I'll set the scene for you: a commentator, with a ring light on the premises, spending 20 minutes systematically dismantling a lifestyle creator's morning routine, vocal fry, skincare recommendations and general existence. It's framed as "progressive media criticism" and packaged as a defence of the consumer - yet almost always, the person on the receiving end is a woman. Today, we're asking a question the comment sections rarely seem to consider: who exactly is this outrage actually for?

- Devin Pike, Copywriter

TechCrunch reports that Google has launched a sweeping set of back-to-school AI features across Search and Gemini, including interactive 3D simulations, personalised practice quizzes, a Lens-powered homework helper, a new study hub with flashcards and notebooks, and the ability to generate study documents from uploaded files. Now, students can photograph their handwritten notes alongside lecture slides and get a synthesised one-pager in return.

This comes just as OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens, so now two of the world's biggest AI companies are racing to become the next generation's go-to study tool. If you're a teacher doing their best to keep up with the youth and how they experience today's world, I just gotta say... I dunno how you do it, man.

Meanwhile, the AI privacy arms race is getting pretty heated. TechCrunch reports that OpenAI has previewed "Private Safety Processing" - a new abuse-monitoring system that scans conversations across multiple sessions for signs of misuse without retaining any customer data. It's a direct shot at Anthropic's 30-day data retention policy for its most powerful models like Fable, which has alarmed enterprise clients handling sensitive data.

Anthropic's annualised revenue run rate is now US$65 billion, while OpenAI's Q2 grew more slowly. Both companies are racing toward IPOs, so the competition's extremely tense right now - and the battlefield's moved to enterprise privacy.

And finally - time for a good ole First Amendment fight that could shape the future of the US! NPR reports that ABC and Disney have filed a federal lawsuit against the FCC, alleging the Trump administration violated its free speech rights. This comes after ABC's broadcast licenses were challenged when the FCC investigated The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live! in retaliation for their news coverage, satire, and commentary on the current president. The FCC forced all eight ABC-owned local stations to undergo early license renewal scrutiny - an essentially unprecedented move in modern US broadcasting.

Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro said they are "going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity", while FCC Chairman Brendan Carr responded that Disney was "a little jumpy". Ironically, ABC's already paid $16 million to settle Trump's defamation case in 2024. But Trump's disdain for the media is no secret - the two were gonna be back in court one day, anyway.

-Devin Pike, Copywriter

It’s an interesting phenomenon I’ve observed over the years. and I think it’s always one of two things: critique of consumer culture, or disguised misogyny.

I’ve seen a lot of content as of late in the form of the influencer takedown essay. The format has become a highly lucrative creative template. A commentator sits in front of a ring light, uses a hyper-polished editorial tone, and spends twenty minutes systematically tearing down a prominent lifestyle creator.

They dissect her morning routine, mock her vocal fry, analyse her product recommendations, and declare her entire digital footprint to be a toxic blight on the cultural landscape.

They are presented as a righteous, socially conscious critique of capitalist excess. A defence of the modern consumer, and a necessary exposure of marketing deception.

But if you look at the underlying sociology of who is actually being targeted by this online colosseum, an age-long double standard emerges. This relentless wave of public indignation isn't an egalitarian strike against the machinery of consumerism. It’s more of an algorithmic witch-hunt.

And it has become the ultimate socially acceptable way to perform misogyny under the guise of social activism.

The lifestyle space, which is overwhelmingly designed, populated, and consumed by women, is treated by the collective hive-mind of the web as a shallow, parasitic vanity project that deserves non-stop public stoning. Yet, if you look at the parallel, male-dominated sectors of the influencer economy, the moral outrage is conspicuously silent. In fact, they’re never even really called ‘influencers” and almost always “creators.”

We do not see twenty-minute viral takedowns tracking the deceptive marketing tactics of finance bros peddling volatile cryptocurrency schemes to vulnerable young men.

We do not see a coordinated public outcry against tech creators hyping up un-optimised, resource-guzzling software models, or fitness influencers selling unverified, dangerous chemical supplements under the banner of the hustle routine.

But the moment a woman converts her personal style, her domestic eye, or her skincare routine into a multi-million-dollar independent enterprise, her commerce is immediately pathologised as a moral failure.

The systemic devaluing of female labour is a tale as old as time. But the modern interest-based algorithm has given it a terrifying new level of efficiency.

And unfortunately, female-directed outrage seems to be one of the highest-converting drivers of digital engagement on the market. It capitalises on internalised biases. It encourages us to jump on the hate train because it allows the audience to perform some kind of f*cked up ethical superiority.

All while completely oblivious to the fact that they are simply acting as unpaid distribution agents for a platform that monetises their hostility.

It is entirely valid, and indeed necessary, to critically evaluate the consumerist loops of modern marketing. To demand transparency in paid sponsorships. And to reject the synthetic performance of perfection that floods our feeds.

It is not necessary or ok to pick apart a woman’s physical appearance, psychoanalyse her relationship dynamics, and treat her livelihood with a level of vitriol that we never apply to the corporate boards of traditional manufacturing. Because that’s where it stops being a cultural critique. It becomes a bloodsport.

I think it’s good to stop and ask ourselves sometimes: “Why am I having these feelings toward this person? Are those feelings my own, or am I parroting everyone else? Do I need to stop being an asshole and touch grass?”

You may be surprised by your answers.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

The sound is Sienna Spiro's "Pure." (angelic voals btw added to my spotify liked songs btw) You post a video or photo of yourself, throw up "things I think I am owed:" and just let it rip. Can be deeply real, completely unhinged, or both back to back, it's your world I'm just living in it.

My fav examples include:

How you can jump on it:

Pick a photo or video of yourself, use the sound, then list out everything you feel is owed to you.

A few ideas to get you started:

things I think I am owed:

-abdel khalil, brand & marketing exec

Hey Callum!

I'll preface this by saying that vlogs can be hard to pull off! But if you want to use them as a content style, the thing to remember is they need to follow the structure of a story: set up, conflict, resolution. It's tempting to think of a vlog as just a documentation of your day. But if you create one that is literally just what you did in chronological order, it will probably be pretty boring.

Instead, you should think of your vlog in terms of the wider story you want to tell. This might mean editing your footage out of order so you can tell that story effectively. So instead of "this happened, then this happened, then this happened," your vlog should convey the idea of cause and effect. This happened, therefore this happened. Each scene has some sort of challenge or conflict, which then leads to what happens next. If you use this kind of storytelling, your vlogs will come off much better than if you're just documenting your day.

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.