The pornification of everything

The podcast explores the subculture of "gooning," a practice involving prolonged edging and communal porn consumption, as a window into broader societal trends of addiction to stimulation and the internet's influence on culture. Daniel Kolitz, who reported on the Gooniverse for Harper's Magazine, describes gooning as a hobby and kink centered on pornography addiction, highlighting its meta aspects such as fantasizing about a world dominated by porn. The discussion reveals that gooning, with its emphasis on endless content and dopamine hits, mirrors the larger attention economy where individuals are conditioned to chase stimulation through screens. It further examines how this subculture reflects a turn away from complex narratives and interpersonal relationships, potentially leading to a preference for mediated experiences over real-world connections.