Best Internet Of Garbage Podcasts (2025)

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Our favorite middle school conspiracies 58:40

Play Pause

4d ago58:40

58:40

We’re joined by No Such Thing for a crossover episode to (try to) get to the bottom of some of the most infamous conspiracies we (aka millennials) heard in middle school. We’re talking about the false rumors that Ciara was intersex, Marilyn Manson removed his own rib, and the whole panic around “jenkem” — and explore how these wild rumors even spre…

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Is the future of politics "influencers"? 1:09:12

11d ago1:09:12

1:09:12

Today we’re talking about the relationship between “influencers” and politics. The two have perhaps never been more entwined, but what is the difference? Is there one? Who were the original influencers in politics over the years? Both influencer and political candidate, Kat Abughazaleh, joins us again to talk about how her experience tangling with …

1
Is cancel culture canceled? 1:08:15

18d ago1:08:15

1:08:15

From Aziz Ansari to Adam22, especially since the proliferation of the internet and social media, there’s no shortage of people who have gotten canceled. But what is the state of cancel culture today? We’re joined by leading experts in the cancellation field, Cancel Me, Daddy hosts Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi, to look back at some of the bi…

1
How to deal with rage bait 1:04:52

25d ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Politics has always been an ugly game, but with Trump’s return to the White House and the proliferation of AI, we’re a far cry from the days when wearing a beige suit caused controversy. Today, we’re talking about how Trump is using the federal government’s massive communications apparatus into a rage bait factory — from immigrants to trans people …

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When the internet convinces you you're sick 1:07:24

1M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

From Goop to MAHA, health/wellness movements might just look like a grift, but each features a real critique of the healthcare industry or medical science at their core. Today we’re talking about wellness and how it connects to the spread of fascism across the globe. Bridget Todd and Heather Holdridge join us to talk about how these wellness trends…

1
Why Democrats keep losing the internet 1:00:31

1M ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Why is the right-wing media machine so massive and able to dominate digital media, while liberals and progressives struggle to keep up? Jon Favreau joins us to discuss the critical players and outlets in the early 2000s that led us to where US politics is today, along with looking back at what he’s learned from launching Pod Save America back in 20…

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The wild world wide web of witches 1:07:46

2M ago1:07:46

1:07:46

Witches, curses, magic, and the internet overlap much more than you’d think — and not just because of the Etsy witch that cursed Charlie Kirk. The very online Peter Berkman and Luke Silas of the band Anamanaguchi join us to talk about the history of internet witches and witchcraft, and the spooky connections between the supernatural and digital wor…

1
BONUS: One or two hot takes on One Battle After Another 23:40

2M ago23:40

23:40

(SPOILER ALERT!) Grant hosts Ryan on his podcast to share their thoughts on One Battle After Another and what it says about the current state of the US, dads, Gen X, and compare its political commentary to Eddington and Weapons. Check out the whole conversation on our Patreon — as well as ad-free episodes, bonuses, and other exclusives — and get th…

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The big dumb weather conspiracy 1:11:24

2M ago1:11:24

1:11:24

Like many things, there used to be a bipartisan consensus that in a disaster, you help as many people get through it as quickly and safely as possible. In the past 20+ years, though, we’ve seen a shift in how the right responds to climate catastrophes — including building out a robust selection of conspiracy theories from chemtrails to Flat Earth. …

1
BONUS: How Eddington and Weapons hold a mirror up to our Panic World 39:55

2M ago39:55

39:55

Two of 2025’s biggest movie releases so far, Eddington (basically Panic World: The Movie) and Weapons, are not the same genre but they both offer interesting looks into the state of our society today. Grant joins Ryan to talk about the thematic links between them and examine the question: how do you cover moral panics, mass hysteria, and the intern…

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The no fap movement and why the boys aren't all right 1:16:47

2M ago1:16:47

1:16:47

If you’ve spent any amount of time online in November, unfortunately you’ve heard of “No Fap,” a movement started over a decade ago by a subsection of very aggressive men who’ve created a pseudo-religion around the concept that all problems can be solved if you simply stop masturbating. Jeff & Kitty of the Free Country USA podcast join us to talk a…

1
Charlie Kirk was killed by a meme 1:10:40

2M ago1:10:40

1:10:40

Ryan & Grant talk about the fallout from Charlie Kirk's killing, including what we know about the suspect in custody and what this means for current political climate in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy COURIER

1
You might be listening to AI music 58:01

2M ago58:01

58:01

The band The Velvet Sundown broke through the music charts with millions of streams in months after coming from nowhere — and being an entirely AI band. Is it an existential threat to the health of the music industry and the internet when you can’t even tell if the “song of the summer” was sung by an actual human, or a robot? Music critic Anthony F…

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BONUS: The new age of terror 29:35

3M ago29:35

29:35

On Wednesday, June 27th there was a shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two kids and injuring a dozen more people. The shooter took her own life, and left behind two YouTube videos and a manifesto that were dogwhistles for both The Order of Nine Angles (O9A) and 764, the latter of which we've previously covered on the show. Ryan & Gr…

1
Mobile game ads: The worst online slop 1:06:14

3M ago1:06:14

1:06:14

They’re full of slime, weird crime, and seemingly a lot of fetish stuff. Today, we’re talking about the sloppiest of slop online these days, mobile game ads. An expert on the form, Chelsey Weber-Smith, joins us to talk about the history of the genre, from the earliest games like Evony to today’s prolific Lily’s Game, as well as what psychological t…

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BONUS: The secret plan to outlaw porn in the US (is working) 1:12:47

3M ago1:12:47

1:12:47

This is a rerun from February this year, when 17 states in the US had banned PornHub. The tally now stands at 21, and both Mike Johnson and the Supreme Court don't seem fussed to stop there. Have a listen, especially if you haven't already, before we come back with new episodes next Wednesday, September 3. --- As of this recording, 17 states don’t …

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Does Mark Zuckerberg Care Anymore? (How Is This Better?) 27:36

3M ago27:36

27:36

Hi, everyone! We're out this week, but we wanted to share an episode of How Is This Better? featuring our very own, Ryan Broderick. The episode covers the evolution of everyone's favorite: Mark Zuckerberg. We'll be back next week with an all new Panic World, but for now – make sure you follow/subscribe to How Is This Better? wherever you get your p…

1
Is the ghost of Epstein breaking MAGA? 1:11:33

3M ago1:11:33

1:11:33

We made it nearly a year without having to cover Epstein, but with Trump and his allies consistently committing own-goals and bringing him up, the day has come. Today we’re talking about the Epstein files and what appears to be Trump’s most consequential weakness so far. Josie Duffy Rice joins us to talk about how and why Epstein became so central …

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Investigating a cult inspired by a cartoon mouse (w/ PJ Vogt) 1:11:36

3M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

If a fandom exists long enough in isolation, does it inevitably become toxic or at least, very strange? This is the main question we’ll be exploring today, through a story that begins in 1989. That’s the year that Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers premiered. More importantly, it’s when the world was introduced to a sweet little mouse girl, Gadget Hackwr…

1
BONUS: Sydney Sweeney and rage bait 23:05

4M ago23:05

23:05

Ryan and Grant discuss that American Eagle ad and why everyone is arguing about Sydney Sweeney's "good jeans." Want to hear the rest of their conversation, and enjoy other cool stuff like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our Discord? Sign up for just five bucks a month at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad …

1
Why eating disorder content is all over the internet 1:05:14

4M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

Eating disorder content has been a problem on the internet since as early as 2001, but it accelerated with the advent of social media. Today we’re examining why it’s become more prevalent than perhaps at any other time. EJ Dickson, a writer who investigated the #SkinnyTok community for The Cut, joins us to talk about the introduction of eating diso…

1
The cult using Minecraft to recruit 1:09:48

4M ago1:09:48

1:09:48

Often, like in the case of the Momo Challenge, when parents freak out about a thing online, it’s probably not really a thing. But, today we are talking about one panic that is real — “764,” the comm-network that is gamifying committing crimes and abuse. Joining us is Marcus Parks of The Last Podcast on the Left, to dive into this conspiracy that’s …

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Why Slenderman became a moral panic 1:07:05

4M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

What is the creepiest thing you’ve ever seen on the internet? For many people, it was Slenderman. This particularly lithe fellow started off as kind of a fun, spooky thing, and then of course got out of hand and caused a panic both on- and offline. We’re joined by Kaelyn Moore of Heart Starts Pounding to talk about his role taking creepypasta mains…

1
What happened to JK Rowling? 1:04:30

4M ago1:04:30

1:04:30

In April this year the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a “woman” excludes trans women. Then — apparently celebrating her years-long TERFdom — JK Rowling tweeted an image of herself on a yacht, smoking a cigar, and captioned it with “I love it when a plan comes together.” The question we’re looking at today is: was it Rowling who…

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The plot to ruin the new Superman movie 57:54

5M ago57:54

57:54

When did fandom become so zealous? Today we’re looking back at the release of the “Snyder Cut” and the people who still think that Zack Snyder should make all of the DC movies. Open Mike Eagle joins us to talk about where the world of fandom in entertainment is and why we’re so desperate to root ourselves in pop culture that it can become like a re…

Internet Of Garbage Podcasts

1
Panic World

COURIER

1
Did You Reddit?

Did You Reddit?

1
Sudhir Breaks the Internet

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

1
Thought Cops

Kevin Podas and Grant Mooney

1
Our favorite middle school conspiracies 58:40

1
Is the future of politics "influencers"? 1:09:12

1
Is cancel culture canceled? 1:08:15

1
How to deal with rage bait 1:04:52

1
When the internet convinces you you're sick 1:07:24

1
Why Democrats keep losing the internet 1:00:31

1
The wild world wide web of witches 1:07:46

1
BONUS: One or two hot takes on One Battle After Another 23:40

1
The big dumb weather conspiracy 1:11:24

1
BONUS: How Eddington and Weapons hold a mirror up to our Panic World 39:55

1
The no fap movement and why the boys aren't all right 1:16:47

1
Charlie Kirk was killed by a meme 1:10:40

1
You might be listening to AI music 58:01

1
BONUS: The new age of terror 29:35

1
Mobile game ads: The worst online slop 1:06:14

1
BONUS: The secret plan to outlaw porn in the US (is working) 1:12:47

1
Does Mark Zuckerberg Care Anymore? (How Is This Better?) 27:36

1
Is the ghost of Epstein breaking MAGA? 1:11:33

1
Investigating a cult inspired by a cartoon mouse (w/ PJ Vogt) 1:11:36

1
BONUS: Sydney Sweeney and rage bait 23:05

1
Why eating disorder content is all over the internet 1:05:14

1
The cult using Minecraft to recruit 1:09:48

1
Why Slenderman became a moral panic 1:07:05

1
What happened to JK Rowling? 1:04:30

1
The plot to ruin the new Superman movie 57:54