Our arts and culture podcast “Craig and Emerson Have Issues,” hosted by Multimedia Producer Craig Garcia and Associate Arts and Culture Editor Emerson Malone will feature an interview with a new student involved in the arts community around University of Oregon every week.
In episode 4 of “Craig and Emerson Have Issues,” Sam Stendal has issues. Stendal speaks about her viral video, being one of Glamour Magazine’s inspiring women of 2014 and her experience at the Peabody Awards ceremony.

The UO student uploaded the above video to YouTube on a Friday in March 2013 without the slightest idea of how it would ultimately steer her life. By the weekend, Samantha Stendal was authentically Internet famous.
The 26-second video shows a woman passed out, ostensibly drunk, on a couch. A man leans into the camera, cocks a thumb at the woman behind him, and says, “Hey bros. Check out who passed out on the couch.” Hands on his knees, his voice lowers, “Guess what I’m going to do to her.” The audience is geared to suspect the worst, that this vulnerable female is bound for a bad night.
“A Needed Response,” a 26-second video that fueled a national conversation on sexual assault, was the first online video to receive a Peabody Award. It became fodder for the click bait, “You won’t believe what happens next” links, a recipient of a Telly Award and the reason why Stendal had a busy spring break. She booked a number of interviews on national television – including CNN and Katie Couric on CBS – radio programs and numerous other media outlets. She inadvertently became the mouthpiece for sexual assault on college campuses. Today, the video has reached nearly 10 million views.
The Emerald podcasts will soon be on iTunes. For now, you can stream or download the episode on SoundCloud below.
Happy listening!