888: Not Today, Hades!
Jun 07, 2026•59 min•Ep. 888
Summary
Not Today, Hades! delves into three compelling narratives framed as contemporary Greek myths. The first segment follows Pablo, a D.C. reporter whose unexpected art supplies lead him to paint Mitch McConnell and even interact with a former president, fueling his audacious quest to hang his art in the U.S. Capitol. The second story unveils a chilling account from Jeremiah, a Social Security official who uncovers a shocking government plot to mark millions of living individuals as dead, potentially for deportation. Finally, a writer recounts his highly anticipated yet profoundly humiliating interview with football icon Lionel Messi, revealing the vast chasm between expectation and reality when meeting a modern "god."Episode description
Regular people trapped inside Greek myths.
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- Prologue: When a mysterious, ripped-open package arrives on Pablo's doorstep, he takes it as a sign. (4 minutes)
- Act One: Pablo flies closer to the sun. (14 minutes)
- Act Two: In Greek mythology, there's Hades, where everyone goes when they die. You have to cross the river Styx to get there, and there’s a gate with this three-headed dog. He’s guarding the entrance and he’s supposed to make sure only actual dead people enter. This story is about a real person in America who stood at those very gates. Which is not the easiest job it turns out, at least not right now. (24 minutes)
- Act Three: A mortal gets the assignment of a lifetime — to go interview an actual god who is living on earth, traveling under the name of Lionel Messi. (11 minutes)
Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org
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