The Content Mines

Alright, this is it. Joe Biden is President. Trump has been banished to Florida. And the QAnon wizards are all going back to their yoga studios. America is a worse place. The internet is worse place. But at least now we're finally free to rebuild. This is the third and final in our insurrection/impeachment/inauguration miniseries, "Content Hell". Very excited to finally be able to talk about other things for once!!! Oh, also, we talk about Macklemore in this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

We realized it would completely impossible to not take about the coup. We're one week away from the inauguration and it's unclear what will happen next. So while the world waits to find out exactly what will happen when Joe Biden becomes president, we wanted to take a moment to look at exactly when Donald Trump should have lost his Twitter account? When was the moment a platform like Twitter could have stopped this? Also, Luke tells a very interesting story about a British man running an illegal Japanese restaurant out of his home. Stay tuned for next week's hopefully final episode of our Content Hell miniseries. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

We had an idea for the show this week. For reasons that should be obvious, we threw that out. We're talking about the coup. The internet opened up a portal in reality and crawled through and attempted to take over the federal government yesterday. This episode, as you can imagine, is a little heavier than our normal episodes. It is a complicated and confusing time. But everything is content, even an insurrection, and we're going to try and figure out exactly how this all works and where it's going. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Ryan and Luke are on vacation! They're resting and relaxing after a long year of mindlessly slogging away making content. In the meantime, if you're after your regular Content Mines fix, check out this episode they recorded for The Content Mines' Patreon. Ryan and Luke spent weeks marathoning horrible DCEU movies. But they actually really like Shazam. So this is kind of a fun one. If you're interested in hearing the whole series, definitely check out the Patreon. See you next week, everyone! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Ryan and Luke are on vacation! They're resting and relaxing after a long year of mindlessly slogging away making content. In the meantime, if you're after your regular Content Mines fix, check out this episode they recorded for The Content Mines' Patreon. Ryan and Luke spent weeks marathoning horrible DCEU movies, working their way to this, the mother(box) of terrible superhero movies. If you're interested in hearing the whole series, definitely check out the Patreon. See you next year, everyone! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

It's our last episode of the 2020! We brought back our first-ever guest, podcaster and journalist Hussein Kesvani, a bad post aficionado, to help us come up with a unified theory of Bad 2020 Content. We also talk about cannibalism, the class politics around necrophilia, verified Twitter brain damage, Disney's terrifying streaming monopoly, and how genitalia works in "Cyberpunk 2077". It's a jam-packed episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week Luke tries to convince Ryan that the monoliths popping up all over the world are actually bad and annoying and dumb. Ryan thinks it's a cool meme like the Area 51 raids. Also, it feels like the world is running out of content. What happens if that happens??? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week we're talking about the sovereign citizen conspiracy theory. Why is it back? How does it relate to QAnon? How does it connect to scotch eggs. Luke and Ryan get to the bottom of all of these questions. And more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week Luke and Ryan brought in an expert, Tumblr's Cates Holderness, to help them navigate the very confusing and extremely funny fallout from the final 15th season of the CW show Supernatural. They talk about queerbaiting, shipping, Tumblr culture, and the metaphysics of how a car could go to heaven. It's a perfect Thanksgiving episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

WARNING: The episode contains a lot of dumb media talk. This week Ryan and Luke do their best to explain why everyone cares about newsletters all of a sudden. Does the fact a bunch of annoying White Guys In Media started newsletters mean the entire thing is bad now? (The answer is no.) Also, Luke explains why all of the UK was fighting about a photo of spaghetti earlier this week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week, like The Avengers, we arise from the wreckage of the U.S. president election and take stock of which platforms screwed up the least bad. Facebook seemed to be alright for a day or two. Twitter has been pretty diligent too. YouTube? Not so much! Also, Ryan forces Luke to talk about that Joe Biden Endgame video. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

It's a bit of a crazy episode this week. Luke is in full work mode and Ryan is still on the road. But they promised you an election episode and by god, they're going to give you. Luke shares his theory that Facebook has created a brand new voting bloc — the low-trust voter. And Ryan shares his theory that most people in America actually want better minimum wage and healthcare, but they also just want to root for a bombastic personality to inflict political cruelty on people they don't like. It's a cheery episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week, Ryan and Luke were asked to solve a mystery for one of their listeners: Why is my Facebook feed full of weird "prank" videos and stupid street magic? They also talk about British 4chan users and the dream of being an incredibly basic man working in sales who lives in the suburbs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

VTubers are suddenly everywhere. They're AI-powered cartoon anime avatars that stream for hours on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. Luke, before this week, didn't know anything about them. But unfortunately for him, Ryan did a big deep dive into the bizarre companies that own these avatars and now we've got to talk about it. It's weird. It's extremely popular. It's not going away. It also recently almost kicked off an international crisis with China. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

It's the episode maybe some of you have been waiting for! We're talking about Facebook. It controls the whole world and makes everyone totally miserable. This week, Luke shares the question he's had since 2018: Is the algorithm that powers Facebook stronger and more effective than the algorithm that runs America, i.e. the constitution. This all sounds very high-concept and that's because it is, but don't worry, Ryan does eventually figure out a way to talk about furries. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week we have a GIANT-SIZED episode for you. Luke and Ryan came up with a list of the 13 most toxic fandoms on the internet and then they attempted to pick just one that is more toxic than all the others. It wasn't easy. There is a lot happening in this episode. Luke yells about books. Ryan has a meltdown about Star Wars. It's a real emotional journey. Join us, won't you? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Fake influencers. Weird marketing companies. Fake Instagram backdrops. Multi-level-marketing TikTok companies. Nothing online feels real anymore but also feels more important than ever. It wasn't always like this! But now everyone acts like it's normal. Why? When did this change? And does it matter? Also, Luke and Ryan have an extremely long conversation about whether or not Europeans know what ice cubes are. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week Luke and Ryan are talking about small towns! Specifically, what has been happening to small towns on Facebook. Weird conspiracy theories. Toxic fighting. Weird drama. In a world where your local community probably doesn't have a newspaper anymore but definitely has a bunch of deranged Facebook Groups, things can get pretty damn confusing. Also, Ryan opens up about the weird pandemic game he's been playing where he tries to guess whether or not certain actors on TV are Canadian. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

It's an election episode! Luke and Ryan have basically ignored the election for the last few months, but this week they're finally getting into it. Ryan shares his theory that Hillary Clinton saying Pokémon Go to the polls was the most important political moment of the last four years and then Luke says a bunch of more sensible things about political history. Also, Luke talks about the big bag of wet eggs currently trending on Twitter. It's a jam-packed show! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Luke and Ryan dive into the world of TikTok content houses. Hype House, Sway House, Club House, there are too many to keep track of! What would be like, psychologically, to live in a house full of other influencers grinding for internet traffic? Probably pretty bad! They also talk about British indie rock from the mid-00s. Ryan also lists his various grudges. It's a fun time! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

We've put it off for a few weeks now, but we're finally getting into it. Let's talk about Q. Luke and Ryan start things off with their first introductions to the bizarre and dangerous (and incredibly asinine) conspiracy theory and also try and unpack where they think this whole thing is headed. Global religion? Weird forgotten quirk of history? Will brands turn it into a weird marketing thing? This week is also the premiere of the Patreon-exclusive Content Mines spin-off "Post Post Credit Scene". Make sure to head over to the Content Mines Patreon and check it out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Luke and Ryan canceled their plans for an episode on QAnon this week because another story had come to light that required their attention: The teenage furry who spent seven years filling up the Scots-language Wikipedia with gibberish. This is a BIG episode and there is a lot in it. They talk about linguistics, Scottish history, colonialism, the brony-to-furry pipeline, the physical effects of drinking too much Buckfast, and also read off some of the greats Scottish tweets of all time. Buckle up, folks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

We're talking about witch internet this week! Summer's windy down, spooky season is starting, and recently a group of baby witches cursed the moon. What does that mean? Hell if we know, but we're going to do our best to guide you through it. Also, Ryan went to a psychic in 2019 who told him that 2020 was going to be a really good year for him. What the hell is the deal with that? She could have given him a heads up. This hAS NOT BEEN A GOOD YEar!!! Also, Luke explains why you're seeing Plane Simulator stuff everywhere right now. It's a big episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Reddit's r/relationships subreddit is a treasure trove of dysfunction and misery. Luke is convinced every single post is fake. Ryan is certain that every post is real. Click play if you want to listen to them fight about it for over 50 minutes. Also, this episode was recorded on literally one of the hottest days of the year in both the northeast of the US and London. So WARNING: there's a lot of really gnarly descriptions of sweat. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

The US Army has an eSports team. The US Army's eSports team streams on Twitch. A lot of people are very mad about this. In the UK, apparently the British military is using a podcast about the reality show Love Island to recruit people. Everything's really weird! Luke and Ryan try to wrestle with the very morally strange world of online army recruitment in 2020. Why does the army need a social media manager for their eSports team? Why is the National Guard partnering with Mountain Dew to sponsor video game tournaments? Why can't things just be normal? I hate the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

What is Cottagecore? Is it just a simple trend on TikTok and Instagram about getting back to a simpler life — one that involves a cottage? Or is it some weird new way internet fascists are radicalizing teens? Or is it both? Luke and Ryan try their best to get to the bottom of this extremely important online mystery. Along they way, though, they get pretty sidetracked by Taylor Swift's new album and go on a big tangent about Steampunk. Also, Luke has a tweet about a pool that he's been dying to talk about. It's a jam-packed episode! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Luke and Ryan dig into the cringey, but beautiful legacy of peak Tumblr. They explore that one fateful weekend in Chicago when a bunch of grifters convinced Tumblr cosplayers to invade an unsuspecting hotel in Chicago to attend the ill-fated DashCon. They also look at what Luke refers to as the beginning of the "era of mass-produced viral content." Can anyone break the internet anymore? Or is it just completely broken now? Also, is TikTok culture the thing we'll look back on in five years and feel the same level of secondhand embarrassment that we feel looking at old SuperWhoLock posts? So many questions! Head over to our Patreon for show notes and a great video of a skateboarding dog. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

There's a lot of words in that title that are probably confusing and I refusing to explain any of them. This week we have Alex Hern, UK technology editor for the Guardian, and he's going to try to explain why the name of the UK's biggest political scandal of the coronavirus age is stuck in Twitter's porn filter. WARNING: This episode contains repeated use of the word "cum" and also discussion of both Rick And Morty and Warhammer 40K. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week is a real good! Forget last week. This is prime time. We've got Ikran Dahir, reporter for BuzzFeed News, talking about a mysterious countdown the K-Pop group BTS is doing on Twitter and we've got Abby Ohlheiser, internet culture reporter for the MIT Technology Review, talking about how she can't stop watching real-time YouTube reenacts of famous shipwrecks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week it's just Ryan and Luke! We wanted to catch up on a few things we've been putting off for a few weeks. We dissect how Robert Pattinson eats, have a bunch of needless arguments about the differences between Americans and British people, and then finish the episode by ranting about Buffy The Vampire Slayer. All in all, a pretty good week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

New week, new nonsense. We've got author Dan Dalton on the show and he's very excited to talk to us about an RPG he's been playing that he claims is almost as good as being able to go outside and experience normal life. Also, Verge reporter Julia Alexander is back to break down how the movie Trolls: World Tour has changed movie history forever. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week we're taking it easy. Back to basics. Focusing on what makes this show work, you know? We have Brian Feldman, internet culture reporter and writer of the Bnet newsletter, and he decided all he wanted to talk about was some weird meme he found on Facebook. WARNING: This episode contains a lot of Marvel movies talk. We swear, once it's out of our system, we probably won't do it again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

This week is very special. We have Julia Furlan, who currently is working on podcasts for Vox Media, and Katie Notopoulos, senior reporter for BuzzFeed News. They once worked on a podcast with Ryan called Internet Explorer. So if you liked that podcast, you'll probably sorta kinda like this one too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Welp! Here we're back. This week we have Andrew Gauthier, the former Director of Digital Content for Kamala Harris, talking about how the internet helped him awaken a love for hunting for mushrooms, Ellie Hall, senior reporter for BuzzFeed News, talking about the drama going on inside subreddits dedicated to tracking unstable mothers-in-law, and Bijan Stephen, Twitch and livestreaming reporter for The Verge, talking about why Twitch is good. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Look, if you keep listening, we're just gonna keep making these. This week we have Cates Holderness, senior Brand Marketing Strategist at Tumblr, on to talk about making bread, Kalhan Rosenblatt, reporter for NBC News, to talk about feral Lady Gaga stans, Kassy Cho, freelance journalist, on to talk about why quarantine is especially hard for Geminis, and Julia Alexander, reporter for The Verge, about why Batman V Super: Dawn Of Justice is actually a good movie. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Well, here's another one of these, I guess. This week we have Gene Park, Washington Post reporter on video games and gaming culture, who explains why Animal Crossing is actually good. Ryan and Luke investigate why the users of Reddit's r/SnakeDiet are drinking their own piss, Luke shares his thoughts as a British person about Netflix's Tiger King, and Luke also explains why everyone in the UK is shaving their heads for Twitter clout. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Are you still listening to this? We have three very special guests this week. Hussein Kesvani, UK and Europe editor of MEL Magazine, talks about how the users from Reddit's r/WallStreetBets is having an emotional breakdown, Casey Newton, Silicon Valley Editor for The Verge, talks about porn bombing Zoom hangouts, and Julia Alexander, Reporter for The Verge, talks about why she hates Animal Crossing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com

Alright, here goes nothing. Luke and I talk about the fan fiction masterpiece Fallout: Equestria, the fact Premier League soccer has ended, and why everyone's talking about the band Alien Ant Farm again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thecontentmines.com