MEMES, Pt. 2: Scumbag Steve
Endless Thread30 Syys 2021

MEMES, Pt. 2: Scumbag Steve

If there is an OG meme in which a human is the star, Scumbag Steve is it. He spread across the internet like wildfire in 2011 as a universal representation of dudes who are the worst. And, like any person grappling with immediate internet fame, Blake Boston — the man behind Scumbag Steve — tried to capitalize: merch, rap songs, public appearances.

But the full story of what happened to Blake — and his family — has never been told. The Scumbag Steve meme became a bargaining chip in a custody battle, a complicating factor in meeting his birth mother, the cause of fights with extended family members, a source of anxiety attacks, and an echo of trauma. In this episode, we go past the origin story of Scumbag Steve and learn about Blake’s real struggles with PTSD and abuse — and how trauma has brought him and his mother, Susan Boston, even closer.

Jaksot(436)

Episodes We Love: How to Fight a Shark

Episodes We Love: How to Fight a Shark

This episode originally aired on July 12, 2024. It has been updated to more clearly represent communication with Kayleigh Grant about a conversation with Kristian Parton. When Endless Thread producer...

4 Heinä 202537min

Raiding the fridge with Condiment Claire

Raiding the fridge with Condiment Claire

This week on Endless Thread, we're raiding our refrigerators and rating our favorite condiments with TikTok creator and author "Condiment Claire" Dinhut. We learn about the surprising history of some ...

27 Kesä 202528min

War and Pizza

War and Pizza

In the hours leading up to Israel commencing its June missile strikes on Iran, X users were posting about pizza. Specifically, how pizza places around the United States Pentagon were experiencing an u...

26 Kesä 202530min

Pics or this episode didn't happen

Pics or this episode didn't happen

A picture's worth a thousand words, or in this case, a podcast episode. This week Ben and Amory bring two very different stories from Reddit about pictures on the internet. First – what legal rights ...

20 Kesä 202524min

When the government wants your socials

When the government wants your socials

Jeffrey Ngo is from Hong Kong. He used to talk about politics all of the time with his friends in group chats and on social media, from casually sending memes, to planning protests. What happens to o...

13 Kesä 202534min

Derek 'The Menswear Guy' Guy

Derek 'The Menswear Guy' Guy

Men's fashion might seem like a niche topic. But people of all genders and sartorial sensibilities follow Derek Guy on X for his clothing takes... even if they're not quite sure how they found his pag...

6 Kesä 202535min

Get inked! Or... not!

Get inked! Or... not!

'Tis the season to show some skin! Perhaps some tattoo-adorned skin? In this week's episode, Ben tells Amory about the r/tattoos community's reaction to a man whose friends made him self-conscious ab...

30 Touko 202519min

Group Chats: The Dark Matter of American Politics

Group Chats: The Dark Matter of American Politics

The thing about social media when it was created was that it was public. Ideas shared were debated for all to see. Today much of that is happening behind closed doors—in group chats. Ben Smith, edito...

23 Touko 202526min