Actually Good

The show for anyone who's ever wondered if they should hate stuff less. Each week, a guest contrarian joins hosts Mike Pearl and Justin Caffier as they spotlight a maligned piece of pop culture that deserves a second chance.

040 - Comedians Not "Sticking to Comedy" with Dana Donnelly 07/09/2020

040 - Comedians Not "Sticking to Comedy" with Dana Donnelly Comedian Dana Donnelly joins us to discuss the ever-increasing overlap between the alt comedy and progressive activism scenes and expound her tactic of turning bigots into incels. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/15148577

039 - Cancelling the Olympics with Rachel Reyes 06/10/2020

039 - Cancelling the Olympics with Rachel Reyes Multi-hyphenate ultra-activist Rachel Reyes comes on to get you all off your asses, explain why the Olympics suck, and show how the police crackdowns they come packaged with have quite a bit in common with our current situation. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/14777429

037 - Piracy with Justin and Mike 03/23/2020

037 - Piracy with Justin and Mike We're back, babyyy. Torrent this episode, every movie discussed within it, and anything else you want. There are no rules anymore. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/13656995

036 - Carmen San Diego with Justin and Mike 08/14/2019

036 - Carmen San Diego with Justin and Mike As you all know, Mike does not wish death upon anyone, so feel free to voice your honest opinions about the show. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/10878859

035 - Four Loko Fleshlights with Justin and Mike 07/31/2019

035 - Four Loko Fleshlights with Justin and Mike I think the episode title speaks for itself. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/10726613

034 - Novelty Hot Sauce with Justin and Mike 07/22/2019

034 - Novelty Hot Sauce with Justin and Mike Justin and Mike talk about hot sauce with Bin Laden's face on it, Midsommar, and Mike's biggest political regret: Stanning Jon Stewart way too hard. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/10618400

033 - Grease 2 with Louis Peitzman 03/12/2019

033 - Grease 2 with Louis Peitzman Writer Louis Peitzman come on to defend the sequel to Grease that sank and started the careers of its leads. Because podcasts are an auditory experience, you can't see the intricate dance number he did the entire time while chatting, but trust us, it was great. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8978675

032 - Live TV with Austin Highsmith Garces 03/04/2019

032 - Live TV with Austin Highsmith Garces Multi-hyphenate talent Austin Highsmith Garces takes a break from appearing on the television to defend an antiquated way of consuming its programming: right when they network airs it. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8875313

031 - The Master of Disguise with Jamie Loftus 02/26/2019

031 - The Master of Disguise with Jamie Loftus Comedian Jamie Loftus brings us The Master of Disguise, the 2002 Dana Carvey vehicle that is forever tied to 9/11 and somehow less funny than the attacks. Can she convince the lads that a movie with an unrepentant brownface scene in it is good? Listen and find out. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8785484

030 - Cheating at School with Justin and Mike 02/05/2019

030 - Cheating at School with Justin and Mike Hey kids! We have a lot of fun around here at Actually Good, but here's something that's actually serious: your education. Specifically, how to make it seem like you're doing better at getting one than you really are. The school system is broken, and if you're following all the rules, you're doing it wrong. (Note: not all cheating is ethically equal. Please listen before suing us for getting your kids expelled and/or arrested) /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8523845

029 - Phone Calls with Harry Cheadle 01/29/2019

029 - Phone Calls with Harry Cheadle On their most ambitious and awful-sounding episode to date, the guys hop on a three-way call with VICE West Coast Editor, Harry Cheadle, to discuss how much they all love talking on the phone. You can probably guess how that went. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8445293

028 - Shoplifting with Nate Miller 01/22/2019

028 - Shoplifting with Nate Miller Stealing is bad. Unless it's not. Editor and director Nate Miller makes the case for tactical small time thievery in this ep. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8344517

027 - Type 1 Diabetes with Dashiell Driscoll 01/14/2019

027 - Type 1 Diabetes with Dashiell Driscoll For our first episode featuring a deadly disease, TV writer and internet funny person Dashiell Driscoll comes by to make some profound points about the sweet side of type one diabetes. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/8256704

026 - Las Vegas with Justin and Mike 12/18/2018

026 - Las Vegas with Justin and Mike We made all the obvious Vegas reference jokes in the episode, so I've got nothing for you here. Enjoy us discussing whether or not LV is AG. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7960490

025 - Cloud Atlas with Gille Klabin 12/10/2018

025 - Cloud Atlas with Gille Klabin Filmmaker Gille Klabin joins a sharply divided panel to defend 2012's Cloud Atlas. Justin's thumb is raised to the heavens, while Mike's took up residence in the ninth circle of Hell. It's an incredibly audacious movie about literally everything that, well, not everyone loves a whole lot. But despite the difference of opinion (or thanks to it) the conversation is as rich and far-reaching as the film itself. Gille's directorial feature debut, , starring Donald Faison and Justin Long, will be an a theater near you soon. You can find his other work at . /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7869473

024 - Crocs with Evan Scott 12/04/2018

024 - Crocs with Evan Scott Evan Scott, one half of directorial duo, The Dads, joins the hosts for a conversation about the most derided rubber clogs in the game and makes some salient points about fashion, classism, and the human condition in the process. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7790006

023 - Last Action Hero with Justin and Mike 11/27/2018

023 - Last Action Hero with Justin and Mike Critics and audiences hated this big-budget satire of shoot-em-ups in 1993, but was Last Action Hero truly trash or merely ahead of its time? The boys discuss while still in the afterglow of a fresh rewatch. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7705934

022 - Rick Astley with Alison Stevenson 11/20/2018

022 - Rick Astley with Alison Stevenson No, you're not going to be unexpectedly directed to any YouTube videos of soulful 80s pop hits. This is a real episode about the "Never Gonna Give You Up" guy. Comedian and writer Alison Stevenson effortlessly makes the case that Astley's brand of uncomplicated, catchy pop, sung in that signature baritone, is worth listening to on purpose, not just by accident. After you hear some deep cuts, you'll probably agree with her. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7625555

021 - Mimes with Justin and Mike 11/13/2018

021 - Mimes with Justin and Mike The guys smash the invisible box containing this emergency host-only ep to dive in on the topic of pantomime performers. But why are these silent clowns so universally loathed across the pop culture landscape? Perhaps things aren't so black and white and our negative perception of mimes has been projected onto us by the powers that be. Ok, this is starting to sound like a QAnon post so I'll wrap it up here. Go listen. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7537028

020 - The Angry Birds Movie with Asterios Kokkinos 11/05/2018

020 - The Angry Birds Movie with Asterios Kokkinos Comedian, writer, and exhausted litigant Asterios Kokkinos (@asterios) joins the hosts to discuss, The Angry Birds Movie, the animated children's feature based on a popular mobile game. But is it akchyually good or just another craven cash grab? /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7446854

019 - Daredevil with Matthew Jay 10/30/2018

019 - Daredevil with Matthew Jay Mike and Justin return from a completely excusable hiatus with guest Matthew Jay in tow to try and convince everyone that the extremely 2003 superhero film Daredevil is more than just a bunch of weird fight scenes and Evanescence songs. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/7361837

018 - Cocaine with Justin and Mike 08/27/2018

018 - Cocaine with Justin and Mike Lace up your Peruvian marching boots and join the hosts on their ethically and legally fraught journey toward justifying recreational use of a drug that has directly and indirectly contributed to thousands of deaths. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6975339

017 - The Valley with Cameron Johnson 08/21/2018

017 - The Valley with Cameron Johnson Comedian and Empire writer Cameron Johnson (@cameronjawesome) brings the topic of the San Fernando Valley to the podcast, along with an almost alarming amount of knowledge on the subject. Could we, like, all be wrong or something about Southern California's favorite regional punch line? /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6950009

016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jack Allison 08/14/2018

016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jack Allison The most controversial figure in Hollywood, Jack Allison (@jackallisonLOL) joins us to defend the gritty three-hour Zach Snyder fever dream that pits the Dark Knight against the Man of Steel. Are the critics and fans wrong? Is BVS AVG? Listen and find out. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6922511

015 - Bird Scooters with Josh Mattingly 08/06/2018

015 - Bird Scooters with Josh Mattingly Youtuber and comedian Josh Mattingly (@JoshMattingly) tailwhips into the AG studios with our most contemporary topic yet, Bird scooters. Are these flocks of electric vehicles more VC-funded Silicon Valley trash, or are they potential planet savers? /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6895551

014 - Chappie with Justin and Mike 07/31/2018

014 - Chappie with Justin and Mike Chappie was a flawed but great film and shame on all of you for not recognizing its merits. We have thoughts. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6869138

013 - Dixieland Jazz with Josh Androsky 07/23/2018

013 - Dixieland Jazz with Josh Androsky Writer, comedian, and lefty-about-town Josh Androsky (@shutupandrosky) takes us back in time to the discuss the one sub-genre of of music that white people successfully appropriated, Dixieland. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6843825

012 - Kevin O'Leary (a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful) with Esther Ku 07/03/2018

012 - Kevin O'Leary (a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful) with Esther Ku Though a self-proclaimed jerk, comedian and podcaster Esther Ku (@EstherKuKu) was very nice to us as she tried her best to defend the final boss of capitalism, Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6769460

011 - Guy Fieri with Caroline Goldfarb 06/26/2018

011 - Guy Fieri with Caroline Goldfarb We brought on the incomparable multi-hyphenate Caroline Goldfarb (@officialseanpenn) to discuss the living Jimmy Buffett song that is Guy Fieri. If you don't appreciate Guy by the end of this, you're officially banished from Flavortown. /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6744156

010 - Paul McCartney and Wings with Grant Pardee 06/12/2018

010 - Paul McCartney and Wings with Grant Pardee Writer, comedian, and—as you'll soon learn—human Wikipedia page Grant Pardee (@grantpa) joins us on the podcast today. His topic is Wings. (The post-Beatles McCartney project kind, not the TV show. That topic is still up for grabs.) /episode/index/show/actuallygood/id/6694372

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