Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)

Alyssa Grenfell, an ex-Mormon YouTuber and author known for her insights on leaving the Mormon Church, dives deep into the intriguing world of Mormon influencers. She discusses the financial ties between the LDS Church and influential figures, exploring how these connections are maintained without leaving a trace. Alyssa also delves into the complexities of identity among influencers navigating their faith while gaining online fame. Additionally, she highlights the church's strategic advertising tactics and the impact of social media on shaping perceptions of Mormonism.

Explore the intriguing rise of Mormon influencers and their connection to traditional gender roles. Discover how the cultural roots of the Church align with today's conservative social media trends. Delve into Joseph Smith's eccentric beginnings, the enchanting world of Ballerina Farm, and the nostalgic allure of 'tradwife' content. The conversation highlights the challenges these influencers face while navigating their faith in a digital landscape and how their online personas reshape perceptions of faith and femininity.

In this engaging chat, Bryan Gaw, known as Left Shark from Katy Perry's iconic Super Bowl performance, shares his journey from dancer to celebrity stylist. He reflects on the unexpected fame that came from his viral freestyle dancing and its impact on popular culture. Bryan discusses the evolution of Super Bowl halftime shows and the pressures of the performance industry. He also opens up about his transition from dance to hairstyling, highlighting the importance of creativity and support in navigating his career in the spotlight.

This week, the curvy wife saga concludes. Jamie talks to Cate Navarrete of the Body Positivity Alliance and Tigress Osborn of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance about where this moment falls in the decades-long history of fat activism, and how mainstream media narratives tend to depoliticize civil rights issues. Also, Jamie mumbles the lyrics to "Hot Wife" by curvy wife guy to herself. Also, Jamie learns what "hotwife" means. *airhorn* Learn about NAAFA here: https://naafa.org/ Follow Tigress here: https://www.instagram.com/iofthetigress/?hl=en Learn about the Body Positivity Alliance here: https://bodypositivealliance.org/ Learn about Cate here: https://bodypositivealliance.org/team-and-board/cate-navarrete Read Tigress's original essay here: https://naafa.org/blog-archive/black-history-always For more on the history of fat activism and body positivity, start here (curated by the amazing Aubrey Gordon of Maintenance Phase!): https://www.yourfatfriend.com/fat-reading-listSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robbie Tripp, known for his viral post celebrating his curvy wife Sarah, dives into their journey of embracing body positivity while navigating fame. They discuss the cultural significance of their story and how it challenges societal beauty standards. The couple shares the impact of public scrutiny on their relationship and mental health. With a new single "Hot Wife" on the horizon, Robbie reflects on their evolution since 2017, while Sarah provides insight into the complexities of living authentically in the spotlight.

This summer, a fish named Alice fell from the sky and directly into the lawn of junior doctor Ben Beska. And so, of course, he tweeted about it... only to lose his newly beloved fish just a week later. What followed was what it looks like to go viral in 2024. Jamie speaks with Ben Beska over the course of two months to track the journey; plus, we talk to Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Elia Aboujaoude to learn what going viral has the potential to do to your mind. Follow Ben's fish adventures here: https://x.com/Beska Buy Dr. Aboujaoude's new book, A Leader's Destiny, here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/elias-aboujaoude/a-leaders-destiny/9781541703018/?lens=publicaffairs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we're taking a tangent -- my dad, Mike Loftus, passed away two weeks ago, and this episode is twenty minutes about that. I've needed some extra time to get our upcoming episodes together, but I've wanted to share more about him and the last two weeks. I really miss him. We'll be back to regular episodes next week. As promised, the links: Obituary: https://www.waittfuneralhome.com/obituary/MichaelP-Loftus  Patriot Ledger writer Eric McHugh wrote this really comprehensive, thoughtful piece about him: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/sports/2024/07/24/family-hockey-were-ledger-bruins-writer-mike-loftus-twin-passions/74518399007/  My dad's good friend Mick Colageo, another hockey writer, remembers him here: https://bostonhockeynow.com/2024/07/21/colageo-boston-bruins-reporter-mike-loftus-a-pros-pro/ And the podcast I pulled a clip from is from Pucks with Haggs with Joe Haggerty, featuring Mick and fellow hockey writer Steve Conroy from The Boston Herald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimCsyfw3Hk&t=590sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naomi H is a Twitter furry who gained notoriety after a viral incident with a National Space Council member. In a candid conversation, she opens up about losing her NASA internship, the fallout from that controversial tweet, and how it shaped her online identity. Naomi shares her journey of self-discovery as a transgender woman, navigating both personal challenges and public scrutiny. The discussion also touches on her new creative projects, including a horror film, highlighting the complexities of modern digital life and resilience.

Host Scott Rogowsky discusses the rise and fall of HQ Trivia, sharing insights on the app's popularity, internal struggles, PR crises, tech problems, financial troubles, and founder controversies. He also talks about his transition from comedy to hosting, online content consumption, success, and uncertainties in the world of internet game shows.

This week, a bonus interview from our 65-foot-hot-dog episode — 404 Media’s Jason Koebler talks to Jamie about how we need to remind people that writers aren’t robots. Then, Jamie reminds you she is not a robot. Listen to the 404 Media Podcast here: https://www.404media.co/the-404-media-podcast/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.