The American Age

020 - The hosts reflect on their podcast “From Abortion to Beauty Standards.” Steven examines Jordan Perterson’s motivations in the Twitterverse in light of recent mass shootings. Seph deconstructs the “my body my choice” assertion as it pertains to abortion, vaccine mandates and religious beliefs. Travis draws a link between the concept of beauty standards and vaccine mandates through the human desire for certainty.

211 - The hosts continue their conversation about abortion and discuss the politics of “principles,” before they move on to Jordan Peterson, and the notion of “objective” beauty standards.

019 - The hosts reflect on their podcast “My Body, My Choice, Except When…” Travis discusses the role of the government in regulating bodily autonomy, and views ongoing outrage over issues such as the Musk Twitter acquisition as a distraction from more important concerns. Steven provides food for thought in the form of questions over issues brought up in the podcast, and compares the statements made by select conservative Supreme Court justices during their confirmation hearings to the leaked draft opinion overruling Roe v. Wade. Seph addresses a challenge Travis posed during their discussion last week.

210 - The hosts discuss the speculation that Roe v Wade might be overturned. What does “My Body, My Choice” mean in an era of vaccine mandates? What makes government regulation of our bodies permissible in some instances but not others?

018 - The hosts reflect on their podcast about “Don’t Say Gay” Bills: Representations vs Realities. Steven reasserts his view of the bill as Trojan Horse perpetrated by the GOP, and examines the notion of “benign intent” within the framework of his own life experiences. Seph mines Google for statistics about sex education in middle schools to see if there’s any justification behind the “moral panic.” Travis clarifies remarks he made regarding the mind body duality in western vs eastern thought, and emphasizes his concern over the implementation of gender affirming medical procedures on adolescents.

209 - The hosts discuss the media’s representations of recent parental rights and transgender sports bills. How much is moral panic? How fair is the coverage? The hosts look at the actual legislation as well as the stories about the legislation.

017 - The hosts reflect on their podcast about Will Smith, Chris Rock, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Travis taps into Ramakrishna’s teachings as he makes a case for humility and understanding in our fraught community. Seph examines his past experiences with violence, brought to the forefront by the Oscar scandal and events in Ukraine. Steven delves into the unjustified backlash against Jada Pinkett Smith.

208 - The hosts discuss the implications of Smith smacking Rock. Is this a further breakdown in our collective civic space, a breakdown amongst elites, or just some a random human event? War and the history of “grooming” are also up for discussion.

016 -

The hosts reflect on their podcast about the Jussie Smollett case. Travis expresses his concerns over the use of racial animus to serve ambition. Steven shares his mystification over what Jussie Smollett’s motivations might have been. Seph mines the Twitter feed to illustrate a point about individual vs group behavior. 

207 - The hosts discuss Jussie Smollett and the various responses to his case. If Smollett is the boundary case, a caricature of how a person can manipulate social forces for personal gain, what other examples exist in 21st century America? Is this a cautionary tale of our culture's preoccupation with race, or a byproduct of meaningful progress?