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The Gist: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Peach Fish Productions
For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.
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- 2 days ago1h 1m
Roy Wood Jr.: "People just want to feel good."
Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green introduces an installment of Funny You Should Mention featuring comedian Roy Wood Jr. Mike Pesca sits down with Wood, the host of CNN's Have I Got News for You and former Daily Show correspondent, to explore his journalism-steeped upbringing, the mechanics of building a stand-up special, and the delicate line between humor and audience expectations. Wood unpacks the modern demand for "clap-ter" over punchlines, the cultural resonance of his material on race and society, and the responsibility comedians carry when addressing polarizing political topics.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 4 days ago30 min
Axes and Sodium with Rachel McCarthy James and Maria Konnikova
Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green introduces two conversations on lethal implements and nutritional science. First, Mike Pesca speaks with Rachel McCarthy James about her book Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder, tracing the axe's history from prehistoric tool and Shang Dynasty symbol of power to battlefield weapon and instrument of execution. Then, Maria Konnikova joins Mike to separate fact from fiction regarding dietary sodium, breaking down blood pressure risks and revealing the surprising processed foods driving most of our daily salt intake. Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 6 days ago34 min
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on Viral Misinformation and Public Health Failures
Today on The Gist, guest host Bryan Green introduces Mike Pesca's two-part conversation with physician, epidemiologist, and former Detroit health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. In part one, El-Sayed discusses the collision between digital misinformation and biological virality, the systemic communication failures of the public health establishment, and how political polarization undermined basic scientific realities. In part two, they examine the pharmaceutical industry, weighing public gratitude for rapid vaccine rollouts against the reality of taxpayer-funded research and corporate profit motives, before breaking down how deep-seated structural racism and historical economic policy drive stark racial health disparities.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 1 weeks ago54 min
Django Gold: "Don't Be Funny"
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam James Levin-Aredi introduces an installment of Funny You Should Mention featuring comedian and writer Django Gold. Mike Pesca sits down with Gold, a former writer for The Onion and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to dissect the craft of stand-up and his comedy special Bag of Tricks. Gold breaks down his deliberate, deadpan stage persona, the comedic value of defying audience expectations, and the difference between genuine laughter and mere partisan applause, while reflecting on modern crowd sensibilities, hecklers, and the art of subverting sacred cows.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 1 weeks ago48 min
KJ Steinberg: "The echoes of trauma are loud and they are long."
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam Levin introduces two conversations exploring truth, perspective, and personal endurance. First, Mike Pesca speaks with KJ Steinberg, creator and showrunner of the Hulu limited series The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, to examine the ethics of dramatizing real-life tragedy, moving beyond tabloid caricatures, and the difficult process of reclaiming an identity after public defamation and wrongful imprisonment. Then, advertising veteran Matt Sterling joins Mike to discuss his memoir Mighty: Finding the Strength to Survive, reflecting on his career as a media executive navigating New York in a wheelchair, the shifting landscape of disability access, and the resilience required to thrive.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 1 weeks ago38 min
Ken Bensinger: "To catch the devil, sometimes you have to go to hell."
Today on The Gist, guest host Adaam James Levin introduces the first installment of Mike Pesca's two-part conversation with investigative reporter Ken Bensinger, co-host of The Michigan Plot. Bensinger breaks down the 2020 investigation into the conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, detailing how an amateur militia group collided with an aggressive FBI undercover operation. Drawing on hundreds of hours of secret recordings, Bensinger and Pesca examine the murky boundary between stopping a legitimate domestic terror threat and orchestrating one, the psychological vulnerabilities exploited by federal informants, and how trial evidentiary rules shaped the contrasting narratives inside the courtroomStop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 2 weeks ago49 min
Sam Jay - Funny You Should Mention
Today on The Gist, guest host Rachel Win introduces the third installment of Funny You Should Mention which welcomes Sam Jay, former SNL writer, Tom Brady Roaster, host of HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, and stand-up comic behind such specials as Netflix's 3 In The Morning and HBO's Salute Me or Shoot Me. Sam and Mike talk cops, racism, white vs black people money management, and a joke she'll discuss but won't be telling again.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 2 weeks ago35 min
Gilbert Gottfried: "My feeling is, can I get the hell out of here?"
Today on The Gist, guest host Rachel Win introduces Mike Pesca's conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter Keach Hagey about her book The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future, exploring Altman's Silicon Valley rise, the tensions between AI safety and commercial speed, and his brief ouster from the company. The show wraps with a classic 2014 sit-down with the late Gilbert Gottfried, who talks old Hollywood lore, dirty jokes, and hosting Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast.Stop online threats before they become real-world attacks. Visit ironwall.com/GIST and request a free Risk Assessment to see exactly how exposed your executives are.Produced by Corey WaraDo you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.comFor full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/Follow us on Social Media:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_gInstagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/X https://x.com/pescamiTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagistTo advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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About The Gist
For thirty minutes each day, Pesca challenges himself and his audience, in a responsibly provocative style, and gets beyond the rigidity and dogma. The Gist is surprising, reasonable, and willing to critique the left, the right, either party, or any idea.
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