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Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of Internet Insider.
Things look a little bit different today. Normally, I’d write a column about tech news, but instead we’re bumping up our weekly “Now Streaming” column. Why? Well, tomorrow’s newsletter will be focused on the voices defining Web3.
We’ve got a package of great stories, so we wanted to make sure you get to see them right here in the newsletter.
So that’ll be exciting tomorrow, but today also has a lot of essential internet culture news, so let’s dive into it.
— A.W.
INTERNET RIGHTS: The director of a broadband rights organization called out former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp for her opposition to FCC commissioner nominee Gigi Sohn. Heitkamp is campaigning against Sohn’s nomination, which has faced obstruction from Republicans pretty much from the get-go. In an opinion piece, Christopher Mitchell argues that Heitkamp is intentionally misrepresenting Sohn’s quotes to build a case against her. You can read all of our report about it here.
DEBUNK: Doctors are debunking a social media post by chiropractor and health coach Dr. Melissa Sell, in which she claims tumors are “purposeful adaptations.” Debunks of the post are going viral online, including on TikTok, where doctors were aghast at her claim. You can read all of our report on the discourse surrounding her tweet here.
SURVEILLANCE: The FBI said that it conducted upward of 3.4 million searches on American’s data without a warrant. The disclosure from the agency prompted calls for greater transparency, specifically from Sen. Ron Wyden, a noted privacy voice on Capitol Hill. Check out our full report on the disclosure here.
‘We’re All Going to the World’s Fair’ and the new wave of internet horror
I found myself thinking about We’re All Going to the World’s Fair long after I watched it. Jane Schoenbrun’s film draws a bit from the collision of creepypasta and questionable social media “challenges,” some of which have led to death. The real horrors carried out in the name of made-up lore like Slenderman haunt the periphery.
But World’s Fair isn’t rebooting internet bogeymen. It’s something more introspective.
Casey (newcomer Anna Cobb) is a lonely, shy teen, living in a small, snowy town. We never see her family, and don’t get any backstory. Casey just quietly becomes immersed in a role-playing game called “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” which involves saying the name of the game three times, drawing your blood, and waiting to see what happens.
Schoenbrun cast other filmmakers in the autoplaying YouTube clips Casey wordlessly absorbs, showing the physical changes of some World’s Fair participants. One scene features ASMR YouTuber Slight Sounds lulling Casey to sleep, and it subtly goes from soothing to uneasy.
The film, which runs just 86 minutes, doesn’t mirror screenlife movies like Unfriended or 2020’s Host, which was filmed completely on Zoom. There aren’t any jumpscares or monsters.
But there is at least one scene that stayed with me long after, perhaps because it chillingly illustrates how identities can become warped online. And then there’s Casey’s spectacular performance of “Love in Winter,” which taps into the vulnerability of online performance, and the divide between the physical and virtual body.
Schoenbrun, who is non-binary, said that the film helped them come out to themselves, and find a language for it. Casey is a conduit for feelings of dysphoria and confusion; once she’s started the challenge, she can feel something changing within her, which she conveys to the only other character in the film, JLB (Michael J. Rogers).
The virtual relationship between Casey and JLB is loosely based on Schoenbrun’s own online experience with an older man when they were a teen. You expect their relationship to go in a certain direction, but Schoenbrun avoids being predictable.
Their director’s statement references Poe’s Law, “an adage that posits that it is impossible to know if someone is telling the truth or trolling you online.” That, more than some internet lore or challenge, is a source of horror. But World’s Fair is also hopeful, aware of the possibilities of shifting identities.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is currently in theaters and on iTunes and Amazon. HBO Max picked up streaming rights last year, but has not set a release date yet.
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Here are some key dispatches from across the ‘net.
💵 In a viral TikTok video, a woman says she turned down a manager job at Family Dollar after the company said it could not offer her $21 per hour. The video sparked discussion about fair wages in the comments.
🚲 A video showing what appears to be a Target dumpster full of new bikes—some of which are still in boxes—is going viral. Many viewers were shocked at the video, arguing that the bikes should have been given to the underprivileged.
🐦 Prominent conspiracy theorists are attempting to return to Twitter in the wake of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform. Check out our report to find out which conspiracy theorists are trying to sneak back onto the platform here.
💻 What?! A TikToker claims that her former high school bully has a Facebook group dedicated to reporting her account. (This story contains mentions of suicide and PTSD).
📜 When you think of the early days of the internet, what does that look like to you? In “The Lost History of the Internet” the Daily Dot explores the online communities and events that shaped us.
📺 These are the four platforms you can stream all the Rick and Morty episodes (and your other faves on Adult Swim) for free.*
🎓 The Daily Dot’s “Presser” vertical, which examines the intersection of race and sports online, recently published its latest article: “Black student-athletes continue to graduate at a lowe rate than their white teammates.”
🏥 A TikToker has gone viral after claiming that a prominent health store chain billed her insurance after offering her “free” COVID-19 tests.
💬 AOC and Elon Musk got into a Twitter spat over the weekend after the Tesla CEO trolled her tweet about billionaires. Check out our report about it, and AOC’s scathing clap back, here.
🥝 Lizastian shares how she built a following of over 6 million by creating satisfying lunch box-packing videos. Want more stories like this? Sign up for Passionfruit, the Daily Dot’s weekly creator economy newsletter, for more coverage.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 BEFORE YOU GO
Karen alert! A video has gone viral of a “Karen” allegedly freaking out on Burger King employees for taking too long to prepare her order. As she screams at the employees, the woman begins pushing point-of-sale devices off the counter and throws a card reader at them.
Now Playing: 🎶“As It Was” by Harry Styles🎶
