What’s Hot? 22/01
This week, working out what is hot right now has been even more of a joy than usual. Why’s that? Well, read on friends and you will see just what has made this week such a highlight (aside from some minor senior ‘staffing’ changes from our pals across the pond, perfectly summed up by Queen Nigella with this exceptional tweet…)
We’re watching PR-related TikToks, lockdown-based stop-motions and the lads of the moment on LadBible. We’re also explaining why Shakespeare’s Globe is every Hinge boys dreamgirl, and how social media can be an education tool.
The educator we didn’t know we needed: Amber Gill
Social media is a fantastic education tool. No, hear us out: We can learn recipes from Reels, the correct way to do a Russian Dead Lift on Instagram Live, how to re-grow your veg on TikTok, and about racism and micro-aggressions on Twitter.
This week, ex-Love Island contestant Lucie Donlan accused fellow ex-islander Yewande Biala of bullying her on set, and probably wished she didn’t. Yewande and other girls from the series retaliated by revealing that Lucie had never bothered to learn to pronounce Yewande’s name, asking if she could call her “Y” or “anything else”.
Amber Gill, series winner and Twitter-educator, posted saying “Btw asking someone you don’t know (well) who has an ethnic name if you can call them a “nickname” is not a term of endearment it’s a micro aggression & you don’t have the right to say there is no malicious/sinister intent you just don’t do it. I thought that was just common sense.”
Hopefully that sums it up for everyone. As someone with four (apparently) difficult names, if you can learn to pronounce Michelangelo, Daenerys Targaryen and Schwarzenegger, you can learn to pronounce Yla Siam Juana O’Riordan (Ee-la | Sigh-am | Who-arn-a | Oh-rear-dan)
The stop motion we all deserve: Not Ben Wyatt’s
Remember that episode of Parks and Rec where Ben totally loses his mind and makes a 4-second stop motion film? Of course you do, because it was the meme of lockdown 1.0, a period of time we never thought we would miss but somehow actually do.
Turns out a real-life Ben Wyatt exists, only far more talented. Laura Venditti created this video to show her lockdown life and it’s… painfully accurate.
The account you need to follow: The Globe
Something happened to the Shakespeare’s Globe theatre this week. Its Twitter account became… totally wild. In addition to sharing beaut pics, it’s jumping on memes, cracking jokes, not taking itself too seriously (someone tell the male population of Hinge! We’ve found your dreamgirl and it’s a theatre’s Twitter account!!)
Some posts were quite niche, other tapped into popular post styles, and then they… photoshopped Bernie into the Globe. Amazing.
The TikTok that called us out: PR slack channel
We (and every other PR agency) were painfully called out this week, by the ‘Digital PR team slack channel’ TikTok. Perfectly displaying the ups (coverage) and downs (timesheets), we can’t help but laugh at “Well at least it means it was a good idea.”
The heroes we don’t deserve: The lads
Don’t say you don’t know who the lads are. You know who the lads are. Snapped in their skinny jeans before a night out, this group of men was ridiculed for months online, becoming some of the most victimised people on the platform. This all came to a peak this month when their photo was edited to include a sea shanty, and it’s safe to say it kicked off even more from there.
Finally, someone got hold of them – Lad Bible first, but plenty of others followed suit – and interviewed the lads on their newfound fame and how they felt being ripped to shreds for their ripped skinny jeans. The group took it like absolute champs and laughed over their favourite comments, memes, and edits, and proved themselves to be the heroes we needed right now.
