the only thing young people want more than a thriving planet, might just be a great dupe
but you didn't hear it from me
QUICK HITS
Why L.A’s tech scene has fallen short of the Silicon Beach hype
TikTok is planning to lay off Operations and Marketing employees
Trump Media reports $770,500 revenue for first quarter, net loss of $327.6 million
California is considering restricting youth access to anti-aging skin care products
It seems all modern female revolutions start with a pill, and Seed just launched one. ‘The first vaginal probiotic suppository clinically validated to establish an optimal vaginal microbiome dominated by L. crispatus—the vagina’s most protective bacteria.’ I don’t understand any of these words but am sufficiently impressed. I know you guys think I’m going to go on some diatribe about how you really just need to eat the right foods and stay hydrated, but I AM NOT! I will say that I love their little launch video and I think putting Molly Baz back on Times Square was the perfect pre-launch move.
I don’t know why I thought Lyme disease was either not real, or only for rich people. I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry.
An Ozempic Summer, brought to you by Hims & Hers. The Hulu-ad famous company which made a fortune from selling cheap, generic versions of popular drugs, just launched an Ozempic dupe. As we knew they would. I say ‘dupe’ because what they're offering may have the same active ingredient as GLP-1s, but isn’t an exact substitute, nor is it FDA approved. Still, with Ozempic and Wegovy shortages, and a discounted price point of $199 a month to Wegovy’s $1,350, I think it’s safe to say that this will be a hit. The company’s stock shot up as much as 38% on Monday, so the market agrees.
Let's zoom out on dupe culture for a bit. I think there’s two sides to this conversation. First, the economy is shit and people still need stuff, so the market is responding by creating cheaper, lower quality options. This is why Target launched its dealworthy brand earlier this year and is slashing prices on 5,000 of its most popular items. It's also why Wendys and McDonalds just announced new value meals in time for summer.
But what’s most interesting to me is how young people, specifically, are interacting with dupe culture. Yesterday Business of Fashion published a piece on why high-end brands should probably embrace dupe culture. “Research shows that even when Gen-Z or Millennials can afford to buy a genuine designer item, many still opt for a dupe instead.” My take on this is that yes, a lot of young people are genuinely poor indebted souls, but we’re also consumers trained by social media and fast fashion to want more for less. To feel like we deserve more for less. And isn't that what dupes are?
I remember when Matilda Djerf (momentarily) got canceled last year for sending cease and desists to people selling Djerf Avenue dupes; and being so shocked by TikTok’s swift outrage towards her. She’s attacking small business owners! Doesn't she know not everyone can afford to spend $129 on a bathrobe?! The only thing young people want more than a thriving planet, might just be a great dupe.
Millionaires are apparently now shamelessly shopping at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. “Years ago, people would hide if they saw a familiar face in the aisles. Now, a TJX haul is a badge of honor.” This is stealing from the masses and should not be allowed.
Former Love Is Blind cast members are once again speaking out against the show’s toxic work environment. Low pay, long hours, manipulative showrunners… apparently the perfect recipe for a hit reality show. I think there’s an interesting conversation happening here around consent and what people sign up for (and should expect) when they participate in these shows. It’s a frightening position to be in where you have no control over how you’re being portrayed to the public; more so when the show’s success relies on you being your worst self.
Of all the people Hollywood is trying to make happen, I truly hope it works out for Ella Purnell. If she gets stuck in ‘rising star’ limbo I will be very upset.
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Here’s what this Scarlett Johansson ChatGPT situation taught me. 1.) There's always someone who can do you better than you. We’re only just scratching the surface of dupe culture. 2.) Sam Altman might be obsessed with ScarJo. He’s definitely obsessed with her voice 3.) He’s also a pretty brazen man because imagine him thinking she won’t sue! Almost every article I’ve read on this has said something along the lines of “this is what happens when tech companies are largely led or funded by white men.” And I just want to say that I am so tired of that refrain. Because we’ve been saying this—at this point, its just a phrase people throw out when bad stuff happens. Anyway, none of this matters because ChatGPT’s mobile app revenue saw its biggest spike yet following the GPT-4o launch. When faced with money, power, or convenience, people will often forget to be outraged.
I know you guys think Liquid Death giving away an actual jet is some genius marketing gimmick, but have you considered that they just want to keep the boys hydrated this summer?!
The Actress to Founder to Food Network star pipeline. Shay Mitchell is an underrated queen. And Selena is cool too.
Bumble acquiring Geneva was not on my 2024 bingo card, but maybe it should have been. When Kim Johnson, their former Head of Community, announced that she left Geneva at the end of last year, I thought something might be up. But when Geneva stopped posting on their socials in February and never filled the role, I knew something was definitely up. Did I give it much thought? No. I was too busy thinking about why Bumble had decided to lean into weird AI and anti-celibacy messaging instead of giving the girls what they really wanted. Friendship! Community! Dinners! Geneva was always a great product but never quite figured out how to monetize, so this is obviously great for them. May this be the summer of yellow-themed girl gatherings.
If ever you feel unoriginal or uninspired, I urge you to consider the life and times of Meta, formerly Facebook. Who’s to tell the last time they had an original thought? Who’s to say it even matters? Meta developing a feature that “borrows” concepts from BeReal and Snapchat should come as a surprise to no one. It’s par for the course, people! It’s also another reason why I struggle to be bullish on these new social networks—most of their ‘products’ are just features Meta can ‘borrow’. We know network effects are the reason X will survive Threads. That and the fact that people love mess. And if ever a company like TikTok emerges, just remember that the devil works hard, but Meta lobbyists work harder.
Vox is celebrating its 10th birthday by entering the subscription game. Good for them. They refreshed their website yesterday (cute but standard) and launched a membership program, which costs $5 a month and offers exclusive content. How do you guys feel about paywalls? Most media companies probably won’t survive without them, but I worry about what happens to media literacy when young people are getting most of their news from TikTok.
Your favorite stealth wealth brand wants you to know that you can track your linen footprint with their new sustainable shirt. But all I want to track is what Loro Piana is doing for the Indigenous people of Peru.
A Zendaya and On partnership is happening soon. According to Lauren Sherman (most quoted, most loved), we’re not sure what the scope of this partnership will be, but we can be sure that it will happen. I’d love to say On isn’t who they think they are, but I think they just might be! Lauren pointed out that a partnership with Zendaya coming off the success of Challengers would be worth whatever the partnership costs. And we know it’s going to cost them.
Before that Tyla and Gap dance video, I couldn't tell you the last time I thought about Gap. But these days I’m thinking about them so often that I’m forced to ask, is Gap back? In the last month alone, they made headlines by dressing Da’Vine Joy Randolph for the Met Gala, a sold-out Dôen collaboration, and now I have to admit that the custom Anne Hathaway shirt dress does something for me. Between Zac Posen and ex-Barbie executive Richard Dickson, I think Gap might be onto something here. If at first you don’t succeed with Kanye, try, try, and try again!
Back to Wednesday’s "are Sambas dead" conversation.
did a post on what Amsterdammers are wearing this spring, and guess what was number one on their list? Sambas. But then I talked to a teammate who sits in the New York office, and she said that the most fashion-forward people there were already phasing out Sambas for Hokas or Taekwondo shoes. All this to say that not only is taste relative, but trends are too. Don’t be a baby.People who watch cable are really old, actually. The other day someone was pitching their startup to me and said it was ‘MTV for Gen Z’. But the issue was that I barely knew what MTV was and the only thing that came to mind was Jersey Shore?!
Penguin Random House dismissed two of its top publishers as part of a ‘cost-saving measure.’ The departure of Reagan Arthur, the top publisher at Knopf, and Lisa Lucas, the publisher of Pantheon and Schocken, came as a surprise to many in the company, including to Lucas herself who tweeted: “I have some regrets about spending the weekend working.” Need to talk to my Bookstagram friends to find out what’s happening with Publishing. Will report back if I get anything good.
So what’s the state of the entry-level job market right now, you ask? Let's see, The Wall Street Journal studied hundreds of job postings from companies seeking college graduates to reveal what employers think young professionals want: pay, promotions, diversity, and WFH options. Basically, the same thing everyone else wants. But don’t get too excited because Bloomberg says these jobs are not finance or tech roles. Those industries do not want young minds. In fact, they suggest that young people consider leaving big cities to avoid poverty and depression. Big cities, after all, aren't everything. Wow, so helpful.
I had a great day yesterday;
sent me the sweetest email, gave me a shout out in her newsletter, and freaked out with me. Love it here :)
Love this! Here by way of Azora Zoe/First Rodeo and so glad for it.
You are so insightful and hilarious -- truly a wizard!