The Hard Truth

Let's talk about the inspirational LGBTQ icon, Laverne Cox! I talk about her backstory, her many accolades, and most importantly, share some of her most motivational comments as she paves the way towards gender equality, especially in the transgender community. Check it out!

In this episode, I talk about the massive overload of misinformation, disinformation, and fearmongering that is happening all over social media. I've got some advice from Britany Williams on what we can do as parents and also how we can prioritize and filter some of this information that we're surrounded with every day. Check it out!

Let's talk about censorship and the apparent war on public libraries. I go over the American Library Association's 2023 Data Report and their Top 10 Most Challenged List, along with religious materials and sex education in public schools. Check it out!

Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2023:

1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

2. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

3. This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

5. Flamer by Mike Curato

6. The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison

7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

8. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

9. Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationship, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

10. Sold by Patricia McCormick

Happy AAPI Month! To celebrate, we've got an episode all about Filipino culture, food, languages, and a special highlight of Jose Rizal's incredible life. Reggie joins us to share her experience growing up as a Filipino-American, as well as her take on mental health in a Filipino household.

Books Referenced:

"I'm Glad My Mother Died" by Jennette McCurdy

"Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner

Mason Zhang joins me in this episode with his underdog story as we discuss the recent Supreme Court case against Harvard that banned affirmative action in higher education. We debate Kenny Xu's take on Asian Americans scoring higher on standardized testing than their peers, as well as what the future of selection committees in higher education should look like.

Books referenced:

Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology by Chris Miller

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Buckle up! Let's deep dive into capital punishment, the racial bias behind it, the most vulnerable victims, and more.

Let's talk about the INSANE gender price gap in baby clothes and the sizing differences between boy and girl clothes. And, should a stranger be able to tell the gender of a baby at just a glance? I've got some thoughts...

Daniel and I tackle another glamorized & overly romanticized aspect portrayed on social media. Did you know that one fifth of couples break up within 12 months of having their first baby? Let's take a look at the reasons why and how we can combat them.

Let's talk about the message behind "what are you?" and especially "where are you from?"

Let's focus on separating the actions from the people and how acceptance is bred, not born.

Let's learn how to be decent human beings.

Books Referenced:

Educated by Tara Westover

Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi

Join our conversation as Jess, a certified personal trainer, tells her story of becoming an influencer, her experience going viral on social media, and what she thinks about children wanting to get into content creation.

Books Referenced:

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy