Selects: How Black Friday Works
Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant examine the origins, evolution, and current state of Black Friday in the United States. They trace how the day after Thanksgiving became associated with holiday shopping through department store parades, how the term "Black Friday" arose from Philadelphia police and transportation workers, and how retailers later reshaped its meaning into a profit narrative. The hosts discuss the economics of holiday retail, doorbuster tactics and their risks, violent and deadly crowd incidents, worker and scheduling issues around Thanksgiving openings, and counter-movements like Buy Nothing Day and China's Singles Day.
American Originals Holiday Special w/ Mike Rowe
Theo Von hosts a holiday special focused on American-made products, joined in-studio by Mike Rowe as they highlight small U.S. makers and talk about what it means to support American manufacturing. Throughout the episode they share stories from entrepreneurs and craftspeople behind items like gloves, cherries, hot sauce, cutting boards, pottery, and more, emphasizing resilience, ingenuity, and the "American dream" in action. The conversation closes with reflections on America as something citizens must actively maintain through everyday choices, including where they spend their money.
Is Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? (Update)
The episode investigates the hidden economics and logistics of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, focusing on how it is produced, who pays for what, and what value it creates for Macy's, NBC, and New York City. Executive producer Will Koss, NBC executive Jen Neal, city officials, and author Jeff Kinney describe the year‑round production process, brand sponsorships, balloon design and fabrication, helium supply, security, and sanitation. Despite assembling many details, the show concludes that the true costs and financial arrangements around the parade remain largely opaque, and it tees up a second episode on Macy's broader retail challenges.
#626 - Baby Me
Theo Von records a Thanksgiving-themed solo episode with producer Riley Mao, reflecting on the holiday, American history, the current state of the world, and the importance of focusing on tangible relationships and small joys. He shares a humorous yet sincere list of little life experiences he appreciates, updates listeners on recent charity efforts, and reacts to several heartfelt listener calls about mental health, painful family dynamics, impending parenthood, and spiritual questions. Throughout, he and Riley also discuss Riley's upcoming fatherhood, Theo's evolving sense of purpose, and his desire to deepen his relationship with God and better care for himself.
Cold War Santa with Sarah Archer
Host Sarah Marshall and historian Sarah Archer explore how Santa Claus and American Christmas traditions evolved from the 19th century through the Cold War, focusing on consumerism, design, and media. They trace Santa from a tiny artisan figure in Victorian illustrations to a postwar, space-age and domesticated icon wrapped in department stores, aluminum trees, and televised specials like Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Throughout, they examine how Christmas has always been bound up with retail, nostalgia, gender roles, and changing ideas about patriotism and the future.