Why are people protesting the Chicago Bean?
An internet conspiracy for the ages.
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Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
We look into why a group of protestors is claiming a man is trapped inside the Chicago bean, Gavin Newsom launched a merch shop to rival Trump’s, and I’m not sure I see the logic in Gen Z’s nostalgia for the Summer of 2016, but it sure does make you feel old.
Til tomorrow!
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
Protestors claim there’s a man trapped inside Chicago’s Bean sculpture. Why?
Chicago’s Cloud Gate sculpture—better known as The Bean—recently became the subject of a viral conspiracy theory after a group calling itself the Man in Bean Coalition staged a protest claiming there’s been someone living inside the Bean for decades.
These protestors have been perpetuating the hoax that Kapoor “stole a baby” and put him inside the Bean during its construction, where he has subsequently grown into an adult and remains to this day.
Gavin Newsom mocks Trump with parody merch store—including $100 signed Bible
California Gov. Gavin Newsom once again leaned into what has clearly become his favorite pastime: trolling President Donald Trump.
Over the weekend, he unveiled a “PATRIOT” merchandise store with items that parody Trump’s infamous brand. The launch served as his latest jab in a months-long campaign skewering the president’s signature all-caps posting style.
“Summer 2016 was fun”: Gen Z’s nostalgia for 2016 brings a flood of memories from “the last good year and the first bad year”
All over TikTok, Gen Z is insisting that the “2016 vibes” are here. Over a million videos have been created with the #2016 hashtag, including nostalgic edits about the aesthetic, POV videos about being a teenager in 2016, and rankings of some of the best songs of the year.
Sure, it’s been nearly a decade since 2016, but is it far enough away to feel nostalgic for?
🕸️ Crawling the Web
🇺🇸 Is “moderate the new republican”? On dating apps, it might ring true: one online dater is warning women that some men are downplaying their conservative views on the apps in order to secure a first date.
💉 Jameela Jamil called out Serena Williams on social media for promoting GLP-1s, sparking online discourse about both women and the potential side effects of weight loss drugs.
🎲 Not everyone knew that Monopoly is literally Atlantic City on a game board, so the younger generations are having their minds blown on TikTok right now.
🗽 People are sharing the modern aspects of America that would have the Founding Fathers spinning in their graves, just for fun.
👯♀️ What are sorority cold rooms? A quick explainer on the term that recently gained popularity on #RushTok.
🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: