Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People

An heirloom ring, a tiny island in the middle of a lake, a tragic murder, a malfunctioning gun, addiction, rehab, recovery, long-distance love, poetry. It's the kind of story a true crime podcast could easily spend an entire season on. But we only get one hour with this week's caller. And what a compelling hour it is. It's a dark story, but our caller tells it with so much heart–and because it's B...

A Philly transplant calls to talk with Gethard in front of a crowd of a few hundred Philadelphians at the First Person Arts Festival. She tells him all about being a victim of the Kia Boys, what it's like to manage a tattoo shop, how she ended up on the East Coast, and why Black Metal is actually so girlypop. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive content...

An occupational therapist calls to talk with Gethard about going back to school and becoming a professor at fifty. They discuss what an occupational therapist actually does, how different generations understand and interact with our changing world, why we need people who think differently, and a whole lot more. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive conten...

A thoughtful and resilient caller who has lived a lot of life calls to talk with Gethard about family, work, love, and loss. But also about adventures abroad, DFMOs (Dance Floor MakeOuts, obviously), cleaning out the most disgusting refrigerator, riding motorcycles . . . and all of that before she even mentions the iguana. This one has a little bit of everything we all love about Beautiful/Anonymo...

This week's caller is gearing up for a big move across the country. He calls to talk with Gethard about living his life as a trans man, some of the difficult reasons he's making this move, and how, despite those difficulties, his life has opened up in some really beautiful ways. Register for Your Free Tickets to Our America Now: Beautiful/Anonymous with Chris Gethard Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by St...

A martial arts instructor who definitely doesn't have an accent calls Gethard to talk about running his own studio, making a big career change, and the rules of sparring if he and Geth ever meet on a random dock in Central Jersey. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive content including 5 Random Questions with this week's caller.  Tickets for Laughing Toge...

A reluctant-but-proud military father who's looking forward to seeing his son for the first time in seventeen weeks calls to talk with Gethard about being thoughtful, empathetic, and willing to have your worldview totally changed. It's also about couples counseling, subduing a man on a plane, giving up an office job to become a truck driver, and, ultimately, embracing your true identity. Oh, and i...

This week's caller is back to make history a second time. Two weeks ago, our caller hung up early on Geth, and we've all been debating what happened there ever since. Well, guess what, she somehow managed to get back through a second time–no easy feat. So, Gethard gets to ask her about what really happened. Plus he checks in on the bus situation, and then the call goes in many other directions. Di...

A clinical researcher who works in oncology talks with Gethard about the advances that have been made in the field and why there's something bittersweet about making strides. And learning about this caller's life–from where they met their husband, to their various hobbies–leads Gethard to declare her as quite possibly our nerdiest caller ever. Beautiful/Anonymous+ is now ad free! Sign up for  Beau...

This week's caller is finally going to embrace her tiny home dreams. That is, if her husband can stop jumping off roofs long enough for them to finish the bus renovation they started three years ago. This one starts out easy enough. How does one become involved in skoolie life? What makes someone want to live in a school bus in the first place? What's all this drama about raising the bus roof? But...

This week's caller is queer, polyamorous, and on ADHD-related academic probation in seminary school. These are all fairly new developments in her life. She talks to Gethard about how opening herself up to exploration and possibility led her to a life she says the old her would have been "appalled" by and why–even if this new life is a little more chaotic–she's so much happier now. Head to chrisget...

A local TV news producer talks with Gethard about telling local stories, connecting with her community, the changing news landscape, and how to stay human in a field that expects you to distance yourself from the people you're covering. Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on Instagram @ beautifulanonymouspod Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get access to exclusive content including 5 Random Questions wi...

A signmaker calls to talk to Gethard about the novel she spent 35 years writing, tapping into life on the quantum level, and a whole lot of stuff we honestly aren't sure we understand. It's a fascinating call. Some of you are going to love this one. Some of you are going to feel like you stepped into a weird alternate dimension you can't escape. And some of you are going to love this one because i...

This week's caller joins Gethard for a good ol' fashioned chit-chat. From working in the restaurant industry, to recreational substance-fueled movie marathons, to getting your DnD numbers just right, this call is a laidback hang with a cool, fun person. Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on Instagram @ beautifulanonymouspod Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get access to exclusive content including 5 Ra...

This week, Gethard talks with a borehole geologist about his very unique career. He describes the perils of the job, like traveling 2000 feet underground into a mine with only one way out, the exciting parts of his career that most of us have never even thought about, and why he still gets jazzed about the same stuff that made him love rocks when he was a kid. Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on Instagr...

A medieval recreator calls to talk with Gethard about their shared love for her city, meeting her husband while dressed in medieval garb, why what she does isn't reeanctment, and how today's politics manage to show up no matter how far back you travel in time. Plus, a whole lot more about falconry, heraldry, and all kinds of truly nerdy stuff. Just don't confuse her with those LARP dorks, okay? Fo...

A dedicated Dave Matthews Band fan tells Gethard how her love for DMB led her to donate a kidney to a total stranger. She explains some of the more complicated aspects of the process and how donating her kidney set off a chain reaction that saved a total of 10 lives. Plus, she and Geth talk about cool party tricks, pretentious tattoos, and a whole lot more. The important thing though, is that if y...

This week's caller is an artist and a mother who called in to talk about the gifts and challenges of both of those aspects of her identity. She tells Geth about what it's like making art with her dad, how being an artist informs how she's raising her own daughter, and being part of an incredibly cool grassroots initiative and their mission to "Take Up Space" in galleries all over the world. She al...

A unique soul with outer space on the brain, this week's caller has never heard an entire episode of Beautiful/Anonymous and just called to see if our phone number was real. He talks with Gethard about going to the moon, bringing back blimp travel, reducing suffering on Earth, and a few of the million other things he's got on his mind. Tickets for  Beautiful/Anonymous at Treefort Music Fest Follow...

In classic Beautiful/Anonymous fashion, this week's caller is in a major transition phase of his life, leaving behind a lucrative career in favor of something less soul-sucking. He talks with Gethard about ghostwriting blog posts for International Women's Day, what makes a good teacher, and why connection and community are more important than ever. Tickets for  Beautiful/Anonymous at Treefort Musi...

Every month, subscribers at the  Touch Tone tier of Beautiful/Anonymous+ get a bonus follow-up episode with a past caller. For February, that call is with one of our community's most beloved callers, "The Whirlpool Galaxy" (EP104, March 19, 2018) . We've decided to share the first part of this conversation with everyone in the Beautiful/Anonymous community because we know how important this caller...

Hold on tight and prepare to be whisked away on a weekly adventure with Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat! In a world full of delightful mix-ups and exhilarating mayhem, the mischievous Cat takes the reins and enlightens the ever-cautious Fish on the art of hosting a perfectly poised podcast. Featuring alphabet song sing-a-longs, tremendous tongue-twisters, and wondrous wordplay, you'll be left guess...

Calling from a bathroom on a cruise ship, this caller recounts the series of events that led to her taking someone else's kids on vacation. It's a real lesson on making the best of a tough situation. Tickets for  Laughing Together with Chris Gethard: A Comedy Benefit Supporting Mental Health Resources in Our Schools  with Joe Pera, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Kenice Mobley, and Kate Nichols! Tickets f...

Happy to bring you all a little preview of Gethard's recent appearance on the great Paul Giamatti's podcast, CHINWAG, recorded live in San Francisco at Sketchfest 2024. Geth joins Paul and his cohost Stephen Asma to talk about Paul's connection to The Chris Gethard Show  and to tell just a whole bunch of ridiculous stories. It's a good time. Check out the clip and then head over to CHINWAG to hear...

We all know Valentine's Day is bogus, but that doesn't mean it isn't a bummer to spend it alone. This week's caller talks with Geth about dating as a queer man in the digital age and how past trauma makes things even more complicated. They also talk about making art, making connections, and why more people should go to the movies alone. Step into the New Year with Vessi. Visit  vessi.com/beautiful...