The Worst Takes of 2023

V P

Please tell me your cat commented this.

Katie Swalm

you need a worst takes spreadsheet that you populate throughout 2025

Silly Goose

D xvcvx C.cz b. N Fbfancy.baa.cbvaB Bmaa Xbxbcacb V VicA Avcancnn N N Nac Acn ncaan Amn Acbcan N Xcaacn Acamcancaxvaaaaan an Acanacaan n scaavvaavcasvaaacaccbfancy.baa.

Alysha Pitts

I think about spatial relativity all the time

Amelia

The best feedback I can leave about this episode is it really ruined my evening. I kept having to go in and settle my crying baby but I was listening to this on my headphones and could not stop LOLing, which repeatedly stopped me being able to get her back to sleep in a timely manner.

Chad Romney

Always control for bisexuals!

Joe Unsen

My favorite part of this episode is when Michael dropped the atomic bomb of sighs around the 30:29 mark.

Laura B

Heya Peter, love your work. Just wanted to flag the mis-use of PTSD as a reference to a difficult time. I have complex ptsd and it's awful and really challenging to explain it's impacts sometimes and have people take it seriously. This article explains the concept much more eloquently. Thanks for being a creator and building a community where I feel comfortable providing the feedback. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/simplifying-complex-trauma/202301/are-you-misusing-the-term-trauma%3famp

John McFadin

If 2 parents are better than 1, then obviously 3 is even better, with 4 making it a cinch. Legislation to force Americans into polyamorous relationships now!

Violence Zack

This episode ended up being way more engaging than I expected it to be. Little nervous though that I might end up having to explain "ny times gay bucket hat" and "jerusalem post use war to lose weight" being in my search history at some point in the near future...

It's not you, it is confusing. See the instructions at https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/212055866-Subscribe-to-your-Audio-RSS-link-on-the-Patreon-app

Hallie Kushner

You are both hilarious. Laughing loudly at the orca section.

Elias Rosner

Doing the same when I saw this: https://www.wsj.com/articles/be-thankful-for-high-drug-prices-healthcare-policy-research-and-development-3e603ca8

Wow do I hate being that person in the comments who's like "how do I add Patreon-only episodes on Overcast" but here I am - just joined at the first tier, and after reading Patreon's link (and many more) I still can't tell how to use Overcast to access bonus episodes, because it asks for a URL that is apparently not /IfBooksPod/posts?

Nicholas Power

https://twitter.com/babadookspinoza/status/1753798541288382749?t=IcUkwDilxViBxhAA2pAz9w&s=19 saving for worst takes of 2024

Mary Ravella

Just want to say thanks for your rant about bisexual people who are in "straight" marriages! As one of those, I appreciate it!

I’m so late to commenting on this episode but had to chime in. Can’t believe I’m defending him, but Kissinger’s “I would be an anti-semite if I weren’t Jewish” comment was a joke. He follows with something like “can’t trust a group of people who has been hated for 3000 years”, it’s just some dark humor.

Re. The Roman Empire, Mary Beard gave a perfect answer: “for many men it’s a kind of a safe space to be macho”.

Moonlight

Two reactions after listening to "The Art of the Deal" episode : - Michael, I noticed that some episodes were longer and I actually think it's great! - Peter, I wish I could hear that Trump impression next time!

Robin

Can someone show me know to get the audio RSS feed? I'm not seeing the option in the place I was expecting.

My Roman empire is the structure of comedy and Thelonious Monk

Jonathan cronin

Thanks for a really great year of counterpoints to the drivel way too many take seriously. Your deconstruction of the arguments are so useful and pointed. That you do it with such humor (and distain!) is the best since the great MediaWhores blog of the late 90’s.

Rachael

Thank you for addressing the weird biphobia in the LGBTQ community!!! (it’s rampant with the straights too obv but hurts more coming from the queers)

Heather Seidle

Great episode. Thank you for being the highlight of many days this year.

i have a feeling the “wind caused the transatlantic slave trade” tweet didn’t make it and that makes me sad

Just listened to Womanizer and this lyric just brought me entirely back to this episode’s moment about marrying an incel or dating a republican: “Maybe if we both lived in a different world, yeah (Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer, womanizer) It would be all good and maybe I could be your girl But I can't, 'cause we don't!” Britney is so scathing and succinct about it.

Lots of very bad takes and enjoyable takedown of them…but how can the worst take of the year not be this claim that Trump is really a moderate and that his followers recognize this and it’s why they like him. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/opinion/trump-election-2024.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare