Interesting Times

What do Princess Diana’s wedding, the “Survivor” first season finale and Prince’s 2007 Super Bowl halftime show all have in common? They were huge cultural moments that brought millions of Americans together. In an era of streaming, social media bubbles and sharp political divides, are unifying events like these becoming relics of the past?

On today’s episode, the hosts make a case for the secular ritual of the Super Bowl and ask whether we need more mass cultural events to bring Americans together.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Bowling Alone,” the 1995 essay in the Journal of Democracy and 2000 book by Robert D. Putnam
• “The Wiz,” the 1978 American musical featuring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
• Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs perform “Fast Car” at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

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Around the world, the youngest cohort of voters are dividing themselves politically along gendered lines. What’s behind this “great gender divergence”?

This week, the hosts debate the causes and consequences of a gender-divided world. Plus, Ross has some timing advice should you choose to improve the national birthrate.

(A full transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “A New Global Gender Divide Is Emerging,” by John Burn-Murdoch in The Financial Times
• “Taylor Swift, Donald Trump and the Right’s Abnormality Problem,” by Ross Douthat in The Times

If you're a Gen Z listener, let us know your thoughts about the episode by leaving us a voicemail at 212-556-7440 or email us at [email protected]. We welcome messages from other generations, too!

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It’s an old truism that Americans don’t care about foreign policy when it’s time to cast their ballots. But with the crisis in Gaza, a prolonged conflict in Ukraine and a trade war brewing with China, could 2024 be the year that American voters finally care about what’s going on beyond the water’s edge?

The hosts take a look at the importance (or lack thereof) of foreign affairs in American elections. Plus, Lydia  recommends a film Oscar nominations were wrong to skip.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “A Titanic Geopolitical Struggle Is Underway” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “We Aren’t Just Watching the Decline of the Oscars. We’re Watching the End of the Movies.” by Ross Douthat

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

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The hosts take apart why Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis can’t seem to form competitive coalitions against Donald Trump, and whether Haley, DeSantis, the Supreme Court “or God himself” can keep the former president from becoming the Republican nominee.

Plus, Michelle Cottle reveals her Plan B if her political reporting career doesn’t work out.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters
• Hot dog car sketch on “I Think You Should Leave”

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

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This week, the hosts do the dirty work of strategizing the best vice-presidential candidate for Donald Trump to campaign with, and break down what goes into consequential (and not so consequential) V.P. picks.

Plus, Carlos’s team has a Fightin’ chance next year.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Picking the Vice President,” by Elaine Kamarck
• “Which Trump Toady Would the MAGA King Pick as His No. 2?” by Michelle Cottle in The Times
• “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser
• “Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President,” by Jimmy Carter

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

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Is Donald Trump an insurrectionist who should be barred from the ballot? On this episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts discuss who should get to decide if the former president can try to return to the White House. Plus, the hosts lay out what other stories are on their 2024 political bingo cards.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “The Antidemocratic Quest to Save Democracy From Trump,” by Ross Douthat in The New York Times
• December 2023 Times/Siena poll
• “The 2023 High School Yearbook of American Politics,” by Michelle Cottle in The Times
• “Trump’s 2024 Playbook,” episode of “The Daily” from The Times
• “The World Should Fear 2024,” by Aris Roussinos in UnHerd

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

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“Matter of Opinion” is off for the week, but we’re leaving you with an audio essay from our very own Carlos Lozada on what we can learn from how our leaders speak.

Politicians’ language can tell you a lot about the way they think, sometimes unintentionally. If the 2024 election is indeed a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Carlos makes the case that their dueling visions for America come down to their favorite words.

This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio App, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Have we reached peak Taylor Swift? Does the world need your bagel shop’s position on Israel-Hamas? Should Ross start drinking on mic? On the year’s final episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts take your questions and reflect on the best of 2023.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “The Presidential Fantasy Draft America Needs,” episode of “Matter of Opinion” from New York Times Opinion
• “Covering the Election: The One-Year Countdown Begins,” by James Fallows in his “Breaking the News” Substack
• “Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World,” by John Vaillant
• “The 10 Best Books of 2023,” By The New York Times Books staff in The New York Times

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Scandal, it seems, no longer stops politicians in their tracks.

George Santos — who was expelled from Congress last Friday — will reportedly make six figures after just one week as a Cameo star. Donald Trump has been mired in countless trials and controversies — and yet he is still the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts reminisce over famous political scandals of yore. From tan suits to yacht affairs, what actually makes a scandal scandalous? And in the Trump era, are there real consequences to messing up anymore? Plus, Michelle Cottle tears down the house with her holiday gift guide.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Checkers speech,” Richard Nixon Foundation
• “Watergate: A New History,” by Garrett M. Graff
• “White House Plumbers,” a five-part miniseries on Max
• “Healthy Holly” book series, by Catherine Pugh
• “All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid,” by Matt Bai
• “Bush Encounters the Supermarket, Amazed,” by Andrew Rosenthal in The New York Times
• “A Very Thin Line: The Iran-Contra Affairs,” by Theodore Draper
• “The Final Days,” by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
• “George Santos Is Earning Six Figures From Cameo Videos,” by Ben Smith and Kadia Goba on Semafor

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected].

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Strongmen are making a comeback. The hyperlibertarian Javier Milei in Argentina and the anti-immigration Geert Wilders in the Netherlands are among a growing group of recently elected leaders who promise to break a few rules, shake up democratic institutions and spread a populist message.

Is it a reaction against the failures of liberal democracies? Or is there something else behind the appeal of these misbehaving men with wild hair?

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts debate where the urge to turn to strongmen is coming from and whether it’s such a bad thing after all. Plus, young listeners share their formative political moments, even in the middle of class.

(A transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

If you've been inspired to call in, we're still taking your thoughts for our end-of-the-year episode. We're looking for two things, either a question you've been dying to ask us, or a topic you'd like to hear if we're hot or cold on. You can email us at [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-556-7440. We may play some of it in a future episode.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra,” a podcast from MSNBC
• “This Country Seemed Immune to Far-Right Politics. Then Came a Corruption Scandal.” by Alexander C. Kaufman on HuffPost
• “The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium,” by Martin Gurri

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.