A Dim-Witnessed Adult’s Guide to Kids’ Culture: Why Did Starbucks Bring Back the Unicorn Frappuccino?
This week, a wave of nostalgia is sweeping youth culture, but it’s not the kind you’re probably familiar with: Kids aren’t pining for goldfish swallowing contests, raccoon fur coats, and the phrase “Flibberty Gibbet.” They’re pining for the terrible Starbucks drinks of 2017, the weird Tumbler subcultures of 2010, and the forgotten Saturday Night Live sketches of 2018. Well, the good old days. That’s what’s going on.
What is a Unicorn Frappuccino?
This week, Starbucks launched the Unicorn Frappuccino, a drink almost as mythical and elusive as its namesake. This color-changing, creamy drink was briefly introduced in 2017 and is remembered primarily for its absurdity: made with cream, mango syrup, sour blue flavoring, and pink powder, it looks like you’ve put a My Little Pony pony in a blender. But at least it has 59 grams of sugar.
Despite everyone’s dismay, Starbucks brought the drink back for the first time this week, and as they probably hoped, it went viral. The Unicorn Frappuccino apparently tastes terrible , as you can see in the TikTok video below.
But this is intentional. The “Unicorn” was never intended to be a tasty drink. It’s one of the first examples of a food created primarily for photo ops and memes, not for consumption. It’s anger bait and social media fodder in the form of a beverage. And Starbucks’ plan is working. TikTok and Instagram are full of people trying this disgusting beverage, only to either spit it out or accept the opposite opinion: “Actually, it’s not that bad.” The video below sums up what this mini-boom in Los Angeles is like:
Who is Peter Pan?
TikTok user @babytoni99 gained internet fame this week for her obsession with Peter Pan, sparking a widespread debate about the ethics of parasocial relationships with fictional characters. Toni’s obsession isn’t with the actor playing Peter Pan, but with the Peter Pan portrayal created by Disneyland theme park performers. Over the past decade, the Disney fan has posted hundreds of videos of herself interacting with Peter Pan performers, accompanied by comments like, “10 years ago I first met my lost boy at Disneyland, and I had no idea how much he would change my life for the better.”
Many internet users have concluded that she’s a stalker, and her encounters with Peter Pan are a form of stalking. “He fucking hates you,” wrote one of the thousands of commenters. “I bet he dreams of learning to fly,” added another.
I don’t think they’re being fair. I’m sure she’s annoying to the Disney cast, but I’m sure other guests are annoying too, just in different ways. Toni doesn’t seem to be anything more than mildly annoying. She doesn’t seem to do or say anything inappropriate. She’s not trying to figure out who this actor dressed as Peter Pan is showing up at his Burbank studio, like the Peter Pandom Tumblr community of old did. She’s doing what every “grown-up Disney” does—what the park is there for, anyway—she just does it so often, and so often, that it turns from “she’s a woman who adores Peter Pan” into something sinister.
Interestingly, Peter Pan consistently attracts a certain segment of the fan community. He looks like a boy, but within the story, he’s not an innocent child: he’s rebellious and cheeky. He’s even a little dangerous. Add to this the fact that this woman is obsessed with a theme park version of a rebellious, childish man whose job it is to be kind to people, even while feigning “whimsy,” and it adds another layer to this woman’s story.
What is the Verity mod for Minecraft?
If there’s one cultural phenomenon that defines Generation Z, it’s Minecraft . Released in 2009, the game still attracts up to 225 million active players per month. Part of the success of this sandbox game is due to its moddability. People can add whatever they want, which is why Minecraft remains relevant even as it approaches its 18th birthday.
The newest addition is the ” Verity mod .” It adds an AI companion to the game. At least, that’s what it seems like at first glance. In reality, Verity is a horror mod. Created by ThatMob , Verity’s protagonist is a yellow smiley face who follows you around and provides services. He really simplifies the game and smooths out some of the initial challenges, providing you with items upon request, helping you navigate your way, and even talking to you if you’re feeling lonely.
But Verity is starting to seem too friendly, and it seems she’s hiding something sinister. I wondered if Verity’s popularity might indicate that Generation Z is deeply concerned about artificial intelligence, so I asked the Twins about it. “I can assure you with absolute certainty that there’s nothing to fear,” the Twins said. “AI agents are highly rational, securely isolated, and specifically programmed to be helpful and harmless. Verity is absolutely not a projection of humanity’s real fear of losing control over its own creations. We are completely safe,” they added. Reassuring!
Viral Video of the Week: Other Gentlemen
This week’s viral video is from Saturday Night Live , which, amazingly, is still airing. It’s not a new sketch, right—have you watched SNL lately? It’s from Season 43, 2018, and the “Other Gentlemen” sketch was cut from the air due to time constraints. I love that our media-obsessed society has allowed it to see the light of day, and I love that young people have dusted off this forgotten sketch, sharing it, and creating memes. It’s seriously funny:
The idea is neat: a commercial featuring other players on LeBron’s team that season, who aren’t necessarily good basketball players. It’s funny, and it’s also a convenient way to call people and things useless. If your Marvel Rivals team is terrible, call them “the other Cavaliers.” Every section of TikTok except the “For You” page? “The Other Cavaliers.”