Topic Guide
What Is Internet culture?
Internet culture is a subject covered in depth across 3 podcast episodes in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Internet culture
Viral sensation
This episode illustrates how an ordinary individual, Palm Beach Pete, can suddenly become a 'viral sensation' through an accidental filming that garners 'hundreds of millions of views.' It highlights the rapid and often unforeseen nature of internet fame and the potential for mistaken identity within such phenomena.
Ruthless garden
Matt McCusker's personal gardening philosophy where plants are not 'babied' but must be resilient and productive. He describes it as a "stern father" approach, requiring plants to adapt to elements or be removed, reflecting a totalitarian system focused on output.
Supernormal stimuli
A psychological concept where an exaggerated version of a stimulus is preferred by an animal (or human) over the naturally occurring stimulus. In the episode, it's used to explain how artificial enhancements in human appearance (e.g., extreme lip injections, cosmetic surgery) create an aesthetic that isn't natural or attainable, potentially leading people to 'chase an aesthetic that's not natural and it's not attainable.'
Looksmaxing / bone smashing / mogging
An internet subculture focused on maximizing physical attractiveness, often through extreme and dangerous methods. "Bone smashing" involves intentionally inflicting blunt force trauma on facial bones in a false belief it will reshape them for a more chiseled look. "Mogging" is a term used to describe out-competing someone in terms of physical appearance or stature, leading to feelings of inferiority if one is 'mogged' in a photo or social interaction.
Universal basic income (ubi)
A proposed system where all citizens of a country regularly receive an unconditional income from the government. The episode discusses UBI as a potential solution to widespread job displacement and economic disruption caused by advanced AI, suggesting it could lead to a future with 'kings' and 'surfs' but also offer individuals time for personal pursuits like gardening.
What Experts Say About Internet culture
- 1.Theo Von introduces a viral internet video featuring a crab consuming a Gusher fruit snack.
- 2.The segment humorously acknowledges the oddity of a crab eating a snack designed for humans.
- 3.Von reflects that such an unusual event becoming a viral sensation signifies "a different time" in the world.
- 4.The discussion serves as a lighthearted commentary on the often absurd nature of internet content and modern life.
- 5.A viral video, seen by "hundreds of millions of views," circulated online depicting a man in a convertible with a backward hat, widely believed to be Jeffrey Epstein.
- 6.The man in the viral video is actually Palm Beach Pete, who was randomly filmed by another driver while he was driving on I95.