Sean’s guest today is Daniel Kolitz, author of a remarkable Harper’s story on “gooning.”

They talk about this emerging subculture and how it reflects back on the larger world, from the economics of attention to the rise of short-form everything. Kolitz explains why the Gooniverse isn’t just about porn, how hyperkinetic media rewires our sense of pleasure and patience, and why this is really a story about how society is changing in ways we might not like.

Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)

Guest: Daniel Kolitz, author of The Goon Squad

We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.

And you can watch new episodes of ⁠⁠The Gray Area on YouTube⁠⁠..

Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members.

This holiday season, your membership goes further: when you join Vox as an annual Member, we’ll gift a free membership to a reader who can’t afford it. By joining today, you’ll get 30% off for an annual membership, and we’ll match your membership. And if you can’t afford it, visit that same link to apply for a free membership through our gift program.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Downstairs Brain

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 0 episodes

The AI-powered Podcast Player