This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comTo talk or not to talk about this week’s red meat media story? Well, we’re talking. Are we surprised at the appetite that some in media take in shredding one of their own in public? Of course not; it’s the same old boring mob behavior. But what’s really behind it? Professional jealousy? The moronic idea that if you knock a person off her perch, that gets you closer to her gig? And does anyone believe, as a kajillion tweets enjoin us to believe, that women and journalism have been set back decades?Also discussed:* Melania Trump as new and improved political spouse* Who among us has not posed for tasteful nudes?* No one should doubt the pulverizing power of the Kennedy machine* The irresponsibility of running “too good to verify” stories* The necessary intimacy between reporter and subject. “It’s a dance of sorts.”* Status, the new fragrance for men…* Things worked out well for the creator of the Shitty Media Men List: yea or nay?Also discussed: the literary imposter Laura Albert (aka, J.T. Leroy), an unrecognizable Colin Farrell, Nancy’s got a new book (if no pre-publicity nudes, dammit!) and much more!

Nancy here. One of the super-cool things about being a journalist is that you can contact people whose work amazes you and say, “Come on my podcast!” and they almost always say, “Sure!”As did Michael Powell, one of my favorite journalists working today, currently at The Atlantic and previously at The New York Times, where, during the height of our national meltdown (aka 2020 to 2022), Michael took on subjects many of his colleagues and others in media would not touch: DEI, Title IX, and using identity as a scythe to cut down those deemed not the right color or gender or whose whose views were opportunistically seen as problematic. “We lost our bearings,” says Michael, who kept true to course, and to say his clear-eyed work made me feel less crazy is an understatement.Of deep value and delight is also his 2019 book, Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation. I felt as though I were living inside the work as I read, and I cannot wait to see Rez Ball, the movie it inspired and which opens September 27.Also discussed:* The explosive DNC protests that weren’t* COVID would cool down the culture wars, right? [Insert laugh track here]* The “scurrilous piece of journalism” in the Daily Beast by a writer Nancy now admires** The firing of veteran New York Times science reporter Donald McNeil Jr.? “Not the best moment of the New York Times, at all.” * The tenderness and importance of Jihad Rehab (now retitled The UnRedacted) and the shame of Abigail Disney* “Hey Michael, you’re white…”Plus, the permeability between worlds that you start to see when hanging in the Native world, the politician Michael always thought of as “a clown,” some high-tone hot boxes, and much more!Want to become a paid subscriber? Skoden!*Max Tani, now at SemaforCross-posted at Make More PieCanyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation, by Michael Powell“Star New York Times Reporter Donald McNeil Accused of Using “N-Word, Making Other Racist Comments,” the Daily Beast piece that Michael calls “scurrilous” and which drove Nancy up a tree…Michael tweeted repeatedly in support of McNeil…“The New York Times Succumbed to Another Mob. Journalism is Unrecognizable,” by Nancy Rommelmann (Newsweek)“Kids and Cowards: What Really Happened to Donald McNeil at the New York Times,” by Nancy Rommelmann (Newsweek)McNeil writes his own story on Medium, starting with, “NYTimes Peru N-Word, Part One: Introduction” (Medium)“Sundance Liked Her Documentary on Terrorism, Until Muslim Critics Didn’t,” by Michael Powell (New York Times)Michael wrote several articles about rez ball before embarking on the book, “For Navajo Team, a Season of Change and Challenge”…… and “In Navajo Nation, a Basketball Elder Earns Respect.” Nancy inadvertently referred to Mendoza at “Menendez.” Management regrets the error“The membrane between life and magic is very thin there…”What’s in your hot box?Michael: The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas MertonNancy: Small Rain: A Novel by Garth GreenwellMichael picks the outroClip Nancy filmed in final day of “Reservation Dogs” shooting, season 1…… and on the red carpet at Emmys 2024 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smokeempodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Helen Lewis, an insightful author and journalist, dives deep into the cultural impact of Joe Rogan and his influence on Austin, where self-proclaimed 'heterodox' thinkers gather. She reveals her controversial encounters—like the infamous Jordan Peterson interview—and discusses her upcoming book, The Genius Myth. Topics include the complexities of modern masculinity, the polarization of political ideologies, and the evolving landscape of feminism. With witty anecdotes and sharp observations, Helen challenges our understanding of genius in today's world.

Nancy, a candid voice in discussions of casual sex, and Sarah, who brings insightful perspectives on intimacy, dive deep into the complexities of modern relationships. They unravel the subjectivity of 'good sex' and share humorous anecdotes from unique environments like silent discos. With a critical eye, they explore the dynamics of consent and pleasure, and how societal norms shape personal experiences. Their engaging conversation also touches on gender differences, the emotional nuances of casual encounters, and the tension between desires and societal expectations.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comNancy talks about the protests outside Democratic National Convention, where the expected hordes did NOT show. After ten-plus years of fashionable dissent, have we moved beyond the activism moment? We discuss the limits and rewards of protest: big on catharsis, light on real change.Also on the docket:* Sarah’s birthday bash at Nancy’s* The secret sartorial life of Steve Kornacki* When pink was for boys …* “It’s like masturbating when you can’t get off.”* The man who will always be Sarah’s president* When did the Dems hatch the Kamala plan? A debate!* Martin Luther King Jr. writes one hell of a letter* DON’T FORGET! Forty Bucks and a Dream available for pre-order

In this engaging discussion, Nancy, a social commentator and author, teams up with Sarah, a feminist thinker, to examine the discontents of liberal women. They explore a thought-provoking essay that unveils startling statistics about the happiness of single, childless women. Expect laughter as they share insights on dating apps, the complexities of feminism, and the pressures of social media. Their banter touches on everything from mental health to personal responsibility, ultimately revealing the intricate relationship between modern womanhood and perceived joy.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comNancy and Sarah tackle the week’s most controversial Olympics bout, when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in a 46-second fight. JK Rowling howled! JK Rowling-haters roared back at her! Has anyone ever cared this much about women’s boxing?This actually isn’t a story about trans women in sports — though it kicked up plenty of opinions about that subject — but a more nuanced discussion of how genetic abnormalities should play out in athletics. Our roving conversation covers:* DSD cases (Differences in sexual development)* Why is boxing called “the sweet science”?* The spectacle of women being hit —> kind of uncomfortable* Title IX was never intended to expand women’s sports, but it did anyway* What kind of sports do girls want to play?* The golden age of female trick riders* Stella Walsh, early intersex Olympic champion* How much do men hate seeing women cry?* The old Italian woman who yells Sarah to sleep each night* But wait: What is a man?… and much more!REMINDER: First Sunday Zoom TONIGHT! 5pm PT/8pm ET. Check your email later today for link.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comAnn Bauer is a top-notch personal essay writer, who built a reputation for eloquence and honesty at Salon.com, back in the aughts when the site was still a cultural force. (Sarah was lucky enough to work with Ann back then.) More recently, Ann has become a spitfire on Twitter, where she’s sounded off on COVID-related school closures, the progressive politics of Minneapolis, where she lives, and the various absurdities of our culture-war era.Nancy and Sarah had a far-ranging and often profound conversation with Ann: About what speaking her mind on social media cost her (professionally, personally), about the potential link between RenFests, polyamory, and Rachel Maddow, and about the son she lost a few years ago, whose autism diagnosis Ann now questions (along with many scientific “certainties”).Also discussed:* The ickiness of self-promotion* “You’re trying to kill me and my family”* Getting dropped by the Washington Post* Bruno Bettelheim, somehow* Writing: It’s all in the execution* Ann did NOT burn down Minneapolis’s Third Precinct* The Stations of the Cross for Trump Derangement Syndrome* “Why are you dressed up as druids and maidens?”* Big love for Tablet Magazine* No love for an author who promotes autism as magic that makes you special* The Cinderella story of Kamala Harris* The lonely estrangement of the white male in culture* Writing about your own children: good? bad? both? all?* What is autism, really?Plus, people who should not wear leather, Sarah gets sucked into a classic 70s mini series, the coolness of Debbie Harry, and much more!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comNancy and Sarah are back after a brief summer hiatus to talk about: white women for Kamala, “brat” and its aftermath, why Gen Z has so many slang terms for oral sex (or is that just our intern?), and how JD Vance radicalized childless cat ladies and prompted Twitter to make jokes about sex with a couch. America: It’s going great! Note: This episode gets pretty blue, might want to keep it out of the little ones’ earholes. Also discussed:* “Did I miss anything?” asks Sarah, after emerging from a literal cave in the desert.* Gen Z pop star Charli … MCM?!* Childless cat ladies were trending, and nobody called Sarah for a quote?!?* You say KOMM-uh-lah, I say Kuh-MAH-lah, let’s call the whole thing off.* Trump avoiding an assassin’s bullet was 60,000 news cycles ago. * The Kamala Harris prosecution that Nancy cannot get over* What is the sound of 100,000 white women clapping? * "I am here tonight, embracing myself in your incredible, profound white women midst, because we've got a fucking job to do, y'all” is a thing that was said.* Race essentialism + radical self-care = cringe-fest* Brat, cap, munch, throat goat: Nancy learns to speak Gen Z * That time Sub Pop Records trolled the New York Times* Did Elon Musk succeed in making Twitter a public square?* “Ass play is not my jam.”* Ben Shapiro for president?* Steve Kornacki will chase down that Snackwells truck* J.D. Vance, the punching bag for a post-assassination-attempt TrumpPlus, the wisdom of NOT talking politics, report cards on how Biden dipped, and that time Hemingway married an African woman when he was already married. We are here tonight, embracing ourselves in your incredible, profound audio-listener midst, because you’ve got a fucking subscription to pay, y'all

Nancy is in the woods, Sarah is in bed, where she does her best work, when they chat over the phone about the epic spectacle that was this week’s Republican National Convention and the hot mess that is Democratic politics. “God is among us,” Tucker Carlson told the crowd, and the thing is: Nobody can fact-check God. Is it true? Is it false? No one can say. We’re in the realm of belief, and in the days following Trump’s assassination, what’s clear is: People want to believe in him.Also discussed:* Bill Maher’s double-fisting handjob Trump videos* Can Trump actually change?* “God is among us.”* Smoke Em’s first sincere usage of the word “rizz”* Nancy rejects an organ!* Pretty women, walking down the stage* Make Kid Rock stop!* Trump, the grandpappy* Love for Semafor* Amber Rose, online avatar* Trump as king: Kissing the ring* Media feeds us shit sandwiches* In the future, will we all be Melania Trump?* RIP to the people we lost, the people we missThank you to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum for letting Nancy tap into their WiFi and upload this episode. Also: Christy Mathewson has Nancy’s vote This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit smokeempodcast.substack.com/subscribe