Leave Moo Deng alone! Man jumps fence to record viral hippo
Plus: Mark Zuckerberg yeets the metaverse.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
In news most of us saw coming a mile away, Meta announced it’s shutting down its Horizon Worlds metaverse product. I guess awkward legless animations weren’t the future, after all!
A man broke into Moo Deng’s enclosure at the zoo just to get a closer shot of the viral animal. He’s being shamed by the pygmy hippo’s fans for it, at least.
The internet is rallying around Afroman, the creator of the early aughts stoner anthem “Because I Got High.”
See you in the next one!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“The most expensive ‘what if’ in tech”: Meta announced the closure of its metaverse as it shifts focus to AI
Meta is officially backing away from one of its most ambitious virtual reality bets, announcing the shutdown of Horizon Worlds, marking a major shift in its long-running metaverse push. However, the change did not come as a surprise to many observers who had watched the platform struggle to gain traction.
According to an email sent on March 17, Horizon Worlds would disappear from the Quest store starting on March 31, while the entire VR experience will shut down on June 15. After that, the service will continue only as a mobile platform, and several features will vanish along the way.
“Just leave her alone!”: Fans shame man who broke into Moo Deng’s enclosure at Thai zoo—just to get a better photo
A Thai man was arrested after he snuck into the enclosure of Moo Deng, a sassy pygmy hippo who went viral globally in September 2024. The incident happened Tuesday evening at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, southeast of Bangkok.
Zoo officials said both Moo Deng and her mother, Jona, appeared startled but unharmed. However, staff later confirmed on Facebook that the animals were safe and under close veterinary observation. The zoo also reminded visitors to follow safety rules at all times.
“America won”: Afroman wins defamation case over police raid music videos, goes viral again
Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman came out of the courtroom victorious over a defamation lawsuit following a police raid on his Ohio home. The Adams County Sheriff broke down his door one fateful night in 2022, and the artist used his security footage in multiple music videos mocking the fruitless operation.
Afroman called his win a victory for freedom of speech in America, and his videos are going viral once more.
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🕸️ Crawling the Web
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👟 Plus-size traveler tours the 272 stairs in Malaysia’s Batu Caves as a PSA for fuller-bodied people
🧠 Teacher details “terrifying” argument with a student who said ChatGPT would make thinking obsolete
🚙 China’s driverless vans are delivering the package, no matter what stands in their way
🐕 Some “gifted” dogs learn new words by eavesdropping on you, according to science
🍴 Can a man’s attitude towards tofu reveal how he’ll treat a woman? TikTok thinks so
🕷️Marvel fans share theories after the first look at Spider-Man: Brand New Day
✨ Is 2026 the year of “whimsy?” The playful trend, explained
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday:
➤ Conan O’Brien challenged Leonardo DiCaprio to make a meme on the spot at the Oscars. He nailed it