The Adult’s Guide to Child Culture: so Much Controversy on the Internet
This week we’ll see kiddie pop culture full of useless web celebrities, a fight over Wonder Woman, and even a talking dog. So dig in – I promise I won’t mention COVID-19 at all! (Except where I just did it.) Thank Odin, the holidays are over and our lives can return to normal, huh?
Controversy of the Week: The Talking Bunny Dog
Unless you’re hanging around on TikTok, you might not know that a talking dog lives there. Bunny the dog has amassed nearly six million subscribers thanks to videos in which it appears to chat with its owner while pressing the keys on the deck with its paws. As you would expect from a dog, conversations are mostly about walking , but sometimes Bunny becomes more existential, like when she oncelooked in the mirror and asked, “Who is this?” When her owner replied, “Bunny,” she pressed the “Help” button. I am telling.
But can Bunny – or any dog - really communicate with humans in a meaningful way? Or is it a prank of selective video editing? Could this be an extreme example of a well-meaning pet owner inadvertently impersonating an animal, like a modern rerun of Clever Hans, the counting horse?
A group of (supposedly insane) scientists from the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at UC San Diego set out to answer this question by collecting data on 900 animals, including Bunny, and tried to determine the extent to which they can communicate with humans. The research is ongoing, but I suppose it will confirm my own point of view: “Of course, dogs cannot talk; do not be an idiot “.
Viral Videos of the Week: Celebrities You’ve Never Heard Of Celebrating Christmas
In brilliant cross-promotion, the six biggest YouTube stars have gathered over the holidays to create a series of collaborative videos that blew up the internet this week, earning tens of millions of views, shares, likes and more. The videosshow internet influencersJames Charles ,Dixie D’Amelio , Charlie D’Amelio , Larrey , Noah Beck, and Chase Hudson performatively exchanging gifts, fighting snowballs, building gingerbread houses, and engaging in all manner of traditional holiday jokes. …
Before rejecting these videos with the words “I never would ‘ve watched this crap when I was a kid,” please bear in mind that these videos are the spiritual successor to the inspiring holiday shows that networks aired back in the 70s and 80s. … Remember those shows where Paul Lind would drop by while Charo was packing gifts in a studio styled after her home?
The main difference between this “event” crust and the new shit is that Paul Lind was very funny and Charo plays middle guitar where these online celebrities do nothing . Instead of showing off some talent or ability, they just exist: people are so young, wealthy, and charismatic that they don’t have to stoop to performing like a talking dog to get millions of people to watch them instead of hanging out with their real people. -life friends and family.
This Week In The Movies: ” Wonder Woman 1984″ Is Splitting The Internet
The biggest news in film and streaming is 1984 Wonder Woman . Since its Christmas release, the superhero sequel has shared the opinions of critics and fans alike. On the one hand, many hardcore fans of comics and superhero movies (aka nerds) dislike this film due to its lack of depth, poor special effects, and a questionable portrayal of Wonder Woman herself. Why can’t it be more like this cinematic classic, Joker ? they are asking.
On the other hand, normal and general public mouth-lovers are more likely to say, “Who cares at all? This is a film about a lady with an invisible jet who fights crime. Shut up, relax and look at the beautiful colors. “
Personally, I’d love to see Wonder Woman films delve deeper into Wonder Woman mythology, Silver Age Wonder Woman’s past, and Linda Carter’s Wonder Woman’s past on television, all the way back to the 1940s when Wonder Woman’s polyamorous inventors. William Moulton Marston, Elizabeth Holloway and Olive Byrne created a perverse feminist icon who clearly loved to tie people up with her golden lasso, regardless of gender. The third Wonder Woman movie was announced this week, so let’s hope.
This Week in Video Games: Cyberpunk 2077’s Continuing Adversity
Based on the buzz on message boards and game podcasts, the big story in VJ games is the ongoing challenges of launching the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 . While the ambitious game isn’t a flop – it sold over 13 million copies and received generally positive reviews – the launch didn’t go very smoothly, to put it mildly. Cyberpunk 2077 comes with alot of (sometimes funny) glitches and gamers say it is difficult to play on some consoles, prompting Sony and Microsoft to offer refunds and Sony to pull the game out of their PlayStation Store .
Breaking news, investors have filed a class action lawsuit against the game developer. In a press release , shareholders’ lawyers argue that investors were harmed by CD Projekt Red making claims about the game that were “materially false and misleading and / or unreasonable.” Personally, I love the drama of the demise of an over-hyped game almost as much as the game itself.