Best Brandy Jay Podcasts (2026)

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Heidi Planck [From the Archives] 32:59

Play Pause

11h ago32:59

32:59

On Sunday October 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, a 39-year-old mother of one named Heidi Planck went to watch her 11-year-old son Bond play football. When Heidi left the game, she said that she would call her son later, but even though she ALWAYS talked to him every day she never called him. In fact Bond never talked to his mother again. Because that day…

1
Jessimae Peluso and Justin Martindale 23:56

28m ago23:56

23:56

Comedians Jessimae Peluso (Girl Code, Sharp Tongue, Dying Laughing podcast) and Justin Martindale (Just Sayin’ podcast, Gay Bash) join Jameela Jamil for a Wrong Turns episode that escalates from bad dates into full survival mode. Jessimae shares how mistaking a walking red flag for romance led to “dating the DSM-5,” escalating behavior, and ultimat…

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

18h 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…

1
Michelle Buteau: An Achievable Beyonce 48:56

8m 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…

1
T.J. Miller: You'll Do Better in Toledo 49:28

6m 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…

1
Sarah Silverman & Kyle Kinane: Comedy, Cancel Culture, and Conspiracies 36:16

5d 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 …

1
Alex Edelman: "The Hardest Thing to Talk About in a Joke is Israel." 57:48

6d 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…

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

7d 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…

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Charity Beallis Pt. 2 38:08

7d ago38:08

38:08

On December 3 2025, 40 year old Charlity Beallis and her six year old twins, a daughter and a son, were fatally shot at their home in Bonanza, West Arkansas. This is a complicated case, and it’s still unfolding. Today, we dive into court transcripts from Charity and Randall's divorce hearing. If you have a case you’d like me and my team to look int…

1
Naomi Ekperigan and Andy Beckerman 47:16

6h ago47:16

47:16

Comedians and podcasters Naomi Ekperigin (Broad City, Hacks, Mythic Quest) and Andy Beckerman (The Pete Holmes Show, Cedric’s Barber Battle, Couples Therapy) join Jameela Jamil for a messy dive into marriage superstitions, chaos goblins, and a truly staggering collection of micro-humiliations. Naomi relives the nightmare of meeting Andy’s parents f…

1
Django Gold: The Comedian Who Wants to Dim Your Shine 58:21

8d 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…

1
Thomas Chatterton Williams: Why the Summer of 2020 Wasn't Inevitable 39:31

1d 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…

1
Quico Toro: "Charlatans Burrow Into Your Life and Don't Leave." 36:32

10d 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…

1
Rob Reiner: "I Just Viewed My Child in Pain" 35:02

5d 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…

1
Jay Jurden: High Profundities Per Minute 51:47

13d 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) …

1
Nicholas Wright: When Ancient Brains Meet Modern War 41:30

14d 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…

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Charity Beallis Pt. 1 35:00

14d ago35:00

35:00

On December 3 2025, at around 9:30 AM, deputies in Sebastian County, Arkansas were called to a home Bonanza, Arkansas to do a welfare check on a family. When law enforcement got there they were unable to get inside - they found two domestic workers to let them in - and it didn’t take them long to find a horrific scene - three bodies, Charity and he…

1
Adam Rose and Kevin James Thornton 52:08

14d ago52:08

52:08

Adam Rose (LA’s Finest, Small Stupid Stuff podcast, YouTube) and Kevin James Thornton (Be Yourself special, Call Kevin podcast, YouTube) join Jameela to unpack a series of deeply questionable life decisions, including pet squirrels with boundary issues, cosmetic school as a financial strategy, and how to make it through a night in jail as a 16-year…

1
James Clyburn: "The World Would Much Rather See a Sermon Than Hear One." 42:29

15d 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…

1
Mikhail Zygar: From Glasnost Whiplash to Social-Media Smog 41:26

16d 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…

1
Chris Dalla Riva: "Billboard's become a Christmas chart." 39:42

17d 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…

1
Finding the Next Terry Gross with Daniel Oppenheimer 40:22

19d 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…

1
Shadi Hamid: The Left Should Learn to Love American Power 42:52

20d 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 …

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

14d 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…

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Triple Russellville Murder 35:11

21d ago35:11

35:11

On the night of December 2nd, 1976, three girls - 13 year old Teresa Williams, 14 year old Crystal Donita Parton, and 13 year old Cynthia Mabry were hanging out together at the Fairview Estates apartments in Russellville Arkansas. At some point that day, all three girls disappeared. The girls were planning to run away to Texas. The last person to s…

1
Shapel Lacey and Aaron Branch 40:23

22d ago40:23

40:23

Comedians Shapel Lacey (Three Dads Two Moms special, current tour dates) and Aaron Branch (Unstable on Netflix, The Kevin Langue Show, The Forehead Tour) for an unforgettable episode full of wiener stories. Shapel bravely recounts the worst gig of his life, the cheer-camp sex he may never recover from, and the moment a stranger declared that his pe…

1
Holiday Suicides: Is That BS? with Sadie Dingfelder 27:42

15d 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…

1
Mark Rowlands on Memory and the Stories We Tell Ourselves 26:16

16d 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…

1
Daniel Zoughbie: The Mightiest Turns an Enemy into a Friend 34:27

24d 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…

1
Mike Pesca on the Vig, the Fix, and the John Goodman Thumb 33:43

26d 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…

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

20d 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…

1
TJ Raphael on the Liberty Godparent Trap and the Cost of Coercion 37:17

28d 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…

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Amy Mihaljevic 32:16

29d ago32:16

32:16

On Friday, October 27, 1989, 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic rode her bike to Bay Middle School in Bay Village, Ohio. She was excited about yearbook photo retakes, but after classes ended Amy’s mother expected a daily check-in call, and although Amy phoned her saying her choir tryout went well, she never came home. Investigators learned Amy had actually…

1
Dan Schreiber and Andrew Hunter Murray 47:37

21d ago47:37

47:37

Comedy troublemakers Dan Schreiber (No Such Thing As A Fish, The Museum of Curiosity, author of The Theory of Everything Else) and Andrew Hunter Murray (No Such Thing As A Fish, The Naked Week, writer for Private Eye, author of A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering) join Jameela for an hour of friendship chaos, gig disasters, and stories that…

1
Rachel McCarthy James on Axe Murder, Salad Spinners, and the Hat-Brim Line 37:25

29d 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…

1
Daniel Brook & Brandy Schillace: The Sex Expert Who Scared Hitler 32:11

30d 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…

1
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…

1
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…

1
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,…

1
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 …

1
[From the Archives] Hell and Gone Murder Line: Shannon Hercutt 31:09

1M ago31:09

31:09

On August 3, 2009, police found Shannon Hercutt dead inside her car, which had plunged off a cliff just off of Walker Trail in Sevier County, Tennessee. At first, the Tennessee highway patrol said Shannon had died in a car accident. But a few days later, Shannon Hercutt’s manner of death was changed to homicide. Who killed Shanoon Hercutt? If you h…

1
Aparna Nancherla and Eliza Skinner 37:44

28d ago37:44

37:44

Comedy powerhouses, Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman, Corporate, Mythic Quest) and Eliza Skinner (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Drop the Mic, and Earth to Ned), join Jameela for a perfect storm of humiliation, soft chaos, and stories that instantly make you feel better about your own life choices. Aparna kicks things off with a micro humil…

1
Abby Phillip: "The Stones for David's Slingshot" 46:05

1M 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…

1
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 …

1
Mike Vuolo & Bob Garfield: "Life Is a Flat Pizza Bagel" 50:21

1M 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…

1
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…

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

1M 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…

1
Fareed Zakaria on Revolutions, Backlashes, and the High Cost of Not Fixing Immigration 41:55

1M ago41:55

41:55

Fareed Zakaria joins the show to discuss The Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, arguing that the past 30 years of globalization, AI, and cultural upheaval rival the Industrial Revolutions in their political consequences. He makes the case that today's populist surges—from Sweden to the U.S.—are driven less by econom…

1
Hell and Gone Murder Line: Jonelle Matthews 35:43

1M ago35:43

35:43

On December 20, 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews returned home from a Christmas choir concert in Greeley, Colorado, and appeared to settle in for the evening, leaving her shoes, clothes, and a note from a phone call before mysteriously disappearing. When her father and sister arrived home later and couldn’t find her, police were called and quickl…

1
Lake Bell and Mary Elizabeth Ellis 48:06

1M ago48:06

48:06

Actor and writer Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Licorice Pizza, New Girl) and actor, writer, filmmaker, and "everyone's sexual awakening", Lake Bell (Bless This Mess, In a World, Harley Quinn) join Jameela for a gloriously unfiltered session of tiny humiliations and lifelong cringes. Mary Elizabeth shares the on set moment…