Normal Men

Episode 48 - We Aren’t That Kind Of Norwegians ft. Theophite

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:13:25 -0500

Anthropic vs DoD, Iran strikes, Graham Platner's podcast tour, and the gnome bag. Featuring the return of Theophite to talk shrimp.

Episode 47 - Domestication and its Discontents

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:30:54 -0500

Propter's smart home journey goes sideways. Dogs: better evolved than us? The AI chip crisis hits gaming. The Jones Act and the art of the subsidy. Iran, oil, and who benefits. East Coast braces for snow. State shapes are wrong. And maybe log off for a bit.

Episode 46 - Only One Mention of Cheese

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:19:04 -0500

Just desserts, DHS shutdown and caucus integrity, the future of B2B and internal tooling, and the Yakuza games.

Episode 45 - We Are All Made of Starmusk

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:19:51 -0500

Normal Astrophysicist Mike Boylan-Kolchin (@mbkplus.bsky.social) joins us to talk about the terrible secret of space and the Lone Star State. Also: black olives on tacos, Love Da Seahawks, and Jeff Bezos has some explaining to do.

Episode 44 - Coffee, Cigarette, Croissant ft. skelly

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:22:02 -0500

Normal Woman skelly (@iid.bsky.social) joins us from France to talk about- well, the plan was to talk about the American expat experience in Europe during Trump II but actually it wound up being mostly about comparative educational structure. we hope you like it.

also: Texas Toast (Republican State Senate edition), handicapping 2026, Fed Warsh, Epstein and the shallow bench of evil.

ED NOTE: we are unbleeped compared to our usual because Ed is working very hard and is gassed this week. please be nice to Ed if you see him.

Episode 43 - (Game) Mastering the Apocalypse ft. Theophite

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:34:39 -0500

Speculative fiction, moderation at scale, radicalization at scale, parenting at low-scale, and turophile priorities with Theophite.

Episode 42 - A Bit Crap, Really

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:36:44 -0500

On dogs, football, Blorth Carolina, the spirit of the cities, Chipotle, why you should care about Claude Code, adventures in transatlanticism, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Episode 41 - True Crime ft. Normal Wives

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:09:49 -0500

Ms. Malone and Ms. Speedrun-Enjoyer stop by to explain the appeal of murder. Also, we talk about the Horrors foreign and domestic.

Episode 40 - Model Failstates

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:19:09 -0500

The Normal Men talk college football, Venezuelan stabs, and what genAI won't do for you.

Episode 39 - Malebag ft. golikehellmachine

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:09:57 -0500

Goodbye to 2025! The Normal Men talk food, travel, optimism, and dating.

Episode 38 - ICE, Wind, Jail ft. Mark Fleming of National Immigrant Justice Center

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:40:45 -0500

The Normal Men dive into appellate immigration strategy and the Battle of Chicago with Mark Fleming of National Immigrant Justice Center. Also, stroads and the modern authoritarian; primary ethics and efficiency.

National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights: https://www.icirr.org/

Organized Communities Against Deportation: https://www.organizedcommunities.org/

Episode 37 - Rated NY-17 ft. Mike Sacks

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:04:12 -0500

We interview Mike Sacks, who is running for Congress in NY-17; people are doing more mass shootings; Propter sounds robotic; and what is truth, really?

Mike Sacks (https://bsky.app/profile/mikesacks.bsky.social) is running for Congress in the New York's Fightin' Seventeenth: (https://bsky.app/profile/mikesacks.bsky.social/post/3lmev4vf4hc2n)

Learn more here: https://www.mikesacksforcongress.com/

Give his campaign money here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mike-sacks-donate

Early corvid scholarship by Mr Sacks: https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/cb488d23-ab03-42be-994b-1fe5b2054038

An AI-generated video of a crow sledding on a frisbee: https://www.facebook.com/reel/864322122972412

Episode 36 - Blue Devils and the Deep Red Sea

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:16:41 -0500

Infant diction, Noted Underdogs Duke, birthright citizenship, c-c-c-cocaine, coffee: black.

Norwegian outreach: https://bsky.app/profile/norwayinusa.norway.no/post/3m4bcalmg7s2u

Coffee, black: https://bsky.app/profile/bmhughes.bsky.social/post/3m6wc33skm22z

Episode 35 - Light, Sweet, Crude

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:13:50 -0500

The majesty and the mystery of Lane Kiffin, what on earth is up with oil, war crimes in your war crimes, and optimism in Tennessee.

Episode 34 - Mail Gobblin' ft. golikehellmachine

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:15:18 -0500

Talking turkey, taking questions, slandering yams, and giving thanks with distinguished alumnus golikehellmachine.

Episode 33 - Straight to Jael ft. Jael Holzman

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:34:27 -0500

Green energy and touring finances with Jael Holzman of Heatmap and Ekko Astral (@jael.bsky.social), the Epstein Files, and Peak Trump.

listen to Horse Glue by Ekko Astral here: https://ekkoastral.bandcamp.com/album/horseglue

and submit questions for mailbag here: https://golikehellmachine.com/2025/11/16/thanksgiving-mailbag/

Episode 32 - Brain Cramps ft. Haydon

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:34:48 -0500

Normal Man Haydon (@haydonmp.bsky.social) joins us to talk about strokes and those who may have had them! In addition to that premortem, shutdown perimortem and election postmortem.

Episode 31 - No Jeep Til Brooklyn

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:54:46 -0500

Truck Talk returns with harsh words for Stellantis, SNAP impact discussion (human edition not macro edition), and just-in-time election previews (at 43:50).

please help some people out at:
https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/teams/7634

Episode 30 - Planned Platnerhood ft. Liz Sepper

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:55:24 -0400

Prof. Liz Sepper joins us to talk state of play on reproductive rights (remember those?), we do the needful on Graham Platner, and the Trump Administration prepares to Thanos SNAP.

add'l reading:

Hospital system outcomes in Texas:
https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-rates-dallas-houston

George's coffee table:

https://bittersoutherner.com/magazine

Episode 29 - Gam-Gam Got Hands ft. Don Moynihan

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:04:33 -0400

The incomparable Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) joins us to talk administrative burden, No Kings gets people in the streets, and there are hijinks in Argentina.

Episode 28 - George Takes Portugal

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:23:50 -0400

On the joys of travel, Chinese tariffs and mineral access, and appropriate appropriations.

Episode 27 - Frog in the Streets and a Freak in the Sheets

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:25:28 -0400

A Normal Man returns to take us through the unpleasantness in Portland, we break down the shutdown, and sans George the video game freaks get digital.

Episode 26 - Feckless v Flaccid

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:36:13 -0400

With special guest Eva Cantor (@machete.gay on Bluesky). George talks us through some real economic growth, Propter breaks down pre-snap federal shutdown reads, Eva talks us through a whole lot of violent extremism, and the gun touchers geek out.

Episode 25: Arm the Moderate Kimmellites

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:59:14 -0400

Lowtax gives us a report on South Florida and the Very Specific Type of Guy (hint: Jeremy Shockey jersey) that lives there now (0:00-3:15). This week’s main event is Jimmy Kimmel, and the Men review MAGA’s effort to bring everyone who doesn’t salute Charlie Kirk at every opportunity to heel (3:15-32:45). Tom Homan secures the (Cava) bag before a check in on Trump Administration approvals and energy politics (32:45-1:06:30). We also talk about Maine (Ed is from Maine) and the quixotic politics on the margins of the lower 48 (1:06:30-1:21:15). Finally, a brief check in on the biggest embarrassment in the history of South Carolinian football and the run for his money being offered by the UNC Tarheels (1:21:15-1:27:00).

Episode 24 : Cheerwine, Cheers, Whines

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:37:09 -0400

Episode 23: Super Sicario

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:10:40 -0400

The Normal Men are back and covering it all this week. To start (0:00-17:30) we check in on the fighting game community before Soda Chat and learnings about the weird stuff they’re drinking up in Maine. George and Propter reminisce about A&W and the gang laughs at grocery stores. Next up, Elon’s unhealthy obsession with fertility and race, as well as some discussion of the very real shifts in global birth rates around the world (17:30-30:30). Speaker of the House Mike Johnson broke some news this week: the President is a snitch (30:30-42:45) and the all carrot no stick Republican governing theory turns its eye to Georgia manufacturing (42:45-57:30). Our government murdered 11 Venezuelans this week, and the Men discuss, followed by some conversation about movies ranging from the light-hearted to the troubling (57:30-1:19:30).

Episode 22: Talkin’ ’Bout The Noles

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 20:30:00 -0400

Join the Normal Men for a break in the midst of Labor Day weekend for some college football chat and a victory lap celebrating Lowtax’s beloved Florida State University Seminoles (0:00-12:00). Next we talk Senate primaries and Senior Maine Correspondent Ed explains why Maine is actually a very large state, George commemorates one of our strongest Representatives, and the Men talk through the doomed logistics of applying tariffs to packages (12:00-42:00). Next up, it’s Glonzo time as Propter leads a discussion about the health of the President (42:00-51:00). Then it’s on to LLMs and why they’re such efficient mechanisms for cooking your brain (51:00-1:19:00). Finally a little Labor Day roundup of how each of the Men intended to spend their day off, including bachelor life, woodworking, grilling, potty training, and an anecdote about how seriously the state of Georgia takes college football (1:19:00-1:31:00).

Episode 21: Duck Duck ICE ft. Musicology Duck

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Kick back with your heavily caffeinated beverage of choice as the boys dive into the world of canned stimulants (0:00 to 20:00). This week we’ve got Musicology Duck on to share some of her experiences from the streets of DC amidst a federal occupation of the nation’s capital (20:00 to 1:03:00). We also dive into President Trump’s efforts to take control of interest rates by an attempt to remove Governor Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors (1:03:00 to 1:32:15) before a review of a landmark election result in Iowa (1:32:15 to end).

Episode 20: The Last Great American Occupation ft. Lucy

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:30:00 -0400

The Men start this week talking about our fears, including heights, creepy-crawlies, and amoebas (from 0:00-5:40). Then: we’re going to Swift School this week as the Normal Men get up to speed on Taylor Swift and why we should pay more attention to her career (from 6:00-43:00). Then it’s time to chat about the large number of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops who have descended on the nation’s capital (from 43:00-1:05:00. Finally, we are unfortunately putting a few notable Democrats on flub watch. (1:05:00 to end)

Episode 19: Chat-GLP

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

This week your Normal Men are taking a trip to the UK for a garden party, which gives us the opportunity to discuss one of the most important - and impotent - thinkers on the Silicon Valley right. We’re also putting a Danish spin on things this week with an unfortunate story about what they’re doing in zoos over there. Finally, we chat at length about GLP-1s and the peptide revolution, including our own Propter’s experience with two different versions of the weight loss drugs.

Episode 18: Ignorance Is BLS ft. Layla al-Sheikh

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Normal Men are thrilled to welcome Layla al-Sheikh, a Palestinian scholar and activist, to help us understand the political roots of the genocide in Gaza and the path forward towards a Palestinian state. Then we get to talk about the nitty-gritty of the US labor market’s statistical system after some significant developments. Also on the menu: Disco Elysium, a defense of Oracle, and discussion of two of the biggest freaks inside the Trump Administration’s impressive roster of degenerates. You can follow Layla on Bluesky @diplomatofnight.com and her work is also available at to-our-land.ghost.io.

Episode 17: Ordering In, Hulking Out ft. Josie Riesman

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0400

This week the boys dive deep into food delivery and the political, economic, and technological forces that drive it…and the discourse around it. We’re also lucky to be joined by Josie Riesman, the author of the definitive book on wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. She helps us understand the role that Hulk Hogan specifically and wrestling played in shaping our politics and culture. You can follow her on Bluesky @josie.zone. Her work can also be found at josie.zone including Ringmaster: Vince McMahon And The Unmaking of America. Please note George’s audio sucks for this one and we’re really sorry about that but Ed has promised us the mics are in the mail.

Episode 16: The Shadowy Hand of the Brooklyn DSA

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400

The Normal Men discuss the toxic effects on democracy and growth of high income inequality and the means of maintaining it (including crypto). Also on the docket: more Epstein and Glonzo discussion and regretfully a review of why New York politicians are being so weird.

Episode 15: Les Givrals Was Lost In A Poker Game Ft. Swolecialism

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:45:00 -0400

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE is back with a new recurring segment! The Men are also joined by one of their Normal friends to talk about the unhinged world of Texas politics. Also up for discussion: MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and the world of immigration.

Episode 14: Caked Up

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:30:00 -0400

It was a pretty rough week as far as news goes so the boys focus on the lighter things in life: unhinged Twitter accounts transvestigating NFL running backs, the best mass transit system south of DC, the meaningful victories for Congressional staffs that kept bad stuff out of the Republican reconciliation bill, and the latest bonfire of Elon Musk’s vanity known as the America Party. We also have full analysis of what emerged from the Senate and its brutal implications for American society.

Episode 13: (You Can’t) Escape From New York Ft. Detective Pikajew

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:00:00 -0400

The Normal Men welcome New York political observer and union activist Detective Pikajew to chat about the huge win for Zohran Mamdani in that city’s mayoral primary as well as some union business. Also: loaded words and their definitions, an extremely bad Supreme Court case, and Tillis taps out in the Old North State. Follow our guest Detective Pikajew on Bluesky @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social

Episode 12: One Man Out, One Man In

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0400

We say good bye (for now) to one of the Men before welcoming a new Man in his stead. The updated quartet then gets down to business discussing the US attack on Iran, the information environment, and the best ways to use AI. For show notes, links to our socials, and a transcript of this episode, check out normalmenpodcast.com! The Normal Men are supporting Time Out Youth via a Prideraiser during June! For every goal Charlotte FC (soccer team) scores in June, pledge a donation amount. At the end, you'll donate the pledge amount multiplied by the goals scored. A pledge link is available at peark.es/prideraiser!

Episode 11: Something Good Is Happening Somewhere

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:15:00 -0400

One of the Normal Men has to go on hiatus, but three soldier on to talk about a vegan on a rampage, Israel’s attack on Iran, No Kings Day protests, and the disconnect between national politics and local reaction.

For every goal Charlotte FC (soccer team) scores in June, pledge a donation amount. At the end, you’ll donate the pledge amount multiplied by the goals scored.

Episode 10: Faine Would I Fly, Yet Fear I To Fall

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:00:00 -0400

This week, we welcome our first guest, Faine Greenwood, to talk about drones, Elon Musk and the purgatory party train that is Bluesky.

Episode 9: De Cuckstoel Es Bezet

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:30:00 -0400

This week, we talk about Elon Musk (again) and his drugs, what his missteps mean for DOGE, new news on tariffs, and the Trump Administration’s war on the legal system.

Episode 8: To All The Truck I’ve Loved Before

Tue, 27 May 2025 11:45:00 -0400

This week, we talk about Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer’s limitless Jeep enthusiasm. We also get into a serious conversation about recent political violence in the United States (and why it’s bad), and discuss the finer points of the doomed-to-be-rewritten House Republican budget bill.

Episode 7: A Very Moody Episode

Wed, 21 May 2025 13:45:00 -0400

This week, we get into some of the details of the Moody’s US credit downgrade, and have updates on last week’s Supreme Court decision on the American Enemies Act. Finally, we talk about the world’s Chief Weeb for Boers, Elon Musk, and how his chatbot went floridly insane.

Episode 6: Dad Joke Quotas

Fri, 16 May 2025 16:30:00 -0400

This week, George returns from Greece, Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer demands that the new Pope defend the honor of his people, we talk about some good news from North Carolina, bad news for Congressional Republicans, and discuss the newest dysfunctional alcoholic joining the second Trump Administration. Propter Malone and GOLIKEHELLMACHINE exhaust their weekly allotment of dad(bad) jokes.

Episode 5: Mister Pervert And Marble Abs

Wed, 07 May 2025 16:30:00 -0400

In this episode, George joins the gang from Greece to talk about normal — and abnormal — men. We also get into what’s going on the world’s most hacked group chat software, and we close out with a brief explanation of quarterly corporate filings including what they’re saying about the economy as it stares down the barrel of tariffs.

Episode 4: Our Slutty Little Shorts

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:00:00 -0400

This week’s show is a bit on the lighter side. It’s spring time so we’re skies out thighs out before the boys do a round-up of the cabinet clownshows and calamities that are already defining the second Trump Administration. It’s also time for some Truck Talk given the new EV pickup company that emerged from stealth last week.

Then, finally, the most normal story of the week: Shadeur Sanders.

Episode 3: Murk The Yanks

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:00:00 -0400

A very normal Canadian election calls for some very Normal Men to talk about it. We also catch up on all the horrible effects of DOGE (which do not include lower government spending).

Also: another update on Kilmar Ábrego García.

Episode 2: Dunkirk For Treats

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:00:00 -0400

In this week’s episode of Normal Men, your very normal hosts are joined by an inspiring special guest before we talk about tariffs and bonds, because tariffs and bonds are going to continue to be big news for the foreseeable future (nobody is happy about this).

We also discuss updates in the Kilmar Ábrego García case and the effort to overturn an election to the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Episode 1: Our Beautiful Tariffs, Something’s Happening Out There, and Immigration Is Getting Scary

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 21:30:00 -0400

Welcome to the first episode of Normal Men. George and Propter introduce the podcast and what we’re trying to do here, and are joined by Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer (not the Lowtax you’re thinking of) and GOLIKEHELLMACHINE to discuss tariffs, the Hands Off protests, and the case of Kilmar Ábrego García.