There Are No Girls on the Internet

Amazon responds to Shein and Temu threat with new low-price storefront: https://www.techspot.com/news/103565-amazon-responds-shein-temu-threat-new-low-price.html Fast fashion retailer Shein’s brand trip didn’t quite go as they planned. They sent a group of influencers to China to tour their facility after a bunch of bad press, but now those influencers are facing backlash themselves, and renouncing their partnership with Shein. The whole thing raises questions about the ethics and harm of fast fashion, as well as the influencers who shill for it. Aja Barber wrote the book on consumption. She explains why it’s about more than just Shein. Aja is the most stylish person I know! Follow her on Patreon for sustainable style insights: https://www.patreon.com/AjaBarber Check out Aja’s book Consumed: https://www.ajabarber.com/bookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to write a book, be a musician, or be a podcaster? You’d better also be a social media branding expert, too. Bridget joins writers and creatives Yvest Jeffcoat and Katie Mitchell from the podcast On Theme to dive into why social media has turned everyone into personal branding experts and why it can sometimes be so exhausting.  Everyone’s a sellout now: https://www.vox.com/culture/2024/2/1/24056883/tiktok-self-promotion-artist-career-how-to-build-following LISTEN TO YVES AND KATIE'S PODCAST ON THEME: https://www.ontheme.show/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the Deal With ‘Hawk Tuah’ Girl? https://www.thecut.com/article/hawk-tuah-girl-viral-tiktok-video-explained.html  Exposing Cheaters Isn’t Always a Flex https://www.thecut.com/article/man-cheating-on-flight-tiktok.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Georgia Congressman Mike Collins tweeted in support of frat guys harassing a Black woman with racist tropes… nothing really happened. Popular Information's Judd Legum explores why we need better stories about our democracy, the intersection of media complacency with corporate money, and what's at stake. UPDATE: Congressman Collins feels the heat: https://popular.info/p/update-congressman-collins-feelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friend of the show Abbie Richards explains why low effort AI generated conspiracy theory content is all over TikTok right now and who is profiting from it.  With TikTok creator program, AI-sped misinformation pays: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/26/tik-tok-creator-program-ai-misinformation Follow Abbie Richards on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tofologySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a tree falls in the garden where a woman enjoys drinking coffee with her husband and no one’s there to hear it, should the Internet harass her anyway? In 2022, Daisey sent one innocuous tweet that launched a thousand takes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Pride Month, which is a great time to be thinking about the LGBTQ people who have been beacons of the vastness of what is possible for our communities. In this episode, Bridget highlights the incredible achievements of Lynn Conway, a trans woman who invented a lot of the tech we take for granted today. Despite a successful track record at IBM, her contributions were credited to others for almost 50 years until IBM formally apologized and recognized her in 2020. She was a bad ass innovator, and a pioneer for trans people trying to navigate a hostile world. She passed away this week at the age of 86, but her legacy and many contributions will be with us forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 isn’t just an election year, it’s THE election year, with almost half the global population voting in elections this year. And unfortunately women leaders and candidates are facing identity based attacks just for wanting to serve their communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Outspoken Network’s new pod But We Loved: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-but-we-loved-174494262/ Listen to Joey’s take on Bottoms on Stuff Mom Never Told You: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-mom-never-told-you-21123631/episode/feminist-movie-friday-bottoms-183565696/ Israel Secretly Targeted American Lawmakers With Gaza War Influence Campaign: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2024-06-05/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israel-secretly-targeted-american-lawmakers-with-gaza-war-influence-campaign/0000018f-e7c8-d11f-a5cf-e7cb62af0000  Key misinformation “superspreaders” on Twitter:  Women in their late 50s:  https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/key-misinformation-superspreaders-on-twitter-older-women/ Lesbian app to ‘use facial recognition technology’ to identify and exclude trans users https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/06/03/lesbian-app-facial-recognition-technology-trans/ FBI Raids Corporate Landlord in Major Rent Price-Fixing Probe: https://www.pymnts.com/cpi-posts/fbi-raids-corporate-landlord-in-major-rent-price-fixing-probe/  Court Allows K-Pop Group to Subpoena YouTuber's Identity from Google: https://www.404media.co/newjeans-kpop-google-youtube-lawsuit/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant program for Black women business owners is discriminatory, appeals court rules: https://www.npr.org/2024/06/03/g-s1-2649/fearless-fund-grant-program-appeal-ruling Fearless Fund is a Black woman-led venture capital firm that offers investment, financial support, and mentorship to Black women-owned businesses.  But they are under attack for providing support for traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs. Edward Blum, the professional hater at the heart of the Supreme Court’s legal challenge of affirmative action, is suing them for what he says is racial discrimination.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HE’S GUILTY song of the summer by Mad McFadden: https://www.tiktok.com/@madmcferrin/video/7374903247653326122 'All Eyes on Rafah' image shared by millions on Instagram following Israeli airstrike: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/-eyes-rafah-image-shared-millions-instagram-rcna154380 Donate to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/ 'Sextortion guides' sold on social media, BBC finds: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp00y03q93mo AI image misinformation has surged, Google researchers find: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-image-misinformation-surged-google-research-finds-rcna154333 UK mother of boy who killed himself seeks right to access his social media: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/29/uk-mother-boy-who-killed-himself-social-media-access  Sometimes to save the internet, you must eat glue: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-ai-overview-answers-pizza-glue-fix-2024-5 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival that left 10 dead and hundreds injured and traumatized, the rapper announced a “partnership” to provide a free month of therapy through the app BetterHelp, which is basically the Tinder of therapy.  Jeff Guenthr, creator of Therapy Den, has been using his platform on TikTok to shed light on BetterHelp’s practices when it comes to data privacy and the way therapists are treated. Jeff joins Bridget and producer Dr. Michael Amato to talk about why this “partnership” feels so wrong in the wake of the tragedy. Check out Therapy Den: https://www.therapyden.com/ Jeff’s therapy TikToks get millions of views: https://www.tiktok.com/@therapyden/video/7007091547917372677?lang=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spike Jonze’s 2013 movie Her is in the tech zeitgeist. Have tech leaders watched the whole thing?  Brian Merchant’s piece on Her and Open AI is a must read: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/why-is-sam-altman-so-obsessed-with?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Bridget rocking Google Glass in 2013: https://www.instagram.com/p/Z1xL1OHw-Z/?igsh=MTR0OXU5aGV2Z3V3NA%3D%3D Listen to our summary of the Open AI Scarlett Johansson controversy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scarlett-johanssons-open-ai-voice-fight-shows-the/id1520715907?i=1000656338161See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scarlett Johansson says Open AI ripped off her voice for their ChatGPT4.0 even after she said no. No means no, Sam Altman!  Here’s what their behavior says about consent in tech. Scarlett Johansson Says OpenAI Ripped Off Her Voice for ChatGPT: https://www.wired.com/story/scarlett-johansson-says-openai-ripped-off-her-voice-for-chatgpt/ AI Art and the Problem of Consent https://artreview.com/ai-art-and-the-problem-of-consent/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weekly news roundup is back! Bridget’s piece on Elizabeth Holmes’ hair: https://www.instyle.com/hair/elizabeth-holmes-white-privilege-messy-hair Zuck's new style was on full display at his birthday: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rapper-swag-zuck-gone-too-085234346.html #Blockout2024: Why people are blocking celebrities on social media: https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-blockout-2024-celebrity-met-gala About 800,000 BetterHelp online therapy customers receive refund notices for privacy violations: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/betterhelp-online-therapy-customers-receive-refunds-over-data-misuse-rcna151546 On Instagram, a Jewelry Ad Draws Solicitations for Sex With a 5-Year-Old: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/us/instagram-child-safety.html Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble. Will it make the app better? https://www.npr.org/2024/05/06/1249296671/bumble-dating-apps-women-opening-moves Bumble apologizes for its mean anti-celibacy ad fumble: https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/14/24156746/bumble-dating-app-anti-celibacy-billboard-ad-apology See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.