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When it comes to noise-cancelling earbuds, you can easily find a pairs anywhere in the $50 to $300 range. If you're looking for a pick somewhere in the middle of that price point, you've likely looked at Sony, Beats, and maybe even Bose.

Skullcandy, however, is looking to break into the mid-range space with the release of its new Method 360 ANC earbuds. The earbuds, made in partnership with Bose, feature sound technology from the premium brand. At full price, the Method 360 ANC earbuds are the most expensive earbuds in Skullcandy's lineup, but still firmly situated in the budget range for earbuds overall.

With that in mind and as someone who's personally tried the entire line of available Bose earbuds, I knew I needed to put these Skullcandy earbuds to the test.

What makes the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds different

Skullcandy isn't exactly the brand known for drawing in audio fidelity enthusiasts. What it is known for is affordable prices: Excluding the Method 360s, its entire earbud lineup goes for $100 or less, with several pairs available under $50, and their absolute cheapest wireless earbuds going for just $25 at full price.

Even the brand's earbuds with active noise cancellation are affordable at full price. Credit: Screenshot: Skullcandy

A lower price point typically means you won't get top-of-the-line sound, active noise cancellation, or extra features like a custom equalizer. While Skullcandy does already include ANC in its lineup, they've never had Bose-quality sound before. In the press release for the earbuds, Justin Regan, Skullcandy's vice president of marketing, says, "This product sets a new standard. We're launching at $99.99 because we want more people to hear what's next. But make no mistake — Method 360 ANC belongs in the premium tier."

Considering premium-tier earbuds can easily cost twice the price of the Skullcandy earbuds, that's a bold claim worth testing out. It is also worth keeping in mind that the $99.99 is just an introductory price that will eventually be raised to $129.99 (the Skullcandy team was unable to provide a date as to when that price rise will go into effect).

Is Skullcandy's Bose-powered sound good?

Simply put, I was impressed by how these earbuds sounded. Granted, they didn't sound exactly like the Bose earbuds I've tried, but they came close enough to earn them some serious points.

When listening to Japanese Breakfast's "Savage Good Boy," the Method 360s showed off their power to balance a song, blending the nuances of the guitar, bass, and high-pitched vocals with dexterity. During the 8-Bit Big Band's rendition of "Lonely Rolling Star" from the video game Katamari Damacy, it would have been easy for a lesser pair of earbuds to make the horn line sound blown out, and the singer get lost in a wall of sound produced by the instrumentals. But the Skullcandy earbuds held up. At times, their volume could feel a little muffled, but only when I was really pushing the upper limit for testing (and comparing them side by side) — I can't imagine a casual listener would notice this off the bat.

When compared to my favorite pair of budget earbuds, the slightly cheaper EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds, the Skullcandy buds didn't sound leaps and bounds better. While they may not set a new standard entirely, they do perform at the top of their category.

Skullcandy vs. Bose earbuds

Speaking of comparisons, I had to test the Skullcandy earbuds against two Bose options: the Bose QuietComfort earbuds (which retail for $179) and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (which retail for $299). I'll be writing up a more in-depth comparison soon, so I'm going to keep it relatively brief here, but I wanted to touch on the main points.

From left to right: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, Skullcandy earbuds, and Bose QuietComfort earbuds. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Overall, I find both options from Bose to still be better than the Skullcandy buds, which wasn't too surprising, considering their price points. However, the Skullcandy earbuds definitely held their own more than I expected. Here's how they stacked up:

• Sound: The hierarchy is as you would expect here, but there's way less of a discrepancy

• Comfort: Though all the earbuds came with three sizes of ear tips and stability bands, I found both Bose models to have a slightly better seal, but fit can vary from person to person.

• Touch controls: The Skullcandy earbuds' touch controls felt surprisingly sophisticated, never leaning more sensitive (as budget earbuds tend to). They felt like a near one-to-one experience with the QC Ultras.

• Smart features: The voice assistant sounds exactly the same, but the Skullcandy earbuds play it so loud, no matter what volume you set them at.

• Noise cancelling: The noise cancellation on the QuietComfort and especially QuietComfort Ultra earbuds blocked out more, but for being $100 earbuds, I was impressed at how the Skullcandy buds performed.

• Companion app: The Skullcandy app looks (and works) incredibly similar to the Bose QuietComfort earbuds app.

• Battery life: The Skullcandy earbuds had really impressive battery life that seemed to match up, if not straight up outperform, the Bose earbuds.

• Multipoint connection: With all three earbuds, I've experienced some issues with switching between two connected devices or having a consistent connection without any audio skipping when more than one device is connected. However, you can help the issue by turning off multipoint connection for all three devices.

Obviously, the starkest difference between the three earbuds is the price. Though the Skullcandy earbuds are by far the cheapest, it is worth noting that while I was writing this review, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds were on sale for $149. During the holiday season, they dropped down to $129.

The noise cancelling works better than expected

I've tried noise-cancelling earbuds that have caused my partner to accidentally jump-scare me throughout the day, and I've tried noise-cancelling earbuds that do little more than vaguely muffle sounds while playing an obvious hissing tone.

The adjustable ANC was a pleasant surprise. Credit: Screenshot: Skullcandy

Usually, budget earbuds are more likely to fall into the latter category, and understandably so. I especially didn't expect these earbuds to come with adjustable ANC, a feature that's been harder to find since Bose discontinued its noise-cancelling 700 headphones. Yet, the Method 360 earbuds provided a noise cancellation that had only the most minimal of hiss on the highest levels of noise cancellation. They didn't quite cancel out my partner on work calls or my neighbors' kids playing outside as well as the Bose earbuds did (that also could've been a result of the fit not being as snug), but for $100, they stood out as one of the better pairs I've tested.

The case needs a redesign

It may sound silly, but the case is by far the biggest issue with these earbuds. Beyond being way too clunky and not very user-friendly (more on that in a second), they don't feel consistent with the audience these earbuds seem to want to chase after. If you're adding Bose-powered sound to compete with premium earbuds, the earbuds you're making should have a premium feel. While the earbuds themselves do, the case feels cheap and gimmicky.

I reached out to a Skullcandy rep via email to ask why the case is the way it is, and they replied that it came down to style and functionality. On the point of style, I guess this look could be someone's jam — it's not exactly mine. To Skullcandy's credit, it does offer five different colorways of the earbuds, including the black ones I received, as well as earbuds in an off-white shade called bone, a red shade called plasma, a tan shade called primer, and a leopard print called — you guessed it — leopard.

Then, there's the point of functionality. "The functional part is the case can be clipped outside of a bag, to a belt loop, or inside the key-ring of a bag/purse, so they’re easier to get to when the need is there," the Skullcandy rep wrote to me in an email.

Technically, you can use the earbuds that way, but the O-ring isn't the most adaptive size. For my thicker-strapped bags that didn't have another ring or keychain, it took some maneuvering to get the ring clipped on and off — not exactly the "Clip It and Rip It" experience Skullcandy advertises in its marketing copy.

The O-ring was functional on thicker strapped bags, but a little awkward to use. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

The other issue I have with this idea is picturing the scenario where someone would want to clip their $100 to $130 earbuds outside the relative safety of their bag or pocket. Maybe for the Dime Evo earbuds, the $50 Skullcandy earbuds that originated this design, it makes more sense, but for a more premium-oriented earbud, this doesn't feel like the right vessel.

The Dime Evo case is incredibly similar, but has both earbuds situated on one side. Credit: Skullcandy

"So just don't clip the case on your bag," you might be saying. And trust me, beyond testing, I don't think I would. However, Skullcandy designed the case more tailored to the experience of using the clip. For one, the case is huge, and it looks huge on a desktop or in a smaller bag. Ironically, this makes the earbuds feel less portable. And two, the earbuds are placed on the opposite sides. For instance, if you're looking at the front of the case, and slide it up that way, the right earbud sits on the left side, and the left on the right.

The front facing view of the Method 360 ANC case has the right earbud on the left side of the case, and vice versa. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Turned with its right side facing up, you can see the left earbud. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Maybe if you're solely using these earbuds, this is something you get used to, but I could not during the testing period. I kept trying to put the wrong earbud on the wrong side or upside down. It may feel like a small gripe, but design choices like these are where I notice the difference between budget and more premium headphones.

Are the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds worth it?

At $99, the Skullcandy Method 360 ANCs are an impressive pair of earbuds that punch above their brand's weight. While the case is glaringly bad, of all the features to be less than stellar on a pair of budget earbuds, Skullcandy could've done way worse. On that note, their sound, comfort, and noise cancellation make them feel more luxe than their current $100 price tag would imply.

While they don't completely stand out as singularly the best in the budget category, they are definitely one of the best options at this price point, especially if you can look past the case. Once they jump up to their $129.99 full price, I'd probably wait for them to go on sale before I grab them. But, if you're not in a rush for new earbuds, I might recommend just waiting instead for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds to drop back down to their record-low price instead.

Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds $99.99 at Amazon
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Tumble vs. Ruggable: Aesthetic and choice

The whole point of getting an area rug in the first place is to make a room look more pleasing to the eye, so when choosing between Ruggable and Tumble, it's important to consider just how many options each brand has. When it comes to aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder — we can't really tell you which rug designs look better, because everyone's interior design taste varies greatly. But what we can say is that, in general, Ruggable has way more options on its website than Tumble does, including larger sizes and options made specifically for outdoor spaces. So, when it comes to this category, we'd say Ruggable is a pretty clear winner.

Winner: Ruggable

SEE ALSO: Shark vs. Dyson: Which cordless vacuum should you get? Tumble vs. Ruggable: Durability

How good can a rug be if it can't stand the test of time? Both Tumble and Ruggable aim to extend the life of your rug by making it easy to keep clean and free of the damage that normal rugs would experience over a long period of time. Both brands claim to be spill-resistant, pet-friendly, and machine washable, which is about all you can ask for in a rug, especially if you've placed it in a high-traffic area. Luckily, both are equally as good at staving off stains, rips, and fraying. Other than some very minor wear and tear, both of the rugs we tested out looked about as good as they did the day we got them at the end of our testing period. We consider this category to be dead even.

Winner: Tie

A close-up of one of Ruggable's rugs. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Tumble vs. Ruggable: Comfort

You're going to be walking on your new rug pretty often, so you'll want it to feel plush and comfortable. Unless you want to feel the hardwood underneath it. To each their own!

Both Tumble and Ruggable charge separately for the rug pad when you order one of their rugs. If you already have a pad, you can order the rug cover on its own to save some cash. Both brands' rug pads feel great to walk on, and they have a nice bounce to them that feels supportive and takes a lot of pressure off your joints. Ruggable offers a standard pad and a cushioned pad, while Tumble has just one 1/4-inch thick rug pad.

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The rug covers themselves also feel really nice. The Ruggable rug we tested out was a medium-pile design that felt soft and plush, and the Tumble option was a flat-woven style rug that was super smooth to the touch. We loved them both equally, but Ruggable has more rug pad and rug pile options, so it wins this round.

Winner: Ruggable

Tumble vs. Ruggable: User-friendliness

The setup process for both Tumble and Ruggable is probably a bit different from what you're used to. It's more involved than simply laying the rug cover on top of the pad, and you'll want to put yours in a place that's easy to access, because in theory, you'll be picking up and putting down the rug occasionally to chuck it into the washing machine. Thankfully, it's still a pretty easy process in both cases, but one is superior in our opinion — it's Tumble.

Setting up a Tumble rug is an absolute breeze. All that's required is laying down the rug pad in your chosen spot, putting the rug cover over the top of it, and then securing it with the included adhesive pads on each corner. The cover itself has corner pockets that allow you to slip the pad into them, which keeps the two from separating — a simple, yet amazing design choice. To this day, the Tumble rug we tested hasn't budged an inch.

In Ruggable's case, though, the setup is a little more laborious. First, you'll need to lay out and fold up the rug cover in a particular way so that it sits on the rug pad correctly. Then, you need to lay the rug pad down and unfold the cover on top of it, being careful to keep everything aligned. The cover is supposed to cling to the pad underneath it, but due to the lack of corner pockets and adhesive strips, the rug has more potential to move around during use, and it's really tough to get everything lined up just right. In our experience, the Ruggable rug hung over the rug pad by a few inches on one end and at least an inch on all other sides. Because of this, both the initial setup and the eventual post-wash resets are just a tad more difficult.

In terms of keeping the rugs looking clean, they're equally easy to spot clean or throw into your washer. Still, Tumble edges this category out.

Winner: Tumble

A close-up of one of Tumble's rugs. Credit: Dylan Haas / Mashable Tumble vs. Ruggable: Overall value

Rugs are going to be expensive no matter what you do, so you shouldn't make a knee-jerk decision when you see both Tumble's and Ruggable's prices. It all depends on the size you want. Tumble's rugs start at around $119 and reach above the $400 mark on the high end. Ruggable's rugs start at about $129, and the largest sizes (which are way bigger than Tumble's largest sizes) can reach over $1,000. That's pricey anyway you slice it, but is it worth the money? We think so. The amount of time you'll save cleaning either one of these rugs, paired with their longer lifetimes, makes them both an incredible value over time. If you're going to drop some serious dough on a rug, you might as well buy one that'll last. And that goes especially for households with children, pets, or spill-prone adults. Again, Tumble and Ruggable tie in this regard.

Winner: Tie

Tumble vs. Ruggable: The verdict

So, we've reached a tricky situation here. There's no clear winner of this battle. However, if we had to pick, Ruggable ekes out the win. But it really comes down to your priorities: If you want more design choices, larger sizes, and options for outdoor areas, go with Ruggable. If you want to go straight for ease of use, though, Tumble is your perfect match.

All in all, both Tumble and Ruggable make some amazing rugs, so you can't really go wrong with either one.

Shop Ruggable and Tumble washable rugs Ruggable washable rugs Starting at $129 Shop Now Tumble washable rugs Starting at $119 Shop Now

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TL;DR: The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card looks like a credit card, works like an AirTag, and is only $32.99 (reg. $59.99). 

Bluetooth trackers can be lifesavers, until they’re not. A lot of Bluetooth trackers are bulky, easy to knock loose, and obvious enough for thieves to toss. The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card is a sleek, discreet alternative to AirTags, and it’s cheaper, too. This razor-thin tracker syncs with Apple’s Find My network just like an AirTag but slips unnoticed into wallets, luggage, passport holders, and even ID badges. It’s also on sale for only $32.99 (reg. $59.99). 

The wallet tracker without the awkward design

Designed like a credit card and only 1.5 mm thick, the MagTag is a slim, subtle tracker that blends seamlessly wherever you put it. A built-in keyring hole lets you attach it to lanyards and keychains or even slip it into a child’s backpack for extra peace of mind.

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Ensuring online safety has never been more important—especially when it comes to protecting our families. As children spend more time online for both education and entertainment, the need for a reliable solution to safeguard them from the pitfalls of the web has become paramount.

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TL;DR: Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Women's FA Cup final will see Chelsea take on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

Manchester United are seeking to retain the trophy after beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in last year's final. That's not going to be an easy task, because Chelsea stand in their way. Sonia Bompastor's side are seeking a domestic treble after already winning the Premier League and League Cup this season.

If you want to watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is the Women's FA Cup final?

Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final starts at 1:30 p.m. BST on May 18. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.

How to watch the Women's FA Cup final for free

Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United for free by following these simple steps:

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5. Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream the Women's FA Cup final before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for live sport?

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

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free with ExpressVPN.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Successful game

• Green: Three strikes

• Blue: Video games

  Purple: NBA GOAT

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Win

• Green: Strike Out

• Blue: Classic Sports Video Games

• Purple: Associated with Michael Jordan

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #237 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Win - DUB, TRIUMPH, VICTORY, W

• Strike Out - FAN, K, RING UP, WHIFF

• Classic Sports Video Games - NBA JAM, NFL BLITZ, PUNCH-OUT, TECMO BOWL

• Associated with Michael Jordan - 23, 6 RINGS, HIS AIRNESS, LAST DANCE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Riding the wind

The words are water-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are things used to travel on water.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sailboat

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 18

• Mast

• Rigging

• Helm

• Sailboat

• Keel

• Hull

• Rudder

• Stern

• Tiller

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 18 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Completed in school

• Green: Nearly there

• Blue: Open-minded

• Purple: The start of the alphabet

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Tasks for a student

• Green: Encouraging responses in a guessing game

• Blue: Up for anything

• Purple: What "A" might mean

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #707 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Tasks for a student: ASSIGNMENT, DRILL, EXERCISE, LESSON

• Encouraging responses in a guessing game: ALMOST, CLOSE, NOT QUITE, WARM

• Up for anything: EASY, FLEXIBLE, GAME, OPEN

• What "A" might mean: AREA, ATHLETIC, EXCELLENT, ONE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 18 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 18, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Incredibly angry.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter I appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LIVID.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A popular short haircut.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

PIXIE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Uninteresting.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

VAPID

Hurdle Word 3 hint

What one might teach a dog.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TRICK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To aggressively push.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18 Hurdle Word 4 answer

BARGE

Final Hurdle hint

What a tenant signs.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LEASE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Teams in an AFC division

• Green: Horse races

• Blue: Icons of Milwaukee

  Purple: Legendary coaching history

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: An AFC South Player

• Green: First Words of Famous Horse Races

• Blue: Milwaukee Sporting Greats

• Purple: Teams Coached by Rick Pitino

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #236 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• An AFC South Player - COLT, JAGUAR, TEXAN, TITAN

• First Words of Famous Horse Races - BELMONT, BREEDERS', KENTUCKY, PEAKNESS

• Milwaukee Sporting Greats - ABDUL-JABBAR, ANTETOKOUNMPO, MOLITOR, YOUNT

• Teams Coached by Rick Pitino - CELTICS, IONA, PANATHINAIKOS, ST. JOHN'S

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

President Donald Trump is making bank off of cryptocurrency, and Big Tech wants back in on the action.

Meta is now looking to revisit its cryptocurrency plans as Mark Zuckerberg's company looks to launch a stablecoin to facilitate payouts on its social media platforms, according to a new report from Fortune.

SEE ALSO: President Trump’s memecoin made 58 lucky crypto holders $10 million+

According to sources knowledgeable of these preliminary crypto stages, Meta's new stablecoin plans are being spearheaded by the company's VP of product, Giner Baker, who previously worked in fintech and currently serves on the board of crypto organization Stellar Development Foundation. Meta reportedly held discussions with crypto infrastructure companies earlier this year.

Meta's crypto-related plans seem to center on a stablecoin used to facilitate payouts to creators on its platforms, like Instagram.

Meta's stablecoin history

Back in 2019, before the company changed its name to Meta, Facebook announced a sprawling cryptocurrency project that included a new blockchain and crypto wallet for the social media platform. The centerpiece of Facebook's crypto project, however, was the company's plans to create its own stablecoin called Libra.

A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency token that's meant to maintain a stable price. In the crypto space, where the price of crypto tokens and meme coins is, well, unstable, stablecoins are meant to provide holders with a relatively safe place to store their money. (Although even that doesn't always work out.)

Facebook's Libra project hit some early roadblocks. In fact, President Trump, who was serving his first term in office, even shared a scathing critique of cryptocurrency as a whole, specifically mentioning Facebook's Libra. Regardless, Libra continued on. In late 2020, as cryptocurrency was set to boom, Facebook announced a rebrand for the project.

By early 2022, however, the company now known as Meta seemed ready to give up on the Libra project due to regulator scrutiny. Then, crypto came crashing down by mid-2022 as a slew of major cryptocurrency tokens and companies failed. By that summer, Meta shut down the final remnants of its crypto project.

Things are different for crypto now

Fast forward to 2025, and a lot has changed.

President Trump, now serving his second term, feels very differently about cryptocurrency. Trump launched his own meme coin earlier this year. $TRUMP has already resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for the president and his crypto companies from fees alone.

One of Trump's crypto companies, World Liberty Financial, has also launched its own memecoin, USD1. An Abu Dhabi investment firm has already announced a $2 billion investment in Trump's stablecoin.

Congress and financial regulators under Trump have been singing a different tune about crypto too as neither appear likely to take any action regarding these potentially corrupt dealings involving the sitting President of the United States.

So, the moment is ripe for anyone looking to start a crypto scheme, and Meta is apparently poised to take advantage of it.

If a user publishes a post with a link to a website or article on Elon Musk's X, very often they'll find that the post receives minimal views, retweets, and likes. Musk has previously confirmed that his social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, deprioritizes links via its algorithm.

X users have complained about this, but Musk wants people to spend the maximum amount of time on his platform. However, it appears one of X's competitors now views this as an opportunity.

SEE ALSO: It's official: Meta's Threads is using 'Threads.com' domain name

Meta's Threads will now prioritize links on the platform in a few major ways.

Share more links in your Threads bio

In an update this week, Meta announced that Threads will now allow users to place up to 5 links in their bio. For comparison, X only allows users to post a single link in the "website" section of a user's profile page. 

Credit: Meta

By allowing multiple links, Threads allows users to share more of their personal websites and projects with people on the platform. This might also help users circumvent the need to use link-in-bio services like Linktree to share multiple links on their Threads profile page.

Threads link analytics

Furthermore, Meta wants its users to know just how much traffic Threads sends from links posted on the platform.

Credit: Meta

The company announced that Threads will now profile users with link analytics that present data regarding the number of clicks that links receive via Threads. The platform will provide users with this information for links posted to both a user's bio and in their posts.

Link recommendations in Threads

While Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously claimed Threads didn't specifically downrank posts with links, Mosseri also said the platform didn't place much value on them either. 

That's about to change, too, according to Engadget. Threads will now start promoting posts that include links at a higher rate than before via its recommendation algorithm.

Meta has started prioritizing content creators on all of its platforms in recent months. Prioritizing links seems like a big step in that direction as creators look to use social media platforms to promote their work, regardless of where it's posted.

We'll soon find out if these changes help Threads win over creators over its competitors like Musk's X and Bluesky.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, May 17, 2025:

Across"Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media)

• The answer is Bio.

They're ground in a coffee grinder

• The answer is Beans.

Bike riders' headwear

• The answer is Helmets.

Variety of tomato whose name is also a meat

• The answer is Beefsteak.

Shoe spec that describes this puzzle?

• The answer is Extra wide.

"Cha-ching, nothin' to it!"

• The answer is Easy money.

DownChurch spot where bats hang out

• The answer is Belfry.

The first three words of "Green Eggs and Ham," straight from the narrator

• The answer is I am Sam.

Boxing punch combo

• The answer is One two.

Purple slices in a salad

• The answer is Beets.

Oktoberfest glass

• The answer is Stein.

Prefix with decimal, in coding

• The answer is Hexa.

One-named hit singer with 1985's "Smooth Operator"

• The answer is Sade.

Spelling ___

• The answer is Bee.

Paper with the answers

• The answer is Key.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

TL;DR: Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer/ITVX. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup final is here, with Crystal Palace taking on Manchester City for a chance at glory.

Manchester City have endured a tough season by their exceptionally high standards, but lifting the FA Cup would provide some level of comfort. Crystal Palace have shown real promise this season, culminating in an impressive 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at the semi-final stage. Can they go all the way and lift the FA Cup for the first time? They'll need big performances from the likes of Mateta and Eze to overcome City.

If you want to watch Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is the FA Cup final?

Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup final starts at 4:30 p.m. BST on May 17. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.

How to watch the FA Cup final for free

Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer/ITVX.

BBC iPlayer and ITVX are geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer/ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer/ITVX

5. Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream the FA Cup final before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for live sport?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup final for free with ExpressVPN.

Boman Martinez-Reid always wanted his own TV series. So the Canadian actor and creator made one himself, and another one, and another one, on YouTube, on Instagram, on TikTok, then signed a TV deal and was cast in an A24 show. Each project will leave you in no doubt of one thing: You'll be hard pressed to find someone who understands reality TV as well as Martinez-Reid.

With a combined 3 million followers on social media under the Britney Spears-inspired handle @bomanizer, Martinez-Reid has gone consistently viral online for his hilarious, precise parodies of reality TV — namely 2020's "cough heard round the world" video. But you might have discovered Martinez-Reid's work through his outstandingly accurate, Kardashian-inspired TikTok series The Bodashians, made with his best friend Eden Graham, which has even people who don't watch The Kardashians locked in.

SEE ALSO: How content creators are redefining Hollywood's power structure

Now guest-starring in A24's Overcompensating and the star of his own Crave TV show, quite literally titled Made For TV, Martinez-Reid embodies the new power players in entertainment, creators and actors blurring digital and traditional media and giving multiple formats a try. In Made For TV, he even plays an exaggerated version of himself, trying various reality television genres from dating to competitive drag, attempting to perfect them all.

Boman Martinez-Reid Credit: Simon Pella

Mashable sat down with Martinez-Reid to unpack how he finds comedy in appreciating format, his pop star dreams, how the entertainment industry is finally taking the internet seriously, and exactly how he keeps up with The Bodashians, his TikTok series that now exists within its own universe.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

There's so much to talk about, including your latest project, but I will start where you probably know I'm going to start. Many people will know you from your TikTok series, The Bodashians. It's how I came across your work, and honestly, I didn't watch The Kardashians until I saw your videos. 

I get that a lot, I get that a lot.

Now you've got Ncuti Gatwa singing your praises for it on Fallon, doing impressions of your impressions. When did this all begin, the vocal fry of it all?

I have been doing this now for years. When I was in high school, I wanted my own TV show; that was my dream. I was obsessed with The Real Housewives at the time, and my brother one day was like, 'Well, if you want your own TV show, why don't you just make it?' And I was like, oh my god, that is so genius. I didn't think of it like that. So I created a YouTube series called Reid It and Weep — Reid like my last name, so I was already a genius in marketing at a very young age. I was just making this TV show that was based on The Real Housewives, it was me and my friends, and we would cook up these dramatic storylines. They were 15-minute-long episodes that would span a season, and we made it for four seasons. Absolutely nobody saw it, but that's OK. It planted the seed for what was later to come. 

In 2019, I started making TikToks... I was like, OK, I'm making these videos, what is going to set me aside from everybody else? And I remembered, 'Oh my gosh, Reid It and Weep.' I have this talent for parodying reality TV. How do I take that concept and condense it into a minute and make it shareable for everybody? In 2020, I started making the "but it's reality TV" series. It wasn't quite The Bodashians yet, but it was these videos where I would take these mundane problems and turn them into these dramatic reality TV scenes so everybody could relate to it, and then also everybody understood the joke.

So I started doing that. It got really dramatic, and I started going very viral with it. Two years into it, my friend Eden, who's in many of my videos…

The best! We love Eden!

We love Eden. She was like, 'Why don't we do a Kardashian voice?' This was right when The Kardashians Hulu show had just come out. And I was like, 'Why? I don't watch The Kardashians. I don't care about The Kardashians.' But she was like, 'It could be funny if we just try it.' I was like, OK, because it's fun to try new things, of course! So we started doing that and we've never stopped. At this point, I think we've just posted episode 61, which is crazy.

"Yes, I parody 'The Kardashians,' but 'The Bodashians' now is its own universe. It has its own rules. It makes no sense, but it makes so much sense at the same time."

It's been a very, very interesting experience trying to constantly reinvent the exact same video, but I'm having a lot of fun. Still two, maybe three years later, now into The Bodashians, still having a lot of fun, still exploring what it is. Recently, I posted a video, I was getting a wax figure, and I was just so proud of that video and how it felt like its own thing. It's like, yes, I parody The Kardashians, but The Bodashians now is its own universe. It has its own rules. It makes no sense, but it makes so much sense at the same time. And much like you said, people don't watch The Kardashians, but they watch The Bodashians, and that is what matters to me.

You've perfected this art of parodying formats that people don't actually know is a format yet, like your getting ready for the Met Gala video, your Architectural Digest videos, they're spot on but they're such niche formats. How do you recognize these elements? Is this back to your love of reality TV and format?

Yes, I think it's a format thing for sure. The format is where I find the comedy. A lot of my comedy comes out in the edit. I still edit all of my own videos, and I feel like there's a reason for that, because I feel like that's the comedy. Me and my sister or my mom, or Eden, we will sit down to film a Bodashian video, and I'll explain to them what the video is, and they don't get it. They never get it. And oftentimes I'm just telling them what to say, because I'm the only person that will understand how to manipulate the phrase "there's something to be said" 80 times and make it make sense in a way that people will watch and be like, how do they still understand the narrative of this video? So for me, it is very much a format thing. 

I also really love celebrity culture. I think it's so ridiculous. It's so fun to make fun of the way that celebrities act in these videos. It's just not real. Like, Architectural Digest is really just a home tour. It's like when you go to your friend's house and they give you a tour of their home. But nobody acts like those celebrities act. What I love to point out is that we are all accepting these concepts as a fact. Like, we accept the way that these reality TV shows are edited with just blatant staring for three minutes in between lines as a fact. We don't think about these things, and I love to turn the mirror around and show people this is what you're actually watching.

Yes, that blank pausing is in a lot of your work. It's even back in one of my favorite of your series, which is JayNeigh and Seighdruah and The Girls Room.

Yes, JayNeigh and Seighdruah!

"It's important to write. It's important to use language."

Absolutely, you know what? There's comedy in silence. There's one JayNeigh and Seighdruah Girls Room video where we just stare at each other, and we try to cry. I think I say, 'Should we cry right now?' We try it, and it's one of my favorite moments that we've ever shared. Then she starts crying, and I start making fun of her. It's just so ridiculous. 

And it's a style of comedy that you brought to your own TV series, Made For TV, where you dabble in every style of reality TV format. When you were making this show, which genres did you learn the most about that you didn't already know?

Good question. Well, we did sports, and I am not an athletic person at all. Each genre, each episode, I just want to be the star of the genre, and we were trying to figure out if we do a sports episode, who's the star of sports? When I watch a sports game, all I can hear is the announcer, the caller, or the commentator. So that's what I was trying to get to: how do I do that perfectly? Turns out that it is really hard. And I was calling a children's game, which is an easy game to call, but you have to talk nonstop for, like, two hours. Who can do that? I don't know.

The news episode that we did was also very challenging…because I went to school for radio and television, and news was a big part of that. Growing up, I always thought that being a news anchor would be my fallback if I couldn't make it as an actor; it's like I had to be on camera somehow. My parents were always like, 'Just be a news anchor,' as if that was an easy thing to accomplish. Now looking back, there was no way I was ever gonna get there.

You know, just fall into it!

Just fall into it! But that was more challenging than I thought. 

However, the one that was the hardest to accomplish was the drag episode. That's the episode that when we were creating the show, I was like, 'Oh, I'm gonna ace this. This is gonna be the easiest thing I'll ever do.' I knew that I had that confidence within me for a reason. When you watch the episode, you can tell by the end, it's like, oh, I had that confidence all along. But what you don't see — I mean, I think you see some of it in the episode — is the panic that I was experiencing because what was really happening was I was going to do drag for the first time in front of my mom and dad, which was the scariest thing that I didn't realize I was scared of. But as it turns out, you know what? When drag queens are like, when you put on the makeup and you become a character, it's a real thing. That is a drug. I don't know what type of makeup they put on me, through osmosis, it sunk deep into my skin, and I became a fierce drag queen. Drag is hard. I will say that it's not a walk in the park.

You're pivoting into movies; you're guest starring in A24's comedy drama series Overcompensating created by Benito Skinner. What can you tell me about your role in this, and how did this all come about?

This all came about so fast. I want to act. I think I'm an actor first, and in this industry, it's been an interesting ride as a creator, trying to transition over because I feel like you have to work hard to maintain the image that you're not an influencer. No shade to the influencers, that's a very, very hard job to do every day, but I am a creator and actor first. So over these last few years, I've been hustling and auditioning and grinding, so I think that was part of it. 

The other part of it was Benny [Skinner]. Benny has such an eye for creators, and he wants to platform creators that he appreciates. I'm not going to speak for him and say that he appreciates my work, but we've worked together in the past, and I like to think that when he saw my tape, it felt like there was some sort of like, how do we put Boman in this show that's already done? It all happened very fast. Of course, it's not like a humongous role, but I will say, showing up on that day and filming was so fun. The cast and crew made me feel so at home. I was so, so excited to play the character that I played in that show, and I'm so excited for everybody to see it because I'm not playing a character that anybody would expect me to play. I had a lot of fun with it.

This line is blurring between digital and traditional media. Mashable culture editor Crystal Bell published a feature about how creators are becoming the new power players in entertainment. Have you come across much conversation around this new era of Hollywood and the blurring of the lines between YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, A24?

Much like yourself, I think it's so interesting. I think that, finally, the entertainment industry is meeting people where they are at and respecting what people are watching. Now seeing all of these actors and musicians promoting their music online and prioritizing that is so, so refreshing, because I think it gives validity to so many different mediums.

"Finally the entertainment industry is meeting people where they are at and respecting what people are watching."

Of course, there are the big shows like Hot Ones that have paved the way for that importance in the industry. But then there are also so many people that I know, people that I'm friends with, who have podcasts that have gotten Chappell Roan or huge, huge celebrities to do their podcasts. It's just a testament to, as I said before, now we are finally ready to meet people where they are at, and also, it's a testament to where we are going. With respect to my career, it feels interesting. I've had this dream about being on TV and being an actor, and that is still my dream, but I live in this duality of, well, I'm already doing the thing that people want me to do.

Whoops!

I know! So I feel like I have to navigate both, but I think there's a joy in that. It's so exciting to be on this side of it and be creating in an environment where nine times out of 10 you'll be successful with whatever you're doing, because it's the internet. And that's where everybody wants to be right now.

In my career, I really want to be able to do everything. I told my team the other day, I want to be a pop star. And I'm like, how do we figure it out? How do we get there? Anything feels possible at this point because of where we are on the internet. Last summer, I had a song, "I Have a Thing." Surrounding my song, I had this fake documentary, but now it's becoming like, OK, how do we make that a real thing? Because now with YouTube and longer format and longer videos, you have so much room to play in terms of character work and how you create a character. Like, what does that Bomanizer pop star character look like? How does it exist on Hot Ones? How does it exist in its own documentary or on a podcast? How do we have fun with that type of Andy Sandberg character? So I'm really excited by where we're going in terms of the internet and what's possible because I feel like the rules are slowly being peeled away. 

Congratulations on your song, by the way. I know you've created a character there, but that was all of us.

It's relatable, for sure. 

You just feel like playing it out loud to leave a situation. 

Sometimes you've gotta go, and that's what the song's about.

Well, I don't mean to play your song back to you right now, but I feel like I should let you go into your day.

I think we all have a thing, don't worry.