Viral, raunchy ‘ParkTok’ trend aims to raise awareness of spending cuts to national parks
CNN
The 10-second video begins with a close-up on the abs of a sweaty, shirtless man wearing low-slung, gray sweatpants. But three seconds in, it cuts to a panoramic video of Havasu Falls in Arizona, with its striking turquoise water cascading down from red rocks.
The 10-second video begins with a close-up on the abs of a sweaty, shirtless man wearing low-slung, gray sweatpants. But three seconds in, it cuts to a panoramic video of Havasu Falls in Arizona, with its striking turquoise water cascading down from red rocks. Welcome to ParkTok. The video — from an unofficial account posting about Grand Canyon National Park and other nature sites in Arizona — is emblematic of a trend that’s gone viral on TikTok in recent weeks that pairs sexually suggestive clips or music with scenic images and footage of America’s natural wonders. Unofficial accounts representing state and national parks, mountains and rivers have participated in the trend, sometimes trading playful barbs about which has the “biggest trees” or “longest lakes.” The videos are funny and moderately unhinged in the way TikTok trends often are, but they have a serious aim: to raise awareness about threats to US public lands amid the Trump administration’s efforts to gut national parks staffing and designate more of America’s wild lands for drilling, mining and logging. Many of the videos encourage viewers to donate to organizations such as the National Park Foundation or to call their local representatives to advocate for protecting public lands, part of a long tradition of using social media to organize social and political movements. “This does go way beyond the thirst traps,” Kim Tanner, who runs the unofficial Joshua Tree account @joshuatreenp with more than 250,000 followers, told CNN. “It’s a way to pull people in, it’s a way to hook them, and it works. But at the same time, you’re showing them that beautiful imagery (of the parks) and hopefully, even if subliminally, you’re educating them.”
The European Union agreed Wednesday to phase out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc’s decade-long dependency on Russian energy.
US wireless carrier AT&T said in a letter to the US telecoms regulator that it had committed to ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a move that comes as it seeks approval from the Trump administration to buy wireless spectrum assets.
Larry Summers has been banned for life from the American Economic Association, a professional organization for economists, with more than 17,000 members, over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The US labor market has weakened over the course of the year as hiring has stalled across many industries. The national unemployment rate has ratcheted higher in the process, hitting 4.4% in September.
Michael and Susan Dell are donating $6.25 billion to fund investment accounts for at least 25 million American children.
Gas prices dropped below an average of $3 a gallon in the United States on Tuesday for the first time in four-and-a-half years.
The United States appears ready for war with Venezuela, a prospect that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro this weekend attributed to America’s desire to control the country’s vast oil reserves.
Pete Hegseth’s hostility toward the press has been a defining characteristic of his time as defense secretary.
Crypto had a rough November. The pain is persisting into December — and it could signal trouble ahead for the stock market.
Airbus has identified an issue affecting “a limited number” of metal panels in its A320 passenger planes, a spokesperson for the company said Monday, just days after warning of another technical problem in its aircraft.
Teddy bears and stuffed plushies have long been a mainstay in toy collections. But today they don’t talk back in a child’s imagination — they talk through built-in AI chatbots.
Revenues at China’s giant military firms fell last year as corruption purges slowed arms contracts and procurement, according to a study released on Monday by a leading conflict think tank.
Walt Disney Animation’s “Zootopia 2” and Universal’s Broadway musical adaptation “Wicked: For Good” delivered movie theaters a much-needed one-two punch for the holiday weekend box office.