What’s In This Issue?
Digital Avatar Lil Miquela Breaks Up With Human Boyfriend
In case you missed it, the 19-year-old fictionally created digital avatar known as Lil Miquela has been dating a real-life boy named Nick since August of 2019. Sadly, this week her nearly 2 million fans learned that the relationship is over. As her story continues to unfold online, you have to admire her creator's commitment to having her live life as anyone her age might. Yes, it's all made up. But perhaps no more so than our own digital identities. And now that she has fallen in and out of love, I can't help wondering what she'll do next.
What You Can Learn From The Resurgence Of Spam
The curious continued popularity of Spam may seem like an odd contradiction in a world increasingly obsessed with health. Yet the brand, which originally gained popularity just after the second World War as a staple food for soldiers, offers a combination of nostalgia and guilty "pleasure" that is resonating with millions. Apparently they sell 3 cans every second. Even this video about how Spam is really made isn't as disgusting as you might expect. Maybe it's only a matter of time before we get Beyond Spam - the vegan meatless alternative.
Silk Seeks "Granbassadors" To Test A Dairy Free Whipping Cream
"No one is pickier when it comes to baking than our grandparents.” That's the premise behind plant-based brand Silk launching a nationwide search for a “Granbassador” (a grandparent ambassador) who will help them create a vegan dessert recipe that uses the brand's new Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream made from coconut and sunflower oils and fava bean protein. They are seeking a "whisk whisperer," among other things and offering a $10,000 prize to the winner. It's a little silly, but not a bad way to launch a product like this. The only catch is, the winner will have to pick just ONE favorite grandchild to come along ... so you better share this promo with grandma before one of your siblings beats you to it. :-)
Why Tagging Videos As Fake Is Better Than Deleting Them
If you are one of those people frustrated by the continued policy from Twitter, Facebook and others to allow blatant lies to persist on social media - you probably also hate that they mark content as manipulated but still allow it to remain online. You may disagree, but I think that's the right call. I would rather people have the information about something being manipulated but still be able to see it for themselves than for it to be deleted altogether and allow the manipulators to complain about being censored.
