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The Subtext

The Subtext

By: Tokens Media
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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.Tokens Media Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Should the Church Have Reputation Managers?

    Should the Church Have Reputation Managers?
    Apr 15 2026
    What happens when a church starts thinking like a brand, and hires people to protect its image? In this episode, we explore the rise of reputation management inside religious institutions, starting with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its growing ecosystem of influencers, media strategy, and image control. From the “second Mormon moment” on social media to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, we ask what it means when faith communities adopt the tools of PR and branding. Along the way, we look at how reputation management can shape not just perception, but truth, connecting it to broader questions of power, storytelling, and what gets protected (or buried) in the name of a larger mission, including the complicated legacy of figures like Cesar Chavez. When reputation matters most, who pays the price? Things we mentioned in this episode: New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com
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    42 mins
  • Everyone Hates Poetry with Donovan McAbee

    Everyone Hates Poetry with Donovan McAbee
    Apr 8 2026
    Lee and Savannah welcome a guest on this week’s episode to discuss why everyone hates poetry! In the hot seat is professor and poet Donovan McAbee, who recently published Holy the Body, a collection of poems exploring loss, grief, and doubt. Together, they talk about the beauty of uncertainty and how poetry can be the translator of life’s darkest experiences. If you liked the selected poems McAbee read on this episode, make sure to pick up a copy of Holy the Body! Things we mentioned in this episode: ⁠Holy the Body by Donovan McAbee⁠ ⁠Selected Poems by Seamus Heaney⁠ ⁠Endurance by Alfred Lansing⁠ ⁠The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon⁠ ⁠Viola Davis on Good Hang with Amy Poehler⁠ ⁠Falling by James L. Dickey⁠ ⁠Praying Drunk by Andrew Hudgins⁠ ⁠Models of the Church by Avery Dulles⁠ Follow Donovan McAbee: ⁠Instagram⁠ Follow The Subtext: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Threads⁠ | ⁠X⁠ | ⁠YouTube⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠ Follow Lee: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Lee's Newsletter⁠ Follow Savannah: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Substack⁠ Join our Email List: ⁠nosmallendeavor.com
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    57 mins
  • Is Social Media a Calling?

    Is Social Media a Calling?
    Apr 1 2026
    Is being an influencer on social media a calling? Can public-facing work align with a life of service? In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack a viral influencer video and explore what it means to have a dream, how it connects to vocation, and what it really means to make an impact in the world. Things we mentioned in this episode: NYT Cooking Black Sesame Rice Krispies Treats Dept. Q Paradise Cup of Tea by Kacey Musgraves Who is My Enemy by Lee C. Camp The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton The Summer Day by Mary Oliver Markings by Dag Hammarskjold The Pretender by Jackson Browne Follow The Subtext: Instagram | Threads | X | YouTube | TikTok Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter | Lee's Newsletter Follow Savannah: Instagram | Substack Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com
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    49 mins
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