With Friends Like These

By Crooked Media

Society & Culture

What's With Friends Like These about?

Ana Marie Cox, political columnist and culture critic, sits down with liberals and conservatives, pastors, writers, activists, and other people you should know for an open, funny, in-depth conversation about what divides us - a show about listening instead of arguing.

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Cheat Codes For God with Av...

09.13.2019

This week Avery Trufelman (@trufelman) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss the possibility of a better tomorrow. Avery’s new show Nice Try! Is a podcast about various failed attempts at utopias across the ages, and what our (maybe) crumbling ...

With Friends Like These episodes:

09.13.2019 Cheat Codes For God with Avery Trufelman This week Avery Trufelman (@trufelman) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss the possibility of a better tomorrow. Avery’s new show Nice Try! Is a podcast about various failed attempts at utopias across the ages, and what our (maybe) crumbling ...
09.06.2019 Hot Bananapants Summer with Rick Wilson Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss current events and politics at large. After a game to test Ricks’s knowledge of the Trump administrations many, many attempts at spin, the two dive into a discussion regarding the ...
08.30.2019 My Least Favorite Murderer with Rachel Monroe This week, Rachel Monroe (@rachmonroe) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to break down the lack of truth in true crime. Using Rachel’s book, Savage Appetites, Rachel and Ana explore stories of women totally consumed by true crime to draw larger ...
08.23.2019 Stage Four Metastatic Racism with Arjun Sethi and Ibram X. Kendi This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sits down with human rights lawyer, activist, and author Arjun Sethi (@arjunsethi81) to discuss the one year anniversary of his book, American Hate: Survivors Speak Out —as relevant as ever after the massacres in ...
08.16.2019 Apocalyptic Safe Spaces with Elizabeth Bruenig CW: Complex discussions of Christianity, Faith, and Catholicism’s scandals. Washington Post writer Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to explain the seemingly nonsensical evangelical support for Donald Trump. They delve into the suicide-pact between Trump and Jesus Country ...
08.09.2019 Real Friends Argue with Betsy Hodges After the horrifying massacre in El Paso, host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) and former Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges (@BetsyHodges) navigate a complex discussion about race in America that’s all too relevant. Together, they break down the many ways in which ...
08.02.2019 Consequences Waiting To Happen with E. Jean Carroll Content Warning: Sexual Assault. In this week’s episode, E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to answer the age old question: do women really need men? E. Jean tells us about the road trip through femme-named towns and ...
07.26.2019 There Is Alt-Lite That Never Goes Out with Alexandra Minna Stern In this week’s fascinating episode, Alexandra Minna Stern joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss how white supremicst and white nationalist ideologies became so entrenched in our current political landscape. We’re now in the age of Proud Boys running for ...
07.19.2019 All Along The Watchtower with Amber Scorah This week Amber Scorah (@amberscorah) and Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) discuss Amber’s new book - Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life. Together, they break into Amber’s former faith with the Jehovah's Witnesses, her complicated marital affair, ...
07.12.2019 Mussolini's Valet with Rick Wilson Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) and Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) meet for their monthly airing of grievances. Rick and Ana discuss how America is quickly becoming dismissed on the world stage, why a White House social media summit is the pinnacle of ...
07.05.2019 Boulevard of Woken Dreams with Shannon Watts This week Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss how she built the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action from the ground up. Shannon’s new book Fight Like A Mother is both a memoir, but also a ...
06.28.2019 Infiltrating UFO Culture with Anna Merlan This week Anna Merlan (@annamerlan) helps us Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) parse America’s increasingly conspiratorial culture. Anna spent eight years covering conspiracy groups and just came out with a book, Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise ...
06.21.2019 Paranoia Is Just Having All The Facts with Vann Newkirk This week Vann Newkirk (@fivefifths) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss conspiracy and its complex relationship with marginalized groups. Why does conspiratorial thinking appeal to those who feel “othered” within their society? Vann walks us through how the historic ...
06.14.2019 A Conspiracy Of Dunces with Will Sommer This week Will Sommer (@willsommer) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) for a discussion of his work in exploring the wide-spread radicalization of mostly middle-aged people who think a shadowy cabal is going to take revenge on everyone they don’t like. ...
06.07.2019 In League With Witches with Jesse Walker and Parker Molloy This week Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) for an exciting round of “Who’s Right and Who’s a Nut?” Jesse Walker reminds us that you don’t need a tinfoil hat to believe in conspiracy theories, and that they ...
05.31.2019 Go Screw Yourself with Adam Savage (feat. Rebecca Nagle) This week Adam Savage (@donttrythis) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox ) to talk about his new book “Every Tool's a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It.” They talk about glue, principles of metal working, and how to forgive yourself ...
05.24.2019 Native American Imposter Syndrome- Tommy Orange on There, There When you think of a Native American person what comes to your mind? Is it a sports decal? Is it Tonto on the Lone Ranger? Did you just think of all of the White people you know who claim to ...
05.17.2019 Polar Oppositions (feat. Rick Wilson and Jordan Klepper). Y’all ever create a constitutional crisis to own the libs? This week, Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk Ana down after another week of neverending bad news. They discuss light topics such as the recent pro-forced ...
05.10.2019 Sweet Nothing(ness)- Heather Armstrong on Her New Book, The Valedictorian of Being Dead CW: Depression and Suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression or suicidal ideation, please call the National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. You are worthy of love and you deserve to be alive. This week Heather Armstrong (@dooce) ...
05.03.2019 Down Ass White Boy Bingo: A Conversation with Author Damon Young CW: Suicide and Sexual Assault What does it mean to be a well meaning white person? What does it mean to have to deal with well meaning white people? This week Damon Young (@DamonYoungVSB) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to ...
04.26.2019 Disrespected By the Toilet: Stephanie Land on her Book, Maid There are many misconceptions surrounding poverty in America. Author Stephanie Land (@stepville) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss her experiences as a maid and how those myths affect policy and perceptions of low income people. They talked about what ...
04.19.2019 An Iceberg of Sh*t: Rick Wilson on the Mueller Report CW: Sexual Assault Got Mueller Madness? Join Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) and Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) as they get up from a fetal position and debrief the Mueller Report. They begin with a quick review of the day from the perspective ...
04.12.2019 Are You Smart or Just Cynical? With Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Jay Rosen This week host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) is joined by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) to talk about why scrolling down your news feed has become such a painful and depressing chore. Kathleen Hall Jamieson breaks down the ...
04.05.2019 Red-Pilling Grandma with Eli Saslow Need some advice on how to deal with that one uncle who brings up the Birther Conspiracy at every family gathering? This week journalist Eli Saslow (@elisaslow) joins host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss to radicalization of older people. ...
03.29.2019 “Teacher, Explainer, Soldier, Spy: Doing Solidarity Work with Nausheena Hussain and Beth Gendler.” This week Nausheena Hussain (@nausheena) and Beth Gendler (@bethgendler) join host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to remind us that asking invasive questions requires a strong relationship, and that the internet is free! Nausheena and Beth talk about how their relationship ...
03.01.2019 “Sugar, We’re Cohen Down with Nina Burleigh” In the wake of the blockbuster Cohen testimony, there’s a lot to be unpacked about how the Trump family handles relationships, and in particular how Trump has spent his entire life commodifying and branding women. Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) is ...
02.22.2019 Hate Crimes and Crossed Lines with Jamil Smith Jussie Smollett. Yeah. That whole thing. Ugh. Ughhhh. This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) interviewed Rolling Stone journalist Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) about how to untangle this mess. There’s a rising trend in hate crime and organized hate groups across the ...
02.15.2019 You’ve Got Problematic Male Leads: A With Friends Like These Valentine’s Day Special! Whether you’re going out to dinner, or sitting at home with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, Valentine’s Day offers unique problems for everyone. This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) interviewed Blythe Roberson (@blythelikehappy) to talk about the modern pitfalls ...
02.08.2019 #TrustWomen with Tressie Cottom and Erika Christensen Tune in this week for a double interview feature! First, Dr. Tressie Cottom joined Ana Marie Cox for “the hot take superbowl.” They began by recapping the Northam debacle in Virginia and where it fits into our historical moment. They ...
02.01.2019 More than Flyover Country: Sarah Smarsh on her book Heartland This week proud Kansas native Sarah Smarsh (@Sarah_Smarsh) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss her new book Heartland: A Memoir of Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth. From not knowing you’re poor, to feeling shame about your ...
01.25.2019 Bonkerpalooza! With Rick Wilson This week Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about the government shutdown, and the newest implications of the Trump presidency. They covered how Trump’s decisions have affected everyone from Congress to the average American citizen. Afterwards, ...
01.18.2019 The Witching Hour with Dianna E Anderson Have you ever cancelled a celebrity? Do you believe you can separate the art from the artist? Do Twitter arguments and trending hashtags matter in the real world? This week Dianna Anderson (@diannaeanderson) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to answer ...
01.11.2019 "Real Shit with Ashley Nicole Black" This week Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about her own experiences as a writer and an academic and pass out some advice along the way. They began by talking about the changes in comedy ...
01.04.2019 "Amateur Hour with Mina Kimes" The typical American family holiday can be characterized by the three F’s: food, family, and football. This week Ana Marie Cox (@amc) and Mina Kimes (@minakimes) talked about the intersections of sports and politics, and why football isn’t the safest ...
12.28.2018 "Split and Knitted Back Together: Amanda Carpenter on the GOP" Nearly 30% of registered voters are Republican, but almost half of them don’t support Trump as of 2018. What happens to the other half? This week Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about being in the ...
12.21.2018 “Not Leaving on a Jet Plane: Eric Holthaus on Climate Change and Activism” This week Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox ) to talk about being a meteorologist in a time where climate change has reached both a critical point scientifically and politically. From making small personal decisions, to fighting for ...
12.14.2018 “Stand Up and Disrupt: Live from the Women Rule Summit with Anna Palmer and Piper Perabo” This week With Friends Like These is coming to you live from the 6th Annual Women Rule Summit in D.C. In this episode Anna Palmer (@apalmerdc) and Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) talked to Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) about going from actress ...
12.07.2018 "Back to Selma and Beyond: Dr. Carol Anderson on Her Book One Person, No Vote" CW: Gore, Violence This week Dr. Carol Anderson (@ProfCAnderson) joined host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about current events in the context of her new book, One Person, No Vote. They covered an intensive history of voting rights and ...
11.30.2018 "Dive Into the Deep End: Kiese Laymon on His New Book" CW: Addiction, Eating Disorders, and Suicide. If you are struggling with any of these issues, please click the link in the content warning. You are loved and there is help available. This week Kiese Laymon (@KieseLaymon) joined Ana Marie Cox ...
11.23.2018 “All I Need is Right Here: Being Thankful with Diana Butler Bass.” CW: Sexual Assault. If you are struggling with sexual assault, there is help available. Please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 This week Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) joined host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to talk about gratefulness, and ...
11.16.2018 “Maximum Man-Baby Mode: Rick Wilson on What the 2018 Midterms Mean for Trump” This week Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sat down with Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) to talk about the 2018 Midterms. They began with a broader analysis of the Blue Wave that narrowed down into a discussion about Florida, Georgia, and voter suppression. ...
11.09.2018 "White Women: Foot Soldiers of the Patriarchy" This week Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) joined host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to recap the 2018 midterm elections, and the work that led up to them. They began with a conversation on the demographic of White women and their voting patterns. ...
11.02.2018 “Life During Wartime Language: Talking with a former white nationalist turned SJW” This week Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) talked with journalist Eli Saslow (@elisaslow) and Derek Black (@RDerekBlack) about Derek Black’s transformation from a white nationalist to an antiracist activist. They began with current news and what Trump means for the rise ...
10.26.2018 Where the Personal and Political Meet: In Conversation with Karamo Brown and Parker Molloy On this week’s two part episode, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) interviews Karamo Brown (@KaramoBrown) and Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy). Karamo and Ana talked about his work on Queer Eye, mental health, and what it means to be different in today’s society. ...
10.19.2018 “The Pied Piper of Feminism” This week Heather Havrilesky (@hhavrilesky) joined Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox ) to talk about her new book, her career, and politics. They began by discussing what 2016 meant personally and politically, and transitioned into a conversation about how feminism has ...
10.12.2018 “Resisting Power, Oppression, and Inequality with Alice Wong.” This week Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sat down with Disability Rights Activist Alice Wong (@SFdirewolf) to talk about what ableism looks like today and responses from the disabled activist community. They began with a discussion on language and how being ...
10.05.2018 “A Recovering Republican: How Max Boot Left His Party.” This week Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sat down with author and Council of Foreign Relations fellow Max Boot (@MaxBoot). Max Boot described his reasons for leaving the Republican party. He mentioned the issues of Trump, as well as the deeper ...
09.28.2018 “Far Too Normal: An Update on the Kavanaugh Confirmation with Rick Wilson” TW: Sexual Assault If you’re not in a place where it’s ok to think about sexual assault, come back when you are! And if you have ever experienced sexual violence, you are not alone. If you’re ready to talk to ...
09.21.2018 “The Jackie Robinson of Bisexuals w/ Travon Free” This week, Ana (@anamariecox) sat down with Travon Free (@Travon), the star of the new HBO show Him or Her. They started things off by delving into the show’s premise: it’s largely based on Travon’s dating experiences as a black, ...
09.14.2018 "White Fragility in the Wild" Princeton University professor Robert Wuthnow (@RobertWuthnow), author of the book The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America, joined Ana (@anamariecox) this week to talk about his research. He and Ana began by exploring common misconceptions of rural America, ...

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