Against the Grain

The legacy of World War II seems unsettled as never before. Figures on left and right flirt with fascist iconography, and influencers question who the war’s true villain was. Are these signs of a growing discontent with the conventional lessons of the “Good War” and the postwar settlement they support? To sort fact from falsehood, Sean McMeekin, professor of history at Bard College and author of Stalin’s War, joins Matthew and Julia. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

Fashion is having a conservative moment. The carefree femininity of “barbiecore” is out; power suits are in. Matthew and Julia visit four stores in Manhattan that are participating in the right shift in American style. There they find evidence of a new respect for masculinity, and a less progressive understanding of what it means to be a man or woman. For more like this, become a member at ⁠patreon.com/againstthepod⁠.

In 1892, the avant-garde novelist Joris-Karl Huysmans shocked secular Paris by converting to Catholicism. In his strange life, brilliant writings, and transgressive commitment to traditional religion, Huysmans anticipated many of the spiritual trends we see around us today—from occultism to exhaustion with porn and screens. Matthew and Julia discuss. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

On Saturday, September 13, Terence Crawford defeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion of the world. Matthew and Julia were in Las Vegas for the fight between the quiet man from Omaha and the Mexican superstar. They discuss the importance of combat sports to national and class identity, the appeal of boxing for anti-bourgeois writers, the rise of MMA in America, and Donald Trump’s plans to host a UFC fight at the White House. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

Nathan Pankoski, Senior Fellow and Oxford‑trained translator of modern French political works, discusses Jean Raspail’s controversial novel The Camp of the Saints. He traces Raspail’s inspiration, spiritual and grotesque imagery, and the book’s framing of Europe’s cultural crisis. Short takes cover the novel’s plot, its portrayal of resistance and clergy, and why it still sparks debate today.

Sydney Sweeney’s roles in HBO’s “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” made her one of the faces of Gen Z. Is the ad campaign about her “great jeans”—combined with the revelation that she’s a registered Republican—a sign that young people are turning right? Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost discuss how a girl with all-American looks became a potent symbol in the culture war. For more like this, subscribe at patreon.com/againstthepod.

Due to a production error, some listeners have had trouble playing this episode. We are republishing it for their convenience.Jeffrey Epstein was a real man who committed real crimes. But the truth about his case has been obscured by the Epstein myth—a synthesis of conspiracy theories that explains everything from the failures of US foreign policy to the inequities of our legal system by laying blame on a particular group: the Jews. For more like this, subscribe at patreon.com/againstthepod.

Jeffrey Epstein was a real man who committed real crimes. But the truth about his case has been obscured by the Epstein myth—a synthesis of conspiracy theories that explains everything from the failures of US foreign policy to the inequities of our legal system by laying blame on a particular group: the Jews. For more like this, subscribe at patreon.com/againstthepod.

Which is a more realistic portrayal of the way we live now—Ari Aster’s “Eddington” or Lena Dunham’s “Too Much”? Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost on the face-off between two great millennial directors. For more like this, subscribe at patreon.com/againstthepod.

How Peter Navarro, a Democratic congressional candidate and idealistic liberal, survived run-ins with dominatrixes, sex cultists, and Martin Sheen on his way to becoming a MAGA martyr and Trump’s tariff czar. For more like this, subscribe at patreon.com/againstthepod.