Samantha Smith vs. the Cold War with Maris Kreizman

Who really ended the Cold War, Ronald Reagan or a ten-year-old girl? Eighties correspondent Maris Kreizman joins us for a heartfelt conversation about America’s Youngest Ambassador, Samantha Smith, a child who wrote a letter to Soviet General Secretary Yuri Andropov in hopes of cooling nuclear tensions. Then, Andropov wrote back. Maris and Sarah discuss the burden we place on the youth to “change the world” while simultaneously scolding them for their naivety. Digressions include the millennial urge to cut up plastic soda can rings, Christina Applegate’s SNL infomercial, and an important lesson from the Golden Girls. More Maris Kreizman: Buy the book, I Want to Burn This Place Down

You can listen to Samantha Smith vs. the Cold War with Maris Kreizman online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Samantha Smith vs. the Cold War with Maris Kreizman is an episode from You're Wrong About by Sarah Marshall.

This episode is 78:42 long.

This episode was published on Sep 16, 2025.

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