Go Fact Yourself — Episode 186: Al Madrigal & Mary Lynn Rajskub
January 17, 2026 • MaximumFun.org

Episode Overview

This lively, trivia-packed episode of Go Fact Yourself features comedians Al Madrigal (Lopez vs Lopez, The Daily Show) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) competing to prove their expertise in niche subjects, field fun and challenging questions, interact with real-life experts, and share behind-the-scenes stories from their careers. Guest host Ashley Burch (stepping in for Helen Hong) brings sharp humor and energy alongside regular host J. Keith van Straaten. The competition covers Latino politicians, burrito pride, Moonlighting’s iconic wardrobe, and more, all before a warmly responsive live audience in Pasadena.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Meet the Contestants & Warm-Up (01:13–06:46)

• Ashley Burch introduces the show as interim co-host, humorously recounting her recent "loop group" voice work:
  “I basically went in at 9am and screamed for an hour and went home.” (02:07)
• Al Madrigal shares insights from his celebrated Daily Show tenure, especially his high-impact segment on Arizona’s school ban of Mexican American studies:
  “The Tea Party had infiltrated low level politics in Arizona… and then kill[ed] Mexican American studies because they thought it taught hatred of the white man.” (03:45)
• The piece is now taught in Chicano studies curriculum—something Al finds surreal:
  “People reach out about that constantly… I wish it never had happened.” (04:47)
• Mary Lynn Rajskub is starring in Netflix’s North of North, an original sitcom about Inuit life:
  “The showrunners are both Inuit women who are starting their legacy of stories that are told about the Arctic culture that aren’t heavy and depressing.” (05:10)
• She playfully addresses the typecasting of her character as “a Karen,” consulting her teenage son for research:
  “I asked my son, I said, do you think I can play a Karen type? …You can think about it.” (05:55)

"What's the Difference?" Round: UFOs vs UAPs & Gravy vs Sauce (06:46–11:28)

• Listener Alice Chen (Los Angeles) queries: What’s the difference between UFO and UAP?
  • Al Madrigal: “A UFO is actually something that is physical… UAP… is just everything else…” (07:54)
  • Ashley Burch provides the facts:
    “A UAP... might be flying… underwater or in outer space, and it might not even be an object…” (09:01)
  • J. Keith: “UAP is more accurate than UFO, which itself is more accurate than…flying saucer.” (09:25)
• Mary Lynn answers on gravy vs sauce, with Al quipping:
  • Al: “You put gravy in a boat. There’s no such thing as a sauce boat.” (10:34)
  • Ashley clarifies: “Gravy is made from juices and fats… from cooked meat. Sauce might or might not contain meat juices and can be any color.” (10:54)

Guest Backgrounds & Anecdotes (11:28–18:10)

Al Madrigal

• Returning to The Daily Show:
  • “10 years later, you show up and you don’t expect…with Trevor of it all…Nope. Everyone stayed.” (11:56)
• Latino Identity & Comedy:
  • “Latinos love taking down other Latinos…There’s no winning.” (12:35)
• Firing People in the Family Business: Emotional tales of having to let staff go—driving him to seek balance through Big Brothers Big Sisters, stained glass, and finally stand-up:
  • “I was crying in my car and decided that I needed to do something else.” (13:05)

Mary Lynn Rajskub

• Filming in Iqaluit, Nunavut:
  • “You get on a little airline called Canadian North and take another three hours north…” (14:41)
  • “You can take a boat, but only in a couple months…when the ocean has melted.” (15:26)
• 24 with Kiefer Sutherland:
  • “The sexual chemistry was off the charts, so they had to keep us separated.” (15:47)
  • On adjusting to drama: being overwhelmed by single-camera setups and developing memory tricks for complex jargon. (15:47)
• Movie Night School: Both remember the unique camaraderie of working on set, swapping stories about Bill Murray sightings and hurricane hotel chaos in Atlanta. (16:54–17:48)

Main Challenges: "Own Topic" Quiz Segments

Al Madrigal: U.S. Latino Politicians (19:20–33:57)

Why This Topic?

• “I really pick that one to test my knowledge…I'd like to…monitor who's out there and what they're up to.” (19:36)

Sample Questions & Answers

• First Latino in President's Cabinet?
  Correct: “Bush.” (23:51) (Lauro Cavazos served under Reagan & Bush)

• Which indicted Senator had $100,000 in what precious item?
  Correct: “Gold bars. The man had gold bars for some reason.” (24:32)

• Siblings in high office—Which family didn’t do it?
  Wrong: Diaz-Balarts
  Mary Lynn steals: “I believe it was the Sununus.” (25:15–25:17)

• Puerto Rico’s Representative Title?
  Al Incorrect: “Citizen Commissioner”
  Mary Lynn steals: “Resident Commissioner.” (26:39)

Expert Segment (29:23)

Expert: Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (32:23)

• On the “Name Accuracy Act”:
  “What this bill allows individuals to do is…now put diacritical marks, which are tildes, the ñ…on birth certificates, marriage licenses…so people can say it accurately.” (31:31)
• The major "sort-of" Mexican restaurant chain founded in Downey: Taco Bell (32:23)
• The number of attempts to pass the bill: Three (33:01; Al answered correctly)
• J. Keith: “Everything good is Downey.” (33:29)

Mary Lynn Rajskub: Cybill Shepherd’s Wardrobe on Moonlighting (35:03–49:34)

Why This Topic?

• “Watching TV in the 80s and seeing this very strong, feminine woman…wardrobe kind of transcends the whole thing and affected society…” (36:49)

Sample Questions & Answers

• Structural Inserts Not Used?
  Correct: “Shoulder pads.” (39:44)

• Color of Fav Emmy Gown with Orange Sneakers?
  Incorrect. Al steals with “Black.” (40:40)

• Which costume did Cybill NOT wear?
  Correct: “Banana.” (41:25)

• Wardrobe color never used?
  Hinted: Blues (42:17)

• What was her itchy Shakespearean costume lined with?
  Nobody got: Moleskin (43:12)

Expert Segment (45:04)

Expert: Glenn Gordon Caron, creator of Moonlighting (45:04)

• On working with costume designer Robert Turturice:
  “He was just…amazing and so certain of things. And we didn’t always agree, but he was always right.” (47:12)
• Cybill Shepherd hated to wear: Heels (48:30)
• Weekly wardrobe budget: $35,000 (48:51; much higher than Mary Lynn guessed!)
• George Hurrell’s vocation: Photographer, not hairstylist as Mary Lynn guessed (48:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Al on firing people:
  “I was crying in my car and decided that I needed to do something else.” (13:05)
• Al, defending SF burritos:
  “San Francisco burritos are the best in the United States, hands down…San Diego people with the French fries…[makes rude gesture].” (20:01)
• Mary Lynn on early 24 acting panic:
  “It was the worst. None of it was coming back to me. They finally had to tell everybody to take a break, and I went and stood in the corner and memorized it.” (15:47)
• Mary Lynn on Cybill Shepherd’s impact:
  “She didn’t compromise the strength or the femininity…If you watch it today, it doesn’t look dated—it looks like high fashion.” (36:49)
• Glenn Gordon Caron on Moonlighting:
  “I was in pain. And at the end of the meeting, somebody said, you know, you can do whatever you want with it…And all I heard was, you can do whatever you want.” (46:20)
• Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco’s mom cheering from audience: “Hi, Mom. Very proud mom, we see there.” (31:17)

Fast Facts Round (49:45–51:11)

• Both contestants face rapid-fire true/false on real and made-up streaming services (Netflix: T, Tubi: T, Booby: F, Sweatflix: F, etc.).
  • Standout:
    “There’s a streaming service called Booby.”
    Mary Lynn: “False.” (50:27)
    “Yeah, you know what that would be for.”

Final Scores & Winner

• Mary Lynn: 9 points
• Al: 10 points

Winner: Al Madrigal (51:11)

Plugs & Outro (51:17–54:47)

• Al Madrigal: “Not being on a TV show lets me guest star on a lot of other shows…go to almadrigal.com…” (51:46)
• Mary Lynn Rajskub: “Go catch up on North of North before the second season comes out.” (52:19)
• Ashley Burch: “Watch I’m Happy You’re Here on YouTube—a comedy mental health show. If you have anxiety, go watch it and it’ll cure it.” (52:38)
• J. Keith van Straaten: Find him at jakeith.net and for trivia hosting at bigquizthing.com.

Expert Guests

• Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, California State Assembly (on Latino identity & politics)
• Glenn Gordon Caron, Creator of Moonlighting (on Cybill Shepherd’s wardrobe)

Memorable Audience & Host Exchanges

• Mary Lynn, after a successful steal: “I thought of a word.” (26:48)
• Al on “helping write questions” after his win:
  “I will help Jim write questions for future episodes.” (51:25)
• J. Keith’s outro:
  “Thank you for listening and supporting our show…Goodnight.” (54:48)

Key Timestamps

• 01:13: Episode start, host introductions, guest intros
• 06:46: What’s the Difference? UFO vs UAP
• 11:28: Contestants’ career stories
• 19:20: Al’s chosen topics, quiz begins
• 29:23: Expert: Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco
• 35:03: Mary Lynn’s Moonlighting fashion quiz
• 45:04: Expert: Glenn Gordon Caron
• 49:45: Fast Facts round
• 51:11: Winner & closing plugs

Go Fact Yourself continues to be a delightful (and informative) showcase for quirky expertise, warmth, and improv wit. Both Al Madrigal and Mary Lynn Rajskub brighten this episode with unique stories, competitive spirit, and easy repartee.