A couple weeks back, Gethard talked with a lawyer whose husband came up a few times. We learned two key facts about him: he’s got a lot of birds, and he works on a tugboat. Well, he got through this week, and that means Geth got to ask him a few questions about the birds and a million more about life aboard a tugboat. It’s a conversation packed with oddly fascinating details about this very specific, rarely discussed job. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Tackle your to-do list today and get $15 off your first task at taskrabbit.com or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code ANONYMOUS. Keep it classic and cool — with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
--------
1:26:54
--------
1:26:54
Vietnam Veteran
This week, Gethard talks to a Vietnam veteran with a lifetime of stories. He’s never listened to the podcast, but his granddaughter has, and she encouraged him to call in as a way to share and preserve the experiences he’s carried for decades. He recounts some harrowing moments from his childhood before walking us through the catastrophic day in Vietnam that changed the course of his life. It’s a conversation about trauma, memory, survival, and what it means to have your story heard. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood trauma, animal death, graphic descriptions of violent injury, death, and experiences of war. Please listen with care. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Visit Upwork.com/save to claim a $200 credit after spending $1,000 in your first 30 days. Valid June 24th through August 5th, 2025. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful
--------
1:34:37
--------
1:34:37
The World's Sickest Cat
This week’s caller is a medical device engineer with a deeply personal stake in the healthcare system. She talks with Gethard about living with a rare liver disease, how Martin Shkreli changed the course of her life, and the three-legged, half-tailed foster cat who might just send her back to therapy. Check out The 100 Best Podcasts of All Time as decided by TIME Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR. Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.
--------
1:22:19
--------
1:22:19
Too Many Birds
This week’s caller joined Gethard at 10:30 on a Friday night to talk about wrestling and her love of a New Jersey ska band, but the conversation quickly turned into something else entirely. We hear about her tugboat captain husband (who happens to have Geth’s secret dream job), her own work representing our most vulnerable population, and the utterly baffling hobby that’s taken over her home. Somehow, this one-hour call manages to hit all the Beautiful/Anonymous sweet spots: unique jobs, highly specific interests, and someone doing the kind of quietly heroic work that keeps the world turning. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Start your free online visit today at http://forhers.com/beautiful Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.
--------
1:21:08
--------
1:21:08
Teenage Entrepreneur
In another installment of our unofficial “The Young People Are Alright” series, a 19-year-old entrepreneur calls in to talk about hustle culture, mental health, and the lessons he’s learning from his first relationship. He’s thoughtful, ambitious, and asking big questions about what it means to grow up in a world where the American Dream feels increasingly out of reach and the future is anything but certain. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Visit Upwork.com/save to claim a $200 credit after spending $1,000 in your first 30 days. Valid June 24th through August 5th, 2025. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Tackle your to-do list today and get 15% off your first task at TASKRABBIT.com or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code ANONYMOUS. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred. Thats the premise behind Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (the Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, This American Life, and one of Time Outs 10 best comedians of 2015). Every week, Chris opens the phone line to one anonymous caller, and he cant hang up first, no matter what. From shocking confessions and family secrets to philosophical discussions and shameless self-promotion, anything can and will happen! Theme song by Shellshag.