Latest news with #Gigi
The Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
China's 'Revenge on Gold Diggers' video game fuels sexism debate
As marriage numbers in China plunged to a record low last year, a game that paints its female characters as gold diggers exploiting their male counterparts for money has stirred controversy online. — Photo by Gigi on Unsplash One of China's best-selling new games has renewed a debate around sensitive gender issues in a country grappling with plunging marriage rates. Revenge On Gold Diggers , a full-motion video interactive game, soared to the top of Steam's revenue charts in China since its launch a week ago. Selling at US$6 (RM25) apiece, it's now among the country's top 10 best-selling titles on the PC platform, surpassing enduring hits like Black Myth: Wukong and Baldur's Gate 3 . Developed by a little-known indie studio, the game unfolds as a series of choose-your-own-adventure episodes, where the player acts as a male protagonist interacting with five women. The female characters range from a live-streamer to a coffee shop barista, each of them exploiting their male counterparts for money. One of the women in the game boasts about her manipulation by saying, "He's more obedient than a dog.' These storylines have stirred controversy on China's social networks, with critics slamming the game as a sexist fantasy. The developer responded by renaming the title to the more palatable Emotional Fraud Simulator while keeping all content intact. Opinions have been split. A state newspaper in Beijing opined this week that the game helps "creatively strengthen young people's awareness of safety in romantic relationships', with other official outlets reposting the sentiment. Marriage numbers in China have been falling for most of the past decade and plunged to a record low last year – compounding a demographic crisis that's proliferating across the world's second-largest economy. Facing job insecurity and uncertain futures, young people are finding solace in things like video games, pet ownership and trendy collectibles like Labubu. Revenge On Gold Diggers has also been compared by Chinese social-media users and local media such as Sixth Tone with a recent real-life tragedy. Last year, a young gaming influencer nicknamed "Fat Cat' killed himself and the Internet attacked his girlfriend. A legion of Chinese indie games studios are trying to make it on Steam in the romance simulation genre, after 2024's surprise hit Love Is All Around . Featuring live-action footage, these games typically portray a male protagonist romantically pursuing multiple women and offer varying endings based on a player's dialogue choices. – Bloomberg
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Georgia Kousoulou shares emotional post about having hers and Tommy Mallet's baby girl Gigi, eight months, alongside son Brody, three, at their wedding after 'lows'
Georgia Kousoulou has shared an emotional post about the 'dream moment' of having her baby girl Gigi at her wedding to husband Tommy Mallet. The TOWIE stars tied the knot in a lavish second wedding in sunny Majorca, Spain, last week, joined by their children Brody, three, and Gigi, eight months. But taking to Instagram on Thursday, Georgia, who underwent IVF, shared a candid post about why it meant so much to have baby Gigi there. Just a month after Gigi was born, the newborn was rushed to hospital where she stayed for several days after being diagnosed with bronchitis - inflammation of the airways in the lungs that is usually caused by an infection. The birth of Gigi came just over a year after Georgia suffered a devastating miscarriage at 12 weeks in 2023. Referencing the 'lows' the family had been through, Georgia shared a collection of stunning snaps of herself in her wedding dress while holding baby Gigi. She wrote: 'A moment I have dreamt of & I will never forget .. If you have followed our journey you will know how much these pictures mean to me… 'Pushing our wedding back, going through the lows .. all was worth it for this moment right here .. I knew it, I believed so hard I was supposed to be getting married with my beautiful brody by my side but our beautiful Gigi too.. 'Matching dresses .. what dreams are really made of. Thank you god. Dr Rehan salim.. I will always be grateful for you.' The couple spared no expense for their 'dream' second wedding and they shared a first look at their picture-perfect day on Instagram. Georgia dazzled in a breathtaking white gown and Tommy cutting a stylish figure in a tailored beige suit. They wrote: '20.06.2025. Our Dream wedding finally happened... 'Best day of our lives. Surrounded by so much love. Can not wait to get all of our pictures & videos back to show you how incredible it was.' With sun-soaked backdrops, designer touches and a guest list full of familiar faces, the celebration oozed glamour – and fans won't have to miss out, as the couple teased: '& you'll be able to watch it all.' She wrote: 'A moment I have dreamt of & I will never forget .. If you have followed our journey you will know how much these pictures mean to me…' To top it all off, the big day fell on Georgia's birthday, making the luxurious celebration all the more unforgettable. The couple were joined by their adorable children, Brody, four, and Gigi, just seven months, as they celebrated their big day surrounded by loved ones. TOWIE stars Chloe Ross, Sam Mucklow, and Danielle Armstrong were also among those on the star- studded guest list. Wedding guests including Shelby Tribble took to Instagram to share photographs from the special day as they gave an insight into the party. She shared photos of the extravagant outdoor dinner setup, revealing a sprawling U-shaped table draped in crisp white linens and adorned with an array of pink-hued flowers in varying shades. Adding to the luxury, several chandeliers hung overhead the table, creating a breathtaking canopy of glamour. She also posted a snap of their wedding 'newspaper', which featured a glamorous photo of the couple on the front page. Adding a playful touch, each guest received a 'But Did You Die?' recovery kit - the perfect remedy for any sore heads the morning after the lavish celebrations. The newlyweds certainly pulled out all the stops for the special day and also provided guests with small bottles reading: 'We've tied the knot so take a shot!' Shelby also shared a gorgeous snap of her posing alongside bride Georgia as well as photographs of her posing with her partner Sam Mucklow. She looked as glamorous as ever in a frilled blue dress while Sam looked suave in a sand suit as they soaked up the sun on the big day. Cara De La Hoyde also posted a sweet video of herself and her husband Nathan Massey cuddling up to one another as they celebrated their friends' union. For the day, Cara cut a glamorous figure in a show-stopping yellow sequin gown with a plunging back design, while Nathan looked suave in a grey suit. Taking to Instagram, she penned in a caption: 'The most beautiful day to celebrate the most beautiful couple. ThankYou & for letting us be part of it.' Georgia stressed that the wedding was very much the product of her own imagination and her husband had minimal involvement. She told OK!: 'I ask him for his opinions, but honestly, I don't want him to get involved. It's my thing. I want him to be shocked, like, 'Wow, this is amazing!''. The couple's first official wedding in December 2023 was a much more low-key affair and ended with a humble Chinese takeaway. Georgia told The Sun about the nuptials at the time: 'We came back to mine and had a Chinese. It was unreal. It is so me and Tommy. 'I literally got back, got my PJs on straight away and we had a Chinese. 'The best bit about it was that we hired tables. So we had a top table…And we all just stuffed our faces with Chinese … it was actually brilliant. So good.'
Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Yolanda Hadid Responds to Backlash for Sharing Khai Pic
Yolanda Hadid has zero time for random strangers criticizing her family photos. As E! News first reported, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star hopped on Instagram Monday to celebrate her son, Anwar Hadid's birthday, and posted a ton of photos of them over the years—including several sweet pics of Anwar with Gigi Hadid's daughter, Khai. To be clear, she didn't show Khai's face—which falls in line with Gigi's own approach to sharing pics of her daughter on social. But this didn't stop commenters from criticizing Yolanda, and she was having none of it. In response to one person who wrote, in part, "think about how this might affect her in the future," Yolanda shot back "please go and harass somebody else's feed, you are not welcome here!!!" For what it's worth, Gigi has spoken candidly about her desire to ensure Khai has privacy. In an Instagram story back in 2021, she wrote "You know we have never intentionally shared our daughters face on social media. Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age, and that she can live as normal of a childhood as possible, without worrying about a public image that she has not chosen." She added, "It would mean the world to us, as we take our daughter to see and explore NYC and the world, if you would PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE blur her face out of the images, if and when she is caught on camera. I know it's an extra effort—but as a new mom, I just want the best for my baby, as all parents do."
Arabian Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
TerraZero Unveils Voice‑Activated Guide 'Gigi' for Intraverse Platform
TerraZero has introduced 'Gigi', a voice-activated AI assistant designed to guide users through its immersive 3D social gaming and brand-engagement platform, Intraverse. The assistant is available both on the website and within virtual environments, offering real-time audio guidance to facilitate exploration, creation, and interaction. This marks a key shift in user experience, integrating conversational AI with virtual exploration functionality. Gigi enables users to ask questions aloud and receive spoken responses, helping them navigate virtual apartments, branded activations, and artist-led environments. The technology has been developed in partnership with AI infrastructure startup TheHallway Inc., leveraging a closed-source model trained specifically for Intraverse use cases. Its in-world presence permits seamless movement and customisation of environments guided by natural language prompts, enhancing accessibility across mobile, tablet and desktop platforms. The AI guide reflects a wider strategic push by TerraZero, supported by parent company BIGG Digital Assets Inc., to deepen engagement and monetisation within the Metaverse. Commentators from TerraZero emphasise Gigi's role as an interface 'for how we engage with the 3D web,' signalling a shift away from static environments toward dynamic, intuitive user experiences. ADVERTISEMENT Over the past year, the company has progressed through closed and open beta stages, integrating e-commerce tools, virtual apartments, social chat functions and gaming interfaces. In March, the public beta launched following the 'Great Online Sale', a collaboration with Dubai's retail authority and SEED Group. More than 80 major brands participated, offering interactive shopping experiences within branded virtual stores and attracting thousands of users. Following that event, TerraZero summarised the 2024 development roadmap, noting the rollout of game mechanics, artist to fan communication tools, scalable automation pipelines, and friend system features. The focus in 2025 now centres on public onboarding, brand and creator activations, and commercial growth. Industry analysts say Gigi exemplifies a growing trend in virtual platforms that blend immersive 3D social spaces with AI-driven assistance. By providing voice-interaction capabilities, TerraZero reduces barriers for new users and offers a smoother onboarding process, especially in environments that can be complex and multifaceted. Gigi's capabilities extend beyond simple navigation. Operators and content creators can query the AI assistant for advice on building activations and designing virtual environments. This can streamline the ideation process, reducing the need for manual setup or guidance from developers. TerraZero anticipates Gigi will evolve alongside the platform, adapting to new artist events, brand rollouts, and environmental controls. Strategic partnerships position Intraverse for further innovation. The early integration of AI follows on from TerraZero's 2023 move to integrate Polygon's proof-of-stake blockchain, enabling minting of digital assets, fiat payments and KYC compliance. That announcement preceded brand activations including campaigns with Bebe Rexha, Warner Records and Fidelity International. TerraZero's focus on accessible virtual commerce has previously led to a beta offering for an iGaming tech stack, employing iframe-linked casino-style games hosted by licensed operators, anchored within branded virtual spaces. The company plans further rollouts targeting entertainment, music, and branded events in 2025. BIGG Digital Assets reported strategic achievements in February, highlighting TerraZero's completion of the 2024 roadmap and the initiation of a 2025 public rollout aimed at revenue growth through brand activations and enterprise engagement. The launch of Gigi appears aligned with this direction, adding a layer of AI enabling more intuitive user interaction and scalable creative potential. Key voices within TerraZero underscore Gigi's significance. Brandon F. Johnson, President and COO, described the AI as representing 'a new interface for how we engage with the 3D web'. Early reports suggest the in-world version helps users navigate with ease, creating a stepping stone toward richer interactive experiences. TerraZero is encouraging brands, artists and creators to adopt the Intraverse platform, using Gigi to support ideation and rollouts. The company pitches the AI as both a user aid and a toolkit for commercial engagement—helping plan event spaces, virtual storefronts, and brand activations via natural language prompts. As virtual spaces evolve from static exhibition environments to dynamic, voice-guided social platforms, TerraZero is positioning itself at the intersection of AI, gaming and e-commerce. Gigi marks a significant step in that evolution, enabling conversation, navigation and creative control within a 3D world. The technology also offers brands and creators a scalable way to co-create immersive experiences without requiring deep technical knowledge.
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
I'm a drag queen and there's one thing so many people don't understand
I'm a drag queen and there's one thing so many people don't understand "It's an odd, really crazy time right now" Gigi Spot on why drag is so important ahead of Pride Cymru 2025 (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) A row of wigs in every colour you could imagine, a clothes rail jam packed with sequins and feathers, the floor lined with luminous high heels, fake nails, glitter, jewellery Bet Lynch would be proud of - it could only be a drag queen's closet. This closet belongs to Gigi Spot, a Cardiff-based drag artist whose career began just shy of five years ago when her alter-ego Alex bought her first wig. That wig, now "in bits", is still here in this closet, all part of a journey to the bedazzled Gigi now sat in front of me, with her thick lick of eyeline, purple eyeshadow and silver glitter and a first outing for a new dress, ready for its first big outing this weekend. Gigi is one of the acts at this weekend's Pride Cymru, and when we meet in the build up, her current worry is how she'll cope in the heatwave the weather forecasters are projecting, and who can blame her? Because being Gigi means a thick layer of make-up, bouffant wig, a lycra rainbow dress (plus rhinestones) and not forgetting the heels. You can read all about Pride Cymru, how to get tickets, where to see the parade and who is performing here. For Gigi, Pride isn't just another event, but a chance to show people how inclusive Cardiff is, how inclusive Pride is, and how inclusive drag is. Article continues below Gigi getting ready - she's taught herself how to do make-up (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Gigi was a singer, doing weddings until the night, while watching a drag act she watched on and thought she could do it - and could do it better. And then she bought that first wig. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here . And the rest is history - a history documented in her closet packed with custom made outfits, from her very first dress (a sequinned short number with net underskirt) right through to festive outfits, a burgundy velvet number with Maleficent-style shoulder pads I've ever seen and a floor length, fuschia, feather-trimmed evening gown. She actually never intended to become involved in drag. "You just kind of fall into it. You buy one wig as a joke and you think 'this is going to be fine' and then you get a taste for it," she said. Her first performance was in Cardiff at a charity event. "I've deleted all the photos from it and videos," she laughs. "I do remember people saying you've got something and I should work at it but that was two weeks before the Covid lockdown. "Cut to five months later and I did a proper gig," she said. Her sister taught Alex how to do make-up, but there were mishaps when Gigi started doing her own, including not setting her make-up properly so it ran down her face, mid-set. "It's an evolutionary journey," she cackles. But don't ever think it's ever just about a great dress and some make-up. "Drag is such a craft, there's so many facets to it. You've got to have the hair right, the shape of your body right. The outfits need to be right. And then there's the makeup on top. "You're crafting the jokes that you're writing, that there's so many components to it. There's probably not many art forms have so much going on for just one show," said Gigi. Drag has been around for centuries, and the word 'drag' is believed to have theatrical origins from when the dresses men wore to play female characters would drag along the floor. Now? Now it's so much more. "I am clearly am a drag queen, and proudly so, but I'm completely accepting the drag spectrum now is is very broad," says Gigi. "There is no definition anymore for what drag is just. Drag means something completely different to each person who's performing. "There's drag queens, drag kings. It can be whatever you want it to be, but there's performers that aren't really queens or kings, for more androgynous, non-binary creative expression. "There's no judgement, you can be whoever you are, perhaps except a serial killer," she laughs. "You can be whoever you are, and you'll be accepted and feel welcome. "I think we're just changing the definition of what it means to be a man or a woman or anything in between. "There is no boundary in drag, we completely open it up. People clearly know I'm a man, but then I'm flouncing around a little bit on stage, so you're blurring the line a bit. "People respond well to it because you're just completely open and honest. "More and more as the years have gone on, it's really important for drag performers to use their platform not just to have a laugh and a joke and be part of someone's night out but to remind people that this is a community, people are safe here. Gigi's closet is full of custom outfits (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) "Even though we don't have to, we're paid to be entertainers but I think more and more as it's gone on we use that as a platform just to remind people about community," he said. That doesn't mean it's all about fun, jokes and songs. There have been political controversies, for example, Drag Queen Story Hour UK, founded by Aida H Dee, was met with protests and criticism. You can read that here. "There are groups of society that just don't understand the creativity and the the fun and joy around drag, but those people are never going to go away. "It's a very small minority of people with backwards views that cause the biggest ruckus, and that I think that's what we see a lot," she said. The ongoing battles of the trans community too have taken their toll. "It's not just my job but my friends. "When I was younger, just being gay was hard, and now these trans people have done nothing other than just decide they want to identify as who they actually are but there's been massive hurdles put up to make them feel unaccepted or not part of society," she said. That is the anthesis of drag, she admits. "We're there to be completely inclusive. Drag on stage is that everyone can take the piss out of everything, and we all laugh and joke about it because it's that one moment away from the real world but I guess what's upsetting is that when we take our makeup off and we lock the bar up at the end of the night, those people have gone back to a real world, which is not that particularly very nice at the moment. They are our friends or colleagues who work at the bars or on the doors or performing. "There's a lot going on and it just seems like even the politicians aren't particularly on side, so what do we do? And it shouldn't be like that in the UK. It's an odd, really crazy time right now," she said. Drag has stood the test of time, and will continue to, she believes. "I think prostitutes are the only thing that was going on before drag queens, and even then I think there was some crossover," she laughs. "Drag will always have a place in society that's not going away, and I think history has shown that already. The bars are becoming ever more important, and drag performers are becoming an even more important cornerstone of the community, especially with everything going on. Cardiff has a relatively small drag scene but all are welcome, Gigi said, and drag venues aren't just for the queer community, she says. "They are an open door not just to queer communities, but to other parts of society that just want to come in and have a good time and enjoy themselves and not show judgement. We perform a lot of straight people and that's fine," she said. She is a proud supporter of Pride Cymru because it's important for Wales to have such a thing. "I think it's important in Wales because we we're separate from the rest of the country. "We still make our own laws and make our own decisions. Having a Pride here is really important for the people of Wales, because we are different things happen differently here. "So even though it's small, it's still a brilliant event and probably has more of a community feel than most Prides," she said, "It's just so important that we don't stop celebrating and protesting". Every year, in Pride month, there are comments which ask why Pride is needed. To that, Gigi says this: "I'd like to think that within our community, our queer community, that we maybe no, we don't need Pride. Because every day is Pride. We're always doing it every night but we're not in our queer community all the time. We're often in the real world and we all face judgement, sometimes insecurity, embarrassment, or, sometimes persecution just for who you are. "With the stuff that's going on in the media and going through Parliament, government and the Supreme Court is just showing us that Pride is even more important now than it's been in the past, because we thought we were making progress, but it seems to be going backwards a little bit," she said. This year's Pride Cymru will look back at the first march in Cardiff, which took place 40 years ago. "It breaks your hearts that they had to live their lives going through all of this. But we're taking the baton on that they started. You're carrying it forwards because it's still so important," she said. Asked why anyone should go along to Pride, Gigi said: "We're in a country where we should be aiming for reallycomplete, happy, wholesome society and it's only when everyone in society is given the rights that they deserve to be themselves to to just be the best person they can. "If you can't be yourself, you're going to struggle being the best at your job, being the best at this, that, and the other, because you're being held back. "It's only when everyone is at that level, when we're living in a nice society that our society will be better generally for everyone. Everyone is part of Pride, it's not just the scene. It's important that everyone gets part of it," she said. Article continues below And with that, she declared, "let's get this wig off".
