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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
Mortgage Rates
Millennial Homeownership
Weight Loss
Glp-1 Drugs
Behavioral Health
Healthcare Economics
Need For Chaos
Middle East
Cambodia
Yom Kippur War
Rental Market
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

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes331Founded4 years ago
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Latest Episodes

Last week, an FBI investigation into gambling led to the arrest of several prominent basketball stars, raising questions about the state of legalized sports betting, which has enriched professional sports and sports media.

The problems with sports g... more

Bestselling author Michael Lewis joins the show to talk about how bubbles happen, the legacy of 'The Big Short' and the global financial crisis, 'Moneyball' and how the data analytics revolution conquered sports and entertainment, the difference betw... more

Today’s guest is Ethan Mollick. Ethan is a professor of management at Wharton, where he specializes in entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the author of the book 'Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With AI,' and his Substack, One Useful Thing, is... more

By some measures, the Democratic Party has never been so unpopular as a political brand. While this fact obviously reflects some difficult realities for the party, it also creates an opportunity for Democrats to redefine what the party stands for. De... more

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Recent Guests

Ethan Mollick
Professor of Management at Wharton specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Wharton
Episode: What Happens When AI Learns to Do Our Jobs
Jake Auchincloss
Congressman from Massachusetts and member of Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Episode: Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?
Azeem Azhar
Investor and author of the blog Exponential View
Episode: Everybody Thinks AI Is a Bubble. What If They’re Wrong?
John Johnson
Broadway producer and owner of Wagner Johnson Productions with over 25 years of experience in the industry.
Wagner Johnson Productions
Episode: The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?
Ben Fritz
Entertainment industry reporter at The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken?
Morgan Housel
Author of several books including The Psychology of Money and The Art of Spending Money
Episode: Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness in America
Lloyd Minor
Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford University
Episode: Is AI Really About to Solve Human Disease?
Greg Lukianoff
President of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
FIRE
Episode: How America Became a Nation of "Free Speech Hypocrites"
Julia Belluz
Nutrition and health journalist and co-author of Food Intelligence
Episode: What’s the Matter With America’s Food?

Host

Derek Thompson
Host of engaging discussions focusing on tech, culture, and politics, providing clear viewpoints on significant topics.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 7.7k ratings
  • what about the elephant in the room?

    Derek is one of my favorite communicators - I admire his authentic curiosity and drive to understand rather than push an agenda. it seems clear to me this moment in history calls for his curiosity and his voice to more directly confront the topics of the US relationship with Israel and the genocide in Gaza. If not for moral reasons, this should be done for intellectual consistency - too many of the issues he focuses on are hard to fully cover without understanding the backdrop of the way America... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    developernamedchris
    United Statesa month ago
  • Risks of an AI Bubble

    Great interview with Paul Kedrosky that really opened my eyes to some of the risks of the AI boom.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Appreciative_Listener
    United Statesa month ago
  • First amendment

    Probably time to stop “both siding” this one. Maybe time for some of our media to use strong language, to tell the American people how close we are to fully losing our freedom, instead of coalescing with the radical right like Ezra Klein has.

    The right doesn’t say “this just goes to show” they say “white men fight back” and “democratic terrorists” and then they send masked agents to your door and disappear you and your family.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    zyx987789
    United States2 months ago
  • Propaganda

    Another example of the Left wing rot pervasive throughout the ringer.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    LobePDX
    United States2 months ago
  • Trumponomics?

    To some extent I take away my angry skepticism expressed in an earlier review. I came back to finish listening to part one and now will listen to part two. My apologies to Derek Thompson for my earlier gut reaction review and thanks to him for bringing such important discussions to our ears. It’s just that I am so shell shocked at the destruction of world alliances, and important domestic and other social programs that I consider contracts to Americans especially those of us who have attained se... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Buhnanie
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate the in-depth and informative analysis of current issues, praising the host for clarity and engagement.
Some feedback indicates a desire for less political focus, with a mix of opinions on the ideological stance of the host.
The podcast is seen as a valuable resource for understanding complex topics, making them more relatable and accessible.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?
Q: How do we bring young men back to the Democratic Party?
He suggests providing camaraderie and challenge in pursuit of a common mission for young men, emphasizing the importance of constructive engagement.
Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?
Q: What is your policy solution?
Jake Auchincloss discusses multiple approaches, including needing a consumer product safety assessment for social media and a tax on digital advertising revenue to address issues caused by social media.
The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?
Q: How do you feel about the idea that we need to think bigger about the economic model here?
We need to evolve the Broadway business model to be more strategic and sustainable to adapt to changing audience behaviors.
The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?
Q: Why do you think the middle is struggling on Broadway?
The biggest hits are overshadowing middle-class productions, leading audiences to prefer well-known titles.
The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?
Q: How has the demographic shift become a shift in content and substance?
The new core audience prefers more intimate and relevant productions, influencing the type of shows being produced.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Plain English

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

Engaging discussions focus on the intersection of politics, culture, technology, and economics, providing listeners with insights into current events through the lens of thoughtful analysis. Guest contributions from experts across diverse fields add depth and various perspectives to the topics explored, such as economic policies, societal changes, and significant historical contexts. Listeners can expect a blend of topical relevance and accessible conversations that aim to clarify complex issues, encouraging critical thinking and informed discourse.

Where can I find podcast stats for Plain English?

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?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Plain English, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Plain English?

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 331 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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Plain English?

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. Ethan Mollick
2. Jake Auchincloss
3. Azeem Azhar
4. John Johnson
5. Ben Fritz
6. Morgan Housel
7. Lloyd Minor
8. Greg Lukianoff

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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