Zoomin' Left with Harry Rossum

Joe Messina

Host, Producer, & Writer

I have been interested in politics since 2001 when two very important things happened: George W. Bush became president, and I became a brooding teenager. My interest in comedians like George Carlin, Lewis Black, and Jon Stewart, bands like Green Day and NOFX, and early podcasts like The Al Franken Show and The Joe Rogan Experience helped shape my political mind, and led to where I am now making politically-charged comedy, music, and podcasts.

My comedy experience comes largely from my time living in Philadelphia, where I performed stand up at clubs like Helium and The Punch Line. I also spent two years co-hosting my own political comedy variety show called Party Lines at Good Good Comedy Theatre with my good friend Max Barth. Philly is also where I started podcasting with my show Breaking Up with Joe, which featured interviews with comedians about their breakup and dating stories, and California Here We Come, a The OC rewatch podcast that doubled as a real-time commentary track for the show.

I started Radicalize Me back in April 2020 to talk with activists about how my listeners and I could get more involved with activism. My experience doing the show has made me believe in the principles of socialism and anarchism, and I'm more fervent than ever about making a positive impact in the world.

Outside of content creation I teach music lessons in the Boston area where I live with my wife and our cat.