When Elon Musk boasted to Shervin Pishevar about inventing a revolutionary form of transportation, Pishevar took him at his word — turns out with Elon, that's a huge mistake. Musk promised travel at the speed of sound, unprecedented city connections, and a complete societal transformation, but conveniently left out the potential for catastrophic failure. After wasting millions of dollars and buckets of clout on the promise of Hyperloop, MULTIPLE billionaires are still reeling from the experience...
Oct 21, 2024•50 min•Ep. 58
In the 80s and 90s, the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program sent police officers into schools to teach kids to stay off drugs. D.A.R.E.'s cringey curriculum was taught in schools all over the U.S., spawning lame PSAs, a whole bunch of weird merchandise, and maybe some light childhood trauma. There was just one problem… D.A.R.E. didn’t actually work. It did, however, cost taxpayers millions of dollars and miseducated a whole generation of kids. Jon Gabrus ( High and Mighty, The Act...
Oct 14, 2024•45 min•Ep. 57
For years, “lean finely textured beef” was added to meat products that could be found in supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and school cafeterias across America. Most consumers had no idea that this gooey, salmon-colored substance was in their food. Finely textured beef was a million dollar business, but it wound up setting off an all out PR-war between a meat magnate and some food bloggers that brought one of the biggest beef companies in the U.S. to the brink of collapse. It all started when...
Oct 07, 2024•47 min•Ep. 56
In 2013, a British TV producer named Danny Fenton brought 12 American women to England to take part in a new reality dating show. The yanks were led to believe that they had a chance to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in the world: Prince Harry of the British royal family. There was just one problem: the guy they were competing for was actually a Harry look-alike. Even though Fenton spent a princely sum trying to gaslight his way to ratings gold, the show wound up being one of reality t...
Sep 30, 2024•45 min•Ep. 55
At the turn of the millenium, Blockbuster Video, with its ubiquitous blue-and-yellow stores, was the reigning champion of movie rentals. But early on, when presented with the chance to buy a little company called Netflix... Blockbuster made the wrong choice. Despite attempts to launch online rental services, the quaint allure of browsing store aisles couldn't compete with the instant gratification of streaming. In the end, boardroom squabbling and Blockbuster's stubborn adherence to nostalgia le...
Sep 23, 2024•53 min•Ep. 54
At 2:30AM on Thanksgiving night 2009, Tiger Woods, one of the most famous athletes in the world, drove his car into a tree outside his neighbor’s house. This bizarre accident set off a chain of events that exposed Tiger’s secret affairs to the world and wound up wrecking more than his Escalade: It wrecked his marriage, and almost totaled his career. Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams from Even the Rich join Misha to tee off on the salacious scandals of Tiger Woods. Follow The Big Flop ...
Sep 16, 2024•48 min•Ep. 53
Celebration, Florida was conceived by the Disney Corporation as a magical utopian community, something straight out of a fairy tale—meticulously planned, picturesque neighborhoods replete with ice cream parlors, bike paths, and state-of-the-art facilities. But the promise of living in a theme park soon became nauseating thanks to a greedy real estate developer, crumbling houses, rampant divorces and allegedly… swingers? In the end, a confusing combo of micromanagement and neglect left residents ...
Sep 09, 2024•40 min•Ep. 52
It was the nip slip seen round the world. Whether by accident or on purpose, the nation caught a brief glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast on live television during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show while she was performing with Justin Timberlake. Quickly dubbed "Nipplegate," the incident ignited a firestorm of controversy and debate over broadcast decency standards and media regulation. It led to a flood of complaints to the FCC, significant fines for broadcasters, and a lasting impact on cultura...
Sep 02, 2024•49 min•Ep. 51
Sam Bankman-Fried was the king of crypto, living large in a penthouse in the Bahamas. But his billion dollar empire was built on a foundation of fraud, and when his dubious deals were exposed, this crypto bro went from blockchain to a cell block. Fabrizio Copano (4th From the South) and Zoltan Kaszas (This Week in Zoltan, Honorary Jones) join Misha to decrypt how Sam Bankman-Fried lost his shirt--his grungy, rumpled shirt. Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcas...
Aug 26, 2024•49 min•Ep. 50
Billionaire Stockton Rush III dreamt of exploring the Titanic. Only problem? It's really freaking hard to get to. So he pieced together the world's shoddiest submersible built from Playstation parts and promised rich tourists a view of the Titanic for the price of $250,000. Less than two hours into the dive, Rush's dream quite literally imploded... taking 4 people with him. At least, according to sonar readings, Rush really went out with a bang. Jake Cornell (Hey Big Guy, Man & Woman) and co...
Aug 19, 2024•46 min•Ep. 49
Game Of Thrones entered its final season as the undisputed king of TV. Every Sunday, millions would take a seat in the church of HBO in hopes of witnessing another Battle of the Bastards. Creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss needed to deliver a finale so grand it would make King’s Landing look like the Iron Islands. But when they were met with grueling night shoots, sloppy production mistakes, and no source material to base their ending off of, the final season basically Red Wedding-ed itself.&...
Aug 12, 2024•52 min•Ep. 48
Gigli would go down in history as not only one of the biggest box office bombs… but also the reason Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez broke up the first time. In 2001, Oscar nominated filmmaker Martin Brest penned the gritty tale of a lowlife mobster unable to escape his mundane existence, but by 2003 Gigli had been reverse engineered into a corny, sloppy, rom-com thanks to the Hollywood “it” couple at its center: Bennifer. Gigli was such a cringe-inducing flop, it lost $70 million and earned its p...
Aug 05, 2024•46 min•Ep. 47
How much do you think about the Roman Empire? Emperor Nero’s answer would have been “not that much.” At just 16 years old, Nero starts his reign off with a bang, throwing lavish festivals for the plebs and giving himself headlining gigs as an aspiring singer-songwriter. But thanks to a power-hungry mom, some heated rivalries, and a whole lot of sex with people who are not his wife, Nero goes down in actual flames. Rachel Bloom ( Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ) joins Misha to tell the epic tale of how Nero...
Jul 29, 2024•46 min•Ep. 46
Figure skating rivals Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan were set to face off at the 1994 Olympics... but Tonya decided to try and eliminate the competition a little early. When a botched attempt to “kneecap” Kerrigan before the Olympics led back to Tonya and her inner circle of inept criminals, Harding was thrust into a media frenzy that spiraled into a triple axel of chaos. Liza Treyger ( That's Messed Up, Survival of the Thickest ) and Shannon Fiedler ( Just Like Other Girls ) join Misha to giv...
Jul 22, 2024•47 min•Ep. 45
Back in the day, Salem Village was awash in bad vibes. What started as a few stressed out colonial tweens messing around became a conspiracy of religious paranoia with townsfolk turning on each other quicker than Kendrick and Drake. Months of false testimony and baseless accusations in packed courtrooms resulted in death, ruin, and one of the most embarrassing judicial failures of all time. The co-hosts of, And That's Why We Drink , Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer, join Misha to hex the patriar...
Jul 15, 2024•45 min•Ep. 44
You know the Bronco chase, the trial and the glove, but do you know …the book? In 2006, O.J. Simpson teamed up with prominent publisher, Judith Regan, to make a killing from his controversial life story. With the help of a ghostwriter, they created a “hypothetical” tell-all book about the actual murders O.J. stood trial for. Thousands of copies were printed and a companion TV special was filmed. But, when news of the unsavory book surfaced, there was an uproar, leading to the cancellation of the...
Jul 08, 2024•44 min•Ep. 43
In 1972, five clumsy burglars broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. They were armed with tear gas pens, wads of cash, and enough surveillance equipment to make the NSA blush - and they were immediately caught. What could’ve been written off as the dumbest burglary in history swiftly unraveled through leaks from gossip queen Martha “Mouth of the South” Mitchell and an investigation by reporters Woodward and Bernstein. Suddenly it became clear that the b...
Jul 01, 2024•50 min•Ep. 42
Before it became the butt of countless jokes and the preferred transportation for mall cops, the Segway had grand ambitions. Its inventor, Dean Kamen, believed his self-balancing, two-wheeled electric scooter would change the way we get around, and ultimately eliminate the need for cars all together. But when the rubber met the road and consumers met Segway’s slow speed, short battery life, and general uselessness, sales fell off a cliff... and so did the CEO of the company while driving one. Ad...
Jun 24, 2024•42 min•Ep. 41
In the early 90’s, an earth shattering event occurred that would change the face of American culture forever: Coca-Cola changed their recipe. New Coke was supposed to be sweeter to combat the rising popularity of Pepsi, but the customer reaction was decidedly sour. Lawsuits and public outrage contributed to the PR Nightmare - somehow hiring Bill Cosby as their spokesperson wasn’t the worst business decision Coca-Cola made that year! Preacher Lawson ( My Name Is Preacher, America’s Got Talent ) a...
Jun 17, 2024•47 min•Ep. 40
When JCPenney, the 100-year-old department store, decided to rebrand in 2011, they sought the best in the biz to give them a makeover. Enter Ron Johnson, the affable retail genius behind the Apple Store. Hailed as a techy visionary, Johnson was supposed to reinvent the brand. Instead, he alienated customers with high prices and a baffling shopping experience. Martha Stewart and a tea kettle that somehow actually looked like Hitler all contributed to this failed experiment that cost the once belo...
Jun 10, 2024•49 min•Ep. 39
After 30 years of development, Procter & Gamble rolled out a new, calorie-free oil substitute with the luxurious name, Olestra. This “miracle food” was supposed to revolutionize junk food and allow snackers to eat all the chips and crackers they could cram down their gullets without gaining any weight. Unfortunately for Procter & Gamble, Olestra did not help them meet their bottom line. Did customers have trouble swallowing this new and innovative product? Or did they just not like havin...
Jun 03, 2024•37 min•Ep. 38
US Congressman George Santos was an inspiring embodiment of the American dream. A son of immigrants who worked his way through the finest universities, rose through the ranks of Wall Street and started his own successful business before winning an election. Only catch? Almost none of it was true. Santos lied, schemed and embezzled his way into Congress until the world caught on and his career vanished in a haze of Hermès garments and Only Fans subscriptions. Monét X Change (RuPaul's Drag Race) a...
May 27, 2024•47 min•Ep. 37
Can the office also be a party? Would you really want it to be? For WeWork’s CEO and founder Adam Neumann, the answer was an unequivocal, hell yes! Neumann propelled his co-working space empire to incredible heights and a valuation over $45B, all while throwing nonstop ragers, hot boxing his private jet, and arm wrestling with Jared Kushner. But when the rent came due, Neumann couldn’t cook the books any further - not even in his personal infrared sauna - and the party was over. Ian Hecox and Co...
May 20, 2024•47 min•Ep. 36
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 Fantasy ...
May 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 35
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 detail...
May 06, 2024•44 min•Ep. 34
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 Austin Nas...
Apr 29, 2024•41 min•Ep. 33
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 War...
Apr 22, 2024•49 min•Ep. 32
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 & Kel, ...
Apr 15, 2024•41 min•Ep. 31
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 hai...
Apr 08, 2024•39 min•Ep. 30
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 ceilin...
Apr 01, 2024•44 min•Ep. 29
