Why MAGA’s baby headlines fall flat with women
Standing Room Only
Three women close to Donald Trump have recently announced their pregnancies. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But it reflects something much bigger: MAGA's obsession with boosting birth rates, while doing little to actually support families and make raising kids easier. These three mothers, Karoline Leavitt, Katie Miller and Second Lady Usha Vance, are all cushioned by wealth, power and nannies, while everyday mothers are told to just deal. In this episode, Amanda unpacks the hypocrisy and shows why this is all a PR distraction strategy that is bound to fail with guest Andi Zeisler, senior writer...
info_outline
Republicans in total meltdown after TPUSA brawl
Standing Room Only
MAGA’s infighting just got worse. We’ve got all the dirty details from the latest right-wing civil war at TPUSA’s AmericaFest. And no, invading Venezuela is not going to mend fences inside the conservative movement. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why Erika Kirk, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly and other major MAGA figures are openly at war, and why fringe influencers like Milo Yiannopoulos and Nick Fuentes still wield outsized influence over the direction of the Republican Party. The movement is fracturing in real time and panic is setting in across Trump world. The guest is...
info_outline
Fox News ruined Christmas (again)
Standing Room Only
Fox News is once again trying to make its annual war on Christmas happen. Surprising? Of course not. Hilarious? Always. In this episode, Amanda and Melanie McFarland, award-winning senior culture critic at Salon, break down some of their most painfully corny holiday segments—packed with forced cheer, smarmy Christian proselytizing and a sudden pivot into full-blown rage bait. Follow Melanie on Bluesky: @McTelevision Learn more about Scott Shoemaker’s War on Christmas: https://theatreoffjackson.org
info_outline
JD and Usha Vance can’t escape divorce rumors
Standing Room Only
JD and Usha Vance can’t escape the divorce rumors and JD certainly isn’t helping. Amanda unpacks the couple’s catastrophic public relations strategy, JD’s latest “jokes” that land as demeaning moments for his wife, and what all of it reveals about gender dynamics in conservative movements, MAGA gender politics and the role political spouses are expected to play within Christian, right-wing family values narratives. Moira Donegan, Guardian US columnist and co-host of the podcast In Bed with the Right, is the guest.
info_outline
Allie Beth Stuckey loses it over “toxic empathy” criticism
Standing Room Only
Allie Beth Stuckey, the far-right commentator and host of Relatable, is weaponizing her gender to sell the twisted idea that we need less empathy in the world—not more. In this video, Amanda explains why her philosophy is actually about power and control. The guest this episode is Tim Whitaker, founder of The New Evangelicals media, who recently debated Allie Beth on Jubilee about the Bible.
info_outline
Whatever Podcast is radicalizing young men to the right
Standing Room Only
The Whatever Podcast—also known as “Dating Talk”—isn’t just edgy entertainment for young men. It’s a pipeline into misogyny. In this episode, we examine how host Brian Atlas stages confrontational “debates” with women to push anti-feminist narratives disguised as discussion. Progressive streamer Erin (Straighterade) joins to share what really happens on set, how conflict gets manufactured and what went down when she debated Charlie Kirk on the show. Together, we break down how red-pill media turns gender resentment into profit and why young men and parents should pay attention....
info_outline
JD Vance’s marriage: Why Erika Kirk’s hug backfired
Standing Room Only
An on-stage hug between the vice president and Charlie Kirk’s widow sparked wild rumors about their relationship. But the real story isn’t an affair, instead it’s an image problem for the GOP. JD Vance’s marriage to Usha Vance increasingly clashes with the ideals he’s selling, built on white supremacy and rigid gender roles. In this episode, Amanda explains why that’s becoming a serious liability for the Republican Party and what it reveals about the hypocrisy of MAGA politics and toxic masculinity. The guest this episode is Soraya Chemaly, author of “All We Want Is Everything:...
info_outline
Zohran Mamdani conquered. Other young Democrats can, too.
Standing Room Only
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani beat incredible odds to win in New York City. His campaign rejected old guard, establishment Democrats and leaned heavily into volunteers and a clear vision. In this episode, Amanda talks about why it worked and show how Mamdani is one of many young people helping usher in a new generation of courageous Democratic leadership. The guest is Amanda Litman, president and co-founder of Run for Something, an organization that recruits and supports young leaders to run for office around the United States.
info_outline
Riley Gaines stole her hate campaign from horror movies
Standing Room Only
Swimmer Riley Gaines has become MAGA’s latest hand-picked “victim” of trans athletes, despite her entire media career being built on a single moment: tying for fifth place against trans swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why her tactics and unoriginal talking points resonate so deeply with the Christian right, and how her brand of trans panic looks less like scripture and more like a horror movie script. The guest this episode is Stacy Lentz, LGBTQ rights activist, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn in New York and the CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back...
info_outline
E. Jean Carroll shows how to beat the creeps
Standing Room Only
House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to great lengths to exploit the government shutdown in order to hide the Jeffrey Epstein files. Amanda explains why this move is all about silencing victims, defending alleged abusers, and worse of all, protecting President Donald Trump. Trump was already found to have sexually abused journalist E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room by a civil jury in New York. Carroll joins the show to talk about the aftermath of beating Trump in court, Epstein’s victims and her book “Not My Type.” A documentary film about Carroll, “Ask E. Jean” is...
info_outlineDonald Trump supporters won’t stop calling the president “Daddy.” In this episode, Amanda explains what's behind the obsession and where Melania comes in as "Mommy." Guest Lux Alptraum, author of "Faking It," helps unpack this strange fixation.