The Big Flop

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 hair now.

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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 once the facade falls away.

This is just a preview of Scamfluencers. Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, or at wondery.fm/scamfluencers-marthastewart.

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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 the nursing rooms to cry.

Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About) & Franchesca Ramsey (Black History For Real) join Misha to smash the glass ceiling (and dusty pink walls) of The Wing, and take a daring look inside its downfall.

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

Comedian W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America) and performer Reggie Watts (The Late Show With James Corden) join Misha to give a play-by-play of the doomed Magic Hour.

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

Gianmarco Soresi & Ahmed Al-kadri join Misha to disect the legend of the Liver King.

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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 a Twilight Tunnel and an Enchanted Garden! But what greeted them was both alarming and depressing: actors in bargain bin costumes performing a barely comprehensible A.I. written plot starring Willy McDuff, his Wonkidoodles and The Unknown. We rate this event one jelly bean!

Matt Bellassai and Sydney Battle from Wondery's Diss and Tell join Misha to dive head first into the (nonexistent) chocolate river and see what sweet treats Willy has in store (or not).

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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 that famous red curtain.

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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 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 the show that changed the face of reality TV forever.

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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 butt of every joke, with their producer laughing all the way to the bank.

Comedians Demi Adejuyigbe (Gilmore Guys, The Good Place) and Moshe Kasher (The Endless Honeymoon Podcast) join Misha to relive the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of Milli Vanilli.

Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

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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 facing an environmental disaster of their own making...yet again.

Podcast hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh (Too Beautiful to Live) join Misha to string together the details of Cleveland's failed Balloonfest of '86.

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