Brief: DJ Khaled of Pseudoscience
Strange billboards have been popping up all over Los Angeles featuring disgraced Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes, and an unidentified man listing a new URL—one that redirects to the Theranos website. Against all odds, the brand is back, with a wellness twist, as the new founder is directly courting MAHA. Derek and Julian dive in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2 Aug 23min
268: Rogan’s Christian President
We catch up on three figures this week. First is Bari Weiss, who's trying to sell her upstart media org, The Free Press, to Skydance for a reported $250 million, just days after the network's merger with Paramount was approved and they said bye-bye to Stephen Colbert. Then we talk about RFK Jr's continued dismantling of our public health system, as well as an interesting lawsuit filed by the very nonprofit he founded. Finally, we look into Texas state representative and Presbyterian pastor-in-training, James Talarico, and discuss his viral moment on Joe Rogan. Show Notes Anti-vaccine group that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. founded files lawsuit against him over vaccine safety task force RFK Jr. to Oust Advisory Panel on Cancer Screenings, HIV Prevention Drugs Was Colbert Cancelled for Trump? Bari Weiss in Talks with Skydance for $250M Billionaires Back Anti-Woke “University.” James Talarico Delivers Sermon Against Christian Nationalism James Talarico Questions Republican Bill Forcing Ten Commandments To Be Displayed In Classrooms Joe Rogan Experience #2352 - James Talarico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 Juli 1h 14min
Bonus Sample: "Natural" Snake Oil?
MAHA hates petroleum-based food dyes. Yet, as Derek unpacks, many of the main influencers in this movement monetize products synthesized by the same exact chemical process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 Juli 5min
Brief: Mehdi Hasan vs Jordan Peterson
Mehdi Hasan's recent Jubilee appearance has blown up—and so has criticism of the entire media operation. Derek and Julian discuss the value and pitfalls of this format, contrasting the far-right participants sitting across from Hasan from another recent episode, when atheists went to battle with Jordan Peterson. Show Notes 1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives (ft. Mehdi Hasan) Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Juli 39min
267: Epstein Never Died
Jeffrey Epstein’s name is being screamed into the headlines again. The late and former self-described best-friend of Donald Trump's highly suspicious 2019 death following his arrest for child sex trafficking has been a loose thread for both rabid conspiracists and the reality-based community. Now that prominent conspiracy personalities are in the highest positions in America's law enforcement agencies, the QAnon faithful have been expecting all the damning details about the Democrat cabal to emerge. But that's not what's happened. Now Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino are in the collective hot seat as MAGA demand answers, while some appear to be colluding with Donald Trump in their own Deep State cover-up. CORRECTION: Matthew misstated the Virginia Guiffre was allegedly assaulted by Prince Philip. The allegation is against Prince Andrew, who is still alive and can still be tried. Show Notes Why is MAGA so obsessed with the Epstein files? Trump can't stop MAGA from obsessing about the Epstein files Why do Trump's MAGA followers care so much about the Epstein files? Republicans are split over the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein files How Trump spent years stoking dark theories, and why he’s facing Epstein case blowback now 'We want justice done': Christianity Today calls to see the Epstein files 146: The Reality of Online Child Abuse (w/Håkon Høydal) — Conspirituality Online child sexual exploitation: A statistical profile of police-reported incidents in Canada, 2014 to 2022 Woman who accused Donald Trump of raping her at 13 drops lawsuit Perversion of Justice: Jeffrey Epstein | Miami Herald Perversion of Justice – HarperCollins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Juli 58min
Bonus Sample: Galloway and the Mooch: The Lost Boys of Capitalism (Pt 2)
On the horizon: a new liberal-center manosphere, yearning to reach out to the young men poached by Trumpism, but offering what, exactly? Professor Scott Galloway and Anthony Scaramucci are earnest and charming in their way, and they have Trump’s number. But with their new project, Lost Boys podcast, they’re stuck in a paradox. They know enough to admit that the capitalist logic that made them both multi-millionaires is fickle, cruel, and misogynist. They know it’s beating up everyone, including young men. But they can’t imagine any other way of organizing society. So what do they offer? Nostalgia for the 1980s, self-help tips. In this two-part series, Matthew looks at why the Lost Boys project is deceptively attractive. Liberal, libertarian, or even reactionary parenting can affect an earnest emotional bond through overtones of spiritual honesty. But all the empathy is impotent when it defaults into an apologetics for the very systems that make us suffer. Part One looks at the overall liberal manosphere politics of Lost Boys, including the evidentiary claims put forward by their premier guest Richard Reeves, who Galloway calls his “Yoda” on the subject of how men are doing these days. Part Two goes into a granular reading of Episode 7 of Lost Boys, where the guest is Deirdre Scaramucci, Anthony’s partner. Together, the trio discloses a ton about their ambivalent GenX childhoods and their current parenting experience, including how they rationalize losing emotional control. Show Notes Lost Boys - Podcast Anthony Scaramucci Called Me to Unload About White House Leakers, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon | The New Yorker Politics for men - by Richard V Reeves Richard Reeves? : r/AskFeminists Right Diagnosis, Wrong Prescription: Richard Reeves' Of Boys and Men | Institute for Family Studies Collapse Feminism by Alice Cappelle | Penguin Random House Canada Communism | David Graeber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 Juli 5min
Brief: Galloway and the Mooch: The Lost Boys of Capitalism (Pt 1)
On the horizon: a new liberal-center manosphere, yearning to reach out to the young men poached by Trumpism, but offering what, exactly? Professor Scott Galloway and Anthony Scaramucci are earnest and charming in their way, and they have Trump’s number. But with their new project, Lost Boys podcast, they’re stuck in a paradox. They know enough to admit that the capitalist logic that made them both multi-millionaires is fickle, cruel, and misogynist. They know it’s beating up everyone, including young men. But they can’t imagine any other way of organizing society. So what do they offer? Nostalgia for the 1980s, self-help tips. In this two-part series, Matthew looks at why the Lost Boys project is deceptively attractive. Liberal, libertarian, or even reactionary parenting can affect an earnest emotional bond through overtones of spiritual honesty. But all the empathy is impotent when it defaults into an apologetics for the very systems that make us suffer. Part One looks at the overall liberal manosphere politics of Lost Boys, including the evidentiary claims put forward by their premier guest Richard Reeves, who Galloway calls his “Yoda” on the subject of how men are doing these days. Part Two (drops Monday on Patreon) goes into a granular reading of Episode 7 of Lost Boys, where the guest is Deirdre Scaramucci, Anthony’s partner. Together, the trio discloses a ton about their ambivalent GenX childhoods and their current parenting experience, including how they rationalize losing emotional control. Show Notes Lost Boys - Podcast Anthony Scaramucci Called Me to Unload About White House Leakers, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon | The New Yorker Politics for men - by Richard V Reeves Richard Reeves? : r/AskFeminists Right Diagnosis, Wrong Prescription: Richard Reeves' Of Boys and Men | Institute for Family Studies Collapse Feminism by Alice Cappelle | Penguin Random House Canada Communism | David Graeber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Juli 46min
266: Jubilee’s Body Image Debates
Body image is a phenomenon that has long simmered below the surface of the wellness industry. We’ve spent years covering the hard and soft eugenics that inform so many physical and spiritual practices, and how the notion of an ideal self persists and, as we get into today, grown in the online world. Just as shaming and skewed body perceptions proliferate in the comments sections and fitfluencer podcast world, so have opportunities for meaningful conversations. One such venue is the wildly popular debate and discussion shows hosted by Jubilee Media. They’ve somehow managed to tow the line between heartfelt sharing and outright clickbait, for better and worse. We look at a few recent episodes that deal directly with body image issues, from being jacked and bro’d up to the challenges of obesity and eating disorders, and discuss how Jubilee is walking such a precarious tightrope. Show Notes Anorexia vs Obese | Middle Ground Is Being Fat A Choice? Fit Men vs Fat Men | Middle Ground Is Being Fat A Choice? Fit Women vs Fat Women | Middle Ground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Juli 1h 15min
