Am I Allowed to Like This?

As one of the longest running reality TV series kicks off its 51st season, we thought it was the perfect time to debrief about Survivor. This show truly set the stage (for better or worse) for countless series and sub-genres of reality television. And while recent years have seen a shift in tone and representation, there's still plenty to dig into from its turbulent early years.

Sources:

https://robhasawebsite.com/blog/lessons-in-survivor-history-there-is-a-line/

https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Sophie_Clarke

https://people.com/survivor-memorable-controversial-moments-11981333

https://ew.com/survivor-revolutionized-television-25-years-ago-today-11743078

https://variety.com/2026/tv/features/survivor-50-editing-backlash-mike-white-lion-1236745458/

https://www.garrettschlichte.com/survivor/2020/10/19/survivor-has-always-been-a-show-about-who-can-be-the-shittiest-person

It's the start of Football Season here in the US. Whether you're marking your calendar with all of your favorite team's games, or rolling your eyes at the very idea, you can't deny that there's a lot to unpack around this particular sport. Is the NFL doing enough to prevent CTE? Or address racism? Spoiler alert: nope, neither. Join us as we dig deep, while somehow still barely scratching the surface of this controversial behemoth.

References:

https://nul.org/news/nine-decades-after-nfl-banned-black-players-super-bowl-lvii-first-feature-two-black-starting

https://footballplayershealth.harvard.edu/about/news/examining-race-trends-in-the-nfl-diversity-but-not-inclusion/

https://players-coalition.org/

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/reading-physical-culture/2023/04/21/the-dominance-of-whiteness-in-the-nfl/

https://www.choice360.org/tie-post/the-nfl-operates-like-a-monopoly-which-fortifies-systemic-racism/

https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/population-health/divisions-sections-centers/medical-ethics/education/high-school-bioethics-project/learning-scenarios/the-nfl-brain-injury

https://u.osu.edu/groupbetaengr2367/brian-add-stuff-here/

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/theres-a-way-to-deal-with-brain-injuries-in-football-it-isnt-safety-gear/

Study: At least 25% of NFL players in sample had CTE - ESPN

CTE in football players is a health crisis. It’s time for us to stop watching | NFL | The Guardian

Head to Head: The National Football League & Brain Injury | NYU Langone Health

Damar Hamlin's Collapse Highlights the Violence Black Men Experience in Football | Scientific American

It's back to school season for colleges and universities across the US. But is college actually "worth it"? And will schools be able to rise to the challenge of shifting demographics? Join us as we break down all of that and more, in a discussion we hope our bosses never find out we had.

Sources:

https://allaccess.collegeboard.org/enrollment-cliff-looming-heres-how-college-leaders-can-prepare

https://www.wiche.edu/knocking/

https://nypost.com/2026/08/21/us-news/american-colleges-are-facing-a-crisis-as-young-people-turn-to-trades/

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/22/college-pipeline-south-northeast

https://www.burningglassinstitute.org/bginsights/college-numbers-down-degrees-up-understanding-the-post-2010-enrollment-shift

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/college-enrollment-demographic-cliff/686750/

The title of this episode will probably elicit either one of two reactions from you: fear (and possible a very famous 2-note theme song), or unfiltered love and curiosity. And quite possibly, a bit of both! Are sharks actually deserving of our collective apprehension? Did Stephen Spielberg do them dirty? Should we all be "Shark Bitches"? All this and more in our toothy deep-dive!

Sources:

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/

https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/resource-center/stories/understanding-shark-attacks-myths-realities-and-conservation/

https://oceana.org/marine-life/whale-shark/

https://river-monsters.fandom.com/wiki/Legend_of_Loch_Ness

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37047168

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_(great_white_shark)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/12/08/sharks-are-50-million-years-older-than-trees-a-biologist-explains/

https://sharkstewards.org/how-jaws-influenced-shark-perception/

Shark Information & FAQs | IFAW

50 Years On: Was Jaws Really Bad for Sharks? - Save Our Seas Foundation

Great White Sharks Come Much Closer to Swimmers Than Thought in Southern California

For some, she's an idol. For others, she's a capitalist nightmare. The truth? Probably somewhere in between. In the aftermath of her fairytale wedding, let's unpack all the complicated ways Taylor Swift has come to represent so much that's wrong with the world, and why we maybe shouldn't be projecting all of that onto her.

Sources:

• https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellendurney/adam-sandler-officiating-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding
• https://www.buzzfeed.com/jadagomez/mamdani-taylor-swift-paid-nypd
• https://www.timesofisrael.com/adam-sandler-officiates-taylor-swifts-wedding-fueling-debate-on-singers-israel-stance/
• https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/02/13/taylor-swift-and-the-top-polluters-department/
• https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240213-taylor-swift-private-jet-flight-travel-carbon-footprint
• Special thanks to the "Nuancing Taylor Swift" subreddit

Last week was the season finale of Love Island USA. After a month and a half of emotional upheaval, friendships we strongly endorse, and romantic relationships we could take or leave (except our winning couple, of course, #Brinity Forever), it's time to ask: are we allowed to like this mega popular reality dating show? As always, the answer is yes (with a strong emphasis on the "yes"). Spoilers ahead for the last 3 seasons of Love Island USA, and a brief mention of suicide.

Sources:

• Enter the Villa: The (Unauthorized) Reality Behind Love Island by Anna Peele, published by Atria Books
• https://defector.com/i-finally-understand-why-im-obsessed-with-love-island
• https://parade.com/living/traits-of-people-who-watch-love-island-every-day-according-to-psychologist

Well hi there! Welcome to the first episode of "Am I Allowed to Like This?" We're starting off celebrating America's 250th birthday by critiquing the symbol of its core values. What are those values? Who gets to benefit from them? And who gets left out? All that and more in this week's episode!

Sources:

• https://www.nationalflagfoundation.org/
• https://www.npr.org/2020/10/12/922272134/we-asked-americans-how-they-feel-about-the-u-s-flag-it-got-interesting
• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/america-turns-250-say-stars-stripes-now-red-flag-rcna345939
• https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/03/the-upside-down-american-flag-goes-mainstream-as-a-form-of-right-wing-protest/
• https://medium.com/@DanielHoran/confronting-the-idolatry-of-nationalism-again-c9b6ded2b95