Buzz
This week’s guide for the out-of-touch dives into a questionable kidnapping, bizarre singing heads emerging from toilets, and the dangerous trend of consuming borax for supposed health benefits. Grab your girl dinner and settle in.
This week’s viral sensation: The Skibidi Toilet series
Perhaps it’s the summer heat messing with everyone’s minds, but YouTube’s latest craze is the “Skibidi Toilet” series. These surreal animated shorts feature eerie, grinning heads popping out of toilets. Created using the Source Engine from the Half-Life games, Skibidi Toilet is the creation of YouTuber DaFuqBoom. The debut episode features a menacing head in a toilet “dancing” and singing Yasin Cengiz’s Turkish track “tummy dancer.”
What began as a quirky, forgettable internet oddity, Skibidi Toilet rapidly transformed into an ongoing series. With over fifty episodes, it narrates the bizarre tale of singing toilet monsters battling a range of heavily armed foes. These videos are equal parts humorous and unsettling, defying logic yet captivating audiences. Skibidi Toilet has amassed over 100 million views on YouTube, sparking demands for a live-action adaptation and accolades like an Oscar and a Country Music Award for DaFuqBoom. To dive into the skibidi-verse, start with these videos, then try to decipher the madness.
Understanding the “Girl Dinner” Trend (and Why It Matters)
TikTok’s latest culinary craze is the “girl dinner,” essentially a collection of small bites enjoyed in the evening. Think of it as a snack plate or a light meal. The trend began with TikTok users showcasing unconventional dinner combinations we’ve all tried at some point: bread and cheese,
Soon, people began sharing girl dinners that resembled “eating disorder meals,” like a single can of corn or a glass of ice. Was it all in jest? Then young men started posting their “boy dinners,” and concerns grew. Critics questioned the nutritional balance and whether these meals promoted unhealthy eating habits. Should calorie-heavy meals be eaten earlier in the day? Or is a large dinner the way to go?
The most intriguing aspect of the girl dinner trend is its origin. It seems everyone (myself included) feels compelled to scrutinize and judge the choices young women make, even their dinner selections. While concerns about eating disorders are valid, they often border on the same thinly veiled disdain some express toward obesity, masking prejudice under the guise of concern.
Thankfully, Popeye’s introduced a “girl dinner menu today, marking the corporate takeover that inevitably ends every trend. (Please, keep Mr. Clean far away from Skibidi Toilet!!!)
The bizarre tale of Carlee Russell
This week, something unusual happened to Carlee Russell, though the details remain unclear. The 25-year-old nurse dialed 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering near an Alabama highway. Police arrived to find no child but discovered Carlee’s abandoned car. A search ensued, and rewards were announced. Two days later, Carlee reappeared at her parents’ home with a minor lip injury.
She claimed she left her car to search for the child, only to be ambushed by a couple emerging from the woods. They allegedly forced her into a truck, blindfolded her, and took her to a house where they photographed her nude. The next day, she escaped. The couple supposedly used the toddler as bait, as Carlee reported hearing a child at the house.
Yesterday, Alabama police held a press conference where Chief Nick Derzis stated investigators couldn’t verify Russell’s story. Authorities highlighted suspicious searches on her phone, including queries like “The movie Taken” and “Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert,” strongly suggesting they know more and will disclose it soon.
For now, the situation remains uncertain. Perhaps Russell is truthful, and she was indeed kidnapped by clumsy human traffickers—it seems improbable but not entirely impossible. Alternatively, she might have fabricated the entire story. But if so, what was her motive? Could she have been abducted by aliens?
Avoid eating borax, even if TikTok makes it seem appealing
This week, TikToker Chemthug has taken it upon himself to deliver a straightforward warning: Do not consume borax. “Stop eating stuff from the damn laundry box, folks,” Chemthug declares in a video, after showcasing clips of other TikTokers boasting about their “Borax” consumption for its alleged health benefits.
Chemthug, a PhD candidate in synthetic organic chemistry, emphasizes that we shouldn’t need a scientist to tell us this. While small amounts of boron are naturally found in certain foods and are safe, borax is a different story. Although it’s a “naturally occurring compound,” so are substances like cyanide and asbestos. According to research from the National Institute of Health, excessive borax consumption can lead to “skin and respiratory irritation,” as well as “nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rashes, unconsciousness, depression, and kidney failure.” Despite widespread warnings, it’s unclear if this is a genuine trend or just online hype. You likely never considered eating borax before reading this, right? But now, it’s probably on your mind.
Why are TikTokers faking podcasts?
On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, it's common to stumble upon brief clips featuring podcast guests earnestly speaking into microphones, their gaze slightly off-camera, discussing various topics. However, it never crossed my mind to question the authenticity of these appearances—whether these individuals were genuinely featured on podcasts. After all, appearing on a podcast, whether as a host or guest, doesn't seem like a monumental feat, does it? Yet, surprisingly, often there is no actual podcast. This phenomenon of fabricated podcast clips has emerged as a distinct trend on short-form video platforms. The reason? Mimicking a podcast setting lends an air of credibility, which, in turn, seems to attract more viewers. For a clearer understanding, Justin Whang provides a demonstrative explanation. Once you start noticing, you'll find numerous instances, with some of the most notable being Vicky Banxx's simulated podcast cameo, which gained some viral traction, and Vshred's clever ploy of feigning an appearance on the renowned Joe Rogan Experience. There's a certain blend of melancholy and humor in these clips, especially when you realize there's no off-camera interviewer and the 'guest' isn't part of a broader discussion. It's essentially a bid for attention and validation, achieved through a somewhat deceptive yet ingenious method. Quite the spectacle, indeed.
