Even candy hearts know the 2026 economy is rough
Plus: Elon Musk pivots from Mars to the Moon.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
If the messages on candy hearts are a true sign of the times, I’m concerned for the rest of 2026.
Elon Musk announced a SpaceX pivot away from Mars to the Moon, and the internet had a lot to say.
Original RHONY housewife Jill Zarin was fired from a new reality show for her rant about Bad Bunny.
Enjoy the weekend,
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“Recession indicator”: The 2026 economy is so bad, candy hearts are giving financial advice
Sweethearts, the candy hearts with messages company, is leaning into recession indicator memes with its 2026 batch. Phrases like “split rent” and “buy in bulk” feature on many of the hearts this year, in another sign that the economy is bad, regardless of what the White House might claim.
Every year, Sweethearts releases a new batch of edible hearts for Valentine’s Day—some with new messages meant to reflect the times. The vibe in 2026 is, apparently, poverty.
Elon Musk announced SpaceX’s pivot from Mars to the Moon. People are unimpressed
Remember in Despicable Me, when Gru wanted to steal the moon? Well, that’s pretty much where we’re at now with Elon Musk. After years of proclaiming his intentions to help humanity colonize Mars, it looks like the billionaire is tempering his expectations and focusing on the Moon instead.
In a recent announcement, Musk promised to lead a “new era in space flight,” delaying his Mars plans in order to aim for an uncrewed moon landing by March 2027—little over a year away.
Jill Zarin was cut from E! series after her Bad Bunny comments. Fans reacted fast, but her former company reacted even faster
Jill Zarin’s long-awaited (or criticized, depending on who you asked) return to reality TV just ended before it even began. The former Real Housewives of New York City star lost her spot on E!’s upcoming series The Golden Life following a viral Instagram rant about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The show’s producers at Blink49 Studios confirmed the split on Tuesday. Although Zarin later deleted the video, the backlash had already moved faster than cleanup.
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🕸️ Crawling the Web
🏅 Olympics bar Ukrainian racer over helmet tribute to athletes killed by war, President Zelenskyy responds
🎤 Cardi B’s mid-concert ICE comments sparked a DHS response on social media. She fired right back
🍫 “Hard to beat”: The most romantic spot to fake a Valentine’s date this year is the local Dollar Tree
❤️🩹 Women are posting their divorce glow-ups on TikTok as part of the “the divorce effect” trend
🍁 The “leaf test” started as a parody, but TikTok somehow turned it real
💺 Woman throws love note to “cute guy” on a flight, and it pays off…kinda
🕯️ Guy’s baffling reaction to woman’s candle instantly ends the date
💘 Amelia Dimoldenberg will star in and produce a rom-com
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: