Last Podcast On The Left: Side Stories – Death Pool 2026 (January 28, 2026)

Overview

In this characteristically irreverent and freewheeling episode, hosts Henry Zebrowski and Ben Kissel tackle the macabre tradition of the "Death Pool": predicting which celebrities or public figures are likely to die within the year. They set their own humorous, charitable twist on the format, discuss how they’ll handle donations, and riff on recent news stories, viral videos, AI anxiety, police animal shootings, and harrowing kitchen injuries. True to LPOTL’s form, the episode blends dark humor with pop culture commentary and raw, unsparing talk about death, grief, and the American tendency to avoid the subject.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Podcast Launches on Netflix, Self-Deprecation, and Current Events

• The hosts banter about their show launching on Netflix (01:15), poke fun at themselves, and joke about not quite fitting the streaming service’s “look.”
• Discussion of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) actions, protests in Minneapolis, and support for Minnesota Freedom Fund (03:00–09:00). Strong anti-ICE stance throughout:

  "Just know for a fact that ICE is currently running around attacking children at a baseball field. You know, stuff like where it's really where the criminals are." (Henry, 06:25)

• They urge listeners—especially “fat bodied white dudes”—to cause chaos from within oppressive systems (08:03).

Recent News, Rumors, and Viral Oddities

• The rumor that ICE officer Greg Bovino was forced to eat a "Limp Bizkit" (urban legend about a humiliating fraternity game) in high school; the hosts riff on the crudeness and possible justice (10:30).
• Update: Canadian Olympic snowboarder-turned-cartel operative Ryan Wedding was arrested, with speculation about a "Cool Runnings but crime" style comeback or movie adaptation (14:00).

Internet Memes Gone Wrong: The Glonky Guy

• Revisiting the strange case of Kyle Braun ("the Glonky Guy"), a viral interviewee who later attacked his own mother:

  "Kyle Braun stabbed his mother hard. Right. Stabbed her up and down...and left the knife inside of her skull." (Henry, 24:02)

• The trajectory from harmless meme to real-world horror illustrates the unpredictability and darkness that sometimes lurk behind internet celebrity (24:12–27:21).

Cops, Animals, and the Dark Side of Law Enforcement

• Discuss a NYPD officer under investigation for killing a raccoon at the beach (28:15), segueing into a lament that cops kill an average of 10,000 dogs a year during their work:

  "On average, cops kill...25 to 30 dogs a day...an average of 10,000 a year." (Ben, 30:40)

• Cautions listeners to protect pets from the police and shares stories about how vulnerable animals are around law enforcement.

News of the Weird: Snow Leopard Mauling & "Face Transplant" Tangent

• Story of a tourist in China bitten by a snow leopard while taking a selfie (32:46).
• The hosts digress into a wild riff about face transplants, the luckiness of survival, and empathy with facially disfigured survivors.

MAIN THEME – The 2026 Death Pool

Rules and Charitable Twist

• Instead of mindless celebrity death betting, Henry and Ben decide to donate $100 to the cause related to the manner of death for each correct prediction. If their risky "outlier" pick comes true, they promise a $1,000 charity donation (35:33–36:40).
• If none of their three “likely” picks die, they donate $300 to the other host’s chosen charity (36:40).

The Picks

Ben Kissel’s List:

1. Gary Ridgeway (Green River Killer):

   “Because he is actively dying in prison.” (Ben, 37:53)

2. William Shatner:

   “I think he’s gonna boldly go.” (Ben, 40:05)

3. David Attenborough:

   “...I think we’re going to lose, unfortunately...David Attenborough.” (Ben, 45:42)

4. Outlier – Andy Dick:

   “Only because he grabbed my dick one time personally, and I actually just don’t like it.” (Ben, 54:41)

Henry Zebrowski’s List:

1. Buzz Aldrin:

   “That’s my lock for this year is Buzzer, because I think…” (Henry, 38:59)

2. Jack Nicholson:

   "Apparently his dementia is very...it is accelerating." (Henry, 41:37)

3. Noam Chomsky:

   “He looks like absolute...Noam Chomsky...I think Noam Chomsky’s a lock.” (Henry, 48:05)

4. Outlier – Pope Leo:

   “...if he dies, it shows that God doesn’t help anybody. If he dies early, it proves that God doesn’t exist.” (Henry, 58:11)

• No Trump or Biden allowed for the pool, to avoid political focus and keep the humor (37:11).

The Philosophy of Death Pools and Handling Grief

• Henry and Ben acknowledge the morbid nature, but frame it as a way to spark conversation about death, which is often suppressed or stigmatized in American culture (58:48):

  “I think that part of the reason why I even wanted to do it is because...in America we don't like talking about [death]...I think it's okay to laugh a little bit about all the fucked up shit because we have to.” (Henry, 59:03)

• Ben shares that listeners frequently reach out about losses, and the hosts encourage embracing the reality and natural absurdity of mortality.

Listener Stories: Kitchen and Bakery Injuries

• They read listener emails about gruesome injuries working with bakery mixers and industrial kitchen equipment (61:35–69:51).
• Gruesome specifics:
  • Coffee roaster’s bracelet gets caught in a mixing arm, arm nearly torn off; survives, tattoo pieced back together (63:51).
  • Bakery worker pinned by a spike in a dough mixer; firefighter rescue, large wound, but survives (65:14).
• Takeaway: Power tools/machinery don’t care if human flesh is in the way; as Henry puts it:

  “Machines do not care if there is squishy human bits in the way...if it is strong enough to overcome the friction of human bones and sinew being in the way, it will.” (Henry, 64:01)

More Listener Submissions & Classic “LPOTL” Tangents

• Piggyback Bandit follow-up: Listeners write in to say they were also victimized by the infamous “Piggyback Bandit” (70:11).
• Andy Dick: Several people wrote in about Dick’s notorious behavior, with Ben sharing, "he grabbed one of the three dicks in this room" (70:42–70:46).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Death Pools:

  • “If our fourth person dies, if the outlier dies...$1,000. Right. So you might want to hope that one of the outliers die.” (Henry, 36:34)

• On Death in America:

  • “All death is sad. Like he was going to happen either way...But dying like as in the fetal, you know, hospital bed is just as bad as sucks and dying that age...In your own home. We should all be so lucky.” (59:54–60:29)

• On Cops and Animals:

  • “On average, cops kill...25 to 30 dogs a day, It's not a hard statistic, but it's an average of 10,000 a year.” (Ben, 30:40)

• On Political System & Protest:

  • "We have the right to protest and we have the right to talk about whatever the it is we want to talk about." (Henry, 76:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ICE/militarization discussion / call to protest: 03:00–09:00
• Greg Bovino rumors and ICE uniform cosplay: 10:00–12:30
• Ryan Wedding update (Canadian snowboarder cartel story): 13:40–15:00
• Glonky Guy meme-to-madness arc: 22:22–28:00
• NYC raccoon cop shooting & animal kill statistics: 28:15–32:00
• Woman mauled by snow leopard selfie & face transplant riff: 32:44–35:04
• Death Pool rules and setup: 35:24–37:00
• Death Pool picks & dark humor: 37:00–58:00
• Death and grief conversation: 58:48–60:36
• Listener stories: kitchen/bakery accidents: 61:00–69:51
• Piggyback Bandit & Andy Dick stories: 70:11–70:46

Tone and Style

The tone is classic "Last Podcast on the Left": irreverent, darkly comedic, boundary-pushing, and intensely self-aware. The hosts riff and crosstalk—switching between satire, gallows humor, and genuine reflection about mortality, protest, and American society.

Summary Takeaway

"Side Stories: Death Pool 2026" showcases LPOTL’s signature blend of black comedy and biting social commentary. Henry and Ben roast everything from ICE to aging celebrities, face the American death taboo head-on with their darkly charitable “Death Pool,” and read listener horror stories from the workplace. For fans and newcomers alike, the episode is a dense, gleeful wade through the morbid and ridiculous realities of life, death, and everything in between.