- Words Notion Staff
This week on Rated Reads, explore Gen Z's Louis Therous fandom, influencer struggles at Coachella and TikTok's "villain era".
Complete the sentence: my money don’t jiggle jiggle, it… we’re sure you know. Louis Theroux’s slick, slick bars, taken from an episode of Chicken Shop Date, have been dominating TikTok the past few weeks, a perfect example of how new generations have taken the documentarian and rap god into their hearts. For GQ, Sam Parker investigates the evergreen Theroux phenomenon, and why nobody’s about to say “OK, boomer” to him. If they still say that, which is questionable.
Won’t somebody think of the influencers?
Why Everyone On TikTok Is Entering Their Villain Era
When Billie Eilish sang the words “I’m the bad guy, duh”, it’s possible that she was being metaphorical. However, years on, her words are now being taken very literally. A new trend on TikTok sees its users rebel against social expectations to be nice and pleasant all the time, and Refinery29 is taking a look at this war on people-pleasing. It doesn’t seem to involve villainous behaviour, like murder, fortunately. Villainy is a subjective thing.
A History of the Kings and Queens of the Rom-Com
The romcom genre pretty much exists on streaming services these days, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a rich history behind it. The Ringer delves into the century-long history of actors who have made romantic comedies their staple, from Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant to… kind of nobody in the present day. The moral of the story? Put some respect on Sandra Bullock’s name.
Looking at pictures? That’s so 19th century! A growing phenomenon in the art world is the immersive exhibition, which uses augmented and virtual reality technology to put visitors “into” the artistic worlds they’ve come to experience, from Van Gogh to David Bowie. The Guardian investigates whether the trend is a positive one, or whether they’re just an expensive gimmick distracting from the art.