Go Fact Yourself – Details, episodes & analysis

It’s a show worth drinking to on Go Fact Yourself!

Eric Winter plays Sergeant Tim Bradford on the ABC series “The Rookie.” The show has earned a very dedicated audience, especially with kids. How does he know for sure? He’s seen them dress up as his character for Halloween.

Dree Hemingway is an actor who portrays Daryl Hannah in the FX show “Love Story.” She’ll tell us about how she reached out to the real life Daryl Hannah after she got the part. Plus we’ll learn more about her other job… as a fashion model. 

Areas of Expertise:

Eric: The movie The Breakfast Club, tennis, and rum.

Dree: The movie The Fifth Element, the movie Romeo + Juliet, and musician Kate Bush.

What’s the Difference: Maine Squeeze

What’s the difference between a harbor and a marina?

What’s the difference between squeeze and squish?

With Guest Experts:

Ben Schaffer: Publisher of online magazine “The Rum Reader” and author of several books about cocktails.  

Robert Mark Kamen: Screenwriter (and winemaker!) whose many works include the screenplay for The Fifth Element.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

From New York City, it’s Go Fact Yourself!

Seth Rudetsky is a musician, author, and Broadway savant who hosts afternoon radio on Sirius XM’s On Broadway channel. He’ll tell us about his Broadway cruise and why he believes in spreading “Jewish joy” through his weekly Broadway Shabbat.

Julie Klausner is an actor and writer who hosts the podcasts “How was Your Week?” and “Double Threat” with Tom Sharpling. Julie will tell us just how dedicated fans of those shows can be – plus about her professional (and personal) collaborations with Billy Eichner. 

Areas of Expertise:

Seth: Carly Simon songs, the TV show “The Brady Bunch Hour,” and natural disasters.

Julie: John Waters movies, Jewish celebrities, and cats. 

What’s the Difference: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

What’s the difference between a mindset and a mentality?

What’s the difference between a person’s waist and their waistline?

With Guest Experts:

Sally Taylor: Singer-songwriter with a decades-long career– that includes working with her mother Carly Simon!

Ricki Lake: Emmy-winning TV host and actor who starred as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray.

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Additional editing by Valerie Moffat.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

Surprised that there’s no new episode of Go Fact Yourself today? Worry not! We’ve got new episodes coming back to back for the next two weeks.

Plus, give the gift of GFY this holiday season! Check out our merch – including a holiday ornament – at MaxFunStore.com. 

Hosts: 

J. Keith van Straaten

Credits:

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Co-Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our next live-audience shows by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

**Come see our live-audience show at KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum in Pasadena on February 11! Reserve your seats now!**

Have an old friend for dinner and get ready for a new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Brad Rutter has won more money on “Jeopardy!” than anyone in the history of the show, turning his knowledge into a trivia career, which includes ABC’s “The Chase.” What’s the secret to his trivia prowess? Turns out, it’s not studying! Brad will also tell us about how his career also led to becoming not-quite-best-friends with Catherine O’Hara.

Muffy Marracco has also turned her trivia prowess into a career – now on GSN’s “Master Minds.” Despite her TV game show fame, when she’s recognized these days, it’s for her quizzes on TikTok. She’ll tell us about some of her adventures on TV and why trivia is one of the only things she’s truly competitive about. And be careful, she’s ready to shank!

Our guests will answer trivia on movies about terror and teenagers. 

What’s the Difference: A Pair-a-"para"

What’s the difference between paranormal and supernatural?

What’s the difference between a paramedic and an EMT?

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Brad Rutter

Muffy Marracco

With Guest Experts

Wiley Wiggins: Artist, designer, and actor, who appeared as Mitch in the film Dazed and Confused.

Ed Saxon: Chair of USC’s graduate producing program who won a Best Picture Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

You’re on deep background for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Mike Doughty is a singer-songwriter who’s written music as a solo artist and with the band “Ghost of Vroom.” He finds it easier to start songs than to finish them; so as an incentive to do better, he promised one new song a week for fans who support him on Patreon. He’ll tell us about that and why he would like exactly $35 for his work (sort of) appearing on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

Ting Lim is a Singaporean comedian based in Brisbane, Australia. She’s fallen in love with the area because of the landscape and the generosity of her Australian audiences. The kindness that she’s found in her new home is a far cry from her experience in Singapore; she’ll tell us about how she got in trouble with the justice system for the crime of littering.

Our guests will answer trivia about freedom of the press and freedom of the whales.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Mike Doughty

Ting Lim

With Guest Experts

Jason James Richter, actor whose work includes starring in films in the Free Willy franchise.

Dr. Malena Simon, senior scientist at the Greenland Climate Research Centre

Bob Woodward, associate editor of the Washington Post who reported on the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LAby YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

You might just make it after all! It’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Rose Abdoo is an actor who you can see now in HBO’s “Hacks” and Hulu’s “Reboot.” Her acting aspirations began in college – thanks to how much she hated waiting in lines to register for classes. She’ll explain. Plus we’ll learn more about how seriously Rose takes her characters, from their backstories to their outfits.

Ben Gleib is a comedian who’s always looking for new ways to showcase himself. At the peak of the pandemic, he decided to create the world’s first virtual comedy venue at nowherecomedyclub.com. As much attention as that’s gotten him, he’s also got a secret talent that he’s equally proud of: being an expert at playing the kazoo. Ben’s new special is called “The Mad King.”

Our guests will answer trivia about music, music and even more music!

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Rose Abdoo

Ben Gleib

With Guest Experts:

Sonny Curtis, singer-songwriter, whose long career includes membership in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and writing and performing theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”

Paul Williams, Oscar and Grammy award-winning composer, singer, and actor who wrote the lyrics to the theme of “The Love Boat.”

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

Places, everyone! It’s time to lift the curtain on the Best of Broadway special on Go Fact Yourself!

We’ve recently brought the podcast back to live audiences for the first time in two years! To celebrate, we’ve put the spotlight on some of our favorite past guests who love musicals and stage performances that were meant for live audiences. That includes guests like actors Rachel Bloom, Jessica McKenna, Eliza Skinner– and more!

Plus we’ve got an all-star cast of experts that includes Tony-winners, famed performers, and stand-out composers. Time to take the stage!

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Jessica McKenna from Episode 40

Rachel Bloom from Episode 59

Jade Cata-Pretta from Episode 64

Arden Myrin from Episode 65

Eliza Skinner from episode 67

With Guest Experts

Rory O’Malley, Tony Award-nominated actor who’s performed in the stage shows Hamilton and The Book of Mormon.

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, award-winning songwriters who’ve worked on Broadway and films, including Disney’s Frozen

Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tony-winning actor from the musical RENT

Lee Wilkof, Actor and originator of the role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors.

Michel Cerveris, actor, singer and guitarist who’s won two Tony Awards.

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LAby YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

Cordon off the area, this an active trivia game show scene – on a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Mike Petriello is a writer for MLB.com. He’s still buzzing from the fact that the baseball season happened – and that we got to see such a strong World Series match-up that included the sport’s newest villain. Mike will tell us how he’s made a career out of researching baseball statistics and analytics, and translating them into something that the average fan can understand. You can also hear Mike on the podcast “Ballpark Dimensions.”

Abbi Crutchfield is an actor and comedian. She collaborated with her husband and fellow comedian Luke Thayer on the podcast “The Kid is in School,” where they celebrate the freedom to chat again without a child in their house. Speaking of chatting, Abbi has a lot of thoughts about  all of the changes going on at Twitter, an app that she’s called her “Disneyland.”

Our guests will compete to answer trivia questions about the music and TV hits of the 1990s.

What’s the Difference: Strain

What’s the difference between force and pressure?

What’s the difference between a colander and a strainer?

Areas of Expertise:

Mike: James Bond movies, the best rock records of 1996, and dead sports teams.

Abbi: Nail polish, curly hair care, and the TV show “Murder She Wrote.”

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Mike Petriello

Abbi Crutchfield

With guest experts:

Louis Herthum, actor, whose career includes multiple roles in 25 episodes of “Murder She Wrote."

Chris Ballew, lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America, and children’s music artist known as Casper Babypants.

Greg Graffin, lead singer of Bad Religion and author of the new book Punk Paradox

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Check out our NEW merch!

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

Come to America and bring some new recipes with you – it’s a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Greg Wyshynski is the Senior NHL writer for ESPN. He writes about hockey after a lifetime of being a fan of the sport; as such, he’s seen it change a lot over the years. While he thinks making changes for player safety should always be applauded, there’s a part of him that will always miss the fights on the ice. You can find more of Greg’s thoughts on hockey on the podcast “Puck Soup.”

Zainab Johnson is a comedian and actor. She can be seen on the Amazon Prime show “Upload,” where her character showcases the ability to succeed at some unorthodox sports. She’ll explain. Plus, she’ll tell us about the finer points of why getting booked in Hollywood hardly ever comes down to talent. 

Our guests will compete to answer trivia questions about diverse casts in movies and diverse dishes on cooking shows.

What’s the Difference: Health Food

What’s the difference between healthy and healthful?

What’s the difference between taste and a flavor?

Areas of Expertise:

Greg: The Food Network programming, Taco Bell, and the band The Smashing Pumpkins.

Zainab: The movie Coming to America, Lauryn Hill’s song “The Ex-Factor,” and traditional American breakfast foods.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Greg Wyshynski

Zainab Johnson

With guest experts:

John Landis, writer, producer and director of several films including Coming to America.

Alton Brown, Best-selling author and Peabody-winning host of several shows on “The Food Network”

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our 

upcoming live shows in LA

 by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact

** Come see us record LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 6! **

Avengers, Assemble – at the Center for Inquiry for a brand new episode of Go Fact Yourself!

Rob Corddry is perhaps best known for “Childrens Hospital,” the comedy show that he created and starred in. It was so well-received, it earned him four Emmy awards. But his first Emmy award actually came years earlier as part of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”... sort of. He’ll tell us about that and explain the skills he’s gathered as an Eagle Scout. 

Mimi Pond learned to love drawing early on from her dad and from some of her favorite comics. That led to her creating the graphic memoirs Over Easy and The Customer is Always Wrong. She’ll tell us about why she doesn’t have much patience for stick figures, and discuss the magic of Oakland, California. 

Our guests will compete to answer trivia about comic book characters on the page and small screen. 

What’s the Difference: Hall of Justice

What’s the difference between a hallway and a corridor?

What’s the difference between “illegal” and “unlawful”?

Areas of Expertise:

Rob: The TV show “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” the movie The Abyss, and CIA tradecraft

Mimi: Mad Magazine, Patty Hearst and shopping at Costco.

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten

Helen Hong

Rob Corddry

Mimi Pond

With guest experts:

Mark Evanier, blogger, comic book writer, and author of the book Mad Art : A Visual Celebration of the Art of Mad Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It Paperback.

&

Sergio Aragones, illustrator best known for his contributions to Mad Magazine and creating Groo The Wanderer.

Jed Whedon & Jeffrey Bell, two of the showrunners for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Go Fact Yourself was devised and is produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. 

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.

Live show engineer is Dave McKeever.

Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.

Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.

Seeing our upcoming live shows in LA by YOU!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joingofact