Category Archives: TikTok

Elon Musk leaving Twitter (X-Corp) for… TikTok?

Is this a sign of things to come?

Elon Musk’s business journey began with an X. After co-founding Zip2 and X.com (which later became PayPal), he continues to favor “X”.

As soon as tonight he says Twitter’s bird will be gone and the new logo will be an X.

Meanwhile on TikTok, he has a new account, or at least someone with access to new private looking videos has posted them using his name.

Less than 24 hours ago 12 new clips were posted simply under the name Elon Musk, with a profile link to the Wikipedia page for Elon Musk.

Likes, views and follows are exploding, as can be expected- and will likely be viral in a matter of hours, as happened with Billie Eilish, when she launched a private account.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8Rw6WUe/

The videos are almost all shot by a person, whose voice is sometimes heard, that appears to have close access to Musk. They tour Space X facilities, and even seem to go to various public events together.

There’s a voyeuristic quality to many of the clips, shot sometimes from backstage, following Elon as he strides into the spotlight- the footage is interesting if only for the mysterious nature of the source. Like a home made, amateur styled peek into the daily life of the world’s richest human being.

One clip of Elon testing a flame thrower is particularly eerie.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8Rw8Xxg/

@elonmusk__livechat 🚀 #Elonmusk #elonmusknews #elonmuskmotivation #elonmusktesla #elonmuskquotes #elonmuskisagenius #elonmusktweets #tesla #spacex #neuralink #theboringcompany #mars #nasa #business #failure #entrepreneur #entrepreneurlife #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset ♬ original sound – Elon Musk

There appears to be a doubling of views, likes and follows every 12 hours or so, and this will likely accelerate. It will be interesting, indeed, to see what, if any, new videos are added and what they hold in the way of secret views and content.

The story gets weirder but continues to entertain

Elon Musk has not been immune to controversies throughout his career. One of the most notable controversies revolves around his use of social media. Musk’s tweets have often landed him in hot water, from making bold claims about Tesla’s stock prices to sharing controversial statements without considering the potential consequences.

Concerns have been raised about the work environment at Tesla’s factories. Reports of intense work pressure, employee safety issues, and high turnover have drawn attention to labor practices within the company.

Elon Musk’s outspoken nature and unorthodox behavior have also attracted controversy. His comments about certain socio-political issues and public figures have occasionally drawn criticism, leading some to question his judgment and use of social media.

Hilarious history or serious fun?

In 2002, Elon founded SpaceX, determined to make space exploration affordable and sustainable. Amid numerous setbacks, he persisted, and in 2008, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 1 rocket into orbit, marking a pivotal moment in his journey.

Around the same time, Elon became CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, aiming to revolutionize the automotive industry with electric vehicles. Tesla faced challenges, but Elon’s vision of a sustainable future kept him pushing forward.

Billie Eilish Strikes again on TikTok: “Slumber Party” Rehearsal (X)

“we r hot” show dance rehearsal with commentary (hilarious sexy fun)

After her wild Ukulele post popped up on her crazy subterranean TikTok account and a couple of random posts since, today Billi Eilish posted what appears to be a impromptu reversal video with some hilarious commentary. Set to the song “Lost Cause” (very hot now).

The account which only has 8 videos since it first popped up has 29.6 million followers (of course!) and 122.2 millions likes, and the video (below) already has 3.2 million in the first hour. Today’s video dropped around 4:30 PM Pacific time on June 3, 2021. The first full video on the account – other than the Ukulele post mentioned above. That one went live on November 13, 2020.

It’s pretty clear from the humor, voice over and the attitude that Billie loves the vibe and spontaneity of TikTok and this video and her rogue account style fits right in!

LInk to Video on TikTok

Even at the relatively elderly summit of 19 her sultry, dark style along with top of the world presence continues to command loyalty and love for her music and style. Her recent biographical photo book was also a hit and the new songs will likely continue at the top of our summer list. The documentary is great also.

Oh, and the WORLD TOUR starts in September! Starting off, where else? Las Vegas.


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Spokane-Style Pizza is Either Lit, or Just Plain Weird; You Decide

I don’t know if this is legitimate or some kind of food prank or food “trend”, however, a TikTok video has been getting some major attention surrounding the mysterious “pizza” dish supposedly from Spokane. 

The ingredients are not anything that I would ever think to put on my pizza. The following ingredients are purportedly piled atop the pizza dough: fry sauce, canned salmon, green bell peppers, onions and fresh strawberries. 

Real or a monumental spoof, it’s hard to say, check the evidence below

This is almost 100% not a real thing but you can certainly check out the original video below to see for yourself. 

@mythicalkitchen

Now here’s a pizza style you probably never ever heard about. #fyp #foryou #pizza #spokanestylepizza #food

♬ original sound – Mythical Kitchen

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The Whole “be real” thing is Hard if you spent years learning to be Professional First

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

Who am I? I’m the person writing this.

But is it really necessary for you to know that I am female, love only cats (no dogs) and just got engaged?

No? Good, cause none of that is true. (Except the female part) That’s only one example of the odd twists that can come with the current trend of people going viral when they show “realness” and vulnerability.

Heard of acting? That’s what Meryl Streep does when she plays a person that never went to Yale and is not a rich famous actor, wink wink.

I suppose, as with so many online phenomena these days, it’s TikTok leading the way. No longer a place for young girls to dominate using only dancing, beauty and feminine wiles, it’s now a place where less objectively attractive people can blow up by showing, ostensibly, who they are.

Or by wearing a bear head as a hat.

https://www.tiktok.com/@madelin._.crochets/video/6983841654092352773

This trend towards realness has, based on informal research, also spilled over into places like LinkedIn, Medium and even Twitter.

On the whole, I think it’s a great thing. If Meryl Streep was only able to play herself, movies would be much less interesting, no doubt!

And maybe at least half of all the realness really is real. Just take it with a grain of salt if you see posts of someone getting engaged 3 times. In the same week.

All kidding aside this trend is part of a bigger, important evolution in digital communication

The evolution from journalistic norms, such as never referring to yourself directly but only as “your scribe”, “the writer”, “your correspondent” or just “one”, as in “one can only wonder…” to today’s norm of writing like the whole world wants to read your diary….

These journalistic conventions seem archaic and even ridiculous when the formerly forbidden “I” is commonplace and the authenticity of direct TikTok style casual presentation is already dominant and growing as a trend.

But the overall shift has more than just a style preference behind it, if you ask this writer (me).

It’s also far more than just the outgrowth of armies of non-journalists communicating spontaneously in every format and on every platform.

It’s really the early beginnings of what has become a common topic of late: the transition to the so-called Metaverse.

Not the Zuckerbergian Metaverse where people run around without legs and have joyless celebrations of themselves.

But rather, the real life cyber world where billions are on their phones communicating in various ways basically all the time. Even while jaywalking.

And as we do this more in every imaginable format, the desire to see “beautiful” landscape photos that have been photoshopped to death, instagram style, is eventually diminished to zero.

And what follows in a new hunger for the “real” or at least the honest seeming portrayal of the real (hi there Meryl!) and content that pushes an entirely different layer of psychological buttons.

As I mentioned above, dear reader, I love this! In spite of the fact that it leads to really scary TikToks (just check out the posts of some of the people that follow you on Tiktok (to see what I mean, the ones that follow 8753 people and get followed by like, 23 have nice videos…) where the frightening reality that’s out there (the banality of empirical unattractiveness you might call it) is already on full display, and how.

But that’s just the price to pay for a deeper and more authentic experience. And for the benefit of the real and valuable advice and knowledge you can get directly from “non-professional” actors who are not acting (presumably). We are reaping the profits of real life experiences, in exchange for nothing more than our attention, and clicks, likes and follows. And I say, Amen to that, bro.

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TikTok’s Huge Following Starts with the Algo, and it’s all about the Creators

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

The evolution of content continues at warp speed due to pure individual creativity

By now, the open algorithm, where a new account can blow-up in the first week because videos are not pre-judged by past performance or prior stats is well known and a huge draw to creators.

The apps and filters and tricks that are provided by the software are also extremely enticing. There are many videos (“TikToks”) that feature how-to and DIY tips for using various hacks to get SFX into your clip.

But, by far, the biggest draw and quality that most sets TikTok apart from virtually all other social media is the character of the creators themselves. And the diverse and unique spectrum of what can be perceived as successful and popular on the app is a creation of the creator and user community itself.

Links to the creators in this article:

The contrast with Instagram and Facebook couldn’t be more extreme

After sampling 20 hours of TikToks a year ago and comparing those to today, what stands out most is how the same qualities that seemed like a blast into a different universe a year ago, compared to what came before, are now much more developed and refined, if a concept like refinement can be applied to absolute quirky free expression.

What stands out is the level that creators are embracing the platform, not just to get seen and build stats, and possibly influence earning potential, but to communicate. With sometimes almost shocking honesty what they really believe in and and especially who, exactly, they are. That confidence is contagious and gives the experience an addicting quality, and yet, it’s a more positive addiction than any other social media experience.

Most intriguing, from a journalists point of view, is how highly intelligent, mostly self-educated creators are devoting enormous energy toward propagating highly valuable, yet often overlooked, insights about society, finance, internet business, wealth and, well, life itself. All without concern for an immediate reward.

There’s an electric feeling that, once given a platform and a megaphone, the chance exists for a world of information and constantly changing ideas to be rescued from the bland pit of ignorance and convention that is the weakness with most of media product.

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

A faint echo of hope, bouncing back from the dream of a better future

News and media web sites, that bend and contort content choices out of fear of revenue reductions, are rightfully lambasted and called-out for lack of coverage in areas that are critically important and yet given scant or negative coverage.

The ethos of being yourself, with or without glamor, and still be accepted, or even rising to the top echelons of stat-killing influencers, is not just a theoretical fairytale but is a visible reality all across the community.

You just have to look at what is popular, or even just showing viewer interest generally, and you’ll see incredibly creative people who made the choice to double-down on their uniqueness, rather than trying to conform to some social standard of bland attractiveness or fake charisma.

Because of the emphasis on the “content” of the content, for the most part, rather than slick visuals and production values, or a fake self-aggrandizing fantasy image bolstered by props like mansions, hot cars, make-up and wardrobe, etc. there’s a feeling that great clips will be rewarded for authenticity, more often than not.

The ethos and attitude that pervades the experience as a passive user is an organic outgrowth, in part, of the openness of the algorithm, and appears to be a more honest reflection of what people will “like” if not manipulated with dark patterns and all of ‘Zuckerbergian’ tricks.

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

Don’t mess with the recipe: just let it grow and evolve

Of course, no app or community is perfect and the best of what is happening on TikTok could disappear at any time. On the whole, however, it seems like the app is now locked into a situation where if TikTok were to lose that “magic”; the magic created by the community of creators themselves, it would destroy the actual formula that built the success of the platform.

And, hopefully, that reality will therefore prevail and will continue and allow millions of creators to grow, share insights and evolve together into a force that could, one day, make the rest of social media adopt at least some of those positive qualities, in order to maintain their own fan base and popularity. Or they will just disappear, to be replaced by a new type of online exchange that has not yet been conceived.

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Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

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Billie Eilish Wows again on TikTok: Rehearsal “Slumber Party” (X)

“we r hot” show dance rehearsal with commentary (hilarious sexy fun)

After her wild Ukulele post popped up on her crazy subterranean TikTok account and a couple of random posts since, today Billi Eilish posted what appears to be a impromptu reversal video with some hilarious commentary. Set to the song “Lost Cause” (very hot now).

The account which only has 14 videos since it first popped up and has 35.4 million followers (of course!) and 190.3 millions likes, and the video (below) got a whopping 3.2 million in the first hour and currently has accumulated 80 million views to date. The first full video on the account – other than the Ukulele post mentioned above. That one went live back on November 13, 2020.

It’s pretty clear from the humor, voice over and the attitude that Billie loves the vibe and spontaneity of TikTok and this video and her rogue account style fits right in!

LInk to Video on TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@billieeilish/video/6969705648401452293?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6967902097740793350&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

Even at the relatively elderly summit of 19 her sultry, dark style along with top of the world presence continues to command loyalty and love for her music and style. Her recent biographical photo book was also a hit and the new songs will likely continue at the top of our summer list. The documentary is great also.

Oh, and the WORLD TOUR 2022 starts in February! Kicking off in Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA, however, unfortunately tickets for that show has since been SOLD OUT!


Check out Lynxotic on YouTube

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

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Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

New Jason Statham Video or Deepfake TikTok Account? You Decide

Above:Photo Credit / MGM

Three and a half million likes in less than 24 hours? Sure, if you are Jason Stratham on TikTok. And it’s the first video on a brand new account. The only video on the account so far. And you are dancing while you divulge your stats.

Looking at the comments, however, nearly 70,000 of them, a large number are asking “is this real”. Deep-fakes are most definitely real. Several accounts used Tom Cruise Deep-fake video to try to spoof an official TikTok account for the star. And a few stray clips of Brad Pit at a script reading spawned a series of fake accounts trying to look like Brad’s personal “rogue” account.

But, wait, there’s also Billie Eilish who started a “secret” personal account in November 2020 and posted some fascinatingly bizarre ukulele footage, apparently just for kicks, as she surely has no need for more publicity. The account was so unique and, well, strange, that it was hard to imagine that it could be fake.

Sure enough, yesterday what appears to be an outtake from her recent music video with some hilarious captions and stickers popped up on the, mostly dormant, account and has since gone viral. All of which pretty much cements the “it’s definitely real” theory.

As for Jason Statham? We are going to go out on a limb here and say that he is following Billie Eilish’s lead and this is a real account. The fact that there is a single video with a full body dance clip of what absolutely appears to be the star is a tip-off. Secondly if this is his head deep-faked onto someone else’s body, that’s a pretty perfect body double.

Also, the original sound mix seems to indicate that there was method that went the extra mile.

What’s your take? Send us comments or your detective results and let us know if you think this is real, like we do, or if this is just some amazing wizardry at a next level of deep-fake-ness, which thousands of comment writers on TikTok seem to believe…


https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/mgm/wrath-of-man/wrath-of-man-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Above: Official Trailer for “Wrath of Man” Credit: MGM

In addition to Statham, he is joined by a slew of actors including: Alex Ferns, Holt McCallany, Scott Eastwood, Jeffrey Donovan, Laz Alonso, Josh Hartnett, Niamh Algar, Raúl Castillo, Post Malone, Lyne Renee, Anthony Molinari, Deobia Oparei, Tadhg Murphy, Babs Olusanmokun, Darrell D’Silva, Chris Reilly, Matthew Illesley, Rebecca Calder, Jason Wong, Alessandro Babalola, Cameron Jack, Montana Manning, Rocci Williams, Josh Cowdery, and Eve Macklin. 

Related recent stories:

Find books on Music, Movies & Entertainment and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

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Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

TikTok’s Winning Formula Starts with the Algo, but Thrives thanks to the Creators

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

The evolution of content continues at warp speed due to pure individual creativity

By now, the open algorithm, where a new account can blow-up in the first week because videos are not pre-judged by past performance or prior stats is well known and a huge draw to creators.

The apps and filters and tricks that are provided by the software are also extremely enticing. There are many videos (“TikToks”) that feature how-to and DIY tips for using various hacks to get SFX into your clip.

But, by far, the biggest draw and quality that most sets TikTok apart from virtually all other social media is the character of the creators themselves. And the diverse and unique spectrum of what can be perceived as successful and popular on the app is a creation of the creator and user community itself.

Links to the creators in this article:

The contrast with Instagram and Facebook couldn’t be more extreme

After sampling 20 hours of TikToks a year ago and comparing those to today, what stands out most is how the same qualities that seemed like a blast into a different universe a year ago, compared to what came before, are now much more developed and refined, if a concept like refinement can be applied to absolute quirky free expression.

What stands out is the level that creators are embracing the platform, not just to get seen and build stats, and possibly influence earning potential, but to communicate. With sometimes almost shocking honesty what they really believe in and and especially who, exactly, they are. That confidence is contagious and gives the experience an addicting quality, and yet, it’s a more positive addiction than any other social media experience.

Most intriguing, from a journalists point of view, is how highly intelligent, mostly self-educated creators are devoting enormous energy toward propagating highly valuable, yet often overlooked, insights about society, finance, internet business, wealth and, well, life itself. All without concern for an immediate reward.

There’s an electric feeling that, once given a platform and a megaphone, the chance exists for a world of information and constantly changing ideas to be rescued from the bland pit of ignorance and convention that is the weakness with most of media product.

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

A faint echo of hope, bouncing back from the dream of a better future

News and media web sites, that bend and contort content choices out of fear of revenue reductions, are rightfully lambasted and called-out for lack of coverage in areas that are critically important and yet given scant or negative coverage.

The ethos of being yourself, with or without glamor, and still be accepted, or even rising to the top echelons of stat-killing influencers, is not just a theoretical fairytale but is a visible reality all across the community.

You just have to look at what is popular, or even just showing viewer interest generally, and you’ll see incredibly creative people who made the choice to double-down on their uniqueness, rather than trying to conform to some social standard of bland attractiveness or fake charisma.

Because of the emphasis on the “content” of the content, for the most part, rather than slick visuals and production values, or a fake self-aggrandizing fantasy image bolstered by props like mansions, hot cars, make-up and wardrobe, etc. there’s a feeling that great clips will be rewarded for authenticity, more often than not.

The ethos and attitude that pervades the experience as a passive user is an organic outgrowth, in part, of the openness of the algorithm, and appears to be a more honest reflection of what people will “like” if not manipulated with dark patterns and all of ‘Zuckerbergian’ tricks.

Above: 3 TikTok Creators / Photos from TikTok

Don’t mess with the recipe: just let it grow and evolve

Of course, no app or community is perfect and the best of what is happening on TikTok could disappear at any time. On the whole, however, it seems like the app is now locked into a situation where if TikTok were to lose that “magic”; the magic created by the community of creators themselves, it would destroy the actual formula that built the success of the platform.

And, hopefully, that reality will therefore prevail and will continue and allow millions of creators to grow, share insights and evolve together into a force that could, one day, make the rest of social media adopt at least some of those positive qualities, in order to maintain their own fan base and popularity. Or they will just disappear, to be replaced by a new type of online exchange that has not yet been conceived.


Find books on Money and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Crypto-Kids of TikTok will Never Give Up on Blockchain

Above: ‘Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Unsplash

The TikTok indicator is saying crypto is here to stay…

It was, astoundingly, less than a month ago, May 8th, 2021, that Ethereum reached an all time high of $4,169. That was two days after Dogecoin, full of Musk momentum, hit .69 cents, after starting the year around .10 cents. Bitcoin had peaked about a month earlier at $63,674 on April 12th.

As is so often seen in manias, bubbles and feeding frenzies, at the time you could not find a person in America who was not talking about crypto. The proverbial shoe-shine boy was now your cousin, your uncle even your grandmother and they were all bursting with FOMO after reading the articles, especially the ones about the Dogecoin millionaires, who had made fortunes starting with a tiny sum.

Now, many of those same people are seeing a typical reversal, correction, bear phase, whatever you want to call it, and they are just as convinced of crypto’s demise today as they were that it was a sure-thing less than a month ago.

The kids get it and are not backing down

Much like TikTok itself, the later arrivals to the huge phenomena that is Crypto are the old and out-of-touch, not the young and fast. Interestingly, an anecdotal survey of young and successful crypto “influencers” on TikTok and other social media are not shocked about the downturn. They get it.

Many have been learning about and actively involved with the crypto world for years. There is a real sense that the corrupt events that led to the financial crisis and near collapse in 2008 shaped their thinking and hardened their resolve to search for a better way. Crypto’s ideals and independent foundations have provided that in a real, tangible way, it seems.

While the mainstream of the media and the bulk of the financial establishment swing from an almost grudging respect to complete derision and rejection, it appears to be the underlying concepts and ideologies that present such a stark contrast in the perspective of up and coming generations.

https://www.tiktok.com/@cryptocita/video/6954932256267980037?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6967902097740793350&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

While perhaps no less vulnerable to the excitement of 20,000 % gains and other sensational enticements, there is a somewhat surprising depth and resolve that is demonstrated in a level headed and clear thinking allegiance to the reasons crypto was created in the first place.

The outlandish price gains (and drops) are only window dressing

At the core of the question of crypto’s eventual widespread adoption and long term success lies a simple truth: fiat currencies and the governments that print them are a big problem for the world’s future. And, naturally, the new generations of the future will be those that are most affected.

What Elon Musk recently called “The true battle… between fiat & crypto” is one that Gen-Z appear to understand in ways that 100-year-old billionaires like Warren Buffet and his side-kick Charlie Munger do not. Or maybe they just side with the financial establishment they helped build, to the bitter end.

For any reading this that also “get it”, it would be wise to understand that, even at this early phase in the future of “the true battle” there is an army rising. It is not one of suicidal fossil fuels and battlefield tanks but one of ideology and belief in the possibility of a better way.

The army that will stand up for the survival and continued development of cryptocurrencies and blockchain and “DeFi” are not a few random conscripts, they are the generations of the future and they have chosen a side.

For that reason, all signs point to an unlikely permanent collapse of cryptocurrencies and an impossibility of banning or stopping them. It is already too late to prevent their eventual rise.


Find books on Money and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page