This week, Devin and Amy discuss the Elia Kazan-directed 1957 film “A Face in the Crowd.” They discuss why the film counts as a real “American” picture and what it has to say about the new mass media. Then they cover the similarities between Lonesome Roads and presidential candidate Donald Trump before praising Patricia Neal’s pure charm. Finally, they talk Elia Kazan’s skills as an actors’ director and why you must think you are the center of the universe to run for president. Does “A Face in the Crowd” deserve a place in the Canon? Cast your vote on the Earwolf forums!

This episode is sponsored by Nuisance Committee, MVMT Watches, and AMC Networks.

Welcome back to Home for the Holidays with your hosts Abby Joe Dunce (Betsy Sodaro) and Brett Dunce (Dave Theune)! It’s the only seasonal program where we bring back someone home for the holidays. This week is a very special episode in which Abby and Brett welcome home their sister Amy who left Lake Michigan 6 years ago to pursue her dream as a makeup artist to the stars. Later, Traci Reardon stops by to offer advice to her Twitter followers about holiday traditions in another edition of “Help Me, Rhonda.”

This episode is brought to you by Modcloth and BioClarity.

Dylan Marron (Seriously.TV, Welcome To Night Vale) and Andrew Heaton (Mostly Weekly) swing by the studio to talk about the Vice white guys debate, the Donald’s tax returns and the first veto override of Obama’s presidency. Plus, Negin recaps the most embarrassing things the Senate has done lately.

This episode is brought to you by DecodeDC, Hello Fresh, and Stamps.com.

Leslie Grossman and Adam O’Byrne join Ronna and Beverly this week to dig into the Amanda Knox documentary. Plus, Spaghetti-O’s made a friend in the park!

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace and Third Love.

Nicolle Wallace is a power player in Republican politics: she was communications chief for George W. Bush and a senior advisor on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. In this episode, she talks to David about what it was like working with Sarah Palin, and what they might have gotten wrong in trying to change her public image.

Also, David Gregory does a pretty good W. impression.

Comedian and actor Johnny Pemberton (“Son of Zorn”) joins the Sklars this week to explain why luck doesn’t exist in showbusiness. Randy and Jason asses the threat of a gorilla suit at a football game and theorize as to why Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham might need a loaded gun in an airport.  Later, Johnny explains why he’s so good at acting against an animated character and how a childhood illness allowed him to follow his dreams. Finally, British sports reporter Jesse Thorne stops in to give the lowdown on recent sports happenings across the pond.

This episode is sponsored by Texture.

Hannibal Buress announces his new podcast “Handsome Rambler,” coming soon to Earwolf!

Bitch Sesh TV connoisseur Shira Caspe-Weiss is back with Casey and Danielle to discuss her new reality TV finds and to give some controversial life tips (that you should not try at home). They also discuss Shannon’s shrimp play, Kelly’s heaving breasts and whether Amanda Knox is a cold blooded killer or just awkward.

Are you “The Lighthouse” or just a sad dingy out at sea? Listen and find out.

This episode is brought to you by Psychic Source, Texture, and Sun Basket.

This week Bryan and Erin share their harrowing New York Horror Story meeting two real life Trump supporters and surviving Guy Fieri’s restaurant. Also, deplorable Youtube “personality” NoBiggie decided to prank his gay friend in a homophobic video which has sparked rage amongst the internet, and beautiful National Parks have turned into a garbage nightmare after an exposé has come out showing 18 incidents of harassment occurring without any action being taken. Oh god!

Thomas L. Friedman has been writing Op-Eds in the New York Times for 21 years and he still sees column ideas everywhere. He joins Katie to discuss our autumn of discontent and the profound sense of “stuckness” he believes many Americans feel. They talk about globalization, the election, and the increasingly blurred line between politics and entertainment. Plus, was NAFTA a good or a bad thing?

This episode is brought to you by The Great Courses and Stamps.com.

Flying high with Paul Gilmartin.

This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter, Mott & Bow, and Casper Mattresses.

Come see us at the Now Hear This podcast festival: nowhearthisfest.com

Actor Chris Chalk (Gotham) returns to inspire some feelings this week with Kevin and Kamau. They discuss the latest Denzel news and talk about Kamau’s pie-baking hobby before checking out the new trailer for Denzel’s movie “Fences.” Then they share perspectives on Nate Parker’s “Birth of a Nation” and the recent controversies surrounding it.

This episode is sponsored by MVMT Watches and Harry’s.

Part Two of the live edition from the 2016 Del Close Marathon arrives with Gavin Spieller, Chad Carter, Tim Martin, Adam Frucci, Brian McCann, and Shannon O’Neill! They build a film set around a four hundred foot canoe, share their summer exploits on the first day of school, and celebrate a visit from Pla-Santa. Then they get some assistance from the Callback Cyborg and ask the priest to fix mom and dad’s marriage before finding out what it means to major in media.

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace and Now Hear This.

Vice President Joe Biden (Seth Morris) is amped to be on Hard Nation, dropping knowledge about the three types of animals, his superhuman levels of testosterone and his relationship with Lady Gaga. Plus: Mark & Pete remember their titty-twister war.

This episode is brought to you by DecodeDC.

Comedian Rhea Butcher joins Howard and Kulap for this week’s episode of Who Charted! Stard tells of his voyages across Germany and the gang reflects on Paris Hilton’s DJ career before they count down Spotify’s Top 5 Viral Songs. Then they try to figure out the last undeniably good Tim Burton film during the Movie Chart, and Howard shares a personal tale of Vin Scully’s last game before Stard doles out some Euro-gifts during Two Charted.

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace and Casper Mattresses.

Actor, writer, and comedian D’Lo joins Andrew to talk about current trends including a mail order bride sitcom, Tim Burton explaining why Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children features a predominantly white cast, and much more. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Season 2 of FRUIT is now available on Howl.  To hear episode 1 go to howl.fm and use promo code FRUIT at checkout for 1- month FREE.

From Issa Rae, creator of the new show Insecure on HBO, FRUIT is a fresh new serialized audio drama about a professional football player named X who is struggling to figure out who he really is – no easy feat in the alpha-male dominated industry of pro football. “Set to shift the paradigm of podcasting,” according to Forbes, FRUIT recounts X’s journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration, both on and off the field.

London Calling! (or somewhere in England) Our caller works in the film industry, and in general she’s a pretty happy person…except when her phone is being monitored by Jar Jar Binks, or when 10,000 pounds disappear. (That’s GBP, y’all!)

This episode is brought to you by Mailchimp, Stamps.com, Grommet, and Insecure on HBO.

Writer Mike Benner joins Jensen and guest co-host Ali Segel to talk about Dolly Parton at the Hollywood Bowl, Bob’s Burgers, Avi On Fire, Air Credits collabo between Show You Suck and Hood Internet, how we were late on My Favorite Murder podcast, and many more things you should know about.

This episode is brought to you by Beach Body On Demand, Casper Mattresses, and Indochino.

Earwolf millennial Kevin Bartelt joins Emily and guest co-host Amy Phillips to talk about whether millennials are afraid of commitment, millennial fashion, and the idea of subtweeting someone. Plus, they figure out why millennials hate on baby boomers’ rate of Facebook posting when they post just as often on Snapchat.

Hayes is in the studio with famous young comedian BRANDON WARDELL to talk about computers and doing Tough Mudder while Sean calls in from abroad.

Comedian Kyle Kinane returns to the County this week to regale the Sklars with a Sonic Burger Adventure. We hear stories from Daniel Van Kirk about a pig-mask wearing couple that shot lasers at Pokemon hunters, how the Bee Gees saved the life of school principal, and a trucker who met the love of his life after reading her number in a toilet stall. Plus, Kyle spills on the worst stand-up audience member ever, and D.R. Tuttle rings in to reflect on his Viking River Cruise.

This episode is sponsored by DecodeDC, Casper Mattresses, Jack Threads, and Texture.

Psychedelics, maaaaan! Gateway to the inside of your miiiiiiiind! Enemy of the maaaaan, maaaaan! Also, a thing that’s been around for so long in human history, we don’t even have an accurate date for when our ancestors started doing them. They’ve just been, for all we know, a common way to explore, escape and seek spiritual oneness for hundreds of thousands of years.

Some great stuff has been conceived of while on psychedelics: while on LSD, Francis Crick conceived of the double-helix shape of DNA, Steve Jobs cites LSD as one of the major influences of his life’s work, and some biblical scholars think the Bible may have been written with the aid of some magic mushrooms. So why does the government hate the stuff? Especially as more research is coming out that says that psilocybin (the active ingredient in mushrooms) does wonders for the terminally ill and MDMA may be the key to curing PTSD.

On this week’s podcast Jack O’Brien enlists the help of comic Shane Mauss and Cracked editor Robert Evans to find out. First Jack and Shane examine some of the medicinal effects of psychedelics, from mushrooms to DMT to MDMA, and talk about how America’s war on drugs is prohibiting important research into these areas. Later, Robert Evans calls in to discuss how some ancient cultures got high and how an individual’s reaction to drugs may not be chemical, but cultural.

Also, make sure to come see our THREE live shows this October!

First, at 9pm on Thursday, October 6th at the UCB Sunset Inner Sanctum, Jack O’Brien and Daniel O’Brien take a behind-the-scenes look at America’s most under-appreciated profession: teachers. Along with the cast of TruTV’s ‘Those Who Can’t’ and some real-life teachers who would like to remain anonymous, they’ll take a look at the secret and alcohol-fueled lives of the people who we entrust to mold the minds of our nation’s youth. Tickets are FREE, but it’s first come, first serve, so make sure to arrive early. More info is available here: https://goo.gl/XcGndb

Next, at 7pm on Saturday, October 8th at the UCB Sunset Theatre, Jack O’Brien and Nick Mundy co-host a sequel to last year’s Halloween episode. Cracked’s Tom Reimann and comedians Eric Lampaert, Anna Seregina and Ryan Singer guest to share more real-life stories of death, disappearance and potentially the great beyond. Tickets are $5 and available here: https://goo.gl/wTyocv

Finally, you can see us on Saturday, October 29th at the Now Hear This podcast festival in Anaheim, California. We’re on an amazing lineup with other podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron, Doug Loves Movies, I Was There Too and Superego. Use promo code CRACKED to get 25% off 3-day GA passes. Tickets and information available here: https://goo.gl/R8gzMX

Footnotes:

Shane’s Website: https://goo.gl/QvIFeB

Shane’s Podcast, ‘Here We Are’: https://goo.gl/S4FgA5

Robert’s Book, ‘A Brief History of Vice’: https://goo.gl/LcVmEv

Business Insider: Yes, Bayer Promoted Heroin for Children: https://goo.gl/z4LC0K

Scholarly Article: The Five-Factor Theory of Personality: https://goo.gl/MiUTBo

The Big Five Personality Test: https://goo.gl/13RfI0

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy: https://goo.gl/T71TtO

MAPS: Ego Death & Psychedelics: https://goo.gl/QlJb8L

Kids Take the Marshmallow Test: https://goo.gl/HR1uK1

Natural History: Epigenetics and the Dutch Hunger Winter: https://goo.gl/ywxsto

The New Yorker: The Trip Treatment: https://goo.gl/aLu7bR

Sebastian Junger, ‘Tribe’: https://goo.gl/W8bVWY

Cracked: 4 Awful Ways Our Ancestors Got High: https://goo.gl/2anEd8

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace and Casper Mattresses.

Let this week’s episode be a song that draws you in. You’ll be okay.

Credits
Arnie/Robot Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Ursula the Siren: Lindsey Smith
Richard Seashanty and Pilk: Derek Dupuy and Mike Spara
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi

Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi
Editor: Garrett Schultz
Theme Music: Andy Poland
Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban
Audio Assistance: Jason Knox
Production Assistance: Garrett Schultz

This episode is brought to you by Cards Against Humanity.

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes every single person on Earth and in space to this week’s episode of Spontaneanation! This week, Paul’s special guest is hilarious actor/improviser Eugene Cordero of Other Space and Kong: Skull Island! They chat whether silent films had to be pitched in the ’20s,  what was behind Eugene’s childhood fear of heights, and ’90s R&B. Paul is then joined by Tim Baltz, Carla Cackowski, and Amanda Lund to improvise a story set in a Warehouse. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!

See Spontaneanation LIVE at the Now Hear This Festival on October 30th & at Largo on November 5th! Get your tickets at paulftompkins.com/live!

This episode is brought to you by Leesa.com, Seeso, and MVMT Watches.

Actor Kevin Daniels (Modern Family, Sirens) thinks Hamilton is the most inspiring piece of theatre he’s ever seen. He’s particularly amazed by the sheer amount of story that the Hamilton cast members pack into every performance. He tells Travon and Mike about crying to “It’s Quiet Uptown” and they croon along to “You’ll Be Back.” And we want to know: what piece of American history do you wish had a Hamilton song? We want to hear you sing it. Give us a ring at 937-9MYSHOT.

Master of Modern Horror, Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead makes his first appearance on this week’s Comedy Bang! Bang! Robert and Scott chat about the upcoming season of The Walking Dead, how young is too young to watch scary TV and movies, and what else doesn’t exist in The Walking Dead universe. Then, financial planner Doug Gropes returns to help Scott and Robert change their life for the positive by sharing each other’s bank accounts. Plus, we celebrate the birthday of 110-year-old Jean Clattern thanks to her great grandson Mart.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, Stamps.com, and SeatGeek.

Come see us at the Now Hear This podcast festival: nowhearthisfest.com

Special guest and writer for FX’s “You’re the Worst” Eva Anderson joins Devin and Amy this week to review the 1956 film “The Bad Seed.” They explore the pop psychology of the film as well as the many layers of Patty McCormack’s performance before discussing generational parallels the movie brings to the forefront. Finally, the gang debates the value of camp in the horror genre. Does “The Bad Seed” belong in the Canon? Cast your vote on the Earwolf forums!

This episode is sponsored by Now Hear This, Universal Pictures, and Shudder.

Join Casey and Danielle for a live show at Largo that goes deep and gets dark… or DANK. The girls rock out to LOCK, read a text exchange known as “Ghost Post” and try to comprehend the boots on the ground. With special guests Brian Moylan (Vulture Housewives Recaps) and Deanna Cheng (OMFG! Podcast). Also enjoy the debut of a Funny or Die video about turning up… but also being very tired.

This episode is brought to you by The Zoe Report Box of Style, Havenly, and Third Love.