V Interesting with V Spehar

Coming out as a person seeking therapy to your partner, parents, or friends can be difficult, and sometimes even dangerous. Sometimes the people who are supposed to love us most are the first to hold us back, or we feel guilty for “leaving them behind” as we grow through various seasons of our lives. You’re not alone in your journey — in fact, millions follow clinical counselor Shani Tran for her candid takes on therapy, and this week she chats with V about who can benefit most from therapy and how newbies can get started. From questions you might not know to ask in an appointment to when to go no contact with harmful people, this throwback episode offers tips that will leave you more prepared than ever. Follow Shani on TikTok and Instagram at @theshaniproject. Her book, Dope Therapy: A Radical Guide to Owning Your Therapy Journey, is out now.   Keep up with V on TikTok @underthedesknews and on Twitter @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we revisit V’s birthday episode! As a gift to their listeners, V invited one of their favorite comedians, Adam Conover, on the show to talk about his Netflix special, “The G Word.” Adam went from ruining everything from weddings to airlines, to investigating the U.S. government. He’ll talk about getting access to some of the most guarded government buildings and taking viewers behind the scenes to build trust. We’ll hear about how the country regulates food and why we’re not subsidizing more fruits and vegetables. Plus, how the government has complete control over the money supply and why PPP loans benefited the wealthy instead of the small businesses they were intended for.  Follow Adam @adamconover on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.  Keep up with V on TikTok @underthedesknews and on Twitter @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Currently, the dominant framing of climate in our media and policy ecosystems centers stories, experiences, and thus solutions that serve privileged communities. The Hip Hop Caucus is working to help rewrite this narrative and center the climate movement in a justice framework. V asks Hip Hop Caucus’ Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Liz Havstad why we need to stop thinking of the climate crisis as just an environmental issue, how to spot greenwashing on social media, and how you can get involved in the movement.   This episode is made possible in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation, a family-led foundation that tackles tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities. Learn more at waltonfamilyfoundation.org.   Thank you to Liz Havstad from the Hip Hop Caucus for participating in today's discussion. The Hip Hop Caucus uses the power of our cultural expression to empower communities who are first and worst impacted by injustice. Learn more and get involved at hiphopcaucus.org.   Follow Hip Hop Caucus online at @HipHopCaucus on Twitter and @hiphopcaucus on Instagram.   Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minnesota doesn’t want cops to use excessive force on students at school. Is that really so much to ask? There’s a new biography of Elon Musk out, so let’s highlight all the amazing books to read instead. And V is joined by 1990s TV icon Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on “Full House.” They catch up on what she’s been up to since then, from working in drug recovery to performing on “Dancing with the Stars,” and ask ‘were the 90s better or were we just more naive?’   Follow Jodie Sweetin @jodiesweetin on Instagram and @jodiesweetin on TikTok.   Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CNN wants to disrupt your favorite HBO show with breaking news alerts, and people are pissed about it. A rise in homeschooling may have ties to Christian Nationalism and dangerous ripple effects for public schools. And V chats with James Beard Award-winning chef Karen Akunowicz about being a restaurateur during the pandemic, some of her favorite recipes from her latest cookbook, and the humbling experience of having her toddler reject her cooking. Follow Karen Akunowicz @chefkarenakunowicz on Instagram. Keep up with V on TikTok @underthedesknews and on Twitter @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A non-consensual kiss at the World Cup has led to calls for a resignation, an investigation, and a mom on a hunger strike. We’ll look into Spain’s #MeToo reckoning. Back-to-school season is unluckily coinciding with a late-summer wave of coronavirus infections. And V chats with constitutional attorney Andrew Seidel about how the Supreme Court is weaponizing religious freedom and how and why we must win the fight against Christian Nationalism.   Follow Andrew @AndrewLSeidel on Twitter and @andrewlseidel TikTok.   Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spirit-centered activist and social justice leader Aqeela Sherrills is a firm believer that public safety can’t exist without the public. As the co-founder of Community Based Public Safety Collective and the force behind the famous peace treaty between two of the most violent street gangs in America, Aqeela knows what it takes to provide solutions that center the people most vulnerable and most affected by violence. He tells V what it looks like to successfully implement community-based solutions and how more cities can adopt them. Plus, Aqeela shares why residents are uniquely equipped to provide protection in their own communities and how educating and training people on the ground serves as a complementary strategy to policing.    This episode was made possible by The Just Trust.   Follow Aqeela on Twitter at @aqeela28 and keep up with his community-based work at @cbps_collective on Instagram and Twitter.    Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shocking revelation about menstrual products has women pissed to learn how their tampons have been tested for all these years. Scientists are using Pink Floyd to study how our brain processes music, which could pave the way for composing music through thought. And V chats with IllumiNative’s Lashay Wesley about her podcast American Genocide, which tells the story of one Native boarding school in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Follow Lashay @Lashay_Wesley and @IllumiNative on Twitter. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more Americans are traveling overseas to get medical procedures they can’t afford in their own country. Is that safe? Local Hawaiians are telling tourists to cancel plans to visit Maui while wildfire rescue and cleanup efforts continue. And V chats with Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones about his approach to progressive activism and winning reelection after being ousted by state GOP leaders. Follow Rep. Justin Jones @brotherjones_ on Instagram and @brotherjones_ on Twitter. Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

V chats with advocates who are pushing for evidence-based, comprehensive, and inclusive sex education in schools. V asks 18-year-old Aspen Schenker how they’re breaking down misconceptions about sexual health and helping their peers stay safe. Then, Advocates for Youth Director of Training Brittany McBride and physician Jennifer Cowart weigh in on the important life skills sex ed teaches. We’ll learn about why these courses allow students to confidently transition into adulthood and how to get comfortable having uncomfortable but vital conversations with people in your life.    Thank you to Advocates for Youth for making today’s conversation possible.   Follow Brittany McBride’s work at @AdvocatesTweets on Twitter and @advocatesforyouth on Instagram. And keep up with Jennifer Cowart’s group at Public School Defenders: Duval County on Facebook.   Keep up with V on TikTok at @underthedesknews and on Twitter at @VitusSpehar. And stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.