CREATOR NEWSLETTER
Issue #180 | October 26, 2023
Oh, what a time to be young in the world: so much potential on the horizon: an infinite multiverse of possibilities, stemming from right this moment into that beautiful question mark of the future. Youth is wasted on the blah blah you get the point. I’m being ironic.
Never has the future seemed so apocalyptic, so inevitable, just that many ticks closer to the strike of midnight on the Doomsday Clock. I can’t imagine how terrifying life must be for those graduates who, having survived COVID and active shooter drills, are finding out the consolation prize to the millennial startup boom is recessionLite. Same crippling debt and ruinous financial forecast. No calories.
Also: no pension or pocket watch to look forward to, no career safety, no health insurance, and less reproductive freedom and economic security than their parents for the first time in history. Yes, it’s always been scary to venture into the world, but it’s got to mean something that this generation of up-and-comers will be the first to not be as well-off as the previous ones. We look on them not with envy but with pity; there is a distinct possibility that Gen Z will be the ones to witness humanity’s last pneumonic gasp before it belches itself out of existence.
Best-case scenario, maybe we get to the singularity sometime soon. But even that dystopia doesn’t seem as glamorous as “Black Mirror” promised: with their luck, Gen-Z will wake up to an eternal consciousness as a new autonomous driving feature in a next-gen combat Tesla.
Oh please, don’t waste your tears. It’s 2023: if these kids didn’t want to be used as the literal driving force in Elon Musk’s LithiuMind™ turbo tanks, they should have spent more time reading ChatGPT’s ToS.
At least so thinks Jason Calacanis, the embodiment of the schaden-Shitty Media Man-turned-venture capitalist-turned- Mr. Movies podcaster– turned “guy who texted work daddy Elon ‘You have my sword’ like a weird little LOTR LARPer.” You know, that old classic archetype.
THE COMMENTS SECTION
“Lord give me the confidence of a former reporter turned lottery winner by way of a lucky angel investment (who now steals the valor of legit tech investors) as he spends his time mocking young women online.”
– X user Sophie (@netcapgirl) on Jason Calacanis
Calacalanis goes by @Jason on X, which as everyone knows is the worst installment in a franchise that jumped the shark somewhere between Hell, Manhattan and outer space.
Much like Voorhees, Jason Calacanis loves nothing more than to terrorize young women, presumably also in retribution for having been left to drown in a shallow lake at a summer camp in New Jersey. Whether its taking on Taylor Lorenz on the (very-popular, still existing) Clubhouse app, Lydia Tar for being canceled in a 2022 film that wasn’t “Top Gun: Maverick” or a young woman sobbing about her first 13-hour workday, Calacanis is not afraid of rolling up his sleeves and punching down. A real-life M. Bison avatar (Musk variant) in a social media “X-Men vs. Street Fighter” throwdown.
Seriously, I am almost impressed by the mental gymnastics it must take a WFH millionaire podcaster to lecture Gen Z about how they should “teach yoga/skiing and sleep on someone’s couch” to toughen up. When Jason was younger, he caused survived three recessions! Uphill! Both ways!
@Jason’s vibes are truly only matched by that Star Wars troll whose co-host – a literal sock puppet – agreed that a video of a woman unboxing “Ahsoka” toys was “cringey.”
But maybe you just have to get to know him? I’ll let you be the judge: when asked to anonymously sum Jason up in a sentence, here’s how the people who have met and worked with Calacanis described him:
“Used car salesman of the tech VC world.”
“What if Draco Malfoy was from Brooklyn and his dad owned a bar?”
“Reliably dogshit tweets no matter the subject at hand.”
As Jason himself might say, “Sharpen your blades boys.” Presumably, the one still attached to the sword.
– Drew Grant, Managing Editor
NOTED BY LON HARRIS
Creators Get Revenge on AI with Nightshade
The new app doesn’t just block AI training, it sabotages the process.
By Lon Harris, Passionfruit Contributor
SPONSORED
Photos that shape, reinforce, and change our perceptions
Representation matters. That’s why the Noun Project has built the world’s most diverse collection of art-quality photos that celebrate diversity and set a new precedent for visual representation. Discover royalty-free images of a more inclusive world.
IN THE BIZ
- Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a lawsuit brought by 41 states alleging that it knowingly harmed children’s mental health by promoting addictive features and harmful content on its platforms.
- Cardi B, Anitta, and Charlie Puth are set to headline TikTok’s upcoming “In The Mix” live concert event, with up-and-coming artists from the TikTok Elevate program also slated to perform.
- X has rolled out audio and video calling features, which are currently available only on iOS.
- YouTube is expanding its lower monetization standards to creators in 37 more countries, meaning that 99 regions in total now can be eligible for monetization with fewer subscribers.
- Threads is introducing new features like polls and GIFs to enhance user engagement and interaction within the app.
- A regulatory delay is impacting Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition of Figma, causing a holdup in the company’s efforts to finalize the purchase.
CULTURE
Nintendo Announces New Rules for Community Esports Events, And Fans Aren’t Happy
The video game developer has a long history of fiercely protecting its IP, despite pleas from gamers to loosen up restrictions.
By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor
PERSONALITIES
Meet a Military Mom Who Discarded Her Corporate Career to Become a Successful TikTok and Instagram Influencer
It’s never too late to quit your corporate job and become an influencer—even if you’re a military mom.
By Jen Glantz, Passionfruit Contributor
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
- Movies with Mary watched 1988’s “Beetlejuice” for the first time.
- Just SUMM Reactions watched 1987’s “The Lost Boys”.
- Ashleigh Burton watched 1994’s “The Crow” for the first time.
- Reelin’ with Asia and BJ watched the 1976 horror classic “Carrie”.
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
Nick Lutsko told Passionfruit the history behind his banger “Spirit Halloween Theme Song” during our interview. Watch the whole interview on Monday on our YouTube channel. Subscribe so you don’t miss it!
Copyright © 2022 Passionfruit, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to get the latest tips, tricks,
and trends in the creator economy from Passionfruit.
Have an idea for our next big story or want to get featured? Email us at tips@passionfru.it
Don’t want to hear from us anymore?
Click here to unsubscribe
To view in your browser click here
