SNAFU with Ed Helms

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...

Sarah Spain knows a thing or two about winning. But sadly for ol' Napoleon Bonaparte, he managed to do anything but win this war. Ed and Sarah trudge into the tundra to follow Napoleon's epic screwup in his campaign to conquer Russia. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Lovett is a prominent podcaster and political commentator -- and, a survivor. (Get it?). Today, Ed brings Jon along to help commentate on the ill-fated journey of another group who was simply trying to survive: The Donner Party. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Holidays from everyone on the SNAFU Team! While Ed and his elves prepare more stories for the new year, warm up with an oldie-but-goodie bonus episode you might have missed: It's Ed's conversation with Rachel Maddow about her podcast, ULTRA. Plus, if you're still in need of a last-minute holiday gift, there's still time to grab a copy of Ed's New York Times Bestseller, SNAFU: The Definitive...

Sophia Bush is a history nerd. Ed and Sophia geek out with an oddly prescient historic whodunnit when they uncover the Heist of the Mona Lisa in 1911. Spoiler Alert: The Louvre never learns. And don't miss out this holiday season, look for Ed's New York Times Bestseller, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups, wherever you get your books, or go to: www.snafu-book.com See omnyst...

Dan Taberski isn't just a sweet guy, he's an award-winning podcaster. This week, Ed takes him up to Boston to trudge through one of the sweetest, stickiest, and deadliest disasters in American history. It's the great Molasses Flood! And don't miss out this holiday season, look for Ed's New York Times Bestseller, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups, wherever you get your book...

Earsay: The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club is the ultimate book club for audiobook lovers.  This week on Earsay, we're turning it up to 11 with national treasures Rob Reiner and Michael McKean for a deep dive into A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap. They explore the making of the landmark 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap and its long-awaited sequel, Spinal T...

Hey SNAFU fans! We wanted to share another episode from a show that we think you'll enjoy: Here We Go Again with Kal Penn.  Each week, Kal Penn takes today’s trends and headlines and asks: Why does history keep repeating itself? From the new space race and plane delays to fad drugs and movie remakes, our guest's answers will make you feel better about everything. Back in 2008, it seemed...

Jake Tapper is tapped in to the pulse of current events. Ed takes him out to sea to assess the historic disaster that was the sinking of the Lusitania: a chaotic, cataclysmic act of treachery that ignited wartime efforts faster than you can say "U-Boat." Don't miss out this holiday season, look for Ed's New York Times Bestseller, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups, wherever...

Samantha Bee is as lively as ever. And on this special episode of SNAFU, Sam helped take Ed's book tour to the big apple, LIVE at the 92NY in New York City. They reminisce on their early days at The Daily Show together, and naturally touch on some of the most bonkers chapters in Ed's book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups. Don't miss out this holiday season, and buy the N...

Kal Penn has worked everywhere from Hollywood to the White House. In this joint episode of SNAFU and Kal's new podcast, HERE WE GO AGAIN, Ed tells Kal the story of a small town that decided to secede from America, only to realize their desire to buy beer and party would win out in the end Then, they call up U.S. historian Richard Kreitner to learn about secession movements in America today, like C...

Mike Schur knows how to run a show or two - but could he handle Tammany Hall?? Ed takes Mike on a journey to visit with old Boss Tweed, one of the most divisive - and dare we say cartoonish? - political figures of 19th century New York City. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desi Lydic thrives in the chaos of New York City. Ed invites her back to one of the city's darkest times, quite literally. It's the 1977 NYC Blackout, a SNAFU showcasing the best and worst of humanity in the Big Apple. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Scheer is an OG podcaster about movies. Ed tells him the story of the snooty country club project that ends up inciting the Johnstown Flood -- and becomes fodder for an epic silent film on its own. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey SNAFU fans! We wanted to share a new show that we think you'll enjoy: Here We Go Again with Kal Penn.  Each week, Kal Penn takes today’s trends and headlines and asks: Why does history keep repeating itself? From the new space race and plane delays to fad drugs and movie remakes, our guest's answers will make you feel better about everything. In this first episode, Kal sits down wit...

Jordan Klepper gives a shit about politics. Ed takes him through Teapot Dome, one of the most sensational political scandals of early American history, a tale of presidential corruption and bribery that's absolutely nothing like our world today. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Nick Kroll is not so great in a crisis, especially a family fishing trip. So naturally, Ed wanted to bring NIck back to the sea for the harrowing story of Ernie Shackleton's failed expedition to Antarctica, complete with dogloos, stowaway cats, and a chance to celebrate the explorers who push humanity forward. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book: ww...

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey really miss shooting The Office. So, Ed tells them the story of a lost nuke off the coast of Japan, which ends up eerily reminiscent of a workplace comedy. Except we're trading cubicles for a thousand foot warship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and paper jams for hydrogen bombs. Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod Buy the SNAFU book...