Don't Praise The Machine (DPTM) cover art

Don't Praise The Machine (DPTM)

Don't Praise The Machine (DPTM)

By: Alexander Holland & John Maloney
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Summary

Al and John grew up together in the 1990s but now live on opposite sides of the world. Each week, they get together through the magic of the Internet to catch up, make each other laugh and try to make sense of it all.


The result is a funny, surreal and thought-provoking excursion through the arcane recesses of pop culture and technology, and the mysteries of everyday life. What’s it like to have a virtual companion? Did Hilaria Baldwin really pretend to be Spanish? Why did movies used to have a rap in the credits to explain their own plot?


Get in touch at hello@dptm.org or find us on IG @dont_praise_the_machine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Holland Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Prediction Markets Explained By Bloomberg's Tom Maloney

    Prediction Markets Explained By Bloomberg's Tom Maloney
    May 4 2026
    Prediction markets have exploded to $25 billion traded in a single month — but what exactly are they, and why should you care? Bloomberg journalist Tom Maloney joins the show to break down how platforms like Polymarket work, who's getting rich, and the deeply weird world of betting on elections, missile strikes, and Kim Kardashian's bar exam. From soldiers allegedly insider trading on military operations to people threatening journalists over their bets, this episode explores whether prediction markets are the final boss of financial nihilism.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    48 mins
  • Paid Virality Machine: How Clippers Took Over Your Feed

    Paid Virality Machine: How Clippers Took Over Your Feed
    Apr 27 2026

    We pull back the curtain on the Clip Economy — the hidden industry where streamers pay teenagers thousands of dollars a month to flood TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts with manufactured viral content.

    We break down how Andrew Tate pioneered the paid clipping model, how figures like Clavicular and Gymskin rose to fame through coordinated clip campaigns, and why context is dying in the age of the algorithm.

    In this episode:

    → What the Clip Economy is and how it works

    → How streamers industrialized virality with Discord servers and affiliate links

    → Why short-form content is designed to strip away context

    → What this means for your media diet

    Inspired by Charlie Warzel's Rise of the Clip Economy (The Atlantic) and Deon Nash's exposé on manufactured viral content.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    29 mins
  • Pamela Anderson: From Blonde Bombshell to Earth Mother

    Pamela Anderson: From Blonde Bombshell to Earth Mother
    Apr 20 2026
    Pamela Anderson was the ultimate '90s tabloid machine — Baywatch bombshell, Playboy's most-covered model, and ground zero for the mechanics of celebrity . So how did she end up quoting Dostoevsky and giving spiritual speaking tours in Australia, selling skincare and preaching slow living at 58 yeard old? We break down the one of the most audacious celebrity rebrand of the decade — the Pamverse in full.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    53 mins
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