Today, we’re doing something a little different. Grant asks Ryan to step back from being host, and instead to step in as a social worker for people who fall for conspiracy theories. The person in question is Grant’s friend’s dad, who read a recent “report” saying that the Holocaust “actually wasn’t as bad as they say,” and it’s tearing his family apart. We’ll get into what causes people — especially our Boomer family members — to fall for these theories, and whether we can help them.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for just five bucks at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are we in the post-MeToo era? In this episode, we’re reconciling with not only how society at large has adapted to its rise and fall, but also how Hollywood and social media have adapted as well. Spitfire News’s Kat Tenbarge joins us to discuss that — and just who it is that killed #MeToo.

Our guest Kat Tenbarge is an independent journalist, and publisher, editor, and creator of Spitfire News. Subscribe to Spitfire News at https://spitfirenews.com/, and follow her on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok @kattenbarge.

Listen to Ryan & Kat’s extended conversation by subscribing to Panic World’s Patreon. For just five bucks a month, you get longer episodes like this one, plus ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord! https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every four years America suffers through a national election, with its own distinct collection of far-right freaks. Yet against the trend, in 2024 many of the youngest voters started finding them appealing. So who or what turned Gen Z fascist? Felix Biederman of Chapo Trap House joins us to discuss the main players in the right-wing (mano)sphere, and whether this ecosystem of new guys will keep our nation’s youth in their thrall.

Our guest Felix Biederman co-hosts Chapo Trap House (https://www.chapotraphouse.com), found wherever you get your podcasts.

You can purchase the Seeking A Fren for the End of the World series for $5 at: https://www.patreon.com/cw/chapotraphouse/collections 

Or it, along with all their premium episodes and other acclaimed miniseries like Hell of Presidents and Movie Mindset, are available to all subscribers for just $5 a month at https://www.patreon.com/cw/chapotraphouse 

And you can listen to Ryan & Felix’s extended conversation by subscribing to Panic World’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Audio Maverick, a new nine-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Out now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Right now, you might be thinking someone, somewhere, is on the internet doing something for money that’s really awful. That’s probably true, and has been in the past. Although, plenty of times it’s not — take Bonsai Kittens — but what about Red Rooms, where you can supposedly pay for assassinations or watch live torture? Today journalist Carl Miller joins us to talk about the dark web. What’s actually on there, how people use it, and how much should we be panicking about it?

Our guest Carl Miller is the author of The Death of the Gods: The New Global Power Grab, a journalist, and host of the podcast Kill List (https://wondery.com/shows/kill-list/). 

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Audio Maverick, a new nine-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Out now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the bad side, we have copyright infringement, exploitation, and misinformation; on the good side, we have its uses for brainstorming, editing work, and combating loneliness. On both sides, everyone is freaking out about AI — but are we freaking out about it for the right reasons? Casey Newton joins us to make the pitch that whatever you think, AI is not “crypto 2.0.” Everyone, in every generation, needs to take it seriously.

Our guest Casey Newton is a tech journalist who founded and writes for the Platformer newsletter (https://www.platformer.news/) and co-hosts the Hard Fork podcast (https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork/).

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Audio Maverick, a new nine-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Out now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Perhaps you’ve seen someone pop off online about a delivery order going wrong, or it being too expensive. Maybe you’ve been one of those people. Some call them “Treatlerites” — “treat” + “Hitler,” of course — and it’s when general panic ensues after someone acts selfishly dictatorial about their delivery app output, and foolishly decides to rant about it online. Allegra Rosenberg joins us to discuss how much we should be reacting to this.

Our guest Allegra Rosenberg is a writer, producer, and Garbage Day contributor. You can find her work at https://www.allegrarosenberg.com/.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Audio Maverick, a new nine-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Out now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ryan and Grant discuss what we've seen one month into the second Trump Administration, and what it means.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When it comes to modern relationships, most reporting has three main points: Gen Z is sexless and puritan, Millennials are scared about their inevitable doom, and Boomers are boozers who are going down swinging — literally. In this age of social media and apps, we couldn’t help but wonder: has technology made dating worse? Magdalene Taylor joins us to talk about what led to the “loneliness and isolation epidemic” and what we can do about it, or if we’re screwed (and not in a good way).

Our guest Magdalene Taylor is a writer on sex, subcultures, and the internet. You can follow her on social media at @magdajtaylor and her writing on Substack: https://substack.com/@magdalene. 

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Sponsors

Audio Maverick, a new nine-part documentary about one of the most visionary figures in radio, Himan Brown. Out now wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As of this recording, 17 states don’t have access to PornHub. You might assume that’s because of very normal people like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson needing to monitor his son’s masturbation habits, but was it conservatives’ fault? Or… was it well-meaning liberals? Junlper joins us to discuss who is behind this new and extreme porn ban, and its implications beyond those states and across the country.

Our guest Junlper works for The Onion and cohosts the podcast Western Kabuki. You can follow her at https://bsky.app/profile/junlper.beer on Bluesky or https://www.youtube.com/@junikcl on YouTube.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Links

"Nick Kristof and the Holy War on PornHub" by Melissa Gira Grant: https://newrepublic.com/article/160488/nick-kristof-holy-war-pornhub

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Americans love not believing anything the government tells us, and it seems likely we’ll just keep coming up with stories to explain what is probably really boring in real life. The latest of these is the mysterious drones that descended upon New Jersey and then vanished without a trace. Dylan Thuras joins us to shed light on Americans’ love of conspiracy theories, which naturally begins with Area 51.

Our guest Dylan Thuras is the co-founder of Atlas Obscura. Follow his work at https://www.atlasobscura.com/users/dylan, and you can hear more of his stories on the Atlas Obscura Podcast wherever you listen to ‘em.

Catch the extended conversation and plenty of other great bonus content, plus ad-free episodes, by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.