Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy

Dave Landau, an observational comedian, writer, podcaster, and author of Party of One, returns to discuss building his new comedy special from road-tested, personal material. He and Bridget explore crowd work, reading a room, podcasting’s impact on comedy, and why real life fuels the best bits. The conversation also tackles post-9/11 America, collapsing trust, Michigan’s divided realities, online outrage, and rejecting nihilism.

Mike Solana, technology writer, media entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Pirate Wires, returns for a wide-ranging conversation about reality online. They explore algorithm-built internet silos, podcasting as friendship, comedy as a cultural barometer, rising enthusiasm for political violence, the collapse of shared identity, data center backlash, censorship, and whether society is becoming post-literate.

Max Marion, Canadian entrepreneur and AquaOmega founder, explores the murky world of fish oil. They unpack omega-3 quality, EPA versus DHA, seed oils, pregnancy, brain health, sleep, and vegan algae sources. Marion also reveals how supplements are purified, why supply chains matter, and his ocean-cleanup mission tackling plastic pollution.

Bridget Phetasy sits down with comedian Lou Perez, author of That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: On the Death And Rebirth of Comedy, to talk about what the internet actually did to comedy. They get into why short-form content rewired the whole art form, how crowd work turned audiences into performers who think heckling is helping, and why the average anonymous shitposter is now funnier than a lot of professionals. They also cover the relationship between satire and shame, why satire loses its teeth in a culture with no shame left, the difference between American comedians congratulating themselves for being brave and the people who actually go to jail for jokes, and how platform censorship taught everyone to talk in euphemisms. Plus: clapter vs. laughter, influencer families and the dark side of putting your life online. #Comedy #FreeSpeech #walkinswelcome Topics covered: how the internet changed comedy, short-form content and attention spans, crowd work and clip farming, satire and shame, free speech and Charlie Hebdo, comedy censorship and demonetization, 🎙️ New episodes every week. Subscribe for more deep-dive interviews.---------------------------------------------------------------------Sponsor Links:- Quest offers 100+ lab tests to empower you to have more control over your health journey. Choose from a variety of test types that best suit your needs, use code WALKINS25 to get 25% off - https://www.questhealth.com- If you love Walk-Ins Welcome become a supporter at https://phetasy.com---------------------------------------------------------------------Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy - PodcastBridget Phetasy admires grit and authenticity. On Walk-Ins Welcome, she talks about the beautiful failures and frightening successes of her own life and the lives of her guests. She doesn’t conduct interviews—she has conversations. Conversations with real people about the real struggle and will remind you that we can laugh in pain and cry in joy but there’s no greater mistake than hiding from it all. By embracing it all, and celebrating it with the stories she’ll bring listeners, she believes that our lowest moments can be the building blocks for our eventual fulfillment.----------------------------------------------------------------------PHETASY IS a movement disguised as a company. We just want to make you laugh while the world burns. https://www.phetasy.com/Buy PHETASY MERCH here: https://www.bridgetphetasy.com/For more content, including the unedited version of Dumpster Fire, BTS content, writing, photos, livestreams and a kick-ass community, subscribe at https://phetasy.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/BridgetPhetasy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bridgetphetasy/ Podcast - Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/walk-ins-welcome/id1437447846 https://open.spotify.com/show/7jbRU0qOjbxZJf9d49AHEhhttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I3gqggwe23u6mnsdgqynu447wvaSupport the show

Katharine Birbalsingh, founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School known for strict, traditional discipline. She argues values were never taught and insists on consistency, praises for effort not identity, and limits on smartphones. Talks choosing religious or traditional schools, inoculating kids against ideologies, practical discipline techniques, and reclaiming childhood through role models and routine.

Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics and former corporate executive turned activist. She discusses Sophie Cunningham’s stand for female-only sports. They tackle WNBA/media reactions, the Caitlin Clark controversy, COVID lockdown fallout and the Fauci Diaries, cancel culture and reputational costs, and why few people risk everything to speak uncomfortable truths.

Stasia Patwell, a fitness coach and former comedian who built an accountability-based strength program during COVID. They dive into how accountability and recovery principles translate to training. Conversations cover Ozempic and shortcuts, why you may never love workouts but still need them, strength for women over 40, and her move to life in Mykonos.

Evan Barker, former Democratic operative and author of Nothing Left, explains her break with progressive orthodoxy. She recounts viral fallout from a DNC moment. Topics include party fundraising mechanics, the DSA’s turnout strategy, why Democrats abandoned swing states, motherhood’s political impact, and her decision to vote for Trump in 2024.

Art Tavana, culture critic and journalist who writes about film and cultural politics, joins to unpack the fury over Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. They explore pre-release hot takes, postmodernism infecting both sides, attention span decline and literacy woes. Conversations touch on PR-driven controversy, Gen Z outrage fatigue, and why Nolan gets polarizing reactions.

Bridget returns to Los Angeles and notices empty storefronts, locked retail, and a city that feels smaller than memory. She contrasts Texas community and patience with LA entitlement. She describes a muted Hollywood Bowl Fourth, a quiet Vegas with automation anxieties, and a debate over art and culture in a polarized media landscape.