Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps

Dick Cavett is one of the greatest television talk show hosts of all time. After being a writer on the original NBC Tonight Show (first with Jack Parr, then with Johnny Carson), Cavett got his own show in 1968. It ran for nearly 40 years and cemented him as a titan of American broadcasting, hosting seminal political debates as well as Hollywood’s biggest stars. A few years ago, Cavett appeared on Josh’s TV show. This is the audio of that encounter.

“The Mooch” was a wildly successful investment banker when he joined Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. He became the White House Communications Director in 2017. Anthony tells Josh about his time in the White House, his relationship with Trump, and what kind of a guy he really is. 

Josh is backpacking around West Africa. As you do. What’s it like? He’s here to tell you, recorded live from the road (or the dusty track, as the case may be). Sign up below on our FREE Substack tier to hear the whole thing. https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe

Universities are now dominated by diversity, equity and inclusion mandates, says the philosopher Peter Boghossian… and the result is a stultifying climate of intellectual conformism. In this all-new instalment of Permission to Think, our collaboration with the UTS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Josh and Peter debate how universities, and our culture at large, can reclaim true intellectual freedom.

If you're a greenie, you're supposed to be anti-nuclear. That was true of the former Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Zion Lights... until she became one of Britain's most prominent advocates for nuclear power. But do her claims stand up to Josh's scrutiny?

Josh walked into a bar in Brooklyn and, in front of a packed crowd of drunks, argued about the news with some of the funniest, smartest people in New York. This is that event.

Jamie Kirchick knows everything about the secret, spooky, saucy, seedy side of Washington DC. Hear him hold forth on the secret history of gay spies, trans activists and, of course, the never-not-impending arrest of Donald J Trump.To hear the full episode for FREE, sign up to the free tier on Josh's Substack at: https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe

In this brand new venture, Josh addresses some of life's deepest questions as posed by his friend and work colleague Robbie Armfield. In this first episode, Robbie has anxiety about generating sounds and aromas in the office toilet cubicle. Robbie has questions. Josh has the answers.  You can find more from Robbie on his podcasts "Welcome to Meet You" and "Robbie's Modern Life".

The brilliant Coleman Hughes is an American writer, podcaster and musician. He burst onto the intellectual scene at a young age with his ruthlessly well-articulated opinions on race and public policy issues. He joins Josh this week with his giga-brained thoughts on race, equity and inclusion. 

You probably know Zach Cregger from comedy shows like Wrecked and Whitest Kids U'Know. He also wrote and directed Barbarian, one of the horror films of 2022. This chat from the #WeThePeople LIVE archive is a conversation Josh and Zach had in Puerto Rico in 2016 where they spoke about the process of making good comedy, procrastination and how social media kills creativity.