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The Subtext
By Tokens MediaSociety & Culture
The Subtext episodes
- Flock Cameras, Hank Green, and Revisiting Skinny Culture
This week, we look at AI purity tests and mass surveillance, then circle back to an ongoing conversation: should social media commentary on people's bodies be off-limits?
We're digging into the Hank Green AI backlash and how AI use has become a sort of cultural purity test that nobody can actually pass. Then we break down Flock’s license-plate cameras and whether safety and privacy can coexist at scale. Last, we revisit our Ariana Grande body conversation to sit with the pushback we got, and clarify our thoughts from an earlier episode.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 on Netflix
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Kim Stanley Robinson on No Small Endeavor
Arrival movie
Scandalous Witness by Lee C. Camp
Who is My Enemy? by Lee C. Camp
Person of Interest tv show
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
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48 min - The Odyssey Movie Review
Lee and Savannah discuss Christopher Nolan's Odyssey – both the social media storms that started before it hit theaters, and lessons inside the film itself.
Christopher Nolan's Odyssey is a blockbuster hit, and has caused a few waves in culture. Elon Musk wants his own "historically accurate" AI version, translator Emily Wilson says the film loses the "wily" Odysseus that exists in the original, and a Christian review site suggests it is blasphemous. Savannah and Lee dig into what these reactions reveal, then talk about the film itself.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
The Iliad by Homer
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
Malcolm Guite on No Small Endeavor
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53 min - True Crime, Colonialism, and Data Centers
What does our fascination with true crime say about us? This week, Lee and Savannah tackle listener questions. First up, they talk about the upcoming JonBenét Ramsey Netflix series, the line between justice and entertainment, and whether stories about evil can actually shape us for good.
Speaking of shaping us, how does city planning around data centers form our community and character? What about Israel's conquest narratives in the Old Testament and what they mean for modern conversations about colonialism? Pack your swimtrunks, folks, because we're diving beneath the headlines in this episode!
Things we mentioned in this episode:
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Doris Day: Her Own Story by Doris Day
Holler: A Poet Among Patriots by Danielle Chapman
Danielle Chapman on No Small Endeavor
Shipwrecked Nightmare at Sea on Netflix
Why Women Find Watching True Crime Comforting by Jessica Grose for the NY Times
The Problem of War in the Old Testament by Peter C. Craigie
Is Social Media a Calling? The Subtext
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42 min - Free Speech with Jacob Mchangama Part 2
Can I just say something? No, really! What are the boundaries of free speech these days? The conversation continues between Lee, Savannah, and Jacob Mchangama, Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. Whether you're a free speech absolutist, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode will challenge your assumptions about the topic. Stay tuned for Lee and Savannah's debrief at the end of the episode!
And remember, if you want to keep engaging with the conversation in person, you're invited to The Future of Free Speech - Global Free Speech Summit, Oct. 2-3, 2026.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
The Future of Free Speech - Global Free Speech Summit Oct. 2-3, 2026
Follow Jacob! Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jmchangama) | X (https://x.com/JMchangama) | Instagram (https://instagram.com/JMchangama) Follow The Future of Free Speech! Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/futurefreespeech) | X (https://twitter.com/SpeechFuture) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/futurefreespeech/)
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45 min - Free Speech with Jacob Mchangama Part 1
Nikki Minaj thanked Elon Musk for saving free speech, so naturally, Lee and Savannah had to phone a friend to learn more about what is going on. Jacob Mchangama, Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech sat down with The Subtext to discuss everything from social media and censorship to hate speech, political polarization, and the First Amendment. They examine the real costs of protecting speech we disagree with and why history suggests those costs may still be worth paying.
Want to keep learning more? Well, you're in luck because Jacob's organization is hosting a summit in Nashville, TN this fall: The Future of Free Speech - Global Free Speech Summit Oct. 2-3, 2026.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Europe Since Napoleon by David Thomson
The Agency on Paramount+
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Enchiridion by Gil Epictetus
The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
M*A*S*H* on Hulu
The Future of Free Speech - Global Free Speech Summit Oct. 2-3, 2026
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49 min - Deconstructing Christianity
What happens when a retired theology professor walks into a party full of deconstructing twenty-somethings? It sounds like the start of a joke. But really. How do we show up for ourselves and the people we love when doubt and deconstruction enter the chat?
This week on The Subtext, Lee and Savannah discuss one of the more defining conversations of modern faith: deconstruction. Whether you're asking big questions yourself or walking alongside someone who is, this episode is an invitation to keep showing up with curiosity, compassion, and hope.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
Of Grammatology by Jacques Derrida
Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta
40% OFF SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Use code WITNESS40. Code is good for 40% off the paperback of Scandalous Witness. Only valid when ordering on Eerdmans.com, only valid for USA shipping addresses. Code is good until end of 2026.
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44 min - Hookup Culture, Power, and Love
What do capitalism and hookup culture have in common?
This week, Lee and Savannah unpack the viral Empire State Building skywalker stunt, exploring whether power is inherently corrupting. Lord of the Rings has finally entered the chat!
They break down a fascinating view on hookup culture, exploring how capitalism, attachment, purity culture, and our understanding of freedom all shape the way we think about sex and relationships.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
Do you really have a shirt from your town? Then Lee will wear it! Mail it to us: P.O. Box 50652, Nashville, TN 37205
Follow Lee on Substack!
Skywalkers: A Love Story on Netflix
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Republic by Plato
Colton Barnaby's video on hookup culture
Being Consumed by William T. Cavanaugh
40% OFF SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Use code WITNESS40. Code is good for 40% off the paperback of Scandalous Witness. Only valid when ordering on Eerdmans.com, only valid for USA shipping addresses. Code is good until end of 2026.
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45 min - More Money, More Problems?
Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire! If that doesn’t make you want to talk about money, nothing will.
The world just got its first trillionaire in Elon Musk. While Lee and Savannah aren’t trillionaires, they’ve got their own stories to tell about money. This episode is an open conversation about what we’ve learned about money, what we’d do differently, and how Christians can think about money better.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
Anne-Laure Le Cunff (tiny experiments) on No Small Endeavor
Unconditional on Apple TV
Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe podcast
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
40% OFF SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Use code WITNESS40. Code is good for 40% off the paperback of Scandalous Witness. Only valid when ordering on Eerdmans.com, only valid for USA shipping addresses. Code is good until end of 2026.
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49 min - Is Nate Bargatze Guilty by Association?
What does it mean when a “clean” and “family friendly” comedian supports the UFC Freedom 250 fight, rubbing shoulders with unethical and greedy billionaires?
This isn’t really about Nate Bargatze. It's about all of us and the selective moral lines we draw. This week on The Subtext, Lee and Savannah wrestle with questions of public witness, private relationships, power, and consistency, looking to Jesus' encounters with both the oppressed and the powerful. In a world where every public act seems to communicate something, how do we live with integrity while practicing a morality that refuses to leave anyone behind?
Things we mentioned in this episode:
Scandalous Witness by Lee C. Camp
Who Is My Enemy? by Lee C. Camp
Mere Discipleship by Lee C. Camp
Missing Me by Ayana Lage
Biological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen (episode out on No Small Endeavor July 27th!)
Savannah's Substack article: "The toothless, selective moralism of a Nate Bargatze Christianity"
Musa al-Gharbi on No Small Endeavor
Brother to a Dragonfly by Will Campbell
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone
Loretta Ross on No Small Endeavor
40% OFF SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Use code WITNESS40. Code is good for 40% off the paperback of Scandalous Witness. Only valid when ordering on Eerdmans.com, only valid for USA shipping addresses. Code is good until end of 2026.
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42 min - Scandalous Witness with Lee C. Camp
The paperback edition of Lee's book just dropped, and Savannah's got questions!
Savannah and Lee are celebrating the paperback release of Scandalous Witness by working through the book’s big ideas: why Christianity is not a religion but a politic, liberalism, Romans 13, the dream of a Christian America, and, perhaps most important, why Lee can’t stand the word "countercultural.” Use code WITNESS40 for 40% off the paperback, and don't forget to enter the giveaway on Instagram.
Things we mentioned in this episode:
40% OFF SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Use code WITNESS40. Code is good for 40% off the paperback of Scandalous Witness. Only valid when ordering on Eerdmans.com, only valid for USA shipping addresses. Code is good until end of 2026.
ENTER TO WIN A FREE COPY: Follow @thesubtextshow and tag a friend to enter! Giveaway closes on Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 at 11:59pm CT.
ORDER SCANDALOUS WITNESS: Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | Bookshop.org | Eerdmans
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46 min
About The Subtext
From the publisher's feed
A pop culture podcast from an internet expert, Savannah Locke & an ethics professor who doesn't own a cell phone, Lee C. Camp. On The Subtext, Savannah brings a pop-culture moment (celebrity drama, internet debates, viral shows), and together they ask a deeper question: why does any of this actually matter? Each week they dive into the headlines and investigate what they reveal about our culture, our theology, and the lives we’re living online.
It’s a conversation between someone who lives very much on the internet and someone who lives mostly off of it, and that tension makes for surprisingly meaningful dialogue. Come listen as we go beneath the headlines and beyond the obvious.
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