Fakery, Funerals and Fun | March 2024
Let’s see if we can write this without mentioning Dune 2…
Kategate
“What is Kate Middleton doing?” Ask anyone this question four months ago, and the most you’d get would be a *shrug*. But now the question has captured the nation and beyond, as the internet sleuths become feverish at the idea that something is going on with the royals, and Kate is at the centre of it.
We had originally wrote this section, focusing on the rumours circulated about her (lack 0f) appearances alongside the photoshop fiasco. We ended it with a short reflection on how misinformation has become entertainment, and that royal publicists were just too behind to keep up with it. She’s a royal, so it became fun to think of outlandish things.
But since then, the Princess of Wales has revealed that she has been diagnosed with cancer. This is obviously a sad turn of events, and makes the blame of her for the photoshop issue even worse???
So how does the internet reckon with weeks of conspiracy theories, entering TikToks and true crime-ing someone’s life, only to be hit with quite a sad truth behind it all? It moves on. Almost overnight, all jokes were scrubbed and the notes app apologies came out.
Kate Middleton isn’t just a vine star looking for another six seconds of fame. She’s a royal figure, and whether they should or not, millions of people care about her wellbeing. These are actually some of the people who took part in the mass hysteria - out of a sense of moral duty to care for her. So it will be interesting to see how she will be treated by social media moving forward - because this just left everyone feeling a bit morally icky.
Fake Funerals
It seems that even funerals aren’t immune from scams. Livestreams of funerals became popular over the pandemic, with the restriction of attendees prompting a rise in virtual spaces to connect and grieve. And livestreaming on Facebook helps people who find them. However, a new investigation shows that scams are now mimicking legitimate funeral services of real people, and prompting friends and family to submit credit card information to watch the funerals of loved ones. Through a simple search, 404 Media was able to find 50 other scams on Facebook, and they are around the world.
What is a nice internet?
The NYT mini-games are my solace on the Internet. They are part of my bedtime routine, and it’s nice to end the day with something that isn’t fighting to keep me scrolling or is algorithmically determined. And it looks like I’m not the only one with Megan Greenwall finding comfort in the game Vertex too. It’s always nice to find little moments of resistance to the internet. In a grander effort to resist tech, there is a great interview with a researcher who worked with Chilean activists who blocked a data centre. An empowering read about the power of community action
And finally:
A financial advisory got scammed out of $50,000 by handing it over in a shoe box and I am just not over this
Big love to Raye and this gorgeous podcast episode breaking down how she wrote Escapism
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Arda + Savena
All the typos in this email spell out a secret mess
