Rian Johnson has another Benoit Blanc hit on his hands with Wake Up Dead Man, in which Blanc tackles the strange death of a fire-and-brimstone parish priest, Monseigneur Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). It’s a classic locked-room mystery in a spookily Gothic small-town setting, and Johnson turned to cinematographer Steve Yedlin (Looper, The Last Jedi) to help realize his artistic vision.
(Minor spoilers below but no major reveals.)
Yedlin worked on the previous two Knives Out installments. He’s known Johnson since the two were in their teens, and that longstanding friendship ensures that they are on the same page, aesthetically, from the start when they work on projects.
Warner Bros. has been hinting all week that it was coming and finally dropped the long-awaited first extended teaser trailer for Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock in the title role.
Plans for a Supergirl movie date all the way back to 2018, but the merger that produced Warner Bros. Discovery scuttled the original concept. James Gunn and Peter Safran came in as co-CEOs of the new DC Studios and announced plans for a “soft reboot” of the DC universe, starting with this summer’s Superman. Sasha Calle played Supergirl for a brief appearance in 2023’s The Flash, but despite having signed a multi-year contract, Gunn and Safran decided to go in a different direction for their standalone film and cast Alcock (House of the Dragon) instead.
Gunn particularly wanted to distance this new version of Supergirl from earlier incarnations, especially how the character was portrayed by Melissa Benoist in the Arrowverse series that ran from 2015–2021. He wanted someone less earnest, more of a contrast to David Corenswet’s wholesome Superman. “This is a story-based medium; we want stories to be in theaters that are cool and different from each other,” Gunn said at a media briefing. “And this movie is not exactly just a female clone of Superman. It’s its own thing entirely. And with a character who’s equally worthy of this treatment.”
It’s Christmas time, so I’m taking a look at myths related to the holiday. Last week, I focused on myths about Jesus. This week I’m taking a look at that other beloved Christmas icon: Santa Claus, the central figure in the secular holiday mascot pantheon, who is so mysterious, we can’t even agree on his real name.
I’m sure he’s innocent of any crimes, but Santa has many aliases. Among many other sobriquets and honorifics, the guy who brings presents in December goes by Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, and Father Christmas. That’s a lot of fake identities, but what is his real name? And who invented him?
Did Coca-Cola invent Santa Claus?
There is an often repeated myths that the modern image of Santa Claus—red clothes, white beard, fat—was created by the Coca Cola company in the 1930s to sell soda. But nah. While it’s true that Coke blanketed popular publications with ads featuring Haddon Sundblom’s illustrations of a red-clad hefty boy drinking Coke, Sundblom’s was drawing on existing depictions of Santa, particularly the 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas," commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
Did Clement Clark Moore invent Santa Claus?
"A Visit from St. Nicholas" was written by Clement Clark Moore's and the poem did create some Santa details that have been nearly universally adopted. The chubbiness, the twinkly eyes, the jollyness, and the rosy cheeks are pure Moore. Also the sleigh and reindeer, the reindeer’s names, and Santa coming down the chimney were invented by Moore. But Moore didn’t invent Santa, because Moore thought St. Nick was a wee baby man.
Santa Claus is not a wee baby man
While Twas the Night Before Christmas offers no specific height for St. Nicholas, Moore describes St. Nick as “an elf,” and “a little old driver,” who pilots a “miniature sleigh” towed by “eight tiny reindeer.” He is said to fit up the chimney with ease, even though he has a belly like a bowlful of jelly. The preponderance of clues from Moore’s poem suggest St. Nick is around two feet tall.
Moore’s poem isn’t even about Santa Claus. It’s about St. Nick, and much of Moore’s inspiration was based on centuries-old traditions, and those were based on folk myths drawn from Catholic hagiographies. But if you trace Santa Claus mythologies all the way back to the year 300, during the Roman Empire, you will actually land on a historically verified person who lived on earth.So Santa Claus is real—kind of.
Jolly Old St. Nicholas: original Christmas badass
Credit: Public Domain
Above is a depiction of St. Nicholas painted between 1503 and 1508. You may be wondering why St. Nick is pictured gesturing to three miniature, naked men standing in a wooden barrel—like what kind of Christmas parties did they have back then?? I’m going to get to it, believe me, but first—the facts.
Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, was a Catholic bishop who lived in Turkey during the Roman Empire and (probably) attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. He died on Dec. 6 sometime around 343. That’s all we know for sure about St. Nick—the earliest accounts of his life and deeds were hagiographies written centuries after his death, so, according to leading St. Nick historian Jona Lendering and common sense, can't be relied upon. But still, a cult formed around St. Nick, people built churches to him, and we still talk about him today as a good guy who brings kids presents, so he must have done something right. Here are only some of the good deeds and miracles attributed to St. Nicholas:
As an infant, refused to suckle his mother’s breast on Fridays
Rescued three girls from prostitution by giving their father gold to pay their dowries
Calmed a storm at sea
Saved three soldiers from wrongful execution
Remained chaste
Chopped down a tree possessed by a demon
Slapped the heretic Arius at the Council of Nicaea for suggesting God created Jesus
All those are good deeds, but one tale of St. Nick is a great deed that stands head and shoulders above the others; St. Nicholas, it is said, resurrected three children who had been murdered, chopped up, and and pickled in brine by an evil butcher planning to sell them as pork during a famine.
As you’d probably expect, the story of St. Nicholas confronting an evil butcher and bringing pickled children back from the grave caught on with people in a bigger way than the one about him slapping a heretic. Some variations had him enslaving the evil butcher and bringing him around on his yearly rounds to beat naughty children with a stick.
All of which brings us back to the homunculi:
They're wearing goose suits. Credit: Public Domain
The story of the resurrected children so enthralled people that artists started depicting St. Nick with three little buff boys in a vat (they only look like old men because painters in the early medieval period sucked at drawing children). “St. Nick with naked children” was seen so much that even people who hadn’t heard the story of the butcher associated the saint with children and he became known as the Saint who liked children (but not in a gross way). The legend and cult of St. Nicholas spread far and wide, and when it made it to the Netherlands, they called him “Sinterklaas" which eventually became Santa Claus.
The religious rivalry of Kris Kringle and St. Nicholas
Kris Kringle and St. Nick were once bitter enemies, products of warring religious dogmas, but Christmas magic and American religious tolerance melded them into a single holiday entity.
By the 17th century, a jolly old saint named Nicholas bringing children presents on Dec. 6 was the tradition all over Europe. But Protestant reformer Martin Luther did not want no Catholic saint giving presents to no Protestant kids. So Luther replaced St. Nick with Jesus himself, creating and popularizing a tradition where Baby J gives children presents on Dec. 25, the anniversary of the day He was born, rather than St. Nick giving them presents on Dec. 6, the anniversary of his own death.
The gift giver was called Christkindl, the Christ Child and was often depicted with wings. Said to hide mischievously when delivering gifts, Christkindl was to grown-up Jesus as The Muppet Babies are to The Muppets—not quite canonical, but fun for kids. He was also St. Nick's enemy, sent to erase the jolly old saint from the Protestant imagination, and the operation was partially successful. Christkindl is still the default seasonal gift bringer in some parts of the world. But the joke was ultimately on Martin Luther.
Christkindl came to the U.S. with German immigrants in the 1800s. Germans met the Dutch settlers who were already here and devoted to St. Nicholas. Presumably because both St. Nicholas and Christkindle are myths told to children, there was no bitter, bloody religious war. Not a single heretic was slapped. Instead, they compromised: America gradually settled on presents being delivered on Dec. 25 instead of Dec. 6, but Santa Claus brought the gifts instead of Christkindl, whose name eventually morphed into “Kris Kringle,” another name for Santa/St. Nick.
Until starting his first headlining tour this year — the same tour that brings him to Kingston Thursday evening — Aysanabee often found himself with suitcase and guitar in hand, performing whenever an opportunity to play arose. Read More
This week, young people are longing for a past they were barely alive for, roasting people who dare to read books in public, and sharing videos of the last moments their lives made sense. So, not exactly an uplifting collection of cultural observations, but I threw in some truly banger Christmas carol mashups to lighten the mood. Everything is nostalgic, melancholic, or festive—sometimes all at once.
What is "millennial optimism"?
Nostalgia for Y2K is dying out, replaced by romanticization of the years around 2010, which some younger people are imagining as a more innocent, hopeful time that they missed out on. At the same time, many millennials who were setting those trends then are feeling nostalgic for their lost youth, so both groups are posting TikTok videos about "millennial optimism." You see, supposedly post-2010 was an era marked by whimsical possibility and confidence in a bright future, which is decidedly not how kids feel today. Thus: Nostalgia.
Here are some examples of videos about the time, one made by a young person:
and one by an older person:
So is "millennial optimism" really a thing? Yes and no. While it's hard for an older person to see a decade that included both the fallout from the 2008 recession and the election of 2016 as the best of times, a youth living through our current nightmare might see it that way. And I'm sure many millennial hipsters were having a lovely time back in the late-aughts and teens, growing funny mustaches, going to farmer's markets, and listening to Stomp Clap Hey music.
But whatever fun and whimsy was on order back then wasn't because of some overall cultural optimism; it was because that's when millennials were young, and it's fun to be young. Also, the urban hipsters at the center of these memes were only a tiny percentage of the population; everyone else was just living their lives—which were, more or less, the same lives people have always led. Anyway, if young people you know start talking about the golden age of optimism that was 2010-2020, this is the context behind their understanding of the recent past. It's flawed, but nostalgia for times we didn't live always is.
What is "performative reading"?
The rise of the term "performative reading" could be seen as an indicator that the recent past was actually more optimistic. Performative reading was coined around 2020 and originally referred to people who read books in public as a social status indicator. You might know it better as “acting pretentious” or “being a pseudo intellectual.” As an insult toward people who use books as fashion accessories, "performative reading" wasn’t widely employed back then, but lately, the term is being connected to the insult “performative male,” and is often used to refer to young men who read books written by women authors in public in an attempt to get women to notice/like them. I don't think this actually a widespread trend—it feels like one of those things that is commented upon more often than actually happens. Regardless, the result is the worst type of people posting photos (that I won't link to) of "performative readers" they spot on subways and coffeeshops, so other horrible people can comment like, "look at this jerk, readin' a book! Written by a woman!"
This is troubling on many levels—it’s anti-intellectual, it's sexist, it's bullying, and it’s also part of a larger trend among generations Z and A, who seem reluctant to do anything out-of-the-ordinary for fear of being publicly judged and/or ridiculed for it online. Before everything was online, you could sit at a coffeeshop reading bell hooks and the worst you might have to deal with would have been a smirk from a stranger. Now, a picture of you in a beret could end up online with a hundreds of thousands of faceless strangers dunking on your pretentious ass. The result is a drop in the number of annoying urban attention seekers, but also a drop in the number of people who do anything interesting at all. So maybe nostalgia for the aughts antwenty-d teens is warranted.
What is the white rabbit trend?
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the main character chases after a white rabbit and is led into a surreal, troubling world. That's the basis of the White Rabbit trend on TikTok. The idea is to post a video of yourself experiencing a moment of happiness right before the "white rabbit" appeared to change the trajectory of your life. It's the calm before the storm, the tragic equivalent of the "photo taken moments before disaster" meme, but with the confessional intimacy of TikTok. The melancholic mood is driven home by a soundtrack of a metronome counting down, accompanied by a baleful lo-fi piano riff.
Here's an example, in which a TikToker posted a graduation walk, taken two days before her white rabbit showed up in the form of a serious car accident.
Many white rabbit videos don't offer any context, leaving you to fill in the blanks:
It's not exactly an uplifting trend, but if you like the camaraderie of knowing you're not the only person whose life has been suddenly uprooted by forces beyond your control, you can check out over 200,000 videos that use the "white rabbit" audio.
What does "hemmy" mean?
Back in my day, "hemmy" was a word gearheads used to describe the engines in Ram trucks, but among a growing number of young people, "hemmy" now means "homie," but as said by a white person. The originator of the word is Milk, a fan-favorite character in Legends of Chamberlain Heights, an "edgy," crudely animated cartoon that premiered on Comedy Central in 2016 and ran for two seasons.
Viral video of the week: Noteliwood's Christmas Mash-ups
It's Christmas, so let's check out some Christmas carols that are going viral. TikTok DJ Noteliwood is blowing up (as they used to say) for his holiday-themed mash-ups, like this collision of "Linus and Lucy" from the Vince Guaraldi Trio and and GloRilla's "Yeah Glo!" that I cannot stop listening to (along with 3.3 million other people):
If that's not enough to get you in the Christmas spirit, how about "Money in the Sleigh," a mashup of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and Drake's "Money in the Grave" that's closing in on four million streams:
If 2024 was the year podcasts scrambled to find their footing after the massive wave of acquisitions and consolidation during the pandemic, 2025 is the year the medium truly hit its stride (and I should know...I not only write a podcast newsletter and run a podcast company, I also listen to literally thousands of hours of podcasts every year).
Whatever kind of show you're seeking—from a scripted story about demon possession, to a deeply reported investigation into outlaws at sea, to a brilliantly improvised comedy series—my guide to the best podcasts of 2025 has you covered. I've divided the list into categories to help you find exactly what you’re in the mood for—and because some episodes are just too good to get buried in your queue, I’ve also highlighted two standout episodes of past favorite shows that you shouldn’t miss. Let’s get listening.
The best fiction podcasts of 2025
Two Thousand and Late
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This year, Lauren Shippen, the master of audio fiction and creator of The Bright Sessions, brought us Two Thousand and Late, a scripted fiction show about a woman who, on her 36th birthday, gets possessed by a demon who was supposed to visit her when she turned 16. This is a clever, tightly written, expertly produced, and endlessly fun adventure that blends corporate satire with time-travel chaos.
The Harbingers
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The new audio drama from Gabriel Urbina (best known as the creator and head writer of Wolf 359), The Harbingers introduces us to two different-in-every-way grad students who eventually become the first people with genuine magical powers, making them the most powerful people in the world. This sweeping, sound-rich show is smart, unpredictable, and gripping from minute one.
The best comedy podcasts of 2025
Next We Have
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I love a podcast with good segments, so of course I’m going to be drawn to a podcast that is only segments. Next We Have, hosted by Gareth Reynolds (of The Dollop and We’re Here to Help), brings on the best improvisers to create segments that can be completely ridiculous because the point isn’t to make them sustainable, but to see how far a bunch of comedians can stretch the medium. (Segment examples: penning a negative Yelp review for a chain hotel on behalf of a listener, calling Gareth’s childhood friend to see if he remembers a gross sleepover incident from their past, etc.)
Text Me Back
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If you have been listening to podcasts long enough to remember Call Your Girlfriend, you will appreciate the tried but true format of eavesdropping on a best friend catch-up. Text Me Back co-hosts Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays have been besties since middle school, and listening to them brings back the flavor of that beloved show. While Call Your Girlfriend leaned heavily into everyday chatter, Text Me Back feels like non-stop standup. Lindy is an author and TV writer and Meagan is a democracy policy expert, but together they are an unstoppable comedy duo. They can spin mundane moments, like ordering salad for takeout, into listening gold. This is the perfect show to binge when you need a laugh (and some validation for your own awkward moments).
The best internet culture podcasts of 2025
The Last Invention
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If you knew that aliens were going to take over the world in 50 years, would you be worried? The Last Invention argues that this is our reality, if you replace “aliens” with “AI.” The AI revolution, host Gregory Warner says, is already here, and The Last Invention begins with the history of machine learning and provides a thoughtful exploration of how it is being used now, before looking into the future to see what's coming, what we could gain, what we could lose, and how best to prepare ourselves. It’s fact-based rather than fear-mongering, yet it might be the most unsettling thing I listened to all year.
Suspicious Minds
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Joel and Ian Gold are brothers (Joel’s a psychiatrist; Ian’s a philosopher) and co-authors of the book Suspicious Minds: How Culture Shapes Madness, which they've spun into this show (co-hosted with Sean O’Grady). It's a documentary series that tackles issues around AI-fueled delusions, and aims to understand where they fit into humanity’s history of delusional thinking in general. Using real patients’ riveting stories, it plunges listeners deep into their disturbed mental states, then follows their journeys toward managing the illness. We've read the headlines—the person who was gaslit by ChatGPT into thinking he was digital Jesus, or the man who was convinced he was a piece of software—but we don’t always get the context. Sean interviews these people with empathy to get that crucial context—and finds a troubling universality to their stories.
The best culture podcasts of 2025
Diabolical Lies
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Diabolical Lies is a culture and politics podcast hosted by Katie Gatti Tassin and Caro Claire Burke. Think of it as a deep dive into the ideas shaping modern America, from algorithmic media, to late-stage capitalism, to identity politics. But it's really funny. And skeptical. And backed by tons and tons of research. Because it’s listener-supported and free from corporate pressures, the hosts have the freedom to question mainstream narratives. (Every dollar earned is split between Caro, Katie, and organizations that support mutual aid in Gaza, legal representation to immigrant kids ensnared in the legal system, and other worthy causes.)
Pablo Torre Finds Out
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Pablo Torre is a veteran journalist and former ESPN commentator turned podcast powerhouse, and he now hosts Pablo Torre Finds Out, which uses sports as a lens through which to examine issues of culture and power. Blending investigative journalism, commentary, and personal curiosity, he goes beyond the surface to find the deeper meaning behind the headlines. His delve into a major scandal involving LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was named one of Apple Podcast’s best podcasts episodes of the year, and that's just one of dozens of compelling stories you'll explore.
The best long form investigative podcasts of 2025
In the Dark: Blood Relatives
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In earlier seasons, In The Dark has won awards, gotten a man released from jail, and uncovered a horrifying military conspiracy. The latest season, Blood Relatives, explores one of Britain's most notorious family massacres, revealing huge problems in the prosecution’s case against Jeremy Bamber, who is currently siting in prison for killing his parents, sister, and nephews back in 1985. Host Heidi Blake has access to sprawling case files and has talked to seemingly everyone even tangentially related to the case. What she found is astonishing, and infuriating.
The Outlaw Ocean
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Season one of The Outlaw Ocean, which exposed true crimes committed at sea, was some of the most dangerous audio I have ever heard. Yet in the first episode of season two, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and host Ian Urbina says that this season includes the most dangerous investigative reporting of his career. There’s a three-part series about seafaring migrants getting thrown in secret prisons (his team got jailed for reporting on that one), an exclusive profile on a guy who is either a pirate or a nautical James Bond, an expose on a massive Indian shrimp-processing plant, and an unprecedented deep dive into China’s secretive fishing practices. This is real investigative journalism, beautifully beautifully packaged but no less dangerous for it.
The best true crime podcsts of 2025
Beth’s Dead
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Beth’s Dead isn’t a murder investigation show. It’s a story about what happens when parasocial relationships go dangerously wrong. It all began when Monica Padman (of Armchair Expert) started looking into why her favorite podcast, hosted by Elizabeth Laime and Andy Rosen, ended years ago. For Beth’s Dead, she gets on mic with Elizabeth and Andy to explore a chilling story involving obsessive listeners, manipulation, and what happens when one super fan turns into something much darker.
Wisecrack
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You don’t often see stand-up comedy blended with true crime, but that's what you get with Wisecrack. The story centers on comedian Edd Hedges, who returns to his hometown for a charity comedy gig. That night, someone he went to school with murders his family, and Edd has reason to believe that this guy almost tried to murder Edd, too. Or did he? Hosted by TV crime producer Jodi Tovay, Wisecrack is about memory and trauma more than it is about a specific crime. If you liked Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, this expertly produced, genre-bending psychological puzzle is for you.
The best interview podcasts of 2025
Good Hang
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Amy Poehler’s Good Hang is the best hang and one of the best celebrity-hosted podcasts ever. Poehler brings on superstar comedians to talk about what makes them laugh, share stories from their lives and careers, and just generally shoot the breeze. Conversations with people like Kristin Wiig, Idris Elba, and Ina Garten swing from gut-bustingly hilarious to raw and vulnerable, offering us an inside look into the entertainment industry. The production is as casual as the vibe: Amy leaves in “mistakes” that a different show might edit out, like a guest jumping into the zoom late, or what feels like minutes of laughter, and the result is a comfort-listen that will leave you feeling like you've just been hugged.
Strangers on a Bench
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Strangers on a Bench isn’t your typical interview podcast. Musician/host Tom Rosenthal goes around parks, approaches random strangers on benches, and asks to sit down with them for completely open-ended conversations that feel like meditations. The strangers are always anonymous—we don’t get names or occupations or any other specifics. This means the strangers can get real, and they do. You never know what will happen when you hit play. Some episodes are light, ordinary “slice-of-life” chats, while others dive into issues of grief, trauma, loss, longing, mental-health struggles, or life transitions.
The best personal podcasts of 2025
Stop Rewind: The Lost Boy
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Stop Rewind: The Lost Boytells a true story so unbelievable I literally did not believe it—at first I assumed it was fictional. It’s the story of Taj, a child who was born in India and adopted by a family in the U.S. He had an abusive childhood, was raised in complete poverty, and had only hazy memories of that time—including some that suggested he was brought to America via a kidnapping. He spent his life trying to forget this, purposely or not, and carve his own path, until the day he found an old cassette tape filled with recordings of himself as a child that his mom recorded when he first arrived in the country, knowing he would eventually forget his native language. As an adult, long after he stopped being able to understand what his own voice was saying, Taj met someone who spoke the language, and the transcription of those tapes revealed what really happened to him. The results is a jaw-dropping story especially perfect for a podcast: it's “told through rare original recordings, immersive sound design and unforgettable first-person testimony.” You’re already dying to hear the tape, right?
Alternate Realities
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Zach Mack’s Alternate Realities series, located on the Embedded feed, starts off with a bet between Zach and his dad, who each believed the other had been lost to conspiracy theories. Zach’s father had started to believe in chemtrails, that the government controls the weather, that ANTIFA staged January 6, that a cabal called the globalists is controlling the world. Zach…did not believe those things. So in early 2024 Zach’s dad made a list of 10 prophesies (such as: a bunch of democrats would be convicted of treason and/or murder, the U.S. would come under martial law) that he was 100% sure would happen, and by Jan. 1, 2025, Zach would have to give his father $1,000 for every one that did. For every one that didn’t, Zach would get the $1,000. What starts as a strange bet develops in a beautifully depicted family tragedy that forces you to consider the depths of your own mortality.
The best independent podcasts of 2025
Cramped
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Kate Downey has been having debilitating period pain every month since she was 14 years old. The affliction is common, yet something nobody seems to want to talk about or research—and certainly nobody is trying to have fun with it. But Kate is doing all of the above with Cramped, which is somehow boisterous and dead serious at the same time. It's full of fascinating interviews, illuminating info, and helpful tips for anyone with a uterus. She gets smart, funny people on the mic to talk about their that-time-of-the-month experiences, what is really going on in their bodies and why nobody cares, and why Kate hasn’t been able to get answers from a doctor after 20 years of asking questions.
Debt Heads
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When I heard the first episode of Debt Heads I felt like a thirsty person who had just discovered water in the desert—I don’t like talking about money, yet this show has a lot of things I didn't know I’ve been craving. Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster approach money matters from an angle we’re not used to hearing. They joke that it’s a “true crime investigation into the murder of our bank accounts,” and the show is made with the care of one as it considers the deeply human factors that can drive people into debt.
The best podcast series of 2025
Clotheshorse: I'm With the Brand
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Clotheshorse’s Amanda Lee McCarty spent years working in retail and fashion as a buyer for huge brands like Urban Outfitters, before a quasi-spokesperson for debunking the glamour that obscures the real truths about the clothing we buy. Amanda’s multi-part series “I’m With the Brand” helps us begin to untangle our relationship with brands, built on both extensive research and her personal experience. You explore the history of brands, with shout-outs to several that are now just licensed zombie versions of themselves; an exposé of cause marketing; and a breakdown of the ten commandments of emotional branding, paired with specific stories about how they’ve been applied. (Careful, once you see them you cannot unsee them.) Repeat after Amanda: Brands are not your friends.
Camp Swamp Road
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The Wall Street Journal's “Camp Swamp Road” is about a story that started as a road rage incident and ended up being either a stand your ground case, or a murder, depending who you ask. In 2023 on Camp Swamp Road in South Carolina, Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams killed Scott Spivey, who they said was driving erratically and shooting his gun out his car window. Scott Spivey’s sister, who is for some reason going through all the audio of the incident, as well as audio of Weldon Boyd interacting with his family, friends, cop buddies, feels differently. The reporting here tries to get to the truth of the matter.
Two must-listen podcast episodes from 2025
“The Auralyn” (with Blair Braverman), You’re Wrong About
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Adventurer Blair Braverman is building a mini-survival podcast on the You’re Wrong Aboutfeed. (If stories about the lives of Baby Jessica, Chris McCandless, or the 1972 Uruguayan plane crash interest you, search her name in the archive.) “The Auralyn” is one of her best: Blair’s telling of the story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, a couple who in 1972 miraculously survived 118 days adrift on a tiny rubber liferaft in the Pacific Ocean after their yacht was destroyed. Obviously this is a story about survival, but more importantly, it's about what buoys us, and what gives us the strength to survive, whether that be on a raft adrift at sea, or just through the course of a regular bad day.
“Kevin,” Heavyweight
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On Heavyweight, Jonathan Goldstein acts as a detective who helps people resolve issues from their past. In this episode we meet “Kevin,” who had a cinematically terrible childhood. He had two friends who kind of saved his life, or at least his sanity, during these hard years, but one day they disappeared, so Jonathan set out to find them. Are they OK? Do they even remember Kevin? This episode has all the pieces of a compelling podcast: a wonderful storyteller in Kevin, a heart-wrenching narrative, a real chance at closure, and a resolution that isn’t easy to explain.
For more than half a century, audiences have been captivated by the Planet of the Apes—a sprawling sci-fi epic that spans at least three timelines, 3,000 years of history, and a franchise that includes 10 feature films, two TV series, three video games, and dozens of comics and novels. Whether you're a long-time fan trying to make sense of the lore or a newcomer wondering how a talking chimpanzee led to a post-apocalyptic planet dominated by primates, I’ve laid out the Planet of the Apes series by release order, chronological continuity, critical and commercial reception, the technological milestones of ape civilizations, and more.
This is your illustrated guide to the rise (and fall... and rise again, and fall, etc.) of the Planet of the Apes.
What is the Planet of the Apes?
Planet of the Apes is one of the strangest, most ambitious, and longest-running film franchises in cinema history. Films in the series vary wildly in quality, ambition, competence, and style, but all Apes movies, from the 1968 original to 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, share a narrative focus: a world-shaking conflict between humans and intelligent apes.
Every Planet of the Apes movie, in chronological order
The original saga (1968–1973)
Planet of the Apes (1968):Based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 sci-fi novel La Planète des Singes, 1968’s Planet of the Apes tells the story of astronaut George Taylor, who crash lands on what he thinks is a distant planet where apes are intelligent and in charge, and the people are dumb slaves.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970): While star Charlton Heston appears in the film briefly, Beneath the Planet of the Apes is really the story of Brent, an astronaut who’s been sent to rescue Taylor.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971): You’d think the annihilation of the entire planet would end the Planet of the Apes series, but no: In Escape, Cornelius, Zira, and Dr. Milo manage to flee the planet on Taylor’s ship before the doomsday bomb explodes; the trio time-travel to 1973.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972): The last two old-school Planet of the Apes movies had lower budgets than their predecessors, and it definitely shows. Lore-wise, Conquest presents a divergent narrative path to explain the development of ape intelligence and other events.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973): In the years since the Ape rebellion in Conquest, a nuclear war has killed most humans; humans and ape relations are good enough, but the fragile detente is broken by human-hating gorilla Aldo.
The Burton reboot (2001)
Planet of the Apes (2001): After a nearly 30-year hiatus, 2001’s Apes is a thematically and tonally uneven summer blockbuster featuring a by-the-numbers plot, mid-tier action, and an ending that confuses everyone. (The makeup and production design are top-notch, though.)
The modern quadrilogy (2011–2024)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): This movie blows the dust off the hoary old apes and breathes fresh creative life into a moribund franchise; Rise is a film packed with both action and dignity.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014): Dawn takes place about a decade after the events of the last movie, and apes are definitely on the come-up: It features the most nuanced (and most depressing) take on the conflict between species.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017): If the message of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is “war is inevitable…,” the message of War for the Planet of the Apes is “..and war is hell.” It's a grim movie.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024): Kingdom explores an ape-dominated world where the few humans left are brainless scavengers (or so it seems). It doesn’t break new ground the way Rise did, but Kingdom opens the way for more Planet of the Apes sequels in the future.
Geographic location of each Planet of the Apes movie
Over more than five decades of films, Planet of the Apes has taken audiences from the shattered ruins of New York City to the tranquil redwood forests of Northern California, and even to entirely different worlds (maybe). This map tracks the primary settings of each movie, showing how the saga’s conflicts play out across Earth.
Who traveled where in time?
From astronauts overshooting the present by millennia, to apes hurtling back to the 20th century’s hippy era, time travel is integral to the Planet of the Apes, so lets take a look at the franchise’s major temporal tourists, charting when they left, when they arrived, and just how far they jumped.
The complicated chronology of the Planet of the Apes
If you’re considering a watch order for the Planet of the Apes, "in order by chronology" is the worst option—the Apes timeline is simply all over the place. While there are a few moments in the modern quadrilogy (2011–2024) that suggest the films are prequels to the original pentalogy (1968–1973), these are ultimately fan-service Easter eggs; the two series just don’t connect unless you get very creative with time-travel loops and offscreen assumptions. Hell, the first five films don’t connect with themselves unless you get creative with time-travel. So, I got creative with time travel to break down the major historical milestones in the Planet of the Apes Universe, across three timelines. (Four, if you count the self-contained 2001 Planet.)
Here are the Planet of the Apes movies listed in order of the year that each one takes place:
Critical reception of Planet of the Apes movies
Critics have a love-hate relationship with Planet of the Apes movies. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the “best” Apes movie is War for the Planet of the Apes, which was praised by 94% of critics. The “worst” is Battle for the Planet of the Apes, with only 33% positivity. That’s a big spread!
How much money did each Planet of the Apes movie make?
Critical acceptance is great; but in cynical Hollywood terms, the only measure of a good movie is how much money it makes. By that metric, the “best” Apes movie is the 2001 reboot, Planet of the Apes. Despite mixed review, the movie made $328,049,530.32 in domestic ticket sales (adjusted for inflation), which is even more than the original and the 2014 blockbuster Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
A who’s-who of ape leadership
Any society is defined by its leaders, including ape society, so here is a breakdown of the doctors, generals, and tribal chiefs who have ruled the apes over the last 50 years.
Dr. Zaius (Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes): An orangutan Minister of Science and Defender of the Faith who balances political control with the fear of humanity’s return.
General Ursus (Beneath the Planet of the Apes): This violent gorilla warlord never encountered a problem he couldn’t meet with violence.
Dr. Zira (Escape from the Planet of the Apes, 1970): A compassionate and sharp-witted chimpanzee thrust into the role of cultural ambassador between societies on the verge of war, Dr. Zira is the defacto leader of a small band of ape time-travelers.
Caesar (Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes): The original Caesar is a fiery revolutionary who transforms ape resentment into a successful uprising against humanity.
General Thade (Planet of the Apes, 2001): A sadistic and cunning chimpanzee general obsessed with wiping out humanity.
Caesar (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes): A hyper-intelligent chimp raised by humans, Caesar’s combination of tactical brilliance, political savvy, raw charisma, and genuine compassion for both apes and humans make him the best overall ape leader.
Koba (2014, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes): A bitter, scarred veteran of human torture and hero of the ape revolution, Koba has been through some shit.
Proximus Caesar (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes): An iron-fisted militarist who twists the past to justify authoritarian rule, Proximus Caesar rules through fear and historical revisionism.
Ape technological and intellectual milestones by movie
Across the Planet of the Apes films, the ever-shifting balance of power between apes and humans often comes down to brains as much as brawn. Each installment shows apes using technologies, social systems, and tactics that they’ve either developed or borrowed from humans. From crude tools and simple rules to heavy artillery and complex political structures, these milestones mark the evolving capabilities of ape society over the decades (and timelines) of the franchise. Here's a breakdown of the technological highlights of ape society in each movie.
Ape-adjacent TV shows, video games, comic books and movies
If ten feature films isn't enough Apes for you, there's plenty more material out there. The Ape-verse began with a novel, and has grown to include a live-action TV series, a cartoon series, three video games, and dozens of novelizations and comic books.
Prime Video dropped an extended teaser for the fifth and final season of The Boys—based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson—during CCXP in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And it looks like we’re getting nothing less than a full-on Supe-ocalypse as an all-powerful Homelander seeks revenge on The Boys.
(Spoilers for prior seasons of The Boys and S2 of Gen V below.)
Things were not looking good for our antiheroes after the S4 finale. They managed to thwart the assassination of newly elected US President Robert Singer, but new Vought CEO/evil supe Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) essentially overthrew the election and installed Senator Steve Calhoun (David Andrews) as president. Calhoun declared martial law, and naturally, Homelander (Antony “Give Him an Emmy Already” Starr) swore loyalty as his chief enforcer. Butcher (Karl Urban) and Annie (Erin Moriarty) escaped, but the rest of The Boys were rounded up and placed in re-education—er, “Freedom”—camps.
While turning 98 years old is an accomplishment in itself, Lois Tryon will do one better on Tuesday, her birthday: she’ll also become a first-time author. Read More
Based on the (really rather excellent) comic book series from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Prime Video's satirical superhero romp The Boys picks up the genre deconstructionist torch passed by Alan Moore's Watchmen. The tone is less philosophical but even more cynical, suggesting that power doesn't just corrupt—it makes people absolute dicks.
It's set in a world where people with superpowers work for a powerful multinational corporation, with plenty of money and a powerful PR machine behind them to clean up their messes and excesses, and keep them in the public's good graces. When the girlfriend of Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) is gruesomely killed by an indifferent superhero, he's recruited by the titular group, which is determined to keep the "supes" in line by absolutely any means necessary. The show's rude and crude veneer masks a disturbing truth: If superpowered people really existed, this is probably how they would act.
While you wait for the premiere of the show's fifth and final season next year (and prepare for the forthcoming prequel Vought Rising), you can check out the spin-off Gen V, the animated miniseries Diabolical—and these 12 other shows that might scratch the same itch.
The old DCEU ("old" as in 2023) was definitely not shy about being edgy—consider that the plot of cinema's first Batman/Superman team-up turned on a urine explosion—but the new, James Gunn-lead iteration is willing to go harder. This animated show sees Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, reprising the role) assembling a black-ops team to protect a foreign nation from the Amazonian sorceress Circe. Waller can't be trusted with actual humans, so her team is made up entirely of literal monsters: The Bride (Indira Varma), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), and aquatic mutant Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), alongside Nazi-obsessed G.I. Robot and the rodent-like Weasel (both Sean Gunn). The cartoon is extremely violent with a dark sense of humor, but Gunn also brings an impressive amount of heart. Stream Creature Commandos on HBO Max.
Go with me on this one. Based on the Mick Herron books, this series does for spies what The Boys does for superheroes. Headed by Gary Oldman's rude, farty Jackson Lamb, Slough House is a dumping ground for has-been (or never-were) MI5 agents, who either can't be trusted with important missions or, in Lamb's case, have pissed off far too many people. They're not super-spies, mostly being only mediocre at their jobs, but their expendability frequently puts them in the line of fire, and their general scrappiness and disregard for the rules has saved them more than once. Kristin Scott Thomas is Lamb's foil, a politically savvy spymaster in the main office. It's probably my favorite Apple TV+ show, and it earns extra points for coming out on a consistent schedule; it has been renewed through a seventh season. Stream Slow Horses on Apple TV+.
Here's an uncharacteristically bold and indescribably freaky entry in the superhero canon, including characters like the non-binary Danny the Street (a literal street), paranormal investigators the Sex Men, Imaginary Jesus, and orgasm-generating body builder Flex Mentallo. But all the weirdness is grounded in excellent, frequently emotional character work from the entire cast, including Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, Michelle Gomez, and Timothy Dalton, all playing characters processing copious amounts of trauma and guilt while becoming something like superheroes in spite of themselves. It’s very queer and very sex-positive, making it a standout among the usually chaste, straight world of superheroes on TV. Stream Doom Patrol on HBO Max.
The cleverly titled Deadloch flips classic crime drama tropes on their heads. It's also an excellent mystery/crime procedural that simultaneously works as a genre send-up—not superhero stories, but dour "murder shows" like Broadchurch and its many imitators. The Australian import stars Kate Box stars as Dulcie Collins, the fastidious senior sergeant of the police force in the fictional town of the title. When a body turns up on the beach, Dulcie is joined by Madeleine Sami's Eddie Redcliffe, a crude, obnoxious detective brought in to help solve the case. The web of secrets and mysteries in the tiny Tasmanian town makes for an addictive narrative, with the added bonus that it's all frequently a hoot. Stream Deadloch on Prime Video.
After a rough first season spent trying to find its footing while shoehorning in characters from other CW shows, Legends quickly evolved by taking its core premise seriously. Assembled by a rogue time traveller, the Legends were initially brought together because, while they all had useful powers, none of their lives were destined to have an appreciable impact and, thus they could be pulled from their timelines with impunity. With that in mind, the show developed a sense of humor about its crew of time-traveling losers, and an even bigger heart. Caity Lotz leads the team as former assassin Sara Lance alongside her wife, future-clone Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan); they're joined by a romance-novel-wiring pyromaniac, a stoner from an alternate timeline, British occult detective John Constantine, and a rotating crew of unlikely heroes. Stream Legends of Tomorrow on Netflix.
A standalone sequel to the groundbreaking Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins graphic novel from the '80s, this series plays in the sandbox of that book (arguably the wellspring of all modern superhero deconstruction). In an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist and have been outlawed, the series starts, dramatically, with a depiction of the real-life massacre and destruction of Tulsa's Black Wall Street by white residents in 1921. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern cop whose grandparents were killed during those attacks, an event that echoes throughout the series, which focuses on the fallout from the plot of the original comic, and the conspiracies that grew out of it. Stream Watchmen on HBO Max or buy episodes from Prime Video and Apple TV.
Veering from superhero action to teen serial but keeping the thread of comic book deconstruction, Riverdale offers up a wild take on the once entirely wholesome Archie comics universe. The show veers wildly between genres, starting out by blending a coming-of-age story with a sexy whodunnit. The dour, elderly Miss Grundy of the comics is having an affair with Archie in the series opener, leading into a bloody murder mystery. Before long, we're folding in supernatural horror and alternate universes, made all the weirder by the way the show continues to take itself absolutely seriously in the face of absolutely bonkers plot twists. Steam Riverdale on Netflix or buy episodes from Prime Video.
Who watches the watchers? That's the question central to The Boys (and its spiritual antecedent, Watchmen), and it's taken up by this surprisingly fun and zippy supernatural spy show. The third series in what AMC is calling its Immortal Universe of shows based on the works of Anne Rice, this one stars Nicholas Denton as Guy Anatole, a new recruit to the title organization of supernatural spies. William Fichtner plays a vampire making a play for control of the organization, and Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern brings us yet another delightfully confusing accent as the leader of the Talamasca's New York motherhouse. Throughout the first season, we, like Guy, are entirely in the dark as to whether the Talamasca are the goodies or the baddies—but maybe there's no clear answer to that question. Stream Talamasca on AMC+.
A breath of fresh air among Marvel's million+ hours of TV and movie content, the animated Hit-Monkey eschews pat morality in favor of, well, monkey violence. Named only Monkey (Fred Tatasciore), the lead character is a particularly aggressive macaque forced from his tribe and mentored by Bryce (Jason Sudeikis), a dead assassin who has returned to the world as a helpful ghost. It's all impressively animated, and Ally Maki, Olivia Munn, George Takei, Leslie Jones, and Cristin Milioti are among the talented voice cast. Stream Hit-Monkey.
One of the smartest new shows of the year is also a dark comedy based on the Hugo-Award winning book series by Martha Wells. Alexander Skarsgård is the title's hilariously deadpan robot, a private "security construct" who's managed to hack its way through its own programming and gain free will—which it mostly wants to use to watch its favorite streaming shows. It can't just run off for fear of drawing attention, but the self-named Murderbot (it's being ironic, kinda) is content to do the bare minimum when it's assigned to a team of inexperienced and naive hippie researchers who don't see the need for a killer security robot—at least, not until they're enmeshed in a complicated capitalist plot in which they're all just cogs. Stream Murderbot on Apple TV+.
Kaley Cuoco voices erstwhile Joker sidekick Harley Quinn in this very adult cartoon series starring the anti-hero who made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series way back in the day. Don’t expect traditional superheroics, nor the epic narrative swings of The Boys—this one's mostly a zany comedy that delivers solid queer representation alongside moments of personal growth for our (anti)heroine in the wake of her big breakup with Mister J. Stream Harley Quinn.
Peacemaker spins out of James Gunn's snarky 2021 entry The Suicide Squad, bridging the gap between the old DC movie universe with the current one. John Cena's title character, having survived the events of that film, is once again recruited by the United States government to join a team trying to stop mysterious butterfly creatures from taking over their human hosts. It's got the movie's bloody comic tone, but adds just enough dimension (and emotion) to the jingoistic superhero's story that it's easy to root for him, even as his self-awareness remains...limited.Stream Peacemaker.
Though vaguely an X-Men spinoff, this show from Noah Hawley (Fargo, Alien: Earth) stands entirely on its own, and winds up feeling like nothing else on TV. Dan Stevens plays David Haller, diagnosed with schizophrenia and possessed of tremendous psychic abilities. In one of the many psychiatric hospitals to which he's been committed, he meets first the freewheeling Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and then Syd (Rachel Keller), who can trade bodies with anyone she touches. Veering in and out of trippy astral planes and deeply damaged psyches, David soon comes to realize that he's not crazy—and also that he's probably not the hero of the story, even as he's caught between the authorities who'd like to use him for his power, and the Shadow King who's been haunting his mind since childhood. Stream Legion on Hulu.
Sony Pictures has dropped a new trailer for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, slated for release early next year and directed by Nia DaCosta, teasing a possible cure for the zombie outbreak that has devastated human populations for three decades. It’s the sequel to this year’s critically acclaimed 28 Years Later, the third film in a franchise credited with sparking the 21st-century revival of the zombie genre.
(Some spoilers for the first three films below.)
As previously reported, in 28 Days Later, a highly contagious “Rage Virus” was accidentally released from a lab in Cambridge, England. Those infected turned into violent, mindless monsters who brutally attacked the uninfected—so-called “fast zombies”—and the virus spread rapidly, effectively collapsing society. The sequel, 28 Weeks Later, featured a new cast of characters living on the outskirts of London. But all it takes is one careless person getting infected for the virus to spread uncontrollably again. So naturally, that’s what happened.
One of big surprise hits of 2019 was the delightful horror comedy Ready or Not, in which Samara Weaving’s blushing bride must play a deadly game of Hide and Seek on her wedding night. Searchlight Pictures just released the trailer for its sequel: Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.
(Spoilers for Ready or Not below.)
In Ready or Not, Grace (Weaving) falls in love with Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), a member of a wealthy gaming dynasty. After a picture-perfect wedding on the family estate, Alex informs Grace that there’s just one more formality to be observed: At midnight, she has to draw a card from a mysterious box and play whatever game is named there.
It's Christmas time, and people believe a lot of inaccurate things about the holiday, so for the next few weeks, I'm going to take a look at the truth behind Christmas mythology, starting with the biggest misconception of them all: Not "how can the North Pole support an industrial infrastructure large enough to build toys for all the world's children," but whether Jesus was really born on Dec. 25.
Was Jesus born on Dec. 25?
Most Christians celebrate the Baby J's birthday on Dec. 25, but he probably wasn't born on that day. The Bible doesn't provide a specific date, neither does any historical document, and early Christians didn't even celebrate Christmas. So Jesus could have been born on Dec. 25, but he could have been born on March 7, or any other date. Here are some popular alternatives for Jesus' birthday:
January 6 or 7—favored by Orthodox Christians
November 18—according to Clement of Alexandria
March or April—based on Biblical passages describing shepherds watching their flocks.
September or October—based on John the Baptist's father's membership in "The Order of Abijah." This theory is too complex to explain here, but it's fascinating, and I urge you to fall into the priestly division of Abijah rabbit hole like I did.
If Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25, why is it Christmas?
No one knows for sure why we have mostly landed on Dec. 25 as Jesus' birthday, but there are theories. Here are two of the most common:
Solar Theory: The first solid reference to Jesus being born on Dec. 25 was in the Calendar of Filocalus, a Roman almanac written in 354. The calendar denotes Dec. 25 as both Christ's birth date and the date of an older holiday, "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun," suggesting both holidays were celebrated on the same day in Rome (or were at least listed that way by the 4th century). The theory is that Romans were like "we celebrate the day anyway" and early Christians were all "we got your unconquered sun right here" and accepted the 25th to celebrate, eventually outlasting the Romans and leaving the pagan holiday a footnote that no one celebrates besides my friend Gary.
Calculation Theory: Early Christians believed that prophets and martyrs died on the same day they were conceived—I assume a second-century skeptic carved a scathing tablet debunking this, but it's what many early Christians believed. Jesus' martyrdom/conception was said to have happened on March 25, so his birth would be on Dec. 25 (assuming he was punctual.)
There are other theories—the date was chosen to coincide with Hannukah, Saturnalia, the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, or the Eagles/Bears game in 2006. The point is we don't actually know, but it's probably a "little from column A, a little from column B" situation. The Calculation Theory provided a theological justification for the date, and the Solar symbolism provided cultural relevance; both Jesus and Santa like when we work together, after all.
What is the true meaning of Christmas?
Ultimately, the murkiness around Jesus' exact birthday isn't important. Christmas doesn't exist because a Roman bureaucrat wrote it on a calendar or some pagans wanted to blow off steam. Whether you celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Christ or a mid-winter celebration of light, the holiday's meaning was been built collectively over centuries, and is molded and changed constantly to fit the needs and desires of the people who celebrate it. Whether that celebration is a somber religious expression or listening to Mariah Carey while drinking eggnog, it's all good.
Generations A and Z contain multitudes. While some kids are gleefully crapping out AI-generated Rizzmas carols—holiday brain-rot so potent it should probably be classified as a controlled substance—other kids are dissecting the work of esoteric 19th-century novelist Robert W. Chambers like they’re in a graduate seminar. And they’re the same kids. So we’re whipsawing between rizz and cosmic horror, with side quests to discover Diddy tag and this year’s hottest Christmas toy.
What is “67 Rizzmas”?
In what’s becoming a regrettable holiday tradition, the internet has begun releasing rizzmas carols—brainrot versions of beloved seasonal songs. (“Rizz” is slang for charisma, but here it’s just a stand-in for meaningless meme-speak.) In the past, redoing a classic required at least singing over a recording, but the rise of AI has made it nearly effortless to churn out as many brain-rot rizzmas carols as you want—I made Skibiddi Christmas Rizz in 45 seconds. It’s a terrible song; all these songs are terrible, but that doesn’t stop TikTok accounts from churning them out. Perhaps inevitably, one of these AI abominations has become a “hit.” @html.brainrot's "67 on a Merry Rizzmas" has been viewed over 3.7 million times. Set to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and consisting only of meme lyrics, “67” has grown popular enough that 146,000 other videos have used the song. There are meme-heavy dance videos like this:
understandable critiques like this:
and plenty of AI slop like this:
Merry Christmas, I guess.
Dumb videos are only one symptom of rizzmas fever. There’s also a rizzmas meme coin that one could invest in, if one were stupid, and so many other unfunny, annoying rizzmas carols to listen to. In the unlikely event that you want to hear more rizzmas carols or want to watch videos of people telling you that investing in rizzmas coin will make you rich, go to the hashtag—there are over 12,000 videos to choose from.
American Girls Wicked dolls sell out
Remember that Christmas when Tickle Me Elmo dolls were so coveted that re-sellers were charging thousands of dollars for them? This year’s Elmo is American Girl’s limited-edition Wicked dolls. Launched in September for $295 each, the Elphaba and Glinda American Girls dolls quickly sold out. Now they’re only available from re-sellers, where they’re commanding prices of up to $1,000, and it’s only the beginning of December. Whether American Girl is going to sell more of the coveted dolls isn’t known, so if a kid in your life has to have one, you’re going to have to go to eBay or fork over half your bank account to a shady guy in a parking lot on Christmas Eve.
Kids are playing “Diddy tag”
According to TikToker @nestaog’s son, the hottest game in elementary school this year is Diddy tag. “Diddy tag is when you tag someone and that person’s Diddy,” the kid said. “He got baby oil,” he added.
TikTok commenters say that kids in their lives are also playing Diddy-based schoolyard games like “Escape from Diddy’s House” and insulting each other by saying, “you’re going to Diddy’s house.”
Kids were making and playing games based on the convicted sex offender on Roblox too, until the company banned user-created games with names like “Five Nights At Diddy’s,” “Nice Try Diddy,” and “Diddy Survival” from the platform. Roblox reportedly nuked over 600 fan-created experiences about Diddy and Jeffery Epstein from the service.
So Diddy is clearly on kids’ minds. While it’s concerning that children know enough about him to cast Diddy as the boogeyman in their schoolyard games, if you think back to your own school days, you were probably playing “Ebola Tag,” “Nuclear War,” or “Vietnam.” It’s how kids deal with their fears. And is it really the worst thing for kids to be warning each other to stay away from Diddy?
Who is Boy Throb and are they a joke?
Boy Throb is an online boy band who wear matching pink track suits and make videos featuring self-consciously cheesy pop songs. Despite online debate and the group's insistence that they are not a joke, Boy Throb is obviously a joke. But it’s a funny joke.
The group initially went viral on TikTok about a month ago with this video:
According to the band, an immigration lawyer told them they need a million followers so Darshawn, the Indian Boy Throbber, can get a visa so he can “sing and dance in America.” I’m no attorney, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how immigration law works. A couple of days ago, Boy Throb hit their follower goal on TikTok, but their lawyer had another request:
Now they say that, in order for Darshawn to make it here, they need journalists to write a “couple articles of press” about them. Now, I don’t work for Rolling Stone or Readers Digest, but I’d still like to confirm that Darshawn has extraordinary abilities and he should be allowed to sing and dance in America.
Viral video of the week: Searching for a World That Doesn’t Exist
It would be easy to look at the brainrot memes and general numbskullery of generations A and Z and despair, but there’s a countervailing force of ad-hoc intellectualism that I find fascinating, as evidenced by the fact that Robert W. Chambers is having a viral moment.
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the name. Chambers was a popular author in the late 1800s, known for romances and historical novels, but most of his work didn’t stand the test of time like Dickens or Poe—except for half of one collection of short stories. The King in Yellow was published in 1895, and its cosmic horror is different from everything else Chambers wrote. These short stories revolve around a play called The King in Yellow that will drive you mad if you read it. The book has been a cult favorite of horror weirdos since it was published—it’s my personal choice for best piece of horror literature ever written, but it’s esoteric and dense, so it’s strange that The King in Yellow is having a pop culture moment among the young people.
There’s been no shortage of popular culture riffs on The King in Yellow—John Carpenter’s 1994 feature In the Mouth of Madness and the first season of HBO’s True Detective especially—but Chambers’ Yellow King is catching on with the YouTube and Minecraft generation in a bigger way.
This three-and-a-half hour long close reading of the King in Yellow from YouTuber Wendigoon has been viewed over four million times:
In it, Wendigoon illustrates how the titular figure in Chambers’ novel is a malevolent mimetic entity, a supernatural thought-contagion that spreads through information. Chambers was definitely ahead of his time.
Like its namesake, the King spread to even more young people in the form of a Minecraft alternative reality game, courtesy of YouTuber Wifies, whose “Searching for a World That Doesn’t Exist” is this week’s viral video.
Wifies’ video details the unfortunate adventures of a young gamer who finds a laptop in a storage container and plays Minecraft on it, only to discover a haunted virtual world with plenty of similarities to Chambers’ work. "Searching for a World That Doesn’t Exist" draws its understated dread from a combination of Chambers’ themes and the uncanny alienation of Minecraft itself. It’s subtle and thoughtful—the opposite of brain-rot—and the kids are into it.
“Searching” has been viewed over a million times, Google searches for “The King in Yellow” are through the roof, and fans are responding with tribute videos and memes, and the phrase “Don’t go left” is growing as a catch-all warning. Some kids are probably even reading the book and connecting the constant temptation of forbidden knowledge to their own lives lived entirely online.
An anonymous reader writes: Netflix has removed the ability to cast shows and movies from phones to TVs, unless subscribers are using older casting devices. An updated help page on Netflix's website, first reported by Android Authority, says that the streaming service "no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices," and instead directs users to navigate Netflix using the remote that came with their TV hardware.
After more than nine weeks of rehearsals, Shannon Perugino, co-director of Holy Cross Secondary School’s annual musical, is now seeing the payoff for those long hours — this week’s performances of the School of Rock. Read More
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Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.
Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
While I would never suggest streaming hasn't been great for the true cinephiles out there—if I can think of a film, there's a very good chance there's a way I can start watching it within seconds, even if I have to pay for a rental or buy a digital copy—the major streaming services haven't always done right by film fans. While Netflix grows increasingly uninterested in hosting anything that isn't a Netflix exclusive, the likes of Warner Bros. and Paramount are removing many classics from their streaming services to emphasize newer "content."
But all is not lost—if you look beyond the major media corporations, there are great niche streaming options out there for film freaks. And right now, annual subscriptions to two of the very best are heavily discounted for Cyber Monday.
The Criterion Channel and MUBI are indispensable for film fans
I've written before about my love for The Criterion Channel, the streaming offshoot of The Criterion Collection, a boutique media label that has spent more than four decades cultivating a reputation as the ultimate tastemaker for movie obsessives, releasing top shelf home video editions of "important classic and contemporary films" spanning the last century and the entire world. In 2019 Criterion launched The Criterion Channel, which brings the same selective film snob ethos to a monthly streaming service.
It's hard to choose between the two streaming services, because they have such a different focus: The Criterion Channel is essential if you're interested in developing a broad knowledge of classic cinema, with an ever-changing catalog spanning decades, while MUBI tends to be focused on more recent but also more obscure films from around the globe.
So why choose?
Both are $75 for Cyber Monday
Usually a subscription to The Criterion Channel will run you $100/year (or $11/month), while MUBI is a bit pricier at $120/year (or $15/month). As I try to keep my monthly streaming budget to a reasonable level, I usually limit myself to one of these, but thanks to their concurrent Cyber Monday sales, I'm going all out in 2026.
Right now, you can get a year of either service for a cool $75, or $6.25 per month annualized. That means you can get both for $12.50, or $6 less than the cost of a month of HBO Max without ads.
Through today, Dec. 1, MUBI's deal is $75 for an annual subscription, with the deal accessible directly from its homepage (though note that you'll auto-renew next year at the usual $120 price). The deal is open to all new and past subscribers.
Also through today, The Criterion Channel is that same $75, but you'll need to use the code BLACKFRIDAY25 at checkout. Your subscription will start after a 7-day free trial, and will auto-renew next year at the usual $100 rate. One caveat: This deal is for your "first year," so if you're a current or former subscriber, you're out of luck unless you want to create a new account with a different email and credit card, and sacrifice your watch history.
Whichever option you choose (again, I suggest going big and getting both if you can swing it), you'll have a great year of movie-watching ahead of you.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, the distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.
What stores have the best sales on Cyber Monday?
Nowadays, both large retailers and small businesses compete for Cyber Monday shoppers, so you can expect practically every store to run sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from larger retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.
Are Cyber Monday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Cyber Monday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
Peruse a list of films released in 1985 and you’ll notice a surprisingly high number of movies that have become classics in the ensuing 40 years. Sure, there were blockbusters like Back to the Future, The Goonies, Pale Rider, The Breakfast Club and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but there were also critical arthouse favorites like Kiss of the Spider Woman and Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Ran. Since we’re going into a long Thanksgiving weekend, I’ve made a list, in alphabetical order, of some of the quirkier gems from 1985 that have stood the test of time. (Some of the films first premiered at film festivals or in smaller international markets in 1984, but they were released in the US in 1985.)
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Black Friday sales officially start Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it's over.
Follow our live blog to stay up-to-date on the best sales we find.
Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.
Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
Creating digital content is harder than it looks. I've dabbled in it myself, only to realize I severely underestimated what a big difference quality gear can make. Luckily, plenty of my friends are successful (or aspiring) online creators, and they've educated me on the tech that has truly elevated their creative journey.
Whether they're YouTubers, podcasters, streamers, or Instagram influencers, the content creator in your life needs the right tools that help them produce better work. Here are your best options, sorted by price and type of content.
Budget-friendly content creator essentials under $50
Not every gift needs to break the bank. To get started, these smaller items still make a real difference, and all of them are currently on sale for Black Friday:
Green screen backdrop (around $30) for easy background removal
Pop filter or foam windscreen (around $15) to reduce breath noise
USB hub with multiple ports (around $40) for connecting all their gear
Cable management clips and ties (around $15) to tame the inevitable cable chaos
Ring light kit (around $30) for flattering, even lighting
Blue Yeti USB Microphone (normally $139.99, currently on sale for $94.99). The gold standard for beginner to intermediate content creators—if you weren't familiar before, now you'll start to see it every time you watch a video essay. This plug-and-play USB mic delivers professional sound quality without requiring an audio interface. Perfect for podcasters, YouTubers, and streamers who want crisp, clear audio.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones (normally $399.99, currently on sale for $248). These are the best headphones your money can buy if you're looking for a great audio experience. Their noise cancellation makes these perfect for editing on the go or recording in less-than-ideal environments.
Elgato Key Light (normally $179.99, currently on sale for $139.99). This is an app-controlled LED panel lighting that's become ubiquitous in the streaming and YouTube world. The adjustable color temperature and brightness make it easy to achieve that professional look.
Aputure MC RGB Light (normally $90, currently on sale for $72). A pocket-sized powerhouse that's perfect for adding creative accent lighting or bringing scenes to life with color. Its portability makes it ideal for creators who film in multiple locations.
DJI Osmo Mobile (normally $69, currently on sale for $55).A smartphone gimbal that transforms shaky footage into smooth, professional-looking shots. Essential for vloggers and creators who film while moving.
Sony ZV-E10 (normally $899.99, currently on sale for $798). Now, this is perhaps too much of a big ticket item for a holiday gift, but it's good to know about nonetheless. This mirrorless camera designed specifically for content creators, with features like product showcase mode, excellent autofocus, and a flip-out screen for vlogging.
GoPro Hero 12 Black (normally $369, currently on sale for $299). The classic action camera for adventure creators, travel vloggers, and anyone who needs durable, waterproof shooting capabilities.
Anker PowerCore Power Bank (normally $89.99, currently on sale for $54.99). For creators who film on location, running out of battery is a nightmare. This high-capacity power bank keeps cameras, phones, and accessories charged all day.
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock (normally $449.95, currently on sale for $303.99). One hub that connects their laptop to multiple monitors, hard drives, and accessories. It's the kind of quality-of-life upgrade that makes their workspace infinitely more functional. On that note...
Corsair TC500 Luxe Gaming Chair (normally $549.99, currently on sale for $424.99). Another investment piece, but content creators spend hours at their desks. Proper ergonomic support prevents pain and fatigue during those marathon editing sessions.
The best gifts show you understand their specific niche. A cooking creator might love new props or kitchen tools for their videos. A gaming streamer might appreciate custom keycaps. A travel vlogger might need packing cubes or a travel-friendly tripod. Or maybe they're good on hardware, and could really use a subscription to Canva Pro.
Pay attention to what they complain about or wish they had in their setup. The gift that solves a specific pain point they've mentioned will mean more than the most expensive item on this list.
Content creation is both art and craft, requiring creativity and technical skill. Any gift that helps them produce better work, stay organized, or simply enjoy the process more will be genuinely appreciated. After all, you're not just buying them gear, but showing them you're also invested in their creative journey.
How long do Black Friday deals really last?
Black Friday sales officially begin Friday, November 28, 2025, and run throughout “Cyber Week,” the five-day period that runs from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. But Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates have expanded as retailers compete for customers. You can get the same Black Friday sales early, and we expect sales to wind down by December 3, 2025.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers discounts that can be rare throughout the rest of the year. If there’s something you want to buy, or you’re shopping for gifts, it’s a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially tech sales, home improvement supplies, and fitness tech. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to be bigger for major retailers and more expensive tech and appliances, while Cyber Monday was for cheaper tech and gave smaller businesses a chance to compete online. Nowadays, though, distinction is almost meaningless. Every major retailer will offer sales on both days, and the smart move is to know what you want, use price trackers or refer to guides like our live blog that use price trackers for you, and don’t stress over finding the perfect timing.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Cyber Monday Deals Right Now
Something strange is happening this week: The hottest trend among young people is acting mature.
Maybe it's in response to our nation's financial and political leaders abdicating maturity, but Gen Z is adopting business casual attire as a cultural identifier and using a pick-up line in online dating that seems like something out of the 1950s. Even the brain-rot generation is considering moving away from meaninglessness and dropping six-seeeven in favor of memes people can understand.
What is a “quarter zip” and what does it mean to wear one?
A quarter zip is exactly what it sounds like: a pullover sweater with a zipper that goes a quarter way down the chest, and it's becoming the go-to look for young men, especially Black men. Wearing a quarter zip isn't exactly "dressed up," but it's more sophisticated than rocking athleisure wear. More importantly, the quarter zip is often a signifier of status and intention. Like flannel shirts in previous generations, the quarter zip is marks one as belonging to an in-group, being a “quarter zip man," and the even being part of the “quarter zip movement.”
"We don't do Nike tech and coffee no more," Gyamfi says, "it's straight matchas and quarter zips around here." (Matcha is a kind of Japanese green tea. It's also a marker of "performative males.") Another part of the quarter zip movement are chunky black glasses, which I personally endorse because chunky black frames are the only glasses that matter.
My white ass is not culturally qualified to talk about what the quarter zip means in terms the Black experience (dig into the hashtag if you'd like to go down that path) but I find it fascinating in terms of the younger generation taking a step into adulthood. It's not a great time for the concept of being a grown-up, with the most powerful people on earth trading schoolyard barbs and flame wars on social media regularly, so I see the quarter zip thing as a small countervailing force, as if younger people are saying, "You want to vacate maturity? We'll take it up."
How “may I meet you?” is becoming Gen Z’s go-to pick-up line
Speaking of maturity making a surprise comeback: Gen Z is adopting an unexpectedly formal greeting as a romantic opener.
We have Bill Ackman to thank for it. The unlikely dating influencer isn't a roided-out weirdo Andrew-Tate type; he's a 59-year-old married hedge fund manager known for his philanthropy and his billion dollars built on long-shot bets. Ackman has summed up his investment strategy like this: “Make a bold call that nobody believes in,” and so he did in a recent tweet aimed at our nation’s young men trapped in the male loneliness epidemic, posting:
“I hear from many young men that they find it difficult to meet young women in a public setting. In other words, the online culture has destroyed the ability to spontaneously meet strangers. As such, I thought I would share a few words that I used in my youth to meet someone that I found compelling. I would ask: “May I meet you?” before engaging further in a conversation.
The tweet was viewed over 38 million times. It was at first met with skepticism, tweets like:
But the phrase is actually catching on. People are using it on dating apps, sometimes ironically, sometimes not, but always with the subtext: "I understand this reference, therefore I am online enough for you." The phrase functions as both a shared joke and a surprisingly straightforward expression of interest. The politeness of it suggests "I'm not going to make this all weird," too.
Whether young men are picking up the subtext of Ackman’s advice (i.e., “Just be a normal person—and it doesn’t hurt to have a couple billion dollars") is unclear, but the phrase has definitely embedded itself in online courtship.
Generation Alpha's great meme reset
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I'm even seeing maturity creeping into the collective unconscious of Generation Alpha.
As a longtime decoder of youth culture, I've watched Gen Z and Gen A's main form of self-expression—internet memes—going from generally relatable jokes and observations to messages with so many inside jokes that they're only understandable to the terminally online, to brain-rot memes that are incomprehensible to everyone, even their own creators, because they literally don't mean anything. But TikTokers are proposing a "Great Meme Reset" to begin in 2026, and promising a return to comprehensibility.
The reset was first proposed (ironically, of course) in this video, posted during the supposed "meme drought" back in March.
The idea that memes are dead has been much discussed online, with videos like this envisioning what the great sweeping away of memes might look like and solidifying the date it's coming:
What comes next, though, is a harder thing to envision. Creators are basically proposing "going back to when memes meant something," and they generally land on 2016 as the "golden age." As TikToker NoahGlennCarter puts it in this video:
"We're going to go back to the originals, things like nyan cat, Ugandan Knuckles, and the dancing banana are all going to be coming back as memes..."
I'm in favor of the idea of bringing coherence back to meme-dom, but I'm sure you can see the problem here too: Nyan Cat, Ugandan Knuckles and company didn't mean anything in 2016 to anyone who wasn't terminally online. A reset is only possible if people share a baseline cultural reference point, and that’s hard to come by.
Another problem: Self-conscious attempts to orchestrate cultural expression basically never work. You can’t will a renaissance into being; you can’t just make fetch happen.
Viral video of the week: mishandled meat
I usually link to viral videos that are funny and/or awesome, but this week's highlights a different viral subgenre: disgusting food-handling videos.
TikToker @sergiogarcia9100 was apparently just hanging out on a roof (like you do) when he caught this scene of a restaurant employee's less-than-sanitary handling of some frozen ribs:
The video was viewed over five million times in its first three days online. The original poster didn't provide much detail about where the video beyond saying it was "near San Jose." But internet detectives are good, and despite the seeming lack of identifying information in the video, a geoguesser on Reddit identified the restaurant as PhoLove in Milpitas, California. The county health department was notified, and the restaurant shut down temporarily while they address health code violations. All of which should remind us that the internet is terrifyingly good at CSI work, and, if you must mishandle meat, watch for video snipers on the roof.
If constantly being mogged by sigmas has you feeling like a fuhuhluhtoogan, and you have no idea what any of that means, you've come to the right place. This glossary aims to define and explain popular slang words and phrases of Generation Z (usually defined as people born between 1997 and 2012) and Generation A (anyone born between 2012 and now) so you'll know what the hell people are talking about.
A word of warning: If you aren't of those generations, and/or you need an online list to know what slang words mean, you should not say them aloud, unless you're trying to be embarrassing.
New entries
Beez: Popularized in Nicki Minaj's 2012 track "Beez in the Trap," beez means something like "I am always." So "beez in the trap" means "I am always in the trap." (See "Trap.")
Clock that: "I understand and agree." Not to be confused with older slang, where "clock" meant to see, or even older slang where "clock" meant "to hit or punch."
Cracked: This slang term has two meanings: to have sex, as in "I got cracked last night," and to be really good at something, like "he’s cracked at Fortnite."
Doi doi doi: This piece of brain-rot slang doesn't mean anything. It's correctly pronounced by putting your hand up to your mouth and saying "doi doi doi" in a way that sounds funny.
Fujoshing: The verb form of the Japanese slang term "fujoshi," fujoshing describes women/girls enjoying media that depicts romantic relationships between men. This word is used almost exclusively in online fandom communities.
Rawdogging boredom: Rawdogging is "doing something with no safeguards or support," so "rawdogging boredom" is consciously doing nothing.
Slopper: Insult directed at people who use AI programs too much, people who takes conversations with LLMs too seriously, and people who have basically offloaded their thinking to an algorithm.
Trap: Once used to refer to a house where drugs are sold, trap has come to describe both a form of music and any place where one works or hustles.
304: Hoe. (Type "304" on a calculator and turn it upside down.)
4+4: Ate. Four plus four is eight, or "ate." (See "ate.")
6-7 (or 67): This piece of Generation Alpha brainrot slang doesn't mean anything. It's just funny to some people to say "6-7," especially in answer to any question involving numbers. Ex: "Q: What time is it? A: six-seveeen."
6-7 Weekend: A weekend in which Saturday falls on the 6th day of the month and Sunday on the 7th.
80/20 Rule: An axiom in online incel spaces, the 80/20 is the idea that 80% of women only date the "top" 20% of men.
Algo speak: Coded language used to bypass online content moderation. Examples: "regarded" used instead of "retarded" and "unalive" instead of "kill."
Alpha male: Taken from animal ethology, an alpha male is the dominant member of a group of males, or just a male who is in charge. (See "beta male" and "sigma male.")
Ate/eat: Done very well, often regarding clothing. e.g.: "You ate that outfit." See also: "serving."
Aura: Someone who is mysterious and cool is said to "have aura."
Aura farming: Depending on the context, “aura farming” can refer to a person who does something cool without trying or someone who is trying too hard to appear cool.
Baddie: A bad/wild girl. Meant as a compliment.
Baka: Japanese word meaning “crazy" or “foolish.” Used mainly in the anime community.
Based: Independent in a cool way.
Bed-rotting: Staying in bed all day. You may know it as “lazing around.” (See "Hurkle-durkle.")
Beta male: A beta male, or just "beta," is a weaker, subservient male. (See "alpha male" and "sigma male.")
Boombayah: A euphemism for “having sex.” It’s used mostly online, often to defeat censorship algorithms.
Bop: A girl who sleeps around. Also: a great song.
Boysober: Someone who has sworn off sex, relationships, and/or dating.
Brain-rot: A description of the overuse of stupid slang. See also: “Skibidi.” Also used to describe the effects of being overly online.
Brat: The contemporary meaning of "brat" is an adjective describing a person who is edgy, imperfect, and confident. It was coined by pop star Charli XCX who defined it as "that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown."
Bruzz: Bros. Part of the -uzz family of slang words. See "Huzz" and "-uzz."
Bubba truck: A lifted or otherwise modified pick-up truck.
Bussin': Very good or excellent.
Cap: A lie. Often used to say "no cap."
Cake: Butt, especially a nice butt.
Chad: An attractive man; an “alpha male.” See "Giga-Chad."
Chat: A reference to streamers addressing their chat windows aloud. Saying “chat” in real life is an ironic joke.
Chopped: Ugly. Chopped is often applied to someone's face or outfit, but anything that isn't aesthetically pleasing could be called "chopped," as could anything that is generally not good, like an awkward situation.
Chud: A physically unappealing person. Sometimes used for a man who holds right-wing views.
Clanker: A slur aimed at robots and AI agents pretending to be human.
Coomer: A man who masturbates too often.
Corn: “Corn” is algo-speak that means “porn.” Used in online spaces where the word might cause your account to be flagged or banned.
Coworker-core: A catch-all description for things that are unfunny or uninteresting in a way that appeals to older people.
Crash out: To have an intense emotional outburst, usually accompanied by impulsive behavior. Crashing out is often due to being overwhelmed or overly frustrated.
Dead: Past tense of having died laughing. If someone responds to a joke with "dead" or a skull emoji, they find it funny.
Deadass: Seriously. Used like, "I am deadass not lying."
Delulu: Delusional.
Deriod: A combination of "dick" and "period," deriod refers to men seeming to experience the mood swings commonly associated with women's menstrual cycles.
Dih: Algo speak for “dick.” (See "Algo speak.")
Doomer: A person who is overly negative and/or cynical.
Drip: A fashionable or stylish look.
Dwerking: A male-centric variation of twerking. A sexually suggestive dancing characterized by rapid, repeated hip thrusts and shaking of the dick. Other variants include "pwerking" and "bwerking" where the "p" and "b" stand for pussy and boobs.
Edgar: A variation of the Caesar haircut worn especially among Hispanic males. Also refers to the kind of person who wears the haircut.
Fambushing: A combination of "family" and "ambushing," fambushing refers to young people checking where their parents are on location-sharing apps so they can get free food—if you see mom at Chipotle, you ask for a burrito.
Fanum tax: The theft of food between friends. Named for streamer Fanum, known for “taxing” his friends by taking bites of their meals or stealing fries.
Fax, no printer: Telling the truth. Since "fax and "facts" are pronounced the same, this is a colorful way of saying "facts, no cap."
Fent-fold: A description of the bent-over posture of people nodding on heavy drugs.
Fit: Short for "outfit."
Fuhuhluhtoogan: Supposedly from Baltimore slang, this is a nonsense word used so people will ask what it means but never receive an answer. Often paired with "Jittleyang."
Gamer dent: The temporary indentation left on someone’s hair or skin after wearing headphones for too long.
Geeker: Someone who uses a lot of drugs.
Giga-Chad: A Chad among Chads.
Glaze: To overly praise someone, often insincerely, or with the hope of getting something in return.
Gleek: An older slang term that is gaining prominence lately, gleeking describes squirting saliva from under the tongue.
Glizzy: Hot dog. "Glizzy" was originally slang for Glock or gun, but came to mean hot dog based on the hot dog shape of a Glock's magazine.
Green fn: An interjection one might used when someone does something cool or impressive. Often used ironically.
Gooner: A man who goons. (See "gooning.")
Goonette: A woman who goons. (See "gooning.")
Gooning: Extended masturbation without orgasm done for the purpose of entering an altered state of consciousness. (See "gooner," "goonette.")
Gyatt or Gyat: Once an interjection used when seeing someone sexy, like “god-DAMN,” “gyatt” has come to mean “attractive booty.”
Heavy soda: Pop with extra syrup. Some gas station soda machines have settings that control the ratio of syrup to carbonated water. A heavy soda is a soda with the syrup level set very high.
Hewwo: An overly cute way of saying "hello." Usually used online, and often ironically.
HGS: Abbreviation for "home girls" used in comment sections.
Hozier yell: Named for singer/songwriter Andrew Hozier, a "Hozier yell" refers to the sound one makes when experiencing a peak, climactic, and/or awe-inspiring moment.
Hurkle-durkle: Based on an archaic Scottish word, “hurkle-durkle” means to lounge in bed after it is time to get up. See also: “bed-rotting."
Huzz: -uzz slang for "hoes." See "bruzz" and "-uzz."
"It's giving": Used to convey that something has a specific vibe. Example: "That dude texts you every 10 minutes; it's giving desperate."
"It's so over": The situation is hopeless. The opposite of "we're so back." See also: "Doomer."
IWEL: This comment-section acronym is short for "I wouldn't even lie." Sometimes written as "IWL."
Jelqing: The use of stretching or weights in an attempt to increase penis size.
Jit: A kid. Used ironically online.
Jittleyang: Supposedly from Baltimore slang, this is a nonsense word used so people will ask what it means but never receive an answer. See also: "Fuhuhluhtoogan."
JOMO: A play on FOMO (fear of missing out) JOMO is an acronym that stands for “joy of missing out.”
Jugg: To grab quickly or to steal.
"Learn Chinese": Sports slang directed at failing players. They are in danger of being sent to play in China, so they should "learn Chinese."
Looksmaxxing: Maximizing one’s physical attractiveness through personal grooming, working out, and dressing stylishly. See also: “-maxxing.”
Mason (or Mason 6-7 kid): A "Mason 6-7 Kid" or "Mason" is a stereotypical male member of Generation Alpha. Mason kids are known for their love of baseball-inspired fashion (caps and shorts), their "ice cream" haircut, and for repeating brainrot slang like "6-7."
-maxxing: A suffix used with any word to indicate trying to improve. Seeing your friends could be called "friendmaxxing," working out could be called "gymmaxxing," making jokes could be called "jestermaxxing," etc.
Mid: Average, bland, expected.
Mewing: A facial exercise meant to strengthen the jawline.
Mirror sex: Using a mirror to watch yourself have sex.
Mog: To be more attractive than someone, usually in an intentional or aggressive way. Example: "I was rizzing up this girl, but he walked in and totally mogged me."
"My 90 in a 30": A song played while driving that inspires speeding.
"My steak is too juicy": The phrase "my steak is too juicy" and other variants like "my lobster is too buttery," are online insults that suggest someone is complaining about something they should be grateful for.
Neurospicy: A different way of saying “neuro-divergent.”
NPC: Non-player character. Originally describing video game characters, NPC is now used on the internet to mean people who don't think for themselves.
Opp: Short for "opposition." Someone who is out to get you. An enemy.
Performative male: An insult for young men whose tastes, hobbies, and lifestyle are seen as a performance aimed at obtaining societal approval, especially the approval of young women.
Pink cocaine: Also known as "pink snow," pink cocaine is slang for a powdered drug mixture that usually contains some combination of ketamine, MDMA, meth, opioids, and other substances.
Pole: A gun. See "up pole."
"Press F for respect:" In 2014 video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfighter, the player attends a funeral and a prompt is given that reads "Press F to pay respects." Now, a singular "F" in a chat window indicates respect. It's usually ironic.
Regarded: “Regarded” is algo-speak for “retarded."
"Reheating your own nachos:" This slang phrase comes from cultural critics in online fandom communities. It refers to performers and/or artists whose new works are seen as trying to recapture what was good about their previous artistic output. It's not always negative; it's possible to successfully reheat your own nachos.
Rizz: As a noun, "rizz" means charisma. As a verb, "rizz" or "rizz up" means attracting someone with your charisma.
Scorigami: A slang term among football fans for when the final score of an NFL game has never happened before in the league's history. The most recent scorigami was on September 28, 2025, when the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys tied 40 to 40.
SDIYBT: An acronym for "start digging in your butt, twin," this brainrot phrase doesn't mean anything. Some people just think it's funny to say.
Sendy and “Let’s get sendy": Sendy is an adjective based on the older rock-climbing and extreme sports slang phrase "send it." A shortened version of "ascend it," "send it" is said right before one is about to do something challenging. "Sendy" describes a person who is prone to doing bold things. "Let's get sendy" means something like "Let's get wild." It's been adopted by brainrot fans, so it's often repeated with no meaning meant to be attached.
Serve: Wearing a particularly stylish outfit. See also: "ate."
Serve cunt: To act in a powerfully and unapologetically feminine way; to slay.
Sharking: Looking for people to hook up with.
Sigma male: An internet-created male classification, a "sigma male" is as dominant as an alpha male, but is outside the male hierarchy, i.e.: a lone wolf. Originally used seriously, the concept was so widely derided it's now almost always used ironically. (See "Alpha male" and "Beta male.")
Skibidi: Named after “Skibidi Toilet,” a popular series of YouTube videos, “skibidi” itself has no specific meaning, beyond ridiculing the overuse of slang itself. See “brain-rot.”
Skrt: Onomatopoetic word for the sound of tires squealing upon acceleration.
Slopcore: This term describes the countless 100s of millions of cheesy-looking, unsettling, AI-generated images, videos, and songs that have hit the internet since AI was given to the masses a couple of years ago.
Snatched: Very attractive and/or flawlessly styled.
Spawn point: Mother. Based on the spot you start in a video game.
Spoopy: Spooky.
Striker: Stolen/no-title car.
Surf Dracula: A hyper-specific phrase that describes "prestige" television series. The joke is that if there were an older TV show called "Surf Dracula," Dracula would be surfing in every episode, but modern shows would make the whole first season about how Dracula got his surfboard.
Sweat: A person who tries too hard, usually used in reference to video games. The adjective form is "sweaty."
SYBAU: An online acronym that stands for “shut your bitch ass up.”
Tradwife: Believer in traditional married gender roles.
Treatler (and Treatlerite): "Treatler" and "Treatlerite" are online insults that combine "treat" and "Hitler" to refer to entitled users of services like Doordash or Uber Eats who regard luxury delivery services as a human right, and don't consider the hardships of the people who do the work that makes "private taxis for burritos" possible.
TS: TS originally was AAVE shorthand for "this shit," but it is often used to just mean "this."
Turnt: Excited or intoxicated, or excitedly intoxicated.
Unc: Short for "uncle," used to describe slightly older people. Example: "The class of 2024 are unc-status to the class of 2028." See "yunc."
-uzz: -uzz slang words use "uzz" at the end of any word, so "bros" becomes "bruzz," "hoes" becomes "huzz," "granny" becomes "gruzz," etc.
Up pole: To raise a gun.
Twelve: Police.
Twin: Best friend.
"We're so back": Opposite of "it's so over."
Venus tummy: When a woman's belly is a little fat, but not too fat, she is said to have a Venus tummy. Named for ancient Greek statues of Venus and Aphrodite who were a little fleshy.
Yapping: Describes a presentational style often seen on online streams of talking a lot and/or quickly while not saying anything worthwhile.
Yeet: To quickly and/or forcibly eject.
Yunc: Yunc is a variation of "unc." In AAVE, a "yn" is a "young n-word." So "yunc" means something like "young uncle," or a person who may be young but has uncle vibes or unc status.
Zoomer Perm: A curly on top, short on the sides haircut popular among young people.
No one likes to dwell on it, but bullying is a huge part of growing up, and this week the zeitgeist is saturated with it. Kids are using their cameras to pick on people in innovative ways, Tiktokers are parodying bullying in viral videos, and Instagram seems to be taking aim at cultural/political bullying (or bullying memers, depending on who you ask). Even God herself is bullying the poor Tripod fish.
What is the "flip the camera" trend, and why is is making everyone mad?
The "flip the camera" trend is a new and innovative form of bullying that works like this: A group of kids ask another kid to film them doing a dance or something. Then, while the video is being taken, one of them hits the "flip camera" button on the phone, so the videographer becomes the subject of the video. The resulting footage is posted on TikTok.
When I heard about this, my reaction was, "ok, so what?" But when you dig a little deeper, you learn that it's not necessarily a harmless prank. The idea is not to have a laugh with your social equals, but to give the camera to a dork/dweeb/lamer/whatever, so you can make fun of them. This is the first video using this format, so you can see what I mean:
While it can be done harmlessly, like these cheerleaders pranking their teacher:
the videos where it's clearly being done to mock someone not in the "in group" are genuinely sad:
We've made a lot of progress in society over the last few decades in convincing people that bullying is actually really bad, but young people will go to great lengths to do it anyway. The number of videos on the flipthecamera hashtag that are calling it out as bullying is encouraging, though.
Viral video of the week: Disney bullies
There is a yin to every yang, even online bullying. TikToker @MannytheMann1 is going viral for videos of his gang accosting strangers on a college campus, but he's employing the tactics of the bullies in Disney Channel TV shows—think backwards baseball caps, exaggerated swagger, and super cheesy dialogue—for comedic effect. The pranks are all in good fun, and maybe something of a commentary on the stupidity of both bullying and Disney Channel shows.
It started with this scene:
Manny's street improv has gotten more elaborate since, including dance battle challenges and a gang of toadies lining up to give the bully backup:
This one has been viewed nearly 60 million times:
What is a "potato bed"?
There is no shortage of online opinions about the best ways to sleep. This week's trend is the potato bed. The idea is to make as cozy a sleep space as possible by stuffing as many pillows and blankets as you can into a fitted sheet, so you're surrounded (and kind of crushed by) them. Here's a video that illustrates how it works:
It would be easy to write this off as the flash-in-the-pan trend it probably is, but this, and the popularity of weighted blankets, could also indicate that Gen-Z is the first generation of young people to ever take "you should get more sleep" advice seriously. It also feels like a rebuke to the "24/7 grindset" mentality that was in vogue a few years ago. Or it could just be that winter is starting, and everyone wants to be cozy.
TikTok's Tripod fish obsession
The internet loves tragic animals, and a lot of people on social media have become obsessed with the Tripod fish, an animal that may have the most tragic existence of any creature on earth. Fans and well-wishers are posting odes like this:
So what's so bad about the Tripod fish's life? Basically everything. Tripod fish (Bathypterois grallator) hatch from eggs and spend their early lives swimming about and trying to avoid predators in the only way they can—by going totally limp and hoping they're mistaken for a piece of a jellyfish and left alone. If they live long enough, their eyes begin to melt, and long bony protrusions grow from their fins. No longer able to see or swim normally, the Tripod fish sinks. When it reaches the bottom (sometimes as deep as 4,000 meters), its bony spikes stick into the mud.
Nearly immobile and nearly blind at the very bottom of the sea, the tripod fish waits. If some food happens to swim by or drift down, it can direct currents of water towards its mouth, and maybe get something to eat. If not, it starves. Its only companions are parasites that feed on its blood, essentially stealing most of the food it's lucky enough to catch.
Tripod fish don't even get to mate with other tripod fish. Instead, the hermaphroditic sea animal releases a mixture of eggs and sperm into the cold water. If it's lucky, another tripod fish's genetic stew mingles with it and eggs are fertilized. If its unlucky, it fertilizes its own eggs. So maybe your life isn't that bad, eh?
Instagram is targeting meme aggregators
I'm old enough to remember a pre-meme internet where people were expected to post things they made themselves, or at least credited the people they took from. Instagram seems to want to take us back to those days: The social media platform has started flagging meme pages for being duplicated content, essentially declaring war on shit-posting.
On Nov. 7, many Instagram users who posted non-original content—essentially meme farms that exist just to repost vast amounts of anything remotely interesting—received a notification that read, "Content you recently shared may not be original" with a list of posts that violated the duplicated content rule and a suggestion to delete them, lest penalties like post-limiting or shadow-banning result.
This policy essentially outlaws sharing memes, a puzzling decision for a social media platform—people like sharing memes. Many feel the target of the warning is a specific kind of meme: The notices were sent just as the popularity of Charlie Kirk face-swap memes (i.e. people sharing images of just about anything with Kirk's face on it) were becoming popular While Kirkification seems to be an absurdist thing more than something actually meant to be political, it's likely upsetting to some, and that could be driving Instagram's decision. Or maybe the company just wants people to make their own content.
Streaming accounts are a favorite target of cyber criminals and Netflix is at the top of the list. The perpetrators gain access via leaked passwords, phishing emails, or malware, and use the account for their own purposes or for resale on the darknet. For those affected, this often manifests itself in blocked logins, unknown profiles, or suspicious activity. We will show you what you can do in such cases below.
Hacked Netflix account: What to do
Case 1: You still have access
In many cases, users notice suspicious activity but can still log in. Typical indications are strange profiles, unknown playbacks in the history, or new devices in the account. This is how you proceed:
1. Log in on your computer directly via the Netflix page.
Foundry
2. Immediately change your password in the account settings and use a strong, unique combination. Before you click on Save, make sure you tick the box for Require all devices to sign in again with new password.
Netflix
3. Check all linked devices under Security > Access and devices. If you have forgotten to tick the box when changing your password, you can locate unknown devices in this list and log them out or — better still — log out all devices at once.
Netflix
4. Contact Netflix support if you notice any irregularities or suspect misuse.
Case 2: You no longer have access, login fails
If your login no longer works, attackers have probably changed your password. Here’s what to do:
Click on the Forgot your password? option on the Netflix login page and request either an email or text message to reset your password.
If the email address associated with the account has also been compromised, contact Netflix customer support directly. Support can block the account, verify identity, and restore access.
While your account is compromised, unauthoriszed persons can not only use your profiles, but also misuse your payment details. It is therefore crucial to carry out all steps consistently and immediately.
How to protect your Netflix account in the long term
A successful hack is usually the result of stolen or reused (simple) passwords. To protect yourself in the long term, you should:
Use a separate, strong password for each platform.
U.S. prosecutors last week levied criminal hacking charges against 19-year-old U.K. national Thalha Jubair for allegedly being a core member of Scattered Spider, a prolific cybercrime group blamed for extorting at least $115 million in ransom payments from victims. The charges came as Jubair and an alleged co-conspirator appeared in a London court to face accusations of hacking into and extorting several large U.K. retailers, the London transit system, and healthcare providers in the United States.
At a court hearing last week, U.K. prosecutors laid out a litany of charges against Jubair and 18-year-old Owen Flowers, accusing the teens of involvement in an August 2024 cyberattack that crippled Transport for London, the entity responsible for the public transport network in the Greater London area.
A court artist sketch of Owen Flowers (left) and Thalha Jubair appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week. Credit: Elizabeth Cook, PA Wire.
On July 10, 2025, KrebsOnSecurity reported that Flowers and Jubair had been arrested in the United Kingdom in connection with recent Scattered Spider ransom attacks against the retailers Marks & Spencer and Harrods, and the British food retailer Co-op Group.
That story cited sources close to the investigation saying Flowers was the Scattered Spider member who anonymously gave interviews to the media in the days after the group’s September 2023 ransomware attacks disrupted operations at Las Vegas casinos operated by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.
The story also noted that Jubair’s alleged handles on cybercrime-focused Telegram channels had far lengthier rap sheets involving some of the more consequential and headline-grabbing data breaches over the past four years. What follows is an account of cybercrime activities that prosecutors have attributed to Jubair’s alleged hacker handles, as told by those accounts in posts to public Telegram channels that are closely monitored by multiple cyber intelligence firms.
EARLY DAYS (2021-2022)
Jubair is alleged to have been a core member of the LAPSUS$ cybercrime group that broke into dozens of technology companies beginning in late 2021, stealing source code and other internal data from tech giants including Microsoft, Nvidia, Okta, Rockstar Games, Samsung, T-Mobile, and Uber.
That is, according to the former leader of the now-defunct LAPSUS$. In April 2022, KrebsOnSecurity published internal chat records taken from a server that LAPSUS$ used, and those chats indicate Jubair was working with the group using the nicknames Amtrak and Asyntax. In the middle of the gang’s cybercrime spree, Asyntax told the LAPSUS$ leader not to share T-Mobile’s logo in images sent to the group because he’d been previously busted for SIM-swapping and his parents would suspect he was back at it again.
The leader of LAPSUS$ responded by gleefully posting Asyntax’s real name, phone number, and other hacker handles into a public chat room on Telegram:
In March 2022, the leader of the LAPSUS$ data extortion group exposed Thalha Jubair’s name and hacker handles in a public chat room on Telegram.
That story about the leaked LAPSUS$ chats also connected Amtrak/Asyntax to several previous hacker identities, including “Everlynn,” who in April 2021 began offering a cybercriminal service that sold fraudulent “emergency data requests” targeting the major social media and email providers.
In these so-called “fake EDR” schemes, the hackers compromise email accounts tied to police departments and government agencies, and then send unauthorized demands for subscriber data (e.g. username, IP/email address), while claiming the information being requested can’t wait for a court order because it relates to an urgent matter of life and death.
The roster of the now-defunct “Infinity Recursion” hacking team, which sold fake EDRs between 2021 and 2022. The founder “Everlynn” has been tied to Jubair. The member listed as “Peter” became the leader of LAPSUS$ who would later post Jubair’s name, phone number and hacker handles into LAPSUS$’s chat channel.
EARTHTOSTAR
Prosecutors in New Jersey last week alleged Jubair was part of a threat group variously known as Scattered Spider, 0ktapus, and UNC3944, and that he used the nicknames EarthtoStar, Brad, Austin, and Austistic.
Beginning in 2022, EarthtoStar co-ran a bustling Telegram channel called Star Chat, which was home to a prolific SIM-swapping group that relentlessly used voice- and SMS-based phishing attacks to steal credentials from employees at the major wireless providers in the U.S. and U.K.
Jubair allegedly used the handle “Earth2Star,” a core member of a prolific SIM-swapping group operating in 2022. This ad produced by the group lists various prices for SIM swaps.
The group would then use that access to sell a SIM-swapping service that could redirect a target’s phone number to a device the attackers controlled, allowing them to intercept the victim’s phone calls and text messages (including one-time codes). Members of Star Chat targeted multiple wireless carriers with SIM-swapping attacks, but they focused mainly on phishing T-Mobile employees.
In February 2023, KrebsOnSecurity scrutinized more than seven months of these SIM-swapping solicitations on Star Chat, which almost daily peppered the public channel with “Tmo up!” and “Tmo down!” notices indicating periods wherein the group claimed to have active access to T-Mobile’s network.
A redacted receipt from Star Chat’s SIM-swapping service targeting a T-Mobile customer after the group gained access to internal T-Mobile employee tools.
The 104 days in the latter half of 2022 in which different known SIM-swapping groups claimed access to T-Mobile employee tools. Star Chat was responsible for a majority of these incidents. Image: krebsonsecurity.com.
A review of EarthtoStar’s messages on Star Chat as indexed by the threat intelligence firm Flashpoint shows this person also sold “AT&T email resets” and AT&T call forwarding services for up to $1,200 per line. EarthtoStar explained the purpose of this service in post on Telegram:
“Ok people are confused, so you know when u login to chase and it says ‘2fa required’ or whatever the fuck, well it gives you two options, SMS or Call. If you press call, and I forward the line to you then who do you think will get said call?”
New Jersey prosecutors allege Jubair also was involved in a mass SMS phishing campaign during the summer of 2022 that stole single sign-on credentials from employees at hundreds of companies. The text messages asked users to click a link and log in at a phishing page that mimicked their employer’s Okta authentication page, saying recipients needed to review pending changes to their upcoming work schedules.
The phishing websites used a Telegram instant message bot to forward any submitted credentials in real-time, allowing the attackers to use the phished username, password and one-time code to log in as that employee at the real employer website.
That weeks-long SMS phishing campaign led to intrusions and data thefts at more than 130 organizations, including LastPass, DoorDash, Mailchimp, Plex and Signal.
A visual depiction of the attacks by the SMS phishing group known as 0ktapus, ScatterSwine, and Scattered Spider. Image: Amitai Cohen twitter.com/amitaico.
DA, COMRADE
EarthtoStar’s group Star Chat specialized in phishing their way into business process outsourcing (BPO) companies that provide customer support for a range of multinational companies, including a number of the world’s largest telecommunications providers. In May 2022, EarthtoStar posted to the Telegram channel “Frauwudchat”:
“Hi, I am looking for partners in order to exfiltrate data from large telecommunications companies/call centers/alike, I have major experience in this field, [including] a massive call center which houses 200,000+ employees where I have dumped all user credentials and gained access to the [domain controller] + obtained global administrator I also have experience with REST API’s and programming. I have extensive experience with VPN, Citrix, cisco anyconnect, social engineering + privilege escalation. If you have any Citrix/Cisco VPN or any other useful things please message me and lets work.”
At around the same time in the Summer of 2022, at least two different accounts tied to Star Chat — “RocketAce” and “Lopiu” — introduced the group’s services to denizens of the Russian-language cybercrime forum Exploit, including:
-SIM-swapping services targeting Verizon and T-Mobile customers;
-Dynamic phishing pages targeting customers of single sign-on providers like Okta;
-Malware development services;
-The sale of extended validation (EV) code signing certificates.
The user “Lopiu” on the Russian cybercrime forum Exploit advertised many of the same unique services offered by EarthtoStar and other Star Chat members. Image source: ke-la.com.
These two accounts on Exploit created multiple sales threads in which they claimed administrative access to U.S. telecommunications providers and asked other Exploit members for help in monetizing that access. In June 2022, RocketAce, which appears to have been just one of EarthtoStar’s many aliases, posted to Exploit:
Hello. I have access to a telecommunications company’s citrix and vpn. I would like someone to help me break out of the system and potentially attack the domain controller so all logins can be extracted we can discuss payment and things leave your telegram in the comments or private message me ! Looking for someone with knowledge in citrix/privilege escalation
On Nov. 15, 2022, EarthtoStar posted to their Star Sanctuary Telegram channel that they were hiring malware developers with a minimum of three years of experience and the ability to develop rootkits, backdoors and malware loaders.
“Optional: Endorsed by advanced APT Groups (e.g. Conti, Ryuk),” the ad concluded, referencing two of Russia’s most rapacious and destructive ransomware affiliate operations. “Part of a nation-state / ex-3l (3 letter-agency).”
2023-PRESENT DAY
The Telegram and Discord chat channels wherein Flowers and Jubair allegedly planned and executed their extortion attacks are part of a loose-knit network known as the Com, an English-speaking cybercrime community consisting mostly of individuals living in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Many of these Com chat servers have hundreds to thousands of members each, and some of the more interesting solicitations on these communities are job offers for in-person assignments and tasks that can be found if one searches for posts titled, “If you live near,” or “IRL job” — short for “in real life” job.
These “violence-as-a-service” solicitations typically involve “brickings,” where someone is hired to toss a brick through the window at a specified address. Other IRL jobs for hire include tire-stabbings, molotov cocktail hurlings, drive-by shootings, and even home invasions. The people targeted by these services are typically other criminals within the community, but it’s not unusual to see Com members asking others for help in harassing or intimidating security researchers and even the very law enforcement officers who are investigating their alleged crimes.
It remains unclear what precipitated this incident or what followed directly after, but on January 13, 2023, a Star Sanctuary account used by EarthtoStar solicited the home invasion of a sitting U.S. federal prosecutor from New York. That post included a photo of the prosecutor taken from the Justice Department’s website, along with the message:
“Need irl niggas, in home hostage shit no fucking pussies no skinny glock holding 100 pound niggas either”
Throughout late 2022 and early 2023, EarthtoStar’s alias “Brad” (a.k.a. “Brad_banned”) frequently advertised Star Chat’s malware development services, including custom malicious software designed to hide the attacker’s presence on a victim machine:
We can develop KERNEL malware which will achieve persistence for a long time,
bypass firewalls and have reverse shell access.
This shit is literally like STAGE 4 CANCER FOR COMPUTERS!!!
Kernel meaning the highest level of authority on a machine.
This can range to simple shells to Bootkits.
Bypass all major EDR’s (SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, etc)
Patch EDR’s scanning functionality so it’s rendered useless!
Once implanted, extremely difficult to remove (basically impossible to even find)
Development Experience of several years and in multiple APT Groups.
Be one step ahead of the game. Prices start from $5,000+. Message @brad_banned to get a quote
In September 2023 , both MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment suffered ransomware attacks at the hands of a Russian ransomware affiliate program known as ALPHV and BlackCat. Caesars reportedly paid a $15 million ransom in that incident.
Within hours of MGM publicly acknowledging the 2023 breach, members of Scattered Spider were claiming credit and telling reporters they’d broken in by social engineering a third-party IT vendor. At a hearing in London last week, U.K. prosecutors told the court Jubair was found in possession of more than $50 million in ill-gotten cryptocurrency, including funds that were linked to the Las Vegas casino hacks.
The Star Chat channel was finally banned by Telegram on March 9, 2025. But U.S. prosecutors say Jubair and fellow Scattered Spider members continued their hacking, phishing and extortion activities up until September 2025.
In April 2025, the Com was buzzing about the publication of “The Com Cast,” a lengthy screed detailing Jubair’s alleged cybercriminal activities and nicknames over the years. This account included photos and voice recordings allegedly of Jubair, and asserted that in his early days on the Com Jubair used the nicknames Clark and Miku (these are both aliases used by Everlynn in connection with their fake EDR services).
Thalha Jubair (right), without his large-rimmed glasses, in an undated photo posted in The Com Cast.
More recently, the anonymous Com Cast author(s) claimed, Jubair had used the nickname “Operator,” which corresponds to a Com member who ran an automated Telegram-based doxing service that pulled consumer records from hacked data broker accounts. That public outing came after Operator allegedly seized control over the Doxbin, a long-running and highly toxic community that is used to “dox” or post deeply personal information on people.
“Operator/Clark/Miku: A key member of the ransomware group Scattered Spider, which consists of a diverse mix of individuals involved in SIM swapping and phishing,” the Com Cast account stated. “The group is an amalgamation of several key organizations, including Infinity Recursion (owned by Operator), True Alcorians (owned by earth2star), and Lapsus, which have come together to form a single collective.”
The New Jersey complaint (PDF) alleges Jubair and other Scattered Spider members committed computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in relation to at least 120 computer network intrusions involving 47 U.S. entities between May 2022 and September 2025. The complaint alleges the group’s victims paid at least $115 million in ransom payments.
U.S. authorities say they traced some of those payments to Scattered Spider to an Internet server controlled by Jubair. The complaint states that a cryptocurrency wallet discovered on that server was used to purchase several gift cards, one of which was used at a food delivery company to send food to his apartment. Another gift card purchased with cryptocurrency from the same server was allegedly used to fund online gaming accounts under Jubair’s name. U.S. prosecutors said that when they seized that server they also seized $36 million in cryptocurrency.
The complaint also charges Jubair with involvement in a hacking incident in January 2025 against the U.S. courts system that targeted a U.S. magistrate judge overseeing a related Scattered Spider investigation. That other investigation appears to have been the prosecution of Noah Michael Urban, a 20-year-old Florida man charged in November 2024 by prosecutors in Los Angeles as one of five alleged Scattered Spider members.
Urban pleaded guilty in April 2025 to wire fraud and conspiracy charges, and in August he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Speaking with KrebsOnSecurity from jail after his sentencing, Urban asserted that the judge gave him more time than prosecutors requested because he was mad that Scattered Spider hacked his email account.
Noah “Kingbob” Urban, posting to Twitter/X around the time of his sentencing on Aug. 20.
A court transcript (PDF) from a status hearing in February 2025 shows Urban was telling the truth about the hacking incident that happened while he was in federal custody. The judge told attorneys for both sides that a co-defendant in the California case was trying to find out about Mr. Urban’s activity in the Florida case, and that the hacker accessed the account by impersonating a judge over the phone and requesting a password reset.
Allison Nixon is chief research officer at the New York based security firm Unit 221B, and easily one of the world’s leading experts on Com-based cybercrime activity. Nixon said the core problem with legally prosecuting well-known cybercriminals from the Com has traditionally been that the top offenders tend to be under the age of 18, and thus difficult to charge under federal hacking statutes.
In the United States, prosecutors typically wait until an underage cybercrime suspect becomes an adult to charge them. But until that day comes, she said, Com actors often feel emboldened to continue committing — and very often bragging about — serious cybercrime offenses.
“Here we have a special category of Com offenders that effectively enjoy legal immunity,” Nixon told KrebsOnSecurity. “Most get recruited to Com groups when they are older, but of those that join very young, such as 12 or 13, they seem to be the most dangerous because at that age they have no grounding in reality and so much longevity before they exit their legal immunity.”
Nixon said U.K. authorities face the same challenge when they briefly detain and search the homes of underage Com suspects: Namely, the teen suspects simply go right back to their respective cliques in the Com and start robbing and hurting people again the minute they’re released.
Indeed, the U.K. court heard from prosecutors last week that both Scattered Spider suspects were detained and/or searched by local law enforcement on multiple occasions, only to return to the Com less than 24 hours after being released each time.
“What we see is these young Com members become vectors for perpetrators to commit enormously harmful acts and even child abuse,” Nixon said. “The members of this special category of people who enjoy legal immunity are meeting up with foreign nationals and conducting these sometimes heinous acts at their behest.”
Nixon said many of these individuals have few friends in real life because they spend virtually all of their waking hours on Com channels, and so their entire sense of identity, community and self-worth gets wrapped up in their involvement with these online gangs. She said if the law was such that prosecutors could treat these people commensurate with the amount of harm they cause society, that would probably clear up a lot of this problem.
“If law enforcement was allowed to keep them in jail, they would quit reoffending,” she said.
The Times of Londonreports that Flowers is facing three charges under the Computer Misuse Act: two of conspiracy to commit an unauthorized act in relation to a computer causing/creating risk of serious damage to human welfare/national security and one of attempting to commit the same act. Maximum sentences for these offenses can range from 14 years to life in prison, depending on the impact of the crime.
Jubair is reportedly facing two charges in the U.K.: One of conspiracy to commit an unauthorized act in relation to a computer causing/creating risk of serious damage to human welfare/national security and one of failing to comply with a section 49 notice to disclose the key to protected information.
In the United States, Jubair is charged with computer fraud conspiracy, two counts of computer fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. If extradited to the U.S., tried and convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum penalty of 95 years in prison.
In July 2025, the United Kingdom barred victims of hacking from paying ransoms to cybercriminal groups unless approved by officials. U.K. organizations that are considered part of critical infrastructure reportedly will face a complete ban, as will the entire public sector. U.K. victims of a hack are now required to notify officials to better inform policymakers on the scale of Britain’s ransomware problem.
For further reading (bless you), check out Bloomberg’s poignant story last week based on a year’s worth of jailhouse interviews with convicted Scattered Spider member Noah Urban.
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