A fluffy, $85 toy is taking Asia by storm and sparking legions of knockoffs. Inside the meteoric rise of Labubu.
Labubu, a furry plushie with an unsettling grin and serrated teeth, is all the rage in Asia.
Culture
Trump's election victory put TikTok's astrology community into a meltdown
Astrologers on TikTok, who foresaw a Harris victory, face backlash and trust issues after Trump's re-election challenged their predictions.
Only children are everywhere now — and they might just save America
In an America that is more divided than ever, the coming reign of the only child might just be what brings us back together.
Monsters walk among us — and they're watching Netflix at 1.5x speed
Netflix lets you watch shows at superspeed. Our modern appetite for content might mean we've stretched our brains to watch faster. But is that good?
My husband and I met with a divorce lawyer before our wedding. These were our 5 biggest takeaways.
Our meeting was full of helpful advice about unknown laws and how prenups work. Here's everything we learned from a divorce lawyer before marrying.
How making money as an influencer has changed in a decade
Creators, who were once dependent on ad revenue, now have multiple streams of income. But their audiences expect more from them too.
Gen Z is obsessed with manifesting their way to riches and romance
On TikTok, Zoomers are turning to a higher power to guide them through uncertainty.
Feeling sad? 'Dopamine dressing' could help you feel happier
Dopamine dressing is a hack some fashion fans use to feel better via clothes. One woman shared her tips for building a wardrobe that makes you happy.
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I felt out of my depth with my multi-million-dollar business. Sharing my struggles on TikTok helped save me.
Aimee Smale started her fashion brand, Odd Muse, four years ago, but struggled with how quickly the business grew.
AI chatbots are the new priests
I went to confession with an Episcopalian chatbot. It wasn't very helpful.
Gen Z is just now discovering Trump's 'Grab 'em' comments on TikTok. Don't let that make you feel old.
Donald Trump's lewd "Grab 'em" comments that came to light in 2016 are resurfacing on TikTok. Yes, millennials, we're officially old. But that's OK.
This 5-year-old kid who dressed up as Jensen Huang for a festival has already won Halloween
The boy's mom, Kuo Yuyun, told BI she was inspired after seeing the CEO visit night markets on TV.
Millennials are turning 40 — and it's freaking them out
Millennials, a generation defined by their youth, are no longer young. That's causing many of them to reevaluate their lives.
The struggle of being a workplace 'zillennial,' not knowing where you fit in
Zillennials are on the cusp of two vastly different generations — Gen Z and millennials — and are struggling to work out where they fit in.
Zelenskyy's new T-shirt riffs on Trump — and annoyed the Kremlin
Zelenskyy ditched his iconic green T-shirt to send a pointed message to Russia on Wednesday, gaining an ascerbic response from the Kremlin.
Microtrends are taking over social media, and keeping up can be really expensive
A new aesthetic or "core" circulates on social-media feeds every couple of weeks, pressuring consumers to buy the latest trendy items.
A Michelin star might kill your favorite restaurant
New research shows restaurants that won major awards like a Michelin star were more likely to close due to the pressure of high demand.
I've been a luxury wedding photographer for a decade. I learned 2 big lessons about timing from my own wedding.
Lydia Koh said she missed key moments at her own wedding because of time management issues.
Revenge of the cat ladies: how single women could cost Trump the election
Unmarried women make up a whopping 25% of the electorate. That's bad news for Donald Trump.
We're about to enter the Digital Dark Ages
From Gawker to the Cartoon Network, online archives are vanishing — and they're taking our cultural history with them.
Gen Z's new status symbol: super-expensive snacks
Inflation is no match for Gen Z's love of little treats. A $19 Erewhon smoothie or a $45 tin of potato chips are the new status symbols.
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The professor made porn. His firing may shape the future of free speech.
Joe Gow was fired for making videos like "Juicy Anniversary" and "Vacation Sex" with his wife. Now he plans to take the university to court.
For Gen Zers tired of dating, lavender marriages are looking more appealing
Some Gen Zers, fed up with dating apps and rising costs, are considering platonic marriages to ease the load.
I'm a photographer who shoots weddings around the world. Couples want one kind of photo — but they don't actually use them.
Joshua Huggett, a wedding photographer, says that while candid shots are popular, couples ultimately value and choose posed family photos.
Taylor Swift is now the world's richest female musician — there's one key difference between her wealth and Rihanna's
While musicians like Rihanna and Jay-Z have made their fortunes through side ventures, Taylor Swift has made her money largely from her music.
Boomers spent their lives accumulating stuff. Now their kids are stuck with it.
Baby boomers filled their homes with possessions. Their children are struggling to figure out what to keep — and where to put it all.
6 wedding traditions that are overrated, according to wedding planners
More couples are saying goodbye to longstanding traditions like white dresses and bouquet tosses. See what else wedding planners deem overrated.
MrBeast's $100M Amazon reality show may succeed despite controversy. But it could come back to haunt him.
MrBeast has had a few difficult months. But his game show "Beast Games," which had a budget of $100 million, isn't going anywhere.
8 red flags your clothes won't last long, according to style experts
From fabrics to buttons, here are the red flags you need to know to shop more sustainably and get the most from your clothes.
Dating apps helped me find love. Now they've turned into a total scam.
When I joined Match in 2007, it saved my life. Today, Tinder, Hinge, and other apps are exhausting, expensive, and manipulative.
I've planned weddings on mountains and seen million-dollar gowns, but young couples are spending more on something else
Lelian Chew, a luxury-wedding planner, said younger clients were increasingly incorporating traditions, like gowns that reflect a bride's heritage.
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How experts craft 14 instruments from around the world
Here's how Martin guitars, Steinway pianos, Selmer saxophones, and other musical instruments are made.
I monitored my friends' phones. What I saw horrified me.
Addicted to your phone? A new app lets your friends stage an intervention.
Netflix shouldn't have called 'Baby Reindeer' a true story, judge says, opening the way for defamation lawsuit
A judge allowed a lawsuit against Netflix's 'Baby Reindeer' to proceed. Fiona Harvey says "Martha" is based on her and is suing for defamation.
The hottest TikTok makeup trend right now is Moo Deng blush
The baby pygmy hippo, with its glassy skin and pink cheeks, has become a new muse for beauty content creators.
A man was given an ultra-rare coin worth up to $1,000 in his lunch change
What looks like a normal UK 20p turned out to be an experimental coin that never made it into circulation. It's valued at nearly $1000 at auction.
You're probably pouring Champagne wrong, says a master of wine
Richard Hemming, a master of wine, recommends universal wine glasses over flutes for better aroma and flavor.
Elon Musk's X is the least-trusted Big Tech company, according to a survey — on par with the US government
Elon Musk's X is trusted less than Amazon, Google, Netflix, Meta, or any other Big Tech or media company, according to a survey.
MrBeast launching a new product amid controversy may be a good PR move, marketing experts say. But it's risky.
Top YouTuber MrBeast is embroiled in controversy right now and is launching new products. That might be a smart idea.
New studies confirm: Big sisters really do have it the worst
Eldest-daughter syndrome is backed by science. It's great news for parents and younger siblings.
MrBeast and Amazon hit with class-action lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and dangerous conditions by contestants on 'Beast Games'
The lawsuit alleges that contestants on the reality show suffered sexual harassment, pay issues, and more.
How a reality TV show became the pivotal demographic in the 2024 election
Fans of "The Bachelor" could decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump becomes the next president.
Gen Zers don't think dating apps are fun anymore, but this CEO thinks she's cracked the code
Wingman CEO Tina Wilson thinks voice notes left by friends are the key to attracting Gen Z users, who are demand more authenticity from dating apps.
Digitally native Gen Zers aren't immune to romance scams
Zoomers grew up with technology at their fingertips. But as scams evolve and get more sophisticated, they may not be as immune to them as they think.
He was a theater and English major in the UK. Now, he's one of Singapore's 4 masters of wine.
Richard Hemming once analyzed nearly 30,000 books for a research paper on wine — and he continues to write about wine and food.
I joined an 'elite squad of anti-rat activists.' It was even creepier than I expected.
I wanted a firsthand look at how New York City's war on rats was actually going. The truth was nastier —and funnier — than I ever expected.
We tried $40 martinis in LA, NY, and SF. They're the epitome of loud luxury, but not all lived up to the price tag.
BI reporters tried martinis in three US cities that ranged from $30 to $52, and were surprised to find that some actually warranted the price tag.
We asked OpenAI's new o1 model what it thought about its own name. It didn't hold back.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted OpenAI needs better product names, so BI asked its latest model for advice. o1 rated its own name a 4/10.
Fake GPT-written studies are flooding Google Scholar. Here's why taking them down could make things worse.
A study says fake research papers made with AI are "susceptible to disinformation" but taking them down could fuel conspiracies.
TikTokers are taking 'aesthetic' photos of their TSA trays in the latest travel trend. But not everyone's on board.
"Airport tray aesthetic" is taking off on TikTok. Here's what it is ... and what the TSA thinks about it.