This week in youth culture, everyone is asking if you'd rather be trapped in the woods with a man or a bear, a question that reveals harsh truths about gender. In a less depressing development, a woman's duet with a kitchen fan justifiably touched people's hearts, and a YouTuber did some serious research into North Korean entertainment.
The “man or bear” question, explained
This hypothetical question has sparked discussion and controversy in the online world this week: "Would you rather be trapped in the woods with a human or a bear?" The source of the question appears to be a street interview video from TikToker Screenshot, by @callmebkbk This video is referenced in the video. It's since spread everywhere, and almost every woman will immediately reply "a bear." This is a seemingly meaningless question, but it reveals a cruel fact.
Women’s reasons for choosing bears are heartbreaking: “I’ve never been followed home by a bear,” “If I were bitten by a bear, no one would tell me I was lying or imagining it,” “At least with bears, I don’t have to worry Met them at a family gathering.”
While women seem to understand the nature of the problem immediately, if you're a man, it may take a little coaxing. (My gut reaction is "A man. Bears will kill you.") This leads to a clarifying question specifically for men: "Would you rather have your daughter/wife alone with a man or with a bear?" This seems immediate It clarified things, and the moment of realizing the implications of the question was fascinating.
Another interesting twist: if you change the parameter to "woman or bear", then the choice of "woman" is obvious.
If you're hoping that maybe, just this once, men will shut up and listen, you'll be disappointed. Here are some responses from Reddit’s Ask Men subreddit: “Women just like to get together and talk bad about men,” “I don’t think they realize that the unintended consequence of low-key misogyny is misogyny,” “They like to promote gender Discrimination against “war and being a victim,” and “There’s a reason our fathers and grandfathers didn’t listen to women roar. "Here's how to prove it, folks.
Approximately 40 bear attacks and approximately 250,000 rapes are recorded worldwide each year.
TikTok’s “Look at My Boyfriend” Trend
The battle between humans and bears is so frustrating that I launched a gender-related heartwarming thing on TikTok - the "Look at My Boyfriend" trend. Here's how it works: A woman or girl starts recording a video, asks their viewers "Can you guys look at my boyfriend?" then points the phone at their boyfriend and walks out of the room. That's it. But these videos are heart-warming and wholesome. Some people sit and eat cookies, or sit and do nothing. Some people will tell you what they think. Or tell you some facts about flamingo’s boyfriend. It's good to remind everyone that many young people have normal relationships with normal people at times.
Did the Cybertruck fail?
I used to think that Elon Musk's one redemptive contribution to society was convincing those asshole bros that driving electric cars was cool, but the reaction to Musk's Cybertruck might even eliminate that. The car has been on the road since November, and if you're wondering whether young people are salivating over it like they were when Tesla came out in 2008, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Since launch, Tesla has sold 3,878 units, which is not bad compared to other electric truck sales, but a far cry from the 250,000 a year Musk had promised. The truck has been plagued by issues since its release, when a demonstration of its bulletproof windows went comically awry. It rusts easily. It is prone to software errors. It might chop off your fingers. You can't take it to a car wash. The recall was due to a potentially fatal design error that could cause the accelerator to seize. This is really, really ugly.
Maybe the technical issues can be solved, and maybe there are a lot of people ready to spend $80,000 on the next generation Cybertruck, no matter how ugly it is, but I seriously doubt that. Mainly because the Cybertruck isn't cool. It's a vibe, so I could be wrong, but when people argue that something is "so uncool that it's cool again," that's the kiss of death.
In the long run, though, there's hope for Elon's folly. Cars like the Edsel of the 1950s and the DeLorean of the 1980s that were laughed at when they were first introduced tend to be fondly remembered after time has passed and everyone has gone bankrupt.
Viral video of the week: Harmony with fans
This week's viral video is a TikTok clip of musician Claire Boyer harmonizing with a kitchen fan while making dinner (specifically tacos). It's hard to explain why, but those 20 seconds of wordless vocalization struck a nerve. The untitled tune is truly otherworldly, unsettling and nostalgic, and the video has been viewed by more than 19 million people since its release earlier this month. TikTok users suggest lyrics in the comments section, respond in duets or post videos explaining the emotions, memories and thoughts the songs evoke. Boyer said she's working on a full song based on the video, taking lyric suggestions from her comments section, and I can't wait for the fan and artist collaboration that will result. Although I doubt it will beat the simplicity of the original project.
Special Bonus Viral Video of the Week: Entertainment Made in North Korea
Since "Harmony with Fans" is a very short video, I thought I'd add a long-form viral video to balance the scale. Most viral videos are short, funny, and forgettable, but increasingly, viewers enjoy content that delves into niche topics, such as YouTuber’s five-and-a-half-hour (!) video “Made in North Korea.” Entertainment” Paper Testament details the history, context and significance of films, music and television programs produced in or for North Korea. It's a fascinating video in its own right, but it's also great to see how many people watched it and how enthusiastically they responded.
