ICYMI

Candice Lim is joined by 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler to discuss “Celebrity Number Six,” an intriguing internet mystery that was finally solved after four years. In January 2020, a Reddit user posted a plea on no fewer than 13 different subreddits asking for help identifying a collage of celebrity faces on his curtain. Some faces were quickly identified, such as Adriana Lima, Jessica Alba, Orlando Bloom, but one face remained nameless and unidentifiable — until now. On today’s episode, ICYMI explores the four years it took to find “Celebrity Number Six” and how everything changed on September 8.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim with production assistance by Alyssa Jeong Perry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to play a game of High Speed Downloads, where they get 60 seconds to break down an internet story they’re obsessed with. From the sudden memeification of a decade-old Nickelodeon show to everything that’s going on with Shannon Sharpe, they also explain what happened between Ice Spice and her opening act-turned-former best friend.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by culture reporter Ej Dickson to break down her Rolling Stone profile of A.J. and Eric “Big Justice” Defumo, better known as the “Costco Guys.” In January 2024, A.J. was a former pro wrestler-turned-mortgage lender who wasn’t finding much traction on TikTok, until his son Eric joined him for a trip to Costco. That laid the groundwork for the duo’s biggest video to date, which combined their love for the warehouse chain and Tiktok’s fascination with the chicken bake institution. With more than 53 million views, the family business is only expanding with influencer touchstones such as toothbrush sponcon, a cast of characters, and a hit song.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to break down the BookTok drama surrounding Old Enough by Haley Jakobson. Last year, Old Enough hit the shelves as a queer, coming-of-age novel about a sophomore in college named Sav and her ex-best friend, Izzie. A year later, a guest of Lucie Fink’s podcast The Real Stuff claimed she was allegedly the basis for Izzie and that her childhood was “plagarized” for the novel — from her experience with sexual assault to sensitive details about her family. On today’s episode, ICYMI asks how this BookTok drama became the “Bad Art Friend” of 2024 and where the lines should be drawn when it comes to using the trauma of others to sell a book.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Wailin Wong, the co-host of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money. Back in January, ICYMI explained everything you needed to know about Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise — a nine-month trip that TikTokkers on land and sea couldn’t stop talking about. Today, we’re checking in with our favorite boat that’s finally coming home, dispatching everything from geopolitical crises to engagements, and passengers who didn’t get back on board.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Rolling Stone writer CT Jones and Switched on Pop producer Reanna Cruz to hold a retrospective on the internet history of Charli XCX, the founder of brat summer and a decades-long digital icon. They’re going all the way back to 2012, when a girl from Essex named Charlotte Aitchison hit the main stage with “I Love It.” They’ll dissect their first Charli XCX memories, the 2016 song that changed Charli’s entire internet career, and how her pandemic album-documentary led up to this moment, asking: Was it Charli’s Angels or Charli’s destiny?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim.Want more ICYMI? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the ICYMI show page. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Zakiya Gibbons, the host and creator of the reality dating podcast Hang Up. On today’s episode, they explain YouTube’s biggest phenomenon of the past year — Skibidi Toilet. The animated, dystopian web series was created by Alexey Gerasimov, whose toilets have broken the internet and wracked up more than 43.5 million subscribers. Skibidi Toilet’s biggest fans seem to be Gen Alpha, who are congregating around a meme that Gen-Z can’t fully get behind. Therefore, does Skibidi Toilet mark the first internet war between our two youngest generations?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim.Want more ICYMI? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the ICYMI show page. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe and former host of Vox’s The Weeds Jonquilyn Hill. Vice President Kamala Harris has been a public servant for more than 20 years, but her internet history is just as storied and rife with awkward singing, baffling laughter, and accidental viral hits. From coconut trees to Venn diagrams, ICYMI dives into Harris’ relationship with the internet, the K-Hive, and her hall of fame memes.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by internet culture reporter and Embedded writer Kate Lindsay to explain Hannah Neeleman, better known as Ballerina Farm — the Mormon, Julliard-trained dancer who married a JetBlue nepo baby and became one of this year’s most intriguing, yet controversial influencers. They’ll check in on the state of tradwives, trace how Neeleman got here, and ask whether Ballerina Farm is a victim or a victor.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by writer, podcaster and YouTuber Allison Raskin, whose new book I Do (I Think) about Gen-Z and millennial marriages comes out October 15th. On today’s episode, Raskin takes us through her internet diaries which include the Substack app and her favorite internet conspiracy theories. But first, Raskin talks about her good (and bad) memories of working at Buzzfeed in its heyday, and the highs and lows of her most public friendship online.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Unladylike’s Cristen Conger, whose new podcast Conspiracy, She Wrote unravels women’s overlooked roles in today’s conspiracy culture. On today’s episode, they’re diving into Conger’s internet diaries, from her golden rules for engaging online to the conspiracy theory she secretly believes in.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to play High Speed Downloads. On today’s episode, they’ll have exactly one minute to explain some of their favorite internet stories of late, including the mess surrounding It Ends With Us, why a Team USA gymnast has been asked to return her bronze medal, and what it means to be “very demure.”This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by internet culture writer Steffi Cao, whose Substack recently started an advice column all about internet etiquette. On today’s episode, they’re answering reader questions such as: Should I report unhinged Facebook behavior? And should I get into political fights in the DMs?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from this January about longform video essays.In this episode, 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 and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe curate the internet’s best memes and moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics thus far. From the best Snoop Dogg moment to their favorite Olympic TikToker, they begin with the question on everyone’s mind: who’s winning the gold medal for best Olympic crush?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim, with production assistance by Jared Downing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe break down the allegations surrounding YouTuber and podcaster Cody Ko. In May, fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau alleged that Ko had sex with her when she was 17 and he was 25. While covered by outlets such as Rolling Stone, the controversy did not pick up steam until commentary YouTuber D’Angelo Wallace posted a 15-minute video investigating Mongeau’s claims and mapping out Ko’s history of burying controversies.Since then, Ko has lost more than 300,000 subscribers and his podcast network claims he “will not be involved in the day-to-day operations” of their business. However, fans have lingering questions, such as: did Ko’s associates try to squash the controversy on Reddit? Why were Mongeau’s allegations not taken seriously the first time? And what happens when a commentary YouTuber espouses the rampant misogyny they so heavily criticize online?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate writer Luke Winkie to break down the curiously indefinable “Zynternet.” Substack writer Max Read coined and defined the term as “a broad community of fratty, horndog, boorishly provocative” (mostly) men in their 20s and 30s who obsess over college sports, light domestic beers and Zyn nicotine pouches. On today’s episode, ICYMI asks who the “Zynternet” is performing for and whether its rise is a backlash against brat summer.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Patrick Hosken to discuss the downfall and disappearance of MTV News. In May 2023, Paramount Global laid off 25 percent of its workforce, which included MTV News staffers like Hosken. A year later, Hosken had a new job at Rochester’s CITY Magazine when he clicked on his own MTV News articles and discovered they were gone because the website had been taken down. On today’s episode, Hosken describes the emotional journey of getting laid off, watching decades of music journalism disappear and how this was a lesson in internet preservation.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from our friends and colleagues over at What Next: TBD. Guest host, Cheyna Roth is joined by Ash Nelson, journalist and author of “The Lost Art of the DVD Extra” for Slate.The two discuss the downsides of the streaming era are coming into focus for movie fans—uncontrollable, changing libraries; lower fidelity; lack of extras and features. Can all of these be solved with a return to physical media?Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Cheyna Roth.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Amanda Mull, whose pieces investigate your favorite big-box stores, the cult of exercise and the girlboss economy. They dive into Mull’s internet diary, which includes her golden rule for arguing online, her most beloved @dril tweets and why she’s changed her mind on Peloton.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to play a game of High Speed Downloads, where they get 60 seconds to break down an internet story they’re obsessed with. From the rapidly rising star of the “Hawk Tuah girl” to the awkward BET Awards moment involving Taraji P. Henson and TikTok star Keith Lee, they also give some advice on what to do if you catch someone cheating on your next flight.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate business and tech writer Nitish Pahwa to break down two stories surrounding artificial intelligence in fashion and advertising. They explore Baggu’s recent collaboration with Collina Strada, which used an A.I. tool in their designs and possibly went against both brands’ commitment to sustainability. Then, they discuss the internet’s reaction to a bad Toys R Us commercial that was made almost entirely with A.I. software. But first, why was Twitter riled up over a Michael Mann movie?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by TIME culture reporter Moises Mendez II for the five-year anniversary of Tati Westbrook’s “BYE SISTER” video, a 43-minute long confessional about her then-friend and fellow beauty YouTuber James Charles. What started as a hair care vitamin sponsorship gone wrong, then became a video accusing Charles of using his fame to coerce straight men into sex. This led Charles and controversial beauty influencer Jeffree Star to enter the chat, but the damage was done and no party has fully recovered from the video that started it all. Five years later, we trace how Sistergeddon entered the YouTube Hall of Fame.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim and Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe excavate and preserve the internet history of Ayo Edebiri, a star in the making whose Letterboxd reviews should be crystallized in amber. They break down her best internet moments and discuss Edebiri’s social media presence since The Bear, from her dedication to Ireland to the fan-shipping that has percolated into real-life speculation.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, ICYMI says so long, farewell to Rachelle as she departs for a new adventure. First, Candice allows her to update her internet diaries, then they run through fan-favorite moments and Rachelle’s greatest hits. Finally, we hear from friends of the podcast on what Rachelle’s run has meant to ICYMI.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s special Pride Month episode, Rachelle and Candice hear from two listeners about finding queer friendship and community online. From a group for late bloomers to an Instagram account for personal ads, their online life rafts became offline friendships that played a big part in their identities and internet histories today.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, ICYMI is bringing back a time-honored tradition: High Speed Downloads. For Candice’s first and Rachelle’s last HSD, they’ll have exactly one minute to explain some of their favorite internet stories. This includes tall people finding love on TikTok, Jenny Nicholson’s iconic four-hour Star Wars hotel review and that time John Green was bullied off Tumblr.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from October 2023 about LinkedIn.In this 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined once again by Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe. The two dive into Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal, a recent Netflix docuseries that documents the rise and fall of the dating website targeted towards cheating spouses.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by ICYMI fave and Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe. The two sit down to discuss one of Netflix’s newest docu-series Dancing for the Devil: the 7M TikTok Cult which explores the alleged misconduct of Robert Shinn through the church and management company that he founded. Since the docu-series premiered on May 29, it’s consistently been one of the top 10 most watched TV series on Netflix.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show, we’re joined by Nicky Woolf, the host Fur and Loathing, a new investigative podcast which attempts to solve the decade-old cold case of a chemical attack at the 2014 Midwest Furfest convention. From their show description, “It’s a journey that will bring [Woolf] face-to-face with the challenges this vibrant, often misunderstood subculture faces–including the far-right extremists looking to wreck the community from within.”This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rachelle is joined by Slate staff writer and friend of the show, Nadira Goffe. The two revisit last year’s episode breaking down the Tarte brand trip that took over TikTok now that one of the main stars of that debacle, Fannita Legett, is once again TikTok’s main characterThis podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Anna Sale, the host of Death, Sex & Money, to dive into her internet diary. After her podcast jumped to Slate, Sale took a month off and plugged into her surroundings, starting with her local library. Since its return, Death, Sex & Money has dived into diagnosed sociopaths, botox in Appalachia and the magic of mushrooms. But as Sale tells ICYMI, the podcast has developed an interesting relationship with the internet, which makes it both easier and harder to answer the questions her listeners are dying to ask.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from September 2022 about TikTok Shop.In the 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by internet culture writer and reporter Kate Lindsay whose recent Bustle article “My Therapist is a TikTok Star” explores the complicated dynamics that emerge when patients run into their therapists online.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Yowei Shaw (former co-host of NPR’s Invisibilia) to discuss her new podcast Proxy, which takes listeners through the psychological aftermath of a layoff, starting with Shaw’s own layoff from NPR. In March 2023, the public radio institution laid off approximately 10 percent of its staff, resulting in the cancellation of four podcasts, including Invisibilia. Shaw, along with her team, was working on an upcoming season of the podcast when they were suddenly without jobs. More than a year later, Shaw is back with Proxy, which investigates layoff culture and asks questions like “Is there a good way to lay off employees?” and “Why did my HR representative smile when they laid me off?”This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of Wannabe: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shaped Me. The two discuss Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, the latest venture from the comedian behind the Emmy-award winning stand-up special Rothanial. In contrast, Reality Show has been greeted with a mixed critical reception but both Aisha and Rachelle agree that it’s a fascinating project by one of our generation’s most experimental comedians.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachelle and Candice dive into their mutual obsession: the Selling Sunset subreddit. Across seven seasons, the Netflix reality show has taken viewers into a glamorous and over-the-top real estate agency in Los Angeles. Aside from selling mansions, the show’s most successful endeavor has been its online community, built on social media platforms like Reddit. r/SellingSunset has more than 250,000 followers with eagle-eyed fans posting daily about episode plotlines and off-season social media activity. Following the release of Selling the OC’s third season, ICYMI is rounding up the subreddit’s favorite moments from the original series and throwing in a few of their own.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second and final installment of our two part collab with Never Post! Mike talks with mis- and disinformation researcher Joan Donovan about the line between gossip and conspiracy; then Candice and Rachelle join Mike to talk about what it feels like swimming in the wide open sea of monocultural event discourse. Also: C-SPAN’s earliest internet memories!Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voice mailDrop us a voice memo via airtableOr email us at theneverpost at gmail dot comSee what interstitials we need submissions forEveryone is a JournalishFind Joan at her websiteand at publicinterestinter.netNever Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta.vertigo of too many nuancesdon’t drown in their rapiditychoose the nuances you loveand settle down with themExcerpt of #45 - butter colored slacks and rubber rum balls by Wayne KoestenbaumNever Post is a production of Charts & Leisure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, ICYMI and the Never Post podcast are collaborating on two episodes surrounding 2024’s biggest internet monocultural moment: Kate Middleton’s disappearance. It’s been more than a month since Kate announced she’d started preventative chemotherapy treatments following a cancer diagnosis. Which means it’s also been just over a month since conspiracy theories about the princess ran rampant across the internet. As an increasingly algorithmic internet silos us further into our own little content niches, all-consuming events like Kate Middleton’s disappearance are fewer and far between. So what does it take, in 2024, to capture the internet’s attention and create these rare monocultural moments?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.This episode was made in collaboration with the Never Post team, which includes Hans Buetow, Mike Rugnetta, Jason Oberholtzer and Wil Williams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show, Rachelle and Candice join the rest of the internet in yapping about Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers which features Zendaya as tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan and her paramours, Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor). In a spoiler-filled discussion, they dive deep into the scenes, needle drops and press tour moments that have kept social media abuzz.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim walk through the drama surrounding Foxtrot, an upscale cafe and mini market that abruptly closed all of its locations on April 23. Despite its popularity and over $100 million raised, Foxtrot’s sudden shutdown shocked employees and devoted customers who expressed their outrage and sadness on TikTok. Then, they discuss the rumors surrounding Outdoor Voices, the exercise clothing brand that was everywhere, until it wasn’t. But first, they debate this year’s song of the summer.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice answer a listener's question about “Dr.” Natalya Toryanski, an influencer with almost a quarter of million of followers on TikTok who tune into her satirical videos mimicking a prototypical “bland influencer.” Our listener writes, “I have to believe that at least a major percentage of her content is intentional parody/satire; but then I have moments where I'm not so sure whether she is parodying something or just earnestly doing it (for example, when she talks nonsense about food).” We dive into the aforementioned “nonsense” and try to make sense of it. This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton, with special thanks to Olivia Briley for her help on today’s episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Steffi Cao explains Roblox to Rachelle. Cao, a culture writer with bylines at The Atlantic, Fast Company, Forbes, BuzzFeed and more, recently wrote about Roblox’s new attempt to venture outside of kids’ gaming.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rachelle and Candice answer listener questions about the rapid rise of Donghua Jinlong, a Chinese company that manufactures glycine. Over the past few weeks, paradoxically deadpan and impassioned videos about the high quality of Donghua Jinlong’s products have taken over TikTok. Are teens actually consuming industrial grade chemicals? Or is something even weirder happening?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by We Signed An NDA co-host Ann Maddox, who you may know as Tom Sandoval’s former personal assistant. In March 2023, Maddox was teaching improv to a middle school in Japan when she found out Sandoval and his then-girlfriend Ariana Madix had split. At first, Maddox assumed this was simply routine tabloid fodder, which often plagued her employers as long-time cast members on Vanderpump Rules. But one specific photograph made her realize the rumors were true, which escalated into one of 2023’s biggest online watercooler moments: “Scandoval.” Maddox joins the show to discuss how she got into this line of work, what she knew when Scandoval went down, and what it’s like to have your personal and professional life dissected online.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to discuss their takeaways from Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a documentary series that details the toxic work environment, child abuse and disturbing events that occurred on the set of creator Dan Schneider’s shows. Schneider was the mind behind some of Nickelodeon's most-watched programming including All That, The Amanda Show and iCarly. But several dark truths were unearthed following the arrest of two child predators who worked on his sets, along with accusations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and alleged sexual behavior by Schneider himself. Following the docuseries’ release, former child actors have used social media to make statements and speak about their experiences on Nickelodeon sets. But has the internet’s reaction from both viewers and former child actors helped or hurt the purpose and aim of the docuseries itself?This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton with production assistance by Jared Downing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why scam obituaries are edging out earnest ones, with the help of artificial intelligence and an adept Google game.Guest: Mia Sato, reporter for The Verge.Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton dive into the internet history of Casey Frey, a dancer, comedian and internet icon who recently appeared on a Twitter-trending episode of Abbott Elementary. Frey was a Vine star who managed to transfer his audience to YouTube and Instagram, where he posted his most popular video in 2019. It found a second life during the pandemic when stuck-at-home fans made parodies and deep analyses, but it reminded the internet of Frey’s impact on late-2010s internet comedy and the nonsensical nature of his undeniable talent.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s Internet Diary, Rachelle is joined by Rebecca Jennings, Vox’s senior correspondent covering social platforms and the creator economy. The two discuss Jennings’ recent pieces on why everyone loves NYT Connections and how self-promotion became the internet’s lingua franca.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.