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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.
The Artful Todger
The secret’s out… Lovett Or Leave It is back with another episode! Lovett finds out what dirty dealings Kevin McCarthy got up to when he unearths House Rules’ shadow document. We see if Star Trek: Picard’s Michelle Hurd knows her princes. The L.A. Times’ Julia Wick unpacks our fair city's city council mayhem. Holmes joins us to present the first-ever Ussy Awards, musical improvisers Zach Reino and Jess McKenna sing us into the weekend, and the Rant Wheel spins on and on. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:27:4414/01/2023
Stairway to Kevin
Lovett or Leave It rings in 2023 with a full house of festive guests, including the most famous Nepo Baby of all: Baby New Year (Zach Noe Towers). The audience updates their "America, Bizarre To Live In" file with all the new, strange state laws that went into effect January 1. Alex Edelman and Andrea Jin have MILFs on the mind as we struggle to separate TV fact from TV fiction. Lovett says farewell to a broadcast legend, and we end our show with some absolutely spot-on predictions. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:04:4807/01/2023
Holiday Grift Guide
Lovett Or Leave cozies up in front of the roaring fire we’ve hurled 2022’s desiccated hull into during this, our last show of 2022. Mike Lindell (James Adomian) stops by with pillows for all the good little boys and girls of the RNC. Jena Friedman and Atsuko Okatsuka pull up a chair to your family’s holiday drama. Elon Musk (James Adomian) tries his hand at stand-up and spoiler alert: the audience is wrong. Lovett provides a personalized gift guy for the right-wing whack jobs in your life, and we end by putting our grateful well-wishes in the Thank Bank. Happy Holidays, everybody, and see you in 2023! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:00:3417/12/2022
Season's Cheatings
There’s no place like Lovett Or Leave It for the holidays, as we gather with our loved ones: an AI chatbot who answers to our every whim. Sam Sanders and Zach Stafford bring the end-of-year vibes way up when they tackle our prestige drama soundscape. A goblin (Danielle Perez) stops by to rail against goblin mode. The one-and-only Jennifer Tilly bets you can't answer the question, “Was I In This?” Curtis Cook and Danielle Perez say “Good Boning America” to cheating scandals, and we get heated as we gather around the Rant Wheel. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:24:0410/12/2022
Three Antisemites is a Crowd
It’s a December to remember as Lovett or Leave It returns to Los Angeles’s beautiful Dynasty Typewriter and we celebrate Christmas with a new slate of “traditional” holiday rom-coms. Margaret Cho and Moshe Kasher gather 'round for a very special Hanukah-inspired edition of Gay News: Gay Jews. A "normal" Republican voter (Andrea Savage) stops by to explain how to have it both ways on Trump. Spoiler alert: it’s delusion! Danielle Schneider and Crooked's own Ryan Wallerson pit the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and the World Cup against each other in Reality vs. Reality TV, and we keep our little toesies warm with the cracking heat of all these Hot Takes. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:22:1603/12/2022
Lovett or Leave It Presents: Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Lovett is currently asleep under a big pile of coats on the guest bed, but we here at Lovett or Leave It have prepared you a sumptuous feast of favorite segments, hand-selected by all the non-Lovett members of the LOLI universe. Join producers Brian Semel and Kendra James, associate producer Malcolm Whitfield, head writer Halle Kiefer, managing video producer Narineh Melkonian, and producer/editor Zuri Irvin as they share moments from this year’s Pride Show, our tour in Pennsylvania, and more. Don’t worry, we’ll carry Lovett to the car and make sure he’s home in time for next week’s show. Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:41:5526/11/2022
It’s a Crypto Polycule Friendsgiving, Charlie Brown!
The whole Lovett Or Leave It family welcomes you and your hot dish to this year’s first-ever crypto polycule Friendsgiving! Byron Bowers and Diallo Riddle help Lovett put the “bit” in Bitcoin, while Stacey Abrams (Ashley Nicole Black) flies in on her way to a much-needed vacation. We conclusively decide who is the most annoying Thanksgiving guest, and end the show with a wholesome turn of the Gratitude Wheel. Because we’ll all have plenty to rant about. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:21:0019/11/2022
Not With a Wave but a Whimper
Lovett or Leave It survives the red wave that never was after this week’s midterms, and celebrates the only way we know how: gorgeous gay mayhem. Matt Rogers channels this era’s two greatest villains, Donald Trump and Lydia Tár. Abbott Elementary’s Lisa Ann Walter reminds the world: yes, she was in that, too. Unspooled’s Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson see if our audience has the 411 on AFI’s Top 100 movies. Anne Helen Petersen helps you put in the work, and our dais of stars welcomes these chilly autumn nights with a piping round of Hot Takes. Thank you, thank you, thank you for voting, you beautiful listeners, you! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:37:5412/11/2022
Democracy or Else
Midterms are making the kids squirm at this, our last Lovett Or Leave It before we see you next Tuesday at the polls. Larry Wilmore looks at Biden’s closing message, while Rainn Wilson screams for your dollars on behalf of the Democrats. A newly-motivated post-Dobbs voter (Kiran Deol) promises Lovett she’ll vote, provided she is actually real and not his hope-fueled fever dream, while Josh Gondelman offers heartfelt pep talks to the despondent, the lonely, and the zebrafish. And we end the show with a spin of the Rant Wheel, to clear some space for whatever we feel when we find out what happens next week. In the meantime, get out there and vote, babies! We’re all in this together! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:27:1605/11/2022
Hershel Walker’s aBOOOOOrtions
Lovett or Leave It turns L.A.’s Dynasty Typewriter into a Halloween spooktacular during the only week of the year when we don’t mind hearing boos. Lovett inadvertently summons Ivana Trump (Lizzy Cooperman) and you will not believe what’s been going on under that golf course. Tig Notaro stops by to decide which classic movie monster has a limp wrist to go with those sharp fangs and neck bolts. It’s all treats, no tricks when Ed Helms crowns the king of Halloween candy. Kevin Avery and Lizzy Cooperman put the eff off in offensive costumes, and the Rant Wheel transforms into the Fear Wheel for this one magical night only, or until we decide we like the format and want to do it again. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:24:3929/10/2022
High on Grassley
It’s the devil you know AND the devil you don’t when Lovett or Leave It welcomes Lucy and Danny DeVito to L.A.‘s wonderful Dynasty Typewriter theater. Planned Parenthood’s Jodi Hicks stops by to break down how California can be a guide to other states in the fight for reproductive rights. Chris Fleming and Ellington Wells try to tell the difference between Senator Chuck Grassley and a glitching AI, while the Rant Wheel takes mice, TikTok, and leaf blowers to task.Ellington Wells: @EllingtonWells on Instagram and YouTube. Chris Fleming will be performing at The Egg in Albany, NY on 12/15, and The Wilbur in Boston, MA on 12/17. For more information, visit https://chrisflemingfleming.com/ For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:16:1622/10/2022
Brotherly Love in a Sandwich Town (Live from Philly!)
The (cheese)stakes are high when Lovett or Leave It fills Philadelphia’s Fillmore Theater with a night of gorgeous gay mayhem. Your future PA Governor Josh Shapiro sits down to discuss the “ugh” in Doug Mastriano. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta talks about building a queer coalition of anyone who wants to keep their rights in Pennsylvania. Taylor Swift’s publicist (Gill McGuire) stops by with some shocking intel about the pop star, and Jared Goldstein shares the Gay News with yinz. We close out the show with some Hot Takes, just in time for that chilly Midwestern 74-degree autumn to come sweeping in. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:22:2615/10/2022
Old Bay v. Pumpkin Spice (Live from Baltimore!)
Lovett Or Leave It takes the stage at Goucher College and enjoys a little bit o’ Baltimore (okay, more specifically, Towson, Maryland). The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri looks back at the incredible women who girl bossed, gaslit, and gobbled sailors whole throughout history. Reporter Dave Weigel leads us up the mountain that is the midterms. Halle and Brian are forced to chose between the flavor of the city and the flavor of the season, and the Rant Wheel spins at the touch of Edgar Allan Poe’s spectral hand.
01:18:2612/10/2022
The Eyes Were Made For Crying (Live from Pittsburgh!)
Lovett or Leave It hits the road to Pittsburgh’s Roxian Theatre. Lovett and the Second Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Barreto Fetterman take Dr. Oz to the pound. Pittsburgh’s own Damon Young hands out the Nobel Prize for Posting, and joins Lovett in doling out the advice yinz need. And the Rant Wheel spins next to the beautiful Ohio River, powered by vacations, nuclear weapons and, of course, Lovett’s take on the Bros takes. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:26:4008/10/2022
Forbidden Flute
Lovett Or Leave It likes it hot with the arrival of Blonde’s own Marilyn Monroe (Kel Cripe) to Los Angeles’ Dynasty Typewriter theater. Stephen Merchant and Josh Barro debate whether the U.K. should Truss Liz. Demi Adejuyigbe uncovers whether politician tattoos are only skin deep. Will Rollins, currently running in California’s 41 district, ponders the Venn Diagram of Palm Springs’ vibrant gay community and its even more vibrant senior community, and the Rant Wheel returns to reveal the devastating truth about tall men’s clothing brands. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:20:2501/10/2022
She NyQuil Be Loved
Lovett or Leave It finds a way to have yet another excellent show at Los Angeles’ gorgeous Dynasty Typewriter theater. Dare We Say’s Alycia Pascual-Peña and Yasmine Hamady yums our yucks in the Ickuation Room. Mitra Jouhari and Brian Bahe find themselves caught between the Rock Hall and a hot place while staring down the midterms. Jeff Goldblum (Gianmarco Soresi) is dispatched by the FDA to stop Lovett from eating TikTok’s latest creation, and we end the show with takes so hot, they’ll cook your NyQuil Chicken in seconds. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:09:2524/09/2022
Lovett or Grieve It
Cover the mirrors and don your kippah, it’s time to sit shiva for Lilibit. Grab some nosh and swap stories of Her Highness with Senator Bernie Sanders (James Adomian). Enjoy the dulcet tones of the very real bagpiper playing Hava Nagila as Brandon Kyle Goodman and Sam Pancake pay homage to Her Majesty’s famously sharp sense of humor with some Gay News. If you drop your coat on the bed with all the coats, just avoid MyPillow’s own Mike Lindell (also James Adomian), who got an invite as well. Guy Branum brought some rugelach to share with Zachary Schiffman as they decide if the British or the Jewish have better food. And though we all appreciate a stiff upper lip, some ranting never hurt anyone. Show notes:ANCA.org/907alert For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:28:3217/09/2022
Death Becomes Her Majesty
Lovett or Leave It is dead. Long live Lovett or Leave It! The show makes its triumphant return to Dynasty Typewriter. Author and Dem strategist Lis Smith stops by to break down just how much Mayor Pete can’t stand Lovett. Andrew Farmer and Marcella Arguello ready themselves for the Emmys, while Trump’s personal injury lawyer (Alyssa Limperis) takes the FBI to task for putting those slippery folders all over the floor of Mar-a-Lago. , Plus Emily Heller brings a heatwave-inspired edition of Emily’s Garden Show: Fury Road Edition. And we say goodbye with a new segment we’re calling Our Apologies, where our guests must say they’re sorry for their sins and, also, there is an Edible Arrangement. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:14:4410/09/2022
You Got Your Hot Takes In My Rant Wheel! I Got My Rant Wheel In Your Hot Takes!
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:08:2203/09/2022
Lunch It or Leave It: Best of Food
Open wide, because Lovett Or Leave It is serving up a hot, fresh best-of episode with all our favorite food-obsessed segments of the past year. Ashley Ray, Alice Wetterlund, and Max Silvestri give us the hot dish on the best holiday foods. Nancy Pelosi (Michaela Watkins) spent hours making this beautiful democracy for you; the least you can do is taste it. Shalewa Sharp and Lovett bemoan the cookies that have come and gone, while Lindsay Adams and Marcy Jarreau try not to turn green after eating the pink sauce from TikTok. Jared Goldstein sips an experimental “healthy Coke.” A local reporter (Megan Gailey) warns parents against the new razorblade in the apple: weed gummies. Lovett, Akilah Hughes and pit master Ali Clem talk LGBT BBQ in the Lone Star state, while Ashley Ray joins Lovett in sampling the delicacies of Minnesota… and also lutefisk. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:09:3127/08/2022
Lovett in Wonderland
Depressed by the prospect of turning 40 and losing his youthful optimism about politics, Lovett chases Pundit into Wonderland in this week’s fully scripted, extremely experimental episode of Lovett or Leave It. America’s Cheshire Cat Kyrsten Sinema (Kylie Brakeman) gets Lovett even more lost, while CerberusXM demands ad reads… from Hades! Lovett plays court jester to Red Queen Kamala Harris (Allison Reese), and attempts to answer the Neoliberal Riddles of The Sphinx. Nancy Pelosi the Caterpillar (Michaela Watkins) offers him a nibble of her moderate mushroom. Lovett gains strength from historic Bavarian gay rights advocate Henry Gerber (Sam Pancake), which he’s going to need to survive the Unsurrection Tea Party (Danielle Perez, Bryan Safi, Brendan Scannell, Max Silvestri, and Kel Cripe.) In the end, Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor give Lovett the advice he needs to survive until 2024. After that? Well, we’re gonna need a bigger mushroom. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
48:0820/08/2022
Filibustin’ Makes Me Feel Good
It’s the dog days of summer and Lovett or Leave It is unleashed on L.A.’s Dynasty Typewriter theater. Salem resident Elizabeth Johnson Jr. (Kara Klenk) takes a stand against witch hunts. Lovett sends the Choco Taco off to the great freezer section in the sky with an audience game that asks, “Do the youth know?” The Filibuster (Yoni Lotan) begs us to plan ahead and kick him the hell out of Congress now. Lovett and Nori Reed say goodbye to Nichelle Nichols, and hello to new TV firsts, while these Hot Takes send the thermometer climbing. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
59:1813/08/2022
Introducing Dare We Say
Join Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual Peña, and Yasmine Hamady – three young actresses, disruptors, and best friends as they navigate the issues that affect our lives; from hookup culture and social media to structural racism and LGBTQ+ rights. They won’t shy away from diving deep into controversial topics, even turning to their elders – actors, activists, comedians, experts, politicians, 26 year olds – to try to understand the world their generation was handed. Catch a new episode of Crooked's newest launch Dare We Say every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow on http://instagram.com/darewesaySubscribe to https://www.youtube.com/c/darewesay
03:1811/08/2022
Private Jets, Public Frets
Nancy Pelosi might be trotting the globe, but Lovett or Leave It is home sweet home at Dynasty Typewriter. There’s no such thing flying as flying too close to the sun when Luenell buys a ticket to the celebrity private jet scandal. President Biden’s personal physician (Vinny Thomas) diagnoses us with a bad case of hustle culture. Crooked’s own Dr. Imani Walker offers her words of wisdom to our audience, and our guests pass the Rant Wheel with flying colors. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
56:2606/08/2022
Joe News is…Good News?
Lovett or Leave It is back at Dynasty Typewriter this week, as we toast beloved statesman Joe Manchin with a glass of TikTok’s pink sauce. With just 100 days left until the midterms, Sam Sanders stops by to help Lovett figure out what that actually means. GOP congresswoman Jamie Rochester (Lindsay Adams) takes a break from celebrating her gay son’s wedding to explain why she voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, Marcy Jarreau tests her knowledge of 2022’s most concussed Senate candidate, and we close out the night with a scorching dip in the Hot Take hot tub. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
59:0530/07/2022
Malort the Merrier
It’s bottoms up when Lovett or Leave It rolls into town for a show at the beautiful Chicago Theater. The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus reminds us we were born this way: tired and gay. Ali Barthwell does the Cell Block Tango with Trump’s murderers’ row of henchmen. Abby McEnany serves up the Gay News deep dish. A former Jane (Kim Quindlen) gives us hope in a post-Roe world. Ashley Ray and Lovett raise a shot glass to the Second City, and our Hot Takes are the only thing steamier than this humid Windy City summer.--Thanks to The Chicago Theatre and MSG Entertainment for hosting this week's show. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:21:4923/07/2022
Coup-y with a Chance of Meatballs
Lovett or Leave It stops by the North State to visit the Mary Kate to Minneapolis’s Ashley, Saint Paul! Mayor Melvin Carter stops by to explain all the moves, literal and figurative, his fair city is making. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan explains what it means to be a good neighbor (providing abortion services to other states, for starters.) Ashley Ray is fearless in the face of lutefisk, and we spin the Rant Wheel to let out our frustration at inferior bagels, sartorial critics, and, of course, the ocean. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:32:0416/07/2022
Trump Take the Wheel
Join Lovett or Leave It as we celebrate women's and LGBTQ rights (and, more importantly, their wrongs) this holiday weekend. Head writer Halle Kiefer stops in with some thoughts on Roe vs Wade. Cassidy Hutchinson (Alice Wetterlund) ponders a career move. Matteo Lane spends a brief interlude with some truly hideous men. Vanessa Bayer looks back on the dubious ethics of ‘90s comedies, and the Rant Wheel spins like a Roman candle.--You can find everything you need to fight back at votesaveamerica.com/roe, but here’s a few things you can do:The first, and most important thing we can do is minimize the harm that this ruling will inflict. One way to do that is to support our Immediate Impact Fund. All funds raised go directly to local abortion funds, independent clinics, and legal defense for patients: votesaveamerica.com/abortionfundsWe have a lot of work to do to fight back, and one place to start is with our Fight Back Fund, which supports grassroots organizing and power-building organizations in states where we can make a difference, as well as supporting ballot measure campaigns in four states. By contributing, you can help local activists defend abortion rights this year and build towards the future: votesaveamerica.com/fightbackGet to work supporting winnable races in 2022 where abortion is at stake—like the governor’s races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Arizona—by signing up for Midterm Madness: votesaveamerica.com/midterms For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:33:4902/07/2022
It's A Wonderful Lifeguard
Lovett or Leave It welcomes you to Dynasty Typewriter, and to take a breath and recharge. An Arizona election worker (Jana Schmieding) tells her tale of woe, while a Long Island lifeguard (Rose Kelso) wades into the so-called national "lifeguard shortage.” Joe Mande shares his opinion of celebrities going big for biopics, while Lovett reveals how he thinks “Baz Luhrmann” is pronounced. Dan Mertzlufft composes an amazing original song for all of us, and we close out the night with a round of Hot Takes for absolutely no one, except maybe fans of Cartesian dualism.--You can find everything you need to fight back at votesaveamerica.com/roe, but here’s a few things you can do:1. The first, and most important thing we can do is minimize the harm that this ruling will inflict. One way to do that is to support our Immediate Impact Fund. All funds raised go directly to local abortion funds, independent clinics, and legal defense for patients: votesaveamerica.com/abortionfunds2. We have a lot of work to do to fight back, and one place to start is with our Fight Back Fund, which supports grassroots organizing and power-building organizations in states where we can make a difference, as well as supporting ballot measure campaigns in four states. By contributing, you can help local activists defend abortion rights this year and build towards the future: votesaveamerica.com/fightback3. Get to work supporting winnable races in 2022 where abortion is at stake—like the governor’s races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Arizona—by signing up for Midterm Madness: votesaveamerica.com/midterms4. RSVP for our live virtual event on Tuesday 6/28: After Roe: Reproductive and Civil Rights Move to States, where our expert panel incl Erin Ryan and Leah Litman, moderated by Shaniqua McClendon will discuss what this means, what comes next, and how we can fight back: https://www.mobilize.us/crooked/event/464892/ For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:12:4425/06/2022
Pride 2022: Choose Wrath
This week, Lovett or Leave It celebrates Pride the best way it knows how: with the help of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s ghost (Abby McEnany). River Butcher, Tre’vell Anderson, and Zach Noe Towers solve gender, answering definitively if cats really are all girls. Solomon Georgio and Sydnee Washington have all the gossip, while Jared Goldstein spreads the good gay news. Bob the Drag Queen tries to locate the lone straight at the show, and we say goodnight to all our beloved LGBTQ listeners with a round of Queer Hot Takes. Happy Pride, everybody!!! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:22:5418/06/2022
Pod Save Drag Brunch
Lovett or Leave It takes summer by storm with the help of the good people at Los Angeles’s fabulous Dynasty Typewriter. Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton (Brendan Scannell) death drops into the non-debate about children watching drag. Mother Jones’ Hannah Levintova goes public with the truth about private equity. Adam Conover takes a seat to explain the impact of public transportation. Brian Simpson sends his apologies to Sarah Palin in Ok, Stop, and we cool ourselves down after a round of Hot Takes. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:19:3511/06/2022
Real Housewives of Autocracy
This week, Lovett or Leave It journeys to Boston where a Selling Sunset star (Eugene Mirman) susses out your starter home, and the fate of American democracy goes toe-to-toe with the Real Housewives of New Jersey courtesy of authors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt and comedian Pat Regan. Who remains standing… might not surprise you. Representative Ayanna Pressley gives us hope for student loan forgiveness and abortion rights, and we welcome legendary drag queen Lady Bunny to partake in a round of takes so hot, you could use that harbor as a jacuzzi for a week.--Crooked Coffee launches 6/21. Sign-up to be the first to sip: http://go.crooked.com/coffee-loli For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:21:3504/06/2022
Gun Control > Door Control
Lovett or Leave It returns to Dynasty Typewriter as we choose to be mad after a sad week. Comedian Nish Kumar busts up Partygate, while author and actor Ryan O’Connell calls ‘em like he sees ‘em. Tom Cruise (Kel Cripe) stops by in disguise, while the time traveler (Langston Kerman) from The Time Traveler’s Wife joins with a harrowing warning about the future: it’s going to be the same as now, unless we do something about it. And we cap the evening with a galvanizing roll of the Rant Wheel.Got to https://votesave.us/texas to learn how you can help. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:11:5228/05/2022
Darkest MAGA Before the Dawn
Lovett or Leave It mentions the bisque during our wind-swept tour stop in Portland, Maine! Cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein has Lovett reaching for the stars, while a grizzled lighthouse keeper (John Hodgman, Judge John Hodgman live at Lincoln Center on June 29) laments how quickly conservatives have slipped into madness. That’s his thing! Hollis candidate Eric Kuntz takes on the right-wing invasion of school boards, and the Rant Wheel steers us through the choppy waters of The Sims, the CDC and Bling Empire---With our constitutionally protected right to abortion under attack, abortion funds are working nonstop to make sure people can still access (and afford) abortion.Visit votesaveamerica.com/roe to learn more, donate, and take action. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:28:1621/05/2022
Wanda Maximoff v. Sam Alito
Lovett or Leave It is up past our bedtime at the ‘ol Hollywood Improv. A super chill GOP congresswoman (Atsuko Okatsuka) thinks we should all calm down about this leaked opinion. Jason Concepcion swings on by like Spider-Man to decide which hero is the most super of all. Lovett and Erin Ryan go house hunting based on real estate prices and... other factors. What will they pick!? The answer may surprise you. But wanna know what’s really surprising? The too hot takes Jon, Atsuko, Jason, and Erin find themselves forced to defend.---With our constitutionally protected right to abortion under attack, abortion funds are working nonstop to make sure people can still access (and afford) abortion.Visit votesaveamerica.com/roe to learn more, donate, and take action. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:11:2014/05/2022
Main Character Energy
This week we’re revisiting some of our favorite characters to grace to Lovett or Leave It Stage, including: Kyrsten Sinema (Kylie Brakeman), Tesla critic Sean Crepe (Andrew Farmer), Titsy Malone (Maria Bamford), J. Jonah Jameson (Paul F. Tompkins), Texas tourism spokesman Ash Wrangler Autry (Michael Hartney), Washington zombie (Demi Adejuyigbe), Bernie Sanders and the My Pillow guy (James Adomian), a college student (Halle Kiefer) and an immortal fox spirit (Jenny Yang), and Kamala Harris (Allison Reese). We’ll be back live next week! (And yes, he still would.)---With our constitutionally protected right to abortion under attack, abortion funds are working nonstop to make sure people can still access (and afford) abortion.Visit votesaveamerica.com/roe to learn more, donate, and take action.
01:16:2007/05/2022
Jonathan Groff's Rude Awakening
Lovett or Leave It joins the Netflix Is A Joke festival this week, but the show couldn’t be more serious, as Ashley Ray helps us figure out what is going on with the allies in a new edition of Gay News. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Matt Walsh, of Second in Command) stops by to discuss coup-life balance, and Paul F. Tompkins provides back-up for Dick Wolf’s latest, Law & Order: Election Police. Lovett tries desperately to defend his dogelord and savior, Elon Musk, while the Rant Wheel spins, casting its all-seeing eye on the craven and undeserving. We’re looking at you, Abercrombie & Fitch and crunchy peanut butter.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, go to crooked.com Lovett or Leave It. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:15:5430/04/2022
Is It Cake or Robert Duvall?
Spring has sprung and Lovett or Leave It is blooming all over Los Angeles’ Dynasty Typewriter once again. Danielle Pinnock and Mary Jarreau dig deep into the paranormal with Crooked writer Halle Kiefer. Masculinity expert Brad Turbo (Matt Rogers) cultivates a new generation of manly men…for a price. Lovett and his guests weed out which endangered animals won’t be making the cut this Earth Day, and we harvest a new crop of hot, fresh takes.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:06:5123/04/2022
Step One: Buy Twitter
Choo choo! Lovett or Leave It: Live Or Else pulls into the station at Dallas’s own The Factory in Deep Ellum. Railroad Commission candidate Luke Warford and producer Kendra James unpack the only thing more harrowing than energy companies coopting Texas Republicans: The Real Housewives of Dallas. Akilah Hughes gives all of us “Daddy Lessons” on Beyonce’s best-of, and we share takes hotter than the Texas sun in July. Even the confused Lyle Lovett fans in the crowd had a great time.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:13:4616/04/2022
Ghosted by Grimes
Lovett or Leave It pulls on its cowboy boots and takes its Lactaid pills for a queso-filled quorum in Austin, Texas. Beto O’Rourke takes on Greg Abbott and plays Queen for a Day. Ali Clem of la Barbecue and Akilah Hughes help us put the BBQ in LGBTQ. Tate Donavan helps Lovett call out the not-so-magical inspiration behind the Magic Kingdom. And we let the Rant Wheel spin, pardner.Text Lovett to 20377 to help Texas elect Beto O'Rourke.Help asylum-seekers, migrants and refugees at the border: https://borderkindness.org/For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:19:1509/04/2022
Grand Old Key Party
This week’s episode is a potluck, and Lovett or Leave It is bringing the bananas. Joel Kim Booster, Jenny Yang and Emily Heller talk rom-coms in a segment slow-cooked to perfection from a recent Dynasty Typewriter show. Lovett fills up on audience questions, while Crooked’s own in-house cranks rant about in-flight films, late-night anxiety, and the eternal dessert rivalry between chips and nuts. Stick a fork in us. We're done.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
49:3102/04/2022
Ginni Thomas’s Unlimited Text Plan
Live from the Lincoln Theatre, Lovett or Leave It storms Washington, D.C. and seizes its jumbo slices. Crooked’s own Damon Young is stuck on cancel culture, while Kamala Harris (Allison Reese) has absolutely no notes on the experience of being V.P. Aparna Nancherla helps our telethon to raise $22 billion dollars for COVID relief, now that Congress has dropped the ball, and we finish off the night with a turn of the Rant Wheel, original flavor.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:07:3526/03/2022
The Cursed Wives Club
Live from Dynasty Typewriter, Ginni Thomas (Pandora Boxx) storms the barricade to bring us good, solid marriage advice. Josh Barro and Lovett go toe-to-sleepy toe on Daylight Saving Time. Comedian Daniel Santaniel (Tim Baltz) pitches himself as the American Zelenskyy. And Lennon Parham of HBO Max’s Minx weighs in on the sexiness of the 1970s, alongside our very own producer Kendra James and writer Halle Kiefer. Plus the Hyper Wheel whirls us into the weekend.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:17:0019/03/2022
The Dark Knight Reprises
Everything old is new again as Lovett Or Leave It celebrates the return of a classic: performing indoors. L.A. City Councilperson Nithya Raman joins our first show at Dynasty Typewriter, where Emily’s Garden Show makes its triumphant, disruptive return. Joel Kim Booster tackles the seemingly infinite variety of Batmen, while a college student (Halle Kiefer) and an immortal fox spirit (Jenny Yang) go toe-to-nine-tails over the never-ending cancel culture debate. Finally, the HyperWheel brings us back around to adult birthdays, astrology, and the end of an era in baked goods. And Emily Heller rants about whatever she damn well pleases.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:10:2612/03/2022
And We're Back!
We finally, finally, finally return to touring, and set our clam chowder and sour dough dreams on the beautiful city of San Francisco, all set to the dulcet tones of the incredible B. Noel. Author George M. Johnson crosses out America’s book banning trend. Jared Goldstein and Holmes say Ok, Stop to Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Ben Shapiro. Guy Branum finds out, “Are you smarter than a gay coastal elite?” Ezra Klein takes stock of our times, and we finish it all with a brand-new comedy technology: the Hyper Wheel.Support trans kids:crooked.com/tentFor a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:26:5505/03/2022
In This House, We Say Gay
Gather around the campfire for one s’more backyard show before Lovett and Leave It ventures into the wider world yet again. A pick-up aficionado (Ike Barinholtz) puts the pedal to the metal in our conversation about pedestrian safety. Ike, Sam Richardson, and Madison Shepard cower in the face of the forthcoming vibe shift, before putting their knowledge of Trump’s many legal problems to the test. And as another era passes, so too turns the Rant Wheel, teaching us the folly of doing the splits in your 30s, sharing memes too late, and eating way too much cheese in the pursuit of eternal youth and beauty.Support trans kids in Texas:EqualityTexas.orgTransTexas.orgFor a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
54:5926/02/2022
Come No-Fly With Me
When it comes to shows left in Lovett’s backyard, this week’s is Number Two! Lovett’s parents stop by to rank his monologue jokes, while Kylie Brakeman and Moses Storm pop a squat on the couch to spread some hot goss. A battle-weary flight attendant feels wiped from all these disruptive anti-maskers, while Lovett plays party pooper to a very enthusiastic trucker, fresh from Canada’s Freedom Convoy protest. We end the night with a spin of the Rant Wheel, which flushes out the truth about Millennials, NFT apes, and whether those symptoms are COVID or regular old unbearable allergies.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:15:1519/02/2022
Live, Laugh, Hang Mike Pence
Cupid aims his wise and mighty arrow at the backyard this week, where we regale True Story’s Ed Helms with true tales of courtship gone wrong. Keep It’s own Louis Virtel goes toe-to-toe (dare we say cheek-to-cheek) with fellow Oscar trivia dynamo Michael Lasker for a round of romantic Oscars trivia. Atsuko Okatsuko has all the tips and tricks you need to rekindle the spark... with Democrats. And who doesn’t love a rant wheel, where we cover it all from budget airline mergers to a scandal at the heart of Olympic figure skating that not enough people are talking about (note: this rant discusses eating disorders).For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
01:08:5612/02/2022
Mayors Unmasked!
Mayors are revealing their faces and people are pissed! This week, the pod at Pundit’s palace welcomes Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 (Marcella Arguello), who explains the real danger of banning books; Jason Concepcion expands his mind to contemplate the Joe Rogan-verse; and Tesla critic Sean Crepe (Andrew Farmer) gets taken for a ride in one of Elon’s finest, while we close out another chilly outdoor show huddled around a scorching Rant Wheel for heat.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
53:3405/02/2022
Five Alarm Breyer
The pod pops the cork on another house party at Lovett’s place, where West Elm Caleb (as played by River Butcher) stops by to ruin the vibe; Lindsay Adams and Brendan Scannell parse through the pettiest moments in presidential history; producer Kendra James answers the tough questions about her new book, Admissions; and a new batch of Hot Takes takes us into some truly jaw-dropping territory, all while Pundit is on unofficial trash duty. And we’re back... on tour that is! Join Lovett and friends on the road for Lovett or Leave It: Live or Else. Get tickets & learn more: crooked.com/eventsGeneral onsale: January 28 at 10 am local timeFor a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
45:5629/01/2022