This piece contains depictions and references to sexual assault and rape. The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of WSUM, the University of Wisconsin-Madison or its Board of Regents.

Last week, Production Director Lexi and I attended the Sweat Tour and left quite speechless. While we didn’t have guests on stage like Addison Rae or Lorde (the reason Lorde didn’t come was because she just got punched in the face… she WOULD’VE come…), we still had an incredible time. But, for the foreseeable future, I have no concerts lined up and a lot of homework to finish. 

There’s been an ominous vibe with pop culture recently. Maybe we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop in the Diddy case or are anxiously awaiting the presidential election, but this fall is not only bringing an aesthetic autumn but also a considerable amount of stress. Perhaps, though, the best way to avoid your own stress is to be tuned into your fav’s instead. Deflection, anyone?

Hurricane Milton creates conspiracy theories, chaos 

As Hurricane Milton has hit Florida, knocking out power and causing residents to evacuate, conspiracy theories have circulated on the internet, causing chaos about politics. Specifically, rumors sparked that President Biden or meteorologists are the ones behind the hurricane, with some even believing that it is possible to create hurricanes. 

This has caused many people to discuss the effects of climate change, which is still a controversial topic in some circles. 

Additionally, it was shared that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was refusing to take calls from Vice President Kamala Harris, which caused arguments on whether or not he should and whose role it is to provide aid to Florida. 

Regardless, this author hopes that everyone in Florida and on the coast is doing well. 

Ex-NCT member’s sex crime case update

Taeil, ex-NCT member, was removed from NCT and convicted on sex crimes. Read the full backstory here. It was recently announced that he and two non-celebrity friends allegedly gangraped a woman who was either unconscious/unable to fight back or being threatened with a weapon.

In South Korea, perpetrators found guilty of this kind of rape typically face a minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum of a life sentence. Taeil has yet to be charged. 

BLACKPINK’s Lisa gets slammed for alleged relationship, beef with fellow members

Lalisa Manobal, member of K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK, is facing some backlash among the release of her newest music. It hasn’t been confirmed, but it is pretty much known across the board that Lisa is dating Frédéric Arnault, CEO of LVMH Watches. Like, a line from her new song ‘Moonlit Floor’ is green-eyed French boy got me trippin’. Frédéric is French and has green eyes. No surprise, right?

But, fans have been surprised to learn more about Frédéric and his family. There were rumors that Frédéric and his family donated millions of dollars to Israel forces each year. This rumor hasn’t been proven, but it is a fact that Bernard Arnault (Frédéric’s father) and LVMH have sent money to Israeli companies. Additionally, Frédéric’s mother has been liking comments on her social media accounts showing support for Israel. This has caused fans to be disappointed with Lisa for dating Frédéric, who they assume supports Israel. 

Fans aren’t only disappointed with her dating life. They also are upset over her seeming lack of support for her fellow BLACKPINK members, Rosé, Jennie and Jisoo, who are all pursuing solo projects currently—like Lisa is. While the other members have been hyping all BLACKPINK members on their social media, fans have noticed Lisa’s silence on social media. 

It should be remembered that Lisa could just text her fellow members in support, and we would never know if she was supporting them or not. It’s a little bit of a reach. 

Menéndez case update

Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who were convicted of murder in 1996, have received an update on their case. The Los Angeles District Attorney shared that the case is being reviewed following new evidence that possibly supports the brothers’ claims that they were molested by their father. Pending the review, the brothers could receive a resentencing or a new trial.

Sabrina Carpenter’s tour receives praise and criticism

Sabrina Carpenter, who is currently on tour for her latest album ‘Short n’ Sweet’, is receiving mixed reactions to her dress and action on tour. Some fans are hyping her up for her stylish outfits and her theater-style of show, while other fans are upset about her referencing sexual poses on stage. Some have even gone as far to say that she is selling a ‘pedophilic fantasy’.

The 25-year-old singer does seem to have a decently wide fanbase, but it is pretty centric to a female-identifying audience. One could see her visual presentation on stage to be a reclamation of her sexuality, as a lot of the fans at concerts aren’t there because they find her sexually appealing—they just like her music.

When asked about the criticism in a recent interview, Sabrina said to just “not come to the show” if you’re a concerned or judging individual.

NCT’s Renjun returns while RIIZE’s Seunghan departs

SM Entertainment, a Korean company that houses many famous K-Pop groups, is receiving both praise and criticism for their recent actions. It was announced that Renjun, member of NCT Dream, is returning to the group after a six month hiatus for his mental health. Fans were quite excited for his return!

Soon after, it was announced that RIIZE’s Seunghan would be returning to the group. Seunghan had been on hiatus for around nine months after pictures surfaced of him with an ex-girlfriend and of him smoking. While many fans were ecstatic about his return, including many of the RIIZE members, some fans were upset about it. They even put up memorial death wreaths for RIIZE (what one typically does when a loved one dies), stating that they wouldn’t support RIIZE with Seunghan in it and that the group was better without him. 

Yesterday, SM announced that Seunghan is now leaving the group after the company and him considered the fans’ concerns, which caused a lot of backlash. It’s no secret nor surprise that K-Pop idols have dating lives, and it isn’t exactly fresh news that many of them also smoke. To have K-Pop fans dictating one’s involvement in a band is… well, it seems weird. For them to be upset about him having a girlfriend before he even debuted is possessive, and for the company to actually listen to the fans is causing even more drama. 

Fans that support all seven RIIZE members, including Seunghan, have started boycotting the group and company, with RIIZE losing tens of thousands of followers so far. 

If fans have such an influence on serious decisions about one’s job, why even have company managers? What about boundaries?

120 new lawsuits against Diddy are filed, trial date set

As Diddy’s trial progresses, 120 new lawsuits are being filed against him. Lawyer Tony Buzbee is reportedly representing 120 accusers who are planning to file civil lawsuits against Diddy. Buzbee also said that these cases will reveal other influential figures. He also stated that one individual was as young as nine years old when Diddy assaulted him. 

On October 8, Diddy asked for a third time to be released from prison until his trial, which was denied again. Additionally, the trial was set for May 5, 2025. 

KSI releases new music (?)

KSI, boxer and influencer, released his latest single called Thick Of It. The song seemed to try to have a Lil Nas X aesthetic with a large sponsorship (?) of Prime, Logan Paul and KSI’s energy drink brand. 

Now, people hated this song when it came out. The top comment on YouTube ratioed the actual video. KSI tried to recover by reacting to the comments on his video, but he seems to be taking the criticism harshly. 

Is the video good? I guess you’ll just have to decide for yourself. 

Media I have been recently enjoying:

• Sasaki and Miyano
• Depth (album) – Yuta
• Will & Harper (2024)
• Playing Skyrim
• Mantra – Jennie