Elliott Kalan

Elliott Kalan is an American comedian who is the head writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 and a former head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is also a comic book writer and co-host of the podcast The Flop House.

Guest Appearances

January 19, 2024

If you’re not already obsessed with Robert Caro, esteemed author and noted friend of Conan, you soon will be.

July 29, 2018

Believe it or not, Abe Lincoln was a real person. Oh sure sure, he SEEMS like a kindly freedom-giant of the mythic past, who strode out of the fog and into kicking Robert E. Lee’s butt. But isn’t it more interesting if he was a real guy? Heck, isn’t it more interesting if EVERY past President was an actual human being, with dreams and sicknesses and fixations like anybody else? And strangest of all, what if the elaborate myths we build around POTUSes are both untrue AND the least interesting thing about them? 

On this week’s episode of The Cracked Podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Elliott Kalan (MST3K, The Daily Show) for a deep dive into the fake facts you’ve been told about Presidents, and the more incredible real facts you deserve to know. Find out why James K. Polk was like Pinhead from the ‘Hellraiser’ movies. Find out how Calvin Coolidge (a very talkative person) revolutionized Presidential communication. And stick around to discover which POTUS wanted to capture a living woolly mammoth, haul it to D.C., and show it off to the Europeans.

Footnotes: https://goo.gl/NJDAJA