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The Edgelord Apocalypse
Season 1 Episode 31
This week we talk to Cy Canterel, a scholar of media theory and systems theory in New Orleans and author of the Substack “Abstract Machines.” We discuss:
* The chilling subcultures breeding the next w…
Published on 9 hours ago
The Mitochondria Conspiracy
Season 1 Episode 30
This week on “What Rough Beast,” we talk to Molly McKew, information warfare expert and author of the Great Power newsletter, about Russia's influence operations and the war in Ukraine. We discuss:
* …
Published on 1 week, 5 days ago
The Deportation Machine
This week, we talk to the great Sarah Stillman, Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and MacArthur Fellow who teaches investigative reporting at Yale. Her work focuses on profiteerin…
Published on 1 month ago
The Dictator Expert Who's Not Worried
Season 1 Episode 28
This week we sit down with Alastair Smith, author of The Dictator's Handbook, who thinks we might all need to take a deep breath about American democracy.
We discuss:
* How it's actually better to los…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Epstein and the Swanky Leftist Compromise
Season 1 Episode 27
This week on What Rough Beast, Stephen and Virginia go deep on the Epstein conspiracy. Here's what we covered:
* How Epstein represented a new class of ultra-wealthy who exempt themselves from democra…
Published on 2 months ago
How America's Freaks Switched Sides
Season 1 Episode 26
In this episode of What Rough Beast, we talk to David Rees, host of Election Profit Makers and creator of the legendary post-9/11 comic strip "Get Your War On," which skewered the Bush administration…
Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Jon Ronson Says Culture Wars Are Over
Season 1 Episode 25
Today on What Rough Beast, we talk to Jon Ronson, the masterful narrative storyteller behind the podcast "Things Fell Apart" and author of numerous acclaimed books. Jon has spent decades chronicling …
Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago
Fear and Spectacle at ICE
Season 1 Episode 23
This is What Rough Beast!
We’re talking with Ben Wizner, the director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, which works to protect and expand the First Amendment freedoms of expressi…
Published on 3 months, 1 week ago
How to resist the regime
Season 1 Episode 22
Last week, I spoke with human rights researcher and advocate Yaqiu Wang, whose recent NYT piece draws on the lessons of her childhood in authoritarian China. We talked about her detention in China wh…
Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Live with Nina Burleigh
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep…
Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago