The Moynihan Report

Penelope Spheeris has spent her life around chaos, from Richard Pryor and the early days of punk to Wayne’s World and the machinery of Hollywood. She joins Michael to talk about The Decline of Western Civilization, turning down Spinal Tap, fighting over Wayne’s World, and collecting decades of grudges along the way. There are stories about Lemmy, Tina Fey, Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Chris Farley, and a rhinestone dildo. Penelope has seen some shit, and she’s still happy to talk about it.

(0:00) Cold Open
(0:18) Monologue
(1:03) Richard Pryor and the Lost Movie
(6:02) Decline, Chaos, and Making Sense of Her Demons
(10:45) Guns N’ Roses Bails, Megadeth Steps In
(12:33) Lemmy’s Bad Review
(16:16) Punk Rock, Childhood Trauma, and Seven Stepfathers
(19:46) Fame, Money, and Unfulfilled Expectations
(22:57) Passing on Spinal Tap
(24:03) Chris Holmes and the Pool Scene
(27:34) The Decline vs. Wayne’s World
(29:30) Losing Wayne’s World 2
(32:07) Dana Carvey, Tina Fey, and Britney Spears
(35:08) Life With Her Schizophrenic Partner
(37:53) Chaos, Boredom, and Happiness
(39:05) Getting Rich Without Trying
(41:30) The Memoir and Being Written Out of Hollywood
(44:48) Jennifer Aniston and the Dildo
(47:27) Mike Myers, Chris Farley, and Black Sheep

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Gene Simmons sits down with Michael Moynihan in Los Angeles for a conversation about family, ambition, and the American dream. They talk about his mother’s survival of the Holocaust, coming to America, KISS, Bob Dylan, money, marriage, and why the music business isn’t what it used to be. Oh yeah, and after nearly 50 years as the Demon, Gene Simmons is still speeding up.



(0:00) Cold Open

(0:31) Monologue

(1:47) Gene Simmons, Nice Jewish Boy

(6:31) Assimilation, America, and Learning the Language

(9:36) His Mother Survived the Holocaust

(19:23) The $8 Million Check to Mom

(20:05) At 77, Gene Is Speeding Up

(21:03) Why KISS Had to End

(22:26) Bob Dylan Shows Up to Write a Song

(31:24) Selling KISS and the Business of Rock

(33:23) Streaming Killed the Romance of Music

(36:36) Ace, Peter, Drugs, and the Breakup of the Original Band

(45:25) Diana Ross, Shannon Tweed, and the Playboy Mansion

(50:50) Twenty-Nine Years as “King Asshole”

(53:48) Making His Mother Proud, Then His Wife and Kids Proud

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William Shatner sits down with Michael Moynihan in Los Angeles for a conversation about life, time, and knowledge. They talk about death, God, AI, Blue Origin, The Intruder, and the relentless curiosity that keeps Shatner looking for whatever comes next. Oh yeah, and at 95 years old, he’s releasing a heavy metal album.

In the episode:

(00:00) Cold Open

(00:29) Monologue

(02:09) Fear of Death

(03:59) Religion, God and the Universe

(09:26) Judgment at Nuremberg & the Holocaust

(11:12) Curiosity, Aging, and Learning

(19:20) Conversations With AI

(22:28) Why Humans Need to Go to Mars

(25:20) Blue Origin & Jeff Bezos

(30:14) Growing Up Jewish & The Intruder

(34:41) Luck, Failure and a Career Without a Plan

(37:28) “What the F Is Heavy Metal?”

(46:45) AI and Shatner’s Opera

(50:16) Why Shatner Doesn’t Do Politics

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In the final episode of The. Moynihan Report, Michael Moynihan takes a deep dive into the "stupid era" of modern media and the weaponization of history. From the useful idiots romanticizing the Cuban regime to the decline of the public intellectual in favor of the hyper-reactive influencer, Moynihan dissects how context is lost in our chopped-up media landscape.
The conversation moves from the town square test of free societies to the curious parallels between far-left and far-right propaganda. Michael also answers listener questions regarding his tenure at The Fifth Column, his diverging paths with other media figures, and why studying history is the only defense against an epidemic of dangerous stupidity.
(00:00) Welcome and Announcement: The Final Episode in This Format
(01:16) How to Stay Connected via Substack
(01:56) The "Open Swim" Q&A: Addressing Online Criticism
(02:35) Confronting "Useful Idiots" and the Trip to Cuba
(02:59) Discussing Brace Belden and the TrueAnon Podcast
(03:46) Criticizing Hassan Piker and The Young Turks
(04:44) The Culture of Chopped-Up Media and Contextual Misunderstandings
(06:08) Natan Sharansky’s "Town Square Test" for Free Societies
(08:17) Debunking Pro-Castro Myths and the Reality of Cuban Repression
(12:59) The Exoticization of Poverty and Propaganda Tours
(14:18) Examining Cuban Foreign Policy and Historical War Crimes
(16:13) Fact-Checking Ryan Grim and Misinformation Regarding Cuban Hotels
(20:18) Audience Question: The Similarities Between Far-Left and Far-Right Propaganda
(23:48) Douglas Murray and the Challenges of Independent Journalism
(25:07) Paul Hollander and the Psychology of Anti-Americanism
(27:29) Documenting Russian Casualties in the Ukraine War
(30:12) Audience Question: The Rise of Influencers Over Public Intellectuals
(32:42) The Benny Johnson Plagiarism Scandal and "Deep State" Narratives
(35:43) Victor Klemperer and the Manipulation of Language
(39:26) Audience Question: Diverging Paths with Megyn Kelly
(43:41) The "Real Housewives" of Conservative Politics: TPUSA and Candace Owens
(46:12) Reflecting on Ten Years of The Fifth Column
(48:33) Audience Question: Anti-Semitism and the Influence of the Israel Lobby
(55:10) Analyzing Public Support and Bipartisan Policy Toward Israel
(59:37) Audience Question: Why We Study History and the "Weaponization" of the Past
(01:10:39) Distorting Figures like Winston Churchill and Oswald Mosley
(01:13:58) Final Sign-off: Shaking Up the Snow Globe
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Eli Lake of The Free Press joins Michael Moynihan to break down his latest reporting on Donald Trump’s strategy toward Iran—what the administration is trying to achieve, how serious the military threat is, and what it could mean for the region.

They’ll unpack the policy, the politics, and the risks of escalation.

(00:11) Intro & Recent Violent Attacks
(03:27) Welcoming Eli Lake & Trump's Iran Plan
(11:41) The "Day After" in Iran & Regime Change Scenarios
(15:25) The History of Iranian Protests & State Violence
(23:43) October 7th, Hamas, & Western Leftist Support for Iran
(26:09) Critiquing Tucker Carlson & the "Israel Controls America" Narrative
(32:03) Israeli Intelligence, Operations, & Military Subsidies
(38:42) Megan Kelly, Ryan Grim, & Justifying Anti-Semitism
(54:29) MAGA Polling on Iran & Independent Media Conspiracies
(01:01:42) Show Wrap-up & Upcoming Automation Nation Event
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