Weekly Internet Roundup: Nurses Are Icky, Trump Enters NFT Land, and TikTok Might Get Banned (Again)

Congratulations, you've made it to another Friday. What are you going to do to celebrate? Perhaps you'll meet up with friends, or just kick back in front of the TV with a brewski. Or, you could take the sophisticated route and read up on another week's worth of internet culture events. As always, they have been as entertaining as they are highbrow.

Oh Good, Another Social Media Might Die

Remember the good old days of 2020 when it looked like there was a chance of the US government outlawing TikTok? Well, that argument has come back around to haunt us again, as a bipartisan group of politicians have proposed legislation that would put a stop to the Gen Z Myspace once and for all. Led by Republican senator Marco Rubio, it responds to fears around data handling and influence from the Chinese government.

Unsurprisingly, TikTok users responded to the news with their trademark understatement. A few big creators are already imploring their fans to follow them on other platforms. While nothing is set in stone yet, this does confirm one thing: boomers in Congress hate this app almost as much as Redditors.

Nurses Fail to Disprove the High School Bully Allegations

It takes a certain kind of individual to go into healthcare. In an ideal world, they would be caring, patient, and knowledgeable about making people better. In reality, doctors with God complexes and passive aggressive nurses are a startingly common occurrence. 

Working in a hospital is never easy, but it's not an excuse to berate your patients. However, it seems like the former labor & delivery nurses of Atlanta's Emory Hospital missed the memo. After participating in a TikTok trend that asks users to list their “icks” on a particular topic, they ended up losing their jobs — and receiving the widespread fury of the internet. While social media can be a cathartic place to complain about work, there are some roles where professionalism is more important.

Elon Musk is Shocked That People Don't Like Him

From the bottom of my heart, I wish I could go back to a time where I didn't know that Elon Musk existed. I could happily live my life never having to read or write another word about this cursed man, but he insists on doing things that are internet newsworthy. So, it brings me little pleasure to report how he received a frosty reception at a Dave Chappelle show in San Francisco over the weekend. Mounting the stage to a chorus of boos, the whole ordeal led to numerous jokes, and a highly publicized online meltdown. 

It seems like this particular bit of negative feedback hit hard, as things over on Twitter have got progressively more chaotic during the week. He has banned numerous journalists who have been critical of him on the platform, and has promised to try and take legal action against the account that tracks the movements of his private jet. He has also reportedly disabled audio conversation tool Twitter Spaces, after hosting one and then promptly ending it when reporters asked questions he wasn't able to answer. Oh, and let's not forget that rent hasn't been paid on Twitter HQ for several weeks. Another normal few days!

Trump Goes Non-Fungible

We don't hear much from our most notorious former president these days. He has so far snubbed the opportunity to return to Twitter after his favorite person Elon unbanned him, and it takes a certain kind of individual to follow his musings on Truth Social. It's not like he hasn't been busy, though, as an announcement this week has made clear. Now, for the low low price of $99 (or crypto equivalent), you can own one of an official collection of Donald Trump NFTs, which are about as outrageous as they sound.

These are supremely tacky creations are advertised as “Trump Cards”. The artwork includes things like Trump wearing a personalized superhero suit, as some kind of badly photoshopped astronaut, and (a personal favorite) a festive picture where he stands in the White House among Melania's miserable and camp decorations.

As if that wasn't enough, purchase of a Trump Card promises entry into a sweepstake for prizes, such as meeting the man himself. Supposedly, they have sold out already, because who would pass up such an opportunity? 

That is all we're going to cover for now, but rest assured that the roundup will be back next week. By that time, who knows what might have reached a level of online infamy bad enough that it ends up in here. Probably best not to speculate, let's be honest.