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”. When the dust settled, fortunes were lost, limbs were broken and Ty (as in, TY INC.), was left holding the big, floppy bag. Ian Karmel (All...

Every summer for the past seven decades, 50 high school seniors—one from every state—descend on Mobile, Alabama to take part in one of the country’s most lucrative scholarship competitions for teen girls.  The Competition takes you behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) program, and follows seven girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks, away from home and under the most high-stress circumstances. Some girls enter for the money, some for...

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 accountant that you "need a little money laundering." Ronnie Karam and Ben Mandelker (Watch What Crappens) join Misha to revel in the dizzying...

When ex-Bunny girl Jayne Gaskin spots the desert island of her dreams for sale online, she decides to risk it all. Trading in their English village home, Jayne and her family relocate to their own private paradise, just off the coast of Nicaragua. And a reality TV crew follows them to film a new show, No Going Back. But soon they all discover that paradise has its secrets. The locals claim the island belongs to them, and it’s been sold illegally. Jayne’s not leaving without a fight. A fight...

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 how John Travolta is somehow at the center of it all. Misha Brown and special guests Jamie Loftus (The Bechdel Cast, Lolita Podcast) and...

Feel brighter every day with The Best One Yet, a 20-minute pop-biz podcast that serves up the top 3 stories spanning pop culture & business news, every morning, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning ritual. Follow The Best One Yet on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best One Yet ad-free right now on Wondery plus. Wondery.fm/IP_TBOY For more deep dive and daily business content listen to Wondery– the...

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 fingers, oxygen-gulping bacteria, rampant cockroaches and Steve Bannon, Biosphere 2 would become one of the biggest scientific flops in history. Alie...

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 to actually snag it. After an enterprising dude from Seattle gamed the points system, Pepsi was on the hook for…a jet. Kel Mitchell (Kenan &...

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 power of one rich a**hole. Comedians Ross Pomerantz (Corporate Bro) & Hari Kondabolu join Misha to figure out why Twitter HQ smells like burnt...

To anyone who grew up in the 2000s, Martha Stewart is probably more famous for going to jail than for her pumpkin pie. But there’s so much more to her story. And her saga lets us crack into the value of women’s work, the shifting nature of celebrity over the 2000s, and the most American scam of all: obscene wealth.  Scamfluencers is a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of some of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims, and what’s left...

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 the nursing rooms to cry. Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About) & Franchesca Ramsey (Black History For Real) join Misha to smash the glass...

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 hosting abilities on air, Fox did the unthinkable and invited Stern onto the show for a confrontation that is almost too uncomfortable to...

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 when it was revealed Bryan's eight pack abs were actually thanks to over $10,000 worth of steroids each month. Gianmarco Soresi & Ahmed...

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 a Twilight Tunnel and an Enchanted Garden! But what greeted them was both alarming and depressing: actors in bargain bin costumes performing a...

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 that famous red curtain. Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and...

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 critical response was severe... and so were the brow lifts. Allison Raskin and Gabe Dunn, co-hosts of Just Between Us, join Misha to discuss...

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 butt of every joke, with their producer laughing all the way to the bank. Comedians Demi Adejuyigbe (Gilmore Guys, The Good Place) and Moshe...

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 facing an environmental disaster of their own making...yet again. Podcast hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh (Too Beautiful to Live) join...

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 McMahon liked to call it, the "Extra Fun League." Social media sports superstar Annie Agar and comedian Noah Gardenswartz (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)...

Welcome to Bishop Gray Academy, a world of high-stakes and cut-throat competition.   Academy, a riveting coming-of-age audio drama co-produced by AT WILL MEDIA and Wondery, follows the story of Ava Richards, a scholarship student who transfers to Bishop Gray, one of the most elite and competitive boarding schools in America.   As Ava tries to find her place in this high-pressure environment, she soon crosses paths with an underground society known as The Night of the Wolf, which caters to...

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 potties overflowed, they ended up rioting. If you thought Fyre Fest was bad…at least it wasn’t actually on fire!  Journalist Sam Sanders (Vibe...

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 name on, but Hulk has simply never had the brains for business, brother! Comedians Brian Posehn (The Big Bang Theory, New Girl) and Ron...

When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret. From Wondery, the new season of Dr. Death: Bad Magic is a story of miraculous cures, magic and...

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 safety and privacy concerns hounded the specs as they quickly became a symbol of Silicon Valley elitism - and gifting us with the iconic term “Glass...