The Gist
For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.
1901
Credit Where Credit Is Due
The credit reporting bureaus don’t care about you. Why should they?
22 min
1902
The Frat Doesn’t Have Your Back
Fraternities protect themselves, but not their members.
25 min
1903
Was Booger Really A Nerd?
Actor Curtis Armstrong on the deeper message within Revenge of the Nerds.
28 min
1904
Ted Leo’s Hanged-Man Wisdom
The musician’s latest album offers a serenity prayer for political obsessives.
25 min
1905
Which Type Are You?
Author Gretchen Rubin sorts people into four major personality types: Rebel, Obliger, Questioner, and Upholder.
30 min
1906
Chris Gethard Wrestles With Comedy
How WWE tropes inform The Chris Gethard Show.
26 min
1907
The Hygiene Hypothesis
Should you let your kids eat dirt?
29 min
1908
Nnamdi Asomugha’s Drama School
The former NFL cornerback says football prepared him to be an actor.
28 min
1909
Patricia Williams Isn’t Joking
The comedian known as Ms. Pat started doing standup 15 years ago. Her caseworker got her into it.
27 min
1910
Three Cheers for Houston
Natural disaster experts are marveling at the low death toll in southeast Texas. What accounts for it?
26 min
1911
Music Is Sex
From gospel to rock, it’s all about sex.
27 min
1912
Choosing Who Gets Flooded
NPR’s Wade Goodwyn surveys the damage after Harvey.
26 min
1913
Is Amazon a Monopoly?
NPR’s Robert Smith wonders whether tech giants like Amazon and Google really need to be reined in.
30 min
1914
Dan Savage on the Nashville Statement
You can only be gay if you give up love and happiness.
27 min
1915
Shake It Off, Taylor
Is there a person underneath all the celebrity angst?
23 min
1916
The Flood Trap That Houston Built
How unchecked development in the Houston suburbs added to the nightmare of Tropical Storm Harvey.
21 min
1917
Al Letson Became A Human Shield
Why journalist Al Letson rushed to protect an agitator at an anti-hate rally in Berkeley over the weekend.
26 min
1918
Mismatch
New York Times critic Wesley Morris on the unsettling race play at the center of the Mayweather–McGregor fight.
37 min
1919
America Is Weird About Sex
We don’t know how to talk about sex—or teach it.
25 min
1920
Sure, Punching Nazis Feels Good…
But are the antifa in the right?
29 min
1921
Russia's Lab Rat
Amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel asked a Russian scientist to help him dope himself. He wound up working with the man who would expose Russia’s anti-doping fraud.
28 min
1922
The Many Theories of Malcolm Gladwell
How does Gladwell justify a character profile, explain a historical oversight, or spice up a story? He hangs a theory on it.
33 min
1923
The Year MTV Took Over the Charts
In 1982, synth-pop came in strong, Hall and Oates crossed over into R&B, and Paul McCartney learned about racial harmony.
28 min
1924
Is This the End of Steve Bannon?
Author Josh Green on the rumors around Trump’s chief strategist
31 min
1925
The Overreaction Doctrine
Moshe Maor on how Trump’s over-the-top policy ideas are actually good politics
22 min