Time To Say Goodbye cover image

Time To Say Goodbye

Phone Alienation, Body Optimization, and Make America Healthy Again with Maya Vinokour

Jan 15, 2025
Maya Vinokour, an Assistant Professor of Russian Studies at NYU, dives into the curious intersection of wellness culture and right-wing politics. She unpacks the concept of 'lifestyle fascism' and how everyday health choices can lead to radical beliefs. The conversation navigates the evolution of wellness since the 1970s, poking fun at modern food trends, and critiques the anxiety surrounding health narratives in our tech-driven world. Plus, she highlights the psychological toll of the optimization craze and the nihilism creeping into youth political engagement.
01:13:28

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Lifestyle fascism intertwines wellness culture and right-wing political ideologies, revealing how health trends can shape personal beliefs.
  • Anxiety around health and societal instability drives individuals toward optimization practices that often align with conservative ideologies.

Deep dives

Lifestyle Fascism Defined

Lifestyle fascism merges elements of American individualism, wellness culture, and tech optimization, creating a distinct right-wing political orientation. The concept stems from the observation that certain health trends, when examined collectively, often reveal shared political ideologies among their followers. Maya Vinokor highlights figures such as Brian Johnson, who epitomize this blend of wellness and optimization culture, reinforcing connections between seemingly innocuous lifestyle choices and more extreme political beliefs. This phenomenon illustrates how personal health preferences can become politicized, influencing broader ideological views.

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