Critical Babe Theory

Ben Zitsman—literary darling, reformed scoundrel and former managing editor of the Antioch Review—comes by the podcast to discuss his spiritual search on a Jesuit mission at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Plus: Catholic converts, American sex-ed and that time Francesca was possessed by a demon (and her subsequent exorcism). 

Is Chat GPT a literal prophet? We discuss the college students who use AI to pass their classes and the liberals who use social media to break their own brains. Plus: Chat GPT gives Sarah schizophrenic spiritual counsel. 

Discussed:

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College

My Brain Finally Broke by Jia Tolentino

Is New York over? Discussed: The battle for the soul of the West Village, Francesca's audition to play Jessa in Girls, white girls promoting North Korea on TikTok, and much more.

It Must Be Nice to Be a West Village Girl

Why I Broke Up With New York by Lena Dunham

Things get heated as we discuss Alex's fling with anarchy, Francesca's true religious affiliations, Donald Trump's fashion choices, and whether or not Ye is a good rapper. Plus part two of our conversation about the new Mansons—a queer vegan doomsday cult prepping for an all-powerful AI god. Featuring poet, friend of the pod and the most verbal straight man in all of NYC, Alex Howe.

Subscribe to Alex’s Substack, Available for Parties: https://alexhowefinsta.substack.com/

Discussed: 

https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/speed-over-fairness-deportation-under-obama

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8yj2n33yo

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/26/world/europe/trump-pope-francis-funeral-blue-suit.html

Did JD Vance kill the pope? And: Part one of our conversation about the new Mansons—a queer vegan doomsday cult prepping for an all-powerful AI god. Featuring poet, friend of the pod and the most verbal straight man in all of NYC, Alex Howe.

Subscribe to Alex’s Substack, Available for Parties: https://alexhowefinsta.substack.com/

Discussed: 

https://newrepublic.com/post/194199/jd-vance-kill-pope-francis-investigation

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/technology/slate-star-codex-rationalists.html

Girls gone astral, Francesca endorses raw milk, a retrospective on the Covid lockdowns & the true meaning of Frank Sinatra's My Way.

Discussed:

Were the Covid Lockdowns Worth It?
Some Raw Truths About Raw Milk

Sarah and Francesca discuss mass deportations, anti-semitism, Oscar-winning homoeroticism and the inspiring story of how one alleged war criminal overcame 90 minutes of inconvenience. 

Is motherhood hell? Do straight women exist? And why won't the Left let Francesca be a trad wife?