New drone footage of Bigfoot hailed as ‘the best’ yet
Bigfoot, Sasquatch, tedious old hoax – call it what you like, but the hairy beast remains one of the world’s most beloved and enduring mysteries. For centuries, sightings of the evasive forest-dweller have been reported across North America and, since the advent of portable cameras, there’s been an endless stream of “snapshots” and “footage” of the monster. One such video has recently been doing the rounds on TikTok, after it was shared by an influencer known as The Paranormal Chic. In a clip captioned “Bigfoot is real”, the TikToker told her followers that she was posting the footage because she “firmly believe[s] it's one of the best recordings of what looks to be like a Bigfoot caught on camera.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter She explained that it was filmed using a drone by a Vermont-based YouTuber called Kens Karpentry, who was “looking for a mama bear in her cubs when he encountered this unidentified creature” at the end of last year. The video shows the camera gliding over a snow-strewn forest as Ken’s voice can be heard gasping: “What in the world? What is that?” As he continues to gush: “That’s incredible,” a tall, furry figure (which, to us, looks not dissimilar to a man in a gorilla costume) can be seen walking through the trees. “No way. Are you serious?” the aghast-sounding Ken goes on, as he zooms in on the creature whose footsteps can clearly be heard crunching through the snow. @the_paranormal_chic What do you think, Bigfoot or Hoax? #bigfoot #bigfootisreal #bigfootsighting #sasqautch #bigfootspotted #yeti #yetitok #yowie #wildman #unitedstates #legends #mystery #unsolved #theparanormalchic #paranormal #fyp The Paranormal Chic’s video, racked up thousands of views in less than 24 hours, as commentators offered their take on the “evidence”. “PREACH!!! HE IS REAL, I get such flack for believing,” one wrote. “I believe it. But [...] have a drone drop it closer to the ground next time for [a] better angle,” suggested another. However, others weren’t so convinced. “I believe in BF (Bigfoot) but not this video. The man sounds too phoney and BF would probably hear the drone,” wrote one sceptic. “How come you hear the footsteps in the snow? Hoax,” concluded another. And a third asked: “Why not follow for longer to see where it was headed? Why not go back on foot to see [the] traces? Why not take [the] drone down [for a] closer look. So many questions.” Sasquatch, Bigfoot or a Bear? Not Real www.youtube.com And yet, if you check out the original video, posted to YouTube, Ken makes it pretty clear it was all a light-hearted prank. When one viewer wrote: “That's a KenSquatch! A very rare breed!” He replied simply: “Indeed.” And when another said: “Ken, for years and years I've been a harsh critic of those who believed in Sasquatch, castigating and criticizing any who believed in such foolishness. But clearly your evidence is both irrefutable and unquestionable!” He wrote back: “Haha thanks for watching.” Still, there has been renewed interest in the mythological man after authorities in New Mexico issued a “Bigfoot warning” to residents. Earlier this month, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office shared a post to Facebook “reminding” its community of the “do’s and don’t’s when encountering Sasquatch”. The instructions included: “Do not chase Bigfoot; do not yell at Bigfoot; do not feed Bigfoot,” but also, interestingly: “Do take pictures.” And yet, for all of the jokes and hoaxes surrounding the legend, there are some important reasons why some people still genuinely believe the beast exists. As journalist Ben Crair wrote in a 2018 article for Smithsonian Magazine: “The hunt for Bigfoot emulates an earlier mode of discovery, when new knowledge was not the product of advanced degrees and expensive machinery but rather curiosity, bravery, patience and survival. “In the 19th century, the American landscape revealed its majesties to ordinary settlers pushing westward into territory unmapped by Europeans. To track Bigfoot today is to channel that frontier spirit (as well as to appropriate Native American traditions).” He added: “Bigfoot also embodies other less romantic but no less enduring American traits, like gullibility and a hunger for attention.” Crair pointed out that the quantity of fake Sasquatch “footage” had been exacerbated by social media, with one expert telling him that whilst he believes there is legitimate evidence of the creature’s existence, it's almost impossible to sort the wheat from the chaff. “Technology has ruined the old cryptozoology,” Loren Coleman, founder of Portland’s International Cryptozoology Museum, told him. “[Loren's] complaint echoes concerns in more mainstream American life, where technologies that promised to build consensus have, in fact, made the truth more difficult than ever to discern,” Crair continued. “On the internet, Bigfoot has found a habitat much more hospitable than North American forests. It turns out that Bigfoot does not need to exist in order to live forever.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
TikTok Live's bizarre NPC trend explained
When it comes to maintaining an online presence, creators are always looking to be ahead of the curve. Currently, the latest trend that has popped up all over people's For You page is NPC streaming. The basis of this trend is that streamers bizarrely repeat actions over and over again - so what is it all about? Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the NPC streaming trend. What is NPC streaming? NPC streaming is where the streamers appear animated through their actions, hence being comparable to gaming NPCs, where they often repeat their movements or sayings. In this context, TikTok streamers only interact, speak or perform a specific action when they receive a gift from a viewer, the type of interaction can be dependent on the type of gift. @bobbysie Btw i love ohio final boss and queen Viewers can send a variety of different options such as emotes to the streamer to respond to. For instance, a viewer sends an ice cream and in response, the streamer's reaction would be to pretend to lick it and say “Oh ice cream yum”. Where did this trend begin? Last year, NPC streaming began to rise in popularity, according to Know Your Meme where it all started from Japanese TikToker @natuecoco. She has collaborated with TikToker Satoyu0704 the two of them pretended to be NPCs as they went on to see who could get the most prizes. Over the past year more creators such as Cherry Crush TV and PinkDollReal have been doing popular NPC live streams. Why is this a trend? Perhaps, the reason for the rising popularity of NPC streaming is people's curiosity to see the creator acting like an AI or a character for a video game and want to see if they can keep this act up. Also compared to your average stream, NPC streaming requires increased interaction from the viewer as the streamer is constantly responding to what is being said and sent to them. The trend appears to have celebrity fans, with music producer Timberland reportedly being the #1 viewer on a recent TikTok Live from 19-year-old viral content creator Pinkydoll, according to Pop Crave. Pinkydoll has recently been going viral in July 2023 with her NPC streams where she does things such as popping popcorn with a hair straightener. As a result of Timberland's presence, it caused Pinkydoll to break character. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
TikTokers think video of woman 'frozen in time' is 'proof' we're living in The Matrix
Millions of people believe they’ve witnessed a real-life “glitch in the Matrix” after a woman was caught on camera apparently “frozen in time”. In the brief video, which was shared to TikTok last week, the unidentified pedestrian could be seen walking along a residential street – except that she wasn’t. At least, not for a few seconds, that is. Despite clearly being mid-stride, the woman was still as a statue, with even her long, blond ponytail apparently paused in mid-air. “Why is she frozen?” the voice of the dumbfounded man filming the scene can be heard saying. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “Bruh, I’m trippin’,“ he adds, as the woman suddenly starts walking again, as though nothing untoward took place. A caption to the clip reads: “She was like that for a minute before.” The footage racked up a staggering 4.8 million views and more than 460,000 likes in just four days as thousands of TikTokers shared their bewilderment at the apparent phenomenon. @unknown1575489 NPC caught lacking #npc#malfunction "The way the wind isn’t even moving her clothes or hair but it’s all just stuck completely frozen," one observed. "Sometimes I think we've slipped into a different dimension," admitted another. "She almost GOT OUT of the simulation. It pulled her right back [into] THE MATRIX!!" commented a third. "Welcome to the Truman Show," said a fourth. Meanwhile, others joked that the woman's "WiFi was bad". "She disconnected for a sec," one remarked. "Buffering," wrote another. Others attempted to offer more logical explanations for the "glitch", with one suggesting: "It was a paused video of a video." However, fellow viewers were quick to pour water on this theory, with one noting: "No because a car is still driving by in the beginning when she's frozen." Another group of commentators lamented that the cameraman failed to run over to the woman and quiz her on what had happened. "We need her perspective on this," one wrote, while others insisted they would have confronted her for answers. In the end, all we can say is, isn't life more fun when some mysteries don't get solved? Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Tiktoker goes viral with Taylor Swift 'dark energy' conspiracy
Taylor Swift fans have been left shocked after a conspiracy theorist on TikTok claimed the singer is “sadistic”, “satanic” and ‘harvests energy’ at her concerts in a bizarre clip. Laura Renaud posted a TikTok earlier this month voicing her thoughts on the multi-Grammy winner artist, after another user asked her thoughts on Swift’s Karma music video off of her album Midnights. The TikTok starts with Renaud saying “here’s why I do not f*** with Taylor Swift,” as she proceeds to explain her conspiracy theory to relates to her broader belief that “the world is run by shapeshifting psychopaths”. The latter is a commonly believed amongst conspiracy theorists with links to anti-semitism and anti-Semitic tropes. Renaud goes on to say “I am a ‘conspiracy theorist’, even though these are no conspiracies anymore people. All celebrities are controlled,” she goes on to claim. “You need to understand that Hollywood and the whole entertainment industry had an agenda,” she says. “An agenda to program people, an agenda to lower people’s vibration.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter This isn’t the first time a conspiracy theory about music has featured on social media. In 2021, many were claiming that the pitch of modern music was causing listener’s brains to become “agitated” as well as to “control” listeners. “I would never listen to her new s*** because I know that there is a dark energy behind her music,” Renaud shares. At one point she even goes so far as to suggest that Swift isn’t human. @laulaurenaud Replying to @Sabrina all said with love and the intention to simply inform ❤️ #taylorswift #celebrities #hollyweird #conspiracytiktok Renaud then goes on to discuss Swift’s current tour the Eras Tour, and comments on the admittedly obscene prices some concertgoers are paying to attend. She says that she would never “step foot” in one of the venues “because there’s energy harvesting rituals, there’s mind programming being done”. “You need to understand we live in an energetic world and all of this has been thought out so long ago. So you have all of these young girls looking up to her … this is all part of the f***ing hoax.” The Weeknd, Beyonce, and “all the rap” include other artists and music genres that Renaud said she wouldn’t listen to, claiming they too are attempting harvest energy and program fan’s minds. She goes on to ask fans of Swift to “just open your eyes a little bit.” “We are praising people who are praising dark forces, who are keeping people plugged into the illusion,” she says before the TikTok ends. Whilst some in the comments agreed with Renaud saying “glad I’m not the only one”, and “very well said”, the majority were shocked at Renaud’s outlandish beliefs. Many of the comments were in disbelief over Renaud’s genuine faith in the theory saying they were “confused” and that the theory was “strange”. Others joked that they too “do not f***” with Swift but because they didn’t get tickets to see her, not because they believe she is satanic. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Food delivery driver baffled after being slammed for doing his job 'too quick'
A food delivery driver has taken to TikTok with claims his company marked the trip as "too short" to complete. In the viral clip, that's racked up almost 4 million views, Josh (@BikingDC) recorded himself collecting a coffee order from the vendor, before delivering it to a customer two blocks away. “Quick trip,” Josh jokes to the customer, who responded: "Yeah man, it’s hard to get out of the office." As Josh rides away, his phone shows a notification that read: "Can not complete delivery … The trip was too short to complete." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "Imagine doing your job so fast they app tells you to slow down," the TikToker wrote as the caption. "Homie ordered down the street because he cant leave post and i can respect that … but like i still need paid. [sic]." The footage was flooded with comments from baffled users, with one saying "They really need to fix that." Another joked: "Bro does his job so good that app can't process." "It’s probably because he bought normal delivery instead of priority so he has to take his time delivering it," a third theorised. @bikingdc Imagine doing your job so fast they app tells you to slow down ? Homie ordered down the street because he cant leave post and i can respect that … but like i still need paid ? #uber #ubereats #doordash #delivery #fooddelivery #bike #bicycle #washingtondc It comes after a separate food delivery driver hit out at their customer for giving a $5 (£3.90) tip. "I just wanna say, this is a nice house for a $5 tip," the driver says in footage captured on the video doorbell. In response, the customer responds: "You're welcome." The worker didn't take to the response too well, and yelled "f*** you," before heading back to his car. "I say 5$ is good since it was a 20$ order...seriously, what do they expect more than what the order is," one person wrote under the viral clip, as another chimed in: "Did he expect a 100 dollar tip on a 20 dollar order?" Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
How TikTok's ‘Lazy Girl Job’ trend may negatively impact employees
From "quiet quitting" to "Bare Minimum Mondays," the workplace is no stranger to viral career and employment trends - with the latest one to make rounds being all about the "Lazy Girl Job." "Lazy Girl Job" is going viral on TikTok where the term was originally coined by Gabrielle Judge, and has already received over 12.2 million views. “I’m a big fan of ‘lazy girl jobs’. There’s a lot of jobs out there where you could make $60,000 to $80,000, so pretty comfortable salaries, and not do that much work,” Judge said in the video. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The reason she used the word "lazy" as the adjective is because the kind of jobs she's on about "should feel like as if you are almost operating at a lazy state when compared to the American Hustle culture." In the caption, Judge added: "Career advice for women who don’t know what remote job to apply to. "You can pay your bills at not feel tired at the end of the day. Women are here to collect those paychecks and move on from the work day. @gabrielle_judge Career advice for women who don’t know what remote job to apply to. You can bay your bills at not feel tired at the end of the day. Women are here to collect those pay checks and move on from the work day. We have so much more fun stuff happeneing in our 5-9 that is way more important than a boss that you hate. #corporatejobs #jobsearchhacks #remoteworking #antihustleculture #9to5 "We have so much more fun stuff happening in our 5-9 that is way more important than a boss that you hate." But, how beneficial is this new work trend? Workplace wellbeing expert and CEO of Officeology, Adam Butler, has shared his thoughts on this new viral TikTok trend: “I can understand why people are getting behind this new workplace trend. The premise of the ‘Lazy Girl Job’ is finding a job where you can put in minimal effort, but receive maximum rewards - the dream for most employees, no doubt? He then goes on to explain some of the upsides to this new trend of the "Lazy Girl Job." "I do believe this trend has some positives. Firstly, it is highlighting the ever-increasing need for employees to have a good work/life balance, which I believe is especially important when it comes to working parents. "Being able to spend as little time focusing on work and not bringing the stresses of the day back home is crucial to ensuring a fulfilling life and I think employers should be focusing on creating a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work/life balance." "They could do this by introducing a flexible working system, similar to the 4-day working week, or simply giving employees time back, whereby they receive an hour or so of paid time within the working week to do whatever they like, whether it be going to the gym or spending time with their loved ones. However, Butler also notes that the term "lazy," can have bad implications. "Having said that, I do believe that the name of this new trend presents negative connotations. Just because employees are wanting easier job roles, does not make them necessarily lazy," he said. "For instance, I see nothing wrong in workers wanting less stress and pressure when it comes to their working day, but I think we need to be careful that this does not become stereotyped as these people being ‘lazy’ or unskilled. "The consequences of promoting ‘Lazy Girl Jobs’ can negatively impact the roles that are associated with this trend. "For instance, Gabrielle mentions roles such as marketing associates, account managers and customer success managers as particular roles that fit into the ‘Lazy Girl Job’ category. Consequently, Butler believes this could lead to positions being generalised as ‘Lazy Girl Jobs," despite the role still requiring expertise and hard work to complete, and potentially take away the importance of these jobs as a result "This could then potentially lead to a hustle culture forming, which ironically, is everything this new trend is trying to diminish," he added. "The reason a hustle culture could form, especially amongst the younger generations, is that companies could put added pressure onto younger employees. Butler concluded: "Moreover, employees may feel they need to prove that they are hard-working and not ‘lazy’ due to the feeling of being stereotyped under TikTok trends that pose negative connotations to character, such as the ‘Lazy Girl Job’. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
TikToker sparks debate over 'time blindness' accommodations at work
A woman has sparked debate after discussing the need for employers to accommodate those with “time blindness” in the workplace in a viral TikTok. TikToker Sarah Trefren made the comments about workers' rights in a video that has been viewed more than 1.5 million times since it was posted one day ago. In the video, Trefren explained that she was “yelled at” for asking someone a question about accommodations for people with difficulties related to time management. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Trefren explained: “I just wanted to know if there are accommodations for people who struggle with time blindness and being on time.” She continued: “When we were done, they actually started yelling at me and saying that accommodations for time blindness doesn't exist and if you struggle being on time you’ll never be able to get a job.” Trefren also claimed the person told her, “Your stupid generation wants to destroy the workplace”. @chaotic_philosopher I'm tired of workers' rights not being prioritized in this country. And we're entitled for suggesting it should be different... I don't think so. #workersrights #employeerights #workers #capitalismsucks #capitalism #thesystemisbroken #fyp The TikToker argued that the culture of firing people before looking to other solutions needs to be “dismantled”. Time blindness occurs when people have the inability to recognise how much time has passed or to estimate how long something will take, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While it doesn’t have a specific diagnosis, those with ADHD can be more prone to losing track of time or underestimating the length of time a task may take. On TikTok, people appeared divided over whether special compensation should be made for those who struggle with it. One user commented: “This is the kind of thing I must make my OWN accommodations for. I lay out my fits every night, alarms for everything, meal prep..” Another wrote: “I totally feel you I’m exactly like that. But the hard truth is it’s up to us to adapt to the workplace. I chose to be self-employed recently though.” “I go back and forth on this… I understand the purpose of needing to uphold punctuality in the workplace but time blindness is so so real for me,” someone else wrote. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Ohio plastic surgeon who livestreamed patient operations on TikTok has state medical license revoked permanently
An Ohio plastic surgeon who livestreamed some patient operations on TikTok and had three patients report complications after surgery had her state medical license revoked permanently Wednesday, according to the state's medical board.
1970-01-01 08:00
Group challenges Texas ban on TikTok for public university employees
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group on Thursday sued the state of Texas, claiming that research and teaching have
1970-01-01 08:00
Texas' TikTok ban hit with First Amendment lawsuit
Texas's TikTok ban violates the First Amendment. That's the basis of a lawsuit just filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research.
1970-01-01 08:00
TikTok’s ‘aged’ filter receives mixed reactions
A filter that shows you what you’ll look like when you’re older has gone viral on TikTok as users react to seeing their future self. Over 8 million videos have used the ‘aged’ filter. Users have had mixed reactions to their older selves with some saying they are “excited to meet” their future selves, whilst others joked that they needed to start following their skincare regimen. One video posted by user @caseydnnly has over 16 million views and 2 million likes. Reacting to seeing the older version of yourself she says “I think I like her, she looks like she’s going to tell you dirty jokes and let you sneak an extra cookie while your mom isn’t looking.” Many commented saying they ‘loved’ Casey’s positive spin on the trend. Whilst others joked saying they wished they looked as good as Casey, saying the filter made them look “ancient”. @caseydnnlly I think ill make the move from fun aunt to fun great aunt just fine #agedfilter Another user, Yaz, (@yazzy_so_c00l) posted a video of herself saying “she looks so fun & full of life I can’t wait to meet her.” In the caption, she wrote that she had to “remind” herself that “aging is a blessing.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter On the other hand, influencer Flossie posted herself with the filter writing “help everyone looks so good I look like I’ve been through 3 divorces and an alcohol problem.” Many of the comments said that they looked the same with the filter. @flossieclegg Pitting on spf as we speak The horror for many about their aged appearance grew when dermatologists on TikTok described the filter as “pretty realistic”. @teawithmd Breaking it all down! #aging is not bad OBVIOUSLY but taking steps to preserve your skin health is NECESSARY. Genes account for a lot too. #agingwell #agingup #aginggracefully #agingwell #agingskin #dermbypark Even celebrities have jumped on the trend, including Kylie Jenner and Niall Horan. The filter has sparked conversation around our attitudes to ageing and how much negativity we associate with getting older and our appearance changing. Jessa, a content creator, responded to a comment on her video using the filter that asked “why does everyone else look so good with this filter it makes me look 70 every single time without fail.” In response, Jessa offered wise words: “I think by this age beauty will be measured by your joy. It will no longer be measured by physical beauty,” she said. “I think how beautiful you look at this age will be based off of how you carry yourself.” @sugarplumgoth Replying to @Nora_ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ? #aged #thoughts #aging #beautystandards #life #gentlethoughts Talking about her reaction to seeing herself with the filter she added: “I felt safe within my own skin. I accepted her and it showed on my face, it showed happiness, it showed joy. I could look at this in horror, but she looks like my grandmother and all the faces of the women that have built me. How could I be horrified by the legacy of women who’ve created me?” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
Amazing rare rainbow cloud phenomenon spotted in skies above 'China'
An extremely rare and beautiful rainbow cloud was spotted in the skies of Colombia and has left people in awe. Rainbows in the sky are always a joy to see, but some lucky people in the city of Medellín, Colombia were treated to a rare cloud rainbow and the spectacle was captured on film. A video of the stunning rainbow cloud, also known as a pileus cloud was shared on TikTok where it has been viewed over 174 million times. The person filming zoomed in on some dark rain clouds to reveal a patch of cloud with rainbow colours of red, green, pink, and hues of blues and yellows. Despite the TikTok hashtag saying China, the clip was actually filmed in Colombia on 6 July when the rare cloud occurred. The scientific name for the weather phenomenon is cloud iridescence and it happens when water droplets or ice crystals individually scatter the sun’s light. They typically occur after thunderstorms and can create pastel colours, as well as bright vivid shades. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter @juleko_o 中国云彩中的彩虹 #china #fyp On TikTok, viewers were blown away by the beauty of the rainbow cloud, with one user describing it as “The entrance to heaven”. Another user said: “Yo that’s pretty cool.” Someone else referenced the Mario Kart video game, writing: “Man found Rainbow Road.” Other people couldn’t believe what they were seeing was real. “No way this is real,” one TikToker wrote while adding a heart eye emoji. It was described by someone else as being “so God damn pretty”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00