The chapter explores the coconut tree meme and its impact on internet culture, particularly within the gay community, as well as the rise of tech-related memes surrounding Kamala Harris's candidacy. The speakers discuss how the memorable quote involving a coconut tree became a joyful meme embraced by many, drawing parallels to humorous family moments. They also delve into the intersection of Gen Z culture, TikTok, and viral moments in creating meme trends, including the 'brat' meme associated with Charli XCX's endorsement of Kamala Harris.
This week, the memes didn’t just fall out of coconut trees — a rundown of the social media reaction to Kamala Harris’s election campaign, and an exploration of what her tech platform might look like. Then we discuss a major new study on universal basic income with Elizabeth Rhodes, research director at OpenResearch, and ask whether it could be a solution to job losses to A.I. And finally, Kate Conger, a New York Times reporter, joins us to break down how the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike crashed the global IT infrastructure.
Guests:
- Elizabeth Rhodes, Research Director at OpenResearch
- Kate Conger, New York Times reporter
Additional Reading:
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