“If you buy her one margarita, she will spread her legs!” If you’re even a casual user of TikTok, you’ve probably heard this line before. It’s from a speech by Cynthia Smock, a campus evangelist who has spent 40 years touring southern US campuses to preach against drugs, alcohol, sexual …
Read More »Colleen Ballinger Has a History of Using Racist Stereotypes In Her Comedy
Last week, YouTube star Colleen Ballinger, the creator of sketch character MirandaSings, responded to allegations of having inappropriate interactions with underage fans. Instead of a statement, the internet star played a ukelele, accusing people of jumping on a “toxic gossip train.” Her apology was widely lambasted on social media, and …
Read More »Trans Influencer Dylan Mulvaney Breaks Her Silence on Bud Light Controversy
Still crying over your cans of Bud Light? Well, that’s too bad, because TikTok star and trans actress Dylan Mulvaney wants the right-wing media —and Bud Light — to know that no amount of backlash will stop her from fighting for her community. Best known for her viral TikTok series …
Read More »How the 'Krusty Krew Anthem' Took Over the Internet
The first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants aired on Nickelodeon one month before Atlanta-based musician and content creator Oddwin was born. “One of my earliest memories is just having that on the TV,” the 24-year-old rapper-producer tells Rolling Stone. Oddwin is responsible for the Kash Krabs Records account that made the …
Read More »Pinegrove Went on Hiatus … Then Went Viral on TikTok
Earlier this week, an enterprising creator on TikTok named @garrettlee39 posted an earnest rendition of himself dancing to the 2014 single “Need 2” by indie band Pinegrove. A palpably moody cut from their album Everything So Far, the song, and dance, have spread across TikTok like wildfire. Garrett Lee’s original …
Read More »The FDA Warned Ozempic Users. They Don't Give a F-ck
Before August 2021, Emily Clasen had never heard of Ozempic. The 31-year-old from Fort Wayne, Indiana tells Rolling Stone that after her best friend at work mentioned the drug, she brought it up with her doctor. She had tried other weight loss drugs, like phentermine, but the side effects made …
Read More »He Was Lost At Sea. People Are Making Content Off His Viral Death
The family of Cameron Robbins remembers the Baton Rouge, Louisiana high school graduate as an intense, driven, funny, and kind-hearted son. But on the internet, the loss of the 18-year-old — after he jumped off of a cruise ship on an apparent dare — has gone from tragic accident to …
Read More »This J-Pop Group Say They Were Doxxed. Did the Internet Go Too Far?
“1, 2, so sweet!” say the three girls dressed in green, pink, and red outfits, waving into the camera. “Hello, we are Sorb3t! We are an idol group based in California, and today we wanted to teach you our call and responses!” The video, posted May 25, was most viewers’ …
Read More »A Trump Ad Used Her to 'Demonize' Trans People. Now, She's Speaking Out
When trans content creator and activist James Rose woke up on a Monday in mid-May, she didn’t expect her normal day prepping for a regional stage production to end with a call-out from the former President of the United States. But Rose, who uses she/they pronouns, tells Rolling Stone that …
Read More »AI Deepfakes of True-Crime Victims Are a Waking Nightmare
“Grandma locked me in an oven at 230 degrees when I was just 21 months old,” the cherubic baby with giant blue eyes and a floral headband says in the TikTok video. The baby, who speaks in an adorably childish voice atop the plaintive melody of Dylan Mathew‘s “Love Is …
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