Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

The Downfall of Skibidi Toilet: How Hollywood Fumbled A Powerful Fandom

Skibidi Toilet changed how storytelling works on YouTube. But behind the scenes, things got messy. Support my independent journalism:  🙏 Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz [https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz]  ⁠  🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: ⁠https://www.usermag.co [https://www.usermag.co]  ⁠  Back in 2023, a creator named Alexey (better known as DaFuqBoom) launched a super weird, viral series about a singing head in a toilet called Skibidi Toilet. It went viral and quickly became one of the most popular online series to ever exist. Over the course of 79 episodes, it evolved into an epic, fan-favorite story about an intergalactic war.   Then, Hollywood stepped in. A traditional (or "tra-digital") entertainment company called Invisible Narratives bought the Skibidi Toilet rights. By early 2025, Alexey took a step back to become an executive producer, meaning he was no longer making the daily videos. The studio released a new spin-off series called "Emergence," but fans instantly noticed a massive change.      Now, the Skibidi Toilet fandom community is furious. After a disastrous, leaked call between the studio and popular YouTubers, fans are demanding the original creator take his show back with the hashtag #BringBackBoom. Meanwhile, Skibidi Toilet has become one of the most valuable franchises in Hollywood.   Steven Asarch is a journalist who's been covering this controversy. In this video, he joins me to break down what is going on with the Skibidi Toilet franchise, the #BringBackBoom movement's true goals, and answer the biggest question fans are all asking: is Skibidi Toilet officially dead?   We cover: * How Skibidi Toilet became so popular * The creator’s role and what changed * The studio takeover and what it means * Why fans are upset and pushing back * The future of internet-created IP

They're Putting AI Cameras In School Busses

AI Surveillance is taking over our schools. Support my independent journalism:🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz [https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz ]🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co [https://www.usermag.co ]Kent Myrtle, a Wichita bus driver, has been blowing the whistle on AI-powered cameras being installed on school buses. From Wichita to Massachusetts, school districts are partnering with companies like Samsara and BusPatrol to implement "real-time monitoring" and "hazard detection."  But is this actually about safety, or is it a massive privacy violation? We discuss how this footage is being sent to the Amazon Web Services cloud without parental consent. We also look at the "safety" claims, like AI systems mistaking bags of chips for weapons, and how these buses are being turned into roving surveillance machines for law enforcement.

Why AI Fruit Slop Is Taking Over Our Feeds w/ Kyle Chayka

Kyle Chayka is a writer for the New Yorker, and on this week's Power User he joins me to break down the rise of AI fruit slop dramas.  Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz [https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz]       🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co [https://www.usermag.co]      Millions and millions of TikTok users are tuning into an AI generated short form show called Fruit Love Island. On the show, AI generated fruits kiss, date, fight, and make up. The show has amassed an overnight fan base and spawned a slew of spinoffs including  The Summer I Turned Fruity, The Fruitpire Diaries, Food Is Blind, and Fruit Paternity court.    The world of AI content is being flooded by this bizarre phenomenon, amassing millions of views across TikTok trends 2026. The shows all use a viral content strategy to generate hits in minutes using tools like Object Talk and Leonardo AI. These AI generated videos allow faceless YouTube channels to monetize "attention arbitrage" for massive profit. Beneath these AI videos lies a dark undercurrent of sinister messaging. Because AI storytelling and algorithm psychology prioritize engagement, narratives frequently devolve into misogyny and graphic violence, showing fruit women being berated or fruit babies thrown to their deaths. By stripping away ethics, these social media trends deliver raw stimulation that keeps viewers in a state of stress.    We discuss: The evolution from AI Cat videos to Fruit Paternity Court. How "passive income" hustlers are using ChatGPT to script high-drama storylines involving betrayal and violence. The science of dopamine vs. cortisol and why this content keeps you in a hyper-stimulated stress state. Why brands like Olipop and Slim Jim are jumping into the fruit slop comments. The dark side of the algorithm: How AI content naturally devolves into the "lowest common denominator" of sex and violence.

Chappell Roan Did Nothing Wrong: The TikTok Smear Campaign Explained w/ Caroline Kwan

[SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE] Why the internet is trying to "end" Chappell Roan. Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz [https://www.patreon.com/cw/taylorlorenz]      🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co [https://www.usermag.co]     Twitch streamer and cultural commentator Caroline Kwan joins me to break down the massive viral controversy surrounding Chappell Roan. What started as a passing interaction at a hotel breakfast in Brazil has morphed into a multi-platform smear campaign led by TikTokers, pop stans, and "Blue MAGA" accounts, pushing blatant misinformation.    Caroline and I break down what's really going on, and debunk the claims that Chappell is a "secret heiress" or a "mean girl". We talk about why Chappell specifically is always at the center of this type of vitriol, and dive into the intersection of misogyny, homophobia, and the "death of the diva" in the age of social media. From fake claims to bot amplification to stan wars, the Chappell situation a case study in how bad actors on the internet can create controversy out of almost nothing. In this video, we discuss: * The Brazil incident with Jorginho Frello’s stepdaughter. * The debunked "rich kid" allegations and fake high school "exposés". * Why Chappell Roan cut ties with Wasserman Music and the Epstein connection. * The role of bots and "tea" accounts in fueling the outrage. * The double standard between female pop stars and male celebrities like Tom Holland or Justin Bieber. #ChappellRoan #celeb #celebrity #celebritynews #pop #popstars #popmusic #oliviarodrigo #PopCulture #SocialMedia #ViralNews

The Media Is Lying About the Social Media Addiction Trial: The Verdict Everyone Got Wrong

Everything you've been told about the "social media addiction" trial is wrong.  Support my independent journalism: 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz [https://www.patreon.com/taylorlorenz]         🗞️ Buy a paid subscription to my Substack: https://www.usermag.co [https://www.usermag.co]        Everyone is celebrating the $400 million fine against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg, but it's a massive win for Big Tech. In this episode of Free Speech Friday, journalist Kat Tenbarge and I debunk a slew of misinformation about the landmark "social media addiction" trials in Los Angeles and New Mexico. The mainstream media is painting this as a victory for child safety, but the legal precedent being set is terrifying.  From government agencies using real children's photos as "bait" to entrap predators, to the secret funding behind "grassroots" child safety groups, the reality is so, so much darker than the headlines suggest. We cover: * How the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the repeal of Section 230 will lead to mass surveillance and censorship. * The disturbing testimony from the LA trial that the media completely ignored. * Why Big Tech is actually LOBBYING for age verification and identity tracking. * The link between these lawsuits and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. If you care about the future of the open internet, free speech, and data privacy, please support my work! I will continue to cover how these laws will impact smaller platforms, LGBTQ content, and our basic right to access information. I also highly suggest this great piece by Mike Masnick [https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/26/everyone-cheering-the-social-media-addiction-verdicts-against-meta-should-understand-what-theyre-actually-cheering-for/⁠ ] on the trials!! Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz [https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz]                       https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz3.0 [https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz3.0]                       https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz [https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz]