Off the Cupp with S.E. Cupp

iHeartPodcasts and Reasoned Choice

S.E. Cupp needs a break -- from the news, from politics, from the triggering headlines and heated discussions … from the mental load of it all. Off the Cupp is just that. It’s a place to get loose and personal, to talk about what’s going on in our lives - beyond (and, yes, maybe because of) the news. Through a lens of mental health, S.E. invites her famous guests — celebrities, athletes, authors, journalists, politicians, reality stars — to share their life stories, their trials and tribulations and to talk about what it’s like living in this world, even when this world can feel like a lot.

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132 episodes
Updated July 1
Explicit

Episodes132

Newest first

January 22 · 24 min
Talkin' Politics: A Dane weighs in on Trump's Greenland grab
As Trump continues to saber-rattle through Davos, threatening to take Greenland, a sovereign Danish territory, S.E. wonders on today's Talkin' Politics, what do the Danes think of all this? At home, the Greenland grab seems to be popular with no one outside of Trump's inner circle. And Trump's increasingly unhinged, "mine, mine, mine" global political strategy is not only unsettling American markets, but potentially severing America from its longstanding allies. And for what? S.E gives you her hot take and talks to someone living through the other side of this — Danish journalist, Niels Overgaard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 21 · 59 min
The ultimate Broadway musicals episode with Marisha Wallace
OK, get excited musical fans because this is the theatrical deep dive of S.E.'s dreams. S.E. sits down with Marisha Wallace, who has starred in so many fantastic shows in the West End, London, including Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Guys and Dolls and most recently as Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway. Marisha talks about what it was like finding her way from a country hog farm to the stage, how the roles for her were extremely limited as a Black woman and what — or who — changed that. Marisha also gives S.E. a peek into her life in London, her connection to the Royal Family, her stint on the UK-loved reality show, Big Brother, and the roles she's dying to play. Stay tuned for a very theatrical lightning round! And check out Marisha's album, Live in London, out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 20 · 42 min
S.E.'s Talkin' Coffee, bad dates and worse water
In this episode, S.E. shares with her producers Lauren and Derrick a disturbing revelation that may explain why airplane coffee tastes the way it does. Then, is going for coffee a sensible first date option or a red flag? Plus, S.E. makes good on her promise to reveal her extensive Aladdin memorabilia collection. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 17 · 31 min
Talkin’ Politics: Will the Rule of Law survive Trump?
Welcome to another jam-packed week in Trump's America. S.E. shares her hot take on the deep irony of Trump's pro-Democracy message to Iranian protestors while federal agents continue to use violent force against protesters right here at home. There's a lot to unpack. And stay tuned for S.E.'s interview with Philip Mudd, someone S.E. goes to for the real inside scoop on national security issues. The former counterterrorism expert who worked both the CIA and the FBI, weighs in on Greenland, Trump's new regime-change hobby, and whether the rule of law will survive, even if we do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 14 · 50 min
Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi: Meatball no more
This week, our resident reality TV obsessive gets to sit down with realty TV OG star, Nicole Polizzi, or Snooki, from Jersey Shore. S.E. and Nicole dive into the behind-the-scenes of the making of that early reality TV series, her thoughts on her cast mates — then and now — and what she thinks about reality TV now. Nicole talks about how she was able to transform her reality TV career into a Jessica-Simpson-like empire and if she'll continue doing the spin-offs. Stay Tuned for a very GTL lightning round! If you want more Snooki, keep an eye out for a new ghost-hunting series called Snooki: Paranormal Rookie and show Snooki'e closet at The Snooki Shop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 10 · 37 min
Talkin' Politics: War, what is it good for? Distraction.
Talkin' Politics is back and barely a week into this new year there's already so much to talk about, including Trump's abrupt pivot to nation building? While Trump and his surrogates decide why they bombed Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, S.E. ruminates on Trump's signature policy: America First. Since the height of that isolationist marketing pitch, something's changed. S.E. gives her hot take on it all and asks her guest, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, is there a line in the sand for Trump's MAGA followers? Also, S.E.'s checks in with Larry Beinhart, author of the 1993 novel American Hero, which became the basis for the movie Wag the Dog, about a politically cooked-up, made-for-TV war to benefit a sitting president. Fitting? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 7 · 58 min
Denis Leary on Boston, sports, and finding comedy with the help of a nun
The first episode of 2026 and it’s a big one! S.E. sits down with fellow M***hole, Denis Leary in a super fun and hilarious conversation about Denis’ childhood, his path to acting and his favorite early work. The two also can’t help but dive into all things Boston and S.E. forced Denis to reveal some of his favorite spots in the area. Denis shares his thoughts on humor, some hilarious stories about his family, and sports is the thing that truly drives him. Stay tuned for a very Boston lightning round and — prepare yourselves! — the accents come out! Catch Denis Leary in Oh. What. Fun, streaming now on Amazon Prime. And the second season of Going Dutch starts January 15th on Hulu. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 31, 2025 · 19 min
Celebrating S.E.’s favorite question
Happy New Year’s Eve! If you’re an avid listener, you know how S.E. likes to end her interviews, with her favorite question: When is iced coffee season? And if you’re an avid listener, you’ll know there’s a right and wrong answer. What better way to recap the year — and look back a the fantastic slew of guests S.E. had — than by remembering who’s on the right side of this all important question, and who we’ll still love anyway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 24, 2025 · 49 min
Replay: Larry Wilmore on the Reiners
Today, we're sharing a favorite Off the Cupp episode from 2024: a conversation with Larry Wilmore. In it, S.E. and Larry talked about Rob Reiner and his dad, Carl Reiner. It was a really good conversation about so many things, from parenting to comedy, but it just so happened that the Reiners' figured prominently. And since, surely, S.E. isn't alone in thinking a lot about Rob Reiner and his movies, we thought this episode would be a nice replay episode this Christmas Eve if you didn't get a chance to hear it the first time. S.E. shares one of her favorite Rob Reiner movies. If you want to share your favorite Rob Reiner movie with S.E. email us at offthecupp@gmail.com and we may revisit the subject in a future episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 20, 2025 · 32 min
Talkin’ Politics: Has intra-party fighting just become the point?
Tis the season to reflect back on a year that, more than anything else, was marked by intra-party fights. S.E. recaps the many ways the Democrats and Republicans — and MAGA — are their own worst enemies. Has fighting just become the point? S.E. also singles out Ben Shapiro’s Talking Points USA speech. Shapiro has been called courageous for condemning his own people — some of whom were speaking on the very same stage — for poisoning the conservative movement from within. But S.E. thinks Shapiro didn’t go far enough. (and you can read more on her Substack). And S.E.'s guest, former New York representative, Biden White House adviser, and current senior adviser to Vote Vets, Max Rose, also weighs in on the battle inside of MAGA and what Democrats should really be focusing on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 17, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
Comedian Aparna Nancherla on anxiety, depression, perimenopause, and comedy
It’s the holiday season, and that can often mean a mixed bag for mental health. Between all the joy and merriment (and Hallmark movies), there’s often also the extra burden of shorter days, familial complications, the pressure of expectations, and loneliness. Luckily for all of us who experience that full holiday cheer-to-anxiety spectrum, S.E.’s guest this week is comedian Aparna Nancherla. Aparna has a new special out on Dropout, Hopeful Potato, and she (like so many comedians, it seems) has particularly keen insights about dealing with mental health challenges. She sat down with S.E. to talk about why she is holding the holidays more lightly and why comedy is so great at exploring, as she put it, “the smallness of life that can end up feeling so big.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 15, 2025 · 46 min
S.E.’s Talkin’ Coffee … from arabica to Agrabah
S.E. is back with her producers Lauren and Derrick to discuss all the news that's fit to sip, including an in-flight coffee controversy, celebrity coffee brands, how coffee can help blueberries last longer in the fridge, and the personality traits associated with French press coffee drinkers. But first, a mug triggers the realization of an important shared connection among the three pour-over pundits: a shared obsession with Disney's Aladdin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 13, 2025 · 26 min
Talkin' Politics: Steve Israel and the slow unraveling of the Trump presidency
This week on Talkin' Politics, Trump finally returns to the issue his voters care about — affordability. But instead of outlining all the ways he intends to improve the economy, Trump this week gaslit voters, telling them the economy is great and their feelings on the matter don't matter. Well, S.E. has some thoughts. And stay tuned for a chat with Steve Israel, former longtime New York congressman who knows a little something about midterm elections. Also, S.E. and Steve talk about his new book that’s out now, called The Einstein Conspiracy — a historical thriller about a Nazi plot to abduct Albert Einstein. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 10, 2025 · 45 min
Chris Noth on men, messiness, and Mr. Big
This week, S.E. talks to Chris Noth, known for his memorable roles on Sex and the City and Law and Order. Chris talks about those iconic projects, but SE and Chris go deep on childhood and the loss of his father, how a boarding school in upstate New York saved him, what he's learned about mental health and men, acting regrets, and what Me Too taught him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 5, 2025 · 34 min
Talkin' Politics: On politics AND anxiety, is Hollywood the answer?
On this week's Talkin' Politics, S.E. sits down with Emmy-nominated producer and writer Scott Stenholm. Scott comes with some really important insights into the role Hollywood should and shouldn't play in our lives. He's also thinking a lot about our collective, social-media-related mental-health crisis and how Hollywood — and the narrative storytelling it excels at — can help. If, that is, Hollywood can get it together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 3, 2025 · 1 hr
Andrew Yang is trying to solve our tech addiction
Technically yes, S.E. is sitting down with a politician this week, and keen listeners know that Off the Cupp is S.E.'s break from all that. But Andrew Yang is an exception to the rule. He's also a dad, ice cream addict, entrepreneur, and consistent risk taker who ran for president in 2020 despite having no previous political experience. Today, Andrew is once again trying to shake up the political system with his centrist political party, Forward Party. Andrew's also thinking a lot about our tech additions and, through his new company Noble Mobil, is trying to improve our mental health when it comes to our screens. Stay tuned for a very surprising lightning round — you'll never guess which reality shows Andrew has been asked to join! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 26, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
Susan Orlean's latest writing project: Herself
This week, S.E. gets to talk shop with one of the greatest writers working today, Susan Orlean. Susan Orlean is known for her long-form, immersive profiles that take readers into seemingly ordinary but absolutely extraordinary worlds, from orchid collecting, to competitive surfing, and teenage suburban life. And now, she's turning that keen eye for detail on herself. S.E. and Susan talk about the pressure and privilege of writing, the pain of writing about yourself, and the changing journalism landscape. Susan takes us down some of her craziest reporting rabbit holes and behind the scenes of Adaptation, the wild award winning movie based on her book, The Orchid Thief. And stay tuned for a very writerly lightning round. Susan's memoir, Joy Ride, is out know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 20, 2025 · 26 min
Talkin' Politics: MAGA actually can’t sink any lower
How is it that two of the biggest stories in politics today are that MAGA influencers with massive platforms are whitewashing neo-Nazis and pedophilia? Hear S.E.'s take on just how low MAGA will sink to twist reality to defend MAGA's a-moral faction (that Trump opened the door for in 2016, by the way) or help launder Jeffrey Epstein's posthumous reputation. To what end? Also, S.E. gets NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert's take on some of stories of the week. Leland Vittert's new memoir, Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism, is out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 19, 2025 · 57 min
Rahm Emanuel on fly fishing, ballet, and saving American democracy
Rahm Emanuel has many former big titles attached to his name: President Obama's chief of staff, mayor of Chicago, ambassador to Japan. He also has a pretty hefty — potential — future title (*cough* 2028 presidential contender) attached to his name as of late. But that's not what S.E. and Rahm are here to talk about. In this episode, the two dig into Rahm's past, his family, his pivots and passions, and maybe a little bit of politics sprinkled in. The two also get to nerd out on a surprising number of parallel paths and hobbies, from ballet to fly fishing. And if you're feeling a little lost in the murky language of fly fishing, check out S.E.'s very alluring fly fishing vocab break down bonus episode. It might just make you want to wade into the hobby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 18, 2025 · 9 min
BONUS: A fly fishing primer
Tomorrow’s episode is an interview with Rahm Emanuel, who, like S.E., happens to be very into fly fishing! The two wade into the topic during the conversation and quickly find themselves comfortably in the deep end of in-the-know fishing jargon, so consider this BONUS episode your life preserver. S.E. is joined by returning podcast champion (and husband) John Goodwin to define all the key terms you’ll hear in this week’s main podcast. It’s a short, fun conversation that is sure to reel in both land-dwelling and seafaring listeners. Take the bait! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.