Why Does TikTok Think I’m an Ex-Mormon?

ICYMI

Slate Podcasts

Entertainment News, News, Tech News, Society & Culture

3.8 • 678 Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2021

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle examine a case of mistaken identity. One of TikTok’s best features is its algorithm, which specializes in surfacing videos seemingly tailor-made for the user. That is, until the algorithm gets an idea about the user that’s very, very wrong. They discuss why TikTok is convinced Madison is an ex-Mormon and Rachelle is a Marvel fanatic, and then field a number of listener voicemails about all the hilarious and sometimes alarming ways TikTok has gotten them wrong, too. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:31.5	TikTok is for some reason, absolutely convinced that I want to see videos of people breaking their bones in horrible accidents.
0:43.3	Hi, I'm Madison Malone Kircher.
0:45.7	And I'm Rachel Hampton, and you're listening to I see why am I.
0:48.9	In case you missed it.
0:50.3	Slate's podcast about internet culture.
0:52.8	Rachel, they changed the voice of the TikTok robot lady and I'm distressed.
0:57.0	Why? I don't like change, but also how did this happen?
1:02.0	A lawsuit, as all things.
1:05.0	It was spurred by a lawsuit.
1:08.0	Why was she suing? Why would you not want to be the voice of TikTok?
1:12.6	Would you want to be the voice of TikTok?
1:15.6	Oh, I would love to be the voice of TikTok.
1:17.6	Like, all the shit that I presumably would be saying, I just feel like it'd be so funny.
1:23.6	The TLDR here is that TikTok has changed the voice on its text to speech feature because an actor who was the original voice filed a lawsuit against TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, claiming that she had never agreed to be the voice of TikTok.
1:42.9	And she won.
1:44.2	Yeah, I mean, I'm surprised that she won and also that TikTok didn't think to put
1:48.7	like a clause in the contract that says you will be the voice of TikTok.
	...

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