Latest news with #BrittanyOGrady
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Why the Gen Z stare has every generation talking
The emotionless expression teens and young adults sometimes make if someone inconveniences them by saying 'hi,' tries to engage in small talk with them, or tries to take their food order finally has a name: the Gen Z stare. It's unclear how it got its name. But many say they've long been on the receiving end of the face and are trying to understand why much of Gen Z looks so dead in the eyes, creating dead air in what's supposed to be a dialogue. In years past, the internet has fixated on socks, jeans, hair parts and whether avocado toast and Starbucks coffee are the two biggest barriers to millennial homeownership (Spoiler: they're not). As people talk about the Gen Z stare, they're also discussing other generations' stereotypical pregnant pauses. Some Gen Zers have tried to defend their age group, arguing they glare when they're listening to an entitled or dense customer at their job or processing how to respond when unruly clients approach them. But others, like millennial content creator Jarrod Benson, say the 'resting retail face' from customer service and minimum wage workers isn't a Gen Z stare, but a look that defies generational confines. So what makes a stare a Gen Z stare? It's a blank look where a response is reasonably warranted. Think of the way Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady's characters in 'The White Lotus' silently looked from their pool chairs as Alexandra Daddario's character asked them questions. Brenda Alarcon, a 20-year-old Santa Clara University student and research analyst intern at SolPods, said she saw her fair share of the stares as a waitress at a Menifee, California, restaurant. Alarcon said she often tried to be 'overly customer service-y' to compensate for her co-workers. 'Me personally, I would never give the Gen Z stare because I'm the type to ask really dumb questions unintentionally, whether I'd be super tired or the menu could be right there and I don't see it.' At other points, Alarcon said she's gotten the glare when trying to order food with young workers. 'Sometimes, it gets to a point where I kind of feel uncomfortable, so I just leave,' she said. 'Or if there's a self-order thing, I prefer to do that.' Jarrod Benson, a 33-year-old Orlando content creator who makes videos poking fun at generational idiosyncrasies, believes a 'perfect storm' of Gen Z constantly being on social media and the physical isolation from the pandemic led to a socially awkward generation. Benson said he once had a waiter not say a word while his table ordered food, instead just looking at each person. 'It's like they're always watching a video, and they don't feel like the need to respond,' he said. 'Small talk is painful. We know this. But we do it because it's socially acceptable and almost socially required, right? But they won't do it.' Benson says he's guilty of the millennial pause — when it takes a second or two to start talking at the beginning of a video — and sometimes forgets to edit it out after he's filmed a video on his phone. Then there's the comparison to the boomer 'lead poisoning' or 'lead paint' stare, a similarly deadpan face older people make in interactions with service workers. (The boomer stare, likely a symptom of getting older, Benson said, also is a tongue-in-cheek reference to lead exposure.) At the end of the day, it's all in good fun. Benson says he's gotten kind messages from people of all ages as he reenacts their signature quirks. As every cohort gets older, each takes on more habits the other generations can cringe and laugh about. Still, as more young people enter the workforce, he said, 'Gen Alpha is going to be terrible.'
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Is The ‘Gen Z Stare'? The TikTok Debate, Explained
Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady giving the 'Gen Z stare' on 'The White Lotus' HBO Generation wars are still alive and well on TikTok, as the video-sharing platform is discussing, debating and mocking the so-called 'Gen Z stare.' Back in the day, millennials were famously mocked for their supposed love of avocado toast and other frivolous treats. Now, it's their turn to start murmuring about how the kids aren't alright. While millennials have often been criticized by Gen Z for being 'cringe,' with TikTok-specific tics like the 'millennial pause,' millennials have hit back at the youth with the 'Gen Z stare.' Some commentators immediately understood the stare, having seemingly experienced it, while others have dismissed the stare as an exaggerated phenomenon. Many TikTokers share the belief that Gen Z has lost the art of small talk and social pleasantries, and that this manifests in a blank stare, often in response to questions. According to TikTok, the stare often occurs during basic customer service interactions, with the accused members of Gen Z reportedly responding to simple requests with a dead-eyed gaze, or failing to greet the customer when they walk in. Servers and bartenders claim that their Gen Z customers respond to unexpected questions or small talk with the stare, as though simple conversation is not worth pursuing. TikToker @theprincessandthepoppers gave a detailed account of the stare, explaining that not all Gen Z customers respond with blank stares, but a significant amount do. Some TikTokers pivoted to creating comedy skits about the stare. In the comments of this video, some claimed that the prevalence of the stare had been exaggerated, or even completely fabricated by millennials. One representative of Gen Z declared that the stare was likely a symptom of ADHD and trauma—other commentators pointed out that this was a very Gen Z explanation. Some commentators responded by accusing older folks of the 'boomer stare'—clearly, there is a lot of miscommunication and frustration in customer service jobs, and perhaps people of all generations are glaring at one another. Some zoomers even joined the pile-on, claiming that they had witnessed the stare within their own generation, and speculated on the possible causes. The debate brings to mind the culture clash sparked by the arrival of McDonalds to Russia, where cashiers had to be taught how to smile at customers. Friendly, enthusiastic customer service is an American expectation, but it seems that Gen Z is challenging the old social norms—that is, if the trend is true—it might just be that aging millennials are starting to get grumpy about kids today. Perhaps Gen Z should be applauded for allowing the mask to slip, and refusing to play the part of the attentive employee, who is always expected to deliver service with a friendly smile. Whether it's social anxiety, the strength of modern marijuana strains, or simply a disinterest in small talk, millennials seem to believe that Gen Z is different. Or perhaps we all just need to log off for a bit, lest we stare too long into the abyss of TikTok. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes TikTok's '4th Of July Antipasto' Controversy, Explained By Dani Di Placido Forbes TikTok's 'Hear Me Out' Cake Trend, Explained By Dani Di Placido Forbes What Is 'Squid Game' Season 3 Really About? By Dani Di Placido Forbes The Optimistic Ending Of 'Superman,' Explained By Dani Di Placido
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Bonkers and twisted' thriller that 'defies all expectations' is finally free to stream on ITVX
A 'bonkers and twisted' thriller that 'defies all expectations while sucking you in' is finally free to stream as all eight episodes hit ITVX. The Consultant, first released in 2023, depicts the shady titular figure (Christoph Waltz) taking over a mobile gaming company after its CEO is murdered. The cast of the American thriller also includes Nat Wolff, known for his turn in 2015 romantic drama Paper Towns, and The White Lotus 's Brittany O'Grady. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 80 per cent, critics and fans alike have showered it with praise. The series was first released on subscription-based Amazon Prime Video - but after hitting ITV 's on-demand platform at the weekend, it is now entirely free to watch. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. When Sang Woo (Brian Yoon), the wunderkind founder of the LA-based tech company, is shot by a crazed middle schooler, the bad press threatens to see the already struggling company go out of business. His replacement Regus Patoff rules with an iron fist, with things soon turning strange and sinister in the office. And as IT guy Craig and Woo's assistant Elaine (played by Nat and Brittany) do some digging about who their new boss really is, they discover he is even more dangerous than he seems. Tony Basgallop (Inside Men and What Remains) adapted American horror author Bentley Little's novel of the same name to create the thrilling show. He told ScreenRant: 'I think I was led, really, by the novel by Bentley Little.' 'That had a very cruel sense of humour to it, a darkness that I always like to bring into my own work. 'I wanted to kind of match that style that he'd created and it felt like we were a good fit. 'He's a very dark and twisted individual, and I enjoy kind of adding my dark, twisted nature on top of his dark, twisted nature. So, we were building on each other there.' A review by USA Today wrote: 'The series defies all expectations while sucking you into the strange story.' Entertainment Weekly was just as impressed: 'The bonkers comedy-thriller burnishes the familiar deal-with-the-devil conceit with chipper, unapologetic cynicism and appealing performances from its trio of leads.' Culture news site Leisure Byte similarly felt: 'The Consultant is a bonkers show that is a psychologically twisted minefield.' And for anyone immersed in corporate culture, it offers up more than just a bad dream, arts and entertainment site Digital Mafia Talkies said. 'Although the official website profiles for The Consultant present it as a dark comedy, it's actually quite horrifying and triggering, especially for people who've traversed the corporate minefield, thereby putting it squarely in the horror genre', its review read. In this aspect, it has been compared to hit Apple TV+ series Severance, a sci-fi thriller which sees employees undergo a medical procedure called 'severance' to give them entirely separate work and home personalities. The show, executive produced and directed by Ben Stiller, has received a whopping 14 Emmy nominations - and has been renewed for a third series. The Guardian said The Consultant was high quality - but could not quite match up to the $20million-per-episode Severance - which 'did everything The Consultant tries to do but far, far better'. It continued: 'Thriller-level fear of the workplace; a sinister, expanding something-is-going-on feeling; two employees who really need to just kiss each other, now, come on; and never quite knowing if the cause of all the weirdness is supernatural, sci-fi, or Other. 'You always felt you knew that it was going somewhere. 'The Consultant, despite Waltz's immaculate lapel-straightening, never quite fills you with that confidence.' It comes after another high-quality show was made available to stream for free in the UK in a huge win for fans. Long-standing cult drama Lost first aired on ABC in America back in 2004 until 2010, becoming immensely popular. It follows the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific Ocean. Starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Dominic Monaghan, Lost sees the passengers battle to survive as they deal with a range of questionable creatures. The six-season series has an impressive 86 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second instalment receiving a whopping 100 per cent rating. And now, fans in the UK can stream Lost for free after it launched on ITVX this spring. The Consultant is available to stream on ITVX.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch now! Twisted thriller branded "quirky and bingeable" gets new UK streaming home
The Consultant, the "quirky and bingeable" thriller starring Christoph Waltz, has found a new streaming home in the UK. The series, originally released on Prime Video in 2023, sees the two-time Academy Award winner play Regus Patoff, a "mysterious" consultant who takes charge of a mobile gaming company following an "unspeakable" tragedy. Based on Bentley Little's 2015 novel of the same name, The Consultant has now found a new streaming home in addition to Prime Video, with all eight episodes of the series being added to ITVX in the UK this weekend. Billed as a "twisted comedic-thriller", The Consultant explores the "sinister relationship between boss and employee," the latter of whom begin to fear for their lives after Regus imposes "new demands and challenges" on the company. Co-starring Aimee Carrero and Brittany O'Grady, the series received generally positive reviews from critics upon its release, with the thriller currently possessing an approval rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes from 44 reviews. Related: Despite noting its "lack of depth", the site's critical consensus said that the "diverting twists" and "slick presentation", in tandem with Waltz's "menacing charm", helped to "compensate" for its shortcomings. The Australian described the series as "quirky and bingeable" as they lauded the performances of Waltz and O'Grady, while The Wrap dubbed it a "solid addition to the horror genre" and an "interesting take on corporate culture". Related: "The Consultant is as fast-paced as it is darkly comic, mixing corporate satire and moral dilemmas," wrote TV Guide as they called it simultaneously "clever and ridiculous", while USA Today said the series was "macabre, twisty and just a little bit twisted". "This bonkers comedy-thriller burnishes the familiar deal-with-the-devil conceit with chipper, unapologetic cynicism," wrote Entertainment Weekly as they praised the "appealing" performances, while Variety described the show as an "engaging watch". The Consultant is streaming now on ITVX. Digital Spy's first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.£18.99 at at Audible£99.00 at Amazon at at at EE at at £328.00 at at at at at EE at at at at at at at Amazon at at at at Sky Mobile at at at EE£19.00 at Game at at at Pandora£123.99 at at at Game£259.99 at at Three at at Pandora at at at at at at at $15.00 at at £1199.00 at AO at at Fitbit£49.99 at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at John Lewis£39.97 at at at Amazon£157.00 at John Lewis at at at at at John Lewis & Partners at £44.99 at at at at at at Fitbit£6.62 at at Amazon at at Three$29.85 at at at at at John Lewis & Partners£15.99 at Amazon£119.99 at at at Apple£699.00 at at at at at Amazon at at at at at at Three£379.99 at at at at John Lewis at at EE at Audible at at at at at at at at John Lewis at EE at at £379.00 at at at at Amazon at at at Apple at at at Samsung at at at at Three at Apple at at John Lewis at $365.00 at Microsoft at crunchyroll£1199.00 at AO£79.00 at Samsung£449.00 at John Lewis£79.98 at at Amazon at at at at at John Lewis & Partners£79.98 at at at Microsoft at at at Microsoft at at at John Lewis at at at at Amazon at now at at at John Lewis & Partners at at at at Microsoft at at John Lewis at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at You Might Also Like PS5 consoles for sale – PlayStation 5 stock and restocks: Where to buy PS5 today? IS MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 THE BEST IN THE SERIES? OUR REVIEW AEW game is a modern mix of No Mercy and SmackDown
