Enthusiasts Podcast Guide (New & Improved!)
A directory of episodes of my other podcast!
Enthusiasts is a show about the most passionate of passionate people, covering both specific fandoms and fandom/internet culture overall! These episodes are in the same feed as my other podcast, 17 Carat K-Pop, and available below!
Recommended episode to start with:
Maureen Ryan on TV’s Evolution, The Writers Strike, and “A Call for Change in Hollywood”: A conversation with Maureen “Mo” Ryan, author of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood. Mo describes what it has been like to watch streaming change everything about TV show creation, to witness multiple writers strikes over the years, to see Hollywood enable concerning behaviors and attitudes, and to envision what a better culture could look like after real systemic change. Note: this interview was recorded prior to actors joining writers in the current strike.
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Episodes About Pop Culture / Internet Culture / Fandom Culture Overall
Knowledge Fight 101: Alex Jones and the show InfoWars have played a massive role in spreading conspiracy theories, radicalizing right-wingers, and fostering an apocalyptic mentality. No one understands Alex’s beliefs, persuasive tactics, and sources of misinformation quite like Dan and Jordan. They host a podcast called Knowledge Fight, on which they react to Alex’s most bizarre tangents, fact-check his most inaccurate claims, and provide context for his most misleading remarks. In this episode, Hope talks to Dan about what makes Alex such a unique character, how much of Alex’s act is sincere versus clout-chasing, and how Alex’s supporter base has evolved. This episode also makes time for unrelated anecdotes about Bob Ross, a secret DJ past, wrestling, and hatchets. Tune in for Alex’s backstory and a serious assessment of his intentions and impact, then stay for the bizarre asides about the colorful company he keeps!
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Kelly Weill on All Things Conspiracy Theories: A conversation with Kelly Weill, a reporter for The Daily Beast, co-host of the Fever Dreams podcast, and author of the book OFF THE EDGE: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything. Her and Hope discuss the history of the Flat Earth Movement, the overlap among conspiracy theory groups online, the implications of de-platforming misinformation-spreaders, ways to bring conspiracy theorists out of an alternate reality, and much more.
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Bonnie J. Wallace Talks Dove Cameron, Disney Channel, and Going from “Hometown to Hollywood”: As the mother of actress and singer Dove Cameron and as a well-known consultant, author, and podcast host who covers all things Hollywood, Bonnie J. Wallace is uniquely positioned to clear up misconceptions about the industry. In this conversation, Bonnie pulls back the curtain on auditions, “stage parents,” fan-idol relationships, Disney Channel, and so much more.
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Miku, Holograms, and a Redefining of Reality: A brief history of how the concept of “reality” has been redefined by live performances over time, from puppetry to holograms to famous virtual characters like Hatsune Miku. In addition, Hope breaks down why Miku and other “vocaloids” are so popular and what that says about how what is “real” to fans is actually quite subjective.
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Fandom Talk with Zoe Fraade-Blanar: In this episode, Hope talks with Zoe Fraade-Blanar, one of the authors of Superfandom, about the evolution of fandom studies, what distinguishes fans from consumers, sources of tension among fans, and ultimately what it means to be in a fandom.
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Famous Disappearances: This episode covers true stories of celebrities disappearing, the efforts - and sometimes lack thereof - to find them, and what the public’s response to high-profile mysteries says about how stars are remembered by both conspiracy theorists and genuine fans.
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EJ Dickson on All Things Internet Culture: Rolling Stone culture reporter and Don’t Let This Flop podcast co-host EJ Dickson joins Hope to break down the best of, the worst of, and the most memorable content on TikTok! They also discuss other buzzed-about topics from the past year, from David Dobrik to right-wing children’s books!
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D.B. Cooper: D.B. Cooper, who committed the only unsolved hijacking in commercial airline history, has become something akin to a folk legend among citizen sleuths. “Cooperites” and other true-crime enthusiasts still pour over theories and potential suspects to this day, both in online forums and at in-person meet-ups like CooperCon. Part of the enduring fascination with D.B. Cooper’s story is the amount of unknowns: did he survive his jump off the airplane? Was his bomb real? Did he act alone? What suspects seem the most and least likely? Why do so many people suspect they know “the REAL D.B. Cooper”? And how is the emotional investment in his daring mission still prevalent nearly fifty years after he pulled it off? Hope talks with Darren Schaefer, host of The Cooper Vortex, to find out.
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Betrayals
Each episode in the “Betrayals” series tells a story about a time when fans felt lied to and betrayed, how they reacted to the betrayal, and whether or not their loyalty withstood the uproar.
Ep. 1: JT Leroy: The story of JT Leroy, the teen author who never actually existed.
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Ep. 2: Lip-Synching Scandals: A look back at three lip-synching scandals that became defining moments in pop culture history and what caused such different public reactions to each of those instances.
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Ep. 3: Art and Book “Hoaxes”: This installment in the “Betrayals” series tells the true stories of false identities. First, the story of Marla Olmstead, a painter and alleged child prodigy whose actual abilities were questioned after a 60 Minutes investigation. The second story is about how Timothy Barrus portrayed himself as a Navajo man named Nasdijj while writing his memoirs, and what happened when the truth about his life story came to light.
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Ep. 4: Scammer Stories: A man created a fake restaurant that topped Tripadvisor’s list of the best restaurants in London. A woman repeatedly took on a new identity and fled town as soon as her bills - both financial and metaphorical - came due. An influencer was caught using her supporters to launder money. A chef sold a questionably edible product to her followers. Do stories like these, of stars misleading or outright betraying the public, make a notable dent in their popularity, or is all quickly forgiven? What does it take to completely end fans’ trust in an idol? Where do fans draw the line at supporting deceptive people? This episode does not just cover many examples of times celebrities were accused of scamming their admirers, but also the aftermaths of some of the alleged scams. Beneath the surface of these fascinating true stories lies an even more interesting story about the nature of celebrity, fan loyalty, and the limitations of both.
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Influencers: This episode explains how TikTok became the preferred way to get famous over YouTube, what content houses are all about, and what famous TikTok users and influencers mean for the future of fan-idol relationships.
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Celebrity Trials: Those who closely follow celebrity trials fall into two main categories: diehard fans of the person on trial and opportunists who seek to make social media posts and/or merchandise using content from the proceedings. This episode looks at examples of how both types of spectators have made a scene outside of courtrooms, gained money and/or fame from their public support of stars on trial, and have overall shaped public narratives more than many realize. A wide variety of celebrity cases (and the superfans and grifters involved in them) are covered, including those of Elizabeth Holmes, Anna Delvey, Lori Loughlin, and TikTok star Cameron Herrin. Later on, particular attention is paid to the immense amount of social media content made in response to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, the reasons why the trial was livestreamed in the first place, and future implications of both the verdict and the social media activity surrounding the story.
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Elon Musk: This two-part episode seeks to make sense of who Elon Musk is, who the "Musketeers" are, and why Musk has consistently been present in the public conversation, both online and in the "real world." This comprehensive timeline lays out Musk's social media history, personal and professional lives, career highlights and lowlights, and other moments that are key to understanding why, like it or not, Musk's popularity and level of influence come as no surprise.
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Twitter and Tech Bros: The first part of this episode recaps all the major changes to Twitter since Elon Musk bought it and dives into the now-public text exchanges Musk had with famous friends in the lead-up to the acquisition. The second part looks at the backstories of the Silicon Valley types who have Musk's ear, what they believe, and how their views and goals might be shaping Musk's own. Lastly, this episode explains what "longtermism" is all about, a popular mentality among Musk's acquaintances that explains some of their more peculiar fixations. Understanding Elon's inner circle and filter bubble help answer the question on many people's minds lately: what is Elon thinking?!
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Episodes About Toys / Games
American Girl: This episode summarizes the origin story of American Girl and explores the sociocultural and economic factors that have shaped the brand’s evolution and lasting relevancy.
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American Girl’s Historical Characters: Allison Horrocks, a trained historian and co-host of the American Girls podcast (now renamed Dolls of Our Lives), joins Hope to break down the ways perspectives on the American Girl books change with age, how the American Girl historical characters effectively get people interested in history, how much the American Girl brand really has or has not changed since Mattel’s acquisition, the importance of learning history, and much more!
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Barbie: A timeline of Barbie’s and Mattel’s career highs and lows, the complicated legacy Barbie dolls have, and the impacts of the “Barbie vs. Bratz” feud on consumers. Plus: the true story of the feud between two people who both insisted on getting sole credit for the creation of Cabbage Patch Kids.
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The Bronies: The history and evolution of male My Little Pony fans, aka “Bronies.” This episode tells a condensed history of Bronycon, addresses common misconceptions about Bronies, and brings attention to the potential harm caused by gender stereotypes.
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LEGO: A brief timeline explaining both how LEGO was invented and how LEGO became what it remains today: so much more than just a toy brand.
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Episodes About TV Shows / Movies
TV Shows: This four-part special (broken into two episodes) explores how specific television fandoms formed and have been maintained over time. Part one explores how fans of shows including Pretty Little Liars and Lost grew so emotionally invested in them. Part two gives examples of times when fans saved TV shows from cancellation. Part three explores sources of unity and tension within fandoms of shows including Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lastly, part four contemplates the ethical and economic implications of crowdfunded TV shows and spinoff movies.
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Reality TV: A condensed history of the most bizarre and concerning reality shows of all time, reality television's rise, and the reasons why reality TV stars gained a permanent spot in the world of pop culture.
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SpongeBob: A countdown of the ten best episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants! These episodes make the list for being great examples of how the characters and storylines in SpongeBob contain more layers and social commentary than people remember.
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The Simpsons: An interview with the authors, teachers, and “Simpsonologists” Dr. Karma Waltonen and Denise Du Vernay. They explain how and why they regularly use The Simpsons to help teach students, how humor can be used to get a message across, and overall what the lasting legacy of Springfield and its characters will be.
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The Daily Show: How did Stephen Colbert change the perception of the place where politics and fan culture intersect? What kind of impact has this merging of the personal and political had on society? And what ultimately makes someone a member of the "Colbert Nation"? Through both prior research on the nature of television and celebrity and examples of times Colbert's segments had real-world impacts, this episode seeks to answer those questions. Then (starting around the 38:40 mark), Hope reveals what she thinks is the key to The Daily Show's longevity. In both logistical and more subjective ways, Hope explains what about The Daily Show keeps it so well-done and relevant, which Trevor Noah quote sums up the nature of political talk shows, and why an unexpected cameo spoke volumes about what the show does best.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This episode looks at the many ways Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed television and the lives of its viewers. From inspiring “Buffy Studies” curricula to paving the way for the teen-centered shows that followed it, this show broke ground on many fronts.
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The Wizard of Oz: How did an FBI sting operation lead to retrieving Dorothy’s stolen ruby slippers? How did Oz fan clubs go from the homes of teenagers to massive, globally-attended festivities? Overall, what has led both thieves and hardcore The Wizard of Oz fans to deem the story valuable, in every meaning of the word? Since earnest fans have kept fan clubs, newsletters, and conventions going to this day, and a money-motivated memorabilia market also remains alive and well, both types of people interested in The Wizard of Oz play a role in cementing the story’s legacy. This episode describes how and why that happened.
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Horror Movies: From the 1700s to the present day, this episode explores the evolution of horror movies and the history of monster imagery! The “zombie walk” that drove a political uprising, the rise of the Halloween-ready restaurant, and the ways Jaws changed Hollywood forever are just some of the many topics covered!
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Sailor Moon: This episode serves as both a go-to guide for those who want to learn more about the characters and storylines in Sailor Moon and as a reflection for long-time fans thinking about what makes this lovable, relatable anime and manga character and her stories stand out from the rest!
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Shrek: This episode follows a timeline of the Shrek franchise and its fans’ activities. From starting a Shrek-themed festival to making memes, fans are largely to thank for Shrek’s continued relevance in pop culture. Clone High and Bee Movie are used as examples of animated projects that use “The Shrek Formula” to maintain long-term hype, showing how Shrek fans have paved the way for fan bases to develop around other animated projects. Together, the stories of these three projects’ fan bases show how and why certain movie and TV show characters go from pop culture oddities to icons.
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Episodes About Books
Fan Fiction: From George R. R. Martin to Stephenie Meyer, this episode breaks down authors’ arguments both for and against writing fan fiction, demonstrated through stories about when fan fiction led to positive outcomes and when it caused extreme distress among fans and authors alike.
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Mark Twain: A look at some of the most absurd, intriguing, and humorous fan letters sent to Mark Twain throughout his writing career!
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Sherlockians: An overview of the Sherlock Holmes fandom, the sources of tension between its sub-groups, the most secretive and selective fan club of them all, and the reasons why Holmes and his adventures are eternally relevant.
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True Crime: There are infinite reasons why people can be drawn to the true crime genre. The horror element excites and intrigues some people. The feeling of becoming a detective galvanizes online communities, sometimes to the detriment and other times to the betterment of investigations. The stories of victims can hit close to home in ways that allow people to process their own traumas. The list of reasons goes on and on, but one thing all fans of the genre should have in common is a desire to be introspective. In what ways has the digital landscape made it easier or harder to achieve true justice and solve cold cases? When does a passion for getting to the truth cross over into an unhealthy obsession with a case? In what ways has social media warped the discourse around crime? Most importantly, what about true crime and its media coverage needs to change? In this episode, Hope interrogates her own fascination with true crime and how the roots of this fascination can be redirected in better ways.
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Episodes About Musicians
The Past, Present, and Future of Boy Bands: A conversation with Maria Sherman, author of Larger Than Life, about the often-overlooked parts of boy band history, the factors that led to One Direction’s massive popularity, how BTS is breaking boy band stereotypes, and much more!
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Harry Styles: A conversation with Professor Louie Dean Valencia, who created and teaches a course on Harry Styles at Texas State University! He explains what to expect from the course, different lenses through which to view Harry Styles' discography, the ways Harry's music relates to today's society and vice versa, and more!
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Astroworld: The Investigation: Earlier this summer, a grand jury decided not to pursue criminal charges against anyone affiliated with the 2021 Astroworld Tragedy. Since then, over 1,200 pages from the crowd-crush investigation have been made public: 911 calls, interviews, emails, text exchanges, and more. The documents form a timeline that starts months before the Travis-Scott-hosted event, goes through the minute details of what unfolded that tragic night, and describes the varied reactions afterwards from the companies and people fearing legal consequences. Hope poured over these documents, and in this episode, she shares the most revealing excerpts from them: insights into who should have stopped the show the second the first medical emergency started, why it took so long to stop the concert, what red flags were raised during the festival construction process, what theories the investigators ruled out, and so much more.
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Boy Bands vs. Sports Teams: This episode provides timelines of “Beatlemania”-related incidents and incidents of “football hooliganism” to show how the actions of sports fans have been reported on and perceived differently over the years compared to the actions of pop culture fans.
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"Industry Plants": When an artist becomes massively popular all of a sudden, it’s not uncommon for rumors of being an “industry plant” to follow. But what does that term actually mean? Is there ever any truth to accusations that artists’ underdog origin stories are entirely fabricated? Why have the artists who have been accused of being “plants” been targeted with the accusation? This episode seeks to answer these questions, using both historical context and recent examples of artists having to respond to claims of being “industry plants.”
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The AKB48 Vision: A look at unique band concepts, ranging from a group with over 200 members to a group with each member revealed one by one over the course of many months, and what marketing logic goes into those concepts.
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Elvis: An overview of what goes on at the world's largest Elvis festival, the conspiracy theories surrounding Elvis's death, the rumors that Elvis worked for the FBI, and why the intrigue surrounding and the love for Elvis prevail to this day.
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Jandek: How did a musician who kept his identity a secret and made music that was frequently called bizarre and disturbing develop a passionate fan base? This episode explores possible answers to that question, through a timeline of Jandek’s against-all-odds successes, a summary of his discography, and a look at negative reviews of his work.
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Britney Spears: A timeline of key moments in the “Free Britney” Movement, predictions for its future, and a sociological take on why so many people are and will continue to be invested in the life and career of Britney Spears.
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Britney is Free!!: This episode starts off with a revised timeline of Britney Spears's conservatorship and the Free Britney Movement, including additions from new documentaries, reporting, and publicized documents from the past year. The latter half of this episode (during which listener discretion is advised) focuses on disturbing instances of financial malfeasance, neglect, and even deaths in the unregulated world of guardianships in the United States. Britney's story must stay in the public consciousness for more than a short news cycle; the conservatorship system at large needs attention and reform, so that those in Britney's situation can regain a sense of autonomy and truly have their needs met.
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A Miniseries: The History of the “Satanic Panic”
Go Ask Alice told the harrowing story of a teenage girl’s spiral into drug addiction. Jay’s Journal told the story of a young boy’s fixation on satanic rituals and dark magic. VOICES told four stories about teenagers experiencing their own identity and mental health crises. What fierce critics and passionate fans of these books alike did not know: they were all fiction. The “real diaries” and case files of which these books consisted were all from the mind of one woman: Beatrice Sparks, a fame-hungry author who used genuine concerns to perpetuate conspiracy theories about dark influences on teens. This series of episodes covers the impact of Sparks’ books and other media on the American psyche. Sparks’ books triggered a ripple effect of paranoia in parents, but so did many other pieces of pop culture without even trying, from Dungeons & Dragons to rock music. The story of the “Satanic Panic” is one of how both innocent creators got swept up in conspiratorial allegations and how bad actors used this moment of mass hysteria to exploit parental concerns and confusion about “kids these days.” The “Satanic Panic” speaks volumes about how certain people can get away with bald-faced lies and conspiratorial beliefs for so long, how the power of suggestion can lead parents to genuinely believe satanic forces are to blame for teens’ crises, and how just a few books can redefine popular opinion.
Part one: Sparks’ upbringing, the true elements of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal, and the early days of censorship campaigns.
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Part two: How so many innocent people were deemed “satanists” and had their lives turned upside-down because of it, how Beatrice Sparks’ books were able to keep their credibility despite her growing brazenness about lying in them, and how the “Satanic Panic” still impacts society today.
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Part three: A conversation with Rick Emerson about Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries. His book covers the life of Beatrice Sparks and the roles her books, particularly Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal, played in furthering the “Satanic Panic.”
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Misc. Episodes
Brands: From Starbucks to Dove to Polaroid, this episode highlights twenty of the most iconic brands and how they each developed and maintain such a loyal consumer base.
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Comics & Superheroes: The history of the “moral panic” surrounding comic books, the man behind the push for comic censorship, the evolving nature of Comic Con, and much more background information is used to understand the root causes of the public’s eternal love for superheroes and the worlds created through their comic books and graphic novels.
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Cyberdog and Hello Kitty: This episode explores why physical pop-up replicas of iconic pop culture settings mean so much to fans, how Hello Kitty gained such sustainable and global fame, and why we all find certain cartoon characters adorable!
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Disneyland: A guide to the origin story behind, the goals of, and the rumors surrounding Disneyland enthusiast clubs!
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European Football: A timeline of the drama surrounding the “Super League” and an explanation of the ways backlash to the idea fits into a long history of extremely passionate football fans making their voices heard.
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Pras Michel, AI, and an Unusual Trial: As strange as Fugees member Pras Michel’s corruption trial was, featuring everything from a fugitive accomplice to Leonardo DiCaprio’s testimony, the news that came out after the verdict was even stranger: Pras Michel’s lawyer used artificial intelligence to draft his closing argument. In addition to this, Pras’s motion for a retrial includes damning descriptions of his former lawyer’s behavior that range from a preoccupation with legal troubles of his own to showing extreme ignorance towards basic legal statutes. Pras further argues that his defense was weak enough that he deserves a new trial because his lawyer has a financial interest in the AI company whose program he used, a clear conflict of interest. This episode digs into the contents of both Pras’s superseding indictment and motion for a retrial. Together, they tell two surprising stories, one about a years-long illegal lobbying effort spanning multiple presidential administrations and one about a lawyer who was in over his head, took ideas from AI, and raised questions about whether AI can or should be relied on at all in the legal realm.
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UFO Culture: Aliens may or may not be real, but the belief in them certainly is. People have dedicated their lives to researching UFO sightings and alleged alien abductions. This series of episodes explains why that is the case. From finding patterns in alleged alien encounters to looking at the impact of “UFOlogist” gatherings, these episodes piece together a timeline that reveals how the belief in aliens and UFOs has been shaped by pop culture, current events, and human psychology.
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2020 Recap: An overview of the show’s early episodes.
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2021 Recap: The world of "true crime makeup," the latest example of an author revealed to have been an imposter, a new sense of vindication among UFO enthusiasts, the story behind the once-beloved Von Dutch brand, and even more updates on stories covered throughout 2021!
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2022 Recap: Elvis, reality television, conspiracy theories, Elon Musk, famous scams, armchair detectives, American Girl... Enthusiasts covered a BROAD variety of topics this year! In addition to summarizing every episode of Enthusiasts that came out in 2022, this episode includes status updates on previously-covered stories and not-yet-told stories related to these episode topics!
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Check out episode guides for my other podcast, 17 Carat K-Pop, here, here, and here!