Protests have taken place around the world calling for action to avert environmental catastrophe.
From London to Sydney, here's a look at some of the millions of people joining the global youth climate strike.
People shared some of their favorite signs on Twitter as well:
Stay ahead of the curve with the latest news and viral moments from Comic Sands & get exclusive subscriber benefits
Something went wrong. Please try again.
"My faith doesn't just influence me - it defines me. My new book UNAPOLOGETIC is about how our identity in Christ and Christ alone is the only firm foundation for our future."
A Community Note quickly went up to inform social media users that:
"The image attached shows a book cover with garbled text like “Cra€y” and nonsense phrases, typical of AI image generation. The publisher confirms the subtitle is “Clarity and Conviction in a World Gone Crazy”."
Indeed, social media users could spot these errors very easily considering how sloppily the image appears to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
You can see post and the photo below.
@SarahHuckabee/X
It really says a lot about Sanders that neither she nor anyone on her team could be bothered to actually hold up a real copy of the book, let alone check their very obvious slop for any errors.
She was quickly called out.
Funnily enough, an eagle-eyed Twitter user spotted a bizarre typo on the official portrait for Sanders which was on display in a "state government office" in 2023, shortly after she was first elected to serve as governor of Arkansas.
The caption beneath the portrait identifies Sanders as the state's "Govenor," a most unfortunate typo.
The portrait is featured on the website for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), which speaks at length about Sanders' qualifications, particularly her time as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump during his first administration.
Nowhere on that website, though, do we see Sanders identified as the "Arkansas Govenor," however, so we guess someone in her administration was actually reviewing copy that day.
Take a look at the exchange for yourself:
As far as Serbanescu was concerned, the issue wasn't beauty standards. It was anatomy meeting artistic logistics, with a little creative license thrown in. He defended his decisions in an interview with Seventeen.
Serbanescu explained the reasoning behind his creative choices:
"All I did to my drawing was modify some small elements. For example, I enlarged [their] breast just because I wanted [them] to lay on it and the posture of the body wasn't allowing it, therefore the only solution was making them bigger."
But Serbanescu wasn't just defending his artistic decisions. He was also frustrated that Lovato had commented on a fan account's repost rather than approaching him directly.
For the artist, that distinction mattered:
"I didn't expect that coming from [them] and I was kind of disappointed that they didn't even comment on my account but on someone's else without even letting me know."
Lovato, meanwhile, wasn't backing down.
While Serbanescu saw the illustration as artistic expression, the singer saw a more personal issue at play—whether she was expected to accept someone else's interpretation of her appearance without question.
Lovato made clear why she wasn't willing to let the criticism go unanswered:
"Sorry for saying anything at all. But it's equally offensive that someone would change my body because mine isn't good enough."
Serbanescu has continued sharing celebrity-inspired artwork, including an illustration of Adele that offers another look at his artistic style.
Take a look at Serbanescu's illustration of Adele:
The disagreement also divided entertainment coverage. While Bustle acknowledged Lovato's right to question how she was portrayed, Refinery29 took a more sympathetic approach to Serbanescu, treating the exchange as an unfortunate encounter between an artist and his subject.
Refinery29 offered a rather pointed takeaway from the controversy:
"He took a shot and he got shot down. Maybe he'll remember to watch out for mermaids. Sometimes, you sail straight into the rocks."
What makes the renewed conversation interesting isn't simply that people are revisiting an old celebrity controversy. It's what they're questioning about the original response. Some commenters are now asking why an artist's creative freedom seemed to matter more than the subject's right to have an opinion about her own portrayal.
Instagram commenter @jennifer_rae_design defended Lovato's right to question artwork depicting her:
"You’re allowed to be proud of your art. You also need to acknowledge that if you base your artwork off of a real human, they are allowed to have an opinion about it."
And that was hardly the only opinion making the rounds. The revived discussion brought out plenty of people eager to revisit the whole thing.
Here's how the conversation unfolded across social media:
@paige_loverde/Instagram
@iimarlieii/Instagram
@brainfreestv/Instagram
@meatloafmaggie/Instagram
@gretchen.m.goodell/Instagram
@patomaru/Instagram
@brianneleigh96/Instagram
@teo_ctinescu/Instagram
@calebscuriocabinet/Instagram
@rascallygoose49/Instagram
@melmarpur/Instagram
@myda.rkparadise/Instagram
There's also important context behind Lovato's reaction. The singer has spoken openly about her experiences with eating disorders and recovery, making body image a deeply personal subject rather than simply another celebrity controversy.
Lovato previously explained why discussing her struggles publicly became part of her recovery:
"I’ve been open about my struggles because part of my recovery includes being honest with myself and others, and I’m inspired to use my success as a platform to help others suffering."
And in a much more welcome blast from the past, Lovato recently reunited with Selena Gomez for a Rare Beauty collaboration.
The former Disney stars brought back some Princess Protection Program nostalgia for the "Still Making Each Other Blush" campaign, proving that not every trip down memory lane has to involve an internet argument.
Here's Lovato and Gomez bringing the nostalgia:
As for that mermaid controversy, the artwork hasn't changed, but the conversation surrounding it certainly has. And while the internet may never agree on everything, at least some people are finally considering whether Lovato deserved quite so much criticism in the first place.
Trending news and the best social social media commentary around it; we curate the internet right to your inbox while you get on with your day.
Something went wrong. Please try again.
