9 votes

Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

Posted by mycketforvirrad (edited )
Tags: ask.discussion, recurring.weekly, offbeat fridays, offbeat

Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like lego.island, 2025 iran israel war and the onion. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was puzzled.

But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

11 comments

  1. [3]
    chocobean
    Link
    Presidential toilet plunging: Behind Korea's wacky election coverage graphics Tags: south korea, election, ai, capybara, home improvement.toilet plunging, squid game, indoor cycling, kimchi

    Presidential toilet plunging: Behind Korea's wacky election coverage graphics

    In order to glue viewers to the screen for what could have been a long and boring show, broadcasters have a history of coming up with quirky ways to make the vote count more fun, merging pop culture with cutting-edge technology as they run through a regional exit poll breakdown before tracking incoming results. [...]

    However, not all feedback was positive. Some viewers criticized the heavy use of flashy, entertainment-focused CGI, calling it inappropriate given the serious context of the election, saying, “This kind of lighthearted, joke-style election coverage feels inappropriate for the occasion.”

    Tags: south korea, election, ai, capybara, home improvement.toilet plunging, squid game, indoor cycling, kimchi

    6 votes
    1. jredd23
      Link Parent
      I would be in the mixed reaction group. Yeah it's 'entertaining' but is it necessary? Wacky for sure.

      I would be in the mixed reaction group. Yeah it's 'entertaining' but is it necessary? Wacky for sure.

      2 votes
    2. CannibalisticApple
      Link Parent
      Opened the article, very first image had me cringe. And that didn't even have the toilet plunging. The article said SBS (the one with the toilet plunger and... Whatever the heck is going on in...

      Opened the article, very first image had me cringe. And that didn't even have the toilet plunging. The article said SBS (the one with the toilet plunger and... Whatever the heck is going on in that first photo, and most of the photos in the article) had pretty low viewership, while MBC, which apparently had a more serious approach to the graphics, had the highest viewership. So I guess people weren't too crazy about the weirdness on SBS.

      This one is an interesting case for AI usage in media production. Usually I loathe when companies depend solely on AI, but in this case they only had two weeks to prepare for the election, so the heavy reliance on it this time feels far more understandable. I cringe imagining the horrible crunch time that the workers would've had to endure...

      2 votes
  2. CannibalisticApple
    Link
    Some fun news @CrystalManta shared with me: 100 Girlfriends Anime sets a Guinness World Record with the Longest Monologue in Japanese Anime. It's the main character describing his love for each of...

    Some fun news @CrystalManta shared with me: 100 Girlfriends Anime sets a Guinness World Record with the Longest Monologue in Japanese Anime. It's the main character describing his love for each of his girlfriends and what he loves about each one.

    If you're curious, here's the scene in question. It's actually pretty short thanks to the magic of editing, and got a laugh out of me.

    5 votes
  3. [3]
    mycketforvirrad
    Link
    World's oldest boomerang doesn't actually come back BBC News – Helen Briggs – 25th June 2025

    World's oldest boomerang doesn't actually come back

    The world's oldest boomerang is older than previously thought, casting new light on the ingenuity of humans living at the time.

    Researchers worked out from its shape that it would have flown when thrown, but would not have come back to the thrower.

    BBC News – Helen Briggs – 25th June 2025

    3 votes
    1. chocobean
      Link Parent
      (눈_눈)

      The origin of the word is from an Aboriginal Australian language of the Sydney region. Its original meaning, which is preserved in official competitions, refer only to returning objects, not to throwing sticks, (wikipedia, Boomerang)

      (눈_눈)

      4 votes
    2. jredd23
      Link Parent
      Interesting that the article states what you have outlined as factual. Also with could have been used for hunting or maybe something else. So in reality they have no idea what was the use of the...

      Interesting that the article states what you have outlined as factual. Also with could have been used for hunting or maybe something else. So in reality they have no idea what was the use of the boomerang. It reminds me of our China cabinet; if my mother caught me using one of those dishes, I would be in trouble. Imagine if I broke one which in my defense I didn't do it! Cool stuff.

      2 votes
  4. [3]
    jredd23
    Link
    Who hasn't dreamed of winning the lotto? Maryland woman uses horoscope numbers to win $50,000 lottery prize When it's your turn, its your turn or maybe not!

    Who hasn't dreamed of winning the lotto?
    Maryland woman uses horoscope numbers to win $50,000 lottery prize
    When it's your turn, its your turn or maybe not!

    3 votes
    2. chocobean
      Link Parent
      :\ I wonder how much of that $50k will end up in savings vs being manifested away

      "I'm manifesting $1 million. And you better believe I'll be back to claim a bigger prize!"

      :\ I wonder how much of that $50k will end up in savings vs being manifested away

      2 votes
  5. Fal
    Link
    The Guardian: Seoul wrestles with how to handle invasion of ‘lovebugs’

    The Guardian: Seoul wrestles with how to handle invasion of ‘lovebugs’

    Seoul residents are grappling with an invasion of so-called “lovebugs” that have swarmed hiking trails and urban areas across the South Korean capital, with experts debating how to handle the infestations that are surging as the climate crisis draws them further north.

    Viral footage shared on social media shows Gyeyangsan mountain in Incheon, west of Seoul, with hiking trails and observation decks carpeted black with the insects.

    1 vote