Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy

Ben Howe, author of The Immoral Majority: Christian Evangelicals and the Role they Play in the Era of Trump (due out this year) discusses his journey from the Tea Party to the Center, his favorite Marvel character, and why he doesn’t trust anyone who isn’t honest about their failures – especially politicians. Ben takes issue with using the Bible to pretend that you are pursuing your self-interests nobly and explains the problem with combining ideology with partisanship. Don’t miss a fascinating breakdown of how evangelical leaders have recast all of Trump’s sins as virtues and the danger of convincing a narcissist that his narcissism is virtuous. And stick around for Ben’s epic Christian Retreat Dad joke. 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

Kimberly Resnick Anderson, licensed sex therapist, and Bridget get real about the many issues facing couples in today’s modern world, from how common sexless marriages are, to power dynamics the #metoo movement and exploitation, to the impact of porn on men’s sexual function – particularly the neurological impact it can have on young men. Nothing is taboo in this conversation. Bridget discusses her brief flirtation with becoming a stripper, Kimberly reveals the astonishing number of married couples who have never had a conversation about sex and the fact that a large number of men are willing to risk death over loss of sexual function.*Warning: This is a frank and adult conversation about sexual topics* 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

Melanie Notkin, founder of Savvy Auntie, the first community for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids (but might not have them) discusses her book Otherhood and women who are childless, not by choice, but by circumstance. She and Bridget cover the assumptions people make about childless women, being told that they should have settled if they wanted kids, and how Bridget feels like she kept hitting snooze on her biological clock. Find out how feminism made men lazy, why you’re only as loyal as your options in the age of social media, and how in the battle of the sexes everyone seems to be more confused than anything. Don’t miss an incredibly honest conversation about Melanie’s ability to take the source of her greatest pain – not having children – and turn it into something that helps countless people – women and men. 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

Brian Moses, stand-up comic, creator and co-producer of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, defender of un-politically correct speech and hilarious individual, talks with Bridget about getting started in stand-up in San Diego, the period when he was living out of his car, the reality of white privilege, and why humanity might not be old enough to believe in God. He and Bridget cover the cultural appropriation of Jesus, that Bridget believes in past lives, ghosts and aliens because they make life more interesting, and how trying to make it in LA is almost like being in an abusive relationship and/or living with a disease. Don’t miss their definition of “making it,” Moses’s ambition to continue progressing and raising the bar in the comedy genre, and why as a black man, he loves the Orwellian surveillance in the UK.**Warning** This episode is not for the easily offended. 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

Jesse Kelly, former Marine, contributor to The Federalist, and Twitter star, talks with Bridget about why Twitter needs him more than he needs Twitter, his conspiracy theory on why his account was banned (it has since been reinstated), and his zero tolerance policy on whining and excuses. They delve into how the country as a whole used to be tougher, leaving behind a piece of yourself in a combat zone, his bumpy reintegration into society after his service was over and the role returning to church played in finding his way. Listen as they discuss the growing culture of victimhood in today’s society, how you can’t out think human nature, why allowing a kid to punch a bully in the face might prevent so many school shootings, and find out Jesse’s strongest asset (other than his chin). 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 Shahi (The L Word, Person of Interest, Reverie) actress, producer, former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and mother of three, talks about choosing between being an actor and a neurosurgeon, why happiness can only exist in the present moment, and how Robert Altman convinced her to move to Los Angeles. Listen as she and Bridget discuss the mentality of trust-fund babies, believing that if you leap the net will appear – even if it takes years – and how being the daughter of an Iranian immigrant helped shape her discipline, attitude and femininity. Don’t miss her stories about getting rescued from a trailer by Quentin Tarantino, getting cast on The L Word and thinking “L” stood for “Love”, and how a baby chimpanzee kick-started her biological clock. 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

James Breakwell, Twitter celebrity, Indiana father of four daughters, and author of Bare Minimum Parenting – The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, discusses raising children in today’s world. He and Bridget cover “drone parenting”, screen time and social media, keeping your perspective on parenting and ignoring the shamers, and why wanting your kid to go to Harvard is basically a euphemism for wanting them to make the most money. They also discuss treating Twitter like a job, how “overnight success” is really the result of at least ten years of slogging, and why saying “let’s cut parents some slack,” is a radical message in this day and age, but it shouldn’t be. You can find James on Twitter @XplodingUnicorn. 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

Story Hour with Bridget Phetasy is a segment where Bridget reminisces with cousin Maggie and tells stories explaining who she is and how she got here. Full transcript available here: WiW6-PhetasyOriginStory-TranscriptBridget Phetasy shares the definition of the word Phetasy (a word she made up). The origin of the company, taking it on tour across country for 6 months, the eventual downfall of phetasy.com and the hope for its future resurrection. Along the way hear stories about a crazy ex-neighbor who thought Bridget was spying on her for Oliver Stone, how Bridget met her (now ex) husband from Belarus when he was working as a busboy, the “days of soup and toast”, and why attempting to cross the border into Canada with bundles of t-shirts wrapped in white plastic bags and duct tape is a bad idea. 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

This week Bridget welcomes Paul Shirley, former NBA player, published author, and founder of Writers Blok, a communal workspace for writers in Los Angeles. Paul talks about the role sports play in helping us learn to fail, operating at peak capacity, how having too much free time can be paralyzing and why being a people-pleaser is both his biggest asset and greatest weakness. Paul and Bridget debate whether cavemen had more free time than we think they did, discuss overcoming internal resistance and agree that setting constraints on your life is helpful. Be sure to check out Paul’s podcast Stories I Tell On Dates. 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

Chloé Valdary, (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Atlantic) freelance writer and deep thinker, talks with Bridget about dealing with Imposter Syndrome, the death of art, why revolution is easier than governance and the three things she learned from Bret Stephens. Chloé and Bridget discuss their shared desire to see all humans flourish while they analyze the joy that being snarky can bring. Don’t miss their fascinating takes on intersectionality, astrology and why dudes want to fight – always. Be sure to read Chloé’s fabulous piece on intersectionality – Whiteness is Blackness and Blackness is Whiteness. 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