Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about:
- A student showing how a plumbing “explosion” flooded her dorm.
- A pro-Trump singer blaming Satan for his portable charger catching fire.
- An explainer of the “First Time” meme and how it started.
- Exposing a shady Airbnb host who tried to upcharge someone after finding out they were going to a Taylor Swift concert.
After that, our Senior Reporter Audra has a “That One Sound” column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🌊 WTF
‘This looks like a scene from Titanic’: Girl wakes up to her dorm flooding due to plumbing ‘explosion’
If you thought sharing a bathroom with strangers was bad enough, think again. A student who attends Marshall University says that she woke up at 5 am to her dorm flooding due to a plumbing “explosion” in the bathroom.
🔋 POLITICS
Pro-Trump singer blames Satan after portable charger catches fire on flight
A singer known for his support of former President Donald Trump is blaming Satan after his backpack caught fire while on a plane in New York.
🖱️ MEMES
What is the ‘First Time’ meme? And how did it start?
It’s based on what one movie critic called “the best joke of the year.”
🤑 VIRAL
Customer says Airbnb host tried to upcharge upon reservation after realizing she was going to Taylor Swift concert
A customer exposed an Airbnb host for allegedly trying to get her to “pay triple” after realizing she was planning a trip to see Taylor Swift in concert.
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🎵 That One Sound
By Audra Schroeder
Senior Culture Reporter
What is the ‘Benjamin’s Deli’ dance trend?
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.
🍋 The controversial Panera Charged Lemonade continues to be a topic of discussion. Now, a woman with a self-diagnosed caffeine addiction shares why she’d never drink the beverage.
📱 This TikTok user claims to have received an unexpected windfall in the form of 60 iPhone 15 Pro Max devices as a result of a mix-up by Apple.
🛒 Recently, influencer Charli D’Amelio came under fire after taking part in a promotional campaign that saw her dressing up as a Walmart employee.
💼 A user’s clip has gone viral after a woman discussed an offer her husband’s ex-employer gave him in an attempt to keep him on staff. The offer, they say, shows “how delusional employers in America are right now.”
🧸 Gather the family for some G-rated fun. These are the best kids’ TV shows that are actually good.*
🍔 A user on TikTok is calling out Burger King after she claims that the store fired her for asking for a raise.
🎤 Taylor Swift recently released a concert film on Netflix called the Eras Tour, which showcases her songs from different albums and eras of her career. However, one TikTok user claims that her husband, who is not a Taylor Swift fan, noticed a hidden meaning in one of Swift’s costumes that others did not.
👗 A Nordstrom customer recently called out clothing store for “just slapping numbers” on poor-quality items after finding a $450 polyester dress.
📝 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.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A NEGATIVE EXPIERENCE WHILE RENTING AN AIRBNB?
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👋 Before you go
An Indian man is viral on TikTok after explaining that his Bumble match, an Indian woman, brought her parents on their first date.
Something that TikToker Zakir (@zockr) learned first hand on a first date with an Indian woman he matched with on Bumble. Zakir, who is also Indian, came face to face with the country’s conservative values after arriving to his date with the woman only to see that it wasn’t going to be a two person affair: She brought her parents along, too.
🎶 Now Playing: “Cobra” by Megan Thee Stallion 🎶