Do You Have A Grandma Hobby?

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Happy Wednesday, Future Party. Here’s a wild AI vibe check. The Kelce brothers’ beer brand, Garage Beer, and hydration company Liquid Death have joined forces on a very special mission — sending your pee to a data center near you. This, incredibly, is not a joke, with the companies already sold out of a branded resealable jar to hold your golden waste. Oh, and the accompanying commercial starring Jason Kelce is truly the funniest ad of the year.

AI-movie studio Ex Machina Studios has struck a first-of-its-kind deal with exhibition consortium Mayfair Media Group to put its slate of projects from Hollywood directors in theaters.

The Big Picture: While Hollywood proper debates how to implement AI in a way that respects human artists and creativity, some independent studios aren’t playing by the same rules. Time will tell if audiences gravitate toward fully AI-generated  movies… even with top talent behind the camera.

Behind The Scenes: AI-generated feature films will soon share the marquee with Hollywood blockbusters.

Final Credits: Ex Machina CEO Marco Weber said the company’s aim is to help “outstanding filmmakers to realize their vision and create original IP without traditional budgetary restrictions or green-light committees.” That budgetary element really sticks out, considering Paradise Lost and Heaven are both spectacle-driven epics that didn’t materialize at other studios because of their cost. Using AI seems to be the last shot at getting the movies made.

Of note, neither film has officially started production yet, underscoring just how quick the turnaround can be to make an AI-generated movie. Time will also tell if speed leads to quality.

Coming Soon: While a major subset of audiences may reject AI movies, enough people may be interested in them for a new industry to pop up alongside Hollywood.

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Gen Z is meeting up for social hobbies that were once considered boring in a bid to build consistent community.

Why It Hits: There’s been plenty written about the loneliness epidemic in America, especially how it’s been affecting young people in recent years. But Gen Z has now wisened up to how the digital revolution has atomized their generation… and is doing whatever it can to reverse it.

Between The Meets Ups: Grab your favorite quilt — it’s time to go out on a Friday night.

Last Call: Eventbrite calls this phenomenon the rise of “soft socializing,” which means being “with other people but networking is not the main focus.” Instead, people just want to be near each other, which is maybe why clothing retailers are turning stores into community hubs and new apps are popping up to help people find events near them.

Everyone now wants less of a reason to be on their phones.

The Future: Maybe everyone getting a grandma hobby won’t just partly cure loneliness, but also make us less anxious. Knitting can be very meditative.

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55.8% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Have you ever bought something from Foot Locker?

“But I was in Germany and wanted to buy Adidas shoes.”

“But not in quite a while. They narrowed their stock, and the stuff I liked didn’t make the cut, so I went elsewhere.”

“Yes, a pair of Air Jordans at a sidewalk sale in the late 1980s for $14.95, originally priced at $129.99. The salesman laughed at me because that style was two years old. I laughed at all the people who paid $129.99 for them two years earlier when other brands were going for less than $50.”

“Worked there in 1980.”

“It has been around since we were growing out of our shoes every quarter, so of course! But have I bought something there since I grew up? Nope.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

📺 ABC sued the FCC on First Amendment grounds over its accelerated review of eight ABC-owned local station licenses.

🎤 Madonna led the MTV VMA nominations with 11 nods for her new album, Confessions II.

🎙️ SXSW is rolling out a dedicated podcast festival in March starting next year.

👟 Nike’s stock slipped to its lowest level since 2014, with the company’s struggles partly tied to its heavy push into DTC sales.

🏎️ The McLaren F1 team partnered with MA Fashion students at the University of the Arts London on a collaborative capsule.

💳 Gen Z is all about premium rewards credit cards to rack up travel perks.

🎸 TikTok is bringing back its livestreamed Music On Stage competition.

💸 TikTok will also soon start letting users slide cash in each other’s DMs.

📱 Australia is putting the work of 10 of the country’s top creators in its National Film and Sound Archive.