With Friends Like These

This week Vann Newkirk (@fivefifths) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss conspiracy and its complex relationship with marginalized groups. Why does conspiratorial thinking appeal to those who feel “othered” within their society? Vann walks us through how the historic mistreatment of people of color has created a baseline of skepticism that can grow into full-on conspiracy. As Vann says: “Black Americans’ belief in conspiracy theories is like the Farmers’ Almanac: accurate enough to keep using.” Thanks to our Sponsors! Most of us have the best of intentions to eat better, cut back on takeout, and spend more time with the family. And then real life happens. Gobble is the meal prep delivery service designed for real life. Get 6 Meals for Just $36, plus Free Shipping when you go to Gobble.com/FRIENDS. A good night’s sleep is like a magic remedy for the brain and body. When we sleep well, we’re more focused and relaxed. And best of all, sleep makes us happier. To establish new habits that support your ha

This week Will Sommer (@willsommer) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) for a discussion of his work in exploring the wide-spread radicalization of mostly middle-aged people who think a shadowy cabal is going to take revenge on everyone they don’t like. And also make other people (including the still living JFK Jr.) like them and support their cause? QAnon, it turns out, is a bit of a mess. Which you might expect from an ideology founded on the belief that Donald Trump is out here playing three-dimensional chess to save the world. Our conspiracy theory theme month plows ahead into dangerously confusing territory, so come play 17 Questions with The Daily Beast’s specialist on all things pizza and pedophiles! Thanks to our sponsors! It’s time for spring cleaning. quip’s got an easy way to start — with your brushing habits. Just two minutes, twice a day can help pave the way to a healthier mouth and mind. And now the whole family can get refreshed with quip. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to GET QUIP.com/

This week Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) for an exciting round of “Who’s Right and Who’s a Nut?” Jesse Walker reminds us that you don’t need a tinfoil hat to believe in conspiracy theories, and that they have surrounded us for centuries. Afterwards they talk about when conspiracy theories have been based in malice, versus when they have actually been true. This is your periodic reminder that the CIA is still terrifying! Afterwards, Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) joins Ana to discuss the contemporary issues that face Trans individuals in Trump’s America. Parker and Ana break down the ways the Trump administration slowly and gradually peeled back the few systemic protections that protected Trans individuals. They then shift to discuss the role the ways the media fails trans individuals by not addressing the gradual implementation of anti-Trans policies.  While they navigate this modern landscape, they discuss issues that trans individuals have felt before Trump - including acc

This week Adam Savage (@donttrythis) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox ) to talk about his new book “Every Tool's a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It.” They talk about glue, principles of metal working, and how to forgive yourself when you mess up. Afterwards, they talk about why we are going to need radical empathy in order to make it through these troubling times. Finally, they discuss the myths that refuse to die, including the voices in your head telling you that you are not enough. Ana is then joined by new Crooked Host Rebecca Nagle (@rebeccanagle) who talks about her new show This Land. The first episode premieres June 3rd. Subscribe now at thislandpodcast.com and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks to our sponsors! We’ve all faced this dilemma at the end of a long day... Make a healthy, homemade dinner... OR take the quick and easy route. Gobble gives us the best of both worlds. This is the meal prep service that makes it simple to cook delicious, nutritious meals ...in just 15 minutes! Get 6 Meals

When you think of a Native American person what comes to your mind? Is it a sports decal? Is it Tonto on the Lone Ranger? Did you just think of all of the White people you know who claim to have Native ancestry? This week writer Tommy Orange (@thommyorange) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to unpack those stereotypes and talk about his book, There, There. They begin with a conversation on the violence Native people have suffered, and why resilience is not the right word. Afterwards they talk about why Native Americans are not a monolith. Finally they talked about the complexity of Thanksgiving, what schools need to change about teaching Thanksgiving, and advice for having a more mindful dinner that was originally about a land deal. Thanks to our sponsors! Some of the most important time we spend with our families is around the dinner table...Sharing our day... connecting...creating memories…Gobble gets that – This meal prep service makes it quick and easy to cook nutritious, delicious meals. Go to: Gobble.

Y’all ever create a constitutional crisis to own the libs? This week, Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk Ana down after another week of neverending bad news. They discuss light topics such as the recent pro-forced birth laws in Alabama and Georgia, the need for democrats to campaign in the Midwest, and the future of our country. Afterwards, Jordan Klepper (@jordanklepper) comes on to talk about the formation of his new show Klepper, and what it means to weaponize your privilege when your show is based on a flawed premise. Jordan reminds us that there are people working for good, and that the world is not ending quite yet-- at least not without a fight. Want to help that fight for good? Follow this link to make sure all people with uteri have access to safe abortions: https://abortionfunds.org/ We care about facts on this show! Click here for one article about Obama voters who switched to Trump. Click here for an article about Obama voters that stayed home. Click here for

CW: Depression and Suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression or suicidal ideation, please call the National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. You are worthy of love and you deserve to be alive.   This week Heather Armstrong (@dooce) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox ) to discuss family, a changing work world-- and also going into several medically induced comas to cure her depression. They begin by unpacking that depression and why going to the extreme to find solutions seemed like the only option. They talk about what contributed to her depression spiral, and how she climbed her way out of it. Finally they talk about how climbing out of the hole changed her familial relationships, sometimes for the better. Tune in for a meaningful discussion on coming back from the brink. Thanks to our sponsors! Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to

CW: Suicide and Sexual Assault What does it mean to be a well meaning white person? What does it mean to have to deal with well meaning white people? This week Damon Young (@DamonYoungVSB) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to grapple with those questions and more. They start with a conversation on vulnerability, and eventually move onto a broad discussion on race and intersectionality. Tune in for a meaningful conversation, and remember: it’s okay to be uncomfortable. Thanks to our sponsors! Some of the most important time we spend with our families is around the dinner table...Sharing our day... connecting...creating memories…Gobble gets that – This meal prep service makes it quick and easy to cook nutritious, delicious meals. Go to: Gobble.com/FRIENDS to get 6 Meals for Just $36, plus Free Shipping! Fully’s Jarvis is the best-reviewed standing desk online. Jarvis is gorgeous, and surprisingly affordable, and it will change your relationship to work. Jarvis is adjustable, so you can switch positions, whene

There are many misconceptions surrounding poverty in America. Author Stephanie Land (@stepville) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss her experiences as a maid and how those myths affect policy and perceptions of low income people. They talked about what government should be doing, and what individual people can do to make other’s lives easier. Afterwards they dive into the psychological effects of poverty and coping mechanisms. Stephanie leaves us with some tangible advice: offer to babysit, and flush your damn toilet.  Interested in Stephanie’s book? Click here to purchase a copy. Thanks to our sponsors! With Gobble, your meal kit is delivered fresh to your doorstep each week. There’s no planning, shopping... or even prepping for the meal. Get dinner for two for 3 Nights – for just $36!  Only available if you go to my special URL. Get this special offer now - go to: Gobble.com/FRIENDS Have you heard about this company making stylish shoes for women and girls out of recycled plastic water bottles? O

CW: Sexual Assault Got Mueller Madness? Join Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) and Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) as they get up from a fetal position and debrief the Mueller Report. They begin with a quick review of the day from the perspective of the White House and various media outlets. Afterwards they talk about what it will take to defeat Trump in 2020, and which candidates they think can make it in this reality tv-esque election cycle. Turn off that NPR coverage and tune in. Thanks to our sponsors! The Pod by EightSleep is a high-tech bed designed specifically to help you achieve optimal sleep fitness. For a limited time, get $150 off your purchase when you go to EIGHTSLEEP.com/friends.  One of the most important things we do for our health every day is brushing our teeth, yet most of us don’t do it properly. Quip is a better electric toothbrush created by dentists and designers. quip starts at just $25 and if you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS right now, you get your first refill pack for FREE with a quip electr

This week host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) is joined by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) to talk about why scrolling down your news feed has become such a painful and depressing chore. Kathleen Hall Jamieson breaks down the rise of cynicism in the last 25 years and what the American media consumer can do to turn things around. Later, Jay Rosen joins Ana to talk about why political journalists need to stop trying to outsmart each other constantly. Jay tells us, we can’t critique a bullet as it comes towards us. We promise you, there are solutions. Read more about Kathleen Hall Jamieson’s work here Read more about Jay Rosen’s work here P.S. Ana would like to attribute her line, dystopia is here, it’s just unequally distributed, to writer William Gibson. Thanks to our sponsors! Robinhood is an investing app that lets you buy and sell stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptos, all commission-free. While other brokerages charge up to $10 for every trade, Robinhood doesn’t charge any commission fees

Need some advice on how to deal with that one uncle who brings up the Birther Conspiracy at every family gathering? This week journalist Eli Saslow (@elisaslow) joins host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss to radicalization of older people. One of our listeners, Holly Griffith, is a NASA rocket scientist. She wrote to us because she’s experienced a huge disconnect with her mother over fake news related nonsense. She called-in and discussed some of the trauma of losing a parent to Russian troll-farm memes. But that led us to asking a specialist about why 55+ is the target age for radicalizing older people with nonsense. That’s why Eli outlines how we got here and the reasons why fake news has persisted. Afterwards, there’s a discussion of the things we can do as individuals to make a difference. Although Eli tells us that you probably will not be able to straighten out your uncle by Easter or Passover dinner, he reminds us that there are plenty of success stories and that there is hope yet. Thanks to o

This week Nausheena Hussain (@nausheena) and Beth Gendler (@bethgendler) join host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to remind us that asking invasive questions requires a strong relationship, and that the internet is free! Nausheena and Beth talk about how their relationship formed over a common interest in stopping gun violence, and grew into a solidarity movement known as Muslim-Jewish Women on Minnesota. Afterwards they explore how White privilege affects not just their friendship, but the way that they show up for each other and how a typical meeting looks. Finally, they talk about changing minds, and when it’s time to call out, versus when it’s time to call in. Nausheena and Beth tell us that changing minds and building coalitions may seem daunting, but when in doubt, start by sharing a meal. Want to learn more about Nausheena’s work with RISE and Beth’s work with NCJW? Follow this link: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2019/events/PP82441 Follow this link to learn more about when to call in and when to call out

In the wake of the blockbuster Cohen testimony, there’s a lot to be unpacked about how the Trump family handles relationships, and in particular how Trump has spent his entire life commodifying and branding women. Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) is joined this week by Nina Burleigh (@ninaburleigh) who is Newsweek’s national politics editor. She wrote the book “Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women” which picks apart systematic and generational issues within America’s Worst Family. Who is complicit and who is a casualty and who is a criminal and who is capitalism made manifest? Spoiler: it’s less of a straight answer than a Venn diagram. Thanks to our sponsors! Gobble is the meal prep delivery service designed for real life.  Gobble is an easy – and delicious – way to create a healthy meal routine for your busy family. They’re offering my listeners this fantastic, limited time deal:  6 Meals for Just $36, plus Free Shipping! Get this special offer now - go to: Gobble.com/FRIENDS Fully’s standin

Jussie Smollett. Yeah. That whole thing. Ugh. Ughhhh. This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) interviewed Rolling Stone journalist Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) about how to untangle this mess. There’s a rising trend in hate crime and organized hate groups across the country, and as a society we lack the tools to parse solutions to these developments. Jamil discusses the implications of this trending disaster, and how our Commander-in-chief is leading the charge towards a dangerous and divided America. And what 2020 candidates should be learning from this. Thank to our sponsors! People brush too hard and some electric toothbrushes are too abrasive. Quip’s built-in two minute timer pulses every 30 seconds to remind you when to switch sides and help you to clean your whole mouth evenly. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS right now, you can get your first refill pack for FREE. Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that finds and delivers clothes, shoes, and accessories to fit

Whether you’re going out to dinner, or sitting at home with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, Valentine’s Day offers unique problems for everyone. This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) interviewed Blythe Roberson (@blythelikehappy) to talk about the modern pitfalls of dating men, when sometimes you can’t stand them. In her new book, How to Date Men When You Hate Men, Blythe Roberson covers the sexism that gets excused in the dating world, and why women often feel the need to be desirable in the eyes of the patriarchy. Afterwards, Ana interviewed Amy Chozick (@amychozick) to talk about the Lorena Bobbitt story, the way we often devalue the stories of women, and how to change her legacy to one of a tabloid feature to one of a survivor. Thank to our sponsors! Whether it’s a truck to help on moving day, a swishy sports car for a luxurious weekend away, or a vintage van for a picture-perfect road trip, Turo lets you find the perfect vehicle for your next adventure. Listeners will get $25 off their first trip when th

Tune in this week for a double interview feature! First, Dr. Tressie Cottom joined Ana Marie Cox for “the hot take superbowl.” They began by recapping the Northam debacle in Virginia and where it fits into our historical moment. They continued with a discussion of Dr. Cottom’s new book THICK: And Other Essays. From Betsy Devos to our society’s flawed concept of beauty, Dr. Cottom wrote about her personal experiences with all of it. Ana then interviewed Erika Christensen about her experience with later abortion. They discussed what it meant to take such a private moment and make it public, as well as the real life implications of policy decisions surrounding a women’s right to choose. Follow the links to hear more about Erika’s Story. Thanks to our sponsors! Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condenses them down into just 15 minutes so you can read or listen to. Blinkist is made of busy people like you, who want to

This week proud Kansas native Sarah Smarsh (@Sarah_Smarsh) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss her new book Heartland: A Memoir of Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth. From not knowing you’re poor, to feeling shame about your social class, Sarah Smarsh covers what growing up white and working class is like. Next, they discussed the intersection of public policy and private life, and why accurate media portrayal of poverty matters. Sarah ended by adding onto the call for representation amongst journalists and other media figures: “If we don’t know who we are, and we’re just going by these reductive and simplistic narratives, then how can we ever solve the problem?” Thanks to our sponsors! ZipRecruiter finds qualified candidates FOR you. Its powerful matching technology scans thousands of resumes to identify people with the right skills, education, and experience — and actively invites them to apply to your job. So, you get qualified candidates fast. Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at this exclus

This week Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about the government shutdown, and the newest implications of the Trump presidency. They covered how Trump’s decisions have affected everyone from Congress to the average American citizen. Afterwards, they talked about coping; teaching that taking care of yourself can be macro and take the form of activism, or micro and just involve sitting on the couch with a loved one, or a loved pet. Tune in for your weekly reminder that none of this is normal! Thanks to our sponsors! People brush too hard and some electric toothbrushes are too abrasive.  Quip’s built-in two minute timer pulses every 30 seconds to remind you when to switch sides and help you to clean your whole mouth evenly. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS right now, you can get your first refill pack for FREE. Robinhood is an investing app that lets you buy and sell stocks, ETF’s, options, and cryptos- all commission-free.  It’s a non-intimi

Have you ever cancelled a celebrity? Do you believe you can separate the art from the artist? Do Twitter arguments and trending hashtags matter in the real world? This week Dianna Anderson (@diannaeanderson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to answer all these questions and more. In her new book, Problematic: How Toxic Callout Culture is Destroying Feminism, Dianna Anderson ponders the strive towards perfectionism in the feminist movement and the positive and negative implications of that struggle, as it seeps into mainstream culture. Together, Ana and Dianna talk about what it means to be called out, what it’s like to experience it, and where to go from there. Thanks to our sponsors! Ritual’s Essentials have the nutrients most of us don’t get enough of from our diets—all in their purest, cleanest forms. No shady additives or ingredients that actually do more harm to your body than good. Better health doesn’t happen overnight. Start your year with Essential for Women—a small step that helps create a healt