904 episodes

A daily discussion about news, politics, and pop culture, hosted by Ryan Jespersen from Edmonton, Alberta. Real Talk streams live, weekday mornings at 8:30am MT at <a href=https://ryanjespersen.com/> ryanjespersen.com</a>.

Real Talk Ryan Jespersen Relay

    • News
    • 4.6 • 657 Ratings

A daily discussion about news, politics, and pop culture, hosted by Ryan Jespersen from Edmonton, Alberta. Real Talk streams live, weekday mornings at 8:30am MT at <a href=https://ryanjespersen.com/> ryanjespersen.com</a>.

    "This Conflict of Interest: It Makes Me Sick!"

    "This Conflict of Interest: It Makes Me Sick!"

    Colin's wondering where all the money's going, LD's fed up with UCP suck-ups, Gabriel just can't take a certain Real Talk panel seriously, and James says Liberal corruption is making him sick. Real Talkers are all fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
    FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, let 'em know Real Talk sent you!

    • 5 min
    The Art of Storytelling: A Filmmakers Round Table

    The Art of Storytelling: A Filmmakers Round Table

    When's the last time a film really moved you? Documentaries in particular have a way of connecting with us and inspiring us to action. In this special edition of the Real Talk Round Table, we hang out with filmmakers whose work is featured at NorthwestFest, Canada's longest-running non-fiction film festival. We talk about where they get their inspiration, how they best connect with audiences, and whether or not they think Ryan's out of line for taking his shoes off when he flies.
    2:40 | Guy Lavallee, Katrina Beatty, Blake McWilliam, and Ben Judkins join our Real Talk Round Table to talk about their NorthwestFest films, including Send Kelp (8:14), The Wounds Within: An Endometriosis Story (24:22), and The Cigarette Surfboard (42:40). 
    GET TICKETS TO NORTHWESTFEST: https://www.northwestfest.ca/
    1:02:55 | The filmmakers chime in on our unofficial, unscientific Twitter poll about a high-speed rail line between Calgary and Edmonton. 
    1:12:40 | Do you visit movie theatres now as much as you did before the pandemic? Guy explains how audience habits have changed. We take a look at other featured films coming up at NorthwestFest, including Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (1:22:30). 
    1:29:50 | Colin's wondering where all the money's going, LD's fed up with UCP suck-ups, Gabriel just can't take a certain Real Talk panel seriously, and James says Liberal corruption is making him sick. Real Talkers are all fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
    FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
    When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, let 'em know Real Talk sent you! 
    FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
    REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
    BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
    THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
    The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

    • 1 hr 37 min
    War of Words: Poilievre and Trudeau Ramp It Up

    War of Words: Poilievre and Trudeau Ramp It Up

    Did Pierre Poilievre deserve to get kicked out of the House of Commons for calling Justin Trudeau a "wacko PM"? Should Greg Fergus resign as Speaker of the House? How much responsibility should the Prime Minister take for the tone of today's politics? We get into gamesmanship, theatre, and communication strategy in this episode of Real Talk.  
    8:35 | But first...was anybody surprised to see the Alberta government walk back its plan to defund public transit supports for seniors and low-income Albertans? We sure weren't. The biggest question now is, who thought that was a good idea in the first place? 
    17:40 | Pierre Poilievre was kicked out of the House of Commons this week after calling Justin Trudeau a "wacko PM". Did the Opposition Leader deserve the boot? Did he maybe kinda sorta get ejected on purpose? 
    36:50 | Premier Danielle Smith is investing close to $10M to look at ramping up passenger rail in Alberta. Would you take a high speed train between Calgary and Edmonton? How about between Calgary and Banff, or Banff and Jasper? What about a super-network connecting Lethbridge all the way to Fort McMurray? 
    EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
    53:55 | Now this is REAL Talk. Ryan reads emails from Ian and Sheryl re: our March 19 interview with sex trade abolitionist Andrea Heinz. 
    ANDREA ON REAL TALK: rtrj.info/031924Heinz
    FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
    REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
    BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
    THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
    The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Kristi Noem Shoots Her Dog; Danielle Smith Kills Low-Income Transit Program

    Kristi Noem Shoots Her Dog; Danielle Smith Kills Low-Income Transit Program

    Does shooting a puppy and writing about it in a book automatically kill South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's shot at the Vice Presidency? Does defunding a public transit program designed for low-income and senior Albertans make any sense - optically, politically, or otherwise - for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith? 
    4:50 | Emmy Award-winning talk radio legend Charles Adler chimes in on Noem, the UCP's public transit cuts (26:20), Minister Randy Boissonnault's uncomfortable ethics predicament (37:15), the electoral future of the Edmonton-Centre federal riding (41:03), Ayahuasca and magic mushrooms for mental health (yeah, you read that right 46:55), Alberta's first municipal political party - TAPYEG (1:01:30), and the Edmonton Oilers matchup against the LA Kings (1:09:05). 
    32:55 | May is a perfect time for rock climbing in the Rocky Mountains! In this episode of #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper, we introduce you to the crew at Rockaboo Mountain Adventures. 
    GET CLIMBING: https://rockaboo.ca/
    EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
    FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
    REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
    BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
    THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
    The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

    • 1 hr 18 min
    Who's Behind Alberta's First Municipal Political Party?

    Who's Behind Alberta's First Municipal Political Party?

    For the first time in Alberta's history, political parties will be players in the October 2025 municipal elections. TAPYEG is the first party to introduce itself to voters in Edmonton. In this episode, we meet some of the people behind TAPYEG, and hear why they believe they can do a better job than the current mayor and council. 
    3:34 | TAPYEG board members Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, Naseem Bashir, and Al Amer tell us why they founded the political party/think tank, how they expect to disrupt City Hall, and how they'll pull off a promised tax cut within 100 days of forming municipal government. 
    LEARN MORE: https://www.tapyeg.ca/
    50:38 | Since Connie Walker's last Real Talk appearance, she's won a Peabody Award and a Pulitzer Prize, and she was just named to TIME's list of The 100 Most Influential People for 2024. We talk to her about the incredible global response to her "Stolen" podcast series, and what it was like to attend the TIME Gala in NYC alongside Dua Lipa, Michael J. Fox and Uma Thurman. 
    WATCH CONNIE'S FIRST REAL TALK INTERVIEW IN 2022 | https://rtrj.info/071122Walker
    CONNIE'S WORK: https://www.conniewalker.com/
    1:28:16 | You have to see these STUNNING photos captured from the cockpit of Real Talker Jodi's plane as she flew over Slave Lake (there's an Edmonton Oilers playoff angle)! Jodi told us she thought they were perfect for Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy...and we agree! 
    SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
    GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE TODAY: https://kubyenergy.ca/
    FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
    REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
    BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
    THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
    The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

    • 1 hr 32 min
    "The female version of Putin"?!?

    "The female version of Putin"?!?

    Gabriel sounds off on 15 Minute Cities, James is nervous about the feds selling TMX, and Angela has a message for Alberta's duly-elected mayors and councillors. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
    FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
    When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, tell 'em Real Talk sent you!

    • 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
657 Ratings

657 Ratings

zanu8585 ,

The #1 podcast

My absolute favorite podcast - I listen every day. Ryan is an excellent host, and I love Johnnys perspective and expertise. I am a Patreon supporter and could not live without this podcast. It’ll make you laugh, cry, rage, and squeal with joy. Keep it up!!

PatChamp ,

Thank you

I’m grateful for your episodes! I can sometimes listen but life is crazy for me. I’m so thankful that you keep us all updated on our political news I’m it trusting our media. I listen but stressed that they cover the very least and I have to dig for more info. Was disappointed you were let go on CHED🤗. But this platform suits you. 🙏

Frostman55 ,

Zero substance

Tragically this guy has no skills. Jespersen plays a big game, however Jespersen is all talk no substance. He is a big personality only because he’s over compensating. He got fired from CHED he’s got no interaction on Twitter, his Instagram has even less interactions. Only room temperature IQ listeners would listen to his tripe he spews. One star review is to kind for this failed podcaster. I’m sure a homeless person could out debate him. Gilmore is available for another pitty party. Can you two cry more Jespersen? Oh did I hurt your feelings Jespo? Saw your response. You’re a week man

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