Candice Lim is joined by Julian Sewell (@juliansewell), the creator of TikTok’s most famously snubbed actress: Paloma Diamond. In March 2023, Sewell posted a TikTok parodying the behavior of nominated actors at the Academy Awards. Posted days before the actual ceremony, the video gained millions of views immediately and made Paloma the protagonist of Sewell’s faux universe. Since then, Sewell has parodied everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to America’s Next Top Model, but his followers love adding to Paloma’s lore, making her one of TikTok’s favorite characters to root for. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Slate writer Nadira Goffe to break down the latest developments surrounding Nicki Minaj’s beef with rapper Megan Thee Stallion. On January 26, Megan Thee Stallion released “Hiss,” which takes aim at several unnamed parties. Fellow rapper Minaj took offense to certain lyrics, leading her to post about Megan for 72 hours on social media and ultimately, release a diss track titled “Big Foot.” While Minaj is notorious for her fraught relationships with female emcees, the social media spiral that occurred has fans questioning their loyalty to the increasingly problematic rapper. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Anisa Khalifa, a podcast producer and host of The Broadside from WUNC. They dissect the phenomenon surrounding video essays, which are not exactly new to YouTube, but finding a captivated audience in Gen-Z and millennial culture. From deep dives into The Hobbit to retellings of Greek mythology, the ability to analyze pop culture, cite sources and listen to spoken essays uninterrupted is creating the hunger for more longform content. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. ICYMI is sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim talks to Mychal Threets (@​​mychal3ts), a Bay Area librarian by day and beloved TikTok creator by night. In December 2023, Threets was the target of a negative tweet that called his TikToks weird. But in a shocking twist, the internet ran to Threet’s defense, praising his work and platform as a librarian. Threets joins the conversation to talk about his reaction to that moment, his new rules for navigating the comment section and his surprisingly millennial-core music taste. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie for a mailbag episode. They dive into listener questions about hot topics such as Stanley cups, Josh wine and the two tunnels dumbfounding the internet. Do you have an internet query, trend or phenomenon you just can’t wrap your head around? Let us help! Send your internet conundrums to icymi@slate.com and we just might read your email on an upcoming episode. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. ICYMI is sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Milly Tamarez and Alise Morales, the co-hosts of Go Touch Grass — a new podcast that dives into the online gossip and niche drama you’ve missed this week. They dive into their internet diaries, which include Heather Gay memes, West Elm Caleb conspiracy theories and what happens when AI bots cheat on each other. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. ICYMI is sponsored by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Vox culture reporter Aja Romano to explain the rapid social media rise of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. On December 28, 2023, Blanchard was released from prison after serving eight years following the brutal murder of her mother. Almost immediately, Blanchard became a social media celebrity who currently has more than 8 million followers on Instagram and 9 million followers on TikTok. But Blanchard’s internet presence raises questions about the way social media treats prisoners who have left the carceral system and whether the overwhelming support for Blanchard is warranted. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Wailin Wong, co-host of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money. They dissect the drama and mayhem surrounding Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise — a nine-month trip that TikTokkers on land and sea that we can’t stop talking about. The cruise is scheduled to visit more than 60 countries over 274 nights, but since it left Miami in December, passengers have been uploading room tours, buffet reviews and excursion vlogs daily — if not, hourly — so land-dwellers can keep up with this reality show on water. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by culture journalist Cat Sposato to trace the rise of this year’s most promising pop act, Tate McRae. McRae gained national attention as a 12-year-old dancer on So You Think You Can Dance. While pursuing a legitimate dance career, she posted an original song on YouTube that led RCA Records to bet on her as the next big pop star. After two albums, certain people on the internet still accuse McRae of being an industry plant, but her path has been oddly traditional and well-documented online. So was McRae an industry plant or an inevitable star? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Lim is joined by Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion to talk about their love of romance novels. The romance genre grew rapidly this past year, becoming the fastest-growing category of fiction and generating over $1.4 billion in sales revenue. Partly thanks to Goodreads and BookTok, romance novels are getting into the hands of younger, more outspoken and vocal readers. But recent scandals, including last year’s Hockey BookTok disaster, question the limits of literary thirsting and ask whether we can ever quit romance. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, The Outward hosts break down the million dollar takeover ad on X for Prager University’s documentary Detrans: The Dangers of Gender Affirming Care. NBC reporter Jo Yurcaba joins Bryan, Christina, and Jules to tackle the misdirections and anti-trans agenda of the documentary and take a look at the transphobic shifts on the social media platform. Email us at: outwardpodcast@slate.com Podcast production by Palace Shaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school districts across the country. Freedom! took kids on a journey along the Underground Railroad, becoming the first American software program to use slavery as its subject matter. Less than four months later, it was pulled from the market. In this episode, we revisit this well-intentioned, but flawed foray into historical trauma that serves as a reminder that teaching Black history in America has always been fraught. We hear from Julian Lucas, Mike Palmquist, Rich Bergeron, Josh Bergeron, Kamau Kambui, Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, John Ojanen, Darrolyn Sharp, Byron Sharp, and Dean Kephart. This episode was written by Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. This episode was also produced by Benjamin Frisch, and edited by Erica Morrison. Derek John is executive producer. Joel Meyer is senior editor-producer and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We’re grateful to Julian Lucas for his expertise, reporting, and generosity, without which this episode would not have been possible. His New Yorker article, “Can Slavery Reenactments Set Us Free?,” revisits the Freedom! story as part of an exploration of the live Underground Railroad re-enactments that Kamau Kambui pioneered. Thank you to Jesse Fuchs for suggesting this topic. Thanks also to Coventry Cowens, Brigitte Fielder, Bob Whitaker, Alan Whisman, Wayne Studer, Alicia Montgomery, Rebecca Onion, Luke Winkie, and Kamau Kambui’s children: Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, and Kamau Sababu Kambui Jr. If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. If you’re a fan of the show, please sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads and have total access to Slate’s website. Your support is also crucial to our work. Go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Goodreads scandals to relationship prompt Twitter, the internet has been rife with trends to get mad about. On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos and journalist Sylvia Obell to audit everything they lived through online in 2023, discussing the good, the bad and the truly unhinged. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Kristen Meinzer (Daily Fail, How to be Fine) and Tre’vell Anderson (FANTI, What A Day) to recap the year in celebrity breakups. Lately, it feels like everyone in Hollywood is breaking up, but have there really been that many more celebrity splits than usual? Was Scandoval really proof that love is dead or have we been placing celebrity couples on way too high a pedestal? And has the internet created a reaction ecosystem where Twitter aggregates like PopCrave amplify breakups beyond their reality? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to conclude their list of the top internet moments of the year. In their previous episode, Rachelle and Candice memorialized Elon-held Twitter, the most famous submersible online and reunions that shouldn’t air live. But no moment superseded the viral drama, cultural legacy and aquatic meme-ifcation of a singular historic event that happened on August 5, 2023. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim announce their top internet moments of the year. Is it the MirandaSings controversy? The Shein influencer factory tour? The internet boyfriend wars of Al Pacino vs. Robert De Niro? They bring their picks and ruminate on the year of Elon Musk and OceanGate. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by journalists Bomani Jones and Tamerra Griffin to cover the biggest moments of sports that happened online this year. From basketball stateside to women’s soccer abroad, the internet has a way of picking up the little moments you don’t see in a stadium and making major waves about them. It’s the reason why an athlete’s behavior in one singular moment can become a platform for our projections and how Twitter can make anyone a talking head. Today, they’ll take a look back at the harrowing, nail-biting and historic stories that’ll be remembered for years to come. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by culture journalist Cat Sposato to run down this year in concerts, from the Renaissance alien to the perils of standing room only. They get into the value of concert films, how internet standom translates to venue fandom and why pop stars have become the target of flying objects. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by NPR producer J.C. Howard to walk through his personal experience of buying a car. The heyday of Toyotathon and Happy Honda Days are being replaced by car reviewers who have become influencers (and dealers) for major brands. From CarTok to CarTube, vloggers like EverydayChris and Gjeebs are not only upending the dealership model, but also creating parasocial relationships between cars and their consumers. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer, producer and former video blogger Franchescha Ramsey to discuss the return of Colleen Ballinger. Ramsey was last on the show earlier this year, decoding the firestorm that engulfed Ballinger, better known as her alter ego MirandaSings. After a four-month hiatus and a now-infamous ukelele “apology” video, Ballinger has returned to daily vlogging at the most lucrative time of the year. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode brought to us by Slate’s The Waves, we’re digging into the Bravo network. From Below Deck to Selling Sunset to Vanderpump Rules, the Bravo TV network is a reality television behemoth that has made millions on the backs of its female cast members. But is it actually good for women? ICYMI founding host Rachelle Hampton and culture writer Shamira Ibrahim discuss the current Bravo era, how much of Bravo belongs to famous producer Andy Cohen, why cast members can’t rely on a reunion to tell their stories, and whether the cast members of shows like the Real Housewives really have agency. If you liked this episode, check out: How to Be a Woman in Music Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on The Waves. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Rachelle and Candice celebrate ICYMI’s third annual Friendsgiving episode. They’re joined by Weight For It host Ronald Young Jr. and ICYMI producer Daisy Rosario to run down the internet moments that made them laugh out loud this year. They cover viral moments such as the adventures of George Santos, gamer thirst traps and little girls singing iconic jingles. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by writer, comedian and Glamorous Trash host Chelsea Devantez to break down this watershed year of celebrity memoirs. The trio crowns the best and the worst titles, dissect what separates a good memoir from a great one, and reveal the shocking figure who has appeared in way more memoirs than you’d expect. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Patrick Marlborough to discuss their recent essay for Slate, “The Death of the Internet as a Haven for People With Autism.” They wrote, “Things began to shift, if imperceptibly at first, with the advent of social media, and the steady corralling and corporatization of that otherness, weirdness, fun, and joy.” On the show, Marlborough describes what they see the internet what they see the internet shifting away from and what it’s shifting towards and what that shift means for all of us. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle and Candice map out what happened when TikTok food personality Keith Lee traveled to Atlanta and ignited a culinary controversy. Lee is a former MMA fighter-turned-influencer who has been taking food tours around the country, ranking their cuisine and posting his reviews on TikTok. He was tasting restaurants in Atlanta when the itinerary took a turn for the worst: badly-reviewed establishments were fighting back online, one restaurant started receiving death threats, and even Cardi B had something to say. So how did a humble TikTok food critic become a lightning rod for such fierce (and dangerous) culinary criticism? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode brought to us by WBUR’s Endless Thread, co-host Ben Brock Johnson and producer Nora Saks look at the Lofi Girl phenomenon. At least 13 million YouTube users subscribe to the channel Lofi Girl. Created by the mononymous French music producer Dimitri, Lofi Girl is a 24/7 livestream of an anime girl studying in her room and listening to lofi hip hop. For many, she’s become the perfect study buddy, and the music may actually be helping concentration. Endless Thread producer Nora Ruth Valerie Saks and co-host Ben Brock Johnson look at how the Lofi Girl phenomenon has expanded into a record company, inspired copycats, and prompted academic research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the co-hosts of Slate’s ICYMI, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim, join Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about whether the following categories of people are unreasonable: moms who bring their kids to wineries, boyfriends who refuse to hard launch their girlfriends on social media, and husbands who are suspicious of their wives’ friendships with single men. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.  Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.  Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate staff writers Nitish Pahwa and Nadira Goffe to discuss their respective pieces about Hasan Minhaj. Since the New Yorker published their article on Minhaj’s “emotional truths,” the comedian has been at the center of a media firestorm that led to him publishing his own 21-minute response video. In the resulting discourse, questions have been raised about the role of truth in comedy. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Amy S. Choi, co-host of The Mash-Up Americans podcast. They talk about the burgeoning phenomenon of immigrant mom TikToks, videos and sketches that showcase the hilarious and loving ways children see their immigrant parents. They ask why immigrant moms get more online love than immigrant dads, and how these videos are healing both creators and viewers. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim walk through DJ Envy’s latest legal troubles, which include seminars, flipping houses and a Ponzi-like scheme. Then, they’re joined by legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff, whose extensive coverage of the Tory Lanez trial crowned her the Batman of Black Twitter. Cuniff talks about her first internet memory, how she ended up covering the Lanez trial and how the DJ Envy allegations may play out. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive into the saga of Jon Romano. At the age of 16, Romano walked into his high school with a shotgun in an attempt, he says, to commit law-enforcement-assisted suicide. Though no one was killed in the ensuing violence, a teacher was shot and injured. Romano pled guilty to attempted murder and reckless endangerment. He served 17 years in prison and was released in 2020. Since his release, he’s been a public advocate for mental health reform and gun control. Since 2022, TikTok has been a part of that advocacy work for Romano, a choice that landed Romano in the headlines once again after many decried his public platform of more than 275,000 followers. Romano’s presence on TikTok and his large public profile raise thorny questions around the possibility of redemption and life online for those who commit violent acts. To help answer those questions, Hampton and Lim are joined by Dr. Teiahsha Bankhead, the executive director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth and an expert in restorative and racial justice. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice hang out with Teen Vogue associate editor Aiyana Ishmael. They dive into Aiyana’s internet diary, which includes an early Timothée Chalamet fandom, her Dance Moms obsession and dressing up like Bella Hadid for a week. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice answer a question from a listener about a viral pesto recipe. Susi Vidal, a 25-year-old food influencer, posted a simple recipe for pesto on September 1st. Since then, the introduction to her video which goes “Call me crazy but I’ve never liked store-bought pesto” has been used as a launching pad for wild stories about everything from terrible breakups to long-lost parents. Earlier in the episode, Bobbi Althoff makes a return. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Episode Syllabus - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR74sXE8/ - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR74Hec6/ - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR745Htc/ - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR74DHk1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive into the decades-long transformation of LinkedIn from a website for digital resumes to a social networking platform whose devotees have earned the name LinkedIn Lunatics. Founded in 2003 and sold to Microsoft for $26 billion in 2018, LinkedIn has become an inescapable feature of the job hunt. But while the site is ostensibly founded on professionalism, in recent years its fomented its own particular and peculiar brand of terminal onlineness. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim talk to writer Cyrena Touros about Dracula Daily, a newsletter that emails bite-sized passages from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel to more than 235,000 readers. As an epistolary novel, Dracula is broken into letters written between May and November. Dracula Daily emails those letters to readers, who have now created a book club-like fandom rife with memes and sidebars about a guy stuck in a vampire’s castle. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice discuss if movies should be posted on TikTok, why eavesdroppers are turning brunch into an unsafe space, and how a scamming minister almost got away with alleged fraud. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Jessica Bennett and Susie Banikarim, the hosts of In Retrospect, a newly-launched podcast that explores pivotal moments from the ‘80s and ‘90s that shaped them. Bennett and Banikarim crack open the pages of their internet diary, revealing their first fandoms and the internet fights that still loom large in their memory. The four discuss the way that nostalgia shapes our current cultural moment and how it’s become the currency of the decade. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice dive into the latest mystery plaguing the internet—the unprecedented rise of podcaster Bobbi Althoff. Althoff launched The Really Good Podcast in April and since then has landed interviews with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including Drake, Offset, Tyga, Lil Yachty and Shaq. But the admitted “master interviewer with weeks of experience” seemingly came out of nowhere, earning her industry plant accusations. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton are joined by Daisy Rosario to discuss the hottest show of the summer: Suits. The USA Network procedural follows a magnetic cast of law firm employees who bend the system, fire off quips in court and essentially, wear suits. Suits isn’t the most buzzy or exciting series out there, so how did a show that ended in 2019 experience a resurgence four years later? Since hitting Netflix in June, Suits has been the most-streamed title for 10 weeks and counting, and the conversation has been boiling over onto TikTok, Twitter and even AO3. So how did Suits become the show of the summer and does a certain paralegal-turned-royal have anything to do with it? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Alexia Fawcett, a PhD candidate in linguistics at UC Santa Barbara and Kendra Calhoun, an assistant professor of linguistic anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Calhoun and Fawcett wrote a presentation titled, “They edited out her nip-nops: Linguistic innovation as textual censorship avoidance on TikTok,” which explored both the ways in which and the reason behind why users have developed language like “unalived” and “seggs.” And while these neologisms originate on TikTok, their increasingly-wide adoption is causing concern among observers who notice a perhaps unnecessarily-broad softening of language across social media. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jane Marie, the host of the award-winning podcast The Dream which recently released it’s highly-anticipated third season all about life coaches. The two discuss the rise of life coaching and it’s connection to the MLM universe, how the internet has accelerated the life coach boom and what exactly the American Dream has to do with any of this. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. With special thanks to Vic Whitley-Berry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Jane Friedman, author of The Business of Being a Writer and the publisher of Hot Sheet, a newsletter about the publishing industry. The three discuss Friedman’s recent battle with AI-generated books that were being published and sold under her name on Amazon. Friedman published a blog about the saga titled “I Would Rather See My Books Get Pirated Than This (Or: Why Goodreads and Amazon are Becoming Dumpster Fires)” detailing the dangers that the increasingly prolific practice presents to authors and the publishing industry at large. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton are joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to describe his recent piece on the deranged world of vintage fast-food training videos. In the depths of Youtube, videos from companies like McDonald’s, Hardee’s, and Jack in the Box depict a bygone era where employees were trained by animated burgers and celebrity cameos. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice field a listener question about Bloom, the green powder nutrition company that’s popping up all over TikTok. They’re joined by health and wellness writer Julia Craven to talk about Bloom’s virality and what we should know before jumping on the green powder bandwagon. But first, they break down Tinder’s latest villain: the Tabi Swiper. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode brought to us by Slate’s The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 deputy director Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, the Weeknd, and more. If you liked this episode, check out: The World Record Book of Racist Stories Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Scaachi Koul, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by sustainable stylist and fashion educator Lakyn Carlton to discuss TikTok Shop — a new feature that lets users purchase products without ever leaving the app. TikTok Shop is a modern day QVC, where merchants can shell products they’ve made — or are authorized to resell — in live videos with products tagged on screen. In the age of Amazon Storefronts and Etsy, it’s not surprising for TikTok to enter the e-commerce space. But the crowded, merchant-filled experience has ruined the app’s appeal and made users consider quitting TikTok for good. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an end of summer treat, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive deep into the drama that engulfed BookTok earlier this August. Over the spring and early summer, hockey-themed romance novels enjoyed a rise in the BookTok charts, a rise that led to an influx of new fans into the hockey community. One team in particular, the Seattle Krakens, became the unofficial team of BookTok, with Swedish player Alex Wennberg receiving special attention. Sexualized commentary by content creators like Kierra Lewis was both tacitly and overtly encouraged by the Kraken, who flew Lewis out to games. All of this changed when Wennberg’s wife asked fans to stop posting sexualized content about her husband, a request that sent HockeyTok into a tailspin. So, what does this all mean in an era where loud and overt female desire is not only celebrated but monetized? Is there a difference between thirsting loudly for celebrities like Chris Evans and minor stars like Wennberg? And has internet thirst perhaps gone too far? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton walk through Addison Rae’s quest for Hollywood stardom. They run through her moments of flop before the release of AR, a collection of Rae’s leaked music from her “lost album.” Then, Candice and Rachelle are joined by Pitchfork associate editor Cat Zhang to break down her bold and delicious review of “I Got It Bad.” This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to discuss his recent profile of Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer. Launched by Mercer and his friends in 2015, Critical Role is undoubtedly a megahit, boasting over 600 million views on YouTube. As Winkie wrote in his profile, “A 2021 data leak out of Twitch confirmed that Critical Role is one of the richest channels on the platform, generating a mammoth $9.6 million in revenue between 2019 and 2021.” Hampton, Lim and Winkie discuss the appeal of Critical Role, the so-called “Mercer Effect” and whether Critical Role’s success indicates that Dungeons & Dragons is no longer just the domain of the proudly geeky. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the mystery shrouding Lil Tay, a 14-year-old influencer who went viral in 2018 for being the “youngest flexer of the century.” In the years since her arrival onto the scene, Lil Tay has been hounded by controversy concerning her parents custodial battle, allegations of abuse and suggestions of exploitation. When rumors started swirling early last week that the 14-year-old and her older brother had passed, online speculation began in earnest, speculation that was in no way stemmed by news that Lil Tay and her brother are alive. Since the dawn of social media, content created about and by children has been inescapable—and extremely profitable. As these children reach adulthood, a national reckoning similar to the one that led to the Coogan Law seems inevitable. But who will have suffered before that reckoning comes? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice Lim is joined by Slate producer Cheyna Roth to dissect the recent troubling events that happened on Below Deck: Down Under. Two crew members were fired after separate filmed incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct, and viewers have been praising several cast members for stepping up and doing the right thing. The underappreciated spinoff is now being heralded as the sea of change this outdated and repeatedly toxic franchise needs. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice is joined by Vivian Yoon, the writer and host of K-Pop Dreaming. They dissect the hype surrounding K-pop viral sensation NewJeans, talk about the musical influences that make them stand out, and share their own experiences growing up with K-pop. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario give their takes on Doja Cat’s latest controversy: hating her fans. They trace her long-documented and problematic history with the internet, then ask how much a fandom can endure before the unstanning process begins. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mosh pit has a reputation as a violent place where (mostly) white guys vent their aggression. There’s some truth to that, but it’s also a place bound by camaraderie and—believe it or not—etiquette. In this episode, we explore the unwritten rules of this 50-year-old live-music phenomenon with punks, concertgoers, and a heavy-metal physicist. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin with Katie Shepherd. This episode was written by Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Willa Paskin and Andrea Bruce, with help from Joel Meyer. Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Thank you to Vivien Goldman, Paolo Ragusa, and Philip Moriarty, whose insights and research on moshing were crucial to this episode. You can create your own mosh pit using this simulator developed by Jesse Silverberg and his colleagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive deep into the ethics of AI-generated music. Since the days of Alan Turing, music created by computational models has been inextricably bound up with technological process. But now that tools like Voicify.AI are going viral on TikTok and the Recording Academy has updated their rules to allow music created with AI tools to be eligible for Grammy consideration, is it already too late to consider the musicians whose work will be made obsolete by AI? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice reach into the ICYMI mailbag to answer why TikTokers are pretending to be video game characters, how a city girl became an anti-feminist prairie wife, and why snacktime is getting an obnoxious rebrand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice dive deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer listener questions about Colleen Ballinger’s 10-minute ukulele-backed apology, the renaming of Twitter, and the disappearance of 25-year-old Carlee Russell. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice meet in person for the first time! They recap the July 10 attack on fanfiction site AO3 — Archive of Our Own — which caused a site outage and a state of panic for many writers, readers and their fandoms. The site was created in 2008 as an online fanfiction archive that soon became a safe haven for women and the queer community. So what happens when that safe haven is threatened by malicious hackers? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by sustainable stylist and fashion educator, Lakyn Carlton. The three break down a now-infamous factory tour that the fast fashion giant Shein coordinated for a group of (un)lucky influencers. Since its founding in 2008, Shein has grown to a reported $100 billion valuation that is sustained by alleged labor violations and a cult-like following. In the Information Age, where Shein’s many controversies are well-known, how does the company manage to avoid blowback significant enough to affect its bottom line? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice talk all about the Emmys. This week the TV Academy announced the nominations for the 71st Emmy awards. Just a few days later, SAG-AFTRA announced that negotiations with the Academy had officially broken down and the actors’ guild was joining the writers’ guild on strike. So what does this all mean for the monthslong campaigns that actors have waged online to capture a nomination and, hopefully, a win? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to dive into her piece about Spill, the latest Twitter alternative to hit the streets. But first, they parse out the chaos surrounding Keke Palmer and Jonah Hill, whose respective relationship drama entered public discourse over the past week. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to break down the recent controversy surrounding Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. In May, Huffman announced Reddit would be charging third-party apps, bots and companies for using the site’s Data API. Redditors erupted in protest, with many popular subreddits going dark to signal their opposition to the move. The protest was effective, but where does Reddit go from here? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How the music streaming business opened the door to billions of dollars in fraud. Guest: Ashley Carman, Bloomberg News reporter covering the podcasting, music, and audio beat. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Podcast production by Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle dives into one of Candice’s most treasured subreddits: r/bathandbodyworks. They trace the boom of candle consumption during the pandemic, how sale culture keeps the store in business, and Candice’s definitive rules for curating your haul. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s special Pride Month episode, Rachelle and Candice hear from their queer listeners about finding love online. Stories come from digital spaces as far flung as Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom boards to Craigslist missed connections, from Minecraft rose gardens to couch surfing websites. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim parse out this week in #OceanGate, when a 5-passenger underwater vessel heading for the Titanic went missing. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed all five passengers are presumed dead following a “catastrophic implosion,” but the internet remains obsessed and desperate for more answers. We take a look at OceanGate the company, why someone would sign up for this voyage, and how four days of unanswered questions turned into millions of tweets, memes and TikToks. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Eater senior reporter Bettina Makalintal to discuss the rise of private chef content on TikTok. Specifically, the three discuss the now-yearly spectacle of chefs creating content about their summer sojourns to the Hamptons to cook for their wealthy clients. A form pioneered by Meredith Hayden, a.k.a @wishbonekitchen, Hamptons private chef content is now a phenomenon eagerly awaited by a section of TikTok viewers who call it their Super Bowl. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Franchesca Ramsey, a television writer and producer, comedian, and former vlogger whose videos have amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube. The trio dive deep into the current controversy engulfing Colleen Ballinger, better known as her alter ego MirandaSings. In recent weeks, Ballinger has come under fire for the allegedly inappropriate communications she’s had with minor fans throughout her years long career. Ramsey, Hampton and Lim discuss how one of her accusers–YouTuber Adam McIntyre–has been sounding the alarm since 2020 when he was largely ignored, if not outright vilified, by the MirandaSings fandom. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe explore the fandom surrounding standup comedian Matt Rife. They take it back to Rife’s breakout on Wild N’ Out and pick apart his rise on TikTok as a crowd work comic. But first, Nadira and Candice share their nominations for song of the summer. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Candice and Rachelle are joined by Lindsay Lee Wallace, a culture writer who recently reviewed the second season of Netflix’s reality dating show The Ultimatum for TIME. The three discuss how the show’s unhinged conceit fares when all the contestants are queer and how the season’s reception on the internet. They dive deep into the chaos subsumed The Ultimatum subreddit, where one of the contestant’s name was briefly banned because so many critical threads were being posted about them. And they determine the show achieves of its two aims: to be messy and to show the interior lives of queer couples. This show is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dig deep into the ICYMI mailbag to answer questions about Taylor Swift’s short but controversial relationship with Matty Healy, the lead singer of the alt-rock band, The 1975. Later in the show, they discuss the politics of babies on planes. The two end on a positive note, explaining the heartwarming story of how a tweet from an anime fan account sent a four-year-old book up the Amazon sales charts.  This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Candice Lim, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Jack Corbett, one of the people behind NPR’s Planet Money TikTok account. In the three years that have passed since @planetmoney was started, the account has amassed over 14.1 million likes, thanks in no small part to Corbett. Here he discusses his daily internet diet, his controversial take on deleted tweets and the dark side of becoming the face of a corporate media brand. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash. This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice are joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie. The three go back in time to 2010 when a lucky few creators of Tumblr blogs like Hipster Puppies, This is Why You’re Fat and Garfield Minus Garfield were able to leverage their popularity into book deals. They discuss the blog to Urban Outfitters pipeline and the optimism that colored the memes created in that era, an optimism that starkly contrasts against the layered irony of today’s memes. And at the top of the show, Rachelle and Candice revive an age-old debate: Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim speak to Sidney Madden, the host of NPR’s music podcast Louder Than a Riot. The three discuss the meteoric rise of 23-year-old Bronx rapper Ice Spice and how she went from going viral for a TikTok challenge to appearing on the Met Gala red carpet as Anna Wintour’s special guest. They dive deep into the criticism levied at Ice Spice and discuss whether the scrutiny she faces is merited. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined for the first time by ICYMI’s new co-host. Tune in to hear their first internet memory, what four subreddits they visit every single day and the time they got catfished on mileyworld.com. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe for a sequel to their August 2022 episode “What is A Clean Girl?” The two dive deep into TikTok’s latest favorite fashion trend: quiet luxury, or stealth wealth. The aesthetic’s adherents posits that rich people don’t dress in ostentatious labels, but instead communicate their wealth through brands like Brunello Cucinell, Loro Piana and The Row. Quiet luxurists point to figures like the Roy family from HBO’s Succession and Gwyneth Paltrow at her recent trial as examples of stealth wealth. But the trend, like it’s “old money” predecessor, is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of fashion, classism and racism. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by ICYMI favorite, Nadira Goffe to talk about the makeup meltdown that’s taken over TikTok. The two dissect a Miami F1 brand trip sponsored by Tarte Cosmetics that ended in multiple apology videos and a promise by Tarte CEO Maureen Kelly to make her brand’s creator program more equitable. They dive deep into Tarte’s less than inclusive history and explain how exactly Pyrex got involved. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by the co-host of NPR’s Throughline podcast, Ramtin Arablouei, who recently did an episode about the history of public contrition from the Salem witch trials to the infamous notes app apology. The two discuss how the internet turbo-charged the commodification of apologies, the cynicism it’s led to and where we go from here. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Hannah Jackson, the culture writer and reporter behind the recent Cut article “Meet the People Working Three Jobs to Afford Erewhon.” The two discuss how Erewhon transformed from a humble Boston market stall into what Jackson described as a “a luxury-wellness behemoth.” They dive deep into the culture cache that shopping at Erewhon offers to people from Hailey Bieber to a 20-something aspiring wellness content creator. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Wailin Wong, Darian Woods and Adrian Ma, the hosts of NPR’s daily economics podcast The Indicator from Planet Money. They discuss The Indicator’s recent five-part series on the $15 billion influencer industry that delves into where all that money is going—and where it’s not. They dive deep into the rise of the industry and how it emerged out of the economic precarity of the 2008 recession. They also talk through the astonishing fact that according to some surveys, almost 1 out of every 4 Gen Z-er wants to be an influencer. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Sarah Marshall, writer, critic and host of the You’re Wrong About and You Are Good podcasts. The two discuss Marshall’s recent You’re Wrong About episode about Napster, the ill-fated peer-to-peer file sharing app that helped create the internet as we know it. They dive deep into the moral and ethical quandaries around pirating content in an age where corporations can disappear content from streaming services at a second’s notice. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pahwa for a mailbag episode. The two answer questions about Jojo Siwa’s rumored pregnancy, the fate of the music industry after an AI-generated Drake song went viral and the most recent instance of internet vigilantism. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Sujong Laughlin, a supervising producer and co-owner of Defector Media where she makes the podcast, Normal Gossip. Alex and Rachelle dive deep into the age-old debate over concert spoilers, a debate that’s been turbo-charged by TikTok where over 80 million people watched the first two nights of Taylor Swift's "Eras" The ease of finding a livestream of some of the most expensive concerts in the world raises the question: why go to a concert when you can go on TikTok? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Jonquilyn Hill, reporter and host of Vox’s politics and policy show The Weeds. The two take a deep dive into the most recent season of the Netflix reality dating show Love is Blind and how the internet has become the show’s shadow producer. They discuss Netflix’s attempt to muscle its way into the live-streaming market and the spectacular failure of the highly-anticipated live Love is Blind reunion on Sunday night. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the third installment of Internet Diaries, Rachelle is joined by 21-year-old cultural critic and internet essayist Rayne Fisher-Quann, who has amassed a devoted following on TikTok, Substack, Instagram and Twitter. The two discuss Fisher-Quann’s online work around leftism, feminism, mental illness, along with her ethics of posting and how she resists brandification even as her star continues to rise. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Alex Kantrowitz, the writer behind the Big Technology newsletter and podcast. The two discuss the recent changes to Twitter Blue and how paying for Twitter might be a joke, it won’t be for other platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As paid verification models become de rigueur in a bid to woo content creators, what will that mean for the average social media user? Is this all just a giant protection racket? Or is it platforms catering to the people who actually create content for them? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Terry Nguyen, a culture writer and critic and staff writer for the digital culture newsletter Dirt. The two discuss Angela White, better known as Blac Chyna, who has taken to Instagram to document the process of her cosmetic surgery reversal. She’s been met with near universal praise which raises the question: are we entering a new plastic surgery era where less is more? If we are, what does that mean for the IG baddie of yore? And what does it mean for the increasing amounts of Americans who are receiving cosmetic surgery? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Justin Richmond, co-host of the music podcast Broken Record and host of the new podcast Started From the Bottom. The two discuss what, if anything, has changed with the online ticketing giant Ticketmaster since ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated headlines. How did Ticketmaster come to account for 70% of the ticketing and live event market? Now that it does, what responsibility do artists have to their fans to keep ticket prices accessible? Can real lasting change be made to system that most agree is broken? This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined once again by BuzzFeed internet culture report Kelsey Weekman. The two discuss the fandom surrounding Succession’s Kendall Roy, the second son of billionaire Logan Roy, played by Jeremy Strong. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, ICYMI goes international! Rachelle Hampton is joined by Lucia Odoom of Poptillægget, a Danish podcast about pop culture. On stage at CPH:DOX, the two discuss growing up online as black women in predominately white environments, the joys of fandom and answer the question of whether you can keep up with internet culture without being on TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kate Lindsay of the Embedded newsletter to talk about the latest in diet discourse. They discuss Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent interview and the flak she got for revealing she drank bone broth most days for lunch, the recent rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, and how the ways people are talking about them sound all too familiar. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting one of our early favorite episodes from August 2021 about selling bones on TikTok. In the episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher try to figure out if it’s legal to buy and sell human remains. They’re joined by Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest who specializes in funeral and cemetery law, to find out what the legal system says about the human bone market, the ethical questions surrounding such a market, and why we still have rights even after we die. If you’d like to know more about the history of the human bone trade, check out this video, “Can You Legally Buy a Real Human Skeleton?” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Madeline Ducharme to talk about the internet’s thirst for Pedro Pascal. They discuss how he started edging into the role of Internet Daddy with Game of Thrones, his recent turns in The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us, and why his own surprise as this online adoration makes people love him even more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re bringing you an episode of the recently relaunched Dear Prudence podcast hosted by Jenée Desmond-Harris. In this episode, Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) is tackling questions about text etiquette, whether or not to allow children at a wedding, and weighing the heavy decision of surrogacy for a sibling. Slate’s own Rachelle Hampton (host of ICYMI) joins dole out some words of wisdom. Podcast production by Kayla Lattimore and Daisy Rosario. Production help from Se’era Spragley Ricks. Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Deepti Sahrawat, the host of Pop Culture Prisoner, to discuss a shocking cheating scandal within the cast of the Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules, and why it blew up on the internet in such a big way. They talk about how the history of the show led us up to this point, the ways it’s so different from the usual cycle of reality scandals, and where the show can go from here. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Daisy Rosario is joined by Nitish Pahwa and they’re talking about the places they go to when they need online comfort. They discuss cute cartoon affirmations, the need for satisfaction, and hear from a few Slate colleagues about their own comforting online enclaves. Some of our recommendations: @unclogging_drains on TikTok @catsofyore on Instagram @itslennie, an animated blob sharing affirmations on TikTok @Jesssoweird, the baby that tries on wigs on TikTok ASMR rug cleaning Florian Gadsby, a ceramicist on Instagram and YouTube @cosmetic_repair on TikTok Lady Gaga’s music video for, “Marry the Night” Girl With the Dogs on YouTube This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy. They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play. Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy, Gita’s got some recommendations. Books: Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer Vita Nostra, by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko Magic for Liars, by Sarah Gailey Games: Persona 5 Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side Magical Diary Life Is Strange The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Elden Ring This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II to talk about Selena Gomez’s internet history. They look at her early days on YouTube, discuss her tumultuous relationship with Justin Bieber, and explain why TikTok has blown up with commentary on the recent feud between Gomez and Justin’s wife, Hailey Bieber. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by WAMU’s Aja Drain to discuss North West’s TikTok presence. They talk about how North got started on the app like going live without her mother’s permission, the controversies that’ve bubbled up around her TikTok account, and what makes her so different from the other kids posting online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and podcaster Wil Williams to discuss the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, and how its faceless narrator just won the poll as top “Tumblr Sexyman.” They talk about the show’s origins and importance in the early 2010s podcasting scene, the ways it deftly navigated queerness, and its impact on the audio fiction space. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Candice Lim to discuss the online rise of Emma Chamberlain. They discuss her origins as a YouTuber in 2017, how she kept evolving her brand so it never got stale, and why she’s so different from her fellow it girls. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss Rihanna and Paramore. First, they talk about the Super Bowl halftime show and the discourse that Rihanna sparked, and what she does or doesn’t owe her fans. Then, they look at the new album from Paramore, This Is Why, discusses how the band respects and embraces Black culture, and why Black people feel so connected to the pop punk genre. And don’t miss Rachelle and Nadira’s roundtable discussion with Allegra Frank about Paramore’s latest album. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with writer and cultural critic Casey Johnston about weight lifting. They discuss what led Casey to pick up the barbell, how she found her way into the online weight lifting space and the following she built there, and the ways weight lifting might be able to break us out of diet culture’s torturous cycle. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa, this time to open up the mailbag. They answer questions about a child named Topher whose loud presence has swept across TikTok, Twitter’s bad bot decisions, and recent drama surrounding TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nitish Pahwa to discuss a major cheating scandal in the chess world this past fall between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, and how the story just keeps going. They talk about Niemann’s rise on Chess.com, ways people have tried to cheat in the past, and why anal beads entered the conversation. Plus, they talk about Mittens, the evil chess bot cat. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Jamilah Lemieux, one of the columnists for Slate’s Care and Feeding advice column, and the host of Mom and Dad Are Fighting. They open up Jamilah’s internet diary, discussing how she got her career started online, what changed for her online after becoming a parent, and what sorts of online advice parents need right now. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by journalist and author Cory Doctorow to discuss his latest piece, “The Enshittification of TikTok,” in Wired. They talk about the life cycles of online platforms, why nobody on the platforms have any understanding of the rules of the game, and why we’re in dire need of better regulations. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “The Making of an American Girl,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Nadira Goffe to talk about Austin Butler and Kerrygold butter. First, High Speed Downloads return so Rachelle can explain why everybody was melting down about Irish butter online, and Nadira takes us through Austin Butler’s persistent Elvis accent. Then, they discuss the fact that Vanessa Hudgens’ online fans won’t let Austin Butler forget his ex-girlfriend so quickly. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman for a crash course in the history and significance of YouTuber MrBeast. Kelsey tells Rachelle all about how he first got started counting numbers to camera, his wild philanthropic stunts, and why his blandness is so arresting and unnerving at the same time. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the premiere of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. They talk about how the season seems to understand more than ever how the pandemic has affected the lives of its contestants, how the series’ relationship with the internet has changed over the years, and if this is the real way forward for the show. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is back in the host chair. She’s joined by Daisy Rosario as they open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about Greta Thunberg’s involvement in the arrest of Andrew Tate, the rise of the corecore aesthetic, and TikTok drama about hair oil. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Daniel Schroeder is joined by Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos to talk about the gay scammers that emerged at the end of the year. First we answer a listener’s question about some gay drama on Twitter, then we discuss the wild rise of Congressman George Santos. We also cover the darker side of gay scams both on Grindr and in real life. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Nadira Goffe and Daisy Rosario are in the host chairs ready to talk all things fandom. They discuss the important moments like the Swifties’ battle with Ticketmaster, and John Fetterman’s wildly successful online campaign. Then, they get into the darker side of fandom where people like Elon Musk and Kanye reside. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting our episode from April 16, 2022 when we interviewed BYU’s Black Menaces. The Black Menaces are a group at Brigham Young University who have recently gained popularity on TikTok for their videos in which they ask their fellow students about political and social issues. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher talk to Rachel Weaver and Nate Byrd, two members of the Black Menaces, about what it’s like to film these interviews, how they’ve been received on campus and online, and what it’s like to be a Black student at BYU. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re revisiting our episode from March 9, 2022 on the Liver King, his philosophy, and his online presence. Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Jonathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring that we think you’re going to love. For this episode, a story from Slate senior producer Evan Chung about how Yanni, John Tesh and a number of other surprising acts made it big in the 1990s. It’s a throwback to a simpler time— when musicians struggled to find their big break, but discovered it was possible with a telephone, a television, and our undivided attention. This story originally aired in 2019 on Studio 360 from PRX. We hear from George Veras, Pat Callahan, and John Tesh. This episode was written and produced by Slate’s Evan Chung. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. Derek John is Slate’s Executive Producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, a group of nurses were fired after posting a TikTok where they shared their complaints or “icks” about their patients. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about this recent news, the proliferation of “ick” content on TikTok, and why healthcare workers (and everybody else) should keep their work complaints in the group chat. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario, and Derek John. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is is joined by NBC’s Morgan Sung to talk about how she lives online as an internet culture reporter. They talk about early internet loves like Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, who Morgan thinks you need to follow on social media, and her and Rachelle’s favorite online conspiracy theories. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet has been as wild as ever this year, delivering stories like West Elm Caleb, the Liver King, the Bridgerton musical and its legal woes, and more. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Time’s Moises Mendez II and BuzzFeed’s Kelsey Weekman to talk about everything they lived through online in 2022, discussing the good, the bad, and the truly cursed. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined yet again by Nadira Goffe, this time to unpack the mailbag. First they discuss the convoluted mess over a guy on TikTok named Kevin who may or may not understand what the female gaze is. Then, they talk about chili, a Brazilian puppet, and inflation in TikTok’s doubloons economy. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by one of our favorites, Slate associate culture writer Nadira Goffe, and they’re talking all about the holidays online. They discuss Christmas movies like the Lindsay Lohan vehicle Falling for Christmas, Mariah Carey’s genius business sense, and the importance of family both online and off. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few weeks, Tumblr has been filled to the brim with content about the Martin Scorsese film Goncharov, but the best part is the film never existed. On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario explain the wild and weird way Tumblr invented this film, how committed Tumblr users are to this bit, and what Marty thinks about it, too. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we’re excited to share an episode from Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast that we think you’re going to love. In the history of viral images, #TheDress has got to be in the top 10. This unassuming photo of a party dress kicked off a global debate when people realized they were seeing it completely differently. Is it black and blue, or white and gold? In today’s episode, we’ll talk to someone who was there when the photo was first taken, and the BuzzFeed writer whose post briefly broke the internet. Then we go down the optical rabbit hole with a neuroscientist who’s been studying the The Dress for years. What does it reveal about the nature of truth? This podcast was written by Willa Paskin, who produces Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd. This episode was edited by Andrew Adam Newman. Derek John is Slate’s senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is senior technical director. We’ll hear from Paul Jinks, Cates Holderness, Pascal Wallisch, and David McRaney author of the book How Minds Change. Here’s the optical illusion of the strawberries mentioned in the episode and created by Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://late.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we all prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table with our friends and families, we thought it was a great time for our second annual Friendsgiving special. On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin of Normal Gossip to share in the online riches of 2022. They discuss the first memes they encountered this year, the internet jokes they’re most thankful for, and so much more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Lizzie O’Leary, the host of Slate’s tech podcast What Next: TBD. The two discuss Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, whether or not Musk has broken any laws and what the future of the platform might look like. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario, Emily Charash and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is once again joined by Daisy. The pair dive deep into the digital etymology of the phrase “invited to the cookout” which, in the past few years, has been applied to figures from Bill Nye the Science Guy to Justin Timberlake. They discuss the phrase’s roots in African American Vernacular English and the future of The Cookout. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Daniel Schroeder Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode Rachelle interviews Vice senior editor Samantha Cole about her forthcoming book How Sex Changed the Internet. The two talk about the role of sex in internet technology like videoconferencing, affiliate links and online credit card transactions. Cole also explains how lifecaster Jennifer Ringley is a predecessor to modern vloggers and livestreamers. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is back with Daisy to read your letters and answer all your burning questions. They get into everything from Johnny Depp’s rumored appearance in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show to why hundreds of people turned out to abandoned Philadelphia dock to watch a man eat a rotisserie chicken. This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Daniel Schroeder, Daisy Rosario and Rachelle Hampton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Daisy is sitting in the host chair and she’s joined by Slate’s own Nitish Pahwa, who covers business and tech for the site, and has written a lot about these upcoming elections. They’ll be talking about which candidates are and aren’t using TikTok well, how easy it is to encounter election misinformation, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and the state of right wing social media platforms. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and star of Big Brother in the UK, was deplatformed earlier this year because of his offensive and misogynistic talking points, but that didn’t stop him from spreading his message. On today’s episode, Rachelle speaks with journalist Ikran Dahir who recently wrote, “Andrew Tate’s Hustlers University 2.0 Has Made at Least $11 Million in Just One Month,” in BuzzFeed. Ikran discusses what it was like being on the platform, the quality of the classes being offered, and the vibes of the user base, revealing Tate might be savvier than anybody wants to admit. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all spend so much of our lives online these days, and so we figured we’d start interviewing people about theirs. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by health and wellness journalist Julia Craven to talk about Julia’s past online, how she would curate her feeds if she could only follow three people, and the best and worst wellness trends she’s currently seeing. And, of course, we continue to wonder, was Jesus hot? This podcast was produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One TikTok famous emu was allegedly struggling with avian flu last week, but the story is a bit more complicated when it comes to public health. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about Emmanuel the emu, the racist past of his owner Taylor Blake, and the confusing and risky tale she spun online about her bird’s illness. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot has been happening around Twitch, a platform that really seems to live in its own world on the internet. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Gita Jackson who explains exactly why Twitch can feel so insular even though the audience is enormous. They also talk about the poorly planned TwitchCon, and the horrible things that have led streamer Amouranth to take a break from the site. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at https://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to discuss what’s been happening online. First they scrape heaps of butter off their cutting boards, and then Daisy explains all the drama surrounding actor Sara Porkalob’s recent interview in Vulture where they tear into their own production. And then Rachelle gets powered up to tell Daisy exactly what a linewife and a bucket bunny are, and why they’ve taken over TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Dear Prudence, Jenée Desmond-Harris to talk all about online advice. They discuss what her online life was like before she took over as Dear Prudence, how she decides what sort of advice to give out, and why she really enjoys being on Twitter. And Rachelle continues to wonder, was Jesus hot? This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Kia Miakka Natisse and Yowei Shaw, the hosts of NPR’s Invisibilia podcast. They discuss how they found themselves in the hosting chairs, the ways they spend their own time online, and the places podcasting and influencing intersect. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at https://slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early years of social media were a wild place where people weren’t really thinking about what they were posting, which is something the teenagers of the Bling Ring took advantage of when they started using celebrity gossip sites, Facebook, MySpace and Google Maps to target their famous victims. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Moises Mendez II to talk about the new Netflix documentary The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist, which details this group’s tactics, crimes, and conflicting stories. Rachelle and Moises discuss how the internet played such an important role in these crimes, the chaos in the courtroom, and the desperation for attention these teens had. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Miami Boys Choir is currently having a moment on TikTok with videos of their performances going viral on the platform. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Daisy explain who the Miami Boys Choir is, why they’re based in Brooklyn and not Miami, and what’s so appealing about their songs. They also talk about Lena Dunham’s latest wild tweet, and why the revelation of anonymous YouTuber Dream’s face was such a big deal online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet has been abuzz with news that the Try Guys have ended their relationship with Ned Fulmer after it was revealed earlier this week that he cheated on his wife with a work colleague. On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Devin Lytle, a director, producer, and former BuzzFeed colleague of the Try Guys who appeared in BuzzFeed’s Ladylike series. She and Rachelle discuss the heyday of BuzzFeed’s video department, the ways the Try Guys and Ladylike were treated differently, and how BuzzFeed created and trapped these performers in their online personalities. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of stuff has been happening online so we figured it was a perfect time for another mailbag. On today’s episode, Nadira is back with Rachelle to read your letters and answer your burning questions. They get into everything from Jojo Siwa’s lesbian TikTok drama, to why we’re all laughing about Adam Levine’s sexts, and whether or not influencers are allowed to complain about being influencers. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, Serial launched the case against Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee in to the national conversation, but over the years the mistakes that show made continued to add up. Adnan Syed’s release from prison earlier this week would have been a great chance for the Serial team to admit their wrongs, but that was not the case. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to talk about the impact Serial had on the culture, and the case itself. They speak with Rebecca Lavoie, a writer and host of Crime Writers On…, about what's missing from the podcast, the New York Times continuing to ignore its journalistic responsibilities, and how Serial is responsible for the current state of true crime culture. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Editor’s note: A previous version of this episode misstated that the phrase, “basically good guys,” was a direct quote from the Serial podcast. It was not and we should not have used the word quote in that instance. We would also like to acknowledge that we did not reach out to the Serial team for comment. This episode has been updated to make fixes relevant to those issues and to better clarify some of our points. We did not mean to imply that Serial had not reported out updates, but rather that we felt that information wasn’t easy to find. We did review the Serial website, transcripts, and show feed, though not as thoroughly as we should have. We regret our errors, and sincerely apologize to the Serial team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was impossible to get anything done the day the Queen died because Twitter was just too lively. All sorts of takes were had including the sympathetic, the critical, and the just plain funny. One specific strain of opinion criticized those who were laughing or rejoicing because they weren’t respecting the grief of the royal family. On today’s show, Nadira is back to talk to Rachelle about exactly what the trouble is with that train of thought. They discuss why people are so quick to jump to the dead’s defense, and how that gets in the way of really remembering the full picture of a person’s life. This podcast is produced by Ahyiana Angel, Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachelle knows a lot about internet culture, but tech…not so much. On today’s episode, Rachelle asks Lizzie O’Leary (host of What Next, TBD) about the latest developments in art created by artificial intelligence and whether or not TikTok is listening, before helping clear up a question about a popular video trope. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry Styles has recently been in the news for saying some silly things and allegedly spitting on Chris Pine. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to talk through Harry’s wild history as an online character, what led us to recent events surrounding the new film Don’t Worry Darling, and why he might want to just stop talking and get back to work. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle gets into the world of cooking videos. She speaks with Eater’s Bettina Makalintal about how online food content has changed over the years, taking something that we all do for ourselves and turning into a consumable performance. They discuss how this has changed our own approach to food offline and online, the expectations these videos engender in their viewers, and why everything is content. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Broadway musical Hamilton did not originally contain much of a Christian message, but then the Door McAllen Church in McAllen, Texas got a hold of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined again by Daisy Rosario to talk about the latest TikTok sensation known as “Scamilton,” an unauthorized production of Hamilton staged by the Door McAllen Church and livestreamed on Youtube in early August. They get into copyright law, how the Church lied about its right to perform the musical, and the tragically tone-deaf cast. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instagram has seen a recent influx of college “virginity club” accounts featuring sharp, funny memes about remaining chaste. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle put these accounts under the microscope. Is anything about these accounts real, or are they just a grift for merchandise and music promotion? After some internet sleuthing, they track down the creator of the most popular account, for “Brigham Young Virginity Club,” and put him on the spot. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on July 21, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle have a short discussion of the recent beekeeper drama on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the Who Weekly? podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, and why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indulge again in their past romance, and how Bennifer 3.0 will play in a new era of social media gossip. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on June 5, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Haley Toumaian, a TikTok creator and novice true crime podcast host who says the rapid pace of the news genre means sometimes getting things wrong in front of an audience of millions and willfully sharing misinformation.* Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. This episode originally aired on September 22, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes, an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the first line of some listeners’ NaNoWriMo novels. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, and Derek John. This episode originally ran on November 20, 2021. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Maya Cade, the creator and curator of the Black Film Archive tweeted about how Tumblr, specifically screengrabs and gifsets, has changed the way we watch movies. On today’s show, Daisy Rosario is back with Rachelle and they decided to give Maya a call. They ended up talking about the communal nature of encountering film through social media screenshots, how Maya was inspired to create the Black Film Archive, and why Tumblr might be the best current online archive tool. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three lifestyle trends with surprisingly retrograde ideas have been popping up on TikTok. On today’s show, Nadira Goffe is back with Rachelle to discuss what’s going on. They talk about the problems with the “clean girl” aesthetic, people who shouldn’t be trying to imitate the Kennedys and the like, and why being a housewife isn’t the “soft life” TikTokkers might want you to believe it is. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at slate.com/icymiplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exclusively Black spaces online have faded away as platforms with wider audiences have taken over, but what, if anything, has been lost with those spaces? On today’s show, Rachelle is joined again by Nadira Goffe to discuss their own experiences growing up online as Black women, and they speak with Dr. Meredith D. Clark, a professor at Northeastern University who studies Black online spaces, about Black online history, how and why we interact the way we do, and what it means to know that non-Black people are watching. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves indulging in thirst online. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss exactly what makes internet thirst so much fun. They talk about the qualities of a good internet boyfriend, when thirsting can go wrong, and how much these thirst objects really owe us. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to open up the mailbag for another session of Read Receipts. They get into drama surrounding Nicki Minaj’s alleged former assistant airing the rapper’s alleged dirty laundry, Diane Warren stirring up trouble with Beyoncé, satisfying restocking videos, and an explanation of Ana Mardoll. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On was a viral sensation when he first popped up on the internet in 2010, and now he’s back in a major motion picture. On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Daisy Rosario to discuss Will Smith’s sneaky news dump, do some High Speed Downloads on the Pink Sauce, and the Little Miss meme, and get into why Netflix is suing the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Then, Rachelle speaks to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On director and co-writer Dean Fleischer-Camp to discuss what it’s been like translating an internet character to the big screen, what gets lost when things go viral, and how the internet virality to mainstream success pipeline has changed over the years. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves to gossip, especially when it comes to celebrities. On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney to talk about the state of internet gossip. They discuss the early days of online gossip from Gawker, Perez Hilton, and Reality Steve, how social media changed the gossip landscape, and why those changes have made it so we all have the chance to be the subject of online gossip. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show: more scams! Rachelle is joined by Daily Beast entertainment editor and former Slatester Allegra Frank; the two discuss the launch and social media rollout of the new multi-level marketing company Elomir. Later in the episode they examine how, despite the abundance of information on MLMs predatory nature, they still manage to pull people in. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a great run, but Madison is leaving ICYMI for new ventures. On today’s show, Rachelle interviews Madison about her time working on ICYMI, her own internet habits, and her first online scams. Plus, they’ve got a round of High Speed Downloads, perhaps the greatest one ever recorded, so get ready to be shocked and astonished in the best way. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. They’ve got people wondering about a giant frog army on TikTok, Christy Carlson Romano doing sponcon cameos, dubious hygienic practices, and more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, it seems like our phones won’t stop buzzing with texts and phone calls about our expired car warranties or supposed IRS delinquency. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own recent brushes with scams, a recent piece in the Washington Post about how scams take more than an economic toll on us, and why none of us should feel bad if we get taken in by them. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past week Doja Cat started fighting with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, and Cardi B beefed with the gossip blog the Shade Room. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle break down what’s really going on in these two fights, and how the Shade Room became a toxic behemoth of internet gossip. Plus, they talk about Beanie Feldstein bowing out of Funny Girl on Broadway, and what it means now that Lea Michele is taking the stage. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru premiered and a bunch of teens showed up to see it dressed up in suits, launching the #Gentleminions trend across TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about why teens are putting on suits to go to the movies, and how the minions became such a dominant cultural and capitalistic force. Then, they’re joined by Vox’s Rebecca Jennings to discuss her latest piece on what the minions reveal about labor exploitation. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Instagram account No White Saviors presented itself as an organization that exposed missionaries, aide workers, and influencers who were actively harming the communities they were in, but the story is much darker and more confusing than that. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined once again by journalist Jessica Lucas to talk about her latest piece for Input magazine on the dubious nature and recent implosion of No White Saviors. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past month, customers of the meal delivery service Daily Harvest have been suffering from gastrointestinal distress after eating the company’s French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, and some have even required surgery. The company is currently investigating the cause of these medical issues but has yet to find anything conclusive. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison speak to Luke Pearson, an influencer who received the product in a PR package from Daily Harvest and has since had to have his gallbladder removed. They discuss his medical journey, what it was like finding a community online that was also suffering from these problems, and how it’s affected his future plans for brand partnerships. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode, Rachelle and Madison decided that, because of the recent Supreme Court news, it was time to take respite in some good online fun. They talk about the Olsen twins making pizza, Adam Lambert’s stellar vocals, plastic bags, musicals, and plenty more. Make sure to check out our Twitter for a thread with all the things mentioned in today’s episode. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Log onto any social app and you’ll quickly find content that’s been ported over from another platform. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about the homogenization of internet humor and how every platform is trying to copy its competition. Then they discuss the return of anonymous online spaces with the new app NGL, an app that allows people to solicit anonymous comments and questions from Instagram, and why these anonymous spaces always tend toward toxicity. Make sure to check out our episode on period trackers, and the newest season of Slow Burn. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lesbians on dating and hookup apps aren’t looking for men, but that’s what platforms like Bumble and Tinder are serving them. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle speak to some queer women who’ve had this problem and what sorts of issues it creates. Then they discuss the women-focused apps that’ve tried to fill that space, and why it’s so difficult to find safe queer dates online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the American Girl Doll Instagram account announced the return of the classic Molly doll, and because it was announced during Pride month everybody started wondering, “Is Molly gay?” On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss the recent gay panic of the conservative American Doll Instagram community, the online life of American Girl memes, and their own histories with these beloved childhood treasures. Plus, they discuss the drama around Lizzo’s “GRRRLS” and why she’s one of the few celebrities to nail the Notes app apology. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout the 2010s, the One Direction fandom was inescapable online. On today’s show, Atlantic writer Kaitlyn Tiffany is here to discuss her new book all about that subject, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It. Rachelle and Madison talk to Kaitlyn about why she chose One Direction, how fan theories get out of hand, and why neither she nor Rachelle would ever want to meet Harry Styles. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison dabble in some TikTok approved ASMR. Later they’re joined by Vice Senior Staff Writer, Anna Merlan, for an interview about political ads and the left leaning campaigns that pay influencers to produce policy based content - despite TikTok’s stringent rules. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, Rachelle Hampton, and Kevin Bendis Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few months, musicians have been posting on TikTok about how their record labels are forcing them to make TikTok videos to promote their new music. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison look at what all these famous musicians like Charli XCX, Florence Welch, and Ed Sheeran are posting, why the music industry is so desperate for viral hits, and who we should feel sorry for in all of this. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mormon moms on TikTok are accused of “soft swinging,” or engaging in sexual acts with people other than their spouses while their spouses are in the room, and people cannot stop asking about it. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about Liam Payne’s recent comments about his former One Direction bandmates, and then they’re back with High Speed Downloads about the Early American Youtube channel, and the drama surrounding the Mormon moms of TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since it started over six weeks ago, the court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been impossible to escape online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison look at the troubling ways people are discussing the trial, the cottage industry of lawyers reacting to the trial, and the stakes that have been lost in the breathless coverage and endless meme-ing of Heard and Depp. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Bobbi Brown’s new foundation line blew up on TikTok thanks to some rather ungenerous videos from beauty influencers. In an effort to defend her new Jones Road line, Brown took to TikTok and filmed her own response, rocketing the drama into the TikTok mainstream. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle dig through the drama to explain why this isn’t just a story about one makeup company, and what it reveals about the state of the influencer industry. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, it’s mailbag time!  Rachelle and Madison answer listener questions on a very important Haley Kiyoko relationship status update, if the Apple Health app is also selling your biological data, and – shudder – whether there is a new Couch Guy. Plus, Madison herself has a very important question about resizing your jeans.     Mentioned in the Show: “I’m the TikTok Couch Guy. Here’s What It Was Like Being Investigated on the Internet” by Robert McCoy   Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Cheyna Roth and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to get inside users’ heads—and only show them videos about their niche interests—certain trends and sounds on the app can become too big to avoid. On this week’s episode, Madison and guest host Moises Mendes II break down the disturbing ubiquity of TikToks making fun of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial. Then, they offer insight into the app’s newest dance craze and our strongest contender for 2022 song of the summer, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” Finally, they trace the origins of TikTok’s strangest earworm, the “Jiggle Jiggle” rap. Podcast production by Madeline Ducharme and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher speak with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “troubled teen” industry, which refers to a network of private wilderness youth programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers has recently come under scrutiny thanks to TikTok. Survivors of this industry have taken to the app to post stories of their traumatic experiences. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk to Kendee and Daniel, two TikTokkers who’ve become voices of the “troubled teen” industry survivor movement. They take us through what they refer to as “legal kidnapping”, the harsh conditions and manual labor they were subjected to, what life’s been like since they got out, and how TikTok has helped them heal. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Am I the asshole?” The provocative question lies at the heart of a wildly popular subreddit whose reach has spread far beyond the platform. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison dig into the history and legacy of the 4-million-subscriber-strong advice forum that is the “Am I the Asshole” subreddit. They speak with Mallola Khalidi, a TikTokker who’s blown up on the platform after she started filming herself reading AITA posts. They discuss how she got started, how her videos have been received, and some of the wildest stories she’s ever read aloud. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Supreme Court opinion dismantling Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this week, social media has been flooded with people telling you to delete your period tracker apps. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about their own experiences using period tracking apps, the ways your personal data can be purchased and used against you, and why data privacy in this country is nothing but a joke. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ICYMI mailbag is full once again so Rachelle and Madison decided to read some listener letters for today’s episode. On the show, they answer questions about a recent theory that Wes Anderson’s films have the trappings of fascist art, bad resurfaced tweets from online influencer Tinx, people over on TikTok talking about cussing, and more. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lea Michele is in the news again because of some rather personal details she reveals about her relationship with her Spring Awakening co-star, Jonathan Groff, in a new documentary about the musical. At the same time, the internet conspiracy theory that the former Glee star is illiterate has resurfaced. On the show today, Rachelle and Allegra enumerate the reasons Lea’s trending once again, the details about her ability to read, and why the internet loves to hate her. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok star William White has a large and devoted fanbase of middle-aged women lusting after him as he lip-syncs to ‘80s songs. But things have taken a darker turn recently, as his fans have started turning on each other. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk with journalist Jessica Lucas, who reported on White’s fanbase in a recent piece for Input. They discuss why these women are so obsessed with him, the alarming culture that has sprung up around him, and how he’s used his following for monetary gain. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past few years, trend pieces have flooded the internet telling us that Gen Z is a bunch of “puriteens” and not having as much sex as the rest of us. Looks like we’ve got a new moral panic on our hands. On today’s show, You’re Wrong About’s Sarah Marshall joins Rachelle to talk about the hand-wringing reasons people think the youth aren’t engaging in sex, why our society is so obsessed with the sex lives of teenagers, and how Gen Z might just have the healthiest relationship with sex yet, even if they aren’t having any. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three people involved with Club Penguin Rewritten, a fan-made remake of a popular Disney game, were arrested last week by the City of London police because they were infringing on Disney’s copyright. On the show today, Rachelle and Allegra talk about the history of Club Penguin, growing up on browser games, and what this news could mean for other fan-created remakes of now-defunct games. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Black Menaces are a group at Brigham Young University who have recently gained popularity on TikTok for their videos in which they ask their fellow students about political and social issues. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk to Rachel Weaver and Nate Byrd, two members of the Black Menaces, about what it’s like to film these interviews, how they’ve been received on campus and online, and what it’s like to be a Black student at BYU. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another day on the internet, another online challenge to laugh at. Even the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary is getting in on it. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about the Abbott Elementary episode that so perfectly skewers all the adults posting their challenges online, the reemergence of the water cup challenge, and what’s really at the root of online challenge culture. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February, Etsy emailed its sellers to announce that it would be taking a larger cut of their money, even while announcing in the same email that the company’s profits were up. A group of sellers reacted to this increase by starting a movement for sellers to strike on April 11-April 18, 2022. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain how we got to this standoff and what the strikers’ demands are, and then speak with an Etsy seller about the news, the experience of banding together with other sellers, and whether or not she’ll even be returning to the site once the strike is finished. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Sunday, the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical took home a Grammy. But how was it allowed to compete in the first place? On the show today, Rachelle is joined by our producer, Daniel, to discuss why the Grammys have become so internet-focused, and how the Bridgerton musical sprang from TikTok. Then, Rachelle speaks with University of Colorado law professor Kristelia Garcia about the legal issues that the musical’s creators might need to resolve after their win, and if Netflix can now call Bridgerton a Grammy-award-winning series. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April Fool’s Day is every brand’s favorite holiday. Social media and PR teams get to make all the jokes their marketing department can come up with and face few repercussions. But it’s not all fun and games. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about what nonsense the brands are up to this year, why we’re so easily taken in by internet hoaxes, and how skepticism can harden into something darker. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday night, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars live broadcast after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. As soon as the internet figured out the slap wasn’t a bit, Twitter was deluged with takes. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle discourse about the discourse, discussing the neverending online take machine, how media narratives are shaped, and why we were all wondering if the slap was even real. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Instagram announced the return of chronological feeds to the platform, allowing users to toggle between the standard algorithmic feed and two separate chronological ones. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about these new changes, whether we really want newsfeeds with such a strict structure, and why, regardless of which way we go, we’re still at the will of the algorithm. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past weekend, Rachel Zegler, known for playing Maria in the new remake of West Side Story, told a fan on Instagram that Disney wasn’t sending her to the Oscars. Her plan to watch the ceremony from home quickly changed, however, once the internet heard about it. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison break down the Oscars scandal’s online origins, and then they open up the mailbag. They answer questions about stuck boats, peeling eggs live on TikTok, a woman with 22 babies, drama in the knitting world, and more. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The internet has birthed so many wild moments of hilarity over the years. During the second half of their South by Southwest show, Rachelle and Madison play a game to find out which piece of internet history is the greatest. With contestants like the man singing a gospel remix of the Golden Girls theme song, “Thank You For Being a Friend,” the Beto O’Rourke sex tweet, Julia Fox saying “uncut gems,” and the infamous DashCon, it’s quite the tough field. Tune in to find out which piece of internet ephemera comes out victorious. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI went to Austin this week and recorded a live show at South by Southwest. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Bridget Todd, host of the podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet, to discuss the recent “womblands” drama, their favorite scams on the internet, and what it’s like covering the internet beat. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term “womblands” blew up on TikTok this past week, and the drama surrounding its origin is dense and confusing. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison venture deep into TikTok to explain why the story behind this funny term is darker than you may realize. It involves racism, sexism, and sexual assault allegations, and it yet another case of interpersonal drama taken too far by the TikTok community. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Johnathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away. If you’ve listened to the episode, here’s the Google Form that Rachelle and Madison mention. Send them your internet faves and nightmares. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nepotism is everywhere, and it’s always funny when a new generation realizes that. On today’s show, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the recent online conversation about nepotism babies that got started when people realized Lexi from Euphoria, played by Maude Apatow, is the daughter of two famous people. Madison and Nichole discuss the unending list of entertainment nepotism babies, why nepotism is a fact of daily life, and how privilege factors into it all. Plus, they share a few tips about being online during a global crisis. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The metaverse wants to convince us it’s the future of retail, even for buying marijuana. On the show today, Madison is joined by Slate’s Shannon Palus to talk about Shannon’s recent journey into the metaverse to buy weed gummies. They discuss what it’s like to enter the metaverse, the mediocre graphics on display there, and if it really is the future of retail—or just a misguided lark from Big Tech. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millie Bobby Brown turned 18 last week, so of course those creepy “legal age” countdown clocks popped up as that day approached. On the show today, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the phenomenon of counting down to a celebrity’s 18th birthday, the history of their online and offline ickiness, and why girls of color always seem to be left out of this discussion. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison open up the mailbag to answer all of the latest listener questions. They respond to inquiries about evil animatronics on TikTok, the latest food fetish content, why Tumblr is obsessed with Horse Plinko, and more. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kanye West recently got into an online feud with his daughter, North West, his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison run through Kanye’s long history of fighting online, our changing understanding of him as his mental health struggles came to light, and how we should talk about celebrities whose private dramas play out so publicly. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Allegra Frank to talk about two new pieces of scammer-tainment from Netflix: the documentary The Tinder Swindler, which chronicles a con man’s exploitation of the popular dating app, and the series Inventing Anna, starring Julia Garner as faux-heiress Anna Delvey. Rachelle and Allegra discuss how the internet was essential to both these stories and why we’re all on the hunt to uncover the next online scam. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TikTok doesn’t know you better than you know yourself, even if you think it does. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about two different ways the app leads people down dangerous paths. First, they discuss the recent uptick in posts and advertisements focused on diagnosing mental and physical health issues, and how it’s so easy to convince yourself that you’re suffering from whatever malady TikTok has presented. Then, they discuss the tragic death of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst, who died by suicide last week, and the alarming development of TikTokkers convincing themselves that there was some nefarious conspiracy behind it. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers might not be the most expected pairing, until you look at their willingness to embrace conspiracy nonsense. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison and joined by Vulture’s Rachel Handler to discuss her recent piece, “What Do Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley ‘Agree to Disagree’ About?” They talk about the history of weird beliefs these two celebrities have, how it’s no longer fun to believe in conspiracy theories, and why these two should just log off. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, a Tennessee school board voted to ban Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel about the Holocaust, Maus, from their eighth grade curriculum. This caused Maus to experience the "Streisand effect." On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain the origins of the Streisand effect as an online phenomenon, how it helped Maus’ recent sales skyrocket, and why this short-term publicity isn’t really the solution to bans like these. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rihanna is having a baby, and Romance Twitter is furious. On today’s show, High Speed Downloads are back! Madison and Rachelle will zoom through all the important news about Rihanna’s baby bump reveal and Romance Twitter’s toxic reaction to an innocuous tweet. Then, they explain exactly what’s going on with podcast host Joe Rogan over at Spotify, and why it’s so difficult for platforms to part ways with their big personalities. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past few weeks, Britney Spears has been posting all sorts of Notes App screenshots about how hurt she is by what her sister is saying on her press tour while promoting her new book Things I Should Have Said, by Jamie Lynn Spears. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle read the tweets, and the whole book, so you don’t have to. They talk about the origins of this fight, what’s caused it to resurface, and why a lot of this really has to do with their childhoods. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the hit song from Disney’s Encanto, is sitting at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, and that’s all thanks to TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about the songs from Encanto currently dominating the platform, and why people online seem to love to hate Lin-Manuel Miranda. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Correction: This podcast incorrectly stated that TikTok is included in the Billboard Hot 100 chart calculations, misnamed the song “Surface Pressure,” and misstated that it is sung by the oldest daughter (it's sung by the middle daughter). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The name on every TikTokker’s lips is “West Elm Caleb,” a New York City twenty-something whose dating practices and history have come under major scrutiny, after women started posting videos about their negative experiences with him. Things quickly got out of control as more and more people got swept up in the gossipy drama. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle talk to some of the women who shared their own stories about dating Caleb online. Then, they discuss how this is a moment both about the power of women coming together to protect each other and the way that this collective’s motives can quickly turn south. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AOL Instant Messenger launched 25 years ago, but at the time nobody understood exactly how important it would be in shaping the way we all interact online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk to AIM expert Caroline Moss about the early years of the platform, the playful shenanigans people got up to on there as teens, and how it led us to the world of always being online. Caroline hosts the podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It! Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yellowjackets is a new series on Showtime about a team of high school girls who, while on a flight to a soccer game, crash in the Canadian wilderness. It follows their struggle for survival and how that experience shaped those who made it out of the woods alive. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle sing their own personal Yellowjackets praises, explain why it’s the latest addition to the Puzzle Box TV canon, and discuss how Reddit is the best place for fandom communities—like the one that’s quickly formed around the show. Plus, people think the Queen of England is dead? Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empaths and the great book exchange pyramid scheme are filling up our feeds again. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison explain why every few months, posts circulate about a book exchange that sounds too good to be true, and why empaths aren’t really a thing—unless you’re in a science fiction story. Plus, they play Wordle! Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elmo has been filling up the TikTok and Twitter feeds these past few weeks with his unique pronunciations and feud with a pet rock. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to chart the arc of this recent virality, and explain why Elmo is a member of the Black community. They also watched Hype House on Netflix so you don’t have to. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Huge Ma, founder of the website TurboVax, a.k.a. “Vax Daddy,” is running for office, and Taylor Swift has claimed 2022 as her own. On the show today, Madison and Allegra talk about how branding queen Taylor Swift is feeling 2022, and then Madison interviews Huge about creating TurboVax, how his online experiences have informed his campaign, and which Taylor Swift track is the theme of his campaign. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From “woke bae” to “woke-a-cola,” the word woke has taken the internet and mainstream media by storm. But how many people who use the word actually know what it means? On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison (but, really, mostly Rachelle) explain the decades-old origins of the word, and how its meaning has evolved as it’s gone from being sung as a call to “stay woke” by the likes of Erykah Badu and Childish Gambino to being wielded as a slur by the likes of Mike Huckabee. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Jasmine Ellis. This episode was originally published on June 19, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final episode of the year, and a chance to look back at all the ways the internet has gone wrong in 2021. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison invite Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn, hosts of the podcast Back Issue, to join them as they discuss all the trends, memes, and moments of 2021 internet that have no place cropping back up in 2022. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martha Stewart loves to tell people on Instagram about the products she likes, but these posts look suspiciously like ads. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle scroll through Martha’s feed to look at all the things she raves about, talk about why she might be breaking the rules, and discuss how the social media advertising guidelines are much more flexible than we realize. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neopets, a kid-friendly site from the early 2000s that let users raise digital pets and play games with them, has fallen far from its peak popularity. The nostalgic luster of it also seems to be fading, following the site’s recent failed attempt at Neopet NFTs—not to mention its years-old, mostly broken user interface. On today’s show, Madison and Allegra look back at the happier times of Neopia past, discussing their early experiences on the site and exactly how it’s grown, or not, with the times. Then they interview concept artist Claire Hummel about her teenage years interning at the site, the creative freedom the staff used to have, and why nobody could ever get enough Neopoints to buy all those cool items. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past week, Nancy Reagan trended for her alleged oral talents, and an orange cat named Jorts kept locking himself in a closet. On today’s episode, High Speed Downloads are back. Rachelle and Madison each deliver some rapid-fire information about Nancy Reagan’s blow job skills and why everyone is obsessed with Jorts the cat—and the woman who keeps slathering him in margarine. Then they speak to Kate Lindsay of the Embedded newsletter about how she got started with that project and her advice for healthy online living. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are excited to share an episode from One Year: 1995, a Slate podcast focused on telling a series of stories from 1995, ones which we may have forgotten or that merit reexamination. In “The Spot,” producer Evan Chung tells the story of what can be best described as the first internet soap opera. “The Spot” follows a small group of creators who, through a series of interconnected blog posts, inspired one of the earliest instances of online fandom. It’s a story about online creativity, parasocial relationships, and how not everything on the internet lasts forever—the exact sort of story that we’d feature on ICYMI if we’d been making this podcast in 1995. Find One Year: 1995 wherever you get you podcasts. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ICYMI mailbag has started to get full so it’s time for another round of Read Receipts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison answer some listener questions about why people are emptying out tubes of toothpaste on TikTok, whether there’s any similarity between Taylor Swift’s clue dropping and QAnon, and why there are so many possum memes on Instagram. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle examine two strange new phenomena taking over TikTok. First, Madison explains why Chanel’s advent calendars have become the subject of an internet furor. Then, Rachelle explores Hinge’s new voice notes feature, discusses the voice notes that have gone viral on other platforms, and explains why this not have been the dating app’s brightest idea. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actors Anthony Ramos and Jasmine Cephas Jones, who became a beloved couple online after meeting during rehearsals for Hamilton, have reportedly ended their engagement. The reports of the breakup came soon after a TikToker posted a video about Ramos allegedly going into a strip club with a woman who was not his fiancée. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison get into the drama, unpack exactly what a wife guy is, and explain why people on social media seem so obsessed with uncovering infidelity—especially if you’re the type of dude who never stops bragging about your girl. Plus, they unwrap all the embarrassing data within their Spotify Wrapped. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The subreddit r/TumblrInAction started out in the early 2010s as a place to mock the sorts of oversimplified social justice posts all over Tumblr, but it quickly became a breeding ground for online hate. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Allegra discuss their own history as Tumblr teens, the simplified and misguided ways Tumblr posts tried to share progressive ideology, and how the culture of one subset of Reddit forums that made fun of those posts eventually led to GamerGate and all sorts of online harassment tactics. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube recently announced that it’s doing away with publicly displaying the dislike count on videos. The buttons will still be there, but the numbers will be made private for creators. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss why YouTube has decided to make this change, how dislikes are a tool for harassment, and why our brains have all been broken by the like economy. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So much has happened on the internet in 2021, from Bernie in his mittens to the big boat stuck in the Panama Canal. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined at the Friendsgiving table by Buzzfeed’s Elamin Abdelmahmoud and Autostraddle’s Christina Grace Tucker to discuss the funniest, craziest, and horniest things to come across their feeds this year. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The realm of fan fiction is a wild, magical place to be, especially if that fan fiction is set at Hogwarts. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about All the Young Dudes, an extensive Harry Potter fan fiction that has inspired a fandom all its own, and just how that fandom came to be. But first, they chat about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and spend time listening to the first line of some listeners’ NaNoWriMo novels. Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might have seen a bot on Twitter tweeting out facetuned versions of anybody you could think of, like Robert Pattinson or Mrs. Doubtfire, and wondered where they’re all coming from. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison explain this weird trend, known as yassification, and why it might already be over. Plus, the the return of High Speed Downloads on Shailene Woodley defending her boyfriend Aaron Rodgers, and a neverending feud between Vin Diesel and the Rock. If you’d like to see some yassified photos, head to @ICYMI_pod on Twitter. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor Swift just released her version of the 2012 album Red, but if you’d asked her fandom what was coming the answers would’ve included all sorts of red-string conspiracy theories. On today’s episode, resident Swiftie Madison takes Rachelle down Taylor’s rabbit hole, explaining her origins as a MySpace teen, the easter eggs she has and hasn’t hidden, and how her savvy engagement with fans demonstrates just how much she’s mastered the online medium. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Companies don’t want you to know this, but there are lots of helpful tips hidden in plain sight, you just have to be willing to read the fine print. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about all the terms of service secrets TikToker Erika Kullberg has been sharing with her followers, whether these tricks actually work, and exactly who might have to deal with our return and exchange demands. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was rebranding to become Meta, shifting the company’s focus away from the single social media platform to some sort of amorphous, “embodied internet” concept. Khabane Lame, TikTok’s second biggest star right now, got tapped to do some spon-con for the rebrand, appearing in a video alongside Zuckerberg on Instagram. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss who Lame’s rise to TikTok fame, why Facebook grabbed him for their publicity campaign, and how this might all just be a distraction from some rather unsavory news inside the Facebook Papers. If you would like to learn more about the Facebook Papers, check out: ”The Nationalism of Facebook,” by Siva Vaidhyanathan in Slate The What Next TBD episode, “Will the Facebook Whistleblower Make a Difference?” The What Next episode, “How Long Can Mark Zuckerberg Be King?” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Real Housewives of Potomac wraps its latest season, it’s clear how essential the cast’s social media presences are when trying to understand the dynamics at play on the show. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to culture writer and critic Shamira Ibrahim about how the series has grown increasingly dependent on online drama, and how social media can be a useful tool for following the intricacies of race and class on display. They also explain the meme, “Let’s Go, Brandon.” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this special Halloween episode, you’re in for a handful of treats. Rachelle and Madison reveal their Halloween costumes and talk about what scares and bugs them on the internet this spooky season. They’ll discuss listener-submitted Vines, tweets, and Tumblr posts that are iconic Halloween internet staples, including the viral song “Spooky Scary Skeletons." We’ll dive deep into the origins of the song with Victoria Gold, whose father Andrew Gold wrote the celebrated bop. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Samira Tazari. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re debuting our new segment, “Wormhole,” with this fascinating look into the phenomenon of the viral mukbang YouTuber and drama magnet, Nikocado Avocado. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison invite their internet obsessive colleague and senior producer of Slate’s Decoder Ring, Benjamin Frisch, to discuss who this infamous extreme eating content creator is, and why the internet is convinced Nikocado Avocado is eating himself to death. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Samira Tazari. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why have so many young women developed tic disorders during the course of the pandemic? Well, apart from the obvious pandemic-related stressors, TikTok could be a big part of it. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to science journalist Maddie Bender about her report for Vice unpacking this medical mystery. They discuss the correlation between exposure to Tic Tok, a subculture on TikTok where influencers share videos of their tic-related symptoms, and the rise of young women who have developed tic-like behaviors. Though social media could be a trigger for this phenomenon, they’ll discuss if TikTok could also be a part of the solution.  Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Samira Tazari. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it a bones day or a no bones day? That’s the question that’s swept across TikTok, thanks to Noodle the pug. Each morning, owner Jonathan Graziano wakes up and checks if his geriatric pug has bones or not, a helpful way of predicting what sort of day we’re all going to have. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle interview Jonathan (and Noodle) about his sudden viral fame, how Noodle is handling such celebrity, and exactly what it means to have a no bones day. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Mariko’s salmon rice bowl video has taken TikTok by storm, with fans praising its deliciousness and even claiming that her video helped heal their relationship with food. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison figure out where this story fits into the diet culture conversation and explain how the reaction to Mariko’s dish is about much more than just the ingredients she’s using. Of course, they weren’t about to talk about a viral recipe without trying it, so the hosts took to the kitchen to find out whether it really lives up to the hype. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a child, Christy Carlson Romano starred in Disney Channel’s Even Stevens and voiced the character Kim Possible on the eponymous cartoon. Then she faded from the spotlight—until recently, when she reemerged as a chaotic YouTube genius. On this episode of ICYMI, Rachelle and Madison talk to Vanity Fair’s Chris Murphy about his recent profile of Romano and unpack why her candid, low-lift YouTube videos actually have quite the keen understanding of what drives clicks. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many details must a writer change before real life turns into fiction? That’s a central question of “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?” the seismic New York Times Magazine article about a kidney donation, a Facebook post, and the subsequent fallout that has consumed social media this week. On today’s episode, Madison tries to summarize the story using only what she learned about it from reactions online. Then, Rachelle catches her up on the real story and all its bizarre details. Finally, they discuss whether anybody comes out of this situation looking like a hero, what writers owe to the people they know IRL, and the best practices for making sure your group chats aren’t the subject of the next big New York Times story. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can feel nice to form bonds with people we don’t know by following their lives online! It can also be invasive. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison look at an instance of parasocial relationships gone wrong as one long-distance college couple’s reunion turned TikTok users into amateur investigators looking for signs of infidelity. Why did TikTok give these teens the true-crime treatment? Did they invite the scrutiny for even posting in the first place? To read more about parasocial relationships online, check out Madison’s piece, “John Mulaney Doesn’t Owe You Squat.” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scams are everywhere. From the Fyre Festival to Anna Delvy to LuLaRoe, fraudsters just seem to be getting more and more popular these days. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison welcome Laci Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess, to talk about her love of scams and scammers, how she’s been scammed herself, and why she thinks we are all so obsessed with these audacious grifters. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, it’s time for some High Speed Downloads: First, Rachelle and Madison tell you everything you need to know about a viral video of an unfortunate sea lion seeking refuge from a group of orcas. Then, they get to the bottom of a mythical version of Dear Evan Hansen featuring a digitally de-aged Ben Platt. Is it real? Finally, the hosts answer listener questions about the chair emoji on TikTok, “devious licks,” and “soaking.” (We bet you can’t guess which of those aren’t a weird sex thing.) Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The little lad who loves berries and cream is inescapable on TikTok right now. A character from a 2007 Starburst commercial, the little lad has transcended his advertising origins and become a meme all his own. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle explain how and why this lad has taken over your feeds, and why there are so many remixes of his audio. They also talk about all the remixes on TikTok featuring rapper Cupcakke, how these are all part of the ubiquity of advertising, and if there’s anything viral that isn’t consumed by capitalism. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While authorities searched for missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito, she was everywhere to be found on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Content creators, some well-intentioned and others simply chasing clout and clicks, turned the story of Gabby’s apparent death into the latest in true crime drama. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk about the murkiness of the true crime internet and the ethics of using tragedy for clicks. They’re joined later in the show by Hayley Toumaian, a TikTok creator and novice true crime podcast host who says the rapid pace of the news genre means sometimes getting things wrong in front of an audience of millions and willfully sharing misinformation. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men’s Rights Asians are a group of men whose concern for anti-Asian racism in America has led them on a grim path of anti-Blackness and harassing Asian women. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Slate’s Aaron Mak, whose recent cover story, “Men’s Rights Asians Think This Is Their Moment,” dove into his two year stint embedded in this online Reddit community and what he’s learned about their structure, tactics, and the vitriolic anger constantly simmering within it. Rachelle and Madison also explain the baffling “good soup” meme on TikTok. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LulaRich, a new documentary from Amazon, tells the story of LulaRoe, a multi-level marketing company on selling leggings to women. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own encounters with MLMs, the importance of Facebook Live videos in this company's rise, and who the documentary chooses to ignore when telling this story. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somebody has been hurling raw eggs at people in Chicago. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to crack the case of these egg attacks, and speak to the man who created the Chicago Egg Hunters Facebook group that has been on the hunt for the culprit ever since. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison open up the mailbag to answer a few questions from our listeners. In addition to other things, they explain what acting POV TikToks are, the possibility of going to Chernobyl, and what, if any, meaning the different emoji heart colors have. If you’ve got questions you want us to answer, send an email to ICYMI@slate.com. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, musician Jazmine Sullivan took to Instagram and requested her followers to send in secrets, which she then shared anonymously on her page. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about how what Jazmine did isn’t new, secrets sharing as a useful online engagement strategy, and why we’ve all be sharing our secrets online for so long. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The milk crate challenge, an online viral challenge where people attempt to walk up and down a pile of milk crates stacked to resemble steps, has become so popular that it even shut down a highway and two parks in Atlanta. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison recount how this challenge rose to viral fame, talk to Keith Dorsey who coordinated the Atlanta event, and even try to find some milk crates of their own. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the company behind OnlyFans, a platform where sex workers can generate income by providing adult content to paid subscribers, announced that it would ban sexually explicit uploads starting October 1. Less than a week later, the company reversed its decision after public backlash. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about the rise of OnlyFans, and its importance to independent sex workers. Then they interview Slate sex columnist and OnlyFans performer Jessica Stoya about her experience on the platform over the past year, and why this sort of fight isn’t anything new for those who’ve been in the industry. Jessica Stoya’s recent piece on OnlyFans is, “I Made Thousands on OnlyFans. I Have a Dark Suspicion About What’s Coming.” You can read more from her by checking out Slate’s How To Do It sex advice column which she writes every week with Rich Juzwiak. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2012, the non-profit organization Invisible Children released Kony 2012, a short film about the human rights violations in Uganda perpetrated by Joseph Kony, which rapidly took over the internet and made Joseph Kony a household name. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison look back at the origins of the organization, how its creator handled the extreme popularity of their viral moment, and what lessons we learned from its utter failure. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is always a bunch of hand-wringing surrounding cancel culture, but after your bank account hits a certain threshold, there’s not much more to worry about. On today’s episode, Madison is joined by BuzzFeed’s Scaachi Koul to discuss why Chet Hanks just won’t go away, and what happens when a journalist finds themselves as a character in a YouTuber’s drama. We knew Trisha Paytas would be back on our radar. Make sure to check out Scaachi Koul’s profile of Trisha Paytas, “Don’t Piss Off Trisha Paytas.” If you enjoyed this episode, check out this past Wednesday’s episode about a human bone salesman going viral on TikTok and whether it’s even legal to participate in the human skeleton marketplace. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison try to figure out if it’s legal to buy and sell human remains. They’re joined by Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest who specializes in funeral and cemetery law, to find out what the legal system says about the human bone market, the ethical questions surrounding such a market, and why we still have rights even after we die. If you’d like to know more about the history of the human bone trade, check out this video, “Can You Legally Buy a Real Human Skeleton?” Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many TikTok users, it’s been impossible to escape #BamaRush, the week of sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle explain, how rush week actually works, why it’s flooded our feeds, and what its popularity says about whiteness, wealth, and class on the app. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tumblr is once again trying a new way to monetize its content, but will its users allow it? On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by fellow former Tumblr teen Allegra Frank to discuss their own origins on the platform, Tumblr’s numerous attempts to make money, and why the users who called a strike over its new Post+ feature might not have the best understanding of the legal system. (We reached out to some copyright professors to find out.) Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison crack open some romance novels and talk about BookTok, the realm of TikTok where readers can find hyper-personal recommendations and niche memes about the horny books everybody is reading. They discuss how TikTok has caused some books to reappear on the New York Times bestseller list, Rachelle’s love of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and why the top priority when it comes to reading is fun. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle try to answer a listener question about whether over-the-top DIY videos are secretly kink content. They end up get pulled into the world of online reaction videos and discuss why these DIY videos are so tempting to react to, how TikTok has made engaging with this content even easier, and if reaction videos are maybe just the internet’s own kink. Things discussed on the show: - The toilet bowl punch video - @sadsadmatt reacting to a TikTok where a girl pours paint on herself in a kiddie pool. - “42 Holy Grail Hacks That Will Save You a Fortune,” from 5-Minute Crafts on YouTube -“Your Least Favorite Gross Viral Food Videos Are All Connected to This Guy,” by Ryan Broderick in Eater - @lixvucy on TikTok reacting to 5-Minute Crafts videos - @vernonrecords on TikTok reacting to 5-Minute Crafts videos Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison call up an ex-Mormon listener, who provides some further insight into our previous investigation of the BYU Virginity Club and explains why she thinks it’s clear that the person behind the account is unaware of Mormon culture. Then, it’s another round of High Speed Downloads. Rachelle speeds through the controversy surrounding rapper DaBaby, and Madison tells us about Adam Driver becoming a horse. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

75 Hard, a new trend sweeping TikTok, is just another fad diet pretending to be a mental toughness challenge. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle revisit the world of diet culture to unpack exactly what makes 75 Hard so insidious, and why it’s so hard to curate a healthy approach to wellness culture on your TikTok feed. They also down a gallon of water during the episode, something we do not recommend you trying at home. And don’t forget to check out Decoder Ring’s history of hydration. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did a clip from In the Heights lead to a new TikTok face filter that has helped some of the app’s users express their gender identity? On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle trace the timeline of this trend, and how it ended up causing a number of trans and nonbinary users to experience gender euphoria. Even though this is a wholesome trend, In the Heights isn’t free from criticism. As we mentioned on the show, you can read more about that in the New York Times and Slate. And we discussed the Wall Street Journal investigation into TikTok's algorithm. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instagram has seen a recent influx of college “virginity club” accounts featuring sharp, funny memes about remaining chaste. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle put these accounts under the microscope. Is anything about these accounts real, or are they just a grift for merchandise and music promotion? After some internet sleuthing, they track down the creator of the most popular account, “Brigham Young Virginity Club,” and put him on the spot. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison turn the show into a sports podcast. First, they discuss the recent news in college sports that allows athletes like Sedona Prince to finally make money off their personal brands, a major shift after years of schools profiting off of students without compensation. Then, they talk about how even though the Olympics haven’t begun, they’re getting an early start on TikTok. Olympic athletes to follow: Women's rugby player Ilona Maher Men's volleyball player Erik Shoji Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis Skateboarder Heimana Reynolds Women's rower Kenny Chase Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle talk about two of the internet’s favorite subjects: cats and Wendy Williams. First, they talk about the story that made “Slate” itself trend on Twitter: the debate surrounding a Slate essay published last week in which writer Alexis Nowicki revealed that the 2017 New Yorker story “Cat Person,” which became the first work of short fiction ever to go viral, was based on her life. Then, Madison shares a listener letter that validates all of her suspicions about those TikTok missed connections. (It also happens to feature a cat.) Finally, they close out the episode with High Speed Downloads about two recent online controversies: one about a woman who faced a flood of hate for tweeting about feeding feral cats, and another about a tasteless segment from a recent episode of The Wendy Williams Show. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GETTR, a new social media network from former Trump aide Jason Miller, launched on July 1 and quickly became an unmanageable mess. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss this low-budget Twitter clone, how it got overrun with hentai, and why its privacy issues may indicate that the network is already dead. If you’d like to read more on GETTR, Slatester Aaron Mak wrote about what happened when he tried to make a profile on the platform as Donald Trump. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zola, a new movie based on the infamous Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” Wells King, follows a part-time stripper who goes on a weekend trip to Florida with a new friend to make money, and how things quickly escalated until their friendship fell apart. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk to Tony-nominated playwright and screenwriter Jeremy O. Harris about how he and director Janicza Bravo translated the 148-tweet saga into a feature-length film, the scene that almost made members of the crew quit, and why he considers Zola’s tale to be akin to Homer’s epic poetry. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black dance creators on TikTok are sick of white influencers stealing their work without credit. Now, they have collectively refused to choreograph dance challenges for the app’s latest trendy hit, Megan Thee Stallion’s new song, “Thot Shit.” On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss the origins of this strike, the ineptitude of white dancers trying to create their own dances for the song, and how empty TikTok is without these Black creators. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Buzzfeed’s Scaachi Koul to discuss her recent piece, “Why Bo Burnham, Jenna Marbles, and Shane Dawson All Logged Off.” They talk about the cesspool that is YouTube fandom, how precisely Bo Burnham articulates the problems of constant internet consumption, and the three ways logging off may be possible: deleting your content, apologizing a lot, and getting a Netflix special. Plus, a short explanation of the online phrase touch some grass. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Wednesday, Britney Spears spoke in court against her current conservatorship, which began in 2008. In recent years, fans have speculated that Spears was being controlled against her will by her father through this conservatorship, and started the #FreeBritney movement in an attempt to break her out of it. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle break down the history of Spears’ conservatorship, the conspiracy theories that arose around #FreeBritney, and what the pop star’s statement changes. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Chloe Bailey, Nina Simone, and Vice President Kamala Harris have to do with one another? We’re here to help you figure that out. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison talk about how a cover of Simone’s “Feeling Good” turned into a story that ultimately felt anything but. But first, they examine Rachel Lindsay’s recent comments about the Bachelor franchise.  Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Jasmine Ellis. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From “woke bae” to “woke-a-cola,” the word woke has taken the internet and mainstream media by storm. But how many people who use the word actually know what it means? On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison (but, really, mostly Rachelle) explain the decades-old origins of the word, and how its meaning has evolved as it’s gone from Marcus Garvey to being sung by the likes of Erykah Badu and Childish Gambino to being wielded as a slur by the likes of Mike Huckabee. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, and Jasmine Ellis. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison is joined by producer Daniel Schroeder to talk about people accusing Billie Eilish of queerbaiting on Instagram. They then discuss the way TikTok seems to be replacing Craigslist as the spot for finding missed connections—but are the videos real? To find out, Madison interviews Val and Kaycie, two women who had a serendipitous encounter on a rooftop bar, only to lose touch before being reconnected via TikTok. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder & Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison explain the latest drama surrounding online provocateur Trisha Paytas. They recap Paytas’ history online, how they’re connected to David Dobrik’s Vlog Squad, and why their podcast Frenemies is in predictable turmoil. Then, two new High Speed Downloads, first on the grifting of internet chef Darius Williams (aka @DariusCooks) and then on the woman who got arrested for disguising herself as her daughter and going to school in her place. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle finds out that Madison is an anthro-paul-ogist. Internet star Logan Paul faced off against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match this weekend, so Madison takes Rachelle through the troubling origins of the Paul brothers, how they’ve been able to maintain their internet fame across multiple platforms despite a series of serious allegations, and why this fight is nothing more than a money-making publicity stunt. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle have a short discussion of the recent beekeeper drama on TikTok. Then, they’re joined by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the Who Weekly? podcast, to discuss Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez getting back together. They talk about what it was like when the pair first got together in the early 2000s, why it feels so exciting to see these two stars indulge again in their past romance, and how Bennifer 3.0 will play in a new era of social media gossip. Podcast Production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle examine a case of mistaken identity. One of TikTok’s best features is its algorithm, which specializes in surfacing videos seemingly tailor-made for the user. That is, until the algorithm gets an idea about the user that’s very, very wrong. They discuss why TikTok is convinced Madison is an ex-Mormon and Rachelle is a Marvel fanatic, and then field a number of listener voicemails about all the hilarious and sometimes alarming ways TikTok has gotten them wrong, too. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by producer Daniel Schroeder to discuss the online legacy of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. After 14 years and 20 seasons, the series is finally coming to a close, so Daniel and Rachelle look back at its infamous origins, trace the show’s evolving relationship with social media, and look ahead to what life might be like for all of us after the series goes off the air. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle open with High Speed Downloads on two viral stories: the photos of Tessa Thompson, Rita Ora, and Taika Waititi sharing an apparent three-way kiss, and the journey of the woman who live-tweeted her cross-country flight to pursue a man who might be just not that into her. Then they examine how the song “Castaways” from the Nickelodeon show The Backyardigans has become so popular on TikTok that it topped the Spotify Viral 50 chart. Where did this trend begin, and what does it say about TikTok as a nostalgia factory? Podcast Production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Follow us online at our new Twitter account @ICYMI_pod. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison chronicle the long, complicated life of Shrek online. They argue that the film, which premiered in 2001, was primed to become an internet meme before Shrek fans even got their hands on it. And then they explain all the different iterations, some funny and some downright creepy, of Shrek content that have kept the green ogre alive on the web for 20 years. You can check out the Shrek syllabus here. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Follow us online at our new Twitter account @ICYMI_pod Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past week, while the violence between Israel and Palestine has escalated, a separate battle has accelerated on social media, one fought with rocket emojis and celebrities like Israeli actress Gal Gadot and Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid getting involved. If you don’t post, are you tacitly anti-Palestine? Anti-semitic? If you do post and you fumble some of your history, are you nothing but a hashtag activist? (What about if you get it right?) In this episode, Madison and Rachelle survey a week’s worth of controversial celebrity statements and the evolution of one particular viral infographic to ask who these memes and Instagram posts really serve and how to avoid the 2021 equivalent of posting black squares. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss the latest news about Chrissy Teigen and Courtney Stodden. Earlier this week, Stodden, who rose to fame as a teenager in the early 2010s after marrying middle-aged character actor Doug Hutchison, came forward saying that they had been harassed on Twitter by Teigen, who sent tweets wishing for their death. Teigen has since apologized, but this news highlighted the disgusting ways people used to talk about young girls on the internet, and how Teigen’s online presence has never been as kind and lovable as she wants you to believe. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachelle and Madison discuss Elon Musk’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Specifically they break down the ”Gen Z Hospital” sketch, where everybody seems to be speaking in internet slang, and the backlash to it. Rachelle explains how all the language used isn’t just from the internet or from Zoomers but from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). This isn’t a new thing, of course—white Americans have been appropriating Black culture for as long as America has been around—but as this Paper magazine article by Rob Dozier points out, the internet has made it particularly easy for those words to lose their original context. Podcast Production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison discuss Facebook upholding their ban of Donald Trump from their platform—sort of. Then they interview someone about their own experience getting banned: legal journalist Rachel Stone, who was banned from Twitter after she jokingly threatened the man who cautions you to take a break from scrolling through TikTok. Finally, the debut of our new segment Galaxy Brain, where we explore some of the wildest theories on the internet, starting with a listener email about the word cheugy. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle answer a couple of listener questions in a new segment we’re calling Read Receipts. First, they explore the origins of the “this shit bussin’—sheesh” meme that’s all over TikTok and why teens are getting their parents to do it. Then Rachelle digs into the drama currently embroiling the fan-fiction website Archive of Our Own, explaining whether the nonprofit’s latest fundraising drive is a scam (it’s not), and why the site both is and isn’t a safe haven for marginalized fans. If you'd like to read more about Sexy Times With Wangxian you can do that here. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison explain the controversy surrounding an NFT of Chadwick Boseman’s head that was connected to, but not sanctioned by, the Oscars. Then they run through a series of High-Speed Downloads covering why Ryan Gosling trended last weekend, Mark Zuckerberg’s sunscreen photo, a flash of TikTok drama involving Doja Cat, and the celebration of Ed Balls Day. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison and Rachelle pour one out for Yahoo Answers. To remember the site’s important place in internet history, they’re joined by J.T. Sexkik, the creator of the infamous video “How Is Prangent Formed.” They talk to him about his earliest memories of the question-and-answer forum, its wildest moments, and what the internet is losing with its demise. Plus, we exorcise our IKEA shopping demons with a little help from TikTok comic Scott Seiss. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Madison and Rachelle discuss how the phrase “body positivity” has lost all meaning. They talk about how the body-positivity movement started as a way to advocate for fat acceptance, including with respect to such tangible issues as healthcare and employment, but how the phrase has been co-opted into memeable soundbites on TikTok and Instagram that serve no real purpose beyond gaining likes and follows. (At least Lizzo gets it.) They also share how an excessive focus on body-consciousness has followed them their whole lives, and examine why the recent focus on “body positivity” on social media has distracted from actual issues. Plus, they run down what happened with Demi Lovato and that frozen yogurt shop. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Madison and Rachelle talk to Rolling Stone senior writer EJ Dickson about PissTok, a new TikTok trend in which people are making jokes about urination kinks. She recently reported on the videos, which have attracted tens of millions of views, for her magazine. They discuss how kink has become memified, what this says about the rise of sex positivity in mainstream discourse, and whether or not it’s a step in the right direction. Also, Madison places a call to Apple support. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher discuss the latest development in the world of The Bachelor and how it all plays into the show’s relationship with social media. First they dig into the news that former Bachelor Colton Underwood has come out as gay on Good Morning America. Then they get into the show’s love-hate relationship with Instagram, examining how the series has become a launchpad for influencers and explaining how social media has become its public editor, leading to everything from this year’s casting of the first Black Bachelor to host Chris Harrison’s ouster. To read more about Underwood's season of the show, check out our producer Daniel Schroeder’s piece on the subject. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher look at the way the COVID vaccines have seemed to develop online personalities. They discuss how the memes and merch inspired by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson can actually encourage vaccine hesitancy—which is all the more disappointing since there are actually some pretty informative TikToks out there about COVID-19. Next, they speak to a few Slatesters who might not have purchased vaxx merch but definitely made their own reckless online purchases, by buying things through targeted Instagram ads. Do these impulse buys ever bring us the joy we think they will? For more on this topic, check out “How Pfizer Became the Status Vax” by Slate’s Heather Schwedel. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher start with a couple of High Speed Downloads: Madison summarizes the latest online drama surrounding self-help guru Rachel Hollis (featuring Harriet Tubman), and Rachelle chronicles the Kardashian fury that was unleashed after somebody posted an untouched-up photo of Khloe. Then, an exclusive interview with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher report from the latest front in the battle between millennials and Gen Z. First, they trace the conflict back to its origins in skirmishes over middle parts and skinny jeans. Then they speak to culture writer Jenny G. Zhang, who recently encountered the fury of thirtysomethings when she tweeted about what using reaction GIFs says about your age. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode, hosts Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher talk to Mya Johnson and Chris Cotter, two teen TikTok stars who created a dance challenge set to Cardi B’s No. 1 hit “Up.” Fellow TikTok creator Addison Rae appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to perform their dance, along with seven other popular TikTok dances, without giving credit to any of the creators. A Twitter user tweeted a side-by-side video of Chris and Mya’s original choreography and Addison’s Tonight Show performance, demonstrating just how watered down the moves had become. Chris and Mya are here to discuss how the two first linked up, what they thought about Addison Rae’s performance, and the experience of watching their moves go viral without them. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ICYMI, Slate’s new podcast about internet culture, hosts Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher get lewd. (Sorry, Mrs. Hampton.) First, they read some erotica about the big, unstuck boat. Then, they explain why Lil Nas X’s supposedly shocking turn—stripping for the devil in his new video for “Montero” and selling “Satan Shoes” with blood in them—is really just the logical next step for the “Old Town Road” rapper. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the second episode of ICYMI, Slate’s new podcast about internet culture, hosts Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton take listeners on an all-access tour of Clubhouse, the invite-only audio app that already has millions of users, including everyone from Elon Musk and Drake to Oprah and Joe Rogan. Madison somehow ends up taking a shower with hundreds of other users? The app also doesn’t allow people to record and publish audio, so this episode will probably get us banned. Then, they try a new segment that we’re calling High Speed Download, in which each of them must try to summarize all of the drama of a recent internet story in 60 seconds or less. This time: the sagas of relationship guru Derrick Jaxn and Jensen Karp, aka Cinnamon Toast Shrimp Guy. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the first episode of ICYMI, Slate's new podcast about internet culture, hosts Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher make sense of two recent controversies about online celebrities. First, they explain the recent drama around Kylie Jenner’s call for her followers to donate to a makeup artist’s GoFundMe—and how it connects to a whole year of influencers failing to read the room during the pandemic. Next, they dig into the reckoning currently roiling YouTube, recounting the rise and fall of David Dobrik, and analyzing why an allegation in a recent Insider report has put “Gen Z’s Jimmy Fallon” in hot water. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join hosts Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher as they gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back. New episodes drop every Wednesday and Saturday starting March 24th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices