With the US midterms approaching, we’re joined by New York Times political reporter and host of The Run-Up, Astead Herndon. We start by examining this “relentlessly disorienting time” in America (5:10), where the pendulum of democracy (7:40) will be swung by four voting blocs this November: The Skeptical Trump voter (9:50), The Young Voter (13:15), The Disillusioned Democrat , and The NON-MAGA Republican (15:47). In the back half: what Democrats previously believed to be “demographic destiny” (2...
Sep 28, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re joined by Billy Eichner! We discuss the release of his groundbreaking rom-com Bros (4:22), how the film drew inspiration from James L. Brooks’ Broadcast News (6:30), and the power of working with an all LGBTQ+ cast (10:30). Then, we walk through Billy’s childhood in NYC: discovering the joy of film and live performance (16:23), watching ‘80s romantic comedies with his parents (17:10), and picturing himself in Tom Hanks’ roles in Big and Sleepless in Seattle (18:27). Then, Billy discu...
Sep 25, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we’re joined by director Hiro Murai! With the return of Atlanta (5:06), we discuss the homecoming of this final season (7:14), Murai’s connection to the character Earn (10:04), the influence of Hayao Miyazaki (14:09), immigrating from Tokyo to Los Angeles at age 9 (17:12), and his search for an artistic identity between these two worlds (20:38). After the break, how the Coen Brothers and Takeshi Kitano shaped his early work (22:41), including music videos (25:12) for Earl Sweatshirt (27:3...
Sep 18, 2022•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last fall, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we turned to the work of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. In the aftermath of that fateful day, Joel spent nine months at Ground Zero, capturing images of the recovery effort and first responders—the firefighters, police officers, EMS, construction workers—who put their lives on the line and families on hold to show up for a nation in repair. Today, we revisit our special talk with four people who were there or had loved ones on the ground: Am...
Sep 11, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast This Labor Day weekend we’re joined by flight attendant and AFA President Sara Nelson! To begin, we discuss the challenge of summer air travel (6:14), the union’s fight against stock buybacks (9:45), and the history of harassment and sexism in the industry (18:33). Then, we walk through Sara’s early years at United (22:35), the physical toll of being a flight attendant (26:44), and how she found her way into the labor movement (30:37). On the back half, Sara recounts 9/11 (34:42), the colleagues...
Sep 04, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we head to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. We begin with her daily routine, from writing to revision (6:34), the real-life events that inspired her new novel, Babysitter (9:09), and why she’s fascinated with examining violence in her work (14:06). Then, we walk through Oates’ early years: growing up on a farm (17:45), her literary influences (22:22), and the lasting relationship she formed with libraries (27:01). On the back-half, Joyce revisits a 197...
Aug 28, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re joined by Abbi Jacobson! We begin with her new series, A League of Their Own (5:35), the legacy of the 1992 film (10:35), her earliest comedic influences (15:05), moving to New York City post-college (21:04), falling in love with improv at UCB (25:08), the night she met Ilana Glazer (32:40), and a handful of memories creating Broad City (37:20). On the back-half, Abbi tells the story behind her book I Might Regret This (43:33), how heartbreak brought her to Los Angeles (46:22), what ...
Aug 21, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Musician Joey Bada$$ joins us today! With the release of his new album, “2000”, we discuss the evolution of his songwriting (5:07), the direction of the new record (8:59), and how Grand Puba influenced the opening track, The Baddest (10:28). Then, to better understand Joey’s present, we sit with his past: the first verse he performed (13:31), writing Waves , featured in “1999”, in his mother’s bedroom (19:15), forming Pro Era as a teenager (23:42), and the day The New York Times interviewed him ...
Aug 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re joined by Lena Dunham! We start by discussing her new film, Sharp Stick (6:20), the 1970s cinema that inspired it (9:50), and how it offers a “three-way mirror” to the female experience (12:41). Then, Lena reflects on meeting Judd Apatow on the heels of Tiny Furniture (15:39), her rapid ascension following Girls (17:39), the pain and power of grappling with OCD on the show (23:11), the genius of season five’s “The Panic in Central Park” (29:35), and how she’s continued to learn from ...
Aug 07, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ethan Hawke has spent three decades telling stories. His latest project, The Last Movie Stars , honors two legends that inspired him to do so: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Today, he joins us to unpack the new docuseries (9:24), starting with his introduction to Paul Newman through Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (12:13). Then, Hawke reflects on his personal history: growing up with his mother on the east coast (16:43), his on-screen debut at fifteen in Explorers with River Phoenix (20:04)...
Jul 31, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we’re joined by comedian John Early! We begin with his excellent new special, Would It Kill You to Laugh? (6:51) and its surprising tenderness (10:03), before revisiting a satirical book club sketch written with collaborator Kate Berlant (13:41). Then, John reflects on growing up in Nashville to minister parents (19:05), discovering Toni Collette at Blockbuster (22:37), and creating a fan-site dedicated to her work (25:31). After the break, we unpack John’s distaste for ‘pompous rituals’ ...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by author and body healer, Resmaa Menakem. With the release of his new book, The Quaking of America, we discuss Black liberation (5:09), the ‘white-body supremacy’ of January 6th (7:41), the implications of America’s conservatism (20:08), why there’s a failure to communicate across the aisle (25:03), the pernicious paradigm that ‘white guilt’ creates (32:44), and what it will take for us to have an embodied, anti-racist culture (39:25). On the back half, Resmaa explains a ...
Jul 17, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Five years ago, Jenny and Sam sat for a special conversation . They promised to reconvene in 2020 (which they did ). To celebrate the release of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On , Jenny returns for round three! We unpack the decade-long journey to making Marcel (8:00), what the character embodied for her (11:19), creating with director Dean Fleischer-Camp (13:39), combating misogyny in Hollywood (15:16), and the painful timeliness of her 2014 film, Obvious Child (17:54). On the back-half, we retur...
Jul 10, 2022•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast This holiday weekend, we’re revisiting one of our favorite talks with actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman. We begin with his new book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside (5:05), which was inspired by Nick’s upbringing in rural Minooka, Illinois (6:12), the writings of poet Wendell Berry (7:30), and his experiences with the late Sam Shepard at Steppenwolf Theatre (8:08). Shortly after working with Shepard, Off...
Jul 03, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we sit with author and cultural critic Margo Jefferson. We begin with her new book, Constructing a Nervous System (6:54), an early Ella Fitzgerald memory (11:20), and the said (and unsaid) racial pedagogy of her childhood (16:24), defined by Condoleezza Rice (19:54), Bing Crosby (24:18), and a formative interaction at a high school party (27:49). On the back-half, we walk through Margo’s entry into criticism (34:27), her role in the emerging feminist movement (36:46), and what real allysh...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last month, a leaked draft opinion offered a repudiation of a 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights. The historic leak was followed by both pro-choice and pro-life protests across the country. While we await the Supreme Court’s decision, attorney Neal Katyal has been fighting back. Formerly the Solicitor General under the Obama Administration, Katyal joins us to discuss the historic nature of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion (4:18), ...
Jun 19, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by beloved author David Sedaris! We begin with the timely opening essay from his latest collection, Happy-Go-Lucky (4:05). Then, David describes growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina (10:07), his mother’s “Group Therapy” sessions at the dinner table (11:03), the night his father heckled him during a live performance (16:02), and what he learned about writing at the Art Institute of Chicago (26:55). On the back-half, David reads a tribute to his moth...
Jun 12, 2022•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by actor Jon Bernthal! To begin, we discuss his latest performance on HBO’s We Own This Cit y (6:00), policing and gun culture in America (9:15), growing up grappling with toxic masculinity (14:47), his pivot to acting in college (23:30), and the powerful history of theater in Moscow (27:25). On the back-half, he reflects on his first year in Los Angeles (32:45), the night that changed his life (37:44), and the magic behind the making of Martin Scorsese&r...
Jun 05, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast This week we are joined by comedian Meg Stalter! With season two of Hacks, we talk about her role as Kayla the assistant (5:50), a formative experience in a middle school drama class (12:50), moving from Ohio to Chicago to perform (17:54), and how she pushed boundaries on stage (19:47) with the support of her comedy community (22:34). We also unpack the strange sensation of going viral (25:19) before reenacting a trademark Meg Stalter bit (27:14). On the back half, we discuss her beloved q...
Jun 01, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast To start, a reflection on the week that was. Then, we return to our conversation with Stacey Abrams. She won her Gubernatorial primary this week in Georgia, where she hopes to unseat Brian Kemp this November. We talk about the systemic challenges that small business owners face (6:32), the impact of Georgia’s new voting laws (11:20), the threat of election subversion (14:02), what a functional democracy could look like (16:48), the lessons learned from her 2018 bid for governor (19:31...
May 29, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan (“A Visit from the Goon Squad”) joins us this week. She describes the structural pulse of her new novel (4:00), why she’s drawn to nonlinear storytelling (6:33), and what “The Candy House” reveals about authenticity (7:40) in the digital age (14:26). Then, we revisit a formative trip to Europe (21:21) that inspired her to write (26:30) and move to New York, where she worked as a secretary to a countess (32:16) and rediscov...
May 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we sit with actor Pedro Pascal! We begin with the release of his new film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (5:02), working with childhood idol Nicolas Cage (6:50), why his parents left Chile (11:40), the John Hughes classic his dad wouldn’t let him watch (17:00), and the Tony Kushner play (20:21) that inspired him to give acting a go in New York City (25:07). On the back-half, Pedro reflects on his first jobs on screen (27:52), the story of his mother’s...
May 15, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This Mother’s Day, a special talk with actor Minnie Driver. On the heels of her debut essay collection Managing Expectations , she discusses the role of luck (3:40), her bifurcated upbringing (5:12) and how it shaped her view of motherhood (11:28). As we walk through the 1970s, Minnie describes discovering acting in boarding school (12:00), her proclivity for running away (13:02), the story of her performance (16:05), the aftermath of Circle of Friends (21:16), an unnerving series of comme...
May 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, legendary actor and comedian Bill Hader! We discuss the return of Barry (4:57), the thematic evolution of the series (7:02), and how it draws from films like Taxi Driver and Goodfellas (10:36). Then, Bill reflects on growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma (13:16), the influence of his late grandfather (17:04), his path from community college to his early PA jobs in Hollywood (18:25), landing on Saturday Night Live (21:36), the weekly pressure of the show (26:07), and how he made it through by ...
May 01, 2022•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, our guest is poet Rupi Kaur. Ahead of her international tour (4:44), we sat to discuss her childhood in Canada (13:05), how she processes trauma through writing (22:13), her college photo series on menstruation that went viral (23:33), and the self-published poetry collection ( milk & honey) that followed (29:20). In the aftermath of this unexpected attention, Rupi speaks candidly on the emotional toll of the last decade (30:43) and how she reckons with her critics today (32:35), ...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re revisiting a favorite conversation with poet and author Ocean Vuong, following the release of his new book, Time Is a Mother . He first joined us in June of 2021. We discuss reckoning with one’s work from a distance (6:18), why he wrote his autobiographical novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (7:40), the cage of American masculinity (12:10), how he’s stayed the course, creatively, amidst oppressive systems (19:56), and what it means to be a first-generation...
Apr 20, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by musician and founding member of The Internet, Syd! With the release of her new solo record, Broken Hearts Club (3:15), we discuss the origin of the album (5:45), how she healed in the process of making it (10:32), her evolution from engineer to singer-songwriter (11:50), the salad days of Odd Future (15:37), the depression that followed (20:25), and how she found her voice on the other side (31:00). After the break, Syd talks about performing through her stage fright (3...
Apr 17, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Film historian Karina Longworth is the host of You Must Remember This , a podcast exploring the forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. This week she joins us to discuss her new series, “Erotic 80s” (4:48), the seismic shift created by films like Last Tango in Paris and Deep Throat (7:58), the way in which these movies sold a distorted view of “female sexual liberation” (11:58), and how the cultural perception of these X-rated pictures evolved as the public learned of the abusive condi...
Apr 10, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by Professor Anita Hill. She’s an author, lawyer, and host of the new podcast, Getting Even with Anita Hill . We begin by discussing her excellent new program (5:24), which reexamines her landmark testimony against Judge Clarence Thomas (9:04), her precarious relationship with the legal system (12:57), the unnerving attacks she received in the aftermath of 1991 (19:34), the survivors of sexual harassment emboldened by her work (27:35), and why the structural barriers to ju...
Apr 03, 2022•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast To celebrate Oscar Sunday, we’re returning to our talk with legendary bandleader of The Roots and director of Summer of Soul , Questlove! We discuss his winding road to making the documentary: from a trip to Japan (9:00) to a cold pitch backstage at The Tonight Show (10:30) to releasing the film last year (12:30). He also explains the cultural significance of the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 (15:39), the indescribable warmth of analogue sound (17:11), and why B.B. King's Why I Sing the Blues...
Mar 27, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
