Offline with Jon Favreau is a different kind of Sunday show – a chance to step away from our Twitter-fueled news cycles to hear smarter, lighter conversations about all the ways that our extremely online existence is shaping everything from politics and culture to the how we live, work, and interact with one another. After more than a dozen conversations with guests like Stephen Colbert, Monica Lewinsky, Jia Tolentino, and Roxane Gay, it’s clear that people want these conversations to continue – that they’re interested in figuring out how we can regain control over our chaotic, hyperconnected world. That’s why Offline is here to stay. In the coming months, Jon will dig deeper into the internet abyss and beyond, exploring new topics with new guests from the worlds of news, politics, entertainment, sports, business, and more. Join Jon each week as he asks us to put down our screens, grab our headphones, and figure out how to live happier, healthier lives, both on and offline.
An Ex-Tucker Carlson Employee Tells All
Tina Nguyen, national correspondent at Puck News, joins Offline to talk about her new memoir, “The MAGA Diaries.” The book sheds light on the conservative movement’s college recruitment pipeline, and how it’s propelled a new generation of alt-right leaders to the upper echelons of American politics, courts, and social movements. Tina chronicles how this shadowy network helped her start out in the world of right-wing journalism, what compelled her to eventually defect to the mainstream, and all the MAGA mad caps she met along the way.But first! Jon and Max take a look at Sora, the new AI model that can turn text into video, Jon Stewart, who’s back to hosting the Daily Show after 9 years away from the desk, and Favs himself — when will Jon learn to stay out of Twitter fights? For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/25/2024 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 9 seconds
The Neuroscience of Why We’re Susceptible to Lies, Outrage, and Fascism
Cass Sunstein, Harvard professor and coauthor of the forthcoming book, Look Again, joins Offline to discuss the dangers of habituation. When things become so commonplace that they blend into the background of our everyday lives, we stop appreciating the good and identifying the bad. Jon and Cass examine how authoritarian regimes are normalized, whether you can pay people to quit their social media addictions, and why repeating lies makes them more believable. But first! Max and Jon dive into Meta’s decision to stop recommending political content on their platforms, President Biden’s foray onto TikTok, and what a recent Selena Gomez deepfake means for the future of scamming. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/18/2024 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 23 seconds
Authoritarians or A-holes? Kara Swisher on Tech's Biggest Egos
Kara Swisher, longtime tech reporter and author of the forthcoming memoir Burn Book, joins Offline to talk about the tech tycoons who think they’re qualified to run our country. She and Jon break down Silicon Valley’s ever growing self importance, whether its leaders are more or less fascist than we think, and how big tech ate the media industry alive. But first! Max and Jon explain why Apple’s Vision Pro headset is the company’s most impressive—and depressing—gadget to date, and how Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are saving American monoculture. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/11/2024 • 56 minutes, 46 seconds
What's Really Behind the Media Apocalypse?
Peter Hamby, host of Snapchat’s Good Luck America and a founding partner at Puck News, returns to Offline to discuss whether journalism is headed towards extinction. With the latest round of media layoffs hollowing out the industry more than ever before, how will people stay informed—and do they even want to? Has the news lost its primacy in the American mind? But first! Max and Jon break down Zuckerberg & co.‘s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, why children’s online safety is the social media moguls’ achilles heel, and whether Universal Music pulling their catalogue from TikTok is actually a big deal. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/4/2024 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 13 seconds
Are Algorithms Making You Boring?
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker staff writer and author of “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture,” joins Offline to expose how online feeds push us into the mainstream and away from each other. He and Jon examine how machine-guided curation changes not only what we consume, but the quality of what gets made in the first place. But first! Max and Jon talk about how introverts have taken over the economy, the moment solo scrolling surpassed socializing, and how algorithm-driven streamers are recreating a worse version of cable. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/28/2024 • 52 minutes, 49 seconds
Were Trump’s Opponents Too Online? Plus, R. F. Kuang on Her Twitter Era Novel
R. F. Kuang, bestselling author of Yellowface, joins Offline to discuss cultural appropriation, the flatness of social media friendships and feedback, and the tortured relationship between literature and technology. Kuang recounts how pandemic doomscrolling destroyed her attention span, the book she wrote as a result, and how she’s reclaimed her focus and social life since. But first! Jon is FINALLY back from his two weeks of paternity leave — he and Max break down how Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy ran their campaigns like a 2016 meme war. Then, they compare the unsettling voice of AI Dean Phillips to the unsettling voice of human Dean Phillips, and unpack why no one is happy with Substack these days. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/21/2024 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 58 seconds
The Science of Achieving (and Enjoying) Your New Year’s Resolution
Katy Milkman, Wharton professor and author of How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, joins Offline to discuss the limits of willpower. Katy and Max dig into the science behind habit formation, the psychology of temptation bundling, and all the strategies for sticking to New Year’s resolutions that are more effective—and more fun—than sheer will. But first! Crooked staffers Gabby, David and Ben join Max for a quick and snappy panel on their own resolutions for 2024, and what they’ve learned about changing their behavior in years past.
1/14/2024 • 52 minutes, 54 seconds
Dry January, Cali Sober, Soft Sober: Why Gen Z is Breaking Up With Booze
Maybe, your friend announced they’re not drinking anymore, or your sister’s now “California Sober,” or maybe your entire office is participating in Dry January. It’s not just you, going sober is the hot new thing, with 41% of Americans aged 18 to 35 saying they don’t drink at all. Today, we explore the changes in drinking culture, in how we think about wellness and health, in how we socialize and spend our free time, and yes, changes in technology, that are converging to make America sober. Max interviews three Crooked Media producers about their relationship with alcohol and then talks to Dr. Edward Slingerland, an expert on humanity’s relationship with alcohol, about why humans drink and what changed about alcohol and our world to make more people choose sobriety. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/7/2024 • 1 hour, 7 minutes, 44 seconds
Millennials v. Gen Z, Twitter v. Threads, Social Media Trends for 2024: Jon & Max Answer Your Questions
With 2024 fast approaching, Jon and Max sit down to answer listener-submitted questions. Does the show have a millennial bias? What’s the guys’ screen time 6 months after the Offline Challenge? Will Max stage a coup when Jon goes on paternity leave? Plus favorite social media trends, favorite films and favorite co-hosts of 2023. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/17/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 47 seconds
Best Of: How To Change Alt Right Minds, with ContraPoints
YouTuber Natalie Wynn, better known as ContraPoints, may be the internet’s most persuasive political commentator. Known for her carefully produced, elaborate video essays, Natalie has an uncanny ability to attract and de-radicalize viewers with reactionary, right wing politics. She sits down with Jon to talk about the importance of style in political persuasion, explain how the internet became fascist in 2017, and teach what it takes to actually change minds online.
12/10/2023 • 49 minutes, 33 seconds
Is a $16 McDonald’s Order Going to Elect Trump?
Jeff Stein, White House economics reporter at the Washington Post, joins Offline to talk about the $16 McDonald’s meal that captivated the internet—and whether Bidenomics is to blame. Conservative media outlets sunk their teeth into the story a few weeks ago, so Jeff and Jon dig into the burger narrative to examine today’s economy: why, amid stagnating inflation and a hot job market, do voters still disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy? Is social media painting a bleaker picture than the statistics report? And is this economic disconnect the biggest challenge facing Biden’s re-election?
12/3/2023 • 51 minutes, 3 seconds
Inside 2024 - Preview | Favreau + Tommy Talk Election Night
Happy holidays from the Pod Save America team! Here’s a special sneak peek of our new subscriber exclusive series Inside 2024. In this preview Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor take you behind the scenes of election nights like Barack Obama’s 2008 winning campaign. It’s a show we’re really proud of and we hope you enjoy. If you want to hear the rest of the episode, or future ones, be sure to sign up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends.
11/26/2023 • 16 minutes, 32 seconds
How Jezebel Changed Media and Why TikTokers Are Rizzing Up Osama bin Laden
Anna Holmes, the founder of jezebel.com, and Crooked’s own Erin Ryan—the site’s former managing editor—join Offline to discuss the origin and legacy of a publication that redefined feminism for millions of women. With Jezebel shuttering last week, Anna, Erin and Jon question whether the site was a victim of its own success, to what extent it shaped identity politics, and if it’s fair to blame Jezebel’s readers for the anger and infighting we see on the internet today. But first! Max and Jon take a closer look at Osama bin Laden apologists on TikTok, the new device that claims to reduce phone dependence, and Ron DeSantis’ fight to post anonymously online. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
11/19/2023 • 1 hour, 13 minutes, 50 seconds
The Truth About TikTok’s Spin on Israel-Gaza
Jon and Max get into the numbers behind TikTok’s supposed pro-Palestinian tilt— is the bias real, what do “views” signify, and how many of these videos are spreading misinformation? With content creators surpassing legacy media as Americans’ primary source of news, the guys discuss the future of getting credible information on social media. And to round it out, Jon updates Max on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s higher power: a porn policing software called Covenant Eyes.
11/12/2023 • 55 minutes, 50 seconds
Naomi Klein on What Happens When You’re Mistaken for a Conspiracy Theorist
Naomi Klein, activist and bestselling author, joins Offline to talk about her new book, Doppelganger, and the woman who inspired it, anti-vax crusader Naomi Wolf. The two are often mistaken for each other, and in Doppelganger Klein wades into the confusion to tell a broader story about the morass of the internet today. She and Jon talk about what it means to build a personal brand in the attention economy, how the pandemic fractured our collective sense of reality, and whether the internet is a good place to build a populist movement. Plus, Max is back from the dead! He and Jon break down Biden’s new executive order on AI and exchange tips on how to have more productive conversations about the destruction in Gaza. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
11/5/2023 • 1 hour, 23 minutes, 3 seconds
Why Do People Love Joe Rogan?
Johnny Harris, filmmaker and journalist, joins Offline to talk about Joe Rogan—how he became the world’s most famous podcaster, where he stands (or doesn’t) on censorship, and how he created a brand of anti-woke contrarianism. Johnny argues that people who are tired of polarization and tribalism see Rogan’s openness, curiosity, and resistance to mainstream labels as a breath of fresh air. But Rogan’s guests also regularly spread misinformation, and Johnny considers the machismo atmosphere of The Joe Rogan Experience to be a gateway podcast, one that leads listeners away from openness and curiosity and towards men’s rights activists like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/29/2023 • 49 minutes, 24 seconds
Jon Stewart, Donald Trump, and How Comedy Changed Politics
Jesse David Fox, senior editor at Vulture and author of the forthcoming “Comedy Book,” joins Offline to break down how the internet changed comedy and how comedy changed politics. Jesse and Jon trace how the erosion of broadcast journalism under Reagan created a trust vacuum in America that comedians inadvertently filled. Jesse explains why this trust is misplaced, and the implications for entertainment, political correctness, and authoritarian leaders like Donald Trump. Then the two discuss how the internet has made us pickier about humor, why Elon needed to buy Twitter to feel funny, and why a comic’s success is no longer measured in laughs. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/22/2023 • 57 minutes, 21 seconds
Why Has Social Media Made It Impossible to Follow the Israel-Hamas War?
As fighting intensifies between Israel and Hamas, Jon and Max break down the ways social media is terribly equipped for delivering news about the war, helping us process it, and recognizing people’s humanity. What’s more, the platforms have basically given up on content moderation and fact checking. The guys explore how the combination of these factors made last week the single worst breaking news experience on social media ever, and why everyone feels compelled to issue a PR statement. Are the algorithms forcing this outrage upon us or is this just the result of the unique circumstances of this conflict?
10/15/2023 • 52 minutes, 43 seconds
Heather Cox Richardson on Donald Trump, Democracy, and Taylor Swift
Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the Substack’s most-read newsletter “Letters from an American,” joins Offline to explain why she’s still hopeful about the future of American democracy. Heather’s new book, "Democracy Awakening," pushes past the clamoring 24-hour news cycles and delves deep into US history: how does Trump’s rise compare to those of other authoritarian leaders? Can Americans use fascists’ theory of change against them? Is widespread disinformation anything new? But first, Max and Jon discuss why referral traffic from social media sites has plummeted and what that means for journalism. Then, they marvel at Congressman Matt Gaetz’s Trumpian political strategy, and why it’s stymied the Old Guard of the GOP.
10/8/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 17 seconds
Fox News’s Succession Battle, Breaking Up Amazon, and Twitter CEO’s Disastrous Q&A
Brian Stelter, longtime media journalist and author of the forthcoming Fox News exposé Network of Lies, joins Offline to unpack what Rupert Murdoch’s retirement means for broadcast media, American democracy, and his four kids. Will Fox News look any different with Lachlan at the helm? Could his liberal siblings force a sale to an antagonistic, Swedish CEO? But first, Jon and Max put their heads together to break down how a new agreement on AI helped end the writer’s strike, why the FTC has its knives out for Amazon, and what on earth X CEO Linda Yaccarino was talking about at the Code Conference.
10/1/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 30 seconds
Fetterman’s Body Double, Biden’s Misinformation Strategy, and OpenAI’s Secret & Scarier AI
Simon Rich, writer and creator of TBS’s Miracle Workers, joins Offline to explain how he got his hands on an AI that makes Chat GPT look like a kindergartner. Simon and two friends used the indefatigable (and often unhinged) code-davinci-002 to generate poems on birth, art, love and death. The resulting collection, I Am Code, is the first book “written” by an AI. Simon and Jon talk through the alarming questions the book raises: what is the future of creativity, does it matter why robots may want to kill us, and is the world of AI secretly far more advanced than we know? But first! Max and Jon break down Senator John Fetterman’s internet-savvy strategy to combat conspiracy theorists, and Joe Biden’s slightly less savvy fight against misinformation.
9/24/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 8 seconds
The U.S. v. Google, Elon’s Secrets Revealed, and Why Trolls Got Nastier
Kaitlyn Tiffany, Atlantic reporter and author of Everything I Need I Get from You, joins Offline to break down internet trolls. She and Jon unpack who these people are, and examine why the online trend of celebrating the misfortunes of strangers – including their deaths – is still very much alive. They talk about how trolls from across the political spectrum see their victims not as nuanced individuals with feelings, but as representatives of an enemy ideology, and thus fair game for online bullying and evening doxing. Then, it’s time for a tech roundup with Max on Walter Isaacson’s new Elon Musk biography, Congress’s AI hearings, and why President Biden’s DOJ is suing the internet’s largest search engine.
9/17/2023 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 3 seconds
How to Survive the 2024 Election, Tech Predictions for the Decade, and the Best Life Advice
Jon and Max are back and ready to answer your mailbag questions! But first, a post mortem on the Offline Challenge: best practices that remain, where their screen time stands now, and why on earth Jon logged 17 hours in one day. The two discuss parenting the Internet Generation, their tech predictions for 2033, and how to stay sane in the run up to the 2024 election. Then they dive into their favorite media scandals, the best career advice they received, and whether Kim Jong Un listens to Joe Rogan. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/10/2023 • 1 hour, 2 seconds
A Very Online Summer (Friends of the Pod Preview)
We're off for Labor Day! Please enjoy this exclusive episode of Terminally Online, our new Subscription show and loosest pod here at Crooked Media. Every week Pod Save America hosts are joined by your favorite Crooked producers and staffers to commiserate about being way too online as they make their shows. Get episodes of Terminally Online, ads free Pod Save America and so much more by signing up for Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends.
9/3/2023 • 32 minutes, 3 seconds
How Social Media is Changing Movies — and Their Place in Society
Maia Wyman, or Broey Deschanel as she’s known on Youtube, joins Offline to talk about her generation of movie critics and influencers—spoiler alert, they’re not the same! Her nuanced video essays break down films, analyzing everything from the political themes of Parasite to why Barbie had to spoon-feed feminism to its audience. But for every voice like Maia’s, there are many others who don’t leverage the social web so much as indulge it. Guest host Max Fisher talks with Maia about how the internet is changing movies for better or worse, what it means for our culture, and how we see it playing out in this summer’s big releases. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/27/2023 • 57 minutes, 7 seconds
Welcome to the Take Recession
Kate Lindsay, author of internet culture newsletter Embedded, joins Offline to talk about whether the hottest take is to have no take at all. Kate’s most recent Atlantic piece is titled “Is It Time to Embrace “Opinion Fatigue?” which argues that the internet is getting sick of discourse. She and Jon discuss how we arrived at this take apocalypse, how Gen Z cares less about their digital footprints, and how older generations are thinking harder about the virtual caches they pass on to loved ones after they die. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/20/2023 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 55 seconds
How Facebook Changes Us, Influencer Riots, and AI Gets Funny
According to a series of new studies published in Nature and Science, the way Facebook influences its users isn’t as straight forward as it seems. Does that mean Facebook is off the hook for polarizing America? Joshua Tucker, NYU professor and lead researcher on the 2020 Facebook Election Research Project, joins Offline to talk about what his team found, what lessons we learned about Facebook’s role in our world, and what its like to collaborate on a project with Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Plus: Max and Jon talk New York City's Twitch-fueled riot, AI learning to write (good) jokes, and the Zuck v. Musk cage match. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/13/2023 • 1 hour, 22 minutes, 29 seconds
How Taylor Swift Conquered the Internet, Plus: Xtra Xtra the Bird is Dead
Nora Princiotti and Nathan Hubbard, hosts of The Ringer’s “Every Single Album” podcast join Offline to talk about queen of pop — and queen of the internet — Taylor Swift. They break down how the one-time anti-hero has navigated the Internet Age to build one of the most successful music careers of all time and a fanbase that follows her on- and off-line. The three weigh streaming vs. touring as business models for musicians, question whether Taylor’s obsessive internet lurking is an asset, and share predictions for the last leg of the Eras tour. Then, Max returns to Offline’s tech roundup to unpack Elon’s ill-advised Twitter rebrand and Ron DeSantis’ cruel summer.Special thanks to Margaret for providing Jon and Max with their new Forget Me Knits. Learn more at forgetmeknit.com For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/6/2023 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 52 seconds
The Strike to Keep Hollywood Human, with Adam Conover
Comedian and Writer’s Guild negotiator, Adam Conover joins Offline to talk about how the ethos of Silicon Valley has affected the livelihoods of writers, actors and everyone in the entertainment industry. He gives Jon a behind the scenes look at why Hollywood’s workers and bosses have been so far apart in these negotiations. And they talk about the way streaming era jobs differ from cable era jobs, why, after a decade of streaming, studios look like they’re starting to rebuild a version of the old cable model, and why he’s not afraid of being replaced by artificial intelligence anytime soon. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/30/2023 • 53 minutes, 12 seconds
Big Tech vs. Hollywood; AI vs. Journalism; Socialists vs. Bananas
Madeline Ashby, futurist and WIRED contributor joins Offline to talk about her recent piece “Hollywood’s Future Belongs to People — Not Machines." She and Jon discuss how the entertainment industry is “unbundling,” the role of art in creating social cohesion, and the hubris of TV execs who think AI will deliver content that is fast, good AND cheap. Then, Jon and Max discuss the decline of streaming and subscription models, how AI could be used by reporters, and the problem with community leaders being replaced by sh*tposters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/23/2023 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 2 seconds
Is 2024 the AI Election? Plus, an OG Twitter Exec on Elon, Threads, and Tech Bros
Jason Goldman, former Chief Digital Officer in the Obama White House, joins Offline to break down “the AI election.” He and Jon talk through their fears for AI in politics, the ways they wish they could have used AI during their stints in the White House, and Jon asks Jason, a former VP at Twitter, his thoughts on Elon Musk’s leadership at the the app he helped build. Plus: Max and Jon talk about Sarah Silverman’s lawsuit against ChatGPT and watch some very, very weird TikTok lives. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/16/2023 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 5 seconds
QAnon is Thriving, Twitter is Dying, Zuck to the Rescue?
Will Sommer, author of Trust the Plan, joins Offline to talk about what QAnon actually is, how people are drawn into the world of Q, and how the Republican party has become intertwined with these conspiracies. He and Jon peel back the layers of the movement to understand how it’s being monetized, why Michael Flynn is a QAnon hero, and where you can find adrenochrome in real life (hint: it’s not in the blood of children!). Plus: Max and Jon join Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s new Twitter. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/9/2023 • 1 hour, 17 minutes, 40 seconds
Joe Rogan Debates Vaccines, Elon Challenges Zuck, and the Submarine Discourse
Jon and Max answer your questions about AI, unions, writing and fallen titans — submersible and tech leader alike. Plus, America Dissected’s Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins Offline to talk about how the internet age endangers public health, how to persuade people to get vaccinated, and why debates are the wrong setting to talk about science, especially when RFK Jr. is involved. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/25/2023 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 46 seconds
Why You Should Make Silly Things
Simone Giertz, YouTube’s favorite inventor and robotics enthusiast, joins Offline this week to discuss the joy of building useless things and why adults should be able to play like kids do. She and the guys talk about overcoming perfectionism, the joys of “forward facing” activities, and how branding pastimes as productive vs. meaningless undermines the creative process. Jon and Max train their sights on Simone’s most recent invention, and then they talk about ways to cut down on their screen time, from positive reinforcement strategies to phone cases with teeth and electric shocks. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/18/2023 • 55 minutes, 38 seconds
How to Break Your Phone Addiction
Catherine Price, science journalist and author of The Power of Fun and How to Break Up with Your Phone, joins the show to close out The Offline Challenge. After a dramatic sendoff from our Offline Chancellor, Catherine talks with Max and Jon about the effectiveness of the past month’s unplug challenges, from cold turkey to clown cases. Then she outlines how to stay broken up with your phone and explains why the guys’ screen addictions are a symptom of a larger problem. The three conclude that a phone breakup isn’t about what you lose, but about what spending less time on your phone can help you gain. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/11/2023 • 1 hour, 18 minutes, 39 seconds
The Kids Are Not Alright. Is Social Media to Blame?
Social media is ubiquitous among young people. But is it safe? Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, joins Offline to break down a new Surgeon General’s Advisory that warns social media may be harmful to children and offers Jon a doctor’s perspective on how to overcome his phone addiction.
5/28/2023 • 1 hour, 20 minutes, 8 seconds
Is Fox News Doomed?
Kat Abu and Andrew Lawrence watch Fox News every night so you don’t have to. As researchers at Media Matters, a right-wing media watchdog, it’s their job to monitor the conspiracies and propaganda spreading on the network. Andrew is one of the nation’s leading Fox experts, having watched primetime Fox since the 2016 campaign and Kat has recently brought their work to new audiences, breaking down Fox News in weekly viral TikTok explainers. They join Jon to talk about this unusual moment at Fox News, whether the network is finally facing its comeuppance, and what watching these shows for a living does to a person. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/21/2023 • 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Did Clickbait Kill Buzzfeed and the Digital Media Era?
Ben Smith, Semafor founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Buzzfeed News, joins Offline to discuss what the shuttering of newsrooms at Buzzfeed and Vice means for the future of journalism. Ben’s new book, Traffic, traces the rise and fall of the digital media era. He and Jon talk about the personalities and publications that caused this phenomenon, the value of clickbait, and how the race to go viral was doomed from the start. Then, Jon and Max Fisher reunite to recap their week without iPhones and introduce next week’s Unplug Challenge. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/14/2023 • 1 hour, 19 minutes, 32 seconds
Jon and Max Surrender Their iPhones
Introducing Offline’s Unplug Challenge! Jon and Max reflect on how their screen addictions have worsened their focus, hijacked their social lives, and even broken some bones. Faced with damning screen time reports, the guys take a big first step towards overcoming their compulsive smartphone habits. Offline Unplugged is a multi-week series that will invite hosts and listeners alike to rediscover the world that’s beyond our fingertips. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/7/2023 • 54 minutes, 58 seconds
How is Collective Grief Rewiring our Brains | Hysteria Excerpt
This week we're giving you a feed drop from Crooked’s very own Hysteria! In this excerpt, Erin Ryan and Alyssa Mastromonaco cover some lighter news — Don Lemon being an idiot, Jimmy Carter being a legend, governors supporting abortion, Wisconsin election wins — before Julissa Arce and Kara Klenk join to discuss how to deal with the world being terrible. Then, the crew dives into their moments of Sanity (featuring good television on Peacock) and Petty (trying to get answers about your own health can be so annoying sometimes). You can catch new episodes of Hysteria every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe to Hysteria on YouTube too!
5/3/2023 • 37 minutes, 6 seconds
Hasan Piker Wants the Left to Persuade, Not Scold
Hasan Piker, viral political streamer, joins Offline to talk about Tucker Carlson’s demise, the 2024 election, and what it is about wokeism that makes him twitch. Hasan has been one of Gen Z’s most influential commentators for years, and his 8-hour daily streams blend current events, leftist ideals and pop culture savvy. Hasan talks to Jon about his approach to political persuasion, how to appeal to the next generation, and what it’s like streaming your consciousness. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/30/2023 • 1 hour, 10 minutes, 29 seconds
How the Internet is Radicalizing Young Men
Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and author of Men Who Hate Women and Fix the System, Not Women, joins Offline to shed light on one of the darkest corners of the internet: the manosphere. Made up of tens of thousands of incels, pick up artists, and white supremacists, the manosphere is an online hotbed of misogyny with violent real-world implications. Laura describes how she went undercover to infiltrate these platforms, and what she learned about protecting men and boys from radicalization. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/23/2023 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 21 seconds
John Green Doesn’t Think the World is Ending (Yet)
John Green, bestselling author and YouTube Vlogbrother, joins Offline to share lessons from his most recent book, The Anthropocene Reviewed. His collection of essays rates historical events, philosophical musings and personal anecdotes on a 5-star scale that, these days, feels both inescapable and indispensable. The Jo(h)ns talk through the faults in these stars, and the importance of finding ways to live meaningfully and hopefully in a world of mixed reviews. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/16/2023 • 1 hour, 8 minutes, 6 seconds
Should America Ban TikTok?
This week we’re bringing you the TikTok debate we wish we had from Congress. Featuring perspectives from V Spehar, host of TikTok’s Under the Desk News; Senator Mark Warner, lead sponsor of the RESTRICT Act; and Graham Webster, Chinese technology expert. Over three interviews, Jon and Max offer a smarter debate for and against banning TikTok. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/9/2023 • 1 hour, 34 minutes, 59 seconds
The End of Big Tech as We Know It
Jon welcomes Max Fisher, Crooked’s newest team member, to the Offline family! Max, former New York Times reporter and author of The Chaos Machine, joins the show as a recurring contributor, bringing fresh commentary, segments, and even interviews to Offline. This week he and Jon put their heads together to decode AI hysteria, the TikTok ban, and whether big tech has passed its prime. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/26/2023 • 56 minutes, 50 seconds
How to Beat Fox News
Andy Kroll, author and ProPublica journalist, joins Offline to discuss the one thing Fox News fears: lawsuits. Kroll’s new book, A Death on W Street: The Murder of Seth Rich and the Age of Conspiracy, recounts how conspiracists co-opted a young man’s tragic death, the role of Fox News in perpetuating those lies, and how the Rich family fought back and won. He and Jon talk about what this means for the Dominion lawsuit, and whether Fox has finally met its match. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/19/2023 • 55 minutes, 35 seconds
Margaret Atwood on Good, Evil and Stupidity
Margaret Atwood, famed author, poet and “dystopia prophet,” joins Offline to talk about fighting tyranny and finding hope. Much like her latest book, Old Babes in the Wood, Atwood’s conversation with Jon sandwiches her thoughts and fears on the present between poignant chapters of the past. They discuss censorship, religion, parenting and how to listen for what you can’t hear. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/12/2023 • 50 minutes, 27 seconds
What Do We Lose if We Lose Black Twitter?
Jason Parham, senior writer at WIRED, walks Jon through the evolution and legacy of Black Twitter. Parham’s three-part series, “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” follows the online community from its early days of late night takes, through an era of platform dominance, and into an uncertain future. He joins Offline to discuss how Black Twitter has shaped the last ten years of discourse and activism, how the internet complicates cultural appropriation, and what will happen if Twitter fades away. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/5/2023 • 41 minutes, 26 seconds
What Happened To Your Ambition? | Work Appropriate
Offline's crew is *offline* this week but we're excited to share one of our favorite recent episodes of Crooked's podcast Work Appropriate hosted by Anne Helen Petersen. In this episode Anne, along with guest Rainesford Stauffer, author of the forthcoming All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive, field listener-submitted questions about the real-life issues they're running into at work due to their ambition and discuss how ambition could be used as a positive force outside of work. You know, like in your actual life. Go figure. Like what you hear? Check out new episodes of Work Appropriate every week wherever you get your podcasts. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/26/2023 • 51 minutes, 15 seconds
Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death?
Megan Garber, staff writer at the Atlantic, joins Offline to explain how we’re already living in the Metaverse––not with headsets and legless avatars, but via a continuous stream of immersive entertainment. Jon and Megan discuss how our internet jargon, scandal-to-miniseries pipeline, and former reality TV president all reflect a blurring of fact and fiction. And they ask: when everything becomes entertainment, what remains of our reality? For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/19/2023 • 50 minutes, 28 seconds
What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from an 84 Year Study on Happiness
Dr. Robert Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, joins Offline to talk about his new book “The Good Life: Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness.” Bob and Jon discuss how close relationships are the secret to a fulfilling life, why technology can make us lonelier, and what 84 years of data teach us about coming together and growing apart. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/12/2023 • 59 minutes, 43 seconds
Who Can Own the Most Libs? Tim Miller on the ’24 GOP Primary
Tim Miller, former Republican operative, current Never Trumper, and contributor at the Bulwark, joins Jon to kickoff the GOP’s very online, very weird 2024 presidential primary. The two discuss Donald Trump’s return to Facebook, Ron DeSantis’ culture wars, and the competition for MAGA media’s stars, trolls, and grifters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/5/2023 • 1 hour, 3 minutes, 9 seconds
What’s With All the Tech Layoffs?
Amazon, Google, Facebook and the entire tech sector just laid off tens of thousands of employees. How did America’s fastest growing industry become its most troubled? Annie Lowrey, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Offline to break it down. She makes the case that while this moment may be particularly bad for tech, for the rest, better days are probably right around the corner. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/29/2023 • 53 minutes, 23 seconds
Do Dating Apps Make it Harder to Find Love?
Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz and Lakshmi Rengarajan, hosts of the newest season of The Cut’s Land of the Giants, join Offline to talk about how apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have redefined romance. They’ve named the season “Dating Games” and ask whether the goals of dating app companies are aligned with our romantic aspirations. Jon talks to them about the ways internet dating has gamified romance, what the current dating app generation has lost, and whether there are alternatives for finding love in a world of swiping. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/22/2023 • 37 minutes, 18 seconds
Two Writers Wonder If They’ll Be Replaced By AI
Evan Puschak, also known as The Nerdwriter, joins Offline to discuss ChatGPT, the revolutionary artificial intelligence chatbot from OpenAI. In his most recent video essay, “The Real Danger of ChatGPT,” Puschak explores how AI could erode our fundamental ability to understand ourselves and the world around us. He sits down with Jon to discuss that essay, evaluate the strengths and limitations of ChatGPT, and talk about the ways the internet is trying to replace our minds. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/15/2023 • 53 minutes, 28 seconds
How to Avoid Distraction with Johann Hari
Have you lost your ability to pay attention? Do you struggle to read a book? Can’t focus on a single task? Johann Hari, author of the New York Times bestseller Stolen Focus, joins Offline to discuss his 4-year, multi-country journey to regain control of his attention. He and Jon talk about the science behind focusing, how tech companies have maliciously destroyed our brains, and what we can do, collectively and individually, to steal our attention back. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/8/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 14 seconds
Offline Mailbag with Emily Favreau and Dare We Say
Description: Josie Totah and Yasmine Hamady, hosts of Crooked’s Dare We Say podcast, join Offline for a special mailbag episode on the internet’s generational divide. Then, Jon and Emily Favreau sit down for their annual holiday Q&A on twitter fights, raising a toddler, Taylor Swift and other listener-submitted questions. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/1/2023 • 58 minutes, 4 seconds
The Worst Tweets of 2022 with Rebecca Jennings
Rebecca Jennings, senior correspondent at Vox, talks with Jon about the year’s most chronically online conversations––those seemingly innocuous threads and videos that, for some reason, got people up in arms. Jennings’ recent article “Every ‘chronically online’ conversation is the same,” describes the predictability of people being vilified on social media, and she joins Offline to discuss how much of our thirst for drama is really a thirst for punishment. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/18/2022 • 33 minutes, 36 seconds
Is This the End of Social Media? With Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost, author and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, talks with Jon about the demise of online social networks. In a recent Atlantic article, “The Age of Social Media Is Ending,” Bogost examines the platforms’ dipping trajectory and argues that people just aren’t meant to talk to each other this much. He joins Offline to elaborate on how Twitter, Instagram and TikTok have sacrificed connection for content, friendship for sponsorship––and why a cultural shift in how we interact with these platforms may be closer than we think. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/11/2022 • 47 minutes, 7 seconds
What Democrats Could Learn from Republicans with Brian Beutler
This week, a Crooked Media crossover event as Brian Beutler, host of Positively Dreadful, sits down with Jon to talk all the things Democrats could learn from Republicans. Yep, you read that right. Brian makes the case that when it comes to messaging, Democrats should be less shy and spend more energy drawing attention to Republican scandals and controversies — just like the GOP did for Hillary’s emails, the migrant caravan, or crime. He talks to Jon about the obstacles in front of the Democratic party, what will matter to swing voters in 2024, and how the Republican Party is already on the hunt for the next Benghazi. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/4/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 21 seconds
How to Talk Your Uncle Out of QAnon this Thanksgiving
Beth Goldberg joins Offline to discuss her work at Jigsaw, the misinformation-tackling team at Google that’s been called “the Internet’s justice league.” Goldberg walks Jon through the dos and don’ts of drawing your Q Anon cousins, election-denying uncles, and vaccine-skeptic grandmas out of their conspiracy rabbit holes this Thanksgiving. By pre-bunking, seeding doubt, and listening with compassion, together we can hash it all out. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
11/20/2022 • 41 minutes, 31 seconds
Bad Vibes v. Good Results. Lynn Vavreck on the ’22 Midterms
Dr. Lynn Vavreck, professor of political scientist at UCLA and contributing columnist to The Upshot at The New York Times, sits down with Jon to talk about 2022 midterms. After 2020, Lynn and her colleagues interviewed over 500,000 voters, leading them to conclude that our politics aren’t just polarized, but calcified. She argues that calcification has placed our politics on a knife’s edge, raising the stakes of every election and that 2022 was the biggest case of calcification we’ve seen yet. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
11/13/2022 • 1 hour, 5 minutes, 49 seconds
Elon’s Twitter is in the Sh*tter with Nilay Patel
Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief of The Verge and host of the Decoder podcast, talks with Jon about Elon Musk’s newest and thorniest business venture: purchasing Twitter. In a recent article, “Welcome to Hell, Elon,” Patel describes the quandary that awaits the Tesla founder and argues that Musk has made a historic mistake. He joins Offline to talk Musks’ misguided free speech promises, the limits of technical solutions to political problems, and the hubris of an internet troll-turned-King Twit. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
11/6/2022 • 49 minutes, 6 seconds
Kanye West’s Dark, Twisted Internet
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/30/2022 • 42 minutes, 40 seconds
Persuasion Isn’t Dead with Anand Giridharadas
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/23/2022 • 56 minutes, 14 seconds
Rachel Maddow on America’s Forgotten Insurrection
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/16/2022 • 44 minutes, 34 seconds
Is Remote Work Here to Stay? With Derek Thompson
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/9/2022 • 51 minutes, 36 seconds
Offline presents The Axe Files hosted by David Axelrod, featuring Maria Ressa
Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa faces 100 years in prison stemming from what she says are illegitimate charges, but that hasn’t stopped her mission of exposing political malfeasance and lies in her home country of the Philippines. She joined David to talk about immigrating to the US as a child and later returning to the Philippines where she built a career, technology’s corrosive impact on journalism and democracy, founding Rappler and finding herself a government target, and maintaining hope as she fights corruption and disinformation through her journalism.
10/2/2022 • 1 hour, 4 minutes, 20 seconds
Introducing The Wilderness Chapter 1: The Divide
What will it take to save democracy in 2022 and beyond? The MAGA movement is one of the greatest threats to American democracy. But one of the greatest divides in American politics is between the minority of voters who follow politics closely and the vast majority who don’t. In order to win the midterms, Democrats will have to reach that majority.New episodes of The Wilderness drop every Monday. Subscribe to The Wilderness wherever you get your podcasts.Apple: apple.co/thewildernessSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6JfsJlD5sBhVpEQEALNw4UStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-wilderness If you want to learn more about how you can take action in the fight for our democracy, head over to https://votesaveamerica.com/midterm-madness/
9/18/2022 • 39 minutes, 43 seconds
Lessons from the Depths of the Internet
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/11/2022 • 1 hour, 31 seconds
The Inside Story of How Silicon Valley Rewired Our Brains
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/4/2022 • 1 hour, 10 seconds
How To Change Alt Right Minds, with ContraPoints
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/28/2022 • 47 minutes, 36 seconds
Katie Couric on Sarah Palin, Disinformation, and the Future of Journalism.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/21/2022 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 1 second
How Can Democrats Win the Digital Wars?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/14/2022 • 52 minutes, 46 seconds
Is TikTok a Secret Threat to America? With Scott Galloway
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/7/2022 • 57 minutes, 27 seconds
Has the Internet Trapped Us in the Past?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/31/2022 • 58 minutes, 11 seconds
Jane Coaston on Why Internet Debates Suck
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/24/2022 • 58 minutes, 45 seconds
What the F*** is the Metaverse?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/17/2022 • 49 minutes, 43 seconds
How to Restore Roe (From Positively Dreadful)
The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, access to abortion has collapsed across the country, and Democrats in Washington don’t have the votes to undo the decision right now. It’s a mess! But we may be able get Roe back sooner than it seems—if Democrats and their allies in the reproductive rights movement learn from years of their own missteps, and quickly. That will determine whether restoring the right to abortion takes six months or 60 years. This episode of Positively Dreadful originally aired July 1. New episodes of Positively Dreadful drop every Friday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
7/10/2022 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 18 seconds
The 19-Year-Old Helping Gen Z Log Off
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/3/2022 • 42 minutes, 33 seconds
Has Google Created a Soul?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/26/2022 • 42 minutes, 22 seconds
Steve Bannon’s Very Online Insurrection
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/19/2022 • 50 minutes, 15 seconds
Crypto for Beginners with Kevin Roose
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/12/2022 • 39 minutes, 53 seconds
How Should Parents Manage Kids’ Screen Time?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/5/2022 • 34 minutes, 49 seconds
Ro Khanna is Optimistic About the Internet
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/29/2022 • 47 minutes, 1 second
Can We Blame the Internet for Buffalo?
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/22/2022 • 40 minutes, 5 seconds
Sex, Drugs, and Phone Addictions with Dr. Anna Lembke
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/15/2022 • 45 minutes, 20 seconds
Chris Hayes on Why We’re All Famous Now
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/8/2022 • 1 hour, 2 minutes, 36 seconds
Does Elon Musk Want Free Speech or Attention?
Renee DiResta is an expert on tech policy, influence operations, and algorithms, managing research at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She joins Jon to break down Elon Musk buying Twitter, explaining his envisioned reforms and making the case that Elon Musk fundamentally misunderstands free speech on the internet.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, go to crooked.com and Offline. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
5/1/2022 • 51 minutes, 32 seconds
Are Russians Buying Putin’s Propaganda?
Russian propaganda expert Peter Pomerantsev is a journalist and former Russian television producer who talks to Jon about the distortion of truth and reality inside Putin’s Russia. Jon asks Peter about his recent interview with Ukrainian President Zelensky, how Putin’s propaganda apparatus is reaching a crossroads, and how the Trump/Murdoch propaganda machine mirrors a lot of what he’s seen in Russia.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/24/2022 • 57 minutes, 16 seconds
A Newsroom’s Fight Against Misinformation in the Black Community
Lauren Williams, former Editor-in-Chief of Vox , sits down with Jon to talk about launching Capital B News, a new local-national nonprofit news organization that centers Black voices. Together, they discuss how the murder of George Floyd inspired a “great reckoning” in newsrooms; how this new organization is aiming to rebuild trust in the black community by providing high-quality, local reporting; and the ways the media has failed people of color in its coverage of Critical Race Theory.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/17/2022 • 48 minutes, 1 second
A Twitter Founder on Elon, Trump, and the Edit Button
Jon is joined by Ev Williams, Co-Founder and former CEO of Twitter. The two discuss Twitter’s early years, including the design decisions behind some of the app’s most important features. They dive into the promise of Twitter and attempt to make sense of what’s changed. Ev also talks about Twitter’s newest board member and largest shareholder, Elon Musk, and if Donald Trump should be allowed back on.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/10/2022 • 55 minutes, 55 seconds
Samantha Bee on Laughing at our Political Hellscape
Today, Jon is joined by Samantha Bee. Previously The Daily Show’s longest-ever correspondent and now host of the Emmy-award winning Full Frontal on TBS, Sam Bee has been talking politics — and cracking jokes — since the early years of the Bush administration. She joins Jon to talk about how she’s burned out from our worsening political discourse and offer some motherly advice for future Oscars attendees.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
4/3/2022 • 48 minutes, 55 seconds
Lilly Singh on YouTube to Late Night
This week, Jon is joined by YouTube sensation and former late night host Lilly Singh. Discussing her new book “Be a Triangle,” Jon asks Lilly how she recently got her life “into shape,” what being the first on late night meant to her, why she decided to delete social media off of her phone, and how she learned to be alone with her thoughts.“Be a Triangle” goes on sale April 5th. Find it wherever your buy books.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/27/2022 • 48 minutes, 57 seconds
Taylor Lorenz on Why All Culture is Internet Culture
This week, Jon is joined by the technology reporter Taylor Lorenz. Covering what she calls “communication and connection,” Taylor has written extensively about the content creator economy, changing media ecosystems, TikTok, and more. The two talk about some of Taylor’s recent stories, break down why she left the New York Times for the Washington Post, and discuss what journalism in our internet-first age requires of writers and media publications.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/20/2022 • 46 minutes, 28 seconds
Greg Daniels on the Digital Afterlife
Recorded live from the podcast stage at South by Southwest, Jon is joined by acclaimed television writer Greg Daniels, creator of 'The Office' and 'Parks and Rec.' The two talk about Greg's latest show 'Upload,' which just premiered its second season on Amazon Video. Jon asks Greg what inspired him to write a show about the digital afterlife, how likely that future may actually be, and what he thinks of 'The Office's' lasting impact. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/13/2022 • 35 minutes, 39 seconds
Kara Swisher on the Very Online War in Ukraine
To open Offline’s new feed, Jon interviews Kara Swisher, Silicon Valley’s most feared and respected journalist. The two discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine — how it marks the first true conflict of the internet age, why Putin is losing the misinformation battle, and what makes Zelensky a compelling online hero. Kara also gives Jon insight into Big Tech’s most important founders and teaches him a few interview tricks to use as Offline continues.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
3/6/2022 • 51 minutes, 45 seconds
Welcome to “Offline with Jon Favreau.” New episodes March 6.
Step away from the Twitter-fueled news cycle with Jon Favreau to hear smarter, lighter conversations about all he ways that our extremely online existence is shaping everything from politics and culture to the ways we live, work, and interact with one another. After a dozen interviews, Offline has moved to its own podcast feed. If you’re listening to this trailer in the new feed, congrats! Welcome to our new home. Make sure to subscribe for new episodes, which start back up March 6th.And, if you have a moment, please rate and review! Your engagement helps “Offline with Jon Favreau” find new audiences. See you soon.
2/27/2022 • 2 minutes, 23 seconds
Ezra Klein on the Democrat’s Echo Chamber
This week on Offline, Jon is joined by the New York Times’s Ezra Klein. Dissecting polarization and virality, the two attempt to figure out if a healthy democracy is possible in today’s media environment and what it’ll take for the Democratic Party to step up to the task.
2/20/2022 • 1 hour, 9 minutes
Hank Green on Inspiring Curiosity
This week, Jon is joined by the internet’s dad, Hank Green. For many people, Hank is a staple of the internet, whether on TikTok, YouTube, or in the classroom. He sat down with Jon to discuss how he attempts to inspire curiosity online, the communities he’s built, and how the internet has changed since he posted his first video in 2007.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/13/2022 • 49 minutes, 26 seconds
Roxane Gay on Why People Are So Awful Online
This week on Offline, Jon is joined by writer, professor, and social commentator Roxane Gay for a wide-ranging conversation on consequence culture, writing in the age of the internet, and, of course, Joe Rogan. She explains to Jon why she’s been spending less time on Twitter and lays out exactly why she believes people are so awful online.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
2/6/2022 • 45 minutes, 20 seconds
Abbie Richards on Fighting Disinformation on TikTok
This week on Offline, Jon is joined by TikToker and disinformation researcher Abbie Richards. A leading voice on the platform, Abbie inoculates her viewers to trending disinformation and provides them with the tools to fight back. Jon asks her about what that work entails, why this current moment has seen the rise of so many new conspiracies, and dives into her viral conspiracy theory classification chart.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/30/2022 • 59 minutes, 4 seconds
Jenny Odell on How to Do Nothing
This week, Jenny Odell teaches Jon how to unplug and, almost literally, smell the roses. Pulling from lessons outlined in her book “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy,” Jenny makes the case that our attention is precious and what we choose to focus it on doesn’t always need to be productive.
1/23/2022 • 50 minutes, 16 seconds
Chimamanda Adichie on the Death of Good Faith
This week, the writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie joins Jon to talk through the viral essay on social media that she wrote last June. The two discuss what compelled her to write that essay, how the internet has changed the way we interact with ideas, and the changes she’s seen in recent literature.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/16/2022 • 58 minutes, 57 seconds
Alex Stamos on Leaving Facebook and Zuckerberg's Reign
This week on Offline, Jon is joined by Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former Chief Security Officer. As Jon’s first guest who has worked at a social media company, Alex gives us a first-hand look at Facebook’s internal politics, delivering insight on Russian hackers and the Haugen papers He also makes the case that it’s time for Mark Zuckerberg to step down.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/9/2022 • 51 minutes, 9 seconds
Mailbag Episode with Jon and Emily Favreau
Jon and Emily Favreau sit down for a special mailbag episode. They answer any questions (yes, any and all) submitted by listeners like you.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
1/2/2022 • 43 minutes, 33 seconds
Elizabeth Bruenig on Forgiving Trolls and Strangers
The Atlantic’s Elizabeth Bruenig joins Jon this week on Offline to discuss something the internet was never built for: forgiveness. Exploring faith, political polarization, and cancel culture, Jon and Liz investigate how finding the capacity to forgive the online transgressions of our enemies, strangers, or just our trolls has never been more important.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/19/2021 • 55 minutes, 2 seconds
Dr. Vivek Murthy on Defeating Doomscrolling with Human Connection
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy joins Jon on Offline to dissect the intersection between the internet and our emotional well-being. Dr. Murthy delivers a doctor’s diagnosis on Jon’s ceaseless doomscrolling, breaks down the impacts the pandemic and our increasing time online have had on our mental health, and makes the case for what it means to live a truly meaningful, connected life.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/12/2021 • 50 minutes, 29 seconds
Charlie Warzel on Facebook's Original Sin
For the last decade, Charlie Warzel has covered the internet and culture at BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, and his newsletter Galaxy Brain. He joins Jon to talk about the architecture behind our platforms, break down how the internet has embedded itself in our culture, and argue that humans shouldn’t be connected at this scale.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
12/5/2021 • 52 minutes, 11 seconds
DeRay Mckesson on How Twitter Saved Black Lives
From the creation of #BlackLivesMatter to the first permanent ban, DeRay Mckesson has been at the center of some of Twitter’s highest highs and some of its lowest lows. He joins Jon to talk about how online activism has changed since the 2014 Ferguson protests, discuss how to win people over offline, and make the case that Twitter can be a tool for good.
11/28/2021 • 47 minutes, 46 seconds
Stephen Colbert on Finding Laughter in the Darkness
Stephen Colbert joins Jon to defend his 8 hour-a-day screen habit and preach the benefits of a Twitter-free lifestyle. The two talk about what it took to produce The Late Show during the pandemic, why Stephen is glad his live audience is back, and what some of the darkest days of American democracy looked like behind the scenes at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Jon also asks Stephen about his perspective on cancel culture and why comedy must be rooted in empathy.
11/21/2021 • 49 minutes, 17 seconds
Megan Rapinoe on Social Media and Mental Health
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe talks to Jon about the toll social media takes on professional athletes, what it’s like to become an online Resistance hero and a right-wing villain, and whether she will ever run for office.
11/14/2021 • 47 minutes, 25 seconds
Peter Hamby on Saving Journalism from Twitter
Snapchat’s Peter Hamby talks to Jon about why Twitter has ruined political journalism, how the internet transformed the media business, and what a healthy, sustainable model of journalism might look like.
11/7/2021 • 46 minutes, 4 seconds
Monica Lewinsky on the Internet's Culture of Humiliation
Monica Lewinsky sits down with Jon to talk about the rise of public shaming, what happens when your life is upended by the internet, and what we can do to push against our worst instincts when we’re on social media.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/podsaveamerica. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/31/2021 • 48 minutes, 26 seconds
Jia Tolentino on the Internet's Endless Stage
Jia Tolentino, New Yorker staff writer and author of Trick Mirror, talks to Jon about how the internet has turned life into an endless performance, why that makes politics hard and virtue signaling easy, and what being online during the pandemic has done to our collective psyche.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/podsaveamerica. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
