EP 60: 'Politically homeless'
What does it mean to be politically homeless? Tara's guest today describes herself this way, and jokes that her tribe is tribeless. We relate. A lot. This month at Lean Out, Tara has been speaking with independent journalists who are changing the media landscape. Today’s guest is an opinion writer that always makes us think — and laugh. Bridget Phetasy is a comedian, writer, and podcaster in Los Angeles. She’s a columnist and contributing editor at The Spectator, and host of the shows Dumpste...
14 Dec 202251min
EP 59: 'The whole media crawled into a very narrow hole - and is still there'
This summer on her podcast, Bari Weiss described Tara's guest today as one of the best writers in America. We think she’s right. During the month of December, here at Lean Out, we're speaking with independent journalists that we admire. And we're particularly pleased to bring you today’s conversation, with a Substack writer who’s had a big impact on Tara's thinking. Freddie deBoer is an independent journalist in Brooklyn, New York. He’s the author of The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Educatio...
9 Dec 202230min
EP 58: 'They see their role as fighting for social justice'
On the Lean Out podcast this year, we’ve talked a lot about the failings of the mainstream media, and the reasons why the press has lost the public’s trust. But for the month of December, we’ll be focusing on one of the bright spots of the media landscape — and that is the independent press. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be speaking with some of the journalists that I most admire, who are doing fantastic work, at Substack and elsewhere. We kick off this series today with Leighton Woodhouse. H...
7 Dec 202221min
EP 57: Shopomania
On the Lean Out podcast, we spend a lot of time delving into the big problems of our age. But one thing we haven’t paid enough attention to is the forces that distract us all from solving these problems. What are the bread and circuses of our time? Tara's guest on the podcast today argues that we are in thrall to shopping — and that this shapes our culture in profound ways. Paul Berton is an award-winning Canadian journalist and the editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator. His new book is S...
30 Nov 202222min
EP 56: Men Without Work
On the Lean Out podcast, we’ve been talking about the state of the modern male. And today, Tara's guest on the podcast is going to walk us through his landmark study on an invisible crisis afflicting prime working-aged men in America — and that is the collapse of work. Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. His latest book is Men Without Work; it’s recently out in a post-pandemic edition. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at...
22 Nov 202234min
EP 55: Of Boys and Men
There’s a group of people in our society who are in deep trouble. They lag behind in education and employment — and disproportionately die of suicides and overdoses. Who are we talking about? Boys and men. Tara's guest on the podcast today says that while this issue has long been taboo, it’s time for a conversation about it, as its impacts are felt all around us. Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Boys and Men Project. His new book is calle...
16 Nov 202236min
EP 54: Literature and the New Culture Wars
“I hate it when I find myself agreeing with people with whom I usually disagree.” These are the opening lines of a book written by Tara's guest on the podcast today. She’s a progressive professor, but she now finds herself breaking ranks with the left over which works of literature are acceptable to be read and discussed in America’s classrooms. Deborah Appleman is the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies at Carleton College, and an instructor at the Minnesota Correc...
8 Nov 202237min
EP 53: 'The woke mob took my job but gave me my voice'
On the Lean Out podcast, we’ve been diving into pandemic school closures — and trying to get to the bottom of why there was so little debate over this. Tara's guest on the podcast today has some insights to share. She’s a mother of four and an open schools advocate, and she’s been outspoken on the issue from the very start. Jennifer Sey is an American author, former gymnast, filmmaker, and business executive. Her new book is called Levi’s Unbuttoned — The Woke Mob Took My Job But Gave Me My V...
2 Nov 202235min
