Ambient music—what is it, what is it not? Hosts Blake and Kashif attempt to define the music that is so much a part of our professional and personal lives, even when we don’t realize it. Beginning in the 20th century, they trace the genre’s journey from dinner music for the upper echelon to the ‘on-hold’ jingle at your local doctor’s office. Just how many subgenres of ambient/experimental music are there? Why are ambient titles so usual? Reflections on William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops. An interview with JayVe Montgomery about sound and existence, his newest project: Lake Black Town, and the need for more Black ambient artists.

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In the depths of a lonliness epidemic, what is the importance of coffee shops and third spaces? Our resident coffee shop connoisseurs break down Ray Oldenburg’s third space theory and its obsession with homosexuality. They look at how third wave coffee shops function in their respective communities. How can you tell if a coffee shop will be good based on the name? Why Joe, Co., and Roast can be a dead giveaway of a burnt latte. Baristas and how they are principal agents in the fight against loneliness.

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Storyteller and medium Logan Taylor vists the pod to talk ghosts, spirits, and how to hone the gift of seeing. Featured on the popular Kristen Stewart series, Living for the Dead, Logan talks about coming out as both queer and a psychic in rural Tennessee. What happens after we die? What’s it like to date a psychic? Episode includes a tribute to a dearly departed rider of cowboys.

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Instagram: @whosgonnabetherepod

1982 was quite a year for books, censorship, and the freedom to read. That year, the Supreme Court heard Board of Ed v. Pico, Banned Books Week was founded, and Reading Rainbow was in development. In this episode, Blake and Kashif examine the state of books bans in the US. Kashif unpacks activist librarianship and the symbolic firing of Carla Hayden. Blake explores Reading Rainbow in light of the Butterfly in the Sky documentary. The boys talk their shared love of reading and how the show fostered imagination. They share their favorite children’s books.

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Picture yourself eavesdropping on a typical coffee shop conversation between Blake and Kashif. In this bonus episode, they discuss civil rights activists Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Freedom Summer. Listen as they find the bridge between the invasive Salt Cedar, the Sand Creek Massacre and Native American mascots. What happens when normal people go…good? What does it mean to uproot traditions that shouldn’t have been there in the first place?

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Culture writer and interviewer Kim Baldwin joins the pod. The triad talk drag queens and socializing in a post-pandemic world. Interviewing a naked celebrity and Joel Kim Booster’s penis. Kashif’s addiction to deep conversation. A special edition of the game.

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Our hosts revisit The Biggest Loser and the new documentary Fit for TV—but first, Jillian Michaels. Who is she and has she always been an asshole? They trace her journey from TBL to the alt-right. Blake and Kashif reflect on the return of the Presidential Fitness Test and what new moral panic it signals. Protein-mania, anti-fatness, and gym memberships.

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KeShawn Ivory, an astrophysicist who specializes in dark matter and a fellow introvert, stops by. The trio examine ideas about the galaxy, Black representation in astronomy, and other stellar possibilities. What does it mean for an astronomer to believe in the Universe? What’s the best way to keep a wig on in space? KeShawn sticks around for a special Space Edition of the game.

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Quiet queers Blake and Kashif examine the Noah’s Arc franchise. They unpack the creative vision of director Patrik-Ian Polk and the gorgeous men of the series. An exploration of butch queen/femme/masc expression. The legacy of E. Lynn Harris and James Baldwin. A white gay reflection from the outside of Black gay joy.

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Emily Joy Allison, author of #ChurchToo, visits the pod. Our hosts discuss their journey to disillusionment with the Contemporary Christian Music industry. Blake shares the intimate details of his grooming by a named Christian music executive. Emily joins the boys for a special CCM edition of the party game.

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Instagram: @whosgonnabetherepod