I'M FROM THE INTERNET
A podcast that explores the most notable threads from the SomethingAwful.com forums, which are foundational to modern internet culture. Hosted by Jay Brandstetter and Winslow Dumaine, it covers topics like the absurd Groverhaus, the early days of 4Chan and Dril, the Chris-Chan saga, and a boxing match between site owner Richard 'Lowtax' Kyanka and filmmaker Uwe Boll. The show aims to archive these internet artifacts for listeners.
Episodes
The Halflife: Fulllife Consequences Apocrypha (2006)
You're probably familiar with the classic Machinima adaptation of Halflife: Fulllife Consequences by the Fanfiction.net user Squirrelking. Half-Life wasn't the only franchise Squirrelking wrote about, and Squirrelking isn't the only identity they used online. Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-pod
Wikipedia's Most Wanted
Over the course of my life, Wikipedia has gone from the place you weren't allowed to use in school to the only good website left. If you feel the need to add a "citation needed" to that last statement, you'll feel right at home among the unsung heroes of today's episode: The Wikipedia editors that work hard to make sure we never encounter this fearsome rogue's gallery whe
The Doom Bathroom (with Dave Ross and Zach Peterson)
We're finally talking about the Doom Bathroom! One of the most well-known sagas from the Something Awful forums, this bathroom renovation gone awry is a classic tale of hubris and masculinity gone awry. This week we are joined by comedy experts Dave Ross and Zach Peterson. Check out everything Dave's made at https://davetotheross.com and Zach's website at https://www.zachpetersoncomedy
Sabrina Online
Webcomics have been a thing since 1985! This week we're talking about one of the few first-generation webcomics that is still active decades later: Sabrina Online. This 1996 slice-of-life comic strip about an improbably attractive and underdressed computer nerd might have been a bit of a punching bag in the early days of the internet, but 30 years later it's doing better than you might thi
Rick & Morty Szechuan Sauce (2017)
With Adult Swim's breakout sci-fi comedy adventure show in its ninth season, you might be wondering "Wait, nine seasons?!". We're going back to season three, when a joke about McDonald's dipping sauce got way out of hand and became the second most embarrassing disaster to come out of Rick & Morty's success. Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.win
SA 911
We had the internet back in 2001! So one of the most infamous days in American history has a live real-time record of peoples' reactions, if you know where to look. We're going back to the Something Awful forums to relive that awful day and see how people reacted.Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-pod-bumper-
RipoffReport.com
So many episodes of our show have focused on ripoffs, if only there was somewhere on the internet you could complain about being ripped off. Good news! That place exists, and it's called RipoffReport.comThe bad news? It's infested with both literal and metaphorical clowns. Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-p
Mass Effect 3 (Part Two) (with Kevin Impellizeri of Scandalous Games)
The ending of Mass Effect 3 has left Bioware being showered in criticism, abuse, and cupcakes. With the impending departure of their founders and a decade of slow decline on the horizon, they're rushing to try and fix what they can of Commander Shepard's final hours.This week we are joined by video game history expert Kevin Impellizeri of the podcast Scandalous Games https://www.buzzsprout.com/178
Mass Effect 3 (Part One) (with Kevin Impellizeri of Scandalous Games)
In the time it took to record and release this episode, several game studios have laid off staff while countless creative decisions have been made based on minimizing Gamer Rage. But not too long ago, those were both much less common occurrences in the world of gaming. Mass Effect 3 might not be the first time fan backlash and corporate decision-making have clashed online, but it's hard not to see
FootSmoker.com (Part Two)
John Wood's custody battle over his amputated leg with local entrepreneur and fame hound Shannon Whisnant has escalated from feud between two local oddballs to an international piece of human interest. We finally get to see the foot. Judge Mathis is getting involved. This is still technically about a website, it counts.Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https:/
FootSmoker.com (Part One)
Welcome to FootSmoker.com. Care to take a peek below the grill hood and see how this website got its name?Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-pod-bumper-stickerGet over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI and more fun bonuses for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sourc
FakeFactory Cinematic Mod for Half-Life 2 (Part Two)
Years of updates to the Cinematic Mod have made Half-Life 2 almost unrecognizable. In part two, the resistance against the Combine forces take on their toughest obstacles yet: crowded level geometry, cluttered sight lines, and unsolicited pornography.Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-pod-bumper-stickerGet ov
FakeFactory Cinematic Mod for Half-Life 2 (Part One)
150 episodes, can you believe it? What better way to mark the occasion than talking about the world of horny video game mods! Specifically, the infamous Cinematic Mod for Half-Life 2. A German man spent his 40s lovingly adding everything Half-Life 2 needed to become a proper big American blockbuster: more rubble, more explosions, and Alyx Vance's polygonal cervix.Our first piece of show merch is o
Tuebor: I Will Defend (2016)
Selling independent media on the internet has always been difficult. With recent angst about the lack of success for indie game developers on platforms like Steam, we look back at one of 2016's most forgotten titles: Tuebor, a Michigan-themed cyberpunk shooter that struggled to maintain a double digit playerbase. Not even the Imgurian community could save this one.Our first piece of show merch is
Garfield Eats (2018-2021) (Part Two)
We resume with Nathen losing Garfield and rebounding with Scooby-Doo. No, I didn't get this podcast mixed up with my AO3 account; We're entering the wonderful world of third party licensing! Winslow's recording got a little rough in the back half, we did our best to recover it but he still sounds a little robotic.Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.w
Garfield Eats (2018-2021) (Part One)
If you follow weird internet stories, you've probably heard of Garfield Eats. The improbable Garfield-themed Toronto pizzeria and its manic founder made headlines when the restaurant was founded and closed, but he's been up to some real mischief in the half decade since his restaurant closed its doors. In part one we're exploring the opening and closing of Garfield Eats, part two will document the
Nathan's Relatable Steak-Umms (2017-2022) (Part Two)
Getting paid to annoy Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka on Twitter is fun. You know what's not fun? Embarrassing yourself in front of comedians you respect and look up to.Our first piece of show merch is out: ENEMY OF THE POD bumper stickers! https://www.winslowdumaine.com/stickers/enemy-of-the-pod-bumper-stickerGet over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI and more fun bonuses for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/I
Nathan's Relatable Steak-Umms (2017-2022) (Part One)
Brand Twitter was one of the most obnoxious social media phenomenon of the 2010s. Our processed foods and novelty sanitary napkins wanted to be our friends, and since that was how Twitter made money we had no choice but to share space with them. In this two parter we're looking back at that era through one of its most outspoken participants: Nathan Allebach, the #relatable millennial voice behind
Moonbase Alpha (2010) (Part Two)
A free game on Steam was still noteworthy in 2010, so bored kids throughout America are setting about making their own fun in Moonbase Alpha. But will the people who made it be able to capitalize on its unexpected success?Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPod
Moonbase Alpha (2010) (Part One)
In 2010, a free online game from NASA took the internet by storm. But before we get to the fun shenanigans, where did this game come from? Why was it made? And why is the Army credited on a NASA project aimed at children? Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPod
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's HitRECord (Part Two)
We've got a fun art thing going on, let's just introduce a little bit of commerce to it...Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodHitRECordDocSubmit episode concepts at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodIdeas, or contact the show directly at IFTIpod@gmail.comCreated an
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's HitRECord (Part One)
Remember that one young white dude that was in a ton of movies in the late 2000s and early 2010s? No, not Shia LaBeouf, think smarmier and more frictionless. That's right, Joseph Gordon-Levitt! He was cool in Inception and Looper was good, I wonder what he's been up to since then...Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's docume
The OUYA (with Frost of Rivia) (Part Two)
The Ouya is launching, now it just needs to find games and an audience before the crowdfunding dries up. This week we are joined by special guest and muckraking expert Frost of Rivia. Check out his videos and writing at https://linktr.ee/theotherfrostGet over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) a
The OUYA (with Frost of Rivia) (Part One)
The OUYA is The Little Console That Couldn't. This tiny metal cube promised to democratize videogaming, to the tune of millions of dollars on Kickstarter. The revolution they promised never arrived, but we got a fun story out of the attempt.This week we are joined by special guest and muckraking expert Frost of Rivia. Check out his videos and writing at https://linktr.ee/theotherfrostGet over 50 b
Beanie Babies (1996-1999) (Part Three)
With Beanie Babies reaching their natural saturation point and new fads springing up, Ty Warner takes a dramatic swing at changing the entire brand.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodBeanieBabiesDocSubmit episode concepts at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodIdeas
Beanie Babies (1996-1999) (Part Two)
Beanie Babies are ascendant, reaching over a billion dollars in annual sales in just a few years. And the one of the people most responsible for their success, the creator of their website, is still being paid $12 an hour.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPod
Beanie Babies (1996-1999) (Part One)
In the back half of the 1990s, polyethylene pellets could be more valuable than gold if you knew who to sell them to. Beanie Babies were not only a crash course on the perils of speculative assets, but one of the foundations of early e-commerce and online community building. In the first of three parts, we look at the history of the teddy bear and Ty Warner's early stabs at the plush market a
Chuck Norris Facts (2005) (Part Two)
Hi-ya! Karate kicking our way into the new millennium, we go back to the Something Awful forums once again. A poster named Scoots Magoo is making some jokes about Vin Diesel, and a man named Ian Spector is going to spend the next twenty years taking credit for them. Meanwhile, Chuck Norris uses his newfound youth fame to espouse some very old man talking points.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI f
Chuck Norris Facts (2005) (Part One)
Young earth creationist and sharia law paranoiac Chuck Norris died recently. To celebrate, we're looking back at his career and the mid-2000s internet meme that defined him to our generation.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodChuckNorrisFactsDocSubmit episo
A Modest Video Game Proposal (2005) (Part Two)
We're caught up to the 21st century, and anti-pornography lawyer Jack Thompson is now anti-video game lawyer Jack Thompson. He's about to add another new title to his resume: game developer.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodModestVideoGameProposalSubmit ep
A Modest Video Game Proposal (2005) (Part One)
For gamers of a certain age, the name Jack Thompson still provokes reflexive sneers. Despite being permanently disbarred almost 20 years ago, this former Florida lawyer still looms large when we look back and wonder why the gamers are Like That. We're going to be talking about the time the internet made Jack Thompson's dream game, but before we get there we have over a decade of litigation against
The Restless Release Special
https://www.winslowdumaine.com/tarot-prints-and-tapestries/the-restlessAfter years of work, starting long before this podcast began, The Restless is complete and released! Winslow walks us through the making of and inspirations for his dark fantasy card game and its apocalyptic setting, as well as a sampling of some of the hundreds of cards contained within.Listen to Jay's guest spot on QAA (forme
The Veggie Monster Myth (2005)
One of the upsides of not having kids is not having to give a shit about childrens television. But back in the 2000s, a bunch of grown-ups got mad at Sesame Street for something they Children's Television Workshop didn't actually do because someone on the internet said it happened. Outrage is a sometimes food, and it's sometime!Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.
The Late, Great Fredrick Brennan (Part Two)
Fredrick Brennan has created 8chan. You probably know the broad strokes of what happened next thanks to the work of many brave and talented journalists, but there's still some fun stories to be told in Fred's final years.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodF
The Late, Great Fredrick Brennan (Part One)
Today would have been Fredrick Brennan's 32nd birthday. He died in his sleep last month, so here's Fred's partner to memorialize the 8chan founder who realized he was wrong, got out, and did what he could to take down the monster he helped create.His family wanted to keep the news private until now for personal reasons, so we recorded this a couple weeks after his death but are only releasing it n
Jennifer Murphy Wants To Be A Ninja (Part Three)
Don't let your mistakes define you! Anyways, check out this entire movie I made to prove how not-owned I am.This was originally a bonus series we recorded in October of last year, the editing is a little looser than our usual.Get over 50 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFT
Jennifer Murphy Wants To Be A Ninja (Part Two)
It's 2016. You work at a Murphy Bed store. You have to go to an after-hours the party the owner is throwing for his business partner. And then she makes everyone watch her sing a four minute long story song in a racist accent. For you, this was just a bad evening. For Jennifer Murphy, this is going to be the rest of her life.This was originally a bonus series we recorded in October of last year, t
Jennifer Murphy Wants To Be A Ninja (Part One)
The internet is for everybody, even pretty people. That said, when you see a three-parter focused on 2003's Miss Oregon you know things are going to get weird. After an appearance on Donald Trump's 2000s reality show The Apprentice, professional pretty person Jennifer Murphy found her new calling as a professional fame hound. And with the 2000s reality boom on the way out, an exciting new frontier
Axe Cops Are Bastards (2009-2015)
You don't have to be Jean Piaget or Lev Vygotsky to appreciate how amusingly off-kilter a child's view of the world can be. In 2009, an emerging independent cartoonist named Ethan Nicolle teamed up with his five year-old little brother to illustrate the wacky stories he would make up. The internet loved it, but Ethan's later projects turned out to be a little less universally-beloved. This week on
UNLOCKED: Funko Fandom, with Fredrick Brennan
The next few weeks are going to have a brief interruption due to real-life happenings, so until then enjoy something from last year's Patreon! Fredrick Brennan, formerly of HBO's Q: Into The Storm and currently of Jay's off-mic life updates, sits in to talk about an interesting corner of the vinyl collectibles market he stumbled upon.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.pa
Amy's Baking Company (2013) (Part Two)
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay arrives at Amy's Baking Company after years of minor controversy in the Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant scene. A year later, people are at deportation hearings and knives are being brandished in public. And the ravioli is still frozen!Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and
Amy's Baking Company (2013) (Part One)
If you were online in 2013, you probably learned about Amy's Baking Company regardless of your reality television habits. This Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant achieved infamy both on and offline after its owners melted down on the reality show Kitchen Nightmares. In part one we explore some online conflict that lead to them being on the show, in part two we will explore the aftermath of their disas
Never Be Game Over (2015)
Snake, watch out! That's a fan theory! Whatever you do, don't internalize it! It could compromise your mission and make you do a whole bunch of real dumb stuff for no reason!Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodNeverBeGameOverDocSubmit episode concepts at htt
The World-Of-Nintendo Complaints Box (1999)
A website about Nintendo? The wonders of the internet never cease! We're going back to the turn of the millennium to see what the unsupervised children of the Clinton administration were up to. I lost a friend over Pokemon cards, but I found Luigi in Super Mario 64 so everything turned out OK in the end.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review
CAP Alert and the CAP Movie Ministry (1996)
Since 1996, The ChildCare Action Project has reviewed over 1400 films using the factually accurate and objectively correct WISDOM scale. From R-rated horror films to G-rated kids movies, lay pastor Thomas Carder has performed decades of cinematic kabbalah and selflessly shared the results with the internet. He may not have prevented satanic films like Matilda from corrupting a generation with sin,
Mark Mitsubishi (2003)
Car dealerships sucking has been a staple of comedy for as long as the automobile has existed, so why should the internet change that? When a Scottsdale, Arizona car dealership tried to back out of an eBay auction in 2003 it united the domestic and import automotive communities of America in a common cause: Making sure MarkD got his custom 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.Get over 40 bonus episode
Home of the Underdogs (1998-2009)
Living in the age of high profile remasters and rereleases, it can be easy to forget how difficult it used to be to get old games. In the late 1990s a Thai woman named Sarinee Achavanuntakul launched a website that would give a generation of gamers access to thousands of classic titles for free, despite the best attempts of the video game industry's lobbying group to shut it down. If that wasn't c
Elon Musk Goes Thud! (2019)
If you pay attention to the internet, you're probably really sick of hearing about Elon Musk. While his many public failures and embarassments have been making headlines throughout the 2020s, in the 2010s a slightly more respected Elon Musk bankrolled an internet satire startup helmed by former The Onion leadership. It was called Thud!, and there's a reason you've probably never heard of it.Get ov
Eric Conveys An Emotion (1998-2008)
In real life, a funny face was probably the first thing you ever laughed at. Things weren't much different on the early internet. A college student named Eric Wu achieved international stardom making faces for the internet, and has been living the hell out of life in the almost two decades since emotioneric.com last updated.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/
Horse eBooks (Part Two)
Welcome to the world of podcasting, where FMV means Funny With my Voice! We're going back to 2013, where FMV means "oops we forgot to tell a joke".Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodHorseeBooksSubmit episode concepts at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodIdeasFor i
Horse eBooks (Part One)
After a year of teasing, we're finally going beyond the Something Awful forums to talk about all the rest of the old internet. Horse eBooks was a Twitter spambot in the early 2010s that developed a following due to the hilariously nonsensical fragments of text it would post. Behind the scenes, a creative director at Buzzfeed was seeing the opportunity to promote himself by destroying something bea
Chickencheese (Part Two)
The chickencheese thread is sent away from its culinary homeland to learn the ways of animal husbandry and firearm maintenance.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodChickencheeseSubmit episode concepts at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodIdeasFor inquiries, contact
UNLOCKED: The Angel Quiz (Patreon Bonus #34)
A new content recognition algorithm has rolled out, and in completely unrelated news we're currently in the process of re-editing our back catalogue to take out the music. So while we wrap that up, enjoy a bonus from the Patreon where Jay and Winslow play through the bonkers Christian web game The Angel Quiz. Super online listeners might recognize Cougar Interactive as the creators of 2007's Zoo R
Chickencheese (Part One)
Despite what online recipes would have you believe, most meals don't have a particular interesting story behind them.This one starts from a mundane place: chicken, cheese, heat, embarrassing affected voice. But the cooks at Goons With Spoons rise to the occasion in celebrating the humble chickencheese.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review t
Lowtax vs Uwe Boll (Part Two)(with 48 Minutes of Dogs Barking)
The year is 2006. After some fiddling, you've got the stream loaded up in Windows Media Player. You're about to watch the guy who owns your favorite forum get beat up by a large German man in front of cheering crowds. He literally signed up for this.This week we are joined by Jason and Bryan from fellow internet history podcast 48 Minutes of Dogs Barking https://48-minutes-of-dogs-barking.podcastp
Lowtax vs Uwe Boll (Part One)(with 48 Minutes of Dogs Barking)
We've gotten to know Richard Kyanka, before we step into the ring we need to get to know Uwe Boll.This week we are joined by Jason and Bryan from fellow internet history podcast 48 Minutes of Dogs Barking https://48-minutes-of-dogs-barking.podcastpage.io/Check out Bryan's photography portfolio at https://www.assholemusicphotographer.com/indexJason also voices Stephen King on Submitted for the Appr
Todd Goldman Is Stupid, Throw Rocks At Him (Part Two) (with K. Thor Jensen)
Todd Goldman is willing to reluctantly admit fault when his bottom line is threatened, but there's no negotiating with the march of time.This week we are joined by t-shirt expert and living internet history K. Thor Jensen. Check out his website at https://shortandhappy.com/ and buy his shirts at https://www.teepublic.com/user/kthorjensenGet over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www
Todd Goldman Is Stupid, Throw Rocks At Him (Part One) (with K. Thor Jensen)
Your shirt says "You laugh at me because I'm different" but we're clearly laughing at you because you're a shameless plagiarist.This week we are joined by t-shirt expert and living internet history K. Thor Jensen. Check out his website at https://shortandhappy.com/ and buy his shirts at https://www.teepublic.com/user/kthorjensenGet over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.
Lowtax vs eBaum's World (Part Two)
Eric Bauman is poised to cross over into television, but he stole from the wrong forums.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodEbaumsWorldDocFor inquiries, contact the show directly at IFTIpod@gmail.comCreated and Hosted byWinslow Dumaine - www.winslowdumaine.c
Lowtax vs eBaum's World (Part One)
Hard to believe, but there used to be a time on the internet when content theft was broadly frowned upon. One such thief was Eric Bauman, a high school student whose personal website grew to a vast and profitable content aggregator on the backs of many uncredited and uncompensated artists and comedians. Next week you'll learn all about misplaced Yiddish Cups and his failed television pilot, for no
RIPline: A Machine To Kill Children (Part Two) (with Kyle Kinane)
Giant catcher's mitts and garage door springs have failed us. Unbelievably, they did manage to find a way to turn things around! Eventually.This week we are joined by comedy expert Kyle Kinane. You can check out some of his standup on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDAukC261mCbmA3Ft9mLUoQGet over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou c
RIPline: A Machine To Kill Children (Part One) (with Kyle Kinane)
Force equals mass times acceleration. Many tragedies could have been prevented if the people involved remembered this simple secondary school equation. This is one of them.A summer camp building a zipline for their campers accidentally creates a Nothing But Trouble-esque bonestripping machine. Now they need to fix it, but they don't have a lot of money left over. Lives are hanging/zipping on the u
Lowtax vs Paypal
Being mad at payment processors has been a constant of the online experience. 20 years ago, the owner of Something Awful butted heads with Paypal over $30,000 in charitable donations to the Red Cross being held captive.Get over 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 at https://www.patreon.com/IFTIpodYou can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodLow
The First Lowtax
It can be hard to remember that there used to be a time before usernames. When figures in pop culture were named Kurt and Bill instead of MrBeast and Big Balls. This week, we go back to that time to learn where Richard Kyanka got the name Lowtax from and revel in the dramatic irony.Kickstarter for The Restless: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/winslowdumaine/the-restless-a-hand-drawn-cooperati
The Life and Times of Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka (Part Two) (with Robert Evans)
A leased sports car. A strip mall office. Mangosteen juice. This Scarface-esque montage of glamor and success is tragically cut short by the hammer-like punches of German filmmaker Uwe Boll and the decade of bad business and life decisions that followed. The ending is a bummer, but there's light to be found in a community coming together to right the wrongs of its founder.This week we are joined b
The Life and Times of Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka (Part One) (with Robert Evans)
We've been holding off on covering the founder of Something Awful, but with Winslow's Kickstarter in full swing it's the perfect time to rip off that bandage! We'll have some more focused narrative episodes featuring Lowtax in the future, but for now we're introducing the man with a classic chronological biography. We begin with the rise of a Vanderbilt engineering dropout into an outsized figure
The Fred Durst Society Of The Humanities And Arts (Part Two) (with Adam Bumas)
Fred Durst takes being the butt of a joke very well and the city of Austin deals with an unexpected amount of participation in local civics.This week by are joined by Adam Bumas, internet expert and Head of Research at Garbage Day.https://www.garbageday.email/https://bsky.app/profile/bumas.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/adambumasGet nearly 40 bonus episodes of IFTI for just $1 a month at https://www.pat
The Fred Durst Society Of The Humanities And Arts (Part One) (with Adam Bumas)
We're almost a decade out from Boaty McBoatface, but there used to be a time when online polls getting brigaded was still novel. In 2011, a city of over 800,000 people let the internet vote on what to name their sanitation department. The Something Awful forums decided the funniest outcome would be to memorialize the 1999 chart-topping nu metal icon Fred Durst.This week by are joined by Adam Bumas
Let's Get A Goon A Date
If trolling 4chan is pissing into an ocean of piss, then trolling PlentyOfFish is pissing into your own mouth: even if you succeed, nothing good comes of it. In 2014, a group of posters from the Something Awful forums learned this hard way.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=
CPS Took My Kids This Morning
This has a happier ending than you might expect, but you have to step over a lot of soft spots in the floor to get there.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIpodGoonCPSDocFor inqui
Floor Pizza Goon Wife
Oh so when George Costanza eats out of the trashcan it's comedy gold, but when I eat pizza off the floor it's "unsanitary"? You're just jealous I'm being served a goblet full of cough syrup by my r/hottiesfortrump wife.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review thi
Mathilde's Steampunk Octopus
Grab your coal shovels and power up your whimsical steampunk flying machines, we're going back to the SA-Mart to talk about doing arts and crafts for fun and profit.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at ht
I live at the library - and you can, too! (Part Two)
Months of living out of the library is starting to wear on Centripetal Horse, but with support from the forums he might be getting a new career for Christmas.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://t
I live at the library - and you can, too! (Part One)
The only thing worse than unexpectedly having to live out of your car is having to live out of your car in the middle of summer in Las Vegas. With food poisoning. And no income. But at least the library has wifi, so poster Centripetal Horse can find an unlikely support network through the Something Awful forums.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.goo
When Goons Attack!
What happens when you combine simmering resentment, a fear of confrontation, and the smallest public annoyance? Some very entertaining, if not slightly improbable, stories of goons using their quick wits and physical prowess to provide instant karma in the form of thrown pizzas and awkward pickup lines.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/d
Submurdered (Part Two)
Frumpykvetchbot returns nine years later in the aftermath of the murder of Kim Wall to reflect on his time with the Nautilus and dispel some of Peter Madsen's flailing excuses.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and pict
Submurdered (Part One)
This episode isn't about a murder, but it is around one. Back in 2008 the OP excitedly shared stories of helping to build a submarine with an eccentric Danish visionary. Nine years later when that same submarine and visionary were making headlines around the world, the OP returned with a different perspective on their time with them.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topi
UNLOCKED: Will Wright: Republican Megadonor (Patreon Bonus)
Will Wright has been conspicuously absent from the gaming world for a generation. A little-discussed piece of 2008 games industry journalism might be at least partially responsible.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and
The Dumbest Boy On The Forums (with Andy Sell)
How long is a ruler? Whatever your answer, it's wrong. Poster I.M. Gei is pulled into a world of intrigue when he realizes that none of the rulers at the hardware store are accurate. Even a machinist's ruler calibrated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology is off. How deep does this rabbit hole go? As soon as we figure out how to measure things, I'll let you know.This week we're jo
Goonshoot (Part Two)
Exploring breadnsucc né Doorknob Slobber's last year on the forums and the fallout of their arrest.You can review and comment on the document for expanded show topics at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-tyrzJOXF0m4lIrL49EW-1jIveX-4j2y14UNrnYG_Y/edit?tab=t.0You can review this episode's document with sources (and pictures) at https://tinyurl.com/IFTIPodGoonshootDocFor inquiries, contact the sh
