Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Larry weighs in on the definition of an unborn child and his favorite Beatles album before being joined by president of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson. They start their conversation by sharing their reactions to the leaked Supreme Court document on Roe v. Wade and detailing the historic political mechanisms that led to this decision.(11:31) They then discuss the medical, racial, and economic fallout from overturning Roe and how to bridge the "believability gap" within the public's opinion on abortion rights heading into the midterm elections.(18:11) Alexis then talks about how she became involved with and eventually president of Planned Parenthood, and the organization's battle against the criminalization of women's health care in the U.S.(34:25) They end the podcast by detailing how ordinary citizens can help and contribute to the pro-choice movement.(46:57)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Alexis McGill JohnsonProducer: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on Dave Chappelle and Roe v. Wade. He's then joined by Academy Award winning director Barry Levinson to discuss his new HBO biopic 'The Survivor' and they begin by talking about how the film deals with and depicts the post-traumatic stress syndrome of a Holocaust survivor. (15:00) They then pivot to Ben Foster's preparation for the title role of Jewish boxer Harry Haft and the incredible mental and physical conditioning he undertook to get the most out of his performance. (22:06) Next, Barry explains the importance of maintaining credibility and authenticity as a filmmaker when making a movie of such a serious and historic nature.(27:12) They then discuss the importance of the theatre in today's streaming culture and why movies about the Holocaust still hold so much relevance.(45:43) Barry ends the pod with an amazing story about how a chance encounter with a soon-to-be infamous criminal and a small acting group in Los Angeles kick started his prolific career in show business.(1:01:24)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Barry LevinsonProducer: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry Weighs in on Elon Musk, Twitter, Tesla, and the mechanism in which billionaires are made. He's then joined by MSNBC analyst and host of Showtime's 'The Circus' John Heilemann to talk about how the show is constructed and its ambitions within today's political discourse.(16:55) They then detail how the results of the 2016 election not only kickstarted the success of 'Late Night with Stephen Colbert' but also kept 'The Circus' in production.(30:49) Next, they debate a number of current hot button topics including Ron Desantis,(45:25) Trumps appeal to his followers,(53:31) and the Republican Party vs. Disney.(59:31) They end the pod by speculating on what the Democratic party and President Biden can do to compete in the upcoming elections.(1:14:49)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: John HeilemannProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistance: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the 'Fall of Civilizations' podcast, the decline of the American empire, and the current cultural shift in our society. He's then joined by author Chris Fabricant to discuss his new book, 'Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System,' and they begin by talking about the genesis of the term and how it connects to and affects the criminal justice system, particularly in the field of forensic dentistry.(18:28) They then examine different cases in which "expert" confirmation bias distorted overwhelming evidence and swayed their outcomes.(28:53) Next, Chris shares how his passions led to him becoming the director of strategic litigation for the Innocence Project and what the organization is doing to correct wrongful convictions and change some of the public misconceptions around forensic science. (41:03) They end the conversation by talking about the future of junk science and how to reform the damage it has done to the criminal justice system. (1:02:57)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Chris FabricantProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on Will Smith. He's then joined by sports journalist Bomani Jones to discuss his new HBO show 'Game Theory'. They begin by talking about how production came together for the series and its intelligent combination of humor and entertainment with insightful sports commentary.(21:09) Next, Bomani details how the early support he received from his highly academic parents influenced him in his journey to becoming a prolific sports journalist and TV host.(40:49) After the break Larry and Bomani examine some of the hot-button topics in the sports world, including Kyrie Irving's vaccination debacle (50:19), Brian Flores's case against the NFL (56:33), and Deshaun Watson's lucrative contract and accompanying controversies.(1:04:10).Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Bomani JonesProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearing. He is then joined by Rodney Barnes to discuss his new HBO show 'Winning Time' about the rise of the '80s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty. They talk about how the production came together(14:14), give a brief history of the ABA and NBA leading up to the events in the series,(20:20) and examine the show's impeccable casting.(27:27) Rodney then details his inspirational journey from being a "hired gun" living in his car to being one of the more accomplished Black creatives working in film and TV.(39:00) They wrap things up by sharing insight into what it takes to find happiness as a working writer(45:58) and Rodney looks forward to some of the future projects he's excited about.(57:36)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Rodney BarnesProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry is joined by Julia Ioffe from Puck to talk about every angle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They begin by discussing the geopolitical and historical aspects of the conflict and how both sides are using Nazi analogies to meet their respective ethno-nationalistic goals.(3:13) Next, they dive into topics like Vladimir Putin's dissemination of misinformation about the invasion to his people, (12:45) how the conflict compares to the events of World Wars I and II,(25:15) racism in Russia,(32:47) and much more. After Julia shares her deeply personal connection to the tragedy(39:15) they wrap up their conversation by speculating on how the war will end and what Puck is doing to question the status quo and restore objectivity to modern journalism.(47:08)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Julia IoffeProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry is joined by Stanley Nelson to discuss his Oscar-nominated (Best Documentary Feature) film 'Attica'. They begin their conversation by talking about how the event is a microcosm of racial tension in the U.S. and why Nelson decided to make a movie about it. They then detail how the Attica riots started and analyze the major events and individuals that contributed to its outcome.(6:42) Stanley and Larry wrap things up by examining the emotional impact of the movie and what social issues are still reverberating from the tragedy 50 years later.(40:36)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Stanley NelsonProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Lakers and Ukraine. He's then joined by Roy Wood Jr. and they begin their conversation by sharing their experiences from working on 'The Daily Show' and how they navigate writing racially based jokes in the current political and social climate. (14:33) They then discuss Roy's new stand-up special 'Imperfect Messenger' and discuss the process and tribulations he went through in preparation for it. (30:30) Next, they go over Roy's early years in Alabama and how his father's work as a radio commentator influences the work he does today. (43:05) They wrap things up by talking about how they each found their voice in the entertainment industry and the projects they are working on for the future. (54:17)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Roy Wood Jr.Producer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Larry weighs in on the Rams' Super Bowl win, Kyrie Irving, Tucker Carlson's comments on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the New York Times' recent statement on racial animosity during the 2016 presidential election. He's then joined by James Curtis, author of the book 'Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life', and they start their conversation by talking about other biographies on Keaton and why James decided to write his. (24:56) They then touch on some of the major points in Buster Keaton's career, including his early days in show business during with vaudeville era, his rise to fame via acclaimed short films, and ultimately making major pictures for MGM. (30:20) Next they go over the production and budget issues that effectively ended Buster's ascension and relegated him to obscurity until his eventual return to the limelight through television appearances. (54:13) They wrap up the pod by discussing the rediscovery of his legacy and their favorite Buster Keaton films. (1:16:57)Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: James CurtisProducer: Kaya McMullenProduction Assistant: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices