Sleeping with Celebrities
Episodes
David Plotz’s Tour of D.C.’s Civil War Forts and Fortifications
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Look, we’ll admit right now that this week’s episode is interesting. We’ll stipulate that. David Plotz, CEO of CityCast.fm and longtime contri...
Brian Stack (Conan, Colbert) on Mild Encounters with Pleasant Celebrities
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve watched Conan O’Brien’s shows or Late Night with Stephen Colbert, you’ve probably seen Brian Stack playing a wide range of characte...
Chris Fairbanks on the Intricacies of Skateboarding on an Artificial Hip at Costco
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do standup comedy, golf, and skateboarding have in common beside high degrees of difficulty and opportunities to humiliate yourself in public? We...
Jenny Lawson’s Enormous Army of Dolls
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Humorist Jenny Lawson collects many things, including: devoted readers of her numerous essay anthologies, acclaim for her brilliant and hilarious writ...
Comedian Rachel Feinstein Has Tons of Firefighters In Her House But Don’t Worry She’s Okay
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may have seen Rachel Feinstein perform her comedy on late night shows, on YouTube, and on Netflix for her latest special, Rachel Feinstein: Big Gu...
Nate Corddry Explains the Intricacies of Tabletop Baseball Until You Pass Out
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may know the very funny and talented actor Nate Corddry from one million television programs and movies he's appeared in over the years, including...
Comedian Emily Fleming Has Tips For Cleaning Toys
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, toys are delightful and fun and even exciting. But for our purposes, that might all get a little TOO exciting. We’re here to put you to sleep a...
Comedian Richard Sarvate Understands How Email Actually Works
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The path from Silicon Valley computer programmer to rising star in standup comedy is not one that’s well traveled. Nor is the opposite path for that...
Bill Corbett on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Also On ZZ Top
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New York's Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is 13,700 feet long. Comedian, Rifftrax star, and MST3K alum Bill Corbett is at most six feet long, maybe even a ...
Julia Duffy, from Newhart and Palm Royale, Has Just Read This Great Book
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Julia Duffy is not filming something to entertain and delight you, chances are she’s reading a book. It’s generally non-fiction, often histor...
Lindy West Slows Down By Watching Others Play Video Games Fast
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, that headline can be confusing. Read it slowly. We’ll wait. Lindy West is an acclaimed author, podcaster, and all-around funny person. Her best...
Comedian Ray Ellin Imagines Being in a Little House, Possibly One on the Prairie
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ray Ellin, according to Wikipedia, is a comedian, talk show host, producer, writer, and director. According to Sleeping with Celebrities, he is also a...
Marsha Warfield from Night Court, Who Believes in She-sus
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Honestly, we haven't had that many people on our show who have started entirely new religions. Most of the time, if someone wants to be religious, the...
Rob Haze Has Many More Sneakers Than You Do
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hilarious Rob Haze, a rapidly rising star in stand-up comedy, has loads of sneakers. Really a disproportionate amount of sneakers compared to the ...
BONUS MINI-SODE 10: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Dickey Simpkins the Wallaby Starts a Podcast
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dickey Simpkins loves breakfast. So much so that this Australian wallaby started a blog about breakfast, which led to a podcast about breakfast, which...
BONUS CONTENT PREVIEW: Let's Talk About the Weather
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A special sneak preview of this year's MaxFunDrive bonus content, "Let's Talk About the Weather"! Join at the $5 level to listen to the full episode.W...
BONUS MINI-SODE 9: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: A Muskrat Takes a Long Disco Nap
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Arden Neely was a muskrat who worked as the assistant manager at a coffee shop. They had to start work very early in the day but wanted to go see rock...
John Darnielle Spills the Tea About Tea
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
He's best known as the leader of the popular and influential band the Mountain Goats and as a best-selling author, but John Darnielle should also be r...
BONUS MINI-SODE 8: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Anson the Dragon's High School Reunion
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anson is a bit nervous for his high school reunion, which is happening at a Marriott hotel on Space Planet. Will people be nice? Will he be seen as su...
BONUS MINI-SODE 7: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Inventing a Board Game with Hiram and Gretel
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special episode, our host John Moe tells the story of the now-ubiquitous board game Rooms & Complications and how it was invented one rai...
BONUS MINI-SODE 6: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Going with Jill to get Tacos
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special episode, our host John Moe meets up with his friend Jill - not his wife, Jill, a different Jill - and they try to find somewhere ...
BONUS MINI-SODE 5: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Leonard the Sea Turtle Dreams of a Career Change
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a bedtime story about Leonard, who is a sea turtle living a pretty okay life. He has two friends in Julia and Boris. He has a coral reef to sw...
BONUS MINI-SODE 4: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Norman is a Pangolin Who Dances the Cha-Cha
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a bedtime story about Norman, who is a pangolin, but a very specific pangolin. Norman is a pangolin who works as a database administrator and ...
Alan Tudyk? More Like Alan Yardsticks. (He Collects Yardsticks.)
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Alan Tudyk as the star of the SyFy series Resident Alien or the groundbreaking series Firefly. You might know him from the films Dodgeb...
BONUS MINI-SODE 3: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Nadine the Hard-Working Duck on a Farm
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a bedtime story about Nadine, a duck who works with a lot of other ducks to operate a farm in Finland. It's hard work so she gets tired. Becau...
BONUS MINI-SODE 2: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: Clomp, the Littlest Giant
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We would like you to support Sleeping with Celebrities during the Max Fun Drive. To make this prospect more appealing to you, we are charming you by p...
BONUS MINI-SODE: Unscripted Bedtime Stories: The Owl of Nebraska
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the annual Max Fun Drive and your chance to support Sleeping with Celebrities. To celebrate, host John Moe presents a short, unscripted bedtime...
Go Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Jackie Kashian, Jeremy Bent, John Moe, and Dan McCoy
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gi...
Alex Schmidt, Katie Goldin, and Their Non-Secretly Non-Fascinating Pets
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Secretly Incredibly Fascinating, a fellow podcast here on the Maximum Fun network, is about just what the title promises, mundane parts of life that a...
Steve Almond: The Dad Compactor
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you happen to be one of Steve Almond’s children, you already know about the Dad Compactor. Because Steve isn’t just a best-selling author (Cand...
Oscar Montoya Says Rice is the Offensive Lineman of Grains
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You might have seen Oscar Montoya as one of the stars of the acclaimed TV series Minx or heard him as one of the hosts of the acclaimed Maximum Fun po...
Stefanie Wilder-Taylor and Cecily Knobler Are a Barenaked Ladies Fan Club
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Technically, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor and Cecily Knobler are not and have never been part of the lineup of the band Barenaked Ladies. But in their own w...
Dessa: Queen of Beats... and Buttercream Flowers
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dessa is many things but mostly she’s a cake decorator. For our purposes for this episode, at least. Oh sure, you may know her has a brilliant music...
John-Luke Roberts Is a Pigeon Activist
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John-Luke Roberts is a comedian, actor, and podcast maker and he's from England so you know his voice is going to be pleasant to hear. John-Luke creat...
Laurie Kilmartin is an Accidental Anime Fangirl
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Laurie Kilmartin is a veteran comic, a best-selling author, and an Emmy-nominated writer for Conan. She is also a newly minted anime fan, coming to it...
Sandeep Parikh: Wartime HOA President
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sandeep Parikh is well known to anyone who followed the web series The Guild, where he played Zaboo. Sandeep is a writer, producer, director, and come...
Jason Pargin is a Rabbit Person
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Pargin has taken care of writing seven novels, including John Dies at the End and the new Zoey Is Too Drunk For This Apocalypse. But he's only t...
John Moe Meets Salem Sue: An ND Road Trip
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special episode of Sleeping with Celebrities, the celebrity is the host. John Moe is the host of Depresh Mode, author of The Hilarious Wo...
Rob Harvilla’s Open Mic Setlist Circa Late 90s
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Harvilla is the host of the hit podcast 60 Songs That Explain the 90s and author of a book of the exact same name. But before he was regaling his ...
Linda Holmes and the Malcontents of Melrose Place
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Holmes is a best-selling author and one of the hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. But you know what an hour is that wasn't always happy? Mel...
A Clockwise Tour of Wales with Ben Partridge
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Partridge is the host of Beef and Dairy Network podcast, which is a very funny comedy program described as "The number one podcast for those ...
An Abbreviated History of the Holy Roman Empire with Guy Branum
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Holy Roman Empire is a huge topic, spanning at least one continent and nearly a thousand years. Fortunately, we’re here to cover the entire thin...
The Tragicomic Theater Career of Gianmarco Soresi
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you remember all the plays you were a part of in school? Chances are Gianmarco Soresi remembers more plays than you do because he was in just so ma...
Stephen Tobolowsky and the Most Boring Man in the World
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Any biography of Stephen Tobolowsky must mention, and possibly right at the beginning, his performance as Ned Ryerson, the annoying insurance salesman...
Ranking Presidential Pets with Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe the old method of counting sheep works for you as a sleep aid. But maybe you need your animals to be a little more varied. That’s where comedy...
Exploring Paris with Polyglot Negin Farsad
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know what might make you all tuckered out and ready for sleep? A walking tour of Paris. And who better to provide you with a friendly and funny wa...
Aparna Nancherla Is the Indie Coffee Shop of Comedy
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ordinarily, you wouldn’t want to visit a whole bunch of hipster coffee shops across the U.S. before bedtime. It would be time-consuming and expensiv...
Phoebe Judge: Hardcore Clammer
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Phoebe Judge as the host of the podcast Criminal, now celebrating its tenth year. Depending on where you live, you might also know her ...
Felicia Day Has a Lazy Flap
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you have access to what’s called the internet, you probably have experienced the work of Felicia Day. She is the creator and star of the web seri...
Five Dates & Five Concerts with Cameron Esposito
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cameron Esposito is a very popular and very funny comedian and the host of the Queery podcast right here on the Maximum Fun network. She has also been...
Steven Page & All His 1983 Bar Mitzvah Gifts
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You may know Steven Page from his solo musical work or his tenure as one of the founders and leaders of the band Barenaked Ladies. Of course, if you w...
Julie Goldman and Brandy Howard Fight Against Toxic Load
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Julie and Brandy are best friends, comedy partners, and co-hosts of the podcast Dumb Gay Politics, which, according to Wikipedia, “recaps politics a...
Zak Orth Rolls His T-shirts
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might recall Zak Orth as “J.J.” from the very funny film Wet Hot American Summer or perhaps you might recall him as “Aaron” from the drama...
Frank Conniff Found Redemption at Arby’s after White Castle Rejection
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You may know the very funny Frank Conniff from his run as “TV’s Frank” on the legendary comedy program Mystery Science Theater 3000. But before ...
Kristin Hersh Woke Up in a Field and Didn’t Know Where Her Bandmates Were
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The life of a touring rock n’ roll musician can be very exciting. Fortunately, we leave the exciting parts out in our conversation with the deeply h...
Jo Firestone Has Ten Favorite Candies
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We wouldn’t advise you to have candy before bedtime. That’s certainly not going to be helpful for your sleep efforts. But having the hilarious and...
Emily Heller Doesn’t Have a Lawn Anymore
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the HBO show Barry, for which comedian Emily Heller is a writer, there is a great deal of suspense, gunfire, and overall tension, which would make ...
Dave Hill’s Favorite Jerseys Are Sweaters
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Hill is many things. He’s a musician, an actor, a podcast host, and an author. So four things. But it’s five things if you count his role as ...
Andrew Child Writes Where the Deer & Antelope Play
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Reacher, lead character in the Reacher series, is tall, imposing, and a noticeable presence in every town he rolls into. But just about anybody w...
Don’t Underestimate Crows w/ Halle Kiefer and Alison Leiby
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Halle Kiefer and Alison Leiby are obsessed with crows, and not simply because they both host the horror podcast Ruined. Horror buff Halle knows that c...
John Ross Bowie Makes Three Baguettes
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Ross Bowie, who pronounces his last name like Maui and not like David Bowie, is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Kripke on The Big Ba...
Michael Ian Black on Cunning Two-Letter Scrabble Plays
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The actor, writer, comedian, and bon vivant Michael Ian Black is an enthusiast of the word game Scrabble and, in particular, the very short two-letter...
A Sleep-Safe Audio Slide Show of Janie and Paul’s Icelandic Vacation
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
THIS IS THE SLEEP SAFE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE. THERE IS NO JARRING INTERRUPTION IN THIS VERSION.Beloved actors, comedy people, and podcast bon vivant...
An Audio Slide Show of Janie and Paul’s Icelandic Vacation
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
THIS IS THE SUDDEN, JARRING NOISE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS VERSION IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SLEEPGet ready for thrills, you not-so-s...
One Thousand Sodas with Chris Gethard
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Gethard is an actor, writer, comedian, and podcast host. He was the host of the aptly name Chris Gethard Show on various forms of cable televisi...
Andy Kindler Makes One Cup of Coffee
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andy Kindler is a veteran stand-up comedian and actor, known for his work as Mort the mortician on Bob’s Burgers and as Andy on Everybody Loves Raym...
Don’t Go Down the Clown Rabbit Hole with Susan Orlean
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Orlean is one of the coolest and best writers we have going in the whole world. This is simply a fact. Why, she wrote The Orchid Thief and The L...
Molly Wood Lets Her Actuary Flag Fly
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might have caught Molly Wood’s work in the New York Times or the public radio program Marketplace or her new podcast, Everybody in the Pool, whi...
One on None Basketball in Harlem w/ Gary Gulman
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Gulman is a deeply funny and quite tall comedian who has appeared on HBO specials and every late night comedy talk show you can possibly think of...
Bayonne: Gateway to the Past with James Urbaniak
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Here are some things you might have done. First, you might have heard James Urbaniak as the voice of Dr. Venture in the hit animated series, The Ventu...
Sara Schaefer Says Size Matters
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Sara Schaefer is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and author,” says the website Wikipedia. And who are we to disagree with such a character...
Jean Grae Loves a Good Silk Market
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Grae is a self-described “gender transcendent entity made of fine silks. Multipotentialite autodidact. Genius.” As a 70s kid who lived in NYC...
Baratunde Thurston’s Quest to Make Perfect, Clear Ice
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You may know Baratunde Thurston as the host of the PBS program America Outdoors or as the author of the best-selling book, How to Be Black. Or you may...
Randy and Jason Sklar Explain Sports Portals
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might know the Sklar Brothers from your television. They hosted the ESPN Classic program Cheap Seats, acted in Better Call Saul and What We Do in ...
Broti Gupta Knows a Lot About Cincinnati’s Kenwood Mall
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been watching The Simpsons lately, you are familiar with the work of Broti Gupta. She plays Bart. No, not really. Broti is a writer for th...
Jonathan Katz, Amateur Table Tennis Hustler and Champion
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There was a brief period in the late 60s and early 70s when Jonathan Katz could walk into any table tennis club in the country and know which players,...
Scott Thompson Is a Proud Porridge Man
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Scott Thompson as 20% of the legendary sketch comedy group, The Kids in the Hall. You might not know about his strong feelings regardin...
Linda Holmes and the Malcontents of Melrose Place
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Holmes is a best-selling author and one of the hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. But you know what an hour is that wasn't always happy? Mel...
Maria Bamford Has a Parking Problem and Is Making Amends
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
But if we were to judge her by her parking habits alone, she is a very bad person who hurts other motorists and harms society itself.Maria once parked...
Bonus Content Preview: A Snowy Spring Nature Walk
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You see, the MaxFunDrive is happening right now (if you’re seeing this before March 31st 2023). If you appreciate this show and want to support orig...
How to Plan a Disney World Vacation with Justin McElroy
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Justin’s conversation with John Moe also covers confetti popcorn, Froot Loops, crop art, and monorails.Also, Sleepyheads, please know that we are no...
How to Build a Home Studio w/ Open Mike Eagle
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Open Mike Eagle is a rap artist with albums such as Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, Anime Trauma & Divorce, and his latest, A Tape Called Component Sy...
RadioLab’s Lulu Miller Says You Don’t Know What It’s Like to Be a Bat
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
She explains it like so, “Imagine it as much as you want, research it as much as you want. You can never truly know what it's like to be a bat, beca...
Andy Daly Tends His Own Lawn
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andy Daly’s yard has some day lilies, which he does not particularly enjoy, and some olive trees. Andy likes olives but finds the process of turning...
Coming soon: Sleeping with Celebrities
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No startling revelations, no dramatic screaming confrontations, but plenty of low-key dialogue, intricately laced deadpan comedy, and a ticket to drea...