Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

Desperate Acts of Capitalism Podcast

Desperate Acts of Capitalism is a comedy podcast about money, marketing, and how it all goes wrong. Join us on our magical journey through a wonderland of burning money!

Episodes

66: Zume Pizza

April 25, 2025 • 56 mins
For decades, Silicon Valley has used pizza as a testing ground for new business models. Pizzerias were the first brick-and-mortar businesses to use Bitcoin. So why hasn't big tech captured the business of pizza-making itself? Well they tried, and this is the story of how they failed. Edited and thumbnail by Noah Sources: https://pastebin.com/XnK6BYG4 JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www...
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65: Willy's Chocolate Experience

March 27, 2025 • 46 mins
Last year, advertisements began appearing online for a strange Willy Wonka-inspired popup exhibit in Glasgow. They promised a magical experience for the whole family, full of whimsical sights, sounds, and treats. But what families got when they arrived was... not what they expected. Join us as we dive into the strange history of Willy's Chocolate Experience. Edited by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS ...
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64: The South Sea Company

February 27, 2025 • 66 mins
On this episode of DAOC, the gang goes back in time. Join us as we venture to the invention of speculation markets itself to explore one of history's first desperate acts of capitalism: The South Sea Bubble. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: Great Bubbles, Ross B Emmett, The Secret...
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63: John Henry Patterson

January 29, 2025 • 48 mins
Sabotage. Intimidation. Disinformation and junk mail campaigns. These were the four horsemen of John H. Patterson, the mad king of Dayton, Ohio. As founder of the National Cash Register Company in 1884, he contributed little to the design of the world's first cash registers. As a marketer and ruthless monopolist, he revolutionized sales practices in the United States, building a sprawling empire that went out of its way to gobble u...
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62: Disney Injuries

January 2, 2025 • 60 mins
Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of abuse, injuries, and deaths. Disney theme parks are beloved by countless people around the world. But as Evan found out when he was a child, they contain a dark history of tragic, horrifying, and bizarre incidents within their walls. Today we'll explore that history, and discover an unsettling pattern that reveals how much Disney really values their guests. Edited and thumbna...
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61: Starbucks

December 1, 2024 • 54 mins
Starbucks has been struggling as of late. On this episode, we explore what could give one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world a run for its money. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.joc.com/article/starbucks-coffee-co-sold-5642744 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
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60: MYSPACE

October 30, 2024 • 61 mins
The social internet could have been Myspace. Modular, user-centered, infinitely customizable. Like so many sites on the early internet, it was more accident than design, ballooning to enormous size and popularity much faster than its scam artist founders could keep up with. Join us as we find out how Myspace failed its way into success, and finally into catastrophe. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISOD...
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59: SMELL-O-VISION

October 11, 2024 • 34 mins
Have you ever been watching a movie, and desperately wanted to SMELL the action? Like literally SMELL what was going on in the film? Well, turns out, Hollywood has tried to make that a reality several times. Today we'll examine the bizarre and complicated history of attempting to add scents to the silver screen. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/...
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58: Hollywood Studio Collapse

September 13, 2024 • 56 mins
Movies: Are they good or are they bad? It's impossible to say. But what about the folks who make 'em? Hollywood makes plenty of flops and failures, but on this episode of Desperate Acts of Capitalism, we cover the golden age of Hollywood, and how it all came crashing down. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS A...
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57: DATING APPS

August 16, 2024 • 50 mins
First they were weird. Then they were fun. Now, they are tired, played out, and full of catfish. In this episode of Desperate Acts of Capitalism we wade into the sordid world of modern dating apps, exploring how one of the most defining elements of modern dating culture got so bad. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BI...
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56: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

June 21, 2024 • 46 mins
In the mid to late 2000s, we gathered around our television sets to watch a heartwarming reality show where struggling families got their homes renovated into much nicer, bigger homes. A much nicer, bigger home couldn't possibly have any unintended consequences down the line, right? Right?? How did the lizards get into the duct tape room??? Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT,...
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55: Bossnapping

May 24, 2024 • 33 mins
The land of strikes and protests is at it again - that is, was at it again about 15 years ago. With the Recession in full swing, the French adopted an... original method to obtain better deals from their bosses: sequestration. How is this possible? What are the police even doing? Are the bosses being tortured?? Why are people selling razors to CEOs now??? All this and more from the author of this episode, Noah the Editor. Editing...
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54: Airline Shenanigans

April 26, 2024 • 49 mins
You've probably noticed it: flying on commercial airlines has gotten a lot worse. Covid didn't help, but if we're being honest it wasn't great before covid either. In fact, didn't flying used to be really fun back in the 60's and '70's? What happened to piano bars in planes, good food, and decent legroom? In this episode we will get into how airlines got so bad, and how what we see of the airline industry is the tip of an iceberg o...
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53: MoviePass 2

March 29, 2024 • 57 mins
MoviePass is back, and it's better than ever. In our first SEQUEL episode, Evan gives us an update on what the ol' MoviePass company has been up to in the last 5 years. Edited and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/moviepass-will-shut-down-for-good-on-sept-14.html htt...
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52: How It Feels To Market 5 Gum

March 1, 2024 • 63 mins
On this episode of DAOC, CT takes us through 10 years of gum advertising. Editing and thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://productventures.com/work/5-gum-package-design/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZN5hqu7yPA Music Credits: Airwaves by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/son...
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51: Al Dunlap

February 2, 2024 • 63 mins
Al Dunlap was not an ordinary man: he was a verb. Across the country, his name was a byword for rapid corporate turnarounds and ruthless efficiency; at least, that's what he claimed on the jacket cover of his book. Known for walking into boardroom meetings in ostentatious outfits and firing half the company, there was a time when Wall Street believed that "the Chainsaw" really could turn bad companies into good ones with sheer will...
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50: Jeremy Renner Official

January 5, 2024 • 45 mins
Jeremy Renner superfans used to have an app to share their love of all things Renner. But then everything went wrong. Find out what happened on today's thrilling episode of Desperate Acts of Capitalism! Editing and Thumbnail by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2019/9/4/20850069/jerem...
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49: Cryptozoo

December 1, 2023 • 60 mins
On this episode of DAOC, we delve into the bizarre crossroads of Youtuber drama and cryptocurrency scams to cover the financial escapades of one Logan Paul. Edited by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING Sources: https://time.com/6252093/logan-paul-cryptozoo-liquid-marketplace/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/2021/1...
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48: GB News

November 3, 2023 • 52 mins
"It's a new way of doing news. What could possibly go wrong?" If we didn't do an episode on this one, and you're not from the UK, you probably never would have heard of GB News. Started as a British bootleg of Fox News, the company now faces multiple Ofcom investigations and stands to lose its license. But how did it all go so wrong in only two years? Edited by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, A...
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47: Morbius

October 6, 2023 • 57 mins
In another edition of SPOOKY ACTS OF CAPITALISM, we discuss the world's most iconic film of all time, and why it made $126 Morbillion at the box office. Prepare to be scared and also terrified. Edited by Noah JOIN US ON PATREON FOR EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, BONUS CONTENT, AND MORE: https://www.patreon.com/desperateactsofcapitalism BIG THINGS ARE COMING
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