Walk-Ins Welcome with Bridget Phetasy

Comedian Drew Lynch drops in to talk about his latest stand-up special, Concussed. He and Bridget discuss overcoming life's adversities including the head injury he suffered a decade ago, how it led him to comedy, what it taught him, and how at the end of the day it's how you respond to life's adversities that determines your character. They cover the grind of feeding the algorithm, how social media can rob you of things that used to be fulfilling, boxing yourself into your own brand and getting stuck there, addictive personalities, the ins and outs of running your own business, struggling with imposter syndrome, and why Drew's mom and Bridget think Yellowstone is so good.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Comedian, writer & actor Aida Rodriguez stops in to discuss Fighting Words her new special streaming on HBO Max and her desire to give people perspective on what's going on in the world. It's easy to talk to people who think like you and talk like you, Aida hopes to push people outside the bounds of their own experiences and perhaps connect them to others in a new way. She and Bridget discuss the weird time we live in where comedians are held to a higher standard than public officials, why it's impossible and toxic to try to please everyone, why comedians should defend their right to be hyperbolic, and how stand-up saved them both. They also cover how political divisions merely get in the way of actually making changes, why artists can't possible be held responsible for all the different interpretations of their work, the fact that we're so busy policing each other that nothing is getting resolved, and what has helped Aida through the darkest times in her life.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Katherine Brodsky was doxxed, harrassed and threatened because of a job posting on Facebook. She and Bridget discuss what happened, why she refuses to apologize, how it shifted the way she interacts with the world, and the private messages of support she received from people who were too scared to say anything publicly. They cover the toxicity of cancel culture, the long term effects in can have in your life, how other people's silence makes you feel even more isolated and alone, and how the incident gave Katherine the ability to be honest about where she was politically. They also discuss the importance of primary sources, how difficult it is for an institution to regain trust once it's been lost, the job of comedy in this day and age, Rogan as a gateway podcast, and the etiquette of heckling at a comedy show. Check out Katherine's substack Random Minds . This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Ben Shapiro is back and he and Bridget cover a range of topics including his move out of California to Florida, what the breaking point was that made his family leave the state, the massive divide right now between the red states and the blue states, how to restore the credibility and moral authority of public health officials, the long-term effects of masks on children, why risk is unavoidable, and why we're all susceptible to being mini petty tyrants. They also discuss how corporate heads are not true believers when it comes to the woke agenda - they're just afraid, the activists who want to tell you what to do in the most private spheres of your life, making decisions with your feet, and why you should try to treat people who are on the other side with a baseline level of respect, but politicians don't count. Be sure to check out Ben's latest book, The Authoritarian Moment.   This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Batya Ungar-Sargon stops in to discuss her new book, Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy . She and Bridget discuss the history of American journalism and how it was once a crusader for the poor and the working class, when and how that changed, and the vast disparity that exists between the classes now. They explore how Liberals who see themselves on the right side of history are divorced from the working class, but that does not mean that Conservatives are speaking for them either. They also cover why AOC's Met Gala dress is the perfect encapsulation of wokeness as a smokescreen that perpetuates inequality, the mistake in measuring economic health in terms of purchasing power rather than the dignity of labor, and why having an under class who's underemployed while the people in power spend all day sneering at their values is dangerous. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Coleman Hughes sits down with Bridget for a conversation about why Critical Race Theory is an interesting but misguided philosophy, where it came from, what it's doing to our society, and why he's an advocate of color-blindness. They discuss the importance of viewing people as individuals rather than as groups, how efforts to fight racism often wind up treating black people like children rather than adults, and why it's good that a conversation about race has been started, but that there's a different, healthier message that needs to happen. They also cover why Hollywood execs don't want the black characters in comedies to have any flaws, why Joe Rogan isn't as famous as he should be, how the Occupy Wall Street movement was redirected into the race debates, why human flaws and human selfishness should be accounted for the the systems we build, and why you kind of sound like an asshole if you're an optimist. Check out Coleman's podcast Conversations with Coleman.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Kat Rosenfield, author of the new book No One Will Miss Her , shares her writing process with Bridget, and talks about her transition from YA to Adult Thriller novels. They talk about why the YA community is so susceptible to moral panic, when grown women turn back into teenage girls online, what the culture wars are doing to the art world and art itself, how you can feel it when an artist feels pressured to conform to a certain set of ideals, and why she finds the idea of sensitivity readers fundamentally ridiculous. The discuss the odd paradox that authors are being told that they're required to disclose trauma in order to be allowed to write about it and how invasive and damaging that can be, why sensitivity readers tend to traffic in stereotypes, and how the end game for all of it is to narrow the playing field and get people to self-exclude. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Megyn Kelly (The Megyn Kelly Show) sits down with Bridget to talk about taking control of her own career and destiny. They cover what led her to journalism from law, why the constant focus on identity doesn't lead us to anyplace good in our society, how feeling sorry for yourself causes depression, the ability to withstand public pressure as a politician in this day and age, and what will happen if Trump runs again. They also discuss the importance of being able to laugh at yourself, how avoiding controversy and protecting yourself in a "safe space" is the worst possible approach to dealing with life's troubles, why kids have to put themselves out there, take risks and fall on their faces, and Megyn shares the best thing her therapist ever said to her. Check out The Megyn Kelly Show 12 - 2pm EST daily, on Sirius XM Triumph Channel 11.   This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying join Bridget to discuss their latest book A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century . They have a fascinating conversation covering how so much in evolutionary biology is obvious in retrospect, why an explicitly scientific and evolutionary understanding of who we are as humans doesn't take away the sense of awe or miraculousness of our humanity, and how the rate of change we are living through now is so great that there's really no comparison to any other point in human history. They discuss the Precautionary Principle, the function of religion, the fourth frontier, organic food, hyper-novelty, banishing your fear, what makes a good partner, and the Omega Principle. Be sure to check out their DarkHorse Podcast for more in-dept h conversations with them both.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show

Jillian Hamilton drops in to talk about her new podcast Cheating: When Love Lies. She and Bridget have a refreshingly honest conversation about the taboo subject of affairs, cheating, why people do it, what they're looking for, what it can lead to, the effect the pandemic had on relationships, and the "monogamy myth." Jillian talks about what led her to this topic and why she finds it so fascinating, Bridget shares stories she's never talked about publicly before. They cover how men cheat to stay while women cheat to leave, how women are held to a different standard than men, how many people don't qualify their behavior as cheating, living out your personal issues in your relationships, why sometimes honesty isn't always the best policy, and what you should never give your mistress for her birthday.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.phetasy.com/subscribeSupport the show