Discourse Lab – Details, episodes & analysis

In their first-ever in-person episode, the boys are joined by Sagnik Basu. Sagnik is a content creator, producer, and community builder who helped get The Daily Caller and Breaking Points off the ground. He currently serves as the executive producer of Washington Post Opinions. He also hosted his own show, where he had conversations with right-leaning figures like Emily Jashinsky, Saagar Enjeti, Robby Soave, and Discourse Lab’s own Anthony Rispo.

Listen to this episode to get Sagnik’s takes on populism, elitism, immigration, and much more! 

You can find Sagnik on…

• X

• Instagram

• TikTok

• YouTube

Mentioned in this episode:

• Ship of Fools by Tucker Carlson

• Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

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In this episode, Anthony is joined by Michael Pezzullo. Michael is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in gay men’s mental health. His YouTube channel Therapy for Gay Men has over 18k subscribers and counting.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Anthony and Michael explore body image and self-worth in gay spaces, whether "the scene" actually exists or is mostly a projection, and what really drives the fracture within the LGBTQ+ umbrella. They discuss conversion therapy, social contagion, false consciousness, and much more!

The boys also pull apart some of the most pressing, and avoided, questions facing gay men today. Why do so many gay men give up on love? Should you wait until you're "ready" to date? What actually makes a relationship work?

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

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In this episode the boys are joined by Carlos Egaña. Carlos is a Brooklyn-based Venezuelan writer, teacher, and rising social media personality. He has written about fine arts, Latin-American politics and pop culture for various Venezuelan and American publications.

Calros also has four books in Spanish in print: a novel titled Reggaetón and three poetry collections, mínima antología desde la rabia, hacer daño and Los Palos Grandes. 

In addition to his writing, Carlos has taught courses at several New York academic institutions, as well as the Department of Humanities of his own alma mater, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (Venezuela’s top ranked private university). He also has an MFA in Creative Writing in Spanish from New York University. 

Perhaps most importantly, Carlos is a member of the roughly 8 million strong Venezuelan diaspora. He was born, raised, and educated in his home country, and only arrived in the US in his mid 20s. 

Listen to this episode to hear Carlos’ personal experience growing up in Venezuela, as well as get his insights about the political climate in Venezuela and among the Venezuelan diaspora, his thoughts on Maria Corina Machado, and much more. 

If you want to better understand the various reactions to Maduro’s capture from the perspective of an actual Venezuelan with a lot of background knowledge, then this is the episode for you.

You can follow Carlos on Instagram, where he frequently posts insightful reels. 

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Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

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Our Book Recommendations

• The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech – And Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff
  • A short, easy read that will arm you with the rhetorical weapons you need to fight against censorship. 
• Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free - Joe Nucci
  • A fascinating look at all the mental health BS you see on your social media feeds. Joe does a great job of setting the record straight. 
• Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class - Rob Henderson
  • A beautiful, insightful, and heartbreaking memoir that highlights why a stable, loving family is something that every child deserves.
• Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Tom Holland
  • A phenomenal and eye opening account of how Christian philosophy shaped western culture and thinking.
• Meditations - Marcu Aurelius
  • History's greatest self help book. Penned by one of Rome's greatest emperors. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism.
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization - Peter Zeihan
  • The best explanation of the post-war American lead global order, and how it's falling apart. 

In this episode the boys are joined by Dr. Rob Henderson. Rob is a writer, public intellectual, and veteran. After serving in the U.S. Air Force he attended Yale University, where he studied psychology. He then went on to get his PhD in Psychology from Cambridge University. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a Contributing Editor at City Journal, and a member of the board of Advisors for The University of Austin. On top of all that, he publishes a twice-weekly newsletter on substack, appropriately titled Rob Henderson’s Newsletter. 

In 2024 Rob published his first book, Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class; which went on to become a national best seller and was listed as one of The Economist’s best books of the year. (A great last-minute Christmas gift!)

Listen to this episode to hear about Rob's concept of luxury beliefs, how unstable environments affect children, why boys undergo maturity rituals in many cultures (but not ours), and much more!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Manhood in the Making
• Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business
• Being a Writer in the Age of the Influence
• Luxury Beliefs are Status Symbols

Rob's Socials: 

• X
• Instagram

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram and X

Our Book Recommendations

• The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech – And Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff
  • A short, easy read that will arm you with the rhetorical weapons you need to fight against censorship. 
• Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free - Joe Nucci
  • A fascinating look at all the mental health BS you see on your social media feeds. Joe does a great job of setting the record straight. 
• Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Tom Holland
  • A phenomenal and eye opening account of how Christian philosophy shaped western culture and thinking.
• Meditations - Marcu Aurelius
  • History's greatest self help book. Penned by one of Rome's greatest emperors. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism.
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization - Peter Zeihan
  • The best explanation of the post-war American lead global order, and how it's falling apart. 
• The WEIRDest People in the World
  • One the the best, most in-depth attempts at explaining why the western world is so prosperous and culturally unique. 

In this episode the boys are joined by Aum Desai and Nikos Mohammadi. Aum is a student at Columbia College studying Political Science and Economics. He is the president of The Columbia Open Discourse Alliance (CODA), a senior editor at the Columbia Political Review, and a board member for the Columbia Hindu Students Organization.  Nikos is also a student at Columbia College, where he is majoring in American Studies. He's a staff writer at Sundial and the vice president of CODA. 

Listen to this episode to learn why the protests at Columbia have died down, hear about the great work the folks at CODA are doing, and much more! 

You can read some of what Aum has written here:

• A Turning Point at the Turning Point
• Bretton Woods 2.0: How Holistic Tariffs Can Rebuild the Rules of Global Trade
• Mohsen Mahdawi worked with us on dialogue across differences

You can read some of Nikos' writing here: 

• How Trump Saved Columbia
• Grappling With the Groyper Problem: Insight From Columbia University
• Reflections on the Forthcoming Populism

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Coddling of the American Mind
• The Canceling of the American Mind
• You Should Watch Charlie Kirk Die
• Does Columbia Need 5,000 Administrators?

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram and X

Our Book Recommendations

• The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech – And Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff
  • A short, easy read that will arm you with the rhetorical weapons you need to fight against censorship. 
• Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free - Joe Nucci
  • A fascinating look at all the mental health BS you see on your social media feeds. Joe does a great job of setting the record straight. 
• Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class - Rob Henderson
  • A beautiful, insightful, and heartbreaking memoir that highlights why a stable, loving family is something that every child deserves.
• Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Tom Holland
  • A phenomenal and eye opening account of how Christian philosophy shaped western culture and thinking.
• Meditations - Marcu Aurelius
  • History's greatest self help book. Penned by one of Rome's greatest emperors. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism.
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization - Peter Zeihan
  • The best explanation of the post-war American lead global order, and how it's falling apart. 

In this episode the boys are joined by not one, but TWO returning guests: Jonas Du and Daniel Idfresne. They discuss the what Zohran Mamdani's recent victory means for NYC, whether or not it's a sign of things to come across the nation, and what the heck happened in the surprisingly cordial meeting between the mayor elect and Trump. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Meet the Socialists Following Mamdani’s Lead
• Zohran Mamdani’s Fantasy Land
• We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite 

To see more from Daniel, follow him on X and Instagram. You can sample some of his writing below:

• Mamdani’s Trump-Proof New York: Safe Haven for Criminal Migrants?
• Zohran Mamdani: ‘Working-Class’ Mayor for Upper Class Voters
• A $20 Mistake: At-Risk Teens Will Pay for Cuomo’s Wage Hike
• Companies Test Apple’s Playbook To Dodge Trump’s New Tariff Regime

To see more from Jonas, follow him on X, Instagram, and Substack. You can sample some of his writing below:

• Young, Hot, and Triumphant: Welcome to MAGA Summer
• American Soldiers Don’t Wear American Combat Boots
• Why Is Reuters Carrying Water for Hamas?

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram and X

Our Book Recommendations:

• The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech – And Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff
  • A short, easy read that will arm you with the rhetorical weapons you need to fight against censorship. 
• Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free - Joe Nucci
  • A fascinating look at all the mental health BS you see on your social media feeds. Joe does a great job of setting the record straight. 
• Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class - Rob Henderson
  • A beautiful, insightful, and heartbreaking memoir that highlights why a stable, loving family is something that every child deserves.
• Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Tom Holland
  • A phenomenal and eye opening account of how Christian philosophy shaped western culture and thinking.
• Meditations - Marcu Aurelius
  • History's greatest self help book. Penned by one of Rome's greatest emperors. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism.
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization - Peter Zeihan
  • The best explanation of the post-war American lead global order, and how it's falling apart. 

In this episode the boys discuss the fringe right, with a special focus on Nick Fuentes' recent interview with Tucker Carlson. They also touch on the fact that Candace Owens has completely lost the plot. The far right is going very, very wrong. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Ben Shapiro's video criticizing Tucker and Fuentes 
• Tucker Carlson's interview with Fuentes
• Candace Owens's interview with Elle Reeve

Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us. 

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram and X

Our Book Recommendations

• The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech – And Why They Fail - Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff
  • A short, easy read that will arm you with the rhetorical weapons you need to fight against censorship. 
• Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free - Joe Nucci
  • A fascinating look at all the mental health BS you see on your social media feeds. Joe does a great job of setting the record straight. 
• Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class - Rob Henderson
  • A beautiful, insightful, and heartbreaking memoir that highlights why a stable, loving family is something that every child deserves.
• Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World - Tom Holland
  • A phenomenal and eye opening account of how Christian philosophy shaped western culture and thinking.
• Meditations - Marcu Aurelius
  • History's greatest self help book. Penned by one of Rome's greatest emperors. A must read for anyone interested in Stoicism.
• The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization - Peter Zeihan
  • The best explanation of the post-war American lead global order, and how it's falling apart. 

In this episode the boys are joined by Joe Nucci. Joe is a psychotherapist, social media influencer, and writer who recently published his first book, Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free.

Listen to this episode to hear Joe's thoughts on ADHD, the overuse of the word "trauma," the relationship between therapy and politics, and much more!

Be sure to follow Joe on Instagram and YouTube, sign up for his free newsletter on Substack, and subscribe to his podcast Psychobabble.

Please don't forget to follow us on social media, and rate and review us on your podcast player of choice.

In this episode the boys are joined by Erin Hagood. Erin is a History PhD student at Columbia University and president of the Platypus Affiliated Society. Erin is a wealth of knowledge regarding the history and philosophy of the left. Listen to this conversation if you want to learn about the origins of leftism, the definition of Marxism, and much more!

If you walk away from this episode with more questions than you started with, that's ok! We cover A LOT in a relatively short period of time. After we stopped recording we all agreed Erin would have to come back on a few more times so we can really get into the weeds.

Please don't forget to follow us on social media, and rate and review us on your podcast player of choice.

In this episode the boys discuss Greta Thunberg’s claim that she was tortured in Israeli custody, why they think Israeli statehood is legitimate, the recent “Young” Republicans group chat leak, and more!

Mentioned in this episode:
- Politico article about the leaked YR group chat

Support us:
- Follow us on social media, and rate and review us on your podcast player of choice.
- Buy from our recommended reading list!

Note: There was a ~20 minute section toward the end that the lads decided wasn't very good and would have been a bore to listen to, so they cut it out. That's why you hear that funky lo-fi tune at the 1:19:47 mark.