That's A Thing?!

Here are some of the things we mentioned: We launched in December 2017, when Elizabeth was 15 Y2K fashion is back? Zine culture Lilly Singh went from relatable YouTuber to out of touch late show host The painful “Gen Z slang” SNL skit David Foot and Douglas Coupland contributed to a hyper-awareness of generation StyleLikeU interview with an elder gay couple to start you off Content notice: mentions of sex, homophobia, addiction and violence But it’s really sweet we promise <3 Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan – still pretty helpful guys for understanding what’s going on If you aren’t sold on wrestling, watch these videos You can find Karen’s work at Taproot Edmonton and Taproot Publishing Shout-out to our colleagues at the Alberta Podcast Network The first pages of Elizabeth’s comic project You might hear us some time on I Don’t Get It We recommend Transistor for hosting and Castria for editing Many thanks to our sponsors: BGCBigs Virtual Open House Season from Edmonton Public Schools That's a

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode:   Susan Sontag’s Notes On “Camp”Or a six-minute explainer if you don’t have the time The shortcomings of CinemaSins The even-shorter-comings of Nostalgia Critic About KiwiFarms, one of the most unpleasant sites on the surface web Interview with the creator of Leave Britney Alone A case study for toxic anti-fandom behaviour: gamergate Callback to a long-ago episode where we talked about shipping A look at both sides of the shipping warAnd a look at the history of purity culture in fandom Twitter thread on disinterpretation And a video on Ship of Theseus  The history of the “touch grass” meme Tennessee school board bans Holocaust comic 'Maus' by Art Spiegelman A more sympathetic analysis of Why the Curtains are Blue Fortunately, we have entered a boom period for criticism online. Here are five excellent videos expanding on what we discussed this episode. we need to talk about Call Me By Your Name by Lola Sebastian Should you let Gen Z "save us

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: We are not actually an NFT  Roblox Watch these videos from PeopleMakeGames on Roblox: Investigation: How Roblox Is Exploiting Young Game Developers Roblox Pressured Us to Delete Our Video. So We Dug Deeper. Gig economy Callback to our MLM episode: Have I got a deal for you? Company scrip  Roblox on the stock market  Wattpad’s deal with Paramount+ Archive of Our Own (AO3) Callback to our fan fiction episode: Episode 5: Fanfictionary OpenSea, an NFT marketplace Ethereum Twitter account dedicated to sniffing out art theft DeviantArt Example of the right-click movement against NFT art FUD Some more anti-NFT content for you The NFT Nightmare NFTs Are Getting Worse. Like WAY Worse. Dan Olson’s NFT scam megathread laughing at crypto bros, a deceptively educational livestream Many thanks to our sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists Park Power That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community suppo

Here are some of the things we talk about or at least gesture at in this episode: How Bad Can I Be from The Lorax (2012) (in case you forget what a thneed is) Shein’s about us page Shein’s social responsibility page Reuters article about Shein’s lack of disclosure Vox article on Shein Callback to our MLM episode (though Shein’s not an MLM) Articles of Interest episode on knockoffs A TikTok featuring the strawberry dress Callback to our cottagecore episode The Bangladesh garment factory collapse The pet-pictures-for-trees fiasco Some anti-Shein TikToks https://www.tiktok.com/@ssiiena/video/6993034600368884997?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@milkbite/video/6997215512925097221?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@haleyivers/video/6972647481569971462?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=thrift%20shein&t=1638234869380  https://www.tiktok.com/@maddypageknitwear

For more fears and jeers, consider the following: Callback to our episode on Inside Callback to our episode on analog horror A needlessly thorough Wikipedia synopsis  A list of other Bechdel Test passing movies Bathtubs Over Broadway and the consequences of comedy damage Check out Nyx Fears if you want to be upset/fascinated by scary movies  A thread on the pitfalls of smarty pants protagonists If you didn’t watch Contingency after last episode, go watch it now! Pauline Kael was even harsher to this movie than Elizabeth was The rating debate Poltergeist was fine, but here’s some movies we actively recommend The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920, 100% mom safe) What We Do in the Shadows (2014, comedic gore/violence) The Lighthouse (2019, gore/violence/sexual content/psychological horror) House on Haunted Hill (1959, campy and delightful) Night of the Living Dead (1968, gory and violent, mitigated by its age and budget) The Girl with all the Gifts (2016, violent and gory, but strangely uplifting) Music is N

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Black Mirror, a crowning jewel of “phones bad” cinema VCR versus VHS, a distinction that was lost on Elizabeth Land of the Giants episode on the iPhone The TV Tropes page on Analog Horror Aidan’s analog horror video An analysis of Lovecraft’s Eldritch HorrorAnd some more analysis  The SCP foundation  Local 58 Mothman, the best boy Remember Professor Kitzel? Public/Community access TV The Walten Files Episode 1 (NOT “The Waltons”, no matter what autocorrect says) The deeply unsettling jumpscare face a la screamers  How the original FNAF uses sound to terrify Ben Drowned, the story of a haunted game cartridge Cassette, an early Welcome to Night Vale episode An important message from Omega Mart Makeshift Stories An episode of Paranormal Paranoids (complete with earwormy theme song) The Power of VHS by hbomberguy The cinematic potential of cave art Control, Anatomy and the Legacy of the Haunted House by Jacob Geller Tsukumogami and Mokumokuren

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Elizabeth’s choose-your-own-adventure flowchart Lip-sync style @noahjaywood @saramariecarstens @arxcelix One- or two-part cliffhanger @jezellecatherine @baileyspinn @joe_masini @devincaherly One-shot or character pieces @ianboggz @hannah.montoya Longform or fully acted @eliana_ghen @thechrisbarnett Callback to our fanfic episode Night is the show we watched at a drive-in performance (the bird poop on the windshield was our fault, not theirs) Sarah Z video on pick-me girls Origin of Love from Hedwig and the Angry Inch Callback to our astrology episode  ABO (don’t Google it, says Jon)  Time Princess and Project Makeover Redecor  Episode Many thanks to our sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists The Well Endowed Podcast from the Edmonton Community Foundation  That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and revi

Here are some of the things we mentioned in this episode: Flare on TikTok and Instagram Mom Friend on TikTok The best slash proof bags can cost $169, and still might not meet your standards SafetyDrip on TikTok The Sarah Everard story The quest to de-hair the female body continues This episode is not brought to you by Creep-B-Gone, because we would never (and it doesn’t exist… yet).Many thanks to our actual sponsors: Alberta Association of Optometrists Pod Power shout-out to What’s the Tsismis?, courtesy of the Edmonton Community Foundation   That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.Questions? Comments? Email us at thatsathingyeg@gmail.com or tweet at us: @thatsathingyeg.Do you want a That’s a Thing?! button? Send us your address by Twitter DM or email and we will send you one. Many thanks to Transistor for hosting our show. Our theme music

Here are some of the things that came up in our discussion: Content warnings: Adult themes, mature language, suicide, “content” Bo Burnham: Inside On Netflix On Spotify Who is Bo Burnham:  Wikipedia entry  YouTube channel Left Brain Right Brain animatic Lola Sebastian Lolita Podcast (not for kids but very good) What Karen means by “Simon Sinek energy” Jeffrey Bezos in almost-space Trunk tunes Callback to parasocial relationships episode Look Who’s Inside Again reminds Karen of Ben Spencer’s Willow Tree (didn’t mention it but thought of it afterwards) If you want to skip our discussion of suicide, it’s from 57:56 to 1:04:17  #BellLetsTalk Pop Culture Happy Hour on Inside Brave New World and soma The Edmonton Fringe is coming back! Many thanks to our sponsors:  Business Council of Alberta ATB Cares That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which would be lovely.

Here are links to some of the things we mention in the show: Lore episode featuring Moll Pitcher (timestamp 25:15) Couldn’t find a working version of a Buzzfeedesque Journal quiz, but it was like this Go Out To Brunch To See Which Sex And The City Character You Are JK Rowling, famously an unproblematic fave Elizabeth is theoretically a Pisces, but not really Karen is supposedly an Aquarius (Many) gay people love astrology Cold reading and how to seem psychic Elizabeth sounds like a lunar Gemini, but she’s actually a lunar Taurus? Peter Popoff debunked by James Randi 16Personalities The origins of personality typing Look up The Debater if you want to see a man you’ll hate Karen is The Advocate Elizabeth is The Logician More mesmerizing content to amaze and enrage you The Bizarre World of Fake Psychics, Faith Healers, and Mediums Psychics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado Many thanks to our sponsors:  Shift by Alberta Innovates Pod Power shout-out to Book

Here are some of the things we mentioned: Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar  Eric Carle didn’t say that The Paris Review for Young Readers Rage-bait cooking videos - eg no-melt nachos, spaghetti in cold sauce Bronies  We were going to link to a problematic image about 4chan sharing things in bad faith, but then decided against it, because why spread it more? Content-farm video channels like Blossom, So Yummy, 5-Minute Crafts Making a purse out of a pizza box Kimora Blac: “you didn’t say jk though” Bad waffle-iron videos Wrap-folding hack from TikTok Ann Reardon’s How To Cook That You Suck at Cooking The quote about lies on the internet was from Arthur! (We would never quote Bizaardvark.) Many thanks to our sponsors:  Natural Light Edmonton The Edmonton Community Foundation and The Well Endowed Podcast That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community-supported.You can follow us in all the places, and most of them let you rate and review, too, which w

Here are some of the things we mentioned: More information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown Pregnancy questions video (NSFW) ICYMI episode on end of Yahoo Answers Quora There’s a subreddit for every question you could possibly have r/relationships Sarah Z video about where fake stories fit into internet culture Dear Abby/Ann Landers Ken M Amelia Bedelia One of many Yahoo Answers listicles Example of automated YouTube video reading r/askreddit The episode of My Brother, My Brother and Me which bids YA farewell A collection of final Yahoos  Callback to Flash games episode r/thetipofmytongue Callback to walled gardens episode The Soul of a Library - Jacob Geller Jason Scott and Archive Team Many thanks to our sponsors:  Rümi Pod Power shout-out for Overdue Finds, courtesy of Edmonton Community Foundation That's a Thing?! is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network — Locally grown. Community supported.We’ve been on some APN shows recently — check them out! The Breakfast Dish Bollywood is For Lovers Spe

Do you have games on your phone? Elizabeth does, and in this episode, she’ll share some tips and tricks for navigating the hit-and-miss abyss that is the Apple App Store. But first, some words from our beloved editor and gamer extraordinaire, Jon.

In this feature-length epic, Elizabeth and Karen dive deep into the puzzle of parasocial relationships. How bad can they really be? How do we fix them? And most importantly, won’t somebody think of the children?!

Is a Disney kid’s hit the work of TikTok astroturfing? PogChamp is canceled — should we feel bad? If Dream doped his e-sports, what’s left to believe in? Elizabeth interprets for Karen.

Our first episode on TikTok discussed the app as a cultural phenomenon, but what about *art*? We look at how music has shaped TikTok and how the app has come to rule the charts. Also, Elizabeth progresses her redemption arc.

Elizabeth explains the strange resurrection of an early-2000s cartoon, and then introduces Karen to the ever-uncannier world of manufactured entertainers. She totally wrecked her YouTube history for this, so enjoy!

Elizabeth and Karen find creepypasta galore at the Halloween store, then explore the growing cultural relevance of Among Us.

Elizabeth takes us back to the good(?) old(?) days to examine the internet artifacts of her youth, and gauge how cringe-y they are now. Jon returns with his customary snark and a dramatic reading of archival Tumblr.

In this conclusion of a two-part series, Elizabeth explains how and why her generation makes desire paths around and between the walled gardens of the internet, and Karen marvels at the orality of an apparently literate form.