Lolcows and the Internet's "Digital Freakshow"

Lolcows and the Internet's "Digital Freakshow"

Author: Charts & Leisure March 26, 2026 Duration: 37:33
Executive Producer Jason Oberholtzer speaks to Dr. Jess Rauchberg about how the lolcow — a vulnerable Internet persona interacting with an unreliable and often malicious audience — relates to contemporary politics online and historic medieval spectacle. – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ for an ad-free version of the show and bonus content – Find Jess Rauchberg: The lolcow paper – Call us at 651 615 5007 to leave a voicemail Drop us a voice memo via airtable Or email us at theneverpost at gmail dot com – Never Post’s producers are Audrey Evans, Georgia Hampton and The Mysterious Dr. Firstname Lastname. Our senior producer is Hans Buetow. Our executive producer is Jason Oberholtzer. The show’s host is Mike Rugnetta. – Never Post is a production of Charts & Leisure and is distributed by Radiotopia

Mike Rugnetta, known for his thoughtful and often playful analysis of digital culture, guides each episode of Never Post. This isn't a series about quick social media tips or gadget reviews; instead, it digs into the deeper currents of online life. The conversations explore how the internet shapes our identities, our art, our politics, and our very sense of reality. You'll hear discussions that feel like the best kind of late-night talk with a deeply curious friend-ranging from the absurdity of memes to the profound implications of network theory. Produced by Charts & Leisure, the podcast operates from a simple, powerful premise: that the digital world is now inseparable from the human one, and it deserves this kind of careful, critical, and celebratory attention. Tuning in feels like getting a clearer map to a territory we all inhabit but rarely stop to examine. Each episode asks us to reconsider our daily scrolls, clicks, and shares, making the familiar strange again. It’s for anyone who has ever felt exhilarated, exhausted, or utterly bewildered by life online, offering a space to step back and make sense of the noise.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 92

Never Post
Podcast Episodes
Not What You Know, but How You Know: Science Communicators Roundtable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:23
Mike talks with science communicators Alex Dainis, Trade Dominguez and Joe Hanson about what it’s like trying to do their job in today’s information environment. – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ fo…
News Post: On the Impending Silicon Goods Shortage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:11
Mike chats with Jeffrey Parkin of Rogue and Rory Carroll of Alloy about the impending chip shortage caused by the construction boom in AI Data centers. How did this happen, why is there no easy way out, and how should yo…
What Kind of Place is the Internet? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
Producer Georgia Hampton looks to writer and blogger Katherine Dee and academic Charles Soukop to help her figure out how to visualize the internet. As in, what kind of a place is it, if it’s even a space at all? – Becom…
Pornhub Goes SFW [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:54
Senior Producer Hans Buetow digs into the data from the 2025 Pornhub Year-in-Review, and wonders aloud to sexual wellness educator Courney Brame, and co-founders of SWR Data, MelRose Michaels and Mike Stabile - what’s go…
Posting Disease, with Bijan Stephen [Archive Pull] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:14
Originally published in our first episode I'm Mad, You're Mad, We're All Mad Here on January 31, 2024, enjoy Mike's segment on the epidemic of Posting Disease plaguing social media. Listen to the original episode here: h…
News Post: Is It Time To Delete TikTok? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Mike, Hans, and Georgia discuss the recent U.S. deal with TikTok, how it’s changed the app, whether it’s worth sticking around to see what happens, or if it's better to just log off for good. – Become a Never Post member…
Announcement: 2026 Never Post Olympiad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:55
Never Post is live streaming their very own Olympiad! Join us on Monday, February 2nd at 11:30am ET to watch intrepid competitors try to win the internet by doing various internet-related tasks for points. Want to compet…
State of the Pod: 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:31
To celebrate Never Post's second birthday, Mike, Jason, Hans, and Georgia gather to talk about how it went; and to break down how many people listened, how much money changed hands, and changes coming in 2026. – Become a…
What Is Going On In Minnesota [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:31
Producer and Minnesota resident Hans Buetow talks with journalist and Minnesota resident Em Cassel about Minnesota - the fraud, ICE raids and killings, and how it’s all about the posts. – Become a Never Post member at ht…
Post-Mortem: 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:37
A three-round trivia game with 6 of our favorite internet professionals to send off 2025 – Become a Never Post member at https://www.neverpo.st/ for access to extended and bonus segments, and our side shows like “Slow Po…