

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

Dec 7, 2020 • 1h 17min
156 4chan: The Birthplace of All Memes
4chan is often maligned by the media and mainstream culture as a hive of hate speech and hackers, but it's far more complex. 4chan culture is unique for its anonymity, ephemeral content, and un-challenged free speech, which often birth viral memes and hilarious crusades weeks before they reach Reddit or Facebook. 4chan's ability to mobilize real-world action against injustices like animal and child cruelty is also well documented. So how does this massively popular message board tick in a world where so much of the Internet has moved on to slick apps and personal profiles?Alli and Jen talk with Brendan, an avid 4chan user who has been part of the site's culture since 2012. He explains why free speech is its most important value, its users' various social justice crusades, irony in a world of anonymity, why supporting Trump was mostly for the lulz, and why gender doesn't matter when you're an anonymous wall of text.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

Nov 30, 2020 • 1h 15min
[Encore Episode] 94 Sweepers (Originally Published July 2019)
Happy Thanksgiving! We're taking a breather this week and re-sharing another one of our favorites, this one originally published in July of 2019. We hope you enjoy!-Original Notes-Tom has been to the Super Bowl multiple times. He goes on free cruises yearly, has ridden on the Daytona 500 track at 200 miles per hour, traveled with the U.S. soccer team, and devoted a room of his house to store all the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and big screen TVs he's won over the years. That's because he enters more than 100 sweepstakes every single day, and thanks to a constant supply of free gift cards, he rarely pays for gas, cable, or his cell phone out of pocket. But he's not a wizard or a scammer. He's a Sweeper, and he's built a community of like-minded folks who share sweepstakes knowledge from around the country to beat the odds and get free stuff. Alli and Jen get his tips on how to win, and learn about his journey from free fries at Burger King in the '80s to running a sweeper newsletter at iwincontests.com. 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

Nov 23, 2020 • 55min
155 Modern Families Are Easier to Make Thanks to the Internet
21st century families come in all shapes and sizes. And while dating apps have helped people from all different backgrounds and locations get together, there hasn't been an online system in place for non-romantic coupling, specifically for the surrogacy, platonic co-parenting, and other family structures.That's where Modamily joined the "matching app" ecosystem. As the CEO Ivan Fatovic explains, it came out of a dinner conversation among single women who hadn't found their life partner yet, but were worried about the ticking biological clock.Fatovic tells Alli and Jen how Modamily works, the complexities of non-traditional family strucutres, and the success stories that have come out of his "non-dating app."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

Nov 16, 2020 • 51min
154 Financial Domination (Allie Eve Knox Returns!)
Professional dominatrix and cam model Allie Eve Knox returns to discuss her particular area of expertise, Financial Domination (aka FinDom), the fetish where clients want to be told what to do with their money. But contrary to popular belief, it's not all about wasting your client's cash. In fact, Knox explains why a more sustainable approach to financial domination works out best for everyone involved. Think of it more as financial planning — with a lot more nudity.Knox shares how she got started in FinDom, why it's one of the most profitable fetishes, and why it takes so much work to be an adult content creator.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

Nov 9, 2020 • 51min
153 OnlyFans Culture (with Allie Eve Knox)
Adult video entertainment used to involve film crews and distribution companies. These days, performers can log in, create personalized videos for their fans, and get paid well for their wares. OnlyFans has risen to prominence as the destination for custom cams and fetish content to suit every need, and many adult performers are making bank.But like all Internet content creation, it's very hard work. Alli and Jen talk with Allie Eve Knox, a cam model who makes her entire living from fetish content.Knox shares her journey as a performer, the culture of online sex work and fandom, and what it takes to get a thriving, sexy-time business off the ground.Follow Allie Eve Knox: https://twitter.com/allieeveknoxhttp://AllieEveKnox.comSupport 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

Nov 2, 2020 • 41min
152 Political Humiliation with Empress Delfina
Domination and humiliation aren't new in the world of fetishes, but one online sex worker has found a particularly compelling niche: Shaming and belittling Trump supporters to change their votes to Biden.Empress Delfina has a multitude of clients who get off on being told how wrong they are to support the current administration — and she thinks the trend is growing.Alli and Jen chat with the Empress about how she's "sex banking" for Biden, one orgasm at a time.https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-dominatrix-forcing-trump-supporters-to-vote-bidenSupport 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

Oct 26, 2020 • 55min
151 Why Tech Companies Won't Let You Fix Your Own Stuff (Steve Porter, TronicsFix)
Back in the day, if your computer or an appliance broke down, you could pop open the case, unscrew the faulty part, and order a replacement from the manufacturer for a few dollars.But increasingly, companies are more secretive about their proprietary tech. They keep their parts and schematics hidden, and when your iPhone or tractor breaks down, you’re forced to pay exorbitant repair costs, or worse — throw it away and buy the latest model.It’s bad for the consumer, and it’s bad for the environment. But it’s big business for tech companies and manufacturers.But for years, advocates of the Right to Repair movement have been sharing knowledge about the devices we use every day, and creating a wealth of online content to help people fix their own stuff for free or cheap.Alli and Jen talk with Steve Porter, a lifelong “fixer” who has built a professional repair business and a thriving YouTube channel where he teaches his 700,000 subscribers how to repair video game consoles, phones, and retro tech. Porter shares the inspiration for TronicsFix, how he makes money buying broken tech, and his involvement in the Right to Repair movement, which is pushing to change repair laws to protect consumers.Subscribe to TronicsFix on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Tronicsfix/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

Oct 19, 2020 • 54min
150 Virtual Funeral Services (Gathering Us)
Grief is never easy, but it's especially hard if you can't be with your loved ones in person. COVID-19 has made funerals incredibly complicated in recent months, but the online service Gathering Us has been planning for this for a while.Its founder, Noha Waibsnaider, explains why virtual memorials are the next-best thing (and in some cases, even better than in-person events). Waibsnaider chats with Alli and Jen about the origins of Gathering Us, and the complexities of grieving over Zoom.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

Oct 12, 2020 • 1h 29min
149 QAnon Casualties: How to Save a Loved One From Conspiracy Cults
The Internet empowers everyone to find a like-minded community online. It also facilitates misinformation and conspiracy thinking at breakneck speeds. QAnon, the belief that government insiders have foretold the Biblical cleansing of liberals, has morphed from a handful of conspiracy theories on 8chan to a full-blown cult that is tearing families apart.In response, the Internet has birthed support groups like r/QAnonCasualties, where people can share their stories and get advice on how to help family members obsessed with Q. It also contains the cautionary tales of former Q believers who found a way out.In this special 4-part episode, Alli and Jen learn about the QAnon phenomenon, and what people can do to help loved ones unplug and escape from cult behavior.
Mike Rothschild, a journalist with The Daily Dot who has covered QAnon extensively. Mike explains its origins, evolution, and just how deep the Q rabbit hole goes (yes, aliens).
Mia, a woman who rebooted her life after her ex-husband became obsessed with Q.
Jitarth Jadeja, a former QAnon believer who left the cult after a lot of reflection and mental health support.
Rick Alan Ross, a cult deprogrammer, anti-cult activist, and author who has been helping families with cult intervention for decades.
Read more about QAnon Casualties: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/reddit-qanon-casualties/The Cult Education Institute: https://www.culteducation.com/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

Oct 5, 2020 • 1h 3min
[Encore Episode] 55 How Composer Kevin MacLeod Makes a Living Giving All His Music Away For Free (Originally Published October 22, 2018)
We're working on something big for next week, so here's another one of our favorite encore episodes from back in the day.Original Notes: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.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


