Steve Gale and Mark Petty
160 episodes listed below
Plain talk for an upside-down world.
Common Sense is a casual conversation show where Mark Petty and Steve Gale try to make ordinary life feel a little less upside down. Episodes drift from Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving football to election day jokes, cold weather, fuel costs, family, and belief.
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Common Sense is a loose, conversational show anchored by Mark Petty and Steve Gale. The premise is simple: two guys trying to make sense of a world that feels upside down. Its strongest moments come from the everyday details. A return after nearly two months opens with a family trip to Germany. A cold-weather episode turns minus-two degrees into a reason to compare Florida temperatures. A Christmas episode lingers on last-minute shopping, stocking stuffers, and the gentle trouble of buying gifts for a spouse. The show likes jokes that sound improvised. It also likes familiar seasonal markers: Halloween, elections, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and birthdays all become part of the conversation. Sports sit in the same lane as family and holidays. The hosts joke about the Colts, Bengals, Dolphins, Cowboys, Giants, Raiders, and Chiefs without turning the show into a sports program. Public life appears through a similar casual filter. Election day becomes a running gag about having nothing big to discuss. Rising oil, gas, and diesel costs become a practical conversation about truck drivers, churches, businesses, and retail prices. Faith is part of the show's texture rather than a separate segment. The hosts talk about gratitude, belief, and creation in plain language, often tying those reflections back to their idea of common sense. The pace is unhurried. Repetition, laughter, and side roads are part of the format. Listeners looking for sharp structure may find it too rambling. Listeners who enjoy friendly, clean, homespun talk will understand the appeal quickly. Common Sense feels closest to sitting near two talkative acquaintances as they move from the weather to world peace, from turkey to football, and from family stories to what still seems reasonable.
Made for: Common Sense is for listeners who enjoy clean, informal banter with a family-and-faith sensibility. It fits people who like seasonal talk, everyday opinions, sports asides, and conversational company more than scripted analysis.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by treating ordinary life as the main event: cold mornings, holiday plans, fuel prices, family visits, and election days all get the same relaxed attention. Its charm comes from the steady chemistry between Mark Petty and Steve Gale rather than guests or production polish.
Common sense words in a world that isn't offering much common sense
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A plainspoken return that ties a family trip to Germany to energy costs and gratitude for creation.
Common Sense returns as a plainspoken catch-up on family life, the cost of energy, and the pressure higher fuel prices put on trucking. A long trip to Germany sits at the center of the conversation, and the hosts keep returning to oil prices, diesel costs, and the everyday…
A stranger calls. Chris Gethard listens. Anything can surface.
Mark Petty and Steve Gale examine Governor Mike Braun’s proposal to toll Indiana’s 156-mile stretch of I-70.
Steve Gale and Mark Petty present low-cost summer activities for families and communities in Indiana.
Mark Petty and Steve Gale return after nearly two months away, with Steve explaining a seven-week trip to Germany to see his daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren stationed there by the military.
Mark Petty and Steve Gale discuss winter safety during a cold spell affecting central Indiana, where temperatures remain below 30 degrees through much of the forecast and nearly a foot of snow remains on the ground.
Common Sense hosts Steve Gale and Mark Petty review NFL playoff games featuring Carolina as a ten-point underdog, Chicago's 25 fourth-quarter points, and Buffalo's late touchdown against Jacksonville.
Mark Petty and Steve Gale preview the NFL playoffs by examining seven matchups, including Carolina hosting 12-5 Los Angeles despite an 8-9 record.
Two hosts engage in casual, humorous conversation about Christmas shopping and holiday traditions.
Two hosts engage in humorous banter about the early arrival of Christmas decorations and introduce their Christmas podcast series.
Two hosts chat about their Thanksgiving experiences and introduce their podcast about making sense of the world.
Two hosts engage in lighthearted, comedic banter about Thanksgiving, football, and world peace.
Two hosts use humor and satire to discuss current events, including sports and Election Day, in a lighthearted manner.
Two hosts discuss the upcoming holiday season and the busyness of life, reflecting on traditions and the chaos of the next few months.
Two friends return from a hiatus to discuss recent life events, including a campaign trip to California and a family health crisis, while aiming to bring common sense to current issues.
Two hosts banter humorously about the irony of Labor Day and other everyday topics.