Best Savage Critic Podcasts (2025)

1
A Big Shiny Goodbye 1:17:39

3M ago1:17:39

1:17:39

It's been an incredible run and we've read some truly terrible columns, but the time has come to say goodbye. After five years of covering the worst opinions Canadian media has to offer, Eric, Marino and Jeremy are moving on to greener pastures – hopefully there aren't any copies of the National Post lying around. Thanks to all of our guests, liste…

1
Taking Inspiration from Greek History With Evaggelos Vallianatos 49:03

3M ago49:03

49:03

The ancient Greeks had a profound influence not only on their own world, but also on what would become Western culture as a whole. In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim chats with Evaggelos Villianatos, a Greek scholar who sheds an interesting light on how his ancestors helped shape the science, arts, language and governments of the modern world…

1
A Primer on Cold Reading 37:39

4M ago37:39

37:39

The art of cold reading has convinced millions of people that gimmicks like crystal balls, palm reading, tarot cards, and other alleged paranormal abilities are real. People walk away from astrologers, mediums, and psychics saying "there's no way he could have known that" or other exclamations of amazement. But are these skills really paranormal, o…

1
Campus Manliness Crisis (ft. Dani Paradis) 51:48

4M ago51:48

51:48

Are Canada's universities being feminized? It's a topic that's been consuming Leigh Revers – so much so that he wrote about it at length in the bad takes newspaper of record, the National Post Men are foregoing higher education and instead chopping wood in the forest and spending all their money on beard oil. This leads to an imbalance in education…

1
Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Jews (ft. NiceMangos) 2:09:00

5M ago2:09:00

2:09:00

At this time of increased antisemitism, who better to give Jews free advice than Dr. Order and Chaos himself, Jordan Peterson? The problem is his piece, published in the Spectator (London), is riddled with antisemitic tropes and basic misunderstandings of Jewish liturgy. Polite Conversations host Eiynah (@nicemangos) joins us to talk about why Pete…

1
David Miles on Point of Inquiry 54:50

6M ago54:50

54:50

For most of human history, infectious diseases have wreaked havoc on humans. But beginning in the late 18th century, more and more of us beat back illness by getting immunized with vaccines. Today, vaccines are -- or should be – a part of every thinking person’s health regimen. But exactly what are vaccines and how do they work? How are they tested…

1
Save our campuses (ft. Mike Litwack) 1:30:49

7M ago1:30:49

1:30:49

Jews are under attack on campuses! Actually, Zionism is, but that's good enough for Michael Geist to write about an apparent scourge of antisemitism at Canada's universities. We're joined by University of Alberta English and film professor Mike Litwack (@mikeylitwack) to take a look at a piece that purports that nobody who supports Israel can feel …

1
We Might Have Committed Some Light Treason (Ft. Nora Loreto) 58:50

10M ago58:50

58:50

Fancying himself some sort of Judge Dredd of protecting Canadian culture, Christopher Dummitt writes in a special to the National Post how such actions as land acknowledgments or taking a plaque down in an art gallery are giving China an edge. Canadian patriot Nora Loreto joins us to explain why having a deep-seated sense of national pride probably…

1
Steve Hill on Point of Inquiry 1:05:19

11M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

When a business owner, ex-marine, and retired peace office is questioned and later arrested for what appear to be bigoted reasons, there should be recourse in our system of justice to right such a wrong. But Steve Hill is having a hell of a time finding help with his well-documented struggles. Should the fact that he is a black man and a member of …

1
Full Bisexual Panic! (Ft. Sarah Rieger) 1:21:28

11M ago1:21:28

1:21:28

"Are all these bisexuals for real? Or is this 'el gee bee tee cue' stuff just a fashionable trend? I'm just asking questions." That is about the extent of the analysis in this week's column from the Phoebe Maltz Bovy in Globe and Mail. Nevertheless, we torture ourselves and writer/pal Sarah Rieger by unpacking it. Join us for yet another incoherent…

1
Big Joe Goes to Little Oakville (ft. Scott Martin) 1:03:31

12M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Oakville Town Hall is under siege from a red scourge and Sun journalist Joe Warmington is on the case after a hot tip. Can the People's Champion make sense of the situation? Will anyone talk some sense into these misguided youngsters? Freelance journalist Scott Martin (@YouCaughtScott) helps us unpack what really went on that day, since Joe failed …

1y ago1:01:58

1:01:58

1
The Birthrate Episode (ft. Stephen Magusiak) 56:58

1y ago56:58

56:58

We love whinging about the fertility rate, don't we folks? The implications are grave, lowered birth rates could mean fewer DoorDash employees to bring columnists treats. BST Institute fellow Stephen @Magusiak of @pressprogress returns to pick apart a Globe and Mail opinion piece by John Ibbitson. According to Ibby, the ever-dwindling number of bab…

1
The Death of Woke (ft. Fae Johnstone) 1:10:48

1y ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Executive Director of @Wisdom2Action and @QueerMomentum and unstoppable dynamo @FaeJohnstone joins us to discuss how Sydney Sweeney's breasts fortell the death of wokeness – according to the National Post. In a column that reads like a horny Looney Tunes cartoon, Amy Hamm, who is a nurse apparently, brings the bizarre discourse around the young act…

1+ y ago32:32

32:32

1
Forces of Light and Darkness™ (ft. Chuka Ejeckam) 1:41:57

1+ y ago1:41:57

1:41:57

Chuka Ejeckam joins us again, this time to discuss the ongoing horror in Gaza and how Canadian pundits have assumed the role of IDF spokespeople. There’s no better example of this trend than Andrew Coyne, who wrote a column boasting of how little he’s learned since 9/11. Plugs and Recs UN Director for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human R…

1
Supreme Injustice 1:01:41

1+ y ago1:01:41

1:01:41

The U.S. Supreme Court -- that over sixty years ago ruled against state-led prayer in public schools -- has swung back the other way with a vengeance. The ultra-conservative majority on the current court has reversed 60 years of progress and put the rights of non-believers in jeopardy. In this episode, Jim Underdown speaks to Nick Little, former Di…

1
Cop Worship with the Nightscrawler 1:00:54

1+ y ago1:00:54

1:00:54

The Big Shiny Takes Institute has returned after the editor (Eric) spent the last month traveling the world in search of the shiniest takes. It turns out they were all right here in Canada. This week we return to an old favourite, the people's champion Joe Warmington, for a column about remembering police officers who passed away this year. Before …

1
Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera on the Challenge of Rallying the Nones 54:08

1+ y ago54:08

54:08

The Nones are on the rise! When asked about their religious affiliation, year after year, more and more Americans are choosing “none of the above.” The number of religiously unaffiliated Americans, which includes atheists and agnostics, has been rocketing up over the past couple of decades, and today these Nones make up about one-third of the Ameri…

1
The 18th Brumaire of Carson Jerema (ft. Emma Paling) 1:10:35

2y ago1:10:35

1:10:35

Jeremy and Marino are joined by The Breach co-ordinating editor Emma Paling (@emmapaling) to discuss a column from Carson Jerema, the National Post's comment editor, who in accordance with Post traditions doesn't seem to do much editing. According to Jerema, Pierre Poilievre's shrieking about the globalistsat the World Economic Forum isn't a conspi…

1
Getting to Know US Congressman Jared Huffman 36:54

2y ago36:54

36:54

Of the 535 Members of Congress, only one is an out-of-the-closet atheist. His name is Jared Huffman, and he is a U.S. Representative from Northern California. He is also the co-chair (with Rep. Jamie Raskin) of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, a group all secular Americans should know about and support. In this episode, Jim Underdown chats wit…

1
The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project 58:07

2y ago58:07

58:07

What happens when a group of skeptics from across the globe keeps score of over twenty years of psychic predictions? Any guesses? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, host Jim Underdown speaks to Rob Palmer and Richard Saunders of the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project about this ambitious effort to track the accuracy of those who claim to…

1
Childcare Conscription (ft. Hunter Crowther) 1:47:10

2y ago1:47:10

1:47:10

Things are so good in Canadian media. There's layoffs nearly every week. There's talk of the Toronto Star merging with Postmedia. The Online News Act was passed and as a result Google and Facebook are pulling Canadian news content from their platforms. (The Act isn't great and doesn't help independent media that much to begin with, but Google and F…

1
Andrew Coyne, Wannabe Scab (ft. Abdul Malik) 1:23:13

2y ago1:23:13

1:23:13

What do opinion columnists in this country think about strikes? Nothing worth reading on your own. In this episode the Big Shiny Takes Institute takes a look at an awful column on the PSAC strike that took place near the end of April and extended into May. The conventional wisdom of punditry was that the public would not support a public sector str…

1
MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 50:48

2y ago50:48

50:48

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California may be the world's premiere space exploration facility. From the earliest days of rocketry, JPL has been at the vanguard of designing and building rockets and spaceships. But the lab has a colorful history, and some of its founders broke the stereotypes of what a rocket scientist might be.…

1
Crackin’ a Cold One (ft. James Wilt and Kevin Taghabon) 1:36:03

2y ago1:36:03

1:36:03

The unthinkable has happened in Canada. A public body has offered new health recommendations and people are overreacting. How will society even function on two drinks a week? According to some, not at all. This week we are joined by author James Wilt (Drinking Up the Revolution, Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars) and co-founder of The Hoser Kevin …

1
Jennifer Michael Hecht on the Power of Poetry and the Weirdness of Existence 1:07:11

2y ago1:07:11

1:07:11

“Many of us who are happy to live outside religion still suffer from a lack of things religion gives its members,” writes historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht. “It seems to me the remedy to this suffering is a shift in the way we think about ritual and the poetry of our lives.” Hecht is our guest on this episode of Point of Inquiry. She’s the …

1
Wait, What? - The April Fools Edition 1:17:01

2y ago1:17:01

1:17:01

Fools Rush In When Ike Perlmutter Gets Rushed Out!By Jeff and Graeme @ waitwhatpodcast

1
Boat Tax (ft. Kyla Hewson and Kristen Pue from Pullback) 1:15:18

2y ago1:15:18

1:15:18

The Big Shiny Takes Institute has returned! This episode, while Jeremy is in his self-imposed book-writing exile, Eric and Marino are joined by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson of the Pullback podcast to read a baffling column by Jesse Kline. Jesse spends valuable column space concern-trolling about the Liberal's new luxury tax on vehicles, applicable t…

1
Cowards and Stigma (ft. Abdul Malik) 1:10:01

2+ y ago1:10:01

1:10:01

Our old pal Abdul (@MarxGasol) joins us for a public policy thought experiment courtesy of UBC business lecturer Adam Pankratz in the National Post: Should we destigmatize stigma? Maybe if drug users and unhoused people simply understood that what they were doing is bad and they should feel bad, we'd all be better off! Kidding aside, this perverse …

1
Social Media Re-Education Camp (ft. Evan Macdonald) 1:32:56

2+ y ago1:32:56

1:32:56

The last Kino standing, Evan Macdonald, joins us to talk about Dr. Jordan Bernt Peterson's latest made up scandal. The College of Psychiatrists of Ontario is asking him to take social media training, because he sucks at posting. The National Post's opinion page says this the greatest injustice of our day, but do any real people actually care? Tune …

1
Wait, What? - Episode 355 3:20:31

2+ y ago3:20:31

3:20:31

Join Jeff and Graeme for the last episode of the year, and the last regularly scheduled episode ever! In a three-plus hour wrap-up, we dip our toes into doing a Randy Newman podcast, try to spitball our best of lists more or less on the fly, play two last rounds of My Four Manga, listener and friend of the podcast Skye gives us a round of My Four W…

1
Drokk! Episode 46 2:35:34

2+ y ago2:35:34

2:35:34

Borag Thungg, Whatnauts! Time for Drokk!! After reading forty volumes of Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester pull a victory lap and read the epic Day of Chaos!It is all John Wagner in these two collected volumes, with extraordinary art by Henry Flint and Colin MacNeil as well as Ben Willsher, Edmund Bagwell, and Leig…

1
Vibes-based Journalism (ft. Andrew Neville) 1:10:03

2+ y ago1:10:03

1:10:03

Esteemed Twitter user and Dog Island alum Andrew Neville joins us to mock one of, and I'm not mincing words here, the worst pieces we have read. The culprit? None other than our old pal, Adam Zivo. In this piece (published in the Daily Hive lol) Zivo tries to use statistics to argue that crime is out of control. The problem? It's based on an opinio…

1
Wait, What? - Episode 354 2:04:19

2+ y ago2:04:19

2:04:19

Chloe Maveal joins us in this, our first December episode, for a two hour conversational romp discussing the San Francisco FanExpo, the beard of Pat Broderick and the non-charms of Lootcrate; A Friend of the Family, Avenue 5, and Slumberland; the huge Vertigo drop on DCUI Ultra; 20222 comic buying and reading stats from Jeff; Spotify Wrapped; and m…

1
New Discovery in the Chemistry of Life 44:37

2+ y ago44:37

44:37

Graham Cooks and his team at Purdue University have discovered a chemical process that has exciting implications for people who believe that life could have emerged spontaneously and through natural means. The idea that the building blocks of life started in a primordial ocean now has a competitor: airborne tiny water droplets. In this episode of P…

1
Wait, What? - Episode 353 2:55:48

2+ y ago2:55:48

2:55:48

It is our final episode for November and more than likely our final November episode ever! But do not fret: Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester are here to answer your questions about what we will be doing post-podcast, our favorite wrap-ups for series and stories; the upcoming Dawn of DC; what can go wrong when dealing with press embargoes; what our n…

1
The Unions Hate Your Kid (ft. Chuka Ejeckam) 1:05:14

2+ y ago1:05:14

1:05:14

The Big Shiny Takes Institute is back! We're joined by political researcher and new Friend of the Institute Chuka Ejeckam to read a very anti-union piece by the one and only Jesse Kline. Kline, the author of galaxy-brained takes about privatizing parks, is back and trying to frame striking workers as a malignant force threatening your children. To …

1
Drokk! Episode 45 2:10:50

2+ y ago2:10:50

2:10:50

Borag Thungg, Whatnauts! Time for Drokk!! Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester complete Operation: Drokk with this, the fortieth and latest (and final for our purposes) volume of Judge Dredd The Complete Case FilesTime for Total War as John Wagner and Henry Flint rewrite the map of MegaCity One with a megaprog that knocked our irradiated socks off! We a…

1
Wait, What? - Episode 352 2:31:45

2+ y ago2:31:45

2:31:45

November is here and Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester trail in its autumnal wake! Join us for a two and a half hour episode as we talk about Mission Hill, comic creator interviews then and now, our time together in Portland, trick or treating, the most uncomfortable way to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Fuse, the first fifty issues of Spawn, a…

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