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VIRAL NEWS: NPC TIKTOK, FRANCE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP, & KANEKALON AND CINNAMON

A peek into the topics buzzing at Cassandra

It's that time of the week! It's Friday again, so it's time to talk about the most relevant internet news of the past seven days. Culture moves fast, and we at Cassandra try to move even faster to keep up with all the issues Gen Z can't stop discussing. Today, we'll cover the NPC TikTok bizarre trend, the France Women's World Cup team ad going viral, and the duo of rapping BFFs running around your FYP.

FRANCE TEAM'S WORLD CUP AD

Everybody loves a good plot twist! An ad for the telecommunications company Orange featuring France's Women's World Cup team has gone absolutely viral. The clip opens with a montage of footage from the men's national team's remarkable plays and goals. The voiceover says, "Only Les Bleus can give us these emotions." However, halfway through the ad, the footage is revealed to be a deepfake, and actually, the incredible feats were accomplished by the women's national team instead. The slogan then changes to "At Orange, when we support Les Bleus, we support Les Bleues," showing the company's commitment to celebrating both teams. This empowering commercial struck a chord with many, some posting reactions on TikTok and opening a conversation about how harmful stereotypes are for women's sports.

NPC TIKTOK TREND

A new TikTok sensation has been taking over FYPs around the world. The trend, known as "NPC," involves users live streaming themselves acting like non-playable characters (NPCs) from video games. NPCs are typically pre-programmed characters that follow a set of predetermined actions. In the TikTok trend, users mimic the robotic behavior of NPCs by repeating simple phrases and movements, reacting to the different virtual "gifts" viewers can purchase and send their way. This tip-based content reportedly allows users to make bank very quickly, and many have jumped on the trend, either emulating bigger creators or parodying them. The trend has been met with mixed reactions, with some users finding it hilarious and others finding it annoying and weird.

FLYANA BOSS

For the past month, this charismatic duo has been running through everyone's TikTok FYP, rapping about sugar, spice, kanekalon, and cinnamon, and we absolutely love it. What started as a casual video of bffs Folayan Kunerede and Bobbi LaNea lipsyncing their song "You Wish" while running through the middle of a street is now a viral phenomenon. The rap duo @flyanaboss has replicated their endeavor in many locations, taking followers' suggestions. Hollywood's Walk of Fame and Santa Monica Pier are just a couple of their past running tracks, and in both videos, they amass over 15 million views. Users are even posting videos recreating the very catchy tune their way and big names like Missy Elliot and Lil Nas X have given them a shout out. Brands have also noticed and invited them to collaborate, so now we can see them running through both Google's offices and search bar!