I tried to become a paid subscriber for Serious Trouble and accidentally signed up to pay for Very Serious. I deleted my $60 year subscription right away but they are not refunding my money, even though I would subscribe to Serious Trouble. Substack just says it's up to Josh Barro to decide whether he will refund my money and he doesn't answer my emails. Kind of soured me on the whole experience.

a great interviewer

Josh has guests not afraid to speak their minds, how refreshing! His latest guest, Lis Smith, was fantastic!!!

Had hopes that this show would be as it was portrayed: centrist, balanced, a mix of both right and left views. But it’s just another far left propaganda podcast.

I love this evolution for Josh beyond LRC. My fav parts of that podcast is when the guests would linger on the specifics of an issue. I love the focus of this podcast - and, Josh does a great job of making his guests clarify their positions.

Josh Barro was fine mediating Left, Right and Center, but his one on one interviews are like taking fish oil. There’s substance, but it’s dreary and not the least bit compelling.

I loved and missed Josh Barro on LRC and All The President's Lawyers. I am so happy about this new podcast. Every topic is well researched, the host offers a balanced opinion and is very knowledgeable while also being funny, esp when Ken White visits. Is Michael Avenatti a good lawyer? I am so happy, JB is back!

This is the dullest and most self-absorbed podcast i’ve ever heard. Josh has terrible takes and hearing them defined at length is torture.

I’ve followed Josh Barrow for years now on LRC and All the President’s Lawyers. Great to see his next act. Josh, I know you just had Ken on, but based on Trump’s new lawsuit today, I think you must have Ken back to ask - “Is it RICO?”

Josh is a razor sharp commentator and interviewer who avoids a lot of the dumbed down nonsense and self-seriousness of other similarly themed programs

I’m a longtime Josh Barro fan. His run on Left, Right, and Center was full of great discussion led by Barro’s skillful facilitation, but I have really loved that this new show is less tethered to the minutiae of daily news. These conversations so far have tended to have a broader focus, with less attention paid to the day’s political football. Politics is still an important topic, of course, but Barro’s choice in topics seems much more expansive than what’s typically discussed on LRC. I look forward to working Very Serious into my weekly listening schedule.

This is a fantastic new podcast. LRC is lost without Josh but that is more than made up for by freeing Josh of that format and allowing him and this crew to explore and be more flexible. Love it. Thank you

I was a huge fan of Josh Barro on KCRW’s Left, Right and Center and it’s sister show All the Presidents’ Lawyers. Unfortunately this new show just falls flat. The show is just exhausting with guests who huff and sigh through the show complaining their way through the entitlement they enjoy. Barro has become mean and mocking. His smug know it all laughter has become unbearable for this listener. All I can say is I am so grateful Mike Pesca has returned to the Gist podcast. Check that out instead.

Josh Barrow is a national treasure, whether he’s schooling us on proper grilling techniques on Twitter or predicting the outcome of millions of memestock investors, Josh pulls no punches. His work with LRC and All The Presidents(’) Lawyers had me waiting with baited breath. I had really high hopes for his new venture, (In-fact I’ve listened to every episode thus far with great enthusiasm!) but I find myself tuning out constantly. The interviews are incredibly dry and wonky. Where’s Josh? Josh, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, we already know you’re one of the smartest (if not the smartest) in the room. Please, I beg you, bring some color and intrigue into your new series! It’s just waaaay too serious for this listener.

I know this won’t be popular, but I need Ken White a lot more than Josh Barro during a week like this. Best of luck anyways.

I will miss Josh a ton on LR&C, but I’m thrilled he is branching out independently. He deserves it. Love hearing his thoughts and reading his writing. He is razor sharp—you won’t hear a mamby-pamby answer or one leveled against a straw man. He takes you head on and at face value. Even if he doesn’t have a direct rebuttal, he will take the other person’s response and sit with it rather than respond with an answer that is illogical or silly. And when you do engage with him, you better be prepared because he is one of the smartest and most fair-minded journalists out there. He and Matt Yglesias seem to share a lot in style, and it shows with their popularity. They can both hang with anyone—Shapiro or any other conservative or liberal intellectual. They’re just not as showy and don’t build their brand on owning anybody. They are rocking the new podcast!

It would be difficult to overstate how formative and beneficial listening to Josh Barro over the years has been on my intellectual development, as well as the way I think about politics/culture. I’d even argue that the lack of reasonable and respectful critical thinkers such as Josh (and others like him) is a driving factor in the partisan tribal insanity that generally dominates media today. I was so sad hearing he was leaving LRC, but am Loving his new show.!Thanks for injecting some levity into these difficult but important issues, can’t wait to see this new project grow and develop.

We have spent our Saturday mornings listing to Josh on LRC and are looking forward in continuing to enjoy his smart commentary on “Very Serious”.

Look forward to future episodes!!

Josh is an excellent interviewer tackling some of todays hottest social and political topics in an in-depth format in which I always come away having learned something.

The best.

Josh is, in fact, one of the most serious thinkers in journalism today. He’s influenced my thinking on politics, economics, and even psychology in ways few others have. He’ll help you cut through the noise while maintaining a sense of humor about the absurdity of it all. I can’t recommend him enough.

Love the first episode! Looking forward to many more interesting subjects and takes.

As a devoted listener to Left, Right and Center, I have to say that this new podcast venture is seriously superior to what is an excellent podcast. The discussion is lively and balanced and thoughtful, but because it’s not linked to headlines it’s if anything more substantive and thought-provoking. A great start, and I can’t wait for more!

Josh Barro is the reason I discovered, and consequently loved, LRC. His calm demeanor in which he intelligently and respectfully pushes back on his guests is very appreciated in todays day and age. I don’t always agree with him but I am eager to hear his well thought out, non inflammatory, non hyperbolic opinions. It’s a breath of fresh air in an era where pundits seem to compete with each other to say the most outrageous, most senses offending statements. Except on grilling. He is dead wrong on grilling.

The first episode feels like a bit of a continuation from “Left, Right & Center but also something new. If you are sick of hearing obnoxious pundits interrupting each other to score points, then this is the show for you. Finally, if you haven’t heard Josh Barro host a show, you are in for a treat. Enjoy the show!

Thank you Josh and guests. Keep up the good work

Josh is the best interviewer in the business. Please have Elizabeth on every show

Have listened to Left, Right and Center and read Josh’s writing for years. It’s always been very thoughtful and entertaining and I’m excited to see what will come next!

Sad to see the end of ATPL but excited to hear more from Josh and his guests. Insightful, well-read, and with the occasional dash of humor, Josh is a responsible modern journalist who doesn’t ignore the nuances of the news.

Loved every moment of ATPL and LRC. Can wait to follow Josh in this new pod!

I am a long time LRC listener and big fan of Josh and his talents! Really looking forward to this new chapter in his career benefiting our lives!

Josh Barrows LRC was the only political podcast I felt like I could genuinely trust. So excited for this one!

Josh is one of the sharpest and fairest policy minds out there. Looking forward.

I can’t imagine someone actually wanting to listen to Josh’s drivel on a regular basis.

Josh Barro is an excellent host, I was pretty sad after finding out a few weeks ago that my favorite pod, All The Presidents Lawyers was ending. Josh Barro is smart and funny, I look forward to listening, can’t wait!

Josh presents stories and opinions in a clever way, even when he’s dead wrong, like his thoughts on Daylight Saving Time.

I highly recommend this podcast. Granted, the only thing released so far is a one minute trailer, but the trailer begins with contemplative piano music. Everyone should listen to Josh Barro pose questions about political and economic policy. Sometimes asking the right questions is more important than the answer.