that's sick
Katy Perry's Non-Explanation For Working With Dr Luke, And More Of This Week's 'One Main Character'
Every day, somebody says or does something that earns them the scorn of the internet. Here at Digg, as part of our mission to curate what the internet is talking about right now, we rounded up the main characters on X from this past week and held them accountable for their actions.
Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it
— maple cocaine (@maplecocaine) January 3, 2019
This week, we've got a confused comedian, yet more awful AI-generated content, laughable "dirt" on Tim Walz and Katy Perry attempting to dodge some valid criticism.
Monday
Bert Kreischer
The character: Bert Kreischer, comedian, concerned Rite Aid customer
The plot: On Monday, September 2, comedian Bert Kreischer wandered into a Los Angeles Rite Aid and posted a video of the store, which had barren shelves, to X.
"Everything is gone," Kreischer says in the video, while panning across the aisles to show empty racks. "Looks like it's been looted," he adds.
What’s going on @riteaid???? pic.twitter.com/1ZlzIXi1YD
— bert kreischer (@bertkreischer) September 3, 2024
Kreischer was technically right; Rite Aid was looted, but not by the people alluded to by the comedian — it was cleared out by the banks. The company recently went bankrupt to settle with lenders and creditors, and in the process, hundreds of the stores it has scattered across America have been closed.
The repercussion: It's hard to tell if Kreischer's gone meta with this bit — at one point, he says, "when I moved to LA, you came to Rite Aid and spent the f—ing afternoon looking around" — but X's community notes got to him quick. With 15 million views, by whatever measure X continues to use, this might become one of his most popular sets this year. A lot of people were weirdly kind to Kreischer in the replies, but the bullies were extra mean.
Lmfao spending the afternoon looking around rite aid. Stop it
— The Saurus (@TheSaurus831) September 3, 2024
Nothing sinister big guy, Rite aid is closing down. Walgreens is going to buy whatever is left on the cheap.
— Glen Graham MSEd (@coachglen) September 3, 2024
The spike was peak “hanging out for an hour just looking around” time
— Willdoesediting (@willdoesediting) September 3, 2024
Starting to understand why it took this guy 8 years to graduate from FSU https://t.co/opx1Ds3bZQ
— Indie Sleaze Groyper (@BustinTrudeau) September 3, 2024
Rogan Orbiters when they have to do their own shopping: https://t.co/ab87SdRAF0 pic.twitter.com/qLBdhqSo0O
— Big Linguine (@BoilTheory) September 3, 2024
my personal favorite late-stage capitalism effect is a bewildered Bert Kreischer walking around closing pharmacy chain locations, speculating that the store was robbed and videotaping himself crying. https://t.co/4goTEugeSi
— Sean Donnelly (@_SeanDonnelly) September 3, 2024
Adwait Patil
Monday
Minimax
The character: Minimax, text-to-video generative AI, nightmare machine
The plot: AI booster @aisolopreneur posted an X thread of AI-generated videos reportedly made with a Chinese AI service called Minimax. And while each one of these clips are presented as if they're supposed to be impressive, they're some of the worst garbage we've ever seen in our lives.
Yesterday, a Chinese company released an alarmingly advanced text-to-video AI:
— The AI Solopreneur (@aisolopreneur) September 2, 2024
Minimax.
It's like a Hollywood studio in your pocket.
10 mind-bending examples (plus how to access it for free): pic.twitter.com/m6fJrNCLQd
The repercussion: How is it possible for someone to look at this footage, and walk away impressed? If "AI guy" wasn't such a common archetype of X user, we'd assume that this was parody — but as far as we can tell, this is entirely sincere.
After wasting several minutes of our lives watching these terrible video clips, we're even more convinced that the AI bubble is bound to explode in the most messy way imaginable.
this is straight up the funniest thing i've seen in weeks https://t.co/Bhtyxv5Plz
— mrs. curio (@reachartwork) September 3, 2024
This cannot the example they led with https://t.co/BcbLAScR5Z
— george slopadopolus (@mustachetoilet) September 3, 2024
scrolled past this dozens of times without turning the sound on. huge mistake. oh my god https://t.co/AZ0iHxSd8I
— zach silberberg (@zachsilberberg) September 3, 2024
https://t.co/b9n2xAr6jp pic.twitter.com/gbRs2IM1IQ
— ♣️Hax♣️ (@HaxArts) September 3, 2024
me coming up to another dude jorking my lightsaber, just straight up cranking that shit https://t.co/UqU4VOKoO4
— C? (@CupidEnigma) September 3, 2024
this is the kind of austere, grown up lightsaber choreography disney has been looking for. They gotta get in on this. holy shit. https://t.co/gOLnOb9fUY
— マクロス instain mother (@instain_mother) September 3, 2024
"alarmingly advanced" btw https://t.co/VwM9KOQB5c pic.twitter.com/WfnmWgpCA6
— shi.wtf - unused MGS boss Cute Notman (@ur_pal_shi) September 3, 2024
"Ai will cure disease, lead to 3 day work weeks and...ah hell, we know what you Tech bros really want so lets not even pretend to hide it anymore" https://t.co/IqIMgPHVwv
— Dom MacKinnon (@MackinnonDom) September 3, 2024
Everyone is talking about the dumb lightsaber ai video but none is talking about the creepy lesbian twin sisters kissing each other?? https://t.co/pFK59H3VJc
— T-Money the Kiss Giver (@JackieJasp12694) September 4, 2024
Grant Brunner
Wednesday
Jeff Walz
The character: Jeff Walz, brother of Kamala Harris's running mate Tim Walz, tattletale
The plot: Minnesota governor Tim Walz was recently named as VP Kamala Harris’s running mate in the upcoming presidential election, and his witty remarks and wholesome dad vibe have won him many fans across the US. One person who's not so keen on him, however, is his brother Jeff.
Over on Facebook, Jeff Walz, who is a registered Republican, recently alluded to some skeletons in his brother's closet that he suggested would sway people from backing him in November.
"The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future," he wrote. Sounds dark.
Except... not really.
When NewsNation correspondent Rich McHugh asked Jeff to elaborate, it emerged that the only "dirt" he has on Tim is that he used to throw up in the car as a child.
lol pic.twitter.com/PCfy7GAXdq
— Zeeshan Aleem (@ZeeshanAleem) September 4, 2024
The repercussion: Supporters of Tim Walz were amused to see yet another person trying — and failing — to malign Tim, who continues to come across as a pretty decent guy. It's just a shame it's his own brother doing it this time.
Tim Walz's brother missed a crucial opportunity to frame Tim's vomiting on his siblings as displaying lack of judgment (about how sick he was, about the exact moment he was going to get sick, about how to consider his community while getting sick). How can we trust him w/nukes?
— Zeeshan Aleem (@ZeeshanAleem) September 4, 2024
Every story used to malign him either results in being: charming, evidence of competence in governing, and/or totally relatable
— Stephanie Boyle (@snboyle) September 4, 2024
GOP deep oppo research: pic.twitter.com/x4C7B5tTPx
— Lauren Gilbert (@LaurenNGilbert) September 4, 2024
-“I’ve got many stories of my brother” 😈
— Politics Sloth 🧦🌐🇬🇷🇺🇸 (#1 reply guy) (@SockDemFan) September 4, 2024
*Conservatives tremor with excitement* 🫨
-“One time when we were kids, he threw up on me” 🤮
They really have nothing on Walz 😂
oh man he gets car sick?? Disqualifying for a VP.
— Aaron Siegel (@AaronDSiegel) September 4, 2024
If anything this makes Walz more impressive - having grown up in such close proximity to stupidity like this but not allowing it to impact him
I’m so sick of the left denying walz’s many personal issues as a candidate, such as his childhood motion sickness, or the fact that his son loves him. https://t.co/ivk9rrRUOx
— Spencer (@thesixler) September 4, 2024
it actually fucking rules that their deep dark family lore is "when Tim was a child he got car sick" https://t.co/rUJ4YY5AUO
— vanoreo (@vanoreo_) September 4, 2024
Darcy Jimenez
Wednesday
Katy Perry
The character: Katy Perry, pop star, repeat Main Character
The plot: This isn't the first time Katy Perry has appeared on our Main Character list; she was included around a month ago because of her poorly received single "Woman's World" — and the controversy sparked by her latest project hasn't stopped there.
In the weeks since the single dropped, Perry has received considerable backlash for working with Dr Luke, the producer that singer Kesha accused of sexual assault, on her new album. During a recent interview for the Call Her Daddy podcast, the pop star was asked to explain the decision, and people are less than satisfied with her response.
— media (@ENTplus_) September 4, 2024
The repercussion: Perry's answer isn't so much an explanation as meaningless waffle — with "feminist" buzzwords thrown in — that dodges a question she really ought to have a good answer for.
People were both disappointed by her response and frustrated that the interview wasn't with an actual journalist, who would have seen through the BS and pressed her for a real explanation.
the way she didnt even answer the question lol
— Seddera Side 🇵🇸 (@sedderaside) September 4, 2024
Call her daddy: why did you work with Dr Luke
— Joe Gunn (@joegunn) September 5, 2024
Katy Perry: pic.twitter.com/EkLWtpYlNQ
I hate how no one sits down with real journalists anymore cuz no one asks follow ups to these non-answers https://t.co/hJ718ZCdJv
— . (@kingbealestreet) September 4, 2024
I’m not sure who’s on her team…but there’s no way they thought that mentioning that she’s a mother and a woman would help her in this case.
— ladidai (@ladidaix) 💋 see linkinbyeo (@ladidaix) September 4, 2024
Because his victim is also a woman and someone’s child 😵💫😬
She doesn’t believe he did it. Or she doesn’t care. That’s the answer.
“Why did you choose to work with Dr. Luke?”
— 布鲁诺 (@bierreuno) September 4, 2024
Katy Perry:pic.twitter.com/aWI7R8lxy9 https://t.co/oQDLvemVoQ
so the answer is just that you wanted to ?!?!?!?!?!?!?? https://t.co/E7E7hKxCGV
— trin (@lovelltrin) September 4, 2024
Darcy Jimenez
Read the previous edition of our One Main Character column, which featured GameSpot selling out, Lily Allen admitting to returning her adopted puppy, a cyclist who didn't brake on time, a hustler with no friends and X users concerned for Ludacris's health.
[Image credit: Call Her Daddy]