Today’s Show is About a Different Show That is Not About Tapirs - The Gist

Summary

The Gist: Today’s Show is About a Different Show That is Not About Tapirs

Release Date: April 12, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca
Producer: Peach Fish Productions

Introduction

In this intriguing episode of The Gist, host Mike Pesca delves into a meta-discussion about creating a podcast episode that is explicitly not about tapirs. Embracing the show's signature provocative and thoughtful style, Pesca navigates the challenges and humorous contradictions inherent in attempting to avoid a specific topic while inadvertently bringing it into the conversation.

Concept Exploration: The Not-About-Tapirs Show

00:00 - 01:04 | Initial Setup

The episode begins with a brief nod to the unconventional premise: producing a show that purposely avoids discussing tapirs, yet the mere act of defining such a concept makes it impossible to remain oblivious to the subject.

Colin McEnroe introduces the idea:

“We decided that we would do a show that is not about tapirs... It is specifically a show that is not about tapirs or tapirs.”
[02:35]

Team Reactions: Embracing the Absurdity

The production team grapples with the paradox of avoiding a topic that becomes a focal point by definition.

Josh Nalea expresses strong opposition:

“I just don't think should be on the air.”
[04:25]
Jonathan McNicoll shares his confusion:

“I'm starting to get really confused.”
[05:07]
Josh further critiques the concept by comparing it to an episode of Seinfeld pitched to network executives:

“As soon as you sort of, like, state your intentions to do a show that is not about something, then it becomes a bad idea.”
[05:32]

These reactions highlight the inherent difficulty in maintaining a show centered around the absence of a topic, as the mere mention of tapirs undermines the premise.

Analogies and Reflections: Seinfeld and Beyond

Colin McEnroe draws parallels to Seinfeld's "about nothing" concept, placing the not-about-tapirs show on a spectrum of thematic focus:

“If Seinfeld were truly a show about nothing, it would be zero on the scale... we would do something that is a negative number.”
[06:00]

This analogy underscores the innovative yet flawed nature of the endeavor, emphasizing how defining a show by what it excludes can inadvertently define it by what it includes.

The Tapir Dilemma: Unintended Focus

Despite efforts to avoid the topic, tapirs inevitably surface in discussions:

“See, now, see, look what's happening. We're talking about them, Mike. We're trying to do a show that's not about them, and we're talking about them.”
[15:33]

The team acknowledges that complete avoidance is nearly impossible, leading to humorous and self-aware reflections on their predicament.

Guest Insight: Conversation with Mike Pesca

As The Gist hosts Mike Pesca, a guest appearance by himself adds a layer of meta-commentary to the episode. Colin McEnroe engages Pesca in a conversation about the challenges of avoiding a topic in podcasting:

“What if we tried to do a show that was not about a topic?... it would certainly waste the listener's time.”
[13:13]

Pesca contributes by likening the concept to improv techniques, pondering the futility and potential of creating content without a central theme. This segment deepens the exploration of thematic absence and its implications for content creation.

Satirical Commentary: The Trump Tariff Speech

In a departure from the main theme, the episode includes a satirical rendition of a Donald Trump speech addressing tariffs. This segment serves as a humorous interlude, showcasing the show's ability to critique and parody political discourse.

Satirical Trump declares:

“No other president would have done what I did.”
[19:43]

Colin McEnroe humorously analyzes the implications:

“The President has started with the truth... he got into the world trade picture.”
[20:11]

This segment satirizes political rhetoric, aligning with The Gist's tradition of reasonable critique across the political spectrum.

Conclusion: Embracing Imperfection

As the episode wraps up, the production team reflects on the experiment's outcome. Jonathan McNicoll encapsulates the experience:

“I just want to say we've afforded ourselves the option of failing during this show.”
[09:46]

Colin McEnroe acknowledges the inherent challenges:

“We can still live with that. That'll be okay.”
[10:09]

Despite the struggles, the team appreciates the humorous and thought-provoking nature of their attempt, embracing the imperfections that come with such an unconventional approach.

Key Takeaways

Nature of Content Creation: Attempting to exclude a topic can inadvertently highlight it, making thematic absence challenging to maintain.
Team Dynamics: Diverse opinions within the production team reflect the complexities of innovative content strategies.
Meta-Commentary: Engaging with the concept of not focusing on something offers a unique lens through which to examine podcasting and thematic development.
Satirical Elements: Incorporating satire enriches the episode, aligning with The Gist's mission to critique and analyze ideas thoughtfully.

Notable Quotes

Colin McEnroe:
“This is fundamentally different from all the other shows, ostensibly not being about tapirs.”
[05:32]
Josh Nalea:
“This is the only kind of show we've ever done. We've always done shows that were not about tapirs.”
[04:58]
Jonathan McNicoll:
“This moment right here is about Tierce.”
[09:50]
Satirical Trump:
“I could say, here's a wall. I'm going to go through it.”
[17:05]

Final Thoughts

The Gist successfully navigates the humorous and philosophical challenges of creating a show that intentionally avoids a specific topic. Through candid discussions, team dynamics, guest insights, and satirical elements, the episode offers a reflective and entertaining exploration of thematic absence in podcasting.

Produced by: Corey Wara & Michelle Pesca
Brought to you by: Progressive Insurance

Transcript

Home Depot Advertiser (0:00)

At the Home Depot. Spring Black Friday is here, and we've got 14 days of deals to transform your space. So what are you working on? How about a quick and stylish patio furniture update? And what's outdoor dining without a shiny new grill? Find a wide selection of grills under $300 like the next grill four burner for only $229 at the home Depot. Then add a little ambiance with string lights. Shop 14 days of deals during spring Black Friday, now through April 16 at the home Depot. This episode is brought to you by the Nissan Armada Pro 4X. With a twin turbo V6 engine ready to propel your adventures up to 8,500 pounds of towing capacity to haul all your favorite toys in space for eight passengers, Nissan's most powerful car yet will chew up and spit out anything you throw at it. Learn more about the all new 2025 Nissan Armada at nissanusa.com Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing guide and owner's manual for additional information. Always secure cargo Foreign.

Colin McEnroe (1:04)

Hey, it's Saturday. It's the Saturday show where we bring you one from the Vault and one from the week. Okay? The Vault's not our vault. The vault is Colin McEnroe's vault. It's the 15th year of the Colin McEnroe show, defined kind of loosely. He's been doing it for 15 years, so meaning he's in his 16th year. It doesn't matter. He deserves a celebration. And I've been on that show a couple of times recently. But. But I was reminded of an appearance I did, and it wasn't. It wasn't mostly about me, but it was in 2019. And what Colin likes to do is take a topic like, say, toast and do a whole show on it. And it's crazy how often it works. And so the ne plus ultra of this was he did a show that wasn't about tapirs. Tapir. Tapir. It appeared to be about tapirs, but it wasn't about tapirs. You know the animal. I know them mostly from Dora the Explorer. I was briefly on that episode. Colin McEnroe is such a good show, and I recommend it and I've recommended it in the past. So I'm going to play some of that episode here and there'll be a link to a 2019 show that they played just a couple weeks ago. And then the one from the Gist. Oh, yeah, the Gist does its old thing, I think. On Wednesday we had a pretty good spiel. Trump talked next to Some race car drivers and I talked about Trump talking. And, yeah, here's a little bit of what we do. All right, enjoy.

Colin McEnroe (2:35)

We're going to do a show that's a little unusual. In fact, it's very unusual. We're going to do a show because we've done thousands of shows, each of which was about a topic or a series of topics or a group of topics. We decided that we would do a show that was not about something, a show that is not about tapirs. Tapirs are a certain kind of animal. We can't tell you very much about what kind of animal they are because today we are doing a show that is not about them. It is specifically a show that is not about tapirs or tapirs. All right, so in the studio with me now to sort of get things going and just sort of give you a sense of how people are feeling about this right now is senior producer Betsy Kaplan, who doesn't want to be here and doesn't like this. And Carlos Mejia, the mejiasaurus. Jonathan McNicoll, who is producing this entire.