Category: 3-SometimeCommentary

Comedian Robby Hoffman explains why she treats complaining as "enjoying"—and why her Depression-era instincts make her shakier during good times than disasters. Her approach to stand-up is visceral rather than cerebral: she doesn't remember the bit about the woman closing the airplane bathroom door, she replays the movie and watches her body operate on its own. Along the way: memories of growing up with nine siblings in Montreal poverty, where conflict wasn't optional ("we didn't get to not know anything"), the nightstand intervention that changed her brother Schnaer's life, and why she keeps a crisp $100 bill in her wallet like Depression-era insurance. Plus, the greatest taxonomy of social fakery ever delivered by a lesbian comedian—a warning that "being offended isn't that bad" and people who put "kind" in their Twitter bios are statistically suspect.

Produced by Corey Wara

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Paris Marx is joined by Liz Pelly to discuss how Spotify changes how we listen to music and the broader impacts it has on the wider music industry. This episode previously aired in February 2025.

Liz Pelly is a music journalist and the author of Mood Machine.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Production for this episode was originally by Eric Wickham.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Shout-out to the book The People’s Platform by Astra Taylor

• You can read an excerpt of Liz’s book in Harper’s.

• The CEO of Suno AI said people “don’t enjoy” making music.

• The Edmonton Public Library was mentioned for spearheading some cool projects featuring local musicians - combat capitalism by supporting the cool projects operating out of your own local library!

• Hoopla works with local libraries to share music (and Libby partners with libraries to share audiobooks)

Oxford-educated archaeology student turned freestyle sensation Chris Turner joins Mike Pesca to explain how his "British period" of deadpan one-liners evolved into the show-stopping rap flow that now defines his Comedy Cellar sets. Turner discusses the "evolutionary advantage" of not knowing the rules of hip hop as a ten-year-old in Manchester—a blissful ignorance that convinced him freestyling was just "making up a story"—and how he uses those same instincts to neutralize hecklers today. Along the way: a masterclass in the "tennis match" of flow state, the absurdity of 50 Cent's car-based fax machine, and a spontaneous freestyle that weaves together Jerry Springer, RFK Jr., and the "Antilles heel" of Hispaniola.

Produced by Corey Wara

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ravi sits down with cultural critic W. David Marx (author of Blank Space) to ask a simple question: if there’s more music, TV, and art than ever, why does culture feel so… stuck? Marx argues it’s not that people stopped creating—it’s that we’ve stopped treating new, daring work like it matters, so breakthroughs rarely spread and change the mainstream. They unpack how algorithms and money-driven incentives steer us toward what’s already popular and easy, instead of what might challenge or surprise us. If you’ve ever wondered why everything feels like sequels, recycled trends, or endless scrolling, this conversation puts clear language to that feeling—and offers a way out.

W. David Marx’s book Blank Space and newsletter Culture: An Owner’s Manual 

Ravi’s Substack https://realravigupta.substack.com 

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Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 201-305-0084⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Follow Ravi at @RaviMGupta

• Notes from this episode are also available on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/

• Read more from Ravi on Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com 

• Follow The Branch at @thebranchmedia

• Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785

• Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xR9pch9DrQDiZfGB5oF0F

• Listen to Where the Schools Went: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/where-the-schools-went/ 

• John's "Impolitic" podcast
• John's columns at Puck
• Tim's 2025 Music Year in Review
• Filmmaker Charles Curran's recut of the Melania trailer with Miss Piggy
• Shane Gillis on how we got Trump
• Tim's playlist

This week, The Daily is revisiting some of our favorite episodes of the year and checking in on what has happened in the time since.

Warning: This episode discusses sexual themes.

Artificial intelligence has changed how millions of people write emails, conduct research and seek advice.

Kashmir Hill, who covers technology and privacy for The New York Times, tells the story of a woman whose relationship with a chatbot when much further than that.

Guest: Kashmir Hill, a features writer on the business desk at The New York Times, covering technology and privacy.

Background reading: 

• Listen to the original version of the episode here.
• Read more about her A.I. love story.

Photo: Helen Orr for The New York Times

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

In this episode of Getting Hammered, hosts Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus discuss their Christmas experiences and last minute Mrs Claus magic. The conversation transitions to more serious topics such as U.S. military action against ISIS in Nigeria, ongoing Ukraine-Russia negotiations, and the implications of fraud in Minnesota's childcare programs. They also touch on the renaming of the Kennedy Center, Pop Tart Bowl and the controversy surrounding a throuple featured in the Wall Street Journal.

00:00 Welcome and Holiday Recap

15:04 US Military Actions on Christmas

30:06 Minnesota Fraud Scandal

43:30 Kennedy Center

54:03 Pop-Tart Bowl and College Football

01:00:36 Throuple Housing Dilemma

01:04:24 White House Christmas Ornaments

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