INFLUENCE

It's become clear that nearly all information you come across on Facebook (or any social media for that matter) should be consumed with skepticism. But there's something about the trouble of organizing a physical event and inviting real people to a real place, that seems beyond the realm of forgery. Turns out, it's the hottest new form of online/IRL trolling. And Facebook users fall for it hook, line, and sinker. When photographer and artist Eric Pickersgill discovered that folks were tricking users into showing up for fake Limp Bizkit concerts, he had to go to the IRL scene of the prank. There he found confused business owners and a bizarre confluence of meme culture and disappointed fans. Alli and Jen talk to Pickersgill about his photography project entitled No Show, and why we continue to be duped by online information when it comes to us in news feed form.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

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

Macrophilia is a surprisingly popular fetish involving sexual fantasies about giants — specifically, giant women. Being at the mercy of giants, or being coddled or crushed by them are staples of the community, but size change motifs also are common. Stories and media about giants (like the 1958 horror B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) or size change (1989's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) have become touch points for the macrophilia community, though many have also taken to making their own media and pornography using visual effects.Alli and Jen talk with Pete, the webmaster of Giantess City, one of the largest online content and community hubs for macrophiles.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

Perfect moms and unicorns have one thing in common: They don't exist. That mantra has brought together a huge community of women who are sick of the judgmental bickering that plagues typical "mommy groups" on social platforms like Facebook. Alli and Jen speak with Maria Hunt, the founder of Unicorn Moms, about her inspiration for starting a completely new kind of online support community for mothers. Spoiler alert: It involves a lot of drinking. Hunt explains the rules of her invite-only group (which is 34,000 strong), and how it's become a worldwide support system for women struggling to live up to the unrealistic standards of motherhood imposed online.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

The true crime explosion ignited by podcasts like Serial and Netflix series Making a Murderer has spawned a massive ecosystem of murdery content. One of the biggest and most passionate fandoms on the Internet today centers on two funny women and their obsession with real murder headlines, both new and historical. Their podcast, My Favorite Murder, has 19 million monthly downloads by conservative estimates. And the enormous community that gathers around it (whose members refer to themselves as "Murderinos") has a storied past full of in-fighting, fractured Facebook groups, merch gone wrong, and subreddit drama. Alli and Jen talk with u/TinaBelcher4Prez, the moderator of r/MyFavoriteMurder, the un-official (but largest) subreddit for fans of the show. She explains the broad appeal of the hosts, the grizzly subject matter, and its fascinating connection to mental health awareness. She also explains the fandom's many factions and controversies which have made listening to the show a roller coaster ride in recent years.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

There's no shortage of dating horror stories on social media. But dating in your later years — after a divorce, death, or other major life change — can be especially daunting. And while apps and services can take the friction out of finding a match, they can also be incredibly overwhelming, and often don't cater to those 60 and older.That's where Peggy Wolman steps in. She's a professional matchmaker with a focus on helping people find love later in life. She and her husband Richard work with clients to navigate the social media norms they may not be used to, and set the right expectations and goals for modern dating among the older set.Alli and Jen talk with Peggy and Richard about the challenges and surprises older singles encounter when it's time to make a Tinder profile, why ghosting isn't always horrible, and navigating gender stereotypes on a first date.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

Adult content in video games is nothing new. Big budget franchises like Mass Effect and The Witcher series are noted for their character romances and sexy scenes. But in those games, sex is not the main attraction. It’s about gameplay and story. On the other side of the coin, Steam is awash in adult games featuring anime-inspired characters in various sexual situations. The gameplay is presumably nothing to write home about, but merely a vehicle for porn.Enter: Subverse. This sci-fi/RPG/porn ’em up has raised more than $2 million on Kickstarter, ranking it among the 20 most-funded video games ever on the platform. Subverse is a rare breed that its developers tout as a true gameplay experience with very explicit sexual content. And 58,000 backers might indicate a very under-served market. Alli and Jen talk with Kristoff, the game’s senior producer, about the vision for Subverse and the studio’s journey from dabbling in Machinima porn to developing a full-fledged game. We also go back in time to learn about some of the sexually explicit video games made for the Atari 2600 in the early ’80s.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

David Murray is known to millions of fans as "The 8-Bit Guy." His YouTube channel covers the gamut of computers, consumer electronics, and gaming consoles from the golden age of pixel art and command line operating systems: the '70s, '80s, and early '90s. His detailed tear-downs, restorations, and explanations of vintage technology have drawn a huge community of enthusiasts — and not just the stereotypical "middle aged geek." People of all ages and backgrounds flock to Murray's convention booths (and even his home!) to snag an autograph from the retro guru. Alli and Jen chat with Murray about his roots in computer repair, the evolution of tech, the excitement of restoring a Commodore 64, the design challenges of old-school programming, and the community that's formed around his channel.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

Bird watching probably conjures images of an old, retired guy sporting binoculars behind his country home. But Jason Ward is rapidly dispelling that stereotype. He's been an avid birder since his childhood growing up in The Bronx, NY, and has brought his passion to social media. His #TrickyBirdID Twitter threads challenge people to snap photos of unknown neighborhood birds so the global community of birders can identify them. His enthusiasm led him to make the popular webseries Birds of North America with Topic, where viewers can follow Ward on his adventures in urban birding. The beautiful and informative show proves that cities are in fact a great place for bird watchers, and that the hobby is an accessible way for everyone to reconnect with nature, regardless of class, color, or location. Alli and Jen talk to Ward about his love of birds, his journey from enthusiast to science communicator, his trepidation about making a show, and the modern tech that makes bird watching in 2019 so much fun.Birds of North America has returned for a second season (June 9), and Ward will also be speaking and sharing bird songs at Topic Talks at the Skirball Center in New York City on June 22.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

Death is a difficult topic no matter how you slice it, but cultivating a healthier outlook on end-of-life issues can have profound effects on families when they encounter loss. That's the mission of Death Cafe. It's a self-described "social franchise" — a set of ideals that can be replicated in small groups around the world. It's not a support group, but a way to get people talking about death in a productive manner. After all, it's a social and personal issue that everyone will face at some point in their lives. The IRL groups have spread far and wide thanks to the power of the Internet. Alli and Jen speak with Megan Mooney, an end-of-life and hospice care specialist who has hosted Death Cafes for more than 6 years. Mooney discusses the personal journey that led her to this work, and the power of online and offline communities when it comes to coping with mortality.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