CATCHING FIRE: The reframing of Nara Smith, Sambas and a little red bag and Lady Victoria Starmer

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From this week a portion of the round up will be available to paid subscribers only. Much of highly flammable has been free for over a year but because researching and writing each post takes me away from paid opportunities I need to find a way to bridge the gap. I will keep some content available for free subscribers but hopefully many of you will feel that the full highly flammable experience is worth paying for. Thanks for understanding!

1. Rawdogging

Since it was reported that young men are rawdogging long-haul flights, the expression has enjoyed something of a renaissance and now everyone is rawdogging everything.

Rawdogging refers to doing something ‘naturally’ or without help, and has it origins as a euphemism for unprotected sex. But in the last few days it’s being used in all sorts of contexts. Here’s a few crackers:

SIDE NOTE: I’m extremely skeptical that anyone is actually flying long haul without any form of entertainment. I saw the TikToks that inspired the GQ article and reckon that just like Nara Smith’s content (more on that below) they were designed to troll audiences and elicit a reaction.

2. Sambas and a little red bag

Rishi Sunak, the recently ousted U.K. prime minister, was forced to apologise for wearing Adidas Sambas and consequently taking them from cool to cringe. But their time on the shit list might be over after three twenty-something friends from the U.K. created a catchy song that’s getting millions of views and major traction on TikTok.

It was sparked by Maisie Sellwood when she posted a video of her friends chanting two defining features of their looks while on a night out. First up was “boots and a slick-back bun”, then “cowboy boots and a blowie (blow dry)” and finally Sellwood’s friend Amelia Gregorian showcased her “Sambas and a little red bag”.

The result is such an ear worm, particularly the “Sambas and a little red bag” line that it’s inspired others, like Lauren Cosier and friends, to make their own tribute to the trend.

Even fashion brand ASOS has got in on it and used the audio in a promotional video.

I’m sure a musicologist can explain the appeal of “Sambas and a little red bag” but all I know is that I’ve not thought of anything else for days. Expect to hear “Sambas…” - and sighs of relief from Adidas sales execs - all summer.

3. For Gen Z, creation is king

To engage young people you must inspire creation not just consumption. That’s the data-backed insight from a new report from YouTube.

The Culture and Trends Report dug into how much time Gen Z spent with reaction content compared to the original and found that 66% of 14-24 year old Americans “often spend more time watching content that discusses or unpacks something than the thing itself”.

The research cites the trailer release of the much-hyped video game Grand Theft Auto VI. YouTube reports that the official promo was viewed more than 93 million times in 24 hours. However fan content that reacted to or analysed the trailer “accumulated over 192 million views in that same 24-hour period”.

The case study follows in the footsteps of campaigns from Barbie and McDonald’s that put creation at their core and were a hit with tweens, teens and young adults.

The latest example of A+ marketing that prioritises creation is Charli XCX’s promo for her rave-pop album BRAT. A meme generator, the BRAT wall, a surprise remix and plane banners have been so impactful it’s inspired a broader movement known as BRAT summer.

Other fun facts worth noting from the YouTube report include:

• 65% of Gen Z respondents consider themselves to be “creators”

• 8% of Gen Z would describe themselves as professional fans who earn money from their creation

• 47% of Gen Z report belonging to a fandom that no one they know personally is a part of

4. The reframing of the ‘from scratch’ TikTok queen

Nara Smith is trending again but not because she’s made another extremely complicated meal or beauty product from scratch. This time it’s because a TikToker - known as Bee Better Guy - published a takedown of the ‘stay-at-home Mom’s’ “dark marketing” and “psychologically manipulating” content.