That's a Thing?!

Here are some of the things we mentioned: We launched in December 2017, when Elizabeth was 15 Y2K fashion is back? Zine culture Lilly Singh went from relatable YouTuber to out of touch late show host The painful “Gen Z slang” SNL skit David Foot and Douglas Coupland contributed to a hyper-awareness of generation StyleLikeU interview with an elder gay couple to start you off Content notice: mentions of sex, homophobia, addiction and violence But it's really sweet we promise

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode:   Susan Sontag's Notes On “Camp”Or a six-minute explainer if you don't have the time The shortcomings of CinemaSins The even-shorter-comings of Nostalgia Critic About KiwiFarms, one of the most unpleasant sites on the surface web Interview with the creator of Leave Britney Alone A case study for toxic anti-fandom behaviour: gamergate Callback to a long-ago episode where we talked about shipping A look at both sides of the shipping warAnd a look at the history of purity culture in fandom Twitter thread on disinterpretation And a video on Ship of Theseus  The history of the “touch grass” meme Tennessee school board bans Holocaust comic 'Maus' by Art Spiegelman A more sympathetic analysis of Why the Curtains are Blue Fortunately, we have entered a boom period for criticism online. Here are five excellent videos expanding on what we discussed this episode. we need to talk about Call Me By Your Name by Lola Sebastian Should you let Gen Z "save us"? Youth Liberation explained by Khadija Mbowe and Saint Andrewism Ignorance & Censorship by Philosophy Tube Outsiders: How To Adapt H.P. Lovecraft In the 21st Century by hbomberguy Who's Afraid of Modern Art: Vandalism, Video Games, and Fascism by Jacob Geller Many thanks to our sponsors: BGCBigs Virtual Open House Season from Edmonton Public Schools That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: We are not actually an NFT  Roblox Watch these videos from PeopleMakeGames on Roblox: Investigation: How Roblox Is Exploiting Young Game Developers Roblox Pressured Us to Delete Our Video. So We Dug Deeper. Gig economy Callback to our MLM episode: Have I got a deal for you? Company scrip  Roblox on the stock market  Wattpad's deal with Paramount+ Archive of Our Own (AO3) Callback to our fan fiction episode: Episode 5: Fanfictionary OpenSea, an NFT marketplace Ethereum Twitter account dedicated to sniffing out art theft DeviantArt Example of the right-click movement against NFT art FUD Some more anti-NFT content for you The NFT Nightmare NFTs Are Getting Worse. Like WAY Worse. Dan Olson's NFT scam megathread laughing at crypto bros, a deceptively educational livestream Many thanks to our sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists Park Power That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we talk about or at least gesture at in this episode: How Bad Can I Be from The Lorax (2012) (in case you forget what a thneed is) Shein's about us page Shein's social responsibility page Reuters article about Shein's lack of disclosure Vox article on Shein Callback to our MLM episode (though Shein's not an MLM) Articles of Interest episode on knockoffs A TikTok featuring the strawberry dress Callback to our cottagecore episode The Bangladesh garment factory collapse The pet-pictures-for-trees fiasco Some anti-Shein TikToks https://www.tiktok.com/@ssiiena/video/6993034600368884997?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@milkbite/video/6997215512925097221?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@haleyivers/video/6972647481569971462?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@maddypageknitwear/video/6977324167226084613?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@cuteshitbylili/video/6952699186299047174?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  The Sam Vimes "Boots" Theory of Economic Injustice, per Terry Pratchett It's Expensive to Be Poor, by Barbara Ehrenreich Cora Harrington has a very balanced approach to affordability, sustainability and care Edmonton Repairathon Clothes Doctor Fashion Revolution Many thanks to our sponsors: Edmonton Community Foundation, partner on the Vital Signs report on Making Ends Meet in Edmonton Park Power That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported. You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

For more fears and jeers, consider the following: Callback to our episode on Inside Callback to our episode on analog horror A needlessly thorough Wikipedia synopsis  A list of other Bechdel Test passing movies Bathtubs Over Broadway and the consequences of comedy damage Check out Nyx Fears if you want to be upset/fascinated by scary movies  A thread on the pitfalls of smarty pants protagonists If you didn't watch Contingency after last episode, go watch it now! Pauline Kael was even harsher to this movie than Elizabeth was The rating debate Poltergeist was fine, but here's some movies we actively recommend The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920, 100% mom safe) What We Do in the Shadows (2014, comedic gore/violence) The Lighthouse (2019, gore/violence/sexual content/psychological horror) House on Haunted Hill (1959, campy and delightful) Night of the Living Dead (1968, gory and violent, mitigated by its age and budget) The Girl with all the Gifts (2016, violent and gory, but strangely uplifting) Music is Now or Never by Myuu, who is a fantastic royalty-free composer Sound clips from our special feature courtesy of: Joe DeShon pfranzen  gear_clinkz owly-bee Many thanks to our sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists APN itself, in particular Speaking Municipally and I Love This, You Should Too That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network: Locally grown. Community supported. You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Black Mirror, a crowning jewel of “phones bad” cinema VCR versus VHS, a distinction that was lost on Elizabeth Land of the Giants episode on the iPhone The TV Tropes page on Analog Horror Aidan's analog horror video An analysis of Lovecraft's Eldritch HorrorAnd some more analysis  The SCP foundation  Local 58 Mothman, the best boy Remember Professor Kitzel? Public/Community access TV The Walten Files Episode 1 (NOT “The Waltons”, no matter what autocorrect says) The deeply unsettling jumpscare face a la screamers  How the original FNAF uses sound to terrify Ben Drowned, the story of a haunted game cartridge Cassette, an early Welcome to Night Vale episode An important message from Omega Mart Makeshift Stories An episode of Paranormal Paranoids (complete with earwormy theme song) The Power of VHS by hbomberguy The cinematic potential of cave art Control, Anatomy and the Legacy of the Haunted House by Jacob Geller Tsukumogami and Mokumokuren Do not adjust your podcast feed because next month we'll be tuning in to another piece of art with opinions about technology, Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper's PG powerhouse, Poltergeist.  Many thanks to our sponsors: Edmonton Community Foundation, presenting sponsor of YEGPodfest  Alberta Association of Optometrists Also, if you live in Edmonton and are listening to this before Oct. 18, 2021, fill out the Taproot Survey. That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported. (Shout-out to fellow member I Love This, You Should Too!) You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Elizabeth's choose-your-own-adventure flowchart Lip-sync style @noahjaywood @saramariecarstens @arxcelix One- or two-part cliffhanger @jezellecatherine @baileyspinn @joe_masini @devincaherly One-shot or character pieces @ianboggz @hannah.montoya Longform or fully acted @eliana_ghen @thechrisbarnett Callback to our fanfic episode Night is the show we watched at a drive-in performance (the bird poop on the windshield was our fault, not theirs) Sarah Z video on pick-me girls Origin of Love from Hedwig and the Angry Inch Callback to our astrology episode  ABO (don't Google it, says Jon)  Time Princess and Project Makeover Redecor  Episode Many thanks to our sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists The Well Endowed Podcast from the Edmonton Community Foundation  That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Flare on TikTok and Instagram Mom Friend on TikTok The best slash proof bags can cost $169, and still might not meet your standards SafetyDrip on TikTok The Sarah Everard story The quest to de-hair the female body continues This episode is not brought to you by Creep-B-Gone, because we would never (and it doesn't exist… yet).Many thanks to our actual sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists Pod Power shout-out to What's the Tsismis?, courtesy of the Edmonton Community Foundation   That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things that came up in our discussion: Content warnings: Adult themes, mature language, suicide, “content” Bo Burnham: Inside On Netflix On Spotify Who is Bo Burnham:  Wikipedia entry  YouTube channel Left Brain Right Brain animatic Lola Sebastian Lolita Podcast (not for kids but very good) What Karen means by “Simon Sinek energy” Jeffrey Bezos in almost-space Trunk tunes Callback to parasocial relationships episode Look Who's Inside Again reminds Karen of Ben Spencer's Willow Tree (didn't mention it but thought of it afterwards) If you want to skip our discussion of suicide, it's from 57:56 to 1:04:17  #BellLetsTalk Pop Culture Happy Hour on Inside Brave New World and soma The Edmonton Fringe is coming back! Many thanks to our sponsors:  Business Council of Alberta ATB Cares That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are links to some of the things we mention in the show: Lore episode featuring Moll Pitcher (timestamp 25:15) Couldn't find a working version of a Buzzfeedesque Journal quiz, but it was like this Go Out To Brunch To See Which Sex And The City Character You Are JK Rowling, famously an unproblematic fave Elizabeth is theoretically a Pisces, but not really Karen is supposedly an Aquarius (Many) gay people love astrology Cold reading and how to seem psychic Elizabeth sounds like a lunar Gemini, but she's actually a lunar Taurus? Peter Popoff debunked by James Randi 16Personalities The origins of personality typing Look up The Debater if you want to see a man you'll hate Karen is The Advocate Elizabeth is The Logician More mesmerizing content to amaze and enrage you The Bizarre World of Fake Psychics, Faith Healers, and Mediums Psychics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado Many thanks to our sponsors:  Shift by Alberta Innovates Pod Power shout-out to Book Women, courtesy of the Edmonton Community Foundation  That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned: Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar  Eric Carle didn't say that The Paris Review for Young Readers Rage-bait cooking videos - eg no-melt nachos, spaghetti in cold sauce Bronies  We were going to link to a problematic image about 4chan sharing things in bad faith, but then decided against it, because why spread it more? Content-farm video channels like Blossom, So Yummy, 5-Minute Crafts Making a purse out of a pizza box Kimora Blac: “you didn't say jk though” Bad waffle-iron videos Wrap-folding hack from TikTok Ann Reardon's How To Cook That You Suck at Cooking The quote about lies on the internet was from Arthur! (We would never quote Bizaardvark.) Many thanks to our sponsors:  Natural Light Edmonton The Edmonton Community Foundation and The Well Endowed Podcast That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That's a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Here are some of the things we mentioned: More information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown Pregnancy questions video (NSFW) ICYMI episode on end of Yahoo Answers Quora There’s a subreddit for every question you could possibly have r/relationships Sarah Z video about where fake stories fit into internet culture Dear Abby/Ann Landers Ken M Amelia Bedelia One of many Yahoo Answers listicles Example of automated YouTube video reading r/askreddit The episode of My Brother, My Brother and Me which bids YA farewell A collection of final Yahoos  Callback to Flash games episode r/thetipofmytongue Callback to walled gardens episode The Soul of a Library - Jacob Geller Jason Scott and Archive Team Many thanks to our sponsors:  Rümi Pod Power shout-out for Overdue Finds, courtesy of Edmonton Community Foundation That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.We’ve been on some APN shows recently — check them out! The Breakfast Dish Bollywood is For Lovers Speaking Municipally You can subscribe to us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That’s a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music is Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin, from Free Music Archive.

Do you have games on your phone? Elizabeth does, and in this episode, she’ll share some tips and tricks for navigating the hit-and-miss abyss that is the Apple App Store. But first, some words from our beloved editor and gamer extraordinaire, Jon.

In this feature-length epic, Elizabeth and Karen dive deep into the puzzle of parasocial relationships. How bad can they really be? How do we fix them? And most importantly, won’t somebody think of the children?!

Is a Disney kid’s hit the work of TikTok astroturfing? PogChamp is canceled — should we feel bad? If Dream doped his e-sports, what’s left to believe in? Elizabeth interprets for Karen.

Our first episode on TikTok discussed the app as a cultural phenomenon, but what about *art*? We look at how music has shaped TikTok and how the app has come to rule the charts. Also, Elizabeth progresses her redemption arc.

Elizabeth explains the strange resurrection of an early-2000s cartoon, and then introduces Karen to the ever-uncannier world of manufactured entertainers. She totally wrecked her YouTube history for this, so enjoy!

Elizabeth and Karen find creepypasta galore at the Halloween store, then explore the growing cultural relevance of Among Us.

Elizabeth takes us back to the good(?) old(?) days to examine the internet artifacts of her youth, and gauge how cringe-y they are now. Jon returns with his customary snark and a dramatic reading of archival Tumblr.

In this conclusion of a two-part series, Elizabeth explains how and why her generation makes desire paths around and between the walled gardens of the internet, and Karen marvels at the orality of an apparently literate form.

Karen just wanted to know why Elizabeth reads Tumblr on Instagram, and it turned into a two-part episode on how the web evolved from a nerdy, interconnected blogosphere to the semi-siloed mishmash we have today. This is Part 1.

The moon is hexed, the witches are vexed and scene kids keep typing in L337 text. So, what’s up with that? We dive into the complex and often overlapping realms of fashion and subculture.

Karen quizzes Elizabeth and Jon about the end of their high school and junior high years, as the strangest school year ever comes to a close. Also, Elizabeth’s Pride Month recommendations.

Elizabeth has thoughts on Quibi, Some Good News, responsible ways to share bad but important news, and why gifs now mark you as a n00b. Karen chimes in where possible.

Elizabeth and Karen compare and contrast the nature of comedy for their respective generations, and crack each other up a fair amount along the way.

Elizabeth offers insight into the teenage mindset during a pandemic, and provides Karen with some much-needed diversion as we do our duty and stay home.

As threatened in the previous episode, we look at what fuels current teenage fandoms for musical theatre and compare it to older experiences, with the help of Kyle Marshall of Putting It Together. Also, we won an award!

Exams ate Elizabeth’s time, so we’re sharing our recent appearance on Putting It Together, Kyle Marshall’s great podcast about the music of Stephen Sondheim. Consider this a prelude...

Here's what you can expect from our sometimes belated, already outdated guide to your teens, tweens and everything under 20.

Having allowed YouTube to raise her children, Karen now turns to Elizabeth to explain it all to her, through the lens (eventually) of the annual Rewind video.

Elizabeth gets into the labels and epithets assigned by the internet, and where the mainstream media gets them wrong. Karen just feels very attacked.

Elizabeth and Jon introduce their mom to the world of Lost Media, reveal their desire to keep everything forever, and unspool two of their favourite mysteries.

Elizabeth takes Karen on a journey from Area 51 to the climate strike, and considers the role memes and social media play in mobilization. Do a good praxis, everyone.

Elizabeth gets mad and Karen gets madder about an insidious new way for shady companies to recruit teens to sell stuff for them.

Jon slides into Elizabeth’s chair to enlighten Karen about recent memes and accuse her of being a Boomer (the nerve!). Creative or cringe? You be the judge.

Karen grew up in the golden age of CanCon. But Elizabeth’s generation prefers Spotify and YouTube to radio and TV. So are Canadian content rules even a thing anymore? And should they be?

How do you sell to young people in the age of adblock? Forget snapbacks on Twitter, avoid drama-prone influencers, and beware the double-edged sword of #woke-ness. Elizabeth suggests where you might want to head instead.

Recorded live at the SkirtsAfire Festival, Elizabeth explains how she has felt more comfortable exploring her queerness online rather than in person (though we’re happy those in-real-life places exist). Then we discuss such issues with our eloquent guests.

Elizabeth discusses Markiplier, Jacksepticeye and PewDiePie, the Father, Son and Unholy Spirit of Let’s Play videos. What accounts for their popularity? What can and should they do with their influence? And why is Karen so goth in this episode?

Elizabeth explains TikTok, the wildly popular app that used to be Musical.ly, inherited Vine’s place on the internet, and could lead your kids towards extreme creativity or utter toxicity, or both! Plus, Jon returns with a look at the memes of 2018.

In Part 2 of our examination of YouTube, Elizabeth zooms out and zooms back in again on what is wrong with her generation’s main source of information and entertainment, and why they’ll keep watching anyway.

Are you up on SCP? How about the Look-See? If a kid said “I like rusty spoons,” would you know what he was on about? Elizabeth recommends the scariest things your teen has probably already seen.

Elizabeth explains the drama-soaked world of YouTube and the false promise of the American dream through the lens of the debacle known as Tanacon. Part 1 of 2, with a special guest appearance by Kyle Marshall.

A listener question requesting help to interpret various memes prompts us to bring in reinforcements (i.e. Elizabeth’s brother Jon) to explain the dank, deep-fried, spicy and wholesome bits of internet culture whose meaning might elude you.

Flossing — it’s not just for teeth anymore. Elizabeth explains the origins of the dance move to Karen, and expresses disbelief that she didn’t know about it, because isn’t already over by now? Also, relive the dance crazes of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, because Gen-X nostalgia is the best nostalgia.

Elizabeth has an interesting theory about the phenomenal rise of K-Pop sensation BTS, and Karen finds parallels to The Monkees and Moonlighting. Is Suga your bias? Do you even know what that means? Listen and you will.

More than 14 million people follow Fortnite on Twitch, but somehow, Karen had never heard of it. Elizabeth enlightens her mom about the game that has glued kids to their phones and freaked out “old people media.”

Elizabeth introduces her mom to the surprisingly vast and very teen-girl-driven world of fan fiction. It’s not all shipping (but it is a lot of shipping —listen if you don’t know what that is. Hint: No boats involved).

Elizabeth dives into the world of indie video games, introducing some that her mother would really rather not know about (hi, FNAF), and some that she's kind of looking forward to trying. Plus, #PaulWatch and the meaning of THOT. Find links to the games and more at https://thatsathing.libsyn.com We are a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB.

Elizabeth explains how eating Tide Pods became a thing, and analyzes media coverage of the phenomenon. This leads to a discussion of challenges past and present. We also revisit Logan Paul (shudder), who was briefly touched on in Episode 2 and has since invaded the grownups' part of the internet, and we answer a listener question! Find full show notes at https://thatsathing.libsyn.com

Elizabeth explains things to her mom in this sometimes belated, already outdated guide to your teens, tweens and everything under 20. This time around, she tells the story of Team 10, a collective of YouTube channels whose hosts boost each other’s follower counts by harnessing the same techniques that made old-time Hollywood, soap operas, wrestling and reality TV capture our attention.