Josh Gondelman isn’t just a comedian and maybe the nicest person on the planet — he’s also an elected council member of the Writers Guild of America-East. Josh talks to Sam about the potential writers’ strike, and then gets his thoughts on AI-produced Drake songs, Kelly Ripa’s new cohost, and Netflix’s botched attempt at live programming.

We also hear about the culture that's haunting us: Despite airing for several seasons, our cultural memory of 'The Magic School Bus' only allows us to remember two plot lines — going inside a body or going to outer space.

Send us your culturegeist. What specific thing in the culture has haunted you for days, weeks, or even years? And why? Email a short voice memo to intoit@vulture.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices