What’s Trending: Lego-style Iran war memes target Trump… and people pay $1,000 to read with strangers

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into the strange new world of AI-generated “slopaganda”, where bright, toy-like animations are being used to spread political messaging about the Iran conflict, and racking up hundreds of millions of views in the process. It looks like entertainment. It feels like entertainment. But is it actually influence? Then, we switch gears to a completely different kind of viral trend: people paying thousands of dollars just to… read. From countryside escapes to luxury European retreats, reading is being rebranded as a premium wellness experience. So why are people willing to spend so much just to sit still and focus?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.