logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2021
1h 3m

The Funeral Industry vs. Disneyland

Chris Gethard
About this episode

A former funeral director explains why she quit during the pandemic. She also talks to Geth about the surprising similarities between the funeral industry and her previous gig working at Disneyland.

Up next
Yesterday
Drama Amongst the Birthday Clowns
<p dir="ltr">Gethard talks with a movie studio security guard calling in mid-shift. They get into local clown drama with surprising real-world stakes, the importance of keeping your dreams alive no matter what your day job is, and what happens when Spielberg catches you with your ... Show More
1h 19m
Nov 18
What It's Like When Your Partner Dies
<p dir="ltr">A year after unexpectedly losing her partner, this week's caller shares how she's been rebuilding on her own terms. She and Gethard talk about grief, community, resilience, and the power of telling our stories so we don't have to carry them alone.</p> <p dir="ltr">Si ... Show More
1h 19m
Nov 11
Public Access Forever
A grassroots journalist calling in mid-haircut connects with Gethard over a shared love for community media. Together, they break down why public access matters now more than ever: how local TV and community-powered news can connect neighbors, build trust where traditional media ... Show More
1h 20m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Funerals and grief in a pandemic
<p>The extraordinary measures put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ebola crisis placed restrictions on much of people’s lives, including the rituals and ceremony around death. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two women whose work has supported grieving families during a time ... Show More
27m 15s
Nov 2020
6. The funeral
Love, flashes of anger and remembering funny things. It's the first time Sophie has nothing to do except sit since her husband died. And she looks like Jackie Kennedy at JFK’s funeral. A Falling Tree production for the BBC World Service. 
21m 28s
Sep 2021
Family Business
<p>An explosion in a rice field in Colusa County, California kills the manager of a multi-million dollar farm. Police soon discover his death was no accident. Keith Morrison has chosen this episode as one of his most memorable classic episodes.</p><p> </p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simpl ... Show More
1h 22m
Feb 2021
450. How to Be Better at Death
<p>Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who would like to put herself out of business. Our corporate funeral industry, she argues, has made us forget how to offer our loved ones an authentic sendoff. Doughty is the author of <em>Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons From the Crema ... Show More
57m 38s
Jan 2015
Sunday Feature: Beautiful Death
Stephen Johnson connects Mahler's beliefs about death to Viennese funeral customs, and particularly the idea of 'beautiful death' which was pervasive in Mahler's Vienna. 
44m 29s
Feb 2021
Live Performance, The Pandemic And The Domino Effect Of Dark Stages
The pandemic leveled live performance, and the industry is last in line for a return to normal. Musician Zoe Keating and production designer Terry Morgan describe how their work has changed with live venues nationwide shuttered for nearly a year. Venue owner Danya Frank of First ... Show More
14m 7s
Jul 2023
The Moth Radio Hour: Speaking of Death
In this hour, stories of the most inevitable part of life: death—with a positive twist. Opportunities for connection, moments of healing, and unique ways of moving through grief. This episode is hosted by Moth Executive Producer, Sarah Austin Jenness. The Moth Radio Hour is produ ... Show More
54m 13s