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Lulu-lemon, Coldplay Cheaters & the Algorithm Knows I'm Fat
29 Plays1 month ago
Why does the internet think I’m fat and in need of fame? This week: targeted ads for my midlife crisis, Coldplay’s cheating scandal (but only his name went viral?), and why pronouncing it “lulu-leymo-n” might bankrupt you faster.
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Transcript
The Pervasiveness of Targeted Ads
00:00:00
Speaker
Oh, the algorithms are at it again, man. I ah i have these ads popping up on my ah Instagram and it's all these physical fitness related things, you know, coaches and all all those gyms and stuff.
00:00:17
Speaker
And they're targeted. So they're all like, hey, if you're 40 years old and um unfit, this is for you. We we are and my favorite or the one that really gets me is the one that goes.
00:00:31
Speaker
um Hey, you are we are looking for people like you. It's like they're asking us to join the U.S. Army. You know, back in the day, that was the yeah ah Uncle Sam wants you and everyone.
00:00:45
Speaker
Oh, like everybody is just using that angle. And it annoys me. I mean, whoever did it first. Good on you. was a good it was probably like a good call. But now, oh, oh,
00:00:56
Speaker
And then I get these ones right now. and It's all like we're looking we're looking for for we're looking for people like you, 44 plus unfit. you know They might as well just come out and say like we're looking for a bunch of old middle-aged losers who are fat and um have given up on life. We want to take away, we want to give you a little bit of hope and take away whatever money you've got left and um and so we can we can do well with life. One of us is going to come out much better out of this situation.
00:01:27
Speaker
that's ah Those are the ads I'm getting these days and and it annoys me. Because I get annoyed with this whole algorithm stuff and and the fact that these ads just start popping. And then they all, you know, it's the thing that bugs me about this one is that it's actually correct this time.
00:01:47
Speaker
That's what really annoys me is that it's right. um I need to lose weight and I, ah but I've not put up anything. Not in the last few months or so. I don't think I've put up anything that is ah that is like that. you know like I haven't talked about losing weight. I haven't talked about going to the gym.
00:02:05
Speaker
I haven't talked about um ah my age and stuff. I've talked about parenting instead in some of my recent videos. And and yet, somehow, they've managed to figure this out.
00:02:17
Speaker
and And that's where I go. Either I'm hanging out too much with other people like me. which i don't think i am i think i think i'm one of the more unfit guys in my group of friends which is great now i feel worse this this is ah this is so annoying um so i do i get like i get if i was hanging out because i've heard different theories about this whole algorithm stuff Some people kind of go, oh, it's because it's looking at the circle of friends you're with, the people you're hanging out with, the phones that are close by to each other.
00:02:57
Speaker
And it picks up that this group of people are looking at this type of content. So so if my friend is looking at some gym stuff, ah let's throw some stuff out at Salman as well, right?
00:03:09
Speaker
But I don't think that's that's what's happening. No one around me is doing it. And then I kind of go, I'm not looking at it. How does it know? And it comes back to that whole theory that the phones are listening in, ah which obviously they are like, who are we kidding? Right. They are. So I don't know why I'm talking about this like it's a shock or surprise.
00:03:28
Speaker
But it's just it's just I wouldn't mind it so much. Actually, it's the amount of following and bombardment they do with this that that irks me like it's like, hey, I just happened to look at a sad video. It doesn't mean my personality and my life is all about being sad, you know, and it's like it's they just send you this ah this this algorithm. It just sends you more and more videos.
00:03:58
Speaker
of the same stuff then. And that's what makes it boring. They don't get it. That's what makes it super dull and boring. That's why I get off. I'm like, I'm tired. I'll watch. They think I'll watch more and more of the same content.
00:04:10
Speaker
and And i I don't know what it is. maybe some Maybe it is like, you know, you will start following a trend and stuff. I'm sure the geniuses behind this whole
The Psychological Manipulation of Consumers
00:04:20
Speaker
algo stuff is they've they've got psychologists and doctors and whatnot who've done years of research on how to manipulate people and keep them hooked on.
00:04:29
Speaker
um Same people from the marketing side, same people from brands and stuff. It's the same stuff going on. It's nothing new. They've been doing it to us for for ah ages now. and and they they But they they just overdo it on social media. That's what the problem is.
00:04:45
Speaker
Like I'll just tell you, you know, I'm just thinking about this. um I read this book a long time ago. Can't remember the name. it was about branding and stuff and marketing or whatever and and part of it was about how they're working and they're using psychology to get to people to the point where these uh baby ah no certain brands like cereals and stuff they're targeting moms because they kind of realize that when you when you kind of eat something when the mom eats something there's a stronger chance the baby
00:05:18
Speaker
is going to have it too. And that stuff is crazy, yo, because, you know, it's kind of your mom ah is influencing what you eat and they're targeting you before you're born now.
00:05:31
Speaker
um It was very interesting. There's some research around it. got to, if I remember the name of the book, I'll share it with you guys. um But that that's the amount of like targeting they're doing.
The Evolution of Social Media Platforms
00:05:42
Speaker
And so I I just kind of look at that stuff and I go, you know, then come back to Instagram and I go, it's it's overdone because they they're following me and they're sending me the same stuff. Like it's like they know Instagram has decided I'm sad. And so it bombards me with like ah talking hippo cartoon telling me to hydrate or something like that.
00:06:09
Speaker
And I'm like, hey, it was a blip. And it scares me now, you know, to the point where I'm like, shit, I better, I'm careful about what video I'm watching because I don't, I'm like, if I watch this, that's what they're going to send more of me, ah more of that kind of stuff to me.
00:06:24
Speaker
And it' so I look at it. And I'm trying to like scroll through and think, do I want to spend two, three seconds on this? is What's the topic? is this You're making quick snap decisions because you're worried about this stupid algo stuff that's going on. And it's ah and I wish they just stopped this stuff, you know.
00:06:44
Speaker
um But that's ah that's my latest peeve with the Instagram and and all the social media platforms. I can't get my head around that stuff, man. It's just... They flip it so much.
00:06:55
Speaker
They turn things that were fun into over commodity points that it just – you just kind of go, look, can we just have some of the niceness back?
00:07:09
Speaker
And we're all hooked on it because – They know they know they could just it started with Facebook. Also, you remember Facebook's original thing and then they made a change and everyone's like, oh this is annoying and I don't like it this way.
00:07:21
Speaker
And then people just kind of said, oh, you'll get used to it. I remember my friends going, well, what choice do you have? And i at that time, I was like, i have a choice. I'll get off it. And then I did it. And I kept going and every time they made changes, I just kept going, ah, I wish they hadn't done this now. I hate this new look.
00:07:36
Speaker
And it wasn't about being upset with change. It was just, it got harder and harder to be on it and enjoy the same kind of fun that I used to have and connect with friends and stuff. And and and it's all gone, you know? It just makes you go, and it's, ah why am I on this stuff? And I know why I'm on it.
00:07:56
Speaker
I don't know why most people are on it, but I'm on it because, I try to stay in touch with friends and family. It still helps a lot. It um it definitely is something you need for the kind of career and stuff. And everybody's been, man, that's also nuts, isn't it? It's like everyone is famous. Everyone is Michael Jackson now.
00:08:17
Speaker
You remember how popular Michael Jackson was? I don't know if you were old enough to remember that but i i was right i lived through his insane popularity to the point where he was like banned in the country i lived in that was saudi at that time because the religious police force decided he's too much of a big influence so they were scared of it and that's why they kind of they just cut him off and that and that kind of fame was special and uh cool and and he made money out of it here's my problem with it
00:08:51
Speaker
I don't mind. I think, cool, everyone can be famous. and And that's what they're doing now. They're making everybody famous, like Michael Jackson. You got millions of views and blah, blah, blah. But it doesn't... The money is not falling through on it.
00:09:04
Speaker
That's what kind of bugs me about the whole thing. Like, we're all... They don't these platforms don't care. They want everyone to be super rich, but um you're not getting paid
Cultural Commentary and Humor
00:09:15
Speaker
for it. You're not making money off it. You're you're as famous as Michael Jackson, but you didn't stuff for free. And so it's a funny sort of situation right now with with this whole stuff.
00:09:25
Speaker
um And then, yeah, it's just, you know, I kind of, you know what I had a funny thought about though was I was thinking about how there's like an overkill of like therapy talk as well, you know, like everybody just kind of rattles everything towards it because everyone's learned the phrases now.
00:09:47
Speaker
And that's another thing that it just, ah it's just, it's it's kind of like, all right, I get it. You know, you read a couple of books now, you watched a couple of videos. And everybody just seeps it into every single car everything every single conversation. Everything is framed into that aspect. like you could I could say I hate ah hate people who jog.
00:10:08
Speaker
you know And someone will go, hey, are you projecting? And then and I'm sitting there going, no. Maybe I'm just trying to be funny. you know and And I'm not mean about most stuff. I listen. I do get it. But I also am just like...
00:10:25
Speaker
It's a therapy talk sentences that bug me a lot. you know maybe Maybe I'm just trying to be funny. Maybe I just don't like people in Lululemon. Lululemon. Oh, ah that's another thing.
00:10:36
Speaker
This is something I've thought about. I just found out recently. All right. I found out that this brand that everybody wears these days is pronounced Lululemon.
00:10:48
Speaker
I still don't believe I checked on two, three websites to see. Is this how you pronounce it? Lululemon. Because this whole time I was pronouncing it as Lululemon.
00:11:01
Speaker
Honestly, God, a I thought it it has to be pronounced like that because I saw the prices of their stuff, but the jog pants and everything. And I'm like, something that expensive has to be pronounced in a fancy way. like You can't call it Lululemon. How is it working with Lululemon?
00:11:25
Speaker
I don't believe it. i just I still am thinking, have I got the wrong info? But I checked two three websites about this is how the name is pronounced. It doesn't make sense. You can't.
00:11:37
Speaker
You can't be luxury. You can't charge that much with a name like Lululemon. It should be pronounced Lululemon. like ah Like, all right, look, you know, these Chanel, like they charge $10,000 for their bags or something.
00:11:50
Speaker
i would I would pay that for Chanel. I would not pay that for Channel. If someone told me they pronounce Channel, I would lose immediate respect for that bag, i would for that brand.
00:12:03
Speaker
It just... It just has to, like, you know, Porsche, Porsche, Porsche, as opposed to porch. I don't want to buy porch as a supercar.
00:12:14
Speaker
I want to be pronounced nicely. ah Tiffany, okay, Tiffany is ah is is just, it's like a stripper name, isn't it? That's an exception, all right?
00:12:24
Speaker
But all the brands that are And maybe that's why Tiffany is having a problem now. um I just can't get over this. I just think those prices mean you should be charging at least... ah It should be pronounced at least like Lululemon.
00:12:39
Speaker
In fact, if you're watching this, I'd like everybody, all my all you guys out there, I want you to start pronouncing it as Lululemon. That's how we're going to do it. We have to change this ah thing. It just...
00:12:52
Speaker
It just helps me when I like I bought one for my wife as a gift and and they are good quality. I'm not against the brand. I'm not again. I think their quality is actually really good. and I just think at those prices, I'm going to get my wife to start doing it, too. She's she has much more reach than I do. I think if she's also a fashion illustrator, so I think if she goes around telling people,
00:13:15
Speaker
um Yeah, it's Lululemon. You've got it wrong. i think it might catch on.
The Spread of Information and Media Bias
00:13:20
Speaker
So, ah so yeah, that's ah that's going to happen. Yeah. And I got to talk about oh my last video.
00:13:28
Speaker
I just ah put up something about Andy Byron. What's their what's there? Andy Byron and Christine Cabot. I'm telling you the other girl's name, the HR head, head of HR. Yeah. I'm sure loads of people have done jokes about that already. But I put up a video about how crazy it is, how quickly people pounce on these things and it spread like wildfire. Like the guy hadn't even got home from the concert and his wife had already seen the video.
00:13:55
Speaker
You know, that's how quick that should happen. So my video wasn't commenting on the situation. i'm i'm not defending the guy. He's a complete tool, right? and And he got caught cheating. So no mercy on him. But I i just talked about how the Internet is a bit nuts and how quickly we spread stuff and we haven't fact checked and stuff because there was a lot of false info going around.
00:14:15
Speaker
We exposed the wife's social media like she was, you know, she had to go off the closer socials and stuff like no one's talking about. how bad she must feel in the situation.
00:14:26
Speaker
And I put that up and people commented and all sorts of stuff and blah, but he's a this and that. And I'm like, I'm not talking about him if he was right or wrong. I'm talking about us and how we're, it just seems a little, little bit crazy to me at this point.
00:14:42
Speaker
And, um, and and and And then someone on threads, right? I went off Twitter a long time ago. i miss the old Twitter, but it's not it doesn't exist anymore, does it?
00:14:55
Speaker
um Not going on that app. I know none of the apps are owned by anybody decent at this point, but I don't know what it was about. um but So its sorry on threads, right?
00:15:07
Speaker
And ah someone commented about, well, what about the girl? no what why is it Why is no one talking about the guy? And I didn't understand it at first. And i went I started arguing with the guy. Not arguing. I was just like, I don't know if it's a guy a girl. Probably a guy. It sounded a bit like an incel. So I didn't really want to agree with him. But he was right about one thing.
00:15:26
Speaker
He mentioned Christine Cabot. Cabot? Cabal. With the amount of money she's making, she should be pronounced Cabal. um Kristen Cabot, I don't know if that's how you pronounce that name, but ah she she's also apparently married.
00:15:42
Speaker
She's divorced once, not a good track record, and she's married currently, and no one, no one's talking about that stuff. Why not? Why was the focus only on the cheating guy, not the cheating woman?
00:15:54
Speaker
and i And I kind of went, yeah, you're right. ah I hadn't even thought about it. i don't know why um the media hasn't covered it as much. Like i had to look through a lot of. ah links to find some info. And even then, it's like one or two pieces that are talking about it.
00:16:10
Speaker
So I don't know. um ah It never got chased down. and And that I know
Features and Adaptations in Social Platforms
00:16:15
Speaker
at the end of the day, she and the guy, the CEO, both have lost their jobs. But it just made me think about...
00:16:22
Speaker
what what why it played out the way it did. And and that's ah that's just interesting to me that this happened. you know um But the cool thing about threads...
00:16:35
Speaker
that I do like. this started In fact, i well, I don't know if it's cool. It's kind of weird. like i There's all these posts I started seeing about Superman, which I still haven't watched yet, and everybody's like, it's amazing, and I'm just totally jealous that I haven't had time to go and just watch a good movie.
00:16:50
Speaker
um In like years, I think, I see all these movies come out. i'm like, going to watch that one in the cinema, and ah and then it goes away, and the hype is gone, and I just go, oh, I'll wait for the next big movie, and that keeps happening and happening, and I...
00:17:04
Speaker
ah Anyway, Superman is out. I hope I'll catch it in the cinema. But the point was on threads, there was this there's these posts that had like this blurriness to them.
00:17:18
Speaker
Yeah, like like a black mirror kind of blurriness. So part of the text was readable. Part of it just blurred out. And I thought something went wrong with my eyes or the apps acting funny.
00:17:29
Speaker
And then it happened over and over. And then I realized they're doing that to potential spoilers. And then because I then noticed it in other threads about other things and i was like, oh this is it was both like awesome and freaky because it just like I said, like it just had this black mirror kind of feel to it, but at the same time appreciate it.
00:17:51
Speaker
But also, how big a deal was this whole spoiler thing that they had to create some sort of um code to catch that? And if they can do that, why can't they do that with like potentially awful stuff that gets posted?
Humorous Sign-off and Self-Reflection
00:18:07
Speaker
spoilers are more important than bad shit people are saying is uh is is quite a interesting point to think about isn't it ah it's a whole online game man um listen uh this has been fantastic uh that's me i'm a dad i'm a comic and apparently very bad at all that stuff. That's why I get these ads. um I hope you enjoyed the episode. And if you didn't, well, you know, the algorithm knows you're dead inside.