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, TikTok says goodbye to a legend, Roblox draws an age line, and dramatic toy videos draw a lawsuit.
Creator commotion
TikToker Papa Jake passes away at age 102. World War II veteran Jake Larson shared stories from his past with more than 1.2 million followers on TikTok. He even won an Emmy Award late in his life for a collab with journalist Christiane Amanpour. RIP to a legend.
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Mang0 is getting sober. The Super Smash Bros competitor lost viewers and sponsors after acting drunk and disorderly on a stream hosted by Ludwig. He has quit drinking since that incident, and he has now been sober for three weeks. “Not a sip of alcohol and I don’t really have an urge to drink,” he said.
A TikToker’s “pranks” got him arrested. On TikTok, Heston Cobb is known as Heston James and reaches 1.6 million followers with his prank content. But police in Tempe, Arizona collared Cobb after a string of disorderly conduct incidents were tied to his videos. This is your regular reminder that there’s a difference between a funny prank and “one count of burglary in the third degree, two counts of criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct, and five counts of criminal trespass.”
The biz
New Yorker cartoons are sponcon now. The periodical’s humorous illustrations have been a core part of its identity since its launch. 100 years later, those cartoons are being turned into sponsored content for brands like Patrón. I’m not sure where to find the joke in the linked panel, but I have a feeling we’re not in on it.
The internet’s greatest trolls want to acquire Creator Clash. The influencer boxing series cancelled its third go-around after drama involving iDubbbz and Ethan Klein derailed the event. Now Klein wants to buy the Creator Clash brand, and so does the long-active dramamonger known as Keemstar. I’d imagine organizer Real Good Touring has some mixed feelings about those offers.
Keith Lee’s latte is in La La Land. The cafe chain teamed up with TikTok’s favorite food reviewer for a specialty beverage available across all La La Land locations. Between this deal and Owen Han’s La Brea partnership, the creator-to-cafe pipeline is currently going strong.
Pop culture minute
VivziePop’s musical stylings have been recorded on vinyl. Animator Vivienne Medrano, who has more than 10 million subscribers on YouTube, is releasing a record that includes the first-season soundtrack from her show Helluva Boss. Multiple versions of the LP are available.
Critical Role’s first video game is due out later this year. Dispatch is a management sim that takes place in a workplace filled with superheroes. The role-playing voice actors of Critical Role have closely involved in the game’s development, working alongside AdHoc Studio to do so.
iShowSpeed was involved in the MLS All-Star Game. Lionel Messi didn’t show at the midsummer event, but one of the biggest names in streaming made an appearance. Speed will show up anywhere if he gets a chance to do a Cristiano Ronaldo-style “siuuuu” in the process.
Platform headlines
Roblox introduces enhanced age verification tools. The game creation platform will use facial-analysis software to prevent users under the age of 13 from accessing unfiltered chats. The technology here is more advanced than typical age verification tools, but if Roblox’s young players can become millionaires thanks to their games, they can probably figure out a way to beat this system, too.
Snapchat’s new feature informs your friends when you get home safely. When a Snapchat user walks through their front door, the “home safe alerts” will be sent to people who have shared their locations with that user. So if you’re pretending to be tired to leave a boring party, you’re going to need a new excuse now.
So long to social media platform Zeen. The startup launched in 2019 with a focus on privacy and a plan to appeal to Gen Z. Though its leadership team raised $9 million of VC funding, they announced that they will be shutting down the platform’s operations.
The internet is a strange place
TikTok’s “Sylvanian Drama” account triggered a toymaker lawsuit. If you’ve ever seen videos on your FYP that feature cute stuffed animals who find themselves in scandalous circumstances, then you’re likely familiar with @sylvaniandrama. Japanese company Epoch, which produces the toys used in the videos, doesn’t seem to be happy about the account. To rectify the situation, it has launched a legal challenge against the creator behind the account.
Long video game queue times got you down? Just beat an entirely different game in the interim. While waiting two-and-a-half hours to get into an Overwatch match, Twitch streamer Aspen booted up Minecraft, traveled to the Nether, and defeated the Ender Dragon. I know Summer Games Done Quick just concluded, but I feel like “load screen second game any%” could be a fun new speedrunning category.
A $6 million banana at an art museum has been eaten. The Centre Pompidou-Metz had to replace a duct-taped banana after a guest grabbed the first piece of fruit off the wall and ate it. I get it. Based on my personal experience, it takes a lot of stamina to make it through an entire contemporary art museum.
