Used to be my favorite podcast but it’s become far too woke.

I have loved this show for many years. I don’t believe I can listen to another episode. The reporting on Mahmoud Khalil was so one sided. I do understand that many believe he should not of been detained. That is understandable. But the truth is he is at the very least a Hamas sympathizer. War is terrible but this episode along with the 51 days epsisode did not recognize the hurt and pain Israel has gone through. I strongly believe Khalil recognizes Hamas as a legitimate government in Palestine

Ira Glass is an American treasure. I’ve grown up listening to TAL and I’ll be listening to it as long as it exists, which I hope is always.

Remember when TAL was about telling stories? Now every single episode is out to save the world by its slightly veiled political agenda. I don’t feel very right or very left but TAL is hyper left and it gets old. Even when they do have someone right leaning it is a straw man, some ignorant hillbillies. It’s very condescending, very tiring. I listened to every single episode for years but I just stopped listening. I stopped in today hoping for a story but just more of the same divisive us and them stories. I guess Ira has done everything a person can hope for and now needs to “use his influence for gooood”! Sigh, blah, boring.

Used to be my favorite show when it was only on NPR. for whimsy, engaging satisfying stories about American life. Over the last 10 years ( yes I do keep coming back hopeful for a hidden gem ) EVERY SHOW seems to have a political bend. Yes, politics is a part of the American life, but there are interesting stories out there that don’t have to go down this road every time. Please. My brain needs a rest from politics. Give us back the day in a life stories that made this once a great show about the American experience.

All these negative comments because people can’t sit with the fact that America is complicit in genocide. Sorry to ruin your privilege in your cozy little corner of the world while YOUR TAX DOLLARS are murdering hundreds of thousands of people!! This is why Americans will always be hated by the world- because we are a self-absorbed, selfish, and SICK society.

Good podcast

TAL has exposed me to so many topics and experiences. Whether they leave me laughing or crying, I always feel a little more evolved for having listened. Thank you!

Before you dismiss my review as the rantings of a right wing NYer, I will disclose that I am left wing in my political views. But on this episode, Ira Glass sets out to defend the Palestinian population in the West Bank territories without providing accurate historical context, or truly any context. This may be because he himself did very little homework and does not know enough background about the people, places, and events he features. But that is not a good excuse. He weakens the position of the left by doing such a poor job. It reminds me that today on both sides of the political spectrum, listeners hear certain buzz words and they automatically nod in agreement and believe wholeheartedly. We’re losing our ability to think critically. Now that I’ve heard Ira speak so breezily, casually and completely without nuance and depth on a topic I know deeply, I have begun to wonder about his credibility on other topics he’s discussed on his show that I know less about. And one final question- in what way does this episode connect to the show’s title, This American Life? The left is losing its way, talking in an echo chamber and repeating the same arguments over and over without breaking any ground or offering any credible suggestions. Mr Glass, do a little more actual research if you think this is such an important topic. Taking a trip to the West Bank is great, but it shouldn’t constitute the extent of your reporting work.

I used to listen to this faithfully, but I can't ignore how bad it has gotten. Why do you make so many episodes pushing propaganda about the Middle East? This is supposed to be stories about America. No wonder NPR is getting defunded. At this point, you have no one to blame but yourselves.

Only reports on one side. I was a huge fan for years. Sad and shameful how it’s been since Oct 7th.

I’ve been listening to TAL for decades and also enjoy other NPR shows regularly. However the constant insertion of Israel and Gaza episodes turns me off. Maybe crate a separate feed or show for this topic an stick more to topics related ro American Life. Yes, I know Israel Gaza has an American nexus, but there not what I want from This American Life.

This American Life is the GOAT. It’s evolved over time. Deal with it! Thanks so much for your ongoing stories from Palestinians. It’s such a unique and intimate perspective.

This American life is unarguably one of if not the best podcasts of all time. But I have to give it such a low ratings because in the last year we’ve gotten almost exclusively reruns and episodes about the war in Gaza. Listen, I believe the war is an important issue. But this show used to be about American life! Please bring back feel good stories from America!

As a pro-Israel Jew, I find myself crying to the empathetic stories about Gaza. I just love this program. I’m so enthralled by it every week.

This podcast is amazing!

I’ve listened to the show for decades, and it was endearing. The people features drew me in. But now, those are far and few between. Remember the name of your podcast and go back to giving us glimpses of American life. I would pay for that.

Please don’t make the chaos graph a subscribers only episode. This is essential to hear. Please.

I love old This American Life episodes…but the fact that they rerelease them every week rather than producing new things is a bummer. To make it worse when a new episode *does* pop up about once a month it’s usually a serious/sad slog…I miss this feed bringing me discovery and joy =\

This show is never a miss. Sometimes I realize I’ve been smiling for an hour straight. Stories that will cling to you, people you’ll remember and voices you grow to adore. I love this show.

I am a longtime fan. This show is the best.

Pretty gross to esteem these grown women who are unrepentant about being cruel in high school. Allure? Please.

Where would we be without Ira? I feel that over the years Ira & company has brought so many people into my world that I never would have encountered otherwise. Some times it’s funny others truly heartbreaking but always memorable. Thank you

Full disclosure guys, this is petty. In episode 863 Championship Window, Act III begins with the baseball story. When he interviews a player on one of the college teams featured, David says the young man is studying to be a “physician’s assistant.“ When I graduated from PA school in 2001, it had already been many years since the profession lobbied to take the ‘s off. Astute fact-checkers today would learn that within the last year we actually changed the name again. We are now Physician Associates. Still not possessed by anybody. As delighted as I am, that anybody talks about us at all, I am going to hold you to a high standard and trust that you get it right next time. Yay for PAs.

Wish they’d stop playing repeats of the old eps and focus instead on making new episodes that are on par with the quality of storytelling in the earlier ones. Minus all the political stories. Mind you, I’m a lefty, but whether it’s left or right (ew), TAL was never about politics.

Mostly interesting and entertaining. But I don’t understand why they use music throughout. Very distracting. Wish they’d get rid of it.

Jonathan Goldstein should know that the phrase is “couldn’t care less” and the fact that they didn’t correct him and that being the last line of the piece is cringe.

This show never fails to make me laugh, smile, cry and get angry at life! It’s so well done that I find myself totally immersed in the show as I get ready for my day. It’s so lifts me up and helps me to have compassion for people I’ve never met and probably never will meet. It broadens my perspective of life.

Please work on your lip smacking, it’s getting loud ,

I am a LONG time listener of TAL and adore this show, but really? AI Platforms advertisements wedged into a show that (to me) is highlighted by its ability to shed light on social and cultural zeitgeists in a nuanced and well researched way. It’s genuinely shocking to hear Ira Glass deliver talking points in favor of the destruction of customer service at the expense of customers. Does anyone at NPR *actually* think that replacing a living breathing human who can provide you agency as a customer with an AI robot designed to lead you in circles is empowering consumers? I want everyone to imagine a world where your personal and difficult to explain issue can no longer be explained to a human being; where you don’t even get the option to yell “let me talk to a customer service representative!” 10x in a row before the robot finally transfers you. Is that a world in which we think AI empowers the consumer? Really? This is seriously embarrassing to listen to and I would expect so much better from this show. I understand big tech has a lot of money but they’re giving you this money *now* so they can save a boat load now and screw YOU over *later*.

Please stop allowing your reporters to use AI to help write their stories. I have loved this program for decades and it’s clear that your standards have changed.

Ira glass undoubtedly makes some of the best radio ever produced if not the best

I bought the This American Life app years ago when it was first offered. I rarely pay for apps but I wanted to support the show and was excited for access to the archive. The deal was, if you paid for the app, you got access to the whole catalog of past shows. I didn’t realize at the time that the purchase was conditional and I would have to pay again for the same thing. This time in the form of a monthly subscription I can’t afford. Disappointing.

The stories and topics are captivating, soul touching and so real. Keep up this work. I feel safe to say that everyone is patiently awaiting every new episode. Love!

I’ve listened to this podcast for years and loved the stories that gave us a glimpse into people’s lives, hence the name “This American Life.” Unfortunately in the recent year this podcast has become far too political. The writers are pushing their one sided political views on the audience. Huge bummer to see this podcast go downhill.

Liberal zionism is still zionism. Continuing to show the achilles heel of western media.

of Ira Glass that is on the show page? He looks like a dapper gentleman mouse, pleased to have just found a stash of Camembert behind the stove. Dear God, THIS is who I have had a sapiosexual crush on for three decades? Please change the photo.

Pre 2016ish, this was a truly beautiful show. Interesting and unique stories that were a delight to listen to. I still very much enjoy going back and listening to old episodes. However, Uri Berliner 100% spot on accurate with his expose about what happened @ NPR. The entire country knew it was, and is obviously true…good on him for having the courage to do that. But TAL is just simply another perpetrator of what URI describes. The people at TAL see their role as managing what the public thinks and believes, instead of just delivering beautiful and interesting stories and letting us discern our opinions and views ourselves. they want to try and mold us into sharing their preferred values. It’s a crisis in our society, but it is getting better! People are more aware than ever before of the bias of our “journalist” class. There’s even movement to remove public dollars from leftist institutions like NPR and PBS (which is one of the many things that ABSOLUTELY needs to happen if we have any hope of restoring trust in our institutions.) All that said..go back and listen to the pre 2016 episodes. They’re incredible, and I want to thank the TAL team that put those together.

I love this show for so many reasons, but the most important one is that it places our humanity above everything else ❤️🦋✊🏼

All you had to do was do a DNA test from any of the major DNA companies, Ancestry, 23&me, my heritage, and have your cousin do it as well at the same one. It would’ve shown if you were half brothers or not and it wouldn’t have cost a fortune. It also might’ve led you to know who your actual father was if you were interested. But I all in all, I absolutely love This American life.

I’ve been a listener for a very long time. I donate when I can. I’ve sent my letters about funding for public broadcasting. But now every episode is pay only. Well I really can’t swing that. Goodbye.

This is an awesome podcast! It is very interesting and you add so much detail! This podcast will never bore me! The one thing that I don’t like is how if you don’t have a subscription you don’t have as many options. But it also makes sense because it is hard to make money off of a podcast. In conclusion, this is an amazing podcasts, with amazing stories!

Too many Subscribers Only episodes.

Monke.

Yea, that didn’t age well.

I’ve been listening to TAL since before podcasting was formal thing. Since the radio days. I was so enthralled by stories of all the different facets of life, from the weird, to the quirky, to the sad, to the happy. Every episode was a different experience. These days it’s SO political and responsive to politics and world events. It’s exhausting. I don’t need to be preached to or convinced. I want those glimpses into life that we rarely get to see, not what we’re being bombarded by every single day in the media and the news cycle. TAL has lost its charm for me. Life is about more than the headlines and politics and the social causes.

There are so many thing to listen to but “American Life “ stands at the top. Can’t say enough.

I look forward every weekend to This American life and the subscriber edition. It’s funny, meaningful and so incredibly well written.

Years ago I bought their app with a promise to have access to “all past and future shows”. Well, they discontinued that and now want you to pay monthly for their subscription service?? So many reruns and the new shows that do come out are either about Gaza or Trump. You can’t decline quality AND want to charge for your content.

I’ve loved TAL for years but it’s no fun to listen to constant episodes of gloom and doom around all that’s wrong in the country or world. Need more just story telling over very one sided stories. It’s tiring and no fun to listen to an hour of it.