Middlebrow

Mark Ronson is a DJ, Grammy-winning record producer and author of the new memoir Night People. We dive into the nostalgia of the 90s, superstar producer qualities, memoir worthy childhoods, corny music, soft clubbing, wedding songs as a way to cement legacy and more.

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Dan and Brian discuss community, keeping a mood diary, Sora 2, AI alibi, Taylor Swift's artistry, Riyadh Comedy Festival, Tilly Norwood, Friend, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, Chase Infiniti's internet history, neo-westerns and Woody Allen's fiction novel.

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Alex Sujong Laughlin is the creator and host of the Try Hard podcast and co-owner of Defector Media. She is also the co-creator of the popular Normal Gossip podcast. We dive into Defector's profit-sharing model, internal company memos, Normal Gossip, SEC sorority life, secret handshakes, self-learning via Youtube, romaine lettuce, Ithaca and Zach Braff.

Dan and Brian discuss Happier Grocery, men's style icons, sitting straight, 9/11 in-flight announcement, Charlie Kirk's influence, Robert Redford, Waymo, Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Mark Ronson's book launch party, an incredible home in the North Fork, Brimfield Flea Market and Shakers.

Zoe Dubno is a writer whose debut novel Happiness and Love is out now. Her work has appeared in Granta, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian and elsewhere. We dive into galleys, reading at bookstores, dad-first marketing, Townes Van Zandt, horny bar/bat mitzvah season, Happiness and Love, autofiction, phone thiefs, celebrity book clubs, #justiceforelizabethgilbert and male beauty standards.

Gus Heagerty is a comedian, theatre director and actor who has cultivated a rabid online following for his hyper-specific characters. We dive into tales from the J.Crew retail floor, theatre fellowships, James Lipton and the art of the interview, Marin County, red light masks, Williamstown Theatre Festival, crisis pr teams, Shakespearean acting and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Emil DeRosa is a comedian, writer and dear friend of the podcast. He is also one half of The Ben and Emil show. We dive into the formalities of consuming your friend's work, Bruce Springsteen, the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce industrial complex, fancams, US Open drama, vertical mini dramas, Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, Kpop Demon Hunters, AI companionship and the Riyadh Comedy Festival.

Liana Finck is a cartoonist, illustrator and regular contributor to The New Yorker. We dive into conference room culture, Dunkin Donuts, art inspired by loneliness, 2x speed podcasts, self-help books, friendship dynamics, her shaky line style, God and the surrender to laughter.

Dan and Brian discuss Marc Maron, a defense of performative men, delightful soap dispensers, Taylor Swift's podcast appearance, Jeff Bezos's James Bond, Wallpaper USA 400, friend stealing, Ardor by Matthew Gasda, the talented Mr. Joseph Awuah Darko, clout ssri, cultural villains and a study on perfectionism.

Theodore Bouloukos is an actor, aesthete and bon vivant, who was named 'A Secret Weapon of Independent Cinema' by The New Yorker. We dive into influencers breaking into the acting world, video art, dressing in all-black, the democratization of luxury, street etiquette, a defense of the aristocracy, hip hop, the culture of obviousness, tumblr fan pages, celebrity stylists, living richly and a call to action for actors.