Comedy

The Political Orphanage

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

Latest Episodes:

Paul McCartney for Chief of Walpole! (Friday Release Valve) Aug 14, 2020

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Travis Irvine joins Heaton to sort out the week's best, underserved headlines, including musical bratwurst, robot dolphins, and the greatest film you will never ever see!

Brace Yourself for Kamala Harris Aug 12, 2020

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Kamala Harris just won the veepstakes to become Joe Biden's running mate. How's she going to shake up the election? Where does she stand ideologically and on policy? Justin Robert Young of "Politics Politics Politics" joins to suss out the California senator.

The English Are Arming Baboons (Friday Release Valve) Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

(NSFK) Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly of "Matt and Mattingly's Ice Cream Social" join Heaton to unpack the best headlines of the week, including a goat that refuses to wear a mask and whether or not Planet of the Apes is actually set to begin in Surrey, England.

Cass Sunstein on Smarter Regulations and Less Conformity Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Cass Sunstein gained international notoriety for his book "Nudge," about habits and choice architecture. He then worked as the regulatory czar for the Obama administration--the regulator who regulates regulations. His latest book is "Conformity: The Power of Social Influences." He joins Heaton to discuss how behavioral economics can shape smart policy without limiting individual freedom, and how conformity makes groups collectively dumber.

Joaquin Phoenix Hostage Scenario (Friday Release Valve) Jul 31, 2020

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(NSKF) Comedians Turner Sparks and Andrea Jones-Rooy return to make sense of the week's best, funniest, underserved headlines, from solving neighbor disputes with a chains, to the biggest threat to Venetian gondolas, to how water balloons can be productively used in deliberative bodies.

America Had a Coup in 2010 Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

Gerrymandering is a fun, time-honored way to rig elections on behalf of incumbents and political parties over irritants like competitive democracy. In 2010 it became industrialized. Or, rather, digitized--which had far-reaching impacts on American politics. Heaton speaks with Barak Goodman and Chris Durrance, co-directors of "Slay The Dragon," a film about a major coup in American political history.

I AM RUNNING IN 2020! Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

After much personal thought and rank media speculation, I have at last decided to run in 2020. This episode includes:

-My campaign kickoff

-One of the finest spontaneous vice presidential stump speeches in all of human history -My official campaign announcement and subsequent interview with Justin Robert Young on "Politics Politics Politics"

You're Doing the Culture War Wrong Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

The Culture War isn't between the Left and the Right--it's just portrayed that way because most people have been taught to understand all conflicts as Red Team vs. Blue Team. There's definitely a Culture War afoot, but the flashpoint and fault lines aren't between liberals and conservatives.

The Outer Limits of Hot Dog-Eating Contests (Friday Release Valve) Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

(SNFK) Comedian Mahesh Kotagi and playwright Jeremy Kareken join Friday Release Valve to sort out the week's funnier headlines, including a scientific report on the maximum amount of hot dogs one human could conceivably consume in ten minutes, what to do if your town is overwhelmed by polar bears, and the lengths Queen Elizabeth II will go to shore up her finances during a sluggish tourism season.

Rutger Bregman: "Lord of the Flies" Got Things Wrong Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Rutger Bregman is the author of "Humankind: A Hopeful History," which refutes the central premise of Thomas Hobbes and countless pessimistic legislative agendas: that human beings are, deep down, selfish monsters. He joins Heaton to discuss how to build society for the majority of its cooperative people, instead of to counteract the few fringe sociopaths.

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