Keep scrolling for why Swifties don’t believe the breakup news.
Hannah “Pearl” Davis of JustPearlyThings is reportedly facing legal ramifications for her toxic podcast. Pearl is often referred to as the “female Andrew Tate”, and her audience largely reflects extreme and hateful beliefs against women and people who stand up for women’s rights.
Amy Rhiannon appeared on Pearl’s live podcast ‘The Pregame’ in March 2022 alongside another guest where the three debated about an array of topics like whether a person’s number of previous sexual partners should matter to the person they are currently dating, cheating, feminism, sexual orientation, abortion, and whether it’s solely the woman’s fault if she gets pregnant from a sexual encounter.
Amy went up against Pearl from the “feminist” viewpoint— a label the podcast host used to market the episode in clipped segments on her YouTube channel.
One year later, Amy— a UK citizen— claims she is taking legal action against the American creator for the damage Pearl caused her following her appearance on ‘The Pregame’.
Pearl’s comment section from the episode features hundreds of comments about Amy’s relationship with her father, her sexual history, and her “feminist” ideology (most people look like feminists compared to Pearl).
In a TikTok video posted on April 12th, Amy revealed that she has been working with a legal team for the past year and is now bringing this to the public so she can raise money for “the next part” of her case against Pearl.
“The image of me that [Pearl] attempted to portray online is false, defamatory, and could not be further from who I am,” she said. “I am legally and formally recognised as a vulnerable adult. I have autism and borderline personality disorder, both of which Hannah was aware of.”
Amy directed users to her GoFundMe page, where she is attempting to raise £7,000 in her fight against Pearl.
In the description for the fundraiser, she shares some details about her mental health journey before explaining that she “relapsed into suicidality” as the result of Pearl’s actions towards her following Amy’s appearance on the podcast.
“There are grounds to believe I was specifically targeted/discriminated against under vulnerabilities or protected characteristics,” she writes. “Hannah Davis does not get to determine who is worthy of dignity and respect and who is not. She does not get to profit off of the exploitation of the rights of others or diminish their vulnerabilities or invalidate their identities.”
Read the full story via Centennial Beauty.
The Lofi universe expands with the introduction of new character
Lofi Girl, the 24/7 YouTube radio station that streams chill hip-hop beats for studying and relaxation, has expanded its realm by introducing a new character named Lofi Boy.
Lofi Girl launched in 2015 with the intention of promoting underground hip-hop beat mixers and artists. The channel has since gained over 12 million followers and reached 1 billion streams in 2021.
On April 1st, Lofi Girl went missing. She returned on April 10th with the message: “I’ve always wondered what’s behind that blue window… What do you think?”
The “blue window” is a reference to an apartment complex that can be seen through Lofi Girl’s window in the YouTube channel art.
This collection of apartment complex lights was later revealed as Morse code redirecting users to a website titled lofiworld.com.
After the announcement of lofiworld.com, the stream zoomed into the blue window to reveal the bedroom of a new character, Lofi Boy.
Lofi Boy brings synthwave beats for gaming to the channel.
Find the expanded Lofi universe via YouTube.
Dylan Mulvaney addresses partnership with Bud Light that sparked transphobic backlash
Trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney has addressed her Bud Light sponsorship that had right-wing social media users boycotting the beer brand.
Earlier this month, Dylan announced that she was partnering with Bud Light to promote the company’s #EasyCarryContest – a chance to win $15000 cash by showing how many beers one person can carry.
Dylan also shared that Bud Light had sent her a personalised beer can to honour the one-year anniversary of her “Days of Girlhood” series that skyrocketed her to social media fame.
This partnership sparked intense transphobic backlash online, with users misgendering Dylan and claiming that Bud Light is “mocking women.” Many even boycotted the brand, saying they will no longer drink Bud Light beer.
After weeks of staying silent, Dylan addressed the backlash on an episode of Onward with Rosie O’Donnell published on April 11th.
“The reason I think I’m an easy target is because I’m still new to this," she said. "I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult. Maybe they think there’s some sort of chance with me that they can—but I mean, what is their goal?"
Dylan faced similar criticism after Tampax sent her a PR package last year. Transphobic users argued that this package contributed to America's tampon shortage as Dylan doesn't use the products herself.
Listen to Dylan’s full response via Onward with Rosie O’Donnell.
Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn split sparks questions about Gen Z media literacy
Journalist Madison Malone Kircher for The New York Times explores how Taylor Swift’s unique relationship with her fans has led to disbelief in the news that she split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
On April 7th, Entertainment Tonight broke the news that Taylor and Joe had split after 6 years of dating— confirmed by a “source”. This was also confirmed by PEOPLE and later Page Six.
Despite reports coming from reputable entertainment news sources, many Swifties say they won’t believe the news until Taylor confirms it herself. There seems to be confusion among young people around what is considered genuine entertainment journalism vs. tabloid rumours.
This has sparked discussion about Gen Z’s media literacy as well as Taylor’s ability to build such trust among her fan base.
“Talking to all these Swifties [for the NYT piece] I was struck by how effectively Taylor has encouraged her fans in the post-Reputation era to pay no mind to rumors and speculation about her relationship. Which may very well be backfiring here,” Kircher wrote on Twitter.
Some journalists have come to the Swifties’ defense, like Connor Perrett who says outlets should not acquiesce to “on background” requests from PR teams because it makes things intentionally confusing for the general public.
This is particularly true for Gen Z who do not consume celebrity culture via mainstream media like previous generations.
Read Kircher’s full story via The New York Times.
James Charles announces makeup brand ‘Painted’ coming mid-2023
After years of teasing his own beauty line, James Charles has officially revealed the first taste of his new brand, Painted.
On April 12th, James posted a promotional video for his new business venture.
"4 years of hard work later… my own makeup brand is finally coming. I’m beyond excited to share these products with you, but for now, here’s a teaser of what’s to come,” he wrote.
While the creator didn’t reveal anything further about his planned product releases or pricing, the brand’s launch video suggests the line might focus on cream and pot paint colour cosmetics that empower true makeup artistry— a far cry from typical influencer beauty brands.
Despite this new twist, social media users have long said James missed the opportunity to launch his own beauty brand, partly due to his own controversies, and partly because the market for influencer brands is over-saturated and overdone.
Painted by James Charles is set to launch mid-2023.
Read the full story via Centennial Beauty.
Barbie movie breakdown: TikTok theories & angry Kens
This week's infinite scroll podcast dives into all things Barbie movie! We first discuss all the hidden Easter eggs throughout the newly-released trailer that are giving us major hints as to what the movie will be about and then get into the trailer’s reception across social media. And of course, we also discuss those now-infamous Barbie memes.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.