Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Happy Friday! Our top stories today are about: A woman going viral for sharing her disastrous first date with someone she met on Bumble, a police officer sounding the alarm over a new gift card scam, the Moms for Liberty co-founder refusing to resign from a Florida school board, and BookTok exposing an author for leaving negative reviews on Goodreads.
After that, our Trending Team shares with you their pick for “Main Character of the Week.”
Don’t forget: If you scroll down below and take our weekly news quiz, you might be picked to win a brand new “Jingle Blogs” shirt!
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
👀 VIRAL
‘It’s because men are different now’: Woman says no one should be on Bumble after date makes her pay for $60 indoor rock-climbing pass
A woman is urging others to delete Bumble after a disastrous first date.
💸 SCAMS
‘Alarming and increasing this holiday season’: Police officer issues PSA warning of new Target gift card scam
A police officer is warning of a new gift card scam involving cards that are being made worthless and then sold at Target by unsuspecting clerks to unsuspecting customers.
🏫 FAR-RIGHT
Moms for Liberty co-founder refuses calls to resign from Florida school board amid GOP sex scandal
The Sarasota County School Board recommended Bridget Ziegler, the co-founder of Moms for Liberty, step down from the panel due to her husband, Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler, being under investigation for an alleged rape.
📚 CULTURE
Author loses book deal after BookTok exposes her for review-bombing authors of color
First-time author Cait Corrain was dropped by her publisher Del Rey Books after fellow authors exposed her for leaving negative reviews on Goodreads. Many of the fake reviews were directed at authors of color.
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👑 Main Character of the Week
By Ramon Ramirez
Managing Editor
Main Character of the Week: Olive Garden ziosk heist
Main Character of the Week is a weekly column that tells you the most prominent “main character” online (good or bad). It runs on Fridays 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.
🤒 A woman posted a viral TikTok video this week explaining how she blocked her friend who forgot to bring her water and Gatorade while sick. Readers are torn.
🐈 Owning a cat can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse for your furniture. Luckily, a director of adoption for a Michigan cat rescue has the secret to teaching your cat.
🚘 One customer found out that there’s more to worry about when getting your oil changed than the mechanic using the wrong brand.
🧺 A woman revealed her “weird experience” at her apartment complex laundry room—a random man folded her clothes.
📱 This app-based weight loss program prioritizes your mental health so you can live a healthier lifestyle. Here’s how you can try it for free.*
🛒 This Walmart worker exposed what happens when an “unavailable” delivery item is actually in-store.
💸 In a recent TikTok, an Airbnb customer shared a PSA on how to handle being wrongfully charged for alleged “broken items.”
🌐 From the Daily Dot archive: Is there a First Amendment right to assemble in the metaverse?
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 Before you go
Are you a Starbucks girl or a Dunkin’ girl? That’s the question that recently sparked a debate in the comments section of a viral TikTok video.
Jacqueline Lee (@glutenfreejackie) uploaded a video in which she humorously explained the differences between girls who prefer Starbucks and those who prefer Dunkin’ Donuts.
Holding a Dunkin’ Donuts cup in her hand, she began, “There’s two kinds of girls. There’s Dunkin’ Donuts girls, and there’s Starbucks girls, OK?” Lee proceeded to describe the traits of each type of girl, taking a subtle jab at Starbucks for the high price of their drinks.
