The Cracked Podcast #35

It took 45 years before landline phones went from “rich person’s toy” to normal. Cell phones made that same journey in just seven years, and smartphones bridged the gap from frivolous to ubiquitous in five. You’re probably familiar with the concept of a ‘tipping point,’ but have you ever wondered why things tip faster nowadays? Babe Ruth’s home run record took 34 years to beat. Mark McGwire’s took just three. It’s because tipping has turned into big business. Jaegermeister and Grey Goose were turned into frat boy icons by the same marketing genius, and Starbucks didn’t succeed because they had the best coffee. They won because they figured out how to make paying lots of money for coffee cool.

On today’s podcast, Cracked editors Jack O’Brien and Jason Pargin talk about how things tip — and make some predictions about what we might see tip next. Throw on your headphones and click play above.