ICYMI: BookTok’s Horny Hockey Drama and the End of Internet Thirst

As an end of summer treat, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim dive
deep into the drama that engulfed BookTok earlier this August. Over
the spring and early summer, hockey-themed romance novels enjoyed a
rise in the BookTok charts, a rise that led to an influx of new
fans into the hockey community. One team in particular, the Seattle
Krakens, became the unofficial team of BookTok, with Swedish
player Alex Wennberg receiving special attention. Sexualized
commentary by content creators like Kierra Lewis was both
tacitly and overtly encouraged by the Kraken, who flew Lewis
out to games. All of this changed when Wennberg’s wife asked fans
to stop posting sexualized content about her husband, a request
that sent HockeyTok into a tailspin. So, what does this all mean in
an era where loud and overt female desire is not only celebrated
but monetized? Is there a difference between thirsting loudly for
celebrities like Chris Evans and minor stars like Wennberg? And has
internet thirst perhaps gone too far? This podcast is produced by
Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle
Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices