The American Age

081 – How do alternative lifestyles effect historically heteronormative notions of "romance?" The hosts discuss the ways in which romance has changed in response to the mainstreaming of LGTBQ interests, and how LGTBQ interests have been shaped by mainstream romance.

080 – We often talk about our lives as if it is one long running story, from cradle to grave. We do the same in our romantic lives, from young and fantastic to mature and sober. But is that true? How much do we actually learn from romance?

079 – What makes someone "difficult" in romantic relationships? Putting themselves under the microscope, the hosts explore their own shortcomings and wonder how difficult they are to love.

078 – Romance--with a lowercase "r"--has been a preoccupation in the West since the 17th century. But it's rarely discussed with any seriousness outside of literature or without pop cultural clichés. The hosts aim to change that.

077 – The hosts' extend their diagnoses of the intellectual misanthropy that has helped make Trump's populism palatable, by working through the arguments for civility in the public sphere.

076 – The election of Donald Trump in 2016 broke the mold of the modern American President. Countless factors undoubtedly contributed to his election, but one that is seldom discussed is Trump's compatibility with the critical intellectual fatalism common in continental philosophy.

075 – In a democracy the press serves a vital function--the dissemination of facts. Facts are slippery, but their faithful pursuit strengthens our national character. What has the election of Donald Trump revealed about fact-based media in America?

074 – Cultural progress requires change, but that change isn't always positive for its agents. For many years progressives ignored the cost of progress, but that bill came due in November, 2016. The 2016 election is a clear signal the world is changing, but what is it changing into?

073 – What do we mean when we say that someone does or does not "look presidential?" Is it still freighted with the same assumptions about race and gender (i.e. white and male)? The hosts discuss the possibility that it is convey a kind of dispassionate and benign ruthlessness.

072 – In most polling Joe Biden is the front runner amongst Democrats in the 2020 Presidential primaries. But he's a problematic candidate because many of his mannerisms put him out of step with the Democratic base. What kind of politician is Biden and can he secure the nomination?