NOTE: DONT LISTEN TO THIS ONE BEFORE YOU HEAR SEASON TWO! Thought you were done with Ben Baker and John Matthews for the summer? Not even close! Not only will we have lots more exciting one offs here and there but there's the now standard series lookback where we go over our favourite episodes of the second run alongside some listener-doxxing stats…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. With the papal conclave convening in Rome to pick Pope Francis's successor, Matt and Sam are joined by novelist Brandon Taylor to discuss the 2024 film Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Ross…

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time it’s What If...?, first seen in 2024, and joining Tim for a chat about a mindbending glimpse of alternate realities with their own Deadp…

"After realizing that Willie and Kate have emptied Lynn's college fund to support him, a guilty ALF gets ten newspaper routes to earn money for the family." Another episode in which ALF learns a valuable lesson about....nah, of course not...although he is briefly aware of his impact on the Tanners. Ben Baker and John Matthews fully weigh up the imp…

Recently Matt joined Moira Donegan and Adrian Daub of the excellent In Bed with the Right podcast to record what turned out to be two episodes about Roy Cohn—the "lawyer, closet case and ratfucker extraordinaire," as they describe him. These days Cohn is perhaps most infamous for being Donald Trump's lawyer and mentor, but this first episode focuse…

"The Tanners plan a party for ALF, who is depressed that he is the only one of his species." There have been some odd episodes of ALF this season but your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews might have been officially outfoxed by this mix of dream sequences, sketches, downplayed melodrama, boffo gags, horrendous sound effects and confusing the blind.…

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian moral witness feels like another universe — far from the cruel, cramped, s…

"ALF plays pink elephant for Kate's alcoholic friend Maura" Crack open a tinny and pour that nebuchadnezzar of floor polish as its a boozy, woozy sort of episode with a very special message - although your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews are struggling to find it in amongst the salad and dry heaving. Maybe don't listen to this one whilst eating..…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Speaking in the Rose Garden on April 2, or as he called it, "Liberation Day," President Trump unveiled his plans to impose a new minimum tariff on nearly every country in the world, along with country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs for those nations Trump deemed t…

"ALF gets a ventriloquist dummy in the mail that takes control of him." Well that all seems perfectly straightforward! Join Ben Baker and John Matthews for a surprisingly not very meta look into a puppeteer's art, soul and hooves. Helping them out on pre-recorded tape are former guests Al Jean, Mike Reiss and Phil Fletcher who all add some interest…

In response to several requests from our (wonderful) Patreon subscribers, we're unlocking this episode from behind the paywall. Consider subscribing at Patreon.com/KnowYourEnemy to never miss an episode. March 2025 marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States, when the federal government declared the arrival and spr…

"Willie gets a promotion that relocates him to San Diego, however despite hating the new job and proclaiming how much he loves the house they currently live in, it takes drastic moves by ALF to make him realize what he's doing." Willie's out! And we're all bowing under its enormous pressure as his new job takes him away from the loving bosom of his…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy This month marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States in March 2020, when the federal government declared the arrival and spread of the novel coronavirus to be a national emergency. The official Covid death toll in the United St…

"Willie tries to teach Brian nonviolence in dealing with a school bully, but changes his ways when the bully's lowlife father comes to the Tanner residence and insults the entire family." An episode about Brian being repeatedly punched in the face? Erm..., we didnt kill him. That is to say, your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews didnt, as they're s…

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

Here on ALFsplaining, we are big fans of balance - be it following every Howard Jones track with one by Nik Kershaw or one of them seals with a beachball you used to see at the zoo in old cartoons. And so after speaking to the lovely Mike Reiss, Ben and John thought it only right and proper to talk to his former long-term writing partner Al Jean. L…

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time we’re heading into the Multiverse for a look at Madame Web, released in 2024, and joining Tim for a chat about Anya Corazon's origin sto…

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

In today's very special episode of "ALFsplaining", Ben and John speak to the writer Mike Reiss. If you aren't familiar with the name - firstly, C'MON - but you'll know the shows he's worked on, including "Sledge Hammer!", "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson", "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and "The Simpsons" where he has worked for over three d…

Here's something a little creepy. In a bonus episode from August 2022, Matt and Sam were discussing Sam's profile of Arizona Senate hopeful and Peter Thiel-protégé Blake Masters when we found ourselves imagining how a future union of MAGA nationalism and Silicon Valley libertarianism might try to run the government. A listener flagged it for us, no…

"The Tanners take in a stray dog, much to ALF's dismay. " It's big guest name time as Anne Ramsay from "The Goonies" and "Throw Momma From The Train" appears as an unscrupulous dog purchaser several months before her early passing. She does not look well throughout but still overshadows Ben Baker and John Matthews who look like stuttering tramps ne…

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time we’re heading into the Multiverse for a look at Spider-Man 3, released in 2007, and joining Tim for a chat about Peter Parker's internal…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Just over a month into Trump's second term, Matt and Sam offer their thoughts on where we're at—and, to be blunt, the assessment is fairly depressing. They take stock of the troubling truth that Pete Hegseth's confirmation reveals about Trump's hold over the Repu…

"ALF moves in with his blind friend Jody in her condo." Remember Blind Jody? Well, she's back - in....well, still blind form but she needs a place to stay and apparently that means only one man. Or alien. Perfect hostsBen BakerandJohn Matthews have laid out the best silverware too for their houseguestNina "Buckers" Buckley who shocks everyone by al…

We're all anxious, and none of us can pay attention. We don't read long books anymore; our kids don't read at all. When we watch TV, we scroll at the same time. And we absolutely cannot be alone with ourselves. These are the symptoms of a modern malaise that is everywhere diagnosed but rarely treated with the dire seriousness it deserves: an epocha…

"ALF spots a criminal by his neighbor's house, and walks inside to investigate." We left Ben and John on a cliffhanger - our first of the series but far from its last - with ALF trapped Chez Ochmonek as the Police close in on him. How will Willie get him out of this one? And who'll get Willie out too? Its an exciting one so fetch your popcorn and a…

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time we’re heading into the Multiverse for a look at The New Mutants, released in 2020, and joining Tim for a chat about Iliyana Rasputin mor…

"Willie is chosen by the neighborhood to lead a neighborhood watch. But ALF takes control of the radio and starts to talk as if he was Willie." There's a crime spree going down and ALF is the man to fix the pus-ridden streets of Hemdale. Ben Baker and John Matthews go ahead and make his day in this unusual two-part opener which occasionally feels l…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy The first three weeks of Donald Trump's second administration have seen a flurry of vicious executive orders aimed at the federal workforce, trans people, government agencies, and others—all while Elon Musk and his deranged band of young sociopaths, otherwise kno…

An atheist, a radical for capitalism, a caricature of a greedy libertarian, a best-selling novelist, a difficult partner and passionate lover, and the self-proclaimed greatest philosopher since Aristotle: Ayn Rand was many things, and we talk about almost all of them in this epic episode. To do so, we called upon historian Jennifer Burns, whose int…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy A stock rhetorical trope on the right is to invoke ancient Rome when talking about American decline—often making direct comparisons between the Goth invaders and contemporary immigrants, obsessing over homosexuality and Rome's fall, and more. If their understandi…

"Willie's Uncle Albert visits the Tanners, and collapses from a heart attack after getting a glimpse of the alien, causing ALF to feel grief thinking he caused the death" More murder from the Melmacian mofo? Gosh! Best get an expert in the field over! Call for Paul Abbott from The Big Beatles and Sixties Sort Out for this McCartney-music monikered …

This is a fascinating episode that takes up thinkers that the podcast has covered before—the Koch brothers, Austrian economists like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and others—but from a different angle: that of the entrepreneurial work ethic. Historian Erik Baker's superb book on the topic, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Eth…

"ALF is put on trial for breaking the Ockmonecks' window." All rise for ALFsplaining….it's the court case of the century! Can Shumway, G prove his innocence to prosecutor Tanner, Wilbus in the court of Judge Kate? In the reporters box, Ben Baker and John Matthews scrawl crude things in their notebooks as they consider pivoting the whole show to a c…

A bunch of you requested that we un-paywall this recent bonus episode, which features some highly practical insights for organizers, volunteers, and public servants. So we have! (All the other bonus episodes are good too; please subscribe.) — Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of …

"ALF befriends Trevor and Raquel's nephew Jake from New York." A replacement for Brian? Surely not! (we didnt kill him) Either way, wonder writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss are on scripting duties to introduce a new Ochmonek to the party so Ben and John will be coming the episode for Simpsons-style jokes. And for nits like usual. Obvs. And if you want…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of rampant crime, chaos, and iniquity. And often enough, it is progressives — with their overdeveloped empathy and concern for the poor and criminalized — who …

Back in October, before the 2024 election, we had on our friend—and brilliant screenwriter and playwright—Dorothy Fortenberry to talk about gender and the presidential campaign. Amid all the postmortems and Democratic soul searching, we wanted to have Dorothy back on to revisit some of those questions, starting with the difficulties women face in r…

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time it’s I Am Groot, first seen in 2022, and joining Tim for a chat about Groot's increasing frustrations with a considerable assortment of …

It's been a while since we've had our friends from the 5-4 podcast on KYE, and we thought there was no better time to do so than the weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated, again, as president. As listeners might guess, we wanted to talk to them about what opportunities Trump might have during his second term to reshape the federal judiciary—and …

Oh boy, we finally made it to the most famous ALF episode of the lot - for good reasons, you may ask? Ha ha, no. Of course not. This is a double-length but largely joke-free misery festival full of suicidal Santas and sick kids by the pound. In the midst of it all John Matthews tries to remain positive whilst Ben Baker is already on the egged nog. …

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time we’re heading into the Multiverse for a look at Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, released in 2007, and joining Tim for a chat …

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy We wanted to offer something of a palette cleanser for our subscribers, so we decided to watch the recent movie, Reagan, with our intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman. Even better, it's based on the 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, …

"Seeing that Kate and Willie have been arguing of late, ALF and the Tanner children plan to recreate the couple's Niagara Falls honeymoon." What an ALF Antic! An ALFtic even! The love life of Willie and Kate is addressed by the four fingered fluff machine who uses some uncanny abilities to recreate the best day of their marriage. And we dont mean t…

This is a conversation we've wanted to have for a while, and it seemed like there was no better time than now, as many people on the broad center-left are asking tough questions about Donald Trump's strength in rural America—according to one post-election analysis, he won 62 percent of rural voters. To unpack what's happening in these parts of the …

It’s Good, Except It Sucks is a movie by movie – and television series by television series – hurtle through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hosted by Tim Worthington with a series of superpowered guests. This time we're heading into the Multiverse for a look at Venom: The Last Dance from 2024, and joining Tim for a chat about Eddie Brock failing to…

"Reminiscing his younger and more carefree days when he was known as "Boxcar Willie", Willie takes ALF to the switchyard where they jump a moving freight train." ALF and train jumping - together at last! Its no exaggeration to say this is one of the great ALF episodes of all time but will it - as Ben Baker and John Matthews fear - make a lousy epis…

The second Trump administration hasn't started, but it's already proving chaotic, disturbing, and downright bewildering. (Not unlike the first!) Trump's picks for key staff and cabinet positions display a discordant, if not altogether surprising, mix of ideologies, experience, and scandalous baggage. (Indeed, one of his picks, Matt Gaetz for Attorn…

"Dorothy is planning to marry Whizzer, but ALF's Melmacian hiccups put the wedding in jeopardy." It barely seems like two seconds since Dorothy was being appalled by her new neighbour Whizzer and now they're hitched. What a strange time to be alive...especially if you're an unpleasantly hiccuping ALF. Is there a connection between these two plot li…

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy! In our first episode after the 2024 elections, we briefly considered what the results revealed about how Donald Trump won, and why Kamala Harris lost, before discussing what Trump's first picks for his White House staff and Cabinet meant for his second terms as …