Technology

Needing subtitles to follow a conversation on screen feels so normal today. That's because it isn't a hearing problem for most people. It was built for a setup you likely don't have. However, you can increase the volume for just the dialogue; you just have to know what to press.

There are many preconceptions about 3D printing, among them the idea that 3D printer owners spend all of their time making fidget toys and other useless bits of plastic. While there’s a grain of truth to this, many outgrow the tchotchkes and move on to printing solutions instead.

When we think of powerful apps, we normally think of massive, complex programs like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Office, but an app doesn’t have to be a heavyweight to pack a lot of power. These three open-source apps I always keep on my computers prove it.

I'm fairly selective about what I install on my Windows PC. There are plenty of popular apps I've consciously never installed, and a few I've tried and deliberately got rid of. In every case, though, the reason is the same: I don't see a good enough reason to give them space on my computer.

TL;DR: Watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026/27 Bundesliga season is now underway, with a full day of German soccer fixtures lined up. On the schedule today is Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV.

Expect Dortmund to make a strong start to the season. They finished second in the league last season and have just lost the German Super Cup final, coming second to league rivals Bayern Munich in both instances. Dortmund will want to prove themselves in this opening Bundesliga game. Hamburger SV are looking to improve on last season's finish in the bottom half of the league, though it was the club's first season back in the Bundesliga after a seven-year absence. Can they do better this time around?

If you're interested in watching Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV?

Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga kicks off at 12.30 p.m. ET on Aug. 29. This fixture takes place at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund.

How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV for free

Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Bundesliga?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Google Pixel phones are jam-packed with useful features, and sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything. A prime example is the new Pixel "Screen Reactions" feature in Android 17, the first green screen tool for reaction videos built directly into a phone.

For years, if you wanted powerful and capable tools for any job, you needed a big 18V or 20V tool. Or at least that was the assumption. If you still think you need a massive 18V tool for big jobs, think again. Milwaukee's M12 Fuel (12V) ecosystem punches far above its weight class and can handle just about anything, whether that's in the shop or around the house.

TL;DR: Watch South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry for free on RugbyPass TV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour is about to serve up its second Test match, as South Africa host the All Blacks at the Cape Town Stadium.

The All Blacks have already played four South African club teams as part of the tour, and scored a decisive win over South Africa in the first Test, beating the Springboks 16-33. Can South Africa pull a win back this time around? Or will the All Blacks continue their dominance?

If you're interested in watching South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is South Africa vs. New Zealand?

South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (2nd Test) kicks off at 11:10 a.m. ET on Aug. 29. This fixture takes place at Cape Town Stadium.

How to watch South Africa vs. New Zealand for free

South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (2nd Test) is available to live stream for free on RugbyPass TV.

This RugbyPass TV livestream is geo-restricted to the U.S., but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

4. Visit RugbyPass TV

5. Watch South Africa vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch South Africa vs. New Zealand without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus other tour fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RugbyPass TV?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RugbyPass TV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

I'm not going to lie; I was a massive fan of Windows Aero when it debuted with Windows Vista, and I continued to rave about the famous translucent glass UI in Windows 7, which is my favorite version of Windows to this day.

A rainy day means staying warm inside, unless you feel like catching a cold! However, it seems we all have the same hobbies these days when stuck inside. You'll probably end up watching TV, playing video games, or reading a book.

I'm willing to bet that you have dozens of USB-powered gadgets in your house. Be it USB-C or USB-A, we all have masses of random electronics, many of which often lie there for ages, unused. If they disappeared tomorrow, you might not even notice. (Or is that just me?)

Desktop pets are back, and this time they are not just nostalgic clutter. Between AI coding agents running unattended and a renewed appetite for low-effort personality on our screens, the tiny animated companions from decades past have found genuine, if unexpected, utility.

Many of you will remember that before Google had Pixel phones, there was the Nexus series. I was a huge Nexus fan and looked forward to every new release, but when Google killed the line in favor of Pixel, I gradually lost interest. I realize now it's never coming back.

Most Linux users learn basic commands like cd, mv, and ls pretty early on. You're going to use them often, but there are other short and useful commands that I like to teach my trainees and students right away. Here are 4 short commands that are not only useful, but they have names so short, you'll remember them forever.

The start of my Home Assistant journey was more of a stumble than a confident stride, and I’m still trying to right some of those wrongs years later. Here are some things I’d recommend that newcomers do right out of the gate.

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying?

Anyone who's ever forgotten their pair of headphones on a travel day can attest to their utility, but not all noise-cancelling options are made the same. Plus, the pool to choose from is ever-expanding: plenty of headphones, from over-ear headphones to wireless earbuds, offer active noise cancellation.

So which ANC headphones are worth bringing on a plane in 2026? Plenty of budget models to premium options can do the job, but for the purposes of this guide, I've gathered a list of the best headphones for flying by prioritizing the best combination of comfort, portability, noise-cancelling power, battery life, and value. As a baseline, all of our picks feature above average sound quality and a solid build (to withstand any banging around in a carry-on).

SEE ALSO: I’ll never travel without my favorite sleep earbuds again

The final picks for the best headphones to use at 35,000 feet aren't just the most expensive options available. Case in point: The second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones aren't the most premium option on this list, but they did just earn their spots as one of my favorites on a recent plane trip. Below, you can learn more about them and our other top seven headphones for flying.

How much should I spend on noise-cancelling headphones?

If you want to find the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying, you should be prepared to pay $200 to $450 for most options. Premium headphones offer improved active noise cancellation, customizable settings, and transparency modes that allow you to hear those all-important gate announcements.

Many cheap headphones claim to offer "noise-cancelling" features, but a random pair of $50 over-ear headphones with passive noise cancellation will let a lot of sound through. They'll also struggle to connect and switch between devices easily, or simply feel uncomfortable.

SEE ALSO: What does Airplane Mode do?

At the end of the day, going for that good all-around pair is worth it, because on a flight, ANC on its own won't save the day — otherwise, we'd just direct you to our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones. For long flights, comfort is also key. It won't matter if your headphones block sound if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And because this is a flying-focused roundup, we did give extra points to headphones with thoughtful design that makes storage easy.

If that $200-plus price range feels totally out of the question, we've included a couple of budget earbuds and headphones in the under-$100 category, but they come with tradeoffs. If you're okay with a mid-range pick, consider buying wireless earbuds with ANC instead of over-ear headphones.

If the cost of a pair of headphones is off-putting, you can always wait for a sale to start. We see headphones from Bose, Sony, and Apple get marked down year-round — if you don't want to keep your eyes peeled yourself, Mashable's deals coverage is a great place to find any noteworthy headphone deals.

SEE ALSO: The best gifts for people who love to travel

In most rom-coms, a romantic gesture looks like running through an airport to make one last declaration of love, or writing a yearning letter every day for a year. In Adults, it looks like saying "cunt" on every man-on-the-street interview show you can find.

SEE ALSO: 'Adults' assembles the Avengers of man-on-the-street creators

The gesture in question comes in Season 2, episode 7, titled "C Alert." In the episode, Anton (Owen Thiele) mistakenly talks to his co-workers the way he talks to his friends, saying "cunt alert!" in a company meeting. He doesn't mean it as an insult, drawing instead on its positive meaning rooted in the queer ballroom scene. That meaning has led to a wider resurgence of the term, including in online spaces, but it's still viewed as unforgivably rude in some places, including Anton's office, which skews older, and likely less queer.

In an effort to help save Anton's job, his housemate and yearning love interest Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) decides to try normalizing saying "cunt" in the workplace by dropping it into as many viral interview shows as he can.

It's a moment Adults co-creator Ben Kronengold describes as an "ugly sweet" step in Anton and Paul Baker's romance. While the pair obviously care about one another, any attempts to be together have stalled due to a house-wide rule forbidding dating within the friend group.

"What we tasked ourselves with in the writers' room was how could they show that care for each other in ways that feel really true to them and specific and platonic?" Kronengold told Mashable.

"It would be easy to have Paul Baker show up in the rain with a bouquet of flowers," added Adults co-creator Rebecca Shaw. "But it feels much more true to our ridiculous housemates that he would instead say the c-word — a word he hates more than anything in the world — on a series of talk shows for the whole world to see because he thinks there's a chance that it could make Anton's life a little easier."

"Paul Baker, thank you." Credit: FX

It's a clear escalation from the pair's prior romantic gestures, like Anton bringing glow sticks to Paul Baker's green card wedding, or Paul Baker waiting on a fancy meal for Anton and his sister Talia (Raven-Symoné). It's also the riskiest, social taboo-wise, even if it comes with sweeter intentions.

"Something that our executive producer Nick Kroll is so masterful at is making edgy, raunchy moments incredibly meaningful and sweet, and on the flip side, making sweet, emotional moments heightened and comedic," Shaw said. "We always try to follow in his footsteps. Never give a pure romantic moment, never give a pure comedic moment."

Paul Baker's reveal of his swear-y side quest does result in one of the most adorable Paul Baker and Anton moments of the season: a very heartfelt "Paul Baker, thank you" from Anton, complete with some seriously yearning eye contact that leaves everyone else in the scene knowing exactly how much the two care for one another.

Of course, there's one last little twist.

"We were really tickled by the idea that Paul Baker did this whole big gesture when, in fact, Anton's job was already saved," said Kronengold.

"Nobody had the heart to tell him," added Shaw.

But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

Adults Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.

SAVE UP TO 30%: The Ruggable Labor Day sale is live and takes up to 30% off sitewide, including popular collaborations with Star Wars, Disney, Iris Apfel, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ruggable Ruggable Labor Day Sale   Shop Now

We're not in spring-cleaning mode, but back-to-school season and crisp fall air always evoke the feeling of a fresh start. If you've been looking around your home thinking a rug would really pull the room together, there's a fantastic Labor Day sale in store for you.

The Ruggable Labor Day sale takes up to 30% off sitewide, including some of the brand's most popular options. Sale rugs include doormats, outdoor rugs, indoor rugs, and even rugs suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

It's hard to decide on the perfect rug. Ruggable's expansive selection might not make that task any easier, but it sure is enjoyable. The popular rug brand focuses on the idea that you can, in fact, machine-wash a rug. In addition, Ruggables are stain-resistant. That means they're great for homes with pets, kids, or anyone who's lived through the heartbreak of spilling red wine on a rug.

SEE ALSO: Harry Styles' Loop earplugs are perfect for his Madison Square Garden residency — where to buy

RJ Andersen's review of Ruggable explained that not only do they win on cleaning points, but they're also "surprisingly thick and soft." Spot cleaning was also easy for spills that didn't require a wash, and durability was great.

In addition to having thousands of design options, Ruggable has some incredible collabs that are included in the sale, like Disney, Star Wars, Jungalow, and plenty more.

Shop Ruggable's Labor Day sale to score savings of up to 30% off top sellers. Consider it a home refresh before the holidays.

Nowadays on Broadway, you've got to have a gimmick.

It's not enough to be beloved or even acclaimed. Just look at Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a bodacious revival that re-imagined Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway smash as a ballroom runway, bringing the audience into the experience and onto the stage. Critics cheered, audiences clacked their fans in appreciation, and the Tonys gave three awards, including Best Direction of a Musical. Yet, none of that stopped The Jellicle Ball from closing weeks after it received those Tony flowers.

Even a grateful community that loved Cats, Webber, or ballroom culture couldn't keep Jellicle Ball rolling. So, it's little surprise that Broadway producers are favoring a seemingly endless array of theatrical adaptations of movies, TV, and other popular IP. Just this year, Broadway saw The Lost Boys: A New Musical, Titanique, Schmigadoon, and Dog Day Afternoon competing for crowds, while Heated Rivalry got an off-Broadway unofficial parody faster than it got a vinyl soundtrack release. Some of these were marvelous, others interesting, and then there was Beaches.

SEE ALSO: 'Beaches: A New Musical' review: Jessica Vosk gives her all to a disastrous Broadway adaptation

Now, Paranormal Activity joins the fray. The theatrical production that premiered in Leeds ahead of a West End debut in 2025 has been garnering praise along its path to Broadway, which included a sold-out run in Los Angeles. The buzz was so infectious that I entered the August Wilson Theatre giddy with anticipation.

Unfortunately, what Paranormal Activity has to offer is not a great night at the theater. It's a series of jump scares that falls short of the spectacle Broadway demands.

Paranormal Activity is not for fans of the franchise. Cher Alvarez and Travis A. Knight star in "Paranormal Activity" on Broadway. Credit: Matthew Murphy

Though the show's Playbill notes Oren Peli's 2007 film of the same name as an inspiration, the similarities between Broadway's Paranormal Activity and its source material is thinner than the veil between the living and the dead.

Written by Levi Holloway, this new story centers on an American married couple who've recently moved from Chicago to London for a fresh start. Why London? There is no why. As the whole show is set within the walls of a small house, Paranormal Activity could be set anywhere. The key thing is that the haunted couple at its center has nowhere to escape to. Being new in town means the ruthlessly rational James (Travis A. Knight) and his distraught wife Lou (Cher Álvarez) have no local support system as they face some paranormal anomalies.

Featured Video For You 'The Vampire Lestat's Sam Reid on Magnus, Claudia, Sofia, and more

Like Katie from the first Paranormal Activity film, Lou is haunted by a dark incident in her past, and fears an entity that is stalking her. James is her Micah, a male partner who insists he's looking to help while he scoffs at the possibility of the supernatural, and even taunts the could-be creature. In this case, he proclaims, "Fuck the bogeyman." And yes, a jump scare follows.

Holloway's play rejects the lore of the Paranormal Activity franchise that grew across sequels and spinoffs. Plus, it pivots subgenres, leaving behind the found footage aspect and changes the taxonomy of the entity at its center. Individually, none of these things is a problem per se, but altogether they left this horror lover wondering why this production is even called Paranormal Activity when it's got nothing to do with the pre-established IP.

Paranormal Activity can't compare to the other horror treasures of Broadway (past and present). Cher Alvarez stars in "Paranormal Activity" on Broadway. Credit: Matthew Murphy

For starters, Paranormal Activity can't hold a candle to The Lost Boys, a musical that smartly cherry-picked the campiest bits of Joel Schumacher's vampire cult classic and then constructed a stronger emotional story, leaned into the queer subtext, and made cinema moments come alive onstage with intoxicating stunt spectacles. Nor does Paranormal Activity compare to the recently shuttered Death Becomes Her, where the memorable murderous mayhem was re-imagined for onstage comedy gags that had audiences rolling like Madeline Ashton down that long staircase.

Now, you could argue that Paranormal Activity shouldn't be compared to big, flashy musical adaptations of cult classics. In that case, I'll point to Grey House, which was also written by Holloway. On Broadway in 2023, that play was also a horror story set within a humble home, this one visited by an unsuspecting married couple, unsure what to make of the odd children and the old woman who live there.

Grey House was a show that oozed in dread. Cryptic conversations left the audience to scramble for understanding, binding us to the coupled visitors, who've made a fateful mistake by coming here. I still remember the feeling of chills creeping up my limbs as Laurie Metcalf grimaced or chided the children and grown-ups alike. Three years later, the specifics of the scares have faded. Something about a fridge, a couch that seemed to gobble up a full-grown man, a basement door, always ominous. What I recall clearly is how I screamed, so loud and often that I was actually pretty embarrassed.

SEE ALSO: 'Hokum' review: I screamed myself hoarse at Adam Scott's new horror movie

Did I scream at Paranormal Activity? Yes. But not often. For every jump scare that shook me to scream, there were scads that failed to even make me flinch. The audience around giggled throughout, perhaps out of nervousness from the scares, or over the caustic humor the couple slings at each other. But it was less the atmosphere of a horror movie, where everyone is sharing the experience of surrendering to the spooky story, and more like a theme-park presentation.

The laughter felt like an audience looking to be amused, not scared. And director Felix Barrett delivered with common haunted house tropes. Lights flicker. A shadowy figure races across the stage. A could-be nursery's door slams with force, and recurringly, a deafening blare of noise will explode to make the audience leap in their seats. But after the first few scares, the beats of terror become predictable.

In between grim gags, Paranormal Activity is a tale of a toxic love that's more gratingly one-note than great. Knight and Álvarez bring intensity, whether arguing about the advice from a ghost-hunting podcaster (Eva Kaminsky) or hiding the haunting from James' nosy mom (Shannon Cochran), who's always just a video call away. But the emotional thrust of their story becomes undermined once Paranormal Activity reveals the entity can mimic others. So, as a conversation grows electrically vulnerable, there's the nagging thought that it could a cruel ruse, and not an actual breakthrough between two loved ones who can't share their truth.

A similar device of doppelgängers and the fear of intimacy was explored in Leviticus this year. And so let me take the opportunity to say again: go see Leviticus. It's scary as hell and has something to say. Which can't be said for Paranormal Activity, where it makes already thinly sketched characters feel even less complex.

Paranormal Activity on Broadway is betting on the gimmick. Travis A. Knight stars in "Paranormal Activity" on Broadway. Credit: Matthew Murphy

This is a new story that doesn't require its audience to remember anything about Katie or Micah or their demon Tobi. Rather than using that as an opportunity to find fresh thrills in the horror-theater space, Holloway's play feels like a murky echo of Grey House. The house and the story appear similar, but the scares in the hands of Barrett don't hit as hard.

Barrett, who is a founder of the immersive British theater company Punchdrunk (Sleep No More), fails to bring the audience into the experience of being trapped in his haunted house. Where Titanique built out the stage to include the audience, or Jellicle Ball had cats running into the aisles and mezzanine, Paranormal Activity keeps the stage as a clear distinction. The home, traditionally built as if one wall was shorn away, has the look of a dollhouse. And the seats in the theater mean if you're close to the front, or off to the sides, your view will be obstructed by staunch interior walls. But even more irksome, Barrett doesn't make compelling use of the space.

In The Lost Boys, director/co-lighting designer Michael Arden used spotlights and other lighting effects to draw the audience's eye, guiding us to one scary spectacle, while setting up another in the shadows. It was a visual cue reminiscent of video games, giving our eye. Paranormal Activity doesn’t offer such guides. For large swaths, my eyes scanned the dimly lit house, desperate to see something spooky but unsure where I was supposed to look. Was I meant to follow James upstairs as he urinates in the bathroom? Was I meant to keep an eye on the light that flickered or on Lou approaching the back door?

In horror, a wide shot can be uniquely terrifying, because it invites you to look into the seeming stillness and shadows, where a slasher or creature might lurk, unseen by the hero. In Paranormal Activity, that looking too often led to nothing. And sometimes, it meant I was looking in the wrong place, confounded and frustrated as an audience member across the way let out a gasp of excitement. I yearned to feel that gasp. But this Paranormal Activity isn't as scary as a great horror movie or a great Broadway show.

Instead, it's betting on audiences who want a not-so-cheap thrill. Opening so far from Tony nominations, the show suggests little expectation of being remembered next summer. Instead, it opens in time for Halloween and runs 20 weeks as a higher-class alternative to a haunted hayride. For Christmas, it's a spooky kid alternative to the Radio City show.

But with a thin story and underwhelming spectacle, Paranormal Activity is bad omen for Broadway. It's another example of shallowly adapted IP taking the space for something daring that could actually give us chills.

Paranormal Activity is playing at New York City's August Wilson Theater until Jan. 3.

If you use social media, you've seen a man-on-the-street interview.

You know the type: punchy, short-form digital series where you get to know an interviewee in record time. Some shows, such as Track Star or Gaydar, use specific subjects like music or queer history as entry points. Others, like Are You Okay? or Subway Takes, invite guests to rant about a topic of their choosing. These series have taken over your feeds and Hollywood press tours alike, and for one episode, they take over FX's sitcom Adults.

SEE ALSO: 'Adults' Season 2 is the hardest I've laughed at a sitcom this year

In Adults Season 2, episode 7, titled "C Alert," Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) laments having what he and his friends call "man-on-the-street face," a condition that makes him a target for New York City's street interview content creators. (Due to his Canadian politeness, he can never turn them down.)

However, by the episode's end, Paul Baker embraces his man-on-the-street face to help his housemate/will-they-won't-they love interest Anton (Owen Thiele), who's gotten in trouble at work for saying "cunt." While the word's positive connotations in queer ballroom culture have led to wider reclamation and resurgence, especially online, it still carries quite a bit of baggage in America; hence Paul Baker's quest to encourage its normalization through street interviews.

Tiff Baira and Jack Innanen in "Adults." Credit: FX

Cue a montage of Paul Baker fumbling his way through appearances on highly popular, real-life man-on-the-street shows, including Gaydar, hosted by Anania; Are You Okay?, then-hosted by Brianna "Bri" Morales; Recess Therapy, hosted by Julian Shapiro-Barnum; Street Hearts, hosted by Tiffany "Tiff" Baira; and Track Star, hosted by Jack Coyne. The sequence is a hysterical, cameo-filled conclusion to the episode, but also a tribute to the reach and influence of man-on-the-street content creators.

SEE ALSO: 'Adults' creators Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold react to fan fiction about the show

According to Adults creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, the idea to bring man-on-the-street interviewers into Season 2 started with the show's writers taking walks around New York City for inspiration. One day, in Washington Square Park, they noticed several interviewers pulling people aside for their own segments.

"One of the writers was like, 'isn't it funny that we haven't seen that on TV yet?'" Shaw recalled in a video interview with Mashable. "It feels like such a present part of New York culture right now."

To capture this aspect of New York culture — which, in turn, becomes digital culture when it's posted online — Adults reached out to several New York-based street-interview content creators about appearing as themselves in the show.

"To be honest, I was skeptical at first," Track Star host Jack Coyne told Mashable over the phone. "I thought Track Star sounded like it could be the butt of the joke."

SEE ALSO: Julian Shapiro-Barnum enters his late-night era

Coyne created Track Star as a "reaction" to the more aggressive, inappropriate type of man-on-the-street interviews that have gained notoriety online. Adults certainly pokes fun at this more confrontational style of content, with Paul Baker appearing on fake shows like Milk or Dare or Gay Granny's Trivia Crashout. (Adults executive producer Nick Kroll also makes a voiceover cameo as a sleazy host who wants Paul Baker to rank the women in his family by attractiveness.)

However, the episode's final montage flips the joke on Paul Baker and serves as more of an appreciative showcase for the creators making cameos.

"We're such fans of this genre, and we think it's so cool the way these younger creators have managed to really carve out these very funny, specific, voice-y names for themselves in this space," said Shaw.

Adults usually shoots in Toronto, but in order to capture the creators' voices, the series sent a small crew to New York City to film Innanen's segments on each show.

"We wanted to do it on their terms and on their territory, and we really let the hosts lead with their voice, their improv, their writing," Kronengold said.

Jack Innanen and Caleb Simpson in "Adults." Credit: FX

Hosts were given an outline to work from, but were also able to improvise and treat the fictional segment like any real shoot for their show. For internet personality and former Are You Okay? host Bri Morales, that meant deciding whether or not Paul Baker is, in fact, okay. (He's not.) For Gaydar host Anania, that meant determining if Paul Baker is gay, straight, or a homophobe. (In keeping with the show's lore, he's fluid.) For Street Hearts host Baira, that meant sitting down at the show's recognizable match-making table and getting to the root of why Paul Baker is single.

"Paul Baker was just a real person in that moment," Baira told Mashable over the phone.

Over the course of one day, the Adults crew zipped around New York, from just outside a Midtown Container Store to shoot Gaydar all the way to Prospect Park to shoot Recess Therapy. Segments were shot in accordance with each show's style, adhering to their specific cameras, lighting, framing, and even methods of mic-ing people up. In post-production, Adults also mimicked the shows' graphics and fast-paced editing.

"Being so onboard with having our format inside of the episode makes it a very valiant effort on the showrunners' part," Anania told Mashable in a phone interview.

"You don't often see that from brands," added Amelia Montooth, creator of Gaydar and CEO of Mutuals Media. "Usually, you're battling with them to try to keep your authenticity."

SEE ALSO: Queer joy on stage and screen, thanks to Anania

Part of that authenticity meant acknowledging street-interview influencers as stars in their own right. Caleb Simpson, known for his house tour videos, originally auditioned to play one of Paul Baker's bro-y friends in the Season 2 premiere, before being brought back to play himself in a cameo in "C Alert," where he shoots a video about Samir's (Malik Elassal) home. For Simpson, the role reflects a changing attitude towards content creators.

"I started making content on the internet 11 years ago, and the industry didn't take it seriously," Simpson told Mashable over Zoom. "About three or four years ago, I started taking acting and stand up and improv seriously, and then you get cast to play yourself in a show, and you do exactly what you would do when you film your content."

Adults' embrace of content creators speaks to their rise in Hollywood. (In addition to these street interviewers, Season 2 also guest stars internet personalities like Jake Shane. Innanen himself started as a content creator.) It's also a savvy way to make its target Gen Z audience feel seen by meeting them where they're at: online. As Shaw said, these series are "generational access points."

"What is the Maddy quote from Euphoria, where she's like, 'is this fucking play about us'? That is the goal for these young adult shows to really ring true to their target audience," Morales told Mashable over the phone. "It would maybe be funny if [Paul Baker] went on The Today Show, but it's so native to the demographic that of course he's going to do Are You Okay?, or course he's going to do man-on-the-street shows, because that's where everything is right now."

"Everything" includes the Adults press tour. For Season 1, Innanen appeared on Are You Okay? and Amita Rao and Owen Thiele appeared on Gaydar. For Season 2, Paul Baker's many stints on man-on-the-street shows also doubled as opportunities for Innanen to film appearances on these shows as himself. Art mimics life, the show reflects the marketing, and it all comes full circle in just a brief montage.

"The fact that Adults is putting a show like [Track Star] in their script and on TV and understanding it's a big part of the cultural conversation is just the beginning, honestly," Coyne said. "I think you're going to start to see a lot more of this stuff in culture broadly, because people are spending as much time watching content on the internet and on their phones as they are watching Netflix and Amazon and Hulu and FX."

"It is the future," said Baira. "Short form and traditional, the future is going to be blending the two."

Adults Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.

Featured Video For You 'Adults' creators Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold react to fan fiction about the show