Buzz
This week, I'm diving into some of the darker, more unsettling aspects of youth culture, from toxic masculinity and creepy stalkers to disturbing artistic expressions. But in the midst of it all, there’s also a robot pizza maker and some fascinating bugs to bring a little balance.
A stalker was apprehended thanks to social media
This week, Knoxville, Tennessee resident Jacob Yerkes posted a video that quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons. In it, Yerkes talks to a couple of police officers he apparently called himself, openly admitting to stalking a co-worker and justifying it by saying that “women like that.” He continues to explain that women want to be raped, using BDSM porn as his so-called evidence. The police officers explain that women actually don’t want that, and that he should stop following this woman. They let him go without arresting him, which is disturbing enough. Yerkes' twitter feed and SoundCloud are even more chilling, filled with horrific references to rape, homophobia, racism, and Ayn Rand. The guy is a walking embodiment of the worst elements of the internet.
But there’s a happy ending (as happy as anything like this can be, anyway). On Tuesday, The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office reported that Yerkes was arrested on charges of aggravated stalking and harassment. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Yerkes’ “social media threats garnered national attention, prompting involvement from both the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
The Internet is getting more disturbing
Writer Laura Pitcher at I-D highlighted an emerging trend among young people that I’ve discussed here before: The embrace of all things ugly and grotesque. Think about the rise of over-the-top ugly cakes, the popularity of pimple-popping videos, and artist/clothing designer Michaela Stark’s lingerie that emphasizes the deformation of flesh and showcases decaying skin, stretch marks, veins, and other features that society expects women to hide. And that’s just scratching the surface—there’s an entire world of ugliness waiting to be explored.
Maybe this trend is a reaction against social media’s obsession with perfect, curated images, or perhaps it’s an expression of the underlying ugliness in post-industrial society. Or maybe, it’s just a way to irritate older generations like mine—I mean, kids, you're going to look ugly and horrifying in a few years anyway. Why rush it? But there it is—ugliness is in vogue.
Introducing the new term from the “man-o-sphere”: The Sigma Grindset
Speaking of truly ugly things—like, not the performative kind—the internet's incels are back with some new (-ish) nonsense, and it’s even dumber and meaner than their previous antics. The latest trend is a made-up category of men they call “sigma males,” in contrast to the alpha and beta males they invented earlier.
According to the internet's worst characters, sigmas are supposed to be the rarest type of male—lone wolves who make their own rules. They’re obsessed with working hard for money, and they’re supposedly irresistible to women, yet they also despise women and treat them poorly. You can sum it all up with their so-called role model, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Or you could think of them as alpha males without any of the “likability and friendships” part. The people who prey on lonely internet outcasts are advising their followers to adopt the “Sigma Grindset”—make money, work out, and avoid any real joy or friendships.
In reality, very few of these clueless guys will ever manage the “being attractive to women” part of the Sigma lifestyle, nor will most achieve the “having money” part, no matter how many self-help courses they buy or YouTube videos they watch. But the fact that aspiring to be a misogynistic sociopath is gaining popularity is troubling, especially considering the concept has racked up 3 billion views on #sigmagrindset videos.
Personally, I’m neither alpha, beta, nor sigma. I’m an omega male, like Charlton Heston in Omega Man. The last man alive, surrounded by mutants on every side, I take refuge in an old movie theater and watch the Woodstock documentary over and over.
I, for one, embrace our new pizza-robot overlords.
That’s enough diving into the darker side of youth culture. Here’s something that’s just pure positivity: Pizza robots are real. Right now! On this planet! But you’ll need to travel to Southfield, Michigan to witness them in action. Southfield is home to Zabot, an automated pizza kiosk/robot that bakes and dispenses pizzas without the need for any human intervention. Zabot is available 24/7, 365 days a year. That’s all the time there is! All hail our pizza-robot overlords!
Like most people, I first learned about Zabot from a video posted by bonnie.babyyyy. According to Bonnie, Zabot’s instructions were straightforward: the pepperoni pizza was ready in just three minutes and was reasonably priced. Sadly, it was also “a little doughy,” but if movies have taught us anything, it’s that robots are great at gradually improving their programming until they inevitably gain sentience and start wiping out all of us squishy humans. So, let’s give our pizza robot some time to get it right, is what I’m saying.
Viral video of the week: The Insect Tier List
Let’s wash away the internet’s ugliness and robot pizza talk by turning our attention to something a bit more fascinating: bugs! YouTube channel TierZoo has come up with a creative way to explore natural science—it analyzes animals through the lens of video games, ranking animal “factions” on tier lists based on their abilities, builds, and strategies. This week’s viral hit, The Insect Tier List, combines stunning macro photography of insects with a dry, deadpan VoiceOver that ranks different types of insects.
Silverfish end up at the bottom of the list for their weak defenses and unimpressive special ability (they level up by munching on cellulose). At the top, we have beetles—the tanks of the insect faction. With the highest Armor Class, they shine in combat, chemical warfare, and high movement speed. I won’t spoil the top insect, but let’s just say their real advantage lies in their sheer numbers and unmatched teamwork.
