What Future with Joshua Topolsky

What Future's future is not the future any of us saw coming. Josh and the gang - Lyra, Jenna, special guest Jenna's husband Kyle, Jenna and Kyle's beautiful new baby Jude, and secretive podcast editor Adam - enjoy a strange, chaotic, frankly disturbing episode where they recap and recount the highs and lows of humanity, podcasts, and friendship. Like this description, none of it makes any sense. And that's what's really important in life. Oh also happy birthday Josh, you made it through one more year.Discussed: Pelotons, William Wegman and human centipedesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Future is running a system update and will be back October 19th. Mark your calendar if you dare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new iPhone is out, but does anyone really care? Would you stand in line for it or are those days a thing of the past? Discussed: electric boats, chicken sandwiches, drinkingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh is on the road, sans microphone. Thankfully, producer Lyra records all her phone calls. This episode of What Future Is lo-fi and stressed for time. What could go wrong? Discussed: Karens, catcalling, BlackberrySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode of What Future is an extreme delight. Not only does Josh speak to "60 Songs That Explain the 90's" host and absolute genius Rob Harvilla, but Zelda (Josh's daughter) joins in to ask the hard hitting questions all true Rob fans want the answers to. If you're a fan of music from any era (though particularly the completely radical decade of the 1990s), you will love, like, or totally hate this show. Discussed: 1989, getting cancelled, Killer Klowns From Outer Space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[rerelease] On the show this week Josh is joined by the illuminating and hilarious Baratunde Thurston (host of the PBS show America Outdoors, Puck News writer, and all-around genius) to discuss... the total breakdown of information in the world. Baratunde and Josh take the listener on a sprawling conversational ride, revealing unexpected truths about the future of all life on Earth. Discussed: Original conspiracy theories, the diversity of TikTok haters, Tim Cook's sense of well-being, deep breathing, being who you are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh gets a rare chance to sit down with the former Editor-in-Chief of Meta's Threads app, Katie Notopoulos. As an internet denizen known to be controversial and divisive, Katie wasted no time stirring the pot on the Instagram-adjacent social app. On today's episode, the two discuss what went wrong — and right — in the early days of Zuckerberg's would-be Twitter killer, and Katie sets the record straight on what the Facebook founder really thinks about moderation on his platforms. This is a whirlwind of an episode you won't want to miss. Discussed: The Nazi lifestyle, drinking at the park, the joy of posting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, Josh is joined by the Emmy Award winning actor, writer, comedian, producer, and patriot Nick Rutherford. As executive producer of Rick and Morty, Rutherford has gazed into the dark heart of extreme comedy and lived to tell the tale. As a writer on Saturday Night Live, he's braved the wrath of the great and terrible Lorne Michaels. And as a man, he has bared his soul on this week's What Future. Tune in and vibe with Josh and Nick, who definitely have nothing to talk about. Discussed: Post-credit scenes, neighborhood politics, drugs, and adding Oppenheimer to the MCU.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[rerelease] What you’re reading right now was written by an artificially intelligent — though not sentient — neural network designed to write descriptions for podcasts. Or was it? You don’t know, and that’s what makes AI so fascinating, cool, and scary. Since Josh loves all of those feelings, he sat down with the founder of controversial AI-generated art startup Midjourney, David Holz, to unpack the future of creativity. Discussed: Porn, therapy, families, Hitler. This one’s a doozy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this barnstormer of an episode, Josh invites true crime legend Payne Lindsey onto the show to explore his latest obsession: aliens. ETs have recently catapulted from conspiracy theory websites into the mainstream thanks to a series of videos recently revealed, which seem to depict flying objects that move in otherworldly ways. On his show ‘High Strange,’ Payne digs deep into the myths, facts, and possible truth about aliens, abductions, and just what is going on in the skies above us. Today, Josh probes Payne for answers. Discussed: new dimensions, the infinite universe, what Biden knows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may not know this, but Josh is a GAMER. He loves video games. He was raised on video games. He is not good at video games but he does enjoy them deeply. That is why this week Josh is joined by The Washington Post’s Gene Park, one of the greatest gaming journalists to have ever journaled the gaming. Gene and Josh take a rollercoaster ride from Microsoft’s regulatory rodeo to the past, present, and future of the gaming landscape. Come for the sharp insights about video games as art, stay for the trip through Josh & Gene’s favorite titles. Discussed: Being young online, being real online, being.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wonderful and spectacular and always charming Casey Newton once again joins Josh on a journey through the exciting twists and turns of Elon Musk's absolutely terrible business chops and the incredible rise of Meta's Threads (also known as Instagram For Words). On this episode, the two explore how Mr. Musk has had his butt cheeks royally handed to him by a one Mark Zuckerberg, previously know as The Worst Man Online. Now Mark is cool, Elon's a ghoul, and Twitter is down for the count. Discussed: Elective surgery, Jeff Bezos' hangover cure, betches.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last time we spoke with Ben Cahn and Emil DeRosa, the two men-about-town and bon vivants were deep within something known as the Trillionaire Mindset. But that mindset is dead and buried... and now the dawning of the Pay Pigs is upon us. Josh and the boys get deep on the duo's new podcast, the struggle and glory of the independent media personality, and the possibly misguided investment strategy of the Saudis. Discussed: nose piercings, RFK Jr., liver.36See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After returning from a trip, Josh has some gripes. Like it is very hard to get a passport last minute. But don't worry, he showed up at 10am and faced the Children of Men vibes at the passport office and got his. What other strange and wonderful things did Josh discover on his European expedition? Where will this episode take you? You'll have to listen to find out. Discussed: being rear-ended, the pain chart, Rick Rubin, Ezra Miller, signing petitions, the Temporary Autonomous Zone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unexpected visitor returns this week. It's Professor Scientist and he's in a mood. His anxiety is rising because we're all aging and well... lately, everyone's in a state of panic about AI wiping out humanity. Is it just a marketing tool? Or are there real dangers? Discussed: storytelling, Leon Trotsky, mortality, ponies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Josh is joined by his brother, Eric Emm, and their good friend Jesse Cohen. Eric and Jesse are better known collectively as the band Tanlines, and they've just released a fantastic new record called 'The Big Mess' after a multi-year hiatus. What has become of the music industry? Do the songs we listen to still drive culture? Is the artist you love shaping your identity, or are you simply a product of The Machine? All this and more will be explored... if you... listen. Discussed: Portnoy's Complaint, battle of the bands, Michael Mann's 'Heat.'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It finally, really happened. You maniacs! You forced Apple to make an insane ski goggle VR thing that I guess is the future now? Even though it seems depressing and isolating and kind of dorky but not in a cool brooding outsider way? Because Mark Gurman is the god emperor of scoops and literally knew everything about the Apple Vision before it was announced, we had to have him back on the show to do a big post-mortem. Discussed: memes, money, motion sickness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple is going to do something that none of us could have predicted. The company is about to announce its most ambitious product in years: a headset that looks like ski goggles that allows you to experience both virtual and augmented reality. How do we know this? Because of our guest Mark Gurman — a Bloomberg reporter and master of the Apple scoop. On this episode, Gurman takes us deep inside the bunker, reveals the inner turmoil that led to this device, and ponders what the future might hold for the world's most valuable company. Discussed: laser surgery, cartoon eyes, Steve Jobs hating the internet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic made the global economy weird. Very weird. So weird, in fact, that you could write a book about how many things have gotten upended, turned around, and totally blown up during the peak COVID years. And that's exactly what Felix Salmon has done. Salmon, the chief financial correspondent for Axios and host of Slate's Money podcast, joins Josh to opine on the mystical nature of the "Phoenix Economy" and what it means for the world. Discussed: Granola, ape JPEGs, Canadian truckers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Read. To know him is to love him. And to read him is to know him. Editor, writer, newsletter proprietor — citizen of the internet. Max is many things, and today he's Josh's guest, covering a wide range of topics on the show including but not limited to: artificial intelligence, the media industry and its woes, the high art of the 1992 cyberpunk film Nemesis, and what it means to truly blog. Discussed: Unions, ChatGPT, Mike White, David Pogue.ollSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the Trillionaire Mindset? How do you enter the Trillionaire Mindset? Are you born with the Trillionaire Mindset, or can it be taught? All these questions and more will be answered by Ben Cahn and Emil DeRosa — hosts of a podcast called... Trillionaire Mindset. Josh and the boys go on a wild ride through the world of money, the entertainment industry, politics, and the modern thrill of being in front of a live audience. Discussed: the Coronation, desks, cartoons, gambling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Josh is joined by The Ringer's Katie Baker. The two delve into Katie's mysterious past as a junior online moderator, Goldman Sachs alum, and first-generation bloggerati before hopping on a private jet and taking a trip to fuck off island. While on the island, Josh and Katie explore the past, present, and future of HBO's runaway hit... Succession. Will Logan Roy rise from the dead? Will Kendall do another rap? Will Cousin Greg stammer his way into the big chair? Find out. Or don't. Fuck off! Discussed: eWorld, Six Feet Under, sad Gilt modelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The What Future team takes the opportunity to grill Josh after our guest cancelled at the last minute. Just how did he become the man he is today? Tune in to hear the pivotal moments of Josh's career on an episode some are calling "inspiring," while others say, "invasive." Discussed: V Rave, truancy, Palm Pilots, Vox See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Power. Sex. Fame. Greed. These are all words. Powerful words that make you feel something deep, deep in your soul. And all those ideas are on full display in the new podcast Stiffed, hosted by this week’s guest, writer and podcaster Jennifer Romolini. Join Josh and Jenn as they go back in time to explore the ill-fated magazine Viva, and reflect on how the media landscape of the 1970’s, which gave rise to porn and quasi-porn magazines alike was somehow both better and worse than the media hellworld of today. Discussed: Feminism, bad editors, “content.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acclaimed actor Bex Taylor-Klaus — star of '13 Reasons Why' and the 'Scream' TV series — joins Josh on a raucous romp through the realities of growing up Jewish, queer, and southern. The two bond over their shared heritage and Josh's lack of belief in god before going on to talk about finding joy on the darkest timeline, how acting in life can translate to acting on screen, and what it's like to become a teenage tree. Discussed: Peter Pan, Dungeons & Dragons, 'Hades.'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Broderick, creator of Garbage Day (the day, and also the newsletter and burgeoning media empire) knows a thing or two about "online." Not only has he been covering general weirdness on the internet since before the dawn of Pepe, but he's got some strong notions about where all this madness is going. Join Josh and Ryan on this special journey, won't you? Discussed: Backpack kid, The Rationalists, MuckerbergSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Loftus is a comedian, a writer, an actor, a PODCASTER (listen to understand these caps), but most importantly... she is a person who decided to write an entire book about the humble food item we all affectionately refer to as a "hot dog." Jamie joins Josh on a truly 360 adventure where the two explore the minefield that is life, love, and loss in the 21st century. Discussed: Mental health, Weinermobile marriages, Lolita, knees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acclaimed stand up comedian, writer, and Emmy Award winner Sara Schaefer joins Josh on a raucous journey, exploring the dark underworld of reverse cancel culture, mob rule, one-woman shows, and theme park rides. Sara and Josh do a full conversational road trip, pondering the madness of social media, the cruel and beautiful world of comedy, and the shocking truth about college campuses. Discussed: Splash Mountain, pronouns, fedoras. Sara's Live Dates: https://linktr.ee/saraschaeferliveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've heard the rest, now hear the best. Josh welcomes Axios Chief Financial Correspondent Felix Salmon to run a post-mortem on the Silicon Valley Bank & Signature collapse, the implosion of Silvergate, and the wide variety of freakouts and breakdowns that accompanied the not-so-micro failure. Discussed: Mary Poppins, ontology, bunkers, stonks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh is elated to speak with Nick Turner, not Nicks Turners as his Twitter handle would lead you to believe. As a standup and podcaster, he's been through it all and will not be stopped by a wet heckler. His latest special "Ice Cold" is available on YouTube. Check out Nick live: March 10th San Francisco, 11th Santa Cruz, 17th Salem, 18th San Francisco, April 7th in Houston, then to Dallas and Austin. Discussed: Chris Rock, Liquid IV, The Oscars, Long term relationshipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a family affair today as Josh welcomes his sister-in-law and Senior Technology Reporter for Buzzfeed News, Katie Notopoulos. Lots to uncover and dissect in a world wide web gone mad, but thankfully we have an expert in the chaos. Discussed: Dilbert, Bold Glamour, Slurp Juices, SAG Awards See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh welcomes Washington Post columnist and author of 'The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America,' Philip Bump! Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, where are they and where are they going? You are one of them, but what does that mean for the country you grew up in and what happens next? Discussed: Stillness, '2000 Mules,' Florida Man See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[rerelease]: On the premiere episode Joshua explores Spooky Season with Jason Blum (founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions), a man behind some of the most iconic horror films of the past decade — like 'Get Out,' 'The Purge,' and 'Paranormal Activity.' Discussed: the horror of reality, the reality of horror, how data is killing art, the politics of hunting people, film industry lifehacks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor, writer, activist & organizer, Dallas Goldtooth, only got 3 hours of sleep last night, but he's up for a lively conversation with Josh. As "Spirit" on the FX series Reservation Dogs, Goldtooth subverts expectations and breaks down long-lasting tropes in American media. Discussed: Hell Let Loose, night owls, Avatar, Harry Potter the trust fund kidSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Josh is interrupted by an unexpected visitor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Josh is joined by the ever-insightful Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent for The Goods at Vox and a woman who isn't afraid to peer into the void. Josh and Rebecca cover the gamut of internet celebrities and influencers — from Kim Kardashian to Paris Hilton to Andrew Tate to MrBeast, looking into who's really responsible for the cool state of social media today. Discussed: MrBeast's real age, influencer self worth, pick-me girls, hat people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the show this week Josh is joined by the illuminating and hilarious Baratunde Thurston (host of the PBS show America Outdoors, Puck News writer, and all-around genius) to discuss... the total breakdown of information in the world. Baratunde and Josh take the listener on a sprawling conversational ride, revealing unexpected truths about the future of all life on Earth. Discussed: Original conspiracy theories, the diversity of TikTok haters, Tim Cook's sense of well-being, deep breathing, being who you are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Josh is joined by longtime friend, collaborator, and Gawker editor-in-chief, the inimitable Leah Finnegan. Leah's adorable yet lethally uncouth dog Baby caused some disruptions early in the recording, forcing Leah to take drastic action to silence the creature (she put Baby in her bed). Luckily Josh and Leah were able to get things back on track despite the disturbance, leading to a shocking reveal regarding Leah's true feelings on certain members of the Royal Family. Discussed: Golden Globes, nicknaming your special someone, bus-riding dogs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is not Josh's favorite time of year; but we can still find some trends to look forward to in 2023. Discussed: Las Vegas, CDs, Dry January, The Twilight ZoneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well folks — that’s about it for the year 2022. But what a ride! Right! Right? There have been many things to lament this year, but it hasn’t been without its pleasures as well. Josh is saying goodbye to the year that brought us a reverse red wave, Alex Jones’ downfall, and multiple days of the world’s (former) richest man getting owned on the website he just bought for $44 billon U.S. dollars. But what else was good this year? Josh counts down his top ten. Discussed: Adam Driver’s hunk factor, Chinese food in Victorian England, The Sims, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh finally lets his inner fanboy out by talking to his favorite musician of 2022 — the one-of-a-kind genius Penelope Scott. After rising to fame and sonic virality on TikTok for her shockingly honest and extremely online songs, Scott went on to garner hundreds of millions of listens across the internet, along with all of the commentary you might imagine is unavoidable when that happens. Whether it’s songs about how Ted Bundy truly sucks, succinct takedowns of America’s broken healthcare system, or a deconstruction of the lies Silicon Valley tells us (set against an 8-bit carnival stomp of course), everything she touches seems infused with an energy that is uniquely of this moment. Discussed: The discourse behind the discourse, LMMS, four hour remixes, pandemic memory issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the age of femcels, proud boys, groypers, and C.H.U.D.s, one reporter is striving to make sense of it all. Her name is Taylor Lorenz, and her beat is literally the entire internet and all of the strange people who inhabit it. When she’s not discovering the next new thing in influencer culture or shining a light on the dark patterns of misinformation, Taylor is fending off attacks by Tucker Carlson, terrible trolls who aren’t Tucker Carlson, and other assorted villains who are just rude online. Taylor and Josh go deep on the modern state of existing on social media, fighting for the future, and straying further from god’s light every day. Discussed: Chili, doxxing, context collapse, chili.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Newton is one of the best reporters in the world when it comes to getting an inside look at the triumphs and tragedies of the Silicon Valley elite. Lately he’s been something of a scoop machine about all things Twitter. From mistaken firings to panicked midnight emails, Casey has been tracking all the nasty details of Twitter’s flop era — so who better to clue Josh in to what the future may hold for the social network you love to hate. Discussed: Christianity, Excited CEOs, the Cuomo brothers, Diet Coke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Josh is thinking about the things that really matter in life, like family, health, and new gadgets for making sick beats. This is also a time to think about the communities we’re in — both near and far, and who better to discuss our life offline and on than Anne Helen Petersen, author of “Can’t Even,” the definitive book about burnout, and a Very Online Person who has managed to stay sane. Discussed: septic tanks, babysitters, Discord families, and Delilah.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Come for Josh's rant on the future of the internet, stay for his conversation with Vincenzo Natali, director of 'Cube,' 'Splice,' and your favorite episodes of 'Hannibal,' who has taken on William Gibson's reality-bending book 'The Peripheral' and turned it into electrifying TV. The two discuss how horror is in our DNA, his creative relationship with AI, and the difficulties of turning 80's sci-fi into modern art. Discussed: Ray Harryhausen, math that kills you, "big" iPads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What you’re reading right now was written by an artificially intelligent — though not sentient — neural network designed to write descriptions for podcasts. Or was it? You don’t know, and that’s what makes AI so fascinating, cool, and scary. Since Josh loves all of those feelings, he sat down with the founder of controversial AI-generated art startup Midjourney, David Holz, to unpack the future of creativity. Discussed: Porn, therapy, families, Hitler. This one’s a doozy!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter is now owned by edgelord supreme Elon Musk, and Josh has many, many thoughts on the subject. To explore and dissect the coming post-social media world we're all about to live in, Josh sits down with New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino, whose book 'Trick Mirror' explored all of the ways that being very online is bad, weird, and probably ruining our real lives. Discussed: Nathan Fielder, incels, italian cuisine, blogging.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the premiere episode Joshua explores Spooky Season with Jason Blum (founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions), a man behind some of the most iconic horror films of the past decade — like 'Get Out,' 'The Purge,' and 'Paranormal Activity.' Discussed: the horror of reality, the reality of horror, how data is killing art, the politics of hunting people, film industry lifehacks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming October 27th, host Joshua Topolsky (co-creator of Vox Media and founder of The Verge) deconstructs modern culture, mining the surprising connections that make up our increasingly frenetic world. A heady mixture of fugue-state monologues and spontaneous, irreverent conversations with experts, weirdos, and big thinkers, What Future is here to dissect our insane reality, lasso the pieces, and ride off into the sunset with your money, your woman, and your pride.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.