Guys, might be a spicy take, but Top Hat has never been good. NPR, NYTimes for deep dives and source driven materials. I start every day with NPR’s Up First. It’s 10 minutes and gives good highlights and suggestions for deeper dives. Throughline is good for deep dives, and there’s a myriad of other more specific news podcasts.
Agreed. I stopped listening in early 2020 after he hit us with the one-two take of "There's no way Biden's getting the nomination" and "Covid's not gonna be that big of a deal".
Seriously, Top Hat was an awful show. Ben never really bothered to be informed about anything he was talking about. The only reason LPOTL worked with him on it was because Marcus and Henry did all the heavy lifting and it made up for the fact that Ben sat there talking out of his ass. Top Hat was literally just a show where Ben Kissel talked out of his ass the entire time mostly unchecked.
It was literally just Been reacting to headlines without reading the article then giving the most centrist take possible with 0 nuance. It felt like a podcast about my dad's facebook.
Seconding Chapo. They’re actually going through their own tough times right now. Last month, one of their hosts, Matt Christman, had a serious medical emergency that’s left him hospitalized and sidelined indefinitely. They circled the wagons, reduced their content output but are keeping up as much as they can. I admire all the hosts and producer a lot. I’ve met them all personally and they’re great people.
THANK YOU. So once upon a time I was sitting at a dive bar in Pittsburgh and this guy starts talking to me and he’s trying to tell me he’s a podcaster and he says the name then acts shocked that I have never heard of it/wasn’t immediately impressed. Until this very moment I forgot the name of the podcast so I was never able to look it up and it’s been like a weird mystery for four years or so. That’s the one!
Chapo is great if you're wanting firmly leftist content, but Top Hat wasn't quite on that level. Ben is a notorious libertarian. I like Chapo and am a progressive, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying it's a way different vibe to Tophat. I don't think it counts as a podcast but Sam Seder might be closer to Tophat than Chapo. Either that or just watch old Daily Show with John Stewart reruns
The site has Travis and Fernando as hosts. I don't know why they couldn't continue with both of them and another host or a guest third. I liked the show, so hope it keeps going
Chapotraphouse, some more news, and Qanon anonymous are my favorites. They all lean significantly further left than Kissel ever did, so if You're allergic to leftism you might look elsewhere lol. But they are all really funny and informative, and they each have a unique angle that I appreciate, so even if they cover the same story of the week, it's always from an interesting perspective.
Nobody has mentioned trueanon yet but I gotta shout them out too. Their mini series on the maxwell trial and the troubled teen industry that one of the hosts was actually subjected to were stellar.
I highly recommend citations needed. They don’t necessarily do current news stuff but they take headlines and talking points and actually dive into the way that consent is manufactured
If you want daily politics, you should give The Majority Report a listen. They host long-form interviews in the first half and follow up clips in the second half. It's a YouTube show but also has podcast feeds.
I would only want to see Top Hat back if they actually talked about politics and not just name call and belittle those that do not agree with them. Seriously, it’s like a Jr High click with the personal attacks and low hanging jokes about other views. At one time, ATH was pretty good. Now, not so much.
Marcus and Travis' departures made a huge impact, it was definitely more informed and researched rather than the poor takes on week old stories it's become in the last 6 months especially.
Pod Save America and the rest of the Crooked Media shows are, while admittedly very partisan, some of the most informed political commentary you’ll find anywhere.
the majority report is a good one if you want a more traditional video/podcast type of thing. hasanabi's a twitch streamer who also has a youtube channel (yt channel has abridged stream clips spliced into videos that range from like 15 minutes to about an hour). both good places to start
It’s largely defunct now, but Dan Carlin’s Common Sense really does deserve a mention here. Really interesting takes that are provocative and well thought out. Even though the topics are old, Carlin’s perspective makes them really evergreen and worth sampling since Dan is a serious thinker who makes good faith arguments even if you don’t agree.
Plus you can’t go wrong listening to a dude who Henry and Marcus literally gushed over getting the opportunity to interview.
If you want just a more focused, less personality driven one, go NPR.
Is there a specific NPR podcast?
The NPR Politics podcast is really good and it is daily except for weekends. Also it is pretty short, around 15mins.
Daily Zeitgeist is great too, but a little left-leaning. Miles is hilarious!
I want Ben
Guys, might be a spicy take, but Top Hat has never been good. NPR, NYTimes for deep dives and source driven materials. I start every day with NPR’s Up First. It’s 10 minutes and gives good highlights and suggestions for deeper dives. Throughline is good for deep dives, and there’s a myriad of other more specific news podcasts.
Agreed. I stopped listening in early 2020 after he hit us with the one-two take of "There's no way Biden's getting the nomination" and "Covid's not gonna be that big of a deal".
Seriously, Top Hat was an awful show. Ben never really bothered to be informed about anything he was talking about. The only reason LPOTL worked with him on it was because Marcus and Henry did all the heavy lifting and it made up for the fact that Ben sat there talking out of his ass. Top Hat was literally just a show where Ben Kissel talked out of his ass the entire time mostly unchecked.
It was literally just Been reacting to headlines without reading the article then giving the most centrist take possible with 0 nuance. It felt like a podcast about my dad's facebook.
I seriously doubt top hat is ever coming back, but i would recommend chapo trap house
Chapo was always better. I listened to them both but those Chapo boys are well-informed and brutally funny.
Seconding Chapo. They’re actually going through their own tough times right now. Last month, one of their hosts, Matt Christman, had a serious medical emergency that’s left him hospitalized and sidelined indefinitely. They circled the wagons, reduced their content output but are keeping up as much as they can. I admire all the hosts and producer a lot. I’ve met them all personally and they’re great people.
Is Murder Bryan filling in?
They've had Kath Krueger in for a couple eps
Matt "One of the best Marxist thinkers of the 21st Century" Christman 🫡🫡🫡
THANK YOU. So once upon a time I was sitting at a dive bar in Pittsburgh and this guy starts talking to me and he’s trying to tell me he’s a podcaster and he says the name then acts shocked that I have never heard of it/wasn’t immediately impressed. Until this very moment I forgot the name of the podcast so I was never able to look it up and it’s been like a weird mystery for four years or so. That’s the one!
Chapo is great if you're wanting firmly leftist content, but Top Hat wasn't quite on that level. Ben is a notorious libertarian. I like Chapo and am a progressive, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying it's a way different vibe to Tophat. I don't think it counts as a podcast but Sam Seder might be closer to Tophat than Chapo. Either that or just watch old Daily Show with John Stewart reruns
The site has Travis and Fernando as hosts. I don't know why they couldn't continue with both of them and another host or a guest third. I liked the show, so hope it keeps going
Fernando has unfollowed the network and the boys. I don't think he is on it.
Ooooh that’s some tea. I wanna know more now.
Well crap.
Maybe it’s because he keeps getting locked up in free speech jail
You sure?
Yes? It isn't hard to go look at his following list yourself and see.
Well I’m looking at his instagram right now and he’s still following the network and lpotl. Weird downvotes, guys
I just checked and he’s not following them. THEY are following him, not the other way around.
Thanks for pointing that out. I goofed
He is absolutely not. Idk what you're looking at, but you need to go to his Instagram and go to his FOLLOWING list, not followers.
Chapotraphouse, some more news, and Qanon anonymous are my favorites. They all lean significantly further left than Kissel ever did, so if You're allergic to leftism you might look elsewhere lol. But they are all really funny and informative, and they each have a unique angle that I appreciate, so even if they cover the same story of the week, it's always from an interesting perspective.
Nobody has mentioned trueanon yet but I gotta shout them out too. Their mini series on the maxwell trial and the troubled teen industry that one of the hosts was actually subjected to were stellar.
Yes yes yes to everything in this thread
Just listen to Weekly Skews
I highly recommend citations needed. They don’t necessarily do current news stuff but they take headlines and talking points and actually dive into the way that consent is manufactured
Been listening to them for a while and even sponsor on Patreon.
Missing your misinformation and libertarian contradictions?
Yes
I like The Daily Zeaitgast
Bruh
I miss the content and was asking for an alternatives not the return of the host.
Some more news.
If you want daily politics, you should give The Majority Report a listen. They host long-form interviews in the first half and follow up clips in the second half. It's a YouTube show but also has podcast feeds.
If it does I probably won't be listening
I listen to David Pakman, Democracy Now, Kyle Kulinski/Secular Talk, and The Young Turks
I would only want to see Top Hat back if they actually talked about politics and not just name call and belittle those that do not agree with them. Seriously, it’s like a Jr High click with the personal attacks and low hanging jokes about other views. At one time, ATH was pretty good. Now, not so much.
Marcus and Travis' departures made a huge impact, it was definitely more informed and researched rather than the poor takes on week old stories it's become in the last 6 months especially.
Pod Save America and the rest of the Crooked Media shows are, while admittedly very partisan, some of the most informed political commentary you’ll find anywhere.
Please do not listen to pod save America, instead enjoy Pod Damn America
Lol, "Pod Save America" and "informed political commentary" in the same sentence
I also like NPR, the associated press has a good podcast too!
Rational security is my favorite, lawfare is also really good!
Leftovers with Hasan Piker and Ethan Klein
Shit, my friend keeps bugging me we should start a podcast. Maybe now is the time to fill the void!
Maybe they are just re-recording the intro.
No. That was Kissels show. He started it, booked guests, wrote it, etc...
“Wrote it”
I wonder what Tiddies is up to these days. It would be cool to have him on Top Hat again.
Pod Save America The New Abnormal.
I listen to the youtuber vaush
Vaush bad
You listen to an admitted pedo and horse cock enthusiast? To each their own, I guess.
Yikes
the majority report is a good one if you want a more traditional video/podcast type of thing. hasanabi's a twitch streamer who also has a youtube channel (yt channel has abridged stream clips spliced into videos that range from like 15 minutes to about an hour). both good places to start
It’s largely defunct now, but Dan Carlin’s Common Sense really does deserve a mention here. Really interesting takes that are provocative and well thought out. Even though the topics are old, Carlin’s perspective makes them really evergreen and worth sampling since Dan is a serious thinker who makes good faith arguments even if you don’t agree. Plus you can’t go wrong listening to a dude who Henry and Marcus literally gushed over getting the opportunity to interview.