Beloved comedian, writer, and podcaster Ophira Eisenberg has lived in many places, several of which were part of provinces. That’s because she’s from Canada, which is a little like America but with more healthcare, hockey, and moose. Ophira illuminates us on the correct pronunciations of many major Canadian cities and provides valuable insight into the parka-clad lives of the folks who call Canada home. Let her send you off to the sleep just as calmly as the call of the loon or with the sudden p...
Dec 11, 2024•48 min•Ep. 97
Before taking the stage as a very popular and acclaimed standup comic, Billy Wayne Davis was a squatting catcher. Billy Wayne played at a high level behind the plate in college baseball and can still describe the intricacies behind helping pitchers get to a calm and relaxed place. Perhaps you will find his voice does the same to you. Plus you have the advantage of not having to throw a baseball at all, which is a good thing you have going for you. Watch Billy Wayne Davis's stand-up comedy specia...
Dec 04, 2024•48 min•Ep. 96
Novelist Amy Tan is well known as the best-selling universally acclaimed author of The Joy Luck Club , The Kitchen God’s Wife , The Bonesetter’s Daughter , and many more important works. In her backyard, among the hundreds of visiting birds, she is known as The Lady Who Builds Birdfeeders. Hear about the ongoing turmoil of Amy’s homemade feeders, the charming hummingbirds, the pesky squirrels and rude scrub jays, and the plight of her very small dog who tries to make sense of everything. Then se...
Nov 27, 2024•43 min•Ep. 95
He’s also pretty enamored of George Carlin, Mel Brooks, Helen Hunt, and his new comedy special, Life, Death & Rice Pudding . The veteran actor and comedian is just as charming and funny as ever as he regales us with his philosophy on travel and, especially, packing for travel. Let him lull you to sleep with his wonderful stories and knowledge on how to pack underwear. Watch the movie The Problem With People , starring and co-written by Paul Reiser, on the streaming service of your choice. Paul's...
Nov 20, 2024•39 min•Ep. 94
Andrew Ti is a big fan of poker and says the whole thing about everyone having a “tell” is a little overstated. To win at the game, even for the comparatively small amounts he favors, it is less about scrutinizing someone’s behavior than it is about memorizing probability charts enough to know what is most likely to happen in a given scenario. Andrew has a pleasant time playing poker and while he’s not getting rich off it, he’s not losing his shirt either. He still has a shirt. Pull up to his ta...
Nov 13, 2024•50 min•Ep. 93
We hope the search engines, constantly hunting for yet more Taylor Swift content to satisfy users, appreciate our optimization just as much as veteran comedian Matt Braunger appreciates the T-Swizzle albums Evermore and Folklore . Matt finds these releases, which are far less poppy and boppy than her other works, to be a perfect accompaniment for a long road trip or just being pensive and sensitive around the house. Listen to Matt extol their virtues as you drift off to sleep and shake the wakef...
Nov 06, 2024•43 min•Ep. 92
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience the Australian musical comedy group The Wiggles (perhaps you are in preschool or have hung out with someone who is), you know that they bring loads of high-spirited energy to every performance. Lachy Gillespie, the one in purple, shifts to a much, much lower gear for our conversation about his favorite hobby, tennis. You won’t break a sweat listening to this one. You’ll be lulled by the gentle serve and volley of the conversation, tinged with that l...
Oct 30, 2024•42 min•Ep. 91
If you love movies, especially if you love movies that tried their hardest but were comically unsuccessful, you may already know Dan McCoy as one of the hosts of Maximum Fun’s podcast, The Flop House . Besides being a film buff, Dan’s a former writer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , and an enthusiastic fan of Disney’s Uncle Scrooge McDuck, the wealthiest duck in the world. Dan shares his well-modulated fandom for the arcana and the minutiae of Uncle Scrooge and soon it’s like you’re sleeping...
Oct 23, 2024•39 min•Ep. 90
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of CD binders, then you are either too young to have ever used them or, perhaps, far too old. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Lennon Parham, then you are just not a person who enjoys television and entertainment. She has been featured in Veep , Arrested Development , Mad Men , and a variety of other shows you already enjoy, so quit acting like you don’t know who she is. Seriously, cut it out. Lennon lulls you to sleep by walking through her semi-c...
Oct 16, 2024•47 min•Ep. 89
You might have seen veteran comedic actor Kyle Bornheimer as Teddy, the ex-boyfriend who loves pilsners on Brooklyn Nine-Nine . In real life, Kyle has equally powerful thoughts about salads, including that all salads should be chopped salads. Let him guide you through important salad thoughts as you drift off to sleep. Hey Sleepy Heads, is there anyone whose voice you’d like to drift off to, or do you have suggestions on things we could do to aid your slumber? Email us at: sleepwithcelebs@maximu...
Oct 09, 2024•45 min•Ep. 88
You remember Mara Wilson as a young girl starring in films such as Matilda , Mrs. Doubtfire , and Miracle on 34th Street . You probably don’t remember her in Idyllwild Arts Academy, because that was not a film but an arts-based boarding school in California and you probably didn’t go there with her. In this languid and relaxing interview, Mara shares her stories and experiences at a school where, unlike her films, there was no telekinesis, Robin Williams dressed up like a lady, or real Santa Cla...
Oct 02, 2024•46 min•Ep. 87
You may know Griffin Newman from his roles as Arthur on The Tick , Orko on Masters of the Universe Revelations , Watto on The George Lucas Talk Show , or as Kevin Costner’s surprisingly fiery intern in Draft Day . Or maybe you know him from the message boards talking up the Palisades Toys Muppet action figures of the early to mid-aughts, where he had quite a lot to say about the intricacies involved in the brief but (to Griffin) memorable run the toys had. Let him tell you all about it. Or start...
Sep 25, 2024•47 min•Ep. 86
You might know actor Jessica St. Clair from the television comedies Review and Space Force, her new audiobook, The Art of Small Talk (co-written with Casey Wilson), or from any bookstore that has a special section of books where a woman throws away her American life and runs away to the French countryside. Turns out, there are A LOT of such books and Jessica’s read well over 40 of them. She gently and hilariously shares her fascination with the genre, the ideas behind it, and the trepidation her...
Sep 18, 2024•47 min•Ep. 85
Matt Young, Adal Rifai, and Arnie Niekamp are well-known to fans of their podcast Hello from the Magic Tavern as Usidore the Wizard, Chunt the Badger, and, well, Arnie Niekamp. They step out of character to join John Moe for a broad ranging, fairly vague, and very entertaining journey through movies that they all saw a long time ago but don’t remember all that well. Was Jessica Tandy in all movies from the early eighties? Did she die in all of them? And what was the plot of Batteries Not Include...
Sep 11, 2024•49 min•Ep. 84
Of course you know Allison Rosen because she’s your best friend. How could you not know the host of the podcast Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend ? Alison spent her childhood being friends to a great number of birds, including baby chicks that grew into chickens, baby ducklings that grew into ducks, and a quail named Robert who pretty much just stayed a quail named Robert. Everyone involved in this bird relationship had the best of intentions and for the most part things worked out okay. This...
Sep 04, 2024•47 min•Ep. 83
Music fans know Rhett Miller as the lead singer of Old 97’s , a beloved band that has released 13 studio bang-up albums over the last 30 years, including 2024’s American Primitive. Disc golf players, of which Rhett is a dedicated one, think of him as a disc golfer, which he is, as I just said. Besides, they’re too busy getting annoyed at people calling it Frisbee golf. In this soothing, beddy-bye interview, Rhett walks us through the sport, and also explains why Wikipedia lists five Old 97’s ban...
Aug 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 82
Here’s the truth, if you’re ready for it: airline miles programs are a convenient way to earn upgrades and passage to exclusive pre-flight lounges but they do require some degree of careful record keeping. So that information doesn’t so much blow you away as blow you gently whilst you stay in place. Todd Barry has been a comedy icon for decades as well as an actor in, for instance, The Wrestler and Flight of the Conchords. He also flies a lot and is rewarded for doing so. Let him tell you about ...
Aug 21, 2024•40 min•Ep. 81
Is this a feat that the beloved author, actor, and host of Maximum Fun’s Judge John Hodgman can actually pull off? Well, no, probably not. There are over 4,600 such islands and he’s only one mortal human. Come on. But will he make a pretty game attempt for a little while and invite you to join his efforts as you drift off to sleep? Oh yes. Oh absolutely yes. And together, we’ll learn about geodesic domes along the way and that will be neat. Listen to Judge John Hodgman wherever fine pods are cas...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 80
In that he, Josh, the notable comedian and all-around nice guy, GETS his dog, Bizzy. Josh understands Bizzy. Which is important because Bizzy, a pug, is seventeen dang years old. Which is really very old for a dog. As of the taping of this interview and, we hope, the airing of this podcast, Bizzy is still alive and we certainly hope that remains the case for as long as, well, we just like this dog quite a bit. In order to lull you to sleep, Josh explains the life of Bizzy, her peculiarities, her...
Aug 07, 2024•50 min•Ep. 79
Laura Merli is an acclaimed comedian and TikTok celebrity. Sarah Hester Ross is a comedic musician who has appeared on America’s Got Talent , because she’s from America and has talent. Like so many of us, they are older now than they have ever been but they do remember how things used to be before. Back when they were younger. Travel with them to dreamland on a boat made of memories of clunky home computers, affordable movie tickets, and perfect sugar cookies. Watch Laura Merli's comedy special,...
Jul 31, 2024•50 min•Ep. 78
Twice the number of guests means twice the opportunity to fall twice as asleep in half the time. Or something. Michelle Biloon is a Philadelphia-based standup comedian who has appeared on many late night shows and released two comedy albums. Kevin Avery is a comedian in LA and the former head writer on Totally Biased with K. Kamau Bell . John Moe, the host of our podcast, is in Saint Paul, meaning we have three people and three time zones represented, thus you will fall asleep in one sixth of th...
Jul 24, 2024•54 min•Ep. 77
You might know the very funny Helen Hong from TV’s Silicon Valley, the film Inside Llewyn Davis, NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me , or Maximum Fun’s quiz podcast Go Fact Yourself . If you live in South Central L.A., you might know her as the lady with four chickens in her backyard and a really disappointing crop of snap peas. Helen tells us all about her chickens Fifi, Coco, Athena, and Ditsy, including how she came to acquire them, why she chose to do so, and how many eggs they yield on an average...
Jul 17, 2024•44 min•Ep. 76
This week, we travel all the way inside the Moe household as host John interviews his wife Jill. She is a bona fide celebrity within the narrow, odd, and passionate world of crop art. It’s what it sounds like: art made out of seeds, leaves, anything that grows. The world capital of crop art is in Saint Paul, home of the Minnesota State Fair and home of the Moe family. Jill describes some of her favorite pieces as well as her techniques, her palette of crop materials, and the rules of the competi...
Jul 10, 2024•55 min•Ep. 75
Look, we’ll admit right now that this week’s episode is interesting. We’ll stipulate that. David Plotz, CEO of CityCast.fm and longtime contributor to Slate’s Political Gabfest is fascinated by the measures taken around the nation’s capital to prevent a Confederate invasion that could tilt the balance of the war. He details all the forts that were constructed - many out of earthen materials - around the perimeter of the city and you will end up being fascinated as well. But shhh, don’t worry, be...
Jul 03, 2024•55 min•Ep. 74
If you’ve watched Conan O’Brien’s shows or Late Night with Stephen Colbert , you’ve probably seen Brian Stack playing a wide range of characters, including Frankenstein and one of the Slip Nuts. He’s been a writer and performer for both shows, which has meant running across a huge number of famous people. Here, Brian counts down his top five celebrity encounters to lull you to sleep. Doze off to dreamland hearing about awkward conversation with Walter Cronkite and relationship advice from Mötley...
Jun 26, 2024•45 min•Ep. 73
What do standup comedy, golf, and skateboarding have in common beside high degrees of difficulty and opportunities to humiliate yourself in public? Well, they have veteran standup comedian Chris Fairbanks, who walks us through the experiences of all three ventures. Chris, one of the hosts of the podcast Do You Need a Ride?! , joins us from his hometown of Missoula, Montana where he first learned to skateboard and where he golfed (golved?) with his father just the other day. Drift off to sleep he...
Jun 19, 2024•52 min•Ep. 72
Humorist Jenny Lawson collects many things, including: devoted readers of her numerous essay anthologies, acclaim for her brilliant and hilarious writing, taxidermic mishaps, and also dolls, dolls, dolls. We concentrate on the dolls in this episode with more information than you ever sought about Blythe dolls, Pullip dolls, and ball joint dolls. Find out which dolls are spooky and which are flat out evil. We even broach the subject of Hagen-Renaker glass animals, of which Jenny has billions. It’...
Jun 12, 2024•49 min•Ep. 71
You may have seen Rachel Feinstein perform her comedy on late night shows, on YouTube , and on Netflix for her latest special, Rachel Feinstein: Big Guy . If you’re a firefighter in Queens, you may have seen her in her own home while you were stopping by to attempt some home repair at the behest of her husband, also a member of the FDNY. She walks us through her life as the spouse of firefighter. Because that firefighting sounds pretty exciting and because Rachel has a lot of energy, we periodic...
Jun 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 70
You may know the very funny and talented actor Nate Corddry from one million television programs and movies he's appeared in over the years, including Ghostbusters , Mom , The Daily Show , and Yogi Bear . You may not know him as a high-level player of a style of baseball played with dice, pencils, and pads of paper, yet that is exactly what he has been for many years. Listen to Nate tell you all about how to play this soothingly complicated version of America's pastime and soon you will be sleep...
May 29, 2024•59 min•Ep. 69
Yes, toys are delightful and fun and even exciting. But for our purposes, that might all get a little TOO exciting. We’re here to put you to sleep after all. That’s why Emily, co-host of Maximum Fun’s newish Free With Ads podcast, will go into detail on exactly how to clean the various action figures in her rather sizable collection. A lot of the toys are Power Rangers and she even managed to not lose their tiny plastic weapons. Playing? Yes. Fun. Not sleep inducing. Cleaning? Well, get ready to...
May 22, 2024•48 min•Ep. 68
