I never know what each week will hold, but this show is always thoughtfully woven together. I continue to think back to shows from even a few years back. Well done TAL team.

I left my heart at the episode, The Narrator. That was the American Life seeing an 8 year old girl in Gaza.

Beyond disappointed that this podcast — which was one of my favorites for many years — has descended into pro-Gaza propaganda. I miss the old This American Life. Would not recommend this to anyone anymore.

“Progressively” tiring and pretentious. All the virtue signalling you’ll need in your lifetime and then some more. One more sheep in the herd.

After years of superb radio, TAL wrote the book on how to produce a podcast. Head and shoulders above the rest.

I love this show. I made it a goal to listen to all episodes years ago. I paid for the (very cheap) app to do so. The app regularly became unusable and would then start working again later on. Now it seems like it was abandoned for good and they are demanding $10 a month for something I already purchased (albeit at a very low one time fee, <$10). That would be ok if all episodes were on here, but lots of the old ones are not. Now I’m paying a lot but still need to listen to old ones on their website. I’m irritated.

TAL’s fall from grace irks me. I have fond memories of listening on my own and discussing the week’s episodes with my family. Naturally, a shift towards monetizing the show was coming but for months before the move to NYT, the show started to lose its shine and luster. A predictable swing left was certain to turn off audiences that didn’t align, but what was even more disappointing was the apparent laziness in creation. TAL is known for its unique and profound storytelling, and the show pounded the rock of political and war coverage when I’m sure most listeners would welcome a break. Even more discouraging is the recycled episodes. While it’s very hard to produce new content, each week, it seems like the show is slowly drifting away from its compelling and irreplaceable storytelling that draws you in each Sunday night unless you submit to the paywall they so desperately encourage you climb. Whatever the future holds, This American Life certainly has seen its best days yet is a few more low-frills shows away from a return to glory.

I’ve been listening to this podcast for 5 years, I absolutely love the episodes featuring individuals from Gaza, so heartbreaking necessary listens.

This American Life is so good!

I will been listening to this podcast since the beginning. I’ve truly enjoyed every single podcast, but now I can’t listen to it on Mondays when I normally used to because I don’t have the money. Shame on you. I’m so disappointed in This American Life. I understand that you need sponsorship, but what about us regular listeners who’ve been there forever and who have donated to NPR?

Very entertaining. I didn’t see that much left leaning episodes that the other reviews talk about. Love this podcast!!!

Defund NPR. I used to enjoy so many shows like this on NLR until they became left wing anti Trump propaganda. Regurgitating the same unsubstantiated nonsense and talking points all of MSM partakes in. January 20th and DOGE can’t come soon enough.

Good lord, how can anyone stand the smug liberal certainty of this show ? You've gone woke, and now Ira reports you're going broke. 4 years of Trump and 8 years of Vance ought to put this show in the trash heap where it belongs.

Horrible complete and utter nonsense by communist

The explicitly pro-Stop the Steal episode was a bit much, comparing them to the Venezuelan opposition disrespects the struggles of people living in a country with actual electoral fraud

Ira glass knows how to run a team of storytellers and keep the standard high. My only want is to make older episodes more accessible

that venezuela episode is just straight up paid propaganda you are a dullard if that didn’t make your skin crawl. gross.

Listen with care.

The red icon programs will play on Tesla, but the blue “subscriber only” content is grayed out and won’t play, even though I have paid for the subscription.

I started listening to TAL when I was a preadolescent in the 90’s. My dad and I would sometimes happen to catch it on Saturday, but if not always on Sunday for the rerun on our way home from church. So often we’d sit in the driveway listening, car turned off, unable to tear ourselves away. We were obsessed. When I was a teenager, we went to see Ira live in Concord, NH and I got to meet him. I was star struck, and so in love with the medium he and his team were evolving before our ears. Now I’m in my 40’s - been consuming these stories for 30+ years! So many stay with me, so many memories. When life partners came out, I knew I had to sign up even though I don’t normally for this sort of thing, but TAL feels like a narrative soundtrack to my entire life. So grateful for it and happy to hear its evolution to explore politics and the experiences of people other than native born white Americans. I agree with some of the other comments that you could try harder to set a place at the table for folks from conservative backgrounds. But mostly I’m just grateful you’re still around producing content. Thank you Ira and the rest of the team from the bottom of this American heart, and keep it up!! ❤️💙🤍

This used to be one of my favorite shows but I am not listening as much since they started the paid subscription. Just run advertising between each act like other series instead of trying to convince me to pay for episodes.

I paid for the upgraded, commercial-free version and linked my NYT account. Now the Apple IOS player (IOS 17.6.1) has all gone whack. My settings about what to keep, when to delete, etc are reset. Episodes I should see are not visible and cannot be found, etc. Come on TAL, I love your show but feel like you could have done better here.

Since most content today is interwoven with politics, it would be nice if a publicly funded organization like this could be apolitical. Informative yet irksome if you’re hoping to avoid the subtle jabs at a particular political viewpoint.

NPR has done an amazing job in continuing to provide for us with This American Life. The thing about this show is that is made by incredible storytellers and journalists. It’s the very best American can and will offer and does not disappoint ever. I think it had a bit of a rocky start many years ago but now it is simply the best podcast out there. If you are looking for unbiased journalism, support this American life for as long as possible. No other podcast out there comes close to what these guys are doing. Absolutely amazing.

The show is great and one of my favorites. However I joined the annual subscription which cost $87.89 and it does nothing. I was able to listen to one “bonus content” show. Every time I try to listen to the “bonus content” a second time it keeps asking me to rejoin and pay again. And yes I’m logged in under my profile and yes it did show as a paid subscription in Apple subscriptions. Hate to say but it feels deceptive. And it’s hard to contact someone to have it looked into.

Edit 2024: can we now get back to just telling great stories? Y’all aren’t convincing with your activism… Thank you’!! Original review (from prob about 2020): TAL used to be the best of the he best in spoken word audio. It was THE original podcast in my mind. Now it’s just 1 of the 1000s & 1000s of leftist shows. They had something original and unique that people tuned in for, then they just pivot on a dime and use their platform like a bait and switch to push their woke agenda. It begs the question if all these household name podcasts are being taken over by Social justice warrior staffers? We know the woke staffers at Washington post / Ny times hold their editors hostage (not literally of course, held hostage by threat of cancel culture) is that what has happened here too?

This show with its unnecessary drama and leftist jargon is a downer! Why would anybody listen?

So I expect to see a retraction on your November 3rd episode. It’s a FACT that the Biden Administration WAS NOT doing all they could in the wake of the hurricane. FEMA sent out a memo TO BYPASS homes with TRUMP signs. So nice try guys trying to persuade people that THE RIGHT made it up. They left those people to suffer. I’m waiting to hear from you. Maybe you should have held your FAIRYTALE until the story was threshed out.

Is having the vocal fry a part of the qualification of being on the show?!?! Out of all the producers, are there no one that does not sound like they are on the Kardashians show? Please, please for the love of the audio gods, can you guys get someone who can talk with a voice that does not sound like this? I love this show but is it so very hard to listen!

For years I’ve looked forward to this program each week. Ira has always had a genius at finding unusual, sometimes quirky stories that are entertaining and often provide insights into people around the country. But now the program frequently focuses on politics, like so many podcasts do. Please please stop. We don’t listen to your podcasts to hear more about politics, we listen to escape it.

This show was a lot better before every episode was about race or politics. I’m a liberal but I find the liberal agenda of the show overbearing these days. Tired of having NPR’s political agenda shoved down my throat week after week. I held out hope for about a year, waiting for just one non-partisan episode that was maybe just good storytelling by like it used to be but finally, I’m saying goodbye.

It pains me to right this review as I have been a listener and fan of the show for ~10 years. In listening to the recent episode, “A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope,” I found myself almost at a loss for words. The episode started off with a very promising tone from Ira as if the story would be about how to bring progressives and conservatives together in our very divided times. I was intrigued. What followed was nothing less than a highly progressive biased narrative that essentially argued that if you have all of the facts, of course you can’t be conservative (and especially not support trump). Without going into details it was a piece that asserted that, in order to be happily married in modern America or even date in liberal New York, you will conform to progressive demand or be left lonely and lost in the world. Pathetic. The problem with the progressive movement is that honest debate is unwelcome in the public square. Don’t agree? Cancelled! Divorced! No dates for you! The main stream media seems so confused about why Trump won. Perhaps most Americans don’t agree with your policy positions? And as the media, aren’t you supposed to be sworn to an objective approach similar to doctors to agreeing to do know harm? Why are you taking a posting in the first place? Seems like you lost your way. You’re either totally unaware and it’s extreme subconscious bias or it’s groupthink or it’s malicious. In any case time to wake up because you’ve lost your influence with the public. I’ll never listen to this show again.

No. I could not care less about bridging the gap between my values and the party of fascists and racists. Not now. Not ever. Never.

TAL is one of the best out there and I’ve been a listener for many years. However, I’m not paying for a podcast where ever other show is a rerun from years past. And too many of them are about politics which I skip over anyway. Too bad. Not paying.

I knew the entire “This American Life..” was left leaning but I didn’t expect all the underhanded attempts to persuade people without touching on the facts… it all seemed to be relationship and feeling based… don’t worry about the politics in politics just pander to feelings. Anyone ever heard “feelings are inherently irrational”?

Don’t me too naive

TAL thinks of conservative politics like a fish thinks all land is like the beach. They can see it, but can’t/don’t/won’t understand it. Haven’t heard a positive view of religion, or any part of trad life. Enjoy the echo chamber. Classic NPR.

Just listened to the episode highlighting the Tangled newsletter and couples who vote differently. It’s just so crazy to me that the entire episode focused on democrats who were afraid to admit they’re voting for Kamala, republicans who have “seen the light” and now admit they were wrong about trump, etc. Not once in the entire episode did the talk to or even give examples of the opposite: life long dems who refuse to vote for Kamala, kids whose parents are liberals and they will never admit they voted for trump (this is the particular subset I know a LOT of people in). So the message is this: let’s talk about balance, but let’s not BE balanced.

Thank you so much for this weeks episode! The circumstances you narrated in this episode are very relatable in my household. It made me feel a little less lonely and a ton more hopeful. Appreciate the great work week in and week out!

just love yall bye

Love the quality, reliability and production value of This American Life- always interesting themes put together with excellent stories. However, as a NYT subscriber for years I’m disappointed that NYT subscription does not allow us access to the new subscriber only tier that This American Life created. I’m all for paying for quality media, but wish my current subscription included the new bonus content.

I listened to this in school I got hooked instantly

This show is the OG of podcasts! An American institution, a classic !! I adore it!! Never leave us!!

You know Israel was attacked Oct7, 2023? Stick to “American “stories “ like the title of your podcast.

I’m having such a great time listening to the archived shows now available with the Life Partner subscription. It’s a testament to how great this show is! Shows from nearly 30 years ago are intriguing, relevant, and just as entertaining as the new stuff. Thank you for many years of life changing stories.

This was such a sad and beautiful story. Thank you so much for giving us something real.

Ira Glass is not very thoughtful and thorough.

Favorite podcast of all is now even better with Partners content. I’m so happy I can contribute to a wonderful show AND get more shows! I could listen to Ira for hours and hours. This American Life rocks it every time .

I’ve never listened

…I’ve never missed a show. If you do nothing else for yourself in this lifetime: subscribe to the whole catalogue and learn all you’ll ever need to know about Your Own American Life. Thanks, Ira et al, I’m sure you’ve preserved my faith in humanity all this time.