The Skewer Podcast

Another triumph from your Skewer friends. erica dreisbach opens the show by proxy. Sandy Lee shares a personal take on the news of the Korean peninsula. Tom Harrison talks about newspaper comics. Nora Regis takes us on a sightseeing tour of Facebook's heinous history. Lily Be calls out the hypocrisy and laziness in white America's response to endemic racism and the particular racism of this month's Starbucks arrests. And Allie Reid and Roxane West face off to decide how best to react to the pee tape's certain release: Huge viewing party, or somber trudge into the sea? Guys the Skewer owns, why deny it? Check it out!

Another Skewer bursts with extreme goodness, as is customary. Kevin Johnson's fake news quiz and host Tom Harrison's opener kicked off the show, and naught but excellence followed. Devin Whitlock shared the story of how, but for certain crucial decisions, his life could have ended up like Tomi Lahren's. Eric Lutz railed against liberal Russia-conspiracy theorists who make real journalism even more exhausting than usual. Melanie O'Brien exposed venture capitalists' Midwest safaris as the creepily predatory nonsense it is. Arish Singh showed how the Decemberists' unironic love of feds and cops exemplifies peak whiteness. And Josh Watkins and erica dreisbach clashed in a debate for the ages to decide the best way to spin our post-nuclear lives as a positive. Folks, it owned in a big way! Thanks to all our writers, and fight fascism forever!

Kevin Johnson's Fake News Quiz (Round 1)- 1:15

Tom Harrison- 6:35

erica dreisbach Voicemail Op-Ed- 19:05

Devin Whitlock- 23:05

Eric Lutz- 32:58

Fake News Quiz (Round 2)- 47:56

Melanie O'Brien- 54:55

Arish Singh- 1:08:07

Fake News Quiz (Round 3)- 1:27:30

THE SKEWER DEBATE: Josh Watkins vs. erica dreisbach- 1:34:58

The Skewer owns. Was there ever doubt? Kevin Johnson's fake news quiz and host Tom Harrison open the show. Behnam Riahi explores what makes a terrorist in response to Nicholas Cruz. Adam Homer Lawson shares an actual teacher's take on the epidemic of school violence. Ines Bellina breaks down what people are missing about the Latinx-focused message of The Shape of Water. And Alisa Rosenthal brings joy to our blighted lives via the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye. Finally, Ray Goldberg and Noah Heinrich engage in vicious verbal combat to decide the next Winter Olympic event: Threatening to Move or Cancelling Plans. Guys, this show owns! We got top to bottom winners here. Enjoy!

Fake News Quiz with Kevin Johnson (round 1) - 0:33

Tom Harrison - 6:28

Voicemail Op-Ed from erica dreisbach - 20:34

Behnam Riahi - 24:24

Adam Homer Lawson - 38:30

Fake News Quiz with Kevin Johnson (round 2) - 51:34

Ines Bellina - 57:00

Alisa Rosenthal -1:08:49

Fake News Quiz with Kevin Johnson (round 3) - 1:19:23

THE SKEWER DEBATE: Ray Goldberg vs. Noah Heinrich - 1:25:16

The Skewer returns to take on 2018 with our customary wit and brutality! erica dreisbach hosts a truly delightful host of top-tier writers ready to tear the first month of 2018 a new one. Oz Elgun kicks off the proceedings with a recap of the #MeToo movement. Calle Hack spoke to the crippling anxiety the world is thrusting on all of us. Kayla Lane Freeman explained why the only future for BitCoin lies in radically feminist rebranding. And Fareine Suarez explored why the alt-right has such a weirdly specific thing for Asian women. Rounding out the evening were Kevin Johnson's always-delightful fake news quizzes and a RIP-ROARING debate between Tom Harrison and Archy Arch J to determine why we will in such a miserably Trumpy world: do we live in literal hell or are we all just incredibly dumb? All in all, a triumphant return to the stage and another chapter in the Skewer's storied history of kicking major ass. Enjoy!

The Skewer closes out 2017, the worst year, with another delightful edition. Check it out as Kristin Lytie channels a DoL rep to bemoan the state of labor in modern America, Tyler Snodgrass runs through the deal with Michael Flynn and all connected morons, Angela Vela reviewed the frustratingly litigation-free world of extremely negligent hunting accidents, and Erika Price takes the misinformation out of the imminent loss of net neutrality. And in the Skewer debate, erica dreisbach took on Ashley Ray-Harris to figure out 2017's best plan of attack in the SJW War on Christmas. Plus, of course, host Tom Harrison and a fake news quiz from Kevin Johnson.

As awful as 2017 was overall, we can't overstate how fun a year it was at the Skewer. Thanks for listening and see you in February!

The Skewer's second birthday kicked ass and totally owned, folks. Melanie O'Brien took us into the horrors of the Values Voters Summit. Sarah Magnuson showed how much Harvey Weinstein can "change" in one week. Atra Asdou channeled Melanie Ornery, the beratement specialist who coached Donald Trump in expertly berating a grieving widow. And Skewer co-founder Eric Ruelle graced the stage once again, visiting from Detroit, and schooled us on the intersection of politics and sports. And in the Skewer debate Roxane West, unopposed due to her opponent's illness, fucking killed it and achored a SOLO DEBATE with a shockingly specific tale of the mundane hell we live in and will continue to. Guys, this show is the best. I can't believe it's been going for two years and has featured so many dope writers. It's been a goddamn honor. Here's to another year and beyond.

Kevin's fake news game (Round One) - 1:10

Tom Harrison - 7:52

Voicemail Op-Ed with erica dreisbach - 29:13

Melanie O'Brien - 32:28

Sarah Magnuson - 46:59

Kevin's fake news game (Round Two) - 55:36

Atra Asdou - 1:02:56

Eric Ruelle - 1:13:22

Kevin's fake news game (Round Three) - 1:23:55

THE SKEWER DEBATE: Roxane West vs. N/A - 1:30:42

Second Birthday Toast with erica, Eric, and Tom - 1:56:29

Another month of horror means another Skewer of glory. erica dreisbach hosted the whole affair like a champion as she summarized the month's news both good and bad. Kevin Johnson hosted the Skewer's delightful and extremely hard fake news quiz. Onicia Muller told the harrowing story of Sint Maarten, her home now devastated by Hurricane Irma. Joe Anderson showed us how the bumbling dopes of Equifax gathered power by being weird shitty creeps. Gwynn Fulcher showed us the path to a better world made of metal: Unicron, God of Chaos. And Tom Harrison and Cody Melcher squared off in the Skewer debate, deciding once and for all the best way for athletes to disrespect the flag: wear flag underpants on the outside or squat and grimace during the National Anthem. The Skewer is like an ever-fixed star of satirical excellence and this edition was no different. PLUS, we raised over $250 dollars for Puerto Rico, so that rules.

Kevin Johnson (Fake News Quiz round 1) - 1:00

erica dreisbach - 8:32

Onicia Muller - 17:13

Kevin Johnson (Fake News Quiz round 2) - 27:27

Joe Anderson - 32:34

Gwynn Fulcher - 43:52

Kevin Johnson (Fake News Quiz round 3)- 54:30

Skewer Debate: Cody Melcher vs. Tom Harrison - 1:00:50

Oh wow, I say that The Skewer had one of its best shows ever every month, and that's because it's always true, but this month it was EXTRA true. I was honored to host this truly stellar night of comedy & satire, with a searing essay about the political power of art by Skewer co-producer erica dreisbach, a personal account of the unifying power of the eclipse by Kim Nelson, a meditation on the effect of the DACA repeal on a 1.5th generation media journalist from Danette Chavez, a haunting love letter to the maybe-to-be-hit-by-Hurricane-Irma state of South Carolina by Mary Tilden, and one of the most outrageous Skewer debates EVER between Ashley Ray and Ray Goldberg to determine if America's next atomic lover should be Russia or North Korea. Kevin K. Johnson also killed it hosting the Skewer's Fake News game, proving once again that real news is just as horrifying and disheartening as shit he made up. Ah geez but this was a fun night. Enjoy!

Kevin Johnson (fake news game) - 1:30

Tom Harrison - 5:41

erica dreisbach - 19:40

Kim Nelson - 34:03

Kevin Johnson (fake news game) - 43:07

Danette Chavez - 47:30

Mary Tilden - 56:42

Kevin Johnson (fake news game) - 1:07:16

THE SKEWER DEBATE: Ray Goldberg vs. Ashley Ray-Harris - 1:16:20

As ever, The Skewer owns. Who could ever doubt? Hosted by Tom Harrison, this edition features Kevin Johnson debuting a new fake-news-identifying game. Carrie Cook explained why today's hell world has poisoned the sweet relief of escapist TV. Tom Wisdom shared the arcane, eldritch horrors Jared Kushner left off his disclosure forms. Archy Arch J showed us that the GOP can give the devil head without making a deal with him. And Megan Kirby showed us how we can cope with the incipient apocalypse with today's pop hits. In the Skewer debate Jane Harrison squared off against Elaine Phillips to decide what pop culture property needs to be rebooted to infuriate dumb online men: Infinite Jest or Game of Thrones? I mean, the answer is both, but we have to debate anyway.

Kevin Johnson (round 1) - 0:56

Tom Harrison - 6:24

erica dreisbach (voicemail op-ed) - 20:08

Carrie Cook - 22:50

Tom Wisdom - 30:45

Kevin Johnson (round 2) - 37:35

Archy Arch J - 41:13

Megan Kirby -48:32

Kevin Johnson (round 3) - 1:00:48

THE SKEWER DEBATE: Jane Harrison vs. Elaine Phillips - 1:05:21

This is, like, one of the best Skewers ever. Anchored by the excellent hosting of erica dreisbach, we got Skewer co-founder #1 Tom Harrison on the ephemeral nature of Chicago's weird neighborhoods, Skewer co-founder #2 Eric Ruelle shared an essay about Bill Cosby/the fallibility of heroes that blew us away, Prateek Srivastava gave us the lowdown on the cricket world, Arish Singh shared the kinky, sexy human rights abuses committed by our bae James Comey's FBI, and Jillian Ebanks showed our white-ass Logan Square selves how to be an ally without also being extremely annoying. Top it off with a good-ass debate between the hilarious Roxane West and Death (as played by the incomparable Ian Rigg) and you got yrself one GOOD ASS SHOW. Enjoy!

0:55- erica dreisbach

7:07- Tom Harrison (voicemail op-ed)

12:04- Tom Harrison

28:00- Eric Ruelle

36:36- Prateek Srivastava

46:48- Arish Singh

1:02:35- Jillian Ebanks

1:14:34- THE SKEWER DEBATE: Roxane West v Ian Rigg