Prepping for doomsday

Today, Explained

Vox

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Preparing for the end of the world is a multibillion-dollar business. People are stockpiling weapons, buying luxury bunkers, and even building flammable moats...but prepping is also an American tradition. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jolie Myers, fact checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Further reading: Be Prepared: Doomsday Prepping in the United States by Robert E. Kirsch and Emily Ray, Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell about the End of the World by Dorian LynskeyListen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. A member of the post-apocalyptic "Wasteland Warriors" group celebrating to metal music. Photo by Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I had a dream, which is not all a dream.
0:08.8	The bright sun was extinguished.
0:11.2	There are apocalypses everywhere for those with eyes to see.
0:16.0	The Last of Us is back.
0:17.3	Netflix made the A turn out.
0:18.9	Paradise got another season.
0:21.7	People are building bunkers and buying bunkers. Mark Zuckerberg's blabbing to Theo Vaughn about his tunnel.
0:26.6	There's this whole meme about how people are saying I've built this like bunker underground.
0:31.6	It's like more of underground storage.
0:33.6	It's for sure a bunker.
0:35.6	Zuckie got that bulky. Costco Costco's got a hundred and fifty serving emergency food bucket.
0:41.3	Americans love this shit, but why?
0:43.3	Today on today explained a concise history of our obsession with the end of the world. Support for this show comes from Indeed.
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	...

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