Best Matthew Goodman Podcasts (2025)

1
Django Gold: The Comedian Who Wants to Dim Your Shine 58:21

12h ago58:21

58:21

In a special Christmas Eve edition, Mike brings you a "gift" from the comedy vault: an interview with the brilliantly off-kilter Django Gold. A veteran of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Onion, Gold discusses his YouTube special Bag of Tricks and his commitment to playing a paranoid, morose character on stage—a persona he claims is "clos…

1
Behold The Child Who Takes Away Sin 16:31

22h ago16:31

16:31

Date: December 21st of 2025 Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Text: John 1:19-28 Context: Sermon at St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Minot, ND Manuscript: CLICK HEREBy Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

1
Thomas Chatterton Williams: Why the Summer of 2020 Wasn't Inevitable 39:31

1d ago39:31

39:31

Thomas Chatterton Williams joins to discuss his new book, The Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse. He argues that the racial reckoning of 2020 was not an inevitable tide of history but a perfect storm of pandemic isolation, polarizing politics, and institutional failure. TCW dissects how mainstream institution…

1
Quico Toro: "Charlatans Burrow Into Your Life and Don't Leave." 36:32

3d ago36:32

36:32

Quico Toro joins to discuss Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses, distinguishing the "parasitic" nature of the charlatan from the hit-and-run tactics of the scammer. He traces the lineage of the grift from the official alchemists of 16th-century Venice to the upsell tactics of Trump Uni…

1
Rob Reiner: "I Just Viewed My Child in Pain" 35:02

5d ago35:02

35:02

In light of the recent tragedy, Mike unlocks a 2016 interview with the late Rob Reiner. It is a conversation that now plays differently: Reiner discusses his film Being Charlie, which was written by his son Nick Reiner—the man now arrested in connection with his death. Mike reflects on the director's legacy, the eerie prescience of their discussion…

1
Jay Jurden: High Profundities Per Minute 51:47

6d ago51:47

51:47

Comedian Jay Jurden explains why nine years of theater training is his "superpower" on the stand-up stage—and why he treats every punchline like a line of dialogue rather than a personal diary entry. His new special, Yes Ma'am, argues that physical specificity (from "rolling a wheelchair into affordable housing" to Marjorie Taylor Greene's hooves) …

1
Nicholas Wright: When Ancient Brains Meet Modern War 41:30

7d ago41:30

41:30

Neuroscientist Nicholas Wright explains why big powers "lose" wars they dominate on the kill ratio—and why counterinsurgencies (Vietnam, Afghanistan, maybe Iraq) reliably punish the side with less at stake. His new book, Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain, argues that identity, surprise, and revenge are ancient brain feature…

1
James Clyburn: "The World Would Much Rather See a Sermon Than Hear One." 42:29

8d ago42:29

42:29

Clyburn discusses The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation, explaining how Reconstruction-era Black lawmakers navigated power, compromise, and backlash—and why their choices still resonate. He reflects on faith as action, not rhetoric, and on history as a guide rather than a museum piece. Plus: Mar…

1
Is The Word Enough? 17:55

8d ago17:55

17:55

Date: November 9th of 2025 Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Text: John 4:45-56 Context: Sermon at St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Minot, ND Manuscript: CLICK HEREBy Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

1
The Disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little - A New Investigation 42:00

8d ago42:00

42:00

Mary Shotwell Little vanished from Lenox Square mall in Atlanta on October 14, 1965. The 25-year-old newlywed's car was found the next day with blood evidence and unexplained mileage, launching one of the city's most intensive searches. Now, a decade-long investigation by civilian researchers has uncovered previously unseen FBI files and identified…

1
Mikhail Zygar: From Glasnost Whiplash to Social-Media Smog 41:26

9d ago41:26

41:26

Russian journalist in exile Mikhail Zygar traces an information system so sealed even Gorbachev couldn't get the facts in The Dark Side of the Earth: Russia's Short-Lived Victory Over Totalitarianism. He draws a straight psychological line from late-Soviet overload to our current tech-firehose, arguing humans don't change much; institutions do (and…

1
Chris Dalla Riva: "Billboard's become a Christmas chart." 39:42

10d ago39:42

39:42

Data journalist Chris Dalla Riva brings charts, facts, and plenty of fight to Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves, a tour through every Billboard Hot 100 #1 and the strange incentives that pick our "popular." They debate whether streaming makes the charts more accurate or just more boring—why Christma…

1
Meet author Dylan Pahman!

10d ago

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Dylan is the founder and president of the St. Nicholas Cabasilas Institute for Orthodoxy & Liberty, a research fellow at the Acton Institute, and has a PhD in theology. He is the husband of Kelly and the father of his four children: Brendan, Aidan, Erin, and Callaghan.By Elissa Bjeletich Davis

1
Finding the Next Terry Gross with Daniel Oppenheimer 40:22

12d ago40:22

40:22

In this special Saturday edition, Mike sits down with Daniel Oppenheimer of Eminent Americans to tackle a high-stakes question: Who is worthy of the Fresh Air throne? They dissect the craft of interviewing, critique the "unprepared celebrity" podcast trend, and evaluate potential successors ranging from Colin McEnroe to Jon Ronson. Produced by Core…

1
Shadi Hamid: The Left Should Learn to Love American Power 42:52

13d ago42:52

42:52

Shadi Hamid joins to discuss his new book, The Case for American Power, arguing that progressives' retreat from global engagement is a mistake. He contends that while the Left often views U.S. hegemony as intrinsically immoral—citing the legacy of Iraq and the tragedy in Gaza—the alternative of withdrawal often leads to greater atrocities, such as …

1
EP:23 [GUEST] Chas Freeman - We Forgot How To Negotiate And Keep Paying For It 1:00:34

13d ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Power doesn’t persuade on its own—people do. Ambassador Chas Freeman joins us for a rare, unflinching look at how the United States drifted from negotiation to coercion, swapped empathy for slogans, and ended up trapped in conflicts with no off-ramps. We dig into the mechanics of real diplomacy, the difference between a ceasefire and a peace, and w…

1
EP:22 [GUEST] John Kiriakou : Inside The CIA: Torture, Coverups, And Consequences 55:26

14d ago55:26

55:26

He told the truth about CIA torture—and went to prison. Hear John Kiriakou explain why “official channels” failed, how secrecy is weaponized, and what blowback really looks like. Listen/Watch now and tell us: should the CIA even exist? If the guardrails are the problem, where do you turn for the truth? We sit down with former CIA officer and author…

1
Not Even Mad: Anthony Weiner & John Ketcham 1:03:30

14d ago1:03:30

1:03:30

Anthony Weiner and John Ketcham break down a Congress being flayed by its own fringes, where the "crazies" sometimes deliver the sharpest institutional critiques. They then assess Pete Hegseth and the possible release video of a lethal Caribbean boat strike, the challenges reshaping New York politics, and what it really means to govern a city you o…

1
Holiday Suicides: Is That BS? with Sadie Dingfelder 27:42

15d ago27:42

27:42

Holiday dread is real enough—fraught family gatherings, forced merriment, and the persistent myth that December is the peak month for suicide. In truth, it's the lowest month for suicides, even as the season brings elevated risks of car crashes, cardiac emergencies, and alcohol-related ER visits. Sadie Dingfelder joins for an Is That Bulls**t? to e…

1
In Memoriam: The Murder of Eric Nelams 39:38

15d ago39:38

39:38

We continue our coverage of the cold case of Eric Nelams, and his family's fight for justice. Army veteran Eric Nelams was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home in 2003, just days after refusing to take blame for an embezzlement scheme. His family believes the timing was no coincidence—and 22 years later, his homicide case remains c…

1
Mark Rowlands on Memory and the Stories We Tell Ourselves 26:16

16d ago26:16

26:16

The philosopher discusses The Book of Memory: How We Become Who We Are, exploring how recollection constructs identity, coherence, and the personas we inhabit. He explains why memory is less an archive than an act of ongoing authorship, shaped by emotion, imagination, and the stories we rehearse. The conversation traces the boundary between what we…

1
To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain: The Christian's Hope 17:33

16d ago17:33

17:33

Date: November 2nd of 2025 Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Text: Matthew 5:1-12 Context: Sermon at St. Paul's Lutheran of Minot, ND Manuscript: CLICK HEREBy Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

1
Daniel Zoughbie: The Mightiest Turns an Enemy into a Friend 34:27

17d ago34:27

34:27

Daniel Zoughbie discusses Kicking the Hornet's Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump, arguing that Truman's one-sided recognition of Israel and decades of U.S. overreliance on defense distorted the region's trajectory. He traces missed off-ramps from Oslo to the Olmert–Abbas talks, explaining why partition remains the on…

1
Meet Elizabeth Tervo!

17d ago

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A poet and a presbytera, Elizabeth Scott Tervo is the author of the new The Sun Does Not Shine Without You: a Memoir of Soviet Georgia, which tells the gripping story of her time as an exchange student in the Soviet Union on the eve of its collapse.By Elissa Bjeletich Davis

1
Mike Pesca on the Vig, the Fix, and the John Goodman Thumb 33:43

19d ago33:43

33:43

On this Saturday edition, Mike Pesca joins the cast of Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone to explain the dopamine minefield of modern sports betting. He walks Paula and Adam Felber through the mechanics of the "vig," the absurdity of Cleveland pitchers throwing balls into the dirt to cover prop bets, and the time NBA legend Chauncey Billups unwitti…

1
Funny You Should Mention: Mohanad Elshieky 1:03:08

20d ago1:03:08

1:03:08

Mohanad Elshieky joins Funny You Should Mention with stories that make Benghazi feel less like a political Rorschach test and more like the small town where he learned comedy by roasting his siblings and dodging unlicensed militias. He walks us through the dictatorship-era silence around politics, the sudden rise of ISIS-adjacent checkpoints, and t…

1
TJ Raphael on the Liberty Godparent Trap and the Cost of Coercion 37:17

21d ago37:17

37:17

TJ Raphael, host of the series Liberty Lost, joins Mike to investigate the "Liberty Godparent Home"—a facility on Liberty University's campus where pregnant teens were allegedly pressured into adoption under the guise of spiritual redemption—and discuss why the financial incentives of the "adoption industrial complex" often cause the promise of ope…

1
EP:21 [GUEST] Glenn Greenwald - Whistleblowers, Independent Voices, and Shifting Power 48:43

21d ago48:43

48:43

Imagine watching the gate swing open after decades of being told the path was closed. That’s what the information landscape feels like right now, and Glenn Greenwald joins us to chart how it happened—and why the old guard is scrambling to bolt it shut again. We trace the journey from early blogging to studio‑grade independent shows that rival cable…

1
Rachel McCarthy James on Axe Murder, Salad Spinners, and the Hat-Brim Line 37:25

22d ago37:25

37:25

True crime historian Rachel McCarthy James joins to talk about Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder, tracing humanity's relationship between axe and skull, where questions about Axe-related word play are axed and answered. Then the show pivots to how algorithms elevate the most loathed spokespeople on every hot-button issue, from Riley Gaines to Jasm…

1
Mourn The Dirge, Dance To The Flute 15:57

22d ago15:57

15:57

Date: October 26th of 2025 Speaker: Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard Text: Matthew 11:12-19 Context: Reformation Sermon at St. Paul's, Minot, ND Manuscript: CLICK HEREBy Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

1
Phenix City: The Murder of Eric Nelams 33:14

22d ago33:14

33:14

Army veteran and father Eric Nelams, 32, was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home on September 26, 2003. Multiple suspects ambushed Eric in his carport while he was leaving for work in what police believe was a planned attack. Twenty-two years later, Eric's murder remains unsolved. His family believes someone in the interconnected …

1
Daniel Brook & Brandy Schillace: The Sex Expert Who Scared Hitler 32:11

23d ago32:11

32:11

Daniel Brook and Brandy Schillace trace the life and legacy of Magnus Hirschfeld, the so-called "Einstein of Sex," from his pioneering Institute for Sexual Science to the Nazis parading his severed likeness at the 1933 book burning. They dig into the longer prehistory of Weimar queer politics and antisemitism, discussing how obsessions with masculi…

1
EP 22 - The Law is for You Too; Exploring the Practice of Self-Examination & Repentance 1:04:20

23d ago1:04:20

1:04:20

The Law isn’t just for the unconverted or the guy next to you in the pew. It’s for you, the Christian, too. But why? Why is the Law still preached to those who are in Christ. Isn’t the Gospel enough? The answer is simple: the old Adam hasn’t been reformed—he has to be drowned daily. And for that, you need the Law to expose the sin that still clings…

1
Murdaugh Showrunner Michael D. Fuller: Power Metastasizes 42:01

24d ago42:01

42:01

Michael D. Fuller joins to talk about Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. The conversation digs into what scripted drama can do that true-crime podcasts and prosecutors can't, especially around messy motives and family dynamics that don't fit a neat trial narrative. Plus, an opening segment on Trump's "don't give up the ship" blowup, congressiona…

1
EP:20 [GUEST] Rod Blagojevich - From Wiretaps To Warrants The Blagojevich Case Unpacked 1:03:56

24d ago1:03:56

1:03:56

A senator’s seat opens, the phones are tapped, and a single line—“this is fucking golden”—becomes the headline that swallows the story. We sit down with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to unpack the wiretaps, the legal standards around campaign contributions, and the policy trade he says prosecutors stopped at dawn: appoint Lisa Madigan in…

1
Meet Kevin Goodman from St. Nicholas Tele-Santa!

24d ago

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Kevin Goodman is an Orthodox convert in Baltimore. He volunteers with the St. Nicholas Tele-Santa program, a free service in collaboration with the GOA, offering video calls with children to teach about the original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas of Myra.By Elissa Bjeletich Davis

1
Jesse Eisenberg: "Marv Albert Is My Therapist" 24:41

26d ago24:41

24:41

On this Saturday edition, Mike Pesca reaches into the archives for a 2016 classic with actor and author Jesse Eisenberg. They discuss Eisenberg's short story collection Bream Gives Me Hiccups and the "creek vs. crick" linguistic controversy it sparked, while analyzing why a nine-year-old restaurant critic is the perfect vessel for exposing adult hy…

1
Bob Saget & Chuck Klosterman: "I Really Have Become Liza Minnelli" 33:13

27d ago33:13

33:13

Today on The Gist, the late Bob Saget, who reconciles his Full House image with his "Dirty Daddy" persona while admitting he was a "nerd burglar" in his youth. They dissect the difference between misogyny and locker room talk, deconstruct the logic of his famous "Winnebago" joke. Then, cultural critic Chuck Klosterman joins to analyze The Nineties,…

1
Henry Winkler & Clint Watts: "Three Little Fonzies and a Trail of Dead Russians" 38:04

28d ago38:04

38:04

On this Thanksgiving edition Mike Pesca serves up two revitalized classics, starting with Henry Winkler (The Fonz), who joins to discuss his Hank Zipser books, the unique Dutch font designed for dyslexic readers, and his tenure-granting plan to design the world's first consumer jet pack. Then, we revisit a conversation with counterterrorism expert …

1
Abby Phillip: "The Stones for David's Slingshot" 46:05

29d ago46:05

46:05

Mike Pesca is joined by CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip to discuss her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power. They explore Jackson's soaring, sermon-like rhetorical style and the hubris of the "tree shaker, not a jelly maker" philosophy. The conversation traces how Jackson's push to change delegate rul…

1
Not Even Mad: Russ Muirhead & Nick Gillespie 1:03:49

30d ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Mike Pesca welcomes back Nick Gillespie (Reason Magazine) and first-time guest Russ Muirhead (Dartmouth professor and New Hampshire State Rep.) for a spirited debate that is—we swear—not even mad. Today, we look at the half-full autocratic glass: Does the dismissal of the Comey and James indictments prove that institutions are holding, or does the …

1
Mike Vuolo & Bob Garfield: "Life Is a Flat Pizza Bagel" 50:21

1M ago50:21

50:21

Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield of Lexicon Valley join to talk 23 skidoo, Massapequa, and why life, in fact, is a flat bagel. They trace the 6/7 meme from Skrilla's drill track "Doot Doot" through LaMelo Ball highlights and a middle-schooler named Maverick, and explain how a throwaway number became the meme stock of language. The conversation winds thr…

1
Meet Jessica Jordan!

1M ago

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Jessica and her husband Josh are touring with their acclaimed new film set in a fictional Spith Texas monastery, El Tonto por Cristo. Hear about how the whole family worked on what Jonathan Pageau called “A dangerous film, in the best possible way.”By Elissa Bjeletich Davis

1
Mike on Matt Lewis Can't Lose 30:28

1M ago30:28

30:28

Mike joins Matt Lewis for a lively crossover conversation that opens with deep dives into Huey Lewis puns before shifting into the Democrats' "affordability" message, why word wars matter more than policy wins, and how political optics collide with economic reality. They unpack everything from tariffs to AI dislocation to the future of the Democrat…

1
Funny You Should Mention: Myq Kaplan 1:19:23

1M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

Comedian Myq Kaplan joins the show for a deep dive into joke logic, philosophy, and the very slippery business of defining who counts as a comedian. Using his new special Rini as a jumping-off point, he and Mike wander through Grecian maxims, the paradox of the heap, why some laughs are closer to enlightenment than punch lines, and how his relation…

1
Fareed Zakaria on Revolutions, Backlashes, and the High Cost of Not Fixing Immigration 41:55

1M ago41:55

41:55

Fareed Zakaria joins the show to discuss The Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, arguing that the past 30 years of globalization, AI, and cultural upheaval rival the Industrial Revolutions in their political consequences. He makes the case that today's populist surges—from Sweden to the U.S.—are driven less by econom…

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