Story of the Week with Joel Stein

Jane Fonda didn’t just change Hollywood; she rattled American politics, beauty standards, and the birth of modern fitness culture. We're sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives, and a special episode about Jane. Every week, journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to explore the story behind the icons who shape our culture—trailblazers like David Bowie, Meg Ryan, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner—and better understand how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape. Here, Kai and Emmanuel trace how the Oscar-winning “nudie cutie” became a firebrand activist, conservative boogeyman, and unlikely fitness mogul. From the 1960s Barbarella sex symbol to “Hanoi Jane” to the face of the VHS home workout revolution, we unravel the woman who kept reinventing herself—and became one of the most polarizing figures in American history. Find Big Lives wherever you get podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if psychedelics could transform the way we treat trauma, chronic pain, and insomnia? This week, neuroscientist and psychedelic researcher Grace Blest-Hopley joins the show to break down the research on psychedelics and female biology. She discusses how psychedelics work in the brain, and the ways that psychedelic-assisted therapies might be beneficial for women in midlife. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Hystelica’s resources on psychedelic retreats The Heroic Hearts Project Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Psychedelics Administered to Military Veterans in Naturalistic Retreat Settings The acute effects of classic psychedelics on memory in humans Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Johns Hopkins study on psychedelics and Alzheimer’s Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the 96th Academy Awards this Sunday, we wanted to revisit this episode from last year. The Oscars seems to be cursed with a series of chaotic live television gaffes. But one moment in Academy Award history takes the cake. In 1974, a scrawny white man named Robert Opel ran across the stage butt naked, right as the Best Picture category was being announced. New Yorker magazine writer and Oscars aficionado Michael Schulman recounts the queer, wonderful, and historic life of the 1974 Oscars streaker.  You can read the full story here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/06/what-became-of-the-oscar-streaker  You can find Michael Schulman’s new book Oscar Wars here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arno Funke, the 'DuckTales' Bandit, discusses his crime spree and obsession with Scrooge McDuck. Learn about his extortion tactics and the cultural impact of DuckTales in Germany.

In this podcast, journalist Graeme Wood discusses Bronze Age Pervert, a far-right icon with a top-selling book. They explore his rise to influence, controversial ideologies, and connections to powerful individuals. The episode touches on academic controversies, small business stories, and the secretive Bap movement. They delve into controversial beliefs, infiltration of high positions, and fun speculations about California.

When Andrew Leland was a teenager he learned he had a rare disease that would cause him to become blind by the time he reached middle age. He recently decided to prepare by attending a special school for blind people.  You can read Andrew’s essay for the New Yorker, “How to Be Blind” here: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/how-to-be-blind  And you can find Andrew’s new book, The Country of the Blind here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635964/the-country-of-the-blind-by-andrew-leland/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A car mechanic named Jeff Carpoff invented a portable solar generator. Companies like Geico and Progressive Insurance bought thousands of his generators because they got tax credits for doing so. But there was something not quite right about Carpoff’s invention. You can read Ariel Saber’s Atlantic story, “The Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme that hooked Warren Buffett and the US Treasury,” here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/06/dc-solar-power-ponzi-scheme-scandal/673782/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xochitl Gonzalez spent years planning the weddings of New York’s wealthiest couples. This is the story of the craziest wedding she’s ever planned. You can read Xochitl Gonzalez’s Atlantic story “The Fake Poor Bride,” here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/07/luxury-wedding-planners-industrial-complex-cost/674169/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A developer named Domenic Broccoli wanted to build an IHOP in Fishkill, New York. But after it was discovered that the plot of land he was planning to build on may have been a Revolutionary War grave site, he became embroiled in a war of his own.  You can read Reeves Wiedeman’s New York Magazine story “The Battle of Fishkill” here: https://www.curbed.com/article/ihop-fishkill-ny-domenic-broccoli-revolutionary-war.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laos used to be known as “the land of a million elephants.” Now, there are only about 800 elephants left in the country. Reporter Paul Kvinta went undercover to learn about the illegal elephant trade, and ended up putting in an offer on an elephant himself.  You can read read Paul Kvinta’s Outside Magazine story “I Bought an Elephant to Find Out How to Save Them,” here: https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/asian-elephant-trafficking-captivity-laos/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.