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Margaret Hoover, host of Firing Line on PBS, joins Michael and Asher to talk about working Hurricane Katrina from inside the Bush White House, how the Republican Party went off the rails, and confronting Bill O'Reilly on her own show. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:18 Giuliani Water and Kidney Stones 00:04:24 Morphine, Propofol, and Not Sleeping 00:09:29 Wikipedia Pages and Family Fact Checks 00:11:56 Security Clearance and Homeland Security 00:14:09 Hurricane Katrina from the White House 00:19:35 Herbert Hoover's Theory of Government 00:24:29 Great-Grandpa Hoover and Leaving the GOP 00:26:29 How the Bush White House Went Off the Rails 00:32:01 Understanding Evangelical Voters 00:34:55 Trump-Voting Family and Relatable Politicians 00:40:32 Bill O'Reilly and the Disgraced Men's Corner 00:46:08 Interviewing Marjorie Taylor Greene 00:49:43 Thom Tillis and the King's New Clothes 00:55:08 Fixing Congress and Running for Office 00:59:15 Grief, Family, and Slowing Down 01:03:13 Quirky New York and Colorado Sports 01:06:42 Competitive Swimming 01:11:41 TV, Books, and Endless Organizing 01:18:03 Recommendation: Ted Lasso Season 4 01:22:08 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Chloe Troast (Furious, SNL) joins Michael and Asher to talk about being the new kid at SNL, small planes, and her only shopping experience at Paragon Sports. Plus, a full-throated endorsement of a tiny ice cream maker. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:14 Being the New Kid at SNL 00:00:42 Paragon Sports 00:04:22 The Swimming Situationship 00:11:57 Chloe's Watery Death Wish 00:12:32 Was JFK Jr Asking For It? 00:19:04 Insulting Doppelgangers 00:25:30 Think About A Phone... 00:28:32 Chloe Troast, Former Painting Class Model 00:32:54 Why Asher Draws 00:34:40 Getting Recognized In Public 00:43:02 Musical Theater Kid Alert 00:47:33 Minored in Middle Eastern Studies 00:52:44 Michael Tutored Saida 00:55:04 Being the New Kid at SNL 01:00:30 Leaving SNL 01:10:43 Chloe in Furious 01:14:25 Full Throated Endorsement: Tiny Ice Cream Maker Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Eliana Kwartler (Late Show with Stephen Colbert) is the guest Asher and Michael thought they had to prepare the least for. We chat attachment theory, the school essay she wrote about 9/11, and what (if anything) she misses about dating men.  00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:21 Welcome Eliana Kwartler 00:01:14 Childhood Nicknames 00:03:06 Bullied, or the Bully? 00:09:57 Attachment Theory and "Attached" 00:16:05 Guessing Everyone's Attachment Style 00:20:31 Should Parents Control the Curriculum? 00:25:50 Philosophy Class: Turtles All the Way Down 00:29:29 Mary Oliver's "The Journey," From Memory 00:36:19 Reciting The Raven and Hamlet 00:38:07 Asher's Thousand Guinea Pigs 00:41:03 The Aunt Who Burned Down the House 00:43:30 Eliana's 9/11 Essay at Age Seven 00:46:52 Living Through History 00:50:17 Low Rise, Wide Leg 00:54:33 Where Does the Butt Crack Go? 00:59:07 Michael's Abu Dhabi Romper 01:01:25 Getting Naked in Restaurant Bathrooms 01:07:37 Anything Good About Dating Men? 01:12:50 Are Marvel Movies Straight Man Coded? 01:22:00 Full-Throated Endorsement: Custom Earplugs 01:27:03 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Paul Dinello (Strangers with Candy, Exit 57) stops by to discuss lifting calves, Psycho-Biddy films, and the Beatles Vs Bob Dylan.  00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:30 Intro and Housekeeping 00:01:32 Rocco vs. the Inflatable Chef 00:04:03 Can Alley: When Annoying Noises Become Funny 00:08:04 Rocco at The Late Show 00:10:35 Life After The Late Show 00:12:41 The Lindsay Lohan Oreo Commercial 00:16:04 Streaming Ads and the Pause Ad 00:19:44 Paul's Wikipedia Quote 00:22:38 Pull-Up Showdown 00:27:30 Getting Older and Forgetting Names 00:31:44 "I Have to Check With My Wife" 00:35:44 Milo and the Calf 00:40:33 The Milking Farm 00:43:37 Beatles vs. Dylan 00:47:16 Lovely Rita, Meter Maid 00:49:22 Marcus Aurelius' Meditations 00:54:31 Confidence 00:59:25 Fear of Failure and Writing to Deadline 01:02:14 Writing vs. Performing and the Joy of Collaboration 01:06:38 Full Throated Endorsement: Psycho-Biddy Movies 01:12:41 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Comedian Liza Treyger (Survival of the Thickest) joins Michael and Asher to talk about getting kicked by a stunt horse and which cartoon characters audiences most want to sleep with.  00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:22 Welcome Liza Treyger 00:00:35 The Super on the Ladder 00:03:48 Hamptons Birthday Weekend 00:05:31 Heads Up, Wavelength, and Game Night 00:09:28 Birthday Dinner and the Best Guinness in NYC 00:12:18 Dance Nights and the Dreaded Dance Circle 00:16:48 Cigarette Phases  00:19:08 Spice Girls Birthday 00:20:45 Chicago on Broadway and the Best Year Ever 00:23:14 Arthur Chains, Labubus, and Cute Dogs 00:27:10 Dogs conversation continued from earlier episodes 00:29:05 Cartoon Crushes 00:32:18 Getting Kicked by a Stunt Horse 00:35:00 Liza vs. the AI Guys 00:37:14 AI at the Doctor's Office 00:40:17 Will AI Replace Art? 00:48:46 Deleted Reviews 00:51:54 Sponsored Results, Surveillance Pricing, and Self-Checkout 00:57:43 The Regulars 01:00:50 Full-Throated Endorsement: Reading Books 01:08:17 Backgammon with Po Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Comedian George Civeris (StraightioLab, A Sense of Urgency) joins Michael and Asher to talk chronic health mysteries, hair loss science, and why Materialists secretly rules.  00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Welcome George 01:11 Minoxidil and Family Hair Genetics 02:54 George's Laundry List of Medical Problems 06:45 Hair Transplants, Bad Plugs, and Political Bald Spots 16:06 Hair Systems and the Patreon GoFundMe 20:00 Materialists vs Past Lives 22:55 Mortal Kombat 2 and the Case for Fun Bad Movies 26:41 Ranking the Best Picture Noms Gay to Straight 30:20 Prescreening Movies for Mom 32:01 Whatever Happened to Dodgeball Era Comedy 35:07 Is Game Night a Straight Movie? 38:43 The Gay Game Night Remake and Orchard Project Memories 41:56 George's Writer Not Actor Origin Story 43:08 Respecting Acting as a Craft 48:27 Touring Chaos: Green Rooms and Sound Checks 53:54 Segments, Episode Length, and Favorite Podcasts 1:01:46 Full Throated vs Mid Throated Endorsements 1:03:19 Mid Throat Endorsements: Drinks, Lotion, and Microplastics 1:12:47 Structured Hangouts vs Just Vibing 1:14:19 George's Full Throated Endorsement: Standup Specials 1:17:47 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows, Rocky Horror on Broadway) joins Michael and Asher for a real romp.  They alo get into rat sympathy, learning Wicked in Japanese, a spider infested computer, and Harvey's Netflix true crime podcast Killer Stories. 00:00 Cold Open 00:31 Housekeeping & Show Plugs 01:37 Meet Harvey Guillén 02:17 Covid on Watch What Happens Live 03:13 Broadway Understudies & Swings 06:04 Musical Theater School Stories 08:26 Central Park Breakdancers & Talent vs. Tenacity 11:04 Strict School Rules & the Late Policy 18:11 Aikido Spanking Stories 21:04 First Gig: Moving to Japan 27:22 Covid on Set with Susan Sarandon 32:42 Moving to NYC, LA, and Landing "Huge" 38:28 Broadway: The Hardest Job & Rocky Horror 41:44 The "You Look Great" Backhanded Compliment 47:11 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Rat Sympathy 52:11 The Spider Infested Computer 54:54 Do Flies Wash Their Hands? 56:15 The Orphan Sloth Video & Sherie Rene Scott 60:24 What's Next: Action Roles on Shadows 62:28 Killer Stories: Harvey's True Crime Podcast 66:41 Is New York Actually Scary? 72:00 Full Throated Endorsement: Seafood Boil Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Rachel Abrams (co-host of The Daily) joins the podcast to finally settle the debate: was E.T. slimy or dry? She also talks about her journey to becoming a host of The Daily, and gives a full-throated endorsement of the chicken at Medieval Times. 00:00:00 Cold Open: The Rocky Raccoon Weather Bit 00:00:28 Welcome to But Also, With Guest Rachel Abrams 00:01:03 Rachel's 17 Years in Journalism, From Variety to the Times 00:04:12 The Moonves Investigation and the Source Who Lost Everything 00:06:49 How Rachel Became a Host of The Daily 00:08:43 Michael's Wife Thinks Rachel Hosts The Daily Show 00:10:58 The Fake 49ers Player Scammer 00:12:18 Only Recognized as "Michael Barbaro" 00:14:38 The Craft of Sounding Natural on the Radio 00:19:10 Unconventional Paths Into the New York Times 00:23:18 Ira Glass's Advice on Leaning Into Humor 00:25:22 Finding Humor in Dark and Serious Stories 00:32:48 The Philosophy of Comedy and Truth 00:34:10 Segment: The Daily Quiz 00:40:36 Google Thinks Rachel Abrams Is Dead 00:41:15 Party Tricks: Presidents and Days of the Week 00:50:17 Rachel's Childhood Radio Career 00:52:33 Life After Late Night and Chasing Comedy Jobs 00:58:35 Ayahuasca, MDMA, and Psychedelic Confessions 01:04:15 Full Throated Endorsement: Medieval Times Chicken 01:10:37 Was E.T. Wet or Dry? The Spielberg Story 01:13:45 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Comedian Emmy Blotnick (What's Her Secret?) joins Michael and Asher for a debate on matcha v coffee, dueling theories on who really invented the hamburger, and a detour through museum size preferences. They also try to crack the mystery of a stranger's stuffed bell pepper texts before Emmy closes with a full throated endorsement of PBS Passport. 00:00:00 Cold open: the pepper tease 00:00:36 Matcha, coffee, and caffeine confessions 00:06:08 World Cup memories and soccer fandom 00:07:01 Finding fame later in life 00:09:37 Michael's Scooby-Doo tic 00:11:40 Childhood career dreams 00:12:55 Got Milk ads and the milk mustache debate 00:18:41 Modeling gigs gone wrong 00:22:59 Hometowns, pizza, and the hamburger debate 00:27:47 Niche museums we love 00:30:57 Stendhal syndrome and how Houdini died 00:35:35 Family heritage surprises 00:39:20 A West Wing detour and Hungarian food debate 00:46:41 Budapest, bathhouses, and Asher's beret era 00:50:26 Weirdest things we did as kids 00:56:26 Emmy's new special, What's Her Secret? 00:58:04 CSO nostalgia and the special's reception 01:00:38 Community notes and getting corrected online 01:04:46 Celebrities who avoid social media and Instagram anxiety 01:08:21 Bell pepper texts and other side quests 01:15:07 Full throated endorsement: PBS Passport 01:18:42 Outro and the pepper challenge Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Four shrimp for $30, a Fightmaster obsession, zero eye contact...D'Arcy Carden gets weird with us, and it rules. We cover a scientific breakdown of why spoilers don't ruin anything, a deep dive into her music obsession, an invented facial expression that might be a medical marvel, and a full-throated defense of $4-a-shrimp cocktail. Also - wink theory, The Odyssey discourse, and one hotel-hallway flex.  0:00 - Mickey Mouse Ears Cold Open 0:30 - Meet D'Arcy Carden 1:19 - The Severance Head Space 2:55 - The Favorite Poem Challenge 5:36 - The Surprise Apostrophe Origin Story 9:00 - Press Tour Outfit Confessions 11:30 - Do You Actually Like Doing Press? 15:11 - The Great Spoiler Debate 19:47 - Down the Gru Rabbit Hole 25:36 - Wink vs. Blink Showdown 33:52 - Inventing the Chin Cleft Trick 37:40 - Podcast Rotos & Hardcore History 43:27 - Fightmaster Fandom & Death Cab Deep Cuts 54:20 - The F**k-It Bucket Tradition 56:16 - Why Are There Still New Songs? 1:04:41 - Hot Takes on The Odyssey 1:10:13 - Full-Throated Endorsement: Shrimp Cocktail 1:15:58 - Happy Birthday, Willa & Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Gary Gulman is a stand up comedian known for acclaimed stand up specials The Great Depresh, Grandiloquent, and Born on 3rd Base. He talks to Asher and Michael about turning down endorsement deals, a cataract surgery that gave him 20/20 vision overnight, and the ethics of corporate gigs and sponsorships. He endorses John Steinbeck's East of Eden. 0:00:00 Cold Open 0:00:19 Intro 0:00:51 Turning Down Gigs and Selling Out 0:06:05 The Cataract Lens "Miracle" 0:07:34 Sponsorship Ethics, Palantir and Weight Watchers 0:12:00 Corporate Gigs and Second City 0:14:45 Grandiloquent, Born on Third Base and the New Tour 0:17:23 Building a Themed Show and the "Cracker Moment" 0:20:42 Comedy During a "Fascist Takeover" 0:27:12 Confidence, Ignorance and Dunning-Kruger 0:29:58 Celtics Fan, Knicks Finals Run 0:33:05 Playing Basketball Together 0:38:40 Reenacting NBA Games Alone 0:41:41 Biking, E-Bikes and the Shattering Helmet 0:44:06 Acting, Life & Beth and Training 0:48:35 Last Comic Standing and the Touring Struggle 0:52:08 The State Abbreviations Joke and the "Documentary" 0:55:17 The Omelet Chef 0:57:44 The Psych Ward and the Great Depression Special 1:00:17 Night Staff, Validation and Ending a Set Early 1:08:43 The Gary Goldman No-Show Story 1:09:58 East of Eden Full-Throated Endorsement 1:18:46 Wrap-Up and Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Aaron Jackson (Dicks: The Musical, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, Author of The Astonishing Life of August March) joins Michael and Asher to discuss Patti LuPone,  Bruce Springsteen's eating habits, and the true difference between jealousy and envy. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:14 Welcome Aaron Jackson 00:03:23 Nick at Nite Nostalgia 00:06:39 NYPD Nuts 00:07:05 Podcast Swag 00:08:44 Aaron's Dance Background 00:09:52 Colonial Williamsburg 00:12:08 Ballet Class Stories 00:18:59 Springsteen & Patti LuPone 00:21:13 Heckler Etiquette 00:23:13 Cell Phones in Theater 00:26:03 Hakuna Matata 00:29:51 Back to Springsteen 00:31:28 One Meal a Day 00:35:05 Gum Clown 00:44:08 Longhand vs Computer 00:45:52 $400 Million Hypothetical 00:51:34 Jealousy as Motivator 00:52:04 Jealousy vs Envy 00:54:19 Movie Premiere Story 00:56:35 Too High at the Premiere 01:00:54 How Newsy Is Aaron 01:01:47 DSA Primaries 01:10:20 Princess Diana Beanie Baby 01:15:43 Disney Background Check 01:17:38 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Jen Spyra is a writer whose work has been featured in the New Yorker. She was a senior writer at the Onion and also wrote for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for four seasons. She joins us for a conversation about catchin d while havin' cancer, how gossip is good, and cowards in the republican party. 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:30 Welcome to But Also 00:01:03 Life in the Samurai Hole 00:02:05 The "F*****g It Out" Coffee Shop Ritual 00:06:17 Coffee Shops vs. Libraries 00:08:33 Pomodoro, Phone Bricks, and Deadlines 00:12:57 The Saratoga Springs Writer's Retreat 00:14:15 On Being Around "Real" Writers 00:15:57 Cancer in High School 00:22:44 Dads, Weight, and the Wisconsin Pizza Years 00:27:08 Obsession, Wish Fulfillment, and Black Mirror 00:30:15 Critiquing Other People's Work Publicly 00:32:40 The MFA and Getting Mad 00:35:31 Improv Team Scapegoats 00:40:19 Everything Is Copy 00:45:32 The 65 Coats Theory 00:47:33 In Defense of Gossip 00:53:15 Why Jen Is a Good Hang 00:56:38 The Teleprompter Betting Scandal 01:01:25 Sports Betting Morality 01:07:28 Nobody Will Say Who Won 2020 01:12:06 Unrelatable Liars and Permanent Legacies 01:14:57 Full Throated Endorsement: TURN 01:20:23 Outro Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Josh Gondelman joins Michael and Asher to talk apartment disasters, sneaker culture, insurance mascots, and the books he can't stop recommending. 0:00 Cold Open/Intro 0:58 The Great Apartment Flood 6:23 "Freak My Sneaks" 9:10 Pimp My Ride Ruined People's Lives 11:50 Jake From State Farm and J.K. Simmons 17:24 Josh's Twitter Pep Talk Era 20:05 The Modern Seinfeld Twitter Account 21:53 Getting Typecast After One Big Job 26:37 Why SubwayTakes Can't Be Cloned 28:03 Furniture Assembly and Contractor Disasters 33:46 We’re Eating It 36:11 The Sandwich Line  40:03 Would You Hand Over Your Watch? 42:40 The Wrong Sandwich 44:31 Forbidden Egg Rolls and Gefilte Fish 46:55 Josh's Bar Mitzvah on Masada 51:16 Keeping Jewish Traditions His Own Way 56:29 Restaurant Pacing and Wine Standoffs 59:20 Optimistic Josh 1:01:45 The Pressure of Being Too Nice 1:06:37 What Josh Tells New Comedians 1:10:28 Full Throated Endorsements Segment 1:11:04 Josh's Wife Picks His Books 1:15:07 Josh's Current Reading Pile 1:17:44 Outro / Goodbyes Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio

Rachel Antonoff is a fashion designer, dog lover, and has strong feelings about plungers. But Also is produced by Suite Tea Studio 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:30 Convincing Michael to Get a Dog 00:05:15 Frantic Vet Emails to Dr. Thompson 00:08:14 Talking to Pets in Weird Voices 00:10:56 Show Tunes and the Miss Saigon Obsession 00:12:03 Playing Annie at the JCC 00:13:41 Fiddler on the Roof: Topol vs. Zero Mostel 00:15:01 Rachel's Fashion Brand and the Tevye Bit 00:21:12 Theatrical Fashion Shows and Pink Phones 00:23:10 Fashion Trends: Big Shorts and Big Pants 00:24:03 Designing for Comfort (and Pockets) 00:25:54 The Great Crocs Debate 00:29:48 Sexual Harassment Seminar Stories 00:32:26 The Harris Wittels Story 00:34:00 DARE and Being a Rule Follower 00:36:48 Bullying, Pranks, and the Camp Dance 00:44:56 The Late Show Wrap Party Dance Floor 00:49:26 Self-Consciousness About Photos 00:52:17 Braces, Retainers, and Invisalign 00:55:40 Looksmaxing, Goofing, and Fart Rooms 01:00:37 Full-Throated Endorsements: Dogs on the Internet and AI Margaret 01:03:27 Endorsement: Hotel Bathroom Design 01:05:29 Endorsement: Don't Clean Before Guests 01:08:58 Endorsement: Psyllium Husk 01:11:06 Endorsement: Single-Use Plungers 01:15:19 Outro and Credits Support the show But Also is Produced and Edited by Suite Tea Studio