The cultural impact of Sofia Richie's wedding
Changing what it means to be an "it girl" one Chanel dress at a time.
Keep scrolling for the ultimate example of a man written by a woman.
Bhad Bhabie doesn’t dream of labour either, apparently
Journalist EJ Dickson caught up with Bhad Bhabie in a new profile for Rolling Stone to find out what the viral sensation has been up to since making millions on OnlyFans. Turns out, not much.
Bhad Bhabie— real name Danielle Bregoli—became a viral meme in 2016 after appearing on Dr. Phil with her mother, where she uttered her now-infamous phrase: “cash me ousside, how bout dah?”
She quickly turned her fleeting virality into a multi-million dollar career, releasing music and selling racy pics on OnlyFans as a way to regain her public image and autonomy.
After becoming the youngest female rap artist to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and making (at least) $70 million on OnlyFans, Bhad Bhabie is now basically just chilling.
“She’s just living the life of a college freshman with no classes,” her manager, Dan Roof, told Dickson. “[She’s] binge drinking, and whatever dumb shit kids are doing. She just has a lot more money.”
Dickson notes that the rapper didn’t dream of fame prior to her Dr. Phil appearance and emphasises how little interest she has in working in general. (Relatable.)
She told Dickson she has new music recorded, but has no timeline for finishing and releasing it.
“I was so robbed of my childhood that I don’t really care to work no more,” she said. “I just want to chill, party, hang out.”
Find the full interview via Rolling Stone.
Meghan Trainor addresses criticism over podcast episode with Trisha Paytas
Meghan Trainor has taken to TikTok to apologise for comments she made against teachers in a recent episode of her podcast, featuring controversial YouTube star Trisha Paytas.
In a recent episode of Workin’ On It, Meghan and Trisha discussed motherhood alongside the artist’s brother and co-host Ryan Trainor.
The trio discussed the topic of homeschooling— which both women have chosen for their children— before Trisha said that part of her hesitation about sending her daughter (named Malibu Barbie) to school stems from her own trauma around teachers.
Meghan responded to Trisha’s remark: "Fuck teachers dude!"
Back in December 2020, Trisha alleged that her former teacher sexually assaulted her and was eventually arrested for having child pornography on his computer.
This story is considered controversial among internet culture fans, as Trisha went on to tell it several more times with discrepancies while co-hosting the Frenemies podcast.
Following the release of this episode of Workin' On It, fans were outraged by Meghan's derogatory comment against teachers. Many also expressed their disappointment in the singer’s decision to give airtime to Trisha, who has a long history of posting deeply problematic content.
Meghan later apologised to teachers in a TikTok video, saying she was "fired up" over the discussion about the reality of sending children to school in America.
"I had Trisha Paytas on the podcast and I knew her history with teachers and I knew my husband's history with his teachers and I was bullied by some teachers," she said. "So in that moment, I got angry and said F teachers. F those specific human beings back in the day, but I did not mean that to all teachers."
Read the full story via Centennial Beauty.
How Sofia Richie’s wedding changed what it means to be an “it girl”
Nepo baby royalty Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge wed this weekend at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, South of France and TikTok can’t stop talking about it.
The celeb-studded event has sparked discourse on the clock app for two main reasons:
Sofia’s timeless style over the course of the weekend was a far cry from the fashion worn by most celebrity “it girls” at the moment.
The immediacy of Vogue’s wedding coverage allowed us normies to follow along on the day while Sofia’s live TikTok updates and Instagram posts gave her an air of relatability as an excited bride-to-be.
Pop culture commentary creator @jessweslie spoke to the first point in a recent TikTok video, noting that Sofia’s elegant and modest style will begin to impact how celebrities dress as Gen Z’s version of the “it girl” evolves from the “Kardashian look” to the chic “old money” aesthetic.
This aligns with the current internet theory that Kim and Khloe are paring back their plastic surgeries because the “Kardashian look” has now become so attainable to the masses.
Marketing manager @abxola suggests that Sofia and her team used “the power of real-time” during her wedding weekend to lay the groundwork for the new formula on what it takes to become an “it girl”.
“It’s quite rare for us to see a celebrity of this size live-posting such a major life event, especially in the last, let’s say, 5-6 years. Celebrities have taken a step back and want to be a bit more planned and this feels like she’s taking us on the journey so people are invested,” she says. “That sets her apart completely and puts her specifically in the culture of what we have right now which is like real-time consumption [on TikTok], willing to be on the journey, and feeling like we’re not as separated from celebrities.”
Sofia also launched her TikTok account on her wedding weekend and gave us all three dress reveals via Vogue on the day of.
Follow Sofia’s elevated “it girl” journey via TikTok.
Gen Z dubs Jury Duty’s hero “the perfect example of the female gaze”
Ronald Gladden, the star of Amazon Freevee docuseries Jury Duty, is going viral as a real-life example of a man written by a woman.
Jury Duty follows Ronald as he serves on a jury for a California trial. The catch is that the trial is fake and the other 11 members of the jury are all actors.
Ronald believes he is filming a documentary about serving jury duty and that everything he experiences is real.
Throughout the series, the goal was to follow Ronald’s reactions to bizarre situations rather than making him the butt of the joke.
People on social media have praised the show’s execution and casting of Ronald, a 29-year-old man from California, as the lead.
“One of the things we talked about from the beginning was we wanted a show that never felt like it was punching down and felt optimistic, that had the tropes and the tone of something like The Office but really had a warmth and optimism to it as well. When we saw Ronald’s tape, we couldn’t believe it. He’s such a nice guy. He’s funny, he’s charming, he’s witty. That’s what we had hoped for. He exceeded our expectations in every single moment of the show,” executive producer Todd Schulman told Vulture.
Showing compassion, empathy, and unrelenting optimism throughout the series, Ronald has quickly become the internet’s ultimate example of husband material.
Read the full interview about Ronald’s casting via Vulture.
Gen Z’s politeness paradox: How ‘no-nuance’ TikTok is changing empathy and communication online
A new piece by Annabel Bendavid for Centennial World explores how TikTok’s resistance to nuance has created a politeness paradox where many Gen Zs believe they don’t owe kindness to others.
As the most diverse generation in history, Gen Z is leading the charge in promoting acceptance and inclusivity across the board and has established itself as a force for social justice and equality, tirelessly amplifying the voices of those historically silenced and marginalised.
However, Bendavid argues that Gen Z fails to practice what they preach when communicating interpersonally, particularly online.
This was evidenced when a video by TikTok commentary creator Michelle Skidelsky recently went viral. In the video, Michelle says that we owe everyone a sense of decency and kindness at face value.
“I think some of you need to realise that… there is an invisible social contract that governs the way we interact in the world, and it’s there for a reason… sometimes we have to do things out of politeness”, she said. “I see people talking about why I should participate in a conversation that doesn’t interest me? You don’t have to participate in that conversation. But you also can’t not expect people to get upset with you when you break the social contract of niceness and politeness… there are consequences to that.”
Some users took issue with her video, claiming that Michelle was advocating for compassion towards individuals who are racist and sexist, while others felt that her message attacked neurodivergent people who have difficulty interpreting social cues.
Michelle later clarified that she was not trying to excuse harmful behaviour.
“While we must continue to stand up for people who have long been erased from the mainstream, we should question the amount of backlash Michelle received —especially with many TikTok users dismissing her original message as ‘hypersensitive,’” Bendavid writes. “In a world where many of us prioritise the idea that we don’t owe kindness to others, it becomes problematic, especially when our generational values are centred around the pursuit of social improvement and inclusion.”
Bendavid notes that as a result of this individualistic mentality on a micro-level, Gen Z tends to prioritise the impact and outcome of language, even if it means disregarding values like politeness, kindness, and common decency along the way.
“Only by acknowledging the discrepancy between our online communication style and goals for society can we create a cohesive and harmonious digital community that embodies the values we hold dear.”
Read Bendavid’s full piece via Centennial World.