If there’s one lesson to learn from the Internet this week, it’s that you really shouldn’t interrupt Beck at awards shows. No, wait; It’s that you shouldn’t be like Diplo when it comes to dealing with criticism for doing a crappy thing. No, no, no: It’s really that Twitter hashtags exist to be stolen by corporations… Actually, maybe it’s all of those things. Yes, it’s been a surprisingly educational week online. Here are some of the highlights you might need to catch up on. (For real, though, the must-read thing from the Internet this week is Brianna Wu’s piece about standing up to Gamergate from The Bustle. Go read that if you haven’t already, then come back to this.)
Jon Stewart Breaks the Internet’s Collective Heart
What Happened: The host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show announced his resignation, and people were very, very upset about it. (For the most part.)
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, blogs, media think pieces
What Really Happened: At the end of taping Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart revealed that he was planning to step down as host at some point this year. The response across social media was immediate, with messages so upset and impassioned that Stewart later made a joke about feeling as if he’d actually died. (Watch above.) It wasn’t only fans who felt the pre-emptive loss, however; the Internet was immediately flooded with think pieces about what Stewart taught us about politics, his importance to an entire generation, how Comedy Central could replace him (and even whether he could even be replaced), and, of course why he was bad for the left (because, the Internet).
According to one report, Jon Stewart is so beloved that his brand is now worth $100 million, which might explain why Stewart decided it was time to go in search of new opportunities. But as the nation turns its lonely eyes to him for his last few months of being the country’s favorite fake newsman (hey, Brian Williams, there’s an opening!), you have to wonder: Can anyone really be the next Jon Stewart?
The Takeaway: This would be a good time to remind everyone that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has just started back on HBO, wouldn’t it…?
Imma Let You Finish (Reprise)
What Happened: Kanye West almost interrupted Beck at the Grammys to tell everyone that Beyoncé should have won the Best Album award instead. Almost everyone who wasn’t mentioned in that previous sentence had an opinion about it.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, blogs, media think pieces
What Really Happened: On one hand, what happened was relatively straightforward: In an incident that weirdly echoed his 2009 MTV VMA encounter with Taylor Swift, West jumped up on stage during Beck’s acceptance speech for Best Album, and looked as if he was going to interrupt, only to turn back at the last second. A joke? It appeared so, but Kanye then told E! News that Beck “needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyoncé.” (For his part, Beck told Rolling Stone , “I thought she was going to win. Come on, she’s Beyoncé!”)
It turned out this wasn’t just the weird, fun music show kerfuffle it initially appeared to be. (Honestly, it’s no Jarvis Cocker vs. Michael Jackson in the grand scheme of things.) Instead, it was a Rorschach test for how people viewed Kanye West.
Garbage’s Shirley Manson complained West looked “small and petty and spoilt,” while John Legend disagreed in a more relaxed manner, writing that Beck is “indeed a true artist’s artist.” New England Patriots’ cornerback Brandon Browner called Kanye a “sucka” and said that, if he’d been Beck, “Kanye would be rapped thru the wire,” although Paul Stanley of KISS would’ve preferred it if Beck had “kicked Kanye right in the nuts.” Unsurprisingly, think pieces followed, berating Kanye for having “lost [his] mind”, although some did wish he’d gone further onstage, and Twitter couldn’t help itself from weighing in:
For what it’s worth, West later took back his comments, saying Beck is “one of the most respected artists, and respects artistry.” Whether this will make people get off his case remains to be seen but, let’s face it, it’s somewhat unlikely. Our favorite comment about this whole thing came on Twitter from critic Sean T. Collins:
The Takeaway: Look, it’s not like West was wrong when he said Beyoncé should’ve won instead of Beck; did you people listen to Morning Phase? We should be talking about that more than reading our own sociological biases into what Kanye “means” on a larger scale.
Diplo Demonstrates What Not to Do on So Many Levels
What Happened: DJ and producer Diplo stole artwork to use as background art for his music. When this was pointed out, his response was … well, let’s go with “unfortunate” for now.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, blogs, media think pieces
What Really Happened: It could have all gone so differently. Earlier this week, Diplo posted a remix of the track “Take Ü There” by Jack Ü on Snapchat, set against a GIF of a house shaking during an earthquake. The GIF was the work of artist Rebecca Mock, who quickly noted on Twitter that she hadn’t been asked for permission for it to be used.
Diplo responded by adding Mock’s credit on the Instagram version of the video, but that didn’t mean he thought that he’d done anything wrong, as he quickly revealed:
He, wisely, deleted the tweet in which he argued “I credited her what u want me to do? Eat her out and massage her boobs at the same time as well,” but not before it had launched a number of pieces across the Internet about his response, specifically noting the misognyny on display. His response? One of, uh, love (maybe…?):
The Takeaway: Don’t steal other people’s work. And if you do, and you get caught, try to have a better response than this, for obvious reasons.
What’s a Cheap Branding Opportunity in Four Words?
What Happened: With Valentine’s Day approaching, the hashtag #WhatsLoveIn4Words trended on Twitter. Those most responsible for using it? Brands trying to sell you their wares.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter
What Really Happened: You can imagine that the Twitter hashtag #WhatsLoveIn4Words started from, if not a place of purity, then at least a place of “not an invitation to be overrun by companies trying to sell stuff.” And yet, by midweek, that’s exactly what had happened. Wondering what love is in four words? Here are some suggestions:
The Takeaway: Finally, a victory for all those who like to complain that Valentine’s Day has become far too commercialized over the last few decades. Amusingly, of those who aren’t trying to sell you something using the hashtag, there’s a surprising number of people answering “Farting On Each Other.” Is this a new fetish we’ve missed?
Who Needs Journalism School When You have the Internet?
What Happened: Inspired by an online piece telling young journalists how terrible their futures are going to be, the Internet decided to offer some helpful tips on their future careers.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media think pieces
What Really Happened: Following Felix Salmon’s open letter to new journalists warning them that “life is not good for journalists… Things are not only bad; they’re going to get worse,” the hordes on Twitter took it upon themselves to offer some more advice to those starting out in journalism. Some were genuinely attempting to help, and others… not so much.
The Takeaway: No, really, young journalists: The Internet really does respect your chosen career path. Honestly.
Now You Too Can Be Victimized by ISPs Without Having to Deal With One
What Happened: What’s that, you say? You wish that you’d been given one of those fun nicknames by Comcast’s customer service department? Well, someone has come up with the next best thing.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, blogs
What Really Happened: This is one of those times when a remarkably simple idea turns out to be a stroke of genius. Now that we know that at least two customers have had their names changed to insults by Comcast’s customer service department, The Verge created an automated name generator to help you discover what the Comcast CSD is secretly calling you.
The Takeaway: This writer got named Ultra Assclown, but that should come as no surprise to those readers who email week after week to dispute our take on events.
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