MySpace was the first major social media company. And it was the first major social media company to collapse. But what happened on MySpace would have broad implications for all the platforms to follow. What was this internet sensation in aughts? Log on with Joanne McNeil and revisit MySpace through the people who lived it.
How a Dog Talks: The Surprising Redemption of Comic Sans [from Very Special Episodes]
Host [Host Name] explores Comic Sans' surprising redemption and unexpected success, revealing its overlooked legacy beyond design criticism.
5 Dec 2025
Introducing: What Happened in Nashville
What Happened in Nashville is a deeply reported investigation into the sudden collapse of a Tennessee fertility clinic, and the patients caught in the fallout. When the Center for Reproductive Health shut down without warning, people lost access to their embryos, their treatments were abruptly cut off, and many were left scrambling to recover money, medical records, and time they couldn’t afford to lose. Through intimate conversations with the patients who lived through it, host Melissa Jeltsen reveals the emotional and physical toll of the clinic’s abrupt closure. But the story reaches far beyond a single clinic. The series exposes the cracks in a fertility industry built on hope, high price tags and minimal oversight. What Happened in Nashville isn’t just the story of one tragedy — it’s a warning about a system where families have everything at stake and far too little protection.
Listen here (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-what-happened-in-nashvill-93564012/) or on the iHeartRadio app.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
11 Jun 2025
[VSE] Hemidemisemiquaver: A Modern Quiz Show Scandal
Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English discuss a child prodigy's unsettling game show experience and the hosts' own trivia show appearances, revealing the complexities behind the scenes.
7 Jun 2023
8. MySpace Forever
In April 2023, Joanne did something she hadn't tried in well over a decade — she logged into her MySpace account. For our season finale, she set out to find the people who still use MySpace to this day. She reviews the factors that contributed to MySpace’s demise, and looks at what we lost when the MySpace era ended.
Thanks for your support of Main Accounts! What tech company should Joanne dig into in the future? Let us know on Twitter @jomc.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
24 May 2023
7. MySecurity
"If you open a hole on the internet," UCLA professor Sarah T. Roberts tells us, "it gets filled with sh*t."
The tragic death of Megan Meier was a turning point for MySpace. As the first social media company to operate on a massive scale, MySpace and its users were forced to grapple with the consequences of that scale.
In this episode, Joanne is joined by Thomas Kadri of the University of Georgia School of Law to discuss how our legal system was ill-equipped to deal with the social media era. UCLA professor and author Sarah T. Roberts chronicles the early days of content moderation. And Bridget Todd and Scott Zakarin are back to talk about bullying in the MySpace era.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
10 May 2023
Bonus: Tina Meier (Full Interview)
Our last episode featured the tragic death of Megan Meier, which became the biggest scandal MySpace would ever face. In this bonus episode, Joanne wanted to share our full interview with Megan's mother, Tina. Tina told us more about Megan's life, the trial, and the work of the Megan Meier Foundation. Since 2007, the MMF has worked to end bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
3 May 2023
6. Megan's Story
The moral panic over online predators on MySpace was largely overblown, but there was some truth to these concerns. These stories ended up on the nightly news and further stoked people’s fears about who was actually behind MySpace profiles. And one story — the biggest scandal MySpace had faced yet — showed how the use of a fake account could result in circumstances confusing and surreal, and tragic beyond belief.
And it set in motion events that would lead to MySpace’s eventual collapse.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
26 Apr 2023
Bonus: The Jason Scott MySpace Story
We first reached out to digital archivist Jason Scott in episode five about the MySpace data loss. It turns out Jason had a lot more to say about his place in MySpace history that didn't make it into that episode.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
19 Apr 2023
5. My Music
MySpace forever changed the way we listen to music. The social network shifted artists' relationships with their fans, and the site helped launch the careers of many huge stars, from Panic! At The Disco to Adele.
What made MySpace such an influential platform for musicians? And why did all the music disappear?
In this episode, Joanne sits down with Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias (former Head of Artist Relations at MySpace) and Josh Brooks (former VP of Programming and Music at MySpace). She also speaks to American musician Damon Krukowski (Galaxie 500, Magic Hour, Damon and Naomi), creator Scott Zakarin, and Jason Scott of the Internet Archive. You'll hear more from Jason next week.
See Also...
The MySpace Music Dragon Hoard
https://archive.org/details/myspace_dragon_hoard_2010 (https://archive.org/details/myspace_dragon_hoard_2010)
Damon Krukowski's Newsletter
https://dadadrummer.substack.com/ (https://dadadrummer.substack.com/)
Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias
https://www.instagram.com/roslynnc (https://www.instagram.com/roslynnc)
Scott Zakarin
https://www.instagram.com/scottzakarin/ (https://www.instagram.com/scottzakarin/)
Jason Scott
http://ascii.textfiles.com/ (http://ascii.textfiles.com/)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
7 Apr 2023
4. Scene Kids
MySpace amplified the ongoing moral panic around teenagers on the internet. For young MySpace users, many of the trials of teenhood were transposed from the locker rooms, lunchrooms, and high school corridors to the realm of testimonials and Top 8. But was it really worse than any reality that teenagers throughout history have known?
Joanne is joined by Alexis Nedd (author of Don't Hate the Player) and Noor Al-Sibai (author of the forthcoming MySpace Scene Queens) to talk about growing up on MySpace.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Mar 2023
3. MySpace Famous
In this episode, Joanne delves into how MySpace—like reality TV—became a vehicle for celebrity in the aughts, and gave way to the culture of influencers. She catches up with people who built a fan base on the platform.
Special thanks to our guests Bridget Todd (host of There Are No Girls on the Internet); Taylor Lorenz (technology columnist for The Washington Post); and Hanna Beth (one of the first people to become MySpace Famous).
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
22 Mar 2023
2. Dialed Up
Let’s look back at the internet communities that were thriving before MySpace — even before Friendster. Why did MySpace get ahead when there was strong competition from other social networks at the time?
To explore the earliest days of social media, Joanne is joined by investor and entrepreneur Benjamin Sun, who co-founded Asian Avenue in 1997, and Katie Notopoulos, senior technology reporter for BuzzFeedNews.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
16 Mar 2023
1. Welcome to MySpace
The MySpace era was incredibly influential, and incredibly messy. And it remains largely underexplored. Young people talk about MySpace like a cool scene they wish they could have experienced. Like CBGB, or Studio 54.
But before we get into the experiences that users had — from bored teens to up-and-coming musicians to soldiers stationed abroad — let’s start at the very beginning. Because MySpace does not have a typical Silicon Valley origin story.
Special thanks to our guests Julie Angwin (author of Stealing MySpace) and Taylor Lorenz (author of the forthcoming Extremely Online). You can share your MySpace story with Joanne McNeil on Twitter @jomc.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
8 Mar 2023
Introducing: Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Inside a recent episode
How a Dog Talks: The Surprising Redemption of Comic Sans [from Very Special Episodes]
Published 24 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I mean, he was just trying to make something better. That didn't look right to him. He wasn't planning on it being released to the world as a typeface that would be, you know, on every flyer and every website. You know, he was trying to solve a single problem and then it kind of went viral. To Thomas Finney, the fact that the typeface escaped its original confines is actually a good sign. I think it speaks to the strength of the design. I think it's pretty impressive and cool that something that was originally designed for such a narrow use case, talking dog user interface word balloons on screens, you know, has become this cultural phenomenon. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
