Five Years of Last Day... Now What?

Five Years of Last Day... Now What?

Author: Lemonada Media September 25, 2024 Duration: 48:03
We did it, y’all. We reached the end of our countdown, which leads us back to where it all began: the very first episode of Last Day, the first-ever Lemonada Media podcast launch. This week, we’re revisiting “Meet Stephanie, Meet Harris (with Sarah Silverman & Aziz Ansari).” Five years later (to the day!), Stephanie returns to the mic to reflect on what we learned that first season and where we’re headed next. Walk with us down memory lane, and have your tissues handy. ALSO: Some cool news announced, so be sure to tune in!  In this inaugural episode, meet Stephanie Wittels Wachs, host of Last Day, and sister of the late Harris Wittels, comedian-writer-producer-actor, who died in 2015 of a heroin overdose. Harris’ close friends, Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari, also join Stephanie as she introduces the concept of the show and why it’s critical that it exists.  Last Day contains strong language, mature themes, and may not be appropriate for all listeners. Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss, by Stephanie Wittels Wachs Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty, by Harris Wittels  You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: Harris Returns (Parks and Rec! Comedy! Don't Stop or We'll Die!) returns to make it weirder! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosted by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, a co-founder of Lemonada Media who has been aptly described as an award-winning queen of darkness and light, Last Day delves into the profound human experiences that redefine who we are. This podcast centers on conversations about survival, resilience, and personal transformation, often through stories that blend joy and sorrow. For its first three seasons, the focus was on examining the "last day" within the context of widespread societal epidemics, a heavy but crucial exploration. Now, Stephanie herself felt a shift was necessary, signaling an evolution in the show's direction. Each episode features a different guest, and through these intimate discussions, listeners are invited into raw, honest accounts of pivotal moments. The tone is conversational yet deeply thoughtful, avoiding simple answers in favor of nuanced understanding. It’s a Last Day podcast that sits comfortably at the intersection of society and culture, asking how we navigate life after everything changes. You’ll hear laughter, tears, and the quiet revelations that come from people recounting the events that shaped them, all framed by Stephanie’s empathetic and insightful guidance. The series doesn’t shy away from complexity, instead finding the universal threads in uniquely personal journeys.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Last Day
Podcast Episodes
Listen Now: Love Letters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:11
This week, we’re sharing a story from another podcast near and dear to our hearts. Love Letters, from The Boston Globe, shares stories from real life people. Host Meredith Goldstein hears from people about dating, relati…
Steph’s Pick: “Carrie: How Could You?” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:43
Carrie and Joe were college sweethearts who made a picture-perfect family. They worked and saved to pay for their kids’ sports, vacations, and everything in between. Then, after over a decade of marriage, Carrie stumbled…
Steph’s Pick: “Tig: Hi, I Have Cancer” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:00
If comedian Tig Notaro hadn’t had cancer, her life might’ve actually been worse. In those sobering moments post-diagnosis, she got up on stage and told a room of people all about it. “The crowd went wild” is an understat…
Steph’s Pick: “Vinnie: The Worst Possible Sin” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:19
Vinnie grew up in a strict, insular environment that instilled a simple message in him from a young age: who you are is fundamentally wrong. After spending years praying to God to fix him, he finally hit his breaking poi…
Apple Books Pick: “Geena: Hiding In Plain Sight” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:25
Geena Rocero has yet to meet a stage she doesn’t like. As the reigning trans beauty queen in the Philippines, she was adored and envied with equal passion – all while being out and proud. But when she moved to America an…
Nikki: Setting Myself Free [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:50
After getting engaged, Nikki Vargas was staring down a lifetime of white picket fences, suburbs, and 2.5 kids. And deep down she knew she couldn’t do it. So years into a confining relationship, and even deeper into a lov…
Kat: After the Report [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:34
Kat grew up internalizing that it was her “responsibility” to be careful around men. But when a male friend sexually assaulted her after a frat party, Kat knew the burden wasn’t hers alone to bear. She needed to seek jus…
Listen Now: Stephanie on Everything Happens with Kate Bowler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:15
Last Day listeners, today we're sharing with you Stephanie's conversation with Kate Bowler on her show Everything Happens. Kate is a professor at Duke University and someone who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in…
Alyssa: Stop Arguing With Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:33
Alyssa Elliott has always prided herself on being a responsible, by-the-book kind of person. And it was exactly those qualities that were taken advantage of when Alyssa’s parents came to her for help, putting her on the…