The Literate ApeCast

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Literate Ape co-editors Don Hall and David Himmel hold court, interview interesting people and talk about the perspectives of the week.

Literate Ape


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 56m AVG DURATION
    • 385 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Literate ApeCast

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 386—Men's Mental Health and a Bit of Memorial Day Recollections

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 90:31


    June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and no two men are more qualified to talk about than a therapy-obsessed Jew and an emotionally constipated Gen Xer. This discussion also includes some talk of grandfathers who fought in WWII.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 385—David Himmel Has Birthday Lessons to Share

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 51:17


    Himmel turns the page into thepost-forty-five chapter and he, and a few others, have thoughts.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 384—Is Art Ever Done for Free and Should It?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 57:43


    Hall is in his semi-traditional rant about Art for Art's Sake. Himmel pushes back as he usually does.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 383—Do the Things We Own Really Own Us?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 64:03


    Don has, after four years of sleeping on his couch from a previous marriage, become the owner of a… gasp… bed!

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    Literate ApeCast Ep. 382—Two Divorced Dudes Talking Divorce

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 77:32


    When the gentlemen of the ApeCast have nothing to talk about, they talk about their divorces. Duh.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 381—The Perils of Overconsumption

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 52:23


    Do we need all the food, distractions, and attention we desire. Probably fucking not.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 380—Maybe Hall Should Just Shut the Fuck Up?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 69:16


    Don shares about his tendency to utter awkward stuff without repent. David has his moments of foot in mouth, as well. Jake has pinkeye and all three agree that the Blue Origin space flight was a buncha shit. Typical day at the office.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 379—Is Ethical Consumerism Even Possible?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 70:24


    Ah, the dulcit sounds of two white guys complaining. Isn't this what you signed up for? Is your need to hear it ethical? Are you consuming this podcast while wiping with tree bark and calling friends on a coupla cans with string?

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 378—The Singlehood Stigma

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 62:35


    Both Apes a single, divorced, and figuring out the world of the spouseless. So, of course, they talk about it.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 377—Gen Z Sex, Muppets, and the Dream When Himmel Drops a Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 57:21


    Hall wrote something. Himmel dreamed something. It is established that no one can protest Kermit the Frog, Himmel is more Millenial than Gen X, and Hall would fuck a wax figure. Consider that your fucking trigger warning.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 376—Hall Takes Us on a Survivor Fan Chat

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 59:56


    Yes. Hall loves Survivor. Insufferably, he drags Himmel through the least appealing fan crush conversation in the history of the seminal reality series.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 375—The Pluck of the Irish w/ Caitie Beardmore Cataldo

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 90:23


    Joined by someone genuinely Irish with deep knowledge of the holiday, the chimps talk with Caitie Beardmore Cataldo about the cultural legacy of St. Patrick's Day.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 374—The Trouble with a Whole Side of Congress Having Been Parented Gently

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 47:13


    Himmel has his period then watches a horrible trolling. Hal, as usual, has a theory about the root of the problem.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 373—Three Irreplaceable Things

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 86:11


    Hall has a question he asks when interviewing job applicants so he grills packrat Himmel about the items he considers most irreplaceable.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 372—Beating the Dead Horse (Again)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 61:06


    Himmel ‘byrnes' Hall; a struggle session to advice the (losing) Democrats; and Hall gets high off of a can of tea.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 371—The Grift of GoFundMe

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 52:23


    Himmel is concerned about a request for funds for a family looking to adopt a Hungarian. Hall uses the inside of a coffee can for a microphone. All is right in the world!

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 370—Trump is NOT Supernatural

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 65:08


    Hall has a theory about the 47th president. Himmel can't pronounce the name of a 70's band correctly. Hijinx ensue.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 369—Approaching the Sixth Decade

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 73:04


    Happy 59th Birthday, Don! Today, he shares the things he learned this past year.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 368—The Death of the American Middle Class

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 64:34


    Don wrote a thing. David wrote a different thuing. The chimps stroke each other in praise of the things they wrote.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 367—EXIT ONLY

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 69:30


    Don has a policy concerning his ass. David disputes the policy.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 366—ChatGPT Tells the Unvarnished Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 61:13


    The Chimps decide to see what the AI of the moment has to say about them. It ain't pretty…

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 365—David Himmel is the Neighborhood Hero

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 43:53


    Himmel has decided that he is the hero of his neighborhood because he managed to get his internet fixed after the gauntlet of attempts to thwart his need for Wifi.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 364—Divorced Dad Christmas plus 2025 Headlines

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 47:38


    Himmel is exposed as the Divorced Dad who takes his kids to McDonalds on Christmas Eve plus the Chimps predict the headlines for next year!

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 363—The Demise of the Office Holiday Party

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 59:05


    It's that time when everyone from the office gets together at a bar and, like a dark truth serum, the booze makes the whole room regret ever showing up: the Office Holiday Party.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 362—Is America Ready for a Violent Revolution?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 58:59


    Tony Spaghetti has Himmel thinking that maybe America is ready for a violent revolution. The chimps discuss.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 361—Our Bread and Circuses Are Falling Short. AI Tells US to Bend the Knee.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 61:50


    Is AI here to replace writers? We ask ChatGPT and the answer is absolutely.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 360—Love Actually and the Sex Talk

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 54:11


    Himmel inadvertantly showed his six-year-old porn and had to explain it.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 359—Why Aren't We Just More Plainspoken?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 51:02


    Don is on a tear about the linguistic games of… well, everybody, everywhere. So the chimps break it down masterfully.

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    Literate ApeCast Ep. 358—Our Generation's Abe Lincoln

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 45:51


    David wrote a thing about the country, anxiety, hubris, and why there will never be a woman president. So, instead of read it, the Monkeys yap about it.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 357—Four More Years…

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 61:24


    The Chimps talk through the recent presidential election and what went wrong.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 356—Johnny Lawrence in a Pit of Zoomers

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 62:33


    Hall is Johnny Lawrence minus the karate and, in his new role at work, is suddenly surrounded by Gen Z. He has thoughts.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 355—401 Error

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 2:29


    Nothing to see here, gang. Except Hall, fully clothed, asleep in his car.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 354—Water Your Tree

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 58:02


    It turns out that both David and Don are really lousy at relationships but great with relationship advice. Also, so is Yakov Smirnoff.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 353—The Tepid Fury of Two Mediocre White Guys

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 45:19


    What infuriates Himmel? Jewel selection, stereotypes, handjobs at the symphony? Hall just doesn't seem to get all that angry about anything. What's the deal (asked in the most 1980's stand up manner)?

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 352—The Semantics of Viability and the Suckhole of Nostalgia

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 53:11


    Can David go work on a cruise ship? Why would he want to? What the fuck is all of this shit about cruise ships? And how does one figuratively blow a load in your pants?

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 351—Taking a Non-Monogamous Pottery Class

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 63:07


    Don is making straight A's in life and—gasp—met a woman whose presence is making him re-think his strategy.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 350—Nebraska, Go Fuck Yourself

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 55:12


    In a preview for BUGHOUSE!, Don tasks David with his repeated use of the 'systemic' when describing localized events.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 349—The Apes Watch the Debate

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 66:28


    D&D decide to watch the televised debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and provide in-the-moment commentary. Totally different, totally fun.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 348—Recharging the Battery

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 58:20


    Don is closing the summer of house management; David is dealing with his miserable life. How do the chmps refuel themselves in the meantime?

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 347—Jobs Not Worth the Money

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 97:00


    In the ever present search for income, both apes have a short list of jobs they'd never take regardless of the compensation package.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 346—AOC… Hot or Intelligent First? A DNC  and Younger Himmel Breakdown

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 52:11


    It was the week of the DNC in Chicago and the chimps have unique perspectives. So does Himmel's youngest son. That kid has LOTS of opinions.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 345—Job Prospecting Past a Certain Age

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 57:34


    Both Apes are looking for work and break it down for themselves.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 344—On Post-Divorce Dating

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 58:15


    Don aplogizes for biffing last week's episode but had his first post-divorce date so the chimps unpack the whole concept of that bizarre activity.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 343—The Upending of Manhood: What Makes a Man Beyond a Cock?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 67:08


    In a cultural landscape where the burning question has been “What is a woman?” for a decade, Don counters with the unspoken question.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 342—Extreme Rhetoric Creates Its Own Enemies—We Are the Tone Police Today

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 58:37


    Lots of stuff in here—rhetoric creating an intentional backlash, gentle parenting, umbrellas in the park (Don admits he was wrong so mark the episode), and more! Hunker down on the toilet and enjoy…

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 341—Is Hawk Tuah a Word or a State of Mind?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 60:32


    We start with the ‘hawk tuah' girl and gradually wind around to the use of photography to fool us, face blindness, ‘kidney' friends, and the realization that David's sons are to be called ‘master.'

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 340—The Growth of Self Perception

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 65:24


    David has Harry on his mind (shock!) and Don has thoughts. Also, there is a question of personal branding for both monkeys.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 339—Some Jews Go to the Ozarks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 55:15


    The Himmel crew head off to vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks. David recorded some of it for your edification. Hall slept in.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 338—Are We Satanists and the Long Grift of Therapy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 51:18


    The Literate Apes consider whether they are dyed in the wool Satanists and Hall pulls hard on the thread of perpetual therapy as a solution to any sort of real world problems.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 337—Talking to Cops in the Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 67:34


    Hall is working with a lot of Chicago police in his job in the park and has a few observations. Himmel is not as anti-cop as he appears.

    Literate ApeCast Ep. 336—Old Men Complaining About Getting Older

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 75:09


    The chimps are starting to feel the march of time in their lower backs and ankles and sit in Himmel's kitchen and bitch about it.

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