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PODCAST

pplpod

pplpod is a podcast about people, places and lots of other stuff. Each episode takes a deep dive into the lives, choices, and legacies of fascinating figures from history, culture, music, and beyond. From icons who shaped entire generations to hidden stories that deserve the spotlight, pplpod brings you closer to the people behind the headlines and the legends.Thoughtful, engaging, and story-driven, pplpod explores what makes these lives extraordinary—and what we can learn from them today.

history music history

All Episodes

48:04

Episode 46 — James Monroe: Doctrine, Diplomacy & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 46 follows James Monroe from teenage Continental Army officer to the last Founding Father to serve as president. We trace his early wounds at Trenton, Virginia governance, and diplomatic missions in Paris and London—including the Louisiana Purchase negotiations—before landing in the Madison cabinet as both Secretary of State and, during crisis, acting War Secretary. In the presidency, we map the “Era of Good Feelings,” the Panic of 1819 stress test, the Adams–Onís Treaty that

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88:18

Episode 45 — James Madison: Ideas into Institutions

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 45 follows James Madison from quiet Princeton scholar to the “Father of the Constitution” and the nation’s fourth president. We trace the Virginia Plan and constitutional engineering, the Federalist Papers with Hamilton and Jay, and the political pivot that birthed the Bill of Rights. Then it’s hard governance: party-building with Jefferson, Marbury v. Madison’s shockwaves, and a presidency defined by the War of 1812—trade crises, the burning of Washington, resilience at Baltimore,

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55:33

Episode 44 — Thomas Jefferson: Ideas, Power & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 44 traces Thomas Jefferson’s arc from Virginia prodigy and principal author of the Declaration of Independence to third President of the United States. We follow the architect of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, his years in Paris as minister to France, and the bruising birth of party politics alongside Hamilton. In office, we unpack the audacity of the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis & Clark expedition, the Barbary Wars, the judiciary battles, and the misstep of the

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98:44

Episode 43 — John Adams: Argument, Independence & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 43 follows John Adams from Massachusetts farm boy to the prickly, indispensable engine of American independence. We trace the lawyer who defended the Boston Massacre soldiers on principle, the relentless delegate who pushed Congress toward July 1776, and the tireless diplomat who secured loans in the Netherlands and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. In office, we unpack the nation-building firsts: Washington’s vice president, then a one-term presidency defined by the XYZ Affair,

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92:35

Episode 42 — George Washington: Command, Compromise &...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 42 traces George Washington’s path from Virginia surveyor and French & Indian War officer to commander of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. We unpack the leadership choices that mattered: holding a fragile army together at Valley Forge, the surprise at Trenton, the disciplined exit from power after Yorktown, and presiding over the Constitutional Convention. In office, we track how Washington built a working presidency from scratch—forming the first

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61:40

Episode 41 — Leonardo DiCaprio: Star Power, Risk...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 41 follows Leonardo DiCaprio’s evolution—from teen standout on This Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to ’90s supernova with Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, then the deliberate pivot to auteur partnerships that defined modern stardom. We trace the Scorsese era (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Killers of the Flower Moon), shape-shifting turns with Nolan, Iñárritu, Tarantino, and Mendes, and the craft underneath it all:

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36:36

Episode 40 — Marc Maron: The Garage, The Mic, The...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 40 digs into Marc Maron’s singular lane—from road-worn stand-up and radio scrapper to the confessional architect of modern podcasting. We trace the early club years, Air America’s chaos, and how a cramped garage turned into a global conversation with WTF with Marc Maron—Presidents and punks, legends and newcomers, all pried open by curiosity and hard-earned empathy. Onstage, we chart the run of unflinching specials (Thinky Pain, More Later, End Times Fun, From Bleak to Dark), the

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40:57

Episode 39 — Taylor Tomlinson: Precision Jokes,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 39 follows Taylor Tomlinson’s quicksilver rise—from church shows and open mics as a teenager to Netflix headliner and late-night host. We trace the breakout of Quarter-Life Crisis, the sharper, braver turn of Look at You, and a next-level leap with Have It All—jokes built with clockwork structure and a voice that makes anxiety, faith, family, and dating feel both intimate and universal. Inside the craft: airtight setups, tags that ladder, act-outs with restraint, and the rare ability

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39:11

Episode 38 — Novak Djokovic: Edges, Elasticity & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 38 maps Novak Djokovic’s climb from Belgrade’s war-shadowed courts to an era-defining reign. We trace the early hunger, the fitness and focus that unlocked his 2011 breakthrough, and the engineering of a game built on impossibles: elastic defense that turns into offense, a return that steals time, backhand geometry that breaks patterns. Rivalries drive the story—Federer’s precision, Nadal’s relentlessness, Murray’s grit, Alcaraz and Sinner’s new heat—and so do the coaches, routines,

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34:17

Episode 37 — Jannik Sinner: Ice, Fire & the New No. 1

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 37 traces Jannik Sinner’s climb from South Tyrol ski prodigy to Grand Slam champion and world No. 1. We chart the early Milan breakthrough and Next Gen ATP Finals win, the rivalry-forging battles with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, and the 2023 Davis Cup run where Sinner flipped ties on their head—then sealed Italy’s first title since 1976. Inside the toolkit: take-the-ball-early returns, a laser two-handed backhand, downhill court positioning, and footwork that turns defense into

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57:13

Episode 36 — Doug Stanhope: Dark Jokes, Sharp Edges,...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 36 goes all-in on Doug Stanhope—the barstool philosopher who turned gallows humor into scalpel-precise social critique. We track the early club years and boundary-pushing bits, the raw, career-defining specials (Deadbeat Hero, No Refunds, Burning the Bridge to Nowhere, Before Turning the Gun on Himself, No Place Like Home), and the move to Bisbee that became a creative headquarters. Inside the craft: fearless premises, cut-to-the-bone honesty, and storytelling that swings from riotous

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37:27

Episode 35 — Andy Roddick: Serve, Fire & the Long Game

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 35 tracks Andy Roddick’s run from junior phenom to the last American men’s singles No. 1 of his era. We revisit the 2003 US Open title, the year-end top ranking, and a weapon set built for hard courts: a thunderbolt serve, forehead-searing forehand, and first-strike instincts. Then the crucibles—three Wimbledon finals (including the 2009 epic), a career-long duel with Federer, and the grind of staying elite while the game evolved. Inside the craft: serve patterns, return positioning,

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45:54

Episode 34 — John Mulaney: Cadence, Craft & the...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 34 tracks John Mulaney’s clean-lined joke architecture—from Chicago stages and SNL’s writers’ room to arena tours with precision punchlines and that unmistakable cadence. We revisit breakout specials (New in Town, The Comeback Kid, the Emmy-winning Kid Gorgeous) and the sharp left turn of Baby J, where confessional storytelling meets clockwork structure. Along the way: the Kroll partnership and Oh, Hello, voice work from Big Mouth to Spider-Ham, hosting gigs that double as master

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38:01

Episode 33 — Charles Bradley: The Screaming Eagle of...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 33 traces Charles Bradley’s late-blooming, heart-scorching journey—from years of drifting gigs and James Brown tributes as “Black Velvet” to a second act that roared with truth. We follow his discovery by Daptone, the partnership with the Menahan Street Band, and an album run that felt like testimony: No Time for Dreaming, Victim of Love, and Changes (that wrenching, definitive Sabbath cover). Inside the craft: a voice equal parts gravel and grace, open-vein stagecraft, and lyrics

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54:00

Episode 32 — Band of Horses: Reverb, Road Dust &...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 32 rides with Band of Horses from Seattle garages to widescreen stages—charting Ben Bridwell’s vision, the rotating lineup that kept the engine weird and alive, and the sound that made them stick: sky-high harmonies, reverb-swept guitars, and lyrics that feel like postcards from places you’ve almost been. We trace the arc from Everything All the Time and the breakout of “The Funeral,” through Cease to Begin’s Southern glow, the Grammy-nominated Infinite Arms, Mirage Rock, Why Are You

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37:32

Episode 31 — Retta: Deadpan Royalty, Heart with Bite

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 31 dives into Retta’s rise—from stand-up stages to scene-stealing TV force. We trace the early comedy grind, the Parks and Recreation breakthrough as Donna Meagle (and the cultural staying power of “Treat Yo’ Self”), and the pivot to high-stakes dramedy with Good Girls. Along the way, we unpack her superpowers: unflappable deadpan, elegant timing, and a warmth that makes sharp lines land even sharper. We touch on authorship with her memoir So Close to Being the Sht, Y’all Don’t Even

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26:09

Episode 30 — Adam Schlesinger: Power-Pop Craftsman &...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 30 traces Adam Schlesinger’s wired-to-melody career—from basement hooks with Fountains of Wayne and the wry suburban cinema of “Stacy’s Mom,” to parallel lives in Ivy and supergroup Tinted Windows. We break down his secret sauce: character-driven lyrics, candy-coated chord turns, bridges that pay off, and jokes that land without elbowing the listener. Then it’s the screen and stage: the instant-classic title tune “That Thing You Do!,” a songbook for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, rom-com

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46:09

Episode 29 — Garry Marshall: Sitcom Architect &...

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 29 explores Garry Marshall’s singular run—from joke-stacked writers’ rooms to a TV empire and blockbuster films with unexpected warmth. We trace the journalist-turned-gagman who helped mint The Odd Couple on TV, then built a universe at ABC with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy—star-making machines that launched Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Penny Marshall, and Robin Williams. We unpack Marshall’s producing playbook: friendly sets, audience-savvy premises,

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44:22

Episode 28: Blaine Capatch

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 28 dives into Blaine Capatch’s razor-wired comedy brain—stand-up sniper, alt-scene mainstay, and joke machine behind the curtain. We track the Philly-to-LA climb, the live-room reps that shaped his precision, and the writer/host pivots that followed: crafting for TV, rapid-fire tags on panel shows, and the cult-favorite run of Beat the Geeks. We unpack his toolkit—dense wordplay, left-turn premises, whip-smart tags, and the calm chaos of a comic who can riff, reset, and stick the

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38:56

Episode 27: Sebastian Maniscalco

pplpod ·

2025/09/21

pplpod Episode 27 digs into Sebastian Maniscalco’s rise from grinding at The Comedy Store to selling out arenas with old-school showmanship and laser-cut observational bits. We trace the early hustle, the breakout specials (What’s Wrong with People?, Aren’t You Embarrassed?, Why Would You Do That?, Stay Hungry, Is It Me?), and the physical craft—faces, frames, and pauses—that make everyday irritations feel operatic. We get into family as source material, Italian-American identity, and how precise

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7,536 results

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