Endless Thread

In the past few years, videos from a new kind of camp have begun circulating the internet. They feature men participating in a variety of bizarre activities: from aggressively digging holes under floodlights, to collectively wailing in a pool of water. These are man camps, where men can pay up to $18,000 to undergo extreme boot-camp-like conditioning in the name of reclaiming their masculinity. This week on Endless Thread, host Ben Brock Johnson and senior producer Dean Russell, dive into the past, present and future of man camps. Show notes: * Learning 'how to be a man' in the Californian desert: Man Camp [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaKnfMUkzrI&t=120s] (The Guardian)

On this week's Endless Thread, host Ben Brock Johnson and producer Grace Tatter bring us two stories about the power of livestreams – one from the Coldplay concert box seats, and another from a notorious rat corridor in Brooklyn, NYC. Show notes: * What's the deal with "Astronomer" CEO and CPO affair? [https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/1m2621f/whats_the_deal_with_astronomer_ceo_and_cpo_affair/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button] (Reddit) * A Crown Heights Building's Rat Infestation [https://hellgatenyc.com/crown-heights-rat-cam-livestream/] Gets a Livestream (Hell Gate) * Rat cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDY39y4nm-4] (YouTube/Adam Schleser) * I am a rat (a real live rotten-tailed rat) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crwrv9Rc0zM]  (YouTube/Adam Schleser)

Kristen Sotakoun (@notkahnjunior [https://www.tiktok.com/@notkahnjunior?lang=en] on TikTok) says she has always been 'the FBI of the friend group' – that person you can count on to dig up the juicy details on anyone's social media. It's a skillset that has earned her millions  upon millions of views on TikTok in a series she has dubbed 'consensual doxing.' In her videos, Kristen completes challenges from her viewers to find their birthdays, using only publicly posted information online. Kristen is now a handful of creators on TikTok who are making consensual doxing videos as educational content, encouraging viewers to think more deeply about what they post online, and where. On this week's Endless Thread, we dive into the world of consensual doxing, what it can teach us about our privacy, and host Ben Brock Johnson gets (consensually) doxed. Show notes: * I got popular on TikTok by being a total creep [https://www.businessinsider.com/i-got-popular-on-tiktok-by-doxxing-people-with-permission-2022-12] (Business Insider) * This Man Proves You Can Find Anyone Using Geolocation — and It's a Scary Lesson for All of Us [https://www.distractify.com/p/man-uses-geolocation-to-find-anyone] (Distractify) * ‘Consensual doxxing’ reveals the confronting truth about online privacy - you’re not as hidden as you think [https://7news.com.au/news/cyber-security/consensual-doxxing-reveals-the-confronting-truth-about-online-privacy-youre-not-as-hidden-as-you-think-c-9211450] (7NEWS Australia)

What does the thumbs-up emoji mean to you? Or the wilted rose? The meanings of emojis are limitless and can differ across social groups or generations. On this episode of Endless Thread, Ben and Amory discuss two stories about how certain emojis have taken on surprising meanings. Show notes: * Here’s why the Aerial Tramway Emoji is suddenly in every YouTube comment section [https://www.dailydot.com/culture/aerial-tramway-emoji-youtube-tiktok/] (daily dot) *Alright guys.. What is does this emoji mean and why is it used so much? [https://www.reddit.com/r/teenagers/comments/1kgvomx/alrught_guys_what_is_does_this_emoji_mean_and_why/] (Reddit)

If you feel like it's been raining a lot on the weekends this summer, you're not alone. A couple months ago, we noticed a thread on r/boston asking why? [https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1k8p7a4/comment/mp85w2e/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button] So, we enlisted the help of one of our WBUR colleagues, Climate and Environment Corespondent Barbara Moran to clear things up once and for all. Show notes: * Rain Every Weekend??? [https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1k8p7a4/comment/mp85w2e/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button] (Reddit) * OMG, why is it raining every Saturday in Boston? [https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/06/06/saturday-rain-weather-forecast-massachusetts] (WBUR)