It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.

But first, Chili’s sold out of boots made from the leather of its restaurant booths. Sing it with me now: I want my seat back, seat back, seat back, I want my seat back, seat back seat back…Chhhiiillllliiii’s, seat back boots!

CREATOR COMMOTION

LoFi Girl graduates, Blippi travels, and FaZe Clan members make headlines

The graduate: After all that studying, LoFi Girl is finally “graduating”. Seven years after her virtual study sesh began, the face of the iconic lo-fi hip-hop playlist announced that she is “finished with all my homework.” If you’re worried that her graduation will cause her to disappear from her famous playlist, don’t fret: as of this weekend, LoFi Girl is still chilling at her desk.

The FaZe Clan commotion: Ricky Banks is taking time off from FaZe Clan. The gamer known as FaZe Banks—who served most recently as the gaming organization’s CEO—says he’ll be “stepping away from not only FaZe, but all this internet shit” after being accused of perpetrating a pump-and-dump scam related to the MLG cryptocurrency.

Speaking of FaZe Clan, another one of its star creators is going on tour with an NBA star. FaZe Lacy and Harden are in China for a six-day swing at the start of August.

The road trippers: Blippi is bringing “the ultimate road trip” to YouTube. The blue-and-orange-clad character will join his friend Meekah for a cross-country voyage that will include stops in New York, Philadelphia, and Nashville. The week-long event will culminate in the “Be Like Blippi Games,” a series of kid-friendly activities and challenges in Los Angeles. The fun begins on August 16.

The director: The first poster has dropped for Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks. The YouTube film critic is becoming a big-boy director with a horror feature that has been picked up by noted distributor NEON. The movie’s spooky vibes are now on full display, and a trailer is coming tomorrow—though some sharp-eyed Redditors noticed that the trailer was briefly leaked a few days earlier.

TECH TALK

Tech execs make waves and ChatGPT beats a CAPTCHA

The Shorts soundbite: YouTube’s co-founder has thoughts about Shorts. Tech exec Steve Chen noted recently that he doesn’t think videos featuring “addictive eyeballs” are healthy for his children, and he was them to have diverse media diets. “Just shorter form content equates to shorter attention spans,” he said.

The resurrection: Elon Musk is maybe, kinda, sorta still trying to bring back Vine. The Chief Twit has teased a potential Vine revival ever since he acquired the defunct platform’s assets by purchasing parent company X. Now Musk says he’s bringing back Vine “in AI form,” and as per usual, no one seems to be sure what that means or how it will impact human creators.

The chatbot: ChatGPT is now smart enough to complete a CAPTCHA. The singularity will be here before you can say “Turing test.”

THE BIZ

This week in the creator economy…

The apparel line: Good Good now has its own sunglasses line. The group of golf creators has teamed up with Shady Ray’s to roll out a line of specs designed for use on the links. It would be nice if the PGA Tour could be as forward-thinking as these apparel brands, but the golf org is still catching up with the world of creator culture.

The podcast biz: Gossipy ex-rapper Joe Budden has offered curious minds a look into the finances of his sprawling podcast organization. Surprise, surprise: business is booming. The CEO of Budden’s podcast company told The New York Times that The Joe Budden Network is on pace to haul in $20 million in 2025 alone.

The comedy: TikTokers Adam Rose and Leah Kirkup have snagged lead roles in an R-rated, nuptial-themed comedy feature. In Perfect Wedding Days, Kirkup will play the bride and Rose will portray a best man who has feelings for his friend’s future wife.

The dating show: With a YouTube series called Game, Set, Matchmaker, the United States Tennis Association is turning one of the sport’s four majors—the U.S. Open—into a meeting ground for lonely singles. It’s a nice idea, but after watching Challengers, we’re not sure tennis and romance is a good mix.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

Can Roblox get you a hot date?

The dating scene: The sandbox platform’s CEO thinks that Roblox worlds could be the answer to modern dating. On a July episode of the TechStuff podcast, David Baszucki reiterated his hope that Roblox could serve as antidotes for the “loneliness epidemic” that currently plagues younger generations.

This isn’t the first time a major platform has been positioned as a potential dating app, but much like the average Tinder connection, these plans always seem to flame out before long.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.