Best Flat Space Art Podcasts (2025)

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

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1d 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

3d 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

4d 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

5d 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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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…

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

7d 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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What Happens When Art Leads the Room: How Art-Forward Design Elevates Daily Life with Susann Eva Goerg 43:58

3d ago43:58

43:58

In this episode of Why My Business Works, Megan sits down with interior designer and creative director Susann Eva Goerg to explore what happens when art leads the room not as decoration, but as a driver of meaning, emotion, and quality of life. Susann shares how a single piece of art in her own bedroom became the catalyst for reshaping her design p…

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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…

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Jay Jurden: High Profundities Per Minute 51:47

10d 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

11d 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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Krampus is coming: The Christmas demon’s Chicago connection 12:20

7d ago12:20

12:20

On the morning of St. Nicholas Day, good kids rush downstairs to see what kind of gifts might be in their shoes. The bad kids? Unfortunately they might get a visit from Krampus, an ancient monster that has naughty children praying for a lump of coal instead.The origins of this half-goat, half-man folklore character date back centuries, largely to G…

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

12d 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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“A Christmas Carol”: An amateur actor’s journey into a Chicago holiday tradition 8:03

8d ago8:03

8:03

The Christkindlmarket, the CTA holiday train and “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago is full of holiday traditions. In this episode, we get an intimate look at the annual theater production through the eyes of our Chicago Sun-Times colleague, Stefano Esposito as he takes to the stage.…

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

13d 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

14d 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

16d 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

17d 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

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…

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The first Black-owned airport in the U.S. was in Robbins, Illinois 20:03

14d ago20:03

20:03

The Robbins Airport, just southwest of Chicago, was the first Black-owned and -operated airport in the country. Its founders were pivotal to Black aviation.

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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…

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A museum, a mayor and a road: How Lake Shore Drive became a runway ... intentionally 6:27

15d ago6:27

6:27

Lake Shore Drive has served as a makeshift runway for emergency landings. But it’s also been an intentional runway for planned arrivals. We go back to 1983 to get the story of how a Chicago institution helped turn our lakeside expressway into an airstrip, at least twice.

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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…

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

21d 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

23d 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

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…

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Everything’s a Metaphor: How Real Relationships Build Real Businesses with Susan Yeley 42:48

23d ago42:48

42:48

In this episode of Why My Business Works, Megan sits down with designer and longtime friend Susan Yeley to talk about the power of proximity, authentic connection, and leading a company that genuinely takes care of its people. Susan built her firm the same way she builds homes: with curiosity, presence, and a deep respect for the humans involved. S…

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

25d 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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How one organization is transforming Englewood’s vacant lots 11:34

21d ago11:34

11:34

The city of Chicago owns thousands of vacant lots, and more than 80 percent of those parcels are in communities where the population is at least 80 percent Black. That’s according to a report from the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University. Residents and organizations are investing in these lots to improve the community. Last episode, w…

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

26d 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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Want to buy the vacant lot next door? It might take awhile 6:51

22d ago6:51

6:51

Buying a city-owned lot seems like a simple process, but buying one might take longer than expected. The city puts a limited number of parcels up for sale each year.

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

27d 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

28d 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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A Real Life Space Jam 1:11:59

26d ago1:11:59

1:11:59

The Magnificent Bastards are back! After 18 months of litigation with Nathan Lane, Ruth Stage and it's fearless leader Matt de Rogatis have found a way to bring the Bastards brand back - tag teaming with the official photographer of Ruth Stage, Chris Loupos! On this week's episode, the two discuss what would happen in a real life Space Jam scenario…

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

30d 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

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…

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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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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…

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Be the Sun, Not the Moon: Stop Pretzeling for Clients and Build a Business That Fits You 42:53

1M ago42:53

42:53

Note: This episode includes occasional adult language. What happens when you stop contorting yourself into whatever clients want and start showing up as the sun in your business? In this first episode of Why My Business Works, Megan sits down with holistic interior designer Gala Magriña to talk about claiming your niche, valuing your work, and buil…

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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

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…

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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…

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Does your iguana need x-rays? A local exotic animal hospital can help 12:40

1M ago12:40

12:40

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A hedgehog, a river otter and an iguana walk into a local exotic animal hospital …Whether intentional or otherwise, exotic pets like sharks, macaws and pythons have made Illinois their home. But finding medical care for these animals isn’t as simple as visiting the neighborhood vet.Last episode, we explored some of…

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James Patterson: "My Time Here Is Short. What Can I Do Most Beautifully?" 35:35

1M ago35:35

35:35

James Patterson joins the show to talk about Disrupt Everything—and Win: Take Control of Your Future, his new playbook for turning constant disruption into something useful rather than paralyzing. He explains how he thinks about "positive" versus "negative" disruptors, wrestles with whether the gospel of disruption feeds our narcissism, and defends…

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A monkey on the loose: Odd animal sightings in Chicago 6:29

1M ago6:29

6:29

Animal control is used to dealing with stray cats and dogs. But what happens when there’s a peacock strutting down the alley? Curious City explores strange animal sightings in Chicago.

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John Amaechi: "Excellence Isn't Sorcery" 42:46

1M ago42:46

42:46

The former NBA power forward and unmistakably English John Amaechi talks leadership, psychology, and the everyday skills that make organizations work. His book It's Not Magic: The Ordinary Skills of Exceptional Leaders anchors a conversation about accountability, ambition, and what people misunderstand about excellence. Also: Europe's frozen-assets…

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Nicole Gelinas on Crime, Bail, and Mamdani's Vibesy Criminology 35:16

1M ago35:16

35:16

The Manhattan Institute's Nicole Gelinas breaks down New York's post-pandemic crime surge and what the data actually say about bail reform versus simple pandemic chaos. She explains why the city's rise in murders and disorder looks different from the national pattern and how weak supervision, dangerous subways, and repeat violent offenders all comp…

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David Ignatius on Space Wars, Skepticism, and His Father's Legacy 30:31

1M ago30:31

30:31

Mike Pesca revisits his conversation with Washington Post columnist and novelist David Ignatius, recorded before the recent passing of Ignatius's father, former Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius. They discuss the future of warfare in space, why the U.S. Space Force deserves more credit than it gets, and how a century of Pentagon experience shaped a life…

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Katie Herzog Is the Kind of Person Who Googles Recidivism Rates in an AA Meeting 32:44

1M ago32:44

32:44

Katie Herzog breaks down Drink Your Way Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol and how naltrexone—used through the Sinclair Method—let her "drink" her way out of addiction after years of half-hearted AA attempts. She explains why rock bottom kept moving, why abstinence felt impossible, and how targeted medication can disrupt the…