Everybody loves to gossip, especially when it comes to celebrities. On the show today, Rachelle is joined by Normal Gossip host Kelsey McKinney to talk about the state of internet gossip. They discuss the early days of online gossip from Gawker, Perez Hilton, and Reality Steve, how social media changed the gossip landscape, and why those changes have made it so we all have the chance to be the subject of online gossip. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Ros...
Jul 30, 2022•35 min
On today’s show: more scams! Rachelle is joined by Daily Beast entertainment editor and former Slatester Allegra Frank; the two discuss the launch and social media rollout of the new multi-level marketing company Elomir. Later in the episode they examine how, despite the abundance of information on MLMs predatory nature, they still manage to pull people in. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Kevin Bendis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Jul 27, 2022•35 min
It’s been a great run, but Madison is leaving ICYMI for new ventures. On today’s show, Rachelle interviews Madison about her time working on ICYMI, her own internet habits, and her first online scams. Plus, they’ve got a round of High Speed Downloads, perhaps the greatest one ever recorded, so get ready to be shocked and astonished in the best way. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Jul 23, 2022•34 min
On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. They’ve got people wondering about a giant frog army on TikTok, Christy Carlson Romano doing sponcon cameos, dubious hygienic practices, and more. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 20, 2022•32 min
Recently, it seems like our phones won’t stop buzzing with texts and phone calls about our expired car warranties or supposed IRS delinquency. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss their own recent brushes with scams, a recent piece in the Washington Post about how scams take more than an economic toll on us, and why none of us should feel bad if we get taken in by them. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Madison Malone Kircher, and Daisy Rosario. Learn more ...
Jul 16, 2022•32 min
This past week Doja Cat started fighting with Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, and Cardi B beefed with the gossip blog the Shade Room. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle break down what’s really going on in these two fights, and how the Shade Room became a toxic behemoth of internet gossip. Plus, they talk about Beanie Feldstein bowing out of Funny Girl on Broadway, and what it means now that Lea Michele is taking the stage. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, Ma...
Jul 13, 2022•35 min
Last weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru premiered and a bunch of teens showed up to see it dressed up in suits, launching the #Gentleminions trend across TikTok. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about why teens are putting on suits to go to the movies, and how the minions became such a dominant cultural and capitalistic force. Then, they’re joined by Vox’s Rebecca Jennings to discuss her latest piece on what the minions reveal about labor exploitation. This podcast is produced by Dani...
Jul 09, 2022•32 min
The Instagram account No White Saviors presented itself as an organization that exposed missionaries, aide workers, and influencers who were actively harming the communities they were in, but the story is much darker and more confusing than that. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison are joined once again by journalist Jessica Lucas to talk about her latest piece for Input magazine on the dubious nature and recent implosion of No White Saviors. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rache...
Jul 06, 2022•28 min
In the past month, customers of the meal delivery service Daily Harvest have been suffering from gastrointestinal distress after eating the company’s French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, and some have even required surgery. The company is currently investigating the cause of these medical issues but has yet to find anything conclusive. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison speak to Luke Pearson, an influencer who received the product in a PR package from Daily Harvest and has since had to have his gal...
Jul 02, 2022•31 min
On this week’s episode, Rachelle and Madison decided that, because of the recent Supreme Court news, it was time to take respite in some good online fun. They talk about the Olsen twins making pizza, Adam Lambert’s stellar vocals, plastic bags, musicals, and plenty more. Make sure to check out our Twitter for a thread with all the things mentioned in today’s episode. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Jun 29, 2022•29 min
Log onto any social app and you’ll quickly find content that’s been ported over from another platform. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison talk about the homogenization of internet humor and how every platform is trying to copy its competition. Then they discuss the return of anonymous online spaces with the new app NGL, an app that allows people to solicit anonymous comments and questions from Instagram, and why these anonymous spaces always tend toward toxicity. Make sure to check out our ...
Jun 25, 2022•33 min
Lesbians on dating and hookup apps aren’t looking for men, but that’s what platforms like Bumble and Tinder are serving them. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle speak to some queer women who’ve had this problem and what sorts of issues it creates. Then they discuss the women-focused apps that’ve tried to fill that space, and why it’s so difficult to find safe queer dates online. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, and Rachelle Hampton. Learn more about your a...
Jun 22, 2022•36 min
Earlier this month, the American Girl Doll Instagram account announced the return of the classic Molly doll, and because it was announced during Pride month everybody started wondering, “Is Molly gay?” On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison discuss the recent gay panic of the conservative American Doll Instagram community, the online life of American Girl memes, and their own histories with these beloved childhood treasures. Plus, they discuss the drama around Lizzo’s “GRRRLS” and why she’s one o...
Jun 18, 2022•32 min
Throughout the 2010s, the One Direction fandom was inescapable online. On today’s show, Atlantic writer Kaitlyn Tiffany is here to discuss her new book all about that subject, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It. Rachelle and Madison talk to Kaitlyn about why she chose One Direction, how fan theories get out of hand, and why neither she nor Rachelle would ever want to meet Harry Styles. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Ma...
Jun 15, 2022•32 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle and Madison dabble in some TikTok approved ASMR. Later they’re joined by Vice Senior Staff Writer, Anna Merlan, for an interview about political ads and the left leaning campaigns that pay influencers to produce policy based content - despite TikTok’s stringent rules. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder, Madison Malone Kircher, Rachelle Hampton, and Kevin Bendis Support ICYMI and listen to the show with zero ads. Sign up to become a Slate Plus member for just $1 f...
Jun 11, 2022•34 min
Over the past few months, musicians have been posting on TikTok about how their record labels are forcing them to make TikTok videos to promote their new music. On the show today, Rachelle and Madison look at what all these famous musicians like Charli XCX, Florence Welch, and Ed Sheeran are posting, why the music industry is so desperate for viral hits, and who we should feel sorry for in all of this. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Le...
Jun 08, 2022•29 min
The Mormon moms on TikTok are accused of “soft swinging,” or engaging in sexual acts with people other than their spouses while their spouses are in the room, and people cannot stop asking about it. On the show today, Madison and Rachelle talk about Liam Payne’s recent comments about his former One Direction bandmates, and then they’re back with High Speed Downloads about the Early American Youtube channel, and the drama surrounding the Mormon moms of TikTok. This podcast is produced by Daniel S...
Jun 04, 2022•29 min
Since it started over six weeks ago, the court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has been impossible to escape online. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison look at the troubling ways people are discussing the trial, the cottage industry of lawyers reacting to the trial, and the stakes that have been lost in the breathless coverage and endless meme-ing of Heard and Depp. This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Madison Malone Kircher. Learn more about your ad ...
Jun 01, 2022•31 min
Earlier this month, Bobbi Brown’s new foundation line blew up on TikTok thanks to some rather ungenerous videos from beauty influencers. In an effort to defend her new Jones Road line, Brown took to TikTok and filmed her own response, rocketing the drama into the TikTok mainstream. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle dig through the drama to explain why this isn’t just a story about one makeup company, and what it reveals about the state of the influencer industry. Podcast production by Daniel...
May 28, 2022•30 min
On today’s episode, it’s mailbag time! Rachelle and Madison answer listener questions on a very important Haley Kiyoko relationship status update, if the Apple Health app is also selling your biological data, and – shudder – whether there is a new Couch Guy. Plus, Madison herself has a very important question about resizing your jeans. Mentioned in the Show: “I’m the TikTok Couch Guy. Here’s What It Was Like Being Investigated on the Internet” by Robert McCoy Podcast production by Daniel Schroed...
May 25, 2022•31 min
While TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to get inside users’ heads—and only show them videos about their niche interests—certain trends and sounds on the app can become too big to avoid. On this week’s episode, Madison and guest host Moises Mendes II break down the disturbing ubiquity of TikToks making fun of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial. Then, they offer insight into the app’s newest dance craze and our strongest contender for 2022 song of the summer, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” Finally,...
May 21, 2022•31 min
In this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher speak with Dion Beary, a writer and online community builder who founded the Tumblr blog This Is White Privilege. They talk with Beary about where that blog began, its impact on online discourse, and why he stepped away. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Derek John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 18, 2022•26 min
The “troubled teen” industry, which refers to a network of private wilderness youth programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and residential treatment centers has recently come under scrutiny thanks to TikTok. Survivors of this industry have taken to the app to post stories of their traumatic experiences. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk to Kendee and Daniel, two TikTokkers who’ve become voices of the “troubled teen” industry survivor movement. They take us through what they refer to as...
May 14, 2022•30 min
“Am I the asshole?” The provocative question lies at the heart of a wildly popular subreddit whose reach has spread far beyond the platform. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison dig into the history and legacy of the 4-million-subscriber-strong advice forum that is the “Am I the Asshole” subreddit. They speak with Mallola Khalidi, a TikTokker who’s blown up on the platform after she started filming herself reading AITA posts. They discuss how she got started, how her videos have been received, ...
May 11, 2022•29 min
After the Supreme Court opinion dismantling Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this week, social media has been flooded with people telling you to delete your period tracker apps. On today’s show, Rachelle and Madison talk about their own experiences using period tracking apps, the ways your personal data can be purchased and used against you, and why data privacy in this country is nothing but a joke. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
May 07, 2022•32 min
The ICYMI mailbag is full once again so Rachelle and Madison decided to read some listener letters for today’s episode. On the show, they answer questions about a recent theory that Wes Anderson’s films have the trappings of fascist art, bad resurfaced tweets from online influencer Tinx, people over on TikTok talking about cussing, and more. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 04, 2022•29 min
Lea Michele is in the news again because of some rather personal details she reveals about her relationship with her Spring Awakening co-star, Jonathan Groff, in a new documentary about the musical. At the same time, the internet conspiracy theory that the former Glee star is illiterate has resurfaced. On the show today, Rachelle and Allegra enumerate the reasons Lea’s trending once again, the details about her ability to read, and why the internet loves to hate her. Podcast production by Daniel...
Apr 30, 2022•33 min
TikTok star William White has a large and devoted fanbase of middle-aged women lusting after him as he lip-syncs to ‘80s songs. But things have taken a darker turn recently, as his fans have started turning on each other. On today’s show, Madison and Rachelle talk with journalist Jessica Lucas, who reported on White’s fanbase in a recent piece for Input. They discuss why these women are so obsessed with him, the alarming culture that has sprung up around him, and how he’s used his following for ...
Apr 27, 2022•28 min
In the past few years, trend pieces have flooded the internet telling us that Gen Z is a bunch of “puriteens” and not having as much sex as the rest of us. Looks like we’ve got a new moral panic on our hands. On today’s show, You’re Wrong About’s Sarah Marshall joins Rachelle to talk about the hand-wringing reasons people think the youth aren’t engaging in sex, why our society is so obsessed with the sex lives of teenagers, and how Gen Z might just have the healthiest relationship with sex yet, ...
Apr 23, 2022•34 min
Three people involved with Club Penguin Rewritten, a fan-made remake of a popular Disney game, were arrested last week by the City of London police because they were infringing on Disney’s copyright. On the show today, Rachelle and Allegra talk about the history of Club Penguin, growing up on browser games, and what this news could mean for other fan-created remakes of now-defunct games. Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 20, 2022•33 min
