Journalist Mohammad Alsaafin returns to the show to discuss the temporary ceasefire & hostage exchange deal reached in Gaza. We discuss why and how this came about during the Biden-Trump transition, what the actual terms of the deal are, how it leaves the political situation in Israel, Palestine and the rest of the region, and the total effects of 15 months of war. Plus, what was actually in the gift bags given by Hamas to the freed Israeli hostages. If youre looking for ways to help, this is fr...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Felix recounts Trumps efforts to discredit the 2020 election as part of the long history of election denial on the right in this clip from Episode 6 of his series Seeking a Fren for the End of the World. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 15, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Author Colette Shade joins us to discuss her new book Y2K on the millennial era of ~1997-2008. Will and Colette review how the boundless optimism of the end of history curdled into the permanent pessimism of the 21st century, how computer doomed everything even if the specific prediction of the Y2K bug maybe didnt literally come to pass, how nostalgia can be both useful and a trap, and of course, how everything is 9/11. Purchase Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything: Bookshop: https://bookshop.or...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Were joined by journalist Yasha Levine & filmmaker Rowan Wernham of the new documentary Pistachio Wars join us to look at water in the state of California in light of last weeks L.A. wildfires. We discuss Californias water history, the network of real estate developers and agribusiness concerns that effectively control Californias water, the Resnick family and their Nut Empire, 21st century company towns, and how California water politics affect the Iran Nuclear deal. Watch The Pistachio Wars do...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Felix looks back at the lead-up to the 2016 election as some of the funniest and most insane days in American political history in this clip from Episode 4 of his series Seeking a Fren for the End of the World. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 08, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast We catch up with news over our long week off, including brief hits on the two new years truck attacks (more on that Thursday), MAGA civil war over immigration & visas, various instances of Musk buffoonery, Bidens presidential medal of freedom recipients, and Semafors survey of what people in the media got wrong about 2024.
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Felix looks at Steve Bannons origins, plus anti-Obama hysteria pushing the GOP to the right in the 2012 primaries in this clip from Episode 4 of his series Seeking a Fren for the End of the World. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Jan 01, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Felix recounts the rise of Obama-era conservative online media in this teaser for Episode 3 of his series Seeking a Fren for the End of the World. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Dec 25, 2024•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Were discussing the ongoing labor disputes with the United States Postal Service with Tyler Vasseur, a shop steward with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). We discuss the BFN rank and file movement to transform the postal unions, fighting for transparency in bargaining on the long-stalled new contract for letter carriers, what an equitable contract would look like, how the letter carriers fight fits in the broader labor movement, cost of living adjustments in an era of high infl...
Dec 24, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will & Hesse are joined by Brian Yuzna, legendary horror writer/director/producer behind such films as Re-Animator, Society, From Beyond, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, and many more. We discuss adapting Lovecraft, all-nude Peter Pan, Clown Theory, copypastas, uniquely American ghouls, the importance of GOOP in cinema, and how real horror fans can enjoy horror even when its bad. Pre-order the 40th Anniversary edition of Re-Animatorhere: https://www.ignite-films.com/products/re-animator?variant=496770...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Felix documents the rise of future Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in this preview clip from episode 2 of his series Seeking A Fren for the End of The World. The full episode and rest of the series are available for subscribers at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Dec 18, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Defectors David Roth is back on the pod. We start with his write up of the recent drone scare over New Jersey, and how our ever-skittish suburbanites are discovering new ways to be scared of the lights in the night sky. Then, a review of recent media reactions to Luigi-mania, including the Atlantic tut-tutting over decivilization and the Root having a certified bruh moment. Finally, the most important bellwether poll of the year: the PornHub annual search trends results. Find all things David Ro...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a new series by Felix, Josh (@ettingermentum), and Spencer, we ask: how did the Republican Party, once the dominant force in American culture for almost a generation, become a group of bowtied cosplayers and rapist streamers yelling about Litterboxes? We trace this development back to the empires built by two menPaul Weyrich and James Dobsonas well as the failures of one Pat Buchanan. This episode draws from Dan Gilgoffs The Jesus Machine and David Granns Robespierre Of The Right. For a full ...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast We catch up briefly on news around the arrest of the alleged UHC CEO assassin. Then, journalist and musician Jael Holzman returns to the show to discuss a new piece she has for Rolling Stone on the potential threats to trans people in the coming Trump administration. We look at the rather grim potential of massively undermining of trans medical care, the equally grim state of Democratic opposition, and the general fecklessness with which Democrats have handled what Joe Biden once called the civi...
Dec 10, 2024•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast We do the work of having conversations and connecting to people by reviewing last weeks Pod Save America episode featuring Kamala Harris top campaign staff. Through their telling, it was an amazing feat of data, precision and triangulation that somehow came up just slightly short, but we look at some different stories to tell from what theyre able to reveal about the campaigns strategy. Plus, a Thanksgiving poem from Matt. Felixs new series Searching for a Fren at the End of the World, an examin...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Moe Tkacik joins us to look at a number of issues shes reported on recently. Starting with the alarming prevalence of sexual assault allegations among Trumps new cabinet picks, we follow the trail of backlash to accountability among the ultra-rich to College campuses and of course, Israel. We then turn to Moes reporting on the growing tumor of private equity in the American healthcare industry, and how these financial barons are gutting our already threadbare hospital system. Find Moe...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We review the various freaks, toadies, goons, and TV personalities that Trump has tapped to build his second cabinet, and speculate how much damage Vivek & Elon can actually do with their kids-table DOGE advisory board. We also discuss the coalescing view among the pundit class that the Democrats need to abandon their various activist groups, as espoused in todays reading series by Adam Jentleson. Finally, a new (hopefully semi-regular) feature from Matt.
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast We start off with some Monkey News, then continue our post-mortem on the 2024 election. Does America have a Boy Crisis? Was $450k a day to put Kamalas name on the Sphere worth it? How many votes did Queen Latifah swing? Are there sharks in the pool? Can Rebecca Solnit construct a metaphor to save her life? Will anyone learn anything from this boondoggle? We discuss.
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have always lived in The Zone. We take in the stunning re-election of Donald Trump, the manifest failure of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and the entire Democratic party, and all of the myriad obungles that have brought us to this moment. This has happened before, it will happen againReasons to be scared, reasons for hope, and assurance that were still ready to ride with you all every day. Unlocked from our Patreon for all to hear. To get every episode, subscribe at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Were joined by Charles, Alex & Andrew from Episode 1 for a night of Election-themed spoofs and goofs live at the Aratani Theater in Los Angeles. Featuring the Dan Boeckner Christmas Time Players: Dan Boeckner, Nick Thorburn, Alex Fischel & Adam Halferty. And of course, a special visit from Santa.
Nov 06, 2024•2 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast [Note: these Movie Mindset Horrortober Season 1 episodes were already unlocked for free this year over on the Patreon feed, just adding them to the public feed to make them more widely available. To get every Movie Mindset episode, subscribe at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.] In this final episode of this years Ghoulvie Screamset, Will & Hesse take a look at Michael Wadleighs Wolfen (1981) and Bernard Roses Candyman (1992). Two films taking advantage of real urban environments the horrors of city l...
Oct 31, 2024•2 hr 36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chapo elections unit Dave Weigel and Josh Ettingermentum return for one last check-in on the state of the 2024 US Elections. We review Trumps fascist clown show rally at Madison Square Garden over the weekend, and discuss its potential impacts on the final week of the race. We look at the closing arguments & strategies of both campaigns, the increasingly strained relationship between the electorate and the media, key senate races to watch, and give final chances for Trump & Harris. LOS ANGELES: ...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast [Note: these Movie Mindset Horrortober Season 1 episodes were already unlocked for free this year over on the Patreon feed, just adding them to the public feed to make them more widely available. To get every Movie Mindset episode, subscribe at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.] Brendan James returns to take on two triumphant works from writers-turned-directors: Clive Barkers Hellraiser (1987) and William Peter Blattys The Exorcist III (1990). Both films feature visions of Hells intrusion onto earth; ...
Oct 23, 2024•3 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Max Read joins us to discuss his new piece on the proliferation of AI Slop: unwanted, low quality, often surreal content flooding the internet and degrading its various platforms. We talk about the dystopian quality of the trend, the economic factors encouraging it, and how it portends poorly for the future of online. Maxs AI Slop piece: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ai-generated-content-internet-online-slop-spam.html Subscribe to Maxs newsletter READ MAX at https://maxread....
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast [Note: these Movie Mindset Horrortober Season 1 episodes were already unlocked for free this year over on the Patreon feed, just adding them to the public feed to make them more widely available. To get every Movie Mindset episode, subscribe at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.] Will & Hesse look at two starring God Tom Atkins: John Carpenters The Fog (1980) & Tommy Lee Wallaces Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Also a Carpenter double feature of sorts, one from the director himself, and one continu...
Oct 16, 2024•2 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast [Note: these Movie Mindset Horrortober Season 1 episodes were already unlocked for free this year over on the Patreon feed, just adding them to the public feed to make them more widely available. To get every Movie Mindset episode, subscribe at patreon.com/chapotraphouse.] Will & Hesse are joined by Nymphowars Theda Hammel to discuss two horror films from 1964 starring the legend Vincent Price: Sidney Salkows The Last Man on Earth & Roger Cormans The Masque of the Red Death. Both deal with the e...
Oct 16, 2024•2 hr 53 min•Transcript available on Metacast We start today with Alex and Felix explaining a notoriously filthy video game streamer and his repellent political views/personal hygiene to Will. Then, we check in on the Harris campaign as it continues to search for meaning, substance, moral clarity, strategic vision, & more while election day looms. Meanwhile, in MAGA-land, a look at the J6 defendants behind bars: putting on plays, podcasting, recording billboard #1 hits, punching holes in the prison drywallis life in the big house better tha...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Its been one year since 10/7, so we discuss a bit of whats changed - if anything - in perception and politics of the war in Palestine. We then look at the 2024 election, the effects of recent and impending natural disasters, and last weeks VP debate. We also discuss Kaths recent piece in the Nation about the return of the #resistance, and Elon Musks funny little dance at Trumps recent rally. Idk, were all starting to get that familiar icky feeling in the pits of our stomachs again about November...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alex joins us to go in on now-indicted Mayor Eric Adams. We go through the many hilarious details of the unsealed indictment, the Turkish Connection, airline bribes, New York to Easter Island via Ankara travel, ice cream trickery, and windows literally falling off of Turkish buildings in NYC. We also look at Tablet magazines full-throated defense of Adams & the necessity for foreign bribes. No Pasarn! Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War is available NOW along with a crop of new merch at https://c...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast BLOWBACKs Brendan & Noah return to the show. We start off todays show discussing Israels massive escalation into Lebanon, and Brendan & Noah point out the many parallels between Americas current position and the various atrocities and mis-adventures theyve chronicled on Blowback over the seasons. Plus much more on Blowbacks current season focused on Cambodia, and the many crimes, colorful characters, and surprising sources of magnanimity theyve uncovered through their show. Find all things Blowb...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
