9:30 AM
I woke up and checked my emails and Snapchat.
I checked TMZ. There was an article about how the Nashville airport is going to be renamed in honor of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton. The BNA website backed up the claims in an official statement.
11AM
I checked TMZ again, as I am interested in celebrity news and culture. I gasped because I initially misread that Lil Nas X died, when the article actually stated his mother died. This information was easily verifiable because TMZ linked to his Instagram, showing a tribute he posted to her.
2PM
I listened to YouTube commentary videos as I cleaned. Recently I have been very intrigued by the girl group KATSEYE. Youtuber D’Angelo spoke about how the girls were each plucked from obscurity and formed into a group via a Netflix show. He also spoke about the “hiatus,” of group member Manon, and the belief racism played a hand in her departure.
Youtuber rubyxvenus described each era of the group so far. She argued that their marketing, imagery and music have become more sexualized and reductive in order to be used by their management to sell more products to children.
Although there is no absolute proof Manon left the group due to racism, it is a widespread belief by fans. Manon was called lazy on the show for taking days off, to which she responded that the Swiss take days off when they need to rest. The implications of calling the only black woman in the group lazy has racial undertones from stereotypes that have burdened black women for decades. Although I am unsure that she left because of race, I do believe the calmer culture of Switzerland, where she was raised, did clash with the hustle culture needed for KATSEYE.
The sexualization of the group is very evident when comparing the music videos from their first era to their most current one. The girls are dressed like regular teenagers and dancing cleanly in their Debut music video. Whereas in their newest video, Hootie Fruttie, they are dressed provocatively and gyrating while drenched in water. I believe that with their breakout hit Gnarly, their management noticed a more provocative image and TikTok focused beats produced financial results.
The music industry has always been about selling products and profit and KATSEYE is no different. One half of their management team, HYBE, has been accused of shady business dealings in the past. Every music video they have released has some sort of product placement, everything from slime to Tic-tac’s. Their biggest engagement to date came from a Gap Advertisement, which blew up because of the multiracial backgrounds of the members, in stark contrast to the controversial Sydney Sweeney eugenics American Eagle commercial. Accounting for the number of promotional products they push, I conclude that the group was made solely for financial gain; and the girls will be worked to the bone to squeeze every last penny out of the brand.
10PM
I lounged in bed and scrolled through TikTok. The first TikTok was a girl detailing her experience of taking too much zinc. She explained how it made her vomit and have explosive diarrhea. I wondered if too much zinc really could cause so many side effects. Medical New Today verified that those are very real side effects from taking too much zinc. I also have had an experience of taking zinc on an empty stomach, which led to sickness.
Another TikTok that caught my interest was of a woman claiming, “being gay has to be the fakest sin of all time.” A bible verse used many times to defend that God does not support the gay community is Leviticus 18:22, which reads, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” In The Bible Never Condemned Homosexuality: An Academic Reexamination by Andrew Lehti, Lehti argues that the untranslated word, Masculus, actually translates more directly to young and not simply to male. So, in theory the verse is originally meant to denounce pedophilia and not homosexuality.
The final TikTok was a gym bro explaining how stomach vacuums can help with abdomen definition and train the transverse abdominis muscle. Healthline backed up the claims of helping practice contracting the muscle but cast doubts about it helping get a six pack. Commenters of the video agreed with the poster and provided photographic evidence of what their stomach vacuums accomplished.
In the end, I expected to be faced with more questionable content. The content I viewed was very verifiable and not farfetched. This could be because of the limited number of different avenues I use to receive my media. TMZ is usually true, because if inaccurate they could face legal action, so their information has to be verified before publication. TikTok and YouTube usually share opinion and therefore need more verification.