“Today I am sober and you are sober.”
That’s how the episode ends — two grown women wearing alien headbands, debating whether the ocean is actually space. Because let’s be honest, sobriety doesn’t mean you stop asking weird questions. It just means you remember to hydrate between them.
The internet is currently losing its collective mind over something called 3I Atlas — apparently the third interstellar visitor to enter our solar system. Detected in July 2025, moving like it knew where it was going, and then—because drama loves a plot twist—it vanished for 19 seconds before popping back up. Cue NASA’s website going dark during a government shutdown and voilà: TikTok had content for days.
Tamar and I did what any sober Gen X women would do: laugh first, then ask better questions.
The Dread We Used to Drink About
Let’s call it out: cosmic dread used to be a drinking cue.
Aliens, elections, wars, climate doom, or that one headline about “scientists discovering something mysterious in space”—all solid excuses to pour another glass.
“I used to drink to avoid dread,” Alysse says. “Because dread feels like powerlessness.”
And nothing makes humans feel more powerless than the idea that something massive, ancient, or off-planet is headed our way and we have zero say in it.
So we do what we’ve been conditioned to do: doom scroll, obsess over 19-second YouTube clips, and convince ourselves we just need to know what’s really going on. “It’s a probe.” “It’s a psyop.” “It’s Project Blue Beam.” “It’s fallen angels.”
Because once you can name it, it feels smaller.
The Recovery Reframe
Tamar nails it: if aliens were coming, would some people drink over it? Absolutely.
Not because aliens are terrifying—but because they were already looking for a reason.
“Those are people who were gonna drink anyway,” is what you’ll hear me say in this video. “There’s something they haven’t made peace with on the inside.”
That’s the heartbeat of sober pop culture: the world will always hand you a reason to escape. Sobriety just keeps whispering back—choose clarity.
Space vs. The Sea: We’re the Ants
And here’s where it gets deliciously humbling: we claim to know what’s out in space, yet 90% of our own ocean remains unexplored. “We know more about space than the ocean, we’re basically ants trying to explain the galaxy.”
But there’s freedom in that. Ants don’t run the universe. They just do the next ant thing.
That’s recovery energy right there: stay present, stay curious, and stop pretending we’re supposed to control the cosmos.
The Sober Superpower of 2025
We’re living in a world where AI can fake space footage, government sites crash at inconvenient moments, and viral creators can build a cult following off 11 minutes of “research.”
Discernment is a recovery tool now.
Be careful, friends. There’s a lot of fake out there.
That’s not paranoia. That’s sobriety.
Final Landing
Uncertainty isn’t a relapse cue.
We don’t have to drink just because the universe is big.
Curiosity can be sober.
You can stream UAP documentaries and sip a tinfoil mocktail.
Presence still wins.
“Today I am sober and you are sober.”
That’s the whole ballgame.
So if the UAPs show up wearing top knots, great.
If it’s just a rock, also great.
If it’s a psyop—well, we’ll podcast about it.
Either way, we’re meeting it with clear eyes and no hangover.
Come for the conspiracy. Stay for the clarity.
And if the aliens put their pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us… We’ll save them a seat on the sober side.
MAY THE SOBER FORCE BE WITH YOU SPECIAL SECTION: Check out our special Star Wars curated section featuring the Star Wars + Yoda versions of the 12 Steps, and much more!
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Getting sober is one thing—but staying sober? That’s where the real adventure begins.
This show is for you if you’ve ever wondered:
– Where can I find inspiring sober podcasts, apps, and creators?
– How do I give back or stay plugged into the sober community
– What are the best sober-friendly drinks and travel tips?
– Where do I find the good NA drinks that don’t taste like regret?
The Sober Curator is your go-to for sober pop culture, booze-free travel, apps, creators, and community.
We’re not here to help you get sober.
We’re here to help you live sober—and love it.
In this Halloween-adjacent, tinfoil-hat episode of Hot Takes, Alysse Bryson and Tamar Routly go all in on the internet’s latest obsession: the mysterious third interstellar visitor dubbed 3I Atlas — and why it’s got TikTok convinced the aliens/UAPs/possibly-not-friendly-space-neighbors are here. They unpack what we actually know, why the NASA site went dark during the U.S. government shutdown at the exact wrong time, and — most importantly — whether sober people will use “the aliens are coming” as an excuse to drink. Spoiler: if you want to leave Earth with a clear head, this one’s for you. The throughline? We don’t control space, we barely understand the ocean, and yet we still get to choose sobriety today. “Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.”
Takeaways
“UFOs” are so 1997 — it’s UAPs now (unidentified anomalous phenomena), because of course it is.
A third interstellar object — 3I Atlas — was detected in July 2025, its path looks intentional, and it even “blinked out” for 19 seconds, fueling conspiracy culture.
Online footage is getting harder to trust thanks to AI, edits, and government sites conveniently going down — digital discernment is now a sober skill.
Anxiety about the unknown used to drive many of us to drink; now we choose clarity over chaos. Cosmic dread ≠ relapse trigger.
Bottom line: the universe is huge, we’re the ants, and we still only have today — so stay sober, stay playful, stay curious.
Key Timestamps
[00:00] Tinfoil-hat cold open: “Jesus, take the wheel” and why this episode is literally hot under the masks.
[02:30] What 3I Atlas allegedly is, why it matters, and why TikTok ran with it.
[04:30] NASA site down during the U.S. shutdown — coincidence or cover-your-UAP?
[05:30] Would you drink if aliens landed? Choosing to “die clearheaded.”
[08:30] Oceans, fallen angels, and “maybe space is actually underwater?” theories.
[11:30] Final sober mic drop: “Today I’m sober and you’re sober.”
Notable Resources or Guest Links
Watch this episode on YouTube for the full UAP costume chaos
Follow Alysse on The Sober Curator for more sober-pop-culture deep dives
Suggested sober homework: search “3I Atlas” on TikTok/YouTube but fact-check everything first
CTA 👉 Love weird news + sober takes? Share this episode with a friend who doom scrolls.
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About: Sobriety isn’t the end of the party—it’s just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, media powerhouse and sobriety’s ultimate hype woman, and joined by Sober Curator contributors, The Sober Curator Podcast* delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn’t suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover, we’ve got you covered. Subscribe now—because getting sober matters, staying sober matters more.
The intro and outro music for this episode is proudly featured with permission from Avatari. All rights reserved to the original creators. For more of their work, check out his website:https://www.avatariworld.com/music.
*The Sober Curator Podcast is a space for open and honest conversations about sobriety, recovery, and alcohol-free living. While we celebrate all paths to a sober lifestyle, some topics discussed may be sensitive or triggering for certain listeners. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. If you’re in recovery or exploring sobriety, please take care while listening and seek support from trusted professionals as needed.
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