Latest / Mini Scroll / MINI SCROLL: Matilda Djerf bullying allegations, 'Songs I'd Play' TikTok trend + Sophia Culpo vs. Braxton Berrios (again)

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MINI SCROLL: Matilda Djerf bullying allegations, 'Songs I'd Play' TikTok trend + Sophia Culpo vs. Braxton Berrios (again) · Mini Scroll

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  Hi everyone. Welcome to Mini Scroll, the
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  daily Internet culture podcast bringing you the biggest stories
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  from social media, the creator economy and the digital space
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  every Monday through Thursday. I'm your host, Lauren Meisner,
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  the founder of the youth digital media brand Centennial World.
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  Welcome back to Mini Scroll, everyone.
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  And today is actually a Centennial World's fifth
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  birthday. You guys, I've officially been
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  running this company for half a decade, five years.
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  So for anyone that is new and you want to hear like the lore
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  of this podcast, go back and listen to the Q&A that I did a
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  couple of months ago now because I explained like the structure.
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  But basically this podcast lives underneath a greater media brand
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  that I own called Centennial World.
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  And for the first like three to four years, I would say we
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  really prioritized our publication like our written
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  work. That was kind of our bread and
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  butter. We came from journalism
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  backgrounds, writing backgrounds, but then in the
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  last year, we kind of decided that we needed to take a step
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  back from the written work. You know what, that's still
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  important. And you know, it's always going
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  to have like a place in my heart, the website, because that
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  was like my first baby within the brand, I would say.
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  But we found it didn't matter how much traffic we got on site.
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  It didn't matter how much recognition we were getting by
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  getting, you know, amazing link backs or citations in different
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  mainstream publications, It didn't actually impact our
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  audience growth and our revenue. So audience growth, meaning
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  people that were coming to us specifically as opposed to just
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  like Googling someones name and being like what's going on
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  between these two Youtubers reading the article and clicking
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  out. We knew we needed to prioritize
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  different channels that foster that kind of like community feel
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  and grew that like culty audience as opposed to just like
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  getting traffic. And brands honestly just did not
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  care about working with us on site.
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  So that's why I started the daily podcast this year because
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  we knew that taking the news that we were publishing on our
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  website and bringing it to a podcast format every single day
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  instead, that was going to pay off.
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  And it definitely has. OK, let's get into the stories
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  for today, the last Monday of mini scrolling.
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  I'm going to say that every single fucking day.
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  Not ever, not ever. I'm going to say that every day
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  this week, the last Monday of mini scroll of 2024, the last
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  Tuesday. But honestly, like this is the
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  first year of mini scroll. This is my first year of doing a
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  daily podcast. I can't believe I've done a
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  daily podcast basically the whole year.
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  So I'm just kind of like basking in this accomplishment.
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  OK, so the first story that I have for you guys is I'm going
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  to break down the Matilda Durf and Durf Ave. allegations that
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  have been going viral everywhere all weekend.
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  Late last week, which was the weekend here in Australia for
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  us, the Swedish publication Aftonbladette published
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  essentially like a documentary featuring several former
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  employees of Matilda Durf's fashion brand Durf Ave., in
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  which they claimed that Matilda fostered a toxic work
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  environment through bullying and a lack of respect for her team.
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  So amongst the allegations, one employee called Matilda's
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  behavior to her staff, quote, psychological terror.
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  Another said, quote, there are times when she has lined up the
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  employees and yelled at them and said how bad they are at their
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  job. One of the biggest allegations
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  to come out of this is that Matilda had her own private
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  bathroom that she and a few select favorite employees were
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  allowed to use. There was a sign on it basically
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  on the door that said don't use this.
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  One day apparently the sign fell, someone used it and
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  Matilda made that person like that employee scrub that toilet
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  allegedly as a punishment for them using her toilet.
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  There's also allegations that Matilda fat shamed a model
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  during a photo shoot and also staff quote.
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  To one person she said her butt didn't fill out the jeans and to
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  another she said that her butt filled up the jeans too much.
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  I've seen a lot of people, this happens every time there's any
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  type of allegations like this against somebody who is like
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  previously beloved people are like, I always knew, I always
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  got such a bad feeling about and it's like, did you?
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  That's not really relevant to like what is currently
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  unfolding, you know? But I think when it does come to
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  this situation, what I will say is I've seen a lot of people
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  talk about how this kind of environment is very common
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  amongst especially smaller fashion brands with a founder at
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  the helm. I think fashion, beauty, even
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  media, you know, are like really sought PR are really sought
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  after industries, industries sought, sought, sought after
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  industries that young women especially want to work in.
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  They're very glamorized. And so you can kind of get these
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  companies, these smaller companies, these like boutique,
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  you know, type of brands that are run like this because I
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  think sometimes that goes to the founder's head.
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  It's kind of like the Devil Wears Prada where she's like a
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  million girls would kill to be in your shoes, like a million
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  girls would kill to work here. And so I think that attitude is
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  very common in those industries, especially when there is like 1
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  central person who is driving the ship.
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  And in their mind, probably like the reason why all of these
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  employees have their salaries and can pay their rent and their
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  mortgages and like have this lifestyle.
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  And also, I'm sure some of those employees are starting to build
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  their own like platforms off the back of working for Matilda and
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  stuff. So I imagine there is just like
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  a lot of inflated egos with some founders who are at the helm of
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  these brands who really feel like you wouldn't be here
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  without me. This is my brand, this is my
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  face. You know, this like I'm the
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  reason for all of this, I imagine.
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  And then just from like an influencer perspective, I mean,
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  we see this a lot. Like Matilda did have a
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  reputation of being really nice, of having kind of inclusive
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  values. You know, she went semi viral
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  maybe a couple years ago, I forget when it was where she was
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  talking about how she gets invited to Fashion Week all the
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  time, but she never goes because until they're more inclusive,
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  she's not going to, you know, sit front row and kind of put
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  her stamp of approval on that. So she kind of built this
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  reputation around herself. And when you do build a
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  reputation for yourself of being this like amazing influence,
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  this really like ethical influencer in theory, then you
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  know you have farther to fall. OK, so Matilda has responded.
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  So she made a statement to the publication and she also
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  commented, I believe on their Instagram post.
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  I think it was theirs, she wrote.
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  I don't recognize myself in the claims that have been made and
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  I've chosen not to comment on individual cases.
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  However, I do believe it's valuable that these concerns are
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  being raised as it gives both me and Jerf Ave. the opportunity to
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  grow and improve. I want to emphasize that I take
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  full responsibility and see this as a chance to reflect, grow and
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  contribute to a better culture for everyone at Jeff Ave.
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  And then Jeff Avenues chief operating officer said the
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  company acknowledged the challenges it is workplace
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  environment and had taken steps to address them.
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  And then she actually like wrote out a whole list of the steps
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  that they're doing. Some of these steps include
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  implementing an independent whistleblower function,
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  strengthening the management team, and carrying out an
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  independent workplace assessment investment with an external
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  psychologist. So I will say that anytime
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  there's been kind of mass criticism around Jeff Ave. or
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  Matilda, she never shies away from addressing it.
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  The company always makes a statement.
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  They don't just ignore and they do it quick, like they do it
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  within the same day. Same thing happened when she was
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  getting all that backlash like this, or maybe was this time
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  last year, earlier this year when she was copyright striking
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  allegedly. I think it was like what's it?
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  Oh my God, what's she doing? She was copy yes, that was it.
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  She was copyright striking allegedly creators, like small
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  creators who were sharing dupes. I think of Jeff Ave. close
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  anyway, so you know, they made a statement right away.
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  They were like I emailed them, yes.
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  It was because we were still really writing on site.
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  So it would have been around this time last year.
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  Like I emailed them for a statement and they got back to
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  me like right away. So they are very good at
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  managing the PR around the brand and the PR around Matilda.
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  And I do appreciate that she didn't just deny everything.
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  There was absolutely an element of acknowledgement there.
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  OK. So now many former fans are
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  calling on influencer Philippa Mullier to speak out.
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  So for anyone that doesn't know, Philippa has an influencer who
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  briefly worked for Jeff Ave. as a social media coordinator from
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  June, no, January 2022, sorry, to October 2022.
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  And I guess before she worked there, like Matilda and her were
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  like in each other's comments all the time, like always
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  interacting. And then it just kind of she
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  left the company abruptly. Nobody has any idea why.
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  There was like very little said about it.
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  And then they basically don't seem to interact.
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  So everyone's like, what does she know?
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  Like we need to know what's going on here.
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  She probably has something to say.
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  So she actually made a statement, a very small one, but
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  she made a statement. So a TikTok creator was posting
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  about this and about Philippa and Matilda and this whole like
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  workplacing that came out and she commented on that video she
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  wrote meep. This whole situation is so hard
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  for me to talk about honestly and I just think I need some
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  more time to reflect before addressing it.
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  So it does sound like Philippa has some not so nice things to
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  say about working at your Ave. I don't know if she'll ever
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  actually come out and say it, but it sounds like she might be
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  open to it. OK, the next story that I have
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  for you guys is I wanted to talk really quickly about this songs
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  I'd play if trend. So I don't know if this is
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  taking over your for you page like it is everyone on my teams
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  for you page. But there's this new TikTok
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  trend sweeping the app where basically people are taking a
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  photo of like a niche business or like a niche place and
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  writing quote songs I'd play if I owned a XYZ company or songs
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  I'd play if I was in XYZ place featuring a sound that has very
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  pointed lyrics and it's supposed to be funny.
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  I'm going to say a lot of them are a little bit like edgy and
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  kind of savage, these BB hills killing y'all.
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  But this could be done really well if you're a business.
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  So for example, you could put up like a picture of let's say
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  Goodwill with the text songs I'd play if I owned a Goodwill or
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  songs I'd play if I worked at Goodwill or whatever.
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  And the song playing could be Thrift Shop by Macklemore.
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  Or if you owned an alcohol brand, worked for an alcohol
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  brand, you could put like songs I'd play if I owned a liquor
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  brand or worked at a liquor brand.
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  And this song could be shot, shot shots by LMFAO, stuff like
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  that. So it's really quick.
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  But you know, like I said, some of them are a little bit savage,
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  but if you just are careful with what you post, I think this
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  could be really funny. Okay, and the last story that I
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  have for you guys, I was tossing up between this one and the
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  Selena Gomez one where that actor called her out and call
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  her up, but like criticized her Spanish accent in the new movie
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  Amelia Perez, I think it's called.
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  And then Selena commented about it and then he apologized.
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  That's honestly just actually the gist of the story.
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  But anyways, I decided to go with this one instead.
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  I guess I gave you guys the rundown of that one too.
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  OK, so this where I have for you guys last story is Sofia Culpo
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  has shaded Alex Earl and Braxton Barrios.
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  So Sofia Culpo has called out Braxton Barrios once again for
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  how he treated her in their relationship.
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  Brianna chicken fries. I somehow involved in the story.
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  Always can't do an episode without talking about her.
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  I swear. Was on Alex Earl's podcast
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  talking about her abusive relationship with Zac Bryan.
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  This podcast was picked up by a lot of pop culture TikTok
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  accounts, including one where the creator named Stephanie said
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  in her recap video that Zac Bryan is to Brianna as Braxton
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  Berrius is to Sofia Culpo. Are you sticking with me?
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  So like, a TikTok creator made that comparison.
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  OK, so in case you missed it, Sophia is the influencer who
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  dated Braxton for two years before Alex.
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  They lived together in New Jersey, apparently.
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  And there were also questions when they broke up around if
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  there was overlap between Alex and Sophia.
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  There's lots of rumors that Braxton cheated on Sophia with
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  Alex. And even though Alex has kind of
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  like denied those rumors, Sophia has always kind of maintained
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  this. I wouldn't say she's like
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  necessarily come out and like said it, but she's always
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  heavily implied it in a lot of the content that she's created
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  around this relationship, like around her past relationship.
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  And she was actually on a podcast, I think it was earlier
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  this year, and she was talking about how like Braxton was a
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  really controlling boyfriend. So I think that's why Stephanie,
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  the TikTok creator, made that comparison because she was
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  basically saying, like, from what Sophia has told us about
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  her relationship with Braxton, it sounds like there were
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  similarities between how Braxton treated Sophia and how Brianna
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  says Zac treated her. OK, so Sophia saw this TikTok
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  from Stephanie comparing the two and she stitched it.
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  In the stitch, Sophia looked at the camera and took like a big
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  sip of wine. If you guys remember, Braxton
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  was technically Sophia Kolpo's Zac Bryant.
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  This is obviously a hark back to the response that Zac Bryan's ex
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  Deb gave when Brianna came out about Zac's abusive
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  relationship. Brianna came out about his
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  abuse. The first thing that Deb posted
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  after that was like basically a copy and paste of this video
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  from Sophia. And I actually chose the story
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  because it felt lighter, even though it's actually like, not
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  light subject matter. But in terms of like the
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  commentary, I'm going to say it seems like Braxton really fucked
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  Sophia up. Like really, the way that he
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  treated her, the way that their relationship ended, she's
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  obviously still very hurt by it, understandably so.
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  But I wanted to choose this story instead of the Selena
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  Gomez story because I kind of felt like with the Selena Gomez
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  story, I needed to dissect more of the conversation around the
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  criticism of art and like who's allowed to criticize and
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  industry peers giving each other feedback and criticizing each
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  other. And if that is still valid in
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  every single industry, when you are so famous and you're sitting
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  on a giant platform giving criticism about a peer versus,
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  you know, other industries where you might give each other like
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  peer-to-peer feedback, peer-to-peer criticism, But it's
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  not amplified to the degree that someone who is a peer of Selena
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  Gomez, like, he's sitting on a giant podcast saying that.
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  So anyways, that just felt like a much bigger conversation where
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  I would really need to have a lot of time and space to dissect
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  how I felt about all of that because I know it's a bigger
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  conversation. So that's why I wanted to do
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  this story. But I guess I've kind of done
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  both now. Anyways, that's it for many
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  scroll today guys. I'm really excited because right
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  after this, I am recording the final deep dive of the year and
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  I'm recording it with my team. I'm recording it with Alex and
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  Annabelle. Sadly, Danny is away.
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  As you guys know, I've been on the editing grind.
• 15:56
  She is on a trip, so I've been editing the podcast while she's
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  away. But yes, so Alex and Annabelle
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  are going to do the podcast with me and you guys have been asking
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  to meet them to get to know them a little bit better.
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  So I'm excited because they're going to join me.
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  We're going to do what 2025 pop culture predictions.
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  All right, guys, that's it for me to scroll today.
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  I love you guys. Please rate review and
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  subscribe. Please story this on Spotify.
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  We're trying to get to 500 by the end of the year, 2 weeks
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  away. I love you guys and I will talk
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  to you tomorrow. Bye.