Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Donate

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Listen
Donate
Podcasts
Passing The Mantle
🗳️ Voter Game Plan: We're here to help you make sense of your ballot ➤
Blue Banner
()
Passing The Mantle
Passing the Mantle is a podcast about a father and son who share a deeply felt curiosity about how the world has changed – and stayed the same – across generations.

About the Show

Larry Mantle is the host of LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, the longest-running daily talk show in Southern California — and even though his son Desmond is studying law and pursuing a different career, he shares his dad’s fascination with the world and his drive to understand why things are the way they are. On Passing the Mantle, Larry and Desmond dive into societal trends, share unexpected life experiences that have shaped their values — and reveal stories that neither of them has ever heard before. They will give listeners an honest look at their relationship as father and son and new insight into Larry’s life when he’s not on air.

Funding provided by:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting
()

Sign Up for the AirTalk Weekly Newsletter

Catch up on the best interviews and segments, handpicked by Larry Mantle and the team. Plus, info on upcoming live events, dispatches from Larry and more!
Episodes
  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 26:57
    Listen • 26:57
    How it’s different to be in an interracial relationship now versus the 1960s
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about how perceptions of and conversations around interracial relationships have changed since Larry was growing up in the '60s… for better, and for worse.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 16:39
    Listen • 16:39
    How ‘messages’ in movies have evolved over the decades
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about how movies can help teach us about the world, and ourselves… and what makes some more effective than others in getting their messages across.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Take action during our fall member drive!
During this critical election, we’re spending less time fundraising, but we can’t raise less of the vital funding needed to keep trusted local and NPR news strong. Donate now to return to uninterrupted coverage sooner.
  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 24:54
    Listen • 24:54
    Americans are less religious today — so what are we putting our faith in?
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond dive into how our relationship to religion has changed since the 50s… and how the overall decline of religious faith has led Americans to hold tighter to their political views and philosophical beliefs about right and wrong.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 22:17
    Listen • 22:17
    How LA’s food scene has changed in the last 50 years
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about how LA’s food culture has changed since Larry was a kid, bringing more authentic, wide-ranging, and inventive cuisine to the city.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 19:28
    Listen • 19:28
    Why Gen Z men are lonelier than their dads?
    Passing the Mantleis a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about what’s making young men so lonely these days... and how their feelings of isolation can lead to even bigger problems.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Support for LAist comes from
    Become a sponsor
  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 14:34
    Listen • 14:34
    Why swearing doesn’t feel like such a big deal anymore
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about how swearing has changed over the years... becoming more common, less taboo, and moving the dial on what it means to be vulgar today.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 19:26
    Listen • 19:26
    Why is Gen Z so afraid of sex?
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. From free love to STDs, Larry and Desmond unpack how attitudes toward sex have shifted over the years as young people express more reluctance to get involved than the generations before them.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 19:52
    Listen • 19:52
    LA changes fast — so what does being an Angeleno mean?
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Desmond and Larry talk about being homegrown Angelenos and how the city has shaped them over the years.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 20:21
    Listen • 20:21
    Has our relationship with work changed over the years?
    Passing the Mantleis a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond discuss how common it is for people today to attach their jobs to their identities, how that has changed from a few decades ago — and why.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

  • Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen • 20:51
    Listen • 20:51
    How attitudes toward mental health have shifted since the 70s
    Passing the Mantleis a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about their own mental health journeys and how the openness to which people talk about their experiences has evolved since Larry was coming of age.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Show More Episodes
Credits
STAFF-HEADSHOTS-2023
Larry Mantle
Host, AirTalk
A young dark haired man wearing a light blue shirt and a dark blue blazer smiles.
Desmond Mantle
Co-host, Passing the Mantle
Portrait of Megan Larson, smiling, against an orange background.
Megan Larson
Executive Producer, How To L.A.
Young woman in a wide brim straw hat, wearing an orange and pink flower dress walks stands in front of a city street.
Caitlin Plummer
Producer, Passing The Mantle