Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) is a weekly show from Jamie Loftus that takes a closer look at the internet’s main characters – one part reported, one part interviews, and one part Jamie collapsing her permanently internet-damaged brain. Whether it’s an enduring meme or a dreaded Character of the Day distinction, it’s the kind of notoriety that often results in little money, unwarranted attention, and a confusing blurred line of consent. What do you do when you get more attention and judgement than any one person is built to handle? The Sixteenth Minute of Fame is the place where we figur...
Tue, April 08, 2025
After eight long years of research, Dr. Ally Louks posted to Twitter about completing her Ph. D : "Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose." The Elon-fueled right-wing internet freaked out. In an exclusive interview, Jamie speaks with Dr. Louks about the experience of reclaiming the narrative around a nasty online backlash to better educate anti-intellectuals on the sense we ignore the most. Follow Dr. Ally here: https://x.com/DrAllyLouks Read Dr. Ally's original thread here: https://x.com/DrAllyLouks/status/1861872149373297078?lang=en vote for "we the unhoused" for a webby before april 17th!: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/shows/public-service-activism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, April 01, 2025
Where do you go from pivoting your brand to nihilism? Horny, my friends. WILDLY horny. In our final installment of the Sentient Horny Brand series, Jamie speaks to the mind behind Duolingo’s chaotic, wildly horny social media presence Zaria Parvez. Remember when you couldn’t get the owl giving birth to sponges off your feed? Remember when you didn’t even WANT to? That was her, and getting there was a wild ride. We talk about her journey from nearly taking down a Christian school to changing the way that Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumes advertising, one shitpost at a time. Follow Zaria here: https://www.instagram.com/zariaparvez Join us on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/SixteenthMinute/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, March 25, 2025
Picture this: it's 2020, you're clinging to sanity, and a frozen steak your mom used to eat after school called SteakUmm is now tweeting in the hopes of turning you into a socialist. But... what? Can one be radicalized by hot dog grade meat? Is what's being sold here an idea or microwaveable meat slop? In our penultimate installment of the Sentient Brands series, Jamie gets into the weeds with the mind behind the SteakUmm account, writer and social media director Nathan Allebach. Spoiler alert: we do, indeed, live in a society. Follow Nathan here: https://beacons.ai/nathanallebach?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaw8UJ_ctC-xxP2HrkYDPA5-9p2LBtn_w_NQsXsZhvZeBBYwiEzyZ6LooY_aem_Dm_8G9fFWhqyK0YAyD1JzQ Read Nathan's history of sentient brands: https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/brand-twitter-jokes-history.html Follow Yedoye Travis: https://www.instagram.com/yedoye_/?hl=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, March 18, 2025
In part two of our 'Sentient Brands on Social Media' series, Jamie speaks to the GOAT of online joke writing -- the great Amy Brown, who defined the Wendy's brand on Twitter, then got radicalized and left Twitter in a blaze of bullying Elon Musk. We take a look at the brief moment where getting replied to by a cheeseburger could get you on the national news, and take a look at how a girl from Ohio goes from "Amy from Myspace" at the mall to a generation-defining social voice. Next week: nihilism and piss! Follow Amy here: https://bsky.app/profile/amybrown.xyz See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, March 11, 2025
In part one of our ‘Sentient Brands on Social Media’ series, Jamie speaks with Serenity Discko, the original media writer behind the teenage edgelord Denny’s Tumblr account. But worry not, we go DEEP — Jamie sets the stage by tracing back our history of parasocial relationships with brands all the way back to World War I. Buckle in, the brands are getting angry, the brands are getting horny, and the brands want to be your best friend. Follow Serenity’s work here: Serenity Discko Watch The Century of the Self by Adam Curtis: https://youtu.be/eJ3RzGoQC4s?si=_eHsM0hadnUQA3Cr Read The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-attention-merchants-the-epic-scramble-to-get-inside-our-heads-tim-wu/8632123 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, March 04, 2025
This week, Jamie talks with Adam Aleksik aka The Etymology Nerd about how relying on algorithms to communicate is changing the way we talk and scream at each other, and the inevitability that your nephew is going to grow up to say "seggs" without a shred of irony. Learn more about Adam's work here: https://www.etymologynerd.com/ Pre-order Algospeak: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468266/algospeak-by-aleksic-adam/9781529949148 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, February 27, 2025
Jamie continues her conversation with Liam Kyle Sullivan, AKA Kelly of "Shoes" fame, Mrs. Cunningham of "Muffins" fame, and an actor and comedian workshopping a show about what it all means. Bonus: Jamie's cousin Chloe stops by to explain why kids from New England had no idea Mrs. Cunningham was "doing an accent." Come to The Bechdel Cast's Oscars Spectacular Celebration this Sunday: https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/calendar-squad-up See Liam's show in Los Angeles this Thursday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-liam-kyle-sullivan-show-work-in-progress-tickets-1248665595409?aff=oddtdtcreator Follow Liam: https://www.liamkylesullivan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/liamksullivan/?hl=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 25, 2025
This episode rules. This episode does not suck! Jamie meets up with Liam Kyle Sullivan, one of YouTube's earliest stars with his character Kelly of "Shoes," "Muffins," and much more, before he workshopped his one-person show in Los Angeles. Nearly two decades out from Shoes, Liam reflects on learning what YouTube was by becoming famous on it, how Hollywood struggled to translate internet fame to conventional media in the 2000s, and how his relationship with Kelly has changed over the years. Do these two still have their New England accents? Well, yes. Come to The Bechdel Cast's Oscars Spectacular Celebration this Sunday: https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/calendar-squad-up See Liam's show in Los Angeles this Thursday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-liam-kyle-sullivan-show-work-in-progress-tickets-1248665595409?aff=oddtdtcreator Follow Liam: https://www.liamkylesullivan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/liamksullivan/?hl=en See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 18, 2025
When Zoë Roth was four years old, her dad snapped a photo of her in front of a neighborhood home being burned with its owners permission to clear the land -- and the rest is internet history. This week, Jamie goes in depth with Zoë twenty years later about becoming a meme just as she started to form memories, how she's chosen to interact (or not interact) with it over the years, and why she chose to forge her own path. Also, a deep dive into meme managers, and why there are so many dead cats with representation. Get tickets to the Bechdel Cast show at Dynasty Typewriter here: https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/calendar-squad-up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 11, 2025
Our weirdest episode yet? Let's GO. This week, Jamie gets to the bottom of the backrooms, one of the most famous images on the internet -- posted to a horror-themed 4chan board in 2019, one blurry picture of an empty expanse of offices inspired teenage horror fans, online sleuths, and adults sinking into existential dread alike. We're looking at all three corners of the backrooms' history, from its legacy as a monster-filled creepypasta for the teens, a 'liminal space' for doomscrolling millennials, and a place to be tracked down by the detectives entrenched in lost media. Spoiler alert: the REAL backrooms are alive, well, and started a GoFundMe in Wisconsin. Give to the Backrooms GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/https-gofund-me-405dafe1 Follow Sara Bimo's work here: https://yorku.academia.edu/sarabimo Follow Peter Heft's work here: https://www.peterheft.com/ Watch Kendra Gaylord's video on the backrooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3cTIn2Z_Ck Watch Farrell McGuire's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqsdKi59VrE&t=1082s See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus · Sat, February 08, 2025
In honor of the ten year anniversary of the left shark moment at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in 2015, a very special rerun! Sixteenth Minute exclusive! We’ve got the first in depth interview with Bryan Gaw, aka the Left Shark himself. This week, Jamie revisits the 2015 Super Bowl saga that was Left Shark — the costumed cartilaginous fish that went rogue in 2015 beside Katy Perry during a chorus of ‘Teenage Dream,’ capturing the world’s heart. The person inside is just as lovable, and Jamie takes the bus to West Hollywood to meet dancer-turned-celebrity-stylist Bryan Gaw to revisit one of the internet’s few wholesome moments. Plus… ELLLLLVIS PRESTOOOO Follow Bryan Gaw here: https://bryangaw.com/ And here: https://www.instagram.com/bryangaw Original Air Date: 9.3.24 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus · Thu, February 06, 2025
You earned it, Sixteenth Minute listeners! As a little treat, Jamie talks with fellow Cool Zone Media host Ed Zitron of Better Offline about the nature of the Hawk Tuah crypto scam, and whether he thinks anything will come of the pending lawsuit. Listen to Better Offline: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Ed's Links: Newsletter: https://www.wheresyoured.at/ https://twitter.com/edzitron https://www.instagram.com/edzitron https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com https://www.threads.net/@edzitron See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, February 04, 2025
Between June and December 2024, Haliey Welch completed one of the most astounding main character runs of all time. Beginning as someone with no social media, catapulted to fame all but against her will after talking to on-the-street YouTubers targeting drunk women, the end of the year saw Haliey "Hawk Tuah" Welch acting as the face of exploitative memecoin scandal. In our final part of the Hawk Tuah series, we look into the history of crypto, a play by play of the Hawk Coin scandal, and what it means when you scam before you can get scammed. Follow Molly White's work here: https://www.mollywhite.net/linktree/ Watch Dan Olson's "Line Goes Up" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_xWvX1n9g Watch Coffeezilla's "exposing the hawk tuah scam" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUHq8AWR1Rg List of Displaced Black Families in Altadena: https://lasentinel.net/displaced-black-families-gofund-me-directory.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, January 28, 2025
In part two of our deep dive into Haliey Welch, aka Hawk Tuah Girl, Jamie looks at the media blitz Haliey was sent on after her viral moment and securing management. Without the Ellen Industrial Complex to reel her in, we dig into the world of vaguely conservative video podcasts, and how all roads lead to sports gambling scams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus · Thu, January 23, 2025
In this Hawk Tuah bonus episode, Jamie connects the man on the street TikTok content that made Haliey Welch famous to its media ancestor — the Girls Gone Wild craze of the 2000s. We talk with former GGW street team member and incredible podcaster Courtney Kocak to learn more about how exploiting drunk women for men’s profit became a million dollar industry. Follow Courtney’s work @courtneykocak and listen to Private Parts Unknown here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-parts-unknown-sex-love-around-the-world/id1154304419 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, January 21, 2025
Let's do some discourse on that thang. To start our series on 2024's Main Character Haliey Welch, AKA Hawk Tuah Girl, we're taking a closer look at how a Tennessee twenty-something with no social media and a factory job became a household name in a matter of weeks in 2024. Jamie looks at the culture of TikTok and YouTube man-on-the-street surveillance channels, and tracks where the channel that catapulted Haliey Welch to fame failed to get proper consent, what their business model is, and why Haliey decided to go into business for herself. Next time: the debt TikTok owes to Girls Gone Wild , and why Talk Tuah got more downloads than this podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, January 14, 2025
Wildfires have devastated Southern California in the past week, while mainstream media has remained fairly fixated on the wealthier communities and celebrities affected. Meanwhile, the majority of lives lost were in the middle class neighborhood of Altadena, and mutual aid efforts have blossomed across the city to address those affected. This week, Jamie reaches out to writers and organizers in Los Angeles to take a closer look at who will be at the forefront of this ongoing crisis. Theo Henderson of We the Unhoused speaks to how the unhoused and newly displaced have to navigate city hostility; independent reporter Alissa Walker explores how the fires will continually affect families and the risk of holding the Olympics in LA; Sara Reyes, Maebe A. Girl, and Rachel Sanoff of SELAH talk mutual aid in a time of crisis; and Mychal Threets tells Jamie about the importance of libraries and community spaces in the wake of tragedy. Displaced Black Families Mutual Aid: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pK5omSsD4KGhjEHCVgcVw-rd4FZP9haoijEx1mSAm5c/htmlview Follow Theo Henderson and We the Unhoused here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-we-the-unhoused-66071889/ https://x.com/TheoHen95302259 Follow Alissa Walker and Torched here: https://www.torched.la/ https://bsky.app/profile/awalkerinla.bsky.social Follow SELAH here: https://www.selahnhc.org/volunteer https://www.instagram.com/selahnhc/?hl=en Follow Mychal here: https://www.instagram.com/mychal3ts/?hl=en Tickets to The Bechdel Cast in San Francisco: https://sfsketchfest2025.sched.com/event/1rbOs Buy A Paradise Built in Hell: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-paradise-built-in-hell-the-extraordinary-communities-that-arise-in-disaster-rebecca-solnit/11725474?gad_source=1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, January 07, 2025
To celebrate Willie McNabb's big 30-50 feral hogs win, we're re-running his debut on the show! Next week, we're starting the year right with an in-depth look at Haliey "Hawk Tuah" Welch's moment in the spotlight that even surprised Jamie with how much research was required. LA, SF, and Portland tour dates here: https://linktr.ee/smalliceresurfacer --- Legit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? This week, Jamie finds out from the 30-50 hogs asker himself -- Willie McNabb. Plus, we catch up with Professor John Tomacek about the VERY REAL issue of feral hogs, and Karl Kasarda of inRangeTV about how 30-50 feral hogs tied into a larger conversation about American gun laws. Original Air Date: 6.25.24 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, December 31, 2024
This week, Jamie hosts the iconic award show THE MINNIES, where listeners voted on their favorite moments on Sixteenth Minute this year and Jamie talks about the year in fifteenth-minute internet history. See you in the new year, babes! Bechdel Cast tour tickets here: https://linktr.ee/smalliceresurfacer Learn more about Kulture City here: https://www.kulturecity.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, December 24, 2024
In our final episode about the manosphere, Jamie talks to people who have been directly involved with and continue to navigate being targeted by the ever-evolving space over more than two decades. Three people across three generations explain how they got in and out of red pill and MRA spaces, a teacher in Texas explains their struggle to get through to teenagers taken in by Andrew Tate, and a researcher on incels expands on her struggle to manage her mental health while exploring a world that doesn't respect her autonomy. Names have been changed and interviews have been edited for clarity. Next week, for our final episode of 2024... something light! Get tickets to the Bechdel Cast tour here in LA, SF, and Portland OR -- livestream tickets available, too! https://linktr.ee/bechdelcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, December 19, 2024
You win, I'll talk to men -- and for part three of our manosphere series, it's two brilliant men who are experts in this space. After taking a wide look at the manosphere, Jamie speaks with FD Signifier and Robert Evans about their experience studying the manosphere, and what to expect in the near future. Our final part airs next week! Follow FD Signifier's work: https://www.youtube.com/@FDSignifire Follow Robert Evans' work: https://bsky.app/profile/iwriteok.bsky.social See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, December 17, 2024
In part 2 of our manosphere series, Jamie takes a look at what the manosphere has become since it became a mainstream topic a decade ago. She traces its media and in-community responses from Gamergate and the Isla Vista killings, through the first Trump administration, into the #MeToo era, around the Kavanaugh hearings, and all the way to manosphere podcasts being name-checked at the second Trump acceptance speech. How has this space mutated to enter our governing -- or was it always that way? Part 3 releases this Thursday. Listen to Boys Like Me (on the Toronto van attack): https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/boys-like-me/id1596370720?at=1l3vpUI&ct=LFV_4ba3316d6e3d7eb6707b80c71864cc16&itsct=catchall_podcast_show&itscg=30440&ls=1 Feels Good Man: https://www.feelsgoodmanfilm.com/ More on the Black manosphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y0nR0E8pk4&list=PLCloiJ2glw55nFdhlvB0ojBYIWKzROjbv&index=4 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, December 10, 2024
The manosphere isn't just one of the election's biggest trending topics, it's also one of the biggest outputters of internet main characters -- so why have most of the conversations around it been so unproductive? In our first part of our series on the manosphere, Jamie interrogates the flawed ways in which media is talking about this space, and traces its origins from the 1970s all the way to Gamergate and the Isla Vista shootings. Then, she speaks with researcher Becca Lewis about where we go from here. Follow Becca Lewis's work here: https://bsky.app/profile/beccalew.bsky.social Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates: https://bookshop.org/p/books/men-who-hate-women-from-incels-to-pickup-artists-the-truth-about-extreme-misogyny-and-how-it-affects-us-all-laura-bates/19662669 Backlash by Susan Faludi: https://bookshop.org/p/books/backlash-the-undeclared-war-against-american-women-susan-faludi/8728966?ean=9780307345424 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, December 03, 2024
A video of two Canadian men screaming at each other about whether Glinda the Good Witch was a witch or a princess has been going viral every six months since 2018... but no one knows who they are. UNTIL NOW. Jamie sits down with living legend Matt Passero to talk about his moment of infinite virality, why he's the rare character of the day who wants nothing to do with the spotlight, and why Glinda is a princess, actually. WE GOT THE EXCLUSIVE, BABY! Follow Day Bond and see Matt's tattoo here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@illustday?_t=8rtk7rNUdzT&_r=1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, November 26, 2024
Hello Sixteenth Minute heads! We'll be back next week with a brand new interview with the guy from the ~*sHe cAmE dOwN iN a bUbBlE bRo*~ video, but this week we are re-airing our episode on the 2015 phenomenon of The Dress. Tickets to Jamie's show 11/29 in LA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tiny-man-is-trying-to-kill-me-tickets-1089424250259?aff=oddtdtcreator Donate to the Native Women's Collective: https://www.nativewomenscollective.org/ --- In 2015, the world was gripped by one question: is this dress black and blue, or white and gold? No, no, I refuse to argue with you about it — but the story of The Dress is the dying breath of a pre-algorithm driven social media, the peak of Buzzfeed, and contains some dark truths about the internet. Featuring interviews with Taylor Lorenz (@taylorlorenz), author of Extremely Online and Max Fisher (@maxfisher22), author of The Chaos Machine. Original Air Date: 5.21.24 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, November 19, 2024
For one day in 2021, all of social media was obsessing over... Gorilla Glue? Tessica Brown ran out of göt2b hair product and used Gorilla Glue instead and one month later, her hair hadn't moved at all. She turned to TikTok for help and immediately became a main character, prompting a complicated months-long saga that included custom surgery, Hollywood managers, a botched rap career, and some of the most startling and scary days of her life. Jamie talks to Tessica about the ordeal four years later and gets the real story. Follow Tessica here: https://www.instagram.com/im_d_ollady Tickets to Jamie's LA show here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tiny-man-is-trying-to-kill-me-special-tapings-tickets-1077914925559?aff=oddtdtcreator See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, November 12, 2024
In part two of our William Hung series, Jamie takes a look at two of the biggest conversations that William sparked upon his debut: the representation of Asian Americans in the U.S., and how reality shows remove authorship from their subjects. Twenty years later, what can we take away from this moment? We speak with sociologist Nancy Wang Yeun about her experience first encountering William’s narrative and the legacy of Asian representation up until that time, and reality show editing vet Steve Flack about how reality television can Frankenbite its subjects into completely different people. Follow Nancy Wang Yeun here: https://www.nancywyuen.com/ Read Serve the People: Making Asian America in the Long Sixties by Karen Ishizuka: https://bookshop.org/p/books/serve-the-people-making-asian-america-in-the-long-sixties-karen-l-ishizuka/9337769?ean=9781781689981 Read The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-making-of-asian-america-a-history-erika-lee/16653245?ean=9781476739410 Tickets to Jamie’s show The Tiny Man is Trying to Kill Me: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tiny-man-is-trying-to-kill-me-special-tapings-tickets-1077914925559 Listen to We the Unhoused: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-the-unhoused/id1490017575 And reach out to Jamie for manosphere sources at smalliceresurfacer@gmail.com ! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, November 05, 2024
Twenty years ago, William Hung of "She Bangs" American Idol fame became one of the earliest people to straddle traditional media and the internet to become an overnight sensation. A notorious "bad audition" on one of the world's most famous shows, William built a whole career on a mix of positivity and negative attention, remaining firmly himself every step of the way. Warning: this episode contains severe 2004, from Angelfire fan sites to successful prime time TV to early-aughts xenophobia. Buckle in, we're going deep, from William's college days to his TED talks and everywhere in between. This week, Jamie recounts William's story and speaks to the man himself. In part two, we take a closer look at what William's fame meant to Asian Americans, and what it said about the state of reality TV. Follow William here: https://williamhung.net/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, October 31, 2024
Of course the graverobbing episode couldn’t be one part! In part two of the Tmblr bone witch story, Jamie speaks with the leading voice in American human remains law, a New Orleans cemetery preservationist and of course, a real-life witch. Follow Tanya Marsh here: https://x.com/tmar22 Follow JV Hampton-Van Sant’s work and socials here: https://linktr.ee/RedBlaqueGolden Learn more about Save Our Cemeteries here: https://www.saveourcemeteries.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, October 29, 2024
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, MOTHERFUCKERS! This week, we’re diving deep into the Tumblr bone witch saga, the epic 2015 tale of internet-age graverobbing that all but exploded the internet. In late 2015, a witch named Ender Darling posted that they’d found some human bones in a New Orleans graveyard, and offered to mail them to other witches in a Facebook group called the Queer Witch Collective. What followed was bedlam – a debate on the ethics of private safe spaces, on bone thievery in New Orleans, and a story that led all the way to court. Spoiler alert: grave robbing isn’t as illegal as you think! Tune in, dear listeners, to the scariest episode of Sixteenth Minute of all time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, October 22, 2024
She's, with apologies to the Hawk Tuah lobby, the queen of the internet in 2024 -- baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng. Her fifteenth minute is far from over, but this week Jamie dives into the world of the viral zoo animal. She's far from the first, joining a legacy of viral animals whose life is flattened to a static image, without wondering why we're looking at them in the first place. We go into the ordeal that is becoming famous while captive, and Jamie speaks with zoologist Oliver, aka Dr. Wildlife, about the ethics of zoos and how we can better protect the animals that become a part of our digital language. Follow Dr. Wildlife here: https://linktr.ee/drwildlife See Jamie in LA on November 1st & 20th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tiny-man-is-trying-to-kill-me-tickets-1039733048537 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus · Fri, October 18, 2024
FIELD TRIP! Jamie heads to Las Vegas to see the closing moments of the Kobi-Chestnut sixteenth minute -- and watches them face off live on Netflix after fifteen years without competing in a broadcast called Unfinished Beef . We talk more with documentarian Nicole Lucas-Haimes, and take a look at what the greatest hot dog and sports rivalry of all time looks like at the highest level. Watch 30 for 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81752194 Watch Unfinished Beef: https://www.netflix.com/title/81743617 Read Jodi Walker's terrific coverage of the event on The Ringer: https://www.theringer.com/tv/2024/9/19/24248057/joey-chestnut-takeru-kobayashi-netflix-unfinished-beef-hot-dog-eating Buy Jamie's book Raw Dog here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250847768/rawdog See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, October 15, 2024
Once a year, Joey Chestnut becomes the main character of the internet -- but it wasn't always that way. This week, we're talking about the greatest hot dog rivalry of all time, and the media ringmaster that made it possible. Before Joey's annual stint as a main character, the hot dog eating champion of the world was one Takeru Kobayashi, a Japanese eater who turned a novelty event in the U.S. into a full-blown sensation in the early 2000s. Then, contractual issues and a huge wave of xenophobia pushed Kobi out of the professional scene in America, until Labor Day 2024 when he faced off with Chestnut for the first time in 15 years. A lot has changed since their last meeting... more than anything, the way stories are told using the internet. Jamie speaks with documentarian Nicole Lucas-Haimes, director of the 30 for 30 about the Kobi and Chestnut rivalry: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry. She's also the executive producer of the Netflix rematch, Unfinished Beef. This Thursday, Jamie ventures to Las Vegas to see the Kobi-Chestnut Netflix rematch in person. Watch The Good, The Bad, The Hungry: https://www.netflix.com/title/81752194 Watch Unfinished Beef: https://www.netflix.com/title/81743617 Buy Raw Dog (now in paperback): https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250847768/rawdog Now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, October 08, 2024
Ken Bone reflects on the eight-year anniversary of his overnight viral success, how becoming a main character changed his life, and how his moment moved his politics forward. Donate to St. Patrick's Center here: https://www.stpatrickcenter.org/donate Los Angeles area heads, see Jamie live this November at the Lyric Hyperion! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tiny-man-is-trying-to-kill-me-tickets-1039733048537?aff=oddtdtcreator See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, October 01, 2024
In 2016, one man in a red sweater became the nation's sweetheart... until he didn't. Ken Bone became a celebrity overnight after a star turn at the height of an October 2016 political nightmare. Just two days after the infamous Access Hollywood tape made many think Trump's first run for president was a lost cause, after a year of "her emails" and what felt like an infinity war of an election cycle, the world took comfort in a normal midwestern man who worked at a power plant and loved anime. What made Ken so appealing, and -- apologies for taking us back to such a cursed period -- what shitstorm was he caught in the middle of? In part one, Jamie examines the media environment that made Ken a star, and the milkshake duck cycle and a Reddit scandal that made him one of the seminal internet main characters to this day. Next week... we talk to Ken. Donate to Ken's nonprofit of choice, the St. Patrick Center of St. Louis here: https://www.stpatrickcenter.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, September 24, 2024
In part two of our Overly Attached Girlfriend series, we talked to the OAG herself -- Laina Morris. She revisits the viral moment she didn't see coming in 2012, the weirdness of being in a Delta Airlines safety video, and navigating what a career online and at the mercy of the algorithm looks like while struggling with depression. Laina's been away from regular posting for the last five years as she navigated it all, and she and Jamie get into how to maintain your self-worth and share yourself safely. Slap on your scary eyes, baby, we're going in. Follow Laina on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@laina Follow Laina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laina Follow Laina on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laina622 Sixteenth Minute Reddit! : https://www.reddit.com/r/SixteenthMinute/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, September 17, 2024
In the summer of 2012, Laina Morris became an overnight viral star as the Overly Attached Girlfriend, a parody of the rampant Justin Bieber "Beliebers" of the era. The week after, she had to decide if she'd drop out of college or pursue the life of a job that didn't quite exist yet -- a full-time YouTuber. In part 1, Jamie takes a look at Laina's ascent, and how the image of the YouTube star was first conjured from thin air by a bunch of Silicon Valley weirdos, and perfected by YouTubers themselves. Net week, Jamie speaks exclusively with Laina Morris in part two! For more on the history of the social media algorithm, check out "The Chaos Machine" by Max Fisher: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-chaos-machine-the-inside-story-of-how-social-media-rewired-our-minds-and-our-world-max-fisher/18203720 For more on YouTube celebrity, check out "Extremely Online" by Taylor Lorenz: https://bookshop.org/p/books/extremely-online-the-untold-story-of-fame-influence-and-power-on-the-internet-taylor-lorenz/19718842?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrp-3BhDgARIsAEWJ6SwYyF8sigAMNiXmi3fokHCkE2bzkcSOCaQ7nB0cdh3vmpjNcJS4rVAaAhV6EALw_wcB Follow Laina on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@laina See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, September 12, 2024
In part two of this definitely minisode series, Jamie talks with ex-Mormon YouTuber and author of How to Leave the Mormon Church: An Ex-Mormons Guide to Rebuilding After Religion Alyssa Grenfell about how the LDS may have found a back channel to bankroll its most powerful influencers, without leaving a paper trail. Alyssa walks Jamie through how she thinks it's done, and how the LDS has succeeded and fumbled its relationships with influencers in the past. Buy Alyssa's book!: https://www.howtoleavethemormonchurch.com/about Watch Alyssa's full theory here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGXggLIafrc Subscribe to Alyssa's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@alyssadgrenfell See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, September 10, 2024
This week, Jamie takes a treacherous voyage into a complicated question -- why on Earth are there so many successful Mormon influencers? In this two-part series, she looks at how the origins and the values of the Mormon church deceptively align with the conservative "tradwife" influencing space of today... and yes, she will get into the tradwives. Contained herein: Joseph Smith shoving his face into a hat, a new Hulu reality series that is deceptively boring, Ballerina Farm, and the Mormons' early success in the conservative mommy blogging space. Tune in for part 2, where ex-Mormon Alyssa Grenfell poses a theory at how the Church of Latter Day Saints stays two steps ahead of it all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, September 03, 2024
Sixteenth Minute exclusive! We’ve got the first in depth interview with Bryan Gaw, aka the Left Shark himself. This week, Jamie revisits the 2015 Super Bowl saga that was Left Shark — the costumed cartilaginous fish that went rogue in 2015 beside Katy Perry during a chorus of ‘Teenage Dream,’ capturing the world’s heart. The person inside is just as lovable, and Jamie takes the bus to West Hollywood to meet dancer-turned-celebrity-stylist Bryan Gaw to revisit one of the internet’s few wholesome moments. Plus… ELLLLLVIS PRESTOOOO Follow Bryan Gaw here: https://bryangaw.com/ And here: https://www.instagram.com/bryangaw See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, August 27, 2024
This week, the curvy wife saga concludes. Jamie talks to Cate Navarrete of the Body Positivity Alliance and Tigress Osborn of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance about where this moment falls in the decades-long history of fat activism, and how mainstream media narratives tend to depoliticize civil rights issues. Also, Jamie mumbles the lyrics to "Hot Wife" by curvy wife guy to herself. Also, Jamie learns what "hotwife" means. *airhorn* Learn about NAAFA here: https://naafa.org/ Follow Tigress here: https://www.instagram.com/iofthetigress/?hl=en Learn about the Body Positivity Alliance here: https://bodypositivealliance.org/ Learn about Cate here: https://bodypositivealliance.org/team-and-board/cate-navarrete Read Tigress's original essay here: <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnaafa.org%2Fblog-archive%2Fblack-history-always&data=05%7C02%7CIanJohnson%40iheartmedia.com%7C1b3a4b7413804f81c9a908dcc6248f9b%7
Tue, August 20, 2024
In 2017, Robbie Tripp posted about his "curvy wife" Sarah, inspiring months of discourse and a permanent internet turn of phrase. This week, Jamie revisits the saga and speaks to Curvy Wife Guy himself ahead of the release of his new single, which is obviously called "Hot Wife." How did a couple build a 'desert empire' on a controversial post, and what does that say about the internet economy? Tune in next week for part two, where Jamie takes a closer look at how this story resonated with women and fat activists -- featuring interviews with journalist Rebecca Jennings, Tigress Osborn of NAAFA (the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance), and Cate Navarrete of the Body Positivity Alliance. Stream Robbie's music here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, August 13, 2024
This summer, a fish named Alice fell from the sky and directly into the lawn of junior doctor Ben Beska. And so, of course, he tweeted about it... only to lose his newly beloved fish just a week later. What followed was what it looks like to go viral in 2024. Jamie speaks with Ben Beska over the course of two months to track the journey; plus, we talk to Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Elia Aboujaoude to learn what going viral has the potential to do to your mind. Follow Ben's fish adventures here: https://x.com/Beska Buy Dr. Aboujaoude's new book, A Leader's Destiny, here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/elias-aboujaoude/a-leaders-destiny/9781541703018/?lens=publicaffairs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thu, August 08, 2024
This week, we're taking a tangent -- my dad, Mike Loftus, passed away two weeks ago, and this episode is twenty minutes about that. I've needed some extra time to get our upcoming episodes together, but I've wanted to share more about him and the last two weeks. I really miss him. We'll be back to regular episodes next week. As promised, the links: Obituary: https://www.waittfuneralhome.com/obituary/MichaelP-Loftus Patriot Ledger writer Eric McHugh wrote this really comprehensive, thoughtful piece about him: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/sports/2024/07/24/family-hockey-were-ledger-bruins-writer-mike-loftus-twin-passions/74518399007/ My dad's good friend Mick Colageo, another hockey writer, remembers him here: https://bostonhockeynow.com/2024/07/21/colageo-boston-bruins-reporter-mike-loftus-a-pros-pro/ And the podcast I pulled a clip from is from Pucks with Haggs with Joe Haggerty, featuring Mick and fellow hockey writer Steve Conroy from The Boston Herald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimCsyfw3Hk&t=590s See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, July 23, 2024
This week, Jamie solves an age-old internet mystery -- whatever happened to Naomi H, the Twitter furry who lost an internship after telling off a man she didn't realize was on the National Space Council to "suck my dick and balls?" After half a decade, Jamie speaks exclusively with Naomi H to get to the bottom of it, and talk about how the internet has shaped Naomi H's life for better and for worse. Follow Naomi H: https://x.com/NaomiH_Origins See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, July 16, 2024
In 2017, HQ Trivia was the app to rule them all, nearly the heir apparent to Jeopardy! Millions of people would stop what they were doing every day to answer trivia for absurdly small cash prizes, most often from "Quiz Daddy" Scott Rogowsky. Less than a year and a half later, it was over -- but not before a broadcast with The Rock, a weirdly specific salad-based threat from a founder, and a tragic death took place. So... what happened? Jamie takes the bus to Scott Rogowsky's storage unit in Marina Del Rey to find out. (Interview has been edited for length and clarity!) Shop at Quiz Daddy's here: https://quizdaddys.com/ Follow Scott Rogowsky: https://www.instagram.com/scottrogowsky/ https://twitter.com/ScottRogowsky Boom/Bust podcast: https://www.theringer.com/boom-bust-podcast Jamie's cursed leeches video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ZZbBZW2es&t=453s Follow Sarah Prebis for her HQ TikTokumentary & more: <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sarahpribis&data=05%7C02%7CIanJohnson%40iheartmedia.com%7Cd9145e45c0214623106708dca533d3b9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638566889235830428%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2JUu67eT%2BzSfg2DG8eF4EW6dTgAm7eU8nX8BVGiL%2B%2BE%3D&reserved=0" data-
Bonus · Tue, July 09, 2024
This week, a bonus interview from our 65-foot-hot-dog episode — 404 Media’s Jason Koebler talks to Jamie about how we need to remind people that writers aren’t robots. Then, Jamie reminds you she is not a robot. Listen to the 404 Media Podcast here: https://www.404media.co/the-404-media-podcast/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, July 02, 2024
What happens when public artwork becomes the main character? For the last two months, a culture war has raged around a gigantic sculpture of a hot dog in Times Square... and playing right into the artists' hands. Jamie goes to New York to talk about the secret agenda of the hot dog with creators Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw. Then, a talk with Carol Adams, the author of 'The Sexual Politics of Meat,' about why the hot dog is still a subversive symbol, why I needed to go vegan a decade ago, and how harassment has evolved from right wing radio into the internet era. (did you seriously think Jamie wasn't going to find an excuse to do a hot dog episode? gzet a grip) follow Jen and Paul: https://www.catronandoutlaw.com/ follow Carol Adams: https://caroljadams.com/ buy Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs: https://bookshop.org/p/books/raw-dog-the-many-histories-of-hot-dogs-jamie-loftus/18785131?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwp4m0BhBAEiwAsdc4aOntkU4kENdIs91XZ-UKCNSxQ8nvIO1kakfzoI7ugVgqAWA1ABNkQBoCTtoQAvD_BwE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, June 25, 2024
Legit question for rural Americans - How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play? This week, Jamie finds out from the 30-50 hogs asker himself -- Willie McNabb. Plus, we catch up with Professor John Tomacek about the VERY REAL issue of feral hogs, and Karl Kasarda of inRangeTV about how 30-50 feral hogs tied into a larger conversation about American gun laws. Follow Dion Green and the Fudge Foundation here: https://fudgefoundation.org/ Follow Willie McNabb: https://x.com/WillieMcNabb Follow John Tomacek: https://rwfm.tamu.edu/people/tomecek-john/ Follow inRangeTV: https://www.youtube.com/@InrangeTv See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, June 18, 2024
In the summer of 2021, hundreds of Black TikTokers went on strike and demanded proper credit and compensation for dances they made famous. Why? Because, the most famous TikTokers of the pandemic, white teens Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae, had become extremely famous off of Black choreographers Jalaiah Harmon, Keara Wilson, and others' work -- a continuation of age-old appropriation and theft. Jamie talks with Savage dance creator Keara Wilson, commentator Amanda Bennett, and algorithmic scientist Meredith Broussard to take a closer look at the impact of this moment, and how social media is designed to amplify racism. Follow Keara Wilson here: https://www.tiktok.com/@keke.janajah?lang=en Follow Amanda Bennett here: https://defineandempower.com/our-team Buy Meredith's book here: https://meredithbroussard.com/books/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, June 11, 2024
In November 2022, one Philadelphia man took it upon himself to eat a rotisserie chicken every day for forty days. Why? Jamie flew across the country, went to his house, and interrogated him. Follow Alex here: https://x.com/AlexiconTom Get Raw Dog here while you're at it: https://bookshop.org/p/books/raw-dog-the-many-histories-of-hot-dogs-jamie-loftus/18785131?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwyJqzBhBaEiwAWDRJVD9r1z2NOcI0CT3yvq3h68RY6tW9BdoKm7dkRjMrcr7rLlCOYNwtsRoCks8QAvD_BwE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, June 04, 2024
If a tree falls in the garden where a woman enjoys drinking coffee with her husband and no one’s there to hear it, should the Internet harass her anyway? In 2022, Daisey sent one innocuous tweet that launched a thousand takes. Follow Taylor Lorenz: @TaylorLorenz on all platforms Follow Julia Claire: @ohJuliatweets / @juliaclairegrams Follow Bridget Todd: @BridgetMarie on twt / @bridgetmarieinc on insta See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, May 28, 2024
In the summer of 2023, a Boston cop humiliated himself by tumbling down a public slide in the most embarrassing way possible. This week, Jamie tries to find his pig ass, and admits her background as a Terminally Boston Woman. Interviews with Molly Conger and Jeff Raymond. Follow Molly: https://x.com/socialistdogmom Follow Jeff: https://www.masstransparency.org/author/jraymond/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, May 21, 2024
In 2015, the world was gripped by one question: is this dress black and blue, or white and gold? No, no, I refuse to argue with you about it — but the story of The Dress is the dying breath of a pre-algorithm driven social media, the peak of Buzzfeed, and contains some dark truths about the internet. Featuring interviews with Taylor Lorenz (@taylorlorenz), author of Extremely Online and Max Fisher (@maxfisher22), author of The Chaos Machine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, May 14, 2024
This week, it's Kelly and Antoine Dodson's sixteenth minute — Jamie interviews Professor Gabriel Peoples, author of 'The Forgotten Kelly Dodson: Viral Performance and the Interplay of Excess and Erasure' about what happens when someone is erased from their own story. https://gender.indiana.edu/about/faculty/peoples-gabriel.html Read "The Forgotten Kelly Dodson": The Forgotten Kelly Dodson Follow Antoine Dodson here: https://www.tiktok.com/@antoinedodson34 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tue, May 07, 2024
This week, it's Antoine and Kelly Dodson's sixteenth minute — Jamie interviews Antoine about the 'bed intruder' saga of 2010. Read "The Forgotten Kelly Dodson": The Forgotten Kelly Dodson Follow Antoine Dodson here: https://www.tiktok.com/@antoinedodson34 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trailer · Tue, April 30, 2024
Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) is a weekly show that gives a sixteenth minute of fame to the Internet's most notorious characters of the day. Jamie Loftus talks to the characters themselves, and tries to get to the bottom of how they made it to the top of your feed for a fleeting moment -- and what that does to warp your brain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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