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What people are talking about today
Though it’s a slow week for news, there are a lot of headlines about Netflix — probably because binge-watching has become a holiday tradition, up there with mistletoe and mall Santas. Netflix’s Sandra Bullock thriller “Bird Box” is a hit, and Netflix is warning people to be careful if they join in a weird meme that has emerged out of it. In the movie, people wear blindfolds to avoid seeing an ominous presence that’s driving everyone to commit suicide. The meme involves blindfolding yourself and filming it; one video showed a blindfolded toddler careening into a wall. Netflix tweeted, “Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE.” But isn’t there some tricky reverse psychology going on here? By tweeting about the meme, Netflix is basically fanning the flames to make it spread.
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