Newsletter: Could your internet repairman be a spy?
Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today's edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: A Walmart customer filming an employee's rampage after getting fired right before the holidays, why experts are warning that recently introduced legislation would expand government surveillance and could potentially make employees at businesses into spies, a student coming up with a creative solution for a ban of DoorDash orders at school, and an explainer of the meme icon Kermit the Frog.
After that, our Senior Reporter Audra has a "That One Sound" column for you.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today's top stories
???? LABOR
‘That was her LAST straw’: Walmart worker gets revenge after they fired her right before the holidays
A Walmart customer recorded a rampage from an employee of the chain they say was precipitated by their firing that occurred right before the 2023 Holiday season.
???? TECH
‘Biggest expansion since the Patriot Act’: Why a small provision in a new surveillance reform bill is raising serious concerns
Experts are warning that legislation recently introduced and passed by the House Intelligence Committee would vastly expand the federal government’s surveillance capabilities, potentially turning everyday employees at American businesses into spies.
????️ VIRAL
‘$20 tip automatically’: Student not allowed to DoorDash food to school. So he comes up with a creative solution
A high school counselor on TikTok showed how one of her students finding a creative loophole to ordering DoorDash while at school.
???? MEMES
Kermit the Frog: A meme icon
From expressing sarcasm to articulating internal dilemmas, Kermit memes have a way of capturing various aspects of the human condition with humor and relatability.
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???? That One Sound
By Audra Schroeder
Senior Culture Reporter
Laurie Anderson’s ‘O Superman’ is the sound of coincidence on TikTok
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. “That One Sound” is a weekly column from senior internet culture writer Audra Schroeder that explores the origin of popular sounds heard on TikTok. It runs on Wednesdays. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
????️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the 'net.
✉️ People online think that a postal worker sabotaged a bride's wedding invitations after she ordered "standard" stamps.
???? Almost everyone has used the testers at Sephora to try a product before buying it. But one woman took it a step too far when she applied a full face of makeup, using only the testers.
???? The self-professed “fast food expert” is back, and this time, he’s brought with him the recipe for another famous chain restaurant sauce.
???? A Church’s Chicken customer was able to clear up the mystery surrounding the franchise’s new holiday giveaway that has left many customers scratching their heads.
???? It's no secret that Netflix is no longer the king of streaming content. Here are the best streaming service alternatives you should ditch Netflix for.*
???? Working in the restaurant industry can be stressful for sure, but TikTok viewers are divided after one customer lamented over what she calls the “rudest” dining experience ever.
???? Recently, there’s been an uptick of workers filming themselves sharing their customer pet peeves. Through a skit, a Target worker taunted a “customer” who covered their PIN as they paid, stirring debate.
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???? Question of the Day
Everyone's got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered.
HAVE YOU EVER SENT SOMEONE A 'BREAKING BAD' MEME?
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???? Before you go
A Sunoco customer in Philadelphia complained about a gas station attendant who took $30 from her for gas. When the pump stopped at $25, and she went back to check in with the attendant, she found the doors to the gas station locked—odd for 3:30 p.m. on a Saturday.
The TikTok video documenting what appeared to be a worker apparently burning it all down to pocket $5 came from creator Tilly (@cryfest), who shared her story on Sunday and got more than 17,100 views.
She began by explaining that she had $30 in cash leftover from a larger purchase and decided to get gas with it. She recalled giving $30 to the clerk and requesting $30 worth of gas, saying that she had a “nice, pleasant interaction” with the worker. At one point, she even complimented them on their hoodie.
Then, she went to the car, pumped her gas, and the pump stopped at the $25 mark.
“I was like, ‘That’s weird,'” she recalled.
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