The Death of Meaning (Gen Z Humor, Absurdism, & Trust in Platforms)

Perry & Mason catch up after the production of Season Two! Alas, Perry's audio track suffered some stuttering - but the gang reconvenes to debrief after a chaotic and wonderful adventure. Things we mentioned: How chaotically this episode came together, and we hint vaguely about a bunch of really cool stuff we almost did - and will be doing in the future. Some insight into details of the season's production, sound design, writing, etc. Mason brings up the "Dead Internet Theory" which he didn't clarify is a conspiracy theory, but at the heart of it is an idea that he felt compelling - that the noise of AI-generated content drives us farther apart online and into less accessible spaces. Some of our discord members share their favorite examples of liminal spaces! Somebody asked us if Gen Z was gonna be alright. Episode editing help by Matt Bliss of MBPod. If you want to find the extra clips and BTS snippets, join our Discord server using the link below! 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No-Clipping Reality (Liminal Spaces & Possibility) Out of the frying pan, and into the... backrooms, I guess? Welcome to the final episode of Digital Folklore's second season! We hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. Perry and Mason wander through endless, yellow, dank, decrepit hallways. Will they find Digby? Will Todd find them? What's going on? Where do we go from here? I don't know, I just write the shownotes. Speaking of writing the shownotes - Hey, if you're reading this - please join our Discord! Genuinely, it's a really rewarding place full of great folks - and we feel strongly about building a supportive community around our shared nerdiness. There's plenty of room for you! In This Episode: Voices from our discord community! The return of the famous Carterhaugh Twins*! Uncomfortably wet sound design (Mason says "you're welcome") Why transitions, waiting time, and all those other pockets of not-quite-doing-something-time are important. Rituals, fairytales, creepiness, light hearted joy, and so much more. *they're not actually twins, Daisy just got us saying that lol Guests: Dr Brittany Warman & Dr Sara Cleto:  Founders of the Carterhaugh School of Folklore & The Fantastic! They're incredible, and you should check out their work! Featuring voice acting from: Hannah Wright of Inn Between* as NEWSCASTER 2 Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Digby (and one of the newscasters!) Rich Daigle of Mouth Almighty as Todd *Mason plays the character Larkin in Season 5 of Inn Between! 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perry & Mason catch up after the production of the last episode! Things we mentioned: Perry & Mason discuss their most/least favorite emoji, their favorite contemporary legends, and their own embarrassing browser histories! Todd is real, and cursed Mason's editing computer. Mason reveals that he owns PregnantSonic.com, which points to the patreon page for the excellent audio drama podcast Inn Between (which Mason is a character on in the current season!) Perry retells an upsetting legend to Mason. Matt did some silly sound design in this one 👀 Listener messages and shout outs! Episode editing by Matt Bliss of MBPod. If you want to find the extra clips and BTS snippets, join our Discord server using the link below! 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unwrapping Our Presence (Folklorist Favorites) Trapped by local small business owner, Todd, the gang attempts a daring escape. However, the fabric of this reality seems to be unraveling around them. Will they escape? Is this how they ended up driving off a cliff? Is Digby going to set off on his own, or stick with the crew? Tune in for all the answers - or perhaps, just more questions. In This Episode: Several familiar voices from season two, all together! Folklorists' favorite (and least favorite) emoji. Uncomfortable browsing history. Extreme supernatural happenings. (Super-nappenings?) Retellings of a few contemporary legends. Guests: Josh Chapdelaine:  Co-Founder and Head of Production at Digital Void, an internet literacies collective focused on how new and digital media affects humans. Josh is also Associate Director of the Media Studies MA program at CUNY Queens College, where he also teaches podcasting, social media, and propaganda. Joel Best, professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware; author of Halloween Sadism: The Evidence Elizabeth (Libby) Tucker, distinguished service professor of English at Binghamton University. Daisy Ahlstone, creator of Folkwise. Dr. Kristina Downs, Executive Director at the Texas Folklore Society and Assistant Professor at Tarleton State University, host of Crime Lore. Dr Cassandra Pfeifer, author, educator, and folklorist. Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Digby Rich Daigle of Mouth Almighty as Todd 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unplugged episodes are where we ditch all the fancy production and story elements and bring you the raw (or slightly edited) interviews with folklore experts. On today’s episode, Mason & Perry got to speak with Ian Brodie. Dr. Brodie leads us through a fascinating discussion about humor, absurdism, dad jokes, improv, and the human condition. Ok, let’s get unplugged… Guest: Dr. Ian Brodie (Twitter) (LinkedIn) (YouTube) (Website) Additional Resources (Books are Amazon Associates Links to help support the show) University Page A Vulgar Art: A New Approach to Stand-Up Comedy (Folklore Studies in a Multicultural World Series), by Ian Brodie Old Trout Funnies: The Comic Origins of the Cape Breton Liberation, by Ian Brodie COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories: QAnon, 5G, the New World Order and Other Viral Ideas, by John Bodner, Wendy Welch, Ian Brodie, Anna Muldoon, Donald Leech, and Ashley Marshall Folkwise Interview with Ian Brodie 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perry & Mason catch up after the production of the last episode. Things we mentioned: We are joined again by our interview editor and all around great guy, Matthew Bliss! Let's talk about Todd We forecast the upcoming 'Unplugged Episode' with Ian Brodie Mason says, "I'm gonna say absolutely nothing useful" and then shares something mildly interesting. Listener messages and shout outs Episode editing by Matt Bliss of MBPod. If you want to find the extra clips and BTS snippets, join our Discord server using the link below! 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Death of Meaning (Gen Z Humor, Absurdism, & Trust in Platforms) The gang reconvenes! Perry & Mason venture once again into Todd's Pawn Shop, just in time for "Dada December" - but it would seem that the prices aren't the only unbelievable thing there... In This Episode: Two familiar voices! Why is Gen Z humor so absurd? Or... is it even that unique? How our trust in online platforms has been eroded. Expressions of authenticity online. What we can learn from studying humor. Several easter eggs for keen-eared listeners. We can (and should) appreciate joy for its own sake. Guests: Josh Chapdelaine:  Co-Founder and Head of Production at Digital Void, an internet literacies collective focused on how new and digital media affects humans. Josh is also Associate Director of the Media Studies MA program at CUNY Queens College, where he also teaches podcasting, social media, and propaganda. Ian Brodie: Folklorist, and author of A Vulgar Art: A New Approach to Stand-up Comedy He researches the intersection of folk culture and mass media, ranging from local radio song contests to the supernatural in children’s television. Ian currently serves as the President-Elect of both the Folklore Studies Association of Canada and the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research. Featuring voice acting from: Brooke Jennett of THIRTEEN as Digby Rich Daigle of Mouth Almighty as Todd 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Digital Folklore Unplugged! Unplugged episodes are where we ditch all the fancy production and story elements and bring you the raw (or slightly edited) interviews with folklore experts. On this episode, Perry & Mason sit down with Ben Radford to get the lowdown on creepy clowns, media literacy, the influence of folklore, and the psychological aspects of human beliefs. We touch on how misinformation and panic are spread through hoaxes and social media, using the example of clown sighting panics as a case study. Ben also discusses his investigations into paranormal phenomena and the experiences and empathy needed for effective investigation. His approach to investigative skepticism emphasizes the necessity for empathy, respect, and rigorous research.  Ok, let’s get unplugged… Guest: Ben Radford (Twitter) (Website) (Podcast) Ben's Books (Amazon Associate Links) America the Fearful: Media and the Marketing of National Panics Bad Clowns Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore ... and many more books by Ben 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Holidays! Everyone here at Digital Folklore wants to extend their holiday well-wishes, as well as a special reading of a classic Christmas poem. Thank you, for everything. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you! Happy holidays, happy new year, and to all a good night. 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special catch-up episode, Digital Folklore podcast creators Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus have a candid chat about the show so far. They spill behind-the-scenes secrets about unexpected plot twists, their creative process for audio storytelling, and how they brought this modern folklore to life. You'll also learn some fun and interesting ways their real life circumstances have woven their way into the show's mythos. The hosts share behind-the-scenes insights from interviews and emphasize the value of preserving modern folklore. Whether you're a longtime listener or just tuning in, this episode lets you in on the hosts' journey and the growth of Digital Folklore from idea to award-winning show. 🗣 Join our Discord community 💁‍♀️ Support us on Patreon 🕸 Sign-up for our newsletter, check our our merch, and learn more about the show at digitalfolklore.fm. 📚 Check our book list for some great folklore-related books Find us on the socials: Twitter: @digiFolklorePod Facebook: DigitalFolklorePod Instagram: DigitalFolklorePod TikTok: digitalfolklore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices