We spend most of this episode discussing the recent (but temporarily suspended) TikTok ban. We lay out why TikTok is unique and important and what might be the impetus behind the government's desire to ban TikTok. We discuss the "TikTok refugees" fleeing to RedNote, another social media platform actually owned by China, and the unfettered access it gives Americans into daily Chinese life and culture. We talk about how this is backfiring against the American government as Americans are beginning to realize that much of the government's concern over Chinese propaganda may actually be American propaganda. … [Read more...]

We kick off this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors with an update about the health of Jason’s mom (or lack thereof), which springboards into a discussion of death and how we cope with it. We talk about the Los Angeles fires and the public’s reaction to wealthy people losing their homes, and then discuss the current state of political discourse and its partisan, tribal character. We conclude by reading the manifesto of the CEO shooter Luigi Mangione. … [Read more...]

In this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors we catch up on some listeners’ voicemails. We discuss the issue of campaign promises and whether they reveal candidates’ actual intentions, or if they’re only generic indicators of their ideology. We talk about the intertwining of democracy and violence, expressing serious suspicion about whether the former is ever possible without the latter. Lastly we explore the relationship of wealth and power (as in, why do the obscenely rich continue to accumulate more and more?). … [Read more...]

In this episode of DXP Christian forces Jason to take an online test without knowing what exactly is being tested. We discuss the recent extradition of folk hero (*I meant for folk hero to have a strikethrough*) vigilante Luigi Mangione, and wonder aloud whether his “manifesto” will ever be made public, as well as the disproportionate response to his actions compared to those whose crimes do not strike at the core of capitalist power. We talk about the media’s feigned hand-wringing over the incoming administration being “the wealthiest in history,” and the conclude with a brief discussion about the coming TikTok ban. … [Read more...]

In this episode of DXP we discuss the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione, as well as the latter’s new status as an internet folk hero. We talk about the anniversary re-release of the film Interstellar, which leads to the recent appearance of mysterious drones over New Jersey and other cities. We address Trump’s joke about Canada becoming our 51st state, and then weigh in on the Hunter Biden pardon. … [Read more...]

In this episode we wrap up our post-election thoughts and discuss the fallout of our daring and unprecedented suggestion that we listen to our opponents with an open mind (gasp!). We address some of our listeners’ concerns and pushback, offering some pushback of our own, ultimately concluding that charitable discourse begins with letting those across the aisle tell us what they’re about rather than taking the word of those who hate them. … [Read more...]

In this episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors we chat for a bit about the new limited series, Disclaimer. We then address some of the frustration some listeners felt over our last episode in which we refused to demonize Trump and his voters as much as they feel we should have done. We address some patrons’ questions about the election, and then “Pastor Jack’s Off” returns. … [Read more...]

Drunk Ex-Pastors returns! In this episode we give a few teasers about what the show will look like going forward (greater focus on concrete segments, more frequent but shorter episodes, and so on). We then engage in some post-election analysis as well as personal introspection concerning how best to navigate the next four years (and step one will involve forming opinions about politicians based on how they describe themselves rather than how their enemies do). … [Read more...]

In this 500th episode of Drunk Ex-Pastors we hear from a listener who suggests that the two reasons someone might leave Christianity are either doctrinal or interpersonal. We then spend the bulk of the show discussing our political differences, including third-party voting, idealism vs. pragmatism, the value of campaign promises, and whether a Harris victory is a true victory for women. Biebers involve unnecessarily over-complicating tech that used to be simple, and scrubber brushes. … [Read more...]

In this episode of DXP we address Jerry Seinfeld’s recent retraction of his earlier insistence that wokeness makes comedy impossible. We hear from a listener asking about Neil deGrasse Tyson’s formulation of the problem of evil, and then talk about Noah Yuval Harari’s new book, Nexus, and what it has to say about the dangers of AI. Biebers involve thumbnails and spines. … [Read more...]