Amanda Montell is a language scholar and host/creator of the “Sounds Like a Cult” podcast, and she joins us to talk about how language is used to develop the us vs. them mentality that solidifies people’s membership in cults – and cultish organizations.
Read moreIn Search Of Latinos On TV
Frederick Luis Aldama joins host Krys Boyd to talk about Latino representation on television – and about how too often that representation devolves into stereotype.
Read moreIs it time to move on from the Beatles and Stones?
Music historian Ted Gioia talks about why 70 percent of music demand today is for old songs, with publishing companies investing in vintage catalogs while ignoring new, emerging talent.
Read moreWhy your kids are obsessed with toy videos
New York Times writer Jay Caspian Kang talks about 10-year-old Ryan Kaji and the $25 million a year toy empire he built with the help of his parents that has major brands angling for partnerships.
Read moreFor historians, the past Is written in pencil
James M. Banner, Jr. is founder of the National History Center of the American Historical Association, and he joins us to talk about why history is never really set in stone.
Read moreThe life-changing prospects of prom night
Author Navdeep Singh Dhillon discusses his YA novel set at a high school prom, where a young Sikh boy wants to radically change his identity.
Read moreA YA Novelist Takes On Fatphobia
Author Crystal Maldonado joins us to discuss her YA novel about a young woman dealing with the typical subjects of boys and friends, but also a deepening understanding of how she’s viewed by the outside world.
Read moreFor Racial Justice, We Have To Get Past Our Shame
Shakil Choudhury is a consultant with 25 years of experience in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion training, and he joins us to talk about addressing racism with the science of psychology.
Read moreMeet the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Sarah Hepola discusses the organization from the inside out, from the glitz and glamour, to body image, sexualization and how the cheerleaders fit into #metoo today.
Read moreThe art of attention span
Kyle Chayka talks about nine works of art that challenge, cajole and actually still manage to hold our attention.
Read moreWhat it’s like to grow up undocumented
Author Qian Julie Wang joins us to tell the story of her childhood in an undocumented family, how the experience shaped her life, and how she now views the American Dream.
Read moreWhy we find pleasure in pain
Paul Bloom joins us to discuss why we sometimes seek out pain — in everything from scary movies to marathons.
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