Have a laugh and learn all about ‘The G Word,’ a comedy docuseries about our government
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Have a laugh and learn all about ‘The G Word,’ a comedy docuseries about our government

Date
July 18, 2022 | Updated on July 22, 2022
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Our podcast, “Profiles in Public Service” took a comedic turn with guests Jon Wolf and Jon Cohen, partners at Fair Point Productions, who spoke with co-hosts Loren DeJonge Schulman and Rachel Klein-Kircher about their work as the executive producers of “The G Word with Adam Conover.” “The G Word” is a comedy docuseries on Netflix hosted by comedian Adam Conover of “Adam Ruins Everything.”

Wolf and Cohen discuss how they created the show and what they learned about showcasing the federal government’s impact on our daily lives to general audiences. The show also features two former Service to America Medals® winners: Jamie Rhome from the National Weather Service and Arleas Upton Kea, a former leader at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Episode summary

“The G Word” explores the many ways our government works behind the scenes to make our lives better—from creating GPS technology and monitoring our food production to predicting the weather and treating serious diseases.

The Netflix series is based on “The Fifth Risk,” a 2018 book by bestselling author Michael Lewis, who joined “Profiles in Public Service” last season for an episode discussing the harmful effects of government shutdowns. Wolf and Cohen produced “The G Word” in partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground Productions.

Listeners will hear from our two guests on several aspects of the series, including:

  • Their decision to use comedy to amplify the role government plays in our daily lives.
  • Their experience working with former President Barack Obama on the show, highlighted by an excerpt of Conover’s conversation with him featured in the last episode.
  • Their takeaways on how individuals can make a difference in their communities by getting involved in public service and working at any level of government.

Pulling back the curtain of our federal government

Taking viewers on a journey across the country, “The G Word” highlights how our federal government is not a faceless behemoth, but rather a human institution made up of individuals who often work without publicity and rarely demand acknowledgement from those they serve:

“What I find the most fascinating and mind-blowing are the extremely small-scale jobs that are performed—without fanfare or recognition—365 days a year by people who are just like, ‘How can I improve the lives of my friends, family, and neighbors?’” Wolf said. “The show, I think, does a great job of showing the breadth of cool positions in the government.”

Cohen added, “I walked away from the experience feeling informed, and my big takeaway—which is the show’s takeaway—is [that] I can do something about [our government’s future] as an individual by starting on the local level.”

Watch the trailer for The G Word and view the whole series on Netflix!

How to listen

Tune in to this episode from “Profiles in Public Service” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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