Talkhouse Launches New Podcast Hosted by The New Yorker’s Naomi Fry, Premiere Episode Out Today
First Season Rediscovers & Reconsiders Cultural Legacy of The Doors, Featuring John Doe, Lili Anolik, Weyes Blood, Amanda Petrusich, Billy Idol, Chris Black, Lucinda Williams, Walter Martin & The Doors’ Drummer John Densmore
November 19, 2025 – Really?? is a podcast about cultural memory — the icons and ideas we’ve mythologized and, in the process, might have misread or misunderstood. In the first season of this new series from Talkhouse (How Long Gone, Subway Takes, Alison Roman, Björk), premiering today, the New Yorker’s Naomi Fry convenes a multi-generational mix of musicians, writers, and cultural figures in conversation, to rediscover and reconsider the cultural legacy of The Doors in 2025, the band’s sixtieth anniversary. Produced by podcast legend Jody Avirgan (30 for 30, What Now? with Trevor Noah) and executive produced by Noah Chernin, Really?? uses The Doors’ chaotic legend to ask what happens when myth overtakes meaning, and what that reveals about how we talk about American culture and about ourselves. It shows The Doors not simply as a band, but as provocateurs, “erotic politicians” as they called themselves, and heretical artists whose work unsettled their own time—and continues to challenge ours.
Listen to the first episode of Really??, with new episodes arriving weekly from now through December 17th: SUBSCRIBE
Really?? The Doors? Episode Guide
Nov 19 – “The West is the Best?” with Lili Anolik and John Doe
Nov 21 – “Music Is Your Only Friend?” with Lucinda Williams and Water Martin (The Walkmen)
Nov 26 – “He’s Hot, He’s Sexy, He’s Dead?” with Weyes Blood and Amanda Petrusich
Dec 3 – “Ice Cream is for Babies?” with Chris Black and Billy Idol
Dec 10 – “Did You Like That Movie?” with Special Guests TBA
Dec 17 – “The End?” with Naomi Fry and John Densmore (The Doors), Live from On Air LA
First season guests on Really?? The Doors? include John Doe, Lili Anolik, Weyes Blood, Amanda Petrusich, Billy Idol, Chris Black, Lucinda Williams, Walter Martin, and a very special appearance from The Doors’ John Densmore, who recorded live with Naomi Fry at On Air Fest LA last week. Blending group discussions and one-on-one conversations, Naomi and friends tackle essential questions such as: What did The Doors mean for their time and what do they mean today? What’s the place of Los Angeles in The Doors’ oeuvre? What can the figure of Jim Morrison tell us about American masculinity? Are The Doors cool? And, has popular culture completely misunderstood The Doors?
“I’ve been obsessed with The Doors even since I was a young teen. Over the years, I’ve come to discover that a lot of people think that this obsession is maybe a little embarrassing, and that Jim Morrison and The Doors aren’t a worthwhile object of love and curiosity. I’m interested in mining the gap between these perceptions, partly to understand why I’m still obsessed, partly to look at The Doors through a wider cultural lens. This podcast isn’t a straightforward biographical podcast; it’s the work of enthusiasts rather than historians, or, as Morrison might put it, feelers rather than analysts. What it will offer are rich, varied, and funny conversations about a really significant if sometimes misunderstood band.”
-Naomi Fry
Really?? The Doors? With Naomi Fry is presented in partnership with Bootleg Live, a live music platform redefining how artists and fans connect, combining high-quality audio of concerts with exclusive content delivered directly to fans as collectible digital mementos. For fans, it turns an unforgettable night into something they can relive again and again. For artists, Bootleg creates a new stream of revenue and a way to build lasting relationships with their audience. Bootleg is about ownership, collectibility, and the enduring power of live music. With a growing roster of artists and festivals, Bootleg is building the future of live music memories. Learn more at bootleg.live
About Talkhouse
Talkhouse is a Webby-Award-winning first-person media company, podcast network, and outlet for musicians, actors, filmmakers, and others in their respective fields. Talkhouse’s podcast series include Subway Takes, How Long Gone, Blank Check, Alison Roman’s Solicited Advice, Life of the Record, Craig Finn’s That’s How I Remember It, Santigold’s Noble Champions, Björk: Sonic Symbolism, which GQ praises as “a road map to the creative life,” delivering what The New Yorker calls “a rare chance to listen in as one of the most mysterious and mystical artists working today explains herself, as well as the new Fela Kuti: Fear No Man which critics are raving about and represents Jad Abumrad’s triumphant return to audio. Björk’s Cornucopia represents Talkhouse’s first foray into producing TV/film. Other projects are currently in development and production.
About The Doors
With an intoxicating, genre-blending sound, provocative and uncompromising songs, and the mesmerizing power of singer Jim Morrison’s poetry and presence, The Doors had a transformative impact not only on popular music but on popular culture. Sixty years after their formation, The Doors’ music and legacy are more influential than ever. Helmed by Jim Morrison (vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboard), Robby Krieger (guitar) and John Densmore (drums), The Doors exploded onto the scene through timeless classics such as “Light My Fire,” “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” and “Riders on the Storm,” ultimately releasing six studio albums. Icons of rebellion and creative freedom, The Doors have sold over 100 million albums. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and later received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
About John Densmore
JOHN DENSMORE is the drummer for the legendary rock band The Doors who have sold over a hundred million albums worldwide. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and since then, he has earned a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to his three books, the best-selling Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison & The Doors, The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison’s Legacy Goes On Trial and The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists), his writing has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, the Guardian, the Nation, and Chicago Tribune, among others. He lives in Los Angeles.
