The week's best of the internet
The 7 best images, memes, videos, and more to emerge from the great digital playground — from the best Taylor Swift remix ever to a suave baby sloth

1. Why we talk like thiiiisss
Jen Doll at The Atlantic investigates why otherwise-intelligent adults inject extra letters and exclamation points into their everyday language. ("Hiiiiiiii," for example.) The short answer? Word-lengthening help us express emotion; it's why elongations "tend to flourish in those venues most starved for nuance," says Doll. We're looking at you, text messages, IM boxes, and Twitter. (Via The Atlaaaantic)
2. "I Knew You Were A Goat When You Walked In"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Meet Taylor Swift's new boyfriend. (Via The Huffington Post)
3. Monster goldfish invade Lake Tahoe
Giant versions of the household pets are slowly proliferating in the waters of Lake Tahoe. Scientists think they may have been released by well-meaning pet owners, while others think they were being used as bait by fishermen. Sooomething's fiiiishy, in any case. (Via National Geographic)
4. The Guy Fieri parody menu
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The three-dimensional Ed Hardy tattoo otherwise known as Guy Fieri apparently forgot to register the domain name for his new Manhattan restaurant, "Guy's American Kitchen and Bar." So Brooklyn programmer Bryant Mytko snatched it up and posted a fake menu for the world to giggle at. He soon found himself in hot water, however, when other Twitter users emerged to call him out for allegedly plagiarizing their tweets.
6. The world's ugliest tattoo: Fixed!
A tattoo artist from Empire Ink in Akron, Ohio, offered to help a man pay tribute to his deceased wife by fixing his sad tattoo, which has been ridiculed across the internet for the better part of a decade now. Total price: Free of charge. Here's the finished result:
7. Cat of the Week
Today's recipient of our coveted "Cat of the Week" award is Chairman Meow, who, according to his Facebook page, resides in San Francisco and is a still-recovering 49ers fan.
Remember to send your "Cat of the Week" submissions to: Gayomali@TheWeek.com. The weirder, the better!
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published