The Distraction: A Defector Podcast

distraction@defector.com

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Roller Skating Fully Nude into the Game

July 30, 2026

We’re deep in the summer, and that means a Drew and Roth solo episode! Drew is beaming in directly from his vacation, and Roth has some shit to shoot. After, they get to sports, like LeBron’s new commute, Tony Romo’s fresh DUI, and Sophie Cunningham’s deranged self-deflection. And Ross Douthat is joining… 60 Minutes? Psyched? Finally, they open up the funbag to answer real questions from real Defector readers and Distraction listeners. Do you want to hear your question answered on the po...

The Boorish Manners of a Yale-y with Paul Tremblay

July 23, 2026

Drew and Roth are joined by acclaimed horror novelist Paul Tremblay! Not only does Paul have a new book out, Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, but he’s also now a certified cancer survivor. He’s also sued OpenAI, used to teach BC calculus, and is a huge Boston sports fan. They talk about all of that, including how this Red Sox winning streak is treating Paul. Then, they open up the funbag to answer questions from real Defector readers and Distraction listeners, and Paul shares his worst di...

What If We Tried To Win? with Justin Halpern

July 16, 2026

Justin Halpern (writer/producer, Abbott Elementary, Sh*t My Dad Says) has a new book, Get Lost, and he here’s to talk about how he wrote it with Drew and Roth. But first, Roth and Justin must commiserate about the Mets, and Drew gets recognized on the beach. Then, they open up the funbag to answer real questions from Defector readers and Distraction listeners.Go get Justin’s new book, Get Lost, out now!Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720...