IfBooksPod

Zohran Derangement Syndrome

Michael and Peter discuss the media campaign against Zohran Mamdani, who caused journalists across the globe to completely lose their minds.

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Eric Adams: The Final Chapter

Peter and Michael discuss the latest trials and tribulations of Eric Adams, from his Instagram posts to his entanglements with Donald Trump and the collapse of his mayoral campaign.

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Michael and Peter on "In Bed With The Right"

The boys join the In Bed With The Right podcast to discuss the murder of Charlie Kirk. This episode was originally published as a Patreon episode by In Bed With The Right, but we're sharing it with...

The Pundits Mourn Charlie Kirk

Michael and Peter discuss the bizarre, hagiographic media reactions to the death of Charlie Kirk.

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Pundit Portrait: Bret Stephens

Peter and Michael discuss Bret Stephens, the snitching, climate change-denying, racist creep who is gainfully employed by The New York Times.

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Pundit Portrait: Bari Weiss

Michael and Peter discuss the rising star of Bari Weiss, who took a one-note journalism career and spun it into a media empire.

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The Supreme Court Goes Full TERF

Michael and Peter discuss how a moral panic about trans people manifested in United States v. Skrmetti, a Supreme Court case upholding bans on gender affirming care for minors.

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The Lab Leak Goes Mainstream

Michael and Peter discuss how the lab leak theory, despite a serious lack of good evidence, has captured the imagination of both liberal journalists and the American public.

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The Free Speech Warriors' Guide to Fascism

For years, a loose alliance of pundits has been stoking a panic about the threat to free speech coming from the left. Now that an anti-speech right wing is in power, will they admit that they got c...

Josh Hawley's "Manhood"

Michael and Peter discuss a book about masculinity written by Senator Josh Hawley, the guy who encouraged January 6th rioters and then broke into a full sprint when they actually rioted.

You ...

Pundit Portrait: Pamela Paul

Say it three times fast: it's Pamela Paul's Pundit Portrait. Peter and Michael discuss the recently departed New York Times Opinion columnist, who is steadfastly committed to not believing in anyth...

Trump, Elon, and Shelves: Your Questions, Answered

From the state of the media under Trump to the state of Peter's shelf, we answer your most pressing questions.

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Send us your questions!

Happy new year! Given the state of things, we thought it would be a good time for an episode where we answer your questions. These can be about airport books, opinion sections, the media, or whatev...

The Worst Takes of 2024

Michael and Peter comb the pages of our nation's opinion sections to locate the uncontested dumbest takes of the year. Look upon their works, ye patrons, and despair.

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The Worst Election Takes (so far)

Michael and Peter dissect some of the worst post-election analysis from our beloved pundits, all of whom have coalesced around a single diagnosis: the Democratic Party is just too woke. Please note...

The New York Times vs. Kamala Harris

Michael and Peter walk through some of the worst pieces of election coverage from this cycle, and discuss how the media normalizes Donald Trump.

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Eric Adams gets BUSTED

A special treat for the Adams-heads in our audience. Peter and Michael walk through the indictment of New York City mayor Eric Adams, and discuss his dumbest crimes.

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Glenn Kessler Retire B*tch

Is fact-checking a legitimate enterprise? Is America's most famous fact-checker nothing more than a dweeb? Michael and Peter discuss.

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What's Wrong with Eric Adams?

For this month's bonus episode, Peter and Michael explore a recurring IBCK character: New York City's weird, stupid mayor.

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The Reactionary Centrist Racket

Michael and Peter discuss Persuasion, Yascha Mounk's newsletter for so-called heterodox thought, and use it as a window into the reactionary centrist mind.

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Pundit Portrait: Peggy Noonan

The latest installment in our Pundit Portraits series is about Peggy Noonan, the Reagan speechwriter turned op-ed royalty. Join us as we slip the surly bonds of Earth and read the terrible opinion...

The Columbia Protests

Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia, from the crazed, bloodthirsty ravings of right-wing media to the more muted, respectful bloodthirst of centrist media.

Eric Adams vs. Bail Reform

 A few years ago, New York reformed its bail system. Since then, police and their close ally Mayor Eric Adams have successfully manipulated the public into believing that the reforms have been...

Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf?

We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelganger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy oof) — from feminist icon to crank conspiracist.

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DEI Part 2: The Harvard Wars

Peter and Michael reflect on how a series of media failures brought us from student protests to a plagiarism scandal, the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, a billionaire meltdown, and ...

DEI Bart DEI

Conservatives are freaking out about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace, so Michael and Peter do a medium-to-deep dive on the subject. We talk about what workplace DEI aspires to be,...

The Worst Takes of 2023

For our final episode of 2023, we look back on a year full of terrible opinions. 

A special thanks to all of our subscribers for being part of our first full year!  There are many m...

Input requested: the worst takes of 2023?

We are planning a bonus episode, and we want to hear from our patrons: what were, in your opinion, the absolute worst takes of 2023? These can be books, op-eds, articles, tweets, whatever! Sound of...

Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza

This episode is the first in an ongoing series wherein Peter and Michael explore the brains of America's pundits. We start with Kathleen Parker, the platonic ideal of a rich white lady, and Chris C...

The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic

Retailers have been sounding the alarm about a shoplifting epidemic driven by organized criminal syndicates. In a shocking twist, it turns out that their story is mostly made up. Join us as Peter t...