Life In Jest

What if the most fascinating stories of the American Revolution aren't the ones you learned in school? As America approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, Life in Jest explores the people behind the history with her special guest, award-winning historical author Beth Anderson. Most of us know the names George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Marquis de Lafayette. But how many of u...

Why does Juneteenth matter—and why should every American understand its story? Pascale is away this week, but Life in Jest welcomes award-winning author Alice Faye Duncan for a powerful, heartfelt conversation about the meaning of Juneteenth , the long struggle for freedom, and the people who refused to give up hope in the face of injustice. Together, Selene and Alice Faye explore the true history...

What happens after we die—and is someone guiding us while we’re here? In this fascinating and deeply personal episode of Life in Jest , cousin besties Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest welcome EMT, mother, and lifelong medium Samantha Difronzo for a conversation about mediumship, spirit guides, angels, soul tribes, reincarnation, grief, surrender, and the mysteries of the afterlife. Samantha...

In this episode of Life in Jest , Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest are joined by librarian and Drinks in the Library host Gigi Howard for a funny, sharp, and surprisingly deep conversation about books, storytelling, and the strange state of modern reading culture. The discussion spirals everywhere—in the best possible way: Why readers are becoming obsessed with dark romance Whether genres h...

You'll never look at Sleeping Beauty the same Way after listening to this episode! In this week's solo Life in Jest , Selene Castrovilla dives into the deeply disturbing origins of classic fairy tales—and the original stories are far more horrifying than most people realize. Long before Disney softened them into palatable stories with happy endings, fairy tales were filled with: cannibalis...

Cyndi Lauper said it best — time after time — and this week, Selene and Pascale are tumbling after the truth about time travel. But before they do, they've got a sneak peek at what's coming up next episode: a visit to a serial killer exhibition in Manhattan. The only problem? They can't even agree on what makes a murder interesting before they've walked through the door — crimes of...

What do your favorite songs actually mean? In this episode of Life in Jest , Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest dive into the real stories behind iconic songs—and what they uncover is darker, stranger, and more revealing than expected. From grunge to metal to pop, they break down the hidden meanings behind songs you thought you knew: The disturbing true story behind Polly by Nirvana The surpr...

A rally for democracy should feel reassuring. So why didn’t it fully? In this episode of Life in Jest , Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest reflect on attending a rally where crowds showed up in strong support of democracy—an energizing, even hopeful experience. But that’s where the real question begins. Because if everyone there already agrees… is that enough to protect it? What starts as a f...

Some movies entertain us. Others haunt us forever. In this wildly honest episode of Life in Jest, bestie cousins Selene and Pascale open the film vault of their nightmares — from the Willy Wonka Oompa Loompas that terrorized Selene’s childhood to Pascale’s unforgettable Tron experience (featuring a cousin who made out through the whole movie). They relive the horror of Cabaret’s dead dog, roast th...

What happens when cousin-besties Selene and Pascale sit down to record…after calling the police? The girls have had a rough night---and they're all fired up with conflicting opinions, and spontaneous singing! This episode of Life in Jest spirals (in the best way) from true-crime obsession to off-the-rails pop culture, blending humor, sharp instincts, and brutally honest takes on everything fro...

What could you absolutely not live without? In this funny, free-wheeling episode of Life in Jest podcast, cousins Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest compare their wildly different lists of the everyday things they swear they can’t live without—from books, words, and storytelling to TV, cat litter, cheese doodles, and remote-start cars. Along the way, the conversation spirals (as it always doe...

In this OG Life in Jest Podcast eipisode, Selene and Pascale take a series of online psychology quizzes—purely for research, of course—until an “Are You a Hoarder?” test takes an unexpected turn. Selene’s late mother, a hoarder in life, seems less than pleased from the great beyond, effectively shutting down the investigation before Pascale can determine whether her growing Funko Pop collection is...

When the world feels overwhelming, sometimes the most productive thing you can do is laugh. In this “purely in jest” episode of Life in Jest, Selene Castrovilla and Pascale take a deliberate break from heavy headlines and dive headfirst into absurd, fascinating, and delightfully random trivia. What follows is a rapid-fire exchange of surprising facts, strange history, pop culture deep cuts, and ge...

Here's an OG episode that concerns every American citizen! Things have only grown more dire since we first aired this episode. Our one chance to be heard is at the polls. But what happens if someone tampers with the results? The Election Truth Alliance are curators of accountability, working to ensure that the final election "reveal" is one every voter can trust. They have been working...

Is love a sacred bond, a cultural construct, or a diagnosable condition? In this Valentine’s-adjacent episode of Life in Jest , Selene Castrovilla and Pascale take on love in all its messy, romantic, absurd, and occasionally unhinged forms. From the pagan roots of Valentine’s Day to its modern evolution into texts, chocolates, and emotional expectations, the conversation ricochets between history,...

Hello, hello! Here's an OG favorite episode! This is a description from Google's AI: In the  Life in Jest  podcast episode "The Wizard of Oz Facts That Will Make You Wince," hosts Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest explore the behind-the-scenes, often chaotic history of the classic 1939 film. The episode covers the intense production challenges, including hazardous conditions,...

This episode was recorded on New Year’s Eve… after some wine…in that strange liminal space when reflection, chaos, and questionable judgment all collide. Selene was convinced it sucked. So convinced, in fact, that she nearly didn’t release it at all. But then she listened back. And (after hours of editing,lol) it didn’t suck. So here it is. This episode covers a lot of territory—a dazzling array o...

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” In this deeply moving and unexpectedly funny episode of Life in Jest , Selene and Pascale honor Selene's son Casey on the 3rd anniversary of his passing—not with solemnity, but with laughter, love, and the unforgettable stories that keep him vividly alive. This episode weaves together humor and grief in the way only real life does....

A classic Life in Jest Podcast fan favorite! This is one of those episodes—the kind longtime listeners still quote, share, and come back to when they need a laugh that slowly turns into something deeper. We kick things off with hilarious OCD confessions—the kind of honest vulnerability that's a Life in Jest trademark—before the conversation takes a sharp (and wildly entertaining) turn into the...

Is death really “the end”? We say that phrase so casually— the end —as if it’s settled, obvious, beyond question. But what if it isn’t? In this deeply intimate and searching episode of Life in Jest, Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest step into one of life’s hardest and most universal questions: What happens after we die—and what happens to those left behind? What begins as a philosophical exp...

What do Titanic , Chinatown , Jerry Maguire , Deliverance , Field of Dreams , Rambo , and Brokeback Mountain have in common? Selene and Pascale have quoted them for years… without ever seeing them. In this laugh-out-loud episode of Life in Jest , the hosts dive into famous movie quotes from movies they actively avoid—unpacking why certain films feel unbearable, overrated, emotionally manipulative,...

What do a boozy raccoon, a soup-can rescue, a scene-stealing Godfather cat, and a baby seal who wandered into a bar all have in common? In this episode of Life in Jest, Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest do what they do best: laugh, ramble, reflect, and accidentally land somewhere profound. We start with a viral true story out of Virginia, where a raccoon broke into a liquor store, sampled th...

Think you know what happens behind the scenes at your local library? Spoiler: you absolutely do not. In this laugh-out-loud Life in Jest episode, Selene finally gets the inside scoop on Pascale’s actual job — and it turns out to be way more intense, surprising, and downright fascinating than she ever imagined. From measuring books with real rulers to deciding how readers will actually find the tit...

It’s beginning to look a lot like… chaos. In this episode, Pascale and Selene spill all their holiday hot takes: the decorations that go too far, the shopping madness that tests humanity, the Santa myth minefield, and the eternal “Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays” showdown. They roast holiday excesses, share ridiculous family traditions, and still manage to pull out a message about compassion—be...

This is an OG Life in Jest gem — the kind of classic chaos only Selene and Pascale can deliver. Yes, we have two brand-new episodes “in the can,” as they say… but Selene has been run ragged, trampled by life like George Washington’s army after a long march, and hasn’t had a second to edit them. Don’t worry — they’re coming! (Probably dragging their tired bodies up the hill as we speak.) In the mea...