The Political Orphanage

Comedian and comic book guru Megan Sass joins Heaton on "Alienating the Audience" to talk about superhero politics. How do Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman play out ideologically?

Every election, we're told we can either vote for the lesser of two besuited sociopaths or throw our vote away on a doomed third-party candidate. (At which point, you may well spoil the election for everyone.) Dan Fishman is the incoming executive director of the Libertarian Party, and he has a solution for shifting our elections away from exercises in fear and hate toward logic and values.

Comedian Jimmy Failla returns to help sort out the week's more obscure headlines: from marathon endurance singing, to football skulls, to why Uri Geller is a threat to us all!

Heaton goes on a melange-fueled sci-fi plunge in this special installment of "Alienating the Audience" about the politics and economics of Frank Herbert's "Dune." He's joined by fellow nerd and possible mentat Benjamin Brockschmidt to discuss feudalism in space, the future of humanity, technology, and the nature of power.

Can Uncle Joe climb out of the vat of #MeToo he seems to have fallen into? What are his policy priorities, and can he win the Democratic nomination despite being an old white guy? Comedian Negin Farsad of "Fake the Nation" joins Heaton to get the rundown on Uncle Joe.

Heaton invites on BlazeTV's Phil Robertson, of "Duck Dynasty" fame, to talk about how secular and spiritual people can get along and, to a lesser extent, to run Heaton's reality TV show ideas by him.

Poland is part of NATO and an EU member state, but it's veering towards nationalism and populism and some other unsavory developments. Brian Sack, comedian and Polish expert, joins to discuss.

Comedian Turner Sparks climbs aboard the podcast to discuss the week's more obscure headlines, from calls in Ireland to use the army to fight deer overpopulation, to a Supreme Court decision over hoverboard moose hunting, to Siberan slap fights.

Adam Smith got the party started, alternately lambasting feudalists and mercantilists and paving the way for a more free and prosperous world. Legendary humorist and author of "On The Wealth of Nations" P.J. O'Rourke joins Heaton to discuss the plucky Scotsman's contributions to society.

When do corporations go from valid money-making operations to amoral schemers living off the public dole? What obligations do companies have to their employees? Rick Ungar joins Heaton to discuss the proper role of capitalism and what solutions can and should be attempted by government. PLUS: Introducing Fr. Michael O'Grimsly, vicar at the Church of Woke.

Mike May is a business strategist in Washington, D.C. He joins Heaton to discuss how major corporations are embracing tribalism, either to promote change or to simply grab headlines and customers. But it turns out there's also an unexpected free market upside to tribalism.

After two years, the Russian collusion investigation has come up empty, so it looks like Robert Mueller won't be frog-marching Donald Trump out of the White House. Political commentator Justin Robert Young joins Heaton to sort things out.

Remy, musical comedian and Reason heartthrob, joins Heaton to work through the week's more obscure headlines, including alligators on ketamine, communism setting the laws of reincarnation, and Australia's onerous disco ball laws.

"Dear Reader: An Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il" combined North Korean propaganda and history, from the perspective of its most infamous dictator. Author Michael Malice joins Heaton to discuss the reality of North Korea, its options moving forward, and what Americans get wrong about the Hermit Kingdom.

Democrats are kicking around the idea of lowering the voting age to 16. Meanwhile, you can join the army at 18 and drink when you're 21. When should government age of consent kick in? Matt Kibbe, president of Free the People and host of BlazeTV's "Kibbe on Liberty" joins Heaton to discuss.

Documentary filmmaker Rob Montz joins Heaton to discuss how the American presidency has expanded in power and religious adulation and the huge downside to electing messiahs instead of bureaucrats.

"Alienating the Audience" returns for a deep dive on science fiction, this time with former congressman and current commissioner of the the Federal Maritime Commission Dan Maffei. Heaton and the commissioner discuss "Majority Rule," from Season 1 of "The Orville," regarding absolute democracy, freedom of speech, and social media mobs. Plus how "The Orville" stacks up to Star Trek and hopes for the forthcoming series "Picard."

Comedian and BlazeTV host Chad Prather joins Heaton to make sense of the week's better headlines, from a goat mayor in Vermont, to whales, ambien, and conspiracy theories about marketing.

Twitter nabbed Trump an eager pool of followers in 2016, and millions of unearned media attention from his detractors. How is Twitter uniquely suited to his temperament, and how does a 280-character limit shape discourse? Dr. Brian L. Ott is the author of "The Twitter Presidency: Donald J. Trump and the Politics of White Rage." He joins Heaton to discuss.

California's death row inmates got a reprieve this week from Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, who issued a moratorium on executions. It's kicked the issue of the death penalty back into the national spotlight, so Heaton brings on Jason Buttrill to discuss its efficacy and morality.

Where do non-partisan people tend to live? What factors are most associated with political prejudice? Comedian and political scientist Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy joins Heaton to a discuss a recent PredictWise survey trying to quantify each of America's 3,000 counties according to partisanship. (Plus, Heaton ranks world leaders according to who he would want to vacation with).

The head of the Food & Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, is leaving, so Heaton is officially nominating Stu Burguiere to be its new commissioner. He talks with Heaton about the false sense of security the FDA brings the public, and the ways it can be counterproductive for life-saving pharmaceuticals.

Why we should rename Mt. Everest, what hipsters are and aren't, when cemeteries become yoga studios, and the best legislation to come out of Utah—all this on another installment of Friday Release Valve.

Garrett Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save ItselfÑWhile the Rest of Us Die joins Heaton to discuss the presidential succession, secret military bunkers, and the history of the cold warÑfrom the perspective of doomsday plans.

Bernie Sanders John Hickenlooper and (probably soon) Beto O'Rourke have jumped into the already crowded Democratic 2020 primary. Meanwhile Donald Trump has his own challenger in the GOP. Will Weld help or hobble the Donald? Who's the Democrat's Jeb of the 2020 election well-positioned but destined to flame out? Justin Robert Young and Brian Brushwood join Heaton for industrial-strength rampant political speculation.

Senator Mike Lee of Utah joins Heaton to talk about how federalism has become out of whack, and ways to restore balance to the Force.

Bernie Sanders and Tucker Carlson have both settled onto a single big problem in America—stuff. Katherine Mangu-Ward the Editor-in-Chief of Reason Magazine joins Heaton to explain how an adorable Japanese tidying celebrity provides an alternative mindset.

Mike Kaplan, co-host of the "Lost in America Podcast," joins Heaton to sort the week's most baffling headlines. Including: The artistic abilities of pigs, radioactive cremations, the sex life of Adam West, and the feasibility of leprechauns.

Commander Dale Brown, owner of a private security firm, joins Heaton to talk about the history of racial theory and how ethnicity is a social construct.

The Pentagon is ramping up efforts to develop sophisticated AI before China does. What happens if China beats us? Either way, is AI going to murder us in our sleep, like Elon Musk says? Joe Leonardo and David Ryan Polgar, hosts of the "Funny As Tech" podcast join Heaton to allay and stoke his fears.

Much like a horrible "Scooby Doo" episode, actor Jussie Smollett's initial hate crime story has fallen apart. The Chicago PD now thinks it was an elaborate staging, designed to garner sympathy and a higher salary. Comedian Turner Sparks joins Heaton to discuss the funnier inconsistencies in the story, and the future of Wokeness.

President Trump is pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Does this mean the Ruskies will start cranking out nukes? What about us? Or the Chinese? Jason Buttrill, Chief Researcher at The Blaze, joins Heaton to explain what we should and should not be worried about.

Standup comedian Jaron Myers joins Heaton for Friday Release Valve, covering absurd headlines throughout the week, including a petition to sell Montana to Canada, and France's newest official sport.

The biggest problem with the Academy Awards is: not enough trophies. Comedian and Hollywood insider Andrew Young joins Heaton to suggest new category awards, like "Best Fake Accent" or "Most Tasteful Sex Scene." Plus, a new "How to with Heaton: Balancing a Checkbook."

"The Twilight Zone" has it all: Cold War hysteria, gremlins, conformity and individualism, robots, totalitarianism, witches—the list goes on. Heaton brings on comedian James III to discuss one of the greatest programs to ever grace television.

Standup and transgender comedian Carina Magyar joins Heaton to discuss the military ban, the difference between the "yuck" and "kill" factors, and the interplay between biology and psychology in gender dysphoria.

Lauren Chen, host of "Roaming Millennial Uncensored," joins Heaton to map out how conservatives in their twenties think, and how the political landscape will change as they come into their own. Plus, Heaton's producer Jennings contacts several of Heaton's ex-girlfriends to solicit listener feedback about the show.

Heaton's personal hero, Prince Leonard, passed away this week, after a storied history of fighting in World War II, declaring independence from Australia, and thwarting an onerous wheat quota. In a special tribute episode, Heaton goes over the life of Australia's homegrown monarch.

Bridget Phetasy is a former Playboy Advisor, and presently a writer and standup comedian. Also, she was in a sex cult. Heaton talks to her about dating advice, but mostly, about what it's like to be in a sex cult, and if he should visit one on his next vacation.

Is the patriarchy the Illuminati with gonads? Where is all the anti-maleness and anti-feminism originating? How do we position ourselves in yon slap fight? Cathy Reisenwitz writes at "Sex and the State" and is a columnist at the Bay City Beacon. She joins Heaton to jump into the issue of feminism, sex positivity, and when claiming injustice becomes a competition.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed the New Green Deal to Congress last week, designed to radically overhaul and control the US economy, fight climate change, and raise Heaton's blood pressure to staggering heights. Brian Brushwood joins the program to calm Heaton down and explain how AOC is actually progressivism's response to Donald Trump. Later, Heaton reveals a new cooking segment with a special recipe.

Despite what you may think, Americans are having less sex today than in previous eras. Billy Binion of Reason comes on to make sense of America's laggardly sex life. (Then afterwards, Heaton adds to the growing chorus of Virginia politicians scandals, and begs forgiveness from his audience for a horrible faux pas.)

In a Friday grab bag episode, comedian Jimmy Failla comes on to suss out headlines with Heaton. Including: why Thai parliament candidates are changing their names; the world's most conscientious burglar, the latest Burger King lawsuit; and why you can legally watch erotic films on library computers in Chicago.

What is Postmodernism and why do so many people loathe it? Reason's Nick Gillespie joins Heaton to explain what postmodernism is, where it's useful and when it's asinine, and the many instances where postmodernism has spread through American culture.

Heaton comes up with ways to improve the State of the Union Address, including a mandated congressional conga line, and presidential crowd surfing. But before that, Justin Robert Young of the "Politics Politics Politics" podcast joins Heaton for a breakdown of the speech, what all the guests signified, and how heckling the Hall of Presidents can improve any trip to Disney World.

Several states are eyeballing "Bible literacy" classes as part of public school curriculum. Jonathan Braylock, a comedian and a practicing Christian, joins Heaton to discuss how blurring the separation of church and state is apt to backfire on both.

Heaton unleashes a tirade about football, and what he'd do to improve it. (Hint: it involves horses.) Then he invites on Reason's Eric Boehm to discuss stadium subsidies, and the graft and incompetency which keeps taxpayers on the hook for millions. Heaton also determines which NFL team to endorse based entirely on the one not taking handouts.

Sebastian Junger is the author of "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging." He joins Heaton to talk about how the world we've made is ill-fitting and alienating to the hunter-gatherer genes we've inherited, and what you can do to feel less lonely in the twenty-first century.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is thinking about running for president, which has enraged the Democratic party. Comedian Turner Sparks joins to explain why, and Heaton details the single issue Schultz can push to make him relevant as an outsider. Plus, Heaton makes an impassioned speech about why he would make a fantastic ambassador.

Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown joins Heaton to explain why porn is legal but prostitution is not, how the Internet can replace pimps, and the general benefits of decriminalizing sex work.