One man’s sliced Panera bagel has evolved into a viral meme, unrealistic bath time ads are being mocked, everyone is curious about Kanye West-hosted church services, and other stories riling up the internet this week…
1. Why Sliced Bagels Set the Internet Ablaze This Week
People take bagels very, very seriously. This week, @AlekKrautman posted a picture to Twitter with a box of bagels sliced—not horizontally—but vertically like loaves of bread with the caption, “Today I introduced my coworkers to the St Louis secret of ordering bagels bread sliced. It was a hit!” Twitter was quick to debate, as they usually are when it comes to food controversies (remember mayo ice cream?). But then, according to Eater, social media spiraled into a full-on take-down of St. Louis with a new meme that denotes any atrocious food “St. Louis style.” @melip0ne had St. Louis style steak and bananas while @HaverOfOpinions introduced coworkers to PB&J-on-the-outside sandwiches. @ChipsAhoy got in the trend, and @VT_Ben even called Fyre Festival’s infamous cheese sandwich a “st. louis style grilled cheese.” And according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Panera’s marketing team isn’t wasting any time; the brand already released an apparel line featuring “sliced in Saint Louis” on the back and is putting up billboards that say, “STL Proud, #saintlouisstyle.”
2. Advertisers Have No Idea What We’re Doing In the Bath
A Twitter thread is taking on the comically unrealistic photos that advertisers use to depict women’s self-care time in the bath, reports Time. @doodlyroses kicked off the trend with a thread that now has over 46,000 likes, featuring an image of a woman with so many beverage and entertainment options on her bath tray she would surely transform into one big wrinkle before getting out, aptly captioned “The people who manufacture bathtub trays seem to have no idea what women actually do in the bath and I find that strangely comforting.” Others followed suit, posting similar pictures full of lattes, both red and white wine (in the same pic), family-sized cheese boards, and multiple devices (even multiples of the same device). Of course, this isn’t the first time unrealistic ads have been the butt of the internet’s jokes (ahem, Peloton).
3. The Internet Wants to Know Everything About Kanye West’s Weekly Church Service
Kanye West started a church service about four months ago, but his recent venue relocation to an undisclosed open-air area has brought attention back to the rapper’s surprising new hobby. The Sunday events have transformed into a who’s-who of Hollywood’s elite with Nylon reporting that Katy Perry, Busy Phillips, Orlando Bloom, and Courtney Love have all been spotted there. The Cut explains that about 50 people seem to be at the services, all singing to gospel songs and Kanye hits like “Father Stretch My Hands” performed by a “Yeezy-clad choir.” With the public’s curiosity piqued, an unofficial Instagram dedicated to the event has cropped up, compiling all the photos and videos into an account that has over 32,000 followers. Some of the most popular posts are of the already-celebrity-status next generation of Kardashians (and Kardashian-Wests) dancing to the music.
4. Keen (Kindly) Claps Back At Gucci For Lookalike Design
Call-out culture is viral currency these days, with Diet Prada making sure no knockoff style slides past the internet’s radar. But Keen took a different tack on the trend, going the light-hearted route for their clap back against Gucci’s copycat sandal-sneaker hybrid. Keen is known for their outdoor gear, and their Newport style sandal has become an activewear staple—even its toe guard is patented. Gucci tapped into the active trend this week with their release of $890 footwear that Keen fans were quick to call out as derivative. But Keen wasn’t offended; instead, they told The New York Times that “When we see big brands, especially sophisticated fashion brands, trying to capture some of that, we think it’s pretty cool…we were humbled and kind of flattered.” So instead of fanning the flames of the controversy, they created a social media post that mimicked Gucci’s, and posted it with the caption “Dear @Gucci. We’re inspired by your inspiration from our inspiration. XOXO KEEN Team.” Gucci did not respond.
5. Links to Pass:
A Twitter prank is trolling people into getting booted from the platform, Salasei’s Lynch Mob Coat doesn’t reference what you think it does, Sophie Turner turned the tables on paparazzi, and a controversial influencer has posted a plot twist: she’s giving up influencing and going to college.
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