Stuck in the Backrooms Edition

<p>This week Steve, Dana, and Julia convene once again—this time with some big news. Also, they make a classic Gabfest episode.&nbsp;</p><br><p>First up, it's the alienating fluorescent buzz, infinite carpeted sprawl, and liminal horror of <em>Backrooms</em>. The new release from A24 is directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons based on his YouTube series which itself was inspired by deep internet lore and a viral piece of creepypasta. Does the uncanny maze of <em>Backrooms </em>go anywhere? They step into the labyrinth to find out.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Next, they’re joined by Gabfest fave Leon Neyfakh to get into another parallel dimension: the world of OnlyFans. They discuss Leon’s new podcast about the ubiquitous platform <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/onlyfantasy/id1692238236" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>OnlyFantasy</em></a>—produced with comedian and OF creator Gracie Canaan.</p><br><p>Finally, it’s a conversation that’s as lively as… well, that’s the question. They take up a recent piece of data journalism in <a href="https://pudding.cool/2026/05/similes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Pudding </em>analyzing the most common similes</a>.</p><br><p>In a bonus episode, Carl Wilson joins the call (as well as a special endorsement segment) to talk taste. Specifically, they get into how discussions of taste have changed since Carl wrote authoritatively on it 18 years ago in his book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-s-talk-about-love-why-other-people-have-such-bad-taste-carl-wilson/f5cf72ef46f6d822?ean=9781441166777&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Let’s Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Bad Taste</em></a>.</p><br><p><br></p><p><strong>Endorsements</strong></p><br><p><strong>Dana: </strong>The recent Zadie Smith essay in <em>The New York Review of Books </em>"<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2026/06/11/art-for-our-sakes-zadie-smith/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Art for Our Sakes</a>."&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>Carl: </strong>The live album <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/happy-today-feat-anna-butterss-jay-bellerose-josh-johnson/1885022834" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Happy Today</em></a><em> </em>by Jeff Parker and ETA IVtet as well as the anthology of poetry <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-occasion-poems-for-the-people-sina-queyras/16975218c7e4534f?ean=9781552455227&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank