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Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer
Obesity
U.S. Housing Market
Henry Kissinger
U.S. Foreign Policy
Housing Affordability
Glp-1 Medications
Vietnam War
China Relations
Millennial Homeownership
Mortgage Rates
Glp-1 Drugs
Weight Loss
Behavioral Health
Healthcare Economics
Middle East
Cambodia
Yom Kippur War
Rental Market
Health Behavior Changes
Diabetes

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish... more

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Latest Episodes

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In Game 7 of this year's NBA Finals, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the first quarter while attempting to drive to the basket on an injured calf. It was the third major Achilles... more

The California housing crisis is a disaster and an emergency. Housing construction per capita has steadily fallen in the last few decades, while home prices, rent, and homeless rates have all soared. By some estimates, the state is three million unit... more

Sign up for Derek Thompson's Substack here!

Donald Trump rose to power in the Republican Party as a critic of the neoconservative tradition and was opposed to war in the Middle East. But after weeks of Israel’s aerial attacks of Iran, Trump shocked ... more

Before today’s show, a personal announcement. After almost 17 years at The Atlantic, I have just officially moved my writing full time to Substack, the newsletter platform. If you like this show, if you’re a fan of my work, I think you’ll love what I... more

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Recent Guests

Buffy Wicks
Assemblywoman and co-author of housing reform bills
California State Assembly
Episode: How Abundance Won in California
Scott Wiener
State Senator and co-author of housing reform bills
California State Senate
Episode: How Abundance Won in California
Ray Takeyh
An Iranian-born scholar and author at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Council on Foreign Relations
Episode: What's Next for the Middle East: War, Peace, or Revolution?
Zohran Mamdani
Democratic Socialist candidate for mayor of New York City
Episode: NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani on Abundance, Socialism, and How to Change a Mind
Kevin Klatt
Research scientist and nutritionist at UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley
Episode: Why Are Americans So Unhealthy? Part I: Is Ultra-Processed Food Killing Us?
Jay Van Bavel
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at New York University, expert in the role of technology in social dynamics.
New York University
Episode: What Experts Really Think About Smartphones and Mental Health
Richard Evans
Historian and author of Hitler's People
Episode: Plain History: How Adolf Hitler Destroyed German Democracy in Six Months
Eric Zwick
Economist at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Episode: Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Is Great for the "Stealthy Wealthy"
Maya MacGuineas
President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Episode: Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Is Great for the "Stealthy Wealthy"

Host

Derek Thompson
Host of Plain English, Derek Thompson is a longtime writer focusing on culture, technology, and political commentary. He engages with complex topics, providing clear insights and memorable takeaways for the audience.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 7.4k ratings
  • Just another progressive echochamber

    This show used to be fairly apolitical and interesting. But Derek has a bad case of TDS so now he's just platforming the far left.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Procrastinate
    United States18 days ago
  • Just another liberal podcast.

    Looking for some new material to listen to during my business travel, I came across Plain English. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the host is nothing more than your typical leftist intellectual. Looks great on paper, but never works out in the real world.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    TigerJon
    United States18 days ago
  • Worthless Interview with Kevin Klatt (Nutritionist)

    Your interview with him provided no valuable information from him. He was so evasive and refused to give any helpful guidance.

    The conclusion I came to is that so little information is known that no useful guidance is available to us looking for answers!

    I’m other words, the episode was a waste of MY time and you should consider who you interview in the future with more care.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    pwj7050
    United States22 days ago
  • Hyper processed food environment

    Mind blowing theory which is told clearly and dispassionately

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Auldkirk
    United Kingdom23 days ago
  • An

    AW S

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    f Seth
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

There are mixed feelings about the podcast's political leanings, with some praising its balanced approach while others find it too partisan at times.
Listeners appreciate the clear, insightful discussions and the expert opinions shared, often highlighting the host's engaging style and ability to simplify complex information.
Some listeners express a desire for deeper investigative approaches on critical topics, particularly concerning health and economics.
The podcast is recognized for bringing diverse, knowledgeable guests who contribute to intriguing and thought-provoking dialogue.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What's Next for the Middle East: War, Peace, or Revolution?
Q: What are Iran's options right now?
Iran has no immediate options and may resort to reviving its terrorist networks due to its weakened state.
What's Next for the Middle East: War, Peace, or Revolution?
Q: How would you summarize what's just transpired in the last few days in Iran?
It was an extraordinary moment for Iran, as it had been 20 years since a U.S. president bombed Iran in a conventional military airstrike.
How Abundance Won in California
Q: Why is California still far behind in meeting its housing needs after passing many housing bills?
The crisis has been decades in the making and the change is slow, requiring significant effort to turn around.
How Abundance Won in California
Q: What does the California housing crisis look like on the ground?
It manifests as families unable to afford housing and small business owners struggling to find workers due to high housing costs.
The Mysterious Rise of Major Injuries in Professional Sports
Q: How does early specialization affect athlete performance?
Early specialization leads to repetitive motions and wear on the body, increasing injury risk.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About Plain English

What is Plain English about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Engaging in a broad spectrum of discussions, the content tackles significant societal issues covering health, technology, economics, and history among others. With a focus on current events, experts join to shed light on complex topics such as American health statistics, impacts of social media on mental health, tax policy implications, gene editing advances, and the intricacies of modern relationships. Notably, the discussions often highlight diverse perspectives and nuanced analyses, making it a valuable resource for listeners aiming to understand contemporary challenges through thoughtful dialogue. The approachable presentation style facilitates accessibility to information that might otherwise feel overwhelming, attracting an audience s... more

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Plain English. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Plain English and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Plain English get?

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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Plain English, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Plain English have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Plain English has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Plain English?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Plain English:

1. The Bill Simmons Podcast
2. The Press Box
3. The Ryen Russillo Podcast
4. The Zach Lowe Show
5. The Rewatchables

How many episodes of Plain English are there?

Plain English launched 4 years ago and published 305 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Plain English?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Plain English?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Plain English from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Plain English. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Plain English?

Recent guests on Plain English include:

1. Buffy Wicks
2. Scott Wiener
3. Ray Takeyh
4. Zohran Mamdani
5. Kevin Klatt
6. Jay Van Bavel
7. Richard Evans
8. Eric Zwick

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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