Shows
Go Fact YourselfEp. 177: Brendan Hunt & Ashly BurchBELIEVE! In trivia!Brendan Hunt is best known as Coach Beard on the Apple TV series “Ted Lasso.” He’ll tell us about how the show got started, why they decided to put out another season, and why fans always recognize him in airports.Ashly Burch is a well-known part of gaming culture. She’s voiced characters of such critically-acclaimed games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Life is Strange. She’ll demonstrate her voice work and tell us about her YouTube series “I’m Happy You’re Here.”Areas of Expertise:Ashly: The show “P...2025-08-011h 06
Dead Pilots SocietyEpisode 145: Unscripted Dead Pilots with J. Keith van Straaten, Jordan Morris, John MoeThis is an episode dedicated to unscripted television. J. Keith van Straaten, Jordan Morris, and John Moe talk about their dead unscripted projects that were sold to networks and streams but never produced. This conversation went to a ton of unexpected places and that's definitely a part of it's charm. Enjoy it!There's still time to help support our podcast by becoming a maximum fun member for as little as $5 a month. Help us support what we do by going to maximumfun.org/join.
2024-03-2852 min
Go Fact YourselfGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Danielle Radford, John-Luke Roberts, Brea Grant, and Mallory O'MearaThis special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Danielle Radford - “Tights and Fights” John-Luke Roberts -“Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts” Brea Grant & M...2024-03-1817 min
Sound Heap with John-Luke RobertsGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Danielle Radford, John-Luke Roberts, Brea Grant, and Mallory O'MearaWe’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Danielle Radford - “Tights and Fights” John-Luke Roberts -“Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts” Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara -“Reading Glasses”If you’d like to hear more hosts competing for trivia supremacy, visit Maximumfun.org for the full version of this show.
2024-03-1817 min
EurovangelistsGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Jackie Kashian, Jeremy Bent, John Moe, and Dan McCoyThis special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to https://maximumfun.org/join.We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Jackie Kashian - “The Jackie and Laurie Show”Jeremy Bent - “Eurovangelists”John Moe - “Depresh M...2024-03-1815 min
Reading GlassesGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Danielle Radford, John-Luke Roberts, Brea Grant, and Mallory O'MearaThis special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join.We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Danielle Radford - “Tights and Fights” John-Luke Roberts -“Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts” Brea Grant...2024-03-1817 min
Tights and FightsGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Danielle Radford, John-Luke Roberts, Brea Grant, and Mallory O'MearaThis special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Danielle Radford - “Tights and Fights” John-Luke Roberts -“Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts” Brea Grant & M...2024-03-1817 min
Depresh Mode with John MoeGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Jackie Kashian, Jeremy Bent, John Moe, and Dan McCoyThis special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Jackie Kashian -“The Jackie and Laurie Show” Jeremy Bent -“Eurovangelists” John Moe - “Depresh...2024-03-1815 min
The Flop HouseGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Jackie Kashian, Jeremy Bent, John Moe, and Dan McCoyThis special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Jackie Kashian -“The Jackie and Laurie Show” Jeremy Bent -“Eurovangelists” John Moe - “...2024-03-1815 min
Sleeping with CelebritiesGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Jackie Kashian, Jeremy Bent, John Moe, and Dan McCoyThis special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Jackie Kashian -“The Jackie and Laurie Show” Jeremy Bent -“Eurovangelists” John Moe - “Depresh...2024-03-1815 min
Go Fact YourselfEp. 144.75: Some Favorite Moments (and a preview of MaxFunDrive!)In this special mini-episode, we look back on some of the first 144.74 episodes of Go Fact Yourself!As we approach the beginning of the #MaxFunDrive, listeners and GFY staff discuss some of their favorite moments through the years – everything from meeting iconic actors, to literally bowing before your heroes, to personal connections in times of trouble. Plus, we preview some of the special treats coming for you in this year’s drive – starting March 18!In this episode…Guests:Listener Lyn on Bill Kurtis and John Ullinskey from episode 44.Listene...2024-03-1530 min
Go Fact YourselfEp. 144.5: Best of Comic BooksFace front, true believers! It’s the Best of Comic Books special from Go Fact Yourself!The superheroes of Marvel and DC comics are everywhere in pop culture, so it makes sense that a lot of our contestants over the years would choose them as their areas of expertise.In this omnibus collection, you’ll hear from guests like John Hodgman and Jackie Kashian discussing characters like Spider-Man and the Legion of Super-Heroes.In this episode…Guests:Jackie Kashian from episode 14John Hodgman from episode 102Dylan...2024-03-011h 07
Go Fact YourselfEp. 140: Ron Funches & Ever CarradineYou can’t handle this brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!In this episode…Guests:Ron Funches is a comedian and actor. Ron says that growing up, a lot of people used to make fun of his voice. But now that he’s voiced characters in everything from the Trolls movies to “Harley Quinn” on HBO, he’s more than vindicated. He’ll tell us about how his work focuses on positive affirmations and why he’s so proud to be a dad.Ever Carradine is an actor who has appeared in seri...2023-12-151h 17
Go Fact YourselfEp. 139: Yakov Smirnoff & Salamishah TilletThese fancy things will never come in between you and this brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!In this episode…Guests:Yakov Smirnoff is an iconic comedian, who made a name for himself after making Johnny Carson laugh on “The Tonight Show.” He’ll explain how he had to fight for the chance to be on the show and how he learned to make art in the face of tragedy.Salamishah Tillet is a scholar, activist, curator, and writer, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her work in The New York Tim...2023-12-011h 12
Go Fact YourselfEp. 136: Keegan-Michael Key & Elle KeyDrop back and avoid the sack, it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!In this episode…Guests:Keegan-Michael Key is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning actor, writer, and prodcuer.Elle Key is an award winning film, television, and commercial director and producer. The Keys are the authors of the new book The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor. Elle and Keegan will tell us about how the book was born from conversations they had as they geeked out about the “...2023-10-131h 11
Go Fact YourselfEp. 135: Jason Pargin & Joyelle Nicole JohnsonYour trivia begins… now! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!In this episode…Guests:Jason Pargin is known by many for his presence on TikTok, and by many others as the author of the bestselling John Dies at the End book series. He tries to make sure that infrequent readers gain some joy through his books – whether that’s writing a funny title like Zoey Punches the Future in the D*** or not requiring people start at the beginning to enjoy the sequels. Why is he so sensitive to the needs...2023-10-061h 15
Go Fact YourselfEp. 132: Jill Twiss & Myq KaplanFace front, true believers! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself! In this episode…Guests:Jill Twiss is an award-winning comedy writer and children’s book author. For years, she worked as an SAT tutor. She’ll explain how that directly led to her big break: writing for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” AND the publication of her first children’s book about a former Vice President’s gay bunny. Plus, Jill tells us how she got the chance to contribute material to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.Myq Kaplan is a...2023-08-041h 17
Judge John HodgmanLive from Los AngelesThis week’s episode was recorded live in front of an audience at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles! Our first case is LINUS ITEM VETO. Sarah still sleeps with the tattered remains of her baby blanket. Her fiance, Go Fact Yourself co-host J. Keith van Straaten, finds it very upsetting to see and touch. He calls it “The Monster,” and he wants it out of their bed. Sarah wants to keep sleeping with it! Then, Jordan Morris joins to hear TATER TORT: Lucas calls himself “the humble son of a potato farmer.” His wife Lau...2023-06-071h 01Go Fact YourselfEp. 116: Greg Wyshynski & Zainab JohnsonCome to America and bring some new recipes with you – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!Greg Wyshynski is the Senior NHL writer for ESPN. He writes about hockey after a lifetime of being a fan of the sport; as such, he’s seen it change a lot over the years. While he thinks making changes for player safety should always be applauded, there’s a part of him that will always miss the fights on the ice. You can find more of Greg’s thoughts on hockey on the podcast “Puck Soup.”Zainab Jo...2022-11-181h 11Go Fact YourselfEp. 102: John Hodgman & Danielle RadfordSit your booty on the floor or in a chair for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself! In honor of #MaxFunDrive, we’re joined by two hosts from the Maximum Fun Network! If you’d like to support this show for as little as $5 a month and earn great gifts in the process, go to Maximumfun.org/join.John Hodgman is the namesake of the “Judge John Hodgman” podcast. On the show, he plays the role of a judge who hears litigants’ disputes and decides who’s right and who’s wrong. John will tell us ab...2022-04-291h 22Go Fact YourselfEp. 94: Jaret Reddick & Molly BallA 14-letter phrase for a trivia podcast: It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!Jaret Reddick is best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Bowling for Soup. Between his band and the theme song for “Phineas & Ferb,” his music has been a fixture for children -- but so has his iconic role as the voice of Chuck E. Cheese. You can hear more of Jaret’s voice in his podcasts “Jaret Goes to the Movies'' and “Rockstar Dad.”Jaret’s opponent is Time magazine journalist Molly Ball. She’s known for her pol...2021-12-031h 08
Depresh Mode with John MoeMeet the Neighbors: Depresh Mode with John Moe x Go Fact YourselfDepresh Mode with John Moe and Go Fact Yourself got together to celebrate MaxFun Block Party!If you enjoyed this conversation we had with host J. Keith van Straaten, be sure to subscribe to Go Fact Yourself on maximumfun.org.
2021-10-1937 minGo Fact YourselfEp. 89: Nina West & Brandon CollinsNote: due to technical difficulties, J. Keith’s audio sounds worse than usual. We’ve taken steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.Grab your Batmobiles and thingamabobs, it’s a new episode of Go Fact Yourself!Nina West is a drag performer who won Miss Congeniality on the TV’s “Rupaul’s Drag Race.” Since then, she’s focused on making kindness her brand -- especially since she’s got such a massive audience of kids watching her work. Nina’s also taking part in a national tour of the musical Hairspray later this year.Brand...2021-09-171h 09Go Fact YourselfEp. 88: John Fugelsang & Thao NguyenWe’re getting the band back together and playing the hits on a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!Kitty Felde fills in for Helen Hong as our special guest host for this week! She was previously a guest on episode 51.John Fugelsang can be heard every weekday on SiriusXM radio as the host of the show “Tell me Everything with John Fugelsang.” He’s interviewed tons of guests from different industries for years. So what’s the secret to having great conversations with people? It all comes down to practice -- and learning how to fin...2021-09-031h 07Go Fact YourselfEp. 81: Justin McElroy & Dr. Sydnee McElroyMake sure to listen to our second pledge break for a very special announcement that could put YOU on an episode of GFY...It’s all about that classic trio of music, movies and medicine this week on our second #MaxFunDrive episode of Go Fact Yourself!Justin McElroy’s podcast career spans multiple shows including the hugely popular “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” and “The Adventure Zone.” Through it all, he’s never lost sight of the things he owes his career to: a lifetime of insulting his brothers and the recently shut down Yahoo Answers...2021-05-141h 38Go Fact YourselfEp. 66: Frank Conniff & Courtney HenggelerBinge some classic television and brush up on your U.S. history, it’s time for another episode of Go Fact Yourself!Frank Conniff is a comedian and writer who’s made a career out of mocking bad movies. He was one of the minds behind the Peabody award-winning show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” where he and his co hosts mocked hundreds of movies. And while you might think he hates all the bad movies that he makes fun of, he’ll explain why all the jokes are actually an extension of his love of cinema. Frank continues the tradit...2020-10-021h 17Go Fact YourselfEp. 64: Jade Catta-Preta & Dave HillTune up your guitar and try to write one great song… It’s a new Go Fact Yourself!Jade Catta-Preta is best known as the host of “The Soup” on the E! Network. How did she develop into such a strong lead for the show? Well it turns out that she learned english by watching talk show hosts when she was growing up. She’ll tell us more about her time on TV and explain how she’s still making comedy in 2020. You can get tickets now to Jade’s next stand-up show in October.Jade’s fellow...2020-09-041h 11Go Fact YourselfEp. 63: Nellie McKay & Grant-Lee PhillipsGrab some headphones and kick back on the couch -- or in the car--for a special musical episode of Go Fact Yourself!Grant-Lee Phillips is known for his career as a singer and songwriter. He’s released albums with his band Grant Lee Buffalo and as a solo act. But you also may recognize him as the town troubadour from the TV series “Gilmore Girls.” He’ll tell us what it’s like to play a musician on TV and how preparing for the “Gilmore Girls” revival series helped train him for quarantine life. Check out his new album out...2020-08-211h 08Go Fact YourselfEp. 61: John Roderick & Moujan ZolfaghariIf you’d like to support this show, go to Maximumfun.org/join to become a Max Fun Member for as little as $5 a month! You’ll help keep this show going and be eligible for tons of great bonus gifts, including special bonus episodes of Go Fact Yourself.Happy Max Fun Drive! To celebrate we’ve brought on a pair of Max Fun podcasters.John Roderick hosts the show “Friendly Fire.” It started out as a way to make fun of war movies; But the show has since evolved into a look at culture and humani...2020-07-241h 23
Go Fact YourselfEp. 55.5: Best of BaseballThe 2020 MLB season is in question, but we’re happy to celebrate baseball on Go Fact Yourself! There have been a lot of contestants who have chosen baseball as their areas of expertise; we’ve quizzed folks like comedy legend Fred Willard, voice actor Phil Lamarr and Maximum Fun founder Jesse Thorn -- and more! We decided to put some of the best segments in one convenient episode. Along the way, we’ve got a murderer’s row of outstanding experts including World Series play-by-play broadcasters, world-class historians and world champion players. Let’s play ball!...2020-04-0359 min
Troubled WatersPox vs HanxEditor's note: This episode was originally meant to run during the MaxFunDrive, but due to, well, you know, we had to postpone the pledge drive.Jordan Morris, Alexis Preston, J Keith van Straaten, and Biz Ellis join Dave Holmes to defend the honor of the most hallowed institutions of our times; it's The Hanks Family vs Chicken Pox. Team HanxBiz Ellis and J Keith van Straaten Team PoxJordan Morris and Alexis Preston This week, our teams are quizzed on covers of son...2020-03-1853 min
Go Fact YourselfEp. 50: Jesse Thorn & Kelly HuIt’s the 50th episode of Go Fact Yourself! And we’ve got a t-shirt! To help us celebrate, we’ve brought on Maximum Fun founder, Jesse Thorn. These days, MaxFun is known for dozens of quality podcasts. But in Jesse’s early days, he recorded the talk show that would become "Bullseye" in his apartment. The humble beginnings helped him learn a lot about interviewing great guests… and about the value of a good suit. In addition to “Bullseye,” you can hear Jesse on the podcasts "Jordan Jesse Go!" and "Judge John Hodgman." Jesse’s opponent for t...2019-12-201h 11
Go Fact YourselfEp. 44: Bill Kurtis & Sarah SpainIt’s the first episode of Go Fact Yourself from Chicago! Two-time Peabody Award winner Bill Kurtis is a news anchor with one of the most famous voices in television and radio. You may have heard him as the scorekeeper for the program "Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!", but he’s also known for his narration in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. He’ll explain how that role changed his life forever and share other stories from his extensive career. Bill will compete with his fellow broadcaster and fellow Peabody Award winner Sarah Spain, hos...2019-09-201h 14
Troubled WatersWindow vs Aisle SeatsAtsuko Okatsuka, Brodie Reed, Benjamin Harrison and J Keith van Straaten join host, Dave Holmes to settle once and for all, should you go for the aisle seat or window seat on an airplane? Team Window Seat J Keith van Straaten and Brodie Reed Team Aisle Seat Atsuko Okatsuka and Benjamin Harrison This week our contestants argue over the Manhattan Beach emoji house, talk about annoying neighbords, take a trip through time, and make up bios for weird characters. Atsuko Okatsuka wants to plug Let's Go, Atsuko! and recommends donating to 16,000 Dollars. 2019-08-1757 min
Go Fact YourselfEp. 42: Jim Beaver & Erica RhodesC’est l’heure pour un nouvel épisode de Go Fact Yourself*! (In case your French is a little rusty: It’s time for a new episode of Go Fact Yourself!) Jim Beaver is an actor who’s known for his roles in TV shows like, "Breaking Bad," and, "Justified," where he’s earned a reputation as a "tough guy"-type who’s usually associated with guns. He’s also done a lot of research on major Hollywood figures from other eras. He’ll explain why he didn’t let the technological limitations from his youth get in the way of his r...2019-08-161h 07
Go Fact YourselfEp. 38: Mindy Sterling & Dylan BrodyAre you a true fashionista? Are you surrounded by the lore of classic comics? Do you just want to laugh and learn some great trivia? Whether you check one or all of those boxes, this episode of Go Fact Yourself is for you! Mindy Sterling is an actor who’s perhaps best known for her role in the Austin Powers films. She’s also had several TV roles, earning her two Emmy nominations! The only problem was that those two nominations happened in the same year… and in the same category. You can find Mindy on Twitter and on...2019-06-211h 09
Go Fact YourselfBonus Ep. 31.5: opening for Judge John HodgmanOur regularly scheduled episode has been moved to next week for the #MaxFunDrive. This mini-episode of Go Fact Yourself was recorded as part of a live open for Judge John Hodgman. First, Bailiff Jesse Thorn gives a warm welcome to the audience. Then J. Keith and Helen will share some laughs and get to know members of the crowd. After that, the games begin: Two rounds of “What’s the Difference?” featuring the following topics: What is the difference between a cruise ship and an ocean liner? What is the di...2019-03-1520 min
Go Fact YourselfEp. 31: Greg Fitzsimmons & Shawn PelofskyFans of comedy, cars and Howard Stern rejoice: This episode of Go Fact Yourself is sure to delight! Shawn Pelofsky is a comedian whose special "Stretch It Out" is available now. She’s ready to be quizzed about her favorite things; But she’s also excited to share a personal experience with one of her greatest loves: Bette Midler. Shawn goes up against comedian Greg Fitzsimmons, who you can hear hosting two podcasts: "Ftizdog Radio" and "Childish." He tells us about why his brief time as an athletic swimmer helped his future career in the ente...2019-03-011h 07
Go Fact YourselfEp. 14: John Ross Bowie & Jackie KashianIn this episode, we learn about the time Jackie Kashian’s father hit on Maria Bamford. It was at Jackie’s wedding. To find out how Maria reacted, take a listen. Also, if anyone books a guest-starring role on NBC’s Speechless, John Ross Bowie will not only have your back, but he’ll show you where the craft service table is on set. Plus, if you ever wondered, “What’s it like growing up in the Theater District in New York?”, you’ll soon find out. Do YOU Know the Difference? Areas of Expertise John Ross Bowie...2018-06-1659 min
Troubled WatersEp 116: Muppet, PleaseKristina Wong, J Keith Van Straaten, Glenn Moore and Harriet Kemsley join host, Dave Holmes for embarrassing drunk stories, romcom ruining, and Ugandan rap Kristina Wong wants to plug her eventual run for public office and recommends Landry Prep students' college acceptance videos. J Keith Van Straaten wants to plug Go Fact Yourself from Maximum Fun and recommends Effectively Wild. Glenn Moore wants to plug his live shows and Absolute Radio and recommends Review. Harriet Kemsley wants to plug Bobby and Harriet Get Married and Why is Harriet Crying? and recommends The Guilty Feminist. 2018-02-1545 min