In a bold move, Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi shunned the hijab during her events at the Asian Climbing Competitions in Seoul. Female athletes in the country are required to wear hijab, an extension of the national law requiring headscarves of all women. Protests across the country have increased in the past five weeks, led by young people rejecting authoritarianism, morality police, and human rights abuses. Reports say over 200 have been killed. When Rekabi arrived in Iran, onlookers chanted “Elnaz is a heroine” and gave her bouquets. Also at the airport were members of the state media, who coerced her to give a story that she was “unexpectedly called on to compete while … at the locker room,” forgetting to wear her hijab. Before returning home, Rekabi had lost contact with her family, left early from Seoul, and had her phone and passport confiscated, according to a source that contacted BBC Persian. Her brother was summoned to an Iranian intelligence agency building. Rekabi has seen very positive comments on her social media, with users commenting “your name will remain forever” and “Iran is proud of you.”
Taylor Swift told us to meet her at midnight and we were ready! The longstanding pop legend released her tenth studio album at midnight between October 20 and 21, with songs “from the vault” dropping at 3 AM. “Midnights” is the sister album to 2019’s “Lover,” the promotion of which was cut short due to COVID-19. The former depicts 13 midnights in Swift’s life, from love to anxiety to affairs (and conversations with the FBI …). The album is already breaking records. It and Swift became the most-streamed album and singer in a single day in Spotify’s 16-year history, with “Snow on the Beach” with Lana Del Rey the biggest debut for a female collaboration on the app. The “Anti-Hero” music video has almost 20 million views, as of writing. Another piece of the allure of “Midnights” is the puzzles and Easter eggs embedded in social media posts, billboards, and dialogue. Angela Fennell was able to predict “Glitch” due to Morse code and audiometry. NYU students heard a speech full of clues at the 2022 commencement. Swift even jokingly referenced fan theories on her Instagram and the “Anti-Hero” MV by saying, “there is no secret encoded message that means something else.” She has us wrapped around her finger, and Gen Z is more than happy to comply.
Gen Z is nothing if not fashionistas. GRWM videos, fashion takes in interviews, and lifestyle aesthetics have helped clothing swarm our social media and lives. As a brand, it’s important to know about young people’s fashion interests, as well as where they extend to, as it’s such a paramount piece of our identity. Fashion is Gen Z’s favorite category to spend money on — we love to serve a look. Because of this, The Screenshot is excited to release some of JUV’s report with The Business of Fashion, an apparel-focused news network. JUV helped BoF to survey and interview over 1,000 Gen Zers on their fashion opinions. BoF also analyzed 5,000+ social media posts to gain insights into our generation. That’s what I call dedication! The “Gen Z and Fashion in the Age of Realism” report is a must-have item because of its analysis of the six key Zoomer personality clusters, its combination of case studies and quantitative research, and its help in unpacking tactics to reach Gen Z and adapt to trends. For example, did you know that we cater our looks for confidence and a sense of self rather than fitting in or status? To read more groundbreaking information, check out the report here.
Melisa Raouf is giving off queen energy! Raouf, a 20-year-old student from London, was one of the finalists for the Miss England pageant. Her groundbreaking choice: participating in the competition without makeup on, making her the first in 94 years to do so. Born to an Iranian father and an Azerbaijani mother, Raouf’s decision was inspired by her heritage and the recent protests in Iran. She advocates for “the freedom to choose, whether it’s to do with your appearance or the way you dress, [for] brave women around the world.” Though Raouf ultimately lost to Jessica Gagen, she placed in the top five. Inspired by the love she received, she began the “Bare Face Movement” trend on social media, challenging others to post photos with no makeup on. As a current politics student, Raouf wants to enter the government upon graduating, advocating for mental health and female empowerment. Can I say inspiration?!
Cartoon Network really said, “quit telling everyone I’m dead!” The Warner Bros. and Discovery merger led to some cost-cutting efforts at CN, from canceling projects to laying off workers. In a leaked email from CEO Channing Dungey, they are “implementing a new streamlined feature in which the development and main production teams will now work across both Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.” This led CN lovers to believe its end was approaching. Even Brian A Miller, ex-General Manager of CN, chimed in with a “RIP CNS.” CN did not hesitate to shut down the drama, however. They Tweeted, “y’all we’re not dead, we’re just turning 30.” Though the station is staying alive, workers have called out the merger for cutting so many workers off the payroll. The animation field has been critiqued for its difficult working conditions, pay discrepancies, and lack of unionization. Staff animators often have to work weekends and evenings to make deadlines, and freelance animators have very erratic schedules. Hopefully, this merger will help CN enter its 30s with grace!
✨ IYKYK ✨
✨ BeReal is living rent-free in our heads! This time, in a trend circulating TikTok — done by Duolingo and our CEO (and Kerry Washington!). To participate, post “I don’t need to ⚠️ BeReal ⚠️ // I need to ⚠️ Be[Description] ⚠️. Check out our recent TikTok with more on how to use BeReal for brands.
✨ After 10 years of watching Dance Moms (Nia, you’ll always be our favorite), it was time to turn it into a trend. This TikTok sound originates from Abby Lee’s ranking of the dancers in an episode. Use it to rank products humorously. Become an icon like Miss Abby Lee herself!
✨ Your products should be better than the competitors, but what about random items? In this hilarious trend, compare them with something out of the ordinary, like pudding or Shrek 3 DVDs. Who knows what combinations you’ll think of!
Screenshot of the Week
Liz Truss’ resignation is the best drama England has had since S4 of The Crown! Twitter had a field day on October 20, one highlight being Ryanair’s clap back. The silver medal goes to Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s reply: “Make sure it’s non-refundable. We all know what she’s like.” I can’t wait to see someone learn about her resignation from a budget plane’s Twitter account …
