Panic World

Latest Episodes:

Why Slenderman became a moral panic Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

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 mainstream, and how Slenderman is still lurking in our cultural consciousness over 16 years since making his first appearance on Something Awful.

Our guest Kaelyn Moore hosts Hearts Starts Pounding, a show about folklore and other creepy stuff, which you can find anywhere you listen to podcasts or @heartstartspounding on all the socials.

Want to hear (and see!) our extended conversation? And enjoy other nice things 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.

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What happened to JK Rowling? Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

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 changed or was it the world that changed? Matt Bernstein joins us to trace Rowling’s radicalization journey, and discuss how we’ve ended up with a bunch of British women who want to brand themselves as liberal, but are socially regressive in basically every way.

Our guest Matt Bernstein can be found online @mattxiv. He hosts A Bit Fruity, out anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can also check out Ryan’s recent appearance on the show, in this episode about alpha males and loneliness (naturally).

Want even more Panic World content? 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.

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The plot to ruin the new Superman movie Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

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 religion.

Our guest is rapper, comedian, podcaster, and streamer Open Mike Eagle. You can find him pretty much everywhere, or check out his collective works at http://mikeeagle.net/.

Want the extended conversation — and a lot of other good 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.

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Some big news in Panic World Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

We've got a (good) announcement about the future of the show. We'll be back with your regularly scheduled panic next week. Enjoy the Fourth!

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We are living in a casino Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

First they came for our mobile apps, then they came for our videogames, and now, it seems pretty much every aspect of our lives is being re-oriented around gambling. Who are the players — inside and outside of tech — that have spent the past decade building out “Casino World”? Edward Ongweso, Jr. joins us to talk about why we should be panicking about a world where everything is gamified, and what’s in it for the people trying to run the floor.

Our guest Edward Ongweso, Jr. writes the Tech Bubble newsletter, and you can check out the piece we referenced, “Trapped in the Maw of A Stillborn God,” here. He also hosts This Machine Kills, which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want even more Panic World content? 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.

Sponsors

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

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

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Why were cops fainting from fentanyl? Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Some urban legends are just for fun, like the “Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus,” while others are not. Today we’re investigating the claim that while busting drug dealers, police can accidentally “absorb” fentanyl through their skin, causing them to suffer a whole bevy of health problems — starting with fainting. Years later, it’s still impacting legislation across the country and mostly wasting a bunch of money. Mangesh Hattikudur and Mary Phillips-Sandy from Part-Time Genius join us to explain how fentanyl actually works, and debunk this one.

Check out Part-Time Genius wherever you get your podcasts, and follow them on Instagram @parttimegenius.

Want even more Panic World content? 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.

Sponsors

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

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your conspiracy families Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

When Grant talked to his friend whose dad had become a Holocaust denier, we got a huge response from folks who had family members with other… interesting ideas. Today, we’re answering some of your questions. Like: what do you do when you have your own kids and had counted on your (now conspiracy-pilled) parents to help care for them? What about when you question your own reality due to those close to you losing touch with theirs? And how much of all this is untreated medical disorders versus mental disorder caused by media? Ryan & Grant discuss.

Listeners, thank you for telling us your stories — we hope this helps you feel a bit less alone, because clearly, we’re all going through it. If you have specific questions or want to share concerns about something your friends or family members are talking about, we’d still love to hear from you. Email us at panicworldpod@gmail.com.

Want even more Panic World content? 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.

Sponsors

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

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The man behind Trump's Salvadoran gulags Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

This week we’re asking an important question: Who is really inspiring the “vibe” of Trump 2.0? No, it's not Elon Musk. We’re talking about President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. Joining us is Ricardo Avelar, to explain how this club promoter, hustle bro, and LinkedIn influencer grew up to become a dictator whose playbook President Trump is now stealing from.

Aside from being a massive blink-182 fan, our guest Ricardo Avelar is a journalist and political analyst. You can find him and his work on X/Twitter @docavelar.

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 a month 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/ads.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happened to Kanye? May 21, 2025

Show notes

America’s not doing so hot right now. Kanye West, on the other hand, hasn’t been well for quite some time. Akilah Hughes joins us again to discuss the idea that Kanye has always been a mirror for the American zeitgeist. What is about him, and about us, that makes that theory true? And, are we — both Kanye and the United States — totally doomed, or can we get better?

Our guest Akilah Hughes is a writer, comedian, and reporter. You can find her work at https://itsakilahobviously.com, and follow her @akilahobviously on YouTube and X, or on Instagram @akilahh. Stay tuned for her new podcast coming out this month, How Is This Better? from COURIER.

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 a month 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/ads.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Engineer: Rebecca Seidel

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS: AI therapy slop May 14, 2025

Show notes

Ryan wrote about using ChatGPT for therapy, and a lot of responses to that announcement involved calling him an idiot. This week, he sits down with Grant to talk about what he learned over experimenting with AI therapy for a few months, and a broader chat about the birth of the AI world — and how it’s pretty much involved in everything already (in good and bad, and mostly bad, ways). Dr. ChatGPT will see you now.

Want to hear the rest of the conversation, plus ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for our Patreon for just five bucks a month 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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices