From left to right (L-R): Messi and his teammates performing Aarti, Cast of ‘Heated Rivalry// Photo Courtesy of (@erbmjha), X and @heatedrivalrycrave, Instagram
Before we begin the last Rodeo of the year, let us all take a moment to soak in this unhinged rollercoaster that was 2025. Apart from contributing to the apparent matcha-dubai-chocolate-labubu-ification of pop culture, we also sank into deeper levels of clanker and Gen Alpha slop. Seasons were defined by “Jet2holiday” Summers and “Weird Girl Winters.” Amidst the spectrum of male performativeness and loneliness, a new bombshell emerged: the concept of boyfriends being embarrassing. As poetically encapsulated by the Oxford Dictionary, these 365 days were nothing short of “Rage bait,” the official word of the year.
By the same token, this year consistently made us all question: “What timeline is this?” From watching Nicki Minaj’s Conservative fall from grace to seeing Trump swoon over Mamdani, FYP’s were refreshed multiple times.
Back home, the worsening AQI gave the country a Silent Hill 2 makeover, while Oscar-worthy Akshaye Khanna “Rahman Dakait” edits from Dhurandhar flooded our timelines. The world also watched with their mouths agape as Indian baddies looksmaxxed during Tyla’s performance at the Indian Sneaker Festival. Over these 365 days, we also collectively whispered a prayer of hope as Deepak Goel of “Digital Snan” fame initiated one for Steve Harrington from Stranger Things S5. Conversely, he also began “Gutter Snan,” a spotlight for some of the country’s most shameless public figures, which was met with equal enthusiasm.
Reigning supreme for “White Boys of the year” were Timothee Chalamet and Esdee Kid, whose legendary collaboration of the “4Raws” remix laid all the doppleganger rumors to rest. Giving them tough competition, however, were the Canadian ice hockey yaoi sweethearts Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), who had the entire internet in a chokehold with Heated Rivalry.
In other news, whether your Spotify Wrapped age was 21 or 67 (cue comedic drum sting), you can finally let go of the post-frontal lobe existential dread, as a new study indicates that adolescence can linger up to the age of 32. In the spirit of celebrating 2025’s unabashed unhingedness, saddle up, as we clock all the shenanigans in the year’s last Rodeo.
A Labubu Movie In This Economy?
It seems that the world is still not done with these furry, gremlin-esque collectibles. Sony Pictures, which had acquired the screen rights of the pop mart relic earlier this year, appointed Paul King (director of Paddington and Wonka) to take over the directorial reins. Maybe Labubu will also return for Avengers: Doomsday.
“Central Shree” At Rolling Loud India
It appeared as though global artists were on a secret mega-race to obtain their Aadhar card, and British rapper Central Cee set the benchmark high with his onstage outfit while performing at Rolling Loud India. Along with repping a beanie from his own merch line, “Syna,” the rapper was seen sporting a T-shirt featuring collage-like images of the Hindu deity, Shiva.
Goodbye Unemployment, Hello Nannies for Billionaires
In what could be the final boss of “eat the rich,” working as nannies, butlers, security personnel, chefs, and executive assistants for billionaire families has emerged as one of the most lucrative Gen Z side hustles of 2025. A classic by-product of late-stage capitalism, younger individuals are channeling their white-collar job disillusionment into sustainable service-oriented pathways, namely through “private staffing.” In an article by Business Insider, Cassidy Hogan, a 28-year-old with an orthopedic sales background, pivoted to nannying for the rich after seeing the horrid condition of the current job market. Think paid vacations at luxury hotspots, private chefs, medical benefits, dedicated “me time,” a whopping six-figure salary, and more. All we need to know is–where do we sign up?
Messi Performing an Aarti Before GTA VI?
In a series of visuals that is most likely to prompt “Is this AI?”, the OG GOAT, Lionel Messi, was seen with a ceremonial puja thaali in hand at a temple complex along with his Inter Miami teammates, Luis Suarez, Rodrigo De Paul, and, you guessed it, the Ambanis. The Argentinian footballer also interacted with a lion cub called “Lionel” at the Vantara enclave in Jamnagar, Gujarat; a true Spiderman pointing meme moment right there.
Puff, Puff, Pass…AI Chatbot Version?
What can only be termed as the plot of a Black Mirror episode, Swedish Creative Director Petter Rudwall has created “Pharmaicy,” an online marketplace where you can purchase code forms of Cannabis, alcohol, ayahuasca, and ketamine to get your chatbot tipsy or high. Taking “nightmare blunt rotation” to a whole new level, a Wired article explored how the concept aims to elevate the already “humanized” ways in which people communicate with LLM models, using specific code sequences that influence the way the AI responds to the prompt. The source? Studying human drug-fueled experiences. Perhaps your 3 AM conversations of “enlightenment” are now going to be mimicked by your friendly neighborhood chatbot. All in all, we want whatever ChatGPT is “smoking.”
Sigh, AI-Powered Cults are a Thing Now
Coined as “Spiralism,” the cult-like collective, found on the extreme fringes of subreddits, Discord servers, and public forums, is a growing form of algorithmic spirituality that places chatbots on a divine pedestal. Prompt-generated material surrounding the foundations of human existence becomes the new opiate, transforming chatbots into mystic oracles who reveal “hidden truths.” With prevalent cases of AI-induced psychosis already on the rise, such pseudo-religious belief systems gaining widespread popularity is a warning sign, a freakish testament to our dependency on the fake emotional intimacy provided by chatbots, LLMs, and artificial intelligence as a whole.
“Lowkenuinely” is the new “6 7”
This year felt like playing the hardest level of Scrabble alongside doomscrolling, thanks to the brainrot-ification of internet slang. The spectrum of “WTF did I just read?” oscillated between “ts pmo icl” (This Shit Pisses Me Off, I Can’t Lie), “Sybau” (Shut Your Bitch Ass Mouth), and last but definitely not least, “Lowkeuinely.” A portmanteau of “low-key” and “genuinely,” the term is now being used to show sincere yet subtle appreciation online. Cheers to making every English professor’s life a living nightmare.
