LibsofTikTok Chaya Raichik - Taylor Lorenz - FULL INTERVIEW @TaylorLorenz

Taylor Lorenz Chaya Raichik, founder of LibsofTikTok spoke with me about the great replacement theory, the death of a 16 year old non binary child in Oklahoma, why she won't delete her false accusations about the Uvalde shooter, her views on gender, feminism and more.

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READ MY FULL STORY: washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/24/libs-tiktok-oklahoma-nonbinary-teen-death

Libs of TikTok is run by Chaya Raichik who has amassed an audience of millions as a far-right influencer who targets LGBTQ people. Though she lives in California and Florida and is registered to vote in California, she has become an increasingly powerful and ever-present figure in Oklahoma.

Raichik’s growing role in Oklahoma became a subject of speculation this week after Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student at Owasso, Okla., died following an altercation in a girl’s bathroom at the public high school they attended.

On Thursday, Oklahoma City Councilor Sean Cummings lambasted Raichik for stoking anti LGBTQ hate in the state, saying that she has “blood on her hands.”

Raichik was recently appointed to the Oklahoma Library Media Advisory Committee and has sought to have books depicting LGBTQ people and sex education removed from school libraries.

In September, Raichik visited Oklahoma and met with Walters. She also attempted to speak at a local Oklahoma school board meeting to question the board members about a high school principal who performed as a drag queen who Raichik had posted about (the board denied her request to speak). Raichik also claimed that various Oklahoma school districts were featuring “porn” books in their libraries.

Last year, Raichik posted about an elementary school librarian in Tulsa. She shared a TikTok video featuring the librarian that had been edited to include the teacher’s name and school, the Ellen Ochoa Elementary School in Tulsa. Shortly after Raichik’s post, the school received a bomb threat. Ryan Walters also retweeted Raichik’s post about the librarian.

Raichik said that she has only visited Oklahoma once, but decided to get involved in state politics and education after discovering and posting about LGBTQ teachers in the state. She said of her decision to involve herself in Oklahoma: “[they] unfortunately have a lot of wokeness in a red state and I’m trying to help."

Before her rise to online fame, Raichik worked as a real estate salesperson in Brooklyn. In November of 2020 she created the account that would eventually become Libs of TikTok. After attending the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, she amassed a growing audience by promoting covid denialism, casting doubt on the 2020 presidential election results, and promoting false stories about child sex trafficking.

Soon, Raichik’s account on X was being promoted by high profile right wing influencers and podcasters including Joe Rogan. She received funding from Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon which allowed her to leave her real estate career and focus on growing the account full time.

Raichik’s attacks on LGBTQ people escalated throughout 2021 and 2022. She advocated that any teacher who comes out as gay to their students be “fired on the spot." She called on her followers to contact schools that were allowing “boys in the girls bathrooms” and pushed the false conspiracy theory that schools were installing litter boxes in bathrooms for children who identify as cats.

She also purported that adults who teach children about LGBTQ+ identities are “abusive,” that being gender-nonconforming or an ally to the LGBTQ+ community is a “mental illness,” and referred to schools as “government run indoctrination camps” for the LGBTQ+ community. Her followers skyrocketed on X from around 60,000 in July 2021 to over 2.8 million today.

Raichik’s posts about schools, hospitals, and libraries who provide services for LGTBQ youth have preceded dozens of bomb threats, harassment, and death threats against staff. Earlier this month, NBC News identified 33 instances, starting in November 2020, when people or institutions singled out by Libs of TikTok subsequently reported violent intimidation.

Raichik has repeatedly used her platform to villainize and attack LGBTQ people, especially trans people. Raichik has amplified false claims that the the Lakewood church shooter was trans and accused an innocent trans woman of carrying out the Uvalde shooting.

#news #politics #contentcreator #libsoftiktok #politicalnews #oklahoma #lgbtq #lgbtqia #gay #feminism #womenshealth #healthcare #trans #transrights #lgbtqrights #lgbtqbooks #tech #journalism #tiktok#creator #influencer #journalist #apps #internet #onlineculture #internetculture #socialmedia #technology #creatoreconomy #creator #tech #elon #elonmusk

updated 7 months ago

LibsofTikTok Chaya Raichik - Taylor Lorenz - FULL INTERVIEW

Taylor Lorenz 2024-02-24 | Chaya Raichik, founder of LibsofTikTok spoke with me about the great replacement theory, the death of a 16 year old non binary child in Oklahoma, why she won't delete her false accusations about the Uvalde shooter, her views on gender, feminism and more.

Follow me :
instagram.com/taylorlorenz
tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz
taylorlorenz.substack.com

READ MY FULL STORY: washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/24/libs-tiktok-oklahoma-nonbinary-teen-death

Libs of TikTok is run by Chaya Raichik who has amassed an audience of millions as a far-right influencer who targets LGBTQ people. Though she lives in California and Florida and is registered to vote in California, she has become an increasingly powerful and ever-present figure in Oklahoma.

Raichik’s growing role in Oklahoma became a subject of speculation this week after Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student at Owasso, Okla., died following an altercation in a girl’s bathroom at the public high school they attended.

On Thursday, Oklahoma City Councilor Sean Cummings lambasted Raichik for stoking anti LGBTQ hate in the state, saying that she has “blood on her hands.”

Raichik was recently appointed to the Oklahoma Library Media Advisory Committee and has sought to have books depicting LGBTQ people and sex education removed from school libraries.

In September, Raichik visited Oklahoma and met with Walters. She also attempted to speak at a local Oklahoma school board meeting to question the board members about a high school principal who performed as a drag queen who Raichik had posted about (the board denied her request to speak). Raichik also claimed that various Oklahoma school districts were featuring “porn” books in their libraries.

Last year, Raichik posted about an elementary school librarian in Tulsa. She shared a TikTok video featuring the librarian that had been edited to include the teacher’s name and school, the Ellen Ochoa Elementary School in Tulsa. Shortly after Raichik’s post, the school received a bomb threat. Ryan Walters also retweeted Raichik’s post about the librarian.

Raichik said that she has only visited Oklahoma once, but decided to get involved in state politics and education after discovering and posting about LGBTQ teachers in the state. She said of her decision to involve herself in Oklahoma: “[they] unfortunately have a lot of wokeness in a red state and I’m trying to help."

Before her rise to online fame, Raichik worked as a real estate salesperson in Brooklyn. In November of 2020 she created the account that would eventually become Libs of TikTok. After attending the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, she amassed a growing audience by promoting covid denialism, casting doubt on the 2020 presidential election results, and promoting false stories about child sex trafficking.

Soon, Raichik’s account on X was being promoted by high profile right wing influencers and podcasters including Joe Rogan. She received funding from Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon which allowed her to leave her real estate career and focus on growing the account full time.

Raichik’s attacks on LGBTQ people escalated throughout 2021 and 2022. She advocated that any teacher who comes out as gay to their students be “fired on the spot." She called on her followers to contact schools that were allowing “boys in the girls bathrooms” and pushed the false conspiracy theory that schools were installing litter boxes in bathrooms for children who identify as cats.

She also purported that adults who teach children about LGBTQ+ identities are “abusive,” that being gender-nonconforming or an ally to the LGBTQ+ community is a “mental illness,” and referred to schools as “government run indoctrination camps” for the LGBTQ+ community. Her followers skyrocketed on X from around 60,000 in July 2021 to over 2.8 million today.

Raichik’s posts about schools, hospitals, and libraries who provide services for LGTBQ youth have preceded dozens of bomb threats, harassment, and death threats against staff. Earlier this month, NBC News identified 33 instances, starting in November 2020, when people or institutions singled out by Libs of TikTok subsequently reported violent intimidation.

Raichik has repeatedly used her platform to villainize and attack LGBTQ people, especially trans people. Raichik has amplified false claims that the the Lakewood church shooter was trans and accused an innocent trans woman of carrying out the Uvalde shooting.

#news #politics #contentcreator #libsoftiktok #politicalnews #oklahoma #lgbtq #lgbtqia #gay #feminism #womenshealth #healthcare #trans #transrights #lgbtqrights #lgbtqbooks #tech #journalism #tiktok#creator #influencer #journalist #apps #internet #onlineculture #internetculture #socialmedia #technology #creatoreconomy #creator #tech #elon #elonmusk

Inside the strange world of corporate influencers

Taylor Lorenz 2024-10-16 | This week on Power User I had Ross Pomerantz aka Corporate Bro on to discuss the weird world of corporate influencing, LinkedIn broetry, and how our relationship to our jobs is changing.

We discussed vlogging layoffs to balancing your actual job with day in the life videos, and why more companies are seeking to hire internal corporate influencers.

00:00 Intro
01:03 What's a “corporate influencer”?
02:10 The inspiration behind Corporate Bro
03:43 From sales to full time content creating
04:56 LinkedIn and Instagram
07:30 The rise of “Broetry” on LinkedIn
10:20 CEO who posted himself crying on LinkedIn
13:13 How LinkedIn is helping users build their personal brands
14:32 Your work life vs your personal brand
15:29 How companies respond to their employees making content
16:48 In-house corporate influencer
17:39 LinkedInhost writers
19:20 AI and LinkedIn
21:27 LinkedIn’s pivot to video
22:26 Is LinkedIn the new X?
23:40 Silly Valley News
24:38 Ross’ advice for upcoming corporate influencers
26:03 Problems with the corporate world currently
26:27 Hustle culture and corporate influencing
28:14 The decline of job loyalty is good

#linkedin #creator #contetncreator #influencer #tiktok #tech #twitter #culture #popculture

Nostalgia accounts are destroying pop culture history

Taylor Lorenz 2024-10-07 | I sat down with entertainment writer and critic Coleman Spilde to explore how nostalgia accounts are rewriting pop culture history.

00:00 Intro
1:06 The rise of “Nostalgia dealers” on Twitter
02:11 Why the X algorithm favors pop culture accounts
02:59 How “Nostalgia dealers” profit
07:08 How fake pop culture news gains traction
09:45 Stans, celeb PR, and pop culture accounts
11:42 How harmful are these accounts?
13:04 The repercussions
16:10 Pop culture archivists doing the lord's work

#popculture #celebs #celenews #twitter #chappellroan #sabrinacarpenter #britneyspears #music

Why Im leaving legacy media

Taylor Lorenz 2024-10-01 | I'm excited to announce that I'm leaving legacy media to launch my new independent publication, User Magazine, on Substack, under which I will pursue the type of reporting on the internet that has become increasingly difficult to do in corporate media.

SUBSCRIBE HERE: usermag.co

00:00 Intro
00:17 About User Magazine
00:55 My background in independent journalism
02:15 Gamergate
02:55 Creators dominate online culture coverage
03:30 The changing media landscape
04:02 Legacy media is built for an old, dead world
04:18 My struggle to find a place in the MSM
05:12 What I want to do with User Mag
05:40 Fake neutrality is over
06:00 How to support me

User Mag is founded on the belief that the real story of technology lies with its users. Instead of focusing on corporate earnings and boardroom conflicts, User Mag will cover how people are actually *using* technology.

I'll be reporting on the people and movements that are steering tech and internet culture, from weird online phenomena, to under-the-radar trends, to content creators, platform developments, policy initiatives, and the powerful forces that shape our online world. It's about who has power on the internet and how that power is being wielded.

User Mag will arrive via email 1-3 times a week, and paid subscribers will have commenting privileges, access to subscriber-only chats, and will receive exclusive, deep-dive analysis pieces among other benefits. It will include a mix of originally reported articles, interviews, and links to what I’m reading and watching online.

Please consider buying a yearly subscription at the link below to help me continue my work! 🙏🏻

usermag.co

I’ll still be doing my weekly tech and online culture news podcast, Power User, available on all platforms. (If you're a brand that would like to advertise on my podcast or collaborate in any way, please reach out on hello@usermag.co!!)

usermag.co
usermag.co
usermag.co

Why every online store sells the same crappy products

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-26 | Anyone who has done online shopping lately may have noticed that they're experiencing deja vu.

Amazon, AliExpress, WalMart, Temu, eBay, the TikTok shop, even Etsy all seem to be selling the exact same cheaply made products from China.

How did this happen? Have we reached some sort of eCommerce singularity? And what does this say about the future of online shopping? Are we all doomed to have shitty cheap products forever?

I talked to New York Magazine's John Herman, who has been investigating this issue, to discuss.

The business of scanning kids faces is booming

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-19 | Age verification technology is becoming increasingly commonplace as lawmakers seek to enact deeply concerning restrictions in the name of “child safety.”

My WaPo colleague, reporter Drew Harwell, joins to discuss the threats to our freedom of speech, expression, and privacy this new software unlocks.

00:00 Intro
00:13 Why age verification tools are becoming more commonplace
00:55 The rise of age verification tools in tech
02:20 How age verification tech actually works
02:48 Age verification IRL
04:14 Is age verification accurate?
06:03 Discrimination
08:19 The platforms most affected
09:24 Age regulation on the open web
11:19 The myth of kids online safety
14:30 The dangers of age verification tech
15:56 The hypocrisy of lawmakers
16:49 Data privacy risks
18:21 The moral panic around kids and online safety
20:52 Beyond social media
23:43 Pornhub
25:55 China
27:47 People fighting back

Why is Instagram Reels so unhinged?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-13 | You can spend hours carefully curating your algorithms on TikTok and YouTube, But there’s one place where the algorithm doesn’t seem to care about what you want to see: Instagram Reels.

Business Insider’s Katie Notopoulos joins me to dive deep into the strangest corners of IG Reels and unpack how the platform became the weirdest place on the internet.

00:00 Intro
00:15 The weird world of Instagram Reels
01:16 The current user experience of Instagram Reels
02:34 “Fringe and Cringe” content on Reels
03:24 Why “Normie” content dominates the Reels algorithm
05:48 Why the Reels algorithm feels more reactive
07:56 Meta’s push to showcase more small creators on Reels
09:40 How Reels unique algorithm effects the evolution of Instagram
11:30 The concept of the “mythical reel pull”
12:09 The toxic comment section of instagram reels
13:47 Meta’s lack luster moderation system
14:40 The future of Instagram Reels
15:41 Instagram’s monetization policies

#instagram #memes #commentary #podcast #reels #meta #zuckerberg

Brazils ban on X is 9/11 for stan accounts

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-07 | Elon Musk’s social media network X has been officially banned in Brazil. Internet culture reporter Ryan Broderick and I discuss stan culture, the impact Brazil has on the internet as we know it, and the effects of suddenly losing tens of millions of voices online.

00:00 Intro
00:50 How Elon’s feud with Brazil began
01:57 Brazil’s X ban is a huge loss for Elon
02:39 How Brazil’s X user’s differ from others
03:44 Brazil’s stan culture explained
05:11 How the entertainment industry feels about this ban
05:55 The cons of losing pop culture's most diligent archivists
06:38 Orkut: Google’s myspace “killer”, explained
07:32 What is “Zuera” and how it relates to the Brazilian internet
08:33 Why Brazil is not embracing Threads
09:38 And why BlueSky is so popular in Brazil
10:47 Will BlueSky be Brazil’s permanent new home?
13:20 Why Threads will never be Twitter’s true successor
16:32 Google and YouTube’s role in Brazilian internet culture
17:41 How long will this ban last?
19:09 How this ban will impact Brazilian politics

#elon #elonmusk #brazil #ladygaga #popculture #music #fandom #fanart #timotheechalamet #brazilian #twitter #youtube #influencer #politics #lgbtq

Elon Musk ban’s X in Brazil

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-06 | ...

Why all the biggest trends start in the summer

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-01 | ...

Hasan Piker kicked out of the DNC

Taylor Lorenz 2024-09-01 | ...

Are there too many summer trends?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-30 | We're all familiar with the "song of the summer," but lately there's been a rush to declare "the summer" everything. Drink of the summer, drug of the summer, shoe of the summer, the list goes on. Casey Lewis joined me to discuss the summer's biggest trends and why everything has been declared “of the summer.”

Later, Zach and I chat about the latest headlines, including Hasan Piker’s removal from the DNC, fridgescaping, what a Chick-fil-A streaming service could look like, and why everyone in DC is mad at food vlogger Keith Lee.

00:00 Intro
02:10 Brat Summer, Butter Yellow, and Sabrina Carpenter
03:23 Identifying “real” and “fake” trends
04:58 The drink of the summer
05:51 The most surprising trend of the summer
06:21 The top shoe trends of the summer
07:17 The rise of “(Blank) Girl” Summer
08:14 Social media's role in summer trends
10:07 Are micro trends dead?
12:00 Nasty by Tinashe and other trends that flew under the radar
14:01 Predicting Fall trends
16:09 Snapchat still being popular amongst teens
17:43 Hasan Piker kicked out of the DNC
19:05 The rise of “Fridgescaping”
20:38 Chick Fil A launches a streaming service
23:10 Keith Lee vs The D.C. Food Scene

#summer2024 #summer #trends #commentary #hotgirlsummer #brat #bratsummer #sabrinacarpenter #charlixcx #memes #clothing #shopping #culture #fashion #lifestyle #food

What it was like for influencers at the DNC

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-28 | ...

Inside the DNCs influencer extravaganza

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-24 | This week I was in Chicago along with hundreds of content creators for the Democratic National Convention.

YouTube star Keith Edwards, who was also there, joins me to chat about the Democrats’ influencer strategy, what it’s like inside a creator boat party and meme lounge, and how the 2024 election has become one big battle for the internet.

00:00 Intro
00:36 Night 1 of The 2024 DNC
01:20 What being a democratic content creator entails
02:10 An overview of Keith’s content
02:58 The importance of social media in the Harris campaign
04:01 How Influencers have been catered to during this years DNC
05:35 Are the dems only giving credentials to “friendly” creators?
09:25 The freedom The DNC gave creators regarding content
10:37 Why the Democrats embracing the creator economy could be risky
13:07 Are memes hurting or helping the Harris campaign?
14:47 The Harris campaign’s stance on tech
16:17 How the Harris campaign can reach more voters online
19:58 The lack of liberal spaces in social media
21:17 Meta’s restrictions on political content
22:57 Should platforms continue to suppress political posts?

#tech #onlineculture #internet #memes #dnc #kamala #brat #bratsummer #politics #internetculture #news #influencer #creatoreconomy

Can Elon and Twitter save Trump?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-16 | This week, Trump returned to X/Twitter/whatever you want to call it. Editor-in-Chief at the Verge, Nilay Patel, joined me to discuss the long, rambling conversation between Trump and Elon Musk on Twitter spaces.

We debate how influential X is in today’s political climate. Later, we explore the broader social media landscape, Kamala’s dicey use of a Dril tweet, the campaign’s broader digital strategy, and how TikTok and YouTube factor into the 2024 race.

00:00
00:36 Elon outshined on his own platform
03:06 Elon and Trump on immigration
06:34 Elon’s concessions to Trump
07:39 Trump vs the people who will actually run his admin
09:43 Elon’s liberal past?
10:48 Trump on audio format vs TV Trump
13:57 Trump’s return to Twitter
15:32 Twitter’s influence on the 2024 Election
18:19 Social media’s crackdown on news
18:40 Where does this leave our political discourse online?
21:21 Why no one can compete with the right-wing media
23:48 How social media is shaping campaign strategies
25:50 Candidates embrace “online trolling”
27:10 Why Kamala HQ embracing the internet is a double edged sword
30:05 Will hiring influencers yield success for the DNC?
31:54 The Olympics failed partnership with content creators
34:20 Does “Big Tech” still support Trump?
37:08 Kamala Harris’ relationship with Silicon Valley
39:58 Kamala’s stance on the TikTok ban

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#tech #technology #news #technews #tiktok #creatoreconomy #ai #memes #meme #brainrot #podcast #artificialintelligence #twitter #youtube #commentary #chat #podcast #celebs #celebrity #celebnews #meta #facebook #titok #trump #trump2024 #elon #elonmusk #musk

Can MRBeast be cancelled? #mrbeast #mrbeastshorts

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-15 | ...

MrBeasts Controversies: The Full Breakdown

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-14 | For years, MrBeast has been the king of the internet. The 26-year-old creator has the most subscribed to channel on YouTube, millions of young fans, and a new streaming deal with Amazon. But after a string of controversies, his empire might be faltering.

How did all of this happen, and what does a potential MrBeast downfall mean for the creator world? I talked to digital culture reporter Steven Asarch, who has been breaking tons of news related to MrBeast for Rolling Stone and Passionfruit, about what went down and how this might impact the broader media landscape.

Later, Zach and I break down the latest headlines including why everyone is posting about a minion nailed to a cross, Kick streamer Adin Ross giving Trump a cyber truck and potentially violating election law, the Google antitrust suit, Tim Walz mania, and more!

00:00 Intro
00:51 How MrBeast became famous
01:29 How the backlash began
01:50 The Ava “Kris” Tyson allegations
02:30 The aftermath of the allegations
04:06 DogPack404's illegal lottery claims
04:57 The validity of the claims against MrBeast
05:45 Current MrBest Employee weighs in
06:06 The MrBeast Games controversy
07:25 MrBeast vs reality TV
08:37 MrBeast's "creator games"
09:47 Traditional media vs the creator economy
11:55 The alt-right's hand in “cancelling” MrBeast
13:59 The long term effects of MrBeast’s controversies
16:11 MrBeast’s rabid fandom
16:35 Will MrBeast's business collapse?
19:02 How this will effect the larger creator economy
19:47 Why journalists needs to take the creator economy more seriously
21:11 Taylor and Zach chat headlines
21:17 Tim Walz mania
22:43 Trump's and Adin Ross
25:24 Musk interview
27:37 Linda Yaccarino's wild video to advertisers
28:27 Google antitrust
29:44 AI Minion brain rot invades TikTok

#tech #technology #news #technews #tiktok #creatoreconomy #ai #artificialintelligence #twitter #youtube #commentary #chat #podcast #celebs #celebrity #celebnews #ai #meta #facebook

The smartphone freakout is harming children

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-08 | Everywhere you look, powerful people (like author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt), are declaring that young people are suffering an unprecedented mental health crisis and that smartphones and social media are to blame.

But are smartphones and social media ACTUALLY destroying children's minds? Or is this just another moral panic pushed by the media, opportunistic academics, and well meaning but ill-informed "concerned parents"?

I dove deep into the origins of this freak out about technology, pulled actual data and research, spoke to experts, and went deep on the history of moral panics to explain what's really going on here.

00:00 intro
00:40 the media pushing smartphone panic
1:40 state and federal laws against social media
2:20 Jonathan Haidt
3:06 Haidt's dubious claims
3:20 why Haidt's book resonates
4:03 research showing Haidt's claims are false
5:14 the flaws in Haidt's data
6:30 the Momo hoax of 2019
7:20 what's actually affecting kids mental health
8:15 the concerning laws Haidt is pushing
8:44 what life was like before smartphones
9:30 why the far right wants to restrict kids smartphone use
10:55 how young people actually use social media
12:23 THE HISTORY OF TECH MORAL PANICS
13:02 landline telephones
14:02 novels
15:08 newspapers
15:18 jazz books
15:30 comic books
16:58 television
17:46 home computers
17:53 walkmans
18:03 beepers
19:10 video games
19:50 the same groups of ppl who push every moral panic
20:05 what Haidt and I agree on
20:17 why kids are on their phones so much w/ danah boyd
20:35 city planning
20:46 homework and lack of leisure time
21:00 police violence, danger
22:09 the economy's role
22:45 what actually helps kids
23:10 what tech companies can do better
23:41 how social media is NOT like drugs (research)
23:54 social media as a tool
24:05 why kids need to learn the tech and media of their day
24:42 adolescence is never easy
25:26 what we can all do

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Tim Walz makes a JD Vance couch joke at rally

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-06 | ...

If you scroll away from this video then what are you doing!!!

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-05 | ...

Is Skibidi Toilet the next Hollywood blockbuster?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-08-02 | Last week I broke the news that Michael Bay is trying to turn Skibidi Toilet into a potential theatrical movie or TV show. He's doing that by working with a company called Invisible Narratives.

Invisible Narratives is the behind-the-scenes company responsible for making Skibidi Toilet a household name.

This week I talked to Adam Goodman, the Hollywood veteran who founded Invisible Narratives on how Skibidi became one of the most valuable franchises in Hollywood and what it means for the future of entertainment.

Later, Zach and I discuss the White dudes for Kamala Zoom, Google Docs and DIY dating apps, and an AI wearable wants to be your new best friend.

00:00 Intro
01:20 Skibidi Toilet movie when!
02:24 How Adam met DaFuqBoom
03:28 Michael Bay’s involvement
5:23 Marketing Skibidi Toilet
07:57 Roblox and Minecraft
10:03 Traditional media vs non-traditional media
11:34 Hollywood’s reaction to the Skibidi Toilet movie
14:40 Invisible Narratives origin story
18:00 Hollywood vs the creator economy
19:53 How Invisible Narratives works w/ creators
22:50 Hollywood's shifting views
24:41 News headlines w/ Zach
24:50 Senators are working with influencers now
26:18 Do journalists need personal brands?
28:18 The “White Dudes For Harris” zoom call
29:55 Why everyone's ditching dating apps
33:25 Introducing “Friend”, the latest AI wearable tech
37:43 AI founder's diss track

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Why Gen Z is so hyped on Kamala

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-31 | ...

Is Kamala brat??

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-31 | ...

Is Kamala Harris a political meme stock? Brat summer explained

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-26 | Politics and social media were inextricable this week. Biden announced his dropout via X and other social platforms — and after he endorsed Kamala Harris, the media rush to explain Brat memes began. Taylor talks to The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel about coconut memes, irony pilled posting, and the outcry of a generation frustrated by politics.

Later, Zach and I break down this week’s headlines, including a lifestyle influencer suing another lifestyle influencer for copying her aesthetic, a terrifying DHS robot dog, and Marc Andreessen’s hope that AI will save comedy.

00:00 Intro
00:56 Why Twitter won’t die
2:16 Why can't progressives quit Twitter?
3:33 Is Twitter giving Elon Musk more political power?
05:15 Why VC’s like Marc Andreessen all love Trump
06:41 How X could change with a Kamala win
08:34 Kamala’s digital strategy
11:31 The "Hot Ones test" for politics
13:03 Kamala’s “coconut pilled” fan base
18:00 Why “Dark Brandon” memes flopped
20:30 Authenticity in political campaigns
21:49 Taylor and Zach chat news stories
21:57 Influencer sues another Influencer for stealing her aesthetic
26:04 Over half of U.S. Adults want to become full time content creators
28:03 Marc Andreessen thinks AI can save comedy
31:43 Department of Homeland Security hire robot dogs to assist in raids
35:03 CNN trying to understand Brat summer
36:58 Has Kamala jumped the shark?

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Trump shooting merch is

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-20 | ...

The rise of BlueAnon conspiracy theories

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-19 | Since a gunman attacked Donald Trump at a rally, conspiracy theories have flourished on social media: The attack was a false flag, Trump had a gel pack on his ear, Trump went golfing the next day. These are the latest additions to a growing collection of anti-Trump conspiracy theories referred to as "Blue Anon."

I discuss the rise of conspiracies from anti Trump influencers with Mike Rothschild, author of "The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything."

Later, Zach and I disucuss the shooter's "Demolition Ranch" YouTuber T-shirt, the RNC influencers tasked with making the GOP look cool, and other news of the week.

00:00 Intro
01:26 The origin of BlueAnon
03:05 The recent rise of BlueAnon post debate
04:22 The distrust in media
06:07 BlueAnon's main characters
07:14 How the Trump rally shooting became the tipping point for left wing conspiracy theorists
09:31 Parallels between BlueAnon and MAGA
10:45 False equivalencies between right vs left wing conspiracies
12:14 Why the truth matters
14:20 Don't ignore BlueAnon
15:40 IG Threads
16:45 BlueAnon ideology
18:50 Can tech companies solve this?
20:09 The role of politics and economics in conspiracy movements
22:45 Taylor and Zach break down the news
22:51 Trump shooting Merch
23:44 Demolition Ranch apologizes for influencing the Trump shooter
25:18 RNC hires right-wing influencers to reach conservative youth

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The woman playing candy crush during the shooting unbothered

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-16 | ...

@jaubrey on Kick streamer’s depravity #streaming #influencer #creator

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-16 | ...

The dark reality of Kick livestreaming w/ j aubrey

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-13 | Kick streamers have live-streamed themselves accosting people on the street, s*xu*lly harassing minors, fleeing the scene of a hit and run. It's home to some of the most reprehensible behavior on the internet.

This week, I spoke to YouTuber @jaubrey, an expert on the internet’s worst people, about Kick’s race to the bottom.

Later, Zach and I chat about Logan Paul suing Coffeezilla, the outpouring of support for Sketch, and some of my recent stories including NATO inviting content creators to this year’s summit and the first full-time content creator running for Senate!

00:00 Intro
01:46 Welcome to Kick
03:56 Kick vs. Twitch
04:20 Who is Ice Poseidon?
05:06 Adin Ross
07:05 Meet N3ON
09:21 Cancel-proof influencers
09:49 Should we take Kick seriously?
12:45 Kick monetization
13:28 Kick's lasting impact
13:57 How Kick shapes online culture
16:06 The rise of outrage content
17:06 Kick creators spreading to YouTube?
17:45 Kick's legacy
19:17 Kick vs YouTube prank culture
20:27 Taylor and Zach chat headlines
21:13 Content creators at the NATO Summit
22:12 The first influencer running for congress
24:08 Logan Paul sues CoffeeZilla
26:38 Creators rally behind Sketch
28:24 Kids are cyberbullying their teachers on TikTok

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An influencer vs her snark subreddit

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-02 | ...

Does social media need warning labels?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-07-02 | Caroline Mimbs Nyce, a staff writer at The Atlantic and I chat about the Surgeon General's quest to add warning labels to social media.

FYI I was in the middle of editing this and I got sick, so it's kind of janky but I wanted to just upload it because it was getting kinda stale. Sorry there's not a lot of graphics and it's pretty trash editing! Next video will be better!!

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How one influencer took down her snark subreddit

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-29 | For the past several years, influencer Lily Chapman has been plagued by a relentless community of primarily women online. They congregated in a snark subreddit dedicated to mocking and criticizing her. They even contacted her friends and family, and attempted to kill her sponsorship deals.

But Lily did something most influencers haven't been able to do: She fought back and won. I spoke to Lily about snaking, how it all went down, Reddit, and what it's like to become the target of an online mob.

00:00 Intro
00:09 What are snark subreddits?
01:21 Realizing she had a snark page
02:55 How Lily’s relationship with Reddit changed
03:42 Debunking the lies posted on the subreddit
04:25 How the hate community evolved
06:53 Combatting the hate while pregnant
09:40 Why snark subreddits target women
13:05 Disguising hate and misogyny as moral activism
15:32 How Lily got the page taken down
16:55 Reddit’s lack of accountability
18:32 How do you manage your reputation online?
20:52 How Lily's life has changed

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What happened to one woman accused of being a CIA agent

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-25 | ...

Logan Paul boosts Trump

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-24 | ...

When people wanted to ban telephones over “telephone crime”

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-23 | ...

1870s brain rot?!?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-23 | ...

Top Stanford researcher smeared as a CIA censorship supervillain

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-23 | On the internet, a top Stanford researcher has been smeared as a censorship supervillain, whose goal is to silence free speech. People claim she is responsible for deleting 22 million tweets and working for the CIA. None of this is true. It is all part of an elaborate conspiracy cooked up by the far right, which made its ways to the halls of congress.

Now, former Stanford Internet Observatory research manager Renée DiResta is speaking out about what it's like to monitor disinformation about yourself, and how anyone can become the subject of these dangerous hate and disinformation campaigns.

Later, I talk about my latest story about how Biden is struggling to garner the support of Gen Z influencers, the surgeon general’s campaign to put warning labels on social media, Logan Paul’s Trump interview, TikTok’s new AI-generated ads, and whether content creators are going broke.

00:00 Intro
00:09 What's up next on Power User
00:31 Who is Renee DiResta?
01:28 The beginnings of the rumor
03:50 Why do people think she's a CIA agent?
06:12 The right wing media's role
07:05 How the spread of misinfo affected Renee
09:01 How platforms like Twitter played a role
09:48 How the smear campaign spread to Congress
11:46 Why try to bring down the Stanford Internet Observatory?
13:20 The research done at Stanford and current state of the Observatory
14:01 Filter bubbles
15:14 The 2024 election
17:15 Fighting back against online disinformation
19:01 Why you should feed the trolls
19:43 Taylor and Producer Zach Mack chat over the news
19:48 Taylor's story on influencers turning against Biden
22:28 Trump x Logan Paul
24:35 Why the far-right excels on social media
25:54 TikTok's new AI Avatars
29:39 Are content creators going broke?
33:35 The surgeon general's BS social media warning plan

Order Renee's new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality: reneediresta.com/books

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The origins of brain rot! w @etymology_nerd

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-18 | ...

Skibidi rizz gyatt explained by internet etymologist

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-14 | Recently, the term “brain rot” has gone from meaning chronically online, to a fully fledged meme and ironic slang language. Adam Aleksic, a Harvard linguistics graduate known as @etymology_nerd, joins me to break down how the language of the internet is evolving.

We talk about coining slang words for clout, emoji evolution, whether men or women have a bigger effect on language, how incel terms went mainstream, and more!

Later, Zach and I dive into stories from the week including big announcements from Apple’s WWDC, the shadowy right-wing backers behind a Mr Beast video, BeReals big sale, and a new word to describe AI generated garbage.

00:00 - Introduction
01:05 - Who suffers most from brain rot?
01:45 - When did the term 'brain rot' become popularized online?
03:18 - Origins of Sigma and maxxing
04:52 - Gyatt, Rizz, Skibidi, and Fanum Tax
06:31 - How Ohio became the “capital of the internet”
08:38 - How the internet shaped modern language
10:20 - Algospeak
12:21 - Is any of this new?
15:20 - Does Gen Alpha actually speak brain rot?
16:18 - The race to create new slang for clout
18:04 - Emojis role in modern language
19:49 - Identifying new slang terms
22:42 - Mewing and mogging
23:50 - Men vs women in shaping language
26:28 - News rundown starts
26:32 - Big Apple announcements from WWDC
31:54 - BeReal gets acquired
34:58 - MrBeast charity video bankrolled by Charles Koch organization
39:29 - Is slop the new spam?

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The World Record Egg is back!

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-12 | ...

Trump has joined TikTok

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-11 | ...

Is it ever ok to film strangers in public?

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-07 | Internet culture reporter Rebecca Jennings joined me to discuss the absolute plague of people filming strangers. How did we come to live in this crowdsourced surveillance world and what are ethics of filming people you don't know? We get into all of it.

Then, Zach and I chat about the @world_record_egg returning, Trump blowing up on TikTok, and Mr. Beast becoming the most subscribed to YouTube channel. We also break down TikTok’s failed secret deal with the U.S. Government, which included a “kill switch” to shut down the app.

03:51 The role of monetization
04:56 The benefits of public filming
05:53 Alex From Target
07:21 Legal complications filming strangers for content
08:50 What responsibility do TikTok and IG have?
10:43 Is awareness of surveillance culture beneficial?
13:22 When is it ok to film people?
14:59 Zach and Taylor talk headlines
15:04 world_record_egg stands with Palestine
18:53 MrBeast becomes the most subscribed to account on YouTube
22:01 Donald Trump joins TikTok
24:58 Instagram tests new “unstoppable ads” feature
27:39 TikTok’s failed secret deal with the U.S. Government

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Tech billionaires want San Francisco to secede from the U.S.

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-04 | ...

Tech billionaires are trying to create and rule their own countries under “Tech Zionism” #tech #ai

Taylor Lorenz 2024-06-04 | ...

Facebook is being overtaken by AI spam

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-31 | ...

The powerful tech baron seeking to ethnically cleanse San Francisco

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-30 | This week we're going deep on Balaji Srinivasan, the powerful centimillionaire calling for a “tech Zionism” that would see “Grays” loyal to the tech industry take over San Francisco by allying with the police to give themselves privileges as they oppress the “Blues” (progressives).

Balaji is one of the most infamous, but lesser-known, figures in Silicon Valley. Journalist Gil Duran, who reports on tech fascism and billionaire extremism, joins me to examine his plans to transform San Francisco into a sovereign state and discuss Balaji’s ideas, background, and why you should take him seriously.

02:51 How the rise of crypto culture helped boost Balaji’s prominence
03:49 What is “The Network State”?
06:46 Balaji’s dystopian plan for the future of San Francisco
09:29 How the Network State ideology effects current SF politics
12:10 What happens to the citizens who don’t “fit in” to Balaji’s plan
13:20 The police's role in The Network State concept
16:33 Why VC’s are trying to take control of S.F.
18:43 America vs. Silicon Valley
19:58 The rise of tech founder extremism
21:30 The movements toxic relationship with the press
25:15 Balaji’s fake support for independent journalism
28:20 What Network State success looks like
31:28 The California Forever project
35:50 The racial and gender undertones of the Network State movement
37:14 “Woke Capital”

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How AI spam is making Facebook relevant again #tech #technology #podcast

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-24 | ...

How AI spam is creating a zombie internet

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-24 | Have you been on Facebook lately? It’s weirdly overrun with bizarre, AI-generated spam and clickbait. Jason Koebler, co-founder of 404 Media and host of The 404 Media Podcast joins me to talk about how this happened, who’s behind it all, and what it means for a major social platform to become an AI generated wasteland.

Later, Zach and I chat about Scarlett Johansson’s accusation that Open AI mimicked her voice, a new video game about influencers risking their lives for content, Belle Delphine’s bathwater, and a baby who’s hyped to go to the Four Seasons Orlando.

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Are robots eliminating the service industry? #tech #ai #technews #technology #artificialintelligence

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-18 | ...

Is the celebrity blockout working? #tech #technology #celeb #celebrity #politics

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-17 | ...

Is the celeb blocklist working? TikTok creators sue the govt & more! // Power User podcast

Taylor Lorenz 2024-05-17 | This week on Power User, TikTok creators sue the U.S. government over free speech concerns, Bumble tells women to get busy, YouTube’s CEO wants creators to win Emmys, and Google’s new AI gives some bad advice.

Later, I chatted with Embedded's Kate Lindsay, about the celebrity block lists and whether they're working.

00:26 TikTok Users are suing the U.S. Government over the ban
04:11 Bumble apologizes for its “anti-celibacy” ad campaign
07:15 YouTube's CEO on why YouTubers should be able to win Emmys
09:22 Google’s new Gemini AI system flops on stage
13:03 Kate on how Blockout 2024 came to be
15:54 Is the blockout actually impacting celebs?
17:46 How traditional celebrities and content creators are affected differently
18:27 Focusing on celebs vs politicians
19:16 Blockout vs other social media social movements
21:16 Why big creators haven't spoken out and what it says about them
26:46 Why some celebs are still silent

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