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Fyre Fest goes up in flames, Ashlee Simpson bombs on SNL, and somehow even Taylor Swift couldn’t fix the ill-fated Cats movie. Who doesn’t love a good fiasco?! Join us each week as we dissect the most deliciously disastrous flops in recent history. On Wondery’s comedy & pop culture series The Big Flop, host and TikTok superstar Misha Brown unpacks all-time epic fails from Crystal Pepsi to Google Glass with the help of hilarious, highly-opinionated guests in every episode. Find out what happe ...
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We make podcasts about: Tech, Toys, Movies / Shows, Gaming, and our general lives. New episodes every Tuesday and Saturday. Live streaming on twitch Mondays and Fridays
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What drives a regular person to risk it all in the criminal underworld? On Wondery's Criminal Lives, host Danny Gold takes you inside the minds of some of America’s most successful black market entrepreneurs. From a larger-than-life steroids kingpin to the self described "Original Gay Gangster" who had a gift for numbers and an addiction to luxury,…
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Rachel Dolezal built a life for herself as a teacher, a civil rights advocate, and a leader in her local NAACP chapter. There was just one problem: She built it all on a foundation of lies—and the biggest lie of all was about her race. When a local news crew discovered her secret and called her out in front of cameras, it all came crashing down on …
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When Elon Musk boasted to Shervin Pishevar about inventing a revolutionary form of transportation, Pishevar took him at his word — turns out with Elon, that's a huge mistake. Musk promised travel at the speed of sound, unprecedented city connections, and a complete societal transformation, but conveniently left out the potential for catastrophic fa…
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The untold stories behind the products you’re obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who made them go viral. How did Birkenstocks go from a German cobbler’s passion project 250 years ago to a starring role in the Barbie movie? Who created that bottle of Sriracha permanently living in your fridge? Did you know the Air Jordans were initially banned b…
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In the 80s and 90s, the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program sent police officers into schools to teach kids to stay off drugs. D.A.R.E.'s cringey curriculum was taught in schools all over the U.S., spawning lame PSAs, a whole bunch of weird merchandise, and maybe some light childhood trauma. There was just one problem… D.A.R.E. didn’…
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For years, “lean finely textured beef” was added to meat products that could be found in supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and school cafeterias across America. Most consumers had no idea that this gooey, salmon-colored substance was in their food. Finely textured beef was a million dollar business, but it wound up setting off an all out PR-war …
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In 2013, a British TV producer named Danny Fenton brought 12 American women to England to take part in a new reality dating show. The yanks were led to believe that they had a chance to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in the world: Prince Harry of the British royal family. There was just one problem: the guy they were competing for was act…
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At the turn of the millenium, Blockbuster Video, with its ubiquitous blue-and-yellow stores, was the reigning champion of movie rentals. But early on, when presented with the chance to buy a little company called Netflix... Blockbuster made the wrong choice. Despite attempts to launch online rental services, the quaint allure of browsing store aisl…
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At 2:30AM on Thanksgiving night 2009, Tiger Woods, one of the most famous athletes in the world, drove his car into a tree outside his neighbor’s house. This bizarre accident set off a chain of events that exposed Tiger’s secret affairs to the world and wound up wrecking more than his Escalade: It wrecked his marriage, and almost totaled his career…
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Celebration, Florida was conceived by the Disney Corporation as a magical utopian community, something straight out of a fairy tale—meticulously planned, picturesque neighborhoods replete with ice cream parlors, bike paths, and state-of-the-art facilities. But the promise of living in a theme park soon became nauseating thanks to a greedy real esta…
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It was the nip slip seen round the world. Whether by accident or on purpose, the nation caught a brief glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast on live television during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show while she was performing with Justin Timberlake. Quickly dubbed "Nipplegate," the incident ignited a firestorm of controversy and debate over broadcast d…
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Sam Bankman-Fried was the king of crypto, living large in a penthouse in the Bahamas. But his billion dollar empire was built on a foundation of fraud, and when his dubious deals were exposed, this crypto bro went from blockchain to a cell block. Fabrizio Copano (4th From the South) and Zoltan Kaszas (This Week in Zoltan, Honorary Jones) join Misha…
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Billionaire Stockton Rush III dreamt of exploring the Titanic. Only problem? It's really freaking hard to get to. So he pieced together the world's shoddiest submersible built from Playstation parts and promised rich tourists a view of the Titanic for the price of $250,000. Less than two hours into the dive, Rush's dream quite literally imploded...…
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Game Of Thrones entered its final season as the undisputed king of TV. Every Sunday, millions would take a seat in the church of HBO in hopes of witnessing another Battle of the Bastards. Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss needed to deliver a finale so grand it would make King’s Landing look like the Iron Islands. But when they were met with gru…
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Gigli would go down in history as not only one of the biggest box office bombs… but also the reason Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez broke up the first time. In 2001, Oscar nominated filmmaker Martin Brest penned the gritty tale of a lowlife mobster unable to escape his mundane existence, but by 2003 Gigli had been reverse engineered into a corny, sl…
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How much do you think about the Roman Empire? Emperor Nero’s answer would have been “not that much.” At just 16 years old, Nero starts his reign off with a bang, throwing lavish festivals for the plebs and giving himself headlining gigs as an aspiring singer-songwriter. But thanks to a power-hungry mom, some heated rivalries, and a whole lot of sex…
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Figure skating rivals Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were set to face off at the 1994 Olympics... but Tonya decided to try and eliminate the competition a little early. When a botched attempt to “kneecap” Kerrigan before the Olympics led back to Tonya and her inner circle of inept criminals, Harding was thrust into a media frenzy that spiraled in…
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Back in the day, Salem Village was awash in bad vibes. What started as a few stressed out colonial tweens messing around became a conspiracy of religious paranoia with townsfolk turning on each other quicker than Kendrick and Drake. Months of false testimony and baseless accusations in packed courtrooms resulted in death, ruin, and one of the most …
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You know the Bronco chase, the trial and the glove, but do you know …the book? In 2006, O.J. Simpson teamed up with prominent publisher, Judith Regan, to make a killing from his controversial life story. With the help of a ghostwriter, they created a “hypothetical” tell-all book about the actual murders O.J. stood trial for. Thousands of copies wer…
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In 1972, five clumsy burglars broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. They were armed with tear gas pens, wads of cash, and enough surveillance equipment to make the NSA blush - and they were immediately caught. What could’ve been written off as the dumbest burglary in history swiftly unraveled through leak…
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Before it became the butt of countless jokes and the preferred transportation for mall cops, the Segway had grand ambitions. Its inventor, Dean Kamen, believed his self-balancing, two-wheeled electric scooter would change the way we get around, and ultimately eliminate the need for cars all together. But when the rubber met the road and consumers m…
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In the early 90’s, an earth shattering event occurred that would change the face of American culture forever: Coca-Cola changed their recipe. New Coke was supposed to be sweeter to combat the rising popularity of Pepsi, but the customer reaction was decidedly sour. Lawsuits and public outrage contributed to the PR Nightmare - somehow hiring Bill Co…
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When JCPenney, the 100-year-old department store, decided to rebrand in 2011, they sought the best in the biz to give them a makeover. Enter Ron Johnson, the affable retail genius behind the Apple Store. Hailed as a techy visionary, Johnson was supposed to reinvent the brand. Instead, he alienated customers with high prices and a baffling shopping …
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After 30 years of development, Procter & Gamble rolled out a new, calorie-free oil substitute with the luxurious name, Olestra. This “miracle food” was supposed to revolutionize junk food and allow snackers to eat all the chips and crackers they could cram down their gullets without gaining any weight. Unfortunately for Procter & Gamble, Olestra di…
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US Congressman George Santos was an inspiring embodiment of the American dream. A son of immigrants who worked his way through the finest universities, rose through the ranks of Wall Street and started his own successful business before winning an election. Only catch? Almost none of it was true. Santos lied, schemed and embezzled his way into Cong…
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Can the office also be a party? Would you really want it to be? For WeWork’s CEO and founder Adam Neumann, the answer was an unequivocal, hell yes! Neumann propelled his co-working space empire to incredible heights and a valuation over $45B, all while throwing nonstop ragers, hot boxing his private jet, and arm wrestling with Jared Kushner. But wh…
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When eccentric toy maker Ty Warner created a new line of floppy stuffed animals with cute names and charming poems, he unleashed pure havoc and chaos into the world. At the height of Beanie Mania, people spent their life savings and even assaulted others to collect the rare creatures like Patti the Platypus and Ziggy the Zebra before they “retired”…
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Abby Lee Miller was the force behind the hit reality show "Dance Moms" where she hurled insults - and occasionally chairs - to motivate future stars like JoJo Siwa and Maddie Ziegler. But while Abby was rising to the top of her own pyramid, she was also choreographing a little thing called financial fraud. Find out what happens when you text your a…
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Stacy Spikes came to Hollywood with dreams of revolutionizing the industry. His creation, MoviePass, promised to offer low-fee, all-you-can-watch theater subscriptions for movie fans. The only problem? It couldn't make any money. Find out what happens when Stacy sells out to an eccentric investor, why a dog had to issue an apology to customers, and…
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Imagine sealing yourself in giant, glass, self-contained ecosystem with your boyfriend and a lady who's learning to play saxophone... for TWO YEARS. In 1991, eight semi-qualified volunteers entered Biosphere 2, and promised that they would live inside the giant science experiment without any help from the outside. However, thanks to chopped off fin…
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In the sugar-fueled '90s, Pepsi had one goal: win the Cola Wars. But when it launched “Pepsi Stuff", an ambitious promotion that encouraged people to buy Pepsi and redeem points for prizes, they overlooked their own fine print. When they promised a military-grade plane for less than it was worth "as a joke," Pepsi never imagined somebody might try …
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One night in 2022, Billionaire Elon Musk decided to impulse-buy Twitter and reduce it to ashes in just two weeks. After losing billions and destroying a public forum, Musk's attempt to 'own the libs' backfired spectacularly. Or did it? Mass layoffs, walking around with a kitchen sink, and verification nightmares teach us to never underestimate the …
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In the run-up to the 2016 US Presidential election, a new, glossy coworking enclave for women emerged to meet the moment. The Wing was supposed to be a model for feminist social clubs, built on activism, inclusion, and self-care. Instead, it became a glaring example of toxic girlboss culture and workplace discrimination, with employees mainly using…
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After a Hall of Fame career, basketball legend Magic Johnson was given his very own late night talk show on Fox, The Magic Hour. It seemed like a slam dunk! Johnson had the fame, charisma, and charm to top the ratings, but things went quickly sideways. When radio shock jock Howard Stern took aim at Johnson, relentlessly making fun of his lackluster…
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Wellness influencer and self-titled “Liver King” Bryan Johnson reigned supreme with 5 million TikTok followers. His followers, known as "primals", believed in his ancestral lifestyle of eating raw meat and biting heads off of fish. His supplement empire grew into a $100-million-a-year business. But the Liver Kingdom was shaken to its rock hard core…
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Board the glass elevator down to Willy’s Chocolate Experience! This viral flop-in-progress has absolutely not infringed on the Willy Wonka IP. Why would you say that?! Advertised as a “pasadise of sweet treats”, in Glasgow, families traveled far and wide to experience a candy-filled, immersive wonderland. The misspelled marketing campaign promised …
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For the 83rd Academy Awards, producers wanted hosts that were "young and hip." But when they nominated Anne Hathaway and James Franco to run the show, they ended up with "nervous and bored". What followed was one of the most catastrophically awkward nights in Oscars history. Bobby Finger & Lindsey Weber from Who? Weekly join Misha for a peak behind…
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Contestants on 2004 reality TV show The Swan were tasked with transforming from "ugly ducklings" into gorgeous creatures. But they weren't just given a new wardrobe and attitude, they were given a whole new face. The women were isolated for months, berated, operated on multiple times, and pitted against one another at the beauty pageant finale. The…
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In 1989, a hot new duo took the world by storm. With their sexy looks, enigmatic accents, and flashy moves, Rob and Fab of Milli Vanilli became bonafide breakout stars. But thanks to a controlling producer, the artists were forced to fake the funk and didn't sing a single note on their album. Once their secret was revealed, Milli Vanilli became the…
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Back in 1986, Cleveland was trying to make a new name for itself with a huge, record-breaking balloon launch. The goal was to increase the population, raise money for the community, and make Clevelanders proud. By the end, fingers would be blistered, horses traumatized, a search and rescue mission thwarted, and the good people of Cleveland would be…
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In 2001, wrestling mogul Vince McMahon attempted to conquer new sports territory by founding a violent, horny football league meant to compete with the NFL. McMahon's focus on entertainment and disregard for safety created an on-field product that was as weird as it was boring. In the end, not even sexy cheerleaders could save the XFL, or as McMaho…
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Woodstock '99 was meant to commemorate the original, historic festival with “three days of peace and music” but instead became "three days of rage and chaos." Hundreds of thousands of angry young men celebrated the end of the millennium by moshing to acts like Limp Bizkit, Korn and Kid Rock. But, when food and water became scarce, and the porta pot…
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In the ring, Hulk Hogan is a legendary figure who helped turn sports entertainment into a global phenomenon. But in the boardroom, The Hulkster’s always been a loser, failing hard at everything from exploding grills, to ill-conceived box office bombs and highly questionable restaurants. There’s not an opportunity out there that Hogan won’t slap his…
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Back in 2013, Google’s top secret lab, Google X attempted to change the world with a computer you could wear on your face. The strange looking spectacles, Google Glass, promised a seamless way to experience the real and digital world in harmony. The product generated substantial buzz and adorned the famous faces of Oprah and King Charles, but safet…
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At only 20 years old, Ashlee Simpson was already a star, and her parents were raking it in. When she was asked to perform on Saturday Night Live alongside host Jude Law, she and her entourage were stoked. But the only thing that rocked that night was her career...as it fell off a cliff. Ashlee's lip-syncing catastrophe follows her to this day - but…
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With their popularity waning in the mid 90's, McDonald's became concerned that they weren't pandering to adults enough. So they did the very adult thing of having a middle-aged crisis, and started spending too much money on something they didn't need. After pouring hundreds of millions into the fryer developing a "burger for adults," McDonald's sto…
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What do Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah have that you don’t have? A $700 juicer…and lots and lots of money to buy it with. The Juicero was supposed to revolutionize at-home juicing and make organic, cold pressed juice accessible to everyone. The main problem? It was only accessible to the super rich. It still became one of the buzziest products of 2016, …
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The Star Wars Holiday Special that Luke Skywalker Hates ft. Adam Pally and Betsy Sodaro | 15
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Back in 1978, George Lucas and CBS created a Star Wars holiday special so staggeringly bad, Lucas has publicly stated he wants it destroyed. The variety show featured Carrie Fisher singing, Wookiee porn, and many, many things that should never be associated with Star Wars. Budget restrictions, Harrison Ford's refusal to sing or dance, and some seri…
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More than a few vials of blood were spilled in the unbelievable story of Theranos. Its CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, took the world by storm with the promise of a device that was going to change medicine forever. Instead, she endangered patients and defrauded investors. In the end, the only thing Holmes invented was her persona, and even that involved a l…
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When Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid signed up to promote a scorching new music festival, they had no idea the flaming mess they were really in for. Entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule collabed on the notorious Fyre Festival, a disaster that cost millions, almost got festival workers killed or kidnapped, and is forever bu…
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