Zoë Schiffer: It must have been a long walk.
Lauren Goode: I mean, I’ve heard a lot about jujitsu. 56 minutes of that show was devoted to jujitsu, and then it was like, “Also, how to live forever.” I don’t know Yes.
Michael Calore: I really want to hear it, because I was fascinated when you started talking about it and Zoë was talking about him. I don’t want to read his book, but I would listen to him on Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan’s big thing for me is the recent emergence of Marc Andreessen.
Lauren Goode: Ooh, how was that?
Michael Calore: It was around 6 pm.
Lauren Goode: Woof. You were deep in the broliarchy.
Zoë Schiffer: I was listening to it because you were talking about it, and I was like… And it’s relevant to our conversation today, but damn, was it long?
Michael Calore: is. And this show will not last 18 hours, but it is relevant to the topic, because we will talk about DOGE.
Lauren Goode: So, once again, broliarchy.
Michael Calore: Broliarchy.
Lauren Goode: Let’s do it.
Michael Calore: This is WIRED’s Uncanny Valley, a series about the people, power and influence of Silicon Valley. I’m Michael Calore, director of consumer technology and culture here at WIRED.
Lauren Goode: And I’m Lauren Goode. I’m a senior writer at WIRED.
Zoë Schiffer: And I’m Zoë Schiffer, WIRED’s director of business and industry.
Michael Calore: Today we demystify DOGE, the Ministry of Government Efficiency, meme coin. As Lauren calls it, a broligarchy. We’ll talk about the key players, what their agenda is for the US government, and what we think is behind it all. DUZDZ. ALL RIGHT. Today we are talking about DOGE, not meme coin.
Zoë Schiffer: Although the meme coin is relevant here, because it’s a big joke. That’s why they chose this acronym. Just to give a little background on what this even means, meme coins are a type of cryptocurrency based on a joke. It’s almost like making fun of cryptocurrency itself. So Dogecoin is one that Elon Musk has been promoting for a long time. There are others like BONK and FLOKI which I think are named after his dog, Floki, not BONK. They are actually a type of cryptocurrency, but based on an internet joke.
Lauren Goode: Wasn’t there a Hawk Tuah coin recently too?
Zoë Schiffer: phew
Michael Calore: It was. That.
Lauren Goode: That. And how did it go?
Michael Calore: it’s not good
Zoë Schiffer: That.
Michael Calore: Meme coins generally don’t do well. But this one has a second life, as it has now been rebranded as the Department of Government Efficiency, of which Elon Musk is one of the people responsible.