what the fukc is up dennys
🦀 HBD SHREK + FIRST EVER Pope to hit 67 + Swatch said “actually nvm” + not Punch the monkey in a crypto stunt 😭 + Domino’s $1M shot on goal ⚽️🍕 + Dr Pepper steps into microdrama + Iron Lung on YT🦀
before we begin today we have some HUGE news:
DAYNA IS BACK FROM JAPAANNNNNN! 🦀🇯🇵
We missed her dearly, and we’re happy to have our crabby crew feeling whole again 💛
In other crabby news:
Tomorrow Ryan will be joining The Social Intelligence Lab on the panel Borrowed Attention: How brands decide to enter a cultural moment.
”This session explores how brands can evaluate cultural moments before deciding whether to enter them. Moving beyond the idea that every trending topic is an opportunity, we’ll examine how analysts and strategists assess signal strength, cultural ownership, and brand permission before acting.”
RSVP » HERE «
Ok that should be all our housekeeping out of the way.
A quick PSA to any commencement speakers we might have in chat tonight: do NOT mention AI in your speech. you will (rightfully) get booed like the former CEO of google did over the weekend, less than a week after Gloria Caulfield met the same fate.
We’re a little bit obsessed with Demna’s new runway show being called “GucciCore” because wdym a luxury house is taking over Times Square using a fashion & aesthetic naming convention born on the internet?
Some news from the Cannes Film Festival that will matter in A Few Months™: Club Kid, directed by Jordan Firstman (u might know him from I Love LA and also his critiques of Heated Rivalry’s sex scenes for some reason), just got picked up by A24 after a bidding war between major studios that probably counts as its own heated rivalry.
Happy 25th birthday to our boi, the legend, the onion: Shrek.
An fundamental player in shaping the language of the internet via gif reacts and the humor of multigenerational fans.
And the Original Doom (1993) soundtrack was just inducted into the Library of Congress. This comes after the Minecraft soundtrack was inducted late last year, so clearly whoever’s in charge over there loves a video game OST (based tbh)
Denny’s is up to something with multiple posts on social referencing the iconic “What the fuck is up, Dennys?!” For context, 13 years ago the band Live Without opened up the pit in a Denny’s location in Texas and have since been on tour with Blink182 and the moment inspired multiple copycats in various food establishments. Love to see that the brand appears to be partnering with the original creators of the viral moment, similar to Del Taco’s recent tap featuring the OG creator of the “FRE SH A VOCA DO” Vine. Based on the caption on Denny’s IG posts, we will find out tomorrow!
There’s a ton of gooooood stuff packed into this top of the week roundup, so put on your Red Bull racing crocs, hop in your Oscar Meyer weiner car and let’s goooooo 🏎️💨🦀
🦀📈 TODAY’S POLL
📲🦀 Viral Topics
2026 NFL Schedule Release: Ranking This Year’s Top-10 Hype Videos (Fox Sports)
For the 2026 schedule-release “social media Super Bowl,” NFL content teams went full-tilt with playful concepts: Browns (Street Fighter), Giants (Jameis Winston Pictionary at the Vessel), Jets (a mesmerizing color-blend visual), Raiders (Step Brothers parody with Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins), Falcons (Stefanski–Ryan–Cunningham involvement, SportsCenter-theme nod and Jermaine Dupri cameo), Cowboys (the “TIA” Tyler Intelligence Agency with a Dak Prescott cameo), Bears (Rome Odunze as Bob Ross with a cheese-grater Packers jab), Titans (man-on-the-street opponent lookalikes in Nashville), Colts (Simpsons-themed gags referencing Jacksonville), and Chargers (Halo-themed digs, widely considered the “gold standard”)
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Pope Leo greets young Catholics with viral 6-7 motion (CNN)
Pope Leo XIV is going viral after a video showed him joining kids in the “67” meme trend at the Vatican. The playful moment sparked a wave of reactions online, with many calling him the “Gen Z pope” for embracing internet culture in an unexpectedly wholesome way.
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed during graduation speech about AI (NBC News)
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed multiple times amid a chorus of boos while comparing AI’s potential to the transformative impact of the computer and urging the University of Arizona’s class of 2026 that the future remains unwritten and they have power to shape it. He praised computers for “democratiz[ing] knowledge” while warning they’d degraded the public square, acknowledged students’ fears about jobs and politics, urged freedom, open debate and diverse perspectives (including immigrants), and his invitation — credited to his tech leadership and philanthropy — came as a similar AI mention recently drew boos at a University of Central Florida commencement.
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Swatch Shops Shut as Audemars Piguet Collaboration Causes Mayhem (Bloomberg)
Swatch stores worldwide canceled sales of the new Audemars Piguet collaboration after massive crowds and safety concerns sparked chaos in cities including Dubai, London, and New York. The “Royal Pop” pocket watch drew huge lines, police responses, and resale frenzy, with some watches flipping online for thousands above retail.
Two Americans Arrested After Crypto Stunt in Punch the Monkey’s Zoo Enclosure (Tokyo Weekender)
Two Americans (Dayna was not involved) were arrested after one allegedly climbed into the enclosure of Punch, Japan’s viral baby macaque, during a crypto-themed stunt at Ichikawa City Zoo. The intrusion frightened the monkeys and sparked outrage online, with critics condemning “content culture” for disrupting animals and zoo staff alike.
TikToker creates viral touring event where tall people can finally feel “normal” (Dexerto)
6′9″ content creator Tyler Bergantino went viral after inviting tall passersby for TikTok interviews and turned the response into “The Tall Tour,” which has visited over 20 U.S. cities and drew as many as 4,000 people in Orlando. The tour (featuring photos, mingling, a playful “heightabetical” lineup, speed-dating for those who struggle dating taller partners, and crowning the tallest attendees) aims to give tall people a welcoming community, with plans to expand speed-dating and hold boat and international events.
🦀 Brand News
Magnum hosts first‑ever fashion show in Cannes, curated by taste architect Law Roach with a surprise appearance from Heidi Klum to close the show (PressReleaseHub)
Start Your Grills: The Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 Heats Up Year Two With Delightful Race Day Traditions and First-Ever Fan Pick (Businesswire)
Demna Takes Over Times Square With the Debut of “GucciCore” for Cruise 2027 (Hypebeast)
it’s not everyday you see the internet-born “-core” suffix attached to a luxury house runway collection [🦀 benton]
