Finance
CULTURE

Crypto Bros Down - And Larry David, Tom Brady, and Gisele Are Getting Sued

Just what is the FTX Scandal? The collapse, bankruptcy, class action lawsuit, and the controversy - Explained

Larry David, FTX Superbowl Commercia

FTX via YouTube

The tech industry's having a tough time. Only months ago, those who were bragging about their hot tech jobs and (seemingly) hyper-performing Crypto portfolios are probably screaming, crying, gnashing their teeth, and throwing up. And they may or may not be unemployed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Culture Feature

Tesla's BTC Billions: Why Did a Car Company Invest in Crypto?

Is CEO Elon Musk testing the limits of his hype-based powers?

Elon Musk

Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has had an interesting year so far.

In January he overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for the first time in the horse race for hoarding wealth. Then he got himself mixed up in the r/wallstreetbet Gamestop insanity, boosting the movement with his "Gamestonk!!" tweet, and has remained a part of the similarly strange speculation around the meme "currency" known as Dogecoin.

Keep ReadingShow less
Culture News

Are the Redditors Inflating GameStop's Stock Class Warriors?

Are the weirdos at WallStreetBets playing a dangerous game with the markets or pushing back against predatory short sellers?

In the first week of Wall Street trading in January of 2021, stock in the video game retail chain GameStop (NYSE: GME) hovered at a price of around $18 per share.

Less than three weeks later, on Wednesday morning those same shares were fluctuating wildly between $250 and nearly $400. This kind of growth is unheard of for an established, brick and mortar retail chain — especially when a pandemic is keeping people indoors.

So what did GameStop do to deserve this incredible rally? Absolutely nothing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Culture Feature

This Haunts Me: YouTubers and Their Disposable Wealth

I'm losing sleep over a video called I Went Shopping Without Checking The Prices.

Photo by Nicole Geri (Unsplash)

I really enjoy watching YouTube videos about personal finances.

Keep ReadingShow less
CULTURE

Chris R from Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" Is Running for Congress

Chris R may have lost to Johnny and Mark in The Room, but he can still win big in Texas.

The Room

While Tommy Wiseau's The Room, often considered the best bad movie of all time, might be technically terrible in almost every aspect, one actor's performance stood out from the rest as...almost maybe good?

In a scene so random that it feels baffling even within an already baffling movie, actor Dan Janjigian plays a drug dealer named Chris R who tries to shake down another bit character named Denny (or Danny?) for owed money. Chris R is only in that single scene, and Danny's drug addiction is never brought up again, but that doesn't stop Janjigian from making a meal out of his role. Janjigian's crazed intensity and the seriousness with which he seemed to approach a nothing role in a no-name movie was compelling enough that Zac Efron portrayed him in The Disaster Artist.

WORST acting ever [MUST WATCH!] The Roomwww.youtube.com

Now, over 15 years after The Room, Dan Janjigian has taken on a new role, perhaps his biggest one yet: running for Congress. As it turns out, Janjigian is a man of many talents. On top of his iconic role as Chris R, Janjigian was also a Microsoft employee and an Olympic bobsledder. More recently, however, Janjigian has spent over a decade working in healthcare and raising a family in Texas.

Danjan congresshttps://www.danjanforcongress.com/

According to Janjigian's official campaign website, his experience as a healthcare professional and his family's history escaping the Armenian Genocide solidified his political beliefs. Currently running as a Democrat to represent Texas's 31st congressional district against Republican incumbent John Carter, Janjigian's platform revolves around enacting public healthcare (while allowing private options for those who choose it), streamlining legal immigration, and promoting clean energy solutions to battle climate change.

Best of all, Janjigian is running a grassroots campaign "PAID FOR BY A WHOLE LOT OF TEXANS SUPPORTING DANJAN," meaning that he's not beholden to big money or corporate interests, and possibly even that Danny finally paid him back.

CULTURE

Is It Hypocritical for Lady Gaga to Sell Her New Makeup Line on Amazon?

Celebrity activists collaborate closely with big businesses to promote their image, cultivate their brand, and make money— is Lady Gaga one of the latest?

Lady Gaga bringing club kid culture back, baby.

Haus Laboratories

Lady Gaga is the latest celebrity to throw her hat in the ring of the beauty brand market.

Her long rumored makeup line and first major business venture, Haus Laboratories, is (almost) here. She debuted the collection with posts on Instagram, letting fans know the purpose of the line: freedom of expression. Instead of developing a line with the intention to create a certain aesthetic, Haus Laboratories seeks to promote the idea that makeup should be a form of expression as unique as the people who use it. The line will focus on high pigment, color-based products because, according to Gaga, "Color is completely transformative—it's powerful, it's beautiful, and it's how I found my voice with makeup."

With the official launch happening this September, the Haus Laboratories products will consist of "multi-use color items for cheeks, eyes, and lips in six shade families and kits containing all three products priced at a relatively affordable $49." Taking a note from Fenty Beauty, Gaga demonstrated her desire for high quality products at a reasonable price. Similarly, she took the reigns of the brand by "developing formulas, mixing the shades, designing the packaging and components, as well as casting the models and collaborating on styling, direction, and being the creative director, pulling all-nighters making boards." Her creative control was central in her choice to, unlike other celebrity makeup moguls, launch the line exclusively with Amazon.

In an interview with The Business of Fashion, Gaga backed up her decision, explaining, "There are companies that see me and what I stand for and the way that I view the world, and if it's not perfectly in line with what they do...They'll be like, 'Can you just change half of the equation?'" Lady Gaga said. "The answer is no. No deal. No message of self-acceptance, no deal. This [deal with Amazon] was so wonderful because this was like, 'Let's make a deal, let's make a deal to change the world with their beauty.'"

Yet, Amazon has arguably become a monopoly. For Haus Laboratories to be the first major beauty brand to be sold exclusively on Amazon could be seen as controversial, particularly because the line's message of freedom of self-expression conflicts with concerning reports about Amazon's oppressive work conditions. While Gaga chose to collaborate with Amazon because of the accessibility it offers consumers and the ability to take creative liberties, it's difficult to turn a blind eye to the star's hypocrisy.

Their partnership is especially odd considering Gaga's previous activism. She's been an outspoken member of the LGBTQ community as a bisexual woman, a brave supporter of sexual assault victims, an advocate for mental health awareness, and a philanthropist for many causes. Now, the pop star is considered a political performer, openly protesting Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, the New York City native's partnership with Amazon shows complicity in the company's well-documented workers' rights abuses, a company which was driven out of NYC after widespread opposition. It's another demonstration of the celebrity effect, in which high profile figures behave according to the rule, "I will do the right thing when it's convenient to me."

Only time will tell if anyone will speak out about star's choice; nonetheless, many are excited to see what the beauty and fashion icon has developed. The line will be available for preorder starting July 15th at 3 PM on both the Haus Laboratories website and Amazon (again, planned for delivery in September). The choice of what you support is up to you.

In the meantime, you can watch the official, full promo for Haus Laboratories below.

© 2020 Popdust Inc. All Rights Reserved.