Indirect Message

Discourse about hot-button social issues is broken. Can we fix it?

Even in progressive company, polyamory is a widely misunderstood relationship style. Today we take a deep dive to better understand polyamory through the lens of our sexual evolution.

Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller joins to discuss the stigmas of evolutionary psychology and polyamory, negotiating sexual boundaries, mate selection, dealing with jealousy, how poly can help people who struggle romantically, and technological threats to monogamy.

Emotions sometimes feel like hardwired reactions that are out of our control. But what if this is all wrong? Laci explores a mind-bending new view of emotion that is changing everything.

Today's guest: Lisa Feldman Barrett, author of How Emotions Are Made

America's 50% divorce rate is a jarring reality check. In this episode, Laci shares her evolving thoughts about getting married. She discusses why we tend to ask the wrong questions before tying the knot, the 4 communication habits that destroy relationships, and a shockingly simple way we can cut the divorce rate in half.

Seemingly overnight, TikTok became one of the most addictive social media apps on the planet. It is also the first giant created in the authoritarian state of China. Laci discusses how TikTok managed to capture the world's attention, their controversial history of censorship, and whether the app could be used as a weapon of mass manipulation.

Guest: Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom

Dr. Drew dished out sex advice on the radio for over 30 years. He and his daughter Paulina join me for a fireside chat.

We discuss their father/daughter relationship and the impact of Drew's fame, sex ed in '80s, how hook up culture developed, gender differences in desire, why college students binge drink, rejection and emotional development, rehabilitating abusers, and more.

Guest: Dr. Drew Pinski and Paulina Pinski

Is dating the next feminist frontier? The ladies who started Reddit's Female Dating Strategy certainly think so.

Moralizing, outrage, and condemnation are all over social media. While it may be well-intentioned, there is quite often a dark side to this behavior.

Laci is joined by philosopher Dr. Brandon Warmke to explore the use and abuse of moral talk on social media. They discuss the five ways we virtue signal and why it is so widespread, the threat it poses to activist causes, and what those of us who crave better moral discourse can do about it.

Despite the body positive movement's enormous virality online, girls and women are just as fixated on their bodies as they ever have been. Is there a better approach?

Activists, researchers, and identical twins Drs. Lexie & Lindsay Kite join Laci to share their perspective. They discuss why the body positive movement has struggled to achieve its radical goals, self-objectification and a critique of the selfie, the effects of body shame on motivational states, diet talk, and integrating body positivity with a healthy lifestyle.

Content Warning: brief mention of eating and exercise disorders.

Liberal feminism and Islam have become unlikely bedfellows; the hijab is largely celebrated, while critical discussion is hampered by accusations of bigotry. Activist Yasmine Mohammed, an ex-Muslim child abuse survivor who was forced to marry an Al Qaeda operative, questions the narrative.

She joins Laci to discuss her life experiences, why the liberal conversation about Islam is so fraught, Islam (the doctrine) vs. Muslims (the people), double standards and racism, violence prevention in multicultural societies, and feminist approaches to the hijab.

Content Warning: discussions of sensitive cultural issues, child abuse, homophobia, descriptions of FGM, sexual violence, and suicide.