It’s hard to know whether the benefits of hiring a celebrity are worth the risk. We dig into one gruesome story of an endorsement gone wrong, and find a surprising result.
Oct 9
690. It’s Show Business, Baby!
Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. SOURCES:Jim Bankoff, chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media.Ben Davis, head of digital at WME.Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and author of ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2
689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey
An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? SOURCES:Austin Frerick, agriculture antitrust expert, fellow at Yale University, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry ... Show More
49m 25s
Sep 25
688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet?
That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOU ... Show More
50m 32s
Jan 2019
S8E01 - Jumping The Shark: Spokesperson Disasters
This week, we look at spokesperson disasters. Hiring a celebrity spokesperson is an advertising strategy many brands can only dream of. But famous names don’t come cheap. From Oprah Winfrey, to Gilbert Gottfried and Eric Clapton, celebs attract a lot of attention. But so do their ... Show More
27m 12s
Jul 2025
One Big Beautiful Econ Con?
In the wake of Trump's sweeping economic legislation, Jon is joined by Clara Mattei, Professor of Economics at The University of Tulsa and author of "The Capital Order," and James Robinson, Professor at the Harris School for Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Together, t ... Show More
1h 17m
Nov 2023
The Truth About Influencers and Brand Deals
For the FULL story, preorder my memoir “Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything” here: https://bit.ly/semiwelladjusted Every time we scroll, we’re bombarded with ads and sponsored content. Much of this is delivered directly by social media influencers, including child inf ... Show More
16m 59s