SNAFU with Ed Helms

This summer, to tide you over until our new season arrives, catch special montage episodes brimming with collective nuggets of Snafu-laden wisdom. First up, the most insightful moments from guests who also happened to be Ed's wonderful collaborators on film and tv projects over the years. If you didn’t catch the behind-the-scenes banter before, now is a great time to devour these bite-sized...

A NASA space probe that lost roughly $25 million because of a… math era? Classic SNAFU! On this week’s special bonus, we revisit a favorite space-related chapters from my book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screw-ups. Just in time for Father’s day, this is your gentle reminder that SNAFU makes for a fantastic gift for the history buff, nonfiction reader...

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are True Crime Royalty. They join Ed to unravel the mystery of William Morgan - one of the earliest American missing persons cases with massive political ramifications. Was it a case of bribery or... murder?? Listen to find out what the expert hosts of My Favorite Murder have to say about this eerie case. And stay tuned throughout the summer for updates on mor...

Pete Holmes is Weird. In a good way! He's also a New England native, and perfectly attuned to today's Martha's Vineyard-set SNAFU involving the youngest Kennedy brother, Ted. What happened on the small island of Chappaquiddick, and why did it potentially sink his chances at a future Presidency run? Watch today's episode on our SNAFU YouTube channel:  www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod See omnystudio.c...

Robert Evans of the Behind the Bastards Podcast is back for Round 2 of the Iran-Contra Scandal. Robert and Ed tee up the uncanny conclusion to this epic saga including some questionable offers of immunity, and unveil whether accountability comes to fruition. (Spoiler alert, it won't.) And don't forget to watch on our SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Robert Evans is a delightful human. Which makes it so funny that he hosts a hit podcast about the worst people to ever exist! Today, the mastermind of Behind The Bastards Podcast joins Ed to discuss a dastardly scheme in the early 80s involving arms trafficking to Iran, facilitated directly by some of Reagan's top brass. It's the Iran-Contra Affair on part one of this mind-boggling SNAFU. And chec...

The unraveling web of deceipt continues in the Facebook Data Scandal. Our guests, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton unveil what Mark Zuckerberg had to say for himself in a one-on-one interview. And what were the ramifications in the wake of the 2016 presidential election? Find out in the thrilling conclusion of this week's SNAFU. Don't forget to subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@...

Kevin Roose and Casey Newton are High-Tech Savants. The co-hosts of the Hard Fork Podcast were on the front lines of the Facebook Data Scandal, and today they help Ed break down just how much of your data (yes, you dear listener!) was leaked and misused for political purposes. Find out what laws Cambridge Analytica broke in today's tech-heavy SNAFU.  Don't forget to subscribe to the SNAFU You...

It's a special "Best Of" SNAFU! From Nick Kroll's raucous family sea voyage, to Jenny Slate's casual susceptibility to cults, Ed selects his favorite, spiciest hot takes from this season's array of guests. Enjoy a fun romp through the last six months, and stay tuned for a hint at what's to come! Don't forget to subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: w...

Bowen Yang is an unwitting student of Dutch Economics. This week, Bowen joins Ed on a journey to 17th century Netherlands, where they help burst one of history's first ever economic bubbles, known today as Tulip-Mania. You thought NFT's were crazy, but did you know one Tulip bulb in 1637 could purchase an entire HOUSE? Find out what wilted this mad tulip fever, and don't forget to subscribe to the...

Welcome to another Bonus Episode of SNAFU! On Season 2, we discovered an eerie plot to poison the nation's alcohol; the government's last ditch effort to quell consumption and protect Prohibition. For color commentary, Ed brought in the preeminent producer, writer and showrunner, Terence Winter - the man behind HBO's Boardwalk Empire. With a heavy dose of wit and New York flare, Terry and Ed touch...

Jad Abumrad is the definition of inquisitive. As the creator of hit shows RadioLab and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad has the innate ability to calculate idionsyncrasies, question the peculiar, and posit grand deductions. Perfect for this week's Murder Mystery of a SNAFU. Ed leads Jad on a tangled journey to the Arctic, where late 19th Century explorer Charles Francis Hall fell fatally ill. Was it th...

I’m taking a break to share an episode of another podcast I think you’ll enjoy, Business History. Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small, bringing to life the greatest innovations, the boldest entrepreneurs and the craziest mavericks in the archives of commerce. They share why some company stocks soar, while...

Bob Crawford is a musician with a historian's heart. Bassist and founding member of The Avett Brothers, his expertise on the Founding Fathers of the United States comes in handy on today's SNAFU, where Ed and Bob delve into the folly of Lord Dunmore, a Scottish-born supporter of the King and assigned royal Governor of Virginia in the 1770s. When whispers of revolution were building to an insurmoun...

Today is another SNAFU treat from the book tour archives! Tig Notaro joins Ed live on stage at Live Talks Los Angeles, where they break down Ed's book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups. Tig also roasts Ed like a campfire marshmallow, which will indeed leave you asking for "S'more." Find your copy of the New York Times Bestseller wherever you get your books, or go to:&nbsp...

Rory Scovel is a man of opulence. But he won't let greed go to his head like the subject of today's SNAFU. Ed and Rory discuss a modern Wall Street legend: the story of Ivan Boesky, a wall street trader who turned Arbitrage into front page headlines, until it all came crashing down. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystu...

Chelsea Handler is a world traveler. Ed and Chelsea discover whether they're cut out for luxury Air Travel of the 1930's; the catch being it's aboard the infamous Hindenburg Zeppelin. Oh, the Humanity! And watch this week's episode on the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Scott is fearless. Ed and Adam explore a high-flying SNAFU that showcased just how valiant pilots must be when the engines run dry...literally. This is the tale of the Azores Glider, a complimentary mid-flight snack of FEAR at 30,000 feet. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer are film afficianados. This week, they help Ed uncover cinematic treasures that just may be synonomous with a very spooky moment in American hubris; the time we decided to literally NUKE SPACE! Find out what "Dr. Strangelove," "The China Syndrome," and "The Iron Giant" all have in common with today's SNAFU built for Cinemascope. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube c...

Jake Johnson is an off-the-cuff kinda guy, form-fit for this week's SNAFU when Ed and Jake meet a man who loved taking off his cuffs...and tunic, and trousers. He also happened to be one of the preeminent scientific minds during the French Revolution, and whose ill-fated trip across the Atlantic culminated in a tassle with Caribbean pirates and, potentially, a sunk American metric system. This is...

Welcome to another Bonus Episode of SNAFU! Today, sit back and enjoy Ed's conversation with a real, genuine former KGB Spy! Jack Barsky was a Soviet operative who defected, risking his life, and family, to remain in the United States. His story is full of twists and turns, and is truly a unique perspective behind the Cold War curtain. Enjoy Ed's conversation with Jack Barsky and we'll be back with...

Adam Grant is a thinker. The kind of thinking that makes you think twice. Which is precisely what the victims of a certain financial fraud deployment have been told throughout history. But today, Ed and Adam head to the top of this pyramid, to unveil the origin of the ultimate form of foul play: The Ponzi Scheme. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book:...

Kelly Corrigan is all class. As an award-winning journalist, podcaster, and author, her insights are a breath of fresh air. Today, Ed and Kelly cover Operation Cottage, a screwy attempt by American and Canadian forces to recapture the Aleutian Islands during WWII. But when the Allied soldiers arrived, all was not as it seemed. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy t...

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway are two titans of podcasting. Their ever-prescient analyses of today's political, technological, and cultural worlds have set an elevated standard for journalists across the board. Today, they help Ed analyze an event from our past that may feel eerily familiar: The Palmer Raids. Although they took place in 1919, their echoes in modern times may just give you gooseb...

Jenny Slate is a connoisseur of finer things. Ed invites her to revisit an epic failure on the part of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as they attempt to flee revolution, yet cling to their superfluous lifestyle. Will they make it to the city of Varennes or lose their lavish heads in the process? Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.co...