White House deploys Stardew Valley meme in dairy discourse
Plus: Bebe Rexha's plea to leave the Khia asylum.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
The Trump administration’s Stardew Valley AI slop meme really aggravated the wrong group of politically-minded gamers.
Sony’s patent for AI-powered “ghost player” technology has ruffled feathers.
Ever heard of the “Khia asylum” and pop stars being able to “escape” it? If not, we can explain…
Have a good weekend!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“It’s AI slop, too”: The “Stardew Valley” fandom pushes back after White House “whole milk” meme
The White House posted a meme on Jan 15 that appropriated Stardew Valley’s style to promote its “whole milk” initiative. The tweet read, “Whole milk is back. 🥛” and included a partially AI-generated graphic.
Critics accused the administration of taking from artists without legal clearance. Many online argued that this happened because officials assumed they would not get approval, or because they did not view the arts as a legitimate profession.
“Just insanity”: Sony’s “ghost player” patent sparks debate over AI-assisted gaming
Sony recently filed a patent for AI technology that could play parts of video games for players that they get stuck on. When the news broke, people blasted the “ghost player” concept. Because at that point, what are you buying the system and game for, if you aren’t going to play yourself?
Bebe Rexha wants out of the “Khia asylum.” Here’s what that means
Pop star Bebe Rexha’s plea for fans to help her escape the “Khia asylum” prompted social media users to explain the “important lore.” She followed up with a voice note that referenced how fellow pop stars Sabrina Carpenter, Zara Larsson, and Charli XCX all got out. Confused? We’ll explain.
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🕸️ Crawling the Web
🖥️ The director of One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 addresses those ChatGPT accusations
♿ “Victoria’s Secret makes disabled customer wait 20 minutes to try on clothes—because the room was full of junk
‼️ “This is not me”: Reese Witherspoon says scammers are sliding into fans’ DMs pretending to be her
📱 From the Daily Dot archive: How to protect your cell phone when entering Trump’s America
✈️ Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams snaps at woman after flight—then doubles down online
🫵 Gen Z has officially named the millennial Karen. Sorry, Jessicas
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: