Christmas gone wrong: AI‑slop holiday gifts leave families scratching their heads
Plus: Bridgette Bardot inspires deleted Instagram tributes.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
Taking a look at some of the worst offenders of AI slop Christmas presents in 2025.
Bridgette Bardot’s death inspired many aesthetic Instagram tributes online…until the people posting them learned about her horrific political views.
The internet is completely consumed with Erika Kirk memes, so we’ve rounded up the best.
See you in 2026!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“I thought it was real”: Children are showing off the terrible AI gifts their parents bought for Christmas
The AI slop problem has officially infiltrated Christmas, evidenced by TikTok videos from kids sharing the gifts their parents purchased. AI-generated ads misrepresenting products online recently fooled Melissa Joan Hart, so what chance does the rest of Generation X have?
Some are amused, and others are disappointed—especially when their gifts never arrived at all.
“Very disappointing”: Chappell Roan and others discover Bridgette Bardot’s views after posting Instagram tributes
Much of the world joined Chappell Roan this week in discovering the rank racist past of the late actress Bridgette Bardot, who died Sunday. Multiple celebrities posted tributes to the French pop culture icon, only for their fans to inform them of her opposition to interracial marriage and attacks on the Muslim community.
Roan, among others, reversed course immediately and apologized.
Erika Kirk memes are taking over social media following her theatrical Turning Point appearances
Erika Kirk memes have taken over social media after months of people side-eyeing her public appearances as she grieves the murder of her husband. AmericaFest 2025 seemed to push the bewilderment about Kirk’s behavior to new heights, culminating in what so many things do on the internet—memes.
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🕸️ Crawling the Web
🐩 “Puppies aren’t plushies”: Kim Kardashian’s puppy gifts for each child draws sharp criticism from PETA
🛒 H-E-B employee who went viral for her cheerful videos ordered to stop making TikToks at work
🎙️ Joe Rogan blasts Trump’s Rob Reiner remarks as “not funny” and “so disappointing”
🏈 Sacrificing Pop-Tarts is now an annual football tradition, and people can’t get enough
🏓 Ranking the best Timothée Chalamet moments on the Marty Supreme press tour
📺 “Bring on the chaos”: Fans react to the return of Malcolm in the Middle
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: