Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: A rude Taco Bell worker whose attempt to be petty and pay with pennies backfired, why a gross hashtag went viral after former President Trump was spotted with cuts and scrapes on his hands, how an unknown man in his underwear was in the background of a news interview sparked conspiracies, and a job applicant learning that the job was a “scam” in the middle of her interview.
After that, our Assistant Editor Kira has a “Decoding Fandom” column for you.
P.S. — If you didn’t take our weekly news quiz, there’s still time! Just open yesterday’s newsletter and answer the question. If you guess correctly, you’ll be entered to win a “Jingle Blogs” shirt.
See you next week!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🌮 VIRAL
‘He learned a lesson that day’: Taco Bell worker says customer tried to pay in pennies to be petty. It backfired
A Taco Bell worker went viral after sharing that a rude customer tried to pay with pennies to be petty. It didn’t turn out too well for him.
🖐️ POLITICS
‘SyphilisDon’ trends as speculation over inexplicable cuts on Trump’s hand grows
Former President Donald Trump was spotted with multiple cuts or scrapes on his hands, prompting speculation and a profoundly gross hashtag to trend.
🩲 CONSPIRACY
Man in underwear spotted in home of former Clinton aide during interview—setting conspiracy complex aflame
The internet was left scratching its head after an unknown man in his underwear was seen walking in the background of a news interview.
💼 LABOR
‘There’s so many scammers on LinkedIn’: Applicant says she learned job was a ‘scam’ in the middle of interview. Here’s how she found out
At a time when many people are searching for work, there’s a new trend that job applicants have to look out for: job listings that aren’t exactly as they seem.
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⭐ Decoding Fandom
By Kira Deshler
Assistant Newsletter Editor
What can data tell us about fanfiction culture?
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Saturdays our Assistant Newsletter Editor Kira Deshler dives deep into the world of fan culture in her “Decoding Fandom” 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.
🚘 A woman on TikTok claims to have discovered a car dealership scam: Bait and switching consumers by offering trade-ins, only to try and trick them into buying a new vehicle.
🍻 Most people who go to bars understand what “last call” means. But one server who thought she was cruising to an easy end-of-the-night was derailed by a group of customers who ordered drinks at last call, 15 minutes before the bar closed, and then wouldn’t leave.
🍔 A McDonald’s expert claims the Australian version of the Big Mac is coming to the United States. If that’s the case, prepare yourself for a whole lot of burger.
🛍️ Criticizing delivery drivers for not doing their jobs properly has become a common occurrence on social media. However, a TikToker had a different kind of post she wanted to upload about a delivery experience she had with a Walmart personal shopper. The glowing review she gave of an unsung hero named Graham reverberated throughout TikTok.
💳 After making big purchases on a credit card, it can be tempting to simply make the minimum payment. But one customer went viral for explaining why you shouldn’t do that.
🏨 If you’ve traveled around a lot, then you’ve probably come across hotels that will use every opportunity to try and squeeze every last dollar out of you.
💼 A human resources worker who is employed with her family’s business posted a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 547,000 views, in which she lists a few things job seekers should never do while they’re on the hunt for a new position.
🎸 From the Daily Dot archive: Without live performances amid the pandemic, musicians relied on streaming services to stay afloat.
👋 Before you go
If you’ve ever been driving and wondered how another driver on the road still has their license, you’re not alone.
Given that there are thousands of car accidents in the United States every day, and that renewing a driver’s license in the U.S. rarely requires retesting, it’s no surprise that some of the people on the road today may not be the best drivers.
Seeing some of these poor drivers, one may feel as though there’s nothing they can do to get them off the road. However, one TikTok user says that there’s a way you can combat the problem head-on.
In a video with over 3.1 million views, TikTok user Francisco (@franciscocorcia) simply says, “Did you know you can anonymously submit someone for retesting for their driver’s license?”
“So, do with that what you will,” he concludes.
🎶 Now Playing: “Ship to Wreck” by Florence + Machine 🎶