The Play Typer Guy

Stephen Robinson
  • 5.0 (9)
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"The Play Typer Guy” offers an engaging deep dive into politics and pop culture. Your host is Portland, Oregon-based playwright, columnist, and media critic Stephen Robinson. His son describes him as “play typer guy."

  1. 3D AGO

    #80 Reality Checking The Bulwark With Steward Beckham And Evan Stern - PART 2

    Reality Checking the Bulwark is the ongoing project by Steward Beckham and Evan Stern. As Steward says, “We believe that institutions matter, but when institutions fail, democracy falters. And institutions that are built to counter Trump should not repeat the same mistakes that laid the groundwork for Trump. We respect and value the The Bulwark, but when it becomes a central pillar of our pro-democracy movement, it also needs to be interrogated for narrating our political stories in the same frames that may have produced the problem and also may not be the medicine for that problem. So that’s why we want to identify its failures in the best faith possible.” Steward and Evan return for Part Two of our discussion about The Bulwark, the Never Trump movement, and who controls the Democratic Party narrative. Enjoy! And go check out Steward and Evan’s substacks, Stew on This and Certain Thoughts. Make sure you check out episode 79 of the podcast to hear Part 1 of this enlightening conversation! Links: Evan’s Substack: https://substack.com/@therealevanstern Steward’s Substack: https://substack.com/@stewardbeckham Stew on This Podcast: https://www.stewonthis.com/podcast Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    40 min

  2. APR 30

    #79 Reality Checking The Bulwark With Steward Beckham And Evan Stern - PART 1

    I’ve enjoyed Reality Checking the Bulwark, an ongoing project by Steward Beckham and Evan Stern. As Steward says, “We believe that institutions matter, but when institutions fail, democracy falters. And institutions that are built to counter Trump should not repeat the same mistakes that laid the groundwork for Trump. We respect and value The Bulwark, but when it becomes a central pillar of our pro-democracy movement, it also needs to be interrogated for narrating our political stories in the same frames that may have produced the problem and also may not be the medicine for that problem. So that’s why we want to identify its failures in the best faith possible.” I was fortunate enough to speak about this in depth with Steward and Evan. Watch and/or listen to Part One here, and come back next week for Part Two. Also, go check out Steward and Evan’s substacks, Stew on This and Certain Thoughts. You will hear: Discussing The Bulwark - How it started and how it’s goingWhy Steward and Evan decided to discuss conversations happening on the conservative site and debate whether they were getting things right as a talking point to Democrats who are looking to take a more conservative view on politics and their expansion beyond the “Never Trump” crowdIs it arrogance or is it victory? - The Bulwark seems to be slow to catch up on matters that will shape an election (after the fact, by a mile) and have a very narrow viewpoint on whose opinion mattersStereotypical archetypes are used (the moonshining hillbilly, the longhorn-riding Texan, the Callifornian juicer, etc.) to drive how politician candidates are told to talk to different voters, infantilizing and demoralizing votersAnd more!Links: Evan’s Substack: https://substack.com/@therealevanstern Steward’s Substack: https://substack.com/@stewardbeckham Stew on This Podcast: https://www.stewonthis.com/podcast Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    41 min

  3. APR 18

    #78 The Swalwell Fallout With Evan Barker

    Evan Barker is a former Democratic campaign operative and political strategist. Her upcoming book Nothing Left explores her departure from the party. Eric Swalwell, the disgraced former congressman and gubernatorial candidate, perhaps represents everything Evan dislikes about her former party.  Evan and I discuss the Swalwell fallout and debate how to maintain the balance of believing victims while preserving the presumption of innocence. We also reject guilt by association, which we're starting to see more of recently. You will hear: The difference in America of the presumption of innocence is what we want (when it applies to us), but how one anonymous accusation of sexual misconduct can ruin a life or career long before any guilt is established Consensual versus nonconsensual relationships with staffers and othersDoes “believe all women” automatically equate to “don’t believe all men”?And more! Guest Info:  Evan Barker is a political and cultural commentator who has worked in Democratic politics, primarily as a fundraiser for progressive US Senate, House, and DA campaigns. After attending the DNC in 2024, she left the party and became an Independent. Evan has been published in The Times, Newsweek, and The Free Press. She has appeared on System Update with Glenn Greenwald, Batya!, Cuomo, Jesse Watters Primetime and Fox News at Night. Evan writes on substack, hosts a podcast, and her first book, NOTHING LEFT is forthcoming from Simon and Schuster in July 2026 and is now available for pre-order. Links: Evan’s Website: https://www.evanbarker.net/ Evan’s Substack: https://evanbarker.substack.com/ Evan’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHtWrIrkPmY Evan’s Book (pre-order): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668213176?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_T6J7K2VZ9R6MB0KCV192&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_T6J7K2VZ9R6MB0KCV192&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_T6J7K2VZ9R6MB0KCV192&bestFormat=true Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    47 min

  4. APR 4

    #77 How The Search For Self Became The Performance Of Self: A Discussion With Author Patricia Martin

    Author Patricia Martin joins me to discuss her new book, Will the Future Like You? Reflections on the Age of Hyper-reinvention. Martin has written four books, and her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, The New York Times, and Psyche Magazine. She holds an MFA in non-fiction from Bennington College, with post-graduate work in medical narrative at Duke University. She holds workshops in Jungian theory at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and hosts the podcast Jung in the World. You will hear: How other people see us is how we see ourselves (letting the algorithm define us) and how we can consciously choose who we want to be and claim our authentic selvesOur consciousness is for sale and social media is the supply chain - How parasocial relationships affect and influence usHow social media has exacerbated the FOMO (fear of missing out) because we can see everything everyone is doing and wondering why we weren’t invitedModern society is in the grips of what Freud termed a cultural “death drive”And more!Links:   Patricia’s website: https://patricia-martin.com/ Patricia’s book: https://rb.gy/fojfup Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    29 min

  5. MAR 20

    #76 Why We Should Welcome Anyone Late To The 'Trump's A Fascist Loon' Party with Cliston Brown

    The Wall Street Journal article reported recently that some young voters are starting to regret their vote for Donald Trump, who set the world on fire and didn’t even lower the price of eggs. A new poll finds 58 percent of voters under 30 disapprove of his job performance. This is actually good news, if you’re up for Democrats winning elections. I know many liberals insist that Trump won because he’s a racist, sexist bigoted fool rather than in spite of those obvious character flaws. However, if all 2024 Trump voters wanted him to Make American Antebellum Again, he’d enjoy much higher approval. I don’t need to like former Trump voters to accept them in a winning coalition. It’s like Buffy teaming up with Spike in that epic Season 2 finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike’s motivations were self-centered and hardly noble, but ultimately, he still helped her save the world. This week, my guest is political strategist and friend of the podcast Cliston Brown. You will hear: Online shaming might feel good, but is it the most effective persuasion technique?Why Democrats too often fall for “silver bullet” thinkingWhy John Fetterman’s curious Senate career likely ends after one termWhy “the math is the math” when it comes to winning electionsAnd more!Guest Info:  Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe.  On average, Brown has projected the final composition of the U.S. House of Representatives within 7.5 seats and the U.S. Senate within 1.222 seats. In the most recent election, he correctly predicted every U.S. Senate race. Brown began his career as a journalist in the Chicago area in 1994, covering government and politics, intellectual property law, international business issues, education, and law enforcement. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2001, where he served for two years as director of communications for U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Indiana), then transitioned back into the private sector as a communications professional and political analyst in the insurance industry, holding positions in Washington, Chicago and San Francisco. Follow Brown on Twitter: @clistonbrown Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    41 min

  6. MAR 5

    #75 Baffled by the BAFTAs with Lynne Streeter Childress

    My friend Lynne Streeter Childress answered the Bat signal for an emergency session about what the hell just happened at the BAFTA awards. John Davidson, the Scottish Tourette’s syndrome activist and the inspiration for the film I Swear, shouted the “n-word” — the full Tarantino — at presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. That was unsettling but even worse was the BAFTA response. The usual suspects also emerged to argue that Jordan and Lindo having the “n-word” shouted at them is no big deal because they appeared in Sinners, where the word is used. It’s as if people who support Donald Trump don’t understand how consent works. Someone on Threads even posted in my feed that white people learned the n-word from “our” music. It’s a pathetic argument. Besides, if we’re talking about “my” music, I don’t think the “n-word” comes up much in Candide or Jesus Christ Superstar. Guest Info:  Lynne Streeter Childress is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions! Her show, “We Got It!: A Show About Empathy”, is among several of BBPP’s shows that are currently travelling to schools in Maryland and surrounding areas. This is her 25th year in professional theater, with much of that experience in theater for young audiences.  This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Adventure Theater, and teaching for institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library. Through all those experiences, Lynne has seen firsthand how theater can communicate the most important things in the clearest and most interesting of ways, especially to young people.  Links:  Lynne’s Website: https://lynnestreeterchildress.com/ Building Better People Productions: https://bbpproductions.com/ Fine Beats and Cheeses Podcast: https://finebeatsandcheeses.com/ Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    35 min

  7. FEB 18

    #74 Why Trump’s Criminal Thuggery Is Different with John Stoehr

    Donald Trump’s ongoing assault on non-MAGA America continues with no end in sight. My friend John Stoehr from The Editorial Board joins me on the podcast to discuss the federal occupation of Minneapolis, as well as the encouraging signs of resistance from congressional Democrats. You will hear: John discusses how quickly Trump has turned the tides with white, middle class, property-owning Americans into people who now openly doubt whether or not law enforcement would do anything to protect them with the current state of our countryWe are seeing the smearing of the names of the white victims of police/ICE brutality, which we have never really seen like we do regularly with POC and immigrant victimsWhy people need to watch out for “moderate Democrats” who are more likely to accept conservatism, which in itself is about maintaining inequality, as long as it works for themWhy we should expect evil people to be evil and plan accordinglyAnd more!About John Stoehr I’m not a political scientist, but I have taught political science. I’m not a partisan, but for the moment the Democrats care about what I care about. I’m a journalist, writer and citizen. I’m a fellow at Yale’s Ezra Stiles College; a contributing writer for the Washington Monthly; a contributing editor for Religion Dispatches; and senior editor at Raw Story. My byline has been in news outlets big and small, but mostly small. Follow me @editorialboard.bsky.social and at editorialboard.com. Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    39 min

  8. FEB 4

    #73 'The World Looks Different Sitting Down,'A Discussion With Teal Sherer And Jessica Wallenfels

    I’m delighted to welcome on the podcast Teal Sherer and Jessica Wallenfels. Teal is an actor, writer, mom, and disability advocate who has teamed up with Jessica, a fabulous director and choreographer, for the upcoming production The World Looks Different Sitting Down, which runs at Seattle Public Theater for two weekends only from February 20 to March 1. Combining comedy and confrontation, Teal shares her experiences as a wheelchair user in a world where strangers at Whole Foods either don’t notice you exist or ask oddly intimate questions about your sex life. Teal has performed multiple roles on stage and screen. One of her first major roles was in 2004’s Warm Springs with Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon. She played Venom in the web series The Guild and herself in her own hilarious series My Gimpy Life.  You will hear: Teal talks about her life changing post-car crash, which left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair in a world that was not designed for herThe importance of accessibility and representation in the arts - disabled people deserve to play any kind of role, not just a disabled character - and being able to be included in everything the rest of the cast can do, like using the same dressing roomsTeal and Jessica’s partnershipAnd more! Links: Seattle Public Theater: https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/sittingdown Teal’s Website: https://www.tealsherer.com/ Jessica’s Website: https://www.jessicawallenfels.com/ Connect with Stephen: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy Email: ser1840@gmail.com Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

"The Play Typer Guy” offers an engaging deep dive into politics and pop culture. Your host is Portland, Oregon-based playwright, columnist, and media critic Stephen Robinson. His son describes him as “play typer guy."

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen Robinson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Play Typer Guy
  • Show Website
    The Play Typer Guy

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