Best Jess Watts Podcasts (2026)

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Fact-Checking the Maduro Raid—and the Art of Fucking Around 47:54

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23h ago47:54

47:54

Mike breaks down the U.S. abduction of Nicolas Maduro, arguing that Donald Trump's penchant for exaggeration shouldn't blind us to actual strategic successes. He digs into why media "truth-tracking" often fails to account for real-world military outcomes, using the Fordow strikes and the defeat of ISIS as proof that a leader's bad narration doesn't…

1
Ezekiel Emanuel: "Don't Be a Schmuck"—and Yes, Eat Your Ice Cream. 33:12

1d ago33:12

33:12

The physician and health-policy veteran lays out six "simple" rules for a long, healthy life, arguing that most wellness advice fails by demanding perfection—and that moderation, sociability, and routines matter more than optimization. He gets data-nerdy on risk (Everest versus skydiving), alcohol as social lubricant, and why "good" ice cream can f…

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Not Even Mad: Michael A. Cohen & Charles Fain Lehman 49:16

3d ago49:16

49:16

Michael A. Cohen, author of the Truth and Consequences newsletter, and Charles Fain Lehman, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, debate the capture of Nicolas Maduro and whether Marco Rubio is positioning himself as the "Governor General of Latin America." The panel analyzes Tim Walz's exit from the Minnesota governor's race amid a $9 billion pandemi…

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Brad Meltzer on Plot Twists, Product Placement, and Violating Rules on Purpose 47:06

4d ago47:06

47:06

The thriller-machine (and civics savant) returns to talk The Viper, the latest Zig-and-Nola mystery, and why he'll write 350 pages before he bothers naming the thing. Plus, a harrowing Minneapolis video after an ICE agent shoots into a slowly moving SUV—and the yawning gap between what the footage seems to show and DHS talk of "rioters" and a "weap…

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BWR278: From Couch to Marathon: Navigating the Journey with Run2PB Athlete Matt Watts & Coach Forest Robinson 1:09:47

4d ago1:09:47

1:09:47

To kick off the new year, episode 278 of the Better With Running podcast begins with a catch-up between coaches Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman, followed by a detailed interview with athlete Matt Watts and his coach, Forest Robinson. The episode opens with Chris and Zac discussing the challenges of the current Australian heatwave, which has forced m…

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Andy Mills: "Acceleration Is Salvation" — and Why AI Might Be the Last Invention. 44:18

5d ago44:18

44:18

Andy Mills, creator of The Last Invention podcast, explores I.J. Good's 1965 concept of an "intelligence explosion"—and explains why "AGI" is a deceptively harmless term for a world-changing event. The central problem? Modern AI acts like a black box, often producing results that shock even its designers with no clear explanation of how they got th…

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Quico Toro: Venezuela was never a one-man show 36:57

6d ago36:57

36:57

Venezuelan expert Quico Toro explains why the removal of Nicolás Maduro feels historic—and yet leaves Venezuela largely unchanged, with the regime's machinery fully intact. Toro warns that Washington's belief in Rodríguez as a workable "moderate" badly misreads her ideological lineage and incentives. Plus: a spiel on Trump's lies and bombast—why pr…

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Dan Soder & Moshe Kasher: A Lighthouse for the Mentally Ill 34:03

8d ago34:03

34:03

Mike Pesca digs into the vault for two 2017 interviews exploring the "ground game" of the New York stand-up scene and the "ad hominem screech" of early outrage culture. Dan Soder discusses his transition from a hard-drinking youth to a maturity fueled by caffeine and cannabis, admitting that his iconic Russian accent bit remains the "Free Bird" clo…

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Rosebud Baker: We're Raising Her Autistic 1:02:56

3d ago1:02:56

1:02:56

Rosebud Baker explains why motherhood is the most political act of her life and how she handles breastfeeding pressure by claiming she's "raising her daughter autistic" with formula and vaccines. The SNL writer joins Mike Pesca to discuss her transition from the "joke-heavy" homework of her first special to the conversational honesty of Motherlode,…

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Robby Hoffman: Zero Personality Disorder 1:08:01

4d ago1:08:01

1:08:01

Comedian Robby Hoffman explains why she treats complaining as "enjoying"—and why her Depression-era instincts make her shakier during good times than disasters. Her approach to stand-up is visceral rather than cerebral: she doesn't remember the bit about the woman closing the airplane bathroom door, she replays the movie and watches her body operat…

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Chris Turner: Possession is 9/10 of the Word 1:03:11

8d ago1:03:11

1:03:11

Oxford-educated archaeology student turned freestyle sensation Chris Turner joins Mike Pesca to explain how his "British period" of deadpan one-liners evolved into the show-stopping rap flow that now defines his Comedy Cellar sets. Turner discusses the "evolutionary advantage" of not knowing the rules of hip hop as a ten-year-old in Manchester—a bl…

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Michelle Buteau: An Achievable Beyonce 48:56

6d ago48:56

48:56

Michelle Buteau explains why she is the "achievable Beyonce" for government workers and how her history editing grim news footage at WNBC led her to a record-breaking comedy career. Her new special, A Beautiful Mind, marks her as the first woman of color to headline Radio City Music Hall—a feat she attributes to the same grit that carried her throu…

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T.J. Miller: You'll Do Better in Toledo 49:28

7d ago49:28

49:28

Actor and comedian T.J. Miller explains why a traumatic brain injury is his improvisational "cheat code"—and how a 2010 surgery for an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his right frontal lobe fueled a career of manic chaos. Miller discusses the "invisible disability" of brain surgery and the high-stakes gamble of a 10% fatality rate. Along the wa…

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Sarah Silverman & Kyle Kinane: Comedy, Cancel Culture, and Conspiracies 36:16

15d ago36:16

36:16

Mike unlocks two interviews from the vault featuring comics who navigate the cultural minefield with very different styles. First, Sarah Silverman discusses her evolution from "arrogant ignoramus" character comedy to earnest podcasting, reflecting on her blackface controversy, her embrace of the "Bernie bro" label, and why she believes being wrong …

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Alex Edelman: "The Hardest Thing to Talk About in a Joke is Israel." 57:48

16d ago57:48

57:48

In this special holiday week episode, Mike sits down with comedian Alex Edelman, fresh off a Tony Award for his show Just For Us and a spot on the Time 100 list. They discuss the "liquid dynamics" of a Comedy Cellar audience, the art of bombing while testing new material, and why jokes about the Israel-Gaza conflict are the hardest tightrope in com…

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Roy Wood Jr.: "People Just Want to Feel Good." 1:02:19

17d ago1:02:19

1:02:19

In this special Christmas Day edition, Mike gives the gift of Roy Wood Jr., a comedian who embodies the "profundities in punchlines" ethos. Wood joins to discuss his CNN show Have I Got News for You, his upbringing as the son of a pioneering radio journalist, and the central thesis of his comedy: that in a fractured world, people prioritize dopamin…

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Django Gold: The Comedian Who Wants to Dim Your Shine 58:21

18d ago58:21

58:21

In a special Christmas Eve edition, Mike brings you a "gift" from the comedy vault: an interview with the brilliantly off-kilter Django Gold. A veteran of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Onion, Gold discusses his YouTube special Bag of Tricks and his commitment to playing a paranoid, morose character on stage—a persona he claims is "clos…

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EP277: Kate Clarke Run2PB Athlete on Bendigo Bats, Big PBs, and Balancing the Daily Grind 1:35:18

14d ago1:35:18

1:35:18

In this episode of the Better With Running podcast, hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman welcome back Run2PB athlete and Bendigo Bat, Kate Clarke to share her remarkable transformation. Since beginning her journey with Run2PB, Kate has achieved staggering progress under the guidance of Coach Chris, shaving 25 minutes off her half-marathon PB, 10 mi…

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Thomas Chatterton Williams: Why the Summer of 2020 Wasn't Inevitable 39:31

13d ago39:31

39:31

Thomas Chatterton Williams joins to discuss his new book, The Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse. He argues that the racial reckoning of 2020 was not an inevitable tide of history but a perfect storm of pandemic isolation, polarizing politics, and institutional failure. TCW dissects how mainstream institution…

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Quico Toro: "Charlatans Burrow Into Your Life and Don't Leave." 36:32

20d ago36:32

36:32

Quico Toro joins to discuss Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses, distinguishing the "parasitic" nature of the charlatan from the hit-and-run tactics of the scammer. He traces the lineage of the grift from the official alchemists of 16th-century Venice to the upsell tactics of Trump Uni…

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Rob Reiner: "I Just Viewed My Child in Pain" 35:02

17d ago35:02

35:02

In light of the recent tragedy, Mike unlocks a 2016 interview with the late Rob Reiner. It is a conversation that now plays differently: Reiner discusses his film Being Charlie, which was written by his son Nick Reiner—the man now arrested in connection with his death. Mike reflects on the director's legacy, the eerie prescience of their discussion…

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Jay Jurden: High Profundities Per Minute 51:47

23d ago51:47

51:47

Comedian Jay Jurden explains why nine years of theater training is his "superpower" on the stand-up stage—and why he treats every punchline like a line of dialogue rather than a personal diary entry. His new special, Yes Ma'am, argues that physical specificity (from "rolling a wheelchair into affordable housing" to Marjorie Taylor Greene's hooves) …

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Nicholas Wright: When Ancient Brains Meet Modern War 41:30

24d ago41:30

41:30

Neuroscientist Nicholas Wright explains why big powers "lose" wars they dominate on the kill ratio—and why counterinsurgencies (Vietnam, Afghanistan, maybe Iraq) reliably punish the side with less at stake. His new book, Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain, argues that identity, surprise, and revenge are ancient brain feature…

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James Clyburn: "The World Would Much Rather See a Sermon Than Hear One." 42:29

25d ago42:29

42:29

Clyburn discusses The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation, explaining how Reconstruction-era Black lawmakers navigated power, compromise, and backlash—and why their choices still resonate. He reflects on faith as action, not rhetoric, and on history as a guide rather than a museum piece. Plus: Mar…

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EP276: A Coach’s Comeback: Ned Buckell on Resilience, Recovery, and Leading the Next Generation 1:15:59

25d ago1:15:59

1:15:59

In episode 276 of the Better With Running podcast, hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman welcome Run2PB Coach Ned Buckell. Ned brings a high level of academic expertise to his coaching, as he is currently completing his Masters of Exercise Physiology. The episode serves as a deep dive into Ned’s journey, exploring how he transitioned from a competit…

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Mikhail Zygar: From Glasnost Whiplash to Social-Media Smog 41:26

26d ago41:26

41:26

Russian journalist in exile Mikhail Zygar traces an information system so sealed even Gorbachev couldn't get the facts in The Dark Side of the Earth: Russia's Short-Lived Victory Over Totalitarianism. He draws a straight psychological line from late-Soviet overload to our current tech-firehose, arguing humans don't change much; institutions do (and…

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Chris Dalla Riva: "Billboard's become a Christmas chart." 39:42

27d ago39:42

39:42

Data journalist Chris Dalla Riva brings charts, facts, and plenty of fight to Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves, a tour through every Billboard Hot 100 #1 and the strange incentives that pick our "popular." They debate whether streaming makes the charts more accurate or just more boring—why Christma…

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Finding the Next Terry Gross with Daniel Oppenheimer 40:22

29d ago40:22

40:22

In this special Saturday edition, Mike sits down with Daniel Oppenheimer of Eminent Americans to tackle a high-stakes question: Who is worthy of the Fresh Air throne? They dissect the craft of interviewing, critique the "unprepared celebrity" podcast trend, and evaluate potential successors ranging from Colin McEnroe to Jon Ronson. Produced by Core…

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Shadi Hamid: The Left Should Learn to Love American Power 42:52

30d ago42:52

42:52

Shadi Hamid joins to discuss his new book, The Case for American Power, arguing that progressives' retreat from global engagement is a mistake. He contends that while the Left often views U.S. hegemony as intrinsically immoral—citing the legacy of Iraq and the tragedy in Gaza—the alternative of withdrawal often leads to greater atrocities, such as …

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Not Even Mad: Anthony Weiner & John Ketcham 1:03:30

25d ago1:03:30

1:03:30

Anthony Weiner and John Ketcham break down a Congress being flayed by its own fringes, where the "crazies" sometimes deliver the sharpest institutional critiques. They then assess Pete Hegseth and the possible release video of a lethal Caribbean boat strike, the challenges reshaping New York politics, and what it really means to govern a city you o…

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Holiday Suicides: Is That BS? with Sadie Dingfelder 27:42

26d ago27:42

27:42

Holiday dread is real enough—fraught family gatherings, forced merriment, and the persistent myth that December is the peak month for suicide. In truth, it's the lowest month for suicides, even as the season brings elevated risks of car crashes, cardiac emergencies, and alcohol-related ER visits. Sadie Dingfelder joins for an Is That Bulls**t? to e…

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EP275: Stephen Pate Returns: Now a 2:31 Marathon Man! 55:46

1M ago55:46

55:46

This week on the Better With Running podcast, hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman, start the show with a brief update from chrisos training and talk about the turf war on socials about callipos vs zooper doopers. They then welcome back Run2PB Athlete Stephen Pate, he returns to discuss a phenomenal year of running, culminating in a massive three-m…

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Mark Rowlands on Memory and the Stories We Tell Ourselves 26:16

1M ago26:16

26:16

The philosopher discusses The Book of Memory: How We Become Who We Are, exploring how recollection constructs identity, coherence, and the personas we inhabit. He explains why memory is less an archive than an act of ongoing authorship, shaped by emotion, imagination, and the stories we rehearse. The conversation traces the boundary between what we…

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Daniel Zoughbie: The Mightiest Turns an Enemy into a Friend 34:27

1M ago34:27

34:27

Daniel Zoughbie discusses Kicking the Hornet's Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump, arguing that Truman's one-sided recognition of Israel and decades of U.S. overreliance on defense distorted the region's trajectory. He traces missed off-ramps from Oslo to the Olmert–Abbas talks, explaining why partition remains the on…

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Mike Pesca on the Vig, the Fix, and the John Goodman Thumb 33:43

1M ago33:43

33:43

On this Saturday edition, Mike Pesca joins the cast of Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone to explain the dopamine minefield of modern sports betting. He walks Paula and Adam Felber through the mechanics of the "vig," the absurdity of Cleveland pitchers throwing balls into the dirt to cover prop bets, and the time NBA legend Chauncey Billups unwitti…

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Funny You Should Mention: Mohanad Elshieky 1:03:08

1M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

Mohanad Elshieky joins Funny You Should Mention with stories that make Benghazi feel less like a political Rorschach test and more like the small town where he learned comedy by roasting his siblings and dodging unlicensed militias. He walks us through the dictatorship-era silence around politics, the sudden rise of ISIS-adjacent checkpoints, and t…

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TJ Raphael on the Liberty Godparent Trap and the Cost of Coercion 37:17

1M ago37:17

37:17

TJ Raphael, host of the series Liberty Lost, joins Mike to investigate the "Liberty Godparent Home"—a facility on Liberty University's campus where pregnant teens were allegedly pressured into adoption under the guise of spiritual redemption—and discuss why the financial incentives of the "adoption industrial complex" often cause the promise of ope…

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Rachel McCarthy James on Axe Murder, Salad Spinners, and the Hat-Brim Line 37:25

1M ago37:25

37:25

True crime historian Rachel McCarthy James joins to talk about Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder, tracing humanity's relationship between axe and skull, where questions about Axe-related word play are axed and answered. Then the show pivots to how algorithms elevate the most loathed spokespeople on every hot-button issue, from Riley Gaines to Jasm…

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EP274:Unlocking Speed: Coach Ben Stolz & Athlete Shaun White on a breakout 2025 season 1:09:27

1M ago1:09:27

1:09:27

In this weeks episode of the Better With Running Podcast features Run2PB Coach Ben Stolz and athlete Shaun White, return to the show to recap Shaun's spectacular 2025 running season. Following a strategic focus on speed development, Shaun achieved a string of major Personal Bests (PBs), including significant improvements in the 3K, 5K (15:25), 10K …

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Daniel Brook & Brandy Schillace: The Sex Expert Who Scared Hitler 32:11

1M ago32:11

32:11

Daniel Brook and Brandy Schillace trace the life and legacy of Magnus Hirschfeld, the so-called "Einstein of Sex," from his pioneering Institute for Sexual Science to the Nazis parading his severed likeness at the 1933 book burning. They dig into the longer prehistory of Weimar queer politics and antisemitism, discussing how obsessions with masculi…

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Murdaugh Showrunner Michael D. Fuller: Power Metastasizes 42:01

1M ago42:01

42:01

Michael D. Fuller joins to talk about Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. The conversation digs into what scripted drama can do that true-crime podcasts and prosecutors can't, especially around messy motives and family dynamics that don't fit a neat trial narrative. Plus, an opening segment on Trump's "don't give up the ship" blowup, congressiona…

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Jesse Eisenberg: "Marv Albert Is My Therapist" 24:41

1M ago24:41

24:41

On this Saturday edition, Mike Pesca reaches into the archives for a 2016 classic with actor and author Jesse Eisenberg. They discuss Eisenberg's short story collection Bream Gives Me Hiccups and the "creek vs. crick" linguistic controversy it sparked, while analyzing why a nine-year-old restaurant critic is the perfect vessel for exposing adult hy…

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Bob Saget & Chuck Klosterman: "I Really Have Become Liza Minnelli" 33:13

1M ago33:13

33:13

Today on The Gist, the late Bob Saget, who reconciles his Full House image with his "Dirty Daddy" persona while admitting he was a "nerd burglar" in his youth. They dissect the difference between misogyny and locker room talk, deconstruct the logic of his famous "Winnebago" joke. Then, cultural critic Chuck Klosterman joins to analyze The Nineties,…

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Henry Winkler & Clint Watts: "Three Little Fonzies and a Trail of Dead Russians" 38:04

1M ago38:04

38:04

On this Thanksgiving edition Mike Pesca serves up two revitalized classics, starting with Henry Winkler (The Fonz), who joins to discuss his Hank Zipser books, the unique Dutch font designed for dyslexic readers, and his tenure-granting plan to design the world's first consumer jet pack. Then, we revisit a conversation with counterterrorism expert …

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Abby Phillip: "The Stones for David's Slingshot" 46:05

2M ago46:05

46:05

Mike Pesca is joined by CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip to discuss her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power. They explore Jackson's soaring, sermon-like rhetorical style and the hubris of the "tree shaker, not a jelly maker" philosophy. The conversation traces how Jackson's push to change delegate rul…

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Not Even Mad: Russ Muirhead & Nick Gillespie 1:03:49

1M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Mike Pesca welcomes back Nick Gillespie (Reason Magazine) and first-time guest Russ Muirhead (Dartmouth professor and New Hampshire State Rep.) for a spirited debate that is—we swear—not even mad. Today, we look at the half-full autocratic glass: Does the dismissal of the Comey and James indictments prove that institutions are holding, or does the …

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EP273: From Setback to Success: Run2PB athlete James Cousins on Overcoming Injury and Unlocking Speed 1:01:59

2M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

The episode kicks off with the hosts', touching on the ridiculously short two-day first test match in cricket and the start of the summer, which prompts nostalgic recollections of childhood ice creams, including Zac's lament over paying nearly $5 for a Calipo. In their running weeks recap, Chris reports a managed 39K week, focusing on recovery from…

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Mike Vuolo & Bob Garfield: "Life Is a Flat Pizza Bagel" 50:21

2M ago50:21

50:21

Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield of Lexicon Valley join to talk 23 skidoo, Massapequa, and why life, in fact, is a flat bagel. They trace the 6/7 meme from Skrilla's drill track "Doot Doot" through LaMelo Ball highlights and a middle-schooler named Maverick, and explain how a throwaway number became the meme stock of language. The conversation winds thr…

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Mike on Matt Lewis Can't Lose 30:28

1M ago30:28

30:28

Mike joins Matt Lewis for a lively crossover conversation that opens with deep dives into Huey Lewis puns before shifting into the Democrats' "affordability" message, why word wars matter more than policy wins, and how political optics collide with economic reality. They unpack everything from tariffs to AI dislocation to the future of the Democrat…

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Funny You Should Mention: Myq Kaplan 1:19:23

2M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

Comedian Myq Kaplan joins the show for a deep dive into joke logic, philosophy, and the very slippery business of defining who counts as a comedian. Using his new special Rini as a jumping-off point, he and Mike wander through Grecian maxims, the paradox of the heap, why some laughs are closer to enlightenment than punch lines, and how his relation…