Kim Kardashian and Clowns Dominate Social Media in October
October has been nothing short of insanity in terms of news and trending topics this season. Sit back, grab a snack and pop the top on a refreshing beverage as we review the absolute whirlwind that’s been #trending for the past month on social media.
The 2016 #PresidentialDebates
Election season is upon us, and while we are less than a month away from finding out who our next President will be, that doesn’t mean the debates are over yet. The first presidential debate between Donald J. Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton went off with a bang, yes, but that was nothing compared to the sparks we saw flying during the second presidential debate on Sunday, October 9.
The second presidential debate was filled with explosive attacks from both sides. The tenseness of the debate was coupled with the release of a 2005 video in which Trump made some vulgar comments about women that he chalked up to “locker-room talk.” Trump apologized for his remarks in the video during the debate, to which Clinton responded that Trump is simply “unfit to be president.” The debate went on with Trump attacking Clinton for her husband Bill Clinton’s actions during his presidency and Clinton commenting on the Republicans that are now deserting Trump. Many topics including Islamaphobia, abortion, and Clinton’s email scandal were all on the table with comments flying from both ends.
The next and final debate is scheduled for October 19, and it will surely be a sight to see if it follows the patterns of the last two debates.
#KimKardashian Robbery
October began with another whirlwind of insanity for Kim Kardashian West. The television personality, socialite, and mother of two was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room on October 3. The two men who stole around $11 million worth of Kardashian’s jewelry were reportedly dressed as police officers and forced a night concierge at the hotel to bring them to her room.
Kardashian was physically unharmed during the incident. The Kardashians’ use of social media has been under major scrutiny since the incident, with many citing it as the reason she was targeted—for flashing a new (and massive) diamond ring she received from husband Kanye West on Instagram. The investigation is currently ongoing, with filming of Keeping Up With The Kardashians on hold indefinitely.
Hurricane Matthew caused insurmountable destruction and was responsible for many deaths this month. Matthew formed from a tropical wave off the African coast in September that quickly strengthened into a tropical storm. Once Matthew reached the eastern Caribbean, it became a hurricane and rapidly intensified. On October 1, it reached Category 5 strength, with winds up to 160 mph.
Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti and eastern Cuba on October 4 as a Category 4 hurricane and caused as many as 1,000 deaths as well as devastating amounts of destruction. Matthew then surged on to the Bahamas and the Southeastern United States. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina were all hit by Matthew’s heavy rains and intense winds. Twenty-seven American people were killed by Matthew’s strength even as a Category 1 storm. Residents on the Southeast Coast are left with damaged cities and homes as well as high levels of flooding. Matthew was since declared a post-tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center on October 9 as it moved away from North Carolina.
If you’ve ever wondered what a mashup of the Texas Renaissance Festival and Electric Daisy Carnival would be like, then look no further. Pasquale Rotella CEO of Insomniac and the mastermind of such festivals as EDC has announced a brand new Medieval-inspired music festival: Middlelands. Middlelands Festival will touch down in Todd Mission, Texas, on the grounds where the Texas Renaissance Festival is held annually.
The festival itself will feature camping over the 200-acre site, with five stages and three days of music. If that doesn’t already have your interests piqued, this festival is being produced in collaboration with the company behind Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and C3 Presents. Middlelands will be bringing the noise, fun, and Medieval flare to Texas in Spring 2017.
You may have noticed that news reports about creepy clown sightings across the United States are popping up more and more often. Going back to late August, there have been dozens upon dozens of reports of threatening clowns around schools and college campuses. Some of these accounts have been dismissed by law enforcement as pranks. However, more than a dozen people have been arrested in connection with these sightings.
The clown phenomenon began when children in South Carolina reported a clown trying to lure them into the woods with candy. After that, it seems like the clown craze has escalated into more and more sightings. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is giving professional clowns a bad rap and putting them on edge as they could be potential targets of violence from those who believe them to be the “creepy clowns.” Whether this whole thing is a hoax or a prank, the clown sightings don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
