ICYMI

On Sunday night, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars live broadcast after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. As soon as the internet figured out the slap wasn’t a bit, Twitter was deluged with takes. On today’s episode, Madison and Rachelle discourse about the discourse, discussing the neverending online take machine, how media narratives are shaped, and why we were all wondering if the slap was even real.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses Instagram's announcement of the return of chronological feeds, the potential impact of this change, and the history of timelines on social media. The hosts also explore the challenges and benefits of algorithmic and chronological feeds, as well as the influence of TikTok on other platforms.

This past weekend, Rachel Zegler, known for playing Maria in the new remake of West Side Story, told a fan on Instagram that Disney wasn’t sending her to the Oscars. Her plan to watch the ceremony from home quickly changed, however, once the internet heard about it. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison break down the Oscars scandal’s online origins, and then they open up the mailbag. They answer questions about stuck boats, peeling eggs live on TikTok, a woman with 22 babies, drama in the knitting world, and more.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During their South by Southwest show, Rachelle and Madison play a game to determine the greatest piece of internet history, featuring topics like a gospel remix of the Golden Girls theme song, the Beto O'Rourke sex tweet, Julia Fox saying 'uncut gems,' and the infamous DashCon. Tune in to find out which comes out victorious.

ICYMI went to Austin this week and recorded a live show at South by Southwest. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison are joined by Bridget Todd, host of the podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet, to discuss the recent “womblands” drama, their favorite scams on the internet, and what it’s like covering the internet beat.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term “womblands” blew up on TikTok this past week, and the drama surrounding its origin is dense and confusing. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison venture deep into TikTok to explain why the story behind this funny term is darker than you may realize. It involves racism, sexism, and sexual assault allegations, and it yet another case of interpersonal drama taken too far by the TikTok community.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Johnson, aka the Liver King, has amassed millions of followers with his bizarre yet addictive workout and raw-meat-diet videos. On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison comb through the king’s core tenets, his obsession with explosives, and of course his taste for liver with a side of maple syrup. Later in the show, science communicator Johnathan Jarry joins for a discussion of why we look to people like the Liver King, and why we can’t look away.If you’ve listened to the episode, here’s the Google Form that Rachelle and Madison mention. Send them your internet faves and nightmares.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Derek John, Jasmine Ellis, and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nichole Perkins discusses the online conversation about nepotism babies in entertainment. They explore its prevalence, the role of privilege, and examples like Maude Apatow and Justin Bieber. They also discuss nepotism in Hollywood, politics, and college admissions.

The metaverse wants to convince us it’s the future of retail, even for buying marijuana. On the show today, Madison is joined by Slate’s Shannon Palus to talk about Shannon’s recent journey into the metaverse to buy weed gummies. They discuss what it’s like to enter the metaverse, the mediocre graphics on display there, and if it really is the future of retail—or just a misguided lark from Big Tech.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millie Bobby Brown turned 18 last week, so of course those creepy “legal age” countdown clocks popped up as that day approached. On the show today, Madison is joined by Nichole Perkins to talk about the phenomenon of counting down to a celebrity’s 18th birthday, the history of their online and offline ickiness, and why girls of color always seem to be left out of this discussion.Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices