Webworm's 2024 Year In Review

UFO-obsessed sex pests, Hillsong shills & TV heroes going down the rabbit hole.

Hi,

A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped.

Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break (assuming you get one).

I feel incredibly grateful that I get to share my work, and others’ work, with you. I never take that for granted.

Thanks to all of you who answered my birthday wish and told people about Webworm! As promised, I called one of you who shared, and as expected you were great to talk to.

My birthday on the 25th was a lovely — spent in a very low key way with friends. Rosabel wins MVP with this series of song links she sent through Christmas morning:

Speaking of good songs… before we get to Webworm stuff — a few highlights from the world of pop culture in 2024.

If you listen to one podcast episode this year, please make it episode 849 of This American Life — The Narrator. It’s about the genocide in Gaza, but it’s also not. It’s unlike anything you’ve heard. It’s a conversation with a rambunctious 8-year-old and it shows how powerful and beautiful this medium can be.

A few of you wanted to know what I’ve enjoyed listening to this year, and to answer that I’d say Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ Challengers score, Billy Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, Charlie XCX’s BRAT, Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340, Dead Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia, Fazerdaze’s Soft Power, The Cure’s Songs Of A Lost World, Rosé’s Rosie, Chat Pile’s Cool World, and Arab Strap’s I’m Totally Fine with It Don't Give a Fuck Anymore.

The best song this year was a perfect tie between Rosie’s “APT” and Chat Pile’s “Masc”.

In the world of TV and film, to be totally honest, I’ve fallen off a bit. I just haven’t had time to watch that much stuff! That said, two films stuck in my mind this year and they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Terrifier 3 was a horror film that actively made me feel dirty, and I’d recommend it to no-one. But I loved it and it stuck with me. At the other end of the spectrum was DÌDI. DÌDI was perfect and I recommend it to everyone.

Because I didn’t watch all that much this year, I’ve just published a piece by film editor Dan Kircher looking at what’s been going on in cinema in 2024. Dan edited Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm. Dan loves movies. He gets movies. I trust his takes. The piece is called Those Metal Motherfuckers: Cinema in the Year of AI.

Finally — my reading highlights came towards the end of the year. I am a Stephen King obsessive, so of course I hoovered up his new book of short stories You Like It Darker. I was delighted Ray Kurzweil wrote an update on his semi-delusional book The Singularity is Near with another semi-delusional book The Singularity is Nearer.

My top book pick of 2024: Jeff VanderMeer’s Absolution. I had no idea this thing was coming out — and when I saw it in a bookstore I gasped. It’s the fourth novel in the Southern Reach series and is both a prequel and sequel. Fuck I love this book.

---

My Favourite 15 Webworm pieces of 2024

Okay, the important stuff. The stuff I feel most proud of on Webworm this year. This is probably a good time to say THANK YOU to anyone who chooses to pay for Webworm.

Literally can’t do it without you.

You paid for legal fees getting stories like Mike King: The Making of a Mental Health Rockstar legal’d. You allow me the time and resources to research and write, and to pay guest writers like Hayden Donnell, Jess McAllen, Joshua Drummond and Emmy Rākete.

Me and Webworm writer Emmy Rākete.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Webworm now has readers in 50 US and 179 countries.

Countries that have zero Webworm members include Greenland, Paraguay, Kazakhstan. If you know any readers there — please, Dear God, gift them a sub! I’ll pay you back. Honestly. Let’s get it to 195 countries!

To anyone rocking Webworm merch — thank you! It was really nice to meet Worms at the Auckland, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sydney popups we did this year. They were super cute.

Some kids at the popup in LA, wearing Webworm hats… that are probably appropriate for kids tbh?

Okay. Here are some highlights which might make for some good summer or winter (depends where you are) reading/listening.

With each piece I’ve included a bit of your feedback. Always read, always valued.

1. The Curious Case of the Pearl Jam Posters (Jan 5)

We kicked the year off by looking at how giant band Pearl Jam paid their artists not in cash, but in their own posters.

“One of the shittier things people can do when trying to hire artists is to tell them what a great opportunity this is for them,” said Webworm reader Vicki.

I tend to agree.

2. Bethlehem College Fails Miserably (Feb 1)

In an ongoing series, I wrote about how my old school got a big ol’ FAIL when it comes to its treatment of LGBTQI+ students.

“Dammit I actually found some of this quite triggering, and I'm not someone inclined to say that. In my professional life I have spent far to much time apologizing for Christians who perpetuate this kind of shit,” commented Webworm reader Richard.

3. We've Lost the Ability to See Reality (Feb 5)

This was all about the horror of AI images taking over our social media timelines.

Reader Mac weighed in: “I’m a creative for an ad agency that shall remain nameless on an automotive account that will also remain nameless and I can tell you that on two of my last three campaigns, a lot of the digital content was entirely animated with unity. We put disclaimers on the spots, but people watching at home cannot tell the difference. It’s genuinely unsettling.”

4. Facebook Has an Animal Torture Empire (Feb 11)

Animals are being tortured on Facebook, and hundreds of thousands of accounts are engaging with it. And Meta gives exactly zero shits. Hopefully people think twice before liking that video of a monkey being rescued from a muddy ditch.

Graeme left this comment, which meant a lot: “Appreciate the investigation David, and reporting it both to us and Meta, but please look after yourself. You are the kind and animal-loving human on the receiving end of this torrent of abuse, and it must take its toll. Take a break from it if you can.”

I did.

5. Leigh Hart Goes Down the Wormhole (Feb 26)

I wrote about my New Zealand TV hero Leigh Hart getting dragged into the algorithmic dragnet rotting our brains, as he turned to Twitter to RT the Great Replacement conspiracy theory and anti-trans rhetoric. When contacted by Webworm he pulled his social media accounts, claiming he’d been hacked.

Chris Schulz from The Boiler Room weighed in with an interesting tidbit: “He pulled the EXACT same trick when The Spinoff tried to cover this last year — said he’d been hacked then took his social media offline, only to return a few weeks later.”

Huh.

6. The Futility of Punishment (June 20)

Hayden Donnell wrote this excellent, in-depth feature about a relatively new court in New Zealand called Te Kōti ō Timatanga Hou — “The Court of New Beginnings.” They’re trying something I can only describe as remarkable — and about as far removed from the mindset of the American justice system as I can imagine.

“I’m a bit embarrassed to say reading this made me a tad misty eyed,” wrote Joe.

7. The Strange Split Reality of Brooke Fraser (June 25)

I took a look at one of Hillsong megachurch’s biggest contributors — New Zealand pop star Brooke Fraser (or Brooke Ligertwood as she’s known in the megachurch). The piece also revealed that Paul McKessar had been quietly re-instated at her management, CRS.

“Appreciate your time and effort on this. So many times the sexual predator fades away for a little while but then comes back with little consequence. Meanwhile, their survivors can struggle through day to day existence and are retraumatised by these unexpected encounters. And then there’s the people profiting off the abuse of others,” commented Steph.

The woman who wrote some of Hillsong’s biggest hits.

8. The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers (July 20)

I love publishing Tony Stamp’s monthly Totally Normal column — and this was my favourite of his this year. He looked at all the influencers pushing a diet of meat and butter.

It resonated with reader H: “I’ve noticed, via my two sons, aged 19 and 20, this interest in men’s body ideals. I see it in what sometimes feels like obsession over their clothing and hair choices and for my oldest in his attendance at a gym most days. Mostly I’m okay with it for them and we regularly talk about moderation and when I get sent pics of ‘bro dinner’ which usually involves steak and eggs, I’m always being that mum who texts backs applauding a great meal and noting the addition of veg.”

9. What Happened to David D'Amato's Millions? (July 12)

I did a podcast episode interviewing the guy who ended up as executor on David D’Amato’s will. For anyone who watched Tickled and went “what happened next?” — well, here’s your answer.

“Wow, what a bunch of curveballs in that interview,” wrote Diane. “I’m conflicted because it sounds like there was repression and abuse that shaped David D’Amato. No excuse for what he did, but this knowledge adds another very twisted layer to Tickled. How did you manage to sit on this information for so long?”

10. Spaceman Barry (August 25)

Long before it was a Flightless Bird episode, the story of Barry Briskman (and his UFO-sized secret) was a Webworm podcast episode.

“What a wild story. I didn’t know exactly where it was going” wrote Joe. “I listened to this whole story waiting for them to discover a UFO together. That was a Shyamalan level twist!” said Emily.

Spaceman Barry celebrating his 82nd birthday with a cake baked by his roommate Noah.

11. Being a Hero is Mostly Illegal (Sept 20)

Joshua Drummond passionately wrote about how the world is hooked on time-consuming heroic fantasies that are impossible to live out in real life — leading to a broken society that’s been given faulty instructions for how to fix itself.

Colin, a climate change scientist, weighed in in the comments.

“I’ve come to realize that it is its very own version of hell, with a very specific form of torture. Climate change is a cancer that has metastasized to every corner of the planet. But instead of complicated treatments that vary from person to person with varying degrees of success, we know exactly how to treat climate change.

The difference though is that oncologists don’t have to deal with people thinking cancer is a left-wing conspiracy theory and that it even exists in the first place. So instead of a reasoned discussion of various routes to the decarbonization of the planet, I’m still trying to figure out how to get people to understand that it’s not a conspiracy theory.”

12. The 48 Hours Leading Up To An Execution (Sept 27)

I traveled to Missouri to be with those desperately trying to stop the execution of Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams. “Thanks for going out there, David. For witnessing, for listening and asking questions, and for sharing this difficult, heartbreaking story with us,” wrote Bryn. The response was so strong, I ended up making a Flightless Bird podcast episode about it.

I stand in a field as a man gets executed 100 metres away.

13. How Netflix Got Cold Feet… and a Short Film from Giorgio Angelini (Nov 11)

I was really excited to share this essay and short film from one of my favourite documentary makers, Giorgio Angelini.

“The film was incredible, terrifying, devastating, but very necessary,” commented reader Sarah. “I’m sad and frightened for vulnerable groups in the US. If I was there, as a non-binary, bisexual person, I would get out if I could. I know that’s just not an option for so many people.”

14. This Time America Knew What It Was Doing

On America’s election night, I did something I didn’t really want to do: I attended a Donald Trump watch party in Los Angeles, and documented what happened.

Paulette responded to the piece, and election results, with empathy:

“I am so sad. I opened my front door this morning to one of my favorite humans, who happens to be here illegally after trying to go the legal route to become a citizen for over 20 years. I had forgotten she was coming over and when I saw her face, I just started crying. How can we not care enough about people to vote for politicians and policies that will treat them better?

My son attends a school where over 50% of the parents are undocumented. I shed tears thinking about the trauma they will now be living under. The fear of being taken in the night or at a traffic stop and deported. The fear of being separated from their parents.”

I gotta say, I felt kinda defeated at this point. Like: “What the fuck am I doing here.”

15. Cutting Through An Inundation of Dipshit Racists (Nov 21)

Emmy Rākete wrote powerfully on the moronic misinformation, racism and general ignorance flying around following the haka that took place in New Zealand’s parliament.

“I read this and even though a lot of what's happening out there is scary and wrong I feel myself relax, because Dr Rākete is saying something informed, sane and real, also educational, which is not something I’m reading a lot of. Thank you,” said reader Lee.

I agree with Lee.

---

You can share this piece! It is: www.webworm.co/p/yearinreview2024

---

Thanks again for reading and listening along this year.

I’m curious to hear what stood out for you. Because it’s been a big one. February’s botched Willy Wonka event in Glasgow seems like an entire lifetime ago, in a year filled with genocide (thanks Ross for your piece) and a horrible US election.

It doesn’t have to be something from Webworm (although I am always curious about your feedback and experiences here) — but just something from your own life, or the news cycle.

Let’s share some shit from 2024 before it’s over.

David.