In Bed With The Right

Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States and a prominent political figure, shares her insights on navigating the complexities of gender, race, and identity in the political arena. She delves into the media's contrasting scrutiny of female leaders like herself and Hillary Clinton. The conversation also touches on the implications of potential vice presidential candidates and the unique challenges women face in politics. Additionally, they explore the polarized political landscape and the evolving dynamics of the Vice Presidency.

Alex Ross, music critic for the New Yorker and author of the book ‘Wagnerism’ joins Moira and Adrian to talk about Siegfried, the Wagner clan, and Wagner’s complicated and multifaceted legacy.

Moira and Adrian talk about Joe Biden's campaign, about the age question and the fallout from the calamitous presidential debate. NOTE: We recorded this before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, which is why we don't talk about it here.

Gabe Winant, a historian focused on gender and class dynamics, joins the conversation to discuss J.D. Vance's political trajectory and his controversial memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy.' They unravel the cultural implications of Vance's narrative, critiquing its stereotypes and its simplistic portrayal of the white working class. Winant examines Vance's rise in the populist far right, the impact of social media on his campaigns, and the evolving political narratives surrounding race and class. Gender dynamics in labor movements also take center stage, revealing deeper societal tensions.

Adrian and Moira return for another episode on the life and works of Richard Wagner, investigating the radical political/philosophical influences that led him to some of the good, the bad, and the downright racist tropes in his operas.

For this live show, Moira and Adrian blinking step into the big world and come face to face with other human beings! Specifically Sarah Marshall of the amazing “You’re Wrong About” podcast, and an audience of 60 lovely people on Stanford’s campus. Together they discuss the life and times of Anita Bryant, OG anti-gay crusader—and why we’re still living in an America she helped shape.

Moira walks Adrian through the strange, tragic, enraging life of RFK Jr.—vaccine skeptic, presidential candidate, and literal brain worm survivor. Along the way, your hosts touch on Kennedy masculinity, American aristocracy, and the fine art of styling yourself as an outsider while the whole world can't stop deferring to you.

Adrian leads Moira through the life and career of composer Richard Wagner—a not-so-great man with some of world history's worst fans. Aesthetics, politics, revolutionary zeal that curdles into something far more ominous! This one is—as befits its source material—epic!

Samuel Catlin, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo, dives into the American perception of college campuses and their stark differences from reality. He discusses how these spaces symbolize national anxieties and elite privilege while also reflecting deeper societal tensions. The conversation touches on the complexities of student activism, shifts in literary education, and the struggles educators face in addressing diverse student needs. Catlin argues that campuses are battlegrounds of liberal ideals and conservative fears, needing greater public support for education.

Moira and Adrian speak to political scientist Jeff Dudas about his 2017 book Raised Right: Fatherhood in Modern American Conservatism. The conversation touches on campus panics, Clarence Thomas's many father figures, and neoconservative failsons.