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Fun fact: The Nintendo Wii censor bar can be...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

When the Nintendo Wii came out in 2006, the little black bar that sat on top of your TV didn’t look like much.But without it, the Wii Remote’s motion controls didn’t work properly, which meant no bowling strikes or Mario Kart shortcuts. Turns out, though, the bar is a lot simpler than people think—and one TikTok shows you don’t even need it. TikTok creator James Elliot (@jamescastiglione) posted a clip of his son discovering that a pair of candles works just as well as the real sensor bar

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Can playing “The Legend of Zelda” really improve...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

Zelda isn't just one of the best-loved franchises in the world — it's also now scientifically proven to help your mental health. Experts from Imperial College in London, Kyushu Sangyo University, and Georgia State University teamed up to investigate how IPs like Zelda and Studio Ghibli can affect a person's happiness levels. The study consisted of selecting 500 students and asking them to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and watch Studio Ghibli films like My Neighbour Totoro ond

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“You will document your life so much less”: College...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

Most of us can’t go more than a few hours without checking TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat. Social media has become a constant backdrop to everyday life, whether it’s to keep up with friends, scroll for entertainment, or stay in the loop about what’s trending. But one college student decided to step away for nearly three years—and now she’s sharing what she realized she lost by doing so. Positives of returning to social media after a long break TikTok creator Billy (@1ilyp00h) posted a

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“Society is taught to disrespect labor”: Server...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

Your server is not responsible for the price of the $13 non alcoholic beverage you ordered. Server and fiber artist Brian (@wooltogold) explained why mocktails cost as much as alcoholic drinks in a TikTok video with 202.6 million views. In a post shared September 7, 2025, he said mocktails cost as much as alcoholic drinks because fake spirits cost as much, if not more, than alcoholic spirits. And consumers pick up the tab for the cost of ingredients, just as they’ve done “since the dawn of

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The best jokes and memes embraced by celebrities,...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

Being in the public eye means celebrities frequently become the butt of a joke or subject of a viral meme. While some may be offended, others lean into the inside jokes as a way to connect with fans. In a post on r/popculturechat, a user asks, "What's your favorite joke or meme based on a celebrity that they ended up embracing?" Several references popular celebrity look-alike memes, in which the two twinning celebrities nod to each other in interviews and on album covers. Others praise

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“You’re still fired and good luck”: HR gives new hire...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

A Redditor was recently left stumped after being fired for not showing up to her first day of work. The catch? HR had given her the wrong start date. Locking down a job is a really big deal. It often comes after numerous rounds of interviews and could involve hundreds of applications being sent out, or even leaving your existing job for the opportunity. So it's no surprise that u/Alice14_VS turned to the internet for advice after she discovered the job she had managed to land fired her without

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“I would refuse to pay the bill”: Customer says they...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/14

A Redditor claimed they were charged a new kind of fee while dining at a nearly empty restaurant. The charge, which was added before the tip, appeared as a "Quiet Time Surcharge" on their bill. The story quickly picked up the debate, where users argued about whether the fee was even legal. u/michalwalks via Reddit Redditor claims they were charged for eating during slow hours In a post on r/EndTipping, u/michalwalks wrote they were "charged a 'Quiet Time Surcharge' because the restaurant

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A viral video of “McJeans” has the internet jealous...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/13

Normally, people don’t think twice about McDonald’s uniforms unless they’re wearing one themselves. But now, the internet can’t stop talking about them after a TikTok showing off “McJeans” in Europe blew up. Creator @louiek81 posted the clip, which racked up over 8.1 million views, filming two workers on the job. Instead of stiff black trousers or khakis, they’re dressed in timeless blue jeans stamped with a subtle McDonald’s “M” logo on the pocket. “I’m gonna need a pair of these

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“How am I even alive?”: EMT explains why throwing...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/13

Most people have tossed a scorched piece of food in the trash without giving it a second thought. But according to a former EMT, that move could easily spark a fire in your own kitchen. Former EMT: never toss hot, burned food into the trash TikTok creator Ali (@themommyconfessionsss) posted a video that’s already been viewed more than 2.4 million times, using a recent viral story to explain why this mistake is dangerous. She tells the story of @kyndallzachary heating up a brownie: “Instead

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“We listen and we don’t judge”: Amber Riley has a...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/09/13

Glee star Amber Riley reacts to a Glee fan's wild "tramp stamp" in a Cameo for her birthday. Other fans react to the extreme lower back tattoo. What did Amber Riley say about the Glee fan's tattoo? In a video with over 552,000 views, celebrity video message platform Cameo posts Riley's reaction to the lower back tattoo. The video shows a screenshot of the tattoo, which says "andthatswhatyoumissedon GLEE" in bold letters on the fan's mid-lower back. "Is that tattoo real?" Riley, who played

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“Turn this up!!”: Class action lawsuit filed by...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

Amazon customers filed a class-action lawsuit after discovering they had purchased a viewing license, not the actual content they intended to access. The suit accuses the massive corporation of a "bait and switch," alleging it misled film and TV lovers into thinking they would have guaranteed permanent access to what they paid for.The news sparked widespread frustration with Amazon across social media over this practice and others. The case: Did Amazon violate California law? The lawsuit,

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“I know he’s been dead for thousands of years”:...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

A TikToker’s emotional reaction to King Tutankhamun’s remains sparked intense debate about how we treat the dead. In a widely viewed video, Syd (@squxid) broke down after watching a tour of the boy pharaoh’s tomb, where his body lies exposed behind glass. Syd explained that the bright museum lights and endless crowds felt deeply disrespectful. Although King Tut died more than 3,000 years ago, Syd emphasized that ancient Egyptians saw the body as sacred. "Tut was just a kid," they said, noting he

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Producer explains how YouTube and 20-year-olds are a...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

KPop Demon Hunters is one of — if not the — biggest movie of 2025. The film was co-directed by Maggie Kang, who has previously been involved with flicks like The Lego Ninjago Movie and Kung Fu Panda 3. In some ways, KPop Demon Hunters is a family affair. This is because Ran Sechrist, Kang's husband, was actually a story artist for the movie. Previously, Sechrist also worked on the Lego Ninjago movie, as well as Kung Fu Panda 2 and the TV series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. KPop Demon

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A server shared her top 3 customer “icks.” Then...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

A server on TikTok thought she was starting a lighthearted conversation when she shared her top three “icks” about restaurant customers. But @kileysamfit's Aug. 2, 2025, post quickly spiraled into an argument in the comments section about service industry expectations and diner entitlement. While some fellow servers backed her up, many restaurant patrons turned the tables, sharing their own “icks” about servers and the restaurant industry instead. @kileysamfit/TikTok “I wouldn’t

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“He’s overreacting”: Olive Garden customer “very...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

An Olive Garden customer was outraged that his steak and shrimp bucatini didn’t look like the glossy photo in the ad. His spouse posted a side-by-side picture on Reddit, and commenters were quick to say he was overreacting. Many pointed out the obvious truth of food advertising: what you see in a commercial or menu image is the result of food styling tricks, not something any restaurant kitchen can realistically reproduce on a nightly basis. Olive Garden: Expectations vs. reality According to

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From HVAC to pest control, these 17 industries are...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

In a recent post on the r/AskReddit subreddit, u/_Fossy_ asked, "What industry is booming way more than people think?" The responses in the comments covered some that made sense, while others were a surprise. u/_Fossy_ via Reddit Everything from mobile games to utilities was brought up as booming industries that aren't going anywhere anytime soon. A number of Redditors admitted that they were following the thread to go job hunting, as less reliable industries are becoming more challenging to

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“You lot need to find peace”: Brave train rider...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/31

It’s one thing to hear a passing conversation while commuting. It’s another when someone decides to blast their music or hold a full-on phone call on speaker. For many, that’s one of the most annoying breaches of train etiquette. TikTok creator @freethinkerhan has taken that frustration a step further. She’s started a series where she approaches strangers on trains to politely call them out. So far, she’s shared two encounters, and commenters are divided on whether she’s doing a public

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New mom asks if it’s “fair” husband earning $280k...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/30

A new mom on unpaid maternity leave asked if it’s fair for her high-earning husband to make her pay half the rent to a resounding “no.” Redditors on the r/Marriage forum hated to hear that this man expects the mother of his child to struggle to pay anything for rent when he makes so much more than she does. Some told her a little too late that she shouldn't have married him in the first place. Making his wife pay rent According to the post by u/No-Quit-1112, she makes $68,000 per year to his

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Is asking for honeymoon funds instead of a gift...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/30

The topic of wedding gift registries vs honeymoon funds is sparking some serious debate online as people contemplate the idea of tradition, generational divides, and the actual purpose of gift-giving. The debate isn't a new one, but this particular iteration started at the end of July, when @haleyvemealone posted, "Helping my millennial friend decide what to put on her wedding registry because the boomers in her life are insisting they want to give a gift instead of contributing to her honeymoon

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Taco Bell to launch a Y2K menu that brings back the...

The Daily Dot ·

2025/08/30

Taco Bell is leaning into nostalgia with its newest limited-time release. The chain announced that starting Tuesday, Sept. 9, customers will be able to order from its Decades Y2K Menu, which revives five items from the 2000s that fans thought were gone for good. The lineup includes a mix of tacos, burritos, and even dessert—each priced under $3—meant to take longtime Taco Bell loyalists back to the early 2000s. The Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco makes a comeback Perhaps the most

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