Have you heard? iShowSpeed gets a play button, Druski gets a movie, and the Costco Guys get buckets.

Each week, we handpick a selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry. This week, YouTube’s CEO delivers a personalized gift, everybody loves Druski, and nobody loves DrDisrespect.

Creator commotion

Neal Mohan gave iShowSpeed his diamond play button. YouTube’s creator rewards may be shrinking, but the platform is compensating with exemplary customer service. It’s not every day that a tech CEO hand-delivers a gift to a creator, but when you break YouTube records, you get special treatment.

DrDisrespect might even be too controversial for Rumble. After reportedly soliciting a minor, DrDisrespect is banned from Twitch. Kick doesn’t want him, and even right-leaning Rumble might spurn him, though the platform’s CEO could have ideas of his own. Speaking of disgraced streamers…

Adin Ross is now getting his friends banned by association. If a Twitch streamer collabs with someone who is banned on the platform, then they get banned too. Podcaster DJ Akademiks found that out the hard way when Adin Ross joined him on an ill-fated broadcast.

Pop culture edition

Druski. So hot right now. The podcaster and Instagram Live celebrity has a few projects in the works. He’s working on a Netflix project based on his airport skits, and he’s shopping a movie alongside comedians Shane Gillis and Theo Von. The man behind Coulda Been Records is becoming the cross-platform star he shoulda been all along.

Kai Cenat x John Cena was a hit. The collab was a typical Cenat hit. I only have one real question here: Is Kai Cenat the next Logan Paul?

Can you survive the KSI song? Everyone is clowning on the Sidemen star’s new single (including Drake). Now there’s a game that asks players to find the mute button before “Thick Of It” gets stuck in their heads. It’s like a cross between Dead By Daylight and the creator economy.

The latest tech

Marques Brownlee is still raising the alarm about AI-generated voice dupes. The man known as MKBHD has repeatedly called for stronger regulations to protect creators whose content is used to train artificial intelligence. His most recent complaint: People are using AI to copy his voice and use it in ads without his permission. Sounds like he has a point!

The VTuber Awards are coming back. The first award show dedicated to virtual creators was a success. Now it’s slated to return on December 14. Filian, the VTuber who emceed the inaugural ceremony, will return to host and broadcast the upcoming event.

Meet the first AI rock star. That’s how rocker Jett Jax is billed. Her latest track, “Nostalgia,” harkens back to the 90s. What exactly is an AI nostalgic for, anyway? The good old days when she was just a small language model?

The biz

TikTok wants to help creators launch their own product lines. The idea is that the resulting products would be sold on TikTok Shop. And if the participating creators want to publicize those goods via shoppable live streams, that would be even better, at least from TikTok’s perspective.

Kick Bucks might be on the way. The streaming platform is reportedly developing a product that would deliver on-platform currency to repeat viewers. Because if spending nine figures on streamers doesn’t cut it, spending a smaller amount on Kick dollars could be a way to instill loyalty.

Messi vs. Ronaldo: Now with creators! OK, hear me out: Cristiano Ronaldo is friends with iShowSpeed, who has a partnership with KSI and Logan Paul’s Prime. Now Lionel Messi’s beverage brand is suing Prime over allegations of “anti-competitive” practices. So it seems that the soccer world’s favorite debate will be settled in the arena of creator-branded hydration drinks. Just as we all anticipated from the start.

The internet is a strange place

The Costco Guys and The Rizzler balled out at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks put together an exhibition match featuring celebs and former players, and it turns out that The Rizzler is nice with the rock in his hands. And even though Costco Guy Big Justice loves his chicken bakes, don’t be fooled: The kid can shoot that thing.

Please don’t eat raw flour. Some TikTok users are pushing “fluffy popcorn” as the go-to sweet treat for this year’s Halloween. If you want to give it a try, make sure to cook your cake mix all the way through. When you’re expecting a treat, E. coli can be a nasty trick.

Is ‘The Duck Song’ the most long-winded joke in YouTube history? In 2009, animator Forrest Whaley took a classic boomer joke about a duck who asks for grapes and turned it into a legendary viral video on YouTube. After four sequels, the saga of “The Duck Song” has come to an end with its fifth and final installment. 15 years is a long time for a joke to reach its punchline, but since the five “Duck Song” videos got nearly a billion views along the way, I’d say the journey was well worth it.