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In other news… the writers strike gets social, Netflix cracks down on password-sharing, and podcasts want to solve the loneliness crisis.
Top Trends
YouTube → Haunted Mansion
Twitter → Asteroid City
Google → The Idol
Reddit → Oppenheimer vs. Barbie
TikTok → “Paper Planes” - M.I.A.
Spotify → “The Fall” - Gregory Alan Isakov
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ENTERTAINMENT
The writers strike hits the socials
The Future. Hollywood writers have expertly co-opted Twitter into its PR machine about the writers strike. The barrage of posts and updates has helped turn the tide in their favor (at least in the court of public opinion) and shine a light on niche, writer-specific issues that have real-world impact. The success may demonstrate that social media is a game-changer in organizing not just trends but bonafide labor movements.
Picket PR
Twitter has become the go-to hub for writers strike information and inspiration.
Updates on pickets are posted in real-time, allowing for writers to disseminate information and know which studios or productions need more people.
Writers have been continually sharing work abuses, which has helped build solidarity, galvanize other Hollywood unions, and win over outside parties.
It’s also been used to showcase what writers do best: create. That includes cutthroat memes of studio heads and satirical accounts of the AMPTP’s lead negotiator.
In the words of Mark Blutman (Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World), “Social media in times like this are our friend and we are overwhelmingly on the side of public opinion, in part, thanks to social media.”
Talk about controlling the narrative.
ENTERTAINMENT
Pay to unlock // Illustration by Kate Walker
Netflix password crackdown debuts in the US
The Future. Netflix subscribers recently received an email detailing how the company will start to block login attempts from devices outside of the home. The scheme is an attempt to wring close to the actual amount of revenue that should be generated from all the people watching Netflix, even if they haven’t been paying for it. While Netflix may not be able to convert every viewer, signing up people at half price may boost profits just when Wall Street cares about that most.
Paywalled
Netflix is ready to make American freeloaders pay.
If the account holder wants to allow a person outside of the home to access the service, they’ll need to add them as an “extra member” for an additional $7.99 per month.
Otherwise, they’ll need to transfer that person’s profile into a new paid account.
But, Netflix says people will still be able to log into their account at hotels and other rental properties when traveling (good luck to Netflix on figuring that out).
Netflix noted that its password-sharing crackdown — which has now rolled out in most countries — won’t juice up subscriber numbers but instead count as higher revenue per subscriber.
In actuality, Netflix expects to lose subscribers next quarter because of the crackdown, similar to how the platform loses subscribers whenever they raise the monthly price.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Film and TV podcasts try to recreate the watercooler
The Future. Thanks to official podcasts from TV studios and a bevy of independent podcasts, the conversation around hit shows has migrated from a conversation you have with others to a conversation you listen to. With streamers giving few shows packaged behind-the-scenes content, the companion podcast may be the new form of DVD extra features.
Social earworms
The new watercooler may be your podcast library.
Every hit show from Succession to RuPaul’s Drag Race now has an accompanying podcast (or seven) that recaps, discusses, and analyzes each episode… and they’re big hits.
That includes a mix of official podcasts from studios like HBO and Netflix, branded shows from legit publishers like Vanity Fair and The Ringer, and fan-made productions.
Even older shows are now the subject of his podcasts, especially with former cast members joining, not just as special guests, but sometimes even hosting them as well (i.e., Office Ladies, hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey).
As streaming transforms TV watching from a universally-scheduled activity to an individually-scheduled one, the companion podcast may allow people to jump into a watercooler conversation whenever it suits them best.
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Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Media, Music, & Entertainment
Under the hand of David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery officially dropped the HBO part of the name of HBO Max yesterday and requires subscribers to download a separate app to access. Read more → variety
Universal Music Group is collabing with sound wellness company Endel to create music soundscapes for daily activities like sleep and relaxation” that adhere to artist copyrights. Read more → thr
Chicken Soup for the Soul’s various AVOD services (Crackle, Redbox, etc.) is rolling out a reward system where viewers can earn coins while watching content that they can use to bid for prizes and buy products. Read more → deadline
Fashion & E-Commerce
Subdued luxury sales in the US have put a wrinkle in fashion stocks, clipping roughly $30 billion in value from the industry in a single day. Read more → bloomberg
But a surge in sales among Chinese youth may make China the top buyer of luxury clothing and accessories by 2025. Read more → businessoffashion
Sweetgreen rolled out a totally automated salad restaurant that uses a system called Infinite Kitchen. Read more → insider
Tech, Web3, & AI
After a ruling by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, Meta has no choice but to sell Giphy to Shutterstock for $53 million — a $262 million loss. Read more → forbes
Social media may be the new smoking: the US Surgeon General has issued a warning on social media, detailing how the technology negatively impacts teens. Read more → axios
BuzzFeed is entrenching itself even more with AI with the release of a kitchen assistant called Botatouille (lol), which helps with recipes from BuzzFeed’s food brand, Tasty. Read more → nyt
Creator Economy
Cameo is now SAG-covered, meaning union performers will now be able to count their earnings on the platform toward their pension and health benefits. Read more → thr
The Minnesota state senate passed a bill that would guarantee gig workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, will receive a minimum wage and other employee benefits. Read more → nyt
VRchat is getting into the creator economy with new monetization tools. Read more → tubefilter
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Editing by Melody Song. Publishing by Sara Kitnick.May 24