Myspace-style White House site sparks backlash during government shutdown
"Are we seriously using tax dollars to fund the creation of this site?"
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
The White House launched a Myspace parody page on the real government website, for some strange reason.
The city of San Francisco — and the internet at large — is mourning the death of KitKat, a local bodega cat who was killed by a Waymo driverless vehicle.
U.S. troops in South Korea got a memo telling them not to attend if they had facial hair.
See you tomorrow!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
White House’s Myspace parody website fuels backlash amid prolonged shutdown: “Do the jobs we are paying you for, not this”
The White House confused many internet users this weekend by rolling out a parody Myspace-era profile. The page pointed fingers at Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. Additionally, there is a photo of Schumer and Jeffries as the “profile picture,” and a sombrero has been added to Jeffries’s head.
Various sections on the page include a “Blog Entry” section that includes links to partisan statements from the White House claiming that the government shutdown was caused by Democrats.
KitKat, San Francisco’s internet-famous bodega cat, mourned after being struck by Waymo vehicle: “Shouldn’t be on the street”
A beloved San Francisco bodega cat, KitKat, died earlier this week after an incident involving a Waymo robotaxi, and people across social media reacted with heartbreak.
Store owner Mike Zeidan confirmed with the San Fransicso Standard that the 9-year-old cat was hit late Monday night. The free-ranging cat wandered the sidewalk outside Randa’s Market for years and served as its unofficial greeter. Neighbors called him the “Mayor of 16th Street,” and many described him as a familiar comfort on daily walks.
U.S. troops with facial hair told not to attend South Korea event per Hegseth memo: “Members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized”
U.S. service members in South Korea learned this week that facial hair could keep them from meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. An email circulated at Osan Air Base stated that bearded troops would not take part in a scheduled engagement with the secretary.
The message echoed the recently announced grooming rules from the Pentagon, which phase out shaving waivers predominantly requested by BIPOC service members.
🕸️ Crawling the Web
🌙 NASA—by way of ex-Real World-er-turned-Trump goon Sean Duffy—responded to Kim Kardashian’s claims that the moon landing was fake, and that pissed some people off for a multitude of reasons.
🙉 TikTok users are spiraling after discovering that Kidz Bop has released a sanitized cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Tears,” a track widely known for its sexual undertones.
🔑 A recent report has revealed just how outdated the Louvre’s cybersecurity was at the time of its high-profile jewel heist.
🥃 There’s a rumor going around that you’re supposed to be diluting Cutwater—yes, the canned cocktails—so you don’t get immediately hammered.
🛻 A woman bought what seemed like a great deal on an old Ford truck—until she discovered why it was so cheap.
📺 TikTok’s clip of a man, stunned to learn that his parents named him after Kyle from South Park, has gone viral, with 7.9 million views.
🤨 A woman’s trip to JCPenney for a brow wax (and tint!) didn’t go as planned.
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: