Podcast · Tech & Science

Panic World

by Garbage Media · English · Tech & Science

A weekly podcast, hosted by Ryan Broderick, about how the internet warps our minds, our culture — and reality.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

Why are we addicted to disgusting food videos

Why are food videos so popular online? And why are the most viral ones also the grossest? Today we’re looking back at the history of food videos, from Food Wishes to the hands-only top-down video style pioneered by Tasty to making cereal in a toilet bowl pioneered by TikTok. Petey USA, a creator and musician who’s had a lot of really weird bad stuff to eat while on tour, joins us to about food video culture online — and why we don’t care if it’s good, bad, or absolutely horrifying — we’re gonna gobble that slop right up. Our guest is musician Petey USA, whose work you can find at…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

3 Oct 2026 · 11 min
BONUS PREVIEW: "Primetime" gets it
Sit down and take a seat with Ryan & Grant. They discuss the recent release of Primetime as a follow-up to this week’s episode. Want to hear the rest of this conversation? Or ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and access to our members-only Discord? Sign up for a membership for 6.66 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Why "To Catch A Predator" videos feel so gross
To Catch A Predator launched in 2004 and was immediately a massive hit, but despite its long-lasting cultural impact — highlighted by last week’s release of Primetime — it only ran for one season and twenty episodes. The show ended after an assistant District Attorney in Texas died by suicide. Is it ethically worse? Is this justice? Why does it feel so gross? Today we’re joined by Free Country USA to look at the legacy of the show and the trend of content creators trying to bust predators on their own. Follow Free Country USA @freecountryusa on YouTube, Instagram, and everywhere else you…
23 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
The original looksmaxxer who created our hell world
Who created the strongman hellscape that we’re currently living in? Today, we’re talking about the original looksmaxxer, Zyzz. He got his start online in 2006 with a popular World of Warcraft streaming account, whose earnings he used to join a gym, because he’d “always been obsessed with bodybuilding.” By 2010, he had amassed a huge following among outrageously jacked guys online. He finally figured out how to make money off this — by hawking supplements and other products — but then he passed away in 2011. However, by then he had laid the blueprint that the chads of the future would all…
16 Sep 2026 · 10 min
We're going independent
A little over a year ago, we had a big announcement — that we were adding video to the podcast with our partner Courier. Just as we go into the third year of exploring how the internet warps our minds, our culture, and eventually reality, we’ve got some more big news for you, which we’re really excited about. Speaking of, want to support the new Panic World… world? And get ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and some new wacky stuff we’re gonna be experimenting with? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
10 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Charlie Kirk didn't matter
Happy (?) Kirkiversary. One year ago today, Charlie Kirk was killed by someone the right-wing wasn’t able to effectively use for fearmongering. Ryan & Grant look back at what Kirk’s legacy is now — the martyr he wasn’t able to become, and the guy who’s instead trapped in memes and shitposts forever. Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and access to our members-only Discord? Sign up for a membership for just five bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Aug 2026 · 21 min
BONUS PREVIEW: Is social media actually "dead" now?
Will we ever get another new platform to communicate with on the internet? Today, we’re talking about the various eras of social media platforms — from Myspace to Facebook, Twitter to Instagram, and Vine to TikTok — and their biggest moments in culture, like Fred, Shit My Dad Says, Wendy’s Twitter, and Kombucha Girl. Some have stood the test of time so far, but mostly, we’re all beholden to platforms that have so much power and money now that they can control where we post and how we do it. Musician Connor Musarra joins us to help Ryan define when a social media platform’s dominance begins,…
22 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
The sicko who invented prediction markets
Where did prediction markets come from, and why are they more popular than ever? Charlie Warzel joins the pod once again to discuss the proliferation of these strange companies like Kalshi and Polymarket that allow you to bet on nearly anything — monetizing the good, and mostly bad things. We go into the early 2000s background of these platforms, led by Robin Hanson, an economist and self-described “Jungian ENTP” who originally got involved with prediction markets through his “Policy Analysis Market” as a means to anticipate political instability and terrorist attacks; how they are used now;…
15 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Bad things happen when we let robots decide what’s good
Why does culture feel so much less... human than it used to? Wyatt Cenac joins Ryan to discuss the “crisis of taste” — or how, in the past 10-15 years, tech companies have flipped media on its head. People used to spend more time making things and shaping culture, and then tech responded to that culture. Now tech is using AI to try to manufacture culture so you don’t need to develop your own taste because our tech overlords will tell you what taste to have. Ryan & Wyatt reflect on why nostalgia is more popular than ever right now, and how we can even get comfort from simply watching…
8 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
Our autopsy of the DNC autopsy
Why did the Democrats lose so badly in 2024? Rob Flaherty joins us to dissect the "DNC autopsy" — the formerly internal report about what went wrong in 2024 — about which he gave his own thoughts on The Bulwark in May. Rob was the deputy campaign manager for Kamala Harris and also formerly a digital strategist for Joe Biden. Rob distills his analysis of what happened in 2024, and then Ryan & Grant present Panic World’s own version of the DNC autopsy and get Rob’s response, as well as additional details from what he saw behind-the-scenes. How much did Harris only having 107 days matter? Or…
1 Jul 2026 · 33 min
BONUS PREVIEW: Enhanced masculinity crisis
Did you catch Peter Thiel's Enhanced Games in Las Vegas on May 24th? You know, the libertarian-minded, steroid-fueled, biohacked Olympics. No? Still nothing? After recruiting mostly ex-Olympic athletes from track & field, swimming, and weightlifting, parent company Enhanced trained them for months in Abu Dhabi — while also loading them up on a cocktail of drugs to see how many world records they could break. Reporter, producer, wrestling coach, and also Grant’s trainer Sam Eagan talks with Grant about the intended goal of the games (read: transhumanism is involved), and their deep…
24 Jun 2026 · 56 min
The Onion's big plans for InfoWars
Venerable satirical Chicago-based outfit The Onion is truly on a mission to save democracy — and it starts by relaunching FKA Alex Jones’s InfoWars, which The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron LLC, acquired via bankruptcy auction. CEO Ben Collins joins us to discuss the business’s past and future; chumboxes vs. subscriptions; why they still put out physical newspapers; “Google Zero”; the editorial process (and humans vs. AI); of course, their plans for InfoWars, and more.Our guest Ben Collins is the CEO of Global Tetrahedron. He goes by “Tim Onion” on Bluesky at…
17 Jun 2026 · 39 min
We went to the UFC fight at the White House lol
This past weekend, Ryan & Grant went down to see what the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the White House lawn was all about. What they found was $30 margaritas, $120 graphic tees, one (1) mechanical bull, and a whole lot of people who just wanted to watch some dudes beat each other up — and didn’t even know it was supposed to be Trump’s big birthday bash. Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus & exclusive episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord? Sign up for a membership for just five bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. For Apple Podcast users, you…
10 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
This celebrity murder case feels like fan fiction
Today we’re talking about the D4vd murder case, one of the darkest stories in pop culture at the moment. D4vd — or David Burke — got his start as one of the original Fortnite streamers, who then built a big Discord community around himself, including an alter-ego, "IT4MI," and ultimately his work as a musician blending styles like bedroom pop and indie rock. But in April 2026 he was charged with allegedly murdering one of his fans, 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Jennifer Swann joins us again, to discuss the allegations and everything leading up to them.Our guest Jennifer Swann is a…
5 Jun 2026 · 11 min
BONUS PREVIEW: This is the dot-com crash all over again [Part 2]
What would the internet look like if major tech companies like Meta and Google were no longer usable? With Google more deeply integrating AI into Search and changing how it’s worked for the first time in 25 years, many fear “Google Zero,” where websites simply don’t receive any traffic from search anymore. But Google isn’t the only one. With so many companies going all-in on AI, replacing employees with AI and reorienting their products to cater toward AI use, Ryan presents his “Internet Zero” theory — what happens when companies that are pillars of the internet as we know it shift their…
5 Jun 2026 · 1 hr
BONUS: How the internet destroyed TV (and itself) [Part 1]
Why is everything online just clips now? We’ve reached a point with digital video that’s made it impossible even for a normal, non-sicko to ignore: we’re awash in slop (whether AI-created or not). Ryan works through his thinking with Grant about how everything on the internet became video: how the people who were first to figure that out made enough money that they’re now able to take on legacy media and big Hollywood players, but it doesn’t really seem like anyone knows what to do with that power, other than pump out garbage. And if short-form video as a format is fundamentally broken, if…
3 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Fauxbituaries (Hyperfixed)
We’re taking a breather to let Grant out of his cage and get some fresh air, but we didn’t want to leave you without something to panic about. So this week we’ve got an episode from friend of the show and previous guest, Alex Goldman, the host of Hyperfixed. It’s about Markus. When his good friend died suddenly, he went online to get more information. What he found was several AI-written obituaries on dodgy looking websites with a litany of factual inaccuracies. Who is making these, and why? And is there anything that can be done to stop them? We think you’ll dig it. If you do, you can find…
27 May 2026 · 55 min
New York hipsters and the antichrist
Today we’re talking about billionaire Peter Thiel and his many fascinating, varied interests. You might know him for secretly funding Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit that destroyed Gawker, but did you know that he is also pretty interested in New York’s comedy scene, its hipsters, and something about a biohacked Olympics? What is going on here? Claire Parker joins us to delve into the concept of “Thiel Bucks,” or the money he allegedly gives to willingly reactionary influencers and media figures.Our guest is comedian Claire Parker. You can find her on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube at @clairethescare,…
20 May 2026 · 1 hr
Revisiting "Her" in the age of AI relationships
If you forgot to add this important event to your calendars, Spike Jonze’s 2013 sci-fi film, Her, was actually set in 2025. Ryan and Grant watched the Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson vehicle now that we’re just past that date to see what it got right and wrong. They discuss where Jonze thought we would be versus where we are with generative AI, societal isolation, relationships — and whether the movie is really "one of the best science fiction movies of all-time." We're off this week, so this is a Patreon unlock! If you're interested in more ad-free and extended episodes, access to…
13 May 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
Why AI cat videos are becoming the internet’s newest weird obsession
Why are cats so popular on the internet? It started with cat memes like I Can Haz Cheezburger and Keyboard Cat, then we became enamored with cat celebrities like Lil Bub, Grumpy Cat, and Princess Monstertruck. And now, we’re witnessing the next evolution in cat internet content: “cute cat AI.” Our guest and host of American Hysteria, Chelsey Weber-Smith, calls it a “Kitty Horror Picture Show.” Chelsey joins Ryan and Grant to tell us about the explosion of really weird AI-generated cat videos depicting cat families that’s all over TikTok and YouTube right now — much like Elsagate once did in…
6 May 2026 · 59 min
How trad wives took over the internet — from 4chan to TikTok
Where did the "tradwife" trend come from — you know, aside from the 1950s — and why has it become increasingly popular online? Today, we’re talking about not just how men aren’t doing that well, but maybe women aren’t either. This question, of course, is because the (usually) alt-right tradwives supporters have a new girlboss, and it’s Erika Kirk.Journalist Liz Plank joins us to break down the resurgence of these regressive ideas about where women belong and how they should conduct themselves, the trend’s origins (again, aside from in the ‘50s), and why the #tradlife is appealing to people…
29 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 15 min
You're one post away from becoming the internet's main character
Remember Chewbacca Mom, Damn Daniel, BeanDad, or most recently, Chappell Roan? These are just some examples of people who have become the “main character” on the internet — for better, or mostly (maybe always) worse. Today we’re talking about the old adage that “each day on [Twitter] there is one main character. The goal is to never be it.”How has the internet warped our perception of celebrity (or “cewebrity”)? What does it mean to be swatted or doxxed now, versus a decade ago? Taylor Lorenz, someone who has been the main character on the internet several times, joins us to discuss.Our…
22 Apr 2026 · 34 min
PREVIEW BONUS: Clavicular's crash out and the death of clipping
Are we watching the collapse of short-form video and on the cusp of yet another pivot to (a different kind of) video? Today we’re talking about the rise of livestreaming and what makes it different than the Vines and YouTube Shorts that you know. From Clavicular’s overdose to “nuisance streamers” like Vitaly (better known as “VitalyzdTv”) and banned-from-pretty-much-every-streaming platform Johnny Somali, why do people like to watch this stuff? And how do we adapt to this new era of video content that is maybe also helping cause the downfall of society?Ryan & Grant discuss, as well as how…
15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
When sex is "optimized"
Today we’re talking about Aella the e-girl and “rationalist," who is probably also pretty smelly — at least if her birthday gangbang breakdown is to be believed. She's known for issuing controversial polls about sex and relationships, and then scrapping with people online about the results. June Sternbach & Josh Boerman from the Ill Conceived podcast join us to trace Aella's history and her impact on the broader culture, for better or for worse. Our guests June Sternbach & Josh Boerman host the podcast Ill Conceived. You can follow it here or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about…
8 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
Why the internet's grossest influencer is more powerful than you think
Today we're joined again by journalist Kat Tenbarge to talk about one of the grossest guys on the internet. He’s also one of the most popular Twitch streamers there is. His name is Zack Hoyt, better known as Asmongold. His first video was in 2008, featuring him trying to catch a rat in his parents’ house. He then became obsessed with World of Warcraft and started streaming his gameplay. The rest is history.He has a “rat clock.” Roaches frequently join his streams of popular video games. Then, of course, he got radicalized by the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial and started getting…
1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
The internet sucks, and Congress might make it worse
The law Section 230 is maybe the invisible force that governs everything in our lives. With a California court ruling against Meta, what are we to do? How responsible should social media companies be for the content posted on them? Brian Reed joins us to discuss Section 230 and its implications, both past and present. Our guest Brian Reed is the host of Question Everything. Check it out anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
Cicada 3301: The internet puzzle that might’ve been a psyop
In 2012, a strange message appeared on 4chan: “We are looking for highly intelligent individuals….” What followed became one of the internet’s most mysterious puzzles: Cicada 3301. Players uncovered hidden codes, real-world locations, encrypted files, and even phone numbers across the globe. Some believed it was a secret society. Others thought it was a CIA recruitment tool. Maybe the Illuminati. Or at least, very organized teens. So what was Cicada 3301 really? And could something like this even exist on today’s internet? Baths joins us to try to get to the bottom of it. Our guest Baths is…
18 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Boomer brain rot started long before Facebook
Why did boomers “go crazy” — and was the internet actually to blame? Ryan is joined by Sam Seder to trace the long history of boomer radicalization, from the Fairness Doctrine and Rush Limbaugh to Fox News, 9/11, Alex Jones, and the algorithmic media ecosystem that followed. Together they argue that the internet didn’t create boomer brain rot so much as supercharge a worldview that had already been built by decades of grievance-driven mass media. Our guest Sam Seder hosts The Majority Report, whose past episodes can be found here, on YouTube, and all major podcast platforms (or check it out…
16 Mar 2026 · 27 min
BONUS: The Oscars snubbed "The Secret Agent"
Ryan & Grant convene their movie club to discuss The Secret Agent, one of — or maybe the — best film(s) of 2025, and what it says about where we're at as a society. Want to hear the rest of this conversation? And get even more extra content, like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
The people who think every celebrity is secretly trans
Today we’re talking about the moral panic around “transvestigation,” an online “game” where people try to identify who is or isn’t trans. Particularly popular in right-wing corners of the internet, transvestigating is a subculture of people — with no background in biology at all — who analyze photos, facial features, and body proportions to “prove” their claims, that basically every celebrity is secretly trans. Kitty Kimz and Jeff from Free Country USA join us once again to trace the surprising early origins of this conspiratorial thinking about trans identities and how it’s continued to…

About Panic World

A weekly podcast, hosted by Ryan Broderick, about how the internet warps our minds, our culture — and reality.

Panic World is a English tech & science podcast from Garbage Media. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Garbage Media
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr 2 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1740187810

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