rabbit h0le

About rabbit h0le

We can't sleep and we ask too many questions. Matthew Gault and Emily Lipstein Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Matthew Gault and Emily Lipstein

Category

news · news · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Jul 2024

Latest episode

5 Feb 2025

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Feb 2025

   13 - It’s So Over, We’re So Back

   Listen to this post early and get access to the full catalog by supporting us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/posts/121414547) Can Elon Musk throw a punch? Michigandering An unpaid endorsement of a tech company The foreclosed future of the elder millennial Cops turning sidewalks into parking spaces When public servants aren’t part of the community We’re no longer a nation of laws The worst harassment Emily’s received as a journalist Flowers for speed cameras When the person harassing you online could be behind you at the grocery store The NPC era LinkedIN perverts Failsons running mommy’s social media Anti-communist memes for Pinochet teens In defense of journalists Slack messages as the world is burning LLMs will shrink, but won’t die The DeepSeek moment and the tears of Silicon Valley The defrocked Anglican gamer Nazi, and other phrases that aren’t in the bible. Y2K by Colette Shade (https://bookshop.org/p/books/y2k-how-the-2000s-became-everything-essays-on-a-future-that-never-was-colette-shade/21416954?ean=9780063333949&next=t&next=t) Justice Dept., Citing Streetsblog, Threatens to Sue NYPD Over Cops’ Sidewalk Parking (https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2024/04/19/justice-dept-citing-streetsblog-reporting-threatens-to-sue-nypd-over-cops-sidewalk-parking) The Man Who Loved Levittown (https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-man-who-loved-levittown-w-d-wetherell/9724228?ean=9780822962533&next=t&next=t) Pinochet Posting [Bsky Link] (https://bsky.app/profile/meelar.bsky.social/post/3lh2bamnbok2k) Army Withholds Identity of Helicopter Pilot Killed in Crash (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/politics/army-helicopter-crew.html) Army releases name of 3rd soldier who died in helicopter and airliner crash (https://apnews.com/article/dc-crash-helicopter-airliner-army-pilot-b0c6a0538fd5045e87e506bb1a135406) God Is A Geek Staff Quits Following Ex-Priest Owner’s Nazi Salute (https://aftermath.site/god-is-a-geek-calvin-robinson-nazi-salute-elon-musk) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   2 Nov 2024

   TEASER - 11 - On Baseball and Zionism

   This is a teaser of a full episode released just for Patreon subscribers. For $5/month, you get access to our extra episodes. Sign up at https://www.patreon.com/c/RabbitH0lePodcast We’re both trying to keep ourselves sane during this election cycle. Emily has turned to baseball for comfort. I’ve turned to pondering Zionism. Which hasn’t been less stressful. We recorded this when there was still hope for the Mets. Congrats to the Dodgers, who have now defeated the evil empire (Yankees). We’ll be back to a more regular release schedule after election day. For now, we hope you enjoy. Iranian Mets fans Inshallah Lindor You gotta believe Nothing can kill the Grimace A Tree Grows in Israel Nothing can kill the Grimace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeyU7uVOTic) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   10 Oct 2024

   010 - Telegram and the Ghosts of Discourse Past

   Greetings from the hurricane ravaged coasts of South Carolina. Emily and I recorded this episode a few weeks ago and then, well, a bunch of stuff happened. Including a hurricane. I’m fine. We got incredibly lucky here in South Carolina but it did delay things a bit. Do you want to feel old? Want to feel how horrifyingly fast the year is moving? Then take a listen to this podcast and realize how many things you’ve forgotten about that happened only a few weeks ago. On Veep and The West Wing Our contractually required thoughts on the Olivia Nuzzia/ RFK scandal The Trump and Laura Loomer stuff What is a war crime anyway? Eva Galperin, Electronic Frontier Foundation's Director of Cybersecurity, walks us through the Telegram arrest. After we recorded this episode, one of the things that Galperin warned about came to pass: Telegram promised to give more data to the cops (https://www.politico.eu/article/telegram-widens-data-sharing-with-authorities/). Telegram Changes Policy, Says It Will Provide User Data to Authorities (https://www.404media.co/telegram-changes-policy-says-it-will-provide-user-data-to-authorities/) Obamacore (https://www.vulture.com/article/obamacore-obama-pop-culture-kamala-harris.html) Mets whimsy (https://x.com/Mets/status/1836949383260033508?lang=en) Dark Wire by Joseph Cox (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/joseph-cox/dark-wire/9781541702691/?lens=publicaffairs) Telegram Isn't an Encrypted Messaging App (https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2024/08/25/telegram-is-not-really-an-encrypted-messaging-app/) Some Background on Brazil (https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/settled-human-rights-standards-building-blocks-platform-accountability-and) Eva on Twitter (https://x.com/evacide) Eva on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/evacide.bsky.social) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   23 Sept 2024

   TEASER - 09 - Emergency Brittany Dawn Update

   Content warning for discussion of pregnancy and miscarriage. We recorded an emergency episode because Brittany Dawn is pregnant, and we have a lot of feelings about it. Listen to the whole thing by subscribing to our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast). For $5, you're supporting the show, and get two extra episodes a month. https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast ) Mentioned in the episode: What’s in Brittany Dawn’s Settlement (https://www.reddit.com/r/brittanydawnsnark/comments/1feufej/offfical_trial_settlement/) Growing Goodings (https://www.instagram.com/growinggoodings) Rodruiges family Snark (https://www.reddit.com/r/RodriguesFamilySnark/) Music by Janus Rose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   18 Sept 2024

   08 - Rise of the New Pop Girlies

   Rolling Stone staff writer Brittany Spanos (https://www.rollingstone.com/author/brittany-spanos/) joins us in the warren this week to walk us through one of our weirder rabbit holes: pop music. Matthew’s Katy Perry gaffe Taylor is not done, Taylor is never done The rise of the new pop girlies Katy Perry was bad long before this False nostalgia for the Obama era We’re all trapped in 2016 Katy Perry CAN’T fix this The Hannah Montana Generation You can’t have a nice time anymore. AI Music fraud story (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/north-carolina-musician-charged-music-streaming-fraud-aided-artificial-intelligence) Chappell Roan VMA performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65m4u4IxZLg) Abraham Lincoln Shared Bed with a Man for 4 Years, Fell Into 'Suicidal Depression' When He Left, Doc Says (Exclusive) (https://people.com/abraham-lincoln-documentary-shared-bed-with-man-exclusive-8705838) Lover of Men trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNF6Qvh5WYI) James Buchanan, gay? (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/175-year-history-examining-bachelor-president-james-buchanans-close-friendship-william-rufus-king-180972992/) Chappell Roan Is a Pop Supernova. Nothing About It Has Been Easy (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-fame-fans-1235094314/) The David Bowie/ Lincoln poster (https://www.salon.com/2024/09/06/abraham-lincoln-lover-of-men-bisexual/) A Chapell Roan pet themed cat commercial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kIJkDwx7U) Katy Perry can fix this (https://www.vulture.com/article/katy-perry-143-career-advice.html) Welcome to the Hannah Montana Generation of Pop Music (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/hannah-montana-pop-music-generation-sabrina-carpenter-chappell-roan-1235051502/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

6. 

   11 Sept 2024

   TEASER - 07 - Welcome to the Secret Warren

   https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast In this ep: Matthew on the things that get donated to a used bookstore Emily on Julie and Julia (2009) Matthew on Telegram and France and Elon and Brazil The concept of “hate following” da new york mets baby love da mets Biblequest review on board game geek (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13372/biblequest) Half price books (https://www.hpb.com/store?storeid=HPB-059&showMap=true&horizontalView=true&isForm=true) Bonnie’s cookbook store (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/02/bonnie-slotnick-the-downtown-food-history-savant) Seattle bookstore (https://www.twicesoldtales.com/) Microwave cooking for one by marie t smith (https://www.amazon.com/Microwave-Cooking-One-Marie-Smith/dp/1565546660) Gault on telegram (charging documents) (https://gizmodo.com/the-arrest-of-pavel-durov-is-a-reminder-that-telegram-is-not-encrypted-2000490960) Nytimes backpage article (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/28/us/backpage-michael-lacey-sentenced.html) Obidiah (https://www.instagram.com/p/C9yYSxGp1m5/) Mets reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/NewYorkMets/) Cyclones seinfeld night (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/arts/television/seinfeld-night-brooklyn-cyclones.html) Baseball murder case (https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/26/archives/fein-sentencing-scheduled-jan-6-he-could-get-a-life-term-in-murder.html) https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

7. 

   3 Sept 2024

   06 - TikTok Radicalized Me (to Watch Young Sheldon) with Alex Cranz

   https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast) What’s the deal with all of those “pirated” movie and TV clips that show up on TikTok and Instagram? Well, some of them are being quietly breadcrumbed across your feeds by the studios themselves—and it’s proving to be a great way to get people to watch at least one network sitcom. This week, Emily and Matthew go down the rabbit hole with Alex Cranz, deputy editor at The Verge and host of the Vergecast, and share our deepest darkest secrets: We watch (and like) Young Sheldon. In this episode: Big Bang Theory and weird nerds Watching TV on Facebook Reels TikTok as cable access Content creators and labor laws Links discussed: The Nursery Nurse (https://www.tiktok.com/@thenursery_nurse) Young sheldon subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/YoungSheldon/) “Bluey moms who smoke weed” Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstash) Winnah Basset (https://www.instagram.com/winnah_bassett/?hl=en) Why I left teaching (https://www.tiktok.com/@burntoutteachers) Kevin Can F*** Himself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtQ2_NjV6-8) Caroline Easom (https://www.instagram.com/carolineeasom/?hl=en) What’s going on with MrBeast (https://time.com/7010441/mrbeast-accusations-explained/) Japanese reality show documentary (https://press.hulu.com/shows/the-contestant/) Comrade “Young Sheldon” is a communist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMrYRxFHpio&pp=ygUXeW91bmcgc2hlbGRvbiBjb21tdW5pc3Q%3D%20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FrU_pjsjiQ) You can find Alex on the Vergecast (https://www.theverge.com/the-vergecast) or on Twitter (https://x.com/alexhcranz) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

8. 

   22 Aug 2024

   05 - The Unemployed Media People For Harris Zoom Call

   Support us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast) Today’s episode begins with a very long discussion about the perils of buying semi-legal weed in NYC and South Carolina. We’re here with the incomparable Gita Jackson of Aftermath (https://aftermath.site/) to discuss Charli XCX, Brat Summer, and the Kamala Harris pop culture moment. Do we keep getting sidetracked? Yes, but it’s an incredible discussion and we do get to Brat and Kamala. We also get to … Gita’s thoughts on Overwatch 2 Faded Japanese snacks in the bodega window Dispensaries with evil auras Girl-boss co-opting Watching a washed president Diet-Coke as slop Politics as fandom, fandom as politics Show notes The South Carolina weed note (https://twitter.com/mjgault/status/1826670548858143167) Emily’s Taylor Swift jezebel article (https://web.archive.org/web/20210601000000*/https://www.jezebel.com/why-the-creator-of-feminist-taylor-swift-twitter-wants-1798668808) Yes, Kamala IS Brat (https://web.archive.org/web/20210601000000*/https://www.jezebel.com/why-the-creator-of-feminist-taylor-swift-twitter-wants-1798668808) Brat Summer Is Dead, Long Live Brat Summer (https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/brat-summer-is-dead-long-live-brat-summer/) Aaron Sorkin’s Liberal Fantasy Runs the World (https://www.vice.com/en/article/aaron-sorkins-liberal-fantasy-runs-the-world/) Some Thoughts on Obamacore (https://www.vulture.com/article/obamacore-obama-pop-culture-kamala-harris.html) Gita on politics and fandom (https://kotaku.com/we-cant-fix-the-internet-1828463761) Mike Binder Thomas Jefferson (https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/miku-binder-thomas-jefferson) You can find Gita and their work at https://aftermath.site/ (https://aftermath.site/) Our theme music is by Janus Rose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

9. 

   17 Aug 2024

   04 - The Final Cyber

   https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast) Before starting rabbit h0le, Emily and I hosted a little show over at Vice called Cyber (https://shows.acast.com/cyber). Towards the end of February 2024 we heard a rumor that everyone would be fired and the site would be deleted. It turned out half of that was true. When we knew our days were numbered but before they’d revoked access to everything else, we recorded one final episode of Cyber with Tim Marchman, Anna Merlan, and Mack Lamoureux. We dished on what it was like to work for Vice, the last days of a failing media empire, and the perils of modern journalism. The episode lived for a few days before, finally, it was pulled from the air. Of course, we saved a copy of it. Here it is in all its glory. The rumors of the website’s closure felt very real at the time and many of the journalists who’d worked at Vice were bad about saving their work. We needed a fast way to archive it all. Thankfully, two incredible software engineers—Chris Cummings and Karen Gault—stepped up to help us save everything. The story of how they did it is our first piece of Patreon content! Click the link below to subscribe (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast) and hear the tale in full from Karen and Chris. There might even be a weird aside about Mormon investments in nuclear weapons. https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast (https://www.patreon.com/RabbitH0lePodcast) On Nukes and Mormons (https://inkstickmedia.com/cracks-in-the-sin-screen-the-link-between-mormon-tithes-and-nuclear-weapons/) https://dingoranchlabs.com/ (https://dingoranchlabs.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

10. 

    9 Aug 2024

    03 - The Habsburg Way (in Suburban America) with Christopher Hooks

    The Habsburg royal family was once the most powerful dynasty in Europe. Now they’re a joke associated with inbreeding, Paradox grand strategy games, and VERY prominent chins. The Habsburgs lost most of their political power in the Great War, but they got to remain rich. And influential. How influential? Ask journalist Christopher Hooks, who attended a Habsburg convention in suburban Texas. Yes, the Habsburgs have conventions. We had a lot of questions too. Thankfully, Hooks is on hand in this episode of rabbit h0le to answer them. What is suburban Texas anyway? Royalists, loyalists, and Spanish Carlists in the Republic of Texas The Patron saint of World War I That Habsburg Way The last man of a decaying royal line posting Evangelion A two-headed eagle haunting a children’s book More thoughts on being electionpilled How NOT to create a viral election rumor Feeling Blessed at the Habsburg Convention in Plano (https://thebaffler.com/latest/feeling-blessed-hooks) Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle (https://www.amazon.com/Dubbie-Double-Headed-Eagle-Eduard-Habsburg-Lothringen/dp/1987970209) The Habsburg Way (https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-habsburg-way/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_Na1BhAlEiwAM-dm7IFKmf54OgVnmIjR4ebVuK5twJB4060wJt2kY997e2fMF_MArcxS5hoCkxYQAvD_BwE) The Catholic case for Karl’s sainthood (https://crisismagazine.com/podcast/an-unlikely-saint-for-our-times-blessed-karl-of-austria) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

11. 

    1 Aug 2024

    02 - Tracking the king of romance audiobooks with Anna Merlan

    Joe Arden had a pretty good thing going. As the voice of dozens of romance novel hunks, he commanded the adoration of listeners and high prices from authors looking to put his voice to their fantasies. Fans called him “the king of fuck.” Then a sexting scandal turned that audience against him. It’s a story that involves BookTok, smut, and a man who built a following while never showing his face. Anna Merlan is here this week to go down the Joe Arden rabbit hole with us. She wrote about Arden’s fall for Business Insider. This is how (https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/what-are-the-basic-forces-behind-tape-and-glue/) tape works (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-exactly-is-the-physi/) Election pilled Doing business as your persona Star Wars as romance novel We explain Bad Dragon to Anna Some recommendations for German language prestige TV Joe Arden, the king of smut, built a career seducing women with his voice. Then, a sexting scandal turned BookTok against him (https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-arden-romance-narrator-sexting-scandal-booktok-drama-2024-7) Flight Attendant / Romance Book YouTuber (https://www.youtube.com/@JettingJulia/featured) The Herbalism Community Is at War With Itself Over Abuse Allegations (https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vnxv/the-herbalism-community-is-at-war-with-itself-over-abuse-allegations) Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72 (https://bookshop.org/p/books/fear-and-loathing-on-the-campaign-trail-72-hunter-s-thompson/7061591?ean=9781451691573) The Seattle Kraken embraced thirsty ‘BookTok’ hockey romance videos. It backfired. (https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/booktok-nhl-seattle-kraken-alexander-wennberg-controversy-rcna97369) Recommendation that Emily forgot to shout-out during the podcast: Two romance novels written by former VICE editor Chloe Angyal. (https://chloesangyal.com/romance-novel-pas-de-dont/) Theme music by Janus Rose (https://www.instagram.com/janus.rose/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

12. 

    24 Jul 2024

    01 - Down the Rabbit H0le

    We can’t sleep and we ask too many questions. Welcome to rabbit h0le, a spiritual successor to Motherboard’s CYBER podcast. Over at Vice, Emily and I had been hosting CYBER for a few months before the rug was pulled out from under us and ghouls stripped the company for parts. We felt like we’d just gotten our footing and started putting together a show we were proud of. And then it was over. That didn’t sit right so we decided to do our thing. So welcome to rabbit h0le. Every week, Emily and I are going to get in depth into some really weird topics. Sometimes it’ll be cyber security related, sometimes it’ll have to do with internet culture, and other times it’ll be something we just wanna talk about. Christian influencers? We’re covering it. A fading medieval royal line holding a convention in suburban Texas? Oh, we’re talking about it. A scandal rocking the world of romance audiobooks? We’re there. Crowdstrike? Yes, of course. Every week, we’re going down the rabbit h0le. Come with us, won’t you? And if you don’t know who we are … Emily Lipstein is the Engagement Editor at Streetsblog NYC. She’s got a long career that includes stints at Gizmodo and VICE. Matthew Gault is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Wired, Time, Reuters, and The New York Times. He also hosts the podcast Angry Planet (https://shows.acast.com/warcollege). In this episode, we do some table setting and explore Emily’s fascination with the world of Christian influencers. https://www.reddit.com/r/brittanydawnsnark/comments/1dvrw3f/the_esther_event_that_the_girlies_attended_in_nyc/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/brittanydawnsnark/comments/1dvrw3f/the_esther_event_that_the_girlies_attended_in_nyc/) https://www.reddit.com/r/brittanydawnsnark/comments/1dsl7ux/the_things_coming_out_of_this_clowns_mouthand/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/brittanydawnsnark/comments/1dsl7ux/the_things_coming_out_of_this_clowns_mouthand/) Video Appendix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-du566FWFU&list=PLG8IbKjUJr6zLSgEDCxWi1XAf04EsdEGI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-du566FWFU&list=PLG8IbKjUJr6zLSgEDCxWi1XAf04EsdEGI) Our theme music is by Janus Rose. (https://www.instagram.com/janus.rose/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

61

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

7

Social presence

0

YouTube

63

Engagement

32

Contact rabbit h0le

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.