Internet Ghosts: Part 83
5/16: Baseball is cinema, Sailing with Phoenix, 2025 NFL schedule release, New York fans don’t play, The rizzler is a model, HBO Max rebrand and more.
A bit of the internet:
Sailing with Phoenix | One year ago, 29-year-old Oliver Widger quit his job, cashed out his 401(k), and set out to live full-time on a sailboat. Today, he’s more than two weeks into a solo voyage from Oregon to Hawaii, accompanied by his cat, Phoenix. Oliver has been sharing his journey on TikTok through his “Sailing with Phoenix” series, posting daily updates that have captivated hundreds of thousands of viewers. People aren’t just watching, they're fully invested, tracking his boat via a GPS link in his bio and cheering him on every day. This kind of adventure-driven content has found a strong audience on TikTok, with similar creators like Rob the Hitchhiker, who’s been documenting his own journey to Alaska on foot with his dog, Lu.
✌️| A new TikTok trend pokes fun at the generational mix-up when older coworkers hold up two fingers to mean “line 2” or “I need two,” but a younger coworker mistakes it for a peace sign.
Forever | Mara Brock Akil, creator of Moesha, Girlfriends and The Game, has another hit on her hands! An adaptation of Judy Blume's book Forever, Akil's show has stayed in Netflix’s Top 10 list since its release and was just renewed for Season 2. Its cultural resonance is showing up in commentary about the characters, whether it's about their emotional depth or a good ol’ stan moment.
Baseball Is Cinema | Earlier this week, a screenshot from a NY Mets game went viral on X for its use of a cinematic framing technique called the split diopter. Popularized by Brian De Palma in the ’80s, the shot had one fan jokingly wondering if he was the one directing Mets games for TV. The actual director behind the local NY broadcast on SNYtv, John DeMarsico, revealed himself and admitted that his work is full of references to films like Kill Bill, Challengers, The Wizard of Oz, Planet of the Apes, and more. Both film and baseball twitter were obsessed with the cinematic shots and one fan even said baseball is the perfect sport to apply this kind of reference to. As a result of his work going viral, John DeMarsico has gained thousands of new followers over the course of the week and the official MLB account has taken notice.
What brands are up to:
HBO Max Rebrand | After much criticism, Max will once again be HBO Max. The irony of the situation has given HBO Max an opportunity to poke fun at itself on social. The brand has been using memes and its extensive catalog to make light of the announcement. Our favorites include the classic Spider-Man meme, a montage of culture's confusion over the service's name, and a Veep moment.
No Ordinary Love | Hinge unveiled the second edition of its “No Ordinary Love” campaign, where writers are tapped to share love stories from real Hinge users. This new iteration will launch as a limited-edition hardcover for select book clubs and, to better connect with Gen Z daters on Substack as a five-part series. Contemporary authors share the plot twists of early dating through alternating first-person perspectives, inspired by storytelling in books and movies. In addition, “No Ordinary Love” is amplified through partnerships with Substack creators, tapping into communities of authentic writers that already exist on the platform.
2025 NFL Schedule Release | NFL teams unveiled their 2025 schedules this week, and they definitely delivered. The Los Angeles Chargers, widely regarded as the reigning champs of schedule-release creativity, returned with a Minecraft-themed video packed with their signature humor and clever roasts. The Tennessee Titans unveiled their schedule with a pharmaceutical ad parody called “Schedule-rizi,” assigning tongue-in-cheek side effects to each opponent, like jet lag for the Seahawks and slurred speech for the Saints. Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, leaned into cinematic flair, revealing their schedule with a dramatic, movie-esque showcase of the Lombardi Trophy. Catch nearly all of the schedule release videos on X.
Collabs of the Week | Highlighting some brand collaborations we saw this week:
Platform News:
Threads Updates:
Threads now lets users add up to five links in their bio, giving creators more ways to share and drive traffic from their profile.
TikTok Updates:
TikTok’s new AI Alive feature lets users bring photos to life by turning them into animated videos with motion and effects within Stories.
TikTok honors Global Accessibility Awareness Day with new inclusive features.
TikTok is expanding its guided meditation feature originally tested with teens to all users, offering late-night mindfulness prompts that encourage breaks especially after 10 p.m. Additionally, TikTok is investing $2.3 million in ad credits to 31 global mental health organizations, supporting the creation and promotion of trusted, informative content to improve mental well-being worldwide.
Extra Credit Scrolling:
📰 AMC Theatres Will Offer Half-Price Tickets on Wednesdays Starting in July
📰 YouTube to stream 2025 Week 1 NFL regular-season game for free
