A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Gold Card: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the U.S. would sell a “gold card” to wealthy foreigners, giving them the right to live and work in the U.S. and offering a path to citizenship in exchange for a $5 million fee.
Mavericks vs Lakers: Fans are talking about LA Lakers player Luka Doncic following his first match against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Sutton: In the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, a feud between Sutton Stracke & Dorit Kemsley has escalated, dividing viewers on social.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Baby’s First Hibachi 🔥
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
What It Is: A trend has emerged alongside the dramatic stylings of Edai’s “Opera” where parents can’t help but show the utter shock & fear of their kids in the face of a hibachi flame. It’s a unique, unexpected shared experience that has the internet in stitches. Reactions read as “Never in my 2 years,” “I saw hell that night,” or “Oh great heavens” as seen in the comments of one video. There’s something about these compilations that are utterly relatable in the complexity of emotions displayed. Many interpretations feel like that of an older person in suspended disbelief, especially when it appears one is seen as seemingly “clutching their pearls.” In recent days, #hibachi has accrued 115.9K posts filling up everyone’s fyp while use of the doomsday operatic sound is seeing applications to other scenarios like encounters with wildlife or pets noticing things out of place. And don’t be surprised if the trend starts to shift towards other family members or oneself.
Brand Takeaway: We can all admit that terrified babies on social media is a highly niche category. However, there’s a universal sentiment at play that all brands can tap into with proper usage rights for this trending sound. Regardless of being a hibachi restaurant or a QSR for that matter, all brands can speak to consumers’ unspoken worst fears. Think tainted product packaging, wrong orders, & overwhelming shopping experiences.
Brands, a little social listening can go a long way with rich sentiments revealing themselves in your comment section or in user-generated content. And, hey, if you have a physical mascot, maybe it’s time they try out some hibachi. Who doesn’t like a flaming onion volcano?
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
📸 Yope, a private-group, photo-sharing platform is sparking Gen Z interest as “the new Instagram.”
🚫 Bluesky partners with the Internet Watch Foundation to tackle the spread of harmful material.
📺 The latest YouTube Channel to reach the U.S. Top 50? SNL. Speaking of, here’s an interactive history of its creation.
👥 Buckle up Survivor fans, season 50 will be uniquely in the hands of the fans. Vote right here!
Want to subscribe? Reach out to culturetaskforce@substack.com.