The American Age

229 - The hosts catch up after a long absence. They discuss current and future projects, and give their takes on why the podcast ended its nearly 5 year run.

0228 - The hosts welcome Dr. Deborah Cullen-Morales to the podcast, Program Officer at the Mellon Foundation. They discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with championing the work of Latin American artists in the United States. Cultural assimilation, agglomeration, recognition, and visibility are discussed.

227 - This month's guest is Sydney Baloue, a TV writer, scholar, and advocate for trans rights. Seph, Steven, Travis and Sydney talk about Ballroom culture, gender, race, and how careful we should be with language.

226 - Welcome to The (new) American Age podcast. Seph, Steven, and Travis welcome their first guest, Nick Mirzoeff. Nick is a visual culture theorist, New York University professor and author of White Sight: Visual Politics and Practices of Whiteness. The hosts and their guest discuss confederate statues, structural racism, and his new book White Sight. We hope you enjoy!

225 - The hosts catch up about Kanye West, and discuss their new podcast format. Beginning in January, the podcast will move to a monthly format with guests and a longer runtime. Listen in on the reasons and catch up about current events.

224 - What are “weak” social connections, and why are they so important? The hosts discuss the role of weak connections in US civic life.

032 - Travis and Seph reflect individually on podcast episode 223- “Practicing Intellectual Intimacy: The Hosts Hash It Out.”

223 - Seph and Travis work towards understanding their differences. Republicans, populism, pandemics, empathy, and friendship are all up for discussion.

031 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 222 - “No Place Like Home.” Steven shares the reasons why he loves his home in New York City. Seph talks about what a home really means to him. Travis expresses his love for humanity, tempered by the potential damage large groups of empowered people can inflict.

222 - Seph, Steven, and Travis discuss finding, making, and feeling at home.

030 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 221 - “Living in the Present vs Thinking about the Future.” Steven discusses how thoughts about past present and future play a role in managing anxiety. Travis clarifies his thoughts about the irreconcilable tension between present and future.

221 - The hosts talk about the natural conflict between living in the moment and thinking about the future. What do climate change, Zen, and empire have in common? Find out.

029 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 220 - “Top 3s: Films, Cities, and more.” Steven scratches beneath the surface of short lists as they relate to what we can actually know about another person. Travis shares a poem featured in a film he wished he had included in his top three films - Mindwalk.

220 - Steven and Travis talk movies, cities, and more. Their favorite things and why they love them. Get ready for Russian Sci-fi and Mel Brooks.

028 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 219 - “Strange Beliefs: Flirting with the Limits of What We Know.” Travis reads a passage from a Stephen King novel to remind us that certainty is ultimately an illusion. Steven shares intriguing beliefs revealed in letters written by H.P. Lovecraft.

219 - This week on the podcast Steven and Travis discuss the crazy ideas they've ever believed, or maybe kind of still believe. Get ready for UFOs and the apocalypse.

027 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 218 - “Gratitude.” Steven details his reasons and gratitude for choosing to live in New York City. Seph shares his thoughts about the Information Age in light of the adolescent mental health crisis we face in the United States. Travis expresses his gratitude for being alive.

218 - The hosts take a break from fretting about the world to discuss the things they're most grateful for, both personally and historically.

026 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 217 - “Institutional Trust: Faith vs Naivete.” Seph explains his disappointment in the promise of “self-evident” American values expressed by the founding fathers. Steven discusses his views on institutional trust through his recent recent experience at the the hospital and a book he read by Matt Colquhoun. Travis highlights recent efforts of institutions to simplify American history.

217 - With the country's long history of injustices, is it naive to have faith in US institutions? Is there reason to believe that democracies yield better results for the people who live in them. The hosts explore these and other aspects of institutional faith and skepticism.

025 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 216 - “Staying Close to Home.” Seph addresses Travis' assertions about humanity in relation to Alan Weisman's book The World Without Us. Travis discusses our natural inclinations to fear the unknown and gravitate toward the familiar.

216 - The hosts discuss their own histories of migration and reflect on what motivates us to move away from home. Freedom, privation, hope, and fear all intermingle with the unfamiliar and create our unique experiences of difference.  

024 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 215 - “Elite Capture: Olúfémi Táíwò and the Politics of Privilege.” Steven talks about how Táíwò's article has caused him to rethink how he engages with the community and issues he supports. Travis deconstructs episteme as it us currently used to define personhood. Seph shares an anecdote  from his time at Hyperallergic related to the concepts presented by Táíwò.

215 - The hosts discuss the politics of race and privilege in elite discourse. How much should race and gender be weighted when discussing social issues?

023 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 214 - “Vs, The War of All Against All: Abortion.” Steven dives into adversarial relationships in his personal life, whether it be within his family or amongst his friends and acquaintances. Seph takes a closer look at Travis' claim regarding progressives, bodily autonomy, and the SCOTUS Dobbs decision. Travis shares a parable as an allegory for current progressive politics.

214 - Steven rejoins the podcast, and the hosts discuss the “vs” mood in US politics. Roe vs Wade vs SCOTUS vs women vs the Bible vs left vs right vs trans-rights vs white men vs...

022 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 213 - “Underdogs and Empires: What Compels Us to Care?” Seph applies the concept of empires and underdogs to conservatives and progressives in light of the recent Supreme decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Travis taps into the renewed sense of hope that sports teams bring with every season.

213 - Seph and Travis discuss underdogs and “evil” empires in sports and celebrity. Steven is off this week.

021 - The hosts reflect on podcast episode 212 - “Intellectual Protagonists and Inspirational Antagonists.” Seph gets in touch with his intellectual ancestry, and how the writing styles of academics he studied influenced his own methods. Travis discusses the challenges posed when framing past intellectuals in his own thoughts and work.

212 - The hosts discuss the thinkers who shape their own thinking, both positively and negatively. In sports it's common to have productive rivalries, and the same is true in the realm of thought.

020 - The hosts reflect on their podcast “From Abortion to Beauty Standards.” Steven examines Jordan Perterson's motivations in the Twitterverse in light of recent mass shootings. Seph deconstructs the “my body my choice” assertion as it pertains to abortion, vaccine mandates and religious beliefs. Travis draws a link between the concept of beauty standards and vaccine mandates through the human desire for certainty.

211 - The hosts continue their conversation about abortion and discuss the politics of “principles,” before they move on to Jordan Peterson, and the notion of “objective” beauty standards.

019 - The hosts reflect on their podcast “My Body, My Choice, Except When…” Travis discusses the role of the government in regulating bodily autonomy, and views ongoing outrage over issues such as the Musk Twitter acquisition as a distraction from more important concerns. Steven provides food for thought in the form of questions over issues brought up in the podcast, and compares the statements made by select conservative Supreme Court justices during their confirmation hearings to the leaked draft opinion overruling Roe v. Wade. Seph addresses a challenge Travis posed during their discussion last week.

210 - The hosts discuss the speculation that Roe v Wade might be overturned. What does “My Body, My Choice” mean in an era of vaccine mandates? What makes government regulation of our bodies permissible in some instances but not others?

018 - The hosts reflect on their podcast about “Don't Say Gay” Bills: Representations vs Realities. Steven reasserts his view of the bill as Trojan Horse perpetrated by the GOP, and examines the notion of “benign intent” within the framework of his own life experiences. Seph mines Google for statistics about sex education in middle schools to see if there's any justification behind the “moral panic.” Travis clarifies remarks he made regarding the mind body duality in western vs eastern thought, and emphasizes his concern over the implementation of gender affirming medical procedures on adolescents.

209 - The hosts discuss the media's representations of recent parental rights and transgender sports bills. How much is moral panic? How fair is the coverage? The hosts look at the actual legislation as well as the stories about the legislation.

017 - The hosts reflect on their podcast about Will Smith, Chris Rock, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Travis taps into Ramakrishna's teachings as he makes a case for humility and understanding in our fraught community. Seph examines his past experiences with violence, brought to the forefront by the Oscar scandal and events in Ukraine. Steven delves into the unjustified backlash against Jada Pinkett Smith.

208 - The hosts discuss the implications of Smith smacking Rock. Is this a further breakdown in our collective civic space, a breakdown amongst elites, or just some a random human event? War and the history of “grooming” are also up for discussion.

016 - The hosts reflect on their podcast about the Jussie Smollett case. Travis expresses his concerns over the use of racial animus to serve ambition. Steven shares his mystification over what Jussie Smollett's motivations might have been. Seph mines the Twitter feed to illustrate a point about individual vs group behavior. 

207 - The hosts discuss Jussie Smollett and the various responses to his case. If Smollett is the boundary case, a caricature of how a person can manipulate social forces for personal gain, what other examples exist in 21st century America? Is this a cautionary tale of our culture's preoccupation with race, or a byproduct of meaningful progress?

015 - The hosts reflect on part 2 of their podcast on Joe Rogan. Travis discusses why free speech is a fundamental principle of democracy and a spur to personal insight and growth. Seph expresses his desire for a higher level of journalistic integrity from those who have the power through their platforms. Steven shares a story from The Atlantic, in which the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is given a platform to speak for himself.

206 - The hosts continue their discussion of Joe Rogan and his podcast. The conversation opens up from there as they consider the importance of free speech in a functioning democracy.

014 - The hosts reflect on the first of a two-part podcast about Joe Rogan. Steven shares his thoughts about online free speech, censorship and gatekeepers; Travis reiterates his defense of free speech in light of YouTube blocking the channel of state-controlled Russian news network RT.

205 - The hosts discuss Joe Rogan and the latest controversies surrounding his podcast. They also spend some time talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and do a mighty fine job of tying them together.

013 - The hosts reflect on last week's conversation about Lizzy. Travis discusses the body as a problem, or riddle, that is exclusively our own to solve. Seph shares a personal anecdote about the notion of self improvement through a sense of lack. Steven talks about how advertising steals our imagination over body image.  

204 - What's the difference between honoring our bodies and promoting our bodies? Can we talk about health and wellness and still make room for a variety of shapes and sizes? The hosts talk Lizzo, busybodies, and Joe Rogan. 

012 - The hosts talk about last week's podcast about the podcast. Travis shares a personal anecdote; Steve talks his experience with technology over the years; Seph reveals his feelings about a tweet he read that stuck with him.

203 - Steven asks Seph and Travis to reflect on the podcast itself. Over 200 episodes in, what do the hosts think about what they're doing. Who do they think is listening? And why don't they do more to promote their conversations?

011 - The hosts reflect on last week's discussion of Judith Butler and Bari Weiss.

202 - Bari Weiss wrote a book on Anti-semitism. The philosopher Judith Butler criticized it. The hosts try to understand that criticism and each other as they work through our unfair biases, and our unfair grievances.

010 - For this week's note the hosts discuss the late Betty White. Her decades long career lasted through so many changes in American culture that it's worth pausing to remember her contributions.