Fake the Nation

Latest Episodes:

499. Improv Classes for MAGA? (w/Sean Malin and Sydney Kane) Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

This week, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by Vulture Culture Critique and author of The Podcast Pantheon, Sean Malin and writer and star of the musical comedy Wife Material, Sydney Kane. The trio discuss the country's latest frustrations from the continued Greenland threats, to the Peace Board, to MAGA's new acronym "AWFUL." They also ask, does living in a big house make you unhappier? And finally, because Sean has literally written the book on the matter, they talk podcasts: what makes them good, what makes them bad, and what is the future of audio?

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Check out Sean's book here

Follow Sydney here @sydneymorgankane

Negin is always @NeginFarsad

Today's show is sponsored by Laundry Sauce! Visit them on the link below to level up your laundry game. Warning: the scents are next level. https://laundrysauce.com/

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com

Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

498. John Fugelsang's Separation of Church & Hate Bonus (with John Fugelsang and Maryam Banikarim) Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

It's a bouncing baby bonus! This week, comedian and host, Negin Farsad, digs into John Fugelsang's best selling new book Separation of Church & Hate. Alongside Maryam Banikarim, the three talk American bigotry, spirituality, and what to say to your racist uncle.

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@NeginFarsad everywhere

@Mbanikarim on IG & TikTok

@johnfugelsang everywhere

Check out Fugelsang's new book!

Check out Mariam's The Longest Table and set one up in your neighborhood!@NeginFarsad everywhere

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

498. Endless Sushi and Boundless Suppression (w/Maryam Banikarim and John Fugelsang) Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

This week, comedian and host of Fake the Nation, Negin Farsad, is joined by comedian and author of New York Times bestseller Separation of Church & Hate, John Fugelsang; plus CMO of everything and host of the podcast The Messy Parts, Maryam Banikarim. They start things off with cultural shenanigans that involve the popularity of sushi among kids and the use of AI in very expensive matchmaking. In politics, they look at the heartbreaking situation in Iran and Minneapolis and the strange parallels we see for freedom fighters everywhere. They end on hope because that's what everyone needs right now. This episode was taped at the incredible P&T Studio in NYC's Lower East Side.

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@NeginFarsad everywhere

@Mbanikarim on IG & TikTok

@johnfugelsang

Check out Fugelsang's new book!

Check out Mariam's The Longest Table and set one up in your neighborhood!

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

497. The Predictions Bonus! (w/John Hodgman and Emily Flake) Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Comedian and Host Negin Farsad couldn't help herself - she has dedicated an entire bonus to the shoddy practice of predictions! Joined by comedian/writer John Hodgman and comedian/cartoonist for The New Yorker, Emily Flake, they predict whether Trump loses his grip on the GOP, how the midterms will turn out, and who the next batch of Democratic celebrities will turn out to be. They could be wrong about all of it. Enjoy!

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@johnhodgman on instagram/threads

@JUDGEJOHNHODGMANPOD on youtube

@eflakeagogo on IG/Threads

@NeginFarsad everywhere

Check out Negin's latest in Progressive Magazine on how to celebrate America's 250th!

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

497. Cold, Hard Armrests for 2026 (w/John Hodgman and Emily Flake) Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by comedian and writer John Hodgman! And comedian and cartoonist for The New Yorker, Emily Flake! Together they discuss the neo-imperialist shenanigans of the White House, something great that Colorado is doing, and marble armrests. Plus, they discuss fear and how to conquer it!

Check out Negin's latest in Progressive Magazine on how to celebrate America's 250th!

Follow everyone!

@johnhodgman on instagram/threads

@JUDGEJOHNHODGMANPOD on youtube

@eflakeagogo on IG/Threads

@NeginFarsad everywhere

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

496. A New Years Episode with No Consequences (w/Ophira Eisenberg, Mary Houlihan then Nayeema Raza and Pete Dominick) Jan 01, 2026

Show notes

Happy New Year listeners! This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by Ophira Eisenberg and Mary Houlihan to talk about the trend of senior citizens who go back to college. She's also joined by Nayeema Raza and Pete Dominick to talk about how to elegantly get out of doing things. It's exactly what you need to start the new year right!

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@NeginFarsad

@OphiraE

@MaryHouli

@nayeemaraza

@petedominick

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

495. Year of Slop (w/Sally Ann Hall and Vicky Ferentinos) Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

It's a very merry episode of Fake the Nation where comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by comedian Sally Ann Hall and comedian Vicky Ferentinos to talk about the (weird) color of the year! The many words of the year! And whether you would take an absolutely free TV if it came with a little catch! Merry Christmas to all of our delightful listeners.

Follow everyone!

@NeginFarsad

@VFerentinos

@MeSallyAnn

Support the show at Patreon.com/neginfarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

494. Beefing Waymos Better than Human Drivers? (w/Brian Babylon and Andrew Ti) Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

This week on Fake the Nation, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by comedian/fashion designer Brian Babylon and comedian/podcaster Andrew Ti. They talk about the new batch of data on self-driving cars, apparently they do much better than human drivers! So should we all be embracing the driverless car? Also, Indiana took a stand against mid-decade gerrymandering, RFK hearts Hep B, and finally, Europe can't get people to have babies.

Follow Everyone!

@NeginFarsad

@AndrewTi

@BrianBabylon or check out his fashion line

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

493. Giftcard Wishlist Fever (w/Cody Linquist and Charlie Linquist) Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

Tis the season for a bonus! We're dropping in an extra topic in the feed because that's how podcasters celebrate the holidays! Today, comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by Cody Lindquist (Showtime's Our Cartoon President) and comedian/director Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere founder) to discuss the Wish-List-ification of gift giving. We also ask, is there actually any joy left in giving gifts?? May you enjoy this pod... as you struggle to finish buying all your gifts.

Follow everyone!

@codylindquist

@charlietodd & @improvevery

@NeginFarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!

Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter
Email Negin fakethenationpodcast@gmail.com
Support the show Patreon

Host - Negin Farsad

Producer - Rob Heath

Theme Music - Gaby Alter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

492. Fast Food and Cold Caffeine (w/Cody Linquist and Charlie Linquist) Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

This week Fake the Nation comes to you from P&T Podcast Studio and Bookstore in New York's Lower East side. Comedian and host Negin Farsad is joined by comedian/actor Cody Lindquist (Showtime's Our Cartoon President) and comedian/director Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere founder) and they address the question on all our minds, why are Mormon women all over television and social media right now?? They also discuss baby's new Trump Account and whether "affordability is a hoax" is a sustainable argument for the Republican party. Hint: it isn't. And finally, they dig into the Netflix bid and the hostile Paramount bid to take over Warner Bros Discovery. Does it mean higher prices and/or the death of theatrical films??

Visit P&T Bookstore when you're in town!

Follow everyone!

@codylindquist

@charlietodd & @improvevery

@NeginFarsad

Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review!