Podcast Summary: TBPN "Diet TBPN" – October 24, 2025

Hosts: John Coogan & Jordi Hays
Date of Recording: October 24, 2025
Episode Aired: October 25, 2025
Episode Theme: The Current State and Future of Media, Tech, and Culture

Overview

In this episode of TBPN, John Coogan and Jordi Hays deliver a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek discussion of the shifting landscape of media, technology, and internet culture as of late 2025. The hosts unpack the blurring lines between traditional, “neo,” and post-neo media, recent wild headlines, the latest in AR/VR, AI-driven social media, robotics, and some tech-business oddities making the rounds online. The episode’s tone is irreverent but insightful, mixing meme analysis, quick takes on tech news, and commentary on the deeper societal implications of these trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media’s New Frontier: “Neo-Trad” and Post-Neo Media (00:10–01:18)

• The hosts define and riff on the concept of "post-neo media"—where individual creators (like Martin Shkreli, iShowSpeed, and Mr. Beast) stream direct to audiences, unbound by old media conventions.
• Notable Quote:
  • John: "Post Neo media is the most accelerated, the most aggressive, the final, the most cutting-edge media properties out there." (00:14)
• They discuss “neo-trad” media as new media that imitates the style of legacy outlets (ESPN, etc.) but with a contemporary twist.
• The line between entertainment, news, and influence is increasingly blurry—a key observation.

2. Market Movers & Meme News (01:19–02:08)

• News coverage highlights:
  • Dell's monitors featured in JP Morgan's HQ (01:31)
  • Shady gambling at Kylie Jenner's old NYC pad and DraftKings jokingly mentioned as official NBA partner in the scandal context (01:40)
  • Snap raising $1B for AR, with Saudi backing (01:52)
• The commentary is punchy and meta, reflecting on how meme news and finance intertwine.

3. Tech Product Updates & Competitive Landscape (02:08–02:43)

• Samsung launches an Android XR-based Vision Pro competitor.
• John notes: "Android's been a better steward to the developer community than Apple." (02:08)
• App developers are hesitant about Apple's Vision Pro due to its limited user base so far.

4. The Toilet Camera Wars & Bio-Surveillance (02:43–03:23)

• Kohler (famed toilet manufacturer) enters the market for health-tracking toilet cameras, following smaller startup Throne.
• "It's insane because Throne...is doing this. At least no one else would go and compete. And then Kohler...decided to go get into the game." (Jordi, 02:43)
• Example of legitimization of a fringe tech idea by a big incumbent.

5. Espionage, Spies, and Silicon Valley Paranoia (03:23–03:36)

• The meme of CCP “spy girlfriends” makes it to mainstream European media months after trending on X (Twitter).
• Observation that real-world espionage aligns with and is fueled by online memes.

6. AI-Fueled Bot Farms & Social Manipulation (04:05–04:48)

• Double Speed (A16Z-backed) lets companies run thousands of AI-controlled social accounts.
• John: “People are calling this morally lame and impoverished...Shouldn’t the best bot farms be built in America and pioneer the latest tech and rules?” (04:23–04:43)
• Reflection: The normalization and commercialization of large-scale influence operations.

7. Gambling, OnlyFans, and "Societal Breakdown" (05:01–05:39)

• New casino app lets users gamble to pay off bills—including OnlyFans, child support, and Uber tabs.
• “I can’t believe this is real. I bet on your bills, OnlyFans. This is so dark.” (Jordi, 05:03)
• Viral meme: a quote tweet “societal breakdown” outperforms the original ad in likes and engagement.
• Notable Quote:
  • John: “Just a quote tweet from Hero Thousand faces that just says societal breakdown gets more likes.” (05:29)

8. Infrastructure & Tech Oddities (05:49–06:16)

• TurboPuffer offers a new “serverless vector and full text search” product.
• Haribo (the Gummy Bear company) allegedly drops revolutionary battery tech on Amazon, unnoticed.
• These segments showcase the surreal overlap between internet meme culture and real tech launches.

9. Big Tech Finance: Oracle, Data Centers, SoftBank's Robotics Bets (06:28–08:03)

• Oracle leverages $38 billion in debt to build data centers, despite concerns.
• SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son rekindles his obsession with humanoid robots after prior failures (e.g., Pepper).
• “Are you more worried about being too early or being too late?” (John, 07:45)
• The conversation reflects the cyclical nature of tech hype and the timing of innovation.

10. AI Company Branding & Legislation (08:03–08:51)

• Praise for the Interaction Company of California, particularly their choice of domain: poke.com.
• Ohio passes a bill strictly denying AIs personhood and any claim to legal rights.
  • “If we take a humanoid robot to Ohio, it has no rights...I would hate for you to destroy me and then face no legal consequences because I have no rights in Ohio.” (John, 08:51)

11. Hedge Fund Highs, Tesla, and Spiritual Opium (09:13–10:21)

• Hedge fund industry assets reach $5 trillion.
• Tesla’s stock disconnects from business fundamentals; memes about Chinese leadership likening TikTok to “spiritual opium".
  • “Xi Jinping models TikTok as spiritual opium and feels okay selling it to the west.” (John, 09:56)

12. Viral Moments: Justin Bieber on Twitch & App Store Shakeups (10:21–11:23)

• Justin Bieber makes his Twitch debut.
• Dave’s Hot Chicken dethrones Sora in the App Store charts, drawing tongue-in-cheek comparisons to OpenAI’s talent.
  • “The Dave’s Hot Chicken team is like one notch above the OpenAI team in terms of product design and strategy.” (John & Jordi, 11:02–11:10)

Memorable Quotes

• On New Media:
  • "Post Neo media is the most accelerated, the most aggressive, the final, the most cutting edge..." — John (00:14)
• On Surveillance Capitalism:
  • “Never pay a human again.” — John, quoting Double Speed’s marketing (04:05)
• On Societal Decay:
  • “Societal breakdown.” — John, quoting a viral quote tweet (05:29)
• On Timing in Tech:
  • "Are you more worried about being too early or being too late?" — John (07:45)
• On AI Rights:
  • "If we take a humanoid robot to Ohio, it has no rights...I would hate for you to destroy me and then face no legal consequences..." — John (08:51)
• On TikTok:
  • “Xi Jinping models TikTok as spiritual opium and feels okay selling it to the west in a reven opium war set up for Trump.” — John (09:56)
• On Apps and Teams:
  • “The Dave’s Hot Chicken team is...one notch above the OpenAI team in terms of just product design growth...IQ and strategy.” — John & Jordi (11:02-11:10)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:10–01:18 – Framing of “neo-trad” and post-neo media
• 01:40–02:08 – DraughtKings, Snap, and the intersection of finance & meme news
• 02:08–02:43 – Samsung’s Vision Pro competitor and developer dynamics
• 02:43–03:23 – Kohler vs. Throne & the bio-surveillance toilet camera trend
• 04:05–04:48 – A16Z’s Double Speed and the legitimacy of AI-influencers/bot farming
• 05:01–05:39 – Gambling app madness and viral memes about societal decline
• 06:28–07:33 – Oracle’s risky data center finance and SoftBank’s humanoid pivot
• 08:51–09:13 – Ohio’s “AI anti-personhood bill” and its implications
• 09:56–10:21 – TikTok as “spiritual opium”
• 10:21–11:23 – Justin Bieber on Twitch and the App Store’s rotating cast of viral hits

Final Thoughts

This episode merges rapid-fire tech and culture coverage with meta-commentary, wry humor, and the perfect measure of skepticism. John and Jordi paint a media landscape that is more participatory, decentralized, and fast-moving than ever—spawning both exciting innovation and pressing ethical quandaries. From toilet cams to TikTok, from bot farms to billion-dollar data centers, the episode’s whirlwind highlights are neatly tied together by the hosts’ sharp wit and deep familiarity with the internet’s shifting tides.