A teenage boy rebels against the rules of young love; another defies the laws of physics. Plus, Jonathan's parents break the rules of logic by answering the age old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: The Dinner Party
The how-tos of dinner party etiquette: place your napkin on your lap, chew with your mouth closed... never use your salad fork as a back scratcher. Tune in as Jonathan polishes off his good manners for a dinner party with some old college chums.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday May 10, 2013
Part 1: Co-ed
What would you do if you could be the opposite sex for one day? Would you do anything differently, or just keep on being yourself? This week, we explore the role gender plays in our lives: a mother who was once a father, a 9-year-old who wants to do away with the girls' and boys' sections in clothing stores, a male pole dancer.
Plus, Academy-Award nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg performs his dramatic monologue in which a post-gender-normative man tries to pick up a woman at a bar.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Don't Make a Scene
With winter on the way, Howard wants to buy his pugs hand-made poodle-fur coats. And so he must do the unthinkable: get a job. Plus, Jonathan speaks with his father about making a fuss in public, and Gregor ropes Jonathan in to a public speaking engagement... on the topic of public speaking.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday May 3, 2013
Part 1: Look Ma, I'm Trending
Are you on the skinny jeans bandwagon? What about the everything-wrapped-in-bacon bandwagon? This week, we explore the world of trends, from foodie-ism, to yoga, to one woman's attempt to convince her kids of the impossible: that mom's can be cool.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: The Price of Fame
Ever told someone "I owe you one"? This week on WireTap, Tucker cashes in a long owed favor that leaves Jonathan wishing he'd never uttered the phrase. Plus, Howard discovers he's famous and is quick to embrace his newfound celebrity status.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday April 26, 2013
Part 1: Know Your Strengths
What are you good at? Sitting up straight? Picking out flowers? Picking fights? This week, we explore the world of hidden talents, and how sometimes, someone's biggest weakness can turn out to be their biggest strength. Plus, a sneak peak into the minds of two people good at making the best of things on an awkward first date.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: The Ride of Your Life
Jonathan's backyard brunch takes a turn for the worse when Howard dumps clamato juice all over Jonathan's boss and locks himself in the bathroom for the remainder of the gathering. Plus, Gregor pitches a Jonathan Goldstein amusement park ride.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday April 19, 2013
Part 1: Why Travel: A Journey to Bali
A strong proponent of hibernating in front of the TV, Jonathan gives travel one last chance with a trip to Bali. With its raging nightlife and spectacular beaches, Bali is the perfect place to unwind, but will its magic be able to pierce the bubble of Jonathan's fretful demeanor?
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Negatron
Howard becomes a hairstylist as part of his plan to bring cornrows back into fashion. Plus, Josh dabbles in the world of contemporary performance art, and Gregor prepares for Jonathan's very first press junket.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday April 12, 2013
Part 1: Wake Up, Call Me, Tell Me Your Dream
What does it mean when you dream that your teeth are falling out? What about when 10,000 people dream their teeth are falling out? A dream-trend analyst with her finger on the pulse of slumbering societies shares her findings. Plus, a lucid dream expert offers tips on how to get more out of your nights, and when Howard invites Jonathan to hang out in one of his dreams, it turns out to be somewhat of a nightmare.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Jonah and the Great Fish
A man hears the voice of God. The voice commands the man to go to the evil land of Nineveh to warn its people to repent. The man, not too keen on evil lands-- or travel, altogether--decides to ignore the voice. God, not one for being ignored, sends a giant fish to swallow the man. In the fish, the man becomes bored. Very bored. It's the story of Jonah and the Great Fish on this week's Wiretap.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can listen to it on the Wiretap website: www.cbc.ca/wiretap
Friday April 5, 2013
Part 1: Letting Go
How long is too long to hold on to a heartbreak? A man struggling to get over a breakup finds help letting go following an unexpected encounter. Plus, Howard encourages Jonathan to let go of his notions of privacy, and share all his passwords.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Chasing Rainbows
Jonathan speaks with Kenneth Michaels, professional Rainbow Chaser, about extreme weather research. Plus, Howard redesigns Jonathan's studio and Gregor finds his true calling.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday March 29, 2013
Part 1: The Nagging Task
Ever had a nagging task remain on your to-do list for years on end before getting around to tackling it? We explore the fine art of putting things off. Jonathan's father hasn't visited his father's grave in decade, so Jonathan takes him on a father-son road trip to the cemetery in Queens. Plus, a woman tracks down an old friend to ask for forgiveness, and Howard finally gets around to doing Jon a favour that he promised 9 years ago.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: The Little One
This week on WireTap, when Gregor starts collecting Jonathan's hair and fingernail clippings it can only mean one thing: Voodoo Jonny. Plus, Jonathan discovers that an eleven year-old boy is podcasting his own version of WireTap and an excerpt from Ryan Knighton's new book C'mon Papa: Dispatches from a Dad in the Dark.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday March 22, 2013
Part 1: Animal Instinct
The bible foretells of a Golden Age when the laws of the jungle shall be overthrown and predators shall lay down with their prey. But what if such a thing were actually to pass? We take a look at a most unlikely friendship between a lion and a lamb. Plus, Cookie uses her sense of smell to track hot guys, and Josh searches for his cat, Fluffles the Magnificent.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Human Nature
Flying cows that leak milk from the sky, and a hippopotamus that hangs upside down like a sloth: it's Heather O'Neill's retelling of the H.G. Wells classic, The Isle of Dr. Moreau. Plus, Jonathan's weekend alone in the woods turns out to be less like Waldon Pond, and more like the Blair Witch Project.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can listen to it on Wiretap's radio player: www.cbc.com/wiretap.
Friday March 15, 2013
Part 1: Nothing to Fear
When asked, people often rank fear of public speaking higher than fear of death. We investigate why, for so many of us, social fears trump existential ones. Plus, writer Tim Kreider shares the upside of his near-death experience, and Howard boasts about being fearless.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: A Dream of Life
Gregor has insulted Jonathan about pretty much everything at one point or another, but this time, he takes it to a whole new level, hassling Jonathan for his mediocre dreaming skills. In response, Jonathan turns to a lucid dream expert to help reinvigorate his sleep-life.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can listen to it on Wiretap's website: www.cbc.com/wiretap.
Friday March 8, 2013
Part 1: The Age of Love
How much would you pay for the best kiss of your life? Tune in to Rob Corddry reading the tale of an aging kissing booth operator, struggling to stay afloat. Plus, Jonathan and Josh go on a a double date that threatens the state of their friendship.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: We Be Illin’
After discovering that Jonathan's feeling under the weather, Nurse Howard comes to the rescue. Plus, Gregor thinks it's time Jonathan got his very own cause to boost his celebrity profile, and Tucker reveals the secret mission.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday March 1, 2013
Part 1: Learn Some Manners
Do you clip your fingernails in public? Chew with your mouth open? Interrupt people? We speak with manners expert Henry Alford about etiquette in the modern world. Plus, Jonathan's parents offer some manners tips of their own, while Gregor has no qualms about being rude to the bone.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: The Grudge
The Grudge We've all been encouraged to forgive and forget, but what if you've forgotten without having forgiven? Jonathan reconnects with an old friend, only to be reminded of why they drifted apart in the first place. Plus, Gregor pitches a WireTap spinoff starring all Howard, all the time.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday February 22, 2013
Part 1: Games of Chance
What are the odds that your grandmother met your grandfather, that your mother met your father, and that now you exist? We explore the role chance plays in our lives, from being born to winning the lottery.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: David and Goliath
This week on WireTap, what goes through the mind of a tiny young shepherd about to go into battle with a Philistine giant? Jonathan retells the tale of David and Goliath live on stage from Vancouver's Studio One. Plus, Vancouver's Awkward Stage will be on hand with live musical accompaniment.
Friday February 15, 2013
Part 1: A Whole Stack of Memories Never Equals One Little Hope
What's your first memory of being alive? Are you swinging at a pinata at your 4th birthday party? Are you throwing a snowball at your pet cat? We explore why we remember some things and forget others. Featuring a conversation with a man who has supermemory, with another who helps erase bad memories, and a story about a woman with amnesia.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Live in the Now... Now!
What's so great about "the Now"? This week on WireTap, Jonathan tries to embrace the present and live in the moment... despite the fact that the present moment usually consists of being harassed by so-called friends.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday February 8, 2013
Part 1: Hell is Other People
"L'enfer, c'est les autres," said Sartre, and Sheila Heti thinks he may have been on to something, as she ponders whether it's possible to quit people. Plus, a solipsist questions whether other people even exist in the first place, and Josh realizes he's going to hell and had better make the most of it.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: World on a String
Howard teaches Jonathan how to say "Yes" to life. Should Jonathan be more spontaneous? Yes. Should he climb more trees? Yes. Should he give that mangy, rabies infested alley cat a hug? Yes! Plus, Buzz reminisces about his old friend Lenny and Gregor tries to convince Jonathan to take to the sea.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday February 1, 2013
Part 1: Best Perfect Day Ever
Jonathan's cousin starts a new business offering personalized days of bliss. Plus, an artisanal pencil sharpening workshop over the radio. And, after 50 years of marriage, a couple enters a love competition and puts their devotion to the test.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Life Out of Balance
Howard becomes addicted to Hyper-Quench, a new energy drink that makes coffee seem like a sedative. Plus, Gregor brands Jonathan as a free-thinking foodie with a holiday-themed recipe you'll want to try at home. And Josh gives Yin/Yang a run for its money with his very own system of balance.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday January 25, 2013
Part 1: Greed
In this final installment of our series on the 7 deadly sins, we explore what has been called the root of all evil, the mother of all sins: greed. Gregor embraces the CBC budget cuts as an opportunity to sell ad space on WireTap. Plus, a man thinks he's struck gold with a new career cycling tourists around New York City, and Jonathan isgreedy for experience as he tries to cram 7000 years of history into a 3-day visit to China.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Making Ends Meet
This week on WireTap, in an attempt to get Jonathan out of the red, Howard teaches him the fine art of dumpster diving. Plus, Josh gets a new roommate to help pay the bills.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday January 18, 2013
Part 1: Welcome to the Family
Adoption is all the rage amongst the rich and famous so Gregor encourages Jonathan to start a brood of his own. Plus, Josh gets bethrothed, a young couple argues about what to expect when they're expecting, and Scott Kravitz on living with a mother who hates silence.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Special Features
Howard re-releases previous episodes of WireTap with his own "Director's Commentary" dishing all the dirt. Plus, Gregor launches the Johnny G Smartphone app and Jonathan's dad becomes hooked on 3D.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Friday January 11, 2013
Part 1: Sloth
They say idle hands are the devil's tools so, this week, we busy ourselves exploring the deadly sin of Sloth. Josh steps-up his lazy-game by looking to the sloth for inspiration, a world-class worrier demonstrates that fretting is industrious work, and the Hare accuses the Tortoise of being not only slow, but lazy..
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
Part 2: Modern Day Saviours
Jet-lagged from a recent trip to Greece, Howard takes it upon himself to perform anonymous good deeds while the city sleeps. Plus, an interview with a chief psychiatrist in Israel about the Jerusalem Syndrome, where tourists show up in the holy land and begin exhibiting symptoms of Messianic delusion.
This episode is not available for on-demand listening, but you can purchase it on iTunes.
