Power User with Taylor Lorenz

Vox Media

Tech. Internet. Influence. Power.

  • 52 minutes 27 seconds
    Why a MAGA influencer turned on Trump

    Clarkson Lawson was a prominent MAGA influencer on TikTok who amassed over 31 million likes on his videos. He built a platform as an outspoken Gen Z conservative making pro-Trump content. But in the months leading up to the election, something changed. 


    Despite building a massive audience on pro-Trump messaging, he had a change of heart and voted for Kamala Harris. Lawson announced his political pivot in a video titled "Why I left MAGA."


    Taylor sits down with Clarkson to talk about the behind-the-scenes reality of being a right-wing content creator, the industry forces that keep influencers tethered to Trumpism, what made him ultimately change his mind, and how he plans to navigate the choppy waters of the internet going forward. 


    Subscribe to Power User on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/taylorlorenz

    30 January 2025, 2:00 pm
  • 30 minutes 57 seconds
    The Truth About Child Influencing

     Family vlogs are a huge category of online content. At their best, they show real parenting and the entertaining and relatable moments of family life. However, the content category has been plagued by accusations of child exploitation and new laws targeting creators claiming to protect children. Fortesa Latifi covers the space in-depth and joins Taylor to set the record straight.

    23 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 36 minutes 19 seconds
    Doxxed, harassed and silenced: the fallout of Gamergate 2.0

    Remember Gamergate? Well… it's happening again. After writing an exposé about how a video game consultancy was attacked, journalist Alyssa Mercante found herself in the crosshairs of a targeted harassment campaign.
    Alyssa joins Taylor to discuss what it's like being at the center of an organized smear campaign, how she's fighting back.

    16 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 35 minutes 35 seconds
    Patreon’s CEO on the existential threat to creators no one is talking about

    Social media as we know it is in chaos. The landscape is becoming more centralized and creators are facing more challenges than ever. On top of all that, the very notion of a follower is dying and there's uncertainty about what that means for the future.


    Jack Conte, the CEO and co-founder of Patreon, joins Taylor to discuss how to better serve creators.

    9 January 2025, 11:00 am
  • 39 minutes 10 seconds
    What defined the internet in 2024?
    2024 was wild! "Brain rot" was the Oxford word of the year. TikTok's days away from being banned. The CostCo Guys and the Hawk Tuah girl were everywhere. Taylor is joined by Sam Sanders, host of the Sam Sanders Show on KCRW to break down the biggest online moments of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    19 December 2024, 11:00 am
  • 40 minutes 56 seconds
    Is TikTok really dead?
    Last week, TikTok lost its challenge to stop a ban or forced sale in the United States. WIRED senior business editor Louise Matsakis joins Taylor to discuss what happens next and if this is really the end of the road for TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    12 December 2024, 11:00 am
  • 32 minutes 50 seconds
    The case against cell phone bans in school
    A moral panic about kids' social media and smartphone use in schools has been sweeping the country. But are cell phones really the problem? And is removing them entirely the best approach? Taylor chats with educator Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, president of education media company Mrs. Wordsmith, about how smartphones can be used in the classroom, and how a ban would impact marginalized students the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    5 December 2024, 11:00 am
  • 14 minutes 16 seconds
    Could the 4B movement ever happen in America?
    Are women abstaining from sex to protest Donald Trump’s re-election? That’s the impression you’d get if you spent time reading the media over the past few weeks. Since the election, the “4B Movement” has been gaining traction online. But where did it come from, how does it work, and could something like this really take off in America? The Cut’s EJ Dickson joins Taylor to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    21 November 2024, 11:00 am
  • 25 minutes 5 seconds
    Why Democrats won't create a left-wing Joe Rogan
    Since the election, Democrats and the media have been in panic mode, trying to figure out “the manosphere.” It’s a vast network of influencers, podcasters and streamers who speak to young men in a way traditional media has failed to. Many of its personalities are Trump supporters, including Joe Rogan. The left has been asking itself how it can win back young men without radicalizing them further. Is there a left-wing Joe Rogan? To help crack the manosphere, Taylor talks to Josh Citarella, host of the podcast “Doomscroll.” He’s been studying the radicalization of young men online for a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    14 November 2024, 11:00 am
  • 25 minutes 45 seconds
    AI’s destroying seasonal content
    This year, pumpkin spice lattes are being served with a side of AI slop. Autumn vistas generated by artificial intelligence tools are clogging up Pinterest and Instagram. Taylor talks to Vox’s senior correspondent Rebecca Jennings about how AI is warping our perspective of what nature actually looks like. They also discuss Rebecca's recent reporting on “The cultural power of the anti-woke tech bro" and “The Carrie Bradshaws of TikTok." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    7 November 2024, 11:00 am
  • 21 minutes 58 seconds
    The mastermind behind the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest
    Anthony Po is a creative genius who has a knack for organizing viral events in New York. This past weekend, he was responsible for a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest attended by the actor himself. In April, he went viral after he assembled a crowd to watch him eat an entire jug of cheeseballs in the disguise as “Cheese Ball Man.” He's infiltrated a cult, hosted a dating show, faked an alien invasion and more. Taylor talks to Anthony about making things that matter in culture and bringing back 2014 internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    31 October 2024, 10:00 am
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