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.
2401
It’s a Copper Sock Miracle
On The Gist, Emily Bazelon from the New York Times Magazine joins us to answer one question, one question only. This is it: “If Congress defunds Planned Parenthood, is it possible that, even though no government funding funds abortions, they...
27 min
2402
Graduate, Work, Marry, Procreate
How essential is marriage for aspiring middle-class families? On The Gist, economist and Brookings fellow Isabel Sawhill explains her often-cited “success sequence” and declining marriage rates in the developed world. She’s the...
26 min
2403
That Groovy Summer of Love
On The Gist, our regular guest Chris Molanphy returns to explore the "psychedelic-lite" and "semi-baroque" Billboard chart hits from 1967. He’ll explain how the music industry took a druggy cultural movement like the "summer of love" and...
25 min
2404
Is Anger Curable?
On The Gist, Mike’s personal highlight reel from Wednesday night’s CNN GOP debates. Then, how does the medical community distinguish anger issues from psychopath issues or substance abuse issues? Maria Konnikova of the New...
21 min
2405
The Canadian Accent Is Changing, Eh?
On The Gist, what’s all this a’boot the shifting Canadian accent? We speak with sociolinguist Paul De Decker. Plus, Douglas Birch from the Center for Public Integrity explains why South Africa still has highly enriched uranium. For the...
28 min
2406
What Michael Did on His Summer Vacation
On The Gist, Mike chats with the interesting attendees at his friend’s destination wedding in Montenegro. Our audio version of a wedding guestbook includes: John W. Frehse from Core Practice explains what millennials really want; Phil Hochberg...
32 min
2407
Serial for the Truly Obsessed
On The Gist, a new podcast unravels the case against Adnan Syed one complex detail at a time. We’ll speak with the podcast’s three hosts, Rabia Chaudry from Split the Moon; Colin Miller of EvidenceProf; and Susan Simpson, who writes for...
28 min
2408
Dog Show
Notice anything different about your street today? Just ask a dog. On The Gist, Alexandra Horowitz from the dog cognition lab at Barnard talks us through a dog walk. She’s the author of Inside of a Dog and On Looking: Eleven Walks With...
23 min
2409
Yes! Oh God!! Yesss!!!
Why is the female orgasm notoriously difficult to study? On The Gist, guest host Andrea Silenzi avoids tarnishing her browser history by asking Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker about new research into the effects of la petite mort on...
24 min
2410
Bobcat Goldthwait Stands Up for a Fellow Comic
On The Gist, comedian Bobcat Goldthwait reflects on how his career in comedy led him to chose the path of a filmmaker. His new documentary tells the story of fellow comic Barry Crimmins and explores the role of politics, anger, and activism in his...
25 min
2411
Don’t Say Cheese
On The Gist, Colin Atrophy Hagendorf tells us why he decided to eat a slice from every pizzeria in Manhattan. Unlike Super Size Me or Julie & Julia, sometimes ambitious food-related projects aren't life-changing experiences. But they can produce...
35 min
2412
The Year Disco Became a Dirty Word
On The Gist, our regular guest Chris Molanphy returns to explore Billboard chart hits from 1980, including rock songs, adult contemporary tracks, and lots of elements stolen from disco. It was a great year for dentists’ offices. For the...
29 min
2413
The “March to Zero” Veers Off Course in Kansas
On The Gist, a look at how Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and fellow Republicans are scrambling to preserve the state’s troubled zero-tax policy. Our guest Chris Suellentrop made politics personal in his New York Times Magazine feature "The Kansas...
23 min
2414
Raising a Trans Kid
On The Gist, Mike responds to the tragic news of the WDBJ7 shooting. Then, we debut a new segment we call Analogy Emergency. Can you help? Join the conversation on our Facebook page. Plus, Dr. Robert Garofalo joins us to discuss the difficult...
30 min
2415
Garlic: The Secret to a Long Life With No Friends
On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker presses her knife down on a clove of wisdom and minces apart the research. Should we believe the hype about garlic, the miracle food? For the Spiel, a story of slobs vs. snobs as told...
24 min
2416
My Disease Became Your Fad Diet
On The Gist, Slate’s Laura Bennett explains what it’s like to be gluten-free since the ’90s. She recently wrote “I Was Gluten-Free Before It Was Cool.” Plus, what should we do with all our RadioShack gift cards?...
29 min
2417
Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer Ride the Glass Bus
On The Gist, we debut a new financial news segment called MarketScope with correspondent Sebastian Sinclair. Plus, comedians Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer explain why they paid $400 million to bring a bus from New York City’s Times Square to...
31 min
2418
A Horse Is a Horse, Unless It’s a Nazi
On The Gist, the latest chapter in Germany’s ongoing struggle with the legacy of the Third Reich. The Wall Street Journal’s Mary M. Lane tells us about the outcry over a Nazi-era bronze horse that stands outside a boarding school in...
28 min
2419
When Comedy Podcasts Were Still in Beta
On The Gist, comedian Jimmy Pardo recalls lessons learned from the dawn of podcasting and alt-comedy, and takes pride in the complexity of his new game show inspired by the room-escape zeitgeist. He hosts the podcast Never Not Funny and the...
26 min
2420
The Sons and Daughters Lost to ISIS
We’re all familiar with news stories about radicalized Western kids who join the terrorist group ISIS. Today on The Gist, Julia Ioffe tells the story of the mothers those kids leave behind, and how many turn to activism in their grief....
26 min
2421
Simon Rich, the Premise Keeper
An article in the Guardian once asked, “Is Simon Rich the funniest man in America.” We ask him, “Are you?” His new book Spoiled Brats explores why the so-called millennial culture is easy to mock, especially by baby...
33 min
2422
Warning: This Episode Contains Singing
Mike Pesca has no plans to stop singing on the podcast. For this special episode of The Gist, we bring in vocal coach Dr. Jan Douglas to help him find the key. Will he declare our host a lost cause? For the Spiel, the tart-tongued Buckeye John...
22 min
2423
How Economists Define Poverty
On The Gist, we examine a historically very loose measure—the poverty line. When we hear about the “supplemental poverty measure” in the news, is that a more valuable number? We ask our regular guest Adam Davidson to explain....
28 min
2424
Where to Find the Best Stories
Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks returns to share a daily exercise for every aspiring storyteller. He’s the author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. For the Spiel: Mike Pesca may not vocal-fry, but he sure hears...
26 min
2425
Mike Pesca's Origin Story, as Told by His Parents
On The Gist, an unusual episode about an unusual coincidence among our staff. Both Mike Pesca and managing producer Joel Meyer were born in cars in the 1970s. First up, Neila Pesca and Joe Pesca tell the story of the ultimate driveway moment, when our...
29 min