Bonjour,
It’s going to be 60 degrees in NYC this weekend and you best believe I’ll be:
I had Quasimatt and Ted join me on Boys Club Live this week. We talked about a GLP-1 dating show, AI psychosis, and burger mogging. Need I say more? WATCH HERE.
Our first network show on peptides, wellness tech, and longevity launches next Friday. Check out the trailer below:
ily,
Polygon has everything your agent needs to transact.
On our livestream this week, we discussed an emerging online trend of hot girls wearing modern defense company merch. It’s showing up on both biologically real women and AI-created babes alike. Let’s review.
Palantir is a software and data company that works with the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Defense, and other institutions like BP and General Mills. It is best known for its work in surveillance, including battlefield intelligence, mission planning, and real-time data for the DoD. Some view the company as a necessary evil, others are hyper-fixated on the stock’s bump since the start of the Iran war, and almost everyone is compelled by its eccentric founder, Alex Karp.
Anduril is a hardware defense company. Think robotics, autonomous fighter jets, drones, underwater vehicles, etc. They also have a character of a founder and made news this week that they are raising a big round led by Thrive and Andreessen.
All of this to say, these are incredibly serious companies doing highly controversial, literally life-and-death work, so when their swag is sported casually on the timeline, it’s a jump scare.
Both companies have merch stores and seem to be taking a Supreme-style drop approach to their company swag.
And this didn’t just start. Palantir did a pop-up in Seoul last October that had lines around the block and featured an appearance by Alex Karp.
The man responsible seems to be their Head of Strategic Engagement, or as he puts it, vibes @ Palantir, Eliano A. Younes.
On the e-girl side of things, I can only speculate about the motivation to rock these looks and post them online. It could be edgelording, engagement bait, or just straight irony.
There is also an explicit message of patriotism that runs through both of these companies, and sporting their merch can be seen as a highbrow, tech-optimistic, neoconservative dog whistle. A rich man’s American flag tee, if you will.
Somehow, I too feel responsible.
