Very Bad Wizards
Tamler Sommers & David PizarroVery Bad Wizards is a podcast featuring a philosopher (Tamler Sommers) and a psychologist (David Pizarro), who share a love for ethics, pop culture, and cognitive science, and who have a marked inability to distinguish sacred from profane. Each podcast includes discussions of moral philosophy, recent work on moral psychology and neuroscience, and the overlap between the two.
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 349 | Founded | 14 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | PhilosophySociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Tamler and David discuss the action-packed books 9 & 10 of The Odyssey, in which Odysseus makes some questionable choices, the crew encounters cannibal giants, and Circe casts her porcine spells.
Since well before the big bang, people have been bitching about Tamler's chosen field. We talk about Bernard Williams' (qualified) defense of analytic philosophy in his essay "On Hating and Despising Philosophy." We also dig into Lily Hu's review of ... more
Tamler and David discuss books 7 & 8 of The Odyssey--while at Alcinous' palace in Phaeacia, Odysseus listens to poetry, plays some games, cries some more, and finally starts to regain his identity.
Tamler and David discuss books 5 & 6 of The Odyssey, where we follow Odysseus as he finally leaves Calypso's Island and returns to the realm of the human. We also finally pick a name for the podcast. But only after recording this episode (as will be ... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Very Bad Listener
I started listening to Very Bad Wizards in 2026, but went back to their first episode from 2012 and began listening from there. I’d never taken this approach to a new pod, but thinking I’d get a much better picture of the topics discussed if I start from the beginning. Maybe I was hoping these guys would systematically build upon the topics from one episode to the next.
What I found instead is just two friends laughing, arguing, and discussing philosophy and social psychology in a way that alm... more
Apple Podcasts5yater_77
United Statesa month ago - Sometimes a good hate listen
These guys are pretty vacuous for the credentials they boast. Too much filler, too much “bro-ness”. I had to stop listening the episode on 2001 due to the sheer stupidity of the banter. But *sometimes* they’re ok. If your job finds you driving long distances and you’re hard up for entertainment, this may help kill the time, often it just sucks.
Apple Podcasts2WhoisthisdoingthisUnited Statesa month ago - Not one of those fake 5 star reviews
If only Tamler would stop eating meat. Five star reviews are fake anyway. Still repugnant after all these years.
Apple Podcasts5NicolasAJDUnited States3 months ago - Lovely Show
so relaxing to listen to these guys cut it up. subjects are real thinky, which i like, give my brain some oats while my body is binging carrots. ive prob listened to 100 episodes and could't tell you about a single one, but im right there with it in the moment, im nodding my head about Spinoza something or other. Give it a listen.
Apple Podcasts5DannybGood2United States3 months ago - Disappointed
Listened for years but stopped after Tamler said the N word while rapping a Snoop Dog song. I’m over Gen X white dudes who think it is cheeky or humorous to say the N word. Too bad, because I enjoyed a lot of the content up until then.
Apple Podcasts1Bob__SacamanoUnited States5 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #15 | United States/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #13 |  United Kingdom/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #15 |  Canada/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #11 |  Australia/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #35 |  Germany/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Apple Podcasts | #40 |  Italy/Society & Culture/Philosophy |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About Very Bad Wizards
What is Very Bad Wizards about and what kind of topics does it cover?
AThoughtful, wide-ranging dialogue between two intellectually curious co-hosts who blend philosophy, moral psychology, and pop culture. Across episodes, they dissect ethical theories, cognitive science findings, and the philosophy of mind, while regularly pairing rigorous analysis with accessible comparisons to films, books, and contemporary culture. Listeners often encounter sharp banter, playful humor, and provocative takes on topics from thought experiments to AI, which makes complex ideas feel approachable and personally relevant. A standout trait is the duo's ability to connect high‑level theory to everyday life, encouraging listeners to think more deeply about morality, knowledge, and human behavior without sacrificing entertainment. more
Where can I find podcast stats for Very Bad Wizards?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Very Bad Wizards. 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 Very Bad Wizards and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Very Bad Wizards get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Very Bad Wizards, 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 Very Bad Wizards?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Very Bad Wizards, 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 Very Bad Wizards have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Very Bad Wizards 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 Very Bad Wizards?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Very Bad Wizards:
1. Decoding the Gurus
2. Robert Wright's Nonzero
3. The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
4. Philosophize This!
5. Making Sense with Sam Harris
How many episodes of Very Bad Wizards are there?
Very Bad Wizards launched 14 years ago and published 349 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 Very Bad Wizards?
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 Very Bad Wizards?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Very Bad Wizards 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 Very Bad Wizards?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Very Bad Wizards. 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 Very Bad Wizards?
Recent guests on Very Bad Wizards include:
1. Robert Wright
2. Eliza Sommers
3. Barry Lam
4. Paul Bloom
5. C. Thi Nguyen
6. David Shoemaker
7. J.F. Martel
8. Phil Ford
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.