The Gist

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My Life as a Sitcom Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, QAnon and sound design.

Comedian Guy Branum is a hilarious intellect with an intimidating amount of pop culture knowledge. In his new book, My Life as a Goddess: A Memoir Through (Un)Popular Culture, Branum explores things like his love of civics, his Northern California childhood, and his experiences writing jokes for other people.

In the Spiel, we've got another Lobstar of the Antentwig.

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Quarter for Carter Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, who makes the CNN Sucks onesie?

Jimmy Carter's reputation is that of an ineffective president. But his chief domestic policy adviser, Stuart Eizenstat, argues that Carter fought for America's energy independence, doubled the size of the national park system, and appointed "more minorities and women to judgeships and senior positions than all 38 presidents before him put together." Eizenstat's book is President Carter: The White House Years.

In the Spiel, the local radio scandal of Joe Benigno.

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Courting Politics Jul 31, 2018

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On The Gist, let's face it: A.I. and robots are going to take jobs from us humans.

Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination has restarted the debate on how we vet candidates and whether the Supreme Court is too easy to game. Lori Ringhand, a professor of law at the University of Georgia and an expert on the Supreme Court, explains how much the court has actually changed, or not, in our lifetime.

In the Spiel, three theories on how this whole Mueller investigation thing is going to end.

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They're More Bad Than We Are Good Jul 31, 2018

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On The Gist, sorry, not every product gets to be a lifestyle brand.

A few decades ago, it wasn't uncommon for voters to support the presidential candidate from one party and the senator from another. "Ticket-splitting" is pretty rare now, and as Alan Abramowitz argues, just one of the many signs of an America divided. Abramowitz's book is The Great Alignment Race, Party Transformation, and the Rise of Donald Trump.

In the Spiel, there may well be discrimination in college admissions offices. But let's face it: Top-notch schooling is available way beyond the Ivy League.

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The Pushback Artist Jul 28, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, do we really have to give up plastic straws?

Then, and more seriously: a look back on a recent episode.

On Wednesday, The Gist ran an interview with Allison Yarrow about 90s Bitch, her book about sexism in the age of 24-7 news coverage. And in the Spiel, Mike offered a rebuttal of sorts with statistics on the plight of women in the '80s versus the '90s. It improved, didn't it? A shrinking gender wage gap! Less domestic violence! Greater representation in the Senate! But some listeners said that wasn't the point, and took issue with the episode. Christina Cauterucci, June Thomas, and Veralyn Williams of the Waves (Slate's podcast on gender and feminism) join Mike to discuss the episode, the reactions, and the lessons learned.

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The Real Deep State Jul 27, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, the glee of seeing Facebook stock take a dive.

Imran Khan is poised to lead Pakistan as its next prime minister. The former cricket star campaigned on a promise of transparency, but his focus "is only on anti-corruption when it comes to finding ways to bring down political opponents," says Alyssa Ayres, formerly of Obama's State Department for South Asia. Ayres is the author of Our Time Has Come: How India Is Making Its Place in the World.

In the Spiel, how autocrats are starting to use the excuse of fake news.

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Lights, Camera, Sexism Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, let's imagine what's in that "enhanced" Michael Cohen tape.

Born in the 1990s, the 24-hour news cycle was especially unkind to women. The media of the age consistently bashed women's sexuality, ambition, and presentation of women such as Monica Lewinsky and Nancy Kerrigan (case in point: a Washington Post article that asked, "Is Nancy a bitch?"). Journalist Allison Yarrow explores this double-standard and its repercussions in her new book, 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality.

In the Spiel, that was an interesting interview, right? To go with it, Mike pulls statistics on the plight of American women in the '90s compared with the '80s.

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The BS! It's Everywhere! Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, President Trump's high approval ratings aren't as significant as they seem.

America is a playground for the rich, and that's in good part because of the expansion of lobbying that started in the 1970s. Steven Brill lays out the many ways in which power begets power in Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's Fifty-Year Fall—and Those Fighting to Reverse It.

In the Spiel, keeping track of Trump's bullshit claims is truly God's work.

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When Death Row Stalls Jul 23, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, we're proposing a 2018 Housing and Urban Development festival in Sonoma, California.

Convicted killer Scott Dozier was scheduled to become Nevada's first executed inmate since 2006, until the procedure was canceled with just hours to go. That wasn't a victory for Dozier, who has dropped his appeals and spoken out to the media—including Vice's Gianna Toboni—about his willingness to die.

In the Spiel, how our president reaches out to foreign leaders.

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Bobcat Revival Jul 20, 2018

Show notes

On The Gist, ideals are better when kept as general as possible because the more specific the get, the more exclusive they become.

Bobcat Goldthwait made a name for himself with an oddball stand-up act complete with shrieks, grunts, and experimental jokes. But some 10 years after burying that character, his latest work is as a writer and director. His TruTV anthology series, Misfits & Monsters, mashes up television tropes within the genres of horror and comedy.

In the Spiel, Zoe Chace explains why we should stop hoping for Republican senators to stop Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court appointment.

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