PODCAST · news
ICYMI
by Slate Podcasts
Join Kate Lindsay twice a week as we gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the our show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
-
The Labubufication of AI Agents
The new AI agents from Meta and OpenAI have one thing in common: they look like children’s cartoons. At the same time these companies are warning that AI will kill us all, they’re trying to convince users to try even more products by making them look as cuddly and innocent as possible. On today’s...
-
How The Pussyhat Unraveled
Ten years ago, the world was gearing up to welcome the first female president. Instead, Donald Trump’s surprise victory went on to alter America’s entire political landscape. It’s exactly what the people behind the Pussyhat Project feared. And yet, the pink knitted hat that took over the first of...
-
Jane Doe Deserves Better From The Internet
As soon as Jane Doe filed her civil suit against Cornell University, the internet was up in arms. Everyone from Florence Pugh to Love Island contestants took to social media to share their disgust, imploring men to do better when it comes to preventing sexual assault. For those who lived through...
-
The Conspiracy Theory Your Parents Are Falling For
What if I told you there was a machine that, using powerful energy and frequencies, could cure everything from common colds to cancers to missing limbs? Well, I’d be lying. And yet, a not-insignificant part of the internet is waiting with baited breath for the arrival of “medbeds,” a…
more -
WTF Is Happening On Threads?
There are some controversies that can only happen on Threads. Discussions about mermaid trauma, for instance, or Pepsi having to apologize for their post about Wild Cherry. The platform is home to particularly unhinged users, but why? On today’s show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator,...
-
The Revenge Of The Comment Section
Comment sections are dying. At least, when it comes to digital media. Platforms like Twitter have become the new place for discourse, and apps like TikTok are changing what the comment section is even for. Slate’s comments, however, are special. On today’s show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by…
more -
No Phones? No Problem
Dumbphones are a popular recommendation for people looking to reduce their screen time, but it’s not as simple as it looks. When writer Stephanie Murray made the switch, while she found it did solve many of her problems, it created them for pretty much everyone else around her. On today’s show,...
-
The “Sickfluencer” Witch Hunt
Like clockwork, another article has created a moral panic about so-called “sickfluencers,” or people—usually women—who share online about their illnesses and disabilities. Critics argue that the rise of these diagnoses and creators is some kind of social contagion, with participants faking their...
-
Don't Worry, There’s No “AI Apocalypse”
A former Anthropic employee claimed AI would lead to the end of humanity, and soon. In the weeks since, the “whistleblower” has done a full press tour, with even Anthropic and OpenAI themselves seeming to cosign this claim. As a result, hysteria has ensued—and that’s exactly what these AI…
more -
Forbidden Alphas & Cursed Billionaires: The Rise Of Microdramas
Pregnant werewolves and surprise quadruplets are just two of the tropes you might find while watching what might be the next evolution of TV: vertical microdramas. Told in 90 second clips, these stories are soap operas for the smartphone era, and are keeping the industry afloat during an…
more -
Who TF Are These Women?
“Curtain for Zoosha! K-smog and Batboy caught flipping a grunt.” If that’s also what every headline sounds like to you, then you’re in the right place. Alex Earle and Stella Lefty are taking over For You Page discourse, but are two pop culture figures we somehow know everything and nothing about....
-
Parenting Apps, Subreddits, & Group Chats—Oh My!
How many apps does it take to raise a child in 2026? Not only are parents navigating countless WhatsApp groups and summer camp platforms, there’s also a whole world of Reels, subreddits, and Facebook groups filled with advice. Often, however, the answers just lead to more questions. On today’s...
-
Yes, Having a Boyfriend Is Embarrassing
Many women are hiding their boyfriends online, or losing followers if they hard-launch. Some go as far as to say having a boyfriend “feels republican.” Is this heterofatalism gone too far, or a long-overdue correction to the patriarchy? On today’s encore episode host Kate Lindsay was joined by...
-
The Hypocrisy of Plagiarism & AI Accusations
The rise of AI has led to a rise of distrust, but the “tools” used to identify AI and plagiarism are perpetuating preexisting biases. Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who was found dead in his home last month, is the latest in a string of headline-making scandals targeting writers and...
-
Will Social Media Ever Be Fun Again?
Do you remember the last time you had fun online? In recent years, it’s felt like social media has become overridden with hot takes, discourse, and something called “bean soup theory,” and it’s making the internet a frustrating place to be. In today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by…
more -
It’s Time To Talk About Lindsay Clancy
True crime has always been entertainment, but social media has turned tragedies like the Lindsay Clancy trial into monocultural moments. It’s not enough to read the news, many people who are especially tuned-in are also spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories as part of participating in...
-
Leave The WNBA Alone, Trolls!
The WNBA has finally taken center stage, but the fandom is going through it. New eyes on the sport have brought new scrutiny, which has resulted in racist and transphobic trolling that pulls focus from the actual games. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with WNBA online commentator…
more -
Get In Loser, We’re Friction-Maxxing
Technology keeps trying to “fix” every small inconvenience in our lives, which has rendered us completely unable to endure basic hurdles such as sitting in silence, navigating unfamiliar social social interactions, and doing any kind of creative thinking. To reverse this, Kathryn Jezer Morton,...
-
Are You Anti-Influencer, Or Anti-Women?
After a small business in Nantucket put a “no influencers” sign in their store, creators accused it of being sexist. The issue divided the internet, when really, both things can be true: Influencer culture is harmful, and “influencer” has become a pejorative word for any woman who posts online.…
more -
We Lost Another Creator To AI, Boys
Hank Green is finally burning out. After creating for the internet for almost 20 years, the YouTuber (and one half of Vlogbrothers) confessed to having a “not healthy” relationship with AI, relying on the tool to help him create more and more content. Viewers, however, feel betrayed, and worry…
more -
The "Skinnyphobic" Myth
We don’t know how to talk about bodies online. When a popular content creator named Samyra posted a TikTok accusing The Cheesecake Factory’s “Skinnylicious” menu as fatphobic, the internet couldn’t stop itself from berating her about her size. But when Ariana Grande releases a new music video and...
-
Don’t Fall For 90s Nostalgia Slop
The internet is never not nostalgic for the past, but something about the 90s is different. While previous trends like Y2K and “millennial optimism” have been mostly about the hair and clothes, 90s nostalgia is all about the tech. Or rather, lack of tech. Host Kate Lindsay and showrunner Daisy...
-
Women's Health Is Not Your Clickbait
Women’s health is being yassified online, from ill-advised marketing campaigns by companies trying to go viral to creators pushing anti-abortion agendas under the guise of “natural” birth control. It feels like there’s no one to trust when it comes to sexual health, and it’s playing right into...
-
We Need To Talk About Jimothy
In a matter of days, Jimothy the raccoon went from a neighborhood mascot to a viral sensation. But unlike the internet animals who came before him, Jimothy has no owners, and isn’t protected by a zoo. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Garbage Day researcher and editor Adam Bumas…
more -
Do Healthy Relationships To Chatbots Exist?
Is AI romance inevitable? And who are the people in these relationships? Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls On The Internet, joins us to talk about her new audiobook Love At First Prompt, where she speaks to real people who have found solace and comfort with AI chatbots. Get more of ICYMI...
-
Coupled Up With The Internet
The app-ification of dating has made meeting people even more difficult. But no one ever talks about what comes after: when you are in a relationship with someone, and have brand new digital etiquette to decipher. When do you hard launch? How much should you post each other? And is it really that...
-
Everything Is Barstool
***GET TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE!!!!*** An uncomfortable amount of the internet has been influenced by Barstool Sports. Many prominent online figures, particularly women, hail from the website, and the media company has planted its flag in everything from internet culture to crypto. Upon...
-
Prediction Markets Are Coming for Everything We Love
Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have expanded from letting people bet on just sports to everything from political events to reality TV, and even the weather. But by injecting financial incentives into things like disease outbreaks, we’re even more susceptible to bad actors and manipulation.…
more -
Social Media Is Better With Kids
GET TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE!!!! As even more countries adopt social media bans for under-sixteen-year-olds, not only does one recent survey confirm they’re not even effective, but they also risk ruining the best parts of the internet. In today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined again by...
-
Surveillance Glasses For Girls!
Kylie Jenner and Mark Zuckerberg are trying to rebrand Meta Glasses as some kind of girlboss fashion accessory, even though women are the ones most likely to be the victims of their invasive technology. While Meta plows forward with this new collaboration, the glasses continue to be abused by…
more -
AI Is Changing How We Have Sex
As sex becomes more online, not only does it become more solitary, but also more surveilled. For instance: Back in December, OpenAI announced that they’d allow adult users to have erotic conversations with ChatGPT. On today’s encore episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by porn historian Noelle...
-
Influencers Are Hitting Retirement
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, creator of The Trend Report, to talk about how so many of our favorite influencers have started to retire. Glitter and Lazers deleted her entire digital footprint, and longtime vlogger Zoella has not posted since…
more -
Your Favorite World Cup Moment Might Be Fake
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Will Oremus, tech writer at The Atlantic and author of “The Feel-Good Story of the World Cup Is Too Good to Be True.” While our social media feeds have been flooded with thousands of viral and wholesome moments from the World Cup, Will discovered...
-
My Decade-Long Payment App Feud
On today’s episode, in collaboration with No Such Thing, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph to talk about payment apps, and how they’ve changed the way we think about money. Plus, Kate reveals her own payment app predicament, and, with the help of the boys...
-
Your Group Chats Are Now Blackmail
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Bridget Read, a features writer at New York Magazine whose recent piece “What If It All Came Out?” reports on the hackers who are weaponizing our extensive digital footprints against us. While public figures have long dealt with embarrassing…
more -
Everything Is Phone
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pawha to discuss his piece “Your TV Is Not Safe.” Apps like Instagram, Substack, and Spotify are making the leap from smart phones to smart TVs, as TVs attempt to compete against scrolling, and the nature of…
more -
A YouTuber Made Your New Favorite Horror Film
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay speaks with Rachel Barker, host of Girl on Film on YouTube. The internet has been rich with horror content for decades, but only recently have iconic creepy stories and their creators finally gone mainstream. With movies like Obsession and Backrooms breaking...
-
You Keep Falling For Secret Ads
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Rachel Karten, a social media consultant and the writer of Link In Bio. Storytimes and other caught-on-camera content frequently goes viral on social media, but now companies have started manufacturing their own skits to secretly advertise...
-
Beware The Boy Mom
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer Stephanie McNeal to discuss the internet phenomenon of “boy moms.” As an internet culture expert, and recent mother of a boy herself, Stephanie helps break down the reaction to a recent viral post from actress Jenny Mollen, who has…
more -
Keep TikTok Out Of Our Favorite YA Books
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Angelina Mazza whose recent piece in The New York Times details how publishers are “modernizing” previously published books like Pretty Little Liars and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by replacing outdated references to pop culture and...
-
AI Detectors Won’t Save Us
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Ed Zitron, host of the podcast Better Offline and a certified hater of AI. After yet another AI writing scandal, this time involving the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story prize, Kate and Ed take a closer look at tools like Pangram that claim to…
more -
The Secret Marketing Tactic Killing The Internet
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown whose latest piece breaks down the “clipping economy,” which has become the backbone of the entire internet. Cheaper than traditional advertising, people and companies employ bots and users to generate...
-
There's No Point To Influencers Anymore
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer Daysia Tolentino to discuss whether influencers serve us at all in 2026. James Charles faced backlash for publicly mocking a recently laid-off woman who DMed him for support. And in response, some users are questioning why they even…
more -
Phone Etiquette Is In The Toilet
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and comedian Matt Buechele to talk about how the etiquette around phones is shifting, with previously phone-free spaces now welcoming them into the room. In almost all cases, this makes the experience worse for everyone else, but rather…
more -
Right-Wing Creators Are In Their Flop Era
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer of Garbage Day and host of Panic World, Ryan Broderick. Ryan has been tracking the metrics of prominent right-wing creators like Ben Shapiro and Tim Pool over the past year or so, and noticed a surprising trend: once lauded as an…
more -
To Leak or Not To Leak? That's The Fandom Question
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by journalist and creator Princess Weekes to discuss the ethics of consuming leaks. Ten years ago, a fan with access to leaked material from their favorite artist or creator was considered elite. But now, fandoms like Avatar: The Last Airbender…
more -
“Blue Dot Fever” Is A Symptom Of Bigger Problems
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Pitchfork news director Alex Suskind to talk about why musicians keep coming down with “blue dot fever.” Stars like Meghan Trainor and Post Malone are among many in recent months who have cancelled entire tours, seemingly due to a lack of ticket...
-
Are You “Numbing Out”?
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Andrea González-Ramírez, a senior writer at The Cut whose recent piece explores why so many people have stopped reading the news. Instead, we’re “numbing out” after years of constant bad news on social media, to the point that even an…
more -
The Personal Essay Is Back. The Internet Isn't Ready.
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by author Leigh Stein, who landed her first book deal in the 2010s personal essay boom. With new memoirs from Lindy West and Lena Dunham, it feels like confessional writing is getting a 2020s rebirth. However, reactions to viral personal essays…
more -
We’re Taking This “Mormon” Trend Too Far
On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by ex-Mormon content creator Alyssa Grenfell to discuss the new Secret Lives of Mormon Wives spinoff, Netflix’s Trust Me, and the pop-culturification of Mormonism. While the internet has long been a place for Mormon creators to thrive, now that...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join Kate Lindsay twice a week as we gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back.
Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the our show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Slate Podcasts
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does ICYMI have?
ICYMI currently has 580 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is ICYMI about?
Join Kate Lindsay twice a week as we gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the our show page on Apple Podcasts or...
How often does ICYMI release new episodes?
ICYMI releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 580 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to ICYMI?
You can listen to ICYMI on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts ICYMI?
ICYMI is created and hosted by Slate Podcasts.
URL copied to clipboard!