Informed Attraction

This week, Mackenna and Aubrey conclude their discussion of Rosie O'Donnell by discussing her heated debate about the Iraq War with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View and... her longstanding "feud" with Donald Trump. All in all, this episode is really about one question: is it okay to publicly bully someone for their appearance over the course of 20 years because you don't like them?  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQJEry8OdaoUPwpVJ0BXlu2H7D1Wktgjg0lam0jNpgVe7PlAwQ-4oB4h4CMRXvRk51KDlE9J7g5Z

Happy New Year! This week, Aubrey clarifies for Mackenna that Rosie O'Donnell is not Roseanne Barr. However, that doesn't mean she's perfect! Aubrey details the first half of Roseanne's career and our two little guys discuss whether Rosie's crimes are worth the vitriol she received from all corners of the media, including from ye olde Donald Trump himself.  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQU3jyX_G51fAeaxoGH2eUE_KU1ZASh2C-qfo8i-SOtIXrkzLXHI-StiopGoj8KdIMYUK3j2-x_-qHu/pub

In this more relaxed episode (which I'm calling a Bottle Episode, welcome, new episode format just dropped), Mackenna and Aubrey talk about some of their favorite 2025 movie releases, as well what might scoop up some Oscars this year. PLEASE BE WARNED: there aren't spoilers for most of the movies we describe in the episode, but we do spoil aspects of Eenie Meanie (spoilers from 6:27-7:00), Ready or Not (2019) (spoilers from 09:00-09:40), Companion (discussed with spoilers from 12:55-18:47), and Final Destination: Bloodlines (spoilers from 24:49-26:23).  Thanks for hanging out with us in 2025 and we'll see you in the new year! Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTHVPAtFS8ZkqgtHNqlpvYO_0lDwcgKYmF56UvoAT-ahWDEuSNr40WDHE8vEdn8wyYnj03QGmAq4D12/pub

Mackenna and Aubrey cover the rest of The Santa Clause films and the more recent TV series. Let's learn about the history of Mrs. Clause and listen to Mackenna struggle to remember plot points of a TV show she found boring! (And yes, we do eventually realize that it is The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and not... The Santa Clause 2: The Escape Clause but... give us about 35 minutes.)  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSNJvqeIJ9TbhrtFyevgoK6QpniTjC5J75m3-vPJM540tF1vXcTFmiKJOwTKsgP2Chllo9vhRB5ekdj/pub

This week, Mackenna and Aubrey are joined by A.J. Ditty of The Worst of All Possible Worlds to discuss the 1994 film The Santa Clause. In this episode they dare to posit: is The Santa Clause a body horror?  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Guest: A.J. Ditty (he/him; @thefuzzymaskedman) Check out A.J.’s podcast here! Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQ37julksCQ15eZrv2uCOSnh7veXXn3RP9c_yLan-4DakxhLyvWbBWmvWHA761tVwRXVbn9i8e7rBLa/pub

They trace a media rise that shaped young men’s identities and why long, intimate conversations build parasocial loyalty. They unpack the alpha aesthetic—fitness, biohacking, supplements, and psychedelic lore—and map a podcaster ecosystem that amplifies homosocial validation. They question macho rituals like Sober October and No Nut November and explore how male signaling fuels performative toughness.

A two-part deep dive traces a comedian's leap from Fear Factor host to cultural power player. They explore martial arts shaping masculine identity, Rogan’s blue-comedy grind, and TV breaks like NewsRadio and The Man Show. The conversation revisits Fear Factor’s controversies, gendered framing, and moments that pushed him toward podcasting and internet influence.

Mackenna might be taking things too seriously again! This week, she galaxy brains out about how current trends in plastic surgery - amongst both Hollywood elite and alt-right politicans - reflect the rise of fascism in the United States. But first, a walkthrough of the history of plastic surgery trends in the US and Aubrey dunks on her brother for bullying children at pickleball.  P.S. There was issues with this episode earlier, but should be all fixed now! Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTPz-W3auSUit9oIfhRBjxM5SeXauZSy41E5X8NtGUaObvLs57RvbUg5KrU7Iy2VW9PHIfLe6fWek7a/pub

This week, Mackenna and Aubrey discuss the growing prevalence of "tweakments," i.e. minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, like fillers or Botox, and how they are impacting acting. In addition, they both fangirl heavy about The Substance.  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com Listening notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQvD_e__-_hAMLBCNLu61J5LawaQOOjlhtBSkX2ilDHxErLtm1N0SQcrVKNMH_W9PX9xABYj2dNwI_O/pub

Aubrey discusses the epic highs and lows of insurance mascots i.e. all the mascots are cool, but insurance is irreparably evil. And Mackenna takes us on a tangent about drinking culture.  Hosted by: Mackenna Goodrich (she/they; @mack3nna) and Dr. Aubrey Hoffer, PHd (she/her; @hoff.phd) Logo design: Freya Sierra Theme Music: Josh Capati Send us an email at informedattraction@gmail.com