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Artwork for Plain English

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer
Obesity
U.S. Housing Market
Henry Kissinger
U.S. Foreign Policy
Housing Affordability
Glp-1 Medications
Vietnam War
China Relations
Mortgage Rates
Millennial Homeownership
Glp-1 Drugs
Weight Loss
Behavioral Health
Healthcare Economics
Need For Chaos
Middle East
Yom Kippur War
Cambodia
Rental Market
Diabetes

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes340Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
News CommentaryNews

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Artwork for Plain English

Latest Episodes

Throughout December and January, we’re going to be re-airing some of our favorite episodes of the past year and beyond. This list includes interviews that really stuck with me and some others that you guys had tons of feedback and thoughts on … inclu... more

Throughout December and January, we’re going to be re-airing some of our favorite episodes of the past year and beyond. This list includes interviews that really stuck with me and some others that you guys had tons of feedback and thoughts on … inclu... more

One of my favorite theories about the modern world is the idea that culture is "stuck." Whether the decline of ornamentation in modern architecture, or the fact that every corporate logo looks the same now, or the fact that Gen Z's favorite televisio... more

The University of California San Diego is one of the best public colleges in America. So it was fairly shocking when the school released a report on the steep decline in academic preparedness of its freshman. The number of incoming students in need o... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Laurie Santos
Cognitive scientist at Yale University and host of the Happiness Lab Podcast.
Yale University
Episode: Plain English BEST OF: How to Be Happy and the Science of Cognitive Time Travel
Anton Korinek
Economist at the University of Virginia researching advanced AI and its economic implications.
University of Virginia
Episode: How Superintelligent AI Could Upend Work and Politics
Michael Batnick
Economic commentator and co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast
Animal Spirits Podcast
Episode: Are Young People Screwed?
Ben Carlson
Economic commentator and co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast
Animal Spirits Podcast
Episode: Are Young People Screwed?
Matt Yglesias
Writer at Slow Boring and political commentator
Slow Boring
Episode: The Democrats Have a New Winning Formula
Ken Burns
Acclaimed filmmaker known for documentaries on American history
PBS; Ken Burns Productions
Episode: How the American Revolution Changed the World, With Ken Burns
Jonathan Cohen
Author of Losing Big, America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling
Episode: The Problem With Sports Gambling
Michael Lewis
Best-selling author known for works like Liar's Poker and The Big Short
Episode: Michael Lewis on How the Global Financial Crisis Explains Trump, Crypto, and Everything Else
Ethan Mollick
Professor of Management at Wharton specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Wharton
Episode: What Happens When AI Learns to Do Our Jobs

Host

Derek Thompson
Host of Plain English, known for his clarity in discussing complex topics and engaging commentary on current events.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 7.9k ratings
  • Patronizing Corporate Democrats conspiring to manipulate the base

    Patronizing Corporate Democrats conspiring to manipulate the base

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    mjpeez19
    United Statesa month ago
  • Matt Yglesias is why we hate dems

    Having Matt Yglesias discuss affordability is why Americans hate dems. People scream that the country is unaffordable for the working class, he says “you’re wrong!” Dems must stop listening to that man, just as I’ve stopped listening to this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    TLaball
    United Statesa month ago
  • Is it plain though?

    I don’t know that the title holds when you hear a quote like “You know your economic activity is bubblicious if you try to dress it up in financial opacity” but I enjoy listening all the same. 😛 Thanks for your hard work and quality guests!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    KittyJamiroquai
    United Statesa month ago
  • Highly recommend

    Today’s world is messy and complicated. This podcast makes me believe in journalism in an age where polarization and thoughtless opinions permeate. Derek dives into a great range of subjects that are extremely relevant to today’s challenges by talking with thoughtful and intelligent guests. While journalism requires reporting on problems, this show does an incredible job at doing so while also providing hope for ways to overcome challenges. I believe the world is better than it can seem online.... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    golfer4lyfe!
    United Statesa month ago
  • Fresh voices

    I like that the guests aren’t the same handful of people doing the media rounds or promoting a new book. They’re often lesser-known voices or experts connected to a story in a more unexpected way.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pau8304
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the clarity and depth of discussions, highlighting the variety of insightful guests they engage with.
Positive reviews mention the podcast's ability to cut through complexity in news stories, fostering informed dialogues.
Some listeners express concerns over perceived political biases, suggesting the content sometimes resonates with one side of political discourse more than the other.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#50
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#20
United States/News/News Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#102
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#18
Canada/News/News Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#25
United Kingdom/News/News Commentary
Apple Podcasts
#119
Canada/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Plain English BEST OF: How to Be Happy and the Science of Cognitive Time Travel
Q: How do you define happiness in your life versus happiness for your life?
Laurie distinguishes between feeling happy in the moment and having a broader satisfaction with life, ultimately tying happiness to the concept of purpose.
Plain English BEST OF: How to Be Happy and the Science of Cognitive Time Travel
Q: What part of your job would bring you the most pleasure?
Laurie mentions enjoying the parts of her podcast where she interviews people and finding joy in selecting the best quotes from those interviews.
A Grand Unified Theory of Cultural Stagnation
Q: What explains the kind of serial killing?
Victims are more risk averse and police surveillance has improved.
The American Math Crisis
Q: Rose, all of this is happening at the same time that artificial intelligence is getting so much better at math. What do Dan and Brian say about the next few years?
There's a risk of humans choosing to de-skill themselves by relying too much on AI, despite AI's capacity for math as it continues to evolve.
The American Math Crisis
Q: What was this philosophical shift?
The shift involved moving from a strict accountability paradigm under No Child Left Behind to less stringent measures that diminished the emphasis on standardized testing as a metric of success.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Plain English

What is Plain English about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast provides insightful analyses of contemporary cultural, economic, and political issues, characterized by clear communication and engaging discussions. The host, along with a diverse range of guests, focuses on significant topics such as the implications of artificial intelligence, economic disparities, cultural stagnation, and historical contexts in modern narratives. Unique in its approach, the format combines in-depth expertise with accessible language, making complex subjects comprehensible for a broad audience. It often features thought-provoking dialogues that consider various perspectives on essential matters of public interest, appealing to listeners who seek informed commentary on current events and societal challenges.

Where can I find podcast stats for Plain English?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Plain English. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Plain English and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Plain English get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Plain English, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Plain English?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Plain English, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Plain English have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Plain English has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Plain English?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Plain English:

1. The Bill Simmons Podcast
2. The Press Box
3. The Prestige TV Podcast
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The Rewatchables

How many episodes of Plain English are there?

Plain English launched 4 years ago and published 340 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Plain English?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Plain English?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Plain English from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Plain English?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Plain English. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Plain English?

Recent guests on Plain English include:

1. Laurie Santos
2. Anton Korinek
3. Michael Batnick
4. Ben Carlson
5. Matt Yglesias
6. Ken Burns
7. Jonathan Cohen
8. Michael Lewis

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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