Based on his Netflix comedy special, "Blocks." Neal Brennan interviews friends and colleagues about the things that make them feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how they are persevering despite these blocks.
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Ari Melber
9 days agoThu, Nov 13th 2025
Neal Brennan interviews Ari Melber ('The Beat' on MSNBC) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
Subscribe to the Ari Melber on Youtube: @AriMelber
00:00 Intro
3:25 Speed Reading
9:40 Defending journalism’s credibility
18:20 Truth vs. Fiction in News
22:10 Lawsuits & Freedom of Speech
36:10 Sponsor: BetterHelp
37:41 Sponsor: Ground News
39:21 Career Ambitions
57:22 Breaking Tragic News
1:06:14 Sponsor: Mando
1:08:22 Sponsor: Uncommon Goods
1:10:08 Duty & Obligation in Life & Work
1:13:45 Spirituality
1:16:35 Perfectionism & Time Efficiency
1:25:27 Being Present vs. Time Traveling
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
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https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle
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Neal Brennan interviews Alain de Botton (The School of Life) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
Subscribe to the School of Life: @theschooloflifetv
00:00 Intro
00:33 Philosophy as self-therapy
3:24 ‘Status Anxiety’ & Career Snobbery
5:30 You Will Marry the Wrong Person
11:40 The Tragedy of Baldness
14:02 Philosopher to Psychotherapy
16:55 Healing
19:50 Putting Your Wound To Use
20:40 Self-Pity
27:35 Difficulty of Changing
30:33 Love
32:36 Religion & Spirituality
40:14 Fatherhood
44:27 How The School of Life is Advice to Himself
45:49 Friendship
49:00 Neal & Alain become friends
50:28 Sponsor: BetterHelp
52:30 Sponsor: Huel
55:45 Love vs. Friendship
57:10 Ending Relationships
1:00:30 Advice & Wisdom
1:03:50 What Constitutes a “Good Friend”
1:08:50 Need for Validation
1:12:30 Sponsor: Tushy
1:15:42 Sponsor: Fitbod
1:18:27 What He Wishes He Could Do-Over
1:19:55 Being Flawed
1:21:35 American Ambition
1:23:55 Starting a Monestary
1:26:02 Panic
1:31:50 Philosophy as a Defense-Mechanism
1:33:40 Who Knows Themselves?
1:38:34 Reacting to his own quotes
2:01:40 Outro
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle
----------------------------------------------------------
Sponsors:
https://www.betterhelp.com/NEAL for 10% off your first month
https://www.huel.com promo code NEAL for 15% off for new customershttps://www.hellotushy.com promo code NEAL for 10% off your first bidet orderhttps://www.fitbod.me/NEAL for 20% off your subscription
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Neal Brennan interviews Jon Lovett (Pod Save America, Lovett or Leave It, Crooked Media) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
1:55 Surprise Party Story
4:03 Writing background
4:49 Pod Save America
8:30 Rehabilitated Sad Sack
10:03 Depression, ADHD, Edibles
11:21 Relationship with Ronan Farrow ending
16:38 Finding love again
25:04 Afraid of being alone
26:56 Never felt like part of the gay world
37:36 Victimization & Liberals
54:09 Sponsor: BetterHelp
55:45 Sponsor: Mando
57:55 Democrats Rollout of LGBT Issues
1:03:30 Being funny
1:06:03 Democrat Leadership
1:15:36 Accepting voter limitations
1:30:28 Ronan Farrow Investigative Journalism Backlash
1:39:40 Crooked Con
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Katey Sagal ('Futurama,' 'Married with Children,' 'Sons of Anarchy' and more) about the things that make her feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how she is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
2:28 Growing up in Hollywood
4:11 Music career
6:13 Drugs
16:13 Getting Sober
18:55 Peg Bundy
24:49 Sponsor: Huel
27:45 ‘Married with Children’
33:30 Typecasting & Dry Spells
37:30 Sobriety & Marriage
41:00 Parenting and Addiction
44:55 Remaining Present
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle
----------------------------------------------------------
Sponsors:
https://www.huel.com promo code NEAL for 15% off for new customers.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Jason Biggs (American Pie, Loser, Saving Silverman and much more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
2:00 Is acting safe for kids?
8:00 Early acting career
11:20 American Pie: The Pie Scene
18:50 How his life changed post-American Pie
29:30 Partying
31:26 Sponsor: BetterHelp
33:32 Sponsor: Huel
36:10 Transition from ensemble star to leading man
41:20 Being typecast
46:45 OCD, Zoloft & Mental Health
51:52 Drinking and drugs
57:10 Twitter
58:40 Addiction
1:03:47 Sponsor: Rag and Bone
1:06:13 Sponsor: Modern Mammals
1:07:32 Getting sober
1:21:00 How he’s changed
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Visit https://www.rag-bone.com and use promo code NEAL for 20% off.
Visit https://www.huel.com and use promo code NEAL for 15% off for new customers.
Visit https://www.modernmammals.com
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Matthew McConaughey (New book! 'Poems & Prayers) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 A Time To Kill
00:58 Intro
3:05 Musical Talking
4:40 Seems Resolved
7:06 Significance
12:27 Violence of childhood
16:00 Parenting
20:39 Dating two prom queens
21:45 Charisma
24:41 Heartbreak
29:42 Marriage
33:57 Sponsor: BetterHelp
36:02 Sponsor: CookUnity
38:00 Nice Guys vs. Good Men
46:00 Serving vs. Leading the Family
51:44 Rom Coms
1:04:39 Jealousy
1:05:55 Prep for Dazed & Confused
1:10:27 His approach to films
1:12:30 True Detective
1:17:22 What is a movie star?
1:20:18 Choosing Parts
1:24:44 Dazed & Confused Ending
1:27:24 Meeting expectations
1:31:32 Personal standards
1:37:12 Sponsor: Mando
1:38:39 God
1:43:08 Egotistical Utilitarian
1:54:55 Matthew Reads From His Book
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Go to https://www.cookunity.com/nealfree for free premium meals for life. Thanks to CookUnity for supporting the show!
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Ezra Klein (The Ezra Klein Show) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
00:28 Being a liberal leader
1:40 Biden & Democrat Ineptitude
12:32 Social Media
17:30 Future for Democrats
22:22 Sponsor: BetterHelp
23:40 Sponsor: CookUnity
25:09 Finding the right candidate
28:42 Career pressure
42:53 Transition from Writer to Performer
47:12 Sponsor: Huel
49:16 Sponsor: Mando
51:07 Information Hygiene
1:01:45 Joe Rogan and Podcasting
1:13:05 Not Paying Attention
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Watch @EzraKleinShow
Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Go to https://www.cookunity.com/nealfree for free premium meals for life. Thanks to CookUnity for supporting the show!
Visit https://www.Huel.com and use promo code NEAL to get 15% off for new customers.
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Andrew Callaghan (Channel 5, All Gas No Brakes) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
1:13 Origins of All Gas No Breaks
3:40 Approach for Interviews
6:00 Avoiding Exploitation
10:20 Stories he prefers covering
16:17 Reaction to Hunter Biden Interview
18:00 Scaling up Channel 5
21:49 Sponsor: BetterHelp
23:38 Sponsor: Huel
25:49 HPPD
29:05 Navigating Fame
33:55 Flat Affect
35:47 Mixing work & friends
41:25 Workaholic
47:57 Sued by Trump
48:57 Cortisol Burnout
52:55 Sponsor: Mando
55:07 Sponsor: Superpower
57:42 Substance Abuse
59:53 Cancellation
1:04:58 Dear Kelly
1:10:12 Building relationships on the road
1:15:50 Empathy
1:17:00 Hunter Biden
1:18:30 Work vs. Relationships
1:19:55 Future plans
1:23:00 Worried about Nothing
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Follow @Channel5YouTube and @allgasnobrakesshow
Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Visit https://www.Huel.com and use promo code NEAL to get 15% off for new customers.
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod
Visit https://www.SuperPower.com for a special $199 price.
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Nick Swardson (Grandma's Boy, Bucky Larson, Specials, Pretend Time, Adam Sandler movies and much more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
2:35 Congrats Marc Maron
3:10 Rebellious teenage years
21:48 Sponsor: BetterHelp
23:56 Sponsor: ExpressVPN
26:38 Addicted to Performing
29:30 Starting Comedy
34:47 Drinking on the Road
41:00 Quitting Drinking
49:35 Sponsor: Modern Mammals
51:08 Sponsor: Mando
54:07 Dark side of Alcohol
1:07:12 Anxiety from Alcohol
1:13:09 Key West Bender
1:21:03 Diabetes
1:25:30 Lucky to Be Alive
1:30:19 What He’s Proud Of
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Visit https://www.expressvpn.com/NEAL to get an extra four months FREE!
Visit https://www.modernmammals.com to shop for hair products.
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Neal Brennan interviews Leanne Morgan ('I'm Every Woman' on Netflix, What in the World?! book, 'Leanne' on Netflix) about the things that make her feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how she is persevering despite these blocks.
00:00 Intro
00:44 The White Ail Wong
1:00 Neal & Leanne’s relationship
1:49 Scared of LA
3:30 Leanne’s backstory
5:20 Femininity & Masculinity
7:08 Chuck Morgan
8:20 Standup career
16:58 Sponsor: BetterHelp
18:54 Sponsor: Modern Mammals
20:23 Wanting to Go To Hollywood
27:28 College in Nashville
30:00 Ambition
34:00 Rejection
39:00 Sponsor: Huel
40:39 Sponsor: Mando
43:37 Living in a Double Wide
53:42 Imposter Syndrome
58:00 Spirituality
1:01:39 Low self-esteem
1:04:38 Acting
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Watch 'Leanne' on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81752004
Watch 'I'm Every Woman' on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81636889
Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan
Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557
Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234
Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).
Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)
Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self.
Visit https://www.modernmammals.com to shop for hair products.
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code NEAL at https://huel.com/NEAL (Minimum $75 purchase).”
Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks
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#podcast #comedy #mentalhealth #earthquake #comedian
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