I’m Ben! and I’m Abby! And even though we’re DEF the problem, we’re not inserting an Anti-Hero reference here.* But, we are diving into the Sarahs & Hannahs of it all this week on Red State Reboot.  To sum it all up: Taylor Swift and other celebs don’t owe us shit and they’re not our friends. Amanda Montell certainly receives the hero-of-the-episode award as we pull from her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking.  As part of this, we expand on the phenomenon Montell describes of fans “eating their own god especially,” and how celebs like Chappell Roan have been more proactive in setting boundaries with those who consume their art. Still, if the Internet and the algorithms are making it hard for you to NOT be thinking about your fav celeb all the time, it’s okay; we listen and we don’t judge. But if your fav celebs are Tr*mp and El*n and you’re eating up THEIR Easter Eggs on Truth and X… well then you’ll have to listen next week so we can set you straight ;)

*Looking into Abby's relationship with Taylor Swift on the celebrity worship continuum during this episode has made her take a good look at some of her habits.

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New episodes of Red State Reboot drop every Monday.

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IG: @redstaterebootpod

Threads: @redstaterebootpod

Website: www.redstatereboot.com

Contact: [email protected]

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SOURCES:

Brandeismo. n.d. “An Open Letter to Taylor Swift From Her Fans #SpeakUpNow via Twitter : R/GaylorSwift.” https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/comments/13knn0f/an_open_letter_to_taylor_swift_from_her_fans/

Chakraborty, Rajarsi. 2024. “What Does Taylor Swift Meme ‘mother Is Mothering’ Mean? Singer Once Joked About It Being “Totally Different Context Than Mother’s Day” Sportskeeda, May 22. https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/music/what-taylor-swift-meme-mother-mothering-mean-singer-joked-totally-different-context-mother-s-day

Kreps, Daniel. 2024. “Chappell Roan Sets Boundary Between Public and Private Personas in Forceful Statement.” Rolling Stone, August 24. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chappell-roan-boundary-fans-statement-1235087528/

Montell, Amanda. 2024. The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality. Simon and Schuster.

LIVE AND UNEDITED! The spirit of RSR compelled us to get TF on our microphones today when Trump signed the Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education. Polishing up this ep was secondary to us getting it to your ears; so you might miss our usual cutie sound effects, but trust that we’ll get you up to speed on what today’s action *actually* means. Take care of yourselves, keep getting fired up and talking about the issues that make you upset, and we’ll talk to y’all again on Monday. - Abby & Ben

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New episodes of Red State Reboot drop every Monday.

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IG: @redstaterebootpod

Threads: @redstaterebootpod

Website: www.redstatereboot.com

Contact: [email protected]

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SOURCES:

Faguy, Ana. 2025. “What Is the Department of Education - and Can Trump Dismantle It?” BBC. March 20. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79zxzj90nno

Filson, Jackie. 2025. “New Poll Confirms: Trump’s Plan to Abolish Department of Education Is Extremely Unpopular Among Voters.” Student Borrower Protection Center. February 5. https://protectborrowers.org/new-poll-confirms-trumps-plan-to-abolish-department-of-education-is-extremely-unpopular-among-voters/ 

Quillin, Martha. 2025. “How Could NC Schools Be Impacted by a Shutdown of the US Dept. Of Education? What We Know.” Raleigh News & Observer, March 12. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article301554419.html