The guy who helped Travis Scott go viral breaks down the fame machine and modern influence warfare.
What if your favorite artist got famous not because of talent, but because a guy in a mullet built a botnet in his basement?
This week on MAD Warfare, Shane Morris (see: botnet guy) joins us to break down the brutal mechanics of fame, manipulation, and narrative warfare. Shane helped grow MySpace to a million users, engineered Travis Scott's rise using fake followers and spicy charts, and now advises U.S. defense leaders on information warfare.
From manufactured stardom to meme-driven geopolitics, we're peeling back the fame machine to show how influence really works—and why the comment section might be more dangerous than you think.
Oh, and there's a Claremont Lounge story. Of course there is.
Key Topics
How Travis Scott's bot army got him Kanye's attention
Why narratives—not facts—win elections and chart rankings
The overlap between military psyops and music PR
Fame as cognitive warfare: how platforms game you
Why incendiary TikTok comments are modern-day IEDs
Notable Quotes
"Fame isn't just influence. It's a weapon."
"The internet runs on lies."
"You either master the algorithm—or the algorithm masters you."
"Most conspiracies are just people sucking at their jobs and failing upwards."
"If you make enough songs, eventually one won't be terrible."
Resources + Links
The Hive Social Garden — real support in digital times (THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR!)
Follow/Connect with Shane Morris
TikTok: @shanemorrisdotsucks
Website: shanemorris.sucks
Spotify: "Shane Morris Sucks" https://open.spotify.com/show/637LUYRKlcMkOhxogqtjPU
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MAD Warfare™️ is hosted by narrative strategist Jocelyn Brady and cognitive neuroscientist Sean Anthony Guillory. Edited and produced by Amine el Filali. Visit our website at madwarfare.com for extra giggles. And send your wishes, weird ideas, dream guests, and (yes it bears repeating) sponsorship inquiries to madwarfarepodcast@gmail.com.
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