Every Saturday, former Obama speechwriter and self-described "comedian" Jon Lovett is joined live on stage by a killer lineup of comics, journalists, politicians, and celebrities - who may or may not know why they're there - to break down the biggest and dumbest stories in politics and culture. And now because there’s too much news for just one show, join Jon and friends (i.e. beloved producers who have to be there) every Tuesday for a rundown of the latest headlines to help get you through another flawless week in our perfect society. Plus for those who like to watch (*wink*), you can catch all the funniest moments and gayest chaos on the Lovett or Leave It YouTube channel. So check us out there, and listen to Lovett or Leave It wherever you get your podcasts.
This week, Kamala talks to Howard Stern, Trump talks to himself, and the Supreme Court talks in circles. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove watches Congress like a hawk. Mark Duplass and Zainab Johnson surf the chopping waters of the internet, and we steer Kamala Harris’s ship to our favorite pop culture ports. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Support disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Helene & Milton votesaveamerica.com/heleneHelp elect climate champions votesaveamerica.com/climate/
10/12/24 • 66:52
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
10/8/24 • 35:15
Matteo Lane and Nick Smith decide which pastas and divas must go. R. Eric Thomas stops by for a hero’s journey. Congressional candidate and former news anchor Janelle Stelson takes on a January 6 super goon. And we all pull up a parking chair to spin the Local Rant Wheel.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.Support disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Helene votesaveamerica.com/heleneHelp elect climate champions votesaveamerica.com/climate/
10/5/24 • 94:16
Trump heads into the wake of Hurricane Helene, despite everyone asking him not to. Climate change is at our door, but conservatives pretend they don’t hear all that knocking. Tim Walz and JD Vance carbo-load before the big VP debate, and we say goodbye to Kris Kristofferson, the man, the myth, the star of a movie called Millennium that Lovett and no one else saw. If you want donate to help disaster relief in the Southeast and know your money is going to organizations on the ground, please visit votesameamerica.com/helene today.
10/1/24 • 29:55
Eric Adams facing bribery charges and Trump selling $100k watches? It's Corruption Week at Lovett or Leave It! Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) stops by with her trusty sleep paralysis demon, Teddy Roosevelt (James Adomian). TV's own Damon Lindelof opens the hatch on Lost, The Leftovers, and Lovett’s legendary obsession with Mrs. Davis, and we end with a scorching round of hot takes that will leave poor Moo Deng crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle.Stream James Adomian's comedy special, PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE, on YouTube now.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/eventsFor a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/28/24 • 62:37
Garfield was right about Mondays, but Tuesdays? Tuesdays are for the boys. This week on What A Weekday! Lovett vaults the latest presidential polls, Kamala Harris stands and delivers on gun ownership, Trump dodges a second debate, Mark Robinson takes it to the comments, and we ask Chappell Roan, “Is it casual now?” For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/24/24 • 39:35
The tribe has spoken, and they’re loving this week’s Lovett or Leave It! Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) stops by once again to fight fire with fire, with some shocking-if-true rumors about JD Vance. Guy Branum and Uzo Aduba cast their vote on Lovett’s Survivor performance, and we spin the The Runt Wheel, in honor to our adorable lord and savioress, Moo Deng, the viral baby hippo.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events
9/21/24 • 66:08
Swifties, engage! It’s What A Weekday! This Tuesday, Lovett takes on the rightwing response to a second assassination plot, Trump’s Taylor Swift rage, the latest pet-eating propaganda cycle, and JD Vance’s interpretation of love thy neighbor. Spoiler alert: it’s pretty selective! We also take a sneak peek at a clip of Lovett on this upcoming season of Survivor. Will he survive? Only one way to find out! And since you’ve read this far into the description, please go to votesaveamerica.com/vote and double-check your voter registration right now. Tell your friends to do it too! Okay, now get out of here, you crazy kids. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/17/24 • 41:41
There's no debate: it's an all timer of an episode! Jane Fonda is fighting climate change and fascists, plus she goes head-to-head with Louis Virtel on trivia... about herself. Kumail Nanjiani and Lovett nerd out. Zachary Quinto isn't a doctor but he plays one on TV. And Ms. Candace Cane puts the pole in poll worker. Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/14/24 • 94:26
What a Weekday! returns to debate the pros and cons of this week's new battleground polls, Kamala Harris’s policy roll out, rightwing propaganda about pets, and, of course, for better or for worse, the most important man in America, Nikocado Avocado. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/10/24 • 30:25
Goodbye Brat Summer, hello...Liz Cheney Autumn? That can’t be right. Lovett or Leave It is back at Dynasty Typewriter to sweat through the first heat wave of fall! Poppy Liu and Gareth Reynolds stop by to solve our audience’s problems, Paul Scheer gets a little twisted, and we all raise a glass of Fruitopia to the best decade there ever was.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
9/7/24 • 86:04
Introducing Crooked’s newest podcast: Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams. The election is in the hands of Gen Z, a cohort of young Americans that’s diverse, creative, and—often—skeptical. This episode at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Stacey is joined by Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first member of Gen Z to be elected to Congress, and influencer Haley Lickstein, a leading voice on civic engagement among young people, to talk about how they’re working to get their peers involved. Be sure to subscribe to Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams on your favorite podcast platform, or on YouTube for the video version, and be sure to join Stacey next week as she continues to break down the issues and build up the solutions.
8/27/24 • 50:03
Live from The Vic Theater in Chicago, we’ve got hope in one hand and Malört in the other, baby! Vice President Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) sobers up after a week of morning beers and DNC cheers. Lizz Winstead and Marcella Arguello rank the words right out of the doofus's mouth. Author Josh Noel gives a drunk history of Malört. Finally, we all pledge to do something or at least give it our best shot, and then a couple more.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/24/24 • 100:21
Another week, another round of deeply off-putting JD Vance clips. Roxane Gay addresses gun rights and gun wrongs. Simon Rex and Ashley Ray dwell on some very sexy residences. And the Rant Wheel spins once again.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/17/24 • 73:43
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/13/24 • 44:55
What's better than having an Olympic medal in pole vaulting? At least one thing, that's for sure. Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) stops by yet again to discuss picking the nicest of Vices. Hari Kondabolu and Pete Holmes are good sports, and even better philosophers, and we close out the show by honoring the man of the hour (and hopefully the next four years) Tim Walz with a celebration of dad-itude.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/10/24 • 69:59
Lovett or Leave It is happier than a piglet in Tim Walz’s arms to be back for another What A Weekday! This week, Kamala Harris adds a dash and a half of Minnesota nice to the Dems’ winning recipe. RFK Jr. has a bear of a problem, and one Olympic pole vaulter finds himself at least nine inches away from victory. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/6/24 • 40:45
We bring home the gold with a star-studded line-up of studs and stars. Wayne and Maile Masako Brady find out if Father really does know best. Janina Gavankar lets the (video) games begin. Ron Perlman talks Republican creatures and incredible features, and we all plop our slop on the podium at the Average Joe-lympics.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
8/3/24 • 75:27
What A Weekday? More like what a weirdo! JD Vance takes on Big Cat Lady, President Biden takes on the Supreme Court, Donald Trump takes Christians for fools, and Lovett takes home in the bronze in pommel horse. At least, in his mind, he does. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/31/24 • 42:14
Hot off Biden’s endorsement, Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) returns to the show, fired up and ready to go. Monet X Change drags Republicans through the hallowed halls of Congress. And as the Olympics begin, we're feeling patriotic and taking that feeling out for a spin.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/27/24 • 63:40
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/23/24 • 45:28
RNC you next Tuesday! We bid farewell to America’s Dairyland, but not before an incredible show at Madison’s Barrymore Theater. This week, Victoria Vincent is anything but conventional. Mandela Barnes and Fran Hong break down the far right and the Frank Lloyd Wrong. Thomas Lennon helps our audience find the plot, and we finish off the evening with a delicious spin of The Cheese Wheel. Did we mention we’re in Wisconsin?Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/21/24 • 106:20
The temperature and the vibes are down as we head into the Republican convention after a weekend of mayhem and "unity." Trump chooses Vance. Biden chooses his words carefully. And Democrats in Congress choose not to choose. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/16/24 • 43:54
President Biden holds a press conference and Democrats hold their collective breath. Marcy Jarreau ponders Real Housewife vs White House life. Rep. Janelle Bynum has what it takes to win the Beaver State. Jay Pharaoh puts his balls in Lovett’s court, and we celebrate one of life’s greatest pleasures: quitting.Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/13/24 • 66:22
And we're back! Joe Biden isn't going anywhere fast. Donald Trump is going mum on Project 2025, which is actually Secret Rule #57461 of Project 2025. And a horse gets loose on Independence Day, and we’re going to stop you right there: despite what you might be thinking, it is absolutely not a metaphor.
7/9/24 • 44:47
And we're back! The shit has hit the fan but, hey, still nice to have a breeze. Elected democrats are starting to speak out against nominating Biden - with their names attached even. The Supreme Court rules the president CAN'T ban pollution but CAN kill his rivals (during business hours). And... I don't know... Gladiator 2 and Wicked are coming out at the same time? Something to look forward to? For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
7/2/24 • 30:52
We’ve arrived in Boston and boy are our arms tired! Of waving at President Biden to stop making that face! Kathleen Turner is here and she has STORIES. Author Gretchen Felker-Martin helps us pick between the mundane and the macabre. And Jay Jurden parks his car in the Harvard Yard for some Gay News (Boston’s Version). Thanks to the Wilbur and Happy Pride!Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/events For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/29/24 • 79:08
Lovett or Leave It doubles your pleasure, doubles your fun at our second and final Asheville show! TS Madison takes a second look at this week’s newsworthy freaks. Jeff Jackson shares his two cents on Republican extremism. Justice Allison Riggs and Lovett divide and conquer your everyday ethical conundrums, and the Want Wheel has us thinking twice about our own deep, dark, hilarious desires.Tickets & Tour Dates: crooked.com/eventsDemocracy or Else is OUT NOW! Buy wherever you get your books: http://crooked.com/books For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/25/24 • 78:29
Lovett Or Leave It arrives for our first Asheville show ready to listen and learn! Head of the North Carolina Democratic Party Anderson Clayton teaches us about Gen Z, and it sounds so much cooler when she says it. TS Madison and Lovett canonize recent moments in queer history. Lovett tests the locals on nearby news, and the Rant Wheel schools us all in the art of being enraged.Tickets & Tour Dates: crooked.com/eventsPre-order Democracy or Else, out June 25th: crooked.com/books For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/23/24 • 88:50
Lovett or Leave It touches down in Charlotte, North Carolina for our first show back on tour! This week, Sydnee Washington gets Lovett up to speed. Tressie McMillan Cottom helps us slow down and appreciate the wordsmiths in our midst. Dante Pittman gets our heart rate up talking about extreme North Carolina Republicans, and we roll into our next show on the surging horse power of our audience’s rant suggestions. See you in Asheville!Tour dates & cities: crooked.com/eventsPre-order Democracy or Else, out June 25th: crooked.com/books For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
6/21/24 • 105:37
