This week on Passionfruit, it was all about creators. Shocking, right? We have MrBeast breaking another record, Kai Cenat eyeing up a ‘streamer university,’ a review of Adam McIntrye’s Chronically Online tour, and a Deep Linkers episode with Jeff May.
Most importantly, however, we learned how far one man would go to buy a dozen baguettes. For the full story on this and others, keep reading.
Kai Cenat Wants To Open a Streamer University
Being a creator might seem like a hands-on job, but with the help of Kai Cenat, you might want to start hitting the books. This is because, in a Feb. 13 stream, he floated the idea of what he calls a “streaming university.”
Logistically, Cenat said he could rent out a university over the course of a weekend to provide some education to streamers from all walks of life. Classes, he added, could include science with Mark Rober and a financial class run by MrBeast. This is all hypothetical of course, but in all honesty, it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I just hope that I can be taught by Trisha Paytas.
To read more, click here.
MrBeast’s Baguettes Beat “Despacito” as the Most Liked Video on YouTube
Eight years ago, Luis Fonsi released “Despacito.” Everyone’s favorite earworm quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, with the music video eventually breaking the record of the most-liked video in YouTube history. That is, until MrBeast came onto the scene.
Like “Despacito,” Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson and his content have become pop culture behemoths, but this all changed when Donaldson posted “Would You Fly To Paris For A Baguette?” back in 2022. Despite being released five years later than “Despacito,” it has since surpassed the music video’s total likes, which, most of all, shows us that we should never mess with a man and his baguette(s).
You can read the full article here.
Instagram Is Testing a ‘Dislike’ Button To Make The Comment Section More Friendly
Implementing a “dislike” button to make Instagram more friendly might feel a little counter-productive, but hear Meta out. On Feb. 14, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that they were testing a new “dislike” button next to Instagram comments.
However, as opposed to something like downvoting on Reddit, these dislikes will not be visible to others, meaning that there will be no public dislike count, and no one will know who disliked their comment. Instead, this thumbs down will, in theory, give people “a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment.” Which is great if you want to be a hater and not get caught.
Moreover, Mosseri suggested that this system might help inform how the platform will downrank certain comments in the future. But will a dislike button really make Instagram more harmonious?
Read more in the full article here.
Youtuber Live Shows Are the Future: A Review of the Chronically Online Tour
Recently, Steven Asarch went to watch Adam McIntyre live. McIntyre, 22, is best known for his drama-focussed YouTube channel, which has over 400,000 subscribers. As part of this tour, entitled ‘The Chronically Online Tour,’ he’s traveling around the US for (some sold out) shows in places like Chicago and New York.
Asarch attended opening night, which, despite McIntyre’s arguably smaller following, featured “over a hundred screaming fans throwing friendship bracelets on the stage.” Along with being iconic behavior, this shows that McIntyre’s fanbase is small but mighty. Thus, in his review, Asarch makes an important observation: don’t underestimate the power of mid-size and micro-influencers.
You can read the full review here.
The Evolution of ‘Gooning,’ From Urban Dictionary To Zoomer Insult
If you’re as chronically online as us, it’s likely that you’ve come across the term “gooning” before. If you don’t know what it means, you might want to remain in that blissful ignorance. However, now that I’ve been cursed with this knowledge, it’s only fair that I pass it down to you. Just be warned that things are gonna get a little explicit.
Gooning, in short, is a type of solo sex act usually performed by men. It involves watching pornography and “edging” while you’re masturbating, which refers to arousing yourself while preventing orgasm. Some claim that “gooning” can put people in a type of trance, which, according to Urban Dictionary, is the ultimate goal of “gooning.”
As K. Merrit points out, the term has evolved to become shorthand for calling a person a loser, and is an essential part of Gen Z lexicon.
To learn more about the origins and development of this term, read the full article here.
Passionfruit on YouTube: Deep Linkers Episode 11
For the eleventh episode of Deep Linkers, Drew Grant and Eric Rodriguez welcome Jeff May, a podcaster and YouTuber.
Like many content creators, Jeff May got his start in stand-up comedy, and his comedic prowess quickly helped him build a strong fan base online. He is now the host of three podcasts: Jeff Has Cool Friends, Ugh Fine We Have a Podcast, and Nerd! A Podcast. He also hosts I Must Break You, a YouTube series where he unboxes cards related to pop and nerd culture.
In his interview, he discusses everything from his content creation routine to the importance of implementing personal values in work. Needless to say, there’s a lot you can learn from May, so for the full episode, check out the video above.
