INFLUENCE

Dumb comments at the bottom of news articles and Facebook posts are a dime a dozen. But for the last 10 years, Ken M has turned misinformed Internet commentary into a masterful comedic art. His brand of earnest, oblivious comment trolling (and the angry reactions of people who think it's real) earned him hundreds of thousands of fans, who screenshot his comment threads across the Web and laugh hys...

Our show is about Internet communities, but it's also a community of its own! Our listeners help us make the show, and we're expanding the discussion to an official 2G1P Facebook Group, where you can hang out with us, suggest episode topics, ask questions for our guests, or just share some spicy hot memes. We hope you'll join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast Learn more about your...

In 2007, Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship, relinquishing control of her finances to her father. This legal arrangement is typically constructed for elderly people with significant assets and declining faculties. In Spears' case, the pop star continues to perform and generate income regularly, yet cannot prove to the probate court that she has overcome whatever mental health challe...

We're taking this week off, but we wanted to check in and share an episode of another great podcast on our network called Table Flipping. Table Flipping shamelessly celebrates “guilty pleasure” TV and praises the women of reality who boldly bare it all. Previous episodes of Table Flipping features guests such as Dayna Kathan of Vanderpump rules, Sean Clements host of Hollywood Handbook, comedian R...

In 2011, Chris Torres drew a pixelated cat with a Pop Tart body and a rainbow shooting out of its butt. It raised $100 for a charity in Texas. 10 years later, it's not only one of the Internet's most iconic images (representing the silliness of the social media age), but has sold at auction as a non-fungible token (NFT) for 300 Ether -- currently, the equivalent of $590,000. So how can you own an...

Since 2013, The Doge meme has made us laugh, cry, and stare longingly into the beautiful eyes of a Shiba Inu. Like most memes, it’s an image put into new contexts again and again. And in late 2013, it was turned into a cryptocurrency. Dogecoin began as a joke — a way to poke fun at the rise of blockchain and crypto trends. But today, it's incredibly popular as a commodity and digital currency, wit...

The cult steampunk adventure book series "Ships of the Northern Fleet" has inspired a TV show, graphic novels, and even a breakfast cereal. But the influential show has fallen off the pop culture radar in recent years. That is until a TikToker named Mister Nickel brought a flood of nostalgia back to the Internet to reunite the rabid fan community. Alli and Jen talk with Mister Nickel and the one a...

Bored during the pandemic? Maybe you should try betting fake money on a league of simulated baseball teams where imaginary players like Jessica Telephone and Jaylen Hotdogfingers are regularly incinerated, undergo life-altering surgeries, and become ... encased in giant peanut shells? Welcome to "Blaseball," the absurdist browser-based game that has captured thousands of imaginations and spawned a...

When people talk about Bitcoin and blockchain tech, the conversation typically moves to the price of commodities and the hype around trading them. But the actual blockchain movement is about so much more. Alli and Jen talk with Adam B. Levine, the podcast editor at CoinDesk, who breaks down how our trust in banks, governments, and monetary policy has failed us in the 20th century, and why cryptocu...

While we love Internet communities, it's clear that some can seed and spread weaponized information at breakneck speeds. Platforms facilitate this, but social dynamics are also at work here. And if there's any hope of squashing disinformation, it's time to take a hard look at the communities that are incentivized to manufacture it. Alli and Jen talk with Bridget Todd, an activist and host of the p...

Here on 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, we typically cover online communities that make a positive impact on the internet through their creativity or inclusivity. But not all digital watercoolers are a force for good. The_Donald is a now-banned subreddit that was home to some of the former president's most passionate supporters. That, in itself, is barely interesting. What boggles the mind is how this communit...

We've got some great new episodes in the pipeline for you, but while we wait, here's an encore of one of our favorites, originally published on December 8, 2019. -Original Notes- The Instagram account turned multi-million dollar media company @FuckJerry is notorious for stealing funny tweets, memes, and other content from creators, and posting them — without credit or compensation — to their own s...

Since 1999, the website Something Awful has been an Internet culture tastemaker, and this closed community is still going strong two decades later — a rarity for online platforms. Many modern memes and web culture references have their roots on Something Awful's humor forums. For a one time fee of $10, you get full access to the site's vibrant discussion and community. That nominal barrier-to-entr...

Want to save money, help your neighbors, and create less waste all at the same time? The Internet can help. Specifically, the "Buy Nothing" communities that have sprouted up in thousands of cities and towns around the world. Usually, they operate within Facebook groups, where people post things they want to get rid of, and neighbors can claim them. Alli and Jen speak with Marina Milosevic, the adm...

If you're concerned that LOLspeak and text messages are ruining language, fear not, grammar nerds! This week, Alli and Jen speak with linguist, author, and fellow podcaster Gretchen McCulloch, who says we are living in a special time for informal written language. McCulloch explains why the Internet is changing language and culture in unprecedented ways, how regular people solved the 500-year-long...

It won't shock most psychologists (armchair or professional) that figures of authority and oppression in early childhood can lead to kinks in adulthood. Look no further than blasphemy porn to bear out that theory. This week, Alli and Jen talk with Sabrina Bea, a blasphemy fetish cam model who specializes in tearing up bibles and dressing as nuns. Sabrina tells us why her clientele are searching fo...

The media tends to present 2 kinds of COVID-19 patients: Those who make a full recovery, and those who die. But there's a massive group of people who suffer long term symptoms like months-long fevers, hair loss, and respiratory issues. And when they asked their doctors what was wrong, they got no answers. So these COVID "Long Haulers" have turned to Facebook groups to share their experiences, get...

Our interview about 4chan culture elicited the most listener response in the shortest period of time, so we want to share a lot of it. Alli, Jen and Matt discuss the 2G1P approach to primary source interviews, bias, and where we failed in covering this very complicated platform. Happy New Year from 2G1P! See you in 2021. Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1P Join us on Discord: dis...

If you'd like the brighten the day of an Internet stranger, look no further than Reddit Gifts, the yearly online celebration where more than 100,000 Secret Santas swap gifts around the world. Alli and Jen talk with Janet, a Redditor who has swapped 19 gifts with strangers over the course of her secret Santa sleuthing. Janet shares the excitement of shopping for (and online stalking!) strangers, th...

It's been a busy week, so we're sharing one of our favorites to get you in the holiday spirit. We'll be back next week with more fun! -Originally Published December 22, 2019- Portraying Santa Claus in the modern era takes a village. What's the best way to whiten your eyebrows? Growing a beard, or applying one? How jolly is too jolly? That's where ClausNet comes in. It's a social network, online fo...

4chan is often maligned by the media and mainstream culture as a hive of hate speech and hackers, but it's far more complex. 4chan culture is unique for its anonymity, ephemeral content, and un-challenged free speech, which often birth viral memes and hilarious crusades weeks before they reach Reddit or Facebook. 4chan's ability to mobilize real-world action against injustices like animal and chil...

Happy Thanksgiving! We're taking a breather this week and re-sharing another one of our favorites, this one originally published in July of 2019. We hope you enjoy! -Original Notes- Tom has been to the Super Bowl multiple times. He goes on free cruises yearly, has ridden on the Daytona 500 track at 200 miles per hour, traveled with the U.S. soccer team, and devoted a room of his house to store all...

21st century families come in all shapes and sizes. And while dating apps have helped people from all different backgrounds and locations get together, there hasn't been an online system in place for non-romantic coupling, specifically for the surrogacy, platonic co-parenting, and other family structures. That's where Modamily joined the "matching app" ecosystem. As the CEO Ivan Fatovic explains,...

Professional dominatrix and cam model Allie Eve Knox returns to discuss her particular area of expertise, Financial Domination (aka FinDom), the fetish where clients want to be told what to do with their money. But contrary to popular belief, it's not all about wasting your client's cash. In fact, Knox explains why a more sustainable approach to financial domination works out best for everyone inv...

Adult video entertainment used to involve film crews and distribution companies. These days, performers can log in, create personalized videos for their fans, and get paid well for their wares. OnlyFans has risen to prominence as the destination for custom cams and fetish content to suit every need, and many adult performers are making bank. But like all Internet content creation, it's very hard w...