Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace

3.9 (64)
DOCUMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

06/07/2023

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 for privacy information.

31 min
05/24/2023

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 for privacy information.

40 min
05/10/2023 · BONUS

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 for privacy information.

1h 17m
05/03/2023

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 for privacy information.

32 min
04/26/2023 · BONUS

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 for privacy information.

9 min
04/19/2023

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 Hoardhttps://archive.org/details/myspace_dragon_hoard_2010 Damon Krukowski's Newsletter https://dadadrummer.substack.com/ Roslynn Alba Cobarrubiashttps://www.instagram.com/roslynnc Scott Zakarinhttps://www.instagram.com/scottzakarin/Jason Scotthttp://ascii.textfiles.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 min
04/07/2023

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 for privacy information.

32 min
03/29/2023

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 for privacy information.

31 min
03/22/2023

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 for privacy information.

31 min
03/16/2023

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 for privacy information.

30 min
TRAILER

Introducing: Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min

TRAILER

Introducing: Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

03/08/2023

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3 min

3.9

out of 5

64 Ratings

Interesting topic

06/26/2023

Whitney24890

Very cool to hear from the man who made the first social media platforms. I found this all very fascinating, and I learned a lot! I had no idea of any of this when I was using MySpace as a tween. Legitimately my only complaint is the use of background music in places where I found it distracting/ at odds with the content of the words being spoken. Other than that, great content, interesting subject. A fun and engaging listen.
Taylor Lorenz, really?!

08/08/2023

SantismaMuerte

Why on earth would you bring this hack on your show? Anyone who gives airtime to this doxxing, dishonest, anti-semitic, unethical, exploitative, crybully charlatan(who by the way has been SUED for ruining people’s lives and businesses with her blatant lies!) needs their head examined. Unsubscribed.
Stopped caring

07/12/2023

screaming barricuda

Really not very compelling
Meh

04/24/2023

A dollar sh0rt

Narrator has an odd delivery. Kinda distracting

Channel

iHeartPodcasts
Creator

iHeartPodcasts
Years Active

2K
Episodes

11
Rating

Explicit
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2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
Show Website

Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace
Provider

iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc