Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: How former President Trump’s campaign is facing criticism for using a deepfake of an NBC News reporter that attacks DeSantis and other Republican presidential hopefuls, a man exposing Wingstop’s ranch recipe as revenge, an explainer of the popular Arthur fist meme, and how Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot is being accused of stealing answers from ChatGPT.
After that, our Senior Reporter Tricia has a “Problematic on TikTok” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🤖 POLITICS
NBC News demands Trump campaign take down deepfake audio clip of reporter criticizing DeSantis, Haley
NBC News is demanding that former President Donald Trump’s campaign take down a parody video clip that is a deepfake of one of its reporters.
🍗 VIRAL
‘Idk why these restaurants play with this man’: Man exposes Wingstop ranch recipe as revenge after they bamboozled him
A popular content creator who is no stranger to outing the secret recipes from famous chain restaurants decided share Wingstop’s recipe after he felt bamboozled by the company.
👊 MEMES
Arthur’s fist meme, explained
Though the show was canceled in 2021, this iconic meme will live until the end of time.
💬 TECH
Elon Musk’s new AI Grok accused of stealing answers from ChatGPT
Grok, the recently released chatbot from billionaire Elon Musk’s startup xAI, has been accused of ripping off ChatGPT.
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😬 Problematic on TikTok
By Tricia Crimmins
Senior Reporter
TikTok’s ‘AI Outpainting’ filter is whitewashing people
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Tuesdays our IRL Reporter Tricia Crimmins breaks down the trends on the popular app that will make you cringe in her “Problematic on TikTok” 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.
🥪 In a viral video, a Subway customer went to the back of the store and interrupted the store’s lone worker who was taking a break.
💵 Viewers of this viral video are divided over whether or not a customer should tip for takeout orders.
🩺 A healthcare worker got an unexpected surprise during a shift at a nursing home that made her vow to never go back.
🦕 I bet you never knew you wanted a giant wicker dinosaur as part of your holiday decor until now. At least, that’s how several viewers felt after one HomeGoods shopper showed the product in a viral video.
💳 A financial educator says you likely aren’t taking full advantage of your Costco membership. In a viral video, he shows you how to save on everything from tires to wine.
🌎 Living more sustainably is surprisingly easy with these eco-friendly alternatives for things you use every day.*
👀 Let’s dive into some of the most iconic side-eye memes, and explore their origins and impact on internet culture.
💸 As one TikTok user and Walmart customer recently discovered, there can be a downside to finding a good discount.
👪 From the Daily Dot archive: Why some mommy vloggers are taking their kids out of the spotlight.
*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.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOU’D BE ABLE TO EASILY SPOT A DEEPFAKE VIDEO?
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👋 Before you go
Despite the past few years proving that several jobs once expected to be done in an office can be done remotely without any issue, many companies are resistant to maintaining something workers clearly want as an option.
But one TikToker was recently shocked to find that her employer was urging women at the company specifically to return to the office.
Amy Swasey (@swasey) told viewers she was recently called into the office, where she works for a consulting company, for a mandatory meeting.
When she arrived, she found the meeting was filled with only other female employees. The point of discussion was employees physically coming into the location full-time.
🎶 Now Playing: “Basquiat” by Black Hibiscus 🎶
