The Mean Girls musical film did not understand the assignment
Get in loser we're taking the cast shopping.
Keep scrolling for why influencers are no longer welcome at some of the internet’s favourite spots.
This week’s edition of infinite scroll is brought to you by the Game of Thrones x Pandora collection. Shop the collection, now available in store and online.
Gen Z is hating on Mean Girls: The Musical
A sneak peek from the Mean Girls: The Musical film has gone viral in the last week.
Like the original, the upcoming movie follows the story of Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) and The Plastics.
Clips leaked after moviegoers of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour began sharing videos of the trailer online. The teaser has yet to be released on official platforms and was only played for Swifties attending the movie.
As Gen Z continues to embrace the Y2K aesthetic, it may seem like the perfect time to expand the Mean Girls cinematic universe. Nevertheless, internet users are sharing their opinions about the fashion in the upcoming film, and so far, the reviews are far from positive.
TikTok users like @berliozbryan, believe that the fashion appears to be an unsuccessful effort to update Y2K style.
“They could have just taken such a different approach to the outfits. Y2K is in, why didn’t they make it Y2K? Why didn’t they just keep with the original material and put them in 2000s clothes?”
In the same vein, TikTok creator @brittanyhugoboom noted that The Plastics' outfits do not seem authentic to the film's original characters— something that has become a common criticism in recent remakes.
“If you don’t remember the wardrobe from the original, it was very pink, miniskirts, lots of tank tops with short skirts…the costume designer said she didn’t want everyone to be drenched in head-to-toe pink this time around, she wanted it to be tasteful... People are not thinking it’s tasteful…”
ModernGurlz, a fashion commentary creator and analyst, offered an explanation as to why the outfits seem underwhelming. She believes the costumes in the upcoming film lack the aspirational quality we saw in the original production.
“Mean Girls’ legacy is undeniably huge, especially in regards to its costuming but you have to remember even at the time it was released, [the outfits] were aspirational looks… The outfits in the musical movie definitely aren’t giving off that vibe.”
Watch ModernGurlz’s analysis on TikTok.
A friendly reminder that being criticised online doesn’t mean you can dox someone
Internet users are calling to de-platform SSSniperWolf—real name Alia Shelesh— after she doxxed YouTuber, Jacksfilms.
As a YouTuber and Twitch streamer, SSSniperWolf has become known for her reaction-style content.
Since 2022, Jack has critiqued Alia for her videos. He has claimed that she steals content, failing to credit the creators in her reaction videos.
Jack now claims that Alia doxxed him on her Instagram story after she asked her followers if she should “visit” the creator, mentioning that he lived just minutes away from her shoot location.
Soon after Jack called out her behaviour, Alia allegedly posted a video outside the YouTuber’s home on her Instagram story. The post has since been deleted.
Alia went on to say that Jack’s claim is “defamation” because “she has no idea how to dox” and that he “posted his address on Google.”
Jack has since taken to X, calling YouTube to de-platform Alia.
Although YouTube is currently investigating the matter, many users doubt they will demonetise SSSniperWolf. They believe that influencers of her status benefit from “special treatment” because of their ability to bring large audiences to the platform.
Read a full breakdown of the situation via Junkee.
Why are cafes, restaurants, and even towns banning influencers?
Speaking of problematic influencers, a new piece by Meera Navlakha for Mashable explores why businesses all over the world are closing their doors to content creators.
As Navlakha reports, Dae, a cafe in Brooklyn, and Pomfret, a town in Vermont, have recently started restricting content creation on their premises.
As both places gained popularity on social media, they quickly became crowded with influencers and tourists carrying tripods and cameras, altering the unique ~vibe~ of these spaces.
While influencer marketing remains one of the most popular strategies for growth, Navlakha justifies why such viral destinations have chosen to go in the opposite direction.
In many circumstances, it comes down to logistical challenges. When a small business gains traction on social media, they may struggle to cope with the amount of new customers.
“The reality is that some businesses just aren’t suited for the influx of people an influencer can attract, which can wind up hurting the business more than helping it," Sarah Blocksidge, Marketing Director at Sixth City Marketing, tells Navlakha.
With de-influencing sweeping the internet, more and more people are becoming "disillusioned by influencers" and the fast-paced trend cycle. That being said, these businesses might be seeking long-term customers over a surge of people chasing a viral moment.
“A growing faction of the internet seems fatigued by influencing, especially when it entails a constant barrage of capitalist content or a lack of self-awareness,” Navlakha writes. “As Dae's recent move illustrates, some spaces don't feel that they require social media promotion from others to boost their own sales.”
With influencers sometimes going so far as to request free products and services in exchange for promotion, many businesses might be unwilling to continue accommodating this exchange.
"Private businesses have grown tired of influencers because many go to cafes, venues, and even businesses like boat rentals to get items or services for free in exchange for a mention," Baruch Labunski, founder of Rank Secure Inc explains.
Read the full piece via Mashable.
Why the internet isn’t fun anymore
But influencers aren’t the only thing internet users have grown weary of recently. In a piece for The New Yorker, journalist Kyle Chayka takes it one step further, claiming that social media has lost its sense of “fun” altogether.
Chayka reflects on his early experiences on the internet, where having fun online “meant stumbling onto a Web site you’d never imagined existed” or “receiving a meme you hadn’t already seen regurgitated a dozen times.”
However, social media is no longer about consuming "the posts of our fellow-humans and post[ing] in return." Instead, users have found themselves subject to a handful of giant social media platforms.
“When those platforms decay, as Twitter has under Elon Musk, there is no other comparable platform in the ecosystem to replace them,” Chayka writes. “A few alternative sites, including Bluesky and Discord, have sought to absorb disaffected Twitter users. But like sproutlings on the rain-forest floor, blocked by the canopy, online spaces that offer fresh experiences lack much room to grow.”
With algorithms designed to keep users on a single app, X, Meta and TikTok are centralising the experience of the digital world. In the process, these tech companies have limited the ability to consume original content while “shutting out the smaller, more magpie-ish voices.”
“Twitter in its heyday was a source of real-time information, the first place to catch wind of developments that only later were reported in the press..” Chayka goes on to share. “It’s clear that the tech companies have little interest in directing users to material outside of their feeds. According to Axios, the top news and media sites have seen “organic referrals” from social media drop by more than half over the past three years.”
As the internet shifts from a platform for conversation to one of consumption, social media has ushered in a new hierarchy— one between creators and audiences. With regular users striving to become influencers, Chayka says that the internet no longer fosters reciprocity and genuine human connection.
“Everyone is forced to perform the role of an influencer. The barrier to entry is higher and the pressure to conform stronger. It’s no surprise, in this environment, that fewer people take the risk of posting and more settle into roles as passive consumers,” he writes.
Read the full story via The New Yorker.
Meet the Gen Z TikTok creator hoping to bring back the newspaper
As internet users attempt to navigate the changes brought about by platforms like X and TikTok, many have found themselves exposed to outright disinformation. TikTok user, Kelsey Russell, is making efforts to enhance the media literacy of young internet users, increasing their ability to distinguish fact from fiction online.
Kelsey first went viral in August of this year, after posting a video with a physical copy of The New York Times, saying that all Gen Zs should read newspapers. In the following months, she has continued to post videos commenting on the stories she reads from different newspapers.
“I got a subscription to the Sunday New York Times physical copy for my birthday and I think bad Gen Z biddies should read the newspaper…” Kelsey says in the TikTok. “In order to bring back the newspaper, I am going to literally document everyday what I learn.”
In an interview with Insider, Kelsey expressed her concern that her generation lacks media literacy, often relying on sources that may not be credible or trustworthy for their news.
While online platforms offer certain advantages for news consumption, she hopes to inspire her peers to prioritise information from reputable journalists. Her goal is to encourage an appreciation for the fact-checking standards upheld by these media outlets.
Thought she has garnered support from numerous reporters and received recognition from Gen Z, some internet users have taken issue with her for featuring print and traditional media on her platform.
"When people talk about the news being biased, they're so correct," she tells Insider. "It absolutely is biased, but it's up to you to discern the bias… Build the skills to deal with the bias."
Read Kelsey’s profile via Insider.
Bobbi Althoff, Amelia Dimoldenberg & Ziwe: The Rise of The Awkward Celebrity Interview
This week’s infinite scroll podcast explores the concept of the “rude celebrity interview.” We dive into some of the key players that have made this interview style so popular— like Zach Galifianakis, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ziwe, and Bobbi Althoff— before exploring why this style has seen so much success among Gen Z, the various criticisms of this style, and whether or not it's getting tired.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.