Wikipedia

Annie Rauwerda

Annie Rauwerda (/ˈraʊ.ərdə/;[1] born November 27, 1999) is an American internet personality, journalist, and comedian known for Depths of Wikipedia, a group of social media accounts that highlight facts from Wikipedia. Rauwerda hosts Wikipedia-focused variety and comedy shows based on the accounts. Rauwerda was named the 2022 Media Contributor of the Year by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia. Rauwerda organized a perpetual stew in a Brooklyn park, which went viral on social media.

Annie Rauwerda
Rauwerda in 2023
Born (1999-11-27) November 27, 1999 (age 24)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BS)
Instagram information
Page
Years active2020–present
Followers1.3 million
Contents are inEnglish
Associated actsDepths of Wikipedia
Updated: May 12, 2024
Websiteannierau.com
Signature

Early life and education edit

Rauwerda was born on November 27, 1999,[2] and was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.[3][4] Growing up, she attended the K–12 Grand Rapids Christian Schools. Before attending college, Rauwerda took a gap year and served through AmeriCorps as a STEM tutor in Chicago. Following the conclusion of her gap year, she matriculated at the University of Michigan in 2019,[4] graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience in 2022.[4][5]

Wikipedia edit

 
Rauwerda has performed live shows inspired by her social media accounts, Depths of Wikipedia.

Rauwerda became interested in Wikipedia while wikiracing in middle and high school.[6][7][8] While a sophomore at the University of Michigan during COVID-19 lockdowns, Rauwerda created Depths of Wikipedia, a group of social media accounts which highlight facts from Wikipedia that she considers "weird and wonderful".[9][10] The first account was launched on Instagram in April 2020, and has since expanded to TikTok and Twitter.[6][7] The accounts combined have millions of followers.[11]

In addition to the Depths of Wikipedia social media accounts, Rauwerda hosts Wikipedia-focused variety and comedy shows, going on tour in 2022 and 2023.[9][12] Rauwerda's first in-person comedy set was in July 2021, expanding to a series of cross-country comedy tours.[13] Her show involves a slides presentation of Wikipedia screenshots, similar to Depths of Wikipedia's online content, and comedy commentary.[11][13][14][15]

In August 2022 Rauwerda was named the 2022 Media Contributor of the Year by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia.[16] In October 2022, she wrote for Slate about Wikipedia's article on suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople, highlighting the encyclopedia's usefulness as a source of information in areas facing censorship.[11][17] As of 2023, Rauwerda is working on a book about Wikipedia's cultural history.[9][18]

Perpetual stew edit

 
Rauwerda being interviewed by News 12 about her perpetual stew, 2023

On June 7, 2023, Rauwerda started a vegan potato leek stew in a slow cooker in her apartment. Inspired by the concept of a perpetual stew, some amount of the stew was preserved after each meal and replenished with more broth and ingredients.[19][20][21] Rauwerda eventually expanded the "stew nights" to the public, hosting outdoor gatherings at Fermi Park in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where people contributed to and consumed the stew.[22][23][24] Participants were encouraged to bring vegan ingredients, with about 300 people contributing to the stew.[25][19][26] The stew was cooked for 60 days, ending on August 6, 2023.[20]

The events attracted considerable social media attention, in what was described as an "internet sensation" and "all the rage among Gen Zs."[23][26][22][27] Rauwerda documented the progress of the stew on TikTok, where some posts had millions of views.[26][22] The events gained additional attention for a website documenting it that Rauwerda maintained.[19][22]

Personal life edit

Rauwerda adopted a cat from Instagram influencer Caroline Calloway in 2021.[28][29] As of 2023, Rauwerda lives in an apartment in Brooklyn, New York.[30]

Selected works edit

  • ​ (May 11, 2021). "Billy Magic and the internet's unabashed enthusiasm for public transit". The Michigan Daily.
  • ​ (July 14, 2021). "College quantified". The Michigan Daily.
  • ​ (September 15, 2021). "Stars, they're just like us: Why astrology sticks around". The Michigan Daily.
  • ​ (October 21, 2022). "Russian oligarchs keep dying in suspicious ways. Wikipedia is keeping a list". Slate.
  • ​ (January 18, 2023). "Wikipedia's redesign is barely noticeable. That's the point". Slate.
  • ​ (April 12, 2023). "In search of Wikipedia's shrug guy". Defector.

References edit

  1. ^ Dzotsi, Emmanuel; Goldman, Alex; Nederveen-Pieterse, Kim (June 9, 2022). "#188 Into the Depths". Reply All (Podcast). Gimlet Media. Event occurs at 1:24. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Rauwerda, Annie (November 21, 2022). "23 things i learned in 23 years". LOL (lots of links). Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Ishikawa, Rachel (March 6, 2023). "Stateside Podcast: The depths of Wikipedia". Michigan Radio. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Craker, Lorilee (March 27, 2023). "Excavating Wikipedia for Fun and Profit". The Banner. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Spencer, George (August 26, 2022). "From rabbit hole to raging success". Michigan Today. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Joshi, Shamani (January 13, 2022). "I Look For the Weirdest and Wildest Things on Wikipedia. Here's What I've Learned". Vice News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Kambhampaty, Anna P. (March 31, 2022). "Want to See the Weirdest of Wikipedia? Look No Further". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Cavender, Ella (October 24, 2021). "Travel down a Wikipedia rabbit hole with the mastermind behind DepthsOfWikipedia Instagram". Mashable. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Aceves, Paula (July 13, 2023). "Our Lady of Perpetual Stew". Grub Street. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Depths of Wikipedia: Meet the Michigander who scours the web for anything weird and wonderful". WKAR Public Media. April 11, 2022. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Villena, Cole (February 28, 2023). "Depths of Wikipedia's Annie Rauwerda Is Obsessed With Accessible Information". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  12. ^ "From rabbit hole to raging success". Michigan Today. August 26, 2022. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Instagram Memers Are Performing in Sold Out Live Shows". Gizmodo. February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  14. ^ Calise, Gabrielle (September 21, 2023). "Looking for weird Tampa lore? Depths of Wikipedia to uncover local oddities". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Ponti, Aimsel (November 27, 2023). "Things to Do: Theater, fine art fair, disco party and a show about Wikipedia". Press Herald. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Wikimedia Foundation (August 14, 2022). "Celebrating the 2022 Wikimedians of the Year!". Diff. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  17. ^ Rauwerda, Annie (October 21, 2022). "Russian Oligarchs Keep Dying in Suspicious Ways. Wikipedia Is Keeping a List". Slate. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via slate.com.
  18. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando (July 20, 2023). "The Perpetual Stew Is More About Community Than Cuisine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c Harrison, Lane (July 18, 2023). "She's been cooking a stew for 40 days — and it's attracted hundreds of new friends". CBC Radio. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Karpan, Andrew (August 9, 2023). "Scenes From the Final Stew in Bushwick". Bushwick Daily. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  21. ^ Russo, Christine (July 19, 2023). "Annie's Perpetual Stew ignites flavorful Brooklyn community tradition". FOX 5 New York. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  22. ^ a b c d Lamour, Joseph (July 13, 2023). "Woman goes viral for making a 'perpetual stew' that's been cooking for 40 days". Today. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Mayorquin, Orlando (July 20, 2023). "The Perpetual Stew Is More About Community Than Cuisine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  24. ^ McCarthy, Liz; Aujero, Sophia (July 20, 2023). "Would you eat perpetual stew? This Brooklyn soup has been brewing for over 40 days". NBC New York. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  25. ^ Aceves, Paula (July 13, 2023). "Our Lady of Perpetual Stew". Grub Street. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  26. ^ a b c Werner, Kaleigh (July 18, 2023). "Woman goes viral for cooking 'perpetual stew' for 40 days straight". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  27. ^ Descalsota, Marielle (July 19, 2023). "New York Gen Zs are going wild for a stew that's been brewing for a month. Wait until they find out about Bangkok's 50-year-old soup". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  28. ^ Rauwerda, Annie (October 21, 2021). "Siamese cats are heatmaps of themselves". Boing Boing. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  29. ^ Foussianes, Chloe (January 26, 2023). "Annie Rauwerda Finds Treasure In The Depths Of Wikipedia". Bustle. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  30. ^ Avi-Yonah, Shera (July 13, 2023). "This Brooklyn stew is 36 days old. The lines are around the block". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Annie_Rauwerda&oldid=1227697049"