Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: Former President Trump getting mocked online for his very bizarre explanation of missile defense, whether your favorite restaurant is committing “fish fraud,” the internet not being happy over Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig being snubbed by the Oscars, and an explanation of the blue lobster meme.
After that, our Senior Reporter Audra has a “That One Sound” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🚀 POLITICS
‘bing ding ding ding boom psheen pfoom’: Trump’s ‘Looney Tunes’ explanation of missile defense tech gets memed
A video of former President Donald Trump’s detailed and sound effect-laden description of the missile defense technology he hopes to implement in the U.S. has captured the internet.
🐟 VIRAL
‘There’s so much fish fraud in restaurants’: Woman catches restaurant committing ‘fish fraud.’ Here’s what to look for
“Fish fraud” is more common than you might expect.
🎬 CULTURE
The Oscars snubbed Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig for ‘Barbie,’ and the Internet is not happy
It’s official: the nominees for the 2024 Academy Awards were announced, and—while a few very notable names were missing—two stuck out immediately.
🦞 MEMES
How a rare ‘blue’ lobster became a jumpscare meme
The jumpscare meme is a foundational component of early internet culture, and modern memes have continued the jumpscare tradition. The blue lobster meme is one recent update on the bait-and-switch format.
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🎵 That One Sound
By Audra Schroeder
Senior Reporter
How a 60-year-old jazz standard became a TikTok hit
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.
🔒 In a Reddit post that’s garnering attention, one user shared an image from their local Target store showing Tide Pods individually locked and displayed in their own security boxes.
☕ This Starbucks worker says management told them to use decaf after running out of regular coffee and espresso.
🥜 Ever wonder why flights don’t serve peanuts anymore? This flight attendant is going viral for sharing why.
👁️ A former LASIK patient is speaking out about the chronic pain she’s endured since undergoing surgery five years ago, prompting viewers to share their own concerns about the procedure.
🧀 A woman on TikTok showed what she says is mold in the process of making Kraft Mac and Cheese. Her claims went viral, being viewed over 1.2 million times, and Kraft Heinz has since responded to deny the claims.
🚘 This Tesla owner went viral for sharing why you should never buy one of the cars.
👪 From the Daily Dot archive: Why some mommy vloggers are taking their kids out of the spotlight.
📝 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.
DO YOU WATCH ‘LOVE IS BLIND‘?
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👋 Before you go
An arctic blast recently affected much of the country, with multiple places falling below 0 temperatures. While many residents are being urged to stay indoors, people whose workplaces didn’t close due to the weather had to brace the storm to trek to work.
TikToker Millzy (@hiitsmillzy) highlighted one such workplace in a TikTok video that was viewed nearly half-a-million times. A Walmart in Rockford, Illinois, where the temperature has been below freezing (around 11am CT, it was -6 degrees Fahrenheit), shared a post featuring two of its employees standing behind several cases of ramen noodles. “Brr it’s cold outside. We appreciate our associates for braving the cold to be here. Stay warm with some ramen noodle soup and crackers,” the location wrote to accompany the photo.
Walmart workers commiserated in the comments section, sharing what they’ve received from the store in exchange for clocking in for undesirable shifts.
🎶 Now Playing: “Love” by Mica Levi 🎶
