List of All Articles with Tag 'viral'

The death of Henry Kissinger has brought to an end a long-running social media meme that tracked whether he was still alive. The controversial former US national security adviser and secretary of state died at the age of 100 on Wednesday 29 November. Playing an infamous role in the Vietnam War, and blamed for the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians, Kissinger drew strong criticism from the likes of Anthony Bourdain for his heinous actions, after the late chef brutally wrote about him in his 2001 book. As people have reacted to Kissinger’s death, one social media account that had a strong interest in the news was the “Is Henry Kissinger Dead Yet?” X/Twitter account. The account was set up in December 2021 and tweeted every few days tracking whether the controversial political figure was still around. According to the Washington Post, the account was created by an anonymous 26-year-old Peruvian law student. He told the publication: “I think Americans in particular are very susceptible to this very stupid idea that is bad to celebrate the death of an evil person.” In October 2022, a post from the account suggested the creator was growing slightly impatient waiting for him to die. They wrote: “No and I didn’t think this account would be such a long term commitment.” Upon the news that Kissinger has now passed away, a post from the account simply read, “YES”. It has been viewed 13 million times at the time of writing. In the replies, people didn’t hold back on their feelings. The creator of the account was true to their word, after telling the WaPo that when the day came they would tweet “Yes” and “enjoy the jubilation”. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It's that time of year again, Spotify Wrapped is here! Music lovers have been sharing their 2023 in terms of their most streamed artists, songs and albums - all neatly presented with some cool visuals and graphics. But there's a new feature this year that reveals your own "Sound Town," which basically matches you to a city in the world that has the most similar music taste to yours from your streaming stats this year. "This year, your listening took you places and one place listened just like you," the slide reads as it then informs you which city you got. Of course, the latest feature has inspired memes, particularly those who have Berkeley in California, Burlington, in Vermont or Cambridge in Massachusetts based on their music taste which appeared to be popular places in people's Wrapped report. "spotify is trying to make a gay commune in berkeley, a lesbian commune in burlington, and a bisexual commune in cambridge," one Twitter/X joked. Another wrote: "Back in my day, you had to ask Google “am I gay?” Now Spotify wrapped just tells you by placing you in Burlington, Berkeley, or Cambridge." Meanwhile, Taylor Swift was the most-streamed artist on Spotify globally, with more than 26.1 billion streams since January 1, previously, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist for three years in a row. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman has opened up about her decision to charge friends and family a staggering £150 a head for Christmas dinner. Carla Bellucci recently moved from her Hertfordshire home after receiving hate for her past financial moves, including splashing out £10,000 on her daughter's 18th birthday bash and admitting to getting a free nose job on the NHS during an appearance on This Morning in 2019. Speaking about her decision and being called a Scrooge by trolls, Carla simply responded: "Get stuffed, with all the trimmings." She explained how she's expecting nine people at her Christmas dinner this year, and that it's not cheap to put on a full spread. "It’s not cheap feeding people and it also takes a lot of time to put together a nice meal," she said. I’ll give them a glass of Champagne, but if they want any more booze, they can bring their own. Carla continued: "Everything I do is for profit and my family understands that. If you want quality, you have to pay for it." The former OnlyFans model, who made £40,000 and quit because she found the site "tacky," went on to say that while a carvery would be a cheaper option, her "dinner is going to be a lot more classy than that." "It wouldn’t be any cheaper if you went to a restaurant or hotel for a Christmas Day meal, so why should I be out of pocket? "I’ll have the telly on in the background so they can listen to the King at 3pm and watch whatever they like," she continued. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Anthony Bourdain’s comments about Henry Kissinger in his 2001 book have resurfaced following the controversial politician’s death. The former United States Secretary of State died at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday 29 November. During his lifetime, some called for Kissinger to be charged with war crimes. And, it seems the beloved late chef Bourdain was not a fan of his after scathing comments from the book 'A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal' resurfaced. After a visit to Cambodia, Bourdain wrote, “You’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands”, because of his approval of a secret and illegal war there. Kissinger is believed to be responsible for the deaths of between 150,000 to 500,000 Cambodian civilians after ordering the secret carpet bombing of Cambodia and Laos over four years from 1969. 540,000 bombs were dropped by the US. Bourdain wrote: “You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking.” He continued: “Witness what Henry did in Cambodia ― the fruits of his genius for statesmanship ― and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to [Serbian President Slobodan] Milošević.” It was not the only time Boudain mentioned Kissinger’s name with disdain after Bourdain responded to comments that he had become a kind of “statesman” due to the way his work had brought awareness around global conflicts and struggles. Bourdain argued, “I’m not going to the White House Correspondents’ dinner. I don’t need to be laughing it up with Henry Kissinger”. “Any journalist who has ever been polite to Henry Kissinger, you know, f*** that person,” Bourdain said. “I’m a big believer in moral grey areas, but, when it comes to that guy, in my view he should not be able to eat at a restaurant in New York.” There's been plenty of takes on social media to the news. As people around the world have reacted to the news of his death, an X/Twitter account called “Is Henry Kissinger Dead Yet?” simply wrote “YES” in a post. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It's that time of year again, and Spotify Wrapped is all over our timelines. After 12 months of listening, people's (often questionable) music tastes are out in the open for everyone to see. Since first launching in 2017 it's become one of the most talked about things on the internet, with everyone getting a chance to show off how eclectic their listening has been over the past year. But as well as all the serious posts from earnest music lovers, there are plenty of hilarious spoof takes doing the rounds too as Spotify Wrapped gets the meme treatment. These are the funniest takes we've seen so far. It's been revealed that in the UK, the most streamed artists were Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd. Arctic Monkeys were fourth, while Ed Sheeran was fifth. Some of the most popular songs were 'Sprinter' by Dave, 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus and 'Kill Bill' by SZA. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Everyone’s heard of Pepsi – but far fewer people have any idea how the famous cola-flavoured drink actually got its name. Pepsi traces its roots back to 1893, when it was named “Brad’s Drink” by its inventor Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist in New Bern, North Carolina. Then, it was designed to help people struggling with their digestion, which gives you a clue as to where the later name comes from. The drink started growing popular, and Bradham decided it was time for a rebrand. After a false start with “Pep Kola” – doesn’t quite roll off the tongue – he eventually settled on Pepsi-Cola. And the Pepsi bit? That comes from the medical word for indigestion or heartburn, which the drink was initially designed for: dyspepsia. Many readers will probably have experienced it at some point, but here’s a crash course in the symptoms. Dyspepsia is when you get acid reflux from your stomach. It can also involve inflammation of the gullet, a stomach ulcer, or even stomach cancer. The name could also be linked to Pepsin, the enzyme found in all of our stomachs that helps us with our digestion. It’s all a far cry from Kylie Jenner’s famous Pepsi commercial from a few years ago, or the many other glamorous stars that have helped sell the drink over the years. People were understandably surprised when they learned the real reason for the name on social media. One person said: “I was today years old when I learned that.” "I had no idea," said another. Now manufactured by Pepsico, the fizzy drinks now have 50 percent less sugar in them than in previous years, as part of a health drive in the industry. A two-litre bottle of Pepsi will now have 91g of sugar, reduced from 213g. The classic Pepsi, which comes in a blue can, will now have 4.55g of sugar per 100ml. In a statement on its website, Pepsi says: “We have worked hard to make sure our new classic Pepsi maintains the great taste that people expect while removing sugar and calories.” How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

One eagle-eyed fan spotted a Kourtney Kardashian lookalike in a photo taken in 1912 and people can’t believe the resemblance. The uncanny spot was discovered by California real estate agent and Cuban singer Karina Nuvo who found Kardashian’s doppelganger in an old photograph she happened to see while getting lunch at a local supermarket. Nuvo took a video of the picture and shared it on TikTok, captioning the post: “Was Kourtney Kardashian alive in 1912?” In the picture, a school teacher dressed in an Edwardian-style ruffled high-neck blouse and full skirt looked exactly like the modern-day reality TV star. It’s not the first instance of a celebrity appearing to defy time after Taylor Swift fans dubbed her a “time traveller” after a lookalike was spotted in a 1981 advert. Nuvo also shared the post on Instagram, explaining further: “I went to grocery outlet yesterday to get some soup because I’ve been sick for three days and I see a picture of a school house from 1912 and the teacher looked like Kourtney Kardashian so I thought that was funny.” @lanuvovidakarina Doppelgänger at a Grocery Outlet @Kourtney Kardashian Barker #groceryoutlet #altadena #schoolhouse #1910s #twin #twinsoftiktok #doppelgänger #fyp The video has been viewed 3.7 million times on TikTok and many in the comments agreed that she is indeed Kardashian’s lookalike. “It’s her doppelgänger for sure!” one TikToker commented. Another wrote: “My jaw fell straight to the floor.” Someone else joked: “She was fed up since AGES ago.” Other people also suggested that one of the children in the photo resembles Kardashian’s 11-year-old daughter, Penelope. “Her and Penelope from a past life,” read one comment. Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

A bunch of eerie 'witch bottles' have been washing up on shores across the Gulf of Mexico, leaving researchers freaked out. Jace Tunnell, a researcher for the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, shared the discoveries on his YouTube channel where he explained how people stuff the 'spell bottles' with a variety of things including herbs or sharp objects. He said that many believe they offer protection, before disposing of them in a range of places including in oceans or burying them in back gardens. In a recent Facebook post, Tunnell shared his latest finding, writing: "Witch bottle! We find these every once in a while. Folks in certain cultures around the world put vegetation or other objects in a bottle. They are counter magical devices whose purpose is to draw in and trap harmful intentions directed at their owners." Many fellow Facebookers were left intrigued, with one writing: "I want to know what happens when you open it!" Another added: "Bottles can tell such varied and interesting stories and can survive for so long in such varied conditions. So this pic is my fav this week." Meanwhile, a third user penned: "Witch here. I love making witch bottles for various spells of protection and whatever else my intentions are. This looks newer to me, but certainly don't open it. You never know what's inside. Great find!" #Beachcombing - Witchcraft www.youtube.com In a discussion with Fox News Digital, Tunnell acknowledged that while he doesn't feel creeped out by the bottles, he would never open one. He said: "I mean, they're supposed to have spells and stuff in them – why take the chance?" Tunnell opted for a safer alternative and instead displayed the bottles along his fence. "My wife says I can bring shells inside, but no spell bottles," he joked. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ever wondered what your favourite meme would look like as a movie? Well, with the help of AI, you don’t have to wonder any longer. 'Movie' might be overselling it slightly, but artificial intelligence has turned one of the most-used memes on the internet into a video clip for the first time. The newly augmented version shows the new depth to the instantly recognisable image, which has been ubiquitous online over recent years. The distracted boyfriend meme has been a mainstay of internet culture since it first appeared back in 2017. It shows a man ogling another woman while walking with his partner – and now the short clip created using AI has given us an idea of what might have happened next. The clip was first shared by Twitter/X user @fofrAI, who created the clip using Stability AI's Stable Video tool. In the new, extended version of the meme, shared by the good people at Know Your Meme, it looks like the man has turned to walk towards the passing woman – abandoning his poor partner. One of the great scandals of the internet age, we’re sure you’ll agree. However, a AI-created clip sees him turn away towards his partner - just as the woman in red turns to face him. Right now, we don't know what to believe – and the clip provoked plenty of reaction. "I find it awe inspiring how many unnecessary, undesirable things AI can do," one unimpress social media user wrote. “Ai is scary,” another said, while another noted: “Yeah except that the girl on the left’s face warps like something out of a horror film.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

The opening of a McDonald's has sparked conspiracy theories after it's location was revealed to be the middle of the Canadian countryside. "Officially open for business. Our staff awaits you at our new restaurant at 8075 Marcel-Villeneuve, Laval," the restaurant wrote on Facebook. McDonalds' Jéremy Lévy said: "I am delighted to be involved with the community of Saint-François on the occasion of this opening. Growing up with a father who is also a McDonald's franchisee, I have had the opportunity to see him actively involved in the communities in which he operates his restaurants. Today, I am very excited to follow in his footsteps and get involved in the same way." However, the location has gone viral after a TikTok was uploaded by user @thumbs.up.canuck. The creator noticed the McDonald's and was left confused after seeing where it was situated, and claimed it didn't even appear to have electricity. @thumbs.up.canuck McDiesel fumes #mcdonalds #crazy "It's literally in the middle of farm field," they said. "It's surrounded by farm, and there's not even electricity yet. They're running the damn place on a generator! That's crazy!" After being viewed over 37,000 times, conspiracy theories have begun blooming from the video. "Then you know what's coming they wouldn't put it there for nothing," one user claimed. A second added: "In two years it will be surrounded by houses strategically planned." "All the surrounding farms are about to be purchased and sold to developers", a third comment read. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Footage of the moment a car crashed into a garage where a girl was sitting on Thanksgiving has gone viral. Sometimes near-misses need to be caught on camera to be believed because they are so unlikely. That was certainly the case for one woman who had a lucky escape when she was smoking and crying in her garage on Thanksgiving, just as a car crashed into it. X/Twitter user @littoladyluck shared unbelievable footage of a car accidentally reversing into her garage as she was filming a video. Two different clips showed what happened from inside the garage where she was “chilling” and from outside the garage as the accident occurred. In the caption, she explained: “I was chilling in the garage on Thanksgiving crying and smoking by myself listening to Mitski and a car crashed right into it… I can’t make this up.” The first video showed her sitting in her garage when all of a sudden there was a loud crash as the garage door was slammed into. In the second video, taken from an external camera, a white car was reversing and appeared to become out of control as it picked up more and more speed. The car first struck a palm tree that fell down and continued reversing until it struck the garage that @littoladyluck was in. The post has been viewed over 6 million times and viewers were equally shocked and amused by the situation, particularly given that the woman had the clown filter on as she was recording. “Girls aren’t allowed to do literally anything,” one person joked. Another commented: “It’s the filter and the zero survival instinct for me.” Someone else added: “Imagine them using this video as evidence in court.” Thankfully, @littoladyluck appeared physically unharmed by the incident. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Having kids is not easy. It requires a huge deal of sacrifice, compromise and patience and can sometimes feel like a pretty thankless task. And yet, not everyone feels comfortable admitting that they’d prefer to avoid such trials and tribulations by simply not becoming a parent. Enter Ellie Gonsalves, an Australian model and influencer who has sparked a fierce internet debate by sharing every single reason why she has chosen to remain “child free”. The L'Oréal ambassador posted her 118-point-long list to Instagram, explaining: “Societal pressure when it comes to this topic are (sic) truly questionable and I believe unfair towards those with differing opinions. “Very rarely do we see a voice in support of this… because let's face it, the public backlash can be too much.” Her arguments against starting a family include the risk that a child can “turn into a rapist”; that “they can poo inside you” and that you are “more susceptible to yeast infections while pregnant”. The full list is as follows: Inevitably, her catalogue proved divisive among readers, with one woman commenting: “Your 'list' on why you don't want kids are (sic) all negative, but how about the positives? The Positives completely outweigh. “Of course, it's a person's choice as to whether they want to be a parent,” she added. “But a lot of your list were (sic) very vain reasons [in my opinion].” Another added: “So much fear. Better not to have kids if that's what you will instil into them anyway. Gosh, so many self-centred people in this world.” However, others defended Gonsalves, with one asking: “Am I seriously reading comments from women who are offended by your decision..? What’s wrong with people?!?!. “It’s 1milliion percent (sic) your choice- end of story. I really don’t understand people sometimes.” And another said: “I’m with you. I’m 40, don’t have kids, and never wanted kids (...) I had a coworker ask me once, ‘If you don’t have kids, who’s going to take care of you when you’re old?’ I remember thinking, (and still do), that that’s a selfish reason to HAVE kids.” In her statement accompanying the list, the 32-year-old said that she had received “hundreds of DMs criticizing me [and telling] me how much of a horrible and broken person that I am.” She insisted that whilst some of the points she included are “satirical”, “many are serious and factual.” She added: “As someone in a 15-year relationship, I have [been asked whether I want kids] for almost that entire time and it’s probably the most frequent [question] I get.” She then said she could count “on one hand” the number of times people posing the question have been respectful and understanding of her views. Still, she stressed that she was glad that her message had resonated with so many women. “It's been nice to read hundreds of comments from people who feel seen, people who have also had uncomfortable moments where others have questioned their choice and all that has done is made them feel awful or uncomfortable,” she told Mamamia. She also said that the fury her list had provoked simply reinforced her argument. “People are sold a certain life,” she noted. “And when they witness others choosing a different path, the frustration lies within themselves.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings