November 2024 episode: Thank you Greg Proops for emphasizing that it is White people (including Whites who speak Spanish or Arabic) who chose Whiteness over economic issues. Thank you Greg for saying 92% of Black women voted for Harris / Walz (they & the 80% of Black men who voted for Harris are usually hurt more by inflation than Whites and they could still vote for the ticket that campaigned to help more people). By the way, Negin it’s more important to care for the targets of racism and sexism who built the United States than to be afraid to call out racism and sexism. The USA needs therapy through truth, reconciliation and reparations. Political comedy podcasts can be a part of that healing, but Negin needs more courage even though it is understandable to seek the security blanket of forced optimism. 7/23/20 episode: The Harper’s magazine letter cited in the segment on cancel culture was signed by individuals, including racists, whom many believe have undeserved lucrative platforms. One such individual is Bari Weiss who tried to get a NYC professor fired (this prof’s career was negatively impacted because he believed in the human rights of Palestinians & Weiss was offended by this view). So Weiss’s complaint in the Harper’s letter was hypocritical because she wants to harm & cancel others, but wants no negative feedback on her writing. Not enough time was spent on this episode discussing the response to the Harper’s magazine letter which was started by academics/writers of color, some of whom wrote anonymously for fear of retribution. In any case, in the middle of a global pandemic, there are more foundational issues to discuss with humor. Thank you for the humor on this podcast & the panelist, Christian, had the most reasonable contribution to the discussion about cancel culture (eg. privileged elites are whining & there are other impt issues to address).

Negin is an absolute delight and the show is great but I have on more than one occasion had to stop listening due to monstrous sound quality issues. Example: last weeks episode had Conscious Lee calling in with a horrible static that interrupted frequently. Please get a sound engineer to fix this or require all guests have a working microphone.

The host attempted to address a topical black issue without any black people present to share their perspective. Given that guests are booked ahead of time, that’s understandable; though one could argue that it was worth delaying the discussion for the sake of having the perspective of an actual black person represented on the panel. However, the resulting discussion completely missed the mark: It was clear that no one had spoken with any black people prior to discussing the topic and that no one on the show had bothered researching what black voices online had to say about the topic, because the panel never even got close to touching on the main grievances of black people (and everyone on the panel essentially dismissed it as a non-issue, to make matters worse). I’m not sure if it was laziness, incompetence, or just a general apathy toward black issues and viewpoints, but it made for a frustrating listen and turned me off this pod for good.

Funny, optimistic, and informative. But this once great show is getting bogged down with ads (both from sponsors and the pateron) and the recap episodes need be sectioned off into their own podcast.

Negin Farsad is a fantastic Commedian and host - didn’t really know her work before the podcast - but I’ve discovered many great new comedians through her show (really miss @ Midnight for that!) and as a pretty deep political content consumer, find it smart and interesting and SO much more education and insightful than a lot of the pundits on repeat….

If you aren’t making this part of you routine, what are you doing?!? Amazing host and best intro for guest hosts. Get Corrine Fisher on the show!!

Great discussions of political issues with much more than a spoonful of humor to help the medicine go down.

Negin’s moderate political views are what initially attracted me to the podcast, as I felt the way she covers news and politics was informative while allowing me to form my own opinions. While I still appreciate that about her podcast, and would probably enjoy a sit down 1-1 conversation with her, some of her opinions really rub me the wrong way. In this last ep specifically, she and her guest discuss the former Missouri teacher who had an OnlyFans, and their ending sentiment was that teachers should not be OnlyFans content creators. They implied that there is an issue of morality here, and while I understand feeling uncomfortable with it, I don’t believe morality is a valid part of this conversation. No one should have agency over another persons body, and this conversation reminded me too much of the arguments that conservatives have around abortion. There is nothing immoral about sex work, sex acts, or nudity in specifically sanctioned places regardless of what other jobs and positions you might hold. This episode was the last straw for me, and I’ve decided to opt out of listening to the podcast in the future.

Love this show—always funny, insightful commentary, great guests, and I enjoy the range of topics from major news events to the silliest of trends.

Negins laughter cheers me up - can’t get enough of it. Great guests, always a wonderful way to get good information about current events & feel better from listening 😍.

Thursdays officially are my favorite day of the week since that is when new episodes of Fake the Nation drop and the talented Negin Farsad and her two hysterical co-hosts for the episode drop into my earballs, as she puts it. Not only do I stay up to date with the latest news with a comedic spin, but I also have the opportunity to listen to comedians who always sound like the best of friends discuss lighter matters like how many pairs of underwear you should pack for vacation. I love how everyone prepares for the segment by reading news articles related to the topic. Whenever a friend asks for a podcast recommendation, I also recommend this one!

Final ep recap… men are some of the worst animals. This culture has to find a way to train them from infants to men to be humane. And Negin; Shiv’s limp hand is a metaphor for how women are trained to defer to patriarchy while suppressing the immense rage just under the surface. This vile series is so compelling because of the rawness of dysfunction and generational pain too many of us have experienced. | Ep 43 Tagging logan as a serious functional person who harmed so many people is wildly odd. A man who institutionalized his wife to get rid of her. Plays his kids like literal puppets to stay in control. There was no personal in that monster, if by functional you mean masochistic and pathological…sure. Ep 41 This idea that logan roy misses his kids is wildly not true as anyone who lives in the toxic environment of dysfunctional families…he only misses manipulating them. Control. That’s all

Recaps? Ugh

I’ve been listening for a few years and FTN has become of of my top three fave podcasts. I love the laughing and learning from each episode and look forward to its release every week. Negin was such a comfort during lockdown and hearing her baby in the background was so identifiable as a parent trying to work from home with kiddos. Each episode feels like I’m listening to a friend I couldn’t do without! Thanks for all the work you do, FTN team!

Negin Farsad is the funniest character on all of NPR. She deserves lots of raises.

A refreshing look at news and contemporary culture through Ms Farsad and her guests each episode. Not only are top issues discussed but she takes the time to delve into subjects that are critical but may not get coverage on major news programs due to their complexity. I almost always learn something new - although to be fair - some things I wish I could unlearn. Love the show

This wyoming liberal gets a smile on her face whenever the show drops. Thank you for your insight and humor, Nagin. You make my life better!

Negin’s humor, insights, calls-to-action and endless optimism are a salve for my heart in these complicated times. Religiously listening together as a (agnostic) family every weekend for years! FTN is our church :)

I learn so much from such incredibly smart people through this podcast! I live in rural Oregon, farm organic vegetables, and am as liberal as they come, but listening to city people talk about lawns is so hilarious and every week gives me new insights into how to think about and cope with our politics and culture. Tanks Negin!

Great podcast with thoughtful discussion about a variety of topics. Negin is such a delight! This is the positivity that we all need in our life and always puts a smile on my face. Thanks Negin!❤️🙂

Negin is just the best!!

I accept your 😀and ❤️

This is my podcast that calms me down. Negin is such a ball of optimism that I need in my life!

This episode was so lively and had me rolling at work!! Just wanted to say thanks for such an energetic and hilarious show☺️

No material analysis

I LOVE Fake the Nation and I LOVE Negin Farsad! She is insightful, intelligent, always topical, and incredibly funny. Her guests are great and always hilarious! Negin is the real deal! Best podcast out there!!!

I love the diversity and it gets your mind in the right place

these people are way to partisan for comedy

FTN is so much fun - Negin is so cute and the guests are all so charismatic, articulate, and have great chemistry even when they’ve never met before. I look forward to it every week and low-key wish it was on every day! 😂

You lost me when you reacting negatively to a podcast you admit you never listen to . Again another podcast hating on others,

YOU GUYS! This is seriously the BEST political podcasts out there! Funny and informative, with a whole lot of heart, Negin and guests’ focus on optimism is really refreshing. She so often presents really difficult to digest news in a hopeful light. Love, love, love this pod ❤️

Fake the Nation is hands down my favorite podcast (and I listen to many!). I’ve listened to every single podcast for the last 4-ish years and as someone who needs news and politics in her “ear balls” to feel engaged in the world, it’s so refreshing to have commentary delivered in an optimistic and funny way. Negin’s optimism helped get me through the 2020 election and I just love her and all her guests so much. Also a plug for her Patreon—if you’re a regular listener, please do yourself a favor and join Negin on Patreon bc the additional content is *chefs kiss*.

Fake the Nation has been in my weekly rotation for years and for good reason. Negin brings a perfect balance of brilliance, humor, and charm as a host and makes the news of today easier to cope with (and god knows we need that). I always love the guests, whether they are new and diverse voices or familiar favorites, and Negin’s enthusiasm about them makes it easy to be just as excited. I couldn’t recommend this show more (and lucky for you, if the weekly show isn’t enough the Patreon is also worth joining - hooray for shameless plugs).

I started to hear about this show towards the end of 2020 and started to like it around the beginning of 2021. Then I heard Negin on another pod. She somehow brought a light and breezy yet still informational and heartfelt perspective to a somewhat heavy event, I was feeling it. I told myself I’d listen to the first one after the inauguration, which for this pod would be literally the next day… and I’ve listened to every episode ever since! Every other podcast or show like this is so heavy and bleak, they think everything is horrible for everyone and try to inform me, but all it does make me anxious and sad. FTN takes a much better approach because they try to inform me while keeping it light and jokey! And they find a way to do that with everything under the sun. This pod gets into the right and left and their values, gender, race, sexuality, social norms (I feel like y’all don’t get enough credit for this, no one else gets into social norms), trends, money, the media, and the powers that be without making feel like all those things are against me! And even if the guests start to spiral towards that, Negin’s beautiful soul, voice and demeanor always holds it together and brings it back. They don’t pull punches but never vilify anyone who doesn’t deserve it, they bring levity and nuance to all the topics. I think that’s in huge credit to the diversity of the guests, no ones coming in nervous or not knowing what they’re talking about. FTN keep it real WITHOUT being cynical and depressing. Brothas like me don’t wanna hear about how gloom and doom things are for the 9000th time, I wanna get my news in a warm, funny, non divisive, intelligent, and honestly informed way. FTN never fails to deliver that. When all the host sound like they’re complaining, a real American like Negin Farsad is the star that lights up the sky.

I listened to this podcast for the first time in 2018 and was immediately charmed by Negeen’s laugh. She and her guests are so engaging and keep reminding the listeners that, at the end of the day, POLITICS is just another word that in the right hands becomes completely laughable!

Negin is effervescent, insightful, and genuine. I sometimes listen just to hear her laugh. It always brightens my day. Her guests are interesting and hilarious. The topics and questions posed often have me talking to my listening device. I always learn something new or discover some perspective I’ve never realized. But, honestly, I mostly listen because Negin’s laugh ignites jubilation every time I hear it.

Negin is a delight! I do so much enjoy the broad spectrum of topics and wonderful guests! The podcast is informative and entertaining. Just love it!

Love the show, Keep laughing

Hi Negin, I realized what a force of cheerful yet informed energy you are recently when you were away. I listen to every show and I now rely on fake to take the air out of the balloon but with glee. Thanks for reminding me how silly politics can be! I love all the irreverent responses!

Negin, This show makes me happy every Thursday morning!! I love the intersection of intelligence, hilarity and OPTIMISM!

I look forward to Negin and co.’s smart and funny analysis every week! I am a 60+ white male progressive and I swear this podcast makes me younger!

🤓💚🎧🔔📰😆

omg negin i very much identify with the conversation regarding scheduling time with friends. my off days from work are thursday and saturday. i see friends probably once a quarter. its so hard to schedule time with friends. most of the time everyone is so exhausted. i love the podcast i make sure to listen every week because i love the content and topics. thanks so much five stars!

The right blend of funny and insightful to make political discussions palatable.

until you eventually realize that they’re not saying anything of substance and don’t display awareness of their privileges (eg class consciousness). changed my review from 5 stars after i heard about negin calling the cops on a dealer in her hood

I know I like this show, because a smile always appears on my face when I see a new episode in my podcast feed

Terrible mic qualify. Hosts use too many filler words and sound uneducated.

So happy I started listening to this show. So much entertainment and insight from Negin and her awesome guests. Also, side note, sometimes I have to make sure I’m not playing the podcast at 1 1/2 speed cause Negin talks so fast during the ads. Impressive speed, Negin! I’m impressed by your diction! 👍

Loved to hear from Shalewa- one of my favs.

I LOVE me some Fake The Nation in the morning! I don’t drink coffee so this gets my day started. Negin is soooo funny and the guests are top notch! I wish this was a daily podcast instead of weekly. More PLZ!!!!