Go Fact Yourself

This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month (or boost for as little as $1)  go to Maximumfun.org/join. (Make sure to select Go Fact Yourself as a podcast you support!)

*NEW: If 100 people join, upgrade, or boost TODAY (3/31), we’ll add a Zoom hangout this weekend!*

Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself!

We’ve entered the finale of the #MaxFunDrive!

J. Keith and Helen celebrate the occasion with a live Twitter Spaces chat. 

They’ll take questions from listeners about what the future may hold for Go Fact Yourself. Plus, they’ll discuss the stretch goals that Go Fact Yourself listeners can look forward to as more sign up to support the podcast.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our 

upcoming live shows in LA

 by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month go to Maximumfun.org/join. 

Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself!

And… Join Helen & J. Keith on Twitter for an “Ask Us Anything” on Wednesday, March 29 at 1pm PT (4pm ET). @gofactyourpod 

It’s a beautiful day in the #MaxFunDrive – The latest edition of Go Fact Yourself!

Get ready for the conclusion of our first-ever Listener Tournament, welcoming our two finalists to this special episode of the podcast.

Lyn Fortman learned a lot about herself during the pandemic. After a great deal of introspection, she discovered more about her gender identity, that she’s happy to share in the hopes that it helps others along their journey. Lyn will tell us about her career as a corporate recruiter and why she’s proud to advocate for colon cancer screenings.

Patrick Parker considers himself an all-purpose blerd (a portmanteau of “Black nerd”). If there’s something to be nerdy about– from comics, to RPGs, to pro-wrestling and more, chances are that he’s at least dabbled. Patrick will explain his goal to achieve his masters in social work, and why he so enjoys being a stay-at-home dad.

Our guests will answer trivia questions about funny families and notable neighbors.

Areas of Expertise

Lyn: The Crossfit Games, the comic strip For Better or For Worse, and Jimmy Pardo’s Never Not Funny podcast (seasons 14 to current).

Patrick: The movie A Christmas Story, Black superheroes from Marvel Comics, and the TV show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

What’s the Difference: Minute Maid

What’s the difference between being the adjectives “minute” and “miniature”?

What’s the difference between a housekeeper and a cleaning person?

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Lyn Fortman

Patrick Parker

With Guest Experts

Lynn Johnston: creator of the comic For Better or For Worse.

David Newell: actor best known for his role as Mr. McFeely on “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.”

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

We’ve got some new information on gifts and stretch goals for the #MaxFunDrive!

To hear our BoCo episode – plus hundreds of hours of other bonus content – follow the instructions on this video.

Plus, we’ll explain some new details about how YOU can be part of an episode of Go Fact Yourself and what attendees of our upcoming live show in Pasadena can look forward to.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Sarah Rodenbaugh

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

This podcast is made possible by our beloved MaxFun Members and is part of the annual #MaxFunDrive! To find out how you can contribute to the show and earn great gifts for as little as $5 a month go to Maximumfun.org/join. 

Plus, listen to find out how YOU could be a guest on Go Fact Yourself!

Welcome to the podcast, b****! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Griffin and Rachel McElroy are the married duo behind the MaxFun podcast “Wonderful!” where they showcase things that bring them joy. That sort of positivity is hard to maintain when the news cycle gets serious. But they try to always find room to talk about what makes Cheetos so great.

Griffin is one third of The McElroy Brothers. Together they have made such popular podcasts as “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” and “The Adventure Zone.” Their latest in a series of graphic novels based on “The Adventure Zone” is entitled The Eleventh Hour and is available now.

When she’s not podcasting, Rachel works in the grant writing business. She’ll tell us about why so many companies and people who apply for grants know they need money… even if they don’t understand what they need it for. 

Our guests will compete to answer trivia about TV shows featuring teenagers and time travel.

Areas of Expertise

Griffin: Pokémon, Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, and the TV show “The O.C.”

Rachel: St. Louis Blues hockey from 2019 to the present, 20th century American poetry, and the TV show “Quantum Leap”

What’s the Difference: I Solemnly Swear

What’s the difference between being honest and truthful?

What’s the difference between a vow and an oath?

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Griffin McElroy

Rachel McElroy

With Guest Experts

Deborah Pratt: writer, executive producer, and voice of Ziggy on “Quantum Leap”

Melinda Clarke: actor and podcaster, who played Julie Cooper on “The O.C.”

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

MaxFun Members rejoice! Soon you’ll hear an exclusive MaxFun crossover episode of Go Fact Yourself that features jarrett hill from “FANTI” and Brea Grant from “Reading Glasses.”

This mini-episode is a special preview of that show. Plus we’ll explain our schedule for the #MaxFunDrive and how YOU can get involved.

To hear our complete BoCo episode – plus hundreds of hours of other bonus content – follow the instructions on this video.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

jarrett hill

Brea Grant

With Guest Experts

Ryka Aoki: Poet, composer, teacher and novelist (Light from Uncommon Stars), whose books have received several awards.

(It’s a surprise!): A fabulous expert whom you’ll meet in the Bonus Content feed.

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

It’s a brand new special mini-episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Helen Hong delivers some stand-up comedy for our live audience in Las Vegas. Plus, she and J. Keith give you a rundown of the upcoming schedule changes in honor of the MaxFunDrive.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

**Come see our live-audience show at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles on February 26! Info available now now!**

Feel free to excuse yourself from the room so you can listen to a new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Sean Patton works hard to stand out in the crowded field of stand-up comedy. His new special, “Number One,” is based on a routine that he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With his latest work he strives to be two things: unexpected and honest. Sean will tell us how he achieves that and how he convinced comedian Michael Che to produce his special. 

Evette Dionne has written a lot about how fat-phobia shows up in modern society. She’ll explain how this shows up in the field of medicine and share some advice on how to avoid unhelpful doctors and medical practices. Plus she’ll tell us how a nerdy pun helped convince her to date her future husband. 

Our guests will answer trivia on the sound of music and the sound of bodily functions. 

Areas of Expertise:

Sean: The band Rage Against the Machine, Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, and flatulence etiquette.

Evette: Romantic comedies, hip-hop from the 1990s and 2000s, and all things Beyonce.

What’s the Difference: Helpful Hints

What’s the difference between aiding and abetting? 

What’s the difference between a hint and a clue?

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Sean Patton

Evette Dionne

With Guest Experts

Lizzie Post, author of the book Emily Post’s Etiquette – The Centennial Edition and host of the podcast “Awesome Etiquette.”

Speech, rapper and founding member of the hip-hop group Arrested Development.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

**Come see our live-audience show at KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum in Pasadena on February 11! Reserve your seats now!**

Have an old friend for dinner and get ready for a new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Brad Rutter has won more money on “Jeopardy!” than anyone in the history of the show, turning his knowledge into a trivia career, which includes ABC’s “The Chase.” What’s the secret to his trivia prowess? Turns out, it’s not studying! Brad will also tell us about how his career also led to becoming not-quite-best-friends with Catherine O’Hara.

Muffy Marracco has also turned her trivia prowess into a career – now on GSN’s “Master Minds.” Despite her TV game show fame, when she’s recognized these days, it’s for her quizzes on TikTok. She’ll tell us about some of her adventures on TV and why trivia is one of the only things she’s truly competitive about. And be careful, she’s ready to shank!

Our guests will answer trivia on movies about terror and teenagers. 

What’s the Difference: A Pair-a-"para"

What’s the difference between paranormal and supernatural?

What’s the difference between a paramedic and an EMT?

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Brad Rutter

Muffy Marracco

With Guest Experts

Wiley Wiggins: Artist, designer, and actor, who appeared as Mitch in the film Dazed and Confused.

Ed Saxon: Chair of USC’s graduate producing program who won a Best Picture Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

You’re on deep background for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Mike Doughty is a singer-songwriter who’s written music as a solo artist and with the band “Ghost of Vroom.” He finds it easier to start songs than to finish them; so as an incentive to do better, he promised one new song a week for fans who support him on Patreon. He’ll tell us about that and why he would like exactly $35 for his work (sort of) appearing on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

Ting Lim is a Singaporean comedian based in Brisbane, Australia. She’s fallen in love with the area because of the landscape and the generosity of her Australian audiences. The kindness that she’s found in her new home is a far cry from her experience in Singapore; she’ll tell us about how she got in trouble with the justice system for the crime of littering.

Our guests will answer trivia about freedom of the press and freedom of the whales.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Mike Doughty

Ting Lim

With Guest Experts

Jason James Richter, actor whose work includes starring in films in the Free Willy franchise.

Dr. Malena Simon, senior scientist at the Greenland Climate Research Centre

Bob Woodward, associate editor of the Washington Post who reported on the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LAby YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

You might just make it after all! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Rose Abdoo is an actor who you can see now in HBO’s “Hacks” and Hulu’s “Reboot.” Her acting aspirations began in college – thanks to how much she hated waiting in lines to register for classes. She’ll explain. Plus we’ll learn more about how seriously Rose takes her characters, from their backstories to their outfits.

Ben Gleib is a comedian who’s always looking for new ways to showcase himself. At the peak of the pandemic, he decided to create the world’s first virtual comedy venue at nowherecomedyclub.com. As much attention as that’s gotten him, he’s also got a secret talent that he’s equally proud of: being an expert at playing the kazoo. Ben’s new special is called “The Mad King.”

Our guests will answer trivia about music, music and even more music!

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Rose Abdoo

Ben Gleib

With Guest Experts:

Sonny Curtis, singer-songwriter, whose long career includes membership in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and writing and performing theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”

Paul Williams, Oscar and Grammy award-winning composer, singer, and actor who wrote the lyrics to the theme of “The Love Boat.”

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact