The Bad Movie Podcast That Became Comedy Institution
How Did This Get Made? (launched December 2010) made dissecting terrible movies into art form. Hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas’s chemistry—Paul’s enthusiasm, June’s confusion, Jason’s unhinged theories—transformed bad cinema into comedy gold. The show’s format (watch awful movie, record live reaction with audience) created communal hate-watching culture before streaming made it ubiquitous.
Episodes on The Room, Cats, Battlefield Earth, and Gigli became legendary, with fans rewatching episodes more than the actual movies. The show’s “Second Opinions” segment (reading 5-star reviews of terrible films) and “Plugs” theme song competitions became beloved rituals. HDTGM proved that podcasts about niche topics (bad movies) could sustain 13+ years through host chemistry alone.
The show represented Earwolf comedy podcasting’s golden era (2010-2018), when improv comedians built audiences through free content and live shows. By 2020, HDTGM grossed millions through ticket sales, Patreon, and merchandise—proof that comedy podcasting could generate sustainable careers. The show influenced countless “bad media” podcasts (We Hate Movies, The Flop House), establishing template for turning criticism into entertainment.
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