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, the newest fast-casual menu item comes from a streaming star, two internet legends get into the Christmas spirit, and an NFL lifer takes another step into the Minecraft community.
The biz
The Pokimane Pollo Asado and Steak Bowl has arrived at Chipotle. Keith Lee and Salish Matter need to make some room in the burrito queue, because another creator is turning her signature order into a Chipotle menu item. Poki’s bowl is launching alongside the return of Chipotle’s pollo asado, and the chain is hoping that its partnership with a well-known streamer will generate significant social chatter.
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Pinterest is letting brands sponsor creator Pins. Pinterest’s creator monetization push is no secret, and the next step on that path lets brands promote Pins posted by their creator partners. The ad format kinda-sorta sounds like Meta Partnership Ads, but with that creative twist we’ve come to expect from Pinterest.
Ads for online gambling companies are contentious, but YouTube is allowing them. Starting on October 21, gambling firms can run Masthead campaigns that appear at the top of the YouTube homepage. Many platforms have barred those companies from carving out ad space, but YouTube’s creators have long partaken in the so-called “gamba meta” — and the site itself is rolling the dice itself.
Pop culture minute
Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum are bringing ‘Bad Toys’ home for Christmas. We haven’t heard much from Burns and Hullum since Rooster Teeth — the entertainment company they co-founded — went under. Now, they’re reuniting for a Yuletide horror-comedy that, according to its logline, will draw inspiration from “medieval Christmas elf folklore.” So not exactly Red vs. Blue, I’m guessing.
Skweezy Jibbs Makes A Movie tours 71 cities. When comedian Tim Savage took his alter ego Skweezy Jibbs on the road for a comedy show, fans turned up after discovering the character on social media. Skweezy has a significant following, which Savage paid off in the form of a feature film that he paired with post-screening Q&A sessions. Such is the life of an indie creator who strikes it big.
Vertical, short-form feeds are impacting the work of art curators. Thanks to TikTok and Instagram, attention spans aren’t what they used to be. That’s why an art museum in Estonia responded with a new exhibit that features “Instagrammable” locations and a fast-paced flow. You can still explore the art at a leisurely pace if you’d prefer.
Creator commotion
Haley Kalil hits back at Pete Davidson. After the SNL alum told Variety that he thinks female lifestyle influencers are following a “lame” and “insane” career path, Kalil went scorched earth. In a scathing TikTok post, Kalil questioned whether there’s any difference between a social media influencer and a stand-up comedian. They both write their own material and have to support themselves while pursuing their art, so she has a poitn.
Sam and Colby celebrate Hell Week with Uscreen partnership. The haunted house explorers are always busy in October, and 2026 is no exception. Sam and Colby are relaunching their XPLR Club, which offers a more “cinematic viewing experience” for their longtime fans. Its the sort of initiative that will keep Sam and Colby in the foreground as they endure another spooky season full of frights.
BenDaDonnn’s visit to a college football locker room ended with arrests. Texas A&M invited the creator to visit the Aggies locker room during a recent SEC showdown. After the game, Ben and his crew refused to vacate the Northgate bar district, so officers took them away in handcuffs. That’s quite the turn of events for one day.
Platform headlines
Warren Buffett has come clean about his YouTube addiction. Buffett is one of the richest people on the planet, but he spends his evenings the same way we do: Falling down the YouTube rabbit hole. The 96-year-old’s niche interests include old TV commercials and Glenn Close, so he and I clearly have very different algorithms, even if we generate similar amounts of watch time.
Meta bans ByteDance ads after safety spat. TikTok banned Meta ads that implored the ByteDance-owned app to adopt the safety features that were outlined in Meta’s multibillion-dollar settlement with U.S. attorneys general. In response, Meta hit ByteDance with a playground classic: I know you are, but what am I? By banning the Beijing-based corporation’s ads, Meta is escalating a feud that seems like it could go on for a while.
YouTube tests right-aligned comments on desktop devices. On the desktop versions of TikTok and Instagram, comments appear to the right of videos — so why wouldn’t YouTube try that? The test may seem purely cosmetic, but all those old videos that ask for responses “down in the comments” may need some updates.
The internet is a strange place
Mike Tomlin is becoming a Minecraft YouTuber now. Last week, we discussed the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach’s long-running adventures in Minecraft’s creative mode. People loved Tomlin’s Minecraft city so much that he decided to present more of it. The project takes center stage in the first videos to arrive on the NBC pundit’s new YouTube channel.
A Great British Bake Off hotshot learned to bake from YouTube. If you’re watching this year’s Bake Off season, you’ve certainly fallen in love with the immensely talented 21-year-old student Mo Mahir. Apparently, Mahir’s baking career began on YouTube. That’s great news for those of us who still harbor dreams of one day facing the gingham altar.
A YouTube channel went viral for “Black family recipes,” but they were AI-generated the whole time. Do you want some gravy on that AI slop?
