Capitalism (Taylor's Version) (25-minute Podcast Version)
Planet Money hands the episode over to Vox's Today Explained to examine how Taylor Swift and other pop stars use album variants and sales strategies to game music charts and monetize superfans. Music reporter Elias Light explains the mechanics and incentives behind physical and digital variants, while critic Ann Powers unpacks the backlash to Swift's latest album, fans' discomfort with her extreme wealth, and how she uses her music to control her public narrative. The episode situates Swift within broader industry practices and compares her autobiographical approach to Beyoncé's more representative storytelling.
Meta Monopoly Verdict, Trump Signs the Epstein Bill, and Nvidia's Q3 Earnings
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Nvidia's blowout Q3 earnings, the sustainability of the current AI boom, and the risks of having the broader economy so dependent on a handful of tech giants. They analyze the federal court ruling that Meta did not break antitrust law with its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, Trump's signing of the bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, and the emerging cultural backlash against billionaire entitlement revealed in leaked Epstein-related emails. The conversation also covers Trump's fawning visit with Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk's presence at that dinner, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery among Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix, and political implications including New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani's upcoming meeting with Trump and a possible progressive shift in U.S. politics.
"Tom Freston"
The hosts talk with media executive Tom Freston about his unconventional path from advertising into years of travel across North Africa and Asia, building a clothing business in India and Afghanistan, and eventually helping launch MTV and other major cable brands. Freston recounts the creation and impact of MTV, the birth of Comedy Central, his tumultuous years leading Viacom under Sumner Redstone, early views on platforms like YouTube and MySpace, and his later work in philanthropy and Afghan media. The conversation also explores his philosophy on travel, risk-taking, and using media for social change, plus colorful anecdotes involving Jimmy Buffett, Bangkok sex clubs, and a desert music festival near Timbuktu.
Nvidia Hits $5 Trillion, Elon Musk Launches Grokipedia, and OpenAI's IPO Future
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway open with personal updates about travel, anxiety when far from home, co-sleeping and parenting, as well as Kara's visit to a Ken Burns screening and Scott receiving a Spirit of Hope award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Toronto. They then dive into OpenAI's shift to a public benefit corporation structure and potential IPO, AI's use in mental health and risks for minors, Nvidia's explosive valuation and Jensen Huang's praise of Donald Trump, Elon Musk's Grokpedia and Truth Social's prediction market, Tesla's proposed trillion‑dollar pay package, major tech earnings and AI-driven capex, CNN's new streaming strategy, and the broader impact of AI as a "corporate Ozempic" driving layoffs and inequality.
What if you could talk to your favorite character in a movie? | Christoph Lassner
AI engineer Christoph Lassner introduces a taxonomy of digital content he calls Content 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, and explains how generative AI is enabling the next phase. He describes Content 3.0 as media that is dynamically generated with and for each individual viewer, allowing them to co-create stories, interact with characters, and explore worlds without preset narrative boundaries. He also discusses the technical underpinnings, creative possibilities, and economic implications of this shift for storytellers and the entertainment industry.
TikTok's Trojan Horse Strategy
Planet Money teams up with sound design podcast 20,000 Hertz to explain how TikTok created and deployed one of the most effective sonic logos of the last decade. Sound designers Afrik Lennon and Roscoe Williamson describe TikTok's brief, the months-long creative process, and how they arrived at the distinctive boom-bling sound built around an 808 kick, an E major 7 chord, and even an accidental dog bark. The episode also details TikTok's covert "sonic sticker" rollout and how automatically attaching the logo to downloaded videos turned it into a Trojan horse that spreads across rival platforms.
Instagram Goes PG-13, ChatGPT Allows Erotica, and Netflix Grabs Podcasts
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss a series of political and tech stories, including leaked racist and violent Telegram messages from young Republican leaders and J.D. Vance's response, Virginia Giuffre's new book on Jeffrey Epstein, and concerns about Gavin Newsom's approach to AI regulation. They examine OpenAI's plan to allow erotica for verified adults, the risks of AI-powered synthetic relationships and pornography for young men, Instagram's new teen protections, and broader debates about regulating tech platforms and protecting minors. The hosts also cover Meta's removal of an ICE-doxxing Facebook page, fears of weaponizing agencies like the IRS and Pentagon under Trump, criticism of Mark Benioff's call for the National Guard in San Francisco, the Pentagon's contested new press rules, and Netflix's move to bring video podcasts onto its platform as part of a larger shift from traditional TV to low-cost podcast-based video content.
VH-1: MTV for Your Parents
Josh and Chuck trace the history of VH1 as the mellower, adult contemporary counterpart to MTV, from its 1985 launch through multiple reinventions. They cover the channel's early focus on older artists, its successful 1990s rebrand with shows like Pop-Up Video, Storytellers, and Behind the Music, and its later pivot into pop culture countdowns and reality TV. The episode also examines VH1's role in Black-focused programming, the ethical controversies around shows like Celebrity Rehab, the Jasmine Fiore murder scandal, and VH1's current identity anchored in reality franchises and reruns.
The flourishing future of women's sports | Kate Johnson
Olympic medalist and sports marketing executive Kate Johnson explains how algorithms and historical media coverage have made women's sports far less discoverable than men's, despite rapid growth in popularity and economic potential. She details how this lack of visibility feeds a vicious cycle of underinvestment, affects young girls' participation in sports, and weakens the pipeline for female leaders. Johnson highlights emerging solutions from brands, media platforms, athletes, fans, and AI tools, and calls on listeners to actively support and create content around women's sports to help level the playing field.
"RE-RELEASE: Paul Thomas Anderson"
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson joins the hosts to talk about his upbringing as the son of a legendary ABC promo voice, his early obsession with movies, and how he learned to write and direct by making a short mockumentary about Dirk Diggler that later evolved into Boogie Nights. He discusses his collaborative process with production designer Jack Fisk and composer Jonny Greenwood, his views on theatrical exhibition versus streaming, and his work in film preservation alongside Martin Scorsese. The conversation also covers his love of comedy, how he met Maya Rudolph at Saturday Night Live, what he saw in Adam Sandler, and how he balances a demanding career with being a father of four.
OpenAI Backtracks, Elon's Netflix Boycott, and Instagram Safety Features
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss U.S. immigration crackdowns under President Trump, including National Guard deployments, ICE raids, and the use of masked agents, arguing these tactics are authoritarian and designed to inflame division. They examine how tech platforms and algorithms amplify rage, debate OpenAI's Sora copyright policy and its impact on Hollywood and creative workers, and analyze Elon Musk's call to boycott Netflix, SpaceX's Chinese funding, and SpaceX's growing power in satellite-based mobile service. The episode also covers Instagram's inadequate teen safety measures, the mental health impact of social media on youth, and a Trump-era higher education compact that would reshape university admissions, ideology on campus, foreign enrollment, and pricing.
Government Shutdown, OpenAI's Sora 2, and Hegseth's Lecture
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, its political dynamics, and how Democrats and Republicans are messaging around healthcare subsidies and spending. They analyze Electronic Arts' record leveraged buyout led by Saudi capital, the strategic push by Gulf states into gaming, and OpenAI's new video-generation tool and the broader copyright and synthetic-relationship concerns around AI, including Scott's decision to take down an AI version of himself built with Google Labs. The hosts also critique Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's appearance before senior military leaders, review social platforms' multimillion-dollar settlements with Donald Trump, and end with a prediction that Netflix should pursue a mega-merger with Disney, plus a brief tribute to Jane Goodall.
Exhausted From Being a People Pleaser? Use THIS 0-10 Rule to Say "No" Without Guilt
In this live conversation, Jay Shetty shares his journey from speaking to empty college rooms to building a leading wellness platform, emphasizing his mission of making wisdom go viral. He explains frameworks for reframing adversity, protecting energy while being of service, and setting boundaries using a personal 0-10 scale for what truly matters. The discussion also explores why audio feels uniquely intimate, how to use AI without losing human soul, what he learned from three years as a monk, and how marketers and creators can rekindle childlike creativity.
Saudi Comedy Festival Controversy, Threads' Major Milestone, and Trump's Movie Tariff
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Donald Trump's proposed 100% tariff on movies made outside the U.S., arguing it would damage Netflix, Hollywood, and global content arbitrage, and then pivot to the Saudi state-backed Riyadh Comedy Festival, criticizing free-speech-branded comedians who accepted contracts barring criticism of the kingdom and religion. They examine consumer backlash that forced Sinclair and Nexstar to restore Jimmy Kimmel, Threads surpassing X in daily active users and changing media consumption habits, Trump's pressure-driven TikTok divestment plan that advantages major donors, his retribution-focused indictment of James Comey, the economic stupidity of tariffs and farm bailouts, and close with wins and fails plus a brief call for tighter limits on AI products for children.
"Michelle Pfeiffer"
The hosts welcome Michelle Pfeiffer for a wide-ranging conversation about her long acting career, from early roles like Fantasy Island and Grease 2 to iconic films such as Scarface and The Fabulous Baker Boys. She discusses how her approach to acting has evolved, learning to let go of perfectionism, the changing landscape for women in film and television, and balancing a busy career with family life and becoming a grandmother. Pfeiffer also shares anecdotes about working with Will on a recent series, her intense experience on Scarface, and her first attempts at acting while working in a supermarket and studying court reporting.
Inside WWE's storytelling machine | Paul "Triple H" Levesque
Paul "Triple H" Levesque discusses how WWE blends athleticism, storytelling, and character to create a unique form of entertainment that emotionally engages a massive global audience. In conversation with Patrick Talty, he explains WWE's creative process, media partnerships, and the importance of family, presence, and health, including his work on the President's Fitness Council. He also reflects on his own journey from childhood fan to performer to chief content officer, and how WWE's stories can inspire resilience and connection for fans around the world.
ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel, Pam Bondi's Free Speech Mess, and Trump Sues The New York Times
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live after a segment about the Charlie Kirk shooting, criticizing pressure from FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, conservative station owners, and Disney CEO Bob Iger as an attack on free speech. They examine Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's comments about targeting "hate speech," Trump's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, media consolidation, and Scott's idea of economic pushback by affluent consumers. The episode also covers FBI Director Kash Patel's combative congressional testimony, NVIDIA's stake in Intel and China's response, Trump's extended TikTok deadline and proposed sale structure, and closes with political chatter about Pete Buttigieg and a prediction of a coming M&A wave.