GenXtemporaneous

In the first of a 2-part episode (part b to be released on Sunday), Marc and Kristina continue the dive into the GenX-dominated fandom/standom that surrounds William White, a 21-year-old TikTok creator and model from Canada.  During the researching of this project, Marc and Kristina have repeatedly questioned how the fandom went from women sincerely supporting women and together helping to catapult a deserving young man to internet fame, all the way to virtual gang warfare in five months.  We believe that social media (with its promise of anonymity, false sense of intimacy, and a misguided sense of security around expectations of privacy) and the perfect storm of events surrounding the discovery of William White by his Generation X fans (who themselves were seeking fun and perhaps connection and camaraderie on a new social media platform), have led to a standom that is marked on all sides by bullying, organized propaganda campaigns, disinformation, doxxing, threats of legal action, growing resentments that devolve into angry outbursts, and, most dramatically, the involvement of state and federal law enforcement actively investigating various allegations. William White is actually secondary to this narrative.  He is discussed only as and when he illustrates a point within the story of his fandom.  This is not a biography of William or the things he did last summer.  Neither Marc, nor Kristina, is interested in bashing William or hurting him.  We only wish him the best as his career continues. Please join us on social media.  You may find us on Facebook (genxtemporaneous), Instagram (xtemporaneouspod), Twitter @seriousproduce (Kristina) @marceatspeach (Marc), and on TikTok (@kristinagenx and @marcsned).   Resources and Citations: Stein, Joel. How Trolls Are Ruining the Internet. Time Magazine, August 16, 2018. Goldbeck, Jennifer.  You're Not Really Friends with that Celebrity. Psychology Today.  July 28, 2016. Stevens, Shelby. Stan Culture is Unhealthy for Celebrities and Fans. North Texas Daily. August 9, 2020. Taylor Swift Fandom: Toxic or Harmless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U14VPAkhAKg&t=311s Why Stan Culture is Toxic for Everyone, Including Celebrities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIdR7Er-zkI NXIVM On Trial produce by the Albay Times Union -- the paper that was publishing negative articles and cautionary tales about Keith Rainere and NXIVM for many years before the downfall Streaming and Television HBO's "The Vow" which tells the story of former high level NXIVM members Mark Vicente, Bonnie Piesse, Sarah Edmondson and her husband NIppy Starz's "Seduced" which tells the story of India Oxenburg and her Journey into and out of the NXIVM cult Taylor Swift Worshipped by NeoNazis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEdAtX_ze68&t=35s Imaginary Friends and Real World Consequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22yoaiLYb7M&t=285s The Meaning Crisis for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaXWUE1SXpI&t=199s Why do People Join Cults (Ted Ed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB-dJaCXAxA Are Fandoms Good or Unhealthy Obsessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onxeBOnjWnU Fraade-Blanar, Zoe. Superfandom: How Our Obsessions are Changing What We Buy and Who We Are Berman, Sarah. Don't Call it a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM

In this episode, Marc and Kristina explore the difference between fandom, standom, and cults.  This episode provides a framework for exploring, once again, the crisis of meaning and the ways in which people look for communities to join and find support and camaraderie.  We dig into what defines each branch of admiration and community and we lay the groundwork for the next episode in this series, which will do a deep dive into the rise of a relatively new fandom that has fluoresced around a young Canadian TikTok creator and fledgling model called William White.  William, at 21, energized a following that is largely made up of women ranging in age from late 30s to beyond 70 beginning during Memorial Day weekend of 2020.  By the time of this publication, the fandom has devolved into warring factions where the daily norm involves leaked personal messages, bullying threats of doxxing, family members being harrassed, coordinated mass reporting of accounts across multiple social media platforms, threats of legal action and death threats.  All of this is accomplished in the name of a young man whose consistent message to fans has been to spread joy and positivity and unity.  

This is why we can't have nice things, darling.  

Research and citations below.  

Taylor Swift Fandom: Toxic or Harmless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U14VPAkhAKg&t=311s

Why Stan Culture is Toxic for Everyone, Including Celebrities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIdR7Er-zkI

NXIVM On Trial produce by the Albay Times Union -- the paper that was publishing negative articles and cautionary tales about Keith Rainere and NXIVM for many years before the downfall

Streaming and Television

HBO's "The Vow" which tells the story of former high level NXIVM members Mark Vicente, Bonnie Piesse, Sarah Edmondson and her husband NIppy

Starz's "Seduced" which tells the story of India Oxenburg and her Journey into and out of the NXIVM cult

Taylor Swift Worshipped by NeoNazis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEdAtX_ze68&t=35s

Imaginary Friends and Real World Consequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22yoaiLYb7M&t=285s

The Meaning Crisis for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaXWUE1SXpI&t=199s

Why do People Join Cults (Ted Ed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB-dJaCXAxA  

Are Fandoms Good or Unhealthy Obsessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onxeBOnjWnU

Fraade-Blanar, Zoe. Superfandom: How Our Obsessions are Changing What We Buy and Who We Are

Berman, Sarah. Don't Call it a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM

Marc and I have been busy doing a lot of research for this week's upcoming episode (and by Marc and I, I mean me) and we're about to dive back into that cult life.  To get you warmed up, we're reposting Episode 10, which was about the NXIVM sex cult through the documentary Seduced.  

Coming on Friday we are going to discuss a situation that we've touched on in a light-hearted way earlier in this season when we discussed the nostalgic rise of William White on TikTok.  Things have taken a turn for the dark and we are going to dig into what we are looking at as clearly cult like behavior.  

Kristina and Marc talk about the Apple+ show Ted Lasso.  They explore the concept of toxic positivity as it relates to Ted and his coaching style and Marc makes jokes.  Again.

Marc and Kristina celebrate their new brand (GenXtemporaneous) with an examination of Yacht Rock.  They discuss sociopolitical reasons that yacht rock was popular in the first place, the reasons there has been a resurgence in its popularity, their favorite yacht rock songs and they fight over Ted Lasso.  

Links for references below.

Colier, Matt. "AllMusic Loves Yacht Rock". AllMusic. June 25, 2014.

Prato, Greg. "The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s". Jawbone Press.

Seale, Jack. "I Can Go for That: The Smooth World of Yacht Rock review – lushly comforting". The .Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.  June 14, 2019.

Toal, Drew "Sail Away: The Oral History of 'Yacht Rock'". Rolling Stone. June 26, 2015.

My Old School- Steely Dan- 1973 - YouTube

The Beach Boys - Sloop John B Promo Film (Official Video) - YouTube

The Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes (Lyrics) - YouTube

Only A Fool Would Say That - YouTube

Warren G - Regulate (Official Music Video) ft. Nate Dogg - YouTube

Toto - Rosanna (Official Music Video) - YouTube

10. Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - YouTube

Gerry Rafferty Baker Street Long Version - YouTube

My Old School- Steely Dan- 1973 - YouTube

CAPTAIN & TENNILLE ❖ love will keep us together (official video) - YouTube

Lady - Little River Band (lyrics) HD - YouTube

Olivia Newton-John - Magic - YouTube

Christopher Cross - Sailing (Official Audio) - YouTube

Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind - YouTube

Michael McDonald On The 'Yacht Rock' Resurgence - YouTube

History of Yacht Rock- (w/Greg Lee of the Yacht Rock Revue) - YouTube

In this episode, Marc and Kristina discuss serial killers.  Topics include personality profiling, geographic profiling, werewolves as serial killers and why are more of us inclined to kill.  Somehow Marc still manages to tell jokes.

See below for referenced materials.

Bibliography

Chun, Rene. Modern Life Has Made It Easier for Serial Killers to Thrive. The Atlantic. October 2019. (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/10/are-serial-killers-more-common-than-we-

Goodspeed, John. “Geographic Profiling: Rossmo pioneers method of pinpointing crime, criminals in solving cases.” Newwise. September 23, 2019. (https://www.newswise.com/articles/geographic-profiling?sc=rsln)

Leyton, Elliot. Hunting Humans: The Rise of the Modern Multiple Murderer. November 6, 2003.

MacMillan, Thomas. “Can Criminal Profilers Really Get Inside the Head of a Killer?” Vulture. October 20, 2017 (https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/mindhunter-criminal-profiling-really-work-like-this.html)

Moskovska, Adrianna. 15 Gruesome Serial Killer Facts You Shouldn’t Miss in 2021 (https://thehighcourt.co/serial-killer-facts/)

Vronsky, Peter. Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present. Berkley August 14, 2018.

Weiss, Debra Cassens. “Serial killings are waning, leading to speculation about the cause.” ABA Journal. December 17, 2020.

Marc and Kristina discuss the reasons why people may quote movies in conversation and talk about classic, current, listener fave, and our fave film quotes.  Nostalgia ahoy, everyone!

Friedman, Michael, PhD. The Secret Language of Movie Quotes: What can quoting movies teach us about ourselves. Psychology Today. April 15, 2014. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brick-brick/201404/the-secret-language-movie-quotes)

Sharp, Tyler.  K-State professor investigates why people quote movies. The Collegian. October 15, 2008. (https://www.kstatecollegian.com/2008/10/15/kstate-professor-investigates-why-people-quote-movies/) 

Harris, Richard Jackson; Werth, Abigail J.; Bures, Kyle E.; Bartel, Chelsea M. SOCIAL MOVIE QUOTING: WHAT, WHY AND HOW? Ciencias Psicológicas, vol. II, núm. 1, mayo, 2008, pp. 35-45. (https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4595/459545421004.pdf)

Gone With the Wind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S2BcIqxdNw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ5ICXMC4xY&t=13s

Pretty Woman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bnDkmA-N1w

Highlander: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpbvtSQvgWM

Ghost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxBfukKmATo

Say Anything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEgu7jdc_fs

Better off Dead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iayLBI7nsE0&t=132s

A League of Their Own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8szlSa-8o&t=48s

Caddyshack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuNJq_wI1ns and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WvfeVCIBbE

Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcbR1J_4ICg

The Big Lebowski: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYsw0KVRjCM&t=55s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-xI1384Ry4

More Cowbell SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0s&t=265s

Wayne's World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njsF1jWSWeM

The Princess Bride: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhXjcZdk5QQ

The Devil Wears Prada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8h2qnRBzR0

Brokeback Mountain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVK6yLqY54w&t=134s

Mean Girls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5xta9sUuGQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR528E5_8yI

The Social Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnt17APIbc

Fast and Furious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fANZJP6tpmM

Training Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj4adAAHa68

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGIjISeW8QM

Miami Vice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIoJRT_Qg8E&t=41s

Legally Blonde: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coemj2qdWMw

The Witch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3dK1tOlRjo

Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejRk40vHdhE

Ferris Bueller's Day Off:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS6f1MKpLGM

On the Waterfront: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiewQrpBBA&t=88s

The Wizard of Oz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N77NaxlGlU&t=27s

Sudden Impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ishbTwXf1g

Sunset Boulevard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTT0LW0M_Y

Taxi Driver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QWL-FwX4t4

Dazed and Confused: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd070Hf8XK4

Marc and Kristina discuss the Green Knight.  We have a very special guest -- Matthew Snediker -- who shares his thoughts on the film and the distribution company A24.  Full of spoilers so if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled come back after you've viewed it.  In this episode we will learn Marc's criteria for whether you should see the movie and Kristina will be telling you to see something else instead.  

Bring us a shrubbery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e2kaQqxmQ0&t=54s

In this episode Marc and Kristina dive into the world of parasocial relationships.  We examine some history, some personal experiences, the role of social media and that changing landscape of celebrity culture and interaction and Grape Kun.  

About baby dolls in medieval convents: https://www.leidenmedievalistsblog.nl/articles/dolls-for-adults

Speed Racer Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suCm1w_KTiY

About Grape Kun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Txw_HHyqPQ

Articles about parasocial relationships:  

“I'll buy what she's #wearing”: The roles of envy toward and parasocial interaction with influencers in Instagram celebrity-based brand endorsement and social commerce, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services: Volume 55, July 2020, 102121

Horton, D.; Wohl, R. (1956). "Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observation on intimacy at a distance". Psychiatry. 19 (3): 215–229. 

Chung, S.; Cho, H. (2017). "Fostering Parasocial Relationships with Celebrities on Social Media: Implications for Celebrity Endorsement". Psychology & Marketing. 34 (4): 481–495.