Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Happy Friday! Our top stories for you today are about: an explosion of conspiracy theories about Katy Perry and the COVID vaccine, a Starbucks employee saying he was fired over a viral skit, internet groups being dismayed it’s taken more than a year to get Biden’s FCC pick confirmed, and a deep dive into the latest episode of Andor.
After that, our Culture Editor Tiffany has her “This Week on the Internet” column and shares with you her meme of the week.
Also: We’ve got our news quiz today! If you answer the question correctly, you might win a Daily Dot shirt! (Sign up for web_crawlr to answer the weekly news quiz!)
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
💉 CONSPIRACY
‘Eye of the Pfizer’: Conspiracy theorists try to pin Katy Perry’s lazy eye on COVID vaccine
Footage that appears to show pop singer Katy Perry struggling to open her right eye has led to an explosion of conspiracy theories online.
☕ VIRAL
‘So many TikToks out there but mine blows up and I lose my job’: Starbucks barista says he was fired over viral skit
A former Starbucks employee went viral on TikTok after revealing he was fired over a skit he made on the clock.
🔗 INTERNET RIGHTS
It’s been a year since Gigi Sohn was nominated to the FCC—and internet rights groups are pissed
Net neutrality proponents are calling out Senate Democrats after Gigi Sohn, President Joe Biden’s final nominee to fill out FCC, still has not been confirmed after a year-long nomination process.
🎞️ CULTURE
‘Andor’ episode 8 illustrates why this show is so divisive, exploring the psychological strategy of the Empire’s prison system
Thriving on a compelling but almost dialogue-free performance from Diego Luna, it’s the opposite of typical Star Wars TV.
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📺 Still watching
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🗣️ This Week on the Internet
Twitter is a miserable place—but wholesome content can still thrive
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Fridays our Senior Culture Editor Tiffany Kelly recaps the most pressing online discourse of the week in her “This Week On The Internet” 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 you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🍪 A DoorDash customer said she ordered herself three chocolate chip cookies from McDonald’s, resulting in them arriving in Nesting Doll-like bags.
👖 Apparently these “professional sweatpants” at Target are very popular.
🔪 Wait! Before social media spoils all of the surprises for you, here’s where you can watch ‘Barbarian’.*
💰 A TikToker and coupon aficionado is being applauded for using coupons and rewards points to get her $92 CVS purchase to under $9.
👀 Here’s what it is like to own a vending machine.
☕ Starbucks’ drive-thru ordering system has once again sparked interest on TikTok after a user posted a video questioning why it includes a video chat feature.
🪑 A man shows a “roach” infestation in a chair he bought secondhand in a now-viral video, warning others to avoid purchasing used furniture.
👠 The Daily Dot just launched Pleaser, which delivers unapologetic, objective, straight-up sex coverage. To sign up for the newsletter, click here.
💼 A worker is going viral on TikTok for explaining why one-on-one meetings at work are actually “pointless.”
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
📅 Meme of the Week
The Spirit costume meme got so big that it got swallowed by brand accounts. But it’s still a great meme going into Halloween weekend.
🎶 Now Playing: “Karma” by Taylor Swift 🎶