Trending. Felt. Understood.
Behind every Seedtag Emotion Quotient is Liz, Seedtag's AI, revealing the emotions shaping today's biggest cultural moments in the US.
The Sunday-night VMAs spilled into the week: Madonna's first show-opening performance in 23 years, Taylor Swift's 'Patient Zero' video premiere and record night, and a red carpet that split viewers — from Lisa Rinna's Madonna tribute to the 'wait, what?!' outfits.
Admiration ran 5.99× above baseline — the week's sharpest single lift — tagged on 72.9% of the coverage, with amusement close behind at 4.65× as memes and 'cringe' reactions to Madonna's speech rode alongside the praise, and anger all but absent at 0.11×.
The Giants traded for Vikings backup J.J. McCarthy days after Jaxson Dart's season-ending injury, the Browns stunned the Steelers on Thursday night amid an Aaron Rodgers–Mike McCarthy shouting match, and Baker Mayfield's injury left Tampa Bay scrambling at quarterback.
Surprise ran 2.44× above baseline and led every other emotion, with sadness at 1.71× ahead of excitement (1.47×) — a week read through trades, upsets and injured starters rather than game-day hype, while anger stayed below baseline at 0.60×.
The postseason opened with best-of-three Wild Card Series: the Yankees swept the Red Sox again without an injured Aaron Judge, the Padres swept the Cubs, the White Sox advanced, and Bryce Harper's Phillies came back on the Braves.
Excitement ran 2.83× above baseline with surprise at 2.20×, but the celebratory emotions barely registered — joy at 0.12× and admiration at just 0.05× — a short-series format read as suspense and elimination, not triumph.
Indiana forced a winner-take-all Game 3 against Las Vegas behind a record-setting Caitlin Clark night — technical, foul-out and all — before A'ja Wilson's 36 points eliminated a bloodied Clark and the Fever; Wilson's heated exchange with a fan in Game 2 drew a league fine.
Admiration ran 3.60× above baseline, but sadness (2.64×) sat on almost exactly the same share of articles (44%) as the Fever's run ended, with anger kept low at 0.41× despite the fan confrontation.
Portugal's captain left the national-team camp before the Nations League game against Denmark after a reported rift with coach Jorge Jesus, published a farewell letter promising to 'tell the truth in due time', and faces a possible suspension; Portugal won without him.
Anger led 61.8% of the coverage at 2.56× baseline, yet sadness lifted even higher at 3.13× — the walkout read as much like the end of an era as a scandal — with excitement nearly absent at 0.20×.
The Tech Behind the Ranking
Explore the methodology powering Seedtag Emotion Quotient, and see how Liz decodes interest, emotion, and intent, all without relying on personal data.
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