Every Millennial cliché makes its way into Hasbro’s new board game, Tide’s new packaging looks like a wine box, Detective Pikachu is inspiring fan memes and videos, and more of what everyone is talking about on social media this week…
1. You Can’t Afford Real Estate In Hasbro’s “Monopoly for Millennials”
Hasbro’s new Monopoly tells Millennials, “Forget real estate. You can’t afford to buy it anyway.” The brand has combined every Millennial cliché into one board game where players don’t pay rent or buy real estate. Instead, they collect experiences that include attending music festivals, doing yoga, eating at a vegan restaurant, and staying on a friend’s couch. Even Mr.Pennybags gets in on the mocking, wearing a participation ribbon on the front of the game and holding a selfie stick on the back. It should come as no surprise that backlash to the board game was swift. While some (particularly older consumers) enjoyed the joke, many were offended by the often untrue generalizations placed on their generation—and the perceived mocking of their dire financial problems. Fortune reports that in a press release, Hasbro acknowledged the “endless struggles and silly generalizations” Millennials face.
2. Will Teens Drink Tide Out Of Their New Packaging?
Tide came out with new shipping-and-eco-friendly packaging this week, comparing it to a “shoe box” but the internet saw something else: a wine box. Earlier this year, teens started “eating” Tide pods when memes showcasing their Gusher-like colors went viral. It sparked think pieces from the likes of Salon and The New Yorker, musing on young consumers’ nihilist bent. And, in reaction to the rising toll of teens poisoning themselves, Tide put their product in plastic cases and rolled out an informative campaign. But now they’ve came out with another product that people are joking about consuming. Take it from @TonyRomm, who tweeted, “oh good. kids already think tide pods are candy, and now adults are going to think it’s franzia.” While Tide reiterated that detergent is not edible to BuzzFeed News, Vox is calling the new product a “marketing win” for the media exposure it’s garnering.
3. Detective Pikachu Electrifies The Internet
A new movie trailer has sent a spark through the internet, and while some are electrified with excitement, others think that the live-action remake has wandered deep into the uncanny valley. According to them, the upcoming Detective Pikachu takes Pokémon from cute to creepy. Regardless, the movie is earning tons of hype: the trailer has over 37 million views on YouTube and has spawned countless reaction videos and creative fan edits. Ryan Reynolds voices the beloved yellow character, and not everyone is happy about the casting choice. Some have gone so far as to dub the trailer with Danny Devito’s and Alex Jones’ voices, racking up laughs and views. Memes of the rodent and his Pokémon friends are also running rampant on Twitter, where most seem to side on the “creepy” side of the debate. Creepy or not, Pokémon-obsessed Millennials are sure to turn out to the theatres en masse for this.
4. White Influencers Are Being Called Out For Appropriation
This week, social media users put a Swedish model on the hot seat when they found out she was white, reports The Cut. Why? Because, according to BuzzFeed News and in the words of one social media user, “The girl was clearly posing as black, as she’s posted by many black pages etc.” But Emma Hallberg says she has been up front with anyone who asks about her race. In a direct message to a follower, she said, “Yes, I’m white and have never claimed to be anything else,” and chalked her skin color up to getting “a deep tan naturally from the sun.” The incident has sparked a conversation about what many Twitter users are calling “blackfishing,” and continues an ongoing debate about what crosses the line into appropriation. Influencer and writer Spicy Mayo tells Glamour, “I think everyone is obsessed with black culture and the perks of being black…but they aren’t equally obsessed with finding solutions for the issues that befall black people.”
5. Links We’re Passing:
Sodastream makes fun of Coke in their new commercial, Serena Williams was named GQ’s “woman” of the year and the quotation marks are causing controversy, Toy Story 4 and Dumbo both launched trending trailers this week, and a water bottle is involved in the latest beauty challenge.
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