Being Team Human in Crazy Town

Being Team Human in Crazy Town

Author: Post Carbon Institute March 25, 2026 Duration: 54:29

Have you ever had that feeling in your gut, when you suddenly realize that the person you’re talking with might have a screw or two loose? What about when you’re the one others are trying to slowly back away from at the punch bowl? The question of who’s the real nut often arises for us collapse-aware folks living here in Crazy Town. Since Mr. Peanut is no longer returning their phone calls, Rob, Jason, and Asher invite Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist, professor, and host of the Team Human Podcast to answer the question. In this far ranging conversation, they discuss why “leveling down” might be the best strategy for navigating late stage capitalism and bringing ourselves back into right relationship with each other and the planet. Originally recorded on 2/24/26.

Sources/Links/Notes:

  1. Team Human
  2. Douglas Rushkoff YouTube Channel
  3. Douglas Rushkoff, “You Are Not Crazy,Substack, January 7, 2026
  4. Douglas Rushkoff, “Survival of the Richest,Medium, July 5, 2018
  5. Jesse Armstrong, Mountainhead, 2025 film
  6. Dan Fogelman, Paradise, Hulu, 2025 series
  7. Prospera
  8. Neom
  9. California Forever
  10. Jack Manno, Privileged Goods, 1999 book


Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:

  1. Tech Bros on Acid with Douglas Rushkoff (Bonus episode of Crazy Town)
  2. It’s All Paradox with Douglas Rushkoff (Bonus episode of Crazy Town)



Trying to make sense of a world that often feels like it's lost the plot? That's the space where Crazy Town lives. Hosted by Asher, Rob, and Jason from the Post Carbon Institute, this fortnightly conversation navigates the disorienting headlines and deeper systemic crises-from climate chaos and ecological overshoot to the relentless engine of runaway capitalism-with a necessary blend of sharp analysis and dark humor. They’re not just diagnosing the "Great Unraveling" of our social and environmental fabric; they’re actively exploring what a transition to a genuinely sustainable and equitable society could look like, all while trying to keep their own wits about them. This podcast is for anyone who looks at the status quo and senses the profound delusions holding it together, offering listeners a mix of grounded understanding and candid discussion that’s as engaging as it is urgent. Tune in for conversations that are both a reality check and a search for a viable path forward.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 165

Crazy Town
Podcast Episodes
Bonus: Climate Sabotage with Tim DeChristopher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:11
Tim DeChristopher gained international attention (and a 21-month prison sentence) for sabotaging an auction of oil and gas leases on public lands back in 2008, and has supported nonviolent direct climate actions ever sin…
Season 4 Announcement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:27
Season 4 of Crazy Town starts March 9, 2022. Climate change, collapse, sarcasm, and silliness are still on the menu, but we've got a new through-line for the season: watershed moments in history that have have ricocheted…
Bonus: Stop Saving the Planet with Jenny Price [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:04
Jenny Price has written an environmental manifesto that's angry, funny, and short. In it she asks, "Why should I give a frick about Exxon's LEED-certified building?" And goes on to explain that we need to care about what…
Bonus: Holiday Guide for the Perplexed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:37
No need to stress during the holidays! The "sponsors" of Crazy Town have all of your consumerist needs covered. This season you could be walking in a warming wonderland, singing the 12 Days of Overshoot, and hanging out…
Bonus: It's All Paradox with Douglas Rushkoff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:32
Douglas Rushkoff is a prolific author, documentarian, and podcaster with a delightful sense of humor. He joins the gang in Crazy Town to ponder paradoxical questions such as: Why would homes on Miami Beach be selling for…
Bonus: Oceans of Knowledge with Sylvia Earle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:50
Sylvia Earle is a legend in ocean exploration and conservation. She comes ashore in Crazy Town to discuss some of her experiences in the depths, the state of the world's oceans and marine biodiversity, the limits to grow…
Bonus: What Could Possibly Go Right with Vicki Robin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:55
What happens when two equal and opposite forces collide? It's a tag-team match of empathy and optimism versus existential crisis and poop jokes! In this mashup of Crazy Town and our sister podcast, What Could Possibly Go…
Bonus: Galactic-Scale Energy with Tom Murphy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:01
Take it from astrophysicist Tom Murphy. Sure, lightsabers, dilithium crystal warp drives, and Mars colonies are a lot of fun to consider. But a physics-based perspective on energy tells us that we need to accept the limi…
Bonus: Climate Craziness with Peter Kalmus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:13
Peter Kalmus is a climate scientist, activist, and author. He has some gnarly things to say about climate change, extreme weather, and the myth of progress. But Peter gets past the doom and gloom to make positive recomme…