Do By Friday

Merlin Mann and Alex Cox
  • 4.4 (5)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

A weekly challenge show hosted by Alex Cox and Merlin Mann.

  1. Theymaphrodite

    6 HR AGO

    Theymaphrodite

    LinksMarty Supreme | Official Trailer (A24) Josh Safdie's new film about a ping-pong hustler, starring Timothée Chalamet.How A24 Created a Viral Marty Supreme Spectacle (Vogue) The jacket drops, the Balenciaga collab, and the marketing machine behind the film.Orlando (1992, Sally Potter) Tilda Swinton as Virginia Woolf's time-traveling, gender-shifting nobleman — this week's mini-challenge.Watch Orlando free on Tubi Go watch it. It's right here.Quentin Crisp Plays Queen Elizabeth I in Orlando; Merlin imprinted on that image.Tony Zhou, "Edgar Wright: How to Do Visual Comedy" (Every Frame a Painting) The video essay that made everyone realize Wright is doing something nobody else does.The Wicker Man (1973) The original folk horror — the thread connecting Hot Fuzz, Midsommar, and The Witch.Off Menu podcast Florence Pugh's episode, in which she reveals she does not drink water.Off Menu — Lucia Keskin (Chi With a C) BAFTA-winning comedian, discussed in the member show. "The quietest guest we've ever had."Claire Foy had intestinal worms from filming The Crown (Yahoo News) The truly disgusting reason she no longer drinks caffeine.Man throws shoes at Bush They all throw their shoes.Sarrasine — Balzac (Project Gutenberg) The Balzac novella about a sculptor who falls in love with a castrato — the text Barthes famously dismantled.S/Z — Roland Barthes Barthes's semiotic disassembly of Sarrasine — Merlin's "oh fuck you, you should read Sarrasine" recommendation.Gender: An Ethnomethodological Approach — Kessler & McKenna (U of Chicago Press) The book that changed Merlin's life in a 1988 Gender Studies class: what if there weren't just two genders?Gender Trouble — Judith Butler (PDF) The definitive text — Alex's rec that Merlin bought a beautiful copy of and still hasn't read. Here's a free one.Who's Afraid of Gender? — Judith Butler (Bookshop.org) Butler's newest book — the one Alex was actually talking about. Why are we weird about gender again?"A Question and Three Answers" — Merlin Mann Three perspectives on one question about being trans in America.Claude Code (Anthropic) Alex is getting into it and making $200; Merlin's teaching his to not watch Tommy read the paper.Good Time (A24) The Safdie Brothers' sweaty Robert Pattinson thriller — context for understanding what Safdie does.Uncut Gems (A24) Adam Sandler in a diamond district panic attack — the other essential Safdie before Marty Supreme.The Curse (Paramount+) Safdie and Nathan Fielder's deeply uncomfortable TV series.Ricky Jay Magician, card sharp, actor, historian of the unusual — referenced during the shoe-throwing bit.Baby Driver — Opening Titles / Coffee Run (feat. "Harlem Shuffle") The scene that is its own argument. Edgar Wright syncing every footstep, every door, every beat.Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, "Bellbottoms" The song that opens Baby Driver and never lets go.Ayoade on Top — Richard Ayoade (Bookshop.org) Ayoade wrote an entire book about the Gwyneth Paltrow movie View from the Top. It's called Ayoade on Top. Of course it is.Olivia Colman is hooked on Ayoade's book premise | Graham Norton The specific clip — Ayoade explaining View from the Top to a delighted Olivia Colman. Truly one of the great things.Can I Ask You a Question? by Jennifer Venditti (A24 Shop) Venditti's casting book — the woman who found the faces for Good Time, Uncut Gems, and Marty Supreme.Billy the Kid (2007, Jennifer Venditti) — watch free on Tubi The documentary that led to her casting work with the Safdies.Defunctland, "Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History" A feature-length orchestral documentary about EPCOT Center that has no business being this good.Defunctland, "Disney's Animatronics: A Living History" Bonus Defunctland for the curious.

    1h 24m
  2. Your Session Crashed

    4 FEB

    Your Session Crashed

    LinksPatton Oswalt - KFC Famous Bowls - YouTubeReconcilable Differences #279: I Promised Myself I Wasn't Going to Be Excited - RelayJeremy Renner Official - WikipediaThe Rock Diet - What Dwayne Johnson Eats in a DaySeries 7, Episode 7 - 'The perfect stuff' | Full Episode | Taskmaster - YouTubeDon't Blink! | Blink | Doctor Who - YouTubeBlink (Doctor Who) - Wikipedia"The Stallone Tangent" - Episode #133 - The Flop House Podcast - YouTubeI Fifteen Love You | Do By FridayDBF Episode 62: I Fifteen Love You : r/DoByFridayMerlin Mann’s Taskmaster Starter Episodes - YouTubePrompt 3iTerm2 - macOS Terminal ReplacementDrafts MCP Server for Claude/AI Integration - News & Updates - Drafts CommunityClaw: macOS app for Claude CodeSynologyCleanShotMacWhisperNora’s Wu-Tang Tattoo on The Leftovers: The Story Behind ItChappelle's Show - Wu-Tang Financial (ft. RZA and GZA) - Uncensored - YouTubeDigital Underground - The Humpty Dance (Official Music Video) - YouTubeRobert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: A Study of Genius, Mania, and Character, by Kay Redfield Jamison (Alfred A. Knopf) - The Pulitzer PrizesRobert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire a book by Kay Redfield Jamison - Bookshop.org USU.S. Citizens Testify Against ICE Agents in Minneapolis - YouTubeRenee Good’s Brothers Give Emotional Testimony on DHS Tactics - YouTubeTubi - "Orlando" (1993)Next week's challenge: watch Orlando (1993)

    1h 30m
  3. Future Clowns of America

    28 JAN

    Future Clowns of America

    LinksThe Nutty Professor (1963) Jerry Lewis as Professor Kelp / Buddy LoveHank Azaria on Professor Frink Based him on Jerry Lewis in The Nutty ProfessorTropic Thunder Simple Jack; "you went full [redacted]"Be Kind Rewind Video essays on women in film historyStewart Lee British comedian; Paul Nuttall of UKIPStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle BBC Two series (2009-2016)Tailscale Mesh VPN; part of the Iron TroikaAmphetamine macOS app to prevent sleepAutoMounter Keeps network shares mountedSynology NAS; Merlin's home server setupTP-Link Archer AX55 The routerNextDNS DNS with ad blocking; Iron Troika memberCloudflare Third member of the Iron TroikaDynDNS Dynamic DNS; the old wayLet's Encrypt Free SSL certificatesPasskeys Passwordless authenticationHide My Email Apple's email aliasingLinda Stone Coined "email apnea" and "continuous partial attention""Are You Breathing? Do You Have Email Apnea?" Linda Stone's original articleClaude Code as elevator music Matt Webb on the contemplative rhythm of working with Claude CodeJ. Edgar Hoover FBI director; Clyde TolsonCary Grant & Randolph Scott Lived together; "Riding the Trails Alone"The Carter Family First family of country musicCowboy Carter Beyoncé's country albumCountry Music (Ken Burns) 2019 documentary seriesTrypophobia Lotus seed pods; a clown situationPansy Division Queercore band; pun on Panzer DivisionReformation Iconoclasm Defacing religious art

    1 hr
  4. Backpack Full of Stones

    24 JAN

    Backpack Full of Stones

    LinksTLC - "Waterfalls" Alex was four.No Such Thing as a Fish QI researchers' podcast; Merlin's been listening for yearsNo Such Thing As Debreadtion — No Such Thing As A Fish — Overcast The episode Merlin mentionedKen Burns' Jazz Episode 9 "The Adventure."TLC - "Unpretty" Merlin's favorite TLC song.Dead Drop Spycraft term for passing info without meetingKen Burns' Baseball Source of the Lincoln "tiredest" quoteA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms New Game of Thrones spinoffWhy Are Icelandic Horses Not Called Ponies? (Iceland Mag) Pony-sized but Iceland said it's a horseShip of Theseus (Khan Academy video) The philosophical paradox behind "Thesean Horse"Saint John Coltrane Church (KQED) Yes, there's literally a church for this albumJohn Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1965) The album that inspired the church"Is he quare?" Comedy repetition referenceHarry Enfield British comedian; "Is he queer?" sketchPaul Whitehouse The other half of the old men in the clubI Spy books (Walter Wick Studio) Merlin's analogy for how Claude Code sees things"40, 45 Years" - Stewart Lee The callback kingClaude Code (Anthropic) The AI tool Merlin won't shut up aboutRik Mayall: Lord of Misrule 2014 BBC tribute documentary; narrated by Simon CallowThe Young Ones (IMDb) What you most likely know Rik Mayall fromThe Young Ones - "Bambi" / University Challenge (YouTube) Fry, Laurie, Thompson vs. the ladsNell (1994) Merlin's first memory of Liam Neeson as a leadNell (1994) Trailer "Can't abide a canna peas," is a line Merlin feels like he remembers Jodie Foster's Nell sayingScotiabank Saddledome: Building Design Say it soft, and it's almost like praying.Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Bob and Paul's fishing showGame of Thrones - "Fire and Blood" (Fandom) Season 1 finale; Daenerys and the dragon eggsLucy Liu on the "Dragon Lady" Stereotype (NextShark) "I could have been wearing a tuxedo and a blond wig"The Slop Hash Merlin's project to get you excited about making something cool."I never said she stole my money" has 7 different meanings Stress a different word, get a different sentence.The Butterfield Diet Plan (YouTube) "The results have been increbidle"The Night Left Eye Burned Down Andre Rison's Mansion (Investigation Discovery) It started with sneakers in a fiberglass bathtubMemento Mori "Remember you will die"Anterograde Amnesia The condition from Memento — can't form new memoriesOne Hundred Years of Solitude García Márquez's masterpieceKieran's very good post "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father was discovered and taken by ICE."Hammer A tool so durable it works across timeCottaging: History of the Term (Idiom Origins) How they got John Gielgud, Wilfrid Brambell, and poor Brian Epstein.Brian Epstein (Beatles Bible) Beatles manager; arrested 1957, blackmailed for years, died a month before decriminalizationClarke's Three Laws "Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"Ducking Stool Chair on a stick for dunking witches and scoldsRoget's Thesaurus (Project Gutenberg) Category 1: Existence12 Facts About Taking of Pelham 123 (Mental Floss) They fictionalized the dead man's switch to foil copycatsThe 36-Hour Day (Johns Hopkins Press) Read it before someone you love has dementiaSome folks I love and admire do come off sounding a little like the same people who loudly hated Little Richard and disco music. Honestly, sometimes it's legit difficult to notice when we've gotten more emotionally invested than we'd realized in seeming right. And that shit is a LOT to decide to carry forever. 🐘

    1h 55m
  5. Recursive Hallucination Loop

    14 JAN

    Recursive Hallucination Loop

    LinksGround loop (electricity) - WikipediaHallucination or Confabulation? Neuroanatomy as metaphor in Large Language Models - PMCGraze: Custom Feed Builder for Bluesky · GrazeServerless Statusphere: a walk through building serverless ATProto applications on Cloudflare’s Developer PlatformAT ProtocolHow to Transfer Your ChatGPT MemoryWorks for ChatGPT Data - Google DriveStewart Lee - WikipediaStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle - WikipediaStewart Lee vs The Internet - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle - Series 3 Episode 1 Preview - BBC - YouTubeEnglish Arrested for Being English? Stewart Lee's Humorous Take on British Culture | TikTokStewart Lee S4E6 - Childhood - YouTubeStewart Lee S3E3 - Satire - YouTubeStewart Lee - [1/2] Give It To Me Straight, Like Pear Cider That's Made From 100% Pears - YouTubeStewart Lee - [2/2] Give It To Me Straight, Like Pear Cider That's Made From 100% Pears - YouTubeStewart Lee On The Challenge Of Stand-Up - YouTubeComedian Stewart Lee on why he won't tour Trump's America - YouTubeStewart Lee in Conversation with Alan Moore - YouTubeJerry Springer: The Opera - WikipediaTaskmaster Origins - Rare Footage of the First Ever Show! (Edinburgh 2010) - YouTube

    1h 44m
  6. Shiny Boob Beaver Book

    8 JAN

    Shiny Boob Beaver Book

    LinksI am the mucus man. | Do By FridayPlayboyPenthouseOui (magazine)HustlerGentLiquid IVImodiumMr. Microphone By Ronco (Commercial, 1978) - YouTube"Supply is limited" scene from The Simpsons (TV Episode 1992) - YouTubeThe Simpsons: Sending Our Love Down The Well - YouTubeROYGBIV - WikipediaStewart Lee - WikipediaStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle - WikipediaStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle - YouTubeStewart Lee - Emigrants - video DailymotionLazy Comedy Slags - 28 years old - YouTubeI'm Alan Partridge - WikipediaMortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - WikipediaThe future of being trans on the internet | The VergeNetNewsWire: Free and Open Source RSS Reader for Mac and iOSLumberjanes - WikipediaMallory Ortberg Accidentally Inspired A New Episode Of 'Black Mirror' By Making Fun Of The ShowNext On "Black Mirror" - The ToastBrian Regan - Big Yellow One's the Sun - YouTubeBrian Regan - The Emergency Room - YouTubeMBMBAM / Adventure Time: Curse A Real Sword - YouTube

    1h 18m
  7. I am the mucus man.

    31/12/2025

    I am the mucus man.

    Late Night with David Letterman - "Camping With Barry White" (May, 1983)

    50 min
  8. A Considerate Dancer

    17/12/2025

    A Considerate Dancer

    LinksNurse Ratched - WikipediaRatched (TV series) - WikipediaSarah Paulson - WikipediaBlue Lights (2023 TV series)The Now Habit a book by Neil Fiore - Bookshop.org USGetting Things Done a book by David Allen and James Fallows - Bookshop.org USMakebelieve Help, Old Butchers, and Figuring Out Who You Are (For Now) on VimeoYeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Official Music Video) - YouTubeTed Leo - Since U Been Gone / Maps - YouTubeMargaret Qualley - WikipediaBleachers - Tiny Moves (Official) - YouTubeJack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley Take Us Behind the Scenes of "Tiny Moves"Jack Antonoff - WikipediaSteel Train "I Feel Weird" - YouTubeKenzo World feat. Margaret Qualley - YouTubeKenzo Perfume BTS: Spike Jonze & Margaret Qualley’s Creative Journey - YouTube

    1h 13m
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Hosts & Guests

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A weekly challenge show hosted by Alex Cox and Merlin Mann.

Information

  • Creator
    Merlin Mann and Alex Cox
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    448
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Do By Friday

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