In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Libby Bakalar, the creator of the One Hot Mess blog. Libby’s One Hot Mess originally began as a mommy-blog, where she wrote about things like recipes, make-up, and the trials and tribulations of parenting. She says it transformed into what it is now—a social justice blog—after President Trump was elected and especially after Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy was elected. She explains that, as a lawyer, she really had no choice but to speak truth to power because if she were to stay quiet in the compassionless government we’re currently living in, then she would be complicit in the repercussions.
The transformation of One Hot Mess from a mommy blog to a social justice blog comes from Libby’s sense of a moral imperative—if she doesn’t call these people out, then who will? If she’s not critical of the powers that be and the injustices that they effectuate, then who will be? She believes that when push comes to shove, Alaskans will always band together for the greater good. For the values and the morals that make us who we are. Because, at the end of the day, she believes that we have a lot more common experiences than we think we do.