Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Santa isn’t the only myth we use to keep children in line! In the 1990s, evangelical churches bought and gave away thousands of copies of the book, “Left Behind,” hoping its overwrought depiction of the End Times would frighten unbelievers into the arms of Christ. That is not what happened. Amy Frykholm, author of “Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America,” explains what did. Originally aired 8/7/2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What, exactly, are parents accomplishing when they encourage their children to believe in the idea of an extravagently-dressed stranger breaking and entering into their homes on Christmas Eve? Is Santa a well-meaning myth or the beginning of the end of filial trust? CW: The truth about Santa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Grafton, New Hampshire, a not-very-picturesque town where the streets are dark, the fires are unregulated, the cats are missing, and the camps are armed. Oh, and there are bears. Smart, dangerous bears. Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling tells us the story of “When a Libertarian Walked Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and Some Bears).” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NYU and University of Hamburg psychology professor Gabriele Oettingen explains why positive thinking can backfire, and offers a method that might work better. She is the author of “Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Rodgers was raised in a conservative evangelical home, so she knew they’d be horrified when she came out as a lesbian in her teens. To please her family and community, she first tried to change who she was, then she tried to deny it. We talk about how she went from being a star on the “ex-gay” speaker circuit to believing that God delights in all aspects of LGBTQ people, including their sexuality. Her forthcoming memoir is “Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trigger warning: This episode is about suicide and suicide prevention. While the pandemic has made mental health a part of the national conversation, policy makers and the public still tend to think of suicide as a matter of intervention at the point of crisis. Stephanie Wittels is on to explain why that is not the case. The second season of her podcast, “Last Day,” explores individual stories as a way of illustrating that true suicide prevention isn’t about intervening when someone’s life is at risk, it’s about making life worth living from the start. If you feel at risk in any way, please text "START" to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). As we point out in the episode: If you’re thinking of reaching out but asking yourself if your situation is “bad enough” to deserve help, that means you definitely deserve help. We all do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Sexual violence Author Sarah Schulman joins the show to discuss her provocative and influential book, Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair. She argues that both the right and left can needless escalate mere conflicts into accusations of abuse, creating victims where there are none and blaming and shaming those who might be simply misunderstood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oxford University professor of anthropology Chris Gosden joins us to discuss his book: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present. Also: We make politics disappear! Which is to say, there is NO DISCUSSION OF THE 2020 ELECTION IN THIS EPISODE. You’re welcome! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, a deep dive into how political enthusiasts’ default background noise is ruining our country. First, we hear from a former MSNBC producer who left the network after feeling like she was part of the problem. Then media critic Jay Rosen warns us about how the habits formed in covering Trump might warp coverage of whatever administration comes next. Lastly, CJR columnist Maria Bustillos helps us ponder why it is journalists who start out meaning well wind up making things worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

QAnon! What a *wild* conspiracy theory! Blood-drinking! Pedophilia! JFK Jr.! Pretty fascinating stuff! I bet you want to listen to this episode! Which is exactly why we need to rethink how the media covers conspiracies and how we think about them. George Mason University disinformation researcher John Cook helps explain how we can keep toxins out of the media bloodstream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do people enter public service? How do they keep going when times get hard — or they wind up not lasting long in a presidential primary? Julián Castro talks about injustice, strategic voting, and his new podcast, “Our America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to feel superior to John Allen Chau, the evangelical Christian who died attempting to bring the Bible to the North Sentinelese. We should ask ourselves if maybe it’s a little too easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might think being obsessed with politics — watching cable news, reading political blogs, and, er, listening to political podcasts — is a good thing! Historian Claire Bond Potter isn’t so sure. She joins us to talk her book, Political Junkies: From Talk Radio to Twitter, How Alternative Media Hooked Us on Politics and Broke Our Democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin our “Good Intentions” series exploring the origin of the impulse to help. The good news is that empathy and altruism appear to be instinctive reactions to the pain of others! The bad news is that it’s super-easy to divert or suppress that instinct (hint: the President does it all the time!). USC neuroscientist Leo Christov-Moore explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eva Hagberg thought she knew who she was: a smart, overachieving loner on her way to literary fame. Then her brain went boom (technical term), and she had to reevaluate her relationship to achievement, to herself, and to the people that loved her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two founders of the Lincoln Project on their “psychological warfare” campaign against Trump, why Susan Collins must go, and how those viral ads are just the tip of the iceberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final episode of our “Converts” edition, we revisit some past episodes to see exactly what we’ve learned about how people do (and don’t) change their minds. What have we picked up from the a cop-turned-activist, a scientist who embraced mysticism, a conservative climate change advocate, and a onetime white nationalist who marched to say Black Lives Matter? The answers may surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know about the ways that “conversion therapy” has played out when it comes to religion. But what about the once-mainstream, secular professionals who refused to give up on the idea that their work wasn’t just necessary, but also the truly scientific approach to homosexuality? This is their story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990s, evangelical churches bought and gave away thousands of copies of the book, “Left Behind,” hoping its overwrought depiction of the End Times would frighten unbelievers into the arms of Christ. That is not what happened. Amy Frykholm, author of “Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America,” explains what did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Rehmeyer is a science writer who studied math at MIT. She also lives with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a disease that many doctors treat with skepticism bordering on derision. So when traditional medicine couldn’t help her, she had to try treatments science couldn’t support. Julie’s book is Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writer’s Odyssey into an Illness Science Doesn’t Understand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of people crowding public venues to hear the word of the Lord. Men fainting, women claiming to be healed, all rejoicing at being “born again.” When you think of “converts,” this may be what you picture, because it’s a familiar scene — more familiar than you may realize. The quintessentially American revival meeting was born before the country itself, in the mid-1700s, during what we call today “The First Great Awakening.” Our guest this week is Thomas Kidd, a historian at Baylor University of The Great Awakening and colonial society. I brought him on to walk us all through the specifics of it, and to speculate on how the American thirst for spiritual change reverberates today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former mayor of Minneapolis Betsy Hodges comes on to talk about how the Rodney King uprisings started her journey to anti-racist activism — and what happened when, in 2015, her anti-racist ideals ran up against the realities of governing a city rocked by the shooting of a black man by white police officers. Her piece on the King uprisings is here. Her op-ed in the New York Times about how white liberals stand in the way of progress on police violence is here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would turn a passionate, witty feminist into a xenophobic white nationalist? This week’s episode tells the story of Cordelia Scaife May, the eccentric heiress whose fortune underwrote both the Pittsburg Children’s Museum and the most influential network of immigration restrictionists in American history. Our episode owes much to the New York Times’ investigative report on Scaife May last year, [“Why an Heiress Spent Her Fortune Trying to Keep Immigrants Out”] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his 34 years in law enforcement, Norm Stamper participated in — or approved of — the gassing of protesters “hundreds” of times. Yet, he thought of himself as a reformer. He was, he thought, one of the “good guys.” His first book was intended to pull back the curtain and expose those *other* cops. Five years into retirement, he realized he was one of those other cops all along. Today, he’s advocate for not just changing policing policy, but resetting the whole system. Find out how he got there.That first book is Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing (2005). The one that reflects who he is now is To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police (2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) was proud of his Tea Party bona fides, until his son said he couldn’t vote for a climate change denier. Inglis wound up changing his mind, and gained one vote but lost a lot more — he’s now a former congressman, on a mission to recruit more conservatives to the climate cause. You can find out more about Inglis’ organization at RepublicEN.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How White Light Moments Change Your Brain, with Andrew Newberg If you’ve listened to the show at all this season, you’ve learned that the brain doesn’t want to change. And when it does change, it’s usually a slow process of erosion or evolution. So... what about the white light moments we’ve all heard of, if not experienced? Throughout history, there are accounts of people who undergo an instantaneous conversion of some kind: a flash of insight or comprehension that changes their lives forever. “Neurotheologian” Andrew Newberg joins us to talk about his research into what’s behind the white light, and what it does to us when it shines. You can find out more about Andrew and his research on his website His book about white light experiences is How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain If you’d like to hear Ana talk about her own white light experience, that discussion is here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Black thought he was done with the white nationalist movement when he wrote a public letter renouncing the ideology he grew up in. Then he realized that white nationalism wasn’t just the racists that used to listen to his white nationalist radio show and read his white nationalist website — white supremacy was everywhere, people just weren’t talking about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can’t escape the images of protest and unrest happening in our country this week. But what will be their lasting impact on Americans’ — especially white Americans’ — views? We look back to the 1960s civil rights movement for clues. Princeton political science professor Omar Wasow work focuses on how the two different waves of protest in that era effected both voting patterns and Americans’ interest in cause of ending racial discrimination. SHOW LINKS How 1960s Black Protests Moved Elites, Public Opinion and Voting https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/agenda-seeding-how-1960s-black-protests-moved-elites-public-opinion-and-voting/136610C8C040C3D92F041BB2EFC3034C If you’re able to donate, here’s how to support people and groups protesting police violence and working to combat racism and injustice: Go to crooked.com/bailfunds to support community bail funds around the country, and go to crooked.com/changefunds to support 11 groups fighting racism and police brutality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So far this season of “WFLT: Converts Edition,” we’ve focused on why the brain resists change — but that doesn’t mean that people give up on trying. Previous episodes have taught us that arguing doesn’t work and that people’s beliefs can be impervious to facts. But what about the blunt force approach? What about… brainwashing? We'll talk to science writer Kathleen Turner, author of the book, "Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control.” Thanks to our sponsors! Best Fiends: If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time while engaging your brain and enjoying breathtaking visuals and a gripping story, your answer is Best Fiends, free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Crooked Media’s own Adopt-a-State program! Ahead of this year’s elections, the team at Crooked has been hard at work trying to find the best ways for all of you to impact its results aside (of course) from casting your own ballot. Now they have an answer: Vote Save America’s brand new Adopt A State program. The Adopt A State program lets you directly support the work of organizers, volunteers, and candidates in the six key battleground states that will be most important to winning a progressive majority in 2020: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina. When you sign up to adopt a state at votesaveamerica.com/adopt, you’ll get specific calls to action—things you can do yourself, from home, right now—that will make a huge impact on the races in these states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when someone tells you something that challenges a deeply held belief? On the surface, it may feel annoying or uncomfortable, but according to research from the University of Southern California by Jonas Kaplan and Sarah Gimbel, it’s more than that. When people are presented with information that runs contrary to what they already believe, “The response in the brain that we see is very similar to what would happen if, say, you were walking through the forest and came across a bear.” On this episode, Kaplan joins the show to talk about this research, and how that instinctive, adverse reaction is the brain trying to protect itself — an attempt to keep your idea of yourself stable and whole. Oh, and Crooked Media fans should know: Kaplan and Gimbel figured this out by studying the stubborn brains of a bunch of liberals. Sources: Kaplan and Gimbel were guests on this episode of the You Are Not So Smart podcast (which was one of the inspirations for this whole season!). The paper about their study is here. The study on how even split-second decisions are hard to change gets a write-up here. Thanks to our sponsors! Ritual, the multivitamin, reinvented. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/FRIENDS Kiwico, the seriously fun subscription box for kids. Get YOUR FIRST MONTH FREE on select crates at kiwico.com/FRIENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our first themed season, “With Friends Like These: Converts.” We’ve always been interested in why and how people change their minds about what they believe — mostly because it just doesn’t happen that often. Once we we make a choice about who we are or what we want to do, we start ignoring the evidence that might prove us wrong: that’s what “confirmation bias” is. Social psychologist Carol Tavris joins us to discuss the phenomenon, offer examples of it, and delve into the mystery of why some people seem capable of resisting the habit of rationalization and some people don’t. Further reading and sources: “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me),” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson Ezra Klein discusses confirmation bias and how the self-reinforcing effect of polarization this previous episode about his book, “Why We’re Polarized.” We discussed the ways we push each other into further and further away once we decide what we believe in this episode with Lilliana Mason, “When Ideology Is Identity”, about her book, “Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity.” One of the most influential accounts of extreme rationalization in action: “When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group the That Predicted the Destruction of the World,” which tells the story of a doomsday cult whose members’ certainty about their beliefs only increased after the apocalypse failed to occur. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week friend of the pod Alice Wong (@SFDirewolf) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about what it means to be a part of the disabled community during a pandemic. Spoiler: the world seems to get a little too cavalier about whether or not you deserve to live anymore. They talk about the grassroots activism being done within the community, and what able bodied folks can do to listen and be better. Remember, we are staying inside and quarantining for the good of everyone, not just those we deem worthy of surviving capitalism. Learn more about Alice’s work with the Disability Visibility Project here. Read more about the fight for Medicaid here. Thanks to our sponsors! With their powerful matching technology, ZipRecruiter scans thousands of resumes to find people with the right skills and experience for your job — and actively invites them to apply. To try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE, go to ZipRecruiter.com/friends! Le Tote is the fashion RENTAL service where you can choose the clothes and accessories you want to wear. Visit LETOTE.COM to and use code FRIENDS1 to get 40% off today. BetterHelp online counseling is there for you. Get help on your own time and at your own pace. You can schedule secure video or phone sessions plus chat and text with your therapist. Get 10% off your first month with discount code FRIENDS. Go to BetterHelp.com/FRIENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to listen to anything NOT about COVID-19? We got the episode for you! Eduardo Porter (@portereduardo) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about a much lighter subject: the history of racism in class divides and how it still affects us today. They talk about the hopes we’ve had in the past for a racially diverse working class coalition and how it’s been destroyed time and time again by exclusive language. Afterwards, they talk about how our social welfare will probably not cut it for everyone over the coming weeks as we all lose our jobs to this virus. Finally, they talk about what we can do to stay positive when tackling seemingly unsolvable issues. Learn more about Eduardo’s book, American Poison. Looking for a way to help out during this time from your isolation? Donate to the Coronavirus Relief Fund Here. Thanks to our sponsors! Whether your mission is to live a more sustainable life and reduce your fashion footprint, or cut down your shopping bills, the fashion rental service Le Tote can help you. For just a flat monthly fee you get access to their ENTIRE closet. Le Tote is offering 40% off your first two months to our listeners. Visit LETOTE.COM to and use code FRIENDS1 to get your discount and begin your sustainable style journey today. ThirdLove Does Bras Differently: They believe that every woman deserves to feel comfortable and confident every day. With the right kind of support, they help her do this. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase! Anything you can do at the Post Office you can do at Stamps.com. Their on-demand postage means you can skip that trip to the Post Office. Plus, you can save money with discounts that you can’t even get at the Post Office! Get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage AND a digital scale without any long-term commitment. Just go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Dan Drezner joins Ana Marie Cox to talk about the likelihood of Trump handling COVID-19 responsibly (you guessed it, not well). Dan argues in his book, Toddler in Chief, that not only is Trump a toddler, power in American politics has shifted to the executive, making this more dangerous than ever. They discuss the treacherous tales of badger-related attacks on staffers in the White House to the genuine concerns of friends and family members about Trump’s behavior. Finally, Dan gives us some reasons not to freak out: we still have some power. Thanks to our sponsors! Is there something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? BetterHelp online counseling is there for you. Get 10% off your first month with discount code FRIENDS. Go to BetterHelp.com/FRIENDS Rothy’s shoes are incredibly comfortable with zero break-in period thanks to their seamlessly knit design. With many chic styles to choose from, Rothy's shoes are the perfect pair for any adventure. Check out all the amazing shoes and bags available right now at rothys.com/WFLT Here at With Friends Like These, we love Grove Collaborative, the online marketplace that delivers all-natural home, beauty, and personal care products directly to your door. Go to Grove.co/FRIENDS you’ll get a FREE FIVE PIECE Set from Grove so you can swap out plastic in an easy way. Plus, you’ll get free shipping AND a free 60-day VIP trial! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Sexual assault and violence against women. If you, or someone you know, has experienced sexual violence, please call the RAINN hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673). It’s never too late to get help. It’s no secret that most women live in fear of violence. Nearly every week, there’s a news story showcasing the most gruesome examples of it, like the woman who was killed for jogging in Queens, or the countless number of ‘Rejection Murders’ men commit after a woman says “no.” This week, author of Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit, joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss her new memoir: Recollections of My Nonexistence. Together, they dream of a world where we don’t have to sit our daughters down and give them a never ending list of safety tips. They talk about what it’s like to grow up in our patriarchal culture, where giving those warnings seems more effective than stopping men from committing acts of violence. Finally, Rebecca reminds us that as much as violent and powerful men want to stop our voices, they will not be able to hold us down forever. Thanks to our sponsors! quip, makers of the quip electric toothbrush wants you to know the one single discovery that matters most for your dental care. It is simply this, that if you have good habits, you are good. Join over THREE MILLION healthy mouths and get quip today, starting at TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. And if you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS, RIGHT NOW, you’ll get your first refill FREE. We deserve to know what we’re putting in our bodies and why, that’s why Ritual’s founder is on a mission to reinvent the vitamin industry. Ritual left out mystery additives, synthetic fillers, and shady extras that can be found in some traditional multivitamins. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/FRIENDS Anything you can do at the Post Office you can do at Stamps.com. Their on-demand postage means you can skip that trip to the Post Office. Get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage AND a digital scale without any long-term commitment. Just go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we'll answer our number one question: why are we so polarized? Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to answer it. His new book is called, Why We’re Polarized, and they talk about how a lot of divisiveness stems from racism and problems beyond “political disagreements.” Finally they ask, can we bring unconditional love into politics, and more importantly, should we? Join us for another epistemologically exciting episode of With Friends Like These! Thanks to our sponsors! Is there something that interferes with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? BetterHelp online counseling is there for you. Best of all, it’s a truly affordable option. Get 10% off your first month with discount code FRIENDS when you go to BetterHelp.com/FRIENDS. With their powerful matching technology, ZipRecruiter scans thousands of resumes to find people with the right experience and invite them to apply to your job. Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE, when you go to ZipRecruiter.com/friends. Check out a brand new podcast from Lemonada Media out called Mouthpeace with Michael Bennett and Pele Bennett. Michael and Pele talk about their experiences as a family in NFL, but the show is about so much more than that. Subscribe to Mouthpeace with Michael and Pele Bennett wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sits down with Lincoln Group founder Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) to discuss what the soft Republican stance is on everything happening around us right now. Will Trump stop an election from happening? As Rick agrees: Yikes all around. Thanks to our sponsors! Postage rates have gone up AGAIN. Thankfully, Stamps.com eases the pain with big discounts off Post Office retail rates. Go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS and get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage AND a digital scale without any long-term commitment. ThirdLove believes that every woman deserves to feel comfortable and confident every day. With the right kind of support, they help her do this. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra and get 15% off your first purchase! Here at With Friends Like These, we love Grove Collaborative, the online marketplace that delivers all-natural home, beauty, and personal care products directly to your door. go to Grove.co/FRIENDS you’ll get a FREE FIVE PIECE Set from Grove so you can swap out plastic in an easy way. Plus, you’ll get free shipping AND a free 60-day VIP trial! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to learn some spicy new tricks just in time for Valentine’s Day? This week Kate Murphy joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about this season’s hottest tip: mindfully listening to those around you. Kate Murphy, author of You’re Not Listening, talks about why listening is so important, and how it can save your life in the long term. Afterward, they discuss being comfortable with silence and working through disagreements. Thanks to our sponsors! quip, makers of the quip electric toothbrush wants you to know the one single discovery that matters most for your dental care. It is simply this, that if you have good habits, you are good. Join over THREE MILLION healthy mouths and get quip today, starting at TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. And if you go to getquip.com/FRIENDS, RIGHT NOW, you’ll get your first refill FREE. Rothy’s has quickly grown to a most-loved, gotta-have-them brand. It’s no surprise they have over 1,000 nearly perfect reviews. They’re stylish, sustainable, comfortable, washable—really, all in one pair of shoes. They’re the perfect flats for life on-the-go. Go to Rothys.com/WFLT to get your new favorite flats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Germany, studying the Holocaust — and the part everyday Germans played in it — is part of the school curriculum. There are memorials to the Jewish lives lost throughout the country, but they do not memorialize Nazis who died. Contrast this with the American South. This week Susan Neiman, author of the book, Learning From the Germans, joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to explain what we can learn from the Germans about regret and repentance. They talk about the inspiration for writing the book, how a museum exhibit helped change German opinion, and why language matters when we talk about monuments on an international scale. These are not normal times and we all have the ability to make change. What should our next steps be? Want to help fight voter suppression? Click here to learn about Fair Fight. Find out more about Susan Neiman’s book here. Thanks to our sponsors: Ritual left out mystery additives, synthetic fillers, and shady extras that can be found in some traditional multivitamins. Their delayed-release no-nausea designed capsule is made to be gentle on an empty stomach—and the mint-essenced tab in every bottle makes taking your vitamins a minty-fresh experience. Go to ritual.com/FRIENDS to get 10% off your first three months. Postage rates have gone up AGAIN. Thankfully, Stamps.com eases the pain with big discounts off Post Office retail rates. Stamps.com is a no-brainer – saving you TIME and MONEY. It’s no wonder over 700,000 small businesses already use Stamps.com. Get a 4-week trial PLUS free postage AND a digital scale without any long-term commitment when you go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) is joined by Lori Gottlieb (@lorigottlieb1), author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. They talk about the route Lori took to become a therapist, how it's informed her practice and the common misconceptions of mental health. They'll also unpack why many are surprised that therapists have their own therapists! Join us for a mindful discussion on the mind, and don’t forget to call your therapist. (Turns out, like the rest of us, they don’t love being ghosted.) Thanks to our sponsors! Grove Collaborative is the online marketplace that delivers all-natural home, beauty, and personal care products directly to your door. Grove’s sustainable swap set is the best and easiest way to get started reducing plastics waste in your home. Go to Grove.co/FRIENDS and you’ll get the FREE FIVE PIECE set from Grove so you can easily swap out plastics. Plus, you’ll get free shipping AND a free 60-day VIP trial! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about impeachment and our favorite Cover(up) girl Mitch McConnell. They begin by contrasting their political differences, and eventually get to where they agree, all through the lens of abortion. Afterwards, they cover our current political moment, despair, and panic regarding the impeachment process. Put in your earbuds, get under a blanket, and make a cup of tea: trust us, you’re gonna need it for this one. Thanks to our sponsors! ThirdLove Does Bras Differently: They believe that every woman deserves to feel comfortable and confident every day. With the right kind of support, they help her do this. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra and get 15% off your first purchase! Quip’s electric brush has sensitive sonic vibrations with a built-in timer and thirty second pulses to guide a full and even clean. The quip floss dispenser comes with pre-marked string to help you use just enough. If you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS, RIGHT NOW, you’ll get your first refill FREE. Stamps.com brings all the services of the U.S. Postal Service right to your computer. Whether you’re a small office sending invoices, an online seller shipping out products, or even a warehouse sending thousands of packages a day, Stamps.com can handle it all with ease. go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Sexual Assault If you or a loved one is experiencing sexual violence, please reach out to the national sexual assault hotline. You are not alone. Please call 1-800-656-4673. This week With Friends Like These goes live and catches some feelings about Peggy Orenstein’s (@peggyorenstein) new book Boys and Sex. Host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) and Peggy cover why we need to understand boys to try and help them, hookups/hookup culture, and what we can do to make our reality a little less terrifying. Take off your emotional condom, put in your earbuds, and join us for a meaningful discussion on the sexual landscape of college-aged men. Thanks to our sponsors! HelloFresh cuts out stressful meal planning and prepping, so you can enjoy cooking and get dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes – or even 20 minutes with their quick recipe options! Go to HelloFresh.com/withfriends10 and use code withfriends10 during HelloFresh’s New Year’s sale for 10 free meals including free shipping. Whether you’re very into sports or planning on getting very into sports, Bombas can help with performance socks in styles made specially for basketball, tennis, running, golf, and more. Go to BOMBAS.com/friends TODAY, and get twenty percent off your first purchase. Have you heard about this company making stylish shoes for women and girls out of recycled plastic water bottles? Oh, and they’re crazy comfortable and fully machine washable. Rothy’s has quickly grown to a most-loved, gotta-have-them brand. It’s no surprise they have over 1,000 nearly perfect reviews. Check out all the amazing styles available right now at Rothys.com/WFLT. Feals is Premium CBD delivered directly to your doorstep. Become a member today by going to Feals.com/friends and you'll get 50% off your first order with free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) this week to talk about exactly what you fear when you return to work or school after the holidays: burnout. They discuss what burnout is doing to Millenials (and younger generations) and why the root of the problem is, you guessed it, capitalism. Finally, they examine what one church has done to combat burnout at its economic root, and how their own relationship to religion has healed their burnout. Thanks to our sponsors! Grove’s sustainable swap set is the best and easiest way to get started reducing plastics waste in your home - it has Bamboo straws, Reusable and washable sandwich bags, a Refillable hand soap dispenser, gel hand soap, and a walnut scrubber sponge set. Now, for a limited time when our listeners go to Grove.co/FRIENDS you’ll get the FREE FIVE PIECE set from Grove so you can easily swap out plastics. Plus, you’ll get free shipping AND a free 60-day VIP trial! Stamps.com brings all the services of the U.S. Postal Service right to your computer. There’s NO risk. And with promo code, FRIENDS, you get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. No long-term commitments or contracts. We deserve to know what we’re putting in our bodies and why. That’s why Ritual’s founder is on a mission to reinvent the vitamin industry. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/FRIENDS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re doing a re-run this week, from one of our favorite WFLT episodes of 2019. Back in April, journalist Eli Saslow (@elisaslow) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss to radicalization of older people, and how to deal with that one uncle at family gatherings who constantly brings up birtherism of whatever. One of our listeners is a NASA rocket scientist who reached out because she lost a parent to Russian troll-farm memes. There are plenty of success stories for those willing to fight back, and that there is hope yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Chrissy Stroop (@C_Stroop) and Lauren O’Neal (@laureneoneal) join Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about their childhood fears of hellfire and their new book, Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church. They discuss how they left their churches, why they did it, and the need for ex-believers to have a seat at the table. Afterwards, they talk about the implications of evangelical Christianity in the public sphere (and how our policies have terrifyingly reflected that). Join us this week for a conversation on what is feels like to have some crazy religious cognitive dissonance. Thanks to our sponsors! Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that delivers your favorite clothing, shoes, and accessories, directly to you. With no subscription required, pick between automatic shipments or only getting new pieces on demand. Shipping, exchanges, and returns are always free, and Plus, the $20 styling fee is automatically applied towards anything you keep from your box. Get started today at Stitchfix.com/friends and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! ThirdLove Does Bras Differently: They believe that every woman deserves to feel comfortable and confident every day. Third Love bras are designed to fit you, not the other way around: Designed with measurements from millions of women, their bra styles are made to fit your life. They have over 80 bra sizes, but know that the only one that matters is yours. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about how we’ve got political nuclear winter, just in time for Christmas. The Impeachment process has not gone… the best. That we can all agree on. Rick and Ana dive into why, and why you should perhaps not cut deals with a racist crook. Mr. Wilson delivers a heartfelt appeal for voter outreach. It’s not as bleak as it could have been. Thanks to our sponsor: Ritual’s Essentials have the nutrients most of us don’t get enough of from food—all in their clean, absorbable forms. No shady additives or ingredients that can do more harm to your body than good. Two easy-to-take capsules provide nine nutrients you need to support a strong foundation for your health. Better health doesn’t happen overnight, and right now Ritual is offering my listeners 10% off during your first three months! Visit ritual.com/FRIENDS to start your ritual today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Esme Wang (@esmewang) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about living with a brain you don’t always feel like you can trust. Esme Wang is the author of the New York Times-bestselling essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias. She writes frequently about her experiences with both mental and physical chronic illnesses and advocates for eliminating stigmas surrounding them. They talk about the difficulty of “the diagnosis,” why high-functioning is a loaded term, and what it means find faith (or even spiritual guidance in your dog). Thanks to our sponsors! When it comes to shopping for clothes most of us are amateurs. So why not let the professionals handle it? With Stitch Fix, a stylist will do all the work for you! With no subscription required, pick between automatic shipments or only getting new pieces on demand. Shipping, exchanges, and returns are always free, and Plus, the $20 styling fee is automatically applied towards anything you keep from your box. Get started today at Stitchfix.com/friends and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! FIGS is an amazing company that is making scrubs stylish and functional for the people who deserve it most. FIGS gift cards are available. So next time your doctor, nurse, dentist, dermatologist, or pediatrician saves the day, tell them “thank you” by sending them FIGS. Show how much you care at the end of the year with FIGS! This holiday season, FIGS is going to make that easy by providing you with 15% OFF your first purchase by using code FRIENDS at wearFIGS.com Rothy’s is the company making beautiful shoes for women and kids out of plastic water bottles; AND they are crazy comfortable and fully machine washable too. Plus, Rothy’s always come with free shipping and free returns and exchanges – no risk, no worries, no reason not to try! Check out all the amazing styles available right now at Rothys.com/wflt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host of the You’re Wrong About podcast, Sarah Marshall (@Remember_Sarah) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about the only American holiday spookier than Halloween, Black Friday. Ana and Sarah discuss misconceptions about the history of the holiday, and how it turned into the capitalist dystopian hell we all know and love. Afterwards, they talked about the intersection of class and the division that the holiday creates. Finally, they talked about the science of crowd control, and why we need to pressure corporations to make ethical changes. Listen this week for some Black Friday tips on shopping and dealing with borderline angry mobs; Worst comes to worst, just start singing some Celine Dion and hopefully the crowd will calm down! Interested in articles Sarah talked about? Click here for Jdimytai Damour’s story. Click here for a story on the power of crowds. Have any questions about family and politics you want answered on the show? Email [email protected]! Thanks to our sponsors! Stamps.com brings all the services of the U.S. Postal Service right to your computer. Whether you’re a small office sending invoices, an online seller shipping out products, or even a warehouse sending thousands of packages a day, Stamps.com can handle it all with ease. There’s NO risk, with my promo code, FRIENDS, you get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. No long term commitments or contracts. Just go to Stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS. ThirdLove uses data points generated by millions of women who have taken their Fit Finder quiz, to design bras with breast size and shape in mind for a perfect fit and premium feel. More sizes than most other brands: ThirdLove offers more than 80 sizes, including their signature half-cup sizes. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Ed Schupman (manager of the Native Knowledge 360° Initiative and a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss Thanksgiving and the surrounding myths. Reflecting on the tragedy that underlies Thanksgiving isn’t easy or fun but Ed has made a career of using Thanksgiving as a way into a broader discussion of Native American History. To truly process the gritty, uncomfortable story of Thanksgiving will require reinventing the American educational system. Listen to Ed unpack a perspective on both the American experience and the practice of gratitude, as he argues that we should be thinking about indigeous history year-round, and practicing gratitude year-round as well.” Resources from the National Museum of the American Indian, and Ed’s curated experience, is available at https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/ Thanks to our sponsors! Policygenius is the easy way to shop for a life insurance plan that’s not tied to your job. In minutes, you can compare quotes from top insurers to find your best price. Go to Policygenius.com to get quotes and apply in minutes. ThirdLove uses data points generated by millions of women who have taken their Fit Finder quiz, to design bras with breast size and shape in mind for a perfect fit and premium feel. More sizes than most other brands: ThirdLove offers more than 80 sizes, including their signature half-cup sizes. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase! Everlane only makes premium essentials, using the finest materials, without traditional markups. Everlane has great products: quality cotton basics, premium Japanese denim made at the world’s cleanest denim factory, perfectly-fit Oxford shirts, and outerwear made from recycled water bottles. Check out our personalized collection at Everlane.com/FRIENDS. Plus, you’ll get free shipping on your first order. In a world of fake news, controversy feels more contemporary than ever—but in politics, it’s a trail as old as time. Follow along from ballot to fallout in Parcast Network’s sizzling new podcast, Political Scandals. Every Tuesday leading up to the 2020 election, Political Scandals will countdown the 52 most scandalous events in American history—uncovering the ugly truth behind some of our most infamous elected officials. Follow the new limited series POLITICAL SCANDALS, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Goop and Capitalism have in common? Both refuse to go away despite how much suffering they’ve caused! This week Amanda Mull (@amandamull) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss these topics and more. They begin by talking about fashion, ad-based media, and the ways that we exist within these constructs. Afterwards, they talk about identity and size, fat-phobia, and what we can do to make sure all bodies feel beautiful. CW: Self-harm and intense discussion of body image. Interested in Material World? Click here for Amanda’s most recent article. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by Magic Spoon, a new cereal company that’s discovered a way to recreate your favorite childhood cereals with zero sugar, 12 grams of protein, and only 3 grams of net carbs in each serving. Magic Spoon spent over a year working with the best food scientists and chefs in the world to recreate the taste and texture of classic sugary cereal, but it tastes so incredible that you'd never guess it was healthy. Go to magicspoon.com/withfriends to grab a variety pack and try it today! And be sure to use our promo code WITHFRIENDS at checkout to get free shipping. Grove takes the guesswork out of going green. Every Grove product is guaranteed to be good for you, your family, your home, and the planet. With Grove, you don’t have to shop multiple stores or search endlessly online to get all the natural goods you need for you and your family. For a limited time, when listeners go to Grove.co/FRIENDS you will get a FREE FIVE PIECE gift set from Mrs. Meyer’s in festive holiday scents like Peppermint or Iowa Pine! FIGS is an amazing company that is making scrubs stylish and functional for the people who deserve it most. So, whether you are one of the awesome humans that works in healthcare or someone that wants to say thanks to these deserving folks, FIGS is going to make that easy by providing you with 15% OFF your first purchase by using code FRIENDS. Head to wearFIGS.com and enter code FRIENDS at checkout. Ritual’s Essentials have the nutrients most of us don’t get enough of from food—all in their clean, absorbable forms. No shady additives or ingredients that can do more harm to your body than good. A subscription is easy to start. And, it’s easy to snooze. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month — no strings attached. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/FRIENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices