

INFLUENCE
Matt Silverman
What does it really take to make a living (and an impact) on the Internet today?Join Matt Silverman (who has been covering online culture for 15+ years) in conversation with YouTubers, musicians, podcasters, streamers, journalists, TikTokers and more about turning creativity into a job, building community on ever-changing platforms, and their complex relationships with huge online audiences.INFLUENCE is the relaunch of 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, a weekly comedy/interview show about fascinating online communities, which ran for 7 years and nearly 300 episodes.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 25, 2022 • 1h 12min
The Space Cemetery in 'EVE Online' [Encore]
We are afk this week, but re-sharing an amazing episode about the virtual cemetery in the space MMO EVE Online, which started as a memorial to dead characters and quickly became a shrine to IRL friends, family, pets, and lost loved ones who have died.-- Original Show Notes, Episode 143 | August 17, 2020 --Alli and Jen speak with Jason Marshall, a veteran player of the MMO 'EVE Online' about the game's 15-year-old player-run space graveyard.The Molea cemetery has been operating since 2004, and not only contains the frozen corpses of killed space pilots, but graves that mark the deaths of lost loved ones in real life — friends, family members, pets, and other players.In June of this year, the developers of 'EVE' formally recognized this player accomplishment by adding a massive, permanent memorial to the system. Marshall explains how the cemetery got started, why players care so much about transporting their clone corpses to virtual graves, how the team fended off attacks from the notorious Goonswarm Alliance, and the first time a player requested a grave for a real person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 18, 2022 • 1h 6min
221 Plant Parenthood: How Psychedelics Can Help Parents Cope
Mushrooms, psychedelics, micro-dosing and more have recently come into fashion, but online communities and scientists have been studying their effects on mental health for decades. The social stigma on mind-altering substances still prevents many people from safely exploring them. That's where Plant Parenthood comes in. It's an online community that connects and educates parents on how psychedelics can reduce the stress of raising kids, and tap into the playful and creative mindsets that make families joyful.Alli and Lindsey talk with Rebecca Kronman and Andrew Rose from Plant Parenthood, who explain the intersection of family and psychedelics, and how this community allows people to talk about things they can't address with IRL friends and family.Check out Plant Parenthood: https://www.plantph.com/Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 11, 2022 • 1h 11min
220 What Is and Is Not "Free Speech" on the Internet?
The podcast explores the complexities of regulating online speech, including the challenges of misinformation and the role of social media. It discusses Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and its implications for content moderation. The hosts express optimism in finding solutions and draw parallels to the history of radio. They also encourage listeners to engage in the conversation and connect with the podcast community.

Jul 4, 2022 • 1h 7min
219 Adult Breastfeeding & Nursing Relationships
You might assume that men drinking breastmilk is yet another kink — and it can be. But Mikalah says it's often a comfort and a lifestyle for many in the community. She would know, as she's a professional lactation consultant who also found a partner who breastfeeds from her regularly.Alli and Lindsey speak with her about the extraordinary misconceptions about breastfeeding, how anyone at ANY age can induce breastmilk (including men!), the barriers to selling milk online, and the medical reasons why she found herself to be a leading voice in the ABF community.For more info, check out Mikalah's podcast "Lactation Station": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lactation-station/id1485681584Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27, 2022 • 1h 20min
Making Spreadsheets Fun With @BachelorData [ENCORE]
We're off this week, but sharing another one of our favorite episodes about turning fandom into something amazing on the Internet.-Original Show Notes // December 6, 2021 -The only thing bigger than "Bachelor Nation" is "Bachelor Instagram." That's usually where the contestants, stars, villains, and conversations around the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises go during each season. But educator Suzana Somers had a fresh idea. When she had to start learning Excel for her job, she got bored crunching pivot tables, so she inserted data from The Bachelor instead: How much screen time did each contestant get? Age ranges? Race and ethnic backgrounds? Roses awarded? Instagram followers? The results, which she visualized on Instagram, have been intriguing thousands of fans ever since. @BachelorData has become a big voice in the reality show conversation, and Suzana has turned it into an educational resource for those who want to improve their spreadsheets skills in a non-boring way.Alli and Lindsey chat with Suzana about the origin of the account, the online Bachelor community, and the fascinating conclusions she's drawn from analyzing the franchise over many seasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2022 • 1h 5min
218 How One Direction Fandom Shaped the Social Web
Fandom is the essential glue that holds most online communities together. But Kaitlyn Tiffany says the One Direction fandom — particularly fangirls — have a lot to do with with how modern social media culture is structured today.The author and journalist returns for her second appearance on 2G1P to discuss how the Internet fervor around 1D has influenced everything from commerce to politics to activism online. Her new book, "Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It," digs into the obsessive fan culture that could only be fully realized through the power of the Internet.Check out her book: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Need-Get-You-Fangirls/dp/0374539189Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 13, 2022 • 1h 19min
217 Doctors of TikTok Fighting Medical Disinformation
TikTok might seem like a bastion of youth, fun dance moves, and fun challenges. But like most social media, it's rampant with misinformation and weaponized disinformation, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joined TikTok for the same reasons we all did: We were bored during the lockdowns. What she found on the platform was so horrifying, she had to step up and fight it.Alli and Lindsey talk with Dr. Kat about her rise to social media fame as a newly minted science communicator. Her TikTok videos debunk persistent myths about the pandemic, explain how viruses and vaccines work, and call out other medical professionals who insist on spreading dangerous content. She maps why human bias, poor educational standards, and algorithms that only serve sensationalism created a perfect storm of misinformation on TikTok, and what scientists (and regular people) are doing to fight back.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 6, 2022 • 24min
216 The Good News Only Episode
If you need a break from the world crumbling around us, this episode is for you. Alli and Lindsey try as HARD AS THEY CAN to only talk about good things, and they almost manage to do it!UFOs are getting a rebrand, hummingbirds are dope, Katy Perry concerts are fun, Zac Efron continues to be attractive, and Ukrainians made an original song about U.S. missiles.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 30, 2022 • 1h 15min
Unnecessary Inventions [Encore Episode 148] September 28, 2020
We have another one of our favorite classic episodes for you this week, so kick back, relax, and enjoy this wholly unnecessary diversion.--Original Show Notes: September 28, 2020--Matty Benedetto is a product designer by training, but his sense of humor led him to a life of hilarious content creation instead. Benedetto builds Unnecessary Inventions, ingenious products that solve urgent problems you don’t actually have — like a drink holder for your shoe, or an alarm clock that snoozes itself so you won’t be bothered in the morning. His fake products (and their crisp photos and videos) are so popular that he’s garnered 4 million followers across social media, and a vast community of invention enthusiasts who either really want to buy these ridiculous items, or can’t stop suggesting bad inventions.Alli and Jen talk to Benedetto about where his weekly inspiration comes from, why it’s so hard to think of a problem that doesn’t exist, and what happens when real brands get involved in the fake product business.https://www.unnecessaryinventions.com/https://www.instagram.com/unnecessaryinventions/Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2022 • 1h 3min
215 The Woke Bible: Messed-Up Bible Stories With a Modern Twist
The Bible can be pretty dense and outdated by today's storytelling standards. But what if you could hear the story of Lot, or Judah, or Abraham, expertly recounted by a cool dude at the barstool next to you, with all the hot goss about incest, murder, and rape?What started as award-winning Reddit comments on politics articles has morphed into The Woke Bible, an entire subreddit devoted to getting high and retelling Bible stories with modern vernacular, reality TV show references, and hip-hop lyrics.Jason Washington grew up in a fundamentalist family with a strict religious education. But despite leaving the church later in life, he continues to find messed-up Bible stories fascinating — and so do tens of thousands of Redditors. Alli and Lindsey talk with Jason about his growing community, and how he's educating thousands about what the Bible really says.Subscribe to The Woke Bible on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWokeBible/Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices