S3E28: Is Charlie Fleischer Nuts (Or Is He Just Smarter Than Everybody Else)?

The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast

#Cinema #Tales From The Crypt #Make A Movie

1:15:36

In this episode, we welcome back David French, columnist for The New York Times , former constitutional attorney, and author of Divided We Fall . We discuss the current state of American democracy, the challenges of political division, and how we can engage in civil discourse despite deep ideological differences. David also shares a personal update on his family and reflects on the profound trials and growth that come with adversity. 📌 What We Discuss: ✔️ How David and his family navigated the challenges of a serious health crisis. ✔️ The rise of political polarization and the factors driving it. ✔️ Why distinguishing between “unwise, unethical, and unlawful” is crucial in analyzing political actions. ✔️ How consuming different perspectives (even opposing ones) helps in understanding political dynamics. ✔️ The role of Christian values in politics and how they are being redefined. ⏳ Episode Highlights 📍 [00:01:00] – David French’s background and his journey from litigation to journalism. 📍 [00:02:30] – Personal update: David shares his wife Nancy’s battle with cancer and their journey as a family. 📍 [00:06:00] – How to navigate personal trials while maintaining faith and resilience. 📍 [00:10:00] – The danger of political paranoia and the pitfalls of extreme polarization. 📍 [00:18:00] – The "friend-enemy" paradigm in American politics and its influence in Christian fundamentalism. 📍 [00:24:00] – Revisiting Divided We Fall : How America’s divisions have devolved since 2020. 📍 [00:40:00] – The categories and differences of unwise, unethical, and unlawful political actions. 📍 [00:55:00] – The balance between justice, kindness, and humility in political engagement. 📍 [01:00:00] – The After Party initiative: A Christian approach to politics focused on values rather than policy. 💬 Featured Quotes 🔹 "You don't know who you truly are until your values are tested." – David French 🔹 "If we focus on the relational, we can have better conversations even across deep differences." – Corey Nathan 🔹 "Justice, kindness, and humility—if you're missing one, you're doing it wrong." – David French 🔹 "The United States has a history of shifting without repenting. We just move on." – David French 📚 Resources Mentioned David French’s Writing: New York Times David’s Book: Divided We Fall The After Party Initiative – More Info Advisory Opinions Podcast (with Sarah Isgur & David French) – Listen Here 📣 Call to Action If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect With Us on Social Media @coreysnathan: Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack David French: 🔗 Twitter | BlueSky | New York Times Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com Let’s keep talking politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡…

about a year ago 1:00:09

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You know how you meet someone – on the set of a movie – say TALES FROM THE CRYPT PRESENTS DEMON KNIGHT, and the first thought that hits you (after “wow, he’s a nice guy”) is “Wow – that guy is smart, too!”? That’s Charlie Fleischer!

Being smart – especially that smart – has a lot of the same hallmarks as being nuts. Those kinda people tend to focus with manic intensity on things.

And when they do, they kinda look like they know things no one else does.

Yeah – that, too, is what it’s like meeting and knowing Charlie Fleischer.

Most people know Charlie as THE VOICE OF ROGER RABBIT.

CHARLIE AS ROGER

But that was hardly Charlie’s first time at the rodeo.

Since the 1970’s, he’s appeared regularly in human form as an actor and standup, on TV and movies.

He was a regular on “Welcome Back Kotter” and “Laverne & Shirley”. He appeared on “Laugh-In” and “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson”. The second time Charlie did the Carson show, he did panel. Sitting beside Johnny was the point of the exercise. Charlie had – and has – a solid body of acting work to his name and credit.

But, Charlie Fleischer is way , waaaaay more than just an actor and comedian. He’s a Renaissance Person who paints, creates music – and writes scientific papers.

We’ll get into all of it as we try and answer the question we posed in the episode’s title.

Is Charlie nuts? Or is he just smarter than everyone else?

You be the judge…

Here are the art pieces we reference in the podcast –

The Rhythmnic shimmer Of Glimmer Waves

Museum Of Self Reflection

Monroe Boat

Here is a link to one of Charlie’s Ted Talks –

161 episodes

S3E28: Is Charlie Fleischer Nuts (Or Is He Just Smarter Than Everybody Else)?

The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Fetch error

Hmmm there seems to be a problem fetching this series right now. Last successful fetch was on March 19, 2025 13:27 (11d ago)

Being smart – especially that smart – has a lot of the same hallmarks as being nuts. Those kinda people tend to focus with manic intensity on things.

And when they do, they kinda look like they know things no one else does.

Yeah – that, too, is what it’s like meeting and knowing Charlie Fleischer.

Most people know Charlie as THE VOICE OF ROGER RABBIT.

CHARLIE AS ROGER

But that was hardly Charlie’s first time at the rodeo.

Since the 1970’s, he’s appeared regularly in human form as an actor and standup, on TV and movies.

But, Charlie Fleischer is way , waaaaay more than just an actor and comedian. He’s a Renaissance Person who paints, creates music – and writes scientific papers.

We’ll get into all of it as we try and answer the question we posed in the episode’s title.

Is Charlie nuts? Or is he just smarter than everyone else?

You be the judge…

Here are the art pieces we reference in the podcast –

The Rhythmnic shimmer Of Glimmer Waves

Museum Of Self Reflection

Monroe Boat

Here is a link to one of Charlie’s Ted Talks –

161 episodes

#Cinema #Tales From The Crypt #Make A Movie

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