Spectacular Failures – Details, episodes & analysis

We have a special episode for you today. We’re sharing an episode of the new podcast from APM Studios and Western Sound called “Ripple.”

The largest oil spill in American history captivated the public’s attention for the entire summer of 2010. Authorities told a story of a herculean response effort that made shorelines safe and avoided a worst case scenario. Was that really the whole picture?

“Ripple” is a new series investigating the stories we were told were over.

In Season One, the reporting team traveled hundreds of miles across the Gulf Coast to learn the ongoing effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill — which are still impacting many coastal residents more than a decade later. Here is episode 1! And if you’d like to hear more episodes, you can find “Ripple” wherever you get your podcasts.

The Loudest Girl in the World is a new podcast from  that tells the story of Lauren Ober's journey to understand what the hell it means to be on the autism spectrum and how to live life as a newly diagnosed autistic person. It's about finding yourself broken in a place you never expected to be and emerging from that place a mostly glued back together person. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Livent was a showstopper of an operation. But eventually, forgery and fraud stole the scene, the money exited stage left, and the lead actor landed behind bars.

Our sponsors this week:
Indeed: indeed.com/spectacular
NetSuite: netsuite.com/spectacular
The Great Courses Plus: thegreatcoursesplus.com/spectacular

Sign up to receive our brand new newsletter, featuring weekly recommendations from Lauren and the rest of the team at spectacularfailures.org/newsletter.

Read the transcript of the episode at spectacularfailures.org.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter at @failureshow and like us at Facebook.com/failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

The mom-and-pop fast-fashion retailer exploded into malls across the globe. But eventually, Forever 21 unraveled like the hem on a cheap crop top.

Our sponsors this week:
Fiverr: fiverr.com promo code SPECTACULAR
NetSuite: NetSuite.com/SPECTACULAR
The Great Courses Plus: thegreatcoursesplus.com/spectacular

Sign up to receive our brand new newsletter, featuring weekly recommendations from Lauren and the rest of the team at spectacularfailures.org/newsletter.

Read the transcript of the episode at spectacularfailures.org.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter at @failureshow and like us at Facebook.com/failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

The meal kit delivery service was almost belly-up before the pandemic hit. But then people stuck cooking at home gave the brand a lifeline. Investors found it tastier than ever, but will customers still hanker for the big blue box once this is all over?


Our sponsors this week: Betterhelp: betterhelp.com/spectacular code spectacular
NetSuite: netsuite.com/spectacular
Policygenius: policygenius.com


Sign up to receive our brand new newsletter, featuring weekly recommendations from Lauren and the rest of the team at spectacularfailures.org/newsletter.


Read the transcript of the episode at spectacularfailures.org.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter at @failureshow and like us at Facebook.com/failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.


Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.

Spectacular Failures is back for season two, starting August 3rd! 2020 has been a year of fail. Global pandemic, check. Economic meltdown, check. Political unrest, check. Busted businesses and collapsed corporations are having a moment, and who better to tackle those tales than Lauren Ober and Spectacular Failures?

Sign up to receive our brand new newsletter, featuring weekly recommendations from Lauren and the rest of the team at spectacularfailures.org/newsletter.

Read the transcript of the trailer at spectacularfailures.org.

By the time the final dice were thrown, Trump's Atlantic City casino operations had gone bankrupt six times. Despite that, Trump won the long game.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.

No amount of nostalgia could save Toys R Us from the private equity firms that owned it.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.

Charles Keating robbed working people of their life savings and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. All under the watch of powerful politicians.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.

The aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire helped usher in higher wages, safer conditions and a prohibition on child labor. But the problems that led to the fire haven’t gone away. Not even close.

You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.

Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.