History
Last Podcast on the Left was launched in 2011[18] as a conversation between friends who love horror movies. The name was inspired by the horror movie The Last House on the Left. The podcast's discussions have delved into topics including aliens, cryptids and other macabre topics.[19][20]
In 2017, The Last Podcast on the Left received the People's Voice Webby in the Podcasts & Digital Audio (Comedy) category.[21]
In 2018, they filmed their first live show at Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL. In 2019, they filmed their second live show in New Orleans, LA.[22] The hosts have toured extensively in the US and internationally, including Iceland,[23] Australia,[24] and Canada[25] for live events.[26]
On November 19, 2019, it was announced that the show was moving exclusively to Spotify[27] for ad-sponsored episodes. This arrangement was short-lived, ending in October 2021.[19]
In 2020, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt released The Last Book on the Left,[28][29] written by Kissel, Parks, and Zebrowski, and illustrated by Tom Neely.[30][31] The book debuted at number three on the New York Times Bestseller List under Hardcover nonfiction.[32]
On September 13, 2023, it was announced that co-host Ben Kissel would be "going into treatment" for his mental and physical health, and would not feature on the podcast until his treatment was completed. This came following accusations of abuse by a former girlfriend, though this was not explicitly stated as a contributing factor for his leave.[33][34] On October 4, 2023, it was announced that Kissel would no longer be part of the podcast or the Last Podcast Network.[35]
Co-host abuse allegations
On October 12, 2023, Rolling Stone released an article that outlined allegations against former Last Podcast on the Left co-host Ben Kissel, which included multiple alleged instances of sexual misconduct and verbal and physical abuse against women over the span of several years. The article further included testimony of former and current associates of Kissel who allege that he had issues with alcoholism, some of whom claimed that it would lead to drastic changes in his personality. Other individuals contacted by Rolling Stone went against many of the allegations, such as denying Kissel's personality would drastically change by consuming alcohol or attesting that they had never seen Kissel be abusive towards a woman or violent in any capacity.[36]
Former acquaintances also implied that there may have been a "willful blindness" towards Kissel's alleged behaviour and alcohol abuse among The Last Podcast Network, though this was disputed by individuals close to the network. One person outlined in the article claimed that Kissel's substance abuse was a known issue in the workplace, and lengthy discussions over it had taken place over a "seven year period." They further stated that this had become enough of an issue that discussions were being made to remove Kissel from the show weeks before his eventual departure. Parks and Zebrowski are specifically named as individuals who attempted to discuss and intervene in Kissel's drinking problems.[36] A statement was released on the Last Podcast on the Left Instagram page on October 14, in which it was claimed that they had no knowledge of the alleged abusive behavior.
