Are Nonsense Memes The New Punk Rock?

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Oct 12, 2026

Italian brainrot’s absurd AI characters spark a showdown over copyright, ownership and the future of digital folklore. Marina Hyde unveils her new independent media venture and discusses leaving legacy journalism for the creator economy. Plus, Ari Emanuel’s memoir raises questions about bestseller-list manipulation, bulk buying and what literary success really means.

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INSIGHT

Italian Brainrot Turns AI Slop Into Folklore

Italian brainrot combines AI-generated hybrid creatures, nonsense names, and absurd storylines into a participatory online culture.
Characters such as Ballerina Cappuccino, Bombardiro Crocodilo, and Tung Tung Tung Sahur spread through YouTube, Fortnite, and Roblox.

insights

INSIGHT

Seven Prompts Created A Billion-Dollar Rights Fight

Tung Tung Tung Sahur exposes a new ownership problem because one teenager’s seven prompts became a widely remixed cultural property.
The character’s enormous reach makes it unclear whether rights belong to its creator, users, or commercial intermediaries.

insights

INSIGHT

Brainrot Lets Children Own Their Celebrities

Brainrot works as a generational rejection of adult celebrity culture, letting children create and control their own stars.
Fans build relationships, rivalries, and soap-opera worlds around characters no adult celebrity can control.

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Italian Brainrot Becomes Digital Folklore

03:21 • 3min

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AI Characters Challenge Copyright Law

06:10 • 6min

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Brainrot’s Generational Rebellion

12:06 • 5min

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Remix Culture Outruns Hollywood

Marina Hyde Launches Always On

26:23 • 2min

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Journalism Enters the Creator Economy

28:25 • 3min

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Owning Her Creative Value

31:31 • 4min

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Risk Keeps Creative Careers Young

35:28 • 2min

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Ari Emanuel’s Explosive Memoir

37:36 • 4min

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The Prestige Of Bestseller Status

41:59 • 1min

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How Book Charts Can Be Gamed

43:25 • 55sec

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The Handbook For Mortals Scandal

44:21 • 4min

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Why Sustained Sales Matter More

48:16 • 4min

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Recommendations And Traitors Reactions

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Michael Hayden

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith that follows Tom Ripley, a young American con artist who travels to Italy to persuade Dickie Greenleaf to return home. As Ripley becomes increasingly obsessed with Dickie's lifestyle, he commits a series of crimes to assume his identity. The novel explores themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between reality and deception. Highsmith's portrayal of Ripley as a charismatic yet amoral character has captivated readers and inspired numerous adaptations.

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Shoe Dog

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Shoe Dog is a memoir that chronicles the journey of Phil Knight as he builds Nike from its humble beginnings as Blue Ribbon Sports. The book is a personal and detailed account of Knight's experiences, from his early days selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car to the global brand Nike is today. It highlights his relentless work ethic, the challenges he faced, and the key relationships with his partners and employees that were crucial to the company's success. The memoir also touches on Knight's personal life, including his family and the emotional struggles he encountered along the way.

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The Hate U Give

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Who ‘owns’ the rights to a new wave of anarchic AI-generated characters? Has a Hollywood super-agent bought his way onto the Bestseller list? What is Marina Hyde’s new project?

A key character in the world of the ‘Italian brainrot’ meme universe has become the unlikely centre of a fierce legal battle. Can you copyright an AI-generated character, and what are the consequences?

Last month, Marina left The Guardian after 25 years as a columnist. She reveals exclusively on the podcast what she’s doing next, and why.

Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel has published a buzzy memoir - and is facing accusations that he’s been bulk ordering copies himself. Can you buy your way to becoming a Bestselling author?

Always On is home to Marina’s original writing and YouTube show. Each week she’ll be covering politics, culture, sport, media and more. It’s free to subscribe now on marinahyde.com and YouTube

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