This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss chain smoking through Rome: Total War, the audacity of TikTok doxing accounts using facial recognition, and a big new documentary about aliens on Netflix.
SAM: I just want to say I love and appreciate the coverage of the pop music world as a tech issue that we’ve had going so far. We’ve had an Olivia Rodrigo tour ticket scalping investigation, AI generated Harry Styles leaks drama, Taylor Swift tour FOIAs, deepfake MAGA Drake, and this week Swifties on their borderline vigilante shit. I’ve been trying to find the tech angle in the Postal Service/Death Cab show I went to last week but the only thing I’m coming up with is something about orthopedic insole sales among millennials or an investigation into why a beer costs $12.25 at MSG. Will keep thinking. In the meantime: Do you guys ever think about the Roman Empire? Be honest.
JOSEPH: I literally never think about the Roman Empire. They died like everyone else, why would I care what they think? When I play Civilization VI I don’t even play as them either. The Romans are nothing to me (big up the Egyptians though).