Best Aryeh Cohen Wade Podcasts (2025)

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Aryeh Cohen-Wade: Zohran Mamdani's mayoral win marks a turning point for New York politics 36:22

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19d ago36:22

36:22

When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City in late 2024, he flew under the radar of voters and critics. But as his campaign gained steam—notably for arguably radical proposals such as free bus fares, municipally owned grocery stores, and a $30 minimum wage—he wound up overtaking his chief rival, Andrew Cuomo, the former …

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Michael Kaminer: The shifting tide of trendy Jewish food 36:28

5d ago36:28

36:28

Ashkenazi food—until recently relegated to the joke pile of ethnic foods, unavoidably beige and full of fat—is undergoing a surprising revival. From karnatzel to kasha, traditional dishes once associated with bubbe's kitchen are now finding their way onto trendy urban menus, sparking an unexpected culinary renaissance that's as much about cultural …

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David Weinfeld: Trump vs. Harvard and the managerial class 32:52

12d ago32:52

32:52

On June 30, a task force set up by the U.S. federal government, aimed at combatting antisemitism, published an open letter to Harvard University. "Harvard University is in violent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin," the letter alleges. "The enclosed Notice …

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Hadley Freeman: Can we not have nuance in the Israel-Palestine conversation? 31:42

26d ago31:42

31:42

Hadley Freeman often goes back and forth, in her head, about Israel and Palestine. One the one hand, Israel has killed more than 57,000 Gazans; on the other hand, can you trust those figures when they come from Hamas? But what other number can you trust, if Israel refuses to allow in international reporters? Then again, can you even trust outsider …

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Ellie Avishai: Cancelled to the left of me, cancelled by the right 35:04

1M ago35:04

35:04

On Mar. 3, Ellie Avishai hopped on a call with a senior colleague from the University of Austin in Texas. She was shocked when the colleague informed her a recent LinkedIn post of hers—an anodyne post of maybe 100 words, mostly a quotation and congratulation, which she had not given much thought to previously—had gotten her into big trouble with a …

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Eric Alterman: A civil war is tearing apart Western Jewry 36:06

1M ago36:06

36:06

The mainstream North American Jewish Diaspora is at a crossroads. Down one path lies U.S. President Donald Trump, American Evangelicals and legacy Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and American Israel Public Affairs Committee, staunchly defending Israel to the general public; down the other, small-L liberal Jews find themselves a…

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David Schraub: Trump's anti-Harvard tirade has nothing to do with antisemitism 32:37

2M ago32:37

32:37

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students—a move that was soon blocked by a federal judge. So, instead, on May 26, Trump floated the idea of taking US$3 billion of grant money, earmarked for Harvard's scientific and engineering research deemed of national importance, and rer…

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Jacob Silverman: The internet has become an alienating place 28:28

2M ago28:28

28:28

Over the last year, odds are good that you've seen what's been dubbed "AI slop"—unhinged, nonsensical "art" generated by artificial intelligence tools. Maybe you've seen a bizarre cinematic animated mini-movie on Facebook, surreal pseudo-photographs on Instagram, or propagandistic images on what was once known as Twitter, now X. After seeing enough…

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Yoel Inbar: DEI was not designed for the fallout from Oct. 7 31:03

2M ago31:03

31:03

Yoel Inbar rose to prominence in the fall of 2023, when he was in the process of getting hired at the University of California, Los Angeles. He didn't end up getting the job—and it was transparently about a podcast episode he'd recorded a year earlier, in which he criticized "diversity statements". The mandated letters have become part of the acade…

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Leigh Stein on the bygone days of girl-boss social media 33:10

2M ago33:10

33:10

This month, the Federal Trade Commission in the United States finally brought a long-awaited antitrust court case against Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC is arguing that Meta has a monopoly on the social networking space, which has squandered competition in the market. Critics point out that this might have bee…

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Jewish voting patterns explained, feat. David Polansky 28:53

3M ago28:53

28:53

On the eve of Canada's federal election, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, the little-used social media website he created, to recommend Canadians head to the polls and vote for... Donald Trump. "IT WAS MEANT TO BE," he typed, in all-caps, prompting the vast majority of Canadians to roll their eyes and remain in minimal voting lines…

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Emily Tamkin on a politically divided American Jewry 32:40

3M ago32:40

32:40

The United States has historically been unusually resistant to antisemitism, for a number of reasons: some that speak well of America; others that are more the result of Americans preferring to pick on other marginalized minorities over Jews. But right-wing antisemitism has flourished in the age of social media and President Donald Trump's first te…

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Trailer: The Jewish Angle with Phoebe Maltz Bovy 1:12

4M ago1:12

1:12

Join Phoebe Maltz Bovy, a culture critic and opinion editor at The Canadian Jewish News, as she explores the modern world of Jewish life — with Jews stuck in between dangerous political flanks on both the left and right.

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Nothing but Bluesky from Now On, with Phoebe Maltz Bovy 1:09:37

7M ago1:09:37

1:09:37

Aryeh and Phoebe discuss Bluesky, the newly popular Twitter alternative—and how Phoebe's mild critique of the site went mega-viral. Aryeh explains why he finally, finally quit Twitter. Is Bluesky for anti-Trump social media "refugees," or a retirement home for posting addicts? And are people on there actually nice? Recorded December 20, 2024 Follow…

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Deep into the Abyss of Philip Roth, with Hannah Gold 51:03

7M ago51:03

51:03

Aryeh talks with writer Hannah Gold about her reported essay in Harper's on the literary festival celebrating Philip Roth's 90th birthday, which was held in Newark, New Jersey last year. Recorded December 5, 2023 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Hannah's piece, "Your Mind’s in the Hands of Everything: Letting Go of Philip Roth" htt…

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Abortion Pills via Telemedicine, with Kiki Freedman 34:54

11M ago34:54

34:54

Aryeh talks to Kiki Freedman, the co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, the leading virtual reproductive and sexual health care clinic. Recorded July 16, 2024 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Hey Jane website https://heyjane.com/ KFF on the Comstock Act and abortion https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/the-comstock-act-im…

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The Political Economy of Hollywood, with Daniel Bessner 45:06

11M ago45:06

45:06

Daniel discusses his recent Harper's cover story, "The Life and Death of Hollywood," which focuses on the economics of entertainment as private equity and streaming have changed the industry. Recorded May 24, 2024 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Daniel's piece, "The Life and Death of Hollywood" https://harpers.org/archive/2024/05/…

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Skylines and Fish Weirs, with Jon Kimball 1:01:45

1y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Aryeh talks to Jon Kimball, co-host of the podcast Election Profits Makers, about political prediction markets, Trump's VP options, the beauty of city skylines, the sorry state of the social media site formerly known as Twitter, whether Gen Xers have the worst politics, and more! Recorded April 26, 2024. Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet …

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A Journey Through the Deep State, with Kerry Howley 47:20

1+ y ago47:20

47:20

Kerry Howley talks about her book "Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State," named one of the 10 Best Books of 2023 by the New York Times. Recorded November 14, 2023. Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS Kerry's book, "Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State" https://www.amazon.com/Bo…

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Taylor's Version, with B.D. McClay 1:40:00

1+ y ago1:40:00

1:40:00

B.D. McClay — essayist, critic, and scholar of Taylor Swift Studies — helps Aryeh understand the biggest cultural phenomenon of the year. Recorded November 5, 2023 Follow Culturally Determined @CulturallyDet LINKS B.D.'s Substack https://notebook.substack.com/ B.D.'s essay on illness, "The Bad Patient" https://www.thedriftmag.com/the-bad-patient/ …

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Hating Gen X While Being Gen X, with Sarah Miller 1:05:01

2y ago1:05:01

1:05:01

Sarah discusses her recent New York Times essay, "Hate Gen X? Get in Line (Behind a Gen X-er)." Why are young people lumping together Boomers and Xers? Why do so many Gen X writers spend time railing against "woke" ideas? Is Elon Musk more defined by being Gen X or by being a billionaire? And why do Xers find Millennials so annoying? Recorded Septe…

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Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew, with Jeremy Dauber 48:17

2y ago48:17

48:17

Historian Jeremy Dauber talks about his new book, "Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew," which is part of the Yale Jewish Lives series. He discusses Brooks's Brooklyn childhood, his Borscht Belt years, writing on "Your Show of Shows" and working with Carl Reiner, his move to Hollywood, why parody was his main genre, and his comedic legacy. Recorded July 18…

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What Do We Do with the Art of Monsters? with Claire Dederer 47:35

2y ago47:35

47:35

Claire Dederer talks about her new book, "Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma," a blend of cultural criticism and memoir in which she thinks deeply about the work of great artists who were also horrible people. Recorded July 24, 2023. Follow Culturally Determined on Twitter @CulturallyDet LINKS Claire's new book,"Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma" https://www.amazon…

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The Cruel Decade, with Kristian Vistrup Madsen 44:02

2y ago44:02

44:02

Art critic Kristian Vistrup Madsen discusses his essay on the 2000s, "Chains Or Whips? The Cruel Decade And Its Aftermath," in which he draws connections between Abu Ghraib, reality television, and Britney Spears to reflect on the culture of the Aughts. Recorded July 12, 2023. Follow Culturally Determined on Twitter @CulturallyDet LINKS Kristian's …

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"The Vegan," a Novel, with Andrew Lipstein 38:32

2y ago38:32

38:32

Andrew Lipstein discusses "The Vegan," his new novel about a hedge fund founder who has an unusual moral awakening after a dinner party prank he pulls goes disastrously awry. The novel considers artificial intelligence, Brooklyn mores, our relationship with animals, psychiatry, responsibility, and more. Recorded July 7, 2023 LINKS Andrew's new nove…

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On Losing a Father and Finding Stoicism, with Tom Bissell 43:26

2y ago43:26

43:26

Author Tom Bissell discusses his recent essay in Harper's, "Time Is a Violent Stream," about embracing Stoic philosophy after the death of his father. Why is Stoicism so useful during a time of crisis? What do contemporary popular books about Stoicism get wrong? Why do online reactionaries love Marcus Aurelius? Plus: Is Stoicism just for men? Recor…

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Is MAGA Here to Stay? with Ross Barkan 39:09

2y ago39:09

39:09

Ross discusses his recent essay disputing that Trump and MAGA are on the wane. Is MAGA even separable from Trump himself to begin with? How do the dynamics of the 2024 GOP primary differ from those of 2016? Plus: Critiquing reactions from both left and right to the subway killing of Jordan Neely. Recorded May 9, 2023 Follow Culturally Determined on…

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Twitter Taught Us It Was Okay to Be Weird, with Phoebe Maltz Bovy 1:06:02

2y ago1:06:02

1:06:02

Self-described "Extremely Online" writer and podcaster Phoebe Maltz Bovy joins Aryeh to ponder whether Twitter is finally really and truly dead. Phoebe talks about how she lost her bluecheck before it was cool, Aryeh explains why he's not eager to join the Twitter knockoff Bluesky, and they wonder whether anything could ever replace the site's mixt…

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The "Enshittification" of Online Life, with Cory Doctorow 45:33

2+ y ago45:33

45:33

Novelist and Internet activist Cory Doctorow discusses "enshittification," the term he coined for how online platforms start out great but gradually become nightmarish for users. How can we fight back against the forces of enshittification? Cory suggests some federal policies that would put power back in the hands of regular Americans. Plus: What m…

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How QAnon Unhinged America, with Will Sommer 52:36

2+ y ago52:36

52:36

Will Sommer talks about his new book, "Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America." Why didn't January 6th deflate QAnon? How has conspiracy thinking changed the GOP? Is the "cabal" that Q believers see themselves fighting against just…capitalism? Plus: Do Fox News hosts believe their own nonsense? Recorded March 23,…

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The Mystery of Havana Syndrome, with Nicky Woolf 38:01

2+ y ago38:01

38:01

Journalist Nicky Woolf discusses his podcast "The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome." What really caused the strange symptoms afflicting American diplomats in Cuba? What, if anything, do loud crickets have to do with it? Is the whole thing simply a mass delusion? And why hasn't Biden acted to undo the damage Trump did to Cuba? Recorded March 17, 20…

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On Writing and Failure, with Stephen Marche 41:05

2+ y ago41:05

41:05

Stephen talks about his new book, "On Writing and Failure." Aryeh and Stephen discuss morality and art, Canadian vs. American literary culture, the link between writing and mental illness, and more. Recorded February 22, 2023 LINKS Stephen's new book, "On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer"…

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Grifters to the Left of Me? Kooks to the Right? with Nick Clairmont 1:06:29

2+ y ago1:06:29

1:06:29

A kooky tweet from Rebekah Jones, the Florida Covid whistleblower who might not actually be a whistleblower, inspires Aryeh and Nick to debate whether the left has a grifter problem, the morality of Al Sharpton, whether liberals willfully misunderstand the right, Joe Biden's tall tales, and more! Recorded February 15, 2023 LINKS Nick's tweet that l…

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The Israeli Democratic Roadshow, with Ora Peled Nakash 1:08:07

2+ y ago1:08:07

1:08:07

Aryeh speaks with his cousin Ora Peled Nakash about the growing Israeli protest movement, which was sparked by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's move to limit the independence of Israel's judicial system. Ora explains why she was personally motivated to join the protests and to give a speech at the first large rally in Tel Aviv. They discuss how Isra…

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The Rise of a New Left, with Raina Lipsitz 1:11:29

2+ y ago1:11:29

1:11:29

Raina Lipsitz discusses her new book, "The Rise of a New Left: How Young Radicals Are Shaping the Future of American Politics." Are charismatic figures like AOC and Bernie responsible for the resurgence of socialism in the US? Or did structural/economic forces make a left revival inevitable? What lessons have organizers learned from the failures of…

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Should We Be Scared of TikTok? with Leigh Stein 1:06:34

2+ y ago1:06:34

1:06:34

Writer and "BookTok" expert Leigh Stein tries to assuage Aryeh's fears about the wildly popular video app. Should we be worried about TikTok's Chinese origins? Is the app poisoning the minds of America's youth—or is that idea just the sign of a xenophobic moral panic? Could Gen Zers teach Millennials how to stop looking at their phones? Plus: The t…

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Kissing Cousins, with Sophie Zucker 38:06

2+ y ago38:06

38:06

Comedian Sophie Zucker talks about her new one-woman musical, "Sophie Sucks Face," which tells the story of a young Jewish woman who makes out with her cousin at their grandfather's funeral. Recorded November 21, 2022 LINKS Sophie Sucks Face https://www.sophiezucker.com/sophie-sucks-face Sophie's Instagram @stringcheesezucker https://www.instagram.…

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Twitter Tech Turmoil, with Josh Barnard 58:12

2+ y ago58:12

58:12

Josh Barnard, a software engineer and tech-industry veteran who worked at Twitter during and after the 2016 election, discusses Elon Musk's chaotic changes at the company. Were Twitter's employees a bunch of woke leftists? Does Musk understand how to code? Could the site suffer a massive technical failure? Plus: Can the moderation dilemma ever be s…

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Mistaken for a Conservative, with Kat Rosenfield 1:06:51

2+ y ago1:06:51

1:06:51

Kat discusses her recent essay in National Review, "Why I Keep Getting Mistaken for a Conservative." Has online political life swallowed offline political life? Has technology made concerns about book bans a thing of the past? Plus: Is Aryeh a Twitter bully? Recorded November 9, 2022 LINKS: Kat's essay, "Why I Keep Getting Mistaken for a Conservati…

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Musk Takes Twitter, with Dave Karpf 1:05:47

2+ y ago1:05:47

1:05:47

Aryeh and Dave Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, discuss Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter. Is he going to run the company into the ground—and would that be good for America? Is Twitter in fact the online public square? What would a non-toxic version of the site look like? Plus: …

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The Podcast That Sells Itself, with Laura Mayer 1:05:24

2+ y ago1:05:24

1:05:24

Laura Mayer talks about "Shameless Acquisition Target," her new podcast series about how market forces and bad choices have changed the podcast industry. Mayer has worked as a radio and podcast editor, producer, and executive—but this is her first time hosting her own show. Recorded October 27, 2022 LINKS Shameless Acquisition Target website https:…

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Rehashing "The Rehearsal," with Joanna Mang 1:03:04

3y ago1:03:04

1:03:04

Aryeh and Joanna analyze Nathan Fielder's HBO series "The Rehearsal." What is the show actually about? Can the viewer separate reality from "reality"? Is Nathan the show's villain, hero, or something else? How sympathetic should we feel toward Angela? And what does the final scene actually mean? Recorded September 11, 2022 LINKS Trailer for "The Re…

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The End of Solitude, with William Deresiewicz 1:29:39

3y ago1:29:39

1:29:39

William Deresiewicz, author of the new book "The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society," discusses how technology is changing our sense of self, how every aspect of higher education is failing, the late Harold Bloom, Great Books courses, and more! Recorded August 18, 2022 LINKS: Bill's new book, "The End of Solitude: Selected Essa…

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Walking the World, with Chris Arnade 1:12:26

3y ago1:12:26

1:12:26

Photographer and writer Chris Arnade talks about his project of walking across foreign cities. Recorded August 11, 2022 LINKS Chris's newsletter, "Walking the World" https://walkingtheworld.substack.com Aryeh's conversation with Chris about his book "Dignity" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturally-determined/id981282353?i=1000441345930 Ch…

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After the American Century, with Daniel Bessner 53:54

3y ago53:54

53:54

Historian Daniel Bessner discusses his recent cover story in Harper's about the waning of US global hegemony. In a wide-ranging conversation, Aryeh and Daniel debate human nature, the true toll of the Cold War, whether conflict with China is inevitable, whether American culture is decadent, and more. Recorded July 25, 2022 LINKS Daniel's essay, "Em…

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How Fangirls Remade the Internet, with Kaitlyn Tiffany 55:14

3y ago55:14

55:14

Kaitlyn Tiffany talks about her new book, "Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It," a study of how fans of the boy-band One Direction changed online life. Recorded July 13, 2022 LINKS Kaitlyn's book, "Everything I Need I Get from You" https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Need-Get-You-Fangirls/dp/0374539189 Fo…

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Remixing "Remix," with Kirby Ferguson 40:31

3y ago40:31

40:31

Filmmaker Kirby Ferguson, creator of the series "Everything Is a Remix," recently announced that he is retiring from content creation. I spoke to him about that decision, redoing his classic series on remix culture, conspiracy theories, the "vibe shift," and more! Recorded June 2, 2022 LINKS: "Everything Is a Remix Remastered" youtube.com/watch?v=n…

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Camera Man, with Dana Stevens 58:02

3y ago58:02

58:02

Film critic Dana Stevens discusses her new book "Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century." Recorded May 26, 2022 LINKS: Dana's book, "Camera Man" https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Man-Invention-Twentieth-Century/dp/1501134191 Follow @thehighsign Follow @AryehCW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…

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Diving into "The Nanny," with Toria Sheffield & Shawn DePasquale 1:02:00

3y ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Comedy writers Toria Sheffield and Shawn DePasquale cohost the podcast "Oh, Mr. Sheffield!," which recaps Fran Drescher's '90s sitcom "The Nanny." They discus how the show depicted Jewish themes and gay characters, why it was mostly forgotten by the culture, and what its legacy is today. Recorded May 12, 2022 LINKS "Oh, Mr. Sheffield!" on Apple Pod…

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The Real Reason Elon Musk Bought Twitter, with Max Read 34:56

3y ago34:56

34:56

Max Read, who writes the tech and culture newsletter "Read Max," argues that Elon Musk won't save Twitter, but he won't ruin it either—because the famously lousy site already works just great for him. Recorded May 2, 2022 LINKS: Max's essay, "Elon Musk won't fix Twitter (but he won't kill it, either)" https://maxread.substack.com/p/elon-musk-wont-f…