8 Unhinged X Discourses We Hope To Learn From This Year

As of 2025, it is difficult to say how long Twitter (now X) will continue to survive. Since Elon Musk, professional billionaire, decided to buy the platform for $44 billion, X has rapidly become a weaponized platform, filled with dangerously misleading ads and unchecked waves of misinformation.

It is no wonder, then, that there has been a mass exodus of users fleeing the app in favor of alternatives reminiscent of old Twitter. One X alternative, Bluesky, created by former X co-founder Jack Dorsey, saw a whopping 2.5 million new users only a week after the United States’ 2024 presidential elections.

But despite the ongoing decline and lack of clarity about its future, X has maintained its status as a cursed nebula dedicated to documenting the internet’s most chaotic and viral moments. It’s a space where the most absurd micronarratives unfold in real-time. Against all odds, these moments have sparked important conversations that continue to resonate among X users even as we welcome a new year.

With 2025 only having just begun, we still find ourselves reeling from the X micronarratives of last year. We have only just scratched the surface of the dangers of screenshot warfare (ahem, Denise Julia, and ahem, Jam Villanueva). We are still obsessed with anik-aniks, and still spend exorbitant amounts of money trying to get the most “aesthetic” tchotchke.

My goal for this article was simple: collect some of 2024’s strangest moments on the app, particularly among its Filipino audience, and take stock of how these moments continue to resonate as we enter 2025. In no particular order, here are the X discourses that continue to capture our attention and make us froth at the mouth with disbelief, outrage, and delight.

Denise Julia vs. BJ Pascual vs. Killa Kush

The nerve of these divas to start drama over the holiday season.

A (slightly) quick recap: In the December 20 episode of Killa Kush’s podcast, Bad B*tch Bible, photographer BJ Pascual named singer Denise Julia as the “worst” personality he has ever worked with. Pascual recounted how Julia’s team approached his team for a photoshoot which, due to several disagreements about scheduling and budgeting, was cancelled the night before the scheduled shoot, leaving Pascual to cover the cancellation costs himself. 

Julia, in turn, took to Instagram Stories on December 25 to share her side of the story (complete with selected text screenshots), noting that Pascual’s team was also slow to respond and pushed for a budget of P1.2 million, well over the P650,000 Julia’s team had initially proposed. 

In response to that, Pascual took to X on the same day to share complete text screenshots of the conversation between his manager and Julia’s, showing that his team had reduced their proposed budget to P371,000, and that they were communicative despite a busy schedule on the photographer’s end. 

We went into this wanting to work with you—we’re genuine fans and were so excited about the collaboration. From the very beginning, we were upfront about our budget and what we can afford to execute the music video, the Photoshoot, the album art, the trailer and press photos.

I… https://t.co/LZ61RIncMP pic.twitter.com/WWcUDG64VL

— denise julia ♡ (@denisejvlia) December 25, 2024

Julia is reported to be filing a defamation lawsuit against Pascual and Killa Kush, making this announcement on X while also sharing a screen recording of the text conversation in question. Julia also shared a screenshot on X of an Instagram conversation between her and Kush, in which Kush responded to the claims Pascual had made on her podcast, to which Julia replied, “Thanks. I’ll see you in court. 💋”

At the time of writing, Julia’s defamation announcement has garnered 18.5 million views on X, and Pascual’s screenshot shares an impressive 12.7 million views. This drama has kept the platform humming with anticipation as users quickly attempt to line up all the facts shared in both parties’ screenshots and decide who they feel is more in the wrong.

On January 6, Julia posted a clip on X of what seems to be her teasing a diss track in response to the drama. The clip, captioned “#BADDIE,” has been met with mixed reactions from X users, with some critiquing Julia on her use of African-American Vernacular English and on how the track may be a poor response to the drama, given that Julia played a significant role in it too.

Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings’ Screenshots

On the night of December 3rd, Jamela “Jam” Villanueva, ex-girlfriend of actor Anthony Jennings, dropped a bombshell revelation on Instagram Stories, exposing Jennings’ infidelity with actress and onscreen love interest Maris Racal. 

The revelation sent X into a frenzy, with fans of both stars outraged and dissecting every detail of their leaked texts. Allegiances were quickly drawn, with some blaming Jennings, many pointing fingers at Racal, and a few legal-minded fans arguing that Villanueva crossed a line by airing private matters out in the open. The backlash was so intense that it forced both Racal and Jennings to post public apology videos, attempting to quell the storm they’d helped ignite.

Our Anik-anik Hyperfixation

the common filipino is an anik anik girlie pic.twitter.com/3Ukly9xwpj

— Ibayan 🩳 (@ivnpsn) February 7, 2024

The term anik-anik refers to small, often insignificant items that we collect, usually because it evokes nostalgia or childhood sentimentality. Derived from the Filipino word “ano-ano,” meaning “this and that,” the term captures the idea that anything — whether it’s your collection of dead-eyed Sonny Angels or thank-you notes you can’t bring yourself to throw away — can be considered anik-anik.

On X, this year, the anik-anik discourse gained traction as users shared their own collections, sparking debates over what qualifies as anik-anik and why we feel compelled to accumulate these trinkets. Some users argued that anik-anik transcends specific items and shouldn’t be confined to overpriced collectibles like Labubus or Smitzkies. Others pointed out how the pressure to collect certain objects can be a reflection of broader social and financial inequalities. This ongoing conversation has made X a space for people to reflect on how anik-anik can represent both personal memories and the complexities of consumer culture.

Karinderya vs. McDo

tell me hindi ka nagkakarinderya without telling me hindi ka nagkakarinderya

Kakarant ko lang neto na 65-80+ pesos na ang ulam sa karinderya wala pang kanin 🥲 Kung sobrang busy, yung presyo ng mga lutong bahay for delivery sa compound namin, mas mahal pa sa fastfood delivery https://t.co/Bok91T5Nlq pic.twitter.com/JLa5cBtcPR

— (◕⌢◕✿) (@ayokonadesu) February 11, 2024

While Israel and Palestine has long been a complicated and violent conflict, the issue came to a head on October 7, 2023, when the militant group Hamas waged an unprecedented attack against Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,140 people. In response, Israel began an aggressive bombing campaign against Palestine, killing roughly over 45,000 Palestinians in the past year, including 17,000 children.

The escalating conflict has resulted in netizens boycotting influential brands — such as McDonald’s and other multinational companies — for their ties to Israel. Over the last year, X has become a hotbed for amplifying these boycotts, with campaigns like #boycottmcdonalds rapidly gaining traction. 

Despite the growing traction, many X users have pointed out how fast food chains like McDonald’s are often the most affordable option for people wanting to eat out, making the boycotts difficult to maintain for some. In response to this criticism, Philippine X user @atsumukitsu tweeted how eating in a karinderya is cheaper than eating at a McDonald’s. “im just saying na dont try to use mcdo and say that it’s the ONLY thing u could afford,” the X user states in a lengthy thread on X.

I think ang dapat pag awayan ay kung bakit ang mahal na ng mga bilihin ngayon at kung sino dapat ang panagutin sa kapalpakan ng econ policies ng gobyerno.

Hindi kung alin sa karinderya o fastfood ang mas mura.

— Lean Porquia #ResistTheFascist (@IanMakabayan) February 12, 2024

@atsumukitsu went viral, with her original tweet garnering 3.9 million views. X users quickly took sides, either defending karinderyas over fast food chains or arguing that a karinderya often has pricier options than McDonald’s. As is the nature of X dramas, the conversation spiraled into a messy debate about the price of food increasing in the Philippines, boycotts, and how a discourse on karinderya versus McDonald’s takes attention away from the actual conflict in Palestine.

Manila’s brat Walls

September and October 2024 saw a number of walls around Metro Manila being painted a distinct green with the text “brat,” referencing English singer-songwriter Charli XCX’s hit album of the summer. The walls appeared along the streets of Sampaloc, Sta. Mesa, and Tomas Morato, delighting fans who immediately posted pictures of the walls online.

There’s confusion over who has been setting up the brat walls of Manila. While some speculated that the walls were set up by local fans, the neon green murals were commissioned by Warner Music Philippines and had the permission of property owners. Additionally, fans have pointed out how the walls have cropped up in the less developed parts of Manila which, in turn, opened up conversations about classicism, as well as who is allowed to take part in moments of huge cultural phenomena.

P120,000 Resto Bills

if this doesn't radicalize you idk what will pic.twitter.com/JAcSpUcgYW

— militant (@alasiye7e) September 23, 2024

In a now-deleted TikTok from influencer Emman Atienza, she and her friends were seen dining in a high-end Japanese restaurant. The video saw each member of the group making guesses about how much the total bill would be, and the one that guessed closest to the price would be paying the bill. The TikTok showed that the total price was around P123,000, throwing the internet into an enraged frenzy. 

Users took to X to point out how Atienza had pretended to cultivate a more relatable online persona, only to undermine herself with a video clearly showing her privilege. The video sparked conversations about the obvious financial equality in the Philippines, but it also prompted Atienza to post a follow-up TikTok explaining that an agency paid for the dinner, and that she was always open about being a “nepo baby” as the daughter of TV personality Kuya Kim.

Since Emman Atienza posted the tone-deaf or insensitive "Guess the Bill" video publicly via social media, it's expected it would receive criticisms. Her succeeding video mentioning other celebs to justify it is mas lalong pinalala nya ang bashing sa kanya.
HUMILITY is a virtue.

— angiemoi (@NoToAbuse_) September 25, 2024

Carlos Yulo’s Family Drama

Soon after Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo won a historic gold medal at this year’s Paris Olympics, Yulo’s mother, Angelica Poquiz Yulo, engaged in a very public drama with Yulo’s girlfriend, Chloe Anjeleigh San Jose. In an interview with Bombo Radyo Philippines, the mother revealed that the feud had been going on for quite some time, and that she believed San Jose was separating Yulo from his family.

Social media was abuzz with this family drama, with most voicing the sides they were taking in the conversation. Many argued that Yulo’s mother was in the wrong for not taking accountability for her part in the feud, while others argued that the gymnast should make amends with his mother.

Overpriced ‘Raves’

A post from X user highlighted how rave culture in the Philippines has changed, potentially for the worse. In the tweet, the user pointed out how overpriced quote-unquote “raves” have become, with expensive door fees and no free water offered to rave goers. In a follow-up reply, they said that the financial barrier is preventing the rave community from experiencing long-term growth, especially because attendees may not afford the rising fees. 

These tweets sparked a conversation among people attuned to Manila’s rave scene. Many agreed with the tweets and highlighted how community access tickets or returning to the DIY approach of earlier rave culture could alleviate these current issues.