Episode · Stuff They Don't Want You To Know · 2025-12-24
Books mentioned on The Elf On The Shelf Is Part of the Surveillance State! | STUFF THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW
Ben Bowlin recommended Gattaca by Howard Mahmood, and discussed The Elf on the Shelf - a Christmas Tradition by Carol V. Aebersold and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Elf on the Shelf - a Christmas Tradition
Discussed“The elf on the shelf is popularized by an author named Carol Abersold and her daughter Chanda Bell. In 2005, they wrote an objectively delightful children's book called The Elf on the Shelf, a Christmas tradition.”
Where to get it
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Gattaca
Gattaca is a science fiction film about a dystopian future where children are genetically engineered for perfection and natural-born citizens face systemic discrimination.
Recommended“kind of like uh the sci-fi film Gataga. They didn't make it illegal not to genetically modify your children, but they made it so inconvenient that uh you couldn't afford to have children the natural way. Everybody check out Gataga. It's not really a Christmas movie.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Harry Potter
“Snitch is Harry Potter for sure. Oh, snitch is Harry Potter. Sorry, I'm getting my len snitch.”