The Gist

Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam Levin introduces a classic spiel from the archives analyzing Vivek Ramaswamy's debate strategy and an interview with Andrew Yang on the differing party dynamics facing political outsiders. Then, Mike Pesca revisits his conversation with the late Bob Saget, who reflects on his decades in comedy, writing his first jokes in a law library, and releasing his stand-up...

Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green shares Mike Pesca's interview with writer and composer Andrew Fox, the creator behind the viral satirical musical Slam Frank . Fox breaks down the origins of his controversial parody (which imagines an Anne Frank musical staged through an absurdly over-the-top, intersectional lens) and examines how well-intentioned performative language in modern theater o...

Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green shares an interview with Derrick Palmer, co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union and co-author of Handbook for the Revolution: Building a More Perfect Union for the 21st Century . Palmer reflects on his time working inside Amazon's JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island, the dangerous working conditions and lack of sick time during the pandemic, and how he and Chris...

Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green shares a classic 2019 interview with comedian, writer, and host Larry Wilmore. Wilmore reflects on his podcast Black on the Air , the reality of the medium, and the freedom of moving beyond narrowly defined racial content. He and Mike Pesca discuss mentorship, the limits of "woke" cultural criticism, and why using comedy as a tool for political activism mi...

Today on The Gist, guest host Vanessa Quirk steps in to share Mike Pesca's 2024 interview with Kelsey Snelling, creator of the investigative podcast Camp Shame . Snelling outlines the history of Camp Shane (one of America's longest running youth weight loss retreats) and details her own experiences as a counselor witnessing neglected facilities, untrained staff, and severe calorie restriction. The...

Today on The Gist, guest host Vanessa Quirk steps in to share a previously unaired interview between Mike Pesca and Irish American comedian Des Bishop. Bishop traces his trajectory from a Queens childhood and teenage modeling gig to moving to Ireland at fourteen, getting sober at nineteen, and eventually rising to become one of Ireland's top touring comics. He and Mike discuss the differences betw...

Today on The Gist, guest host Vanessa Quirk steps in to share a classic 2022 interview with Nathan Allebach, the creative force behind Steak-umm's viral Twitter presence. Allebach breaks down the rise of brand personification, explaining how a forgotten frozen meat company's account transformed from a corporate afterthought into an online phenomenon known for engaging weird Twitter, unblocking tro...

Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam James Levin-Areddy introduces a requested classic from the archives: the final episode of Not Even Mad, before it came bac k . Journalists Lara Bazelon and David French join Mike Pesca to discuss the personal and professional costs of speaking out against one's own political side, standing up to ideological intimidation, and the creeping cynicism within modern j...

Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam James Levin-Areddy steps in as host Mike Pesca remains away. Mike brings on CUNY philosophy professor Justin Garson to discuss his book, The Madness Pill , and the legacy of 20th-century neuroscientist Dr. Solomon Snyder. Garson details how early psychiatric experiments using LSD and amphetamines led to the discovery of the dopamine hypothesis, revolutionizing t...

Today on The Gist, we revisit Mike Pesca’s classic crusade against the indisputable abomination of paper straws and the dubious logic surrounding alternative drinking apparatuses. Then, writer and psychologist Maria Konnikova joins Mike for a classic edition of "Is That Bullshit?" to dissect whether plant-based alternatives like Impossible Burgers and Beyond Meat are actually any healthier for you...

Comedian, podcaster, and self-described cutie-in-her-own-way Robby Hoffman drops by to discuss her life, her comedy, and why she takes talking as seriously as any other art form. From growing up ultra-Orthodox and ultra-poor to becoming a sought-after stand-up with a Porsche no one wants, Hoffman explains how she's thrived in disaster and learned to mine discomfort for laughs. The two explore Amer...

Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Greene steps in as temporary custodian to share a fresh interview between Mike Pesca and journalist Helen Lewis. Lewis dives into her cover story for The Atlantic exploring the rise of masculinism and the reactionary figures aiming to roll back women's rights. She breaks down the line between online provocateurs and actual ideological strategists, explaining how...

Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Greene kicks off our rotating host lineup with a dive into the Peach Fish archives. First, Mike Pesca dissects the political baggage hiding inside state anthems, from Maryland's pro-Confederate fight song to why West Virginia's "Country Roads" remains the undisputed peak of the genre. Then, North American Vexillological Association secretary Ted Kaye joins the s...

Today on The Gist , guest host Bob Garfield replays an interview with prison reformer Vincent Schiraldi about his book, Mass Supervision: Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom . Schiraldi discusses his time running Rikers Island, explaining that the jail faces immense staffing issues due to unworkable union contracts. He points out that the real problem with jails and courts is...

Today on The Gist , An interview with architect Michael Murphy about his memoir-style book, Our World in 10 Buildings: How Architecture Defines Who We Are and How We Live . Murphy details his career shift from studying classical, monumental architecture to founding Mass Design Group, a nonprofit focused on leveraging built environments to deliver public services. Murphy tracks his experiences desi...

Today on The Gist , guest host Bob Garfield introduces the show's new format before diving into a special double-feature interview with science and tech author Steven Johnson. Blending conversations from 2018 and 2016, the episode deconstructs how humanity handles complex, long-term choices and how the simple pursuit of play and delight has secretly driven global history. Johnson breaks down the f...

Today on The Gist , its Funny You Should Mention with stand-up comedian Jeff Arcuri, whose crowd-work proficiency anchors his new Netflix special. Arcuri counters comedy purists by framing audience interaction as a structured illusion, detailing how his early years navigating gatekeeping open mics in Michigan and grinding out repetitive sets on Carnival cruise lines forced him to develop a deep to...

Today, on the final episode of The Gist... After 12 years and more than 3,000 episodes, Mike revisits his very first top-of-the-show segment, from May 29, 2014, which centered on "baby shoes." In the final Antwentig, Mike lays out his broadcasting philosophy: the importance of production values, the tradeoffs between chasing advertisers and risking insularity with paid subscriptions, and what make...

Today on The Gist, Mike explores his gist list, not that gist list, the other gist list. Then, filmmakers and actors David Wain and Ken Marino join the show to discuss their collaborative history originating from the seminal MTV sketch troupe The State and their new film, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. Wain and Marino detail their unique creative alchemy, break down the deliberate visua...

Today on The Gist, host Mike Pesca reflects on the art of the contentious debate and the ongoing siloing of the modern media landscape, looking back at his spirited 2015 interview. Then, NewsNation host and author Batya Ungar-Sargon joins the show to discuss her new book, The Jews and the Left . Ungar-Sargon maps the historical trajectory of American Jewish political alignment from early 20th-cent...

Today on The Gist, the media misinformation surrounding historical focus groups and billionaire tax histories. Then, Boston College Law School professor Ray Madoff joins the show to discuss her new book, The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy . Madoff unpacks the modern "buy, borrow, die" strategy, detailing how the top tier of wealth utilizes the "step-up in basis" looph...

Today on the Saturday show, host Mike Pesca shares a revealing conversation with independent media veteran Chris Cillizza from a recent Substack Live  offering an unvarnished look behind the scenes of the modern creator economy. The duo breaks down the financial and administrative realities of running independent operations, tracing Mike’s impending departure from The Gist to the exhausting logist...

Today on The Gist, reaching into the archives for a pre-July 4th holiday treat, sharing a classic 2017 spoof that features dramatic readings of unexpected July 3rd historical texts. Then, the final episode of Not Even Mad , Mike Pesca, Elizabeth Bruenig, and Ben Kawaller debate the rising power of democratic socialism after several progressive upset victories. The panel then shifts to JD Vance’s n...

Today on The Gist, we explore the media framing of the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship decision. Then, author and cultural critic Isaac Butler joins the show to discuss his new book, The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars . Butler tracks our modern societal rifts back to the volatile 1974 Kanawha County textbook war in West Virginia, detailing how a routi...

Today on The Gist, a look back at a Webby Award nominated focus group spoof from the vault before diving into a major analysis of the Supreme Court's monumental ruling against Donald Trump's birthright citizenship executive order. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and author Eric Lichtblau joins the show to discuss his new book, American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazi...