It's a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

In this episode…

Guests:

Adam Felber is a writer, co-host of the “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone” podcast, and frequent panelist on the NPR quiz show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” In contrast with other people who appear on that program, he actually doesn’t care that much about winning. He’ll explain. Plus, Adam tells us why he often has to explain to people that his weight loss journey was absolutely intentional.

Jiaoying Summers is a stand-up comedian and host of the podcast “Tiger MILF,” which she uses to showcase the multifaceted personalities of Asian women. Jiaoying will explain why she was forced to join us remotely from Hawaii, and why it’s important to embrace sucking at comedy.

Areas of Expertise:

Jiaoying: The music of Janis Joplin, daily make-up in less than 10 minutes, and dealing with an Asian mom. 

Adam: The book Infinite Jest, The Prince album Sign o’ the Times and the movie Groundhog Day.

What’s the difference: Student Counsel

What’s the difference between a pupil and a student?

What’s the difference between counseling and therapy?

Experts:

Dave Getz: Artist and drummer for the band Big Brother and the Holding Company
Michael &Laura Joplin: The siblings of Janis Joplin, and contributors to the book Janis Joplin: Days & Summers.

Stephen Tobolowsky: Actor, writer, and storyteller, whose numerous roles include playing Ned in Groundhog Day.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our next live-audience shows in LA by YOU!

You’re not hallucinating here – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

In this episode…

Guests:

Ivy Le is a comedian, actor, and the creator of the podcast FOGO- Fear of Going Outside. Ivy says she had to start from square one for the podcast: From Googling “How to find the outdoors” all the way to learning how to camp. She’ll also tell us about “Tongue In Cheek,” her queer-focused open mic in Austin, Texas.

A.J. Jacobs is an author and puzzle podcaster. Most of his books center on his putting himself through elaborate and lengthy lifestyle experiments, like reading the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica or living in accordance with the bible. His latest book is entitled The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning.

Areas of Expertise

Ivy: AAPI American history, ADHD, and edibles.

A.J.: Two-letter Scrabble words, the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and weird Victorian Jobs.

What’s the difference: Steeped in history

What’s the difference between steeping and brewing?

What’s the difference between ancient history and prehistory?

Experts:

Judge Reinhold: Actor, whose many iconic roles include playing Brad in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Amy Tan: Award-winning, best-selling author and illustrator, who wrote the novel and screenplay for The Joy Luck Club

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our next live-audience shows in LA by YOU!

We’re tearing the roof off a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

In this episode…

Rose Abdoo is an actor you can see now in “Hacks” on Max! She was also on episode 118 of GFY, and tonight she returns as a guest co-host.

Guests:

Andy Richter is an actor and comedian. He’s most famous for being the sidekick to Conan O’Brien, a role that he learned to love when he realized that it could be anything that he wanted it to be. Andy can be heard on his podcast, “The Three Questions.”

Tonya Mosley is the co-host of the legendary radio interview show “Fresh Air” along with Terry Gross. She’s interviewed a lot of people over the years and is happy to share a few tips (and confirm some rumors about Terry Gross). Tonya is also behind the true crime podcast “She Has a Name,” which uses her investigative journalism skills to tell a story that’s very personal. 

Areas of Expertise

Andy: Pre-1980s soul and R&B music, professional wrestling in the 20th-century, and hot dogs. 

Tonya: 1990s pop culture, the musical The Wiz, and homesteading.

What’s the difference: The Incredible, Edible Egg

What’s the difference between edible and eatable?

What’s the difference between an oval and an ellipse?

Experts:

Anaïs and Jordanne Dervaes: co-founders Urban Homestead Institute in Pasadena.

George Clinton: Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who fronts and founded Parliament-Funkadelic.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Rose Abdoo

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our next 

live-audience shows

 in LA by YOU!

It’s a #MaxFunDrive crossover!

Go Fact Yourself  host J. Keith van Straten sat down with the podcast Dead Pilots Society. He and fellow MaxFun hosts Jordan Morris and John Moe discuss unscripted pilots that went nowhere.

To hear the full episode, go listen to the latest episode of Dead Pilots Society.

Want to be a listener who gets to sit in – or be a guest on the show? Make sure to support us in this year’s MaxFunDrive! maximumfun.org/join

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting GFY in the MaxFunDrive by YOU – Go to maximumfun.org/join

Last year, we selected a few listeners to sit in on recordings of Go Fact Yourself! They got to see just how much work goes into a recording of the podcast and learned a lot along the way (but don’t tell anyone). And they seem to have enjoyed it!

Want to be a listener who gets to sit in? Make sure to support us in this year’s MaxFunDrive! maximumfun.org/join

Appearing in this episode:

Listeners:

Steven Webster

Kristen Anderson

Giovanni Sanchez

Diana Hsu

Hosts:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting GFY in the MaxFunDrive by YOU – Go to maximumfun.org/join

Just say yes to a preview of the members-exclusive BoCo from Go Fact Yourself!

In the full episode…

Guests:

Clint McElroy is a former radio broadcaster and the father of the McElroy podcast siblings Justin, Travis, and Griffin. Clint is one of the voices behind “The Adventure Zone” podcast where he plays Dungeons and Dragons along with his sons. Clint will tell us what it’s like turning podcasting into a family business and what it’s like to turn an audio show into a graphic novel. 

Ella McLeod is one of the hosts of “Comfort Creatures,” an animal enthusiast podcast. But that doesn’t mean that she’s in love with every animal. For instance, she’s not a fan of pigeons. Ella is the author of the upcoming book The Map that Led to You. 

Areas of Expertise:

Clint: The musical Guys and Dolls, the TV show “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” and fantasy football. 

Ella: Greek gods and goddesses, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Taylor Swift.

What’s the difference: Everyday Grind

What’s the difference between every day and everyday?

What’s the difference between a cup and a mug?

Experts:

Trey Fanjoy: Award-winning director, whose work includes several music videos for Taylor Swift. 

You can see a picture of Clint McElroy with Taylor Swift on our showpage at Maximumfun.org

Faith Prince: Actor, whose legendary performances include winning a Tony award for Guys and Dolls (And who loves Michael Jeter’s Tony Awards performance).

Hosts:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting GFY in the MaxFunDrive by YOU – Go to maximumfun.org/join

This episode is part of The #MaxFunDrive! If you love Go Fact Yourself, please go to Maximumfun.org/join to become a MaxFun Member, or to upgrade or boost your existing membership. For a monthly contribution as little as $5 a month, you have a direct hand in helping this show continue. 

Plus, you have a chance to BE on the show!

Happy #MaxFunDrive! We’ve got more fun and surprises for you than ever before. Listen to the pledge breaks for details on all the exciting stuff. And thank you for your support!

In this episode…

Guests:

Rich Permenter is a team leader at a large financial firm in Missouri. He’ll tell us how being a finalist in the Listener Tournament is the culmination of a lifelong love of trivia … at least until he gets on “Jeopardy!”. Rich was so dedicated to joining the podcast that he actually delayed a procedure for his son!

Ashley Pagnotta is a professor of physics and astronomy at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Her research focuses on the science behind exploding stars – which she says aren’t a problem for us here on Earth. Ashley is currently on sabbatical working on a new project: Astronomer in Residence at the Grand Canyon!

Areas of Expertise

Ashley: The Killer B’s of the 1990s Houston Astros, Formula One racing from 2018 to the present, and the movie Clueless.

Rich: The TV show “Boy Meets World,” 1980s baseball cards, and the band The Aquabats.

What’s the difference: A glimmer of hope

What’s the difference between to glimmer and to shimmer?

What’s the difference between a hope and an aspiration?

Experts:

Christian Jacobs: lead singer and founder of The Aquabats.

James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi: icons of auto racing and hosts of the Off Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting 

GFY in the MaxFunDrive by YOU – Go to maximumfun.org/join

This episode is part of The #MaxFunDrive! If you love Go Fact Yourself, please go to Maximumfun.org/join to become a MaxFun Member. For a monthly contribution as little as $5 a month, you have a direct hand in helping this show continue. 

Plus, you have a chance to BE on the show!

Happy #MaxFunDrive! We’ve got more fun and surprises for you than ever before. Listen to the pledge breaks for details on all the exciting stuff. And thank you for your support!

In this episode…

Guests:

Ify Nwadiwe is a comedian, actor, and one of the hosts of Maximum Film!, which he and his co-hosts describe as “a movie podcast that isn’t just a bunch of straight white dudes.” On the show, Ify prides himself on getting to express his unique taste in film, like his opinion that Pacific Rim is a perfect movie. 

Laurie Kilmartin is a former writer for “Conan” and one half of the podcast The Jackie and Laurie Show. Every week they discuss the state of women in comedy with their peers. Even though the industry still has a long way to go, they’re happy to report that things HAVE gotten better! Laurie’s new comedy special, “Cis Woke Grief Slut,” is available now. 

Areas of Expertise:

Ify: MTV’s “The Challenge,” Black hockey players, and Godzilla.

Laurie: The TV show “The Walking Dead,” Living British royals, and the Irish Republican army. 

What’s the difference: Drilling for oil

What’s the difference between a drill sergeant and drill instructor?

What’s the difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?

Experts:

Jordan Wiseley: Actor, athlete, and four-time champion of MTV’s “The Challenge.”

Josh McDermitt: Actor, famous for portraying Eugene Porter on “The Walking Dead.”

Hosts:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting GFY in the MaxFunDrive by YOU – Go to maximumfun.org/join

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 gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. 

We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.

J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:

Danielle Radford - “Tights and Fights” 

John-Luke Roberts -“Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts” 

Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara -“Reading Glasses”

If you’d like to hear more hosts competing for trivia supremacy, visit Maximumfun.org for the full version of this show.

In this special mini-episode, we look back on some of the first 144.74 episodes of Go Fact Yourself!

As we approach the beginning of the #MaxFunDrive, listeners and GFY staff discuss some of their favorite moments through the years – everything from meeting iconic actors, to literally bowing before your heroes, to personal connections in times of trouble. 

Plus, we preview some of the special treats coming for you in this year’s drive – starting March 18!

In this episode…

Guests:

Listener Lyn on Bill Kurtis and John Ullinskey from episode 44.

Listener Bobby on Adam Ferrara, Ethan Russell, and Glyn Johns from episode 95

GFY sound engineer Dave McKeever on Ed Saxon from episode 120

GFY Editor and Associate Producer Julian Burrell on Jordan Morris and Yeardley Smith from episode 56

Helen Hong on Ryan Kalil, Yeardley Smith, and Anthony Daniels  from episode 75

J. Keith van Straaten on Xeni Jardin and Tommy Chong from episode 34

Hosts:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Supporting us in the MaxFunDrive and seeing our next live-audience show in Los Angeles by YOU!

Face front, true believers! It’s the Best of Comic Books special from Go Fact Yourself!

The superheroes of Marvel and DC comics are everywhere in pop culture, so it makes sense that a lot of our contestants over the years would choose them as their areas of expertise.

In this omnibus collection, you’ll hear from guests like John Hodgman and Jackie Kashian discussing characters like Spider-Man and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In this episode…

Guests:

Jackie Kashian from episode 14

John Hodgman from episode 102

Dylan Brody from episode 38

Hal Lublin from episode 60

Myq Kaplan from episode 132

Experts:

Mark Waid: Comic book author who’s written stories for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Boom Studios.

Paul Levitz: Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning writer and editor, who was president of DC Comics and wrote The Legion of Super-Heroes for over a decade.

Chris Claremont: New York Times bestselling author and writer of the bestselling comic book issue of all time.

Matt Forbeck: New York Times bestselling author whose books include Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger.

Marv Wolfman: Legendary and award-winning comic book author and editor, whose career includes creating the character Black Cat for Spider-Man.

Hosts:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our next live-audience show in Los Angeles by YOU!