Tyra Banks becomes the face of “lack of accountability” online
Plus: It's a Draco Malfoy New Year over in China.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
Netflix’s latest docuseries about America’s Next Top Model has spawned the Tyra Banks “lack of accountability” meme.
People are loving the dog who escaped from a bed-and-breakfast and ended up on the Olympic finish line.
All over China, Lunar New Year decorations are sporting the face of Harry Potter villain Draco Malfoy.
See you in the next edition.
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
Netflix’s “ANTM” doc sparks the Tyra Banks “lack of accountability” meme
A new meme featuring Tyra Banks has taken over a corner of the internet thanks to the new Netflix docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.
The new series dove into the often controversial history of the modeling reality TV series that began in the early 2000s. It felt uncanny to many, as it resembled revisiting old reality TV habits with modern language, but without today’s standards.
Random dog crashes Olympic cross-country race and becomes an instant legend
A local dog unexpectedly joined athletes competing in a cross-country sprint at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, sprinting alongside skiers and crossing the finish line to cheers from spectators.
The dog, a two-year-old Czechoslovakian Wolfdog named Nazgul, had escaped from a nearby bed-and-breakfast before wandering onto the course.
Draco Malfoy is the surprising new mascot for China’s Lunar New Year—and Tom Felton can’t get enough
In China, this year’s Lunar New Year has an unlikely mascot: Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy, and Tom Felton (the actor who plays Malfoy) could not be more thrilled. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, millions celebrated Lunar New Year (or Chinese New Year, while in China) with sparklers, fireworks, and fairs. But this year, the holiday’s decorations included an interesting cross-cultural twist.
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🕸️ Crawling the Web
🎥 Maya Hawke’s comments about casting directors requiring a specific amount of “collective followers” in a movie resurface
😮 Woman suspects she was kidnapped after discovering disturbing inconsistencies in her birth story
🎙️ “They got goth chick news in Alabama now”: Local news anchor goes viral over tattoos and piercings
📣 Ben Schwartz welcomes Kristen Bell to the Sonic cast, where she’ll be playing Amy Rose
👯♀️ Arii, the “Stan Twitter Meme Girl,” recreates her iconic hoodie photo 10 years later
🧳 Mortified passenger awaits luggage in disbelief as items come out one at a time
📦 Homeowner posts “proof” of bad Amazon driver—it quickly backfires
👩⚕️ Woman’s OB-GYN reveals her pregnancy to her husband’s ex
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday:
➤ Curling fans accuse Canadian player of cheating at the Olympics. The memes are merciless