you go
Restaurant prices have gone up dramatically in recent years—and eager eaters aren’t too thrilled about it.
Given these high costs, diners are increasingly finding themselves in the awkward situation where they enter a restaurant, sit down, then realize they can’t afford it.
This recently happened to TikTok user Kaitlyn Zermeño Smith (@k8.zermenosmith). In a recent video with over 2.3 million views, Smith shows several women looking at menus with embarrassment.
In the text overlaying the video, she writes, “POV: you realized the ‘fancy’ restaurant was a little too fancy for your bank accounts.”
🎶 Now Playing: “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” by André 3000 🎶
