Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy

Jonathan Haidt (The Coddling of the American Mind , The Righteous Mind ) is a social psychologist who believes that we're currently suffering from Wisdom Deprivation Disorder. He and Bridget analyze how the "like" and "retweet" functions changed the face of social media - and eventually the mainstream media, why wokeness makes it impossible to do anything, the costs of speaking up with common sense, the warping of our entire information ecosystem, and why so many businesses are really leaving Silicon Valley. They discuss the difference between resilience and anti-fragility, the victimhood economy, why everyone should read the Stoics before they get on Twitter, the skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety in Gen Z, what the loss of unsupervised free play does to children, why this is an incredibly interesting time to be a social scientist, and Jonathan's plan to help people flourish in an age of anxiety.   This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Bari Weiss is a journalist (New York Times, Wall Street Journal) and author of How to Fight Antisemitism. She and Bridget have an in-depth conversation about how full personhood is not possible on the internet, faux outrage and what it's doing to us, the explosion of independent media, the dangers of exploring TikTok, and why the end of Trump's presidency means you're suddenly you're allowed to say things that have never stopped being true. They discuss what to do when you notice you're self-censoring, the potential for being de-platformed, how quickly our brains deny the reality of something terrible happening, how Jews are the obvious victims of antisemitism but the wider victim is the society infected by it, intersectionality, race, the dangers of focusing on whiteness, and why Bari believes that the fight of our lifetimes is the fight against illiberalism. Don't miss Bari's new podcast Honestly . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Glenn Greenwald (No Place To Hide , Securing Democracy ) shares the journey that led him to Brazil, how he met his husband, what led him to the path he's on, and why tries to make sure he's always open to people who challenge his convictions. He and Bridget discuss their shared mistrust of authority, why the acceptance of gay marriage accelerated so rapidly, living outside of America and how it influenced his perspective & writing, the dangers of going against your audience's tastes, and why the impulse to appeal to an authority figure to fix everything is a bad thing. They cover Operation Car Wash, how not being wedded to an ideological dogma engenders trust, why the length of Joe Rogan's podcasts is important, when you don't even realize you're self-censoring, the mental health crisis in the West, the differences between the way China flexes and the US flexes, the joylessness that has arisen on the left, and where to find independant journalism these days.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Eliza Bleu is a survivor advocate for those affected by human trafficking, she’s also a survivor of human trafficking. She and Bridget discuss the red flags both parents and youths should be aware of, grooming tactics and how insidious they can be – especially from someone you’re supposed to be able to trust, the fraught conversation around personal responsibility in the survivor space, and the role advancing technology and social media platforms play. They share personal stories of their own experiences, how the most innocuous things can be triggers, how trauma never fully heals, but it can be integrated, why you have to take care of yourself when you’re trying to serve others, trying not to let the darkness overwhelm you,  hanging onto hope, and why you should never ugly-cry on Rogan. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Mitchell Jackson stops by and talks about his beloved friend and surrogate mother, Sandie Crisp, aka The Goddess Bunny, a disabled trans icon. She died in January of Covid, after surviving polio and HIV.  Mitchell discusses the ups and downs of her life, stints of homelessness, having her picture hanging in the Louvre, why she’s huge in South America, her hatred of identity politics, the surrogate family she built for herself, and the tragedy of her passing in isolation (due to Covid restrictions) in an assisted living facility. He and Bridget discuss the massive flaws in our system regarding the health and care of the homeless, disabled, mentally ill, and people struggling with addiction. They cover the battle to hold a funeral that did Sandie proud, how she raged against the idea that anyone would ever perceive her as a victim, and why Mitchell is optimistic about the future. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Candice Thompson is a comedian, writer, actor and host of the podcast Nosy Neighbors which breaks down the  most absurd neighborhood app posts of the week. She and Bridget discuss how everybody wants to label you so they know what to think about you, why they don’t trust groups, their paths to stand-up comedy, their worst comedy bomb experiences, why hemp is the buffalo of plants, normalizing knife fights, and why people are so staunch in their defense a celebrity they’ve never met. Candice shares her experience being a light skinned black girl, and the complexities of being mixed race in a country obsessed with race, her exploration of nutrition and spirituality, and why she got kicked out of a wedding for a stand-up set. It’s a hilarious conversation that goes from lentils to racism to fat shaming, why our bodies are miracles, people who take pride in their victimhood, and the etiquette of throwing away dog poop. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Sarah Rose Siskind is a science comedy writer, psychedelic educator, comedian, and co-founder of Hello SciCom, a company that combines science communication and comedy to help scientists and tech companies revamp their content. She and Bridget discuss homelessness, how little we knew in our 20s, sobriety & pharmaceuticals, why D.A.R.E. is a terrible program, pandemic-induced anxiety, why mental health issues are like spousal abuse, and why people shouldn’t treat weed as a cure-all. They swap crazy Burning Man stories, discuss classism, agree that art is one of the things humans do right, commiserate over comedian-brain, and highlight the importance of knowing your audience in any given situation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Julian Walker is a yoga instructor, writer, and co-host of the podcast Conspirituality. He and Bridget discuss the growing overlap between new age spirituality and conspiracy theory culture in the last few years, how QAnon-influenced ideas started to take hold in the yoga space, the growing trend of anti-intellectualism and shying away from science, the difference between freshman skepticism and healthy skepticism, and why he’s committed to the principle that politics should be boring. Julian talks about growing up in South Africa amid the dismantling of apartheid and the perspective it gave him about reality bubbles, authoritarianism, propaganda, and what a charismatic candidate that arouses a passionate response in their followers means in a society. They talk empathy, morality, purity, cults, gurus, political stability, and why we should give people the benefit of the doubt in conversation rather than going from zero to calling them a Nazi in two seconds. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, photographer and artist. He and Bridget discuss the discipline of being a professional artist, the moral panic around art these days, self-censorship and the fear of being cancelled, victimhood culture, exercise & discipline, Bridget's ideal super power, why mistakes are like wrapping paper, what to do when you're lost, and the ground we're losing in the equality movement. Angel explains his concept of "star-manning" a way of engaging in discourse with each other that acknowledges a person's point of view and their intentions in a conversation as a means of finding common ground, making them feel heard, and making them more likely to listen to you in return. He believes that most people mean well, and we often lose sight of that fact and depersonalize them in a disagreement, particularly over social media. Learn more about Angel on his website, angeleduardo.com. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Stand-up comic, Erica Rhodes, stops in to trade stories with Bridget about their various adventures that always seemed to start with “there was a boy…”. They discuss the winding roads that brought them to comedy, why spoken word poetry is a lot harder than you might think, acting as a gateway drug, the joys of creativity, the embarrassment of journals full of men, and their struggles with love and commitment. They also cover therapists who flirt with you, the nightmare of online dating, Bridget’s “one headshot per couple” rule, Erica’s tactic of playing dumb which allows her to see who people really are, losing people close to you, searching for validation, and why what you think you want in a relationship is very different from what you actually need in a relationship. Don’t miss Erica’s new comedy special La Vie En Rhodes. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show