The Gist

Latest Episodes:

Somewheres vs. Anywheres Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

Over the last few years, the meaningful fault line between political camps has separated people rooted to certain places and people rooted to certain ideas. David Goodhart says the anywheres have become too dominant, and the somewhere have rightly felt excluded. How can we bridge the divide? Goodhart's book is The Road to Somewhere.

In the Spiel, speak loudly domestically and you might hurt your credibility. Speak loudly internationally and you might end civilization.

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The Social Experiment on TV Aug 07, 2017

Show notes

Be bold, but not arrogant. Apologize when wrong, but don't accept blame. Stay calm in a crisis. These are some of the lessons Mike Richards has learned hosting GSN's Divided, the social experiment masquerading as a game show.

In the Spiel, why the Dow is for fuddy-duddies.

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Maria Bamford Wants to See Emotion Aug 04, 2017

Show notes

Maria Bamford has been making top comedian lists for years, but she knows her stand-up isn't for everyone: "I can bomb any moment of the week, any day." On The Gist, she rebuts Mike's assertion that comics are more likely to struggle with depression. Bamford also explains why she wishes ESPN's postgame analysis were swapped out for televised confessional booths for the athletes. Her new Netflix show is Lady Dynamite.

In the Spiel, Mike reads some of the mail responding to his takedown of the term white privilege and names another Lobstar.

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The Scaramucci Tapes Aug 03, 2017

Show notes

It's a special combo Gist, with an interview and Spiel rolled into one segment: Zoe Chace, producer for This American Life, digs up some old audio from one of her conversations with Anthony Scaramucci. The tape is from 2016, when the Mooch was pondering whether to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign. What Scaramucci said back then may indicate what he'll do next.

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A Video Game Thoreau Might Play Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

What would you expect from a video game inspired by Henry David Thoreau's sojourn in the woods? In Walden, a game, players can contemplate the forest, go boating with Ralph Waldo Emerson, and practice civil disobedience. The game was developed by the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California. Lab Director Tracy Fullerton explains why she thinks Thoreau might have liked the game.

In the Spiel, our faith in the military might not be blind, but it is blinkered.

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No Hard Feelings Aug 01, 2017

Show notes

Psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett is the grand inquisitor of human emotions. Her book, How Emotions Are Made, inspired a big chunk of the latest season of NPR's Invisibilia. Barrett says scientific research shows that emotions are highly variable and utter creations of our minds. Some of her resulting conclusions may surprise you.

In the Spiel, Mike goes there: white privilege and rape culture.

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How to Beat a Casino Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

A few years ago, an unassuming young woman named Kelly Sun teamed up with Phil Ivey, the world's most famous poker player. Using some questionable strategies, the two managed to win millions of dollars from casinos across the world. Now the casinos are saying what they did is cheating, and they're trying to get their money back in court. Reporter Rose Eveleth tells Sun and Ivey's story in a new audio documentary, A Queen of Sorts, part of the ESPN podcast series 30 for 30.

In the Spiel, yeah, no, #NoConfederate.

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Alan Alda Seeks Clarity Jul 28, 2017

Show notes

Alan Alda's new book is called If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? The title comes from his own bad experiences talking to doctors and other science professionals, including one that screwed up his smile for years. "We need to get people talking like people…it's all about empathy," says the actor, who also founded the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. In The Spiel, why we should actually care about the bizarre Scaramucci–New Yorker interview.

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They Called Him Son of Sam Jul 27, 2017

Show notes

Tom Jennings dug through hours of archival media footage to tell the story of Son of Sam, the serial killer who terrorized New York City in 1976 and 1977. The resulting documentary is part of the Smithsonian Channel's Lost Tapes series. The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam airs Sunday on the Smithsonian Channel.

Also, a breakdown of the Boy Scouts' apology for Donald Trump's jamboree speech.

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How Democrats Condescend to the White Working Class Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

According to Joan C. Williams, about a third of the country feels talked down to. These are the white working class folks, the people who went for Trump, the people who feel that terms like disruption just mean more hassle and pain. "We can't expect people to have elite values if we don't give them elite lives," says Williams. She's the author of the book White Working Class.

For the Spiel, why does everyone sound like Goodfellas while doing an Anthony Scaramucci impression?

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