INFLUENCE

When Oobah Butler was hard-up for cash, he found a gig writing fake reviews for London restaurants he'd never been to. He fell into an abyss of forgeries on TripAdvisor that gave him an idea. What if he invented a fake restaurant, powered by more fake reviews, to fool everyone? The performance art stunt took on a life of its own, and compelled him to have a fake grand opening of "The Shed," London's #1 restaurant on the Internet -- which served microwave meals in Butler's backyard. The ultimate "Emperor Has No Clothes" story propelled Butler to worldwide fame, where he continued to trick the media by hiring actors to portray him in interviews.Alli and Jen have a long talk with Butler about why the anonymity of the Internet makes people so gullible.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ghost stories around the campfire are as old as humanity itself, but spooky tales became memes unto themselves as the Web matured. Creepypasta (a derivative of "copypasta" which is derivative of "copy/paste") is the catch-all term and dominant wiki for the spooky stories that circulate and mutate on the Internet. Alli and Jen talk to Andrew Movitz (aka ClericOfMadness), the founder of the Creepypasta wiki, about why these stories tap our deepest fears, and the transformation of Creepypasta culture into an author-centric community.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Bryan Denny, a retired 26-year U.S. army veteran, started getting marriage proposals from strangers on Facebook, he knew something was up. Thousands of scammers were using stolen pictures of him in uniform to trick well-meaning Facebook users into sending money, iPhones, and gift cards overseas to a military hero with an honest face. Kathy Waters' family friend was among the victims. Denny and Waters now spend their free time busting fake accounts and pleading with lawmakers and Facebook for a solution. Alli and Jen talk to the dynamic duo about their crusade to stem the Facebook romance scam epidemic.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sex dolls have been around since at least the 17th century, but advances in AI and robotics are bringing them ever closer to meaningful companionship. Alli and Jen speak with Susan Pirzchalski, the chief robotics engineer of Realbotix, who is working to make the popular Real Doll sex toys come to life with sophisticated personalities.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you leave a toddler alone with an iPad long enough, YouTube's algorithms will guide her down a deep, dark rabbit hole of strange, low-quality, and often disturbing videos manufactured for kid consumption. These channels use recognizable characters (Mickey Mouse, Paw Patrol) to draw kids into horrifying click-bait narratives they can't resist. Who is making these videos, and what is YouTube doing about it? Alli and Jen talk to K.G. Orphanides who has written extensively about YouTube's strange kid content underbelly.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever sought a soundtrack for your home movies that wouldn't get removed by YouTube, chances are you've come across Kevin MacLeod's music. He's composed thousands of original tracks, in every imaginable genre, that he gives away under a Creative Commons license, on a variety of platforms, absolutely free. His music has been used in commercials, films, video games, and an uncountable number of YouTube videos and podcasts without any compensation. So, how does Kevin feed himself? Alli and Jen untangle the livelihood of the internet's most prolific composer and Creative Commons pioneer.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Way back in 2007 Tay Zonday uploaded the original song "Chocolate Rain" to YouTube, and nothing happened. Then Digg and 4chan found it. And then Zonday was on CNN and Jimmy Kimmel trying to explain his music on national television. His meteoric rise led to a 10-year journey of identity confusion, and eventually self-actualization. Alli and Jen have a long, deep talk with Tay about coping with viral fame and his new podcast about that very topic, called "Chocolate Pains."This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robots have a long way to go before they replace artists and writers...but they're getting closer. A collective known as Botnik is using algorithms, predictive text, and machine learning to challenge our traditional notions of art, and create some hilarious TV Guide show synopses in the process. Alli and Jen speak with Jamie Brew, the creator of Botnik, about his ambitions to build new creativity tools for the digital age.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rule 34 is alive and well on the Internet, but the enterprising sex toy company Bad Dragon has taken it even further with their epic dildo designs that imagine what kind of heat our favorite high fantasy creatures might be packing: dragons, aliens, elves, and even a demogorgon. Turns out there's a huge market for fulfilling sexual fantasies, Tolkien-style. Alli and Jen speak with Derek "Tsukaza" Young, a representative of the toy company, about the evolution of these products, what customers keep asking for, and the online communities that have formed around them.This week's episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including your sci-fi and fantasy favorites like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Hank Green's novels. Download Penguin Random House Audio books wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/2Girls1Podcast to browse their latest selection.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kids today have it easy, with their "swiping right" and their "J-dates." Back in the early '90s, you could barely send a profile pic to your crush. Gary Kremen wanted to change that. He co-founded Match.com, disrupted the personal ads industry, and forever changed how humans fall in love. Alli and Jen ask Kremen about the tumultuous early startup days, the data behind lasting relationships, and why they're still single after countless Tinder matches.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin us on Discord: discord.gg/2g1pEmail us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comTalk to Alli and Jen:https://twitter.com/alligoldhttps://twitter.com/joonbuggerCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices