Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People

This week’s caller takes us into the complicated, messy, and deeply human world of sex work. The conversation stretches from personal experience to bigger questions about society. It's thoughtful, challenging, and impossible to boil down. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at Audible.com/BEAUTIFUL. Keep it classic and cool — with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.

Does what it says on the tin. Gethard talks to a polyamorous witch librarian who once worked the front desk at a brothel, surprisingly perfect training for library life. They get into the realities of coven community, late-discovered neurodivergence, leaving a faith tradition, and why public libraries are such vital spaces, now more than ever. It’s wide-ranging but never scattered. More like a life filed neatly into sections by someone who knows how to organize a catalog. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.com/beautiful. Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Keep it classic and cool — with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

Here’s the pitch: Engineer by day. International award-winning clown by night. Learned to read and walk in her 20s. This caller has a lot going on, and every story branches into a whole new world of surprises. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad-free episodes and access to exclusive audio, including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Head to LETSLIVEITUP.com/BEAUTIFUL and use code BEAUTIFUL for 15% off your first Super Greens order! Plus shipping’s always free.  Warby Parker has over 300+ locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to WarbyParker.com/BEAUTIFUL right now to try on any pair virtually! Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.  Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. 

A couple weeks back, Gethard talked with a lawyer whose husband came up a few times. We learned two key facts about him: he’s got a lot of birds, and he works on a tugboat. Well, he got through this week, and that means Geth got to ask him a few questions about the birds and a million more about life aboard a tugboat. It’s a conversation packed with oddly fascinating details about this very specific, rarely discussed job. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to our 500th episode, recording live at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey! Tackle your to-do list today and get $15 off your first task at taskrabbit.com or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code ANONYMOUS. Keep it classic and cool — with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.  

This week, Gethard talks to a Vietnam veteran with a lifetime of stories. He’s never listened to the podcast, but his granddaughter has, and she encouraged him to call in as a way to share and preserve the experiences he’s carried for decades. He recounts some harrowing moments from his childhood before walking us through the catastrophic day in Vietnam that changed the course of his life. It’s a conversation about trauma, memory, survival, and what it means to have your story heard. ​​Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood trauma, animal death, graphic descriptions of violent injury, death, and experiences of war. Please listen with care. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Visit Upwork.com/save to claim a $200 credit after spending $1,000 in your first 30 days. Valid June 24th through August 5th, 2025. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.  Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful  

This week’s caller is a medical device engineer with a deeply personal stake in the healthcare system. She talks with Gethard about living with a rare liver disease, how Martin Shkreli changed the course of her life, and the three-legged, half-tailed foster cat who might just send her back to therapy. Check out The 100 Best Podcasts of All Time as decided by TIME Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Listen now to the Life Kit podcast from NPR. Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. 

This week’s caller joined Gethard at 10:30 on a Friday night to talk about wrestling and her love of a New Jersey ska band, but the conversation quickly turned into something else entirely. We hear about her tugboat captain husband (who happens to have Geth’s secret dream job), her own work representing our most vulnerable population, and the utterly baffling hobby that’s taken over her home. Somehow, this one-hour call manages to hit all the Beautiful/Anonymous sweet spots: unique jobs, highly specific interests, and someone doing the kind of quietly heroic work that keeps the world turning. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Start your free online visit today at http://forhers.com/beautiful Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.

In another installment of our unofficial “The Young People Are Alright” series, a 19-year-old entrepreneur calls in to talk about hustle culture, mental health, and the lessons he’s learning from his first relationship. He’s thoughtful, ambitious, and asking big questions about what it means to grow up in a world where the American Dream feels increasingly out of reach and the future is anything but certain. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Visit Upwork.com/save to claim a $200 credit after spending $1,000 in your first 30 days. Valid June 24th through August 5th, 2025. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Tackle your to-do list today and get 15% off your first task at TASKRABBIT.com or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code ANONYMOUS.  Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

This week’s caller is a mom of two young boys doing her best to face life head-on. Her oldest son is autistic and recently diagnosed with depression. She talks with Gethard about parenting a neurodivergent child, advocating in a world that doesn’t always get it, and staying grounded through it all with warmth, humor, and zero B.S. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.

This week’s caller is a pediatric nurse with a newborn at home, and she’s learning in real time how her job is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to new mom anxiety. She and Geth talk about sleepless nights, the emotional toll of pediatric care, and why it’s hard to turn off worst-case-scenario thinking when you’ve seen it all firsthand. Plus, a short but sweet cameo from her husband.  Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Get 20% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful. Limited time only. Exclusions apply. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. 

This week’s caller is a medieval recreationist who sews their own centuries-old clothing and has an overactive bladder. And that’s just scratching the surface. And that’s just scratching the surface. From homemade centuries-old clothing to body stuff to one wild reveal with two minutes left, this episode is a non-stop ride through one person’s delightfully specific world. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Warby Parker has over 270 locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to WarbyParker.com/BEAUTIFUL right now to try on any pair virtually! Visit Upwork.com to post your job for free and connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. 

Good morning! For reasons no one can quite explain, Beautiful/Anonymous has a long and proud tradition of attracting band directors, and this week’s caller keeps the streak alive. She and Gethard talk about everything from what makes trombonists so goofy to figuring out which woodwinds are the biggest divas. Oh, and also: the time she found out her long-term partner was sneaking around on a foot fetish website. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Tackle your to-do list today and get 15% off your first task at TASKRABBIT.com or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code ANONYMOUS. Feel the difference an extraordinary night’s sleep can make with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.

It’s 9 pm on a Friday, and the vibes are loose. This week’s caller is a former teacher turned novelist-in-progress who’s found fulfillment in writing, volunteering, and caring for the true love of her life: an elderly, disabled bearded dragon named Charlie. Sure, she and Gethard also talk about volunteer paleontology, dating with autism, and how Geth ties into her broken ankle, but at the end of the day, this is a call about a bearded dragon named Charlie. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Start your initial free online visit today at forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Stick to the staples that last—with elevated essentials from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Warby Parker has over 270 locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to WarbyParker.com/BEAUTIFUL right now to try on any pair virtually!

A new master’s degree, a recent family death, and...13 secret second cousins? This week’s caller is processing a wild year of grief, discovery, and chaotic family history, including one grandma-sized scandal and a mom who always kept things interesting. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Head to wellnesstogether.org/allhandsondeck to learn more about the people and places meeting mental health needs in creative, community-rooted ways, building connection, care, and lasting change. For the dad who deserves better than basic—Quince has you covered. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout.  Feel the difference an extraordinary night’s sleep can make with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.  

A strict religious upbringing, an older husband, and an open marriage she never expected. This week’s caller talks with Gethard about how she got there and how she’s finally building a life that actually feels like hers. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Head to wellnesstogether.org/allhandsondeck to learn more about the people and places meeting mental health needs in creative, community-rooted ways, building connection, care, and lasting change. For the dad who deserves better than basic—Quince has you covered. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Give the “dads” in your life a unique, heartfelt gift you’ll all cherish for years—Storyworth! Right now, save $10 during their Father’s Day sale when you go to Storyworth.com/beautiful Warby Parker has over 270 locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to WarbyParker.com/BEAUTIFUL right now to try on any pair virtually! 

A 911 dispatcher calls in to walk Gethard through the ins and outs of emergency dispatch. From how calls get prioritized, to the systems that keep everything moving, there’s a lot more happening behind the scenes than people realize. It’s a fascinating look at a job most of us only think about in a crisis. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad-free episodes and access to exclusive audio, including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on our new TikTok: @beautiful.anonymous Head to wellnesstogether.org/allhandsondeck to learn more about the people and places meeting mental health needs in creative, community-rooted ways, building connection, care, and lasting change Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Headspace FREE for 60 days. Go to Headspace.com/BEAUTIFUL Start your initial free online visit today at forhers.com/BEAUTIFUL for your personalized hair loss treatment options. Elevate your closet with Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.   

This week’s caller became a U.S. citizen hours before the call, so naturally, she gives Gethard an impromptu citizenship test. They cover life as a Canadian transplant in the South, share their love for ‘80s wrestling, and reflect on what it really means to be an American. She also hints at a near-kidnapping story, but you’ll have to head to beautifulanonymous.com to hear that. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad-free episodes and access to exclusive audio, including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller. Head to wellnesstogether.org/allhandsondeck to learn more about the people and places meeting mental health needs in creative, community-rooted ways, building connection, care, and lasting change. Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on our new TikTok: @beautiful.anonymous Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com/beautiful Visit Upwork.com to post your job for free and connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. For a limited time, get Headspace FREE for 60 days. Go to Headspace.com/BEAUTIFUL Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus get FREE shipping. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.

From Neptune to everywhere and back again. Our caller is in love, looking for joy, and figuring it out along the way. This one’s silly, heartfelt, and a little all over the place, just the way we like it.  Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on our new TikTok: @beautiful.anonymous Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Get fifteen percent of your first purchase at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/ BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Shop Mother’s Day at Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Warby Parker has over 270 locations to help you find your next pair of glasses. You can also head over to WarbyParker.com/BEAUTIFUL right now to try on any pair virtually!

Gethard is finally taking a well-earned, long-overdue vacation. But we’re not leaving you hanging. Instead, we brought in a past caller/frenemy of the show who knows exactly what makes a great Beautiful/Anonymous call. If you’ve been around for a while, you know Parade Girl as the caller who somehow cracked our phone system and sparked a whole saga. This week, she ends up chatting with a caller who shares her and Gethard’s birthday and who gives her a taste of her own medicine. Geth’ll be back next week. In the meantime, enjoy this weird little break from our regularly scheduled programming. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on our new TikTok: @beautiful.anonymous Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Start your initial free online visit today at forhers.com slash BEAUTIFUL Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BEAUTIFUL and use promo code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Right now, save $10 on your first purchase when you go to StoryWorth.com/beautiful!

On the way to a hockey game where they're being honored for their non-profit work, this week’s caller explains the tension it’s caused with their day job in military behavioral health. They talk with Gethard about finding purpose, joy, and free tickets to cool stuff. Sign up for Beautiful/Anonymous+ to get ad free episodes and access to exclusive audio including 5 Random Questions with this week’s caller.  Follow Beautiful/Anonymous on our new TikTok: @beautiful.anonymous Head to punchup.live/chrisgethard for tickets to That Show hosted by Gethard at UCB Theatre. Leave us a voicemail at (973) 306-4676 Get fifteen percent of your first purchase at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code BEAUTIFUL at checkout. Visit Upwork.com right now to post your job for free and connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. Text BEAUTIFUL to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. For your next trip, treat yourself to the luxe upgrades you deserve from Quince. Go to Quince.com/beautiful for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order.