Make My Day with Josh Gondelman

EPISODE SUMMARY: An all-pep-talks episode with appearances from lots of past Make My Day guests. Josh announces the show is going on a little hiatus and curates a series of pep talks from many wonderful past Make My Day contestants.  A huge thank you goes out to everyone who contributed: Ron Funches, Bridger Winegar, Sadie Dupuis, Jon Gabrus, Anthony DeVito, Karen Chee, Sarah Hagi, Zach Reino, Jessica McKenna, Tom Bodett, Maris Kreizman, Daniel Kibblesmith, Aparna Nancherla, Mike Drucker, Tess Lynch, Jo Firestone, Mina Kimes, Laura Stevenson, Tom Scharpling, Wyatt Cenac, Alison Roman, Myq Kaplan, John Hodgman, Scaachi Koul, Matt Braunger, Dani Fernandez, and Ophira Eisenberg!  Please consider donating to your local food bank or contributing to a local mutual aid organization this holiday season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Holmes (Waiting For Impact, Esquire) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Back...to the Past, Dave gives amazing answers to a series of questions about the early 90s. He then donates his winnings to the Beta Cell Foundation. Plus, a pep talk for MC Hammer and the concept of empathy! Donate to the Beta Cell Foundation:  https://betacellfoundation.org/ Listen to Dave's podcasts:  https://www.exactlyrightmedia.com/waiting-for-impact https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/troubled-waters/id511745722 Read Dave's writing:  https://www.esquire.com/author/9774/dave-holmes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackie Kashian (Dork Forest, new standup album out 11/16) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Dork Web, Jackie gives incredible answers to questions about nerds and dorks. She then asks Josh to donate her winnings to his local food bank. Plus, a pep talk for stats nerds, and one you can give yourself! Donate to your local food bank: https://www.feedingamerica.org/ Listen to Jackie's podcasts: https://www.jackiekashian.com/#podcasts Enjoy Jackie's standup, including her new album: https://www.jackiekashian.com/store Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gavin Matts (Conan, Comedy Central) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of My Way AND The Highway, Gavin talks about the best parts of travel. He then donates his winnings to the Black Trans Travel Fund. Plus, pep talks for people stuck in hotels on flight delays and people stuck in middle seats. Donate to the Black Trans Travel Fund: https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/ Check out Gavin's tour dates: http://gavinmatts.com/tickets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casey Johnston (She's A Beast newsletter) and Ashley Feinberg (Trashberg newsletter) compete to cheer Josh up. During a game of Good News, Rad News, Casey and Ashley give amazing answers about the FUTURE OF JOURNALISM (sort of). They then donate their winnings to The West Fund. Plus, pep talks for people who have punny articles written about their deaths, anyone who thinks the CIA killed JFK, and Casey. Donate to The West Fund: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/contribute-to-abortion-access Subscribe to Casey's newsletter She's A Beast: https://shesabeast.substack.com/about Subscribe to Ashley's newsletter Trashberg: https://www.trashberg.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Cruz Kayne (A Good Cry podcast, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Good Grief, Michael gives terrific answers about the best ways to be sad (it's funnier than it sounds). He then donates his winnings to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Plus, pep talks for people about to cry in public and parents. Donate to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/get-involved/#donate Listen to Michael's podcast, A Good Cry: https://headgum.com/a-good-cry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony DeVito (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Old Favorites, Anthony gives incredible answers about the best parts of aging. He then donates his winnings to Planned Parenthood. Plus, pep talks for babies and DJs. Donate to Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ See Anthony live: http://www.anthonydevitocomedy.com/shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rax King (Tacky available now for preorder) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Taking in the Trash, Rax does a stellar job answering questions about the best parts of things people hate. She then donates her winnings to Casa Ruby in Washington DC. Plus, pep talks for ranch dressing and the Bloomin' Onion. Donate to Casa Ruby: https://casaruby.org/donate/ Preorder Rax's book Tacky: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669783/tacky-by-rax-king/ Subscribe to Rax's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/raxkingisdead Listen to Low Culture Boil: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/low-culture-boil/id1543941809 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ophira Eisenberg (NPR's Ask Me Another) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Gee, Quiz! Ophira answers questions about...game shows. She then donates her winnings to The Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance. Plus, pep talks for people who finish an episode of Jeopardy with negative points. Donate to the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance: https://www.mioca.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Broti Gupta and Dylan Gelula (The Simpsons, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) compete to cheer Josh up. During a game of Learning Sensation, Broti and Dylan answer questions about knowledge and education. It gets...weirdly chaotic. They then donate their winnings to The Lilith Fund. Plus, pep talks for bad test takers, a cricket, and Broti herself. Subscribe to Lecture Hall, Broti and Dylan's podcast: https://www.patreon.com/lecturehall Donate to the Lilith Fund: https://www.lilithfund.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mo Rocca (CBS Sunday Morning, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Death Perception, Mo answers questions about life, death, and life after death! He then donates his winnings to the Inner-City Scholarship Fund. Plus, pep talks for morticians and teabags. See Mo in Fairycakes Off-Broadway: https://fairycakestheplay.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natalie Walker and Sarah Hagi (Search Party, Gawker) compete to cheer Josh up. During a game of Know More Drama, Natalie and Sarah answer questions about...drama! They then donate their winnings to the Lilith Fund and Fort York Food Bank. Plus, pep talks for Jennifer Hudson and people who are here to make friends. Buy tickets to Natalie's upcoming NYC shows: https://54below.com/events/bonnie-milligan-and-natalie-walker-celebrate-fifty-years-of-friendship/ Read Sarah in Gawker: https://www.gawker.com/profile/sarah-hagi-1911902 Donate to the Lilith Fund: https://www.lilithfund.org/donate Donate to Fort York Food Bank: https://fyfb.com/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jia Tolentino (Trick Mirror, The New Yorker) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Lies on the Prize, Jia answers questions about lies, mostly in a good way. She then donates her winnings to a local chapter of Food Not Bombs. Plus, pep talks for new parents and people who don't like how they look in photographs. Read Jia in The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jia-tolentino Buy Trick Mirror: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567511/trick-mirror-by-jia-tolentino/ Donate to Food Not Bombs: http://foodnotbombs.net/new_site/donate.php Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Karmel (The Late Late Show, All Fantasy Everything) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Your Roots Are Showing, Ian answers questions about the concept of hometowns. He then donates his winnings to Planned Parenthood. Plus, pep talks for embarrassing childhood pictures and people eating almond butter as a snack. Listen to All Fantasy Everything: https://headgum.com/all-fantasy-everything Donate to Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger (new podcast Did You Get My Text? out now) compete to cheer Josh up. During a game of Text-it Strategy, Meredith and Patton discuss text messaging techniques, preferences, and etiquette. They then donate their winnings to Alice's Kids and the Teak Fellowship. Plus, pep talks for wrong number texts, people who feel uncomfortable visiting unvaccinated relatives, and MFA students with unsatisfying day jobs. Listen to Did You Get My Text?: https://starburns.audio/podcasts/did-you-get-my-text/ Donate to Alice's Kids: https://aliceskids.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Stevenson (new album Laura Stevenson out now) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Cribs Notes, Laura takes Josh on an MTV Cribs style tour of her home. She then donates her winnings to Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Plus, pep talks for people who had to sell their cars after Xzibit "improved" them, and people with messy refrigerators. Listen to Laura Stevenson: http://dongiovanni.co/LauraStevenson Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maris Kreizman (The Maris Review, Slaughterhouse 90210) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Sense of Shelf, Maris gives incredible answers to questions about books. She then donates her winnings to T1 International. Plus, pep talks for unread books and employees at bookstores. Listen to The Maris Review: http://www.mariskreizman.com/the-maris-review Donate to T1 International: https://www.t1international.com/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gonzalo Cordova and Travis Helwig (Edith, Tuca & Bertie, Lovett or Leave It) compete to cheer Josh up. During a game of Sound Advice, Travis and Gonzalo offer . The pair donate their winnings to A Purposeful Rescue and Americans for Immigrant Justice. Plus, three pep talks that are all over the place. Listen to Edith: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/edith/ Donate to A Purposeful Rescue: https://www.apurposefulrescue.org/donate Donate to Americans for Immigrant Justice: https://floridaimmigrant.org/donate-today/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bridger Winegar (I Said No Gifts, Black Monday) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Exchange Greats, Bridger answers questions about gift-giving excellence. He then donates his grand prize winnings to The Literacy Lab. Plus, pep talks for philosophers and upstairs neighbors. Listen to I Said No Gifts: https://www.exactlyrightmedia.com/i-said-no-gifts Follow Bridger on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bridger_w Donate to The Literacy Lab: https://theliteracylab.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Morris (Bubble; Jordan, Jesse, Go!) competes to cheer Josh up. During a poorly named game of Science Fiction answers questions about made-up science facts. He then donates his grand prize winnings to 826 LA. Plus, pep talks for philosophers and upstairs neighbors. Purchase the Bubble graphic novel: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250245557 Listen to the Bubble podcast: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/bubble/ Listen to Jordan, Jesse, Go!: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/jordan-jesse-go/ Donate to 826 LA: https://826la.org/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sydnee Washington (Unofficial Expert podcast) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Ma'am, It's a Hot One, Sydness answers questions about how to have the hottest summer ever. She then donates her grand prize winnings to a person who has been single for the entire pandemic. Plus, pep talks for people who hate the beach and anyone working in entertainment. Follow Sydnee on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/justsydbw/ Listen to the Unofficial Expert podcast:  https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-unofficial-expert/ Check out Comedy at the Knitting Factory:  https://www.knittingfactory.com/event/tw-artistinfo/Comedy+At+The+Knitting+Factory/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE SUMMARY: A recording of our recent livestream show. Paula Poundstone, Tom Bodett, and Peter Sagal compete to cheer Josh up. Karen Chee pops in as well and is delightful in a non-competitive setting. Quick note for listeners who didn't watch the livestream: Paula Poundstone repeatedly pretends to cut her head off with a saw over the course of the episode. Ticket sales from the live show benefitted HatchSpace, a not-for-profit woodworking collective in Vermont that Tom co-founded. Donate to HatchSpace: https://hatchspace.org/Donate Listen to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me: https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/ Check out Peter's books: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/peter-sagal.html Listen to Paula's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobody-listens-to-paula-poundstone/id1410611499 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor Garron and Eva Victor (poetry collection Look I Bought Plants) compete to cheer Josh up. Together, the two contestants answer questions about the most beautiful poem possible. They then donates their grand prize winnings to the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition! Plus, pep talks for teenage poets, unintentional ASMR curators, and artists of works that look like vaginas. Follow Taylor and Eva on social media: https://twitter.com/taylorgarron https://twitter.com/evavictor Get yourself a copy of Look I Bought Plants: https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/look-i-bought-plants Donate to the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition:  https://blacktrans.org/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alison Roman (Home Movies, Nothing Fancy) competes to cheer Josh up. Alison does an amazing job being quizzed about how to throw a party. She then donates his grand prize winnings to the Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation! Plus, pep talks for half-empty drinks and people unsuccessfully bringing dates to parties. Watch Alison's video series Home Movies:  https://www.youtube.com/user/alisoneroman Buy Alison's cookbooks:  https://www.alisoneroman.com/ Donate to the Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation:  https://www.restaurantworkerscf.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Gethard (new comedy special Half My Life) competes to cheer Josh up. Chris dominates a game of Half-Life, answering questions about important halves. He then donates his grand prize winnings to Holly's Miracles! Plus, pep talks for half-pints and people celebrating half-birthdays.   Watch Chris Gethard's new special Half My Life: https://www.comedydynamics.com/catalog/chris-gethard-half-my-life/   Listen to Chris's podcast, Beautiful/Anonymous:  https://www.earwolf.com/show/beautiful-anonymous/   Donate to Holly's Miracles: https://www.facebook.com/hollysteam/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Schilling (Galaxy Brains podcast) and Jesse David Fox (Good One podcast) compete to cheer Josh up.  Jesse and Dave are friends with impeccable taste, and they answer questions about flavor in a game of Taste Buds. They then donate their grand prize winnings to Water Drop LA and Clinton Hill/Fort Greene Mutual Aid! Plus, pep talks for cilantro, Cooler Ranch flavor, and almond milk. Listen and subscribe to Dave's podcast Galaxy Brains: https://www.polygon.com/22384444/galaxy-brains-polygon-podcast-entertainment-movies-tv Listen and subscribe to Jesse's podcasts Good One and The Specials: https://www.vulture.com/news/good-one-podcast/ https://www.patreon.com/thespecials Donate to Water Drop LA:  https://www.waterdropla.org/ Donate to Clinton Hill/Fort Greene Mutual Aid: https://chfgma.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Collins (Midnight Snack, The Michelle Collins Show) competes to cheer Josh up. Michelle answers questions about the weird museum of her wildest dreams in a game of This Belongs In a Museum! She then donates her grand prize money to God's Love We Deliver! Plus, pep talks for empty picture frames and one particularly delightful museum guard. Follow Michelle on Instagram: www.instagram.com/michcoll Listen and subscribe to Midnight Snack: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/midnight-snack/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhea Butcher (Good Trouble) competes to cheer Josh up. Rhea is a big baseball fan, and for their game, they answer questions about baseball mascots! Plus, pep talks for the aforementioned mascots as well as the fans. Follow Rhea on social media:  https://twitter.com/RheaButcher https://www.instagram.com/rheabutcher/ Listen to Rhea's great new standup album:  https://bstlnk.to/butcher Book a Cameo from Rhea:  https://www.cameo.com/rheabutcher Donate to the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund: https://transgenderlegal.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eva Hendricks (Charly Bliss) competes to cheer Josh up. Eva has been living in Australia for the past year, and she answers questions about little stuff she misses from home in a game of All The Small Things. She then contributes her prize money to her brother Andrew's classroom garden! Plus, pep talks for hometowns and anyone considering starting a band. Follow Charly Bliss on social media: https://www.instagram.com/charlybliss/ https://twitter.com/charlybliss Listen to Charly Bliss's great music (or purchase an album): https://open.spotify.com/artist/7axA2bNeZsae6t2mgxoSFh https://charlybliss.bandcamp.com/ Contribute to help fund Andrew Hendricks's classroom garden: https://gofund.me/2ed7a9f8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman (Throwing Fits podcast) compete to cheer Josh up. As experts on all things luxurious, James and Lawrence answer questions about how to live large. They then graciously donate their prize money to Border Kindness and The Oasis - A Haven for Women and Children in Patterson, NJ. Plus, pep talks for skinny jeans, haters, and Josh. Listen to Throwing Fits and subscribe to the Patreon:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/throwing-fits/id1494513478 https://www.patreon.com/throwingfits Follow Jimmy and Larry on social media: https://twitter.com/Dr_TacoMD https://www.instagram.com/doctortaco/ https://twitter.com/SartoriallyInc https://www.instagram.com/sartoriallyinc/ Donate to Border Kindness and Oasis: https://oasisnj.org/ https://borderkindness.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE SUMMARY: Alice Fraser (The Gargle podcast, standup special Savage) competes to cheer Josh up! Because she's recording from Australia, Alice is able to answer several questions about the near future. She then graciously donates her $100 in prize money to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Plus, pep talks for the present as well as people have failed or are currently failing!   Follow Alice on social media: www.twitter.com/aliterative www.instagram.com/aliterative   Listen to The Gargle: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gargle/id1552687312   Watch Savage: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08BYK6S83/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r   Donate to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation: https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/fundraise   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Logan (new half hour special on Epix, and Stream of Blood, on Twitch) competes to cheer Josh up! Jared journeys through a game of Fantasy Fantasy, setting an all-time Make My Day high score. He then graciously donates his $100 in prize money to Pantry Plus More in Morgantown, WV. Plus, pep talks for unlucky dice rollers and people who are worried about the end of the world! Follow Jared on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaredlogan Check out Stream of Blood: https://www.twitch.tv/streamofblood/about Donate to Pantry Plus More: https://www.pantryplusmore.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ayo Edebiri (Dickinson, Big Mouth, Iconography podcast) competes to cheer Josh up! Ayo sets an all-time Make My Day high score by answering questions about her (eventual) farewell concert in 2071. She then graciously donates her $100 in prize money to Children of Promise. Plus, pep talks for dogs and people who are bad with technology! Follow Ayo on social media: www.twitter.com/ayoedebiri www.instagram.com/ayoedebiri Listen to Iconography: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/iconography/ Donate to Children of Promise: https://www.cpnyc.org/donate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Concepcion (Takeline podcast, ALL CAPS NBA, Emmy winner) competes to cheer Josh up! Jason wins an exciting game of The Thrill of the Take, setting an all-time Make My Day high score. He then generously donates his $100 in winnings to Ground Game LA. Plus, pep talks for Mountain Dew and carbs! Follow Jason on social media: https://twitter.com/netw3rk https://www.instagram.com/x_netw3rk_x/ Listen to Takeline and watch ALL CAPS NBA: https://crooked.com/jason-concepcion-podcasts/  Donate to Ground Game LA: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ggla Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caleb Hearon (you've seen him being hilarious on the internet!) competes to cheer Josh up. As this week's contestant, Caleb has incredible answers to Josh's many questions about Spring. He then generously donates his $100 in winnings to the KC Tenants. Plus, pep talks for people who have gained a little weight during the pandemic and guys who wear shorts when it's 45 degrees outside!  Follow Caleb across social media: www.twitter.com/calebsaysthings www.instagram.com/calebsaysthings   Donate to KC Tenants: https://kctenants.org/home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadie Dupuis (Sad13, Speedy Ortiz) competes to cheer Josh up. She absolutely dominates a game of Flicks are for Kids, setting a new high score by casting dogs in Wishbone-style reboots of gritty movies. It makes slightly more sense than it sounds like it would. Sadie generously donates her $100 in winnings to the National Harm Reduction Coalition. Plus, pep talks for people considering adopting a pet and actors cast in the role of The Joker. Find out about Sadie's music, poetry, and record label: www.sad13.horse Donate to the National Harm Reduction Coalition:  https://harmreduction.org/take-action/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Solomon (Barry) and Naomi Ekperigin (Search Party) compete to cheer Josh up. In honor of the launch of the new humor collection Notes from the Bathroom Line (edited by Amy, contributed to by Naomi), the team plays an incredible round of Waiting For Togot, a game about bathroom lines. After securing their thrilling victory, Naomi donates her $100 prize to SELAH, and Amy donates hers to N Street Village. Plus, pep talks for bathroom attendants, people with nervous stomachs, and anyone who has clogged a toilet at a party. Get yourself a copy of Notes from the Bathroom Line:  https://www.notesfromthebathroomline.com/book Listen to Naomi's podcasts! Couples Therapy: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-couples-therapy-29574473/ I Love a Lifetime Movie: https://www.mylifetime.com/i-love-a-lifetime-movie Donate to SELAH: https://www.selahnhc.org/donations Donate to N Street Village: https://www.nstreetvillage.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tarik Davis (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brothers From Another Planet) competes to cheer Josh up. Since Tarik famously serves as Amber's sidekick on The Amber Ruffin Show, he answers questions about various sides in a game of...Picking Sides. After setting a new all-time Make My Day high score, Tarik donates his $100 prize to Fair Fight. Plus, he gives an exceptionally generous and moving pep talk! Check out clips from The Amber Ruffin Show: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAmberRuffinShow Listen to Brothers From Another Planet, Tarik's podcast with LeMar McLean and Don P. Hooper: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brothers-from-another-planet/id1517840182  Donate to Fair Fight: www.https://fairfight.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Heller (Baby Geniuses, Barry) competes to cheer Josh up. Emily, a prolific gardener, answers several garden-related questions in a game of Top Crops, setting a new all-time Make My Day high score. She donates her $100 prize to the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues. Plus, pep talks for weeds and water! Listen to Baby Geniuses, Emily's podcast with Lisa Hanawalt:  https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/baby-geniuses/ Donate to the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues: https://urbandebate.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craig Finn of The Hold Steady (new album Open Door Policy out now!!!) competes to cheer Josh up. Craig sets the show's new all-time high score by selecting the perfect beverage for any situation in a game of Sips Don't Lie. Then he donates his $100 in grand prize winnings to New York City's Coalition for the Homeless. Plus, pep talks for opening acts and people who get too comfortable at the airport! Check out The Hold Steady and Craig Finn's solo work: www.theholdsteady.net www.craigfinn.net Donate to New York City's Coalition for the Homeless: https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Funches (Gettin’ Better with Ron Funches) competes to cheer Josh up. Today's game is.. all pep talks! Ron Funches donates his grand prize winnings of $100 to School On Wheels. Plus, even more pep talks for slush and The Chicago Bulls! Follow Ron Funches on social media: www.twitter.com/ronfunches www.instagram.com/ronfunch https://www.twitch.tv/ron_funches/ Visit Ron's website: www.ronfunches.com Listen to Gettin' Better: https://ronfunches.com/gettin-better/ Donate to School on Wheels: https://schoolonwheels.org/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE SUMMARY: Jo Firestone (Dr. Gameshow, Rate the Cookie) and Chris Duffy (How To Be A Better Human) compete to cheer Josh up. Jo and Chris team up to figure out how animals could be improved in a game of Plan It, Earth. Then the two donate their grand prize winnings to the Ali Forney Center and the LA Community Action Network respectively. Plus, pep talks for seeing eye dogs, hand cream, and fire extinguishers! Listen to Chris's new podcast How To Be A Better Human: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/how-to-be-a-better-human  Listen to Jo's podcast Dr. Gameshow:  https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dr-gameshow/ Donate to the LA Community Action Network: https://cangress.org/donate/ Donate to the Ali Forney Center:  https://aliforneycenter.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open Mike Eagle (Anime, Trauma and Divorce, History of Swear Words) competes to cheer Josh up. Today's game is a quiz of which musicians are most like which visual artists. It makes more sense when you hear it, I think. Open Mike Eagle donates his grand prize winnings of $100 to Black Lives Matter. Plus, two pep talks for people learning a new instrument. Follow Open Mike Eagle on Twitter and Instagram:  https://twitter.com/Mike_Eagle https://www.instagram.com/open_mike_eagle/ Listen to/purchase Anime, Trauma and Divorce:  https://openmikeeagle.bandcamp.com/album/anime-trauma-and-divorce Check out History of Swear Words on Netflix:  https://standbyyourband.podomatic.com/ Donate to Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Thakkar and Tommy McNamara (Stand By Your Band podcast) compete to cheer Josh up. Tommy and Tom play a lazily-named game of Crowd Pleasers, choosing the ultimate songs to take various occasions to the next level. Then, they contribute their $200 total prize money to We Act for Environmental Justice. Plus, pep talks for people celebrating birthdays during the pandemic, hype men, and kids without abs. Follow Tom and Tommy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomAThakkar https://twitter.com/TommyMcNam Check out Stand By Your Band:  https://standbyyourband.podomatic.com/ Donate to We Act for Environmental Justice: https://www.weact.org/home-3/getinvolved/donate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and filmmaker Emily Yoshida competes to cheer Josh up. Emily plays a game of The Prestige, creating the ultimate Oscar-bait movie. Then, she contributes her $100 grand prize to Mutual Aid Los Angeles. Plus, pep talks for background actors and people who are bad at taking care of plants. Follow Emily on Twitter (even though she might not be there): www.twitter.com/emilyyoshida Check out this cool music video Emily made for Sad13:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f76rghmg1jI&feature=emb_title Donate to Mutual Aid LA: https://www.mutualaidla.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Negin Farsad (Fake The Nation podcast, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me) competes to cheer Josh up. Negin plays a game of Non-P.R., answering questions about things she can't get away with saying on public radio. Then, she donates her $100 grand prize to One Fair wage to help tipped workers and hourly workers make a fair wage. Plus, pep talks for the year 2021 and seventh graders. Follow Negin on social media: https://twitter.com/NeginFarsad https://www.instagram.com/neginfarsad Listen to Fake the Nation: https://www.earwolf.com/show/fake-the-nation/ Donate to One Fair Wage: https://ofwemergencyfund.org/ https://onefairwage.site/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE SUMMARY: Matt Braunger (This Might Help podcast, hilarious comedian and actor) competes to cheer Josh up. Matt dominates a game of New Year's Re-small-lutions, coming up with many tiny ways to make your life better over the coming year. Then, he donates his $100 grand prize to the Oregon Food Bank. Plus, pep talks for high school students and calendars. Follow Matt on social media:https://twitter.com/Braungerhttps://www.instagram.com/braunger/?hl=en Listen to This Might Help: https://www.mattbraunger.com/podcast Check out Matt's comedy albums: https://www.mattbraunger.com/albums Donate to the Oregon Food Bank:https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linda Holmes (Pop Culture Happy Hour, Evvie Drake Starts Over) competes to cheer Josh up. Linda lists things that are likely to make someone happy during a game of Glad to the Bone. Her grand prize donation goes to ImprovBoston, a nonprofit theater that lost its physical space during the pandemic. Plus, pep talks for new year's resolutions and for people who live alone and love holidays. Follow Linda on social media: https://twitter.com/lindaholmes https://www.instagram.com/lindaholmes97/?hl=en Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510282/pop-culture-happy-hour Buy Evvie Drake Starts Over:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/573986/evvie-drake-starts-over-by-linda-holmes/ Donate to ImprovBoston: https://improvboston.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Molly Lambert and Tess Lynch of the recently-concluded Night Call podcast compete to cheer Josh up! Molly and Tess propose things to do late at night during a game of Insomniactivities, and they donate their $200 in grand prize winnings to NARAL Pro-Choice. Plus, pep talks for 4:30am, paprika, and squirrels.  Follow Molly and Tess on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mollylambert www.twitter.com/mrtesslynch Donate to NARAL Pro-Choice: https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/about/ Enjoy the back catalog of Night Call episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/night-call/id1342254154 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gary Gulman (The Great Depresh), Emmy Blotnick (Party Nights), and Niccole Thurman (Shrill, Grace & Frankie) compete to cheer Josh up! This episode was recorded as a livestream Make My Day show a couple of weeks ago, and it's the first one where the contestants compete AGAINST each other! No spoilers, but it ends with a big donation to Fair Fight to help protect voting rights ($1,347 including ticket sales for the livestream). Plus, pep talks based on requests from the live audience! Donate to Fair Fight: https://fairfight.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eugene Mirman (Bob's Burgers) and Wyatt Cenac (Problem Areas with Wyatt Cenac) compete to cheer Josh up. Eugene and Wyatt forecast the next hip Brooklyn trends in a game of BK to the Future. After setting the all-time Make My Day high score, Eugene donates his $100 grand prize to the Somerville Homeless Coalition, and Wyatt donates his to Fair Fight. Learn more about this week's guests: www.wyattcenac.com www.eugenemirman.com Donate to the Somerville Homeless Coalition: https://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/giving/ Donate to Fair Fight: https://fairfight.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices