Social engineer Oobah Butler joins us to explain how fake fame, false reviews, and algorithmic nonsense shape the world we trust.
Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1235
What We Discuss with Oobah Butler:
- Oobah Butler gained fame for turning his garden shed into London's top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor — exposing how easily online platforms can be manipulated.
- His fake reviews and staged photos revealed how public consensus often overrides reality as people trusted digital hype over their own senses.
- Later projects, like selling bottled Amazon driver urine as an "energy drink," highlighted how corporations and algorithms fail to prevent absurd or unethical outcomes.
- His undercover work in Amazon warehouses exposed inhumane conditions, unrealistic expectations, and the human cost of convenience.
- Oobah shows that curiosity, creativity, and bold experimentation can uncover hidden truths — reminding us that challenging systems with humor and insight is a learnable, powerful form of critical thinking.
- And much more...
And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps!
- Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!
- Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!
- Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!
This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:
- The Cybersecurity Tapes: Listen here: thecybersecuritytapes.com
- Caldera + Lab: 20% off: calderalab.com/jordan, code JORDAN
- Chime: Open an account in two minutes: chime.com/jhs
- CookUnity: Premium meals for life: cookunity.com/jordanfree or code JORDANFREE
- Nutrafol: $10 off 1st month: nutrafol.com, code JORDAN
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.