Andrew Fox: Make something that surprises people because everyone's bored.

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 often slips into unintentional comedy. He and Mike discuss the boundaries of comedy, the stifling nature of institutional gatekeeping, and why contemporary art needs to start taking real risks again instead of chasing safe, predictable moral superiority. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Smalls built an independent, worker-led organizing effort that successfully unionized the facility. Finally, in the spiel, Mike Pesca dissects Hollywood's obsession with animated movies about anthropomorphic animals and pitches a hyper-specific, meta-cinematic alternative of his own. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 misunderstands the point of the craft. Finally, in the spiel, Mike examines why governments struggle to account for pleasure in cost-benefit analyses of vices, from alcohol during pregnancy to e-cigarettes as a form of harm reduction. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 conversation turns contentious as Mike pushes back on the broader tenets of the fat acceptance movement, arguing that society can reject cruelty and fatphobia without dismissing the medical realities of severe obesity or the validity of weight loss goals. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 between Irish storytelling comedy and the punchier American club scene, how social media algorithms now dictate stand-up, and why navigating generational shifts and Gen Z triggers requires bridging the gap rather than just starting a fight. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 trolls, and dispensing earnest advice on millennial angst. Finally, in the spiel, Mike Pesca shares a story of civic engagement from a New York City zoning meeting, illustrating how he attempted to ease neighborhood tension around the "City of Yes" housing initiative using the healing power of progressive rock. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 back. 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 journalism. Finally, Mike reflects on the cancellation of the show itself, explaining why true, friendly ideological disagreement across political divides has become nearly impossible to sustain in contemporary America. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 the treatment of schizophrenia. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 than real beef. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 America's national personality deficit, what makes a story worth telling, and the joys of conflict when you grow up with nine siblings and no private phone line. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.