Paul Giamatti’s CHINWAG with Stephen Asma
Treefort Media & Touchy Feely Films
chin-wag: to have a chat, a friendly conversation.Actor Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma, author and philosopher, join forces for a freewheeling series of conversations that dive deep (like, really, really deep) into the wilderness of the mind.Featuring prominent guests from diverse fields, Chinwag is esoteric in the best way possible, as Paul and Stephen delve into anything and everything: Are we living in a simulation? What’s the most perfect sentence in literature? Is Bigfoot interdimensional? Science, the occult, philosophy, magic mushrooms… it’s all fair game!Unexpected, hilarious, and maybe even profound — Chinwag is all about having a really...
Philosophy of Film 101 with Bill Hader
🎞️🪖🤡The incredible Bill Hader drops by Office Hours to dig deep into film, philosophy, and all the weird stuff in between. He breaks down how Taxi Driver and The Thin Red Line made a mark on his psyche, why horror movies are masters at playing with tension, and how directors like Sam Fuller and Terrence Malick weave big existential questions into their work. Bill and Stephen also dive into the murky morality of Barry, the blurred lines between good and evil, and why we’re all a little obsess
CHINWAG LIVE: He Said Droids, Not Druids!
🐢🎸🌆Paul and Stephen’s Q&A at Harvard! Megaliths! French comics where Gauls endlessly pummel Romans. Paul’s unexpected relationship with the theremin. And the big question—should Paul and Stephen finally start their paranormal blues band? Theremin, guitar… what more do you need? Let us know in the comments if you’d give that album a listen. Plus, will today’s skyscrapers become the megaliths of the future? And stay tuned for a special treat—live from Sketchfest in San Francisco, Stephen sits d
CHINWAG LIVE: Monolith Mania
🗿🗿🗿Live from the hallowed halls of Harvard University, Paul and Stephen tackle one of the universe's greatest enigmas: monoliths. What's the deal with Stonehenge? Why were mysterious bodies buried nearby? Are aliens behind these stone wonders, or is it just really bored Druids? Paul’s got theories—and a suspicious amount of insider knowledge. Did he really climb Stonehenge? And how in the world did he fall asleep in a neolithic tomb?Animal carvings, Gobekli Tepe, and a mini ice age—yes, all i
Max Headroom, More Mothersbaugh
🏴☠️🍔🥶Join Paul and Stephen for a double feature that kicks off with a dip into the Wag Bag! Dave writes in about the May Day Mystery, which somehow spirals into airtime pirates, the Max Headroom hijacking, the Ashtar Galactic Federation, and the meaning of this entire podcast (yes, we go there).Then, DEVO co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh crashes the party to talk time travel, AI, Neuralink, and—wait for it—cheeseburgers having sex. He spills on aliens, ghosts, and the time Timothy Leary casually
Aliens 101
👽🛸👾Brace yourself for an intergalactic Chinwag as Professor Asma brings you into Office Hours to take on the ultimate extraterrestrial thought experiment: how would we deal with aliens? From UN protocols and risk management strategies to spotting laser pulses and heat signatures, they explore the practical, the philosophical, and the downright bizarre. Stephen looks at sci-fi classics like HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, and contemporary works like Zixin Liu’s Three-Body Problem.Do alie
Paul Giamatti, King of Neptune + Demonology 101
🧜♂️👻👹Paul and Stephen hit Town Hall in Seattle for a wild audience Q&A. Paul’s crowned King of Neptune, a Brooklynite gets deep with hardcore Buddhist philosophy, and Bigfoot? He’s back—and Stephen’s sure he’s still out there, buried somewhere. Fans fire off questions about ghosts, cryptids, mermaids, and Guillermo del Toro… Later, Stephen drops a demon-hunting masterclass in Office Hours, featuring St. Anthony, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Heinrich Kramer, the Inquisitor.
CHINWAG LIVE: Beware the Batsquatch
🧜🦕🦇Live from Town Hall Seattle, Paul and Stephen venture into the Pacific Northwest’s strangest and creepiest cryptids. What’s the deal with Batsquatch, the massive winged terror spotted near Mount Rainier? Or the Gumbaroo, a rubbery bear-like creature rumored to explode during forest fires? They also unearth the legend of the dog-headed saint—how does it stack up on the ultimate creepiness test? And let’s not forget "Caddy," the mysterious sea serpent lurking in Puget Sound. Packed
ENCORE: Natasha Lyonne’s Infinite New Year
🎆🎆🎆To ring in the New Year, we’re celebrating with a special encore featuring Natasha Lyonne, where the conversation takes a wonderfully strange and quantum-tinged turn. Paul and Stephen read a letter from a very interesting Wagger before they follow Natasha around her home, feed Rootbeer the dog, and uncover her unusual bedtime habit: falling asleep to quantum physics audiobooks. Hear why discipline and restraint and the structure of mathematics is grounding and leads to talk of Sta
ENCORE: Ruddiculous Holiday Party
🥳🎁🎄This holiday season, we’re looking back at one of our favorite guests of 2024, with an encore incomparable Paul Rudd recorded live from Brooklyn! Two Pauls and one Stephen dive into fears, phobias, and weird childhood memories, exploring everything from stage fright to public speaking. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chinwag without creepy puppets, recurring nightmares, and tales of real-life bears on a movie set. Ring in the joy, laughs, and a touch of weirdness—perfect for the holid
The Great Fortean Taylor Swift Conspiracy
🐰👣😱Paul and Stephen welcome back Ian Simmons from the Fortean Times for another dive into the eccentric, the uncanny, and the downright bizarre. In this episode, the trio explores everything from conspiracy theories’ transformation from quirky fun to dangerous obsession, to the KLF’s wild antics, including burning a million pounds and wielding fake machine guns.They also venture into giant rabbit sightings, Taylor Swift’s rumored occult connections, and the enduring weirdness of Alei
The Reel Mind: AI Through Film
🤖🎞️🧬Transcend into Office Hours with Professor Asma as he breaks down the consciousness of artificial intelligence through the lens of iconic films. He examines how movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ex Machina, and After Yang tackle the question of whether AI can truly possess consciousness—or even the will to exist—delving into emotions, desires, and memory.Do you need language to be conscious? Could we one day upload our consciousness to the internet? These questions and more are
The Twilight Zone and the Matrix We Live In
📺🤖🧐We’re dipping into the Wagbag as Paul and Stephen kick off a fascinating journey into the Twilight Zone, sparked by a letter from Christopher! Join the lads as they share their favorite episodes like “Time Enough at Last,” “To Serve Man,” and “The Eye of the Beholder,” and celebrate the genius of Rod Serling. The conversation broadens to explore early Hollywood television, highlighting Serling's cultural impact through works like Requiem for a Heavyweight and Planet of the Apes. T
ENCORE: Hanksgiving
🦃🎞️⏳As we approach Thanksgiving, we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations with the legendary Tom Hanks. Paul, Stephen, and Tom discuss the speed of information, ChatGPT, cognitive dissonance in AI, and even question the use of Waze to beat traffic. How have our memories changed since the advent of cell phones? Are acting skills useful when it comes to writing a book?Plus, Tom still recalls his Bosom Buddies co-star Peter Scolari’s lines from 1980 and shares a baseball/acting
Were Neanderthals Cannibals? + AI With Professor Avi Loeb
🤖🔭😱Join Paul and Stephen for a double feature that kicks off with a captivating letter from Bree, who’s asking a question that takes us back in time: What happened to the Neanderthals? Were they victims of cannibalism, or was it something else entirely? Then, as a bonus, they continue their mind-expanding conversation with Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb! Together, they dig into how artificial intelligence is reshaping our approach to the universe and the mysteries of the cosmos.
Paul Reads H.P. Lovecraft Part 3
🌌☄️☠️In this third and final installment, Paul reads aloud the eerie saga of The Colour Out of Space, one of his favorite stories from the master of cosmic horror, H.P. Lovecraft. So far in our reading, we felt the creeping dread as the Gardner farm transformed under the influence of a sinister meteorite. Strange colors, twisted vegetation, and a growing sense of madness gripped Nahum Gardner and his family. But the worst is yet to come. In Part Three, the horrors deepen. A member of t
Paul Reads H.P. Lovecraft Part 2
🌌☄️☠️In this second of three hair-raising installments, Paul continues reading the eerie saga of The Colour Out of Space, one of his favorite stories from the master of cosmic horror, H.P. Lovecraft.As we return to the shadowed countryside west of Arkham, the strange events at the Blasted Heath intensify. Following the meteorite crash on Nahum Gardner's farm, unnatural transformations have begun to infect the land, twisting the environment in terrifying ways. The creeping dread grows a
Paul Reads H.P. Lovecraft
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In this first of three spine-tingling installments, Paul reads aloud the eerie saga of The Colour Out of Space, one of his favorite stories from the master of cosmic horror, H.P. Lovecraft.
Set in the remote, shadowed countryside west of Arkham, the story takes us to the desolate Blasted Heath, where strange things have begun to take root. After a mysterious meteorite crashes on Nahum Gardner's farm, unnatural transformations spread across the land, and the creeping dread of the Heath
First Contact with Professor Avi Loeb
👽🤖👀Get ready for a mind-bending special episode of Chinwag, where Paul Giamatti and Steven Asma dive deep into the future and the search for alien life with Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb! But that's not all—Dr. Loeb also takes us on a cosmic journey through his cutting-edge research on interstellar objects and alien space trash. Could we be on the verge of discovering ancient tech from another civilization? Is a "first contact" with extraterrestrial life closer than we think?It
Witch Trials 101
🧙♀️🐈⬛🧪What kind of mischief were the Windsor witches into? Were they shapeshifters? And what’s the deal with black cats? Professor Asma dives into the infamous stories of witchcraft and witch trials, exploring the dark, mysterious history behind them. The Professor sheds light on the use of Voodoo dolls within witchcraft, while also breaking down real-world, practical theories about the Salem Witch Trials—could lead poisoning have driven some of the hysteria? Plus, we tackle the bi
Sexy Black Magic
🪄🪄🪄Recorded live at Spotify Studios: get ready for a spellbinding adventure as Paul and Stephen dive into the mystical world of alchemy and black magic with Lodge 49 creator Jim Gavin! Ever heard of the shadowy figure Comenius or the immortal legends of like Joan of Arc and Saint Germain? Well, buckle up because we’re throwing in scorpios, the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, and, of course, a dash of sexy black magic. And what’s trending among the youngins? It might just be Wiccan Pag
Members Only: Secret Societies and Alchemy
🧙♂️✨👺Join Paul and Stephen on a wild ride through forgotten lore, secret societies, and the mystical world of alchemy recorded live at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles! Our hosts join forces with special guest Jim Gavin, creator of Lodge 49 and novelist extraordinaire. The trio unravels the hidden links between the Masons and the Templars, delving into their evolution from Europe’s first bankers to whispered accusations of witchcraft and Satanism. But that’s just the beginning! Jim she
CHINWAG LIVE: Dragon Out the Big Questions
🐲🐲🐲Join Paul and Stephen for a wild, off-the-rails Q&A session at their live taping in Portland! Brace yourself as they tackle burning questions like: What will future myths look like? What exactly is a eunuch? And which creature made its debut in cave paintings?Things get Freudian fast—yes, that kind of Freudian—and just when you think it can’t get weirder, the conversation turns to John Mack’s mind-bending book Passport to the Cosmos. Oh, and dragons! Because, obviously, dragon
CHINWAG LIVE: Monsters, Myths, & Murder
👿👿👿Recorded live from Portland’s Revolution Hall, Paul and Stephen are back with part two of their deep dive into myth and mayhem! This time, they unravel the wild legend of the Minotaur. Starting on the ancient Island of Crete, they trace the rise of King Minos, Queen Pasiphae’s bizarre infatuation with a divine bull, and the birth of the fearsome Minotaur, Asterius. You’ll get the full story of how Daedalus crafted the labyrinth to imprison the beast. Later, our hosts chase after o
CHINWAG LIVE: A Unicorn and a Narwhal Walk Into a Bar
🦄🪄🦏Welcome to another thrilling episode of Chinwag recorded live at Portland's Revolution Hall! Today, Paul and Stephen dive into the enchanting world of magical creatures and cryptids. We're talking platypuses, narwhals, and, of course, unicorns! Paul reveals the unicorn’s ancient roots, the laziness of the chimera…and that unicorn horn was the first Viagra (really!?) And….is the narwhal’s horn really just a tooth growing out of its head? Join us for this CHINWAG LIVE into the unkno
Prof. Avi Loeb: Have Aliens sent us a gift?
☄️🔭👽Paul and Stephen are joined by illustrious theoretical physicist, Harvard Professor and space detective, Avi Loeb. And if you think you know his POV already, you may be surprised! Get ready for a cosmic journey as Professor Loeb shares his insights on the mysteries of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life. Why, pray tell, isn’t Professor Loeb thrilled about eclipses? And are aliens actually more advanced than us? Here’s a thought: if they find us first, they're pro
ENCORE: Even Psychopaths Suffer Burnout with Candice DeLong
🔪🔪🔪This week, one of Paul and Stephen’s favorite Chinwags: Killer Psyche podcast host, Candice DeLong. Candice spent two decades in the FBI as a criminal profiler tracking serial killers and working such notorious cases as the Unabomber and the Chicago Tylenol Murders. Paul and Stephen explore the terrifying and tactical world of tracking murderers with Candice and learn that even psychopaths suffer career burnout. Bonus: learn about predictive behaviors of serial killers (bed-wettin
The UFO Episode
🛸🛸🛸Paul and Stephen are joined by intrepid investigative journalist Leslie Kean — the very journalist who broke the groundbreaking 2017 UFO story to The New York Times and introduced the world to the Pentagon’s UFO videos. Leslie unveils the intriguing story of Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Pentagon program responsible for the investigation of UFOs—now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).Elizondo released groundbreaking videotapes of pilots' first-hand encounters
CHINWAG LIVE: Were the Wolves At?
🐺🐺🐺Under the shadow of the full moon at the Boston Armory, Paul and Stephen tackle beastly audience questions in this live recording of Chinwag.Ever wondered why cats are such mysterious predators, or if Bela Lugosi really donned werewolf fur? The conversation shifts to popular culture’s take on werewolves, the impact of Twilight on werewolf culture, and Paul's musings on whether his role in The Holdovers is a reverse werewolf. And which of Paul’s roles stands as his all-time favorit
CHINWAG LIVE: The Werewolf Experience
🐺🌖🐺Recorded live at the historic Boston Armory, join hosts Paul and Stephen for a thrilling conversation on werewolves, from ancient myths to modern interpretations. Go back in time to break down the great werewolves of the past: Jan Thys of Livonia, Peter Stump, and of course…the Beast of Gévaudan, a mysterious creature in 18th-century France.Later, Paul and Stephen dive into were-hyenas, were-crocodiles, and a man who thinks he transformed into a buffalo! And of course, it wouldn’t
Mark Mothersbaugh is DEVOted: Part 2
🧿🧿🧿More Chinwag with DEVO’S co-founder, and author of the beautiful new book “Apotropaic Beatnik Graffiti”, Mark Mothersbaugh. Mark shares his earliest memory of AI which happened to involve Timothy Leary’s AI therapist! Then, DEVO’s frontman takes us back to a memorable church trip when he hears people speaking in tongues. And what’s all that got to do with The Flintstones?What’s the importance of collecting stuff, and how does it contribute to AI? Also, a discussion on the signific
DEVOlution with Mark Mothersbaugh
🤖🖼🎸This Chinwag welcomes Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO’s co-founder and author of the fascinating new book “Apotropaic Beatnik Graffiti.”Come along and reminisce about DEVO’s first live appearance on SNL, thanks to the legendary Blues Brothers, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Mark is tickled to learn Paul and Stephen were spooked by DEVO as kids, and Mark explains why he thought rock ‘n’ roll was dead by 1964. Then, the art movements that inspired DEVO, and Mark shares a pivotal moment durin
On Disability & Monsters
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On this riveting Chinwag, Paul and Stephen speak to Riva Lehrer, an award-winning artist, writer, and curator with an unconventional approach to portraiture.
Together they explore the nuances of living with a disability, stigma, defining beauty, and the complexities of human interactions. Riva shares the importance of representation and the burden of standing out in a world that often overlooks diversity. Talk then turns to “inspiration porn”, reclaiming narratives, and an overview
Fortean Times Talk
📰🛸🕵🏼♀️Fortean Times has been bringing weirdness into people’s lives for over 50 years and Paul’s been reading its pages since he was a mere Chin-cub. Now join Paul and Stephen as they meet the man behind the mag, esteemed News Editor, Ian Simmons.What follows is a mind-bending exploration of the weird and wonderful including a colorful sketch of the life and work of Charles Fort—a guiding spirit of this humble Chinwag podcast. Fort, known for his unique style of collecting and pres
Mothman: Legend and Lore
👨🏼🏫🍏🕰️The Professor is in for Chinwag Office Hours! Professor Stephen Asma offers his rarefied time and detours into more of the unusual topics you crave.This week on Office Hours, Stephen drops his knowledge on the Mothman and the psychology of creepiness. What is the purpose of creepy feelings and eerie sensations? Are they interdimensional beings of energy that exist to warn and protect us? Hear the first sightings of the Mothman, classic stories of Mothman, and question whethe
ENCORE: The Cult of Kathryn Hahn
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Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma were delighted to speak with the wonderful Kathryn Hahn in this early Chinwag gem.
They were fascinated by Hahn's deep knowledge of cults, con men, hypnosis, brainwashing dogs, and the power of late night volleyball sessions. Hear about Travis the chimpanzee, radical nuns, lice couches, whether the Popes "Netflix and chill," and that time Paul fought off kidnapping Krishnas in Northern Ireland!
Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer, and the
ASK THE PHILOSOPHER! PT DEUX
📚🧐🏛Paul’s been studying up on Western philosophy and has even more burning questions for our exceedingly patient resident expert, Professor Stephen Asma.Lean in to these bite-sized lessons about rationalists, empiricists and idealists, and Stephen’s explanation of the notoriously difficult to understand German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Then it’s on to romantic thinkers like Arthur Schopenhauer, or as Paul describes him “the pessimist.” Next are key figures in the phi
Bonus-wag: Burning Questions with Bill Hader
😊🎙️👽It’s the audience’s turn to ask Paul, Stephen and the hilarious Bill Hader anything at this Chinwag recorded live from Dynasty Typewriter in L.A., and things go off the rails pretty quick!If aliens land on Earth, what movie would this trio show them first? Then at the audience’s prodding, hear their favorite alien abduction movies, which cryptids they’d most want to be, and their most common soup order. Is it Split Pea? Tomato? Borscht? You know you want to know! Also the guys me
CHINWAG LIVE: Bill Hader Unleashed and Waggin'
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Recorded live at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles, Paul and Stephen are joined by comedy legend Bill Hader for a night of hilarious and obscure impressions, a rundown of insane B- movies, their shared fear of the school bus, and so much more!
What did Hader overhear director Sam Raimi say walking out of a screening of Cannibal Holocaust? What advice did Arnold Schwarzenegger offer young production associate Bill Hader? You know you’re dying to know - and hear Hader’s uncanny Schwarzene
Bonus-wag: David Grann
📓✍🏽🛢️In this captivating Bonus-Wag, hosts Paul and Stephen sit down with investigative historian David Grann for a cerebral exploration.Grann’s journey began as a journalist with an insatiable passion for storytelling. How did he transition from reporting facts to weaving gripping narratives? Then, imagine a man unfairly sent to death row, despite evidence screaming his innocence. How could prosecutors ignore the truth? Paul, Stephen, and Grann dissect this real-world mystery, questi
Chin-wrecked!
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Paul and Stephen embark on a deep-sea exploration of maritime history with David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z, and most recently, The Wager. The trio unravel tales of mutinies, scurvy, and the enigmatic allure of failure.
Did you know most seamen couldn’t swim? How were sailors selected or found aboard these vessels? David shares how kidnappings were common too—people snatched and pressed into service aboard these floating wooden death traps. Join P
Bonus-wag: Shaking Hands with the Dead
☠️🤝☠️Join Paul and Stephen for a special bonus episode as they sit down with investigative journalist Leslie Kean. The topic? Spirit hands—ethereal entities that connect the living and the dead. Leslie describes witnessing famed British spirit medium Stewart Alexander conjuring spirit hands seemingly from nothing – conjuring a black amorphous goo into undead hands. But…these experiences are not just anecdotal. As Leslie explains, the proof lies in the pudding, which, in this case, are
Séances, Skeptics, and ... Spirit Trumpets!
🎺🎺🎺Open your mind as Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma talk about accessing the spirit world with investigative journalist Leslie Kean — the very journalist who broke the groundbreaking 2017 UFO story to The New York Times and introduced the world to the Pentagon’s UFO videos. The trio delve into the esoteric world of ectoplasm and explore its weightlessness, spider-webby texture, and the peculiar sound it emits through spirit trumpets. But the questions don’t stop there. Can spirits po
Bonus-wag: Chuck Bryant Has Seen A Ghost
🪐🕰️💫Paul, Stephen and Chuck Bryant on being a strict materialist, natural evolution, Olaf Stapledon, and more Stuff You Should Know. Plus, Chuck shares a creepy ghost story that challenges his skeptical nature to this day. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer, and the self-proclaimed Emperor of Neptune. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. He also is the acting Minister of Triton for the Chinwag.Chuck Br
Stuff You Should Chinwag About with the Silurian Hypothesis
☢️☢️☢️Paul and Stephen are joined by Stuff You Should Know’s Chuck Bryant for a deep wag on lizard people, the importance and impermanence of what we leave behind, the rarity of finding dinosaur bones, nuclear semiotics, and of course, the Silurian Hypothesis.How do we know advanced civilizations didn’t exist before us and what does that mean for life on other planets? How can we be sure that proof of past civilizations hasn’t decayed without a trace? And why does it even matter if inte
Mailwag: War of the Worlds & Penis Clairvoyance
📻✋🏼♆It’s back to the WagBag we go!This week, Chinwag listener Scott S. writes in with an account of his grandfather’s panic during Orson Welles’s famed 1938 The War of the Worlds broadcast. Paul recalls his own grandfather’s memory of that fateful broadcast, as well as that of the Hindenburg!Then, Barbara C. writes us with a fascinating tutorial of different types of intuitives. There are so many ways folks deign to read the future, including tarot cards, palms, crystal balls, and yes
Breaking Down Buddhism
📿📿📿Paul and Stephen are honored to welcome the esteemed Dr. Khy Sovanratana, dear friend of Dr. Stephen Asma, and former monk in the Theravada tradition in Cambodia. After 34 years as a monk, Dr. Sovanratana removed his robe and left the monastery to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Cambodian government.Many think they know Buddhism, but Paul and Stephen go straight to the source for enlightenment. This in-depth Wag explores Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths, the five differ
Bonus-wag: AI'm Not A Robot
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Recorded at Spotify Studios...
Elizabeth Banks reflects on her collegiate aspirations to become the next Diane Sawyer, and whether AI could make its own Everything Everywhere All At Once. But…could it replicate the hot dog fingers fight scene?
Among other topics, our hosts and Ms. Banks ponder why so many actors are introverts? And what does checking “I’m Not A Robot” really mean?
You can take this interview to the "Banks"! Tune in, Chinwaggers!
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Make sure to follow
Cocaine Bears and Ghostly Stares
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Recorded at Spotify Studios... Join Paul and Stephen as they sit down to discuss death and their paranormal encounters with Paul’s Fred Claus co-star Elizabeth Banks.
They discuss what drove Elizabeth to make her 2023 hit film Cocaine Bear, the omen of the white owl on her doorstep, and how they would all like to be buried or in Stephen’s case— shot into space!
Prepare yourself for Elizabeth’s chilling interaction with the ghost of the woman in the black dress, while Paul shares what
Bonus-wag: More Moon Lore & Owning the Moon
🧀🌝🛰️Paul and Stephen explore more moon theories…is the moon made of cheese? Might the moon be a spacecraft? Are we all descendants of moon-people? And can someone claim the moon?All this and H.P. Lovecraft, burgeoning schools of space law, and real estate on the moon (not to mention Pluto!!)Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer, and the self-proclaimed Emperor of Neptune. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and ar
SHOOTING THE MOON
🌒🌒🌒Ever since they tackled the hollow earth, Paul and Stephen have wanted to talk about weird moon conspiracy theories.Was the Apollo moon landing faked or was it really a movie set? Why does the American flag appear to be flapping on a windless moon? Where was Neil Armstrong’s camera in that famed picture and what about those eyewitness accounts of Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin playing the slots in Las Vegas? And then there’s filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s interview with T. Patrick Murray
Chinwag Mailbag: A Ghostly Life After Near-Death
⭐️📬🌎Deep into the Chinwag Mailbag we go!Caroline writes about an incredible near-death experience that’s left her feeling like a ghost in her own life. Then, how almost dying can alter religious convictions and spiritual reality, DMT, the Bahá’í faith, and Victor Hugo!Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. ⭐️📬🌎=========🚨🚨🚨 LIVE CHINWAG TAPINGS ANNOUNCED 🚨🚨🚨CHINWA
Baseball, Religion & Renewal
⚾️⚾️⚾️Part 2 of Paul and Stephen’s Chinwag turns to the religion of baseball with writer, comedian and passionate fan, Alex Edelman.If Paul is gonna talk sports, it’s bound to be about its spiritual pull and ability to expand space and time. They’ll get into all of it: superstition, Mark “the Bird” Fidrych, the legendary Bart Giamatti, George Grella, how “home” is a concept and not a translatable word.Then, baseball as a pastoral game and touchstone of American roots, and why the sound
Chinwag Mailbag: Aliens at the Movies & Theories on JFK
💬🛸🩻We’re diving back into the Chinwag Mailbag!Billy C. wants to know how Paul would like to see UFOs portrayed in films. Should paranormal encounters be big and fantastical, or what about - no special effects at all? Then, Paul’s got some obscure film recommendations and of course, Betty and Barney Hill, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky make an appearance.Next, Chip writes in with a story about what happened in the ER after President John F. Kenn
Spirituality, Rigor & Improv
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Paul and Stephen welcome brilliant writer and comedian Alex Edelman for a deep chinwag on spirituality, religion, improvisation, and paranormal leanings.
Listen as they dive right in with why the CIA should use Baby Shark in its interrogation program, the importance and virtue of repetition in the process of joke writing, the Socratic method in comedy, and how AI and Chat GPT will affect the future of humor. The conversation then turns to Romanian religious historian Mircea Eliade and t
Chinwag Mailbag: Paleocontact and Our Fave Sci-Fi Books
📖🫱🏽🫲🏾👽We’re diving into the Chinwag Mailbag!Paul in Australia writes to Paul and Stephen with a topic of biblical proportion! He brings to Chinwag the theory known as Paleocontact, which states that our ancient ancestors experienced contact with other non-terrestrial civilizations. Do ancient texts support the idea that paleocontact goes back to the Bible?Then, Chinwag listeners have asked, so behold, a peak at Paul and Stephen’s favorite sci-fi novelists. Piers Anthony, Ursula K
Why Bigfoot Matters
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Paul and Stephen are thrilled to talk Bigfoot with acclaimed actor Jesse Eisenberg who stars in the fantastic new movie Sasquatch Sunset.
Sasquatch Sunset is an unprecedented look at a year in the life of a family of Sasquatches, as they forage, mate, and hope to find others like them in the forest. What do Sasquatches do in private, and how do our stories and beliefs about Bigfoot relate to the thoughts of our ancestors?
Then, Jesse details the day he spent with the smartest animal i
Bonus-wag: The Ghost in the Theatre
🎭👻👯♂️The origin story of Paul and Justin Theroux’s friendship, formed 30 years ago while messing around backstage and onstage in a depressing Chekhov play.Justin’s memory is razor sharp and deep, and he shares the moment Paul first experienced fame after his breakout appearance as Pig Vomit in Howard Stern’s Private Parts. Also, theaters are spooky places and Justin reminds Paul of the eerie ghost (with a woman’s enormous bloody head!) that may or may not have found a home in that C
Justin Theroux Hits Peak Chinwag
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Paul and Stephen are joined by Paul’s old friend, perpetually youthful actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux.
Learn all you ever wanted to know about the Oakwoods temporary housing in LA from former inhabitants Paul and Justin. Then rattlesnakes in Runyon Canyon, coyotes in Central Park, and how the Lindbergh kidnapping made pitbulls popular and led to Petey the dog on The Little Rascals.
Stephen and Justin reveal a few delicacies they’ve enjoyed overseas, like coffee ma
Bonus-wag: Errol Morris and The Interrotron
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On this Bonus-Wag, Paul and Stephen ask Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris about his ground-breaking invention of the Interrotron camera and how it takes the viewer closer to a documentary subject.
Also, what John le Carré says in Errol Morris’s film The Pigeon Tunnel that makes Stephen wonder if being a spy is similar to being an actor. And what separates a good actor from a bad one? All this and the Errol Morris STFU school of directing!?
Enjoy this week’s Bonus-Wag!
Paul G
A Heartwarming Tale with Errol Morris
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Paul and Stephen are excited to meet Academy Award-winning Director and avid book collector Errol Morris.
Stephen’s funky blue lighting and Paul’s floatation tank-talk mark the start of this Chinwag and in just a few short turns, the conversation goes from the idea of the bodhisattva in Buddhism to the weirdness of Florida, in particular Vernon, FL (aka “Nub City”). In typical Waggy fashion, they’re on to a shared reverence for American novelist Harry Crews and a fascination with not
April 19th, Boston: One if by land, two if by Chinwag!
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Mark your calendars and set your comedic compass for April 19th
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the Chinwag ride of Paul Giamatti,
On the nineteenth of April, in twenty-four;
Hardly a wagger is immune to the hype
Who is present that famous day and year…
- Stephen Asma
Prepare for a night of hilarious tales and witty banter that'll have you laughing from land to sea. Secure your tickets asap for a comedy voyage through Boston's cultural landscape at The Center for Arts at th
Bonus-wag: Actually, You’re NOT Part Viking
⚔️🇳🇴🦈Paul and Stephen talk about Stephen’s trip to Norway and his readings from an 8th Century book of spells found in the floorboards of an old church.Is Iceland or Norway known for delicacies like rotten shark? They’re not sure, but still not fans (of the shark meals). And listeners out there, do you want to hear Paul and Stephen explore Berserkers? Let us know! Also, if your genetic analysis says you’re part Viking, you’re actually not. Also not part Berserker, but neither here no
ASK THE PHILOSOPHER! PT 1
👔👔👔Paul puts Stephen in the hot seat for Part 1 of this rigorous round of “Ask the Philosopher!”This is not just your basic Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. You’ll learn the importance of Pythagoras, besides that theorem you learned in grade school (with an obligatory mention of passing gas). Then, hear about the mindf*ck of Zeno’s paradox, famed thinker and nudist Diogenes, all about cynics, roots of empirical thinking, Roman stoicism and Marcus Aurelius, and why prisoners of war like
Bonus-wag: Octopus Dreams
🐙💭🪸Paul and Stephen have a few more questions for resident Octopus expert, author, philosopher and biologist, Professor Peter Godfrey-Smith.When does consciousness emerge in the evolutionary process and does it exist in every bit of matter - even a grain of sand? Then, do Octopuses have language and what is its function? And controversial questions abound on whether animals dream, the role of memory, and what commonality of sleep phases suggests about our shared evolutionary origins.
Consciousness & The Octopus
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The Octopus is fascinating and mysterious, and as Paul and Stephen discover, a cephalopod that offers incredible lessons in consciousness, intelligence, awareness and being. The octopus might also be the closest we have to studying the alien mind.
Peter Godfrey-Smith is an author, Professor of Biology, philosopher of science and skilled scuba diver who’s looked right into the eyes of many an octopus, and they’ve observed him back. Listen as Professor Godfrey-Smith explains how the octop
Chinwag Mailbag: The Drake Equation
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Paul and Stephen dig into our Chinwag mailbag for this SETI-inspired question (that’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence to any novice listeners). The Drake Equation is explained and let’s just say there’s A LOT of math involved.
It’s been 60+ years since last estimates were made on the odds of finding intelligent life in the Milky Way, and Chinwag listener Rick B. wants to know, how long could a civilization broadcast its presence through technology, and what current factors mi
THE KRAKEN OF THE BRINY DEEP
🦑🦑🦑The sea is deep, but it’s no match for Paul and Stephen’s boundless appetite for aquatic mysteries.Follow them as they dip into the strange world of three famed squids: The Giant Squid, the Colossal Squid, and the Bigfin Squid (a BigFoot squid, really??). Then, other Unidentified Submerged Objects (USOs) like humboldt squids, giant albino crabs, boat-attacking-squids (!), megamouth sharks, whale sharks, and the myth of a Japanese moon maiden.And of course, the theory that UFOs ori
Bonus-wag: A Fan's Recurring Dream (About Paul!)
📫💭📆We love our loyal Chinwag listeners and we love your letters! Keep ‘em coming and we may respond to them on the air!Miss B Havin wrote to Paul and Stephen and shared a message she received in a recurring dream about Paul. Does Paul understand the message therein? What does water represent in a dream, and what’s the least lucky month of the year? Put your ears on this Bonus-Wag and find out!Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author
ATLANTIS & THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE
🔱🔱🔱Paul and Stephen wade through the deep waters and history of such aquatic mysteries as Atlantis and The Bermuda Triangle.Listen in as Stephen details Plato’s telling of Atlantis, with all its craven needs, imperialist ambitions and loss of virtue. The weird link between Atlantis and UFO/paranormal activity is legend, but did you know of the lasers in Atlantis and its connection to The Bermuda Triangle? It’s also a thing!Then Paul introduces Charles Berlitz (yes that Berlitz) who p
Bonus-wag: A Happy Medium
👐🏼✝️👐🏼Paul and Stephen have a few more questions for the "Long Island Medium," Theresa Caputo.Listen in to hear how she learned to interpret the messages she receives from departed souls and spirits? How Catholics respond to her abilities, and do demons and negativity in the spirit world get her down? And does she fear losing her gifts? T his bonus is Medium-well! Get it? Dig in Waggers!Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author spec
Tales of Weird NJ: Bovine, Bigfoot & Frogs
🐄🐄🐄Recorded live from the (possibly haunted) Marines’ Memorial Theatre in San Francisco at Sketchfest 2024 with special guest, comedian, writer, and host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast, Chris Gethard.Chris heard about a lot of brushes with the paranormal during his time at Weird NJ, and he relays one of the spookiest stories imaginable about a band of silent, menacing cows leading the way to a flannel-clad BigFoot lying supine on a mattress. Was there LSD involved? And what’s mor
Bonus-wag: Pizzagate and Psychic Goldfish
🙋🏻♂️🍕🖋️Paul, Stephen, and comedian Christ Gethard answer the weirdly awesome questions from our live audience at Sketchfest 2024.Have you noticed conspiracy theories have gone from “fun” to “crazy”? You have? Perfect segue to Chris’s rumored involvement with Pizzagate and the real reason behind that fake (but really creepy!) satanic ritual on The Chris Gethard Show with Will Ferrell (uh, ratings!?).Paul fields a doozy of an audience question and sidesteps it masterfully. More Norca
Let's Get Weird, California
🗑️🗑️🗑️Recorded live from the (possibly haunted) Marines’ Memorial Theatre in San Francisco at Sketchfest 2024 with special guest, comedian, writer, and host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast, Chris Gethard.Is it possible someone doesn’t find Paul charming? Hear the real story behind how Paul ended up in a dumpster on Chris’s public access series, The Chris Gethard Show. Explore more folklore from Virginia (Bunny Man!) and Ohio (yes there are Melonheads in Ohio too!) and the many leg
Bonus-wag: Zombies on Film
🧟🪦🧟♀️Paul and Stephen learn the history of zombies with spiritualism expert Lisa Morton who shares the influence of these phenomena in popular culture, folklore and horror films.Who brought the idea of zombies to mass awareness and what cultures first wrote about these mythical characters? Also, the impact of Bela Lagosi’s film White Zombie, how it gave way to Voodoo zombies, Sci-Fi zombies, George Romero’s human flesh-eating zombies and Frankenstein. Also why are zombies so popular
Spiritualism, Seance, Ouija, and Ectoplasm
🖤🖤🖤Welcome Waggers! Come for the ghosts, stay for the vomiting ectoplasm! Paul and Stephen walk through the myriad ways folks talked to the dead throughout history with spiritualism expert and author Lisa Morton. En route they discuss spirits, mediums, oracles, ouija boards, priming, and rampant charlatanry in the business of ghost-hunting.Hear ghostly experiences from the legendary Stanley Hotel (aka- the Disneyland of ghost hotels made famous in The Shining), the birth of the seanc
Bonus-wag: PAUL'S "HAVANA" SYNDROME STORY
🇷🇺😵💫🌀Paul Giamatti shares a crazy Havana syndrome-like experience he had at the Russian Embassy in Budapest, which somehow leads to his love of acting on stage and sharing that mass-delusion with an audience.Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art.🇷🇺😵💫🌀=========📋 Please help us get to know you better by completing our Chinwagger Survey 👉🏼 https://gum.fm/chinwa
MAD GASSERS & MASS HYSTERIA
😵💫😵💫😵💫Paul and Stephen strive to understand the phenomenon of mass panic and incidences of collective delusion throughout history.Learn the difference between mass panic and mass hysteria, how our minds influence our physical reactions, and the power of the media in escalating these events. What caused the hysteria that surrounded the Beatles and Elvis, or the outbreak of panic after the infamous Orson Welles radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds? Paul knows a t
Bonus-wag: Does A 10 Gallon Hat Hold Water?
🤠🤠🤠During Paul and Stephen’s first Chinwag with delightful author and historian Sarah Vowell (go back and listen to that episode from 10/4/23 now!), the term “10 gallon hat” came up.Both hosts, as well as Sarah, were stymied on the origin of the term. What does it really mean? Does it refer to the size of a cowboy hat? A measurement of water? Does it have to do with how much water a cowboy hat can hold, and why would you pour all that water into a hat anyway?Well, Paul and Stephen kn
Sarah Vowell Pt 2: The Joy of Coincidence
🌺🌺🌺Author and historian Sarah Vowell may have spoken a little too soon in her first Chinwag with Paul and Stephen. Behold the incredible tales of coincidence that challenge her literal mind and make Sarah question her woo-woo-ness.From Sacagawea’s chance meeting with her long-lost brother, to John Adams’ and Thomas Jefferson’s shared date of death, and odd details about the Lincoln assassination and the Booth brothers – do serendipitous moments in history actually mean anything? On t
Bonus-wag: Natasha Lyonne on Aliens, Bigfoot and Ghosts
👻🥞🥤Natasha shares her beliefs in the possibility of aliens, ghosts and Bigfoot, introduces the Fermi Paradox to the conversation with Paul and Stephen, enjoys a pancake lunch, and tells the story of her life with Rootbeer the dog. Bonus: Did Natasha’s dog Rootbeer get plastic surgery or consult a psychic? Tune in to this week’s Bonus-Wag to find out!Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science,
Natasha Lyonne: Armchair Physicist
⚛️⚛️⚛️Paul and Stephen read a letter from Keith, an airline pilot in Idaho who shares his incredible UFO sighting and belief in Interdimensional Sasquatch Travel.Then.... Natasha Lyonne joins, and that’s when things get weird and quantum-physical.Listen in as Paul and Stephen follow Natasha around her house, feed Rootbeer the dog, and learn why she’s comforted by the dulcet sound of quantum physics audio books at bedtime. Hear why discipline and restraint and the structure of mathematic
Bonus-wag: THUNDERBIRDS & THE MANDELA EFFECT
🏺🌊🐆More Cryptid lore for your listening pleasure.Meet one of Stephen’s favorites, the legendary Hodag of Wisconsin. The horned Hodag that never reclines, liked the taste of humans, and just might’ve been a hoax that stoked tourism in 1890s Oneida County. The Hodag conjures Native American folklore of the underwater panther, Mishipeshu, who lives in the water and fights Thunderbirds (a favorite of Paul’s).But have you heard of Thunderbird sightings? They’ve been reported from just abo
Catch A Live CHINWAG on January 27th!
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What’s that? You say you want to see your favorite Chinwag hosts live? We thought you’d never ask!
Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma are coming to SF Sketchfest 2024 on January 27th, and they’ll leave no urban myth untold! Join them and special guest, comedian, author and host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast Chris Gethard.
Explore the weird and wondrous intrigue of the City by the Bay. We’d love to see you and we’ll even take all your weird-ass questions!
So, get your tickets to th
CRYPTOZOOLOGY 101
🫎🫎🫎Paul and Stephen reveal some of their favorite American cryptids.Skip by the oft-told stories of Sasquatch and Chupacabra and follow Paul into the dark primeval forests of Maine to meet the Spectre Moose. Hear the legend of this mysterious prehistoric-looking giant of the Maine woods. Some sightings recall the Spectre Moose’s faint white glow and an ability to walk through solid objects.And if that’s not trippy enough, Paul recalls the time he took elk velvet to add some pep to hi
Talking Buffalo with Ken Burns
🦬🦬🦬Paul and Stephen’s interest in history is deep and windy, so who better to get a riveting lesson from than award-winning documentarian, Ken Burns.Hear why the master auteur has wanted to tell the tragic story of the American Buffalo for 30 years, and trace the path of its near extinction in the late 19th century. Was the buffalo saved by the captive gates of zoos? What is man’s moral responsibility to nature in its quest towards advancement and a global economy? And as savior and
Bonus-wag: MASS MoCA Q&A TIME
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Recorded live from the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), Paul and Stephen field questions from our brilliant and inquisitive Chinwag audience.
Paul and Stephen offer insights on precognitive dreams, past lives and reincarnation. The chains of causation and LaPlace’s Demon gets a mention, and what do prophecies in art and science fiction actually reflect?
Paul and Stephen talk about their visit to the creepy Hoosac Tunnel of North Adams, MA (also known as the “bloody
CHINWAG STORYTIME: The Gift of the Magi
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On the 12th Day of Christmas, Paul Giamatti has a gift for Chinwaggers!
Gather round for this dramatic reading of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi... The moving story of a young couple who long to give each other meaningful Christmas presents and the sacrifices they make to do so.
The story was originally publised on December 10, 1905 in The New York Sunday World and subsequently published in O. Henry's 1906 short story collection The Four Million.
Paul Giamatti is an award-winning act
NOSTRADAMUS, PROPHETS, & CLAIRVOYANTS (OH MY!)
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Recorded live from the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), Paul and Stephen discuss the power and historical impact of Nostradamus, prophets and clairvoyants.
Who was Nostradamus and how did his vague predictions make him a legend in his time? Paul and Stephen reveal his cure for the plague and explain Nostradamus’s popularity in times of crisis. Was he just a shitty astrologer and what’s he got to do with Hitler? What’s the difference between clairvoyance and prophecy
Bonus-wag: Ted (Chiang) Talks
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Paul, Stephen and fiction writer Ted Chiang discuss the pros and cons of our fallible memories and the human technological interface.
Is that fight with your partner about “who said what” an essential part of developing a human relationship, or is none of that even the point? Is adopting a pact of truth and reconciliation the path forward in relationships as it is in some countries’ politics? Ted discusses the question of self-identity; are we defined by our memories and shared experien
A Different Kind of Ted (Chiang) Talk
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In this Chinwag, Paul and Stephen are thrilled to be subject to fascinating thought experiments by award-winning fiction writer Ted Chiang. Up for the discussion?
The difference between fact and fiction when it comes to the existence of alien life, and whether Paul is indeed an assassin because he played one in an action film Ted once saw. Imaginations are running amok and people can’t differentiate between what’s real and what isn’t. Is social media to blame or was The National Enquire
Bonus-wag: More with Neil Gaiman
🏴✍🏼🇺🇸Welcome to the Bonus-wag with Neil Gaiman!Neil's got a needy actor story that Paul relates to and understands. How being a Brit helps Neil write about America with the perfect amount of detachment to see it clearly. And is America the land of the trickster and huckster? How are George Santos and Donald Trump perfectly American creations and why are they celebrated?All this and John Wayne Bobbitt comes up (Google him, ywsm!).Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor an
Going Hard in the Paint with Neil Gaiman
🎄🎄🎄Wanna go on a tour of fringe places to visit with Paul, Stephen, and award-winning author Neil Gaiman?Paul, Stephen and Neil love a weird outing and this episode introduces you to a bevy of greats. From Wisconsin’s own House on the Rock, to the Winchester Mystery House. Hear about the Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA, the Soviet Arctic Exploration Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania. If these sound like a dream vacation itinerary, then this i
Bonus-wag: More with Bruce "The Chin" Campbell
🏦 💰 🚔More behind-the-scenes chat and wisdom with actor, filmmaker, and author Bruce Campbell!Bruce’s Christian Science upbringing and how it led him on his own spiritual journey. Why humor and horror are a winning combination, and old school Hollywood yarns about Lee Majors, Larry Fine, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Harry Houdini, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (including impressions).Paul and Bruce lament their many close-calls on TV and film sets, and why they’ve reluctantly st
Bruce Campbell's Cosmic Awakening
🌌🌌🌌Paul and Stephen are joined by raconteur, actor, author and Hawaiian shirt expert, Bruce Campbell.Tune in to hear about the first time he smoked weed on the set of Evil Dead (yes he got high), how moonshine was used to keep warm, and how Bruce keeps himself amused at horror film conventions. Plus, that time he went in search of the BigFoot trap near his house in Oregon, and heard an eyewitness account from a Sasquatch true believer (he met in a bar).Go deep with our hosts as Bruce
(Tom) Hanks Again!
⏳⏳⏳Part 2 of Paul and Stephen’s chat with Academy Award winning actor, writer, and author Tom Hanks.Why are time travel fantasies perfect escapes and where does Tom dream of going?What’s the logic of time travel and what would be better: going back to the past or going forward into the future? Tom shares cautionary food for thought from Thornton Wilder and Charleton Heston, and lessons gleaned from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes. Also, what are the rules of infidelity in time-trave
(Tom) Hanks For Coming!
🍠🍠🍠Academy Award winning actor, writer, author and all-around wonderful human Tom Hanks joins Paul and Stephen to help unload specious facts about Quebec, Canada (lowest marriage rate in the world!), Blue Zones and the importance of purple yams.Paul, Stephen and Tom discuss the speed of information, Chat GPT, cognitive dissonance in AI, and question the use of Waze to beat traffic. How have our memories changed since the advent of cell phones? Are acting skills useful when it comes t
Bonus-wag: On Life, Death, And Pizza
☥🪦🍕Bonus time with comedian, writer, director and author Mike Birbiglia.The guys discuss their thoughts on leaving a legacy, art as a path to immortality, and the enduring comedy of Charlie Chaplin and W.C. Fields. Also, what’s the career advice one should never pass on to others? Lastly, Mike’s love of pizza (and the word “plaza”) leads to the end of the debate on the country’s best pizza. Is it New Haven, NYC, or Chicago? And what’s the correct amount of pizza for one person? Hint:
Birbigs on Tay Tay & TikTok
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Tune in as comedian Mike Birbiglia, also our resident Swiftie expert and anti-hero, explains the Taylor Swift phenomenon to Paul and Stephen.
Also, why is TikTok so addictive, and which host shares this obsession with Birbigs and 420 million Gen Zers? Then, how to talk to your kids about death and scary stuff (hint - don’t ask Paul!). Hear about Birbigs’ new Netflix special Old Man & The Pool, his sleepwalking disorder, and his fascination and fear of bears. And don’t sleep on his
Bonus-wag: Q&A with 2 Pauls, 1 Stephen
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Recorded live at the Murmrr Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Oct 17th with the incomparable Paul Rudd.
Chinwag’s studio audience jumps in on the action with their burning questions. More in-depth answers about fears, recurring dreams, pretend play and how improv plays a role in one’s success.
Plus: Does I Love You Man mirror real life? And what’s its connection to Only Murders in the Building? Which Paul is actually a fan of the Almond Joy? What are Rudd’s favorite tunes from his Bar Mitzvah
Paul Rudd's Too Sexy for this Pod
🛋️🛋️🛋️Recorded live at the Murmrr Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Oct 17th.Paul and Stephen welcome Paul Rudd to discuss the genesis of his childhood fears, the difference between fears and phobias, and list all the things that give them the willies (puppets, clowns, and cockroaches OH MY!).Join our rapt studio audience as Rudd regales with his creepy childhood bedroom decor (velvet Charlie Brown portrait anyone?), explains why his recurring nightmares always took place in grocery stores,
Unwrapping the Toga on Ancient Rome
🏛️🏛️🏛️Like the popular TikTok meme says about men, Paul thinks about Ancient Rome every 7 seconds. Stephen’s never counted but nonetheless our Chinwag hosts love to talk about the Roman Empire, and there’s one heralded scholar they’ve been wanting to meet: Professor Mary Beard.Sure, Dame Mary Beard has debated former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but now she enters the Chinwag! How much power did Emperors like Caesar, Caligula, Severus, and Nero, actually wield? And how much was j
Digging Into The Business of Death
🌺💀🌹Paul and Stephen are into learning about death. Not just what happens after one departs, not just about ghosts and spirits and the afterlife, but what happens in the days that follow - to the bodies, and to the workers in the trenches of the death industry.Enter journalist and author Hayley Campbell, who after a lifelong fascination with death, sought these answers from the hardworking people who make their living working with the dead. Learn about alkaline hydrolysis (water crema
CHINWAG STORYTIME: Paul Reads Poe
🧱🧱🧱As the weather cools and the light grows dim, Paul and Stephen are possessed by the need for macabre ghost stories to match the ominous mood in the air.Enter Edgar Allan Poe’s classic and haunting The Cask of Amontillado. Pour yourself a glass of Sherry, or a poison of your choice, and tuck in for Paul’s first dramatic reading on our maiden voyage of Chinwag Storytime.Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy
Amy Sedaris Hasn't Been To Her 1st Rodeo
🎴🎴🎴THIS IS PART 2 of Paul and Stephen’s wild time with Amy Sedaris -- which finds them debating the definition of a few choice sexual terms, discussing their love and appreciation of the grotesque, and hearing about the southern charm she’s cultivated in her home of New York City. Her thoughts on Marie Kondo’s book, which she ALSO got rid of during her great purge to raise money for Diabetes research. Explore the reasons behind Paul’s manic collection of books and why he wants a huma
PHANTOM LAKE PHENOMS
🐦🐦🐦David from Burlington, VT writes in about Paul and Stephen’s obsession with the famed Loch Ness Monster but elevates the discourse to regale us with the lore of his local lake monster, Champ.This Chinwag explores various theories on cryptids and ponders: has there been a fold in time and are these sea creatures ghostly time-jumpers from the future? Or are they from the past? What’s the famous Mansi photo?Stephen invokes Occam’s razor and for some reason Paul relates all this to th
The Psychedelic Stylings of Dr. Matthew Johnson
🍄🍄🍄Ever wonder about the real medicinal uses of psychedelics? Wanna hear tales from the guy who did time training in the bad trip tent at Burning Man? Paul and Stephen do, so they go to the tip of the spear - straight to Johns Hopkins’ foremost psychedelics expert, Dr. Matthew Johnson.In this mind-expanding chat, hear about Dr. Johnson’s trailblazing work to help advance the therapeutic use of psychedelics to treat depression, addiction, cancer, trauma, and PTSD.Find out how psychede
No Woo-Woo for Sarah Vowell
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Paul and Stephen love their history, so who better for this Chinwag than brilliant essayist, author and historian, Sarah Vowell?
Listen in as they contemplate the tricky business of retelling history that doesn’t live up to the current moral code. Which President is the biggest zero? The least sexy? And what did Benjamin Harrison – our 23rd president – actually do while in office? You know you want to know!
All that and a front row seat to Sarah’s midlife crisis spent watching a diffic
Stephen Colbert Pt 2: More Magical Thoughts
🧙🏻♂️🧙🏻♂️🧙🏻♂️Catch PART 2 of Paul and Stephen’s dip into the profoundly thoughtful mind of Mr. Stephen Colbert.Explore the power of prayer and magical thinking, the importance of unlearning what you know, and Paul and Colbert’s shared love of sci-fi, or as Stephen Asma calls it, “Gandalf and sh*t.” What’s the difference between sci-fi and fantasy, and can Lord of the Rings help process one’s grief?Tune in for musings on improvisation, zen master Amy Sedaris, and the fantastic co
Talking Sense with Stephen Colbert
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Paul and Stephen get their daily dose of happiness during PART 1 of this illuminating and hilarious chat with writer, comedian, late night host, Mr. Stephen Colbert.
Have you ever wondered why some spell Stephen with a V, while others with a PH? No? It’s great party fodder, trust us!
Mr. Colbert captivates with his love of fishing, the evolution of the flounder, the consequences of unaddressed grief, and the religious sermon that changed him forever. Stay tuned for talk of Jungian archet
JOURNEY INTO THE HOLLOW EARTH!
🪐🪐🪐Welcome to Paul’s happy place, discussing the ins and outs of the Hollow Earth Theory!Listen in as Paul and Stephen go deep to the chewy center of this fringe theory that the earth is not a solid sphere but a hollow shell with its own universe living within it. This is not your mama’s flat earth theory, or any of that fake moon landing stuff – welcome to the Hollow Earth.And what’s all this got to do with Nazis, UFOs, AI and the Imp of Perversity? Learn about Cyrus Teed (the hero
It's All A Show with Derek DelGaudio
🪄🪄🪄Paul and Stephen are fascinated by magic and the art of deception and they’re thrilled to take this extraordinary ride into the wondrous mind of master illusionist Derek DelGaudio.Listen in as they explore themes of reality, deception, imagination, morality, manipulation, and belief with the sleight of hand maestro. Is authenticity even possible anymore? Is Tik Tok just a series of mini-Shakespearian tragedies? And what’s the fix for the absence of human connection in an online wo
PHONE CALLS FROM THE DEAD!
📯📯📯Your fan mail gets answered this week!
Arthur from Japan writes in and asks Paul and Stephen to discuss Thomas Edison’s spirit phone, a little known device to contact the dead. What happened with Edison’s quest to prove life after death, and what’s TikTok got to do with it?
Also learn about a ghostly human voice recording from the 1840s (predating known technology)!
Add to that a bonus visit with William Shatner musing about ghosts and paranormal activity.
Your takeaway? As usua
Mooning with Mike Massimino
👨🏻🚀👨🏻🚀👨🏻🚀Paul and Stephen are obsessed with UFOs and life beyond earth–so who better to add to the conversation than a guy who’s been to space twice?This week, our intrepid Chinwaggers are joined by former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, a man who decided that a fear of heights would be best overcome by a trip to space. In this week’s classified file: space toilets, robot arms, and why there should never be more than one comedian per space shuttle.Paul Giamatti is an award-wi
Nnedi Okorafor Sees The Future
🌍📚✍🏾Award-winning science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor, who coined the term "Africanfuturism" joins co-hosts Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma on this episode of CHINWAG.Tickling mice, javelin-throwing nuns and making friends with sentient AI are just some of the detours their conversation takes this week. Can Stephen and Nnedi finally bridge the gap between cat people and dog people and bring long-lasting peace to civilization?Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Step
WE'VE GOT MAIL!
📨📨📨Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma asked for your thoughts, your burning questions, your weirdest musings, and you responded - in droves!Stephen from St. Louis asks, do watershed moments exist and is the term actually overused and misunderstood? Paul and Stephen discuss and wonder what history actually IS after all? And somehow, American soldier Boston Corbett makes an appearance.Then - are you superstitious? Anna from Belfast writes in about the Irish Fairy Thorn Tree which some beli
Pillow Talk with Dream Expert Deirdre Barrett
💭💭💭Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma are fascinated and confounded by dreams and the act of dreaming. Enter renowned dream and hypnosis expert, Dr. Deirdre Barrett and hear Paul and Stephen question the very meaning and purpose of dreams.Are they precognitive? Can dreams tell of past lives? Does imagination and intuition play a role? Do recurring dreams help protect us? What is dream incubation and can we manipulate our dreams to find answers to life’s pressing questions? Answers are re
The Marvel-ous Mr. Cheadle
🦶🏽🦶🏽🦶🏽Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma go deep with Don Cheadle and explore the importance of improv to combat aging, miming to Zapruder films, religion to tame the ego, gorilla trekking, and Paul’s desire to be considered for foot fetish sites. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art.Don Cheadle is an award-winning actor, director, activist, musician and golfer. His new
SATANIC PANIC!
👹👹👹This week, Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma go down a wild rabbit hole on Satanism, a topic they find endlessly fascinating. They ruminate on everything from atheism to Aleister Crowley, pentagrams to Frankenstein. Also hear about sex magick (with a "K").Bonus: Jimmy Page’s purported Satan worship! You don’t want to miss this deep dive into the diabolical. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of s
A Detour Through Life with Amy Sedaris
🚇🚇🚇Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma host a candid chat with the always effervescent and inventive Amy Sedaris. Hear about Amy’s love of Japanese subways, why she finally broke down and got a phone, her impression of Dolly Parton, and love for the artistic works of George W. Bush, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art.Amy Sedaris is a come
ENCORE: Patton Oswalt and The Mandela Effect
🎭🎭🎭An encore presentation of Paul Giamatti’s and Stephen Asma’s chat with Patton Oswalt recorded at SXSW 2023 in Austin, TX. Paul and Stephen learn about Oswalt’s current obsession with the Mandela Effect and take an unexpected wild detour through Shakespeare, demons, horror movies and goo pods. Bonus: Paul and Stephen read fan mail and debate a suggested explanation for the Mandela Effect. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author
Are You Still A UFO Skeptic?
🛸🛸🛸More shocking revelations from Paul Giamatti’s and Stephen Asma’s chat with Mutual UFO Network’s (MUFON) Star UFO investigator Katie Paige.What IS Project Looking Glass, and has this secret operation been part of a cover-up? Hear more about the trauma associated with the purported alien abductions of Whitley Strieber and Betty Andreeason. Bonus: Paul and Stephen learn about the hat man, shadow people, alien cadavers and lizard people.Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and pro
Truth & Lies with UFO Investigator Katie Paige
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Katie Paige, Mutual UFO Network’s (MUFON) Star UFO investigator, joins Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma for an enthralling, deeply weird chat on paranormal unknowns like Travis Walton’s alien abduction, crop circles, and cattle mutilation. Bonus: Government involvement and cover-ups, Skinwalker Ranch, disembodied electrical voices, and a connection between UFOs and Bigfoot!
Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the phil
Billy Bob Thornton TAKE 2: Visions, Phobias, and Obscure Beatles Tracks
🍴🍴🍴More lively excerpts from Paul Giamatti’s and Stephen Asma’s chat with Academy Award winner and musician, Billy Bob Thornton. This time Billy Bob talks about his psychic mom, his intense dislike of old silverware, Fettuccine Alfredo, and the genesis of Paul’s childhood bug phobia.Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Billy Bob Thornton is an Academy Award-winning ac
Theresa Caputo Is Never Alone
🐿🐿🐿Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma have their first-ever readings with the Long Island Medium herself, Theresa Caputo. Join as they post-game about everything from intuition to the afterlife, and hear how Theresa can not catch a break from the spirits, despite her dad’s pleading. Bonus: which pet animal visits from the other side the most? Hint, it’s not Fido. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of
SO YOU THINK YOU’RE A STARSEED?
🌟🌟🌟Recorded Live in Denver at SeriesFest 2023, Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma talk to a live audience about the trendy topic of Starseeds, a cosmic mystery whose content has over 1 billion views on TikTok. Also in this episode: the reading of Akashic records, and Exorcism: is this still a thing? Bonus: Paul is left utterly baffled by the coronation of King Charles.Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an
Even Psychopaths Suffer Burnout with Candice DeLong
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Killer Psyche podcast host Candice DeLong spent two decades in the FBI as a criminal profiler tracking serial killers and working such notorious cases as the Unabomber and the Chicago Tylenol Murders. Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma explore the terrifying and tactical world of tracking murderers with Candice and learn that even psychopaths suffer career burnout. Bonus: learn about predictive behaviors of serial killers (bed-wetting?!), Ted Bundy’s incarcerated romance, and a key tip when n
Preet Bharara's a Poet, and We Didn't Know It
🌼🌼🌼Paul and Stephen engage with Preet Bharara on some unlikely topics: UFOs, conjugal relations with chickens, flowers on Mars, the opposable thumbs of aliens, stamp collecting, and the poetry of law.Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Preet Bharara is a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the host of the podcast Stay Tuned With Preet.🌼🌼�
The Cult of Kathryn Hahn
🏐🏐🏐Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma are fascinated by Kathryn Hahn’s deep knowledge of cults, con men, hypnosis, brainwashing dogs, and the power of late night volleyball sessions. Bonus: Travis the chimpanzee, radical nuns, lice couches, do Popes Netflix and chill, and that time Paul fought off kidnapping Krishnas in Northern Ireland!Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer
Tripping with William Shatner
🖖🏽🖖🏽🖖🏽Stephen Asma and Paul Giamatti are giddy to speak with lifelong hero and Star Trek alum William Shatner on tequila tastings, space travel, bum drug trips, holding on to your inner child and that time he beat up an Australian Olympic swimmer on stage. Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. William Shatner is an Emmy award-winning actor, writer, recording artist
TALKING MONSTERS live @ SXSW
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Recorded live at SXSW 2023, Paul Giamatti and Stephen Asma have a spirited conversation about werewolves, Godzilla, the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch – and their cultural impact. Chaos ensues in the Q&A with audience.
Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer.
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New episodes drop Wednesdays for free... n(🧊)
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Mysteries of Ancient Egypt with Dr. Kara Cooney
🌅🇪🇬🌅Stephen Asma and Paul Giamatti get to the bottom of all your burning questions on Ancient Egypt with UCLA Egyptologist Dr. Kara Cooney. They go deep into mysteries surrounding pyramids, death cults, aliens, mummies and cats from that time period, as well as unexpected topics, like the significant role self-fellatio played in ancient Egyptian religious practices and beliefs. They also hit on Pharaoh Akhenaten and the challenges faced by female rulers in Egypt, as well as their la
Patton Oswalt and The Mandela Effect
😈😈😈Recorded live in Austin at SXSW, Stephen Asma and Paul Giamatti learn about Patton Oswalt’s current obsession with The Mandela Effect and take a wild detour through Shakespeare, demons, horror movies and goo pods.Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Patton Oswalt is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer.😈😈😈New episodes drop Wednesdays for free... n(🧊)Make sure
Swapping ghost stories with Billy Bob Thornton
👻 👻 👻Stephen Asma and Paul Giamatti host a wild conversation with Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton that meanders through uncanny and unexplained tales of the paranormal, encountering everything from ghosts, psychics, bad feng shui, sleep paralysis and shimmering blobs.Stephen Asma is a professor and author specializing in the philosophy of science, religion, and art. Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor and producer. Billy Bob Thornton is an Academy Award-winning act
Trailer for "Giamatti's Chinwag with Asma"
A Philosopher, Actor, and Monsters Join Forces in an Unconventional Podcast = CHINWAG!Join award-winning actor Paul Giamatti and writer/philosopher Steven Asthma in their intriguing new podcast "CHINWAG" as they explore the depths of esoteric topics from altered states of consciousness to monsters in a search for the unexpected."It's not an interview show - it's a conversation with a weird bent on things."** New episodes drop Wednesdays for free starting April 5th **Make sure to follow
Treefort Media presents: "Chinwag"
*** First episode launches on April 5th ***chin-wag: to have a chat, a friendly conversation.Make sure to follow us on YT, IG & Tik @chinwagpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices