thesomethingguy

[thesomethingguy]

Social Media and the Pressure to Be Always On

Once upon a time, fame was reserved for celebrities, politicians, and people who had either done something world-changing or spectacularly scandalous. But then came social media—and suddenly, everyone had a stage, a platform, and an audience. Now, whether you’ve got ten followers or ten thousand, you’re a public figure in your own curated corner of the internet. It starts innocently enough. You…

[thesomethingguy]

Falling Apart in Public? Here’s How We Pretend Everything’s Fine

So there you are, standing in the aisle of Checkers, staring at a loaf of low-GI rye bread like it personally offended you, and suddenly it hits you—you’re not okay. But instead of crumbling into a heap between the peanut butter and the almond milk, you take a deep breath, smile like a hostage in a toothpaste advert, and push the trolley like everything’s just dandy. Congratulations, you’ve just…

[thesomethingguy]

What We Can Learn from Fictional Villains Who Had a Point

Let’s be honest—some villains make way too much sense. Sure, they might go about things in the worst possible way, but every now and then, they raise a point that leaves us shifting uncomfortably in our seats. They’re not just moustache-twirling agents of chaos; they’re flawed reflections of society’s failures, holding up a cracked mirror to our collective conscience. So what can we actually…

[thesomethingguy]

HUAWEI Pura 80 Pro Lands in South Africa with DSLR-Level Photography

HUAWEI has officially launched the Pura 80 Series in South Africa, introducing a new chapter in flagship smartphone photography. Building on the company’s long-standing heritage in imaging innovation, the Pura 80 Series delivers one of the most advanced mobile camera systems on the market today. Its 1-inch sensor isn’t just about size, it’s backed by Huawei’s proprietary RYYB colour array, which…

[thesomethingguy]

What AI Thinks My Life Should Look Like (It’s Terrifyingly Accurate)

There’s a particular kind of existential dread that only comes when a machine looks at your life and says, “No, no, no—this is who you really are.” Not a romanticised version, not the curated version you present to strangers on social media, and certainly not the version your mother still insists is ‘going through a phase’. No, artificial intelligence doesn’t care about your carefully selected…

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Win Double Tickets to Comic Con Africa 2025!

Okay. Let’s get one thing straight.Comic Con Africa 2025 is happening. It’s going to be massive. And I have something you want. I’m giving away 4 double tickets to the Thursday show (28 August 2025) — which means you and your plus one could be strolling into the geekiest, glitziest, most glorious celebration of pop culture on the continent for mahala. Yes, I’m serious.Yes, you deserve…

[thesomethingguy]

The Dark Side of Hustle Culture

You’ve probably seen it: the Instagram posts about grinding 24/7, the coffee mugs that say “rise and grind,” the influencers who swear that sleep is optional if you really want success. Welcome to hustle culture—the relentless glorification of overwork, where burnout is worn like a badge of honour and productivity is mistaken for personal worth. But behind the slick branding and motivational…

[thesomethingguy]

Why Checkers Express Became My Unexpected Therapy Spot

You know how everyone talks about finding inner peace on a mountain in Tibet or during a digital detox in some remote cabin with no Wi-Fi? Yeah, no. I found mine in a Checkers Express. I wasn’t searching for enlightenment. I was searching for a loaf of low-GI bread and maybe a discounted pack of hummus. But there I was, standing in that tiny supermarket wedged between a petrol station and a row…

[thesomethingguy]

I Trusted the Universe With My Rent — It Ghosted Me

I Tried Manifesting My Rent Money — The Universe Left Me on Read You know that moment when your bank app takes a few seconds longer than usual to load and you start whispering affirmations like, “I am abundant. Money flows to me easily. Please, just let it be more than R42.87 this time”? That was me, every day for two weeks. Because this month, I decided to try manifesting my rent money. Not…

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From Budgies to Basil: My Home Is Basically a Petting Zoo Now

Look, I don’t know when exactly it happened, but somewhere between “I should get a plant to make the place feel alive” and “should I be worried about how much this bird is staring at me,” my home morphed from a neat adult flat into something resembling a suburban petting zoo. Not the kind with goats and overpriced slushies—more the DIY kind with feathers, potting soil, and plants that all have…

[thesomethingguy]

Living With Your Inner Critic Like It’s a Rude Roommate

Imagine living with someone who constantly criticises your every move. You’re brushing your teeth? They think you’re doing it wrong. You try something new? They scoff before you even start. This roommate doesn’t pay rent, never does the dishes, and somehow always has something to say—usually negative. Congratulations. You’re living with your inner critic, and yes, they are the worst kind of…

[thesomethingguy]

What Barbie Taught Me About Capitalism (and Glitter)

I used to think of Barbie as nothing more than a doll—a plastic icon of pretty pink hair and the perfect smile. But as the years passed, I began to see that Barbie was more than that. She was a lesson in capitalism, a case study in consumer culture, and, yes, a masterclass in the economics of glitter. If you look close enough, you’ll find that Barbie’s DreamHouse and her endless wardrobe of…

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How Puppetry Became a Universal Language of Storytelling

Before streaming services, before film, before even the printing press—there were puppets. From shadowy figures dancing against fire-lit walls to intricately carved wooden marionettes telling tales of gods and tricksters, puppetry has long been one of humanity’s most captivating storytelling tools. It’s survived for thousands of years across continents and cultures, sometimes as sacred ritual,…

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South African Twitter Is a Whole Personality — And It’s Tired

South African Twitter is not just a platform. It’s not just a social network. It’s a full-blown character in the sitcom that is this country. It’s chaotic, loud, emotional, side-splittingly funny, occasionally brilliant, often reckless—and lately, it’s also just plain tired. Not in the “I need a break” way. No, we’re talking proper bone-deep, load-shedding-stage-eight-at-midnight kind of tired.…

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Veganism Isn’t a Cult—We Just Really Like Hummus

Let’s get one thing out of the way: being vegan isn’t a personality trait, it’s a lifestyle. But if you’ve spent more than three minutes around someone who isn’t vegan, you might think we’re one badly lit room away from handing out robes and chanting around a beetroot. For some reason, the moment someone hears the word “vegan,” they immediately assume you’re either here to recruit them into your…

[thesomethingguy]

The Unwritten Rules of Public Transport You Should Definitely Know

Public transport: the daily stage where the drama of urban life unfolds in awkward silences, shared space negotiations, and the constant game of “Should I offer my seat or pretend not to see?” For many of us, it’s a necessary part of the routine—trains, taxis, buses, and minibus kombis all getting us from point A to B with a cast of strangers, questionable smells, and the occasional unspoken…

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The Rise of WitchTok: Spells, Aesthetics and Chaos

It started innocently enough. A crystal here, a moon phase tracker there. Maybe a soft-focus video of someone lighting incense with a caption like “cleansing my space, don’t @ me.” But then… it happened. You scrolled a bit too far. Clicked on the wrong video. And just like that—you were hexed. Not literally (probably). But algorithmically? You entered the coven. Welcome to WitchTok, where…