2023’s Social Media Debates: A Recap From “Alien Corpses” To Celebrity Feuds

On social media, controversy is a major event rather than only a supporting role. Discussions on anything from apparently little issues to world-changing events take place there. Some evenings, people could get into intense arguments over the subtleties of Hailey Bieber’s purported Selena Gomez impersonation, turning celebrity disputes into popular hashtags. You can awaken to the startling news of one nation attacking another the next morning. As we say goodbye to 2023, let’s review some of the major issues that dominated the conversation.

1. Zara Receives Criticism for Ad Campaign Inspired by Gaza

Spanish retail behemoth Zara came under criticism on social media for their Atelier series ad campaign, “The Jacket.” Criticised for purported similarities to the devastation in Gaza, the commercial shows model Kristen McMenamy among debris holding a mannequin draped in white fabric. Users of social media make links between photos from the current confrontation between Israel and Hamas.

2. The Deepfake Debate: AI’s Puppetry Arises in India

With its controversy-filled history, deepfake technology has been a digital puppeteer on the rise for almost ten years. Deepfakes spark discussions about their effects and moral implications, as shown by anything from a warped video of President Zelensky of Ukraine to an Indian incident involving actress Rashmika Mandana.

3. The Tale of Kerala

The trailer for The Kerala Story, which debuted in theaters on May 5, stirred up controversy as soon as it was released in November 2022. Actress Adah Sharma played the protagonist in the movie, which caused controversy when it was revealed that 32,000 women in Kerala had disappeared after joining the Islamic State (IS) organization. This assertion, which was criticized for being too dramatic and unsupported, incited fury. After looking into it, Alt News discovered “no evidence” to back up the claimed amount.

4. Name Game: India’s Invitation to the G-20 Causes Confusion

On a G-20 Summit invitation, the Indian government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chose to designate “President of Bharat” rather than “President of India.” The change, which has political overtones, raises questions, particularly when it occurs at the same time that the opposition coalition INDIA is formed.

5. Media Matters vs. Elon Musk’s X

networking Matters for America was sued by Elon Musk’s social networking site X, which claimed that the organization was trying to “destroy” the platform via data manipulation. Following allegations of antisemitic remarks on X, advertisers, including Apple and Disney, halted their advertisements. According to Media Matters, there were advertisements endorsing nazism and branding Musk a bully.

6. Punjabi singer’s cancellation sparks controversy

The cancelation of Punjabi singer Shubh, also known as Shubhneet Singh, was due to accusations of her sympathy for separatists and Khalistan. Following a social media backlash for his Instagram tale missing sections of India and demands for boycotts, boAt pulled funding for his India tour.

7. Barrera Melissa Removed from Scream Sequel Due to Posts on Social Media

Because of her alleged antisemitism in her pro-Palestinian social media statements, actress Melissa Barrera lost her job on the next Scream movie sequel. “Zero tolerance for antisemitism” is emphasized by the production business Spyglass.

8. Influencer’s Apology Is Forced by Social Media Backlash

An influencer going by the name of KSI used a pejorative phrase during a game in a now-deleted video, which sparked outrage online. The influencer quickly apologized and removed herself from social media for a short while.

9. Alien Claims Made by UFO Enthusiasts

On September 12, a historic event occurred in Mexico when supposed extraterrestrial bodies were shown to Congressmen. The Independent highlighted stories from a number of Mexican media sites that claimed to have seen two “alien corpses” on display during a public hearing at the Mexico Congress. This information was made public after many movies depicting “UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena” were shown. Interestingly, the whole public session before the Mexico Congress, including these amazing demonstrations, was streamed live.

10. Oppenheimer Film by Nolan Is a Contentious Film

A scene in Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer, in which Cillian Murphy’s character, the title character, had sex while reading words from the Bhagavad Gita, caused controversy. Opinions on social media were split, with popular hashtags such as #RespectHinduCulture and #BoycottOppenheimer.