Shows
Fake PresidentsOnly Murders In The White House (THE RESIDENCE, 2025)It's Wes Anderson meets PADDINGTON meets CLUE, all set in the White House. Well, not the ENTIRE White House. Just... THE RESIDENCE! This hit Netflix series from Shondaland presents an offbeat murder mystery wrapped up in some truly excellent production design. The series goes into details of how the White House works that have never been seen on screen before. But what about the Fake President? Did they give us enough detail there? Let's put our detective caps on and find out... Note: We actually manage to talk spoiler-free about the series for the majority of this ep...2025-04-231h 00
Fake PresidentsFollow the De Niro (ZERO DAY, 2025)In Netflix's 6-part series ZERO DAY, Robert De Niro plays a former U.S President with cognitive issues (who chose not to run for reelection), and Angela Bassett is a current U.S. President with a great wardrobe. Together they must figure out who perpetrated the greatest, deadliest hack in U.S. history! Well, actually, it's mostly just De Niro doing the figuring and the outing. Joan Allen, Jesse Plemons, and Connie Britton round out De Niro's inner circle, while Lizzy Caplan and Matthew Modine are members of congress "just asking questions" about De Niro's investigative operation.2025-03-2139 min
Fake PresidentsThis is POTUS (PARADISE, 2025)In Hulu's newest TV series PARADISE, James Marsden is a murdered U.S. president, and Sterling K. Brown is the Secret Service agent at the center of the investigation. Oh, and (SPOILER ALERT) the whole series takes place in [REDACTED] because [REDACTED] and the truth is that [REDACTED] also [REDACTED] and everyone is [REDACTED]. From Dan Fogelman, who also wrote THIS IS US and CARS. Find us at Fake_Presidents on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, or email us fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo!2025-03-1357 min
Fake PresidentsRed Hulk Gives You Wiiings (CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, 2025)Happy Presidents Day! To mark the occasion, we rushed out opening weekend to check out the return of Harrison Ford to the White House. Well, technically, in AIR FORCE ONE, Ford never made it to the White House, but this time, in Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, Indy gets scenes in the Oval, in the Rose Garden, in the Residence, in a battleship, and he even gets some more action aboard Air Force One (well, some Peloton action, that is). Oh yeah, and Anthony Mackie is the Captain America with wings trying to keep President Thaddeus “Th...2025-02-1753 min
Fake PresidentsThe Dude-In-Chief (THE CONTENDER, 2000)We cover 2000's THE CONTENDER starring Jeff Bridges as a U. S. president sometime between 2007 and 2010. Joan Allen is a senator nominated to fill an open VP slot who refuses to address any allegations of sexual impropriety in her past. Gary Oldman is a congressman trying to destroy her during the confirmation hearings. Does anyone actually read these show notes? Do we need to mention that Christian Slater, Sam Elliott, William Peterson, Mike Binder, and Saul Rubinek are all in it, too, in order to game some search engines? You know, for all the Rubinek-heads out there?...2025-02-0156 min
Fake PresidentsMail to the Chief (YEAR END MAILBAG!)Let's close out the year by digging into some messages from listeners, and then look ahead at the year to come in fake White Houses! Topics covered: Who do we think should play a president that hasn't? A listener suggests our next movie to cover... should we do it?! Our preview of upcoming movies and shows on our radar, including Shondaland's THE RESIDENCE and Dan Fogelman's PARADISE. Is RED ONE secretly a Fake President movie? Did Eric include a fake potus in the new Audible audio series...2024-12-2240 min
Fake PresidentsBanie Bros (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, 2012)What? You don't remember there being a POTUS in 2012's Christopher Nolan-directed, Christian Bale-starring THE DARK KNIGHT RISES? Neither did we! But there is one, and he's got a whole monologue and everything! Find us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky, or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo!2024-11-2740 min
Fake PresidentsQuid Pro Cho (The Presidents of THE TWILIGHT ZONE)This Halloween, let's take a spookily ironic look at every president ever portrayed in any episode of any version of THE TWILIGHT ZONE! (It's not that many) Believe it or not, it wasn't until Jordan Peele's 2019 reboot of The Twilight Zone that we got the series' first truly fake president. In "The Wunderkind," John Cho stars as a hotshot campaign manager, Jacob Tremblay as the 11-year-old candidate for American president Cho takes under his wing, John Larroquette as "a" fake POTUS (but not "the" fake POTUS of the episode), Allison Tolman as the episode's sole voice of...2024-10-3050 min
Fake PresidentsBee Pluribus Unum (THE BEEKEEPER, 2024)Did you know there's a fake president in Jason Statham's pulpy, hit actioner THE BEEKEEPER? We didn't! Not until a listener gave us the heads up. British thespian Jemma Redgrave plays the American president. Josh Hutcherson is her not-quite-failson. Jeremy Irons is back in Alfred-mode. And Minnie Driver inexplicably gets a couple scenes for no real apparent reason. We know what this movie says about scamming the elderly (it's bad!)... but what does it say about American politics in the year 2024? Find us on Instagram and Threads at Fake_Presidents or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.c...2024-09-3049 min
Fake PresidentsBetter Red Than Dead (STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, 1991)It's the last cinematic voyage of the original Enterprise crew, but the first (and only) for the new Federation President, played by The 70s Show's Kurtwood Smith. Kurtwood joins William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, as well as Star Trek newcomers Kim Cattrall, Christopher Plummer, David Warner, and... Christian Slater? What kind photos did Kim Cattrall get in trouble for taking on the set after hours? How much Shakespheare in space is too much? If the Klingons in this cold war-inspired story are supposed to be Russians, and the Fede...2024-07-0154 min
Fake PresidentsHasbrOTUS (G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA, 2009)From a Ken Doll in fatigues to "action figures" with kung fu grip to an afterschool cartoon and finally to... a live action theatrical release! It's 2009's G.I. JOE: RISE OF CORBA. The fictional President is nameless, but is he also faceless? (Well...technically, yes, in a way, but we'll get to that...) THE MUMMY'S Stephen Sommers directs a cast of literally thousands (of names). Every character (except for The President) has at least two names, some have three. It's needlessly complicated. But is the nefarious plan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's The Doctor aka Cobra Commander aka Re...2024-05-3152 min
Fake PresidentsAmerica Has Fallen (CIVIL WAR, 2024)It's a house divided in this episode as our hosts have very differing takes on just how successfully this new film from writer/director Alex Garland (ANNILHILATION, EX MACHINA) infuses its narrative with grounded politics... and whether it needs to at all? Nick Offerman gets an upgrade from municpal parks and rec employee to POTUS. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson are journalists caught in various crossfires. And Jesse Plemons gets to recreate the moment he and Kirsten Dunst first fell in love in real life. Join us on Threads and I...2024-04-1553 min
Fake PresidentsTheater in the Oval (POTUS, the Tony-nominated play)In the spring of 2022, a new play opened on Broadway called "POTUS," with the lengthy subtitle: "OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE." From the director of "THE PRODUCERS" (the Broadway musical), this comedy starred Vanessa Williams, Julianne Hough, Rachel Dratch, Suzy Nakamura, Lilli Cooper, Lea DeLaria, and Julie White. Neither of us were able to catch it. But this past winter, the show came to Los Angeles... And one of us was there! Now you can be there too. Via us! ...2024-03-2337 min
Fake PresidentsPresidents Day Special 2024Eric couldn't sleep and happened upon a late night rerun of a classic TV show from the 80s that suprisingly had a fake president. Which got us wondering... what other TV classics have one-off, nearly disposable fake presidents?! Oh, and we talk about Gareth Edwards' THE CREATOR. Well, we talk about whether or not we should talk about it. 00:00 - INTRO 03:01 - THE CREATOR 07:48 - HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN 23:06 - SEAQUEST DSV 41:02 - LOST IN SPACE 49:19 - SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH 57:28 - CLOSING 58:56 - Post-Credits Bit Find u...2024-02-191h 00
Fake PresidentsOn the Campaign Trail(ers)We finally get to do something we don't usually get to do...speculate about the future! Ben and Eric take a look at two new trailers with heaps of potential for (prestige) fake POTUSes to see what 2024 may have in store for fictional politics. Nick Offerman is a fake president while America is torn asunder in Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR? Kate Winslet is the head-of-state of a fascistic European nation in HBO's THE REGIME? SAY NO MORE. (Actually, do say more, because these trailers are scant on details...) Oh, and we also follow-up on a co...2024-01-2447 min
Fake PresidentsYes, Virginia, there is a Fake President (SOME WANNABE HALLMARK MOVIE YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF)A "Hallmark-style" holiday rom-com featuring a fake president? Of course we had to watch it! (So you don't have to!) CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLY HOTEL is a fictional movie about a real hotel that once played a role in George H.W. Bush's ill-fated reelection campaign. It stars no one you'll recognize, directed by no one you've heard of, but it's made lovingly by people who seem to care very much about getting every detail of this hotel right. But what about the details of the phony potus? Did they get those right? Let...2023-12-1146 min
Fake PresidentsPulp Fictional President (RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE, 2023)Uma Thurman is the faux potus in Amazon's romantic comedy RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE. Taylor Zakhar Perez is the young, handsome First Son whose public feud with a young, handsome British Prince (played by Nicholas Galitzine) threatens his mom's reelection campaign. But things get even messier when the hate gives way to VERY different feelings for each other... Can a congresswoman from Texas win the presidency if she can't even win a statewide election in own state? Can a college-aged first kid throw a rager on the White House lawn? Do political rom-coms even need a gr...2023-11-2341 min
Fake PresidentsPolitical Hacks (CHUCKY, the TV series)A special doll-centric Halloween episode! Did you know that the latest season of CHUCKY, the TV series based on the CHILD'S PLAY horror movies, takes place in The White House? Did you know there was a CHUCKY, the TV series? Neither did we! Ben watched it because Eric is a fraidy-cat and reports back with all the juicy political goodness in the first couple episodes. Is it enough to get Eric to get over his scary-movie-and-TV-fears and tune in? Devon Sawa is the POTUS. Chucky is still a killer doll. And the first e...2023-10-2641 min
Fake PresidentsPOTuuuuuHs (IDIOCRACY, 2006)IDIOCRACY, co-written and directed by Mike Judge, barely got a theatrical release in 2006, but has it persevered enough to become a cult classic since then? Or is its biggest cultural footprint simply its title? One thing we know for sure: The movie's faux POTUS -- Terry Crews as the one, the only, President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho -- is on our Fake President Mount Rushmore for a reason. Find us on Threads and Instagram (and other social media platforms) at Fake_Presidents, or just email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the c...2023-09-0341 min
Fake PresidentsMissionary Position (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING and SECRET INVASION)Eric and Ben are pretty sure there's going to be a fake president in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART TWO when it comes out next year, but they're less sure who it's going to be. Ben thinks it'll be a familiar face to the series. Eric thinks it'll be someone new. Are there any clues in PART ONE? (Yes! Kinda! Maybe.) Also: We finish up our MARVEL'S SECRET INVASION coverage. Did Dermot Mulroney's President Ritson go out with a bang or a whimper? (Both? Neither? It's complicated...) 01:36 - Beginning of our SECRET INVASION talk2023-08-0940 min
Fake PresidentsTom Clancy's Nick Fury (JACK RYAN, Season 4 and SECRET INVASION Eps 3 & 4)Dermot Mulroney's fake President is back in Disney Plus's MARVEL'S SECRET INVASION, and so are we! After covering episodes 1 & 2 in our last look of this series, we now get into episodes 3 & 4. Who was right in our bet on who would be a secret Skrull in this series? We got our answer way earlier than we expected... And then, at the 32:00 minute mark of the podcast, we discuss the returning fake President in Amazon Prime's TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN, season 4. Did they finally make him interesting?! Find us on Instagram and Threads! Or just email us t...2023-07-1742 min
Fake PresidentsMy Best Friend's President (SECRET INVASION, Eps 1 & 2 + more FOR ALL MANKIND)Ben and Eric are doing something they've never done before -- covering a TV series as it airs in (near) real time! But first, they got some more FOR ALL MANKIND stuff to talk about, now that Ben has FINALLY seen the show. THEN they just had to dive back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe when they saw that the MCU was introducing yet ANOTHER fake president. The POTUS is not William Sadler from IRON MAN 3. It's not Harrison Ford from the upcoming THUNDERBOLTS and CAPTAIN AMERICA movies. It's... Dermot Mulroney (NOT Dylan McDermott)! 2023-07-0148 min
Fake PresidentsYou're the POTUS now, dawg! (THE ROCK, 1996)Michael Bay's THE ROCK has peak Nicolas Cage, silver age Sean Connery, and a shockingly effective (if completely unnecessary) fake president. Best summer movie ever? Could be! Best fake president ever? Let's discuss... Find us on @INSTAGRAM or email us at fakepresidents [@] gmail.com for join the convo!2023-05-2940 min
Fake PresidentsPresident Jerry Springer?A special episode! From mayor to television legend, few people are as representative of the cross section of politics and pop culture as the late, great Jerry Springer. And did you know that he also played a fake president in a movie? We didn't! Not 'til we read about it one of his many obituaries. Jerry Springer is the President of the United States in 2004's THE DEFENDER both starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren, and we watched it so you don't have to! (well, we watched most of it)2023-04-2845 min
Fake PresidentsSee Jack Run (TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN, Seasons 1-3)Our first trip into the Clancy-verse! Amazon Prime's TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN stars John Krasinski as the titular CIA analyst turned field agent. In season one, he saves a president's life. In season three, he saves a president's ass. Join us as we tackle the big questions: How does THE OFFICE alum Krasinski stack up to the Jack Ryans of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine? Do the politics of Tom Clancy still hold up in 2023? And the biggest question of all: Why is this show so indebted to NASH BRIDGES? G...2023-03-2355 min
Fake PresidentsFake Fake Presidents (PRESIDENTS DAY SPECIAL 2023)It's Presidents' Day! Which means we're back with another very special episode for this very special holiday. This time we're asking the question: What already existing fictional characters from pop culture should become POTUS within their movie/TV universes? From famous commercial pitchmen to the world of superheroes and even a dip into the works of Pixar, we leave no stone unturned as we look for the ideal candidate. BUT before we get into that, we dive into some BREAKING NEWS regarding the addition of two new fake presidents in two big movie franchises... is...2023-02-1932 min
Fake PresidentsPOTUS Almighty (DEEP IMPACT, 1998)After an unexpected hiatus, we're back! And so is Morgan Freeman! This time, Olympus isn't falling. It's the sky that's falling. 1998's DEEP IMPACT features an iconic fake president that originally made our Mount Rushmore of fake presidents, but does this speechifying fake prez still feel so iconic two decades later? One of us certainly doesn't think so... Got a question? Email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com.2023-01-1754 min
Fake PresidentsThe POTUStronaut (FOR ALL MANKIND, Seasons 1-3)Eric is a big fan of Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama FOR ALL MANKIND. Ben has a never seen an episode. Will Ben want to watch the series after Eric tells him all about the alt-history presidential politics of a world where the Soviets beat the Americans to the moon and the space race never ended? Let's find out... Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the conversation!2022-09-0837 min
Fake PresidentsThe X-President (X2: X-MEN UNITED, 2003)This week, Ben and Eric head back into world of Marvel comic book adaptations with the 2nd entry in 20th Century Fox's long-running X-MEN movie franchise. Not only is there a fake president in it, but there's a whole lotta action in the White House! X2: X-MEN UNITED stars the usual gamut of mutants -- Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn -- this time joined by SUCCESSION's Brian Cox as "Colonel Striker" and the one and only Cotter Smith as "President McKenna." Who is Ben's...2022-07-2751 min
Fake PresidentsThe Ameri-Caan President (GET SMART, 2008)We're back! Hiatus over! Thanks for your patience! Based on a TV show created by comedy legends Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, 2008's GET SMART has some pretty big phone-shoes to fill. Does James Caan have what it takes to play a nameless President? (DEFINITELY.) Does he deserve better than being asked to do a warmed over George W.? (PROBABLY.) What about skinny Dwayne Johnson? Can you trust him not to secretly be a bad guy?! (NO YOU CANNOT.) Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Alan Arkin get to meet a fake president, too. Wh...2022-07-1442 min
Fake PresidentsProgramming Note! (We're going on hiatus, but we'll be back!)Just a little note on our upcoming schedule. Are Ben and Eric taking a spring hiatus? Yes! Will they be back this summer? HECK YEAH! Should you unsubscribe? HELL NO! Take a listen to find out what the first two movies will be when we return this summer. (Hint: One's a spy comedy based on a classic TV series, the other's a celebrated entry in a long-running comic book franchise.) And if there's a particular fake president you want us to add to our list to cover when we get back, let us know! You c...2022-03-2102 min
Fake PresidentsPRESIDENTS' DAY SPECIAL: Movies that don't have fake presidents...but should!In honor of the upcoming Presidents' Day holiday, Ben and Eric veto their usual format to elect some fake presidents into movies that don't have one. Which movies without a fake president deperately needed one? Who would we have cast as the faux POTUS? FIND OUT ALL THIS AND MORE (Okay, not that much more, we pretty much mostly just talk about that) Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the conversation. Or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com Happy Presidents' Day!!!2022-02-1741 min
Fake PresidentsJ-Law and Order (DON'T LOOK UP, 2021)Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play astronomers who make a thrilling discovery in the feel-good holiday movie of 2021! Meryl Streep is a fake president that's all "Lady Biz." Jonah Hill is hanging around as the president's son/chief-of-staff! Oh, and Timothée Chalamet is in it, too, but he's not in any political scenes, so we don't talk about him. Maybe in the sequel! Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the convo. Or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail [dot] com!2022-02-0156 min
Fake PresidentsBeating John Malkovich (IN THE LINE OF FIRE, 1993)Before Wolfgang Peterson directed AIR FORCE ONE (where the Secret Service completely craps the bed), he directed IN THE LINE OF FIRE (where the Secret Service almost craps the bed!) Clint Eastwood plays a heroic but haunted secret service agent while a pre-famous John Malkovich plays the assassin Eastwood has to stop. Also in this movie: Rene Russo plays Eastwood's much younger love interest, Dylan McDermott plays Eastwood's much younger partner, and Clint Eastwood plays the piano! As for who plays the president, does it even matter in a movie as awesome as this...2022-01-1747 min
Fake PresidentsDueling Clintons, SNL, some Succession chat, and more (Buh-Bye 2021, Hello 2022!)We take one last look back at the fake presidencies of 2021 before looking ahead to 2022. Topics include: - Our favorite fictional presidents of the last 12 months - Succession - Diary of a Future President - Presidential impersonator changes at Saturday Night Live - Competing novels featuring fictional presidents written by Bill and Hillary that came out within weeks of each other - And so much more! (Okay, not THAT much more...but still more!) Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to...2022-01-0134 min
Fake PresidentsDowney In The Polls (IRON MAN 3, 2013)Tony Stark has PTSD, Don Cheadle has a new superhero name, and the President of the United States is going to need a new plane. That's right, it's Christmastime in the MCU, which means it's time for a story of the redemption and rebirth for Marvel's favorite son...sorta? Writer/Director Shane Black gets to board the Marvel train for his one and only entry in the MCU. Jon Favreau gets to spend more time in his trailer. Gwyneth Paltrow gets a new fitness regime. And this podcast gets to talk about the politics of being the...2021-12-2550 min
Fake PresidentsThe Polar Ex-Pres (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, 2004)After introducing the world to one of the greatest fake presidents in INDEPENDENCE DAY, director Roland Emmerich is back with not one, but TWO fake presidents in 2004's climate-themed disaster movie THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Also in this movie's oval office -- a really weird (and distracting) choice of houseplants. (See a photo of this movie's oval office here) Can Dennis Quaid save Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum? (Yep!) Can he also save the world from an ice age? (Nope!) Does this movie have the most depressing ending for a massive summer blockbuster...2021-11-1551 min
Fake PresidentsThe Spoof Stops Here (SCARY MOVIE 3, 2003)Just in time for Halloween it's a SCARY MOVIE. The third one! The one that introduced Leslie-freakin'-Nielsen as an American president! What happens when uber-republican director David Zucker (of AIRPLANE fame) teams up with uber-democratic producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein (of getting arrested fame) to make a movie with a fake president? Let's find out... Also along for the ride: Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, Jeremy Piven, Simon Rex, Pamela Anderson, and Jenny McCarthy in case one of those names will encourage you to download this, our most spooky episode...2021-10-2646 min
Fake PresidentsScales of Justice (SPLASH, 1984)Who knew there was a fake president in this 80s mermaid rom-com? Directed by Ron Howard, SPLASH made, um, waves at the box office. It also made Tom Hanks a movie star, Howard an A-list director, and Roger Ebert very angry. Does this movie have actual politics for us to discuss? (Surprisingly, yes!) Does this movie have a surprise in the end credits? (Sorta!) Does this podcast episode have a surprise in our end credits? (Only if you want to know whether or not it's kosher to eat a mermaid!) Find us...2021-10-1153 min
Fake PresidentsWhere's the Brief? (THE PELICAN BRIEF, 1993)When an assassin targets the SCOTUS, it's up to Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts to expose a POTUS. Robert Culp is the nameless (but not blameless) President in this 1993 adaptation of John Grisham's most political thriller. Future fake president Tony Goldwyn is the person who really runs the White House. Stanley Tucci is the mysterious international assassin. And...nobody is the actual bad guy of the movie? Join the conversation by finding us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and/or Instagram (@Fake_Presidents)2021-09-2750 min
Fake PresidentsFake First Ladies (A dip into the mailbag!)Ben and Eric will take another dip into the Fake President's mailbag to answer questions about... - Who are their favorite fake first ladies? - What is the beef between Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman? - Why does James Patterson REALLY want to work with Bill Clinton? - What is Eric's favorite presidential fact he's learned making this podcast? - After the US, what country downloads this podcast the most?!? All that, including an email from...a screenwriter of one of the movies we've covered? Really? OKAY!2021-09-0438 min
Fake PresidentsFallen and Can't Get Up (ANGEL HAS FALLEN, 2019)Today we take a look at a fake president played by Morgan Freeman. No, not that fake president. The OTHER fake president played by Morgan Freeman, in 2019's ANGEL HAS FALLEN, the second sequel to OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN. Gerard Butler is back as the ultimate secret service agent, Freeman gets a nice promotion into the oval, and...well, that's about all the characters returning from the first two movies. This time Jada Pinkett Smith, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Huston, and Nick Nolte join Butler and Freeman as America finds itself, once again, facing an existential cr...2021-08-1655 min
Fake PresidentsSharknado Tank (SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO, 2015)You know what they say, "it's always Shark Week somewhere." This episode we take a look at President Marcus Robbins from the third entry of Syfy's SHARKNADO series, played by Mark Cuban. The movie is kind of a mash-up of WHITE HOUSE DOWN and JURASSIC WORLD with a little bit of DUE DATE and ARMAGEDDON thrown in for good measure. On SHARK TANK, Cuban always sits on the left, but where does this fake president sit politically in this schlockfest of a film? Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join t...2021-07-2544 min
Fake PresidentsA Date That Will Smith In Infamy (INDEPENDENCE DAY, 1996)Bill Pullman stars alongside Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in 1996's White House-exploding, #1 blockbuster: INDEPENDENCE DAY. You know the president. You know the speech. But do you know his political party? We think we do! And we think we've figured out so much more... Happy Fourth of July! Email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the conversation, suggest movies, and be our best friends.2021-07-041h 13
Fake PresidentsInto The Machete-Verse (MACHETE KILLS, 2013)Writer/director (not to mention producer/editor/composer) Robert Rodriguez is back on our radar with another fake president, this time taking the form of an actor credited only as "Carlos Estevez." But who is Carlos Estevez really? (Charlie Sheen!) Are the hard R-rated MACHETE movies really just spin-offs of the PG-rated SPY KIDS franchise? (Danny Trejo thinks so!) In a film full of celebrity cameos, which cameo was the weirdest? (Elon Musk's!) Envisioned as a 70s-influenced, "Mexploitation," action trilogy the MACHETE movies stopped at two (2010's MACHETE and 2013's MACHETE KILLS), but it wasn't fo...2021-06-1740 min
Fake PresidentsThe Goodest Shepherd (THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, 1995)Rob Reiner and Aaron Sorkin leave little to the political imagination in their 1995 romantic comedy, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. Michael Douglas, as the widower POTUS Andrew Shepherd, is without a doubt a pre-Tea Party, far right Republi--- Nope... Not at all... He's clearly a centrist Democrat. So instead of just talking about Shepherd's judicial courtships, we also dive into his domestic courtship of Sydney Ellen Wade of Virginia. And to help us out, we've got a very special guest -- relationship expert Damona Hoffman, the host of the Dates & Mates podcast!!! How should a single president go...2021-06-011h 27
Fake PresidentsThe Truth Hurts (VANTAGE POINT, 2008)William Hurt is the Fake President in this 2008 political thriller in the vein of Rashomon. Sigourney Weaver is in yet another movie with a presidential body double, Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox are secret service agents, only one of whom is good at their job, and Forest Whitaker did such a bang-up job directing our last movie (First Daughter), he got cast as "guy who holds a camera" in this one. Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the conversation, get a heads up on future episodes, and suggest future m...2021-05-0149 min
Fake PresidentsPresident Beetlejuice Batman (FIRST DAUGHTER, 2004)Michael Keaton is the empty nester fake president in 2004's FIRST DAUGHTER, starring Katie Holmes as a first family member who is definitely not Chelsea Clinton going to a college that is definitely not Stanford. Is this fake POTUS legitimately funny, or is he just portrayed by a great comic actor? (Little bit of both.) How did this movie go from an idea in actor Jerry O'Connell's head to a theatrical release directed by Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker? (Lot of re-writes.) Which Bush daughter had a real-life conversation with her dad that could've been a scene in...2021-03-2944 min
Fake PresidentsCloudy With A Chance of POTUS (GEOSTORM, 2017)Gerard Butler is back to save a Fake President. Or Not. Maybe the POTUS is a bad guy in this movie? GEOSTORM is a 2017 action movie about weather controlling satellites and the politicians who love them. Gerard Butler plays the world's most brilliant scientist. Andy Garcia is the President. Ed Harris (his third FP appearance!) is a nefarious Secretary of State. Jim Sturgess is Ed's undersecretary and Butler's brother. Abbie Cornish is Jim's girlfriend and a secret service agent. THIS MOVIE HAS EVERYTHING. Except for a director (Dean Devlin) who approves of the final product. #ReleaseTheDevlinCut! 2021-03-0743 min
Fake PresidentsPresident Shooter McGavin (SPY KIDS 2: ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS, 2002)The writer/director/producer of SIN CITY (Robert Rodriguez) casts the villain of HAPPY GILMORE (Christopher McDonald) as a very fake president in a very family-friendly movie. What really went through George W. Bush's head while he read that book to those elementary school students? What movie franchise has made 6 films with only 3 plots? How is Robert Rodriguez like Ralph Nader? Do we have the answers? YES WE DO. Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the conversation and to get a heads up on future episodes.2021-02-2540 min
Fake PresidentsWho's the best SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE presidential impersonator of all-time?!It's Presidents Day! So we're doing something a little different this week. We're taking a look at a different kind of "fake" president. That's right, we're hosting an NCAA-style tournament to see who's the greatest Saturday Night Live presidential impersonator of all time! The cast members in contention include: Dana Carvey, Chevy Chase, Phil Hartman, Jay Pharoah, Darrell Hammond, Will Ferrell, Dan Ackroyd, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Fred Armisen, Michael McKean, Randy Quaid, plus a few surprise entries. You can find a bracket with all the contenders on our T...2021-02-161h 00
Fake PresidentsWhen Video Games Attack (PIXELS, 2015)Kevin James is the (fake) president in Pixels, a 2015 action-comedy directed by Chris Columbus and also starring Adam Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, and Peter Dinklage. How does a President triple their approval numbers? (You gotta save the planet) Is it ever okay for a Geek Squad tech guy to try to kiss a client? (No, definitely not) Is this what a Chris Christie presidency would look like? (Probably) Twitter: @Fake_Presidents Instagram: @Fake_Presidents2021-02-1141 min
Fake PresidentsCUBE-Anon (XXX: STATE OF THE UNION, 2005)This is the episode THEY didn’t want YOU to hear! (They = Ben and Eric, because it was originally recorded as a practice episode months ago, not intended for wide release) But recent events have, um, changed our opinion of this movie about an insurrection on Capitol Hill during a special joint session of Congress as high ranking members of the Executive Branch plot a coup. Is this mostly dismissed 2005 Ice Cube-starring action film (a sequel to a Vin Diesel movie that Vin refused to be in!) secre...2021-01-1954 min
Fake PresidentsA Very Fake Presidential Year In ReviewWe look ahead to see what may be in store for the world of Fake Presidents in 2021, but only after we've totally gutted 2020. In this episode, we cover all the FP developments of last year that we missed (like a new FP show possibly coming to TV in the fall!), a musician-turned-fake president that we adored (Ariana Grande!), and a surprise return of a fake president in the most surprising of places (a kids movie on Netflix!). We'll also say good-bye to the fake presidents the world lost and then take a...2021-01-0530 min
Fake PresidentsNo Ordinary Reagan (WONDER WOMAN 1984, 2020)Sure, Gal Godot and Chris Pine are back in the 1984-set WONDER WOMAN sequel along with newcomers Kristen Wiig and The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal, but you know what got Ben and Eric really excited this week? Finding out there's a fake president in the movie, too! What would the 80s be like without Ronald Reagan and why didn't he get the part? Wonder no more... Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-12-2935 min
Fake PresidentsIn Gad We Trust (1600 PENN, 2012-2013)So many firsts this week! We cover our first fake TV president with 1600 PENN's "Dale Gilchrist." We have our first guest with 1600 PENN writer, Dan Hernandez (POKÉMAN DETECTIVE PIKACHU, THE TICK, ONE DAY AT A TIME) to shed some light on what it's actually like to write for a fake president. And we have our first discussion about Hall of Fame POTUS Bill Pullman, who played President Gilchrist in the TV series 1600 PENN which Dan Hernandez wrote for! It’s all connected! The sho...2020-12-2156 min
Fake PresidentsPleasence and the City (ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, 1981)Not since Macaulay Culkin in HOME ALONE 2 has someone so evil gotten lost in New York. Kurt Russell stars in John Carpenter's classic 1981 action/thriller about a fake president that gets trapped in the worst place on Earth...at least until the sequel. Donald Pleasence (Dr. Loomis from HALLOWEEN) plays the President, but Eric and Ben disagree on just how evil he's supposed to be...and why does he have a British accent? Did this movie inspire 1997's AIR FORCE ONE? Shouldn't it actually be called Escape From Manhattan? And why did...2020-12-0940 min
Fake PresidentsPOTUS Is All Around Us (LOVE ACTUALLY, 2003)Has this quintessential British rom-com gone from classic to problematic? Sure! But who cares!?! We’re here to talk about the US President, quintessentially named "US President," played by Billy Bob Thornton, and the fact that Hugh Grant's British Prime Minister seems willing to go to war with him because of, well, love...actually. Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-11-2745 min
Fake PresidentsHow To Be A Good Ex-President (WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT, 2004)Gene Hackman is back for his second time out as a fake president...in his last movie role ever? (Yep.) Why did he never act again after this movie? (Beats us.) Was it something Ray Romano said? (Probably.) Also in this episode, we'll discuss the crappiest part of being a secret service agent, the best part of being a former president, and Ronald Reagan's dead body. Follow us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-11-1942 min
Fake PresidentsD’OHTUS (THE SIMPSONS MOVIE, 2007)Homer Simpson is the ultimate anti-hero, the EPA are the ultimate bad guys, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is the not-so-ultimate (Fake) President in THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. How might an Austrian-born bodybuilder become an American President in real life? Why did Senator Orrin Hatch want Arnie to be POTUS so badly? Is it really such a bad idea to place a billionaire in charge of a critically important regulatory agency? Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-11-1133 min
Fake PresidentsThe Air Marshall (AIR FORCE ONE, 1997)We take a look at Fake President James Marshall from 1997's AIR FORCE ONE, a popular choice for "all-time favorite movie president." Does he still live up to the hype? (Mostly) Should you notify HR when your boss kills somebody on a conference call? (Probably) Can Harrison Ford land a plane? (No!) Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the conversation and to get a heads up on future episodes.2020-11-0550 min
Fake PresidentsA President In His Birthday Suit (NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, 2007)This week's fake president not only has a secret book, but also a secret name! Will Bruce Greenwood's nameless, devastatingly handsome president one day wind up on Mt. Rushmore high above the lost city of gold? Wait...there's a lost city of gold under Mt. Rushmore? And Nicolas Cage has to kidnap the POTUS to find it? All these puzzles and the gloriest of holes will be deciphered as Ben and Eric take on 2007's NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS. Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-10-2750 min
Fake PresidentsThe Crimes Of DAVE, The WEST WING Reunion Special, And Other Letters From ListenersWe watched HBOMax's WEST WING Reunion Special, and we also take our first dive into listener mail, including a message from a former federal prosecutor who writes in with the exact charges he'd file against the characters in DAVE for installing a fake president. Got a question? Email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com!2020-10-2234 min
Fake PresidentsThe Butler Did It (OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, 2013)Let's take a look at the fake president from a hit 2013 action movie that's basically "DIE HARD in the White House." No, not WHITE HOUSE DOWN. The other one. Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-10-1950 min
Trade Talks140. Is shipping ship-shape?Containerized shipping is an odd business in normal times. What happens when you add a pandemic and a trade war? Eytan Buchman (Freightos) updates the status of the industry in 2020, and Woan Foong Wong (University of Oregon) explains why when some shipping costs go up, others automatically go down.
Read more...
Woan Foong Wong. 2020. The Round Trip Effect: Endogenous Transport Costs and International Trade. University of Oregon manuscript, August.Sharat Ganapati, Woan Foong Wong, and Oren Ziv. 2020. Entrepôt: Hubs, Scale, and Trade Costs. University of Oregon manuscript, March.Simon Wright. 2020. How covid-19 put wind in ship...2020-10-1200 min
Fake PresidentsThe Eastwood-in-Chief (ABSOLUTE POWER, 1997)Is Gene Hackman's President in ABSOLUTE POWER the worst fake president ever committed to film? Maybe! Is future fake president Dennis Haysbert the most psycho secret service agent ever allowed in the oval office? He's in the running! Is Clint Eastwood way too into empty chairs? You betcha! Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-10-1259 min
Fake PresidentsPresident Jack Nicholson (MARS ATTACKS, 1996)In this episode, Ben and Eric discuss what happens when a real Joker becomes President in Tim Burton's 1996 cult classic MARS ATTACKS. Find us on Twitter: @Fake_Presidents2020-10-0447 min
Fake PresidentsThe Inaugural Episode (DAVE, 1993)What better way to start a podcast about Fake Presidents than with a movie about a fake president? Join us as we dissect the politics of the 1993 movie DAVE, starring Kevin Kline as both The President and the lookalike recruited to become him. Find us on Twitter (@Fake_Presidents) and Instagram (@Fake_Presidents) to join the conversation and to get a heads up on future episodes.2020-10-021h 00