Tag: TikTok

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News Round-Up: July 28, 2021

Photo of the gay dating app Grindr

Some news items you might have missed: • Insider: Idiot social media users on TikTok and Twitter used Grindr to find athletes in Tokyo’s Olympic Village with profiles on the gay dating app and then shared their photos online. The bone-headed move put some athletes who live in countries where being gay is illegal in jeopardy. Continue reading “News Round-Up: July 28, 2021”

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Fun: TikToker Goes Viral With Amazing, Impressive Trick Shots

This TikToker is going viral for his amazing trick shot skills. Davide Panzeri has 2 million followers on TikTok where he posts nearly every day. You can follow him at @trickshotdav. He told Muscle & Fitness Magazine he started learning the trick shots as a way to battle burnout depression from work. Some commenters on the YouTube page are crying “Oh, but how many times did he have to try to get it right?” In the video, NowThis News reports some tricks took him 6 months to learn. I could never do any of this. Ever. p.s. easy on the eyes as well 🙂

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Study: Social Media Platforms ‘Categorically Unsafe’ For LGBTQs

A young gay man on social media

A young gay man on social media
(photo: Eddy Billard/Unsplash)
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has announced the findings of its inaugural Social Media Safety Index (SMSI), a 50-page report on LGBTQ user safety across five major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. The overall takeaway is that  all five platforms are “categorically unsafe” for LGBTQ people. From Axios:

GLAAD had planned to give each of the sites a grade as part of its inaugural social media index, but opted not to give individual grades this year after determining all the leading sites would receive a failing grade.

“They are categorically unsafe, across the board,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said. The findings follow a several month effort by GLAAD and a team of outside experts who looked at each of the sites, their policies and track record of enforcing those policies.

Ellis said that all of the sites hold themselves out as LGBTQ-friendly and nonetheless allow for LGBTQ people to be harassed on a daily basis as well as allowing harmful misinformation to spread unchecked.

Each of the social media platforms defended their efforts to protect LGBTQ people. Facebook/Instagram CMO Alex Schultz declared their deep belief in “the representation of and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community that GLAAD champions.” “Finding the right balance between giving voice and taking action on harmful content is hard,” added Schultz. “This is why we partner with experts, non-profits and other stakeholders – like GLAAD – to try to get it right.” YouTube issued a statement noting its ‘significant progress’ in removing “hateful and harassing content against the LGBTQ+ community that violates our policies, prominently surface content in search results and recommendations from authoritative sources and limit the spread of extreme content by our recommendations.” Twitter says it welcomes GLAAD’s initiative and the chance to “better understand the experiences and needs of the LGBTQ+ communities on our service.” And TikTok promised it is “committed to supporting and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices on and off the platform and we care deeply about fostering a welcoming and supportive experience for everyone.”

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News Round-Up: January 5, 2021

Nicholas Yatromanolakis

Nicholas Yatromanolakis of Greece
Nicholas Yatromanolakis (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • The Independent: Greece has appointed its first openly gay minister as Nicholas Yatromanolakis, 44, (above) made history after he was named the new deputy minister of culture on Monday. • Instinct Magazine: Out radio host Larry Flick announced on Monday he will be taking a sabbatical from his Sirius XM duties in order to cope with some serious health issues as well as embrace some well-deserved ‘me time.’ • Variety: The Grammy Awards are being postponed until March 14 due to coronavirus-related concerns, a rep for the show confirms to Variety. The show, which is scheduled to be hosted by “The Daily Show”‘s Trevor Noah, was originally scheduled for January 31st.

• NPR: Kyle Rittenhouse, a young gunman facing criminal charges in the killing of two men and the serious injury of a third this summer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, entered not guilty pleas to all charges during an arraignment Tuesday. The 18-year-old faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional reckless homicide, and violation of curfew the night of the shootings. • Washington Post: There is compelling evidence that covid-19 will have long-term effects on the brains and nervous systems of survivors as they age, and researchers on Tuesday announced a large international study to investigate the correlation between the coronavirus and cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia in later life. • TikTok: The video influencers are coming for the muscle gays who ignore commonsense guidelines to try and curtail the COVID-19 pandemic.

@dylanhorner1#fyp #covid19 #gay #lgbt #Bye2020 @sam.cushing @tylerspelane @koatysum @jakegrez♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod

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Nurse Suspended For ‘Cavalier Disregard’ For COVID In TikTok Video

(stock image of a nurse working in a hospital)
An oncology nurse who works at a hospital in Salem, Oregon, took to TikTok recently to brag about how she doesn’t follow coronavirus guidelines outside of work. The clip used audio of screaming in a scene from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ “When my co-workers find out I still travel, don’t wear a mask when I’m out and let my kids have play dates,” the nurse wrote in the video’s caption. The clip has since been deleted, but others have shared a ‘duet’ version of the video posted by a TikTok user who captioned their own video, “To each their own, but why would you brag about it to others?” That post has garnered over 287K responses as of this writing. The Washington Post reports the oncology nurse has been placed on administrative leave in light of her video.

In a statement, the hospital said the nurse, who has not been publicly identified by her employer, “displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking out of work.”

“We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here,” said the hospital, adding that an investigation is underway.

@amandabutcher2To each their own, but why would you brag about it to others? 🤦🏻‍♀️ I guess we could ask Loveiskind05 #nurse #covid #health #pandemic #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – Amanda Butcher

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News Round-Up: October 22, 2020

Me, Olivia Newton-John, Michael and Lindsay Wagner (2012)
Some news items you might have missed: • Throwback Thursday: I was reminded of this moment in 2012 (above) when Olivia Newton-John played a concert in Palm Springs and the one and only Lindsay Wagner showed up! Michael and I squealed like the Bionic Woman fans we are 🙂 • NBC News: Seventy percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, according to the 11th annual American Values Survey, the highest percentage recorded by a major national poll. The results, released Monday, found just 28 percent of respondents oppose the right of gay couples to wed. • Edge Media: TikTok announced in a statement that the social media platform will ban anti-LGBTQ content, including that which promotes conversion therapy. Users appear to trust TikTok, as it has become a space for survivors — and younger LGBTQ people who fear being subjected to conversion therapy — to find and connect with one another. • Kenneth in the 212: I’m a day late, but Kenneth’s ‘Wrestle Wednesday’ entry this week is definitely worth clicking over to 🙂 • VICE News: Almost 21,000 Election Day polling places have been eliminated heading into the 2020 U.S. election, a drastic dip in voting locations driven by a heavy shift to mail voting, coronavirus-related consolidations, cost-cutting measures, and voter suppression. • Coronavirus: Spain became the first Western European country to exceed 1 million COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, doubling its tally in just six weeks despite a series of increasingly stringent measures to control the second wave of the virus. • Fox News: Donald Trump holds a narrow advantage in Ohio, while voters in the three battleground states that put him over the top in 2016 prefer Joe Biden, according to Fox News polls of likely voters. Biden leads by 12 points in Michigan (52-40 percent), 5 points in Pennsylvania (50-45 percent), and 5 points in Wisconsin (49-44 percent). Trump carried each of these states by less than a percentage point in 2016.

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Donald Trump Wants To Ban TikTok And We Know Why

Comedian Sarah Cooper on TikTok (screen capture)
Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he’s looking at banning the popular social media site TikTok. “As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump told members of the press traveling with him. “I have that authority. I can do it with an executive order or that,” he said referring to emergency economic powers. I’m not sure a president can ban a social media platform as it could fall under 1st Amendment Free Expression, but, hey… Vanity Fair believes comedian Sarah Cooper’s rise to fame on the video platform could be the reason Trump’s ticked at the Tok.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. was looking at banning TikTok as well as other Chinese social media apps, citing national security concerns. Pompeo added that the Trump administration was evaluating TikTok as it has with other Chinese state-backed tech companies like Huawei and ZTE, which he has previously described as “Trojan horses for Chinese intelligence.”

But are national security concerns really behind Trump’s sudden pronouncement? Or is there another reason why the president wants to ban TikTok? Social media had their own answer: It’s all about Sarah Cooper.

Cooper, of course, is the actress and comedian who has come to Internet fame by posting videos of her lip-syncing Trump’s speeches and interviews to hilarious effect, whether it’s him denying he retreated to the White House bunker because of a threat posed by protestors, dodging a question about what his favorite Bible phrases are, or, most memorably, recreating his now-famous “People, woman, man, camera, TV” interview.

With more than half a million followers on TikTok, Cooper has been written up by The Hollywood Reporter, The Washington Post and The New York Times and appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen Show. (“You make me so happy,” Degeneres said). A profile in the Times of London was headlined: “How Sarah Cooper’s Trump Takedowns Made Her America’s New Comedy Hero.”

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TikTok User To Anti-Maskers: ‘Stop Being A Little B*tch’

Timmy Byrnes (via TikTok)
TikTok user Timmy Byrnes is my favorite thing today. Check out his message to anti-mask people: “You’re going to be fine – stop being a little beta b*tch.” “And to you other geniuses who are like, ‘It’s America – I have the freedom not to wear a mask.’ It’s called dress code, Kevin. The 7/11 also requires you to wear a shirt!” #brilliant

@timmyb100Long day, enjoy my rant ##wearamask ##greenscreen ##phrog ##foryou ##4u ##xyzbca ##fyp ##usmc ##military ##mask ♬ original sound – timmyb100