Your trivia begins… now! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! In this episode… Guests: Jason Pargin is known by many for his presence on TikTok, and by many others as the author of the bestselling John Dies at the End book series. He tries to make sure that infrequent readers gain some joy through his books – whether that’s writing a funny title like Zoey Punches the Future in the D*** or not requiring people start at the beginning to enjoy the sequels. Why is he so sensitive to the ne...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 135
Is you okay out there?! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! In this episode… Guests: Ed Begley, Jr. is a second-generation actor. Why did he decide to get into Hollywood? Because he wanted to do exactly what his dad did. Over the years he’s been nominated for an Emmy seven times, guested on game shows, and even had dinner with the Beatles. Ed’s memoir “ To The Temple of Tranquility… And Step On It! ” is available for pre-order now. GloZell is a comedian who has endeared herself to her...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 134
After several “Best of” episodes focused on humans, we’re finally putting the spotlight where it belongs: on animals! This special episode is dedicated to those guests who chose cute critters as their area of expertise. That includes Monique Powell from the band Save Ferris, author Susan Orlean, comedy writer Jenny Jaffe and more! Plus, we have an ark full of experts that include scientists, veterinary specialists and AN ACTUAL ANIMAL! Don’t have a cow; listen now! In this episode… Guests: Moniq...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Your word is “trivia” on a brand new episode of Go F-A-C-T Yourself ! In this episode… Sarah Rodenbaugh is a writer, actor and producer, whose new film, Hangman , is playing in festivals around the country. She steps in as guest co-host for this episode. Guests: Lisa Lampanelli is a retired comedian. Her 30-year career involved selling out Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall, numerous specials and so much more. She tells us about some of her biggest TV experiences, including “The Celebrity A...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 133
Face front, true believers! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! In this episode… Guests: Jill Twiss is an award-winning comedy writer and children’s book author. For years, she worked as an SAT tutor. She’ll explain how that directly led to her big break: writing for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” AND the publication of her first children’s book about a former Vice President’s gay bunny. Plus, Jill tells us how she got the chance to contribute material to the Scripps National Sp...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 132
Your prayers have been answered – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself! In this episode… Guests: Niccole Thurman is a comedian and voice actor. She appeared as a guest on episode 126 of Go Fact Yourself. She joins us today as guest co-host. George Hahn is a writer and media personality. He was dubbed an “urban raconteur” by The New York Times. He’ll tell us about how he earned the nickname by heavily criticizing New York City… only to fall back in love with it after he left. Plus, he’ll ...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 131
**The 2023 Listener Tournament registration is now LIVE.** Want to be a guest on the show? If you are a supporter of our show through maximumfun.org, you should have already received an email with a link to register for the opportunity! (If you haven't, please contact Stacey @ maximumfun.org). The deadline to register is July 16, 2023. We’ve got more than one piece of trivia sure to fill you with glee on a new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! In this episode… Guests: Danielle Koenig is a comedy wri...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 130
**The 2023 Listener Tournament registration is now LIVE. If you are a supporter of our show through maximumfun.org, you should have already received an email with a link to register. (If you haven't, please contact Stacey @ maximumfun.org). The deadline to register is July 16. ** It’s time to drop in and chat with a friend down under on a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Steph Tisdell is a First Nations Australian comedian, who incorporates her Yidinjy heritage and perspective into her wo...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 129
Time to spread the love of sci-fi on a brand new episode of Go Frak Yourself ! Jason Kravits is an actor, singer and improviser who last appeared on episode 7 of Go Fact Yourself. This week, he saves the day, filling in as co-host in place of Helen Hong. Lisa Loeb is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, who writes and performs music for both children and grown-ups. She often has concerts catering to both of her target audiences on the same day, but she’ll tell us how her music for kids is often t...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 128
Prepare to be properly whelmed by a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Ellen Acuario is known by many for her fearless and biting commentary on TikTok. Her presence on the app was a result of wanting to provide the perspective that she didn’t have as a child. She carried this energy into her first children’s book BE YOU: The Adventures of Penguin and Panda . Plus: here about how she met Helen Hong many years ago! Mike Pesca is an award-winning journalist who hosts the popular news podcast “...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 127
Learn the ropes and brush up on your facts for this new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Cenk Uygur is the creator of the progressive news network The Young Turks. Before that, he was an on-camera personality for MSNBC. He’ll tell us how his old gig helped him understand why he needed to make a space for news and information. Plus we’ll learn why it took so long for him to finish his first book, and why he’s convinced that the United States is a progressive country. Niccole Thurman is known for her...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 126
Eat a tablet, pray for great music, and prepare to love this brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! A.C. Newman is a founding member of the band The New Pornographers . The band’s newest album is Continue as a Guest , and A.C. will explain why the title was born from a sense of existential dread that he felt during the pandemic. We’ll also hear about a project from A.C. that failed to get off the ground: a broadway musical set in a gritty version of the Archie comics universe (years before “Riv...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 125
Thank you to all of our new, upgrading, and boosting MaxFun Members who contributed in the name of Go Fact Yourself! We’ll have more information on some special rewards YOU unlocked in this episode. Sing a song and survive at sea – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Bruce Vilanch is an Emmy award-winning comedy writer and game show icon. He’ll tell us about what may be his greatest achievement yet: writing a new musical with Dolly Parton. Bruce is also happy to celebrate his career l...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 124
This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month (or boost for as little as $1) go to Maximumfun.org/join . (Make sure to select Go Fact Yourself as a podcast you support!) *NEW: If 100 people join, upgrade, or boost TODAY (3/31), we’ll add a Zoom hangout this weekend!* Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself ! We’ve ente...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 1 min
This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month go to Maximumfun.org/join . Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself ! And… Join Helen & J. Keith on Twitter for an “Ask Us Anything” on Wednesday, March 29 at 1pm PT (4pm ET). @gofactyourpod It’s a beautiful day in the #MaxFunDrive – The latest edition of Go Fact Yourse...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 123
We’ve got some new information on gifts and stretch goals for the #MaxFunDrive! To hear our BoCo episode – plus hundreds of hours of other bonus content – follow the instructions on this video . Plus, we’ll explain some new details about how YOU can be part of an episode of Go Fact Yourself and what attendees of our upcoming live show in Pasadena can look forward to. Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Sarah Rodenbaugh Theme Song by Jonathan Green. Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is L...
Mar 24, 2023•9 min
This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month go to Maximumfun.org/join . Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself ! Welcome to the podcast, b****! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Griffin and Rachel McElroy are the married duo behind the MaxFun podcast “ Wonderful! ” where they showcase things that bring ...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 122
MaxFun Members rejoice! Soon you’ll hear an exclusive MaxFun crossover episode of Go Fact Yourself that features jarrett hill from “FANTI” and Brea Grant from “Reading Glasses.” This mini-episode is a special preview of that show. Plus we’ll explain our schedule for the #MaxFunDrive and how YOU can get involved. To hear our complete BoCo episode – plus hundreds of hours of other bonus content – follow the instructions on this video . Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong ja...
Mar 17, 2023•14 min
It’s a brand new special mini-episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Helen Hong delivers some stand-up comedy for our live audience in Las Vegas. Plus, she and J. Keith give you a rundown of the upcoming schedule changes in honor of the MaxFunDrive. Appearing in this episode: J. Keith van Straaten Helen Hong Theme Song by Jonathan Green. Live show engineer is Dave McKeever. Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher. Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell . Seeing our upcoming live shows in ...
Mar 03, 2023•7 min
**Come see our live-audience show at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles on February 26! Info available now now!** Feel free to excuse yourself from the room so you can listen to a new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Sean Patton works hard to stand out in the crowded field of stand-up comedy. His new special, “Number One,” is based on a routine that he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With his latest work he strives to be two things: unexpected and honest. Sean will tell us how he ach...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 121
**Come see our live-audience show at KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum in Pasadena on February 11! Reserve your seats now!** Have an old friend for dinner and get ready for a new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Brad Rutter has won more money on “Jeopardy!” than anyone in the history of the show, turning his knowledge into a trivia career, which includes ABC’s “The Chase.” What’s the secret to his trivia prowess? Turns out, it’s not studying! Brad will also tell us about how his career also led to becom...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 120
You’re on deep background for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Mike Doughty is a singer-songwriter who’s written music as a solo artist and with the band “Ghost of Vroom.” He finds it easier to start songs than to finish them; so as an incentive to do better, he promised one new song a week for fans who support him on Patreon. He’ll tell us about that and why he would like exactly $35 for his work (sort of) appearing on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Ting Lim is a Singaporean comedian bas...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 119
You might just make it after all! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself! Rose Abdoo is an actor who you can see now in HBO’s “Hacks” and Hulu’s “Reboot.” Her acting aspirations began in college – thanks to how much she hated waiting in lines to register for classes. She’ll explain. Plus we’ll learn more about how seriously Rose takes her characters, from their backstories to their outfits. Ben Gleib is a comedian who’s always looking for new ways to showcase himself. At the peak of the pa...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 118
Places, everyone! It’s time to lift the curtain on the Best of Broadway special on Go Fact Yourself ! We’ve recently brought the podcast back to live audiences for the first time in two years! To celebrate, we’ve put the spotlight on some of our favorite past guests who love musicals and stage performances that were meant for live audiences. That includes guests like actors Rachel Bloom, Jessica McKenna, Eliza Skinner– and more! Plus we’ve got an all-star cast of experts that includes Tony-winne...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 14 min
Cordon off the area, this an active trivia game show scene – on a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Mike Petriello is a writer for MLB.com. He’s still buzzing from the fact that the baseball season happened – and that we got to see such a strong World Series match-up that included the sport’s newest villain. Mike will tell us how he’s made a career out of researching baseball statistics and analytics, and translating them into something that the average fan can understand. You can also hea...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 117
Come to America and bring some new recipes with you – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Greg Wyshynski is the Senior NHL writer for ESPN. He writes about hockey after a lifetime of being a fan of the sport; as such, he’s seen it change a lot over the years. While he thinks making changes for player safety should always be applauded, there’s a part of him that will always miss the fights on the ice. You can find more of Greg’s thoughts on hockey on the podcast “ Puck Soup .” Zainab J...
Nov 18, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 116
** Come see us record LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 6! ** Avengers, Assemble – at the Center for Inquiry for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Rob Corddry is perhaps best known for “Childrens Hospital,” the comedy show that he created and starred in. It was so well-received, it earned him four Emmy awards. But his first Emmy award actually came years earlier as part of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”... sort of. He’ll tell us about that and explain the skills he’s gathered as...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 115
Pour yourself a cup of ambition – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Clinton Kelly is best known as one of the hosts of the TLC show “What Not to Wear.” For years he critiqued the outfits of others and helped them make better fashion choices. And even though he’s proud of the advice he’s given others, he says his attitude towards clothes has softened these days: If it feels good, wear it! He’ll also tell us about the process of writing his first novel. Jackie Fabulous is a comedian w...
Oct 21, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 114
What happens in Vegas will be recorded for a podcast – again! Once more, live from the Game Show Boot Camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s a new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! Amy Schneider has a 40 game win streak on “Jeopardy!” It’s the second-longest streak in the history of the show; and yet, she and her classmates in 8th grade predicted she would go on to appear on the show. Amy will tell us everything that went into her time as a trivia champion, including perfecting her buzzer technique. Brando...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 113
Viva Las Vegas! Live from the Game Show Boot Camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself ! James Holzhauer is one of the all-time great “Jeopardy!” champions, racking up a 32-game win streak. It helped that he approached the game with his skills as a professional gambler. He’ll explain more about that and tell us about how he’s now banned from most casinos on the Las Vegas strip. You’ll also hear more about James’ charity work with Project 150 to help unhoused student...
Sep 16, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 112
