The Subtext

Tokens Media
  • 5.0 (31)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Beneath the Headlines. Beyond the Obvious. With Savannah Locke and Lee C. Camp.

  1. Celebrities Should Stay in Their Lane

    4D AGO

    Celebrities Should Stay in Their Lane

    Should celebrities “stay in their lane” when it comes to political or moral matters? Who gets to speak in public, and why do we only object when it makes us uncomfortable? When Mark Ruffalo spoke out at the Golden Globes about American politics, some applauded his honesty while others told him to “stay in his lane.” In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why celebrity activism is celebrated by some and condemned by others, exposing the double standards around fame, faith, politics, and who we think is allowed to speak in public. Things we mentioned in this episode: Down There by the Train by Tom Waits Come On Up To The House by Tom Waits Tehran on Apple TV Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan The One On The Right Is On The Left Live at the Ryman Auditorium by Johnny Cash 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

    50 min
  2. If You’re Not Terrified, You’re Not Paying Attention

    JAN 21

    If You’re Not Terrified, You’re Not Paying Attention

    When fear becomes the price of being “informed,” how do we tell the difference between paying attention and being emotionally hijacked? After a trio of viral Threads posts seem to declare that terror is the only appropriate response to our moment, we dig into how social media turns unprocessed fear into a public spectacle, and why outrage and panic are increasingly treated as signs of intelligence or moral seriousness. Drawing on mental health research, media studies, and theology, we ask whether constant distress actually helps us engage the world more faithfully or quietly numbs our capacity for compassion and action. Things we mentioned in this episode: Books + Articles: We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson Night by Elie Wiesel A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly Media and compassion after digital war: Why digital media haven't transformed responses to human suffering in contemporary conflict by Andrew Hoskins We Have Never Been Woke by Musa al-Gharbi Shows + Movies: Run Away on Netflix Stranger Things on Netflix The Prince of Egypt Songs + Podcasts: If You Believe by Rachael Lampa (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack) Dare You To Move by Switchfoot (A Walk to Remember Soundtrack) Musa al-Gharbi interview on No Small Endeavor Munther Isaac interview on No Small Endeavor Follow No Small Endeavor to be notified when Lee's episode with Kim Stanley Robinson drops! 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

    43 min
  3. The Subtext: Secret Episode of Stranger Things

    JAN 14

    The Subtext: Secret Episode of Stranger Things

    What do Stranger Things conspiracy theories, failed prophecies, and religious history have in common? A deep human struggle to face disappointment without rewriting reality. After the finale, many Stranger Things fans convinced themselves a secret ninth episode was hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Lee and Savannah use “Conformity Gate” as a surprisingly rich case study in how humans respond to disappointment and unmet expectations. From the Great Disappointment of 1844 to classic research on cognitive dissonance, we explore why people so often reinterpret failure instead of accepting it. Things we mentioned in this episode: When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, Stanley Schachter 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

    43 min
  4. Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man

    JAN 7

    Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man

    ⁠In the first episode of 2026, we are diving into Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to explore what it reveals about faith, leadership, hypocrisy, presence, and how competing visions of Christianity shape real people and communities. In this episode of The Subtext, we dive beneath the mystery of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to explore what the film exposes about faith, church culture, power, and human nature. Through the contrast of Father Jud’s vision for self-giving love and Monsignor Wicks’ manipulative, rage-driven religiosity, we unpack themes of projection and hypocrisy, insecure versus secure spiritual leadership, and how love shows up through presence. We also read critiques that the film presents two “toothless” versions of Christianity and ask what the story ultimately suggests about God, church, and culture wars. Things we mentioned in this episode: The Gospel Coalition "2 Corrupted Christianities in ‘Wake Up Dead Man’" The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L. McBride 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

    52 min
  5. We Are (Estranged) Family

    12/17/2025

    We Are (Estranged) Family

    Family estrangement is rising, but the cultural story behind it is far more complex than “cutting off toxic people.” In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack the social, psychological, and technological shifts that quietly reshaped our expectations of family. and why forgiveness, repair, and humility might be the most countercultural practices left. In this episode, Savannah and Lee dig into the cultural forces behind the surge in family estrangement, from postmodern distrust of authority to therapy-speak, safetyism, digital overwhelm, and the luxury of disconnection. Drawing on Rachel Haack’s Substack newsletter, they explore how concept creep, para-connection, and wealth have shaped our expectations of parents, children, and in-laws, and why privilege can make cutting off family easier than repairing them. Together they reflect on the emotional weight, legitimate complexities, and real pain inside estrangement, before ending with a conversation on forgiveness…not as excusing harm, but as a courageous path towards freedom. Things we mentioned in this episode: ⁠Labubu Pendant Blind Box⁠ ⁠James by Percival Everett⁠ ⁠ Why Everyone’s Cutting Everyone Off: The Cultural Story Behind Family Estrangement⁠ ⁠David Schnarch's books⁠ ⁠ That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart⁠ ⁠The Pastor: A Crisis by Bradley Jersak and Wm. Paul Young⁠ ⁠ Why Concepts Creep to the Left by Jonathan Haidt⁠ 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

    48 min
  6. Your Favorite Musician Isn't Real

    12/10/2025

    Your Favorite Musician Isn't Real

    AI is reshaping the music industry at a breakneck pace. AI musicians are topping charts, landing record deals, and attracting massive corporate investments. What does this mean for artists? How might this challenge us to think about embodiment, creativity, labor, and what it means to actually be human? When AI musicians start topping the music charts, we’re not just talking about technology. We’re deciding what makes art human, what makes labor fair, and what makes a person irreplaceable. AI musicians are breaking into the charts, labels are investing heavily in machine-generated artistry, and Christians, creators, and consumers are wrestling with what it means to open ourselves (and industries) to something that isn’t human. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack the rise of AI “artists” like Solomon Ray and Breaking Rust and ask how AI might transform our view of embodiment, truthfulness, and creativity. Listen to our playlist featuring real, human artists: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/35w8gz81cYShmsf6T2hshQ?si=t0Ae38obT7q0SSfQfMuo6A Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-subtext-recs/pl.u-6mo44y8imzGlYq Things we mentioned in this episode: No Small Endeavor Podcast Recommended Episodes Lee's books Jesse Welles  Hillbilly Hymn by Nathan Evans Fox Savannah's music 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

    56 min
  7. Wicked: For Good

    12/03/2025

    Wicked: For Good

    What if the real magic of Wicked isn’t the spells, but the way friendship, shame, and belonging shape who we become? In this episode, Savannah and Lee dive into the deeper themes of Wicked: For Good, from dreams that come true but don’t satisfy, to the power of propaganda, to the power of shame with an in-group/out-group mentality. They also unpack Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship: how Elphaba gives Glinda moral courage and authenticity, and how Glinda gives Elphaba trust, confidence, and a place to be known without performing. Things we mentioned in this episode: Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery? by Dr. Joshua Bowen Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 1984 by George Orwell Animal Farm by George Orwell The Tears of Things by Richard Rohr That All Shall Be Saved by David Bentley Hart The New Testament: A Translation David Bentley Hart 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

    54 min
  8. The Gospel According to Billie Eilish

    11/19/2025

    The Gospel According to Billie Eilish

    In this episode, Savannah rounds up several posts her algorithm served her this week: an influencer from The Bachelor warning Christians not to watch Love Island, a pastor speaking about slavery in the Bible, Billie Eilish calling out billionaires, and a thread about SNAP benefits. Plus, a little conspiracy chat to close things out, courtesy of Kim Kardashian and the moon landing. Things we mentioned in this episode: ⁠ James by Percival Everett ⁠ ⁠The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi⁠ ⁠ The New Testament and the People of God by NT Wright⁠ ⁠ Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be by J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh⁠ ⁠ The Bible Is Not Enough by Scot McKnight⁠ ⁠ Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond⁠ 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

    54 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Beneath the Headlines. Beyond the Obvious. With Savannah Locke and Lee C. Camp.

Information

  • Creator
    Tokens Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Copyright
    © Tokens Media

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