#416 - A Sloppy Summer Pod, Recovered

* Imperfect Introduction* Queerest story ever told* The heart-pounding conclusion of Depp v Heard * Birdwatching for Karens* A firearms "clarification"* The other 99% (and the warmth of simple narratives)* Incitement for “journalists”* Half Junky / Half Wonk* The absurd hilarity of historical injustice* Believe All Jedi* Fixing CNN+ (“Toobin After Dark” Edition)* Star Wars is for racists* Chief Colt 45* Total Recall, Certain Guilt* You always need more gays* Professional crybabies* The Pride of Prejudice This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

4 Juni 20221h 56min

Another mass shooting, more performative outrage (note: and this was recorded right before Beto’s gross little stunt), and never any practical solutions. The lads discuss the massacre in Texas, a “racist” incident at Yankee Stadium, a terrible Marvel movie, and a proposed new female superhero. Oh and as Moynihan explains in his brief preamble, the Rodecaster Pro is a horrible piece of audio hardware that ate 28 minutes of this podcast…but if you’re an audio genius—and this might take a genius to fix—and you want a copy of the muddy, robotic bit to tinker with….feel free to reach out.And as previously pointed out, your free trial is ending soon. So make not to be a filthy freeloader and sign up for real. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

26 Maj 20221h 21min

In celebration of the Fifth’s triumphant move to Substack, the lads decided to do a live show in New York City, with the two most New York City guys they could find. But that live show in New York City sold out immediately, provoking a flurry of angry and/or heartbroken emails. So how does one skip the queue for the next one? Well, tickets are released to subscribers first. And our subscribers are bored and like to get liquored in the middle of the week. You see what we’re getting at? Now, it’s nothing like the sweaty, drunken energy of the Comedy Cellar on a Wednesday night, but this is a pretty reasonable facsimile: we present to you, in all of its random and rambling glory, an unedited recording of The Fifth Column live at the Comedy Cellar. A huge thanks to Michael Rapaport and Colin Quinn, who finished the show out. A few video clips forthcoming. And more pics over at Moynihan’s Instagram. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

22 Maj 20221h 41min

Another two-parter: the first half with our new favorite lefty Lara Bazelon, professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, journalist, feminist, novelist, controversialist. After Lara leaves, probably to free someone from prison, the lads take the second half of the show to catch up on the stupid and depressing news of the week.- Baaaa-zelon- Broken clock: Lara thinks Betsy DeVos had a point…- The lefty case for free speech and due process on campus- Lara’s Atlantic piece on how the ACLU lost its way - From Skokie to the lady from Aquaman- The social justice cafeteria- The ACLU’s face of gender violence is a rich actress who probably beat up her husband- Like this podcast, courtrooms are rhetorically “violent.” Get used to it.- That Laura Kipnis book - That sold out live show in NYC next week (with special guest hints)- The Dems failed borsh bill- Cooling inflation that is still really hot and “barreling ahead”- The failure of Trump’s trade policy- The anti-commie case against Ron DeSantis’s performative anti-communism - And so much more!- Stop being cheap and subscribe below. The money kind of subscribe. Because every dollar helps pay off Matt’s substantial gambling debts. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

13 Maj 20221h 58min

We’re unlocking this subscriber-only podcast, recorded back in January, just to give you freeloaders a taste of what lurks behind the paywall. It’s not only those amazing bonus episodes, wherein the morons from The Fifth Column yammering and stammering through the most important issues facing civilization. But occasionally one-on-one interviews with some of the most interesting people on Earth. Like this one with the great Jon Ronson, host of the new podcast Things Fell Apart. So head over to Substack and subscribe.By popular demand, we present to you, dear patrons, the triumphant return of journalist, podcaster, Welshman, filmmaker, and nicest guy in the business, Mr. Jon Ronson.Ronson, whose classic works include The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Psychopath Test and So You've Been Publicly Shamed, stopped by the Fifth's Chinatown studio to for a fascinating, revealing one-on-one chat about his phenomenal new podcast series Things Fell Apart, losing friendships because of the culture war (ahem), the first internet cancellation, satanic panics, and the interview that made him almost believe in god...and Moynihan almost (almost) cry.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

10 Maj 20221h 18min

- Mean Babies w/ Pink Eye- Tity Boi- Dangerous Misinformation- Show Tunes- Cinco de Mayo- Live From New York, Again- Apartheid Daydream- Combating Misinformation- The Sims 2- Anatomy of Tribal Hysteria- Everyone Starts to Say It- Its Own Reward- From Cuba to the Marshall Islands - Entangling AlliancesRecorded: April 29th, 2022Published: April 30th, 2022 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

1 Maj 20221h 51min

Ulysses for kidzStop complaining. It's a secret.It's all over, folks. Barack solved misinformationThe Fairness Doctrine was dumb then. It's even dumber nowBTW, they're *all* liarsDefining misinformation (down)Sarah Hepola, author of the memoir Blackout and this great Atlantic pieceMoynihan v. Hepola on drinking She started drinking at 7??Wherein we demand Hepola credit the Fifth Column for saving her life or somethingOn self-censorship and gaslightingKmele's stirring defense of that fantastic beast, Johnny DeppAnd so much more See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

24 Apr 20221h 57min

- A Very Bad Week- Best, Final- Like, Literally the Holocaust - F*ck You Money- Narrative Malfunction- Round the Water Cooler- How America Got Stupid- Going Solo- Automotive Analogy- Expanding Nato, Deploying Nukes- The Bully DecidesRecorded: April 14th, 2022Published: April 15th, 2022 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wethefifth.substack.com/subscribe

16 Apr 20222h 7min