Wow If True
Wow If True is your one-stop internet culture shop, hosted by meme sommeliers and real-life besties: tech journalist Amanda Silberling and terminally-online attorney Isabel J. Kim. We dig into what, where, and how something's going viral, and why what’s happening online matters in real life. New episodes every other Wednesday.
Episodes
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 M...
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...
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 exa...
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.
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.
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?
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.
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/
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.
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-meme...
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/
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 ...
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.
In this episode, we learn about men who don't use plates and girls who do special math. Amanda went to Vidcon and met a really famous dog, and also some famous people. Iz read a 94 page contract (aka, the results of the WGA strike). Look mom, we're finally content creators.
In this episode: we're on a time limit before this terrible drink melts all over Iz's desk, so start listening before it's too late! Also, celebrity auction normal experience, regular amounts of roman empire thinking, and whether eating lunch is sad. Also Techno Mechanicus, Stoner Cats NFT Securities Fraud, and HBO girls (Amanda sings). Wow! None of of these words are in the bible!
Isabel jumpscares Amanda with a clown (sorry, this is spoilers, but it’s important), Amanda experiences sports (derogatory), and we talk about all the week's hottest trending topics... You know, like Baldurs Gate 3, One Piece, and 70,000 people trapped in a mud pit. (Also, sorry about the couple of glitches in Iz’s audio. This is the clown’s fault)
This is definitely legal advice (but not from Iz). Taco Bell is getting sued, MrBeast is suing (and then also being sued), and we're mostly just here to talk about why Amanda has never had a Crunchwrap Supreme. Also: Love is Blind, Tiktok designer feuds, and the Jonas Brothers' second act as venture capitalists.
Isabel goes to see Barbenheimer and declares Barbie a science fiction/fantasy movie. Amanda gets a podcast dungeon. Your intrepid hosts also wade into tree law and "girl dinner." I must mention again that I have a podcast dungeon now. At some points, a baby is crying in Isabel's hallway, which you can hear, because she does not have a podcast dungeon.
We mention in the episode when we get into Barbenheim...
Iz has taken over, and Amanda is so powerful that she had to be replaced by six different guests. We're talking about: sharing perpetual stew with 50 strangers in a park in Brooklyn (yes, this is internet related); reading 365 books in 365 days (bad idea); and new forms of divination (unfortunately, feet related). Thanks to Tracey, Max, David, Emily, and Allison for experiencing podcasting!
It's our longawaited 69th episode, dedicated to the history of the 69 meme. But also we're on an island with our 30 closest friends, many of whom are in the room (cabin) with us today! After we enlighten you with our deep dive into 69 history, our live cabin audience will dazzle you with stories from the island, including egg drop drama, wizard LARPing, and the spooky thing Isabel saw.
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