Microsoft's Clippy is back, but this time it's protesting big tech
Making sure that tech companies hear the people's demands.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
An old Microsoft pal has resurfaced online in a protest against big tech, a man is going viral for forcibly keeping the passenger in front of him from reclining on a plane, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is using social media in the same way that our current president does.
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— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
Clippy the paperclip is taking over profile pics across the internet in protest of big tech
Microsoft’s iconic Office Assistant, Clippy, is taking over profile pictures across YouTube, X, and other platforms, and it’s no nostalgia trip. The trend began after YouTuber and consumer rights activist Louis Rossmann urged his followers to adopt Clippy as a protest symbol against big tech.
“Can’t work out whose side I’m on”: Man holds hands against seat for 8 hours to stop recliner. Some are calling him a hero, others, a villain
A TikTok showing a man holding his hands flat against the seat in front of him for an entire eight-hour overnight flight has reignited one of air travel’s most divisive debates: reclining seats. The clip has racked up 2.6 million views and thousands of comments arguing whether the passenger’s anti-recline stance was justified, or just petty.
“We need more of this from Democrats in general”: Gavin Newsom attempts to troll Donald Trump by tweeting in the same style, but not everyone’s a fan of the approach
California Governor Gavin Newsom used President Donald Trump’s own social media strategy to clap back at recent Republican gerrymandering attempts in Texas: ALL CAPS.
🕸️ Crawling the Web
🎾 Tennis star Emma Raducanu’s incident at the Cincinnati Open re-launched an old debate about where babies do and do not belong.
✂️ Followers of celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton noticed unusual comments on his page, leading some to speculate that AI bots might be at work.
😂 The best memes about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, for those of you still out there catching all of the Marvel movies in theaters (guilty!).
🌲 TikTokers are asking what the red dots at Dollar Tree mean, and why they are suddenly everywhere. Turns out, it’s a signal for an upcoming price increase.
💄 Cosmetics brand e.l.f. released a commercial with controversial comedian Matt Rife, sparking debate about the brand’s target audience.
🐈⬛ Over on dating TikTok, it’s a debate over Black Cat vs. Golden Retriever boyfriends.
🔥 Hot on the Dot
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