Sleeping with Celebrities

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• NPR’s Glen Weldon Talks The Silmarillion and That Ought To Put You To Sleep 01.07.2026 46Min.

  You have to be a slight J.R.R. Tolkien nerd to watch the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings film series. They’re long, there’s three of them, and it helps to know your hobbits from your elves. You have to be even more of a fan to read the dense, lengthy Tolkien books. But then there’s Glen Weldon, co-host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, who has read everything Tolkien many times over including The Silmarillion. That’s the book Tolkien died while writing with extensive arcana of the world of Middle Earth. Here’s the part in the description where I would give you examples but it’s so deep, so thickly layered, such extreme Tolkienness that I kind of zoned out just listening to Glen take this deepest of dives. “The book is structured as a history, with sections on the creation of the world, the gods (Valar), the history of the Elves and Men, and the downfall of Númenor, all centered around the conflict with the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, and the rebellion of the Elf Fëanor,” says Wikipedia, and who am I to disagree? The detail, combined with Glen’s avuncular NPR voice ought to conk you out before you can say, “Celebrimbor.”
• Sondre Lerche Takes On A-ha and Soothingly Reads Fjord Names 24.06.2026 50Min.

  When you’re a Norwegian musician, you get used to hearing a lot of the band A-ha, the biggest ever to come out of the Nordic country shaped like an arm from the elbow down. And that’s fine with Sondre Lerche, the most popular Norwegian solo musicians of all time. Sondre adored A-ha by rarely gets to share all his knowledge. Until this bedtime, that is. Sondre also reads the names of 15 fjords in their authentic pronunciations and also teaches our Norwegian-American host how to accurately pronounce his own middle name and the names of his parents, in both Bergen and Oslo dialects.
• Is This Heaven? No, It’s Iowa and NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben Talking Field of Dreams 17.06.2026 38Min.

  We have to imagine that the life of an NPR White House Correspondent does not consistently feel relaxed, homey, sentimental, and warm. But you know what does? Field of Dreams, the 1989 Kevin Costner movie about an Iowa farmer with a field overrun by baseball ghosts. Danielle Kurtzleben, a White House Correspondent for NPR, is from Titonka, Iowa (population 491) and has probably seen the movie eleventy squillion times. She can quote large portions of the dialogue and proved it in our interview by reciting James Earl Jones’ “They will come” monologue in her most sonorous NPR voice. You’ll be asleep soon. By the way, do baseball ghosts sleep? Are there bunk beds out in the corn fields? Am I overthinking this?
• Let’s Go to Trader Joe’s with Dan Mintz. That Will Be Nice. 10.06.2026 54Min.

  Dan Mintz is an actor, comedian, and writer with a new standup special, Well-Rounded Entertainer, premiering soon on YouTube. Dan is best known as Tina Belcher on the beloved animated TV comedy Bob’s Burgers, which has been on the air for 16 seasons. Where can you get burgers besides Bob’s? Trader Joe’s, that’s where. Dan likes to shop there for foods that will please his family and provide nutritious meals while not busting his budget. He enjoys bananas and other fruits, as he explains to you in a voice that is his, not Tina’s, but that carries enough of Tina’s endearing low-level neurosis that you’ll feel like you’re at the store with a beloved friend as you drift off to sleep. Also, Dan is mildly concerned that his dog is secretly a fugitive from a Mexican drug cartel but no need to lose any sleep over that.
• Dulcé Sloan Knows Every Trope, Archetype, and Inevitable Plot Point of K-Dramas 03.06.2026 43Min.

  Dulcé Sloan has been in your American television many times, appearing as correspondent and guest host of The Daily Show, doing stand up on Conan, and voice acting on The Great North. But she doesn’t have much time to watch her own shows because she’s too busy getting chin deep in Korean dramas, studying their patterns, delighting in the long built-up kisses, and talking about them on her new podcast Chasing K-Dramas. She tells us a great deal about these television programs, why they’re inherently predictable, and why she loves them so much regardless. Plus, Dulcé plays a round of In The Cart Or On The Shelf and evaluates some classic silent movie melodramas of the Nineteen-Teens.
• Comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes Used to Garden and Remembers It Fondly and At Some Length 27.05.2026 39Min.

  You may have seen the very funny Anjelah Johnson-Reyes in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ugly Betty, Superstore, or even on the sidelines as an Oakland Raiders cheerleader. Perhaps you’ve seen her comedy specials, including the brand new Ugly Baby, which is about her experiences becoming a mom and, fear not, she is the titular ugly baby here. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ve seen Anjelah in her garden, carefully tending to her plants and vegetables, including tomatoes that she loves so much that she just calls them ‘matoes. All that gardening was at her old house but she remembers it as a wonderful and productive time and she still wonders what those ‘matoes are up to these days. We think she should add them on Instagram, very casual-like.
• Rebecca Sugar: Creator of Steven Universe, Knower of Earthen Building Techniques 20.05.2026 47Min.

  In the Venn diagram of “heart” and “animation”, the overlap is Rebecca Sugar. Her series, Steven Universe, was more than just the adventures of an unusual boy’s search for identity in a spectacularly imaginative spiritual/paranormal world, it was mind-expanding and profoundly human and humane literature for legions of adoring fans. Rebecca’s non-animation interests are decidedly and literally much more down to earth. She is fascinated by how to build things, especially wee small houses out earthen building materials, the advantages and disadvantages of both the ingredients and of living your life outside the construct of building codes. She talks about the controversy of whether to use the terms “dirt” or “earth”, the presence of the white-throated wood rat, and what cob is when no corn is involved. Also, she plays a historical round of In The Cart Or On The Shelf.
• Live From SF Sketchfest with John DiMaggio, Moshe Kasher, and Meredith Edgar 13.05.2026 1Std. 10Min.

  A live in-person performance of Sleeping with Celebrities? At a real theater, the Bayfront Theater,  with lights and guests and an audience? At 5pm in the afternoon? Believe it because it happened. We ventured to the home of Rice-a-Roni, San Francisco to join comedy geniuses from all over at the SF Sketchfest. Hear actor John DiMaggio reveal the secrets of voiceover in a mellow voice that he’s not used to using. Catch a rundown of warm springs with actor, comic, and memoirist Moshe Kasher. Tune into beautiful tunes from musical guest Meredith Edgar, who even covers Metallica in a duet with our host John Moe. John’s daughter Margaret joins us onstage to try to fall asleep during the show - see if she succeeds. The show was taped in January and if you couldn’t be there, well, you’re here now.
• A Lot of Work Goes Into Eliza Coupe’s Spiritual Practice, But Not If You’re Just Listening To It For Sleep Reasons 06.05.2026 41Min.

  Eliza Coupe is an actor who has appeared regularly on shows like Scrubs, where she was Dr. Denise “Jo” Mahoney, and Happy Endings, where she starred as Jane Kerkovich-Williams. She’s also a person who lives much of the time in Joshua Tree, California, dedicating herself to a rather elaborate, daily, hours-long spiritual practice. We’re going to let her go through all that effort while you simply lie back and listen to her smooth professional actor voice tell you all about it. Hear about her sauna suit, her collection of dogs, her supportive husband who would rather not join in on all this business, and the ever-transforming power of snakes. And we play a round of In The Cart Or On The Shelf with actual coupes.
• MaxFunDrive 2026 BoCo Preview: Soundscapes - Runyon Canyon Hiking Trail 30.04.2026 3Min.

  Welcome to Maximum Fun's own BoCo Vault, Sleeping with Celebrities Wing. We bring you beautiful soundscapes for sleep, meditation, yoga, zoning out, or really whatever you like. Thank you for being a member. This is Soundscape #2 - The Runyon Canyon Hiking Trail in Sunny Los Angeles. Hope you brought your sunscreen.
• Bonus Mini-Sode: Bigfoot Guys, Aliens Guys, and That’s the Two Types of Guys w/ Drea Clark 29.04.2026 33Min.

  Drea Clark, one of the hosts of the popular and important Maximum Film! podcast has a theory: all middle-aged Guys think about the Roman Empire but from there, the Guys separate into Bigfoot Guys and Alien Guys. Sure, there are anomalies but you can mostly separate guys into those groups. Our host, John Moe, Bigfoot Guy, gets Drea’s opinion on where Rock History Guys, Computer Guys, and other Guys sort out into the Bigfoot and Aliens camps. Is it an airtight taxonomic argument? Not really. Is it an intriguing enough argument to let you conk out? Oh yes.
• Sleeping with the U.S. Constitution featuring SO MANY STARS 29.04.2026 1Std. 22Min.

  Pretty big celebrity this week: the document that forms the spine of the United States. The one that members of the military pledge loyalty to instead of the President. The words that serves as a manual for law, justice, and government itself, meant to outlast any administration or trend. And we called in an avalanche of celebrities to read it to you. Peter Sagal, Paget Brewster, John Hodgman, Open Mike Eagle, Josh Gondelman, John Ross Bowie, Anna Sale, David Plotz, Ophira Eisenberg, and just a ridiculous number of Maximum Fun hosts. The idea here is to gather voices in support of that brilliant, flawed, intriguing, and persevering historical document as a foundation of our society at a time when so much of society feels awfully rickety. We hope you enjoy it and that it gives you comfort.
• MaxFunDrive 2026 BoCo Preview: Ambient Soundscape by Daniel William Gonzalez - Vanishing Point 28.04.2026 5Min.

  Welcome to Maximum Fun's own BoCo Vault, Sleeping with Celebrities Wing. We bring you beautiful soundscapes for sleep, meditation, yoga, zoning out, or really whatever you like. Thank you for being a member. This is Ambient Track 2: Vanishing Point by Daniel William Gonzalez of Gonzalez Work Station. Open your mind, Quaid.
• Bonus Mini-Sode: Walking Friendly Dogs on a Nice Day, Part 2 24.04.2026 42Min.

  Doesn’t that sound pleasant? Join host John Moe as he strolls his Saint Paul neighborhood with his dogs. There’s Sally, a black lab mix and senior resident dog, Maisy, an all-over mutt and resident dog who doesn’t like putting on harnesses but does like walks, and Weenie, a foster pug puppy who keeps up with the ladies but not in a straight line. On this walk... Weenie is slightly too big for a cat-sized harness, Harry Hamlin(e) and Sam Shepard, and John declines to flip off a Cybertruck.
• MaxFunDrive 2026 BoCo Preview: Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Jong Un, Pretty Much. And Blaine Capatch 23.04.2026 14Min.

  It's MaxFunDrive 2026! Listen to the full Bonus Content episode (as well as all of the BoCo in Max Fun history) by going to www.MaximumFun.org/joinsleeping. It's our one-stop portal to become a member and support Sleeping with Celebrities.
• Rob Huebel and His Sure-Fire Completely Doomed Business Ideas 22.04.2026 56Min.

  Rob Huebel, a friendly and hilarious person, has appeared in movies and tv shows like The Other Guys, The League, and The Sex Lives of College Girls, plus numerous things that don’t have “The” in the title. His new comedy horror film is Grind and he stars in the upcoming There's a Batman Film Starring Gary Busey Buried in the Desert and I'm Going to Find It, which won the special "Sleeping with Celebrities Oscar for Best Title." He’s here to tell you about some rock-solid, can’t-go-wrong business ideas from which you can try to make millions of dollars but please don’t because they would be disastrous. His ideas include operating cotton candy vending machines, mobile podcasting studios, and writing original comedy screenplays. You’ll fall asleep knowing your investments are safe.
• Bonus Mini-Sode: Walking Friendly Dogs on a Nice Day, Part 1 20.04.2026 32Min.

  Doesn’t that sound pleasant? Join host John Moe as he strolls his Saint Paul neighborhood with his dogs. There’s Sally, a black lab mix and senior resident dog, Maisy, an all-over mutt and resident dog who doesn’t like putting on harnesses but does like walks, and Weenie, a foster pug puppy who keeps up with the ladies but not in a straight line. On this walk... John muses on Guy Branum's description of spring, the accuracy of the Colossal Cafe's description as "colossal," the snobbiness of his dogs, and the linguistic uses of the words "kitten" and "puppy."
• Casters on Casters: John Moe and Brenda Snell 20.04.2026 17Min.

  It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters. In this episode, John Moe (Sleeping with Celebrities & Depresh Mode with John Moe) talks about his double life, as a person who speaks in a normal voice, and the host he becomes for Sleeping with Celebrities. And Brenda Snell (Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries) tells us about what she's learned from her listeners, including what actor/basketball star Shaquille O'Neal is like in real life. If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join. Edited by Jesus Ambrosio and Produced by Laura Swisher for Maximum Fun.
• Hrishikesh Hirway: Song Exploder / Paper Explorer 15.04.2026 38Min.

  Out of all the podcasts in the world, and there are dozens, Song Exploder is one of the best and totally unique. Hrishikesh Hirway, well, more deconstructs rather than explodes songs and is joined by the musicians who created the song in the first place. And the guests! How about Madonna! U2! Sabrina Carpenter! And so many more. Hrishi is a musician as well with a new album, In The Last Hour of Light, dropping on April 24th. He’s here to talk about music, sure, but also paper. As a former graphic designer, he has many thoughts and details about weight, finish, stock, and coating. How about unbleached cardboard for a CD case? He has thoughts. Paper conversation is a sort of lullaby, you’ll find and Hrishi’s gentle voice will soon have you dreaming of that room in the back of the office where they keep the paper for the copier.
• Martha Kelly Has More Thoughts Than You Might Have Realized About Alvin & the Chipmunks 08.04.2026 58Min.

  You might know Martha Kelly from her role Emmy-nominated role as the drug lord Laurie on the HBO series Euphoria or for her part as Martha, the deadpan hilarious Costco insurance agent and best friend of Zach Galifianakis’s character in Baskets. You don’t know her from her part in the Alvin & the Chipmunks series of films because she wasn’t in those. Still, her knowledge of those movies runs very deep, stemming from watching them over and over with her niece. Martha Kelly has a love for Alvin and his brothers Simon and Theodore that is sincere and extremely well-informed. She’ll tell you all about the original film, The Squeakuel, Chipwrecked, and even the surprisingly dark fourth film, Road Chip, wherein Tony Hale gets drunk, Theodore gets hit by a car, and a major subplot point involves child abandonment. But everything turns out okay! And you’ll be okay listening to Martha and her plainspoken voice as you drift off to sleep.