The Big Flop
Wondery
Fyre Fest goes up in flames, Madame Web is panned, the hot new crypto coin crashes. Who doesn’t love a good flop? From Silicon Valley scandals to Hollywood meltdowns - every epic fail has a story worth telling. Join TikTok superstar Misha Brown on Wondery’s The Big Flop as we unpack history’s most fascinating flops, frauds, and fiascos. Whether it’s Tom Cruise’s couch-jumping or Taylor Swift in Cats, we’re dissecting the moments when ambition, ego, and poor decisions collide. Each week, Misha and hilarious guests break down these spectacular crashes and try to answer the burning question: Who thought THIS was a good idea? Because on The Big Flop, the best stories are always about the worst ideas. New episodes come out every week.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new episodes on YouTube, or listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. New episodes every Monday.
11 Listeners
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Top 10 The Big Flop Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Big Flop episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Big Flop for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Big Flop episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
08/28/23 • 37 min
Remember Quibi? The app with short videos you could only watch on your phone? No?! That's because it only lasted SIX months before shutting down. On the first episode of The Big Flop, host Misha Brown is joined by Connor Ratliff (Dead Eyes) and Matt Bellassai (Diss & Tell) to spin the tale of the little video platform that couldn't. Come for the rapid rise, stay for the even more rapid fall.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
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3 Listeners
03/04/24 • 41 min
Contestants on 2004 reality TV show The Swan were tasked with transforming from "ugly ducklings" into gorgeous creatures. But they weren't just given a new wardrobe and attitude, they were given a whole new face. The women were isolated for months, berated, operated on multiple times, and pitted against one another at the beauty pageant finale. The critical response was severe... and so were the brow lifts.
Allison Raskin and Gabe Dunn, co-hosts of Just Between Us, join Misha to discuss the show that changed the face of reality TV forever.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
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3 Listeners
The McDonald's Monopoly Game: A Supersized McFlop with Beth Stelling and Ify Nwadiwe | 85
The Big Flop
04/28/25 • 45 min
The Hamburglar was just a mascot, but Jerome Jacobson was the real deal - a McDonald's security chief who pulled off the ultimate inside job. While millions of Americans peeled game pieces hoping for a miracle, this master manipulator was turning Big Macs into big bucks, orchestrating a multi-million dollar fraud. Discover the supersized story of how one man's greed turned America's favorite promotion into the biggest McFlop in fast-food history.
Ify Nwadiwe and Beth Stelling, join Misha to get salty about the McDonald’s Monopoly game.
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Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
09/25/23 • 38 min
At the height of his career, country music megastar Garth Brooks took a big swing by transforming himself into an alt-rock singer named Chris Gaines, complete with eye liner, tight pants, and a soul patch. Gaines was supposed to be Brooks' ticket to Hollywood, with a greatest hits album and major motion picture to follow... the only problem was, everyone hated him. On this episode of The Big Flop, comedians Sarah Tiana (44) and Dusty Slay (We're Having a Good Time) join Misha to unfurl the saga of Chris Gaines, Garth Brooks' emo alter ego. It's not a phase, Mom!
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
09/04/23 • 35 min
What happens when you mix an energy drink... and beer? On this episode of The Big Flop, DJ EFN (Drink Champs) and Kenice Mobley (Follow Up Question) join Misha to relive the boom and the bust of the original Four Loko, aka the blackout-in-a-can. Created in a fraternity basement, Four Loko supposedly provided the equivalent of 4 glasses of wine and a couple of Red Bulls - a potent recipe which eventually was investigated by the FDA, but not before inspiring more than a few terrible decisions! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the story of how this unhinged beverage's original recipe became one fizzy, carbonated flop.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
05/27/24 • 46 min
US Congressman George Santos was an inspiring embodiment of the American dream. A son of immigrants who worked his way through the finest universities, rose through the ranks of Wall Street and started his own successful business before winning an election. Only catch? Almost none of it was true. Santos lied, schemed and embezzled his way into Congress until the world caught on and his career vanished in a haze of Hermès garments and Only Fans subscriptions.
Monét X Change (RuPaul's Drag Race) and Jon Lovett (Pod Save America, Lovett or Leave It) join Misha to gab about the talented Mr. Santos.
Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s Oscar Buzzkill with Bobby Finger and Lindsay Weber | 25
The Big Flop
03/11/24 • 39 min
For the 83rd Academy Awards, producers wanted hosts that were "young and hip." But when they nominated Anne Hathaway and James Franco to run the show, they ended up with "nervous and bored". What followed was one of the most catastrophically awkward nights in Oscars history.
Bobby Finger & Lindsey Weber from Who? Weekly join Misha for a peak behind that famous red curtain.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
06/02/25 • 48 min
In the '90s, Jenny Craig wasn't just selling frozen meals – she was selling the American dream, one tiny chocolate cheesecake at a time. But between shady advertising claims, the Fen-Phen crisis, and a jaw injury that silenced their spokeswoman, this weight loss queen discovered that even the most carefully counted calories couldn't save her empire from crumbling.
Ronald Young Jr. (Weight for It) and Emmy Blotnick (The English Teacher, Bust Down) join Misha to shed some light on the many missteps of this dieting heavyweight.
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Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
Kid Nation: 'Survivor' for Children! with Kurt Braunohler, Megan Gailey & Chris Garcia | 4
The Big Flop
09/18/23 • 37 min
What happens when 40 children are sent out into the New Mexico desert and left to fend for themselves, all in the name of reality TV? Injuries, emotional trauma... and lawsuits. Lots and lots of lawsuits. Misha is joined by Chris Garcia, Kurt Braunohler & Megan Gailey (I Love My Kid, But...) to examine CBS's absolutely bonkers 2007 reality show, Kid Nation.
Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
05/13/24 • 40 min
When eccentric toy maker Ty Warner created a new line of floppy stuffed animals with cute names and charming poems, he unleashed pure havoc and chaos into the world. At the height of Beanie Mania, people spent their life savings and even assaulted others to collect the rare creatures like Patti the Platypus and Ziggy the Zebra before they “retired”. When the dust settled, fortunes were lost, limbs were broken and Ty (as in, TY INC.), was left holding the big, floppy bag.
Ian Karmel (All Fantasy Everything) and Brian Moller (B Mo the Prince) join Misha to relive the Beanie Baby bubble,
Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Listeners
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Big Flop have?
The Big Flop currently has 119 episodes available.
What topics does The Big Flop cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Comedy and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on The Big Flop?
The episode title 'Quibi Bites the Dust with Connor Ratliff & Matt Bellassai | 1' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Big Flop?
The average episode length on The Big Flop is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Big Flop released?
Episodes of The Big Flop are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Big Flop?
The first episode of The Big Flop was released on Aug 10, 2023.
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