diff --git a/reddit/subreddit.py b/reddit/subreddit.py
index 2ce80ce..31eb712 100644
--- a/reddit/subreddit.py
+++ b/reddit/subreddit.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from praw.models import MoreComments
 from utils.console import print_step, print_substep
 from utils.subreddit import get_subreddit_undone
 from utils.videos import check_done
+from utils.voice import sanitize_text
 
 
 def get_subreddit_threads(
@@ -98,6 +99,9 @@ def get_subreddit_threads(
         if top_level_comment.body in ["[removed]", "[deleted]"]:
             continue  # # see https://github.com/JasonLovesDoggo/RedditVideoMakerBot/issues/78
         if not top_level_comment.stickied:
+            sanitised = sanitize_text(top_level_comment.body)
+            if not sanitised or sanitised == " ":
+                continue
             if len(top_level_comment.body) <= int(
                 settings.config["reddit"]["thread"]["max_comment_length"]
             ):
diff --git a/utils/voice.py b/utils/voice.py
index ccdff33..ee326c1 100644
--- a/utils/voice.py
+++ b/utils/voice.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def sanitize_text(text: str) -> str:
     result = re.sub(regex_urls, " ", text)
 
     # note: not removing apostrophes
-    regex_expr = r"\s['|’]|['|’]\s|[\^_~@!&;#:\-%“”‘\"%\*/{}\[\]\(\)\\|<>=+]"
+    regex_expr = r"\s['|’]|['|’]\s|[\^_~@!&;#:\-–—%“”‘\"%\*/{}\[\]\(\)\\|<>=+]"
     result = re.sub(regex_expr, " ", result)
     result = result.replace("+", "plus").replace("&", "and")
     # remove extra whitespace