Podcast Chion Wolf

Everybody knows the "Can you hear me now?" guy. And everyone knows Flo from Progressive. But what are the stories behind Paul Marcarelli and Stephanie Courtney, the actors who play these characters? What's it like being internationally known as the face of a brand? What's awesome about a gig like this, and what are some of the challenges that come …

When you think of the word, "Psychopath", what do you picture? A serial killer? A dictator? A cut-throat CEO? Your ex? Sure, a few of those folks may be psychopaths. But many people with this mental health condition would argue that the usual stereotypes are way off. They are incapable of feeling empathy or developing any attachments, but that does…

When you think about the history of things that have gone viral, poetry is not usually what comes to mind. But as the latest surges in violence rage across the world, it turns out that poetry is something folks unite around. Meet three people whose poems about war have gone viral, and find out how it both fed their purpose and GUESTS: Lena Khalaf T…

Look at the people in the background of any rich person's dinner party - real or fictional - and you'll see them: The butlers. How did they get there? How did they learn? And what do they get out of it - beyond the money, of course? To answer those questions the founder and CEO of The International Butler Academy joins us alongside his executive he…

Until 2003, very few people knew her name, and that was exactly as she liked it. She was an undercover CIA operative working to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - specifically, nuclear weapons. But then, when members of the Bush administration leaked her identity to a journalist, all hell broke loose. Hear about why she beca…

Some people collect stamps. Coins. Trading cards. And as you've heard on our show before, some people collect barf bags. Tiny chairs. Bricks. And some people's collections are a bit… darker. Today, come with me as I tour the John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal in Stratford, CT, containing hundreds of objects that are suspected of being haunted. An…

Oh my gourd do we want you to meet a man who set a world record for riding his giant pumpkin down the Missouri river! And hold your breath as you hear from two women who won an underwater pumpkin carving contest! And since it’s officially decorative gourd season, meet the author of that McSweeney's essay whose enthusiastic profanity somehow brings …

Back in the day — with your Walter Cronkites and David Brinkleys — it felt kind of inappropriate for an interviewer to bring their full selves to the conversation. It was all about the guest, after all, so why bother bringing their own distinctive flairs? But now, people tune in as much for the interviewer as the one being interviewed. And because …

Mehdi Hasan is the host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and Peacock. His latest book is called Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Ziwe and Gayle King. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Ziwe is a comedian, writer, actor, executive producer and star of ZIWE on Showtime. She is also known for her web series, Baited. Her book is called Black Friend: Essays. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Mehdi Hasan and Gayle King. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio…

Gayle King is the co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. Curator of the book, Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Mehdi Hasan and Ziwe. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Bởi Connecticut Public Radio

Tired of the same old sports? Well, listen to our show about weird sports! Including extreme ironing, where people press their clothes at the top of volcanoes, in caves, even while hanging upside down in trees! And there's cheese rolling, where people chase a cheese wheel which is barrelling down a steep hill. And then there's the oh, so British sp…

Puns: some hate ‘em, some like 'em, and some are so passionate about being punny, so committed to quips, so delighted by double entendre, that they compete in events like the Punderdome. The Punderdome is a monthly wordplay competition in New York where newbies go round after round, coming up with puns on a surprise theme, alongside some of the bes…

In the movies, cyborgs often don't have a soul or a conscience. But in real life, some people become cyborgs in order to enhance the human experience and to be more connected with nature. Like Neil Harbisson. He was born colorblind, but now, thanks to an antenna implanted into the base of his skull, he can hear colors! And choreographer, Moon Ribas…

When Jenn Carson was nine years old, her mother sat her down and told her that her father had been arrested for hurting people.The world would later find out that Michael Bear Carson and his second wife, Suzan Carson, were serial killers.Hear how Jenn went from a traumatized little girl to a mental health advocate and crisis counselor, advocating a…

In 2006, dog trainer Toby Dorr, , made international headlines when she snuck John Manard, who was incarcerated for life, out of prison in a dog crate. They were on the run for 12 days, until it all came to a crashing halt. In this second installment of our "Why'd You Do It?" series, find out what went into all the choices Toby made, before, during…

Many of us would think that feelings of arousal would always be welcome! And maybe we would even want more of it. But for our guests on this episode, persistent genital arousal disorder has made life very difficult. One woman copes with more than 100 orgasms a day, another searches for peace as her body is stimulated by emotions of all kinds, and a…

If you told comedian Zarna Garg five years ago that she would have her own Amazon comedy special, she might look at you funny. So to speak. She immigrated to the United States at 16 years old to leave a difficult family situation. Then, she became a lawyer and a stay-at-home mom. But in her mid-40s, she began exploring the comedy world, which has b…

"Never again." That was the vow the international community took after the Holocaust, pledging to never repeat the kind of actions that led to the death of over 6 million Jewish people. Unfortunately, the horrors of genocide have been seen again - in Armenia, in Rwanda, and now, in China. On this episode of Audacious, meet a woman who was assaulted…

As part of NautiWeek, you’ll meet two people who broke world records while underwater on this episode of Audacious. Budimir Šobat won a world record for holding his breath underwater for almost 25 minutes! What advice on breathing does he have for the rest of us? Then, we connect with Dr. Joe Dituri, first as he was living in a hotel 30 feet below …

When you know you’re months, maybe weeks away from your own death, what do you most want people to know? As the first in a series of conversations with people near the end of their lives, we get to know David Meyers. He was a physician who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018. He died on June 2nd, 2023. Hear his reflections on life, love, and wh…

When you imagine an umpire, a chess arbiter, or a boxing referee… Do you picture women? Today, you'll hear stories from three women in the sports world who are thriving in those particular positions of power. GUESTS: Kristi Howard: 11-year veteran softball umpire in Mississippi. After getting punched in the face by an angry parent, she is advocatin…

Imagine you found out when you were a teen that your father was not your biological father. That is what happened to both of our guests on this episode of Audacious. One woman, Eve, then found out that her biological father was not the sperm donor her parents chose, but their fertility doctor. This is called “fertility fraud“. It is only illegal in…

Hey there! This is the VERY much extended conversation that Chion had with the writer Athena Walker. She's got over 40,000 followers on Quora, where she talks about what it's like being a clinically diagnosed psychopath. Please do check out the original episode posted just before this one, which also includes our conversation with Dr. James H Fallo…

When Shannon Litchfield’s 11 year-old son, Cameron, was losing weight and feeling sick, she took him to the emergency room. The x-ray they saw showed magnets, screws, and yarn in his stomach. We’ll explore the eating disorder known as Pica, where people are drawn to eating objects. A researcher talks about her findings after completing a research s…

Do pathological liars always believe the stories they tell? What does it take for them to see the patterns behind their lies? And what does honesty sound like from someone who has spent most of their lives making things up? Two people talk about what it’s like to learn to tell the truth, and a researcher on deception shares how you can most effecti…

Almost 1000 people have won Nobel Prizes. But only 300 have won IG Nobel Prizes! That’s the award honoring achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.In this episode, meet the creator of the prize, and three people who’ve won it!GUESTS: Marc Abrahams: Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements …

What makes a man who grew up in the American south suddenly sound like he has a British accent? Hear from Kenley Byrd, who’s had this accent since he had a mini-stroke thirteen years ago. He is one of fewer than 100 known people in history to have Foreign Accent Syndrome. And find out what we know - and what we don’t know - about this extremely rar…

Imagine if everything you heard - a door clicking shut, a passing car, dishes being put away, even your own voice - was excruciatingly loud. Hear how one man copes with hyperacusis. And a flute player talks about how she managed her hyperhidrosis - or extreme sweating - when she was playing Carnegie Hall and in everyday life. Listen to the extended…

When you imagine an emotional support animal, what comes to mind? A dog? Well how about a pigeon? A sugar glider? Or an emotional support pig? Meet people who’ve paired up with these animals to make their lives - and mental health conditions - better. GUESTS: Cynthia Zhou: Miu was her emotional support pigeon from 2016 to 2021. She is an advocate f…

Nietzsche once said, “It is what one takes into solitude that grows there, the beast within included.” This episode features three people who experienced solitude: by choice and not. There’s a winter caretaker at Yellowstone, a runner-up from the History Channel show, Alone, and you'll hear from a Connecticut man who spent almost 30 years in solita…

When people imagine becoming parents, they don’t often envision their child being born with a condition that requires lifetime care. Hear reflections and wisdom from “forever parents” whose children have autism with anxiety and OCD; a disorder that caused 100 seizures a day; and Down Syndrome. GUESTS: Carrie Carriello: Mother of five children, incl…

Hey, kids! Did you know there are grown ups who are just as obsessed with Disney as you? There's an adult out there who has full-sleeve tattoos of Disney characters, another who’s spent tens of thousands of dollars on merch, and one guy even set a world record for visiting Disneyland for almost 3,000 days in a row! Those are just some of the Disney…

Ah, Craigslist’s Missed Connections. Where else can you find that attractive guy you saw at that concert? Or the lady in the laundromat who held your gaze? Or reconnect with your long lost hairstylist? Hear those stories, plus what a researcher learned from studying over 10,000 posts. And what does it sound like when two Tony-nominated songwriters …

Olusanya Bey is many things, but he's best known as a “love poet." But that title comes after much deep, philosophical pondering: What does writing about love do for - and to - him? Must he have a tangible muse? And how does a love of self affect love for others? Hear Olusanya Bey in Chion’s backyard for this third installment of a series of conver…

Imagine you’re at the beach, taking in the scenery, breathing in the fresh ocean air, when the sun hits something floating in the water just right… It’s a bottle! With a message inside that looks totally intact!Meet people who’ve found - and gotten back - their messages in bottles, and hear about one that was thrown from the Titanic. GUESTS: Stefan…

When we talk about people getting struck by lightning, we don’t often think, “wait, what does that really do to a person?” A lightning strike expert talks about the physical and psychological effects of lightning hitting the human body, and tells us exactly what to do when a storm is coming. Then, meet one woman whose personality and body changed f…

In 2000, Sigrid Wade began writing to people on death row to express her solidarity against that kind of punishment; she never thought she’d end up marrying one of them and having a child. But that’s exactly what happened between her and Alan Wade. Meet a sociologist who studies relationships like theirs, and hear directly from Sigrid and Alan abou…

When you know you’re months, maybe weeks away from your own death, what do you most want people to know? As the first in a series of conversations with people near the end of their lives, we get to know David Meyers. He’s a physician who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018. Hear his reflections on life, love, and what really matters. An extende…

This is a special extended version of my conversation with Dr. David Meyers. After five years of living with glioblastoma, a brain tumor, he is nearing the end of his life. He talks about what matters most to him, gives advice for those of us who aren't so willing to ponder death deeply, and shares how he wants to be remembered. Support the show: h…

What if, for as long as you can remember, you’ve strongly felt as though one of your healthy limbs just doesn't belong? You’ve always wished it could be amputated. You aren’t the only person with this feeling, but you would be one of fewer than 400 documented cases of body integrity dysphoria (BID) or body integrity identity disorder (BIID) in the …

Beatboxing is so cool! Not only do you have portable access to a full drum set, but also to trumpets, guitars, turntables, and whatever else your body can imitate! It’s a fine art that is fully embodied. Meet three beatboxers: One of the first on the scene to develop the craft, another who uses it to connect to herself and the rest of the world, an…

All children are special. All twins are special! And these twins are especially… special! On this episode, meet twins who: -Were conceived 30 years ago and only born last year -Were born on each side of the millennium -Survived separation surgery in 2004 -Are, at six years old, still conjoined at the sternum GUESTS: Rachel and Philip Ridgeway: Pare…

Last time, we did an episode about dominants in the world of BDSM and kink, and now? It’s time for the submissives to take center-stage. Learn the difference between “submissive” and “slave”, and four people’s interpretations of what it means to obey, serve, and play. GUESTS: Kate Kinsey: Author of How to be a Healthy and Happy Submissive: A Practi…

Meet a world-renowned expert on kink who will explain exactly what we’re talking about when we talk about dominants. And you’ll meet three very different kinds of dominants in the BDSM world: One who is particularly sensual, one whose power lies in money, and one whose disability is just another component of his power. This is the first of two epis…

When you hear the words, “cuddle party”, what do you picture? Something playful? Something salacious? Something… else? When your culture equates affection with attraction, how does it feel to challenge that connection? And to what degree can affection be healing when it isn't necessarily connected with sex? Join Chion as she ponders all this during…

Doing stand-up comedy isn’t easy for most human beings… So what’s it like for comedians who have a disability like cerebral palsy, amputations, or Tourette's? GUESTS: Maysoon Zayid: Palestinian-American comedian, actress, and disability activist with cerebral palsy. She is the co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comed…

Hoarding disorder, as defined by the Mayo Clinic, is “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.” On this episode of Audacious, an expert on hoarding disorder explains the nuances of the condition. Then, a woman walks Chion through her home as she explores new ways to declutter her house…