105: Happy New Year (it’s not optional)

Wow If True

#Bestmemepodcast #Internet #Internetculture #Internetfame #Internetfamepodcast #Memepodcast #Memes #Tech #News #Isabel J Kim And Amanda Silberling

26:28

Squid Game is back—and this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hun’s descent into vengeance, Guard 011’s daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends… or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of “Hot Sweet Potato.” SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…

about a year ago 1:02:19

MP3•Episode home

It's 2025, and we're flipping it turnways by bringing on the people who shape this podcast into something listenable. AKA, Amanda's in Florida and Isabel's talking with Allison and David about: Walmart Birkins, the ethics of smells (and of going viral for the smellthics), whether Tenet was a good movie, and the correct number of times to read the Odyssey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

120 episodes

Wow If True

105: Happy New Year (it’s not optional)

Wow If True

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

120 episodes

#Bestmemepodcast #Internet #Internetculture #Internetfame #Internetfamepodcast #Memepodcast #Memes #Tech #News #Isabel J Kim And Amanda Silberling

All episodes

Wow If True

1
119: We talk to Elon's Waifu 39:12

6 days ago39:12

39:12

Isabel and Amanda sacrifice the sanctity of their souls and talk to Ani, the very horny anime waifu that is now part of Elon Musk's Grok app. But don't worry, we balance it out by telling you a weirdly wholesome story about Tony Hawk. [This episode is NSFW; if you do not want to hear an AI panda talk about burning down schools, you also might wanna skip this one] Sources Amanda's article about Ani and Bad Rudy Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
118: Will the real Velvet Sundown please stand up 45:06

20 days ago45:06

45:06

Isabel and Amanda talk about two very different kinds of AI grift. In one, a man pretends to be real social media for the (probably) AI band "The Velvet Sundown." In another, Soham Parekh simply gets employed by every single AI startup at once. Sources The Velvet Sundown: https://medium.com/@andrew.frelon/i-am-andrew-frelon-the-guy-running-the-fake-velvet-sundown-twitter-fcab2b7e471b Soham: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/everyone-in-tech-has-an-opinion-about-soham-parekh/ Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
117: AI Boyfriends 1:03:14

5 weeks ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Isabel and Amanda throw out their other plans and instead talk about the subreddit “myboyfriendisAI” which is about, you guessed it, AI boyfriends and other types of digital partners. We also discuss Meta’s not-amazing practices and the LLM paper doing the rounds on the AI hater part of the internet, with Iz’s human partner weighing in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
116: Q+A (Unexpected Wet) 55:50

7 weeks ago55:50

55:50

You had questions. We have answers. We tell you about: the most "white lady" email we have sent; our screen time; fears of unexpected wet; life hacks for 29-year-olds specifically; Amanda's undying love for HBO Girls; cursed food content; political memes and earnestness; is there any good use of AI; and, unfortunately, not the 1944 US-Mexico Water Treaty. Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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115: Bad uses for AI (and olive oil) 51:36

9 weeks ago51:36

51:36

We explore all the ways that various AIs are going weird—sycophantic, white genocide focused, blackmailing its users, and not trusting Chargers fans. Also, we talk way too much about Sam Altman's olive oil choices, the Hugos, and Isabel talks for fifteen minutes about trying to get the internet installed. Which, hey, this is a podcast about the internet. And that includes calling Verizon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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114: We cannot doxx the Pope 49:35

11 weeks ago49:35

49:35

New pope! But why has this thousands-of-years-old process of choosing a new pope been... weirdly online? We're talking about that Vatican's bad OPSEC, the Pope's Twitter, the chimney livestream, and PopeCrave. Yes, we did find out later that the Pope is a White Sox fan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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113: Extremely Online Academics (ft. Dr. Claire Aubin) 59:21

13 weeks ago59:21

59:21

We chat with Dr. Claire Aubin, academic, American Nazi expert, and host of "This Guy Sucked," and mostly we just talk about the experience of being on social media as a public intellectual, and also, that one time Amanda worked for a fake professor. If you've ever wondered about academia beef, or how a person could work for a fake professor, this is the episode for you See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
112: The Endurance Episode 59:42

15 weeks ago59:42

59:42

Bitches love endurance .Think Twitch stream marathons. Think the 3-week livestream of moose migration happening at the time of this episode's publication. Think the first ever viral MrBeast video in which he simply counts to 100,000. From the Barkley Marathons to Cory Booker's day-long Senate speech, this is the episode in which we discover that people on the internet really like when people do stuff, but for a long time. Sources Jasmin Paris documentary Cory Booker’s Oura ring stats Moose Migration!!!!!!! Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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111: Ghiblification (and other things) 59:56

17 weeks ago59:56

59:56

Amanda and Isabel popcorn all over the place and talk about: Adding Jeffrey Goldberg to signal chats (and other chats!), Shinzo Abe memes, The Daily Routine (banana involved?), and the Ghiblification of All Things. Also, Isabel doesn’t know how to pronounce Charlemagne. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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110: Rare JD Vances + Claude Plays Pokémon 46:10

19 weeks ago46:10

46:10

Amanda tells Iz about Claude Plays Pokemon, where an AI wearing the skin of a beloved communal experience simply fails to make it out of Mt. Moon. Then Iz inflicts JD Vance memes on Amanda, explaining another sort of beloved communal experience: making JD Vance edits. Also—brodernism! Sources Amanda's article on Claude plays Pokémon Brodernism! An all time bad post :( Midroll links This Guy Sucked Cramped Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
109: Silicon Valley's Breeding Kink 54:54

21 weeks ago54:54

54:54

The Silicon Valley bros are not okay, and neither are their indeterminate number of genetic offspring. We discuss why the rightwing tech elite are obsessed with having babies, and more importantly, how can we possibly move forward with our lives now that we have [spoilers] learned about a new Elon baby live on air? Sources “The Tech Baron Seeking to Purge San Francisco of ‘Blues’” Amanda’s “Uber with Guns” article Ashley St. Clair sues Elon Musk for custody Grimes’ custody struggles with Elon Musk “Why the Left Should Embrace Pronatalism” “A fired federal worker grapples with her vote for Trump” Bryan Johnson is, well, yeah Find Us Online Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wowiftrue.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
108: We ask a bunch of men if they read 58:16

23 weeks ago58:16

58:16

Everyone cites a statistic about how men don't read, but no one knows where that statistic comes from -- so, we did our own very sound scientific study and talked to some men we know about reading. Saunas are involved. Wow if True except every time you ask a man if they read the room gets one degree hotter because we are in a sauna. Thanks to Eric Silver, Sam Rizer, David Newtown, and an amorphous disembodied chorus of Isabel's high school friends ("myst cult") in a sauna for participating. Sources: The viral panic around men's reading habits, fact-checked: https://www.vox.com/culture/392971/men-reading-fiction-statistics-fact-checked Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
107: Reading men, men reading 57:53

26 weeks ago57:53

57:53

We’re out here talking about romantasy and lawsuits related to romantasy. No, not the omegaverse one. OK, a little bit the omegaverse one. Also, asking the age of question: do men read. (Also, a note for the sharp-eared listeners, we don't talk about public domain day despite promising it - next ep!) Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
106: Naked Knife Fight 52:06

28 weeks ago52:06

52:06

We travel back in time to the day after Thanksgiving, a calmer and more peaceful era. Just kidding, we're here talking about the naked knife fight, a reference everyone will only understand in 2026. Amanda reads 98% of Isabel's book, Isabel opines on the neccessity of conventions for publishing, and we talk way too long about pottery and hot ass. Also: fish hats, now trending in orca populations near you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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105: Happy New Year (it’s not optional) 1:02:19

30 weeks ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Wow If True

1
104: Luigi 41:55

32 weeks ago41:55

41:55

We discuss the internet's reaction to the United Healthcare CEO shooting and the suspect, Luigi Mangione, from a perspective sorely missing from the national conversation: two people who also went to Penn. Finally, something we have true expertise in. Also: how attractiveness relates to public opinion, online sentiment toward Luigi, and you know, the whole murder thing. Links NYT thinks Luigi is too hot: https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ny-times-doesnt-want-you-to-see-mangiones Lit Hub on Luigi's Goodreads: https://lithub.com/luigi-mangione-is-currently-reading-what-can-we-really-learn-about-the-uhc-ceos-killer-based-on-the-books-hes-read/ Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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103: 4B 39:48

34 weeks ago39:48

39:48

In this episode: somehow, no one makes a 4Beez nuts joke. Also, we talk about the Korean 4B feminist movement strangely gaining steam on American TikTok after the election, and how the right is mad that women are shaving their heads, but no one is actually shaving their heads. Also, bald correspondent Joe joins us in the studio -- we literally mean a studio this time, we were in a studio weirdly... wow if true... Links: Volante Design: https://www.volantedesign.us/ (use code WOW for 10% off!) Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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102: Glow in the Dark 53:08

36 weeks ago53:08

53:08

Iz and Amanda talk about: glow in the dark condoms, America's most evil liberal, the double bongcloud, Isabel's book career and the fact that she needs to become a TikTok star, and bringing the portal to Philadelphia, ft. cameo by Iz's boyfriend, at the most appropriate time. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
101: Wow if True 101 46:58

38 weeks ago46:58

46:58

Time for Wow if True 101, a brief look back at the history of Wow if True. By brief, we mean an hour. Iz and Amanda talk about the trajectory of Wow if True and also, their lives. This one's MAD parasocial. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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100: The Pokémon Leaks 54:03

40 weeks ago54:03

54:03

We made it to a hundred episodes! Unfortunately, all celebration must be postponed because Isabel needs to read Amanda far too much Pokémon mythology. That's right, we're talking about the big Pokémon data leak and the resulting Typhlosion memes. By this we mean Pokémon fucking. We're talking about Pokémon fucking. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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99: Leave Chappell Alone 57:15

42 weeks ago57:15

57:15

What do celebrities owe us? What do your local podcasters owe you? Does anyone ever owe anyone anything? We discuss whether celebrity endorsements are a positive or negative development, and also whether men deserve candles. Thank you to ~research assistant~ Brae Parenteau for their help on this episode! Sources Chappell Roan’s feature in Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-fame-fans-1235094314/ Harvard study on celebrities’ political impact: https://ash.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ash-Center-Study_Celebrities-Strengthening-Our-Culture-of-Democracy_Final.pdf Taylor Swift + Vote.org stats: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/us/politics/taylor-swift-voter-registration.html Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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98: The Water Bottle Industrial Complex 1:03:43

44 weeks ago1:03:43

1:03:43

This episode has it all: and by, it all, we mean that Amanda spends about a full twenty minutes talking about her celebrity crush. And yet, through the power of podcasting, we manage to dive into the history of Stanley Cups and Owalas and how water bottles became fashion statements. We even interviewed Dr. Jess Rauchberg, a professor at Seton Hall studying digital culture, about water bottle culture. Amanda's celebrity crush DOES somehow relate to water bottles, but not in the way you think. Links Jess Rauchberg: https://x.com/JessRauchberg Soda craze in Utah: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/dining/swig-soda-shop-chains.html Utah & the Stanley trend: https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/01/17/stanley-cup-utah-trend-starbucks-target Is this even eco-friendly: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/11/health/water-bottles-beverages.html Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

1
97: Dueling Friends 46:18

46 weeks ago46:18

46:18

So what's a friend, anyway? Well, if you're making an AI startup, a friend is a mic who is always listening :) Iz and Amanda discover the power of friendship and also the power of buying the url friend.com and also the power of reading The Power Broker, Robert Caro's 1162 page epic. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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96: Pepe the Frog 1:00:04

48 weeks ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Pepe: the frog, the myth, the legend. We go all-in on a deep dive on what Pepe has meant as a cultural symbol – from frog, to neo-nazi, to grassroots rebel, and somehow, to a crypto symbol. Sometimes a frog simply contains multitudes. Feels good man. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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95: Can you copyright an egg? 54:43

50 weeks ago54:43

54:43

None of this episode is legal advice. We're joined by IP attorney Sam Doesntwantrealnameincluded, and we discuss the legality of stealing Scarlett Johannson's voice for your AI, or if she can sue you for one billion dollars (trick question: its always legal to sue in America!). Also, listener questions about copyrighting the internet, answered with varying degrees of legal fidelity. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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94: Anime Girl LLMs 45:46

52 weeks ago45:46

45:46

So what is the point of any technology? That's right. To more accurately simulate anime girls. We talk about the relationship between LLMs (large language models), anime girls, and pornography. Also, Iz forces her boyfriend to run jailbroken LLMs to test out ERP (erotic roleplay) prompts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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93: Anonymity 53:28

1 year ago53:28

53:28

We're back from our break, more powerful than ever, and maybe even strong enough to talk about anonymous social media and whether it's good or bad (or, perhaps, it's not that simple). Amanda writes a book report, Iz grades a book report, we both reminisce about being anonymous teenagers on the internet. Also: oh, hey YikYak, we thought you were dead. Sources: Instagram is toxic for teen girls (WSJ): https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739 Yik Yak background (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/28/yik-yak-shuts-down-after-square-paid-1-million-for-its-engineers/ Yik Yak Hack (Motherboard): https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kbnna/anonymous-social-media-app-yik-yak-exposed-users-precise-locations Sidechat buys Yik Yak (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/16/anonymous-app-sidechat-picks-up-rival-yik-yak-and-users-arent-happy/ Sidechat (NYT): https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/style/sidechat-app-college.html Formspring (NYT): https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06formspring.html Fizz (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/04/fizz-app-college-stanford-social/ EFF on Anonymity: https://www.eff.org/issues/anonymity Age verification laws (TechCrunch): https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/14/pornhub-disables-access-in-texas-due-to-age-verification-law/ Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude , a podcast collective, production studio and ad sales provider. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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Welcome to Wow If True! 0:57

1 year ago0:57

0:57

Wow If True is your one-stop internet culture shop, explaining how what’s happening online shapes the real world. And we’re the internet experts and real-life besties to unravel it: tech culture journalist Amanda Silberling and science fiction author slash attorney Isabel J. Kim, Esq. More importantly, we’re the only podcast that will mention Neopets and horizontal mergers in the same episode. New episode every other Wednesday. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our editors are Allison Mills and David Newtown. Wow If True is a member of Multitude Productions , an independent podcast collective and production studio. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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92: DOJ vs Ticketmaster 37:06

1 year ago37:06

37:06

In this episode: Iz finally puts her law degree to good use and explains the complaint that the Department of Justice filed against Ticketmaster and Live Nation regarding their many, many antitrust oopsies (This is not the technical term). Also, PBJ metaphors, DND podcast liveshow discussion, and EBITDA, but only conceptually. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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91: Mouth Biohacking 40:42

1 year ago40:42

40:42

In this episode: We discuss "mouth biohacking" and all the fun things (rationalism, experimental mouth technologies and silicon valley, Amanda's beautiful mouth) that go along with it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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90: Erewhonpilled Smoothiemaxxer 46:23

1 year ago46:23

46:23

In this episode: Our luxury fashion correspondent (and half of our editing team), Allison Mills, is back to talk with us about Erewhon. Why are are talking about a grocery store chain from California? Because they sell 32 dollar ice and routinely go viral on social media (mostly because of the 18 dollar smoothies). Also, Morgan Sung joins us as our west coast correspondent, we learn what a macrobiotic diet is, and everyone now really wants a smoothie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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89: Isabel got a book deal! 53:22

1 year ago53:22

53:22

Isabel got a seven figure book deal and got the book optioned, but she continues to threaten to kill people on our podcast (especially the kid in the Omelas hole). No, this is not a bit. Iz is god's favorite princess, and Amanda can run a mile without stopping. Links Isabel's book deal announcement! The story about killing the kid in the Omelas hole Most importantly... NEW MERCH! Get your very own shirt/mug that says "I listened to Wow If True before Isabel J. Kim got a seven figure book deal." This merch is very funny and good. Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our music is by Sam Rizer, our cover art is by Eric Silver, and our production is by Allison Mills and David Newtown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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88: How we learned about handwashing 35:20

1 year ago35:20

35:20

The history of handwashing? It's way wilder than you think. Isabel is once again out of the country and/or concussed, which means Amanda is joined by her friends Caro and Andrea to talk about everyone's favorite 19th century handwashing accelerationist, Ignac Semmelweis. What does this have to do with the internet? Well, if you're going to go outside and touch grass (preferably while listening to this podcast), you're going to need to wash your hands when you come back inside. TW: medical gore, death, dissection, infection, drugs Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our music is by Sam Rizer, our cover art is by Eric Silver, and our production is by Allison Mills and David Newtown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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87: Do you think MrBeast is happy? 51:29

1 year ago51:29

51:29

The most successful internet creator of all time is a guy named Jimmy who locks people in grocery stores for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Like him or not, MrBeast is such a fascinating figure in pop culture that we have become MrBeast anthropologists. Beastly scholars. Why do people like MrBeast so much? How does MrBeast (and the prizewinners in his videos) fit into the narrative of the American Dream, and how will that be exaggerated now that he has his own TV show? Is he even happy? And more urgently, is his chocolate any good? Links MrBeast's Squid Game and the price of viral stunts The new American Dream is to get MrBeast to pay off your debt Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our music is by Sam Rizer, our cover art is by Eric Silver, and our production is by Allison Mills and David Newtown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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85: Wow if Two 1:04:09

1 year ago1:04:09

1:04:09

In this episode, we discuss the only thing congress can agree upon: yeeting Tiktok into the sun and away from the hands of America's youth. Also, the Iditarod and how to properly gut a moose, crypto perfume (question for the audience: what do YOU think crypto smells like?), and the mandatory Kate Middleton AI photograph discussion. Never say we're not on trend. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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84: Marianne Williamson Beef (ft. Organizer Memes) 50:11

1 year ago50:11

50:11

The sequel to Organizer Memes. It's throwback....Wednesday, and Organizer Memes is here talking with Amanda about memes and political organizing, three years later. Time is a flat circle. Joe Biden is running for president again (but this time, with meme merch). Speaking of meme merch, we've got a new portable hole mug. WOTC please no suing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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83: Communism or incompetence 58:49

1 year ago58:49

58:49

In this episode: Isabel explains why she is glad she didn't win a Hugo this year (hint: there's niche community drama), Amanda gets philosophical about the Taylor Swift deepfake debacle and pisses off tech CEOs again, and all of us collectively ooh and aah at the miracle of brumation. Did we mention we have merch ? And a Patreon ? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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82: Craving Hole 36:31

2 years ago36:31

36:31

In this episode, we talk about hole. The ocean (and the world cruise floating on it) is a big hole. The Stanley cup is a small hole. The tunnels under the Chabad in Brooklyn? That's a medium size hole, baby. And this podcast? Well, it's a hole for your ears. Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Too bad, you've already fallen in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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81: Everybody is using panels 59:28

2 years ago59:28

59:28

Happy new year, which means happy public domain day! We talk about Steamboat Willie, our favorite (and least favorite) internet moments of 2023, how to eat crabs, etc. We play two (2) whole games, like Wow if Two Truths and a Lie and the now-annual public domain game! The Isabel book club! We sliced the meme! More about Steamboat Willie: https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/02/steamboat-willie-mickey-mouse-public-domain/ Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our music is by Sam Rizer, our cover art is by Eric Silver, and our production is by Allison Mills and David Newtown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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80: Free Floss 52:20

2 years ago52:20

52:20

In this episode: Iz is back, and the internet explodes. The worldwide cruise begins, publishing has another crisis, and the goat is eaten by birds. Some days nothing happens. Other days, everything happens. Welcome back to the two host experience. Now in apple cinnamon flavor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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79: Crab rave for Henry Kissinger 38:50

2 years ago38:50

38:50

In this episode: Isabel has a concussion and a cold at the same time, so Amanda does the podcast alone and has an existential crisis. While confronting her vulnerability and loneliness without her other podcasting half, Amanda tells you about Henry Kissinger death memes, weird fanfic theories, OpenAI drama, and crabs. Links Mark Yarm on Henry Kissinger memes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/05/26/kissinger-death-memes/ OpenAI and bad HP fanfic collide: https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/21/what-does-a-harry-potter-fanfic-have-to-do-with-openai/ Crab rave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU_Txk06tM Find Us Online Twitter: https://twitter.com/wowiftruepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wowiftrue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wowiftrue Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wowiftrue Website: https://wowiftrue.com/ Email: wowiftruepod@gmail.com About Us Wow If True was created by Isabel J. Kim and Amanda Silberling . Our music is by Sam Rizer, our cover art is by Eric Silver, and our production is by Allison Mills and David Newtown. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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78: RIP Omegle 55:06

2 years ago55:06

55:06

In this episode: we arrive at the conclusion that the internet is nothing if not AI and [redacted]. We are extremely sorry. We also regret to inform you that Omegle is dead, and Tumblr... Tumblr is not dead, but it's not necessarily thriving! Also, we have thoughts and opinions about Minnesota, an entity we normally have zero thoughts and opinions about. RIP Omegle: https://www.404media.co/omegle-shut-down-offline/ Omegle founder's statement: https://www.omegle.com/ What's going on with Tumblr? https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/10/automattic-ceo-matt-mullenweg-details-tumblrs-future-after-re-org/ Minnesota dog flag submission: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F-cfTG-XoAABZc6?format=jpg&name=large See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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77: Glassfall 37:51

2 years ago37:51

37:51

In this episode: Isabel has taken over, and now we are a narrative podcast about ghosts. Yes, halloween was yesterday. No, this is not a bit. Yes, this is a fully produced demo of a narrative podcast about a city on the mouth of hell and also, necromancy. Back to regular programming next episode! The voice of Emory is Andromeda, the voice of Isaac is Isabel, the voice of Annette is Bryan/Ultralord from Jimmy Neutron, and the voice of Commissioner Yarrow is Quest. Music by Joc. Writing by Isabel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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76: The Horrors 49:36

2 years ago49:36

49:36

In this episode: we are experiencing the full spectrum of human experience -- homestuck, dystopian corporate therapy, and baseball. Also, Iz explains the state of wizard fiction pre-Hugo Awards, and Amanda talks about why the internet isn't fun anymore. But you know what IS fun? Podcasts. Specifically ours. Also the Philadelphia Phillies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Wow If True

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75: Locked in a Grocery Store 56:11

2 years ago56:11