Truthless

This is a podcast about the lies people tell. Science says that 60% of people can’t get through a 10-minute conversation without telling at least one lie. (Ten minutes!) These lies, told by normal people, provide the backbone of this show. Truthless is a curiosity-driven storytelling show, featuring one central interview in each episode. Together, Brian and the guest will retell the story of a lie, and in the process try to make sense of the insecurities, desires and vanities that drove the guest to tell that lie in the first place. Season 1 will feature a wide spectrum of stories, including: catfishing; lying to your parents; inventing your family when talking to strangers; and faking your own death to get out of a job. The guests will include a few celebrities (Malcolm Gladwell, The Kid Mero), a few Ringer colleagues (Katie Baker, Rob Harvilla, Tyler Parker), some great stories told by less well-known names. The takeaway: everybody lies, and it’s worth hearing about.

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Episodes

10. Changelings

When Claire was in her late 30s, she found herself telling strangers on airplanes stories about her kids—which is a pretty normal thing to do, except that Claire didn’t have any kids. She also didn’t know why she was doing it. Why would a successful, accomplished, and happily married woman start making up imaginary children? And why do men and women have such different reactions when they learn about Claire’s lie? Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound ...

Dec 10, 2024•48 min

9. Putting Down the Cheese, With Simon Rich

The Strokes. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Interpol. New York’s indie rock scene of the early 2000s was a hive of creativity, and Simon was one of the most gifted young bassists in Manhattan. But when his new band signed up to play his high school talent show, his increasingly bizarre lies threw his entire identity as a musician into doubt. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville You’re going to want to...

Dec 03, 2024•49 min

8. The Big Stick, With Tyler Parker

Tyler was the biggest, baddest slugger on his small-town Little League team—until the day he realized he was scared of the ball. To get out of facing an intimidating pitcher, 8-year-old Tyler told a lie that made him feel guilty for decades to come. Has the time come for adult Tyler to forgive himself? Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville For more from Tyler, check out his hilarious and hear...

Nov 26, 2024•49 min

7. The Artist’s Way, With Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Before he was a star on the smash sitcom ‘Modern Family,’ Jesse was a young actor struggling to make it in New York. When he landed an audition for a role that could change his life, he was ecstatic—until he realized he was going to have to forge his entire résumé. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville For a glimpse of Jesse’s Broadway breakthrough, you can find a clip from his star-making tu...

Nov 19, 2024•48 min

6. The Lower Depths, With Sarah Bunting

In college, Sarah and her friends were obsessed with the tabloid talk-show queen Ricki Lake. So they cooked up a scheme to appear on the show—and all Sarah had to do was tell the most twisted lie you’ve ever heard in your life. (But rest assured: No dogs were harmed in the making of this episode. At least … no real dogs were.) Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville If you think you can bear to...

Nov 12, 2024•56 min

5. The Wicked Garden, With Rob Harvilla

Once upon a time, Rob was a teenager in love. Specifically, he was in love with Stone Temple Pilots. He was also fond of his girlfriend, Jane. And when Rob and Jane found out that Stone Temple Pilots were playing nearby, they knew they had to see the show—even if it meant lying to their parents, with a key assist from Kevin Costner. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville For more Rob Harvilla,...

Nov 05, 2024•45 min

4. The Little Bird, With Malcolm Gladwell

Can a story be true even when most of its details are false? In 2005, Malcolm told a story at the Moth about his early days as a journalist. When he was accused of falsifying the facts, he admitted he’d made a lot of them up—but he insists the story wasn’t a lie. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville You can check out Malcolm’s Moth story in full on ‘This American Life’ here: “Tough News Room...

Oct 29, 2024•54 min

3. The Land of the Dead, With Zito Madu

How far would you go to watch your favorite TV show? During the heyday of ‘Game of Thrones,’ Zito was working late hours as the assistant manager of a video store, which made it hard to keep up with the action in Westeros. His solution? A lie so diabolical it was worthy of a ‘Thrones’ episode unto itself. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville For more from Zito, check out his remarkable first...

Oct 22, 2024•43 min

2. Flying High, With The Kid Mero

When Mero was a teenager in the Bronx, he landed a job in the mail room at one of NYC’s biggest investment banks. When he decided he was ready for a promotion, he talked his way into a new job in the IT department. The only problem? He knew nothing about computers. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 15, 2024•41 min

1. The New Coat, With Katie Baker

When Katie was in high school, she wanted what we all wanted at that age—to seem older. And she got her chance on her favorite hockey forum. All it took was a little lying. She wound up developing an intense online relationship with a much older hockey fan—until one day, her castle of lies came crashing down. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville For a more first-person perspective on Katie’s...

Oct 15, 2024•50 min

Introducing ‘Truthless’

This is a podcast about lies and the people who tell them. Which means this is a podcast about you. Welcome to ‘Truthless,’ a new series that goes deep into the dark, and often very funny, world of human deception. Host: Brian Phillips Producers: Mike Wargon, Conor Nevins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Kaya McMullen Audio Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville Voices Featured in the Trailer: The Kid Mero, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Malcolm Gladwell, Katie Baker, and more Animation: Claudia Dillard, ...

Oct 10, 2024•2 min

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