Show overview
How Is This Better? launched in 2025 and has put out 49 episodes, alongside 4 trailers or bonus episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 25 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 24 min and 30 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. It is catalogued as a EN-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 29 episodes already out so far this year. Published by COURIER.
From the publisher
We're constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to "make America great" to tech bros who say they're making the world a "better place." Akilah Hughes has had enough. She's finally asking...How Is This Better?
Latest Episodes
View all 49 episodes10 Things That are DEFINITELY Worse Since Trump 2.0
Inside the Mamdani Influencer Army (lol)
Gambling took over sports. Now what?
The Dystopian World of AI Relationships is Here
I Was Right About Yosemite.
Ariana Grande, Ozempic, and the End of Body Positivity
Inside Hollywood's Not-So-Secret Hideout
How Love Island Exposed the American Literacy Crisis
Does Shaming AI Users Actually Work?
We Stopped Talking About Gun Control – The Shootings Never Stopped
Erasing Jackie Robinson (REPLAY)
The Real Reason UFC at the White House Matters
How Wrestling Ruined Politics Forever (BONUS)
Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It.
School’s Out. Campus Political Wars Are Just Beginning
Erika Kirk's Rise to Power
How the Met Gala Lost the Plot
RFK, Beef Tallow, and the Collapse of American Healthcare
Class Solidarity Could Change Everything
Why have Democrats recently struggled to connect with working-class and rural voters – and what would it take to change that? Akilah Hughes talks with journalist John Russell about class politics in America, the rise of Trump, and the missed opportunities that reshaped the political landscape. Drawing on his reporting in Appalachia and across the country, Russell explains how economic frustration gets redirected into culture war battles, and why a focus on material issues could still unite voters across deep divides. They discuss: The Democratic Party's shift away from working class messaging. How Trump capitalized on that gap The real story behind “redneck” and labor history in Appalachia Why economic issues still resonate across political lines And whether change will come from within the system—or outside it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Mormons Captured Pop Culture
Mormonism is having a pop culture glow-up. But did it happen by accident? In this episode, Akilah Hughes digs into the rise of Mormon influencers, the explosion of “MomTok,” and the broader cultural moment putting LDS aesthetics front and center. With reporting from New York Magazine’s Bridget Read, we explore how Mormon women helped shape modern influencer culture, and why that’s now paying off in a massive way. Ex-Mormon podcaster Shelise Ann Sola joins to unpack what life inside a high-control religion can actually look like, and what gets lost when that experience is repackaged as aspirational content. From the church’s controversial history to its quiet influence on tech and media, this episode asks a bigger question: What happens when a belief system becomes a brand and we all start buying in? If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Bridget's work including her story about this second "Mormon moment" Check Shelise's Cults to Consciousness show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices