October had a slew of headlines pointing out AI advertising gone wrong (what's new?!), excess in beauty and celebrity brands (do we REALLY need another A-lister haircare brand??), and the internet's ongoing beef with the word "community"...is it the new "authenticity"?

In this month's State of the Internet report, Xanthe and Chelsea get into:

• Summer Fridays' AI ad and the $300 lip gloss bundle: the comment section lit up like a Christmas tree, as followers were quick to call out the brand (prompting a SWIFT deleted post). Plus, how brands like Tezza and Our Place are taking a visible anti-AI stance. Alsooo, if AI is saving brands money on hiring real people, why aren't products getting cheaper? 👀
• The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and Kylie Jenner's $50M (yes, you read that right) Fantasy Bra: what does it mean when a brand you shop for at the mall aligns themselves with the uber-wealthy in an economy where most people are pinching pennies? And who exactly does Kylie target best? 💎
• Jennifer Lawrence's haircare brand "mes°": a celeb launch that feels out of left field, wildly unnecessary, and timed suspiciously close to Black Friday. "More time spent living" is giving...flat. The opposite of what we want our hair products to do. 💇🏼‍♀️
• Shane Gillis on SNL: a misogynistic monologue that made tidal waves across the internet. Was SNL trying to bridge a political divide or just chase controversy for views? 🙄
• Community fatigue: when does "community" become a marketing buzzword that actually miiiiight mean "membership with a paywall"? What does a real community look like in this online landscape in the truest sense of the word? Do we run communities or paid programs??? 🤔

ALSO covered: Chelsea's Instagram detox, Waymo driverless cars and the case for human livelihoods, AI "actors" taking slots from real people on national television, and why Harvard's humanities applications are surging (!!!).

The internet is chaos. Let's make sense of it together. 👾

Connect with Chelsea:

• The Ultimate Pitch Kits -- on sale now! Only a handful through end of 2026.
• Notes From the New World Podcast [Spotify & Apple]
• Footnotes Newsletter
• Threads
• Website

Connect with Xanthe:

• Instagram
• Social Life
• Content Planning Template [Freebie]
• Website

September put a spotlight on speaking out, scale, and social media CEO's obsession with launching more surveillance state wearable tech...

In this month's debrief, Xanthe and Chelsea get into:

• The Ed Sheeran and Macklemore Tour fallout: what does it cost to speak out (or not?), how can you let your values be known and communities feel safe, and what hard conversations have we all been avoiding?
• Create and Cultivate Festival: flop or not? Reviews are mixed, the critics are out, and we're wondering: at what point do you air your grievances on social media? Is being critical of a woman-led festival tearing women down? Plus, what Xanthe and Chelsea would do if it was their festival...
• Meta Muse and it's new "Tamagotchi" Charm, AND Apple's new foldable phone are on the market... what are the tech bros up to now? Who's the Muse Charm for? BABIES? Maybe...

The internet is chaos. Let's make sense of it together.

👾 As a THANK YOU for listening to State of the Internet, we're doing a GIVEAWAY for one special listener for leaving a rating and written review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
👾 Check out THIS FORM to win a $50 (!) gift card to the bookshop of your choice!
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👾 One lucky listener will be pulled on Friday, October 16th, so submit your review before then!

Connect with Chelsea:

• Notes From the New World Podcast [Spotify & Apple]
• Footnotes Newsletter
• Threads
• Website

Connect with Xanthe:

• Instagram
• Social Life
• Content Planning Template [Freebie]
• Website