Panic World

Who created the strongman hellscape that we’re currently living in?

Today, we’re talking about the original looksmaxxer, Zyzz. He got his start online in 2006 with a popular World of Warcraft streaming account, whose earnings he used to join a gym, because he’d “always been obsessed with bodybuilding.”

By 2010, he had amassed a huge following among outrageously jacked guys online. He finally figured out how to make money off this — by hawking supplements and other products — but then he passed away in 2011. However, by then he had laid the blueprint that the chads of the future would all follow. What happens next, is the world we live in now.

Noah K of Crimes New Roman joins us to talk about the chads of the past, like Bloat Lord, Derb, and FPS Russia, and how these leading musclemen resulted in the big boys of the present, like Androgenic, Clavicular, and Zeta — and how they’ve managed to create a hell world of body dysmorphia for the nation’s young men.

Our guest Noah K can be found on YouTube @CrimesNewRoman and you can also see their shitposts (their words) at https://bsky.app/profile/crimesnewroman.bsky.social.

Note: This episode was recorded prior to Clavicular’s rape allegations.

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A little over a year ago, we had a big announcement — that we were adding video to the podcast with our partner Courier. Just as we go into the third year of exploring how the internet warps our minds, our culture, and eventually reality, we’ve got some more big news for you, which we’re really excited about.

Speaking of, want to support the new Panic World… world? And get ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and some new wacky stuff we’re gonna be experimenting with? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.
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Happy (?) Kirkiversary. One year ago today, Charlie Kirk was killed by someone the right-wing wasn’t able to effectively use for fearmongering. Ryan & Grant look back at what Kirk’s legacy is now — the martyr he wasn’t able to become, and the guy who’s instead trapped in memes and shitposts forever.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and access to our members-only Discord? Sign up for a membership for just five bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.
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Will we ever get another new platform to communicate with on the internet?

Today, we’re talking about the various eras of social media platforms — from Myspace to Facebook, Twitter to Instagram, and Vine to TikTok — and their biggest moments in culture, like Fred, Shit My Dad Says, Wendy’s Twitter, and Kombucha Girl. Some have stood the test of time so far, but mostly, we’re all beholden to platforms that have so much power and money now that they can control where we post and how we do it.

Musician Connor Musarra joins us to help Ryan define when a social media platform’s dominance begins, when it wanes, and when we might just get something new.

Our guest Connor Musarra is a musician and self-described “nonstop poster” whose work you can find everywhere @connormusarra.

Want to hear the rest of our conversation? And more Panic World content, like ad-free episodes, bonuses & exclusives, and access to our members-only Discord? Sign up for a membership for just five bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.
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Where did prediction markets come from, and why are they more popular than ever?

Charlie Warzel joins the pod once again to discuss the proliferation of these strange companies like Kalshi and Polymarket that allow you to bet on nearly anything — monetizing the good, and mostly bad things.

We go into the early 2000s background of these platforms, led by Robin Hanson, an economist and self-described “Jungian ENTP” who originally got involved with prediction markets through his “Policy Analysis Market” as a means to anticipate political instability and terrorist attacks; how they are used now; and whether we’re headed into Hanson’s desired “futarchy.”

Our guest Charlie Warzel writes the Galaxy Brain newsletter and podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter here and check out the podcast here or wherever you listen.
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