Keep scrolling for the reasons why TikTok influencers aren’t going mainstream anymore.
AI is seemingly at the forefront of anything and everything internet culture these days. While these conversations are often focused on how AI may change jobs and steal personal data, some quality content emerges from the AI boom. In a new piece for WIRED, Kristine Villarroel breaks down the latest trend where AI is making classic memes come to life.
Essentially, users on TikTok are creating “time traveller” videos that expand the context of famous memes. According to Villarroel, this might involve introducing another character to the picture or interrupting the original narrative.
One such example is the "distracted boyfriend" meme—the iconic picture of a man looking back at another woman while holding his girlfriend's hand. In a new AI-generated clip posted to X, the boyfriend can be seen walking towards the other woman.
Villarroel notes that many of these clips, including the distracted boyfriend video, were created using the Luma Dream Machine—an AI model designed to transform photos into realistic videos.
“Within days of its release, social media users started to borrow images and frames from recognizable memes to create visuals that test Dream Machine’s generation abilities,” she continues. “The results proved that while the AI model isn’t flawless, it does have the ability to rewrite internet history by altering the web’s most enduring images.”
Although the digital world continues to spread misinformation, Know Your Meme editor Phillip Hamilton believes that the trend does not significantly threaten internet culture.
“Generally, everyone knows the context,” Hamilton tells Villarroel. “The iconicness of the video is at the core of the trend … the core of the meme is that popular thing being stopped [and changed].”
Read the full story via WIRED.
The Future For Women in Gaming
Speaking of the future of the digital space, in the final episode of the 'Let The Girls Game' mini-series, powered by Let's Sing, host Lauren Meisner sits down with content creator MissDeusGeek. Together, they explore the evolving role of women in gaming.
Women attempting to navigate the gaming industry often have to work twice as hard to get half as far. Not only are these women gamers overlooked, but they also continue to face hordes of misogynistic harassment—whether it is through coordinated movements like Gamergate or just from trolls.
However, there are signs of hope for change. The legacy of the Games for Girls movement and increased dialogue around the portrayal of female streamers and characters in gaming indicate a shift in the right direction.
As more women find their footing in the industry and establish their own safe spaces and communities, MissDeusGeek notes that the world of gaming is gradually becoming more inclusive—largely due to increased education and representation.
“Gaming is not just for boys, it is for everyone,” she continues. “Having that representation through marketing activities, through advertising, through collaborations... it’s all about seeing you represented by someone else.”
MissDeusGeek suggests that as gamers engage more with this kind of content—especially as Gen Alpha grows up in this environment— positive change across the gaming space is imminent.
“The younger generation is more accepting and open to having that diversity in gaming… I think that movement is already happening through the younger generation, through kids, who are a lot more open to playing games for the fun of it,” she adds.
Watch ‘Let The Girls Game’ on TikTok, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Influencers aren’t getting famous like they used to
While women in gaming are (slowly but surely) getting the recognition they deserve, it seems as though influencers are falling off. In a recent piece for Glamour, Stephanie McNeal explores how creators who gained fame during the TikTok era struggle to achieve long-term relevance.
In the past, creators would gain viral fame and then transition to the mainstream, where they would be offered more opportunities and featured in major publications. However, McNeal contends that today, "we are in a drought of famous influencers."
She points to the Met Gala as an example. In 2021, the event was flooded with various creators like Jackie Aina, Addison Rae, and NikkieTutorials. It seems like 2021 may have been the peak, as influencers (aside from Emma Chamberlain) are barely being invited anymore.
While creators and users may have a viral moment here and there (think Tube Girl or the Hawk Tuah Girl), the last person to make it on a mainstream scale was Alix Earle.
As for why no other creator has quite reached Alix’s level recently, McNeal outlines a few theories.
The viral space is oversaturated. With so much competition, it's becoming increasingly difficult for any one creator to stand out and make a lasting impact.
“The problem is that too many people are doing well on social media,” McNeal writes. “It’s not unique these days to have hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of followers, to have an agent, or to get lucrative brand deals.”
Brands have shifted their focus away from follower counts as a key metric and toward engagement. This change emphasised the importance of quality of followers over quantity.
In a similar vein, many of us are stuck in own own echo chambers, which makes it increasingly challenging for a single creator to dominate every corner of the app.
“There’s the fact that platforms like TikTok tend to silo users based on interests,” she continues. “Niche communities (insert hobby here plus Tok) are thriving, and so a person who may be famous on FarmTok or BookTok may have trouble breaking out of the mold.”
Lastly, audiences have gained a better understanding of how the digital space works, leading to increased distrust toward creators.
“Not only is it harder to stand out, but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to win over skeptical audiences who are craving transparency and authenticity,” Sophie, who runs a business consulting on social media called Pretty Little Marketer, tells McNeal.
That being said, the influencer era is far from over. As internet culture becomes increasingly intertwined with the mainstream, content creators have become a staple among Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. But this doesn't discount the fact that there are likely many transitional periods yet to come.
Read the story via Glamour.
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After President Joe Biden’s recent performance in the presidential debate, many are calling for him to step down (James Charles, we are looking at you). As discussions continue about who should take Biden’s place if he were to step down, Gen Z is rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris—not necessarily for her policy positions, but for her overall vibe. Enter: The Khive.
Over the past week, X has come alight with posts, videos and fan-edits of Harris. As more of these posts start to circulate, a few fan favourite quotes have begun to emerge.
In a 2023 speech, for instance, Harris quoted her mother with the memorable line, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” She was emphasising the importance of learning from history, but out of context, the quote sounded insane and, naturally, went viral.
Screenshot via X. Another favourite quote that social media users have noticed Harris often repeats is: “What can be, unburdened by what has been.” While this quote is intended to be powerful — often a call to dream bigger— the internet has turned it into a meme.
Screenshot via X. Of course, there are other iconic quotes that have been floating around for a while now—from Harris talking about how much she loves “Venn diagrams” and “Good news,” or simply her infectious laughter and dancing.
With Charli xcx’s "brat" dominating the internet, edits of Harris have coincided with "brat summer." This has led to a surge of fan edits set to songs from the album and the prospect of a Harris presidency being “brat coded.”
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Scroll through the Khive via X.
Uncle Waffles, Nia Archives & More on Black Women’s Dance Music Takeover
From artists like Charli xcx to Chappell Roan, it’s clear that new pop girlies are on the rise. But, in one particular genre, Black women are making a significant impact. In a recent piece for Teen Vogue, Jaelani Turner-Williams explores how artists from Tinashe to PinkPantheress are reshaping and revitalising dance music.
Black women aren’t new to dance music by any means. In fact, they have long been the changemakers and trendsetters—take Donna Summer and Diana Ross, for example.
“In the last six months alone, Black femme artists have broken new ground across the sounds of electronic, ambient, hyperpop, and jungle, perhaps ushered in or amplified by the success of [Beyonce’s] Renaissance,” Turner-Williams writes.
Much of this success stems from drawing inspiration from iconic artists and the work that came before them. Renaissance is a case in point, featuring samples from other legendary Black artists. It also blends elements from different genres—a skill that many Black artists continue to execute flawlessly.
“I feel like every DJ has a bit of amapiano in their sets currently. Just from the log drums and the feeling of that sound, it just resonates…” Detroit-bred selector and producer, Sky Jetta tells TeenVogue. “Another sound that's been making its way over here that's slowly growing is jungle, which is something that I've been getting more into.”
Even though Black women continue to make significant contributions to the genre, they are often overlooked. Record producer and DJ Nina Archives has called out music awards for their consistent underrepresentation of Black dance culture.
“I think sometimes people kind of forget the origins of dance music and that it was pioneered by gay Black [men] in Chicago and Detroit. Some of those pioneers are forgotten, sadly,” Nina tells Turner-Williams.
Read the full story via Teen Vogue.