Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Ana and Mike dig into the new Spider-Man as a movie about depression disguised as a blockbuster and what it says about a summer full of angry, lonely men on screen. Plus: Tom Holland praise, mourning the Facebook video scam that gutted journalism, and a genuine question about whether any view count anywhere is real.

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Journalist and 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler joins us to talk about what it takes to build an independent newsroom. From the cost of defamation insurance to the weight of mailing your own merch, we get into the invisible math of staying scrappy without burning out—and the true cost of reader-supported journalism.

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Mike opens up about the emotional toll of promoting his most personal album yet, while Ana shares about her new gig at Mediaite. The two compare therapy approaches, swap creative struggles, and discover Ana's memoir might be more haunted than she realized.

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Wrestler and podcaster Colt Cabana joins Ana and Mike to talk about building a life in wrestling. From getting fired by WWE to becoming a blueprint for sustainable DIY success, Colt breaks down the real economics of creative work—merch tables, mattress money, and all—and why betting on yourself might be the best decision you ever make.

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Comedian and writer Joey Clift returns to talk about first book deal money, the evaporation of publisher marketing, self-financing a 22-date tour, and why tribal casinos are actually closer to socialism than capitalism.

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Stand-up comedian and former NPR host Ophira Eisenberg joins us to talk about what happens after the salary ends. We get into public radio money, Sirius XM royalties, and the Gen X guilt of making content.

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Malcolm Barrett joins us to break down exactly how streaming, with it's shorter seasons, invisible metrics, and evaporating residuals, might be breaking the working actor. 

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Comedian, writer, and union organizer Nato Green joins us to talk about 30 years of building worker power by day and doing stand-up by night, and why he's made peace with the fact that comedy will never be his primary income. Plus, how to negotiate any creative contract without getting screwed.

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Actor, writer, and registered ER nurse Ambar Martinez joins us to talk about building a life out of two careers that are both all-consuming... and refusing to pick just one. We get into the economics of nursing your way through an acting career, how medical advising became its own income stream, and what it costs to keep proving yourself in two industries that each assume the other one is your real job.

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Journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders joins us to talk about what happens when the thing you thought you wanted turns out to be too small. We get into the emotional and financial cost of walking away, what it means to do it yourself in a collapsing industry, and how to balance ambition with reality.

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