Shows
pplpodEpisode 105 — Robin Williams: Velocity, Vulnerability & the Thousand Voicespplpod Episode 105 chases Robin Williams’ whirlwind—from Juilliard spark and club improv detonations to sitcom lift-off with Mork & Mindy and a film run that made elasticity feel inevitable. We map the stand-up electricity—stream-of-consciousness riffing, character switchbacks, and hearts pulled open mid-bit—then trace the big-screen pivots: kinetic charm in Good Morning, Vietnam; feral tenderness in The Fisher King; family-shape-shifter joy in Mrs. Doubtfire; and the quiet grace that won an Oscar in Good Will Hunting. We dig into the dramatic turns (Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, Insomnia, One Hour Photo), voice-acting alchemy (Aladdin), and the collaborative generosity felt on every se...
2025-09-2258 min
pplpodEpisode 100 — Richard Pryor: Nerve, Flame & the Truth That Laughed Backpplpod Episode 100 dives into Richard Pryor’s revolution—how a midwestern club comic blew up his own act and rebuilt stand-up into raw autobiography with riotous nerve. We trace the early Cosby-adjacent polish, the Vegas walk-off, and the rebirth in Berkeley that forged a voice equal parts confession and combustion. From That N**r’s Crazy and …Is It Something I Said? to the live-wire perfection of Live in Concert (’79), we break down the craft: character pivots mid-sentence, vocal mimicry as social x-ray, timing that rides chaos like a wave. On screen, it’s Silver Streak and Stir Crazy with Wilder...
2025-09-2248 min
pplpodEpisode 99 — Timothy Olyphant: Hat, Holster & the Art of the Coolpplpod Episode 99 rides with Timothy Olyphant from indie-scene mischief (Go, The Girl Next Door) to two era-defining lawmen: Seth Bullock in HBO’s Deadwood and Raylan Givens in FX’s Justified (and the sharp, late-career encore Justified: City Primeval). We unpack his signature mix—laconic charm, coiled stillness, and a smile that warns more than it soothes—and how he turns silence into suspense. On the film side: action swings (Live Free or Die Hard, Hitman, The Crazies), a meta turn as James Stacy in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and comic snap across The Office and Santa Clarita...
2025-09-2246 min
pplpodEpisode 98 — David Shields: Collage, Confession & the War on Genrepplpod Episode 98 dives into David Shields—the essayist–provocateur who turned collage into a worldview and made “nonfiction” feel newly electric. We trace the early sparks (Heroes, Dead Languages), the pivot to documentary intimacy (Remote, Black Planet), and the manifesto that changed syllabi and blood pressure alike: Reality Hunger. From there, it’s a reckoning with mortality (The Thing About Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead), reading-as-autobiography (How Literature Saved My Life), and late-phase fusillades that splice politics, media, and self (War Is Beautiful, Nobody Hates Trump More Than Trump, The Trouble With Men, The Very Last Intervi...
2025-09-2223 min
pplpodEpisode 97 — Larry Clark: Tulsa Truths, Kids, and the Costs of Seeingpplpod Episode 97 dives into Larry Clark’s raw, unflinching gaze—how a photographer from Tulsa turned private subcultures into public arguments. We track the landmark photobooks Tulsa and Teenage Lust: grainy flash, diaristic candor, and a trust-with-subjects approach that made intimacy feel dangerous and tender at once. Then the pivot to film—Kids with writer Harmony Korine—its shockwave through ’90s indie cinema, and a run that kept interrogating youth, risk, and consequence: Another Day in Paradise, Bully, Ken Park, Wassup Rockers, Marfa Girl. Along the way we unpack method (embedded observation, nonprofessional casts, skateboard-and-street vernacular), the ethics fights (consent, e...
2025-09-2226 min
pplpodEpisode 96 — Keb’ Mo’: Modern Delta, Easy Groove, Lasting Shinepplpod Episode 96 traces Keb’ Mo’ (Kevin Moore) from L.A. sideman and studio craftsman to modern Delta-blues standard-bearer with a songwriter’s touch. We chart the ’90s breakout—Keb’ Mo’, Just Like You, Slow Down—and the calm, conversational style that made tradition feel newly lit: fingerpicked snap, honeyed baritone, and lyrics that leave room for air. Then it’s the long, steady climb: Grammys across decades (Keep It Simple, TajMo with Taj Mahal, Oklahoma), Americana crossovers, film/TV cues, and collaborations that stretch from Bonnie Raitt to Vince Gill. Inside the toolbox: open tunings, pocket-first tempos, and melodies that hum like fron...
2025-09-2240 min
pplpodEpisode 95 — Jerrod Carmichael: Jokes, Silence & the Art of Saying It Out Loudpplpod Episode 95 maps Jerrod Carmichael’s evolution from North Carolina club comic to one of the most quietly radical voices in modern comedy. We trace the early precision of Love at the Store, the moral geometry of 8, and the ground-shifting intimacy of Rothaniel—a special that turned confession into craft and won him an Emmy. On TV, we unpack The Carmichael Show’s fearless dinner-table debates, then jump to the Golden Globes host mic where charm met discomfort on purpose. On film, there’s the Sundance-lauded On the Count of Three—his directorial debut balancing darkness and grace—and the boundary...
2025-09-2235 min
pplpodEpisode 94 — Ice-T: Hustle, Gangsta Blueprint & a Second Act in a Badgepplpod Episode 94 tracks Ice-T’s singular run—from orphaned L.A. hustler turning street reportage into rhyme, to gangsta rap’s early architect, to TV mainstay with a 20-year badge. We trace Rhyme Pays and Power, the manifestos on O.G. Original Gangster, and the detour that doubled down: Body Count’s crossover shock, the “Cop Killer” firestorm, and the long road to a Grammy win decades later. On screen, it’s New Jack City, Trespass, Surviving the Game, and a reinvention as Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU—discipline, longevity, and a voice that stayed unmistakable. We get into the toolbox...
2025-09-2231 min
pplpodEpisode 93 — David Oyelowo: Purpose, Precision & the Power of Choicepplpod Episode 93 traces David Oyelowo’s journey from LAMDA and the Royal Shakespeare Company (a groundbreaking Henry VI) to an international career built on intention. We chart the breakthrough turn as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, his harrowing one-man tour de force in Nightingale, and a run of roles that fuse rigor with heart: The Butler, A United Kingdom, Queen of Katwe, Jack Reacher, and Apple TV+’s Silo. We dig into the toolbox—research-heavy prep, vocal control, moral center—and the producing lane with Yoruba Saxon that puts under-told stories on screen (Lawmen: Bass Reeves chief among th...
2025-09-2242 min
pplpodEpisode 92 — Chris Jericho: Reinvention Engine — From Y2J to Le Championpplpod Episode 92 tracks Chris Jericho’s four-decade shape-shift—from Winnipeg prospect and “Lionheart” in Mexico, Japan, ECW, and WCW to the WWE debut that stopped Raw cold and minted Y2J. We unpack the playbook: character pivots (suit-and-scowl heel, “List of Jericho,” Painmaker, Demo God), finishing-move evolutions (Walls of Jericho, Codebreaker, Judas Effect), and landmark rivalries from The Rock and Shawn Michaels to Kenny Omega and beyond. We follow the global loop—IWGP runs in NJPW, founding moments in AEW as its first World Champion—and the empire outside the ring: Fozzy’s “Judas,” the Talk Is Jericho podcast, bestselling memoirs, a...
2025-09-221h 01
pplpodEpisode 91 — Sally Struthers: Sitcom Spark, Stage Grit, Voice That Carespplpod Episode 91 traces Sally Struthers’ journey from breakout neighbor next door to enduring character actor with real range. We revisit All in the Family—Gloria Stivic’s warmth and bite, two Emmys, and a front-row seat to TV’s great culture clash—then her spin-off Gloria and the later reinvention as Babette on Gilmore Girls. We dive into stage life (national tours and regional stints, scene-stealing turns in musicals like Annie), plus voice work that stamped a generation (Dinosaurs, among others). Threaded through is a public voice for kids and families—decades of advocacy, fundraising, and plainspoken appeals. Craft notes? Comic...
2025-09-2223 min
pplpodEpisode 90 — Amber Tamblyn: Camera, Page & a Voice That Pushes Backpplpod Episode 90 traces Amber Tamblyn’s shape-shifting career—child actor with old-soul depth, poet with a scalpel, and director/activist who built her own lane. We revisit the TV breakouts (Joan of Arcadia, a fierce turn on House, M.D.), the big-screen bonds of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and the leap behind the camera with Paint It Black. Then the writing life: early collections (Free Stallion, Bang Ditto), the haunting elegies of Dark Sparkler, the genre-tilting novel Any Man, and the cultural x-ray of Era of Ignition—plus the Listening in the Dark anthology on intuition. Threaded throug...
2025-09-2239 min
pplpodEpisode 89 — Aimee Mann: Needle-Drop Melancholy, Clockwork Hookspplpod Episode 89 follows Aimee Mann’s slow-burn mastery—from art-school bassist fronting ’Til Tuesday to a solo writer whose characters feel as vivid as old friends. We trace the Voices Carry breakout and the pivot to literate pop on Whatever and I’m with Stupid, then the seismic Magnolia moment—“Save Me” turning film angst into a near-whisper anthem. Inside the engine: dry wit, surgical rhyme, melodies that glide while the lyrics cut, and arrangements (with longtime allies like Jon Brion) that tuck heartbreak inside clockwork. We map the run that made her a cult-lifer with staying power—Bachelor No. 2, Lost in S...
2025-09-2257 min
pplpodEpisode 88 — Otto & George: Blue Fire, Black Thread, One Voicepplpod Episode 88 dives into Otto & George—the notorious, ferociously funny ventriloquist act that turned New York club basements into pressure cookers. We trace Otto Petersen’s Jersey/NYC grind, the boardwalk and bar gigs, and the years of late-night reps that forged a two-handed rhythm: Otto’s surgical crowd read and George’s unfiltered id. Inside the craft: misdirection through misanthropy, how a wooden partner can land jokes no human could, and the technical control—breath, beats, and brutal tag density—that made the filth feel like jazz. We chart the downtown circuits, road wars, chaos on radio mics (Opie & Antho...
2025-09-2228 min
pplpodEpisode 87 — Lin-Manuel Miranda: Bars, Books & Building a New Broadwaypplpod Episode 87 follows Lin-Manuel Miranda’s leap from Washington Heights rehearsal rooms to a cultural reset on the biggest stages. We trace the college sketch that became In the Heights, its salsa/hip-hop heartbeat, and the translation of neighborhood into Tony wins. Then the pivot: years of reading, demos, and workshop grind that forged Hamilton—a mixtape of founding politics, wordplay, and musical theater craft that reintroduced history through hooks and point of view. We dig into the toolbox: internal rhymes as character notes, motif as argument, and casting as thesis. Beyond Broadway, we map film scores and songs (Moan...
2025-09-2259 min
pplpodEpisode 86 — Judas Priest: Twin Guitars, Leather, and the Metal Blueprintpplpod Episode 86 roars through Judas Priest’s five-decade charge—how a Birmingham bar band forged the look, sound, and attitude that hardened rock into heavy metal. We trace the early alchemy of Sad Wings of Destiny and Stained Class, the steel-cut precision of British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance, and the turbocharged extremes of Defenders of the Faith, Painkiller, and a modern renaissance with Firepower. Inside the craft: serrated twin-guitar harmonies (Tipton/Downing, then Faulkner), operatic power from Rob Halford’s “Metal God” range, and riffs that became a language for speed and thrash. We get into stages set with motor...
2025-09-2138 min
pplpodEpisode 85 — Sabrina Carpenter: Hooks, Humor & a Pop Star Built in Real Timepplpod Episode 85 follows Sabrina Carpenter’s evolution from Disney breakout to precision pop architect. We trace the Girl Meets World start, the early records that found her footing, and the leap to a sharper, self-authored voice with Singular: Act I/II and the candid storytelling of emails i can’t send. Then it’s the rocket run: viral double-entendres and winked bridges (“Nonsense”), cinematic visuals (“Feather”), and a 2024 glow-up with Short n’ Sweet—“Espresso” everywhere, “Please Please Please” topping charts, and a stage show that’s equal parts charm offensive and vocal flex. We get into the craft—sticky melodies, conversational writi...
2025-09-2125 min
pplpodEpisode 84 — Barack Obama: Audacity, Incremental Wins & a Longer Arcpplpod Episode 84 traces Barack Obama’s path from community organizer and Illinois senator to the 44th President navigating crisis and reshaping policy in the margins that matter. We chart the 2008 campaign’s coalition and message discipline, then the early gauntlet: the Recovery Act and auto rescue, Wall Street reform (Dodd–Frank/CFPB), and the Affordable Care Act’s bruising passage and rollout. Abroad, we unpack a recalibrated footprint—bin Laden raid, ISIS fight, the Iran nuclear deal, Paris climate accord, the Cuba thaw, and the pivot to Asia—alongside limits and lessons in Syria and beyond. At home: DACA, marriage equ...
2025-09-211h 16
pplpodEpisode 83 — George W. Bush: Crisis, Conviction & the Post-9/11 Presidencypplpod Episode 83 traces George W. Bush’s path from Texas governor to a two-term presidency reshaped by September 11. We cover the disputed 2000 election and an initial domestic agenda—tax cuts, No Child Left Behind, faith-based initiatives—before the day that defined an era. From Ground Zero resolve to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we unpack the decisions, intelligence failures, and doctrines (preemption, freedom agenda) that redrew U.S. foreign policy—plus the wrenching debates over WMD, detainees, and surveillance. At home, we track Hurricane Katrina, Medicare Part D, the Roberts/Alito Court shifts, and the 2008 financial crisis that forced T...
2025-09-2150 min
pplpodEpisode 82 — Bill Clinton: New Democrat, Boom Years, High Wirepplpod Episode 82 tracks Bill Clinton’s arc from Arkansas wunderkind to 42nd President who fused triangulation with retail politics in a decade of change. We chart the 1992 upset, the “New Democrat” playbook, and a domestic record that defined the era: NAFTA and the WTO pivot, the ’93 budget and tech-fueled expansion, the Brady Bill and assault-weapons ban, welfare reform, SCHIP, and a hard-won balanced budget with surplus years. Abroad, it’s diplomatic triage and ambition—Dayton in Bosnia, NATO in Kosovo, the Israel–Palestine rollercoaster (Oslo to Wye to Camp David), Haiti’s restoration, China’s PNTR turn, and stumbles like Rwanda. Threa...
2025-09-211h 52
pplpodEpisode 81 — George H. W. Bush: Steady Hand, New Worldpplpod Episode 81 follows George H. W. Bush’s life of service—from WWII Navy aviator and Texas oilman to congressman, UN ambassador, RNC chair, envoy to China, CIA director, and two-term vice president—before a presidency that managed history’s hinge. We track 1988’s win and a foreign-policy masterclass: calm navigation of the Cold War’s end, German reunification, and a UN-backed coalition in the Gulf War that pushed Saddam out of Kuwait without mission creep. At home, it’s landmark bipartisan wins—the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments—alongside the bruising 1990 budget deal that broke “read m...
2025-09-2148 min
pplpodEpisode 80 — Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator, Markets & the Cold War Endgamepplpod Episode 80 follows Ronald Reagan’s long arc—from Midwestern radio voice and Hollywood leading man to California governor and two-term president who reset the political and economic conversation. We trace the 1980 mandate, Reaganomics (tax cuts, deregulation, anti-inflation stance with Volcker), and the fights that defined the domestic ledger: the PATCO showdown, recession to recovery, Social Security rescue, rising deficits, culture-war flashpoints, and criticism over the early AIDS response. Abroad, we map a Cold War strategy that mixed hard power with negotiation—defense buildup and SDI, Lebanon and Grenada, the Reykjavik near-miss, and the inflection of U.S.–Soviet relation...
2025-09-211h 18
pplpodEpisode 79 — Jimmy Carter: Faith, Reform & the Longest Second Actpplpod Episode 79 follows Jimmy Carter’s path from Plains peanut farmer and Georgia governor to a post-Watergate outsider promising competence and decency—and then to one of the most consequential post-presidencies in history. We track the 1976 win, cabinet-and-policy turbulence, and a reformer’s ledger at home: creating the Departments of Energy and Education, pushing ethics and environmental protections, and deregulating airlines, trucking, and finance to shake up a stagflating economy. Abroad, we unpack the Panama Canal Treaties, human-rights diplomacy, SALT II, and the high-wire triumph of the Camp David Accords—alongside the Iran hostage crisis, a failed rescue mission, oil shoc...
2025-09-211h 08
pplpodEpisode 78 — Gerald Ford: The Unelected Healer Between Stormspplpod Episode 78 tracks Gerald Ford’s improbable chapter—from Grand Rapids congressman and long-time House Minority Leader to the only American who served as vice president and president without a single electoral vote. We follow his Warren Commission years, the 1973 appointment under the 25th Amendment, and the August 1974 handoff after Watergate. Then the choice that defined him: a full pardon of Richard Nixon—politically costly, historically stabilizing—and a presidency bent on lowering the national temperature. Inside the tumult: inflation and recession (yes, the much-mocked WIN buttons), New York City’s fiscal crisis, assassination attempts that tested calm, and the endgam...
2025-09-211h 07
pplpodEpisode 77 — Richard Nixon: China Cards, Quiet Wins, Loud Fallpplpod Episode 77 tracks Richard Nixon’s long, jagged arc—from California striver and HUAC prosecutor to Eisenhower’s vice president, from the 1960 heartbreak and “last press conference” to a 1968 comeback built on law-and-order politics and a shifting party map. We unpack the presidency’s two faces: foreign-policy audacity (opening China, détente and the first SALT treaty with the USSR, the “Vietnamization” endgame and Paris Peace Accords, a bold Mideast airlift in ’73) alongside a surprisingly muscular domestic record (EPA creation, Clean Air Act, OSHA, revenue sharing, Title IX, the opening moves of affirmative action). Then the rot: plumbers, leaks, the Pentagon Papers...
2025-09-2157 min
pplpodEpisode 76 — Lyndon B. Johnson: The Johnson Treatment, Great Society, Vietnam’s Shadowpplpod Episode 76 tracks Lyndon B. Johnson’s sweep—from Texas Hill Country teacher and New Dealer to Senate maestro, accidental president, and architect of the most ambitious domestic agenda since FDR. We break down the craft that moved mountains—the “Johnson Treatment,” vote-counting genius, and the 1964 landslide mandate—then walk through the Great Society: Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965), Medicare, Medicaid, War on Poverty, NEA/NEH, the Immigration and Nationality Act, environmental protections, and a moon-shot push that kept Apollo on course. We also sit with the fracture: Gulf of Tonkin, escalation in Vietnam, Tet’s shock, and the credibilit...
2025-09-2156 min
pplpodEpisode 75 — John F. Kennedy: Image, Nerve & the Narrow Edgepplpod Episode 75 follows John F. Kennedy from war-scarred PT boat skipper to congressman, senator, and a television-age president who moved history by inches that felt like miles. We track the 1960 campaign’s first-ever TV debates, the Cuban Missile Crisis chess match that avoided catastrophe, and hard lessons from the Bay of Pigs to Vietnam’s early entanglements. At home: the New Frontier’s push on space (Apollo’s moon shot), civil rights showdowns from Ole Miss to Birmingham, and the speechcraft that reframed national purpose—from “Ask not” to American University’s peace address. We sit with the contradictions—youthful vigor vs...
2025-09-211h 43
pplpodEpisode 74 — Dwight D. Eisenhower: Command Calm, Subtle Powerpplpod Episode 74 tracks Dwight D. Eisenhower’s steady arc—from Kansas cadet to Supreme Allied Commander who orchestrated D-Day and victory in Europe, then a two-term president who governed with restraint and long-game strategy. We unpack the “hidden-hand” style behind public geniality: ending the Korean War, the “New Look” defense posture, Atoms for Peace, and deft Cold War crisis management from Suez to Lebanon and Quemoy–Matsu. At home, it’s the Interstate Highway Act reshaping a continent, balanced budgets, and the 1957 Civil Rights Act alongside the federal enforcement that sent troops to Little Rock. We also follow the space-race pivot...
2025-09-2132 min
pplpodEpisode 73 — Harry S. Truman: Plain Talk, Hard Calls, New Worldpplpod Episode 73 follows Harry S. Truman’s unlikely ascent—from Missouri farmer and WWI artillery captain to FDR’s last-minute VP, then 33rd President handed the heaviest in-tray in modern history. We track the endgame of WWII—the decision to use atomic bombs, Japan’s surrender, and a world suddenly split—then the architecture of the peace: the UN, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and a bold new doctrine to contain Soviet power. At home, it’s Fair Deal ambitions, labor showdowns, civil rights firsts (desegregating the armed forces), and a famously upset victory in 1948. We unpack the Korean War’s shock, firing...
2025-09-211h 00
pplpodEpisode 72 — Franklin D. Roosevelt: New Deal Nerve, Wartime Resolvepplpod Episode 72 follows Franklin D. Roosevelt’s long arc—from Hyde Park heir turned reform-minded politician to the only four-term president who steered America through depression and world war. We trace the polio that remade his empathy and grit, the 1932 mandate, and a first-hundred-days blitz that reset the federal toolkit: bank holiday and FDIC, CCC, TVA, WPA, Social Security, and the fireside chats that made policy feel personal. Then the pivot to a dangerous world—Neutrality Acts to Lend-Lease, the Arsenal of Democracy, Atlantic Charter principles, and a commander-in-chief balancing Churchill, Stalin, home-front production, and civil liberties under strain. Inside...
2025-09-211h 19
pplpodEpisode 71 — Herbert Hoover: Engineer of Plenty, President in Scarcitypplpod Episode 71 traces Herbert Hoover’s uncommon arc—from orphaned Iowa kid to globe-trotting mining engineer, then the humanitarian who fed millions in wartime Europe. We follow his rise as Commerce Secretary modernizing air travel, standards, and data; his command performance leading relief during the 1927 Mississippi Flood; and the 1928 landslide that sent a problem-solver to the Oval Office just as the floor gave way. In the crash and its long aftermath, we unpack Hoover’s cautious-but-active playbook—public works (Boulder/Hoover Dam), the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, bank holidays, and pleas for voluntary cooperation—alongside policies that backfired (Smoot–Hawley) and the stan...
2025-09-2152 min
pplpodEpisode 70 — William Howard Taft: Between Trusts, Courts & a Fractured Partypplpod Episode 70 follows William Howard Taft’s singular path—27th President and later Chief Justice of the United States—charting a career pulled between executive power and judicial temperament. We trace the Roosevelt handoff, early antitrust muscle (Standard Oil, American Tobacco), and the foreign-policy tilt of “Dollar Diplomacy.” Inside the policy fights: the Payne–Aldrich Tariff backlash, conservation drama in the Ballinger–Pinchot affair, and a Republican split that helped birth the Bull Moose revolt and cleared the way for Wilson in 1912. Then the fulfillment of Taft’s true aim: the courts—presiding as Chief Justice over a modernized judiciary, court a...
2025-09-2155 min
pplpodEpisode 69 — Calvin Coolidge: Quiet Power, Roaring Decadepplpod Episode 69 traces Calvin Coolidge’s rise from Northampton reformer to “Silent Cal,” the 30th President whose restraint shaped a roaring economy and a modern presidency. We track the Boston Police Strike that made him a national figure, the sudden 1923 oath after Harding’s death, and a governing style built on thrift, law, and staying out of the spotlight. Inside the record: Revenue Acts and Mellon tax cuts, budget discipline, pro-business signals, and big moments that defined the era—the 1924 Immigration Act, Indian Citizenship Act, radio press conferences from the White House, and the 1927 Mississippi flood. Abroad, we hit the Washin...
2025-09-211h 00
pplpodEpisode 68 — Warren G. Harding: Normalcy, Booms & the Backroomspplpod Episode 68 traces Warren G. Harding’s fast rise from small-town Ohio publisher to U.S. senator to 29th President promising a “return to normalcy” after World War I. We track the 1920 landslide with Calvin Coolidge, the postwar reset—Budget and Accounting Act creating a modern federal budget, the Bureau of the Budget’s new discipline, veterans’ care, and a business-forward climate of lower taxes and higher tariffs (Fordney–McCumber). Abroad, we unpack the Washington Naval Conference and its arms-limiting treaties, plus efforts to stabilize a world still running hot. Then the shadows: backroom cronies, Teapot Dome and other scandals that...
2025-09-211h 21
pplpodEpisode 67 — Woodrow Wilson: Ideas in Power, War on His Doorsteppplpod Episode 67 tracks Woodrow Wilson’s path from Princeton reformer to New Jersey governor to 28th President remaking the federal toolkit—and then steering the nation through World War I. We unpack the Progressive slate: the Underwood Tariff, the Federal Reserve Act, the FTC and Clayton Antitrust, and a presidency that expanded federal capacity while entrenching segregation in the civil service. Abroad, it’s neutrality tested, “He kept us out of war” undone by U-boats and Zimmermann, mobilization on an industrial scale, and the Fourteen Points that tried to recode world politics. We sit with the contradictions: civil liberties crushed un...
2025-09-2157 min
pplpodEpisode 66 — Theodore Roosevelt: Energy, Empire & the Square Dealpplpod Episode 66 charges through Theodore Roosevelt’s kinetic life—from frail Harvard naturalist to Rough Rider at San Juan Hill, trust-busting reformer, and the youngest president to take office. We track the progressive playbook: the Square Deal’s triad (control corporations, consumer protection, conservation), the Northern Securities breakup, Pure Food and Drug laws, and a zeal for using the bully pulpit to reset the rules. Abroad, we map big-stick diplomacy—Panama Canal, Great White Fleet, Roosevelt Corollary—and the Nobel-winning mediation of the Russo–Japanese War. Threaded through: national parks and forests, book-a-year intellect, family tragedy and resilience, the “strenuous life...
2025-09-211h 03
pplpodEpisode 65 — William McKinley: Front Porch, Big War, New Worldpplpod Episode 65 follows William McKinley from Civil War brevet major to tariff tactician, Ohio governor, and 25th President steering America into a new century. We trace the 1896 “Front Porch” campaign with Mark Hanna’s modern fundraising, the gold-versus-silver clash that birthed the Gold Standard Act, and a protective-tariff philosophy refined from the McKinley Tariff to the Dingley Act. Then the inflection point: the Spanish–American War—Cuba’s crisis, the Maine’s explosion, swift victories in the Caribbean and Pacific—and the postwar map that brought Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines under U.S. control, alongside the annexation of Hawaii and an...
2025-09-2152 min
pplpodEpisode 64 — Benjamin Harrison: A New Map, New Laws, and a Wired White Housepplpod Episode 64 follows Benjamin Harrison—from Civil War general and Indianapolis lawyer to 23rd President presiding over a hyperactive, high-stakes Gilded Age. We trace the “Billion-Dollar Congress,” landmark laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, and the McKinley Tariff’s blowback at the ballot box. The map changes too: six new stars—North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming—join the flag. Abroad, Harrison backs a bigger steel Navy and convenes the Pan-American Conference; at home, he pushes (and narrowly loses) a federal elections bill aimed at protecting Black voting rights. We also track conser...
2025-09-211h 10
pplpodEpisode 63 — Grover Cleveland: The Veto Pen & Two Nonconsecutive Turnspplpod Episode 63 follows Grover Cleveland’s unusual arc—the only U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms (22nd and 24th)—from Buffalo reformer to a Gilded Age heavyweight who made “public office is a public trust” his north star. We chart his rise as an anti-corruption Democrat, the blizzard of vetoes, and first-term milestones like the Interstate Commerce Act and the Dawes Act. Then it’s the comeback term: weathering the Panic of 1893, repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act to defend the gold standard, clashing over the Wilson–Gorman Tariff, sending federal troops into the Pullman Strike, and flexing diplomacy in t...
2025-09-211h 02
pplpodEpisode 62 — Chester A. Arthur: From Stalwart to Reformerpplpod Episode 62 traces Chester A. Arthur’s surprising transformation—from New York Custom House power broker and Stalwart insider to the reform-minded 21st President after James A. Garfield’s assassination. We unpack the patronage wars with Roscoe Conkling, the shock of succession, and the pivot that followed: the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, a first crack in the spoils system that reshaped federal hiring. Also on deck: tariff politics and the “Mongrel Tariff” of 1883, the Chinese Exclusion Act and its deep consequences, and Arthur’s push to modernize the U.S. Navy with steel-hulled “ABCD” ships. Beyond policy, we look at the man—...
2025-09-2153 min
pplpodEpisode 61 — James A. Garfield: Dark Horse, Brief Tenure, Big Turning Pointpplpod Episode 61 follows James A. Garfield’s improbable climb—from canal boy and scholar-preacher to Civil War general, congressman, and the only sitting House member ever elected president. We trace the 1880 convention surprise, a front-porch campaign built on sharp debate and calm confidence, and the early fights of a presidency cut short: taming machine politics, tangling with Roscoe Conkling over the New York Custom House, and edging the country toward civil service reform. Then the tragedy—Charles Guiteau’s bullet at a Washington depot, months of infection and experimental treatment (yes, even Bell’s metal detector), and a nation keeping vi...
2025-09-2150 min
pplpodEpisode 60 — Rutherford B. Hayes: One Vote Short, One Era Closedpplpod Episode 60 tracks Rutherford B. Hayes from Ohio reformer and Civil War brevet major general to the razor-thin 1876 election and a presidency that reset the postwar order. We unpack the Hayes–Tilden deadlock, the Electoral Commission, and the Compromise of 1877 that delivered the White House and ended federal Reconstruction—opening a new Gilded Age while leaving Black civil rights exposed to state power. In office, Hayes pushed merit-based civil service, battled the spoils system, faced the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, and took a hard fiscal line (vetoing the Bland–Allison silver bill before Congress overrode). We also hit the domest...
2025-09-2138 min
pplpodEpisode 59 — Ulysses S. Grant: Relentless Will, Hard Lessons, Lasting Unionpplpod Episode 59 charts Ulysses S. Grant’s unlikely arc—from quiet West Pointer and Mexican-War veteran to the Union’s indispensable closer and America’s 18th president. We track the wartime ascent: “Unconditional Surrender” at Fort Donelson, the blood baptism of Shiloh, the river-and-rail chess of Vicksburg, and the Chattanooga pivot that set up the Overland Campaign—granting no rest to Lee through Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the siege at Petersburg before Appomattox sealed the terms. Then the presidency: Reconstruction fought in earnest—Enforcement Acts against the Klan, the (later-gutted) Civil Rights Act of 1875, a Native “Peace Policy” with mixed results—a...
2025-09-211h 14
pplpodEpisode 58 — Andrew Johnson: Unionist, Vetoes & an Unfinished Reconstructionpplpod Episode 58 follows Andrew Johnson’s unlikely climb—from North Carolina–born tailor to Tennessee Unionist senator, wartime military governor, and Lincoln’s running mate—then the whiplash turn after Lincoln’s assassination. We track his lenient Reconstruction plan, mass pardons, and clashes with Congress as Southern states passed Black Codes and reinstalled ex-Confederates. Inside the constitutional street fight: vetoes of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (both overridden), opposition to the 14th Amendment, and the Tenure of Office Act showdown that triggered the first presidential impeachment—an acquittal by a single vote that left him weakened and...
2025-09-2148 min
pplpodEpisode 57 — Abraham Lincoln: War, Words & the Work of Unionpplpod Episode 57 follows Abraham Lincoln’s improbable climb—from Kentucky log cabin to Illinois lawyer, the Lincoln–Douglas debates, and a four-way 1860 victory that dropped him into a nation breaking apart. We track his wartime learning curve: building a “team of rivals,” managing fractious generals, and reframing the conflict from union-only to freedom-plus-union. Inside the turning points: the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg and Second Inaugural addresses’ moral clarity, the push for the Thirteenth Amendment, and a 1864 reelection few thought possible. We sit with the human costs—grief, doubt, political risk—and with the unfinished business of Reconstruction his murder left behind. Cra...
2025-09-211h 12
pplpodEpisode 56 — James Buchanan: Stalemate Before the Stormpplpod Episode 56 examines James Buchanan’s long climb—from Pennsylvania attorney and diplomat (Senate, minister to the UK) to a one-term presidency that met the nation at the brink and couldn’t pull it back. We track the opening shocks: the Panic of 1857, the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott ruling, and a White House that blessed the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution—deepening the split inside his own party. On the frontier, we cover the Utah War’s federal standoff and the little-remembered Paraguay Expedition; at home, Bleeding Kansas, patronage knife fights, and cabinet turmoil eroded authority. After Lincoln’s election, Buchanan judge...
2025-09-211h 03
pplpodEpisode 55 — Franklin Pierce: Promise, Power & a Country Splitting at the Seamspplpod Episode 55 traces Franklin Pierce’s arc from New Hampshire prodigy and Mexican–American War brigadier to a one-term presidency that accelerated the nation’s fracture. We follow his rapid rise through Congress, the personal tragedy that shadowed his inauguration, and an agenda aimed at expansion and party unity. Then the fault lines: the Kansas–Nebraska Act and “popular sovereignty” that ignited Bleeding Kansas, aggressive enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, and the foreign-policy gambits that backfired—the Ostend Manifesto’s Cuba intrigue and the Gadsden Purchase’s limited win. We unpack Pierce’s inner circle (including War Secretary Jefferson Davis), ra...
2025-09-2131 min
pplpodEpisode 54 — Millard Fillmore: Lines Held, Lines Crossedpplpod Episode 54 follows Millard Fillmore from Buffalo lawyer and Canal-era Whig to a vice president who inherited a nation on the brink. We trace the sudden 1850 handoff after Zachary Taylor’s death and the hard bet Fillmore placed on the Compromise of 1850—California statehood, Texas–New Mexico borders, territorial status for Utah and New Mexico, and the controversial Fugitive Slave Act he signed and enforced. We unpack the split between Union-preserving pragmatism and moral cost, the fracturing of the Whig coalition, and Fillmore’s foreign-policy forays—from backing Perry’s mission that opened the door to Japan to cracking down on priv...
2025-09-2153 min
pplpodEpisode 53 — Zachary Taylor: Old Rough & Ready, New Republic’s Crisispplpod Episode 53 follows Zachary Taylor from frontier posts and Seminole swamps to Mexican–American War fame and an outsider’s ride into the White House. We trace “Old Rough & Ready” at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterrey, and Buena Vista—battles that made a reluctant Whig hero—and the soldier’s code he carried into politics. In office, Taylor faced the aftershocks of expansion: California statehood, New Mexico’s boundaries, and a Congress on the brink. We unpack his surprising stands—defying secession threats, resisting a giant omnibus compromise—and the sudden 1850 death that handed the moment to Millard Fillmore. Re...
2025-09-2148 min
pplpodEpisode 52 — James K. Polk: Dark Horse, Big Map, High Costpplpod Episode 52 follows James K. Polk’s sprint of a presidency—one-term by design, transformational by result. We trace his rise from Tennessee protégé of Andrew Jackson to Speaker of the House and governor, then the “dark horse” win of 1844. In office, Polk sets four audacious targets and hits them: reestablish the Independent Treasury, cut tariffs (Walker Tariff), settle the Oregon boundary (“54°40′ or fight” rhetoric, 49th parallel reality), and drive territorial expansion through the Mexican–American War—securing the vast Mexican Cession and redrawing the American map. We unpack the planning machine behind the victories, cabinet discipline, and Polk’s relentless wor...
2025-09-2145 min
pplpodEpisode 51 — John Tyler: “His Accidency,” Veto Power & a New Line of Successionpplpod Episode 51 tracks John Tyler’s unlikely ascent—from Virginia lawyer and states’ rights stalwart to the first vice president to assume the presidency after a death in office. We trace the 1840 Whig ticket triumph, Harrison’s sudden passing, and Tyler’s hard constitutional stance that he was President—not acting—setting a precedent that would shape the office forever. Inside the storm: bank-bill vetoes, a cabinet walkout, expulsion from the Whig Party, and a bruising fight over federal power, tariffs, and internal improvements. Abroad, we cover the Webster–Ashburton Treaty’s border diplomacy and the endgame push that brought Texas into...
2025-09-2154 min
pplpodEpisode 50 — William Henry Harrison: Tippecanoe, Hard Cider & a Thirty-Day Presidencypplpod Episode 50 follows William Henry Harrison from Virginia-born officer to frontier governor, battlefield celebrity, and the briefest presidency in U.S. history. We track the Indiana Territory years, the 1811 clash at Tippecanoe, and the War of 1812 victory at the Thames—alongside the profound costs borne by Native nations and the era’s expansionist politics. In civilian life: congressman, senator, and envoy to Gran Colombia (yes, a meeting with Bolívar). Then the pivot that rewired campaigning—1840’s log-cabin-and–hard cider juggernaut: slogans, rallies, merch, and modern message discipline that turned a war hero into a Whig landslide. Finally, the tragedy and...
2025-09-2152 min
pplpodEpisode 49 — Martin Van Buren: Party Builder in a Panicpplpod Episode 49 follows Martin Van Buren from Kinderhook lawyer to architect of a new mass politics—and the eighth President caught in a storm he helped forecast. We trace the Albany Regency machine, his alliance with Andrew Jackson, and how Van Buren professionalized campaigns, messaging, and patronage to cement the Democratic Party. In the White House, we unpack the Panic of 1837 and its long recession tail, his hard-money response and the Independent Treasury plan, and the limits of principle when policy meets pain. We also track foreign dustups (the Aroostook “War,” Caroline affair), his stance on Texas annexation, and the su...
2025-09-2152 min
pplpodEpisode 48 — Andrew Jackson: Frontier Power, Fractured Unionpplpod Episode 48 traces Andrew Jackson’s turbulent arc—from Revolutionary War orphan and frontier lawyer to general at Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans, then seventh President of the United States. We unpack the populist rise that redrew party lines, the kitchen cabinet era, and the bruising fights that defined his presidency: the Bank War and veto politics, the Nullification Crisis and a hard line for federal union, and the expansion of executive power that reshaped the office. We also reckon with the lasting harms of Indian removal—policy, politics, and human cost—alongside the Petticoat affair, spoils system, and a nation...
2025-09-211h 02
pplpodEpisode 47 — John Quincy Adams: Duty Before Popularitypplpod Episode 47 follows John Quincy Adams from precocious diplomat-in-training to sixth President, then the rare statesman who did his finest work after the White House. We trace his youth alongside his father on missions to Europe, the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812, and a powerhouse run as Monroe’s Secretary of State—Florida secured via Adams–Onís, and the Monroe Doctrine shaped by his pen. In office, we unpack his ambitious (and unpopular) agenda for national roads, canals, science, and the arts amid the “corrupt bargain” backlash and a country tilting toward Jacksonian politics. Then the late bl...
2025-09-2159 min
pplpodEpisode 46 — James Monroe: Doctrine, Diplomacy & the “Good Feelings” Experimentpplpod Episode 46 follows James Monroe from teenage Continental Army officer to the last Founding Father to serve as president. We trace his early wounds at Trenton, Virginia governance, and diplomatic missions in Paris and London—including the Louisiana Purchase negotiations—before landing in the Madison cabinet as both Secretary of State and, during crisis, acting War Secretary. In the presidency, we map the “Era of Good Feelings,” the Panic of 1819 stress test, the Adams–Onís Treaty that delivered Florida, and the foreign-policy north star that bears his name: the Monroe Doctrine. We also sit with the center’s cracks—sectio...
2025-09-2148 min
pplpodEpisode 45 — James Madison: Ideas into Institutionspplpod Episode 45 follows James Madison from quiet Princeton scholar to the “Father of the Constitution” and the nation’s fourth president. We trace the Virginia Plan and constitutional engineering, the Federalist Papers with Hamilton and Jay, and the political pivot that birthed the Bill of Rights. Then it’s hard governance: party-building with Jefferson, Marbury v. Madison’s shockwaves, and a presidency defined by the War of 1812—trade crises, the burning of Washington, resilience at Baltimore, and peace at Ghent. We unpack how Madison balanced limited government with wartime reality (the national bank revival, tariffs), and sit with the contradictio...
2025-09-211h 28
pplpodEpisode 44 — Thomas Jefferson: Ideas, Power & the American Paradoxpplpod Episode 44 traces Thomas Jefferson’s arc from Virginia prodigy and principal author of the Declaration of Independence to third President of the United States. We follow the architect of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, his years in Paris as minister to France, and the bruising birth of party politics alongside Hamilton. In office, we unpack the audacity of the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis & Clark expedition, the Barbary Wars, the judiciary battles, and the misstep of the Embargo. We also sit with the contradiction at the center of his life—Enlightenment ideals built atop enslaved labor at Monticello, the...
2025-09-2155 min
pplpodEpisode 43 — John Adams: Argument, Independence & the Burden of Powerpplpod Episode 43 follows John Adams from Massachusetts farm boy to the prickly, indispensable engine of American independence. We trace the lawyer who defended the Boston Massacre soldiers on principle, the relentless delegate who pushed Congress toward July 1776, and the tireless diplomat who secured loans in the Netherlands and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. In office, we unpack the nation-building firsts: Washington’s vice president, then a one-term presidency defined by the XYZ Affair, the undeclared Quasi-War with France, and the high-cost gamble of peace. We also sit with the hardest chapters—Alien and Sedition Acts, party warfare, “midnight judges...
2025-09-211h 38
pplpodEpisode 42 — George Washington: Command, Compromise & the American Inventionpplpod Episode 42 traces George Washington’s path from Virginia surveyor and French & Indian War officer to commander of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. We unpack the leadership choices that mattered: holding a fragile army together at Valley Forge, the surprise at Trenton, the disciplined exit from power after Yorktown, and presiding over the Constitutional Convention. In office, we track how Washington built a working presidency from scratch—forming the first Cabinet, navigating Hamilton vs. Jefferson, stabilizing finances, asserting federal authority during the Whiskey Rebellion, and setting norms with the Proclamation of Neutrality and his...
2025-09-211h 32
pplpodEpisode 41 — Leonardo DiCaprio: Star Power, Risk Choices, Lasting Impactpplpod Episode 41 follows Leonardo DiCaprio’s evolution—from teen standout on This Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to ’90s supernova with Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, then the deliberate pivot to auteur partnerships that defined modern stardom. We trace the Scorsese era (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Killers of the Flower Moon), shape-shifting turns with Nolan, Iñárritu, Tarantino, and Mendes, and the craft underneath it all: meticulous prep, physical commitment, and a knack for playing charm against danger. We also dig into climate activism, Appian Way’s produc...
2025-09-211h 01
pplpodEpisode 40 — Marc Maron: The Garage, The Mic, The Mess, The Truthpplpod Episode 40 digs into Marc Maron’s singular lane—from road-worn stand-up and radio scrapper to the confessional architect of modern podcasting. We trace the early club years, Air America’s chaos, and how a cramped garage turned into a global conversation with WTF with Marc Maron—Presidents and punks, legends and newcomers, all pried open by curiosity and hard-earned empathy. Onstage, we chart the run of unflinching specials (Thinky Pain, More Later, End Times Fun, From Bleak to Dark), the grief-forged clarity after personal loss, and the joke craft that makes vulnerability land like thunder. We also hit the scre...
2025-09-2136 min
pplpodEpisode 39 — Taylor Tomlinson: Precision Jokes, Quarter-Life Truthspplpod Episode 39 follows Taylor Tomlinson’s quicksilver rise—from church shows and open mics as a teenager to Netflix headliner and late-night host. We trace the breakout of Quarter-Life Crisis, the sharper, braver turn of Look at You, and a next-level leap with Have It All—jokes built with clockwork structure and a voice that makes anxiety, faith, family, and dating feel both intimate and universal. Inside the craft: airtight setups, tags that ladder, act-outs with restraint, and the rare ability to balance vulnerability with command. We also explore the pivot to television with After Midnight, the touring engine behind...
2025-09-2140 min
pplpodEpisode 38 — Novak Djokovic: Edges, Elasticity & the Art of Winningpplpod Episode 38 maps Novak Djokovic’s climb from Belgrade’s war-shadowed courts to an era-defining reign. We trace the early hunger, the fitness and focus that unlocked his 2011 breakthrough, and the engineering of a game built on impossibles: elastic defense that turns into offense, a return that steals time, backhand geometry that breaks patterns. Rivalries drive the story—Federer’s precision, Nadal’s relentlessness, Murray’s grit, Alcaraz and Sinner’s new heat—and so do the coaches, routines, and mindset work that kept his ceiling moving. We unpack the major runs, Masters mastery, and clutch tiebreaks; the pivots after injuries a...
2025-09-2139 min
pplpodEpisode 37 — Jannik Sinner: Ice, Fire & the New No. 1pplpod Episode 37 traces Jannik Sinner’s climb from South Tyrol ski prodigy to Grand Slam champion and world No. 1. We chart the early Milan breakthrough and Next Gen ATP Finals win, the rivalry-forging battles with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, and the 2023 Davis Cup run where Sinner flipped ties on their head—then sealed Italy’s first title since 1976. Inside the toolkit: take-the-ball-early returns, a laser two-handed backhand, downhill court positioning, and footwork that turns defense into first-strike offense. We break down the 2024 surge—Australian Open crown, Miami mastery, week-in, week-out consistency—and how a calm, pragmatic competitor built an aura wi...
2025-09-2134 min
pplpodEpisode 36 — Doug Stanhope: Dark Jokes, Sharp Edges, Open Veinspplpod Episode 36 goes all-in on Doug Stanhope—the barstool philosopher who turned gallows humor into scalpel-precise social critique. We track the early club years and boundary-pushing bits, the raw, career-defining specials (Deadbeat Hero, No Refunds, Burning the Bridge to Nowhere, Before Turning the Gun on Himself, No Place Like Home), and the move to Bisbee that became a creative headquarters. Inside the craft: fearless premises, cut-to-the-bone honesty, and storytelling that swings from riotous to devastating without losing control. We dig into The Man Show era, his memoir Digging Up Mother, podcasting from the FunHouse, and the unglamorous mechanics of to...
2025-09-2157 min
pplpodEpisode 35 — Andy Roddick: Serve, Fire & the Long Gamepplpod Episode 35 tracks Andy Roddick’s run from junior phenom to the last American men’s singles No. 1 of his era. We revisit the 2003 US Open title, the year-end top ranking, and a weapon set built for hard courts: a thunderbolt serve, forehead-searing forehand, and first-strike instincts. Then the crucibles—three Wimbledon finals (including the 2009 epic), a career-long duel with Federer, and the grind of staying elite while the game evolved. Inside the craft: serve patterns, return positioning, and the Connors/Stefanki tune-ups that sharpened his second act, capped by a pivotal Davis Cup win. Post-tour, we look at the An...
2025-09-2137 min
pplpodEpisode 34 — John Mulaney: Cadence, Craft & the Comeback Kidpplpod Episode 34 tracks John Mulaney’s clean-lined joke architecture—from Chicago stages and SNL’s writers’ room to arena tours with precision punchlines and that unmistakable cadence. We revisit breakout specials (New in Town, The Comeback Kid, the Emmy-winning Kid Gorgeous) and the sharp left turn of Baby J, where confessional storytelling meets clockwork structure. Along the way: the Kroll partnership and Oh, Hello, voice work from Big Mouth to Spider-Ham, hosting gigs that double as master classes, and the short-lived Mulaney sitcom that taught the right lessons. We unpack persona vs. personal life, Catholic-schoolboy formality vs. chaos, and how rhyt...
2025-09-2145 min
pplpodEpisode 33 — Charles Bradley: The Screaming Eagle of Soulpplpod Episode 33 traces Charles Bradley’s late-blooming, heart-scorching journey—from years of drifting gigs and James Brown tributes as “Black Velvet” to a second act that roared with truth. We follow his discovery by Daptone, the partnership with the Menahan Street Band, and an album run that felt like testimony: No Time for Dreaming, Victim of Love, and Changes (that wrenching, definitive Sabbath cover). Inside the craft: a voice equal parts gravel and grace, open-vein stagecraft, and lyrics that turned hardship into communal hope. We sit with the road stories, the suits, the hugs after shows, and the fight through...
2025-09-2138 min
pplpodEpisode 32 — Band of Horses: Reverb, Road Dust & Wide-Open Heartpplpod Episode 32 rides with Band of Horses from Seattle garages to widescreen stages—charting Ben Bridwell’s vision, the rotating lineup that kept the engine weird and alive, and the sound that made them stick: sky-high harmonies, reverb-swept guitars, and lyrics that feel like postcards from places you’ve almost been. We trace the arc from Everything All the Time and the breakout of “The Funeral,” through Cease to Begin’s Southern glow, the Grammy-nominated Infinite Arms, Mirage Rock, Why Are You OK, and Things Are Great. Inside the craft: chiming vs. crunching guitars, tempo as mood, and the way memory...
2025-09-2154 min
pplpodEpisode 31 — Retta: Deadpan Royalty, Heart with Bitepplpod Episode 31 dives into Retta’s rise—from stand-up stages to scene-stealing TV force. We trace the early comedy grind, the Parks and Recreation breakthrough as Donna Meagle (and the cultural staying power of “Treat Yo’ Self”), and the pivot to high-stakes dramedy with Good Girls. Along the way, we unpack her superpowers: unflappable deadpan, elegant timing, and a warmth that makes sharp lines land even sharper. We touch on authorship with her memoir So Close to Being the Sht, Y’all Don’t Even Know*, hosting turns, and how she built a career that flexes between jokes, drama, and genuine co...
2025-09-2137 min
pplpodEpisode 30 — Adam Schlesinger: Power-Pop Craftsman & Story-Song Architectpplpod Episode 30 traces Adam Schlesinger’s wired-to-melody career—from basement hooks with Fountains of Wayne and the wry suburban cinema of “Stacy’s Mom,” to parallel lives in Ivy and supergroup Tinted Windows. We break down his secret sauce: character-driven lyrics, candy-coated chord turns, bridges that pay off, and jokes that land without elbowing the listener. Then it’s the screen and stage: the instant-classic title tune “That Thing You Do!,” a songbook for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, rom-com earworms (Music & Lyrics), and a Tony-nominated leap to Broadway with Cry-Baby. We also sit with the tributes and the ache after his 2020 passing—how coll...
2025-09-2126 min
pplpodEpisode 29 — Garry Marshall: Sitcom Architect & Big-Hearted Hitmakerpplpod Episode 29 explores Garry Marshall’s singular run—from joke-stacked writers’ rooms to a TV empire and blockbuster films with unexpected warmth. We trace the journalist-turned-gagman who helped mint The Odd Couple on TV, then built a universe at ABC with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy—star-making machines that launched Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Penny Marshall, and Robin Williams. We unpack Marshall’s producing playbook: friendly sets, audience-savvy premises, catchphrases with heart, and an instinct for casting chemistry. Then the pivot to features—Beaches, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, The Princess Diaries—where timing, sentiment, and screwball sparkle turned into gl...
2025-09-2146 min
pplpodEpisode 28: Blaine Capatchpplpod Episode 28 dives into Blaine Capatch’s razor-wired comedy brain—stand-up sniper, alt-scene mainstay, and joke machine behind the curtain. We track the Philly-to-LA climb, the live-room reps that shaped his precision, and the writer/host pivots that followed: crafting for TV, rapid-fire tags on panel shows, and the cult-favorite run of Beat the Geeks. We unpack his toolkit—dense wordplay, left-turn premises, whip-smart tags, and the calm chaos of a comic who can riff, reset, and stick the landing. Plus: the @midnight writers’ room, Meltdown-era stages, podcasting with fellow nerds, and the long game of staying original when your bra...
2025-09-2144 min
pplpodEpisode 27: Sebastian Maniscalcopplpod Episode 27 digs into Sebastian Maniscalco’s rise from grinding at The Comedy Store to selling out arenas with old-school showmanship and laser-cut observational bits. We trace the early hustle, the breakout specials (What’s Wrong with People?, Aren’t You Embarrassed?, Why Would You Do That?, Stay Hungry, Is It Me?), and the physical craft—faces, frames, and pauses—that make everyday irritations feel operatic. We get into family as source material, Italian-American identity, and how precise writing plus theatrical delivery built a mass audience without sanding off the edge. On screen, we cover scene-stealing turns in Green Book and T...
2025-09-2138 min
pplpodEpisode 26: Will Ferrellpplpod Episode 26 sprints through Will Ferrell’s fearless comedy engine—from SNL’s commitment-first characters and “More Cowbell” chaos to the Adam McKay era that minted modern classics: Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys. We dig into how absurdity meets sincerity in his work—earnest buffoons, elastic improvisation, and the secret weapon of childlike stakes. Then it’s range: holiday canon with Elf, sports send-ups in Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro, left turns like Stranger Than Fiction, Downhill, and The Shrink Next Door. Also on deck: Funny or Die, producing instincts, ensemble chemistry, and what Ferrell’s career says abou...
2025-09-2124 min
pplpodEpisode 25: Zach Galifianakispplpod Episode 25 wanders into the oddball genius of Zach Galifianakis—piano-laced stand-up, anti-jokes that detonate late, and characters that feel like they just walked in from a stranger, weirder universe. We trace the club years and Live at the Purple Onion, the rocket ride of The Hangover, and how Between Two Ferns turned awkward into an internet art form. Then it’s range: the tender surreality of Baskets, voice roles (The Lego Batman Movie), and films that let his deadpan go long. Craft-wise, we unpack timing, misdirection, and the quietly precise clown behind the chaos—plus the collaborators, risks, and re...
2025-09-2141 min
pplpodEpisode 24: Ariana Grandepplpod Episode 24 tracks Ariana Grande’s evolution—from Boca Raton theater kid and Nickelodeon standout to a chart-dominating vocalist with precision, range, and authorship. We revisit Yours Truly’s retro-R&B spark, the darker pop of Dangerous Woman, and the one-two world-building of Sweetener and thank u, next—grief, healing, and hooks that linger. We unpack craft: whistle tones as texture, stacked harmonies like architecture, and writerly specificity that turns diary pages into anthems. Then it’s Positions and Eternal Sunshine, the studio instincts behind her tight collaborator circle, and stagecraft that proves the vocals are real. On screen, we touch o...
2025-09-2135 min
pplpodEpisode 23: Noah Baumbachpplpod Episode 23 dives into Noah Baumbach’s sharp, bittersweet cinema—stories where love, ambition, and neurosis collide in New York apartments and cross-country custody battles. We trace his 1990s debut with Kicking and Screaming, the critical leap of The Squid and the Whale, and a run of prickly, funny, deeply humane films: Margot at the Wedding, Greenberg, Frances Ha, While We’re Young, Mistress America, The Meyerowitz Stories, Marriage Story, and White Noise. Inside the craft: screwball rhythms in modern clothes, long takes that let mess breathe, and dialogue that cuts while staying tender. We also get into collaborations—with Gre...
2025-09-2136 min
pplpodEpisode 22: Felicity Wardpplpod Episode 22 dives into Felicity Ward’s high-voltage comedy—razor timing, joyful ranting, and the art of turning panic into punchlines. We trace her rise from Australia’s club circuit and festival breakouts to UK TV staples (Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week) and a global touring act with critically acclaimed hours. We unpack the craft: autobiographical honesty without self-pity, precision tagging, and crowd rapport that feels like a late-night phone call with your funniest friend. Then to screen: sketch, radio, and leading The Office (Australia)—how a stand-up voice adapts to character work without losing its bite. Mental h...
2025-09-2123 min
pplpodEpisode 21: Edgar Wrightpplpod Episode 21 sprints through the fast cuts, visual gags, and mixtape-brain of Edgar Wright—the filmmaker who turned kinetic style into storytelling substance. We trace the Spaced breakthrough and the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End), then detour through Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s comic-book grammar, Baby Driver’s choreographed car ballet, Last Night in Soho’s neon time slip, and the love letter doc The Sparks Brothers. Along the way: whip-pans and crash-zooms with purpose, match cuts as punchlines, needle drops that drive plot, storyboard-level precision, and long-time collaborations with Simon Pegg, Nick...
2025-09-2121 min
pplpodEpisode 20: Erik Griffinpplpod Episode 20 spotlights Erik Griffin—the stand-up’s stand-up with the elastic face, the left-turn punchlines, and a sitcom engine under the hood. We track the late-bloomer grind to club headliner, the breakout as Montez on Workaholics, and the gear shifts into drama with I’m Dying Up Here and film roles. Inside the craft: point-of-view jokes that build like stories, physicality that sneaks up on you, and the audience read that lets him surf a room without losing the bit. We also dig into podcasting (Riffin’ with Griffin, The Golden Hour), touring life, content creation, and how a working...
2025-09-2118 min
pplpodEpisode 19: Joel Hodgsonpplpod Episode 19 unpacks Joel Hodgson’s DIY magic—the prop-comic tinkerer who turned “let’s watch a bad movie with wisecracks” into Mystery Science Theater 3000, a cult TV language all its own. We track the Twin Cities stand-up roots, the KTMA experiment that became a Comedy Central/Comedy Channel and later Sci-Fi Channel staple, and the invention of the Satellite of Love, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo. We dig into the writer’s room rhythm, handcrafted gags, and why riffing works: empathy, timing, and just enough absurdity. Then it’s reinvention—Cinematic Titanic, the fan-powered revival, live tours, and the new era...
2025-09-2141 min
pplpodEpisode 18: Ethan Hawkepplpod Episode 18 follows Ethan Hawke’s restless, curious career—from Dead Poets Society’s breakout to a body of work that keeps risking comfort for truth. We dig into the 1990s indie wave (Reality Bites, Before Sunrise), the shift to muscular drama (Training Day), and the long-haul experiment of the Before trilogy and Boyhood. You’ll hear how Hawke’s craft blends vulnerability with precision—actor, writer, director, novelist—and how collaborations with Richard Linklater, Antoine Fuqua, and Paul Schrader stretched his range (First Reformed, The Black Phone). Offscreen, we trace stage work, documentary projects, and a reflective approach to art, family...
2025-09-2153 min
pplpodEpisode 17: Chris Hardwickpplpod Episode 17 charts Chris Hardwick’s path from MTV’s Singled Out to architect of modern geek culture. We trace the early hosting chops, the stand-up grind, and the birth of Nerdist—podcast, site, and live shows that helped legitimize fandom-as-community. Then it’s the aftershow era: Talking Dead, Talking Bad, and more—how a quick-witted moderator turned debriefs into appointment TV. We dig into @midnight, Hall H command at Comic-Con, voice roles, and the pivot to ID10T and The Wall. Threaded through: building a career at the crossroads of comedy, tech, and obsessive love for pop culture—and what it...
2025-09-2130 min
pplpodEpisode 16: Johnny Cashpplpod Episode 16 rides alongside Johnny Cash—from cotton fields and Air Force days to Sun Records, the Tennessee Two, and a voice that sounded like oak and iron. We trace the boom-chicka-boom engine, the storytelling that made folk tales feel lived-in, and the faith-and-fury tension that powered country, rockabilly, and gospel in equal measure. Inside: the million-mile road life, marriage and music with June Carter, the prison concerts that redefined authenticity, the Highwaymen years, and the late-career reinvention with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. We also sit with the hard stuff—addiction, industry exile, and stubborn integrity—and map how Cash...
2025-09-2137 min
pplpodEpisode 15: Sam Phillipspplpod Episode 14 steps into the hot little room at 706 Union Avenue to trace Sam Phillips—the independent visionary who bottled lightning and changed American music. We follow his path from Florence, Alabama to the Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records, where an open-door policy brought blues, gospel, and country under one roof. You’ll hear the stories behind “Rocket 88,” the day Elvis walked in, and how Phillips nurtured Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and more. We break down the sound—slapback echo, mic placement, live-in-the-room grit—the business bets (selling Elvis’s contract, launching WHER...
2025-09-2134 min
pplpodEpisode 14: Gram Parsonspplpod Episode 14 traces the short, blazing run of Gram Parsons—the heir who walked away from comfort to fuse country soul with rock swagger. We follow his early sparks with the International Submarine Band, the Sweetheart of the Rodeo pivot with The Byrds, and the founding of The Flying Burrito Brothers, where rhinestone dreams met honky-tonk heartbreak. We unpack the blueprint he called “Cosmic American Music”: Bakersfield twang, gospel ache, R&B feel, and LA canyon cool. Then it’s the Emmylou Harris partnership, GP and Grievous Angel, and the desert mythmaking that followed. Influence, excess, legacy—how Parsons lit the pa...
2025-09-2150 min
pplpodEpisode 13: Townes Van Zandtpplpod Episode 13 sits with Townes Van Zandt—the spare, unflinching poet who turned heartbreak, high plains, and hard-won wisdom into songs that outlived him. We trace the Houston/Colorado years, the Anderson Fair folk circuit, and the Poppy Records albums that set the bar for narrative songwriting. Along the way, we unpack the craft: economy of language, lonesome melodies, and characters drawn with a single perfect line. We follow the friendships and champions (Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Blaze Foley), the battles with addiction and illness, the cult-favorite live recordings, and the posthumous rise as generations of artists cover his wo...
2025-09-2152 min
pplpodEpisode 12: The Rolling Stonespplpod Episode 12 zeroes in on The Rolling Stones—the blues-obsessed London upstarts who turned swagger into a six-decade institution. We trace the early chessboard: Brian Jones’ founding vision, the Jagger–Richards songwriting engine, Andrew Loog Oldham’s “bad boys” branding, and the electric lift-off from clubs to chart-toppers. Then it’s the golden run—Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St.—with Jimmy Miller at the console and a live show built for danger and groove. We unpack lineup shifts (Mick Taylor to Ronnie Wood), the 1972 tour’s legend, Altamont’s reckoning, the airtight reinventions of Some Girls and Tatt...
2025-09-2135 min
pplpodEpisode 11: The Beatlespplpod Episode 11 maps the seismic rise, restless experimentation, and lasting aftershocks of The Beatles. We track the Liverpool clubs and Hamburg crucible, the EMI breakthrough, and the shockwave of Beatlemania—then move into the studio revolution: tape loops, new instruments, and fearless songwriting that turned pop into art. You’ll hear how Lennon–McCartney’s alchemy met Harrison’s expanding voice and Starr’s feel; how Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, the White Album, and Abbey Road redefined what albums could be; and how business turmoil, solo paths, and a final rooftop performance closed one chapter while opening a thousand mor...
2025-09-2155 min
pplpodEpisode 10: Howlin’ Wolfpplpod Episode 10 howls through the life and legacy of Howlin’ Wolf—Chester Arthur Burnett—the towering voice that turned Delta grit into Chicago electricity. We follow his Mississippi roots and formative years with Charley Patton, the Memphis recordings that caught Sam Phillips’ ear, and the Chess Records era that birthed immortal sides like “Smokestack Lightning,” “How Many More Years,” “Spoonful,” and “Killing Floor.” We break down the sound: barrel-chested vocals, keening harmonica, and the knife-edge telepathy with guitarist Hubert Sumlin. Then it’s the ripple effect—Willie Dixon’s songcraft, incendiary live shows, and the British blues boom that carried Wolf’s roar into rock’...
2025-09-2144 min
pplpodEpisode 8: Taylor Swiftpplpod Episode 8 dives into Taylor Swift’s shape-shifting career—from teenage songwriter and Nashville breakthrough to global pop architect and the record-setting Eras era. We trace the craft behind her hooks and narratives, the power moves (masters dispute and Taylor’s Version re-records), and the genre pivots that kept her ahead of the curve: country-pop to synth-pop, indie-folk to stadium anthems. We break down collaboration choices, touring strategy, and how community, storytelling, and ownership turned a singular artist into a modern media ecosystem. Expect session notes, production insights, and a clear look at legacy, influence, and what sustained reinvention actual...
2025-09-211h 05
pplpodEpisode 7: Roger Federerpplpod Episode 7 traces Roger Federer’s arc—from Basel prodigy to the sport’s most elegant problem-solver. We revisit the 2003 Wimbledon breakout, the 310 weeks at No. 1 (including a record 237 straight), and the rivalries that sharpened his game with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Along the way, we break down the mechanics behind the magic—disguise on serve, elastic footwork, the knifed backhand slice, all-court improvisation—and the late-career reinvention after injury. Off court, we look at his business moves, the Laver Cup, and the Roger Federer Foundation’s impact, then close on legacy: what “Federer” now means to players, brands, and fans
2025-09-2159 min
pplpodEpisode 6: Colonel Tom Parkerpplpod Episode 6 goes inside the carnival-savvy mind of Colonel Tom Parker—the shadow architect of Elvis Presley’s empire. We trace Parker’s immigrant backstory and ballyhoo training, his takeover of Elvis’s career, and the audacious business model that rewrote music management: the RCA deal, 50/50 splits, blitz-scale merchandising, and Hollywood assembly-line films. You’ll hear how Parker engineered the ’56 breakout, steered the Army years and post-service pivot, and shaped the Las Vegas residency era—while clashing over the ’68 Comeback Special, global touring, and creative risk. We also examine the costs: iron-grip contracts, gambling debts, legal battles, and a legacy that stil...
2025-09-2149 min
pplpodEpisode 5: Elvis Presleypplpod Episode 5 drops into the electric rise, reinventions, and enduring myth of Elvis Presley. We trace his Tupelo and Memphis beginnings, Sun Records sessions with Sam Phillips, and the explosive RCA breakthrough that rewired rock ’n’ roll. From the ’68 Comeback Special and landmark Vegas residencies to gospel triumphs and box-office swings, we unpack how Elvis fused blues, country, and gospel into a new American sound—and how image, management, and culture clashes shaped the man behind the crown. Expect rare session stories, arrangement breakdowns, and a clear-eyed look at legacy, influence, and the costs of superstardom.
2025-09-2144 min
pplpodEpisode 4: Louis B. Mayerpplpod Episode 4 takes a clear-eyed tour through the life and legacy of Louis B. Mayer, the force behind MGM’s roaring lion and the golden age of Hollywood. We follow his journey from immigrant exhibitor to studio chief, the merger that formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the ironclad star system that turned Garbo, Gable, Garland, and Rooney into icons. Along the way, we unpack Mayer’s partnership and tensions with Irving Thalberg, his role in shaping the Production Code era, his influence over the Academy Awards, and the contract-and-publicity machinery that defined studio power. We also sit with the costs—labor battle...
2025-09-2119 min
pplpodEpisode 3: Nelson Riddlepplpod Episode 3 dives into the elegant craft of Nelson Riddle—the arranger who reshaped American popular music from the 1950s onward. We trace his early years and Capitol Records breakthrough, then unpack the sound that made him indispensable: sleek brass, velvet strings, and rhythmic lift that gave singers room to breathe. You’ll hear how Riddle’s collaborations with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and later Linda Ronstadt set new standards for phrasing, mood, and cinematic color. We also explore his film and TV scores, the quiet discipline behind his charts, and the late-career renaissance that introduced his ge...
2025-09-2124 min
pplpodEpisode 2: Ava GardnerIn the second episode of pplpod, we explore the dazzling yet complex life of Ava Gardner, one of Hollywood’s most captivating actresses. From her small-town beginnings in North Carolina to her meteoric rise as a leading lady, Gardner’s story is one of beauty, talent, resilience, and independence.We trace her celebrated film career, her iconic performances, and her legendary romances—including her stormy marriage to Frank Sinatra. Beyond the glamour, we uncover the struggles she faced with fame, identity, and control in an industry that often tried to define her.This episode paints an int...
2025-09-2142 min
pplpodEpisode 1: Frank SinatraIn the debut episode of pplpod, we dive deep into the extraordinary life and career of Frank Sinatra—one of the most iconic voices of the 20th century. From his early days in Hoboken to becoming “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Sinatra’s journey was filled with triumphs, controversies, reinventions, and timeless music.We explore his rise to stardom during the big band era, his struggles and comeback in the 1950s, and his lasting influence on music, film, and American culture. Along the way, we uncover the stories behind his legendary performances, his larger-than-life persona, and the complex man behind the...
2025-09-2134 min