Paradox Project Podcast

Jordan and Matthias talk about where they are with creativity this week, their current projects, and their Better Selves vs. Fantasy Selves. First, Matthias interrupts your scheduled creativity-themed programming for a brief look at the current Twitter debate: what defines real "conservatism." Jordan is soclose to being done with The Artist's Way, finishing up Week 10. We talk about "better but attainable" versions of ourselves (Jordan wants to write more consistently) vs. fantasy versions of ourselves that will never happen (neither of us has ever been able to get into YouTube culture). 

Jordan and Matthias talk about coins, creativity and the universal need for some sort of tangible hobby or project, whether it's coin collecting, cooking or working a puzzle. We all need to get off Twitter and do something real once in a while. The Terrible Opinions segment returns this week.

Can the wide world of streaming sustain itself, or will we eventually max out on how many stories we can consume? In this week's episode, we talk about the upcoming Disney+ streaming platform and the pros and cons of Netflix. Matthias makes a prediction about how long the current "content bubble" can last as streaming services compete to get people to watch something, anything, for hours. Jordan had a tough creative week. She talks about Week 5 of The Artist's Way, which involves no reading, and why it was eye-opening.

Jordan and Jonathan try to carry on without Matthias this week as the Paradox crew continues their journey in creativity. We cover an unexpected link between exercise and daily creativity, Jordan's first two weeks of going through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, and Jonathan's theory that humankind's endeavors in math, literature, science and art are more interconnected than we realize.

Matthias, Jordan and Jonathan talk about the Atlantic article on "workism" that was a hot topic on Twitter. Is "workism" making Americans unhappy, and are we trying too hard to find our identity and purpose in our jobs? We also discuss the dangerous lure of the "side hustle" and (try our best to) explain the importance of pursuing creativity for its own sake. 

The Paradox Project Podcast is back with a new direction: focusing on creativity. Jonathan Crabb joins Matthias and Jordan to talk about their creative journeys and (as always) to share some Terrible Opinions. 

Tech veteran and Pixar fan Doug Stewart joined us this week to talk about why the church desperately needs to address the idol of accomplishment; whether Facebook regulation will follow the European model; and exactly how excited/nervous we all are for "The Incredibles 2." "The act of working itself is meaningful." The tech industry specifically and our society in general have made an idol of success. We think working long hours is a virtue, and we don't value work itself, only the material "success" that comes from work. Where is the church on this issue? Too often, Christians as a culture also encourage the view that successful people must also be morally good because they've been rewarded. Will Regulation Benefit Anyone Besides Facebook? If we're discussing privacy and data regulation, shouldn't we look at the regulation that is already happening? Matthias pointed out that despite Mark Zuckerberg's hearing in Washington last week, very few people are talking about the regulation crackdown happening in the European Union. Will something similar to the General Data Protection Regulation come to the U.S.? What would that mean for Facebook? 'The Incredibles,' Then and Now Doug is the only one who has watched the trailer for "The Incredibles 2," and he thinks it looks promising. "I'm going to trust Brad Bird on this one," he says. He talks about how the original film has rich layers that he better understood after becoming a parent and why he thinks Bird can bring the same nuance and subversive messaging to the sequel. Terrible Opinions Matthias: Our society's faulty view of God makes us want to administer our own justice, which is why we are all so terrible to each other. Jordan: Jury duty is a good thing. Doug: The complementarian debate isn't getting enough attention from the church.

Futurist Jonathan Crabb returned this week to talk about the growing market for a transhuman retirement plan as well as the role of ethics in the world of social media. "The future is coming very quickly." Jonathan shares some insights on transhumanism, the idea that people will eventually merge with technology and evolve to become a new form of humanity. We talk about the startup that promises to one day upload your brain and give you a kind of second existence, and Matthias points out that there's a "crisis of the dignity of human life" in our culture. The pro-transhumanism community is looking for this kind of service as part of an ideal retirement plan because they want to be on the cutting edge of the next evolution of humanity ... but at what cost? The Ethics of Facebook Does Facebook have a moral obligation not to keep changing its algorithm and pulling the rug out from under businesses that use the platform? We debate if and how ethics should be part of the business model when it comes to Facebook, YouTube and other platforms that work with content creators. People depend on Facebook reach and YouTube views for their livelihood, so tweaking an algorithm or demonetizing videos with certain topics can be devastating. Terrible Opinions: Matthias: The best tech industry regulation to start with would be a data audit that lets each user see exactly what information is being collected. Jordan: A lot of conservatives were yelling about Kevin Williamson this week, but David French's opinion was the only one that I cared about. Jonathan: American evangelical churches aren't celebrating Easter right.

Kate Bryan returns this week to talk about Saturday's March for Our Lives rally, millennials' political party affiliations (or lack thereof) and movies. Acknowledging a Broken World Matthias talks about his pastor's thoughtful and apolitical comments on the March for Our Lives, and he and Kate discuss a more nuanced angle on the gun control rally: how it exposes our cultural problems and the brokenness of the world we live in. Millennials Going Rogue? The Pew Research Center recently released this startling statistic: The number of millennial women who identify as Democrat or lean Democrat has jumped from 56 percent to 70 percent in only four years. Jordan isn't a bit surprised at this trend, but she also doesn't think Democrats are guaranteed that vote forever since millennials don't have the same loyalty to party branding that their parents did. We discuss the Obama campaign's effect on millennials and their cynicism toward politicians. Nothing New in Hollywood We ask Kate, a fellow movie fan, to weigh in on the discussion of violence in movies and specifically, violence toward women. Do you need to portray violence to tell a story? At what point are we simply glorifying and celebrating violence in say, a Quentin Tarantino fashion? We talk about Uma Thurman's account of filming "Kill Bill" and (according to her) sustaining long-term injuries under Tarantino's direction as well as the tragic story of Taylor Hickson, a young actress who was pressured to bang on a glass window during filming and sustained a permanent facial scar after the glass broke. Terrible Opinions Jordan: Being sick as an adult is awesome. Matthias: Churches need to tell Christians to stop worshipping the idol of accomplishment. Kate: I now love having my phone in black and white.

Jordan and Matthias do a post-Oscars recap after "The Shape of Water" won at last night's 90th Academy Awards. "Will millennials watch the Oscars?" If you missed last night's ceremony, Jimmy Kimmel hosted and it was ... meh. Jordan and Matthias critique the overall show and mention some of their favorite Oscar hosts from past years. They also discuss an important question: Will millennials and their kids watch the Oscars and make it a tradition? That doesn't seem likely when it's almost impossible to watch the awards ceremony without cable. The Academy doesn't seem interested in preserving the small audience it has or in building the next generation's interest in movies. (For more of our analysis of this year's nominees, check out our big pre-show episode here.) Inclusion vs. Exclusion We talk about some of the great examples of promoting diversity in last night's show as well as moments that fell flat or seemed way too heavy-handed. Tl;dr ... we need more Kumail Nanjiani and Greta Gerwig. Both of them showed an appreciation for movies and talked about how they wanted to build on film history and bring more to the table instead of trying to erase the past or edge anyone out. Terrible Opinions: Jordan: That article claiming you can magically read a lot more by swapping in social media and TV time was pretentious and wrong. Matthias: Conservatives hate too many movies and paid critics have a responsibility to curate the ocean of films, helping readers find stuff they might like rather than simply being Another Movie Person On The Internet.

It's Oscar time! Jonathan Crabb returns this week to talk all about the 2018 Academy Award-nominated films ahead of this Sunday's awards ceremony. "Fan service well done is a good movie." Jordan kicks off the movie discussion with a rant that has been a long time coming: Movie trailers are the worst. After seeing the "Red Sparrow" trailer half a dozen times, does anyone really need to see the movie? Jonathan is a fan of good trailers and talks about the art of giving just enough away to get you interested in the film. He also touches on an upcoming movie he's excited about: "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Our Favorite Best Picture Noms! It's the most wonderful time of the year ... time to analyze the Best Picture nominations and gush or vent accordingly. We all list our favorites and least favorites from this year's eclectic list. Jonathan's favorite was "Get Out," and he wasn't really into "Phantom Thread." Matthias loved "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and was not a fan of "The Post." Jordan fell for "The Shape of Water" and "Lady Bird" but could barely pay attention to "Dunkirk." We also give a shoutout to the most underrated recent trilogy: "Planet of the Apes." The third film in the brilliant Andy Serkis revamp, "War for the Planet of the Apes," is up for Best Visual Effects. Prediction Time: We take turns predicting some of the top awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Jordan and Matthias have similar predictions, while Jonathan disagrees. We'll see what we got right (and wrong) when the awards are announced on Sunday!

Writer, pastor and counselor Kyle Howard returns to Paradox this week to talk about the cultural significance of Marvel's "Black Panther" as well as the Christian church's role in modern society. "The great tension with Wakanda" Just another superhero movie? Tl;dr ... no. "Black Panther" hit theaters this weekend and seems to have lived up to people's expectations for box office success. But what about its representation of black culture and the role models it gives kids today? Jordan kicks off the "Black Panther" discussion with an outsider's perspective of it as a movie, touching on its heavy themes of isolationism and radicalization and drawing some parallels to "Wonder Woman," another culturally significant superhero flick. [embed]https://twitter.com/KyleJamesHoward/status/965383884929150976[/embed] Kyle analyzes how "Black Panther" covers the realities of colonialism within the bright packaging of a Disney/Marvel movie. He talks about why one of the most exciting things about this movie is the way it gives black kids some admirable role models to look up to and learn from, men and women who are strong, confident, self-sacrificing and brave. For Kyle, this was a "deeply theological" superhero movie, and he explains why T'Challa is a Christ figure similar to other characters in epics like "The Chronicles of Narnia." A Neighbor Closer Than Benedict We talk about the secular vs. the sacred and the church's role in society. How should Christians apply their faith when it comes to voting, getting engaged in politics and trying to change culture? Jordan explains a growing school of thought among evangelical Christian leaders that pushes back against decades of evangelical Christians being ordered to fight the culture war. It's time to stop lifting up politicians as false gods and expecting them to save us. Kyle takes a critical stance on Rod Dreher's "The Benedict Option" and asks why Dreher needed to go so far back in order to find a saint who resisted a culture that hated how he lives out his faith when the black Christian church has been doing that for centuries. "Why didn't you knock on your neighbor's door and ask this?" he wonders.

Tech reporter Sonya Mann joins us this week to talk about why "Smart Kids Should Skip High School" and what cryptocurrency and AI mean for society. Who needs high school? No ... really. Is it necessary? Do high school students learn anything that they end up using in a real-world job? Sonya makes the case for either ditching high school or seriously revamping the broken system, which is currently a "stultifying waste of time." Standardized testing isn't about learning for the future; it's about getting credentials in the short term. How do you teach high schoolers to have a vision for the future that doesn't keep them stuck in the standardized test mindset? Cryptocurrency vs. artificial intelligence Billionaire and controversial Silicon Valley figure Peter Thiel recently said, "Crypto is libertarian, AI is communist." Sonya explains what he meant by that and what we should look for as these two burgeoning technologies disrupt our lives. Terrible Opinions Sonya: I like Starbucks coffee. Jordan: Authors should be banned from Twitter.

Jordan and Matthias have a special Part I and Part II episode this week! In the first part of this recording, you'll hear our predictions for the Oscar nominations (recorded Monday), quickly followed by our reactions to the official noms (recorded today). How close were our predictions? Listen to find out. We discuss the Best Picture category, then dive into our respective passions as Jordan dissects Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress and Matthias looks at the Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects races. Also in this episode: Why this wasn't Jessica Chastain's year Can Meryl be nominated too many times? The problematic Best Picture nomination in a year of sexual abuse allegations Marketing vs. reality for "The Shape of Water" Is Christopher Nolan our Stanley Kubrick?

Note: This podcast has major spoilers for two episodes of "Black Mirror."  Futurist Jonathan Crabb joins us to talk about Netflix's "Black Mirror" and what it can teach us about the dangers of future technology. Terrible Opinions Jonathan: White chocolate is the best kind. Jordan: In the long term, it's mean to let your kids be super picky with food. Matthias: The app business model is broken. "Could have been a 'Black Mirror' episode ..." We kick off by covering the strange real-life episode that was the false ballistic missile alarm in Hawaii on Saturday morning. Hawaii residents received an alert on their phones letting them know that a missile attack was on its way. "Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill," the message read. Hawaii emergency officials revoked the warning 38 minutes later, but the damage was done. To Delete or Not to Delete? Matthias brings in a fireworks-inducing topic: Should Twitter delete President Donald Trump's account because of his threatening tweets toward other world leaders? Simulating God's Image? We look at two specific "Black Mirror" episodes: "Fifteen Million Merits" and "Hang the DJ." Jonathan admits that while he tends to be a positive person, he also takes the warnings in "Black Mirror" to heart. The show is basically telling people, "here's what will happen if X technology is used in a way that dials it up to 11." Somehow, we think it's OK to keep using that technology at a level 2 or 3 ... which is why we need to pay attention to "Black Mirror." "How would we treat the AI version of ourselves?" is a recurring question in "Black Mirror," and Jonathan characterizes this theme as an imitation of a common argument about God. We analyze the episode "Hang the DJ" and draw different lessons from the story about a futuristic dating app.

Yes, the Gorilla Channel Is Satire @PixelatedBoat kicked off 2018 memes with a joke about the new book "Fire and Fury," which purportedly details the disheveled early days of the Trump White House. The satirical tweet was just close enough to the truth for some people to believe it, and gorillas took over the timeline.  Focus and Build We talk about our New Year's resolutions for 2018 and how much we like making resolutions and embracing the rhythm of having a new year. After reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," which includes the "10,000 hours" theory, Matthias is resolved to focus on one area of expertise in his field and become better at building that instead of jumping around to different projects and new technologies. Jordan wants to grow instead of "just surviving" and talks about using meditating to be calmer and able to focus better. Terrible Opinions: Matthias: We should leave up Christmas lights for as long as possible. Jordan: You should stop watching TV shows that just make you sad.

Katrina Jørgensen is back this week to talk about what a truly weird year 2017 was, starting with an embarrassing flub at the Oscars and ending with a new Star Wars movie for people to fight over (for the record, all three of us enjoyed it). 2017 Was Weird We kick off with a speed-read review of foreign policy in 2017 through the lens of a simple, terrifying question: "Are we closer to nuclear war after this year?" We then cover some of the craziest things we remember from a bizarre year and wrap up with our latest Terrible Opinions. Here are some of the funniest/weirdest things that happened in 2017. Listen to the full episode to see what else made the list. MoonPie basically brought back Weird Twitter The internet turned this dude's head-scratching Instagram post into a hilarious meme Aliens could totally be real, according to the government A Democrat won in solid red Alabama Terrible Opinions: Katrina: I hate brisket. Jordan: I liked "The Last Jedi," and I'm surprised it's suddenly a "Terrible Opinion" to enjoy the latest Star Wars movie. Matthias: The updated Barbies with different body sizes are frustrating for kids.

Katrina Jørgensen joined us again this week to share her foreign policy expertise and millennial perspective. You can follow her on Twitter @Veribatim. Terrible Opinions Jordan: I've been enjoying "bad" made-for-TV Christmas movies this year. Matthias: I'm not OK with how Twitter turned the man who committed suicide at the Hague into a meme. Katrina: White chocolate is not a chocolate, and it is bad. "You'd think it'd be really simple, but it's not." Katrina covers some of why the question of Israel's capital is so complex and details the fallout from the administration's decision to officially acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Riots, increased hatred for America, and injury and death show why the decision was so controversial. The myth of "work-life balance." Using this article as a jumping-off point, we talk about how work-life balance simply isn't possible unless you work less and about bad workplace culture in general. Jordan explains the typical millennial workplace experience: leaving a job once you're exhausted and knowing that another millennial is waiting to take your place. Matthias proposes a new regulation for businesses that would ensure they either cover their employees' education so they can still be competitive in the job market or pay a fine that would go into a government fund to protect people who get fired and can't get a new job without more education.

Terrible Opinions Jordan: Fans are actually the best music critics. Matthias: Christians who are living out their faith and lean toward socialism in politics are far more winning and influential than conservative Christians preaching to the choir. Perception is truth now Jordan talks about the introduction to "Reputation" that Taylor Swift included in the album's liner notes and details her theory that Swift secretly slipped in some references to today's toxic political climate without being explicitly political. Matthias ties the idea of "reputation" being seen as fact to the way people get trapped only seeing the worst of the "team" they disagree with: "People end up in their bubbles." Can comedy save us? We talk about the "Saturday Night Live" parody ad for the Democratic National Committee and Sarah Silverman's new Hulu show, "I Love You, America." Are liberals showing more self-awareness as a group, or is there just too much noise for these two examples to break through? We also discuss the inevitable future: a reckoning for the Democratic establishment when millennials and on-the-ground activists stop putting up with untrustworthy "establishment" figures like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.

Kate Bryan returned to the show this week to talk about Harvey Weinstein, Roy Moore, the avalanche of sexual misconduct allegations that are disrupting the entertainment industry and the world of politics – and for some pop culture, the new Taylor Swift album. Will the stores about Moore affect his Senate campaign in Alabama? And what made the Weinstein story different when people haven’t cared before about sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood? Terrible Opinions Kate: I hated Taylor Swift’s new album and here’s why. Jordan: Taylor Swift’s initial singles for her albums aren’t great – I didn’t love “Look What You Made Me Do” but I loved “Reputation.” Matthias: I relate more to progressive Christians who have socialist views and strive to be faithful believers than to conservative Christians who embrace the Trump crowd. Weinstein and Hollywood history We discuss the allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein that sparked a revolution in Hollywood, the music industry and politics to expose serial predators. Decades of abuse in the entertainment industry are finally coming to light – but what made this story about Weinstein different? We analyze the political moment, the timing and the research that went into exposing Weinstein’s years of allegedly exploiting and assaulting young actresses. Matthias asks an important question: How can these abusers in entertainment, politics and all of society go about making restitution?

Katrina Jørgensen returned for another fun discussion about culture and how media-saturated millennials see the world. Terrible Opinions Katrina: I hate Thanksgiving food. Jordan: I can’t help judging adults who spend a ton of money on Halloween costumes. Matthias: The internet did not give us the permenance or expansion we hoped for, but an increasingly ephemeral "dust in the wind" existence and we should avoid that.  Writing as fast as you can Katrina is participating in National Novel Writing Month this year, so she shares some insights on how the annual challenge to write a novel in one month brings writers together. The goal in theory is to write 50,000 words in a month, but the main point of NaNoWriMo is simply getting people to write. “Binge-worthy” Netflix recently released some rare numbers showing which shows are being binge-watched the fastest: a top 20 list with shows that are watched within the first 24 hours of release. We analyze what insights we can glean from the list, which includes everything from “The Ranch” to “Santa Clarita Diet” to “Grace and Frankie.” Jordan explains why it’s awesome that “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” is No. 1, but the other titles on the list are more relevant. We talk about why comedies are so much better for binge-watching than dramas – especially when the world is already hard enough – and debate whether or not the instant gratification of streaming changes how we watch TV.

Kyle Howard joins us to talk about the church's ongoing identity crisis in America as politics and faith collide. Terrible Opinions Jordan: Twitter direct messages should become their own app because I want dms without having to look at my timeline. Matthias: Education should be far more hands-on and DIY than it is. We should also abolish group projects because they are evil. Kyle: DC makes better films based on comic books than Marvel because they are actually faithful to the original stories. “The American church is at an identity crisis.” Kyle analyzes the evolution of the American church as it became tied to political ideology and contrasts white evangelical culture with black evangelical culture. White Americans sometimes have difficulty grasping that they have a culture at all, sometimes thinking that what they do is “normal” and everything else is “other.” Matthias talks about the split among church communities. The church’s white femininity problem We talk about a piece Kyle wrote earlier this year on the evangelical view of femininity. Churches often portray the ideal godly woman in a way that fits into a certain view of white femininity but leaves many women out of the picture. Young men are encouraged to pursue women who are quiet, docile, demure and southern belle-esque, and women who don’t fit that stereotype are made to feel less feminine and godly. We discuss how the church can offer a more inclusive view of complementarity – the special distinctions between men and women as designed by God. Not the “Bathsheba scandal” Inspired by Kyle’s recent tweet, we talk about how Mike and Karen Pence’s marital rules were dragged into the spotlight again after horrifying allegations about Harvey Weinstein were recently reported. Weinstein was known throughout Hollywood as an accused rapist and habitual sexual predator, and some people tried to tie his alleged crimes to Pence’s rule for not spending time alone with women other than his wife. Jordan untangles some of the pieces in this discussion, pointing out that Pence’s own self-instated rule for staying faithful to his wife in the world of politics was a personal decision we should respect – but it would not magically make someone like Weinstein a good person. Kyle ties the discussion to the church’s misconception of what healthy interactions between men and women should look like, saying that “in pursuit of purity, women are objectified.” Ultimately, Christians should see each other as brothers and sisters, and men of the church should not automatically see their sisters in Christ as temptresses, treating them with fear instead of with love.   

Kate Sills joined us to talk about free speech, great TV and the dangers of "anti-college" outrage.  Terrible Opinions Kate: British comedy TV is better than American comedy TV. See "Peepshow."  Jordan: A lot of people are yelling about football, but they're all ignoring a big issue. Not to rain on everyone's parade, but the research about the damage to football players' brains is pretty damning.  Matthias: If you got a 4.0, it means your teachers failed you because students should be challenged. Higher education vs. conservatives?  We discuss conservative writer and speaker Ben Shapiro's recent appearance at UC Berkeley, and Kate contrasts her own experience as a student with the extreme headlines about the school's supposed oppression. Matthias talks about the building antipathy that conservatives seem to have for higher education in general.  EMMYS We catch up on last week's Emmy awards, touching on "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Matthias details his theory that a "hipster ratio" can explain what wins. Mostly, we all wish we had more time to watch great TV.

Kate Bryan joined us this week to talk about horror movies, symbolism and why "It" was way better than "Mother!"  Terrible Opinions:  Matthias: People who make purportedly professional TV appearances to talk about the Constitution should act like adults. Apparently this is now a terrible opinion.  Jordan: Movie trailers should be abolished because they spoil the whole story. They are also a terrible business model because so many of them give away the movie for free.  Kate: Pumpkin spice is unnecessary in your latte. "Just have a coffee or don't have a coffee." Also, we need more good PR for candy corn because it's the best.  "A very empty film"  Kate and Jordan attempt to analyze "Mother!" The Darren Aronofsky film starring Jennifer Lawrence left a lot of viewers perplexed after seeing it this weekend. To give us a baseline for horror movies, Kate contrasts "Mother!" and "It" since one followed horror movie structure and the other used horror elements but wasn't a true film of the genre. Matthias talks about monster movies, a favorite type of horror, and says "The Thing" is a must-watch. We also discuss Aronofsky films in general, with Matthias praising "Noah" and Jordan contrasting "Mother!" and "Black Swan." Kate talks about why horror films challenge who we are as people.

Blogger and software developer Jayvie Arellano joined Paradox to talk about the Nashville Statement and give his Catholic perspective on dogma "living loudly" in those of the faith.  Terrible Opinions Jordan: I can't help liking the style of Chelsea Manning's tweets even though I completely disagree with her and know that she is a traitor.  Matthias: People who are tweeting under #StopBetsy (against Betsy DeVos' decision to revisit how Title IX is applied in college sexual assault cases) should apply the same rules used on campuses to their own businesses. (Spoiler alert: They won't because it would mean anyone could sue them and win for any accusation.) Jayvie: D.C. is an overrated place to work and live.  Catholics in office We talk about Amy Barrett, the appeals court nominee who was grilled by multiple senators on her Catholic faith this week. Should faith be considered a conflict for public office? What happens if we eventually live in a world where no Christians, Catholics, Mormons and other people of faith can be public servants?  Jayvie points out that Democrats are shortsighted and too focused on abortion to realize that Catholics are huge proponents of economic justice. Jordan notes that these culture war battles have brought together religious groups that have been historically separate and sometimes even hostile to one another; for example, evangelical Christians didn't really want Mitt Romney, a Mormon, to be president.  The Nashville Statement We discuss the broad strokes of the Nashville Statement, an outline of the biblical view of sexuality and gender from evangelical Christian leaders. (Read it in full here.) Jayvie shares his perspective as a Catholic, giving his view of how the faith addresses sex, gender and marriage. Jordan and Matthias point out that no one should really be surprised by the statement, which gives a fairly straightforward view of biblical teachings. Matthias objects to the timing of the statement and wonders if evangelical leaders could have built more bridges before releasing it, while Jordan finds the statement hopeful because it acknowledges that people who experience same-sex attraction are just as precious in God's sight as anyone else.  Heart-wrenching TV Wrapping up with a fun topic, we talk about some of our favorite TV shows and the episodes that were the most emotionally draining. 

Kyle Foley dropped by this week to talk about worship music, video games and millennials. Is video game culture really stopping this generation from getting jobs?  Terrible Opinions: Matthias: Worship music has crushed out actual church music. Old hymns set to new tunes are fine, but stop replacing them with wishy-washy emotional songs that have no theology. Jordan: The “relationship contract” explained in a New York Times column isn’t a bad idea. It’s better to err on the side of over-explaining your relationship than to just wing it and not be on the same page. Kyle: I hate Chipotle. How many video games is too many? Are millennial men really staying home and playing video games instead of getting jobs? Kyle, Jordan and Matthias talk about whether or not they’ve noticed this trend anecdotally and analyze how much video game time is too much. An avid gamer, Kyle mostly likes “social gaming,” video games that you’re playing with friends rather than on your own. Jordan compares video games to Netflix or another entertainment medium – it’s important to find balance and not invest too much of your time into it. To fire or not to fire … We wrap up with a debate about whether or not it’s damaging to society for people to be fired for participating in protests and having infuriating and offensive opinions.

Claire Swinarski, writer and founder of The Catholic Feminist Podcast, dropped by this week to talk about better ways that people of faith can critique media and exactly what that whole “feminism” thing is about. Terrible Opinions Matthias: I’m *not* commenting on the Google diversity memo yet. So my terrible opinion this week is that Catholics need to stop making snarky comments on Martin Luther. Claire: I like the Star Wars prequels … and I know I have no movie credibility now. Jordan: People should never watch documentaries because they are (probably) all lying to us. The Catholic feminist Claire started her podcast project because she had been waiting for something like it for a long time and got frustrated at how little people seemed to understand what her faith actually teaches about women. “Catholics don’t know what the Catholic Church teaches about women,” she says. She shares a simple, straightforward definition of what she means when she says “feminism.” Feminism = “women have dignity and worth that is equal to men.”   Why we don’t watch ‘Game of Thrones’ – but don’t care if you do We talk about pop culture and whether faith should influence your perspective on what movies and TV shows you watch. As the only person on deck who's seen it, Matthias explains the darkness of TV’s “Game of Thrones.” Even though she doesn’t watch the show, Jordan has a rant about someone who wrote a piece completely condemning “Game of Thrones” as unadulterated pornography. How can we approach media in a more nuanced way? Jordan shares her conspiracy theory that most pop culture is secretly conservative. 

Matthew Hockman, known on Twitter as @matthops82, joins us to talk about TV shows and what life outside of Twitter is like—as well as what Twitter looks like now to a normal person. Terrible Opinions Matthew: BBC’s “The Last Kingdom,” a series about Saxons vs. Vikings, is better than “Game of Thrones.” Jordan: I disagree with everyone saying the piece on Medium about modern dating is something eye-opening. People are always discontent in their own time and will imagine that some earlier era would have been perfect for them. Matthias: I’m willing to hear about the context for the word “jihad” as used in Linda Sarsour’s recent speech, but I don’t see any explanation or definition from people that actually fits what she said and doesn’t mean “jihad against the administration.” When is it OK to stop watching that TV show you loved? Inspired by an episode of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast, we debate if and when it’s acceptable to abandon a TV series after you’ve invested time into it. Matthias admits that he’s at a crossroads with whether or not to continue “Game of Thrones,” and Matthew vents about “The Walking Dead.” As her example, Jordan talks about “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and why she enjoyed the first season but bailed on the second season when it completely lost direction. We talk about TV character deaths and why they need to be thoughtfully written and integral to the plot (see “Breaking Bad” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) instead of seeming as if the writers just got bored and/or were planning to kill off everyone randomly anyway (“The Walking Dead,” “Game of Thrones”). I broke free of Twitter: AMA Matthew has been mostly distant from Twitter since his son was born, appearing here and there to update the timeline with adorable pictures. “I’m trying to bring joy to Twitter because it’s so angry,” he says, wondering what happened to the smart, rational people who used to make it a great place. He and Matthias reminisce about when Twitter was mostly jokes, fun and humor instead of constant political outrage and fights. Matthew notes that people on both sides of the aisle are ready to die on any hill as long as it makes the other team angry. What we’re watching We wrap up with some of the movies and TV shows we’ve been watching lately. Matthew has a glowing review of “Billions,” which stars Damian Lewis, and has also been watching “Impractical Jokers” when he needs some comic relief, while Jordan is ready for “This Is Us” to return in the fall.

Grant Gambling, writer and keen observer of foreign policy, joined Matthias and Jordan this week to talk about Israel, standup comedy, the millennial who is taking on the Middle East and the general “tomfoolery” of our times. Terrible Opinions Jordan: I don’t blame Trump personally for the White House not acknowledging Pride Month (as observed in June). I don’t think he has anything against gay people—I blame the administration around him for pandering to their baby boomer/evangelical Christian base by ignoring it. Matthias: Andy Serkis is one of the greatest actors of a generation, but he gets overlooked because people don’t realize how much skill goes into being the actor behind a CGI character like Gollum in “Lord of the Rings.” Grant: Jon Stewart was criticized by the left and ignored by the right for “Rosewater,” but it was a good film. “What we’re told is very simplistic …” Grant walks us through some of the situation in the Middle East as Israel tries to lay low while in the middle of rising tensions. He explains why Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and the White House adviser tasked with “fixing” Iraq, is the first millennial to be at the crux of foreign policy. Americans generally don’t get an accurate, unfiltered view of foreign policy since news stories become so politicized. Under the Obama administration, the media added explanations and excuses, while the Trump era is characterized by antagonism. Comedy in the era of political correctness Speaking of the politicization of everything, we talk about standup comedy and why comedians are (mostly) getting away with pointing out political correctness and lampooning it in a constructive way. We debate the implications of Patton Oswalt’s “listen to their heart” monologue and remind people that it’s important to listen to others’ words in context and try to understand where they’re coming from – regardless of what “team” they’re on.

Mary Katharine Ham drops by to chat about political tribes, Disney princesses and more on this week’s episode of the Paradox Podcast. She explains why Twitter isn’t the best way to share your political views and what she thinks of people who line up out the door for cupcakes. Terrible Opinions Mary Katharine shares three terrible opinions for good measure. MK: 1) I want to heckle people who line up for cupcakes as if it’s a rock concert when cupcakes aren’t actually good. 2) I like cicadas because they signify summer to me. 3) I’m a big fan of Cleatus the FOX Sports robot. Jordan: It’s OK to mute people on Twitter to filter your timeline as long as you still see tweets from people from both “sides.” Matthias: We need a Twitter option that alerts you when accounts you follow go silent for a long time. Tribal politics Matthias opens up the discussion about political tribes by talking about his own experience trying to live in two different worlds when it comes to ideology. He points out that the gap isn’t between social and fiscal conservatives but between people on the right who believe in a particular ideology and people who are simply partisan. Mary Katharine talks about what needs to happen for people of all political ideologies to be able to talk to each other. Political rhetoric has only become angrier after the shooting in Virginia last week where a gunman seemed to be specifically targeting GOP lawmakers. Can we do better? We talk about why the left needs to welcome liberal evangelicals instead of alienating people of faith by being illiterate when it comes to religion. Jordan mentions the case of the Obama White House staffer who used the biblical reference “the least of these” and was asked over and over if it was a typo. ‘How Far I’ll Go’ Time for the important topic: Disney princess movies. Mary Katharine details her theory that “Frozen” is Disney’s version of “The Shining.” Desolate winter landscape? Check. Volatile main character who is a risk to family members? Double check. We talk about how dark “Frozen” and its Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” actually are. Mary Katharine talks about why “The Princess and the Frog” is her new favorite Disney movie and also explores the history of the classic “Sleeping Beauty.”

Adoption advocate, mom and blogger Sarah Stevenson joins us this week to talk about a calling to adoption, her experience bringing her son home from China and the best way to support families who are adopting.  Terrible Opinions Sarah: Even though I live in Texas, I can’t deal with modern country music. Jordan: Kathy Griffin should not have lost jobs over the shocking Trump photo. Matthias: I enjoy going to crawfish boils because it’s a fun ritual, but I don’t think I actually like crawfish. Sometimes you just know Sarah shares the amazing story of how she and her husband felt called to be adoptive parents and went to China to meet orphans in need of a home. One 6-year-old boy claimed her during their time there, and the rest was history. “By the end of the week, I knew this was my kid,” Sarah remembers. Sarah discusses the importance of community and the people in her life who helped her through the adoption process. She also talks about the best ways to discuss adoption with families and brings a Christian perspective to the question of whether or not to adopt. Yes, religion is about exclusion – all religions We talk about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ attack on Trump administration nominee Russell Vought. Sanders took a quote from an article Vought wrote in January 2016 out of context and attempted to cast the nominee deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget as a bigot. We clarify the quote from Vought’s article and look at some ways that liberals are trying to edge Christians out of public life. Find Sarah at her blog: Love Hope & Adopt

Terrible Opinions Matthias: I thought Lin-Manuel Miranda was rude when I first heard the story about he talked to Vice President Mike Pence from the stage when Pence saw “Hamilton.” But now that I’ve enjoyed his musical work and looked at his remarks in context, I’m more inclined to be OK with what he said. Dina: I hate Disney because I had terrible experiences at Disney World and also Mickey Mouse is creepy. Jordan: I understand what Rachel Bloom was attempting to do with her performance on Bill Nye’s new show (even though she obviously failed). Bill Nye’s handmaid world The big news this week was the GOP’s healthcare bill, a swap for Obamacare that hasn’t made anyone happy. Matthias talked about some of the reactions to the healthcare bill, including the vitriol directed at people like Mary Katherine Ham who are trying to be reasonable.   One of the accusations against the GOP is that they are trying to take healthcare from women in particular and that they are targeting pregnant moms. We touched on a comment in TV host Bill Nye’s new Netflix show that showed how progressives target moms and children. The former “Science Guy” suggested that the government start taxing larger families with “extra kids” because they are supposedly bad for the environment. “The Handmaid’s Tale” has been a rallying cry for a lot of liberal feminists who think Republicans are on the verge of outlawing abortion and cutting off access to birth control (Spoiler: They’re not). Dina analyzed the bigger picture, looking at the dystopian story as a reflection of our world today because 2016 was a dark year and 2017 hasn't been much better. As world powers shift abroad and changes like the new healthcare bill disrupt their lives here, people feel less safe than ever. Jordan noted that recent TV has become increasingly dark and emotionally dense, whether it's "The Handmaid's Tale," "13 Reasons Why" or even the surprise hit "This Is Us," which told the story of a real, relateable family that was funny and enjoyable but still included themes of heartbreak, tragedy and loss. 

Katrina Jørgensen stopped by for what turned out to be a millennial-centric podcast episode this week, joining the Paradox team to share her experiences seeing Sen. Lindsey Graham navigate a South Carolina town hall.  Terrible Opinions Jordan: Conservatives really need to stop jumping on every Chelsea Clinton story. Yes, liberal media cover her, but progressive voters honestly don't care.  Matthias: Android's cutesy confectionary-themed operating system names are annoying and uninformative.  Katrina: I liked "Ghost in the Shell."  At least one politician is listening ...  Katrina talks about a town hall in South Carolina that she attended shortly after the GOP healthcare bill failed. Sen. Lindsey Graham talked about Supreme Court nominee Judge Gorsuch and worked hard to manage a screaming crowd that seemed primarily made up of Bernie voters. He pointed out that he got into trouble with Republicans for supporting President Obama's Supreme Court nominees, but he is always going to support qualified justices.  Sen. Graham addressed millennials specifically, something that is unusual among politicians. One of the problems he mentioned was the shakiness of social security as well as the late retirement age expected for millennials.  Old school management vs. millennials We then launch into a discussion of millennial issues, most of which stem from a poor economy. Millennials have a reputation for being disloyal to the workplace, but often it's because jobs won't pay enough for them to take care of student debt or have basic things their parents had. Katrina talks about average income for millennials, which doesn't even guarantee them a middle-class life in the suburbs.  We talk about student debt and the struggle of college graduates who were told that they just needed to get an education and a good job and comfortable life would be guaranteed. Jordan sympathizes with those who want free college (while disagreeing that free college should become policy) because a common millennial problem is graduating with a college degree and then struggling to find a job that pays well. Matthias talks about some of the difficulties of navigating the job market when employers have so much power to pick and choose among millennials who desperately need work. 

Kemberlee Kaye, Legal Insurrection editor and baker extraordinaire, joined us this week to talk about the GOP healthcare bill disaster, analyze why Republicans failed to reach everyday Americans, and answer the all-important frosting vs. fondant question.  Terrible Opinions Matthias: I shut down my political Twitter account this week, and I'm so much happier with far less politics in my life.  Jordan: People need to stop abusing the word "humbled" when what they really mean is "my life is awesome and I needed to tell all of you."  Kemberlee: Conservatives shouldn't mock Huma Abedin; instead, they should be supportive when couples are dedicated enough to try to make their marriage work.  The lose-lose healthcare bill scenario Matthias points out that the failure of the GOP healthcare bill is bad in the long term for Democrats since the Affordable Care Act likely won't survive without extra government intervention on its behalf. Kemberlee analyzes why the bill failed, noting that even though the bill was theoretically Part I of a three-part initiative, most people had no idea there was more to the plan because the GOP failed to communicate yet again. We all sympathize with Speaker Paul Ryan, who seems to be trying to find a compromise solution in a thankless task.  You should have a real life The Paradox team has been encouraging more discussion about fun interests far outside the realm of politics. Matthias and Kemberlee talk about their experiences with baking and what inspired each of them to learn. There is a lot of important discussion about buttercream frosting. 

Shoshana Weissmann was our guest this week to talk about how much she loves tofu, why the GOP fails to reach urban voters, and what keeps her going when politics is just too much.  Terrible Opinions Shoshana: I actually really love tofu even though no one else does.  Jordan: I was offended by the meme that took the Nike logo on a picture of a woman wearing a hijab and added "if my husband says I can" because 1) you can't group all Muslim women into one stereotype and 2) some women (of a range of religions) decide to dress according to what their husband says. You shouldn't demean them for that decision.  Matthias: The walk sign where the pedestrian figure was wearing a dress not only wasn't really feminist but also promoted a dangerous gender stereotype that wearing a dress makes you a woman.  "We have to start showing up."  Shoshana talks about the GOP's problem with reaching urban voters and why in the long term, it's not enough to reach only rural Americans. "Don't campaign in cities ... you can't win," she was told. Shoshana analyzes some of the reasons why Republicans appeal less to city voters and encourages people on the right to reach out to urban communities and spend time actually talking to voters and finding out what issues matter to them.  Sewing and baking  We talk about interests outside politics, including but not limited to: sewing, baking, tattoos, hair coloring, dresses, buttercream frosting. 

Terrible Opinions Jordan is frustrated with seemingly engaged conservatives who act very puzzled when they hear the term "cisgender" and obviously aren't venturing outside their usual political bubble. Matthias didn't understand "Moonlight" and thought "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Lion" were the strongest films this year.  Better late than never As we finally discuss the 2017 Oscars, Jordan breaks down "Moonlight" and persuades Matthias to give it another look. We go back and forth on "Hacksaw Ridge," which Matthias loved and Jordan hated, and analyze why "Arrival" didn't quite work but was still a great film. Jordan rants about "Manchester by the Sea" and Casey Affleck, and we both agree that Denzel Washington was robbed of Best Actor for his rich performance in "Fences." Why they invented Netflix  Netflix may have been beaten to a Best Picture nomination by Amazon, but it's still making incredible cultural strides by appealing to demographics that are usually ignored. "House of Cards," its first hit original series, doesn't appeal to everyone, but it doesn't have to. Everyone in Washington watches it because the show was designed for a specific (and influential) demographic of TV viewers. "House of Cards" helped Netflix get noticed, and the streaming platform kept creating original content targeted to very specific subsets of its audience. Matthias details his theory that Netflix aims to "serve under-served entertainment groups," creating content that appeals to specific subcultures. We analyze several Netflix series, including "The Ranch," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and the "Veggietales" revival. "Unbreakable," a witty, quirky Tina Fey property, was obviously created for a female audience, while "Veggietales" returned as a Netflix original for Christian viewers. Aziz Ansari's "Master of None" shows the lived experience of an immigrant's kid, while "The Ranch" is about a rural family in Colorado. 

Journalist and author Emily Esfahani Smith joined the Paradox team this week to talk about her new book, The Power of Meaning, and share insights from her research about why your main goal in life shouldn’t be simply happiness. Terrible Opinions Emily and Jordan both contribute pop culture opinions, while Matthias gets somewhat political. With just a few hours to go until the Oscars at the time of recording, Emily pans “La La Land,” saying it was a nice film but overrated and not Best Picture-worthy. Jordan thinks Carrie wasn’t the true protagonist in “Sex and the City,” instead arguing that Charlotte kept the show anchored and quietly influenced all of the other main characters. Matthias wants Chelsea Clinton to “slide into the background” for a while since everyone is still Clinton’d out after the election. Meaning >>> Happiness Emily talks about pursing happiness versus pursuing meaning in life and how research shows that the latter is actually much more satisfying in the long run. As her book details, people find meaning through four pillars: belonging, purpose, storytelling and transcendence. To find meaning, we need strong relationships with other people; a sense of purpose in the work we do; an internal narrative that makes our lives into powerful stories; and experiences of beauty and/or religion that make us part of something bigger.   We get more in-depth with questions like “Do people find meaning by looking for it?” and “How do you move forward and find a sense of meaning again after failure?” Emily describes how a “meaning mindset” is more important than results in a meaningful life.

Attorney and writer Gabriel Malor was our guest this week to provide expert analysis on the “travel ban” executive order and to explain why virtual reality games are dangerous (for him at least). Jordan starts Terrible Opinions with a rant about how both the right and the left are way too eager to cry sexism when a woman, any woman, is in the news cycle. Gabriel says that President Trump will serve as a check on the people in his administration with white nationalist sympathies. Matthias points out that enforcing immigration law is a normal thing, not cause for panic the way people panicked this week as ICE agents did their job. Gabe explains ICE has so much trouble deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. We then shift into the topic of the hour: President Trump’s executive order banning people from seven countries from coming into the U.S. Gabe gives a breakdown of the EO itself and then explains why the Ninth Circuit ruled against President Trump as well as why the ruling was made on shaky grounds and could be challenged in the near future. We wrap up with some fun topics: “Resident Evil” and the survival-horror genre; virtual reality; and a quick preview of Oscar rants.  

Katrina Jørgensen, formerly with the Young Republicans and currently vigilant about foreign policy, dropped by this week to discuss the executive order banning refugees, immigrants and travel from seven countries as well as the unnerving change to the National Security Council.  To open this episode, our Terrible Opinions range from resume submissions to F. Scott Fitzgerald (listen to see who thinks he's a terrible writer).   As part of our topics, Katrina brings up two very important questions: 1) What is an effective means of protest? and 2) What would be a real sign that we're in trouble when it comes to Russia and Trump?  She talks about the intricate U.S. immigration process when it comes to both legal immigrants and refugees, clearing up some of the myths around refugees and talking about her experience helping transplanted families in her community. 

Becket Adams from the Washington Examiner stopped by for our 50th podcast episode to talk about media bias, Meryl Streep, movies and why Twitter just isn’t as much fun anymore. Terrible Opinions Jordan kicks off terrible opinions by telling people to stop picking on Tomi Lahren and anyone else who tweeted something ridiculous and non-news-worthy a million years ago. Becket objects only on the grounds that that’s not a terrible opinion. We talk about the risks of having a Twitter account with countless tweets that could be taken out of context. Becket says what we’re all thinking: Twitter isn’t fun anymore now that every joking tweet between friends could be a liability. Matthias brings us back to politics with his terrible opinion that he is apprehensive about Republicans repealing Obamacare. While Obamacare has had definite negative effects, we don’t know what effects its replacement will have. Stop freaking out about Meryl Streep Becket shares some of his experiences and insights as a reporter on the 2016 election, comparing Trump’s campaign to Clinton’s. He points out that the seemingly ridiculous Make America Great Again hats were ultimately a brilliant strategy, comparing them to the big scene in sports movies where the scrappy underdog team gets their own uniforms. We talk about Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech, mostly to express exasperation at both the right and the left for losing it over her digs at Trump and (the people she perceives to be) his voter base. Becket’s advice for resisting Trump as needed: Pick your battles. He chides media for constantly being “at an 11” over every cabinet pick and tweet instead of digging deeper to find the real story and criticizing Trump on genuine grounds. 2016 movies We wrap up by discussing movies we liked (or were disappointed by) in 2016, highlighting “Finding Dory,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Rogue One.” Becket and Jordan disagree over whether “Rogue One” was a worthy addition to the Star Wars franchise while trying not to give away any spoilers since Matthias still needs to see it.

Brandon Morse from The Blaze was our guest this week to talk about the extremes of identity politics and share an especially unpopular opinion. We speculate on how “Generation Z” will react as progressives slowly alienate the vast majority of the American population, and (despite the Paradox team’s plan to dial back on politics) we briefly analyze how these extremes affected the election. Terrible Opinions Matthias kicks off Terrible Opinions with an optimistic outlook on Trump’s administration. He asks us what success or failure would look like with Trump, pointing out that having extreme rhetoric before he has even taken office will only undermine your credibility. Jordan and Brandon agree that even in a best-case scenario, surviving four years of Trump does not mean America should risk taking on four more. Jordan shares a Terrible Opinion about “La La Land,” contradicting the critics by expressing her disappointment in the film’s downer ending. She criticizes the film for trading on classic Hollywood touches and charm, then sidelining its audience with a postmodern ending. Brandon was apparently unwise enough to share a Terrible Opinion on Facebook this week and received many many responses to a status about the dangers of making depression trendy. We talk about how as a society, we celebrate too many things that shouldn’t be celebrated. #RepresentationMatters for #GamerGate too Brandon talks about his experience as part of GamerGate as an example of people being shouted down by the extreme left, saying that “GamerGate showed that people with a lot of different views can come together and fight for something.” Matthias points out the privilege gap when it comes to male tech industry figures who elevate women: Men who have already built their careers and been successful can afford to pass up tech panels and other opportunities and point out women who can represent their part of the industry instead. Jordan believes the problem comes from people who think “diversity” means shouting down other opinions and marginalizing groups instead of simply celebrating how far we’ve come. As an example of a small step forward, she shares what it was like to vote in an election with historic choices that let her see someone like herself on the presidential ballot for the first time.

The Paradox team discusses a very important cultural event: the Netflix revival of "Gilmore Girls" (warning: MAJOR spoilers for "A Year in the Life"). D.C. writer and communications star Kate Bryan joined Jordan and Matthias to talk about what we loved, what we hated, and why two of the show's big storylines were redemptive and satisfying and one was definitely not (ahem, Rory). Why "Gilmore Girls" and what the heck is up with Rory? Jordan explains why we wanted to devote a podcast episode to "Gilmore Girls." Kate starts off our analysis with her theory that a certain Gilmore girl is a hot mess in "A Year in the Life" because creator Amy Sherman-Palladino originally envisioned this story for a 22-year-old Rory. Are men important in Gilmore world? (Spoiler: Yes) We contrast how male and female characters are depicted on the show. We talk some about the feminism of "Gilmore Girls" and Lorelai's powerful storyline as a single mom building her own life to make things better for her daughter. While the show is female-focused, men are important characters as well, so we take a look at individual male characters and analyze important connections like Rory's relationship with her father and Lorelai's relationship with Luke. "My ancestors came over on the Mayflower." Matthias kicks off a discussion of class tension on "Gilmore Girls" with an interesting point from @AllahPundit, who recently tweeted that the show is a battle between Lorelai and Emily over which class Rory should be part of. https://twitter.com/allahpundit/status/812392609603874816 Predictions We wrap up with predictions about whether or not Netflix will continue with another season of "A Year in the Life," which then morphs into expectations/fears/hopes for what would happen. Matthias predicts that there won't be another season. Kate hopes that Rory finds success with her book and that the baby is a boy. We try to predict exactly when Rory and Jess will get together.

The Paradox team is back after a little post-election break. Confused, concerned Coloradan Brendan Loy was our returning guest this week to talk about listening to people better (and most especially the people who disagree with us) in a post-Trump world. Terrible Opinions Matthias: I disagree with the recent piece from Rachel Held Evans about leaving evangelicalism. We should learn to listen to each other better instead of creating more distance. Brendan: I love Rachel Platten's "Fight Song." Jordan: Even though Twitter has been insane over the Hamilton stuff, I'm glad it happened because vice-president-elect Mike Pence's reaction was so kind and appropriate even in the midst of the crazy. How can we be kind? As people who opposed now-president-elect Donald Trump during the election, we wanted to chat about better ways to talk to people, how to rebuild trust, and what lines in the sand we want to draw going into a Trump administration. Brendan points out flaws in the Hillary Clinton campaign's messaging, which he describes as "crafted by Brooklyn liberals for Brooklyn liberals," and analyzes why it failed to reach voters. We detail our two biggest questions in the wake of the election: "How do we disagree without yelling at people?" and "Can journalists rebuild trust?" Brendan points out that we need to keep the lines clear between genuine bigotry and political incorrectness as well as the distinctions between policies we disagree with vs. actions that will destroy the Republic. Predictions Jordan: Lorelai will say the famous last four words in the Netflix "Gilmore Girls" special that's coming out this weekend. Matthias: More of a promise than a prediction: I'll stop attacking the crazy left. We need to engage and amplify voices we respect and like and that is what I want to do.

To cap off this insane election year, we invited political strategist and One Direction fan Dina Fraioli back to talk about who held the line in 2016 and whether or not the GOP survives. Terrible Opinions Matthias tries to make Jordan's head explode by saying Trump wouldn't be able to do that many horrible things as president even though he's a "monster." Dina praises "establishment" Mitch McConnell, saying he would "delight" in blocking President Hillary Clinton. Jordan says BuzzFeed, the land of endless cat listicles, actually has some great long-form writing and published "the piece of this election" with Katherine Miller's heartfelt How Donald Trump Broke The Conservative Movement (And My Heart). Don't f*** with the Clintons (unless you're Mitch McConnell) Dina taps her 15 years of experience working for in politics envision a Clinton presidency. She thinks Hillary as president would be willing to work across the aisle, and if Republicans hold Congress, McConnell can lead them in blocking her as needed (a big "if" when the GOP may not hold the House and the Senate).  We share some of our "silver linings" in 2016, a year when "everybody showed us who they were" and very few people held the line on their principles. Dina says this next period will be a "rebuilding year" since we don't even know what a Republican is anymore and it may be time for a conservative party. Predictions  Matthias and Jordan have some fun with pop culture predictions, with Matthias saying that Mel Gibson's new movie will be a moderate success that makes him viable again as a director. Jordan is hopeful that the new "Gilmore Girls" special on Netflix will be thoughtfully produced and please the show's devoted fans. 

Jordan and Matthias welcomed Marybeth Glenn of epic tweet storm fame this week to talk about the future of the GOP, Hillary Clinton’s scorn for the rule of law, and the real conflict of our time: Cubs vs. Cardinals.Terrible Opinions Resident feminist and pop-culture-lover Jordan is uncomfortable with the report that the Netflix show “Jessica Jones” has only female directors in its second season. Marybeth demands that the Chicago Cubs lose the World Series. Matthias explains why he thinks Clinton is the true “burn it to the ground” candidate.The GOP’s Woman Problem … and Millennial Problem … and Urban Problem … and … We ask Marybeth what brought on her insightful viral Twitter rant about the GOP, sexism, Trump and Republican women.  Marybeth explores the idea of a new conservative party that appeals to “middle-of-the-road” voters and gives her argument why anyone who supported Trump should not helm the GOP moving forward. We discuss Evan McMullin and the possibility of a new party as well as the GOP’s issues with women, millennials, and minority and urban voters.Predictions Jordan predicts that even in the age of binge-watching, it will take her several months to finish “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” because it’s such an intense show. Matthias says there will be no rioting after the election. 

Matthias and Jordan are back this week to chat with Ryan Moy (@alwaysonoffense) about the future of the GOP and whether or not it can find "basic values as a party" and rebuild after the election.  Terrible Opinions Ryan is apparently very, very particular when it comes to his Halloween candy. Jordan is upset that Jonah Peretti's bizarre tweet about Ivanka Trump is only one more example of the media industry tossing ethics out the window to get attention. Matthias thinks "journalists" like Kevin Robillard of Politico who take decent people out of context and sic Twitter trolls on them should be (metaphorically) burned at the stake.  Consultants! Reince! Dumpster fire! Analysis, predictions, fears and hopes blend in our take on what the post-election conservative landscape will look like. Matthias really wants to know who exactly will be responsible for steering the GOP after Nov. 8. Is it enough for the GOP to replace Reince? Are those conversations already happening and is a plan for the party's future after Donald Trump in the works? Ryan discusses the possibility that Carly Fiorina will be tapped as the new GOP chair and details what she would bring to the table, while Jordan speculates on what the most powerful combination would be for 2020. We debate whether or not the alt-right will continue to infect the conservative movement after the election.  Predictions Matthias depresses everyone with the prediction that the media will continue to give the alt-right oxygen by covering white supremacist events and otherwise bringing attention to their cause. Jordan points out that Trump's reaction if he loses the election could determine whether or not the media continues to make a profit from that kind of coverage (if he goes on that long vacation as promised and disappears from public view, not so much). She predicts that most of the GOP will wake up after the election and attempt to shock everyone with how much Trump never happened. Ryan predicts that Trump TV will launch and will be a fairly successful enterprise. 

This week we discuss the election in respect to the evangelical community. We're joined by Matthew Anderson, who recently noted the increasingly split on the Religious Right over Donald Trump.

Matthias and Jordan are back with a guest to bring more Terrible Opinions and a nuanced perspective on the 2016 election and the current state of the GOP. Noah Rothman of Commentary magazine joined us this week to offer some hope for Republicans after this election. His recommendation? Enough forgiveness to go around, a healthy dose of humility, and a good hard look at what went wrong.  We discuss the big story from the weekend: Donald Trump's lewd comments about women as caught on videotape. Jordan wonders why people drew the line at this particular moment; Noah points out that these quotes are particularly damning because they're completely candid. Is this what the candidate is really like when no one's looking?  We touch on the Trump-Clinton debate and the general horror that is the 2016 election, but mostly try to focus on what comes next. Noah details the healing process that will be necessary for the GOP to move forward and notes that anyone who took the risk of standing against Trump will be politically elevated after the election (see: Ben Sasse, Mike Lee). Matthias wonders if we can do anything about a political landscape that is post-truth and so obviously, dangerously partisan. Jordan hopes the GOP can move beyond the factions that divided the party and made way for someone like Trump. 

This week on the Paradox Podcast, our regular hosts cover Hillary's campaign & what is going wrong with her as a candidate. We also discuss how the press can possibly recover from this election. Terrible Opinions Matthias: Attacking Trump's weight is insane and we should never ever do it.  Jordan: I love Top 40 music. There's something wonderful  Zach: Voters are toblame for this election   Predictions Matthias: Georgia Tech will have a good season, 3 or fewer losses Zach: This will get a lot worse before it gets better Jordan: Paradox will have some news soon

Jay Caruso of RedState joins us in our ongoing conversation about the renewal of the Republican party. But we start off with terrible opinions. Matthias feels that Ben Carson wasn't suited for politics, but thinks he's a nice guy and still really likes him. Jordan notes that the outrage mob on went way too far bashing the "women in headphones" piece. It was dumb, but they made an industry out of being angry at it. Zach asks that, if you're going to make faces at a baby, you should make eye contact with the parents. Jay doesn't think that Hillary's coughing thing was a big deal (but her fainting may alter that position). We talk with Jay about rebuilding the GOP, specifically about his piece in the National Review (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/438320/republican-party-donald-trump-what-comes-after) in which he walks through how the GOP can reach out to minority and urban voters after a Hillary victory. We also discuss the alt right and try to figure out how to balance the need to recognize themas a news story with how covering their every move gives them oxygen, energy,and the money they need to continue. For predictions,  Jay notes that, we're going to see the elimination of the network TV model in the next five years.

For part 2 in our Rebuilding Conservatism series, Jason Pye (Director of Communication at FreedomWorks) joins us. Jason brings us a vision of rebuilding conservatism from a policy perspective that focuses on amplifying and supporting conservative voices within Congress. Matthias: I feel like Danielle Morrill's piece on work life balance comes from a place of extreme privlidge & can be a toxic attitude for many people Jason: I'm tired of the Harambe nonsense and also I love Nihilist Arby's Jordan: I love Kim Kardashian & I think she uses the free market to her advantage Zach Noble: They've found that using robot babies in sex ed courses DOESN'T disuade girls from having babies and that's great. We should have more kids. We then talk about Jason's work with Freedom Works & the House Freedom Caucus and how to connect with the core conservative movement that is influencing policy within Congress. For predictions... Matthias: bots (automated comment generators) will play an increasing role in the dark part of campaigns Jason: The Georgia Bulldogs will go 9-3 and will beat Georgia Tech in the last game of the season Zach: The Magnificent 7 remake will be great Jordan: Nothing at the 2016 Video Music Awards will be weirder than the 2016 presidential campaign