Bullseye with Jesse Thorn
Bullseye from NPR is your curated guide to culture. Jesse Thorn hosts in-depth interviews with brilliant creators, culture picks from our favorite critics and irreverent original comedy. Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney's, which called it "the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world." (Formerly known as The Sound of Young America.)

Our real page...

This isn't our actual webpage!! If you'd like to learn more about the show, please visit us at maximumfun.org. For regular updates, visit The Sound of Young America Blog.

Categories

podcasts
general
Podcast

Archives

2024
April
March
February
January

2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2013
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2008
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2007
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2006
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2005
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April

Blogroll:

Syndication

Alison Brie is the star of beloved television shows CommunityMad Men and BoJack Horseman. She joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye to talk about her latest: Apples Never Fall. We get into her time growing up in South Pasadena and what she learned about herself while working on the physically demanding wrestling tv series GLOW. Does she think the long-awaited Community movie is actually happening? Only one way to find out!

Direct download: NPR7334340323.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06pm EDT

Paula Pell spent 18 years behind the scenes as a writer on Saturday Night Live. These days, you can see her on Girls5Eva–a sitcom about a 90s girl group that reunites today. She plays Gloria, the queer elder of the group making the most of their second wind. When she joined the show back in 2019, Pell starred in Wine Country alongside a few SNL legends. She also gave us an insider’s view on some of her more controversial work on the late-night comedy staple.

Direct download: NPR9592917378.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:04pm EDT

Shabaka Hutchings makes brilliant, beautiful genre blending songs. His music is vivid, complex, and hypnotic. He recently hung up his saxophone and is playing the flute these days. When Shabaka joined the show back in 2021, his band Sons of Kemet had just put out a record called Black to the Future. He talked with us about making the new record during quarantine. He also discussed being an only child, the first instrument he learned to play, and his love of old school gangster rap.

Direct download: NPR9724019261.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:01pm EDT

On the latest episode, R&B singer SiR joins us to talk about his new record Heavy, growing up in Inglewood and his musical family. Plus, he gets vulnerable and frank about his path to sobriety.

Direct download: NPR4454904813.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:59am EDT

Actor and comedian Jenny Slate has starred in films like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Obvious Child and Everything Everywhere All at Once. She just released her second comedy special, Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional , and joins us to talk all about it. The MaxFunDrive is still going strong – right now is the best time to support Bullseye and the Max Fun podcasts you love by starting a monthly membership or upgrading your existing one! Learn more at https://maximumfun.org/join.

Direct download: NPR9920501355.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:47pm EDT

There aren’t many actors who can straddle the worlds of high art and blockbusters as deftly as John Malkovich. His latest project is The New Look, a TV show on Apple TV +. The series takes place in Nazi-occupied France and tells the story of how France’s fashion industry navigated a terrifying, inhuman reality. John Malkovich joins us to chat about The New Look and his love of fashion. He also talks to us about his upbringing and early years as a performer. Plus, we also get into one of our most favorite scenes of his from the film Burn After Reading.

Direct download: NPR9043783831.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44pm EDT

Peter Dinklage joins us on the latest episode to talk about his new film American Dreamer and working alongside Shirley MacLaine. We also get into Game of Thrones and his time breaking into the industry. Plus, he talks about his time as a singer in a pop-punk band and getting a scar at the legendary venue CBGB’s!

Direct download: NPR8738845593_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:43pm EDT

Kali Reis is one of the greatest boxers in the world. She currently has a record of 19-7-1 and has two championships in two weight classes. Recently, she’s made a pivot from boxing to acting. She first starred in the indie film Catch the Fair One, and her latest role is in HBO’s True Detective: Night Country . Kali Reis joins the show to talk about the new season of True Detective, what it’s been like to break into acting and more.

Direct download: NPR3655007249s.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41pm EDT

Bill Bradley has lived many lives. He’s a two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and former U.S. Senator. He recounts all of this and more in his one-man show, Rolling Along: An American Story. Bill joins Bullseye to talk about his theatrical performance, his 2000 run for President of the United States, and so much more.

Direct download: NPR1053694202.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:38pm EDT

Musician Laura Jane Grace fronts the punk band Against Me. On the latest , episode Jordan Morris chats with Laura about her early days playing shows in laundromats, her love of Guns N’ Roses, and what it’s like to record an album while in quarantine. Laura Jane Grace’s latest album Hole in my Head is out now and available on her Bandcamp. Jordan Morris co-hosts a new podcast with Emily Fleming on Maximum Fun called Free with Ads. A version of this interview originally aired in November of 2020.

Direct download: NPR9134418677.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:36pm EDT

Bob Edwards died last month. He was 76. A radio legend and a pioneer of public radio, Edwards was the original host of Morning Edition when the program launched in 1979 – a position he held for nearly 25 years. In that time he won a Peabody award and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Direct download: NPR5622846452.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:35pm EDT

Corb Lund is a country and western musician from Alberta, Canada. He’s been recording music since the nineties and just released a new record called El Viejo. Like his earlier work, it’s clever, plain spoken and beautifully produced.When Jesse first talked to Lund, back in 2010, it was at a folk festival up in Calgary – his hometown. Now, he joins us in the studio with his guitar to talk about the new album and play a few songs.

Direct download: NPR8446314346.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:33pm EDT

Catherine Opie’s photographs have been shown in museums all over the world. Her career spans nearly four decades. Breathtaking photographs of queer and fetish communities, street photography in Los Angeles, portraits of surfers, her friends and families. She joins us to talk about her latest exhibit — a retrospective at Regen Projects. Plus, she tells us about the time she made her own dark room in her childhood bathroom, and also some of the incredible historical items she collects.

Direct download: NPR8155321039.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:31pm EDT

Sacha Jenkins has chronicled hip-hop culture for decades now. He is one of the founders of the legendary magazine Ego Trip and has produced documentaries on Wu-Tang Clan and Cypress Hill. His new documentary, All Up In The Biz, highlights the life and rhymes of the late rapper Biz Markie, known for his 1989 hit “Just A Friend.” Sacha Jenkins sits down with us to talk about Markie’s legacy and unconventional approach to life and music.

Direct download: NPR8420969000d.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30pm EDT

Ten years ago Seth Meyers hosted the NBC show Late Night for the first time. Taking on a gig like that might seem a bit daunting, but Seth was up for the challenge. He’s since gone on to interview hundreds of guests, create thousands of regular segments and navigate a pandemic-induced lockdown. Seth Meyers joins us on the show to talk about all things Late Night. He shares what ideas he had when first starting the show, what he loves about hosting it, how it’s evolved over the years and much more.

Direct download: NPR5385689044.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:01pm EDT

Chloë Sevigny is known for a lot of things in showbiz – but she is perhaps best known for being cool. She has an impeccable fashion sense and makes waves in that world. She’s an Oscar nominated actor for her role in Boys Don’t Cry. An indie darling in films like The Last Days of Disco and Broken Flowers. Chloë talks with Jesse about how she kept it cool after all these years. We’ll also geek out with Chloë about her making own clothes.

Direct download: NPR7416612474.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:59pm EDT

Meshell Ndegeocello has made a career as a bassist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She’s been performing professionally for over thirty years now and has recorded albums spanning folk, rap, rock, blues, you name it. Just a few weeks ago she earned a Grammy for her album The Omnichord Real Book. When we had Meshell on the show back in 2009, she’d recently released her album The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams. She talked with us about the album, coming up in DC’s go-go scene, imagining the sound of the bass and more.

Direct download: NPR3353764143.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:58pm EDT

The Nancy comic strip is one of the most iconic and influential strips out there. It’s a comic snob’s favorite, but you also don’t have to be a super fan to love it. Cartoonist Bill Griffith is a comic nerd who loves Nancy. Last year he released a graphic biography about the creator of Nancy. It’s called Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller. It’s a beautiful appreciation of Bushmiller’s work. Bill Griffith joins the show to talk about the book and the long-lasting impact that Nancy has had on comics.

Direct download: NPR9405210753.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:21pm EDT

We must break him! Dolph Lundgren’s performance in Rocky IV features two of the most memorable pieces of dialogue in the storied franchise. Dolph stops by to chat about his time dating Grace Jones, the Rocky audition that almost never happened and his new movie: Wanted Man.

Direct download: NPR1115687150.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:18pm EDT

Bob Mortimer is a comic and author, renowned for his work in the British comedy double act Vic and Bob. These days, Mortimer is also a novelist. We talk with Mortimer about his mystery novel The Clementine Complex, his debut in the U.S., loosely based on Mortimer’s time as a lawyer.

Direct download: NPR6799294295.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:15pm EDT

Trace Lysette is an actor, rapper and former drag performer. Last year, she had her first lead role in a film called Monica. It is a wonderful, quiet, haunting drama about a trans woman caring for her estranged mother who is terminally ill. We talk with Trace about her work in the film and about how her years as a drag performer helped her find her gender identity. Plus, we also take a listen to a few of her rap tracks.

Direct download: NPR7760514954.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:14pm EDT

Jo Firestone’s comedy special Good Timing is the culmination of months of work from her and a group of senior citizens who wanted to learn stand-up comedy. Jo joins us to talk about the special, and what she learned from her students. She also talks about researching her role as a doomsday prepper on one of our favorite TV shows: Joe Pera Talks With YouA version of this interview originally aired in October of 2021.

Direct download: NPR1195915120.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:12pm EDT

Prodigy formed Mobb Deep alongside his partner Havoc when they were teenagers. Together the duo basically started gangster rap for the East Coast. When he joined the show back in 2011, Prodigy had just written a biography called My Infamous Life. He talked with us about the book and also his lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia. In 2017, he was hospitalized for his anemia and died while in care. Late last year, the FDA approved a new therapy to treat and almost eliminate symptoms of sickle cell disease. Had it been available to Prodigy when he was alive, there’s a good chance he’d still be here today.

Direct download: NPR8591275931.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:10pm EDT

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X) aren’t what they used to be. Some of those social media platforms have changed beyond recognition, many others have just become harder to use. In 2022, Cory Doctorow put a word to it: ens**tification. Cory joins us to talk about his book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation, and what we can do when platforms change. Plus, how the internet can become a better, more rewarding place.

Direct download: NPR1786769991.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:07pm EDT

Craig Robinson is likely in some of your favorite shows. The OfficePineapple Express. And of course, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. These days, he’s got a series of his own. It’s called Killing It. On Bullseye, Robinson stops by to chat about the show’s second season. We ask him about his character Craig and whether or not he’s a fool for chasing the American Dream. Plus, Robinson gets real about his own career and whether or not he thinks he’s made it.

Direct download: NPR7865596583.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:04pm EDT

Benny Safdie has done work on both sides of the camera. He’s starred in movies like Oppenheimer and co-written and directed films like Uncut Gems. Recently, he co-created and starred in a new series called The Curse. It’s a very intense show that runs from stomach-flipping cringe to stomach-flipping actual genuine terror. Benny joins us to talk about The Curse and how it all came together. Plus, we get into his time as a stand-up comedian.

Direct download: NPR6217244821.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:06pm EDT

Paul Dooley is a true showbusiness legend. He’s played some iconic dads in films like Sixteen CandlesRunaway Bride and Breaking Away. His book Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On-Screen and Off is about his seven decades in the business. Paul joins us to talk about his memoir and dives into his lengthy career including some more unusual gigs. He also gets into what it was like to portray dads on the big screen while his own family was facing difficult circumstances.

Direct download: NPR1998116455.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:32pm EDT

Sonia Manzano is a legend of kids TV. She played Maria on Sesame Street for four decades and changed what children’s media looked like. In 2021, she premiered a children’s cartoon of her own called Alma’s Way. On Bullseye, we’re looking back at our conversation with Sonia: she talked with us about the show’s first season and her childhood in the Bronx. Plus, what it’s like when she meets fans in real life. Turns out: lots of tears!

 

Direct download: NPR7533572968.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:21pm EDT

Norman Lear died last month. He was 101. Lear was a writer and showrunner for some of the biggest, most influential sitcoms of all time. He’s responsible for shows like Sanford and SonAll in the FamilyThe Jeffersons and many more. When Lear was on Bullseye back in 2016, he was the subject of a PBS American Masters film — Norman Lear: Another Version of You. He talked with us about his childhood, working on so many sitcoms, and writing for an all Black cast.

 

Direct download: NPR4368265612.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:27pm EDT