Best Alex J OConnor Podcasts (2025)

1
Burlesque This Mess with Comic Stripper Woody Shticks 1:20:43

2h ago1:20:43

1:20:43

Woody Shticks is a comic stripper and burlesque performer as well as the director, production manager, and co-star of our recent live stage show with You’re Wrong About. For this episode, Woody and I talk about our histories with and philosophies around modern burlesque, and I tell him about the drama surrounding the first burlesque troupe to make …

1
#100 Philosopher Shootout - 16 Thinkers, Ranked (With Joe Folley) 3:08:47

38m ago3:08:47

3:08:47

For episode 100 of Within Reason, I'm joined by Joe Folley, from the YouTube Channel "Unsolicited Advice", to tackle a completely arbitrary and ridiculous tournament of thinkers, each of whom are to some degree relevant to the show. Joe graduated from Cambridge University with an MPhil in Philosophy, specialising in logic, in 2023.…

1
#99 Penn Badgley - My Religious Conflicts With Playing a Killer 1:56:27

36m ago1:56:27

1:56:27

Penn Badgley is an actor best known for his roles in Netflix’s You and the popular drama series Gossip Girl. He is less known as a podcaster and member of the Baháʼí Faith, a religion which teaches that there is a historical unity between major world religions and their prophets, having itself developed out of a branch of Twelver Shia Islam in the …

1
Thongs 1:14:30

15m ago1:14:30

1:14:30

Exposed thongs were all the rage in the early 2000s thanks to a handful of massive pop cultural moments, but as the craze reached the mainstream market and trickled down to teens and tweens, the skank-shaming heated up as did the moral panics and political backlash. Millennials, however, were far from the first generation to experience thong drama,…

1
#98 Jacob Hansen - A Mormon Explains Mormonism 2:21:54

1d ago2:21:54

2:21:54

Jacob Hansen is a Mormon YouTuber at the channel Thoughtful Faith.

1
Context Clues: Let Me See That Thong 56:29

2d ago56:29

56:29

Thongs and the battles waged on their backs will be the focus of our upcoming episode. This collection of excerpts from previous episodes will provide some extra context: Wardrobe Malfunction (2019), Teenage Sex (2019), and The Streaking Craze (2023). Become a Patron to support our show and get early ad-free episodes and bonus content Or subscribe …

1
Erasing History with Philosopher Jason Stanley 1:01:25

9d ago1:01:25

1:01:25

American philosopher Jason Stanley is the author of Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. For this episode, Jason helps us understand some of the attacks on educational institutes at home and abroad and how authoritarian movements purposefully repress and reject historical truths in favor of a different narrative tha…

1
#97 Kipp Davis - What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls? 2:15:07

16d ago2:15:07

2:15:07

Kipp Davis (@DrKippDavis) is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway, where he specialises in the assignment and reconstruction of fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls and their interpretation. (Google Books) The Dead Sea Scrolls are a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period. They were discov…

1
#96 Music, Mormonism, and Peter Hitchens - 1.25m Subsrciber Q&A 1:01:47

11d ago1:01:47

1:01:47

A Q&A to celebrate hitting 1.25 million subscribers on YouTube.

1
David Lynch's Mulholland Drive with 'You Are Good' Podcast 1:31:30

24d ago1:31:30

1:31:30

RIP David Lynch, beloved director and otherworldly weirdo. The You Are Good feelings podcast about movies graciously invited me to talk about one of the most influential films and artists of my lifetime. Talking all things Lynchian with Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed, I tried to summarize this famously baffling plot of this film, mused about the con…

1
Invasion of the Drones with Podcaster Gabe Lenners 1:00:14

23d ago1:00:14

1:00:14

Gabe Lenners is the host of the new podcast Obscurum: Invasion of the Drones, which explores a mysterious wave of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena that happened in Nebraska and Colorado back in 2019, an event that has a lot in common with the recent wave of supposed drones seen in New Jersey and surrounding states. For this episode, I don my flexib…

1
The Jersey Devil 55:35

1M ago55:35

55:35

This Urban Legends Hotline episode features listener Brandon's inquiry about the legend of the Jersey Devil, a cryptid that has haunted the Pine Barrens of New Jersey for three hundred years. We will explore the various historical events that produced this creature's folklore: a dime museum's elaborate hoax, a radical Puritan woman said to have bir…

1
Context Clues: The Devil Went Down to Jersey 53:53

1M ago53:53

53:53

The famous cryptid known as the Jersey Devil will be the focus of our upcoming Urban Legends Hotline investigation. This episode will provide some context using excerpts from previous topics we have covered. Full episodes to check out: The Cannibal Pig People of Pig Hill (2023) Fake News (2020) Urban Legends (2021) Become a Patron to support our sh…

1
#95 James McGrath: John the Baptist, the Bible's Most Mysterious Man 1:23:48

1M ago1:23:48

1:23:48

James Frank McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. He is the author of two books on John the Baptist: "John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptiser", and "Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist".

1
#94 Dan McClellan - What Does the Bible Say About Abortion? 1:19:57

1M ago1:19:57

1:19:57

Dan McClellan is an American public scholar of the Bible and religion. His forthcoming book, "The Bible Says So", is available here.

1
You Just Lost The Game with 'Spirits' Podcast 1:16:32

2M ago1:16:32

1:16:32

Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin are the hosts of the podcast Spirits, a history and comedy show focused on mythology, folklore, and urban legends. Each week they pour a drink and deep dive into stories similar to the ones we cover here. On this episode, my new friends tell me the history of an early 2000s fad called The Game, one that you, dea…

1
#93 The Etymology Nerd - How Social Media is Transforming Our Language 1:09:40

2M ago1:09:40

1:09:40

Adam Aleksic is a linguist known online as "The Etymology Nerd". His educational videos are watched regularly by millions. His forthcoming book "Algospeak" is currently available for preorder.

1
Chicken Soup for the Soul pt. 2 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About' 1:37:54

2M ago1:37:54

1:37:54

Sarah Marshall and I are back for a second helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the 1993 best-selling collection of "inspirational" and "true" stories. In part two I tell Sarah about the pair of motivational wealth coaches who created the book and then explain what is currently happening at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as new leadership…

1
Chicken Soup for the Soul pt. 1 with Sarah Marshall of 'You're Wrong About' 1:24:24

2M ago1:24:24

1:24:24

Many of you will remember the 1993 best-selling book of inspirational stories, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and its bite-sized, sappy triumphs of the human spirit. But shining a modern light on this book today, the collection hits a little bit differently. For part one of this two-part series, I tell podcaster Sarah Marshall of You’re Wrong About the…

1
(Throwback) An Irresistible Movement with Reproductive Justice Activist Loretta J. Ross 53:10

2M ago53:10

53:10

Since the 1970s, Loretta J. Ross has been an instrumental activist in the fight for 'Reproductive Justice', a framework she and her colleagues created in 1994 that went beyond the pro-choice and pro-life debate. She has worked as the Director of the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women, the program director of the Black Wo…

1
In Pursuit of Pardons with Podcaster Shannon Lynch of 'The Alley: DC’s 8th and H Case' 1:06:38

2M ago1:06:38

1:06:38

Shannon Lynch is the host of the podcast The Alley: DC’s 8th and H Case, a detailed look at the 1984 murder of DC resident Catherine Fuller and the eight young Black men who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a crime they did not commit. In this episode, Shannon will take us through the crime, the flawed investigation and trial, as …

1
(Throwback) The Horror of Hallmark with Podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You Are Good' 1:04:27

3M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

Because so many Hallmark writers and directors also make horror movies, I called in podcasters Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed of 'You're Wrong About' and 'You Are Good' to discuss the similarities between these two seemingly polar opposite genres. Subscribe to You Are Good and You're Wrong About Get tickets for our Live Show called A Massive Seance …

1
#92 Bart Ehrman - The Dark Side of Christmas 1:01:17

3M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Bart Ehrman is a New Testament scholar focusing on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the origins and development of early Christianity. Get Bart Ehrman's new course, The Dark Side of Christmas (affiliate link).

1
Beyond Belief: Fiction or Fiction with Guide to the Unknown Podcast 1:13:35

3M ago1:13:35

1:13:35

Remember the late '90s mystery show Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? where you had to figure out which stories were true and which were fake? For this episode I tell the wild life story of the mysterious man who provided the "true" stories which were certainly beyond belief. I'm joined by wonder-siblings Will Rogers (our voice actor!) and Kristen Ro…

1
#91 Filip Holm - What is Sufism? Islam and Mystical Experience 1:24:03

3M ago1:24:03

1:24:03

Filip Holm is the creator and host of "Lets Talk Religion", a YouTube channel which aims to educate on the subject of religion from an academic perspective. He joins the show to discuss Sufism, which can broadly be defined as the mystical tradition within Islam.

1
The Great Glawackus Hoax with Pat and Val of Connecticut Cryptids 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen are the creators of the 2023 book Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird and Wonderful Creatures of the Nutmeg State. Together they have documented Connecticut's most important cryptids, those elusive, folkloric creatures that have not been proven to actually exist but that pop up in different forms t…

1
#90 Rainn Wilson - Reclaiming Spirituality From Traditional Religion 1:37:14

4M ago1:37:14

1:37:14

Rainn Wilson is the actor and comedian best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the The Office (US), for which he received three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He is also the host of Soul Boom, a podcast discussing spirituality, and authored a book of the same name exploring how we can us…

1
The Donner Party with 'You're Wrong About' 1:12:54

3M ago1:12:54

1:12:54

This is a special episode I did for the podcast 'You're Wrong About' in 2022, and I wanted to finally bring it to you directly since the deep snowfalls of winter are looming on the ever-distant horizon. This is the harrowing tale of a wagon train trapped in the Sierra Nevadas in the harsh winter of 1864-1865, famously forced to cannibalize one anot…

1
#89 The Cultural Tutor - The Philosophy and Ethics of Art 1:01:43

4M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

Sheehan Quirke is the Cultural Tutor, a writer with 1.7 million followers on X. His work on art, history, and architecture is some of the most widely-enjoyed in the world. He writes a newsletter called the Areopagus.

1
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 58:03

4M ago58:03

58:03

For the 100th anniversary of the Macy's Parade, we are looking at the chaos energy that has always animated this cultural institution, from its explosive balloon disasters to its surprisingly unruly origins. Get tickets for A MASSIVE SEANCE Live Show with You're Wrong About: linktr.ee/amassiveseance Become a Patron to support our show and get early…

1
#88 Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Why I Converted To Christianity 1:02:38

4M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American writer, activist and former politician. Once an advocate for the new atheist movement, she last year announced her conversion to Christianity.

1
Context Clues: All the World Loves a Parade 47:01

4M ago47:01

47:01

This episode will give some context for our upcoming episode about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, its unbelievable chaotic origins and its totally out of control early days. Excerpts will be included from our War on Christmas Special, Haunted Attractions, Early Drag Queens pt. 1, and Toy Riots. Get tickets for A MASSIVE SEANCE Live Show with Y…

1
#87 Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle - Biblical Slaves, Women, and the Unforgivable Sin 2:46:18

4M ago2:46:18

2:46:18

Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle run the extremely popular online Christian ministry 'Give Me an Answer'. In this episode they discuss troubling passages in the Old Testament, New Testament sexism, Job, doubting Thomas, the unforgivable sin (blaspheming the Holy Spirit), and more.

1
Artificial Unintelligence with Perry Carpenter 1:22:06

4M ago1:22:06

1:22:06

Perry Carpenter is the author of the new book FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. For this episode, we are discussing what it means to live in a world where artificial intelligence is altering our reality more and more, how we can navigate a deeply uncertain digital future, and wha…

1
Falling for Fascism (re-release) 30:24

5M ago30:24

30:24

This episode was originally released right before the 2020 presidential election and is even more relevant as we face the 2024 election. Political philosopher Jason Stanley, author of the book How Fascism Works, helps us understand how countries slide into authoritarian systems through conspiracy theories, demonization of others, the systematic ero…

1
#86 Pre-Election Podcast - Destiny on Immigration, Trump, and Voter ID 1:38:08

5M ago1:38:08

1:38:08

Steven Bonnell II, known online as Destiny, is an American live streamer and political commentator. He joins me to talk about Trump, Kamala, Biden, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Mark Zuckerberg, Voter ID, immigration, demographic change, and who to vote for in the upcoming election.

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