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Ben and Amory dive into the concept of speedrunning, applying it to two distinct internet stories. First, they discuss a Reddit thread where parents try to identify a perplexing object found in their son's room, leading to surprising revelations and a debate on parental snooping. Then, the hosts explore the recent viral TikTok trend where youths literally "speedrun" through Church of Scientology buildings, sparking discussions about protest ethics, religious harassment, and effective forms of resistance in the digital age.
The podcast delves into the internet's fascination with eggs, starting with a wholesome story of Heavy Tech 86's wildly popular pickled eggs and sausage recipe on Reddit's r/pickling community. It then shifts to the more contentious rise of Korean Mayak eggs on TikTok, specifically how a white creator, Courtney Cook, gained massive traction, leading to accusations of misattribution and cultural appropriation from Asian American creators. The episode unpacks the complexities of giving credit and benefiting from food trends across cultures in the digital age.
Of all the internet communities in all the world, you walked into ours. Hosts Ben and Amory pay homage to the magic of chance encounters with producer Grace Tatter. Together, they explore the ways in which the internet fuels random yet delightful meetings between strangers online, from a website where you can impersonate ChatGPT to Craigslist's beloved Missed Connections page. Show notes: YourAISlopBores.Me What Craigslist’s missed connections are still good for (The Bold Italic) Credits: This e...
This episode features comedian Ben Palmer, known for creating a fake immigration tip line to expose prejudice. He details his journey from stand-up to viral online trolling, including a prolonged prank on a former congressman. Palmer explains his unique deadpan delivery, his ethical boundaries, and reflects on how his comedy has evolved into a powerful tool for social commentary and resistance against harmful ideologies.
WBUR presents 'The Midnight Rebellion,' an interactive climate fiction podcast set 100 years in the future where climate change has drastically altered the world. Listeners join Joule Watts-Green on an adventure to find her missing mother and navigate a perilous, robot-filled city of tides, making crucial choices that determine the story's outcome. This episode, Chapter One, introduces Joule's family, the mysterious lab, and a critical decision that kicks off her journey.
The episode delves into the contrasting worlds of online expression. It first uncovers the mystery of "Ridiculoubs," a hiker who scales mountains in Christian Louboutin heels, revealing his unique blend of fashion and nature. Then, it shifts to the "Dull Women's Club," a Facebook group where members celebrate ordinary life moments, from changing dish soap scents to buying a first home at sixty, highlighting the profound value in everyday contentment and the need for both extraordinary and ordinary online spaces.
The episode journeys into space through Reddit, first examining a long-period radio signal of unknown origin with radio astronomer Yvette Cendes, who debunks alien theories with scientific clarity. It then dives into Saturn's massive, enduring hexagonal storm, exploring its discovery, unique characteristics, and the internet-fueled conspiracy theories it has inspired, before returning to scientific explanations and remaining mysteries.
What's your favorite color? If you ask the algorithm, the answer is probably beige. The internet loves neutrals. Aesthetic coffee shop videos feature white walls and minimalist decor. Influencers film from houses decked out with all the beige fixings. When you shop online, you'll be presented with products in a wide range of bland colors — from eggshell, to taupe, to... slightly darker taupe. So where did all the color go? Hayley DeRoche, a librarian and writer known as SadBeige on Tiktok, has b...
This episode explores how rapper Afroman leveraged a traumatic 2022 police raid on his home, which yielded no illegal findings, into a new wave of internet virality. He created hit songs and merchandise, leading to a defamation lawsuit by the involved officers. The podcast delves into the subsequent trial, where a jury ultimately sided with Afroman, affirming his First Amendment rights and sparking broader conversations about accountability, race, and the power of creative expression.
This episode revisits the viral TikTok story of "Tunnel Girl" Kala, who meticulously dug an extensive tunnel system under her suburban home. Initially hailed for her ambition, her project soon drew safety and legality concerns from the online community and local authorities, culminating in a stop-work order. Despite a period of silence and a return to TikTok with cryptic posts, the future of her ambitious subterranean construction remains uncertain.
This episode of Endless Thread navigates the "beautiful, terrible" internet. First, it covers the Department of Government Efficiency's attempt to censor viral deposition videos and their swift re-emergence through BitTorrent and the Internet Archive, showcasing the futility of online content removal. Then, the hosts discuss a Reddit productivity tip that encourages viewing life as a TV show, only for the discussion to pivot to the unsettling prevalence of AI-generated content on social media and the challenges of verifying human interaction online. The episode concludes with a final update on the Doge video ruling.
The podcast explores the popular Reddit subreddit r/BookshelvesDetective, where users post pictures of their bookshelves for others to analyze and deduce personality traits, reading habits, and even relationship compatibility. It delves into the hosts' personal experiences with the trend, common subreddit judgments regarding book choices and organization, and the surprising accuracy of some user deductions. The discussion also covers how the pandemic transformed bookshelves into virtual backdrops, intensifying the scrutiny and curation of personal libraries, offering a window into how we judge and present ourselves through our literary collections.
A woman sitting blissfully on a vibrating laundromat dryer. A faked pregnancy test to dump a bad boyfriend. In 2019, the internet was abuzz about bizarre ads for a mobile game called Lily's Garden. The ads were only about 15 seconds each, but they evoked a whole universe of drama amongst a cast of zany characters that inspired countless YouTube videos and copious internet chatter. The thing is... the story in the ads had almost nothing to do with the story in the game. In this episode of Endless...
This episode features Scottish folk singer and activist Iona Fyfe, who recounts her disturbing ordeal when her images were manipulated by X's Grok AI chatbot, creating non-consensual sexualized deepfakes and a Russian propaganda video. She discusses her history of online activism, the platform's inadequate response to reports, and the challenges of combating misinformation and image abuse in the digital age, emphasizing the need for robust regulation.
Hosts Ben and Amory delve into the challenge of finding new music, sharing their journey through Reddit's "Obscure music that slaps" community to uncover unique artists. They also investigate the phenomenon of Romeo Bingham's viral Dr. Pepper jingle, which transformed from a simple TikTok post into a major commercial campaign. The episode highlights the joy of diverse musical discovery and celebrates creators who achieve success through genuine, unconventional content.
The "Melania" documentary sparked widespread debate due to its 10% critic score versus a 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This episode delves into the accusations of astroturfing and bulk ticket buying, examining Rotten Tomatoes' verification process, which relies on Fandango purchases. Ultimately, it explores how political biases and the director's controversial past influence perception, questioning the very act of quantifying subjective cultural experiences with numerical scores.
This episode revisits a 2018 story about Samantha and Laura's marriage, which faces a profound challenge when Samantha comes out as a trans woman. It explores Samantha's lifelong struggle with gender identity, Laura's journey to understand and accept, and how Reddit's trans communities provided crucial support and inspiration. The couple candidly discusses navigating personal fears, societal perceptions, and the impact on their family, ultimately finding joy and a deeper connection.
Author and podcast host Sarah Marshall from "You're Wrong About" joins to discuss her new series, "The Devil You Know," which delves into the 1980s Satanic Panic. She explores the complex cultural and political factors that fueled this widespread hysteria, from conservative backlashes to cuts in social services, and how the internet's rise might have reshaped its trajectory. The conversation also critically examines official documents used to "spot Satanists" and the potential of online communities to counter modern moral panics.
Join Ben and Amory as they dive into two of Reddit's most surprisingly fervent fruit debates. First, they tackle the controversial topic of microwaving fruit, discussing its merits as a "warm hug from the inside" and even conducting a live experiment. Next, they explore the viral discussion on the "correct" method for peeling a banana, weighing the "antenna side" against the "butthole side" and considering monkey wisdom. The episode uncovers how seemingly minor preferences can ignite passionate online discussions.
Discover how the popular "alpha male" concept originated from a biologist's misunderstood observations of captive wolves, a mistake he later recanted. The episode explores why this idea, though debunked for wolves, persists in human society and popular culture. It delves into dominance hierarchies in primates, offering more complex models of leadership, and emphasizes that human masculinity is culturally constructed, not simply biological. Ultimately, it challenges simplistic views of power and behavior in favor of societal complexity.
Fast-and-cheap shipping is now foundational to the American way of life, thanks in large part to Amazon Prime. Still, when producer Grace Tatter sees a video of a man claiming that he's continuously ordering and returning an 110-pound anvil from Amazon with no repercussions from the tech giant, she has questions. Is this legit, or is it a Wile E. Coyote-level scheme? Unlike an anvil, the answer can't be found online. Show notes: "this guy has been buying and returning 110lb anvils on Amazon for ...
Adam Aleksic's Roman Empire is language, particularly how algorithms are changing the way we all use words. This week, Endless Thread gets algospeak-pilled and learns how "unalive" spread from a kids' Spider-Man cartoon to TikTok mental health communities trying to avoid censorship; what we're really saying when we say we're "goblin-core," and whether this all means we're "cooked." Show notes: Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language This episode was produced by Grace T...
This episode delves into the enduring impact of a viral Reddit story, 'Today You, Tomorrow Me,' about a man whose car troubles were resolved by an unexpected act of kindness from an immigrant family. It explores the philosophical implications of the Fermi paradox, questioning humanity's propensity for good versus self-destruction. The discussion challenges listeners to embody the message of mutual aid, reflecting on how individual actions contribute to a kinder, more interconnected world, ten years after the story first resonated.
Who gets credit for starting a meme? Usually... nobody — they're made too quickly and organically. In the case of one of the most famous bait-and-switch memes of all time, the "Rick Roll," we may be looking at something experts call convergent evolution. Did the Rick Roll originate with a piece of code on the message board 4Chan, or with a prank call to a local sports show in Michigan? And why does the Rick Roll have such staying power? Is it codified in the DNA of the song itself? We explore th...
This episode delves into Google Maps' two-decade history, featuring New Orleanians who used it to survey Hurricane Katrina damage and the "Map Men" who debate if it's the best and worst map for humanity. It explores our growing dependency, cognitive changes from GPS use, and the importance of conscious navigation, including alternative mapping tools and the joy of occasionally getting lost.
The podcast uncovers the unexpected evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine, where fiber optic cables now extend for dozens of kilometers to control drones and counter radio jamming. It follows Alexei, a Ukrainian soldier turned drone innovator, from his harrowing combat experience to his efforts to develop these wired drones. The episode highlights the technical challenges, geopolitical complexities of sourcing components, and the significant, lasting environmental consequences of this widespread "drone web."
The internet decides what's for dinner. Ruby Tandoh is the author of the new book, All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now . A stint on the Great British Bake Off when she was in college launched her into the world of cookbooks — increasingly irrelevant in a world where we're more likely to turn to Google for a recipe than turn to our bookshelves — and provided her an education in how pop culture stokes our cravings. She takes Ben and Amory on a journey from the surprising history of AllRec...
In honor of the day-after-Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, we're revisiting our conversation with Barry Enderwick, the man behind the beloved and wildly popular "Sandwiches of History" social media accounts. Barry joined Ben and Amory to make a triple-decker sandwich from 1958, and to talk about his first cookbook, " Sandwiches of History the Cookbook: All the Best (and Most Surprising) Things People Have Put Between Slices of Bread ." To quote Barry's signature phrase, we think you should give t...
Dive into the internet's most ridiculous food stories, starting with "Chivegate," where a Redditor's daily chive-chopping quest for perfection sparked massive online scrutiny and an eventual fraud scandal. Then, investigate the baffling "margarine mystery," a user's desperate, covert plan to move and dispose of thousands of pounds of margarine, leading to a deep dive into their perplexing post history and a theory of an elaborate marketing stunt.
Ben and Amory dive into the world of inventive online trolling, first investigating the persistent myth of "friders" in New Zealand, revealing a coordinated, long-running internet joke. They then uncover the deceptive "Terri's Tourz," which initially appears to be a highly offensive, anti-immigrant attraction but is, in fact, a clever ruse by a comedian to funnel support to migrant assistance groups. The episode explores the effectiveness and ethical implications of such politically motivated digital activism.
