A peek into topics buzzing at Cassandra this week.
Friday has arrived, so it’s time for our weekly recap of viral news! Because culture moves fast, we at Cassandra always try to move faster to catch the most relevant matters young people can’t stop talking about. Today we discuss Oscar nominations, a congressman who appears incapable of not lying, and the —very— entertaining Ticketmaster House hearings. So stay tuned for this week’s edition of viral news.
![Image of an Oscar trophy](https://i0.wp.com/d27kt2ygbx1iep.cloudfront.net/images/content/daily/_email/01272023-Daily-1.jpg?w=660&ssl=1)
OSCAR BUZZ(ING)
This past Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Pictures announced the nominations for this year’s Oscars, and the internet —as usual— had opinions. Some are very excited to see existentialist sci-fi Everything Everywhere All At Once at the top with 11 nominations, including the “Big Five” categories (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay), but others are surprised to see some names missing from the best picture, director and actress categories. What was projected to be a race completely conformed by actresses of color turned out to only have Michelle Yeoh (EEAAO) and Ana De Armas (Blonde) in the mix, notably omitting fan favorites Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till). Same situation with a very male director race overlooking Women Talking’s Sarah Polley even though the movie and the script are nominated. Previously disinterested, Gen Z are surprisingly into and chatty about the Oscar noms this year, this could mean a rise from the disappointing ratings of 2022. We can’t wait to see TikToks of emotional speeches, first-time winners, and —hopefully— no slaps!
![Image of the white Ticketmaster logo over a blue background](https://i0.wp.com/d27kt2ygbx1iep.cloudfront.net/images/content/daily/_email/01272023-Daily-2.jpg?w=660&ssl=1)
TICKETMASTER HEARINGS
Ticketmaster has been under fire for a couple of months now after the huge T-Swift concert tickets debacle. Still, beyond being condemned by the court of public opinion, Live Nation Entertainment —Ticketmaster’s parent company— is under investigation by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee and being questioned for Monopolistic practices. The hearings started this week, and TikTok had a field day with hilariously cringey compilations of senators quoting Taylor Swift songs while interrogating Ticketmaster. But it’s not all fun and memes; Gen Z is closely following the investigation that, without a doubt, wouldn’t be happening without all the outrage that inundated social media a couple of months ago. Now, Live Nation is apologizing to Swifties, but it might be a bit too late for that.
![Image of an article headline about George Santos' lies](https://i0.wp.com/d27kt2ygbx1iep.cloudfront.net/images/content/daily/_email/01272023-Daily-3.jpg?w=660&ssl=1)
GEORGE SANTOS LIES
Probably the most unpredictable name in politics today, Senator George Santos has been in the public —and online— conversation because of all the blatant lies he’s shared from the beginning of his campaign to now. From assuring false Jewish heritage, to a fake volleyball scholarship from a university he never attended, and even claiming to have survived an assassination attempt, this 34-year-old newly elected congressman for the state of New York is a popular topic on TikTok and Twitter. In the clock app, the hashtag #GeorgeSantos currently has over 69 Million views with videos making fun of him and the absurdity of this situation, debunking his many —many— lies, parodying, and even visiting his office to ask him very important questions.