American Fever Dream

Latest Episodes:

#646 Men Are Trash: Geopolitical Crises Edition Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise

Topics:

What led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, what specifically has been targeted, and what Americans should expect next.

How Fox News is covering the war in Russia’s favor.

Governor Greg Abbott’s disgusting attempt to deputize Texans against trans kids and their parents.

A programming note about the Betches Sup podcast

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#645 Busting Black History Myths Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

Topics:

The hypocrisy of Republican politicians dragging Joe Biden while celebrating Putin’s actual bestie, Donald Trump

Breaking down the misconceptions about Black history in America that have led to truthful information being banned

The Black teenager who was arrested on a bus before Rosa Parks

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#644 Was Putin Influenced By Kylie Jenner? Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise

Topics:

-Prince Charles gave the Queen COVID

-What Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian invasion has in common with Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy announcement

-A conversation with HBCU grad Camille Odom about experiencing bomb threats on campus and the financial challenges facing HBCUs

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#643 The Pandemic Recovery Can’t Fix Racism Ft. Gabrielle Wyatt Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

Sami and Amanda are joined by Gabrielle Wyatt to discuss interesting job numbers related to Black women’s unemployment and steps her organization The Highland Project is taking to close the racial wealth gap. They also discuss how Black women are redefining wealth to inlcude rest. Finally, Gabrielle explains what she doesn’t like about the term The Great Resignation.

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#642 The Dark Escalation Of Kim And Kanye’s Split Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Milly, Sami, and Amanda start by investigating whether Melania Trump bought an NFT of herself and why Kathy Hilton is a Trump supporter, indulging a pop culture craving for a brief aside on the Hilton family. Then, they discuss Kanye West’s disturbing social media posts and harassment of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. They discuss the role celebrity culture plays in worsening this personal conflict and how to assess the circumstances in light of Kanye’s mental health. How has the media improved since Britney’s 2007 incident, and what lessons have they yet to learn?

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#641 How Much Will It Cost To End Gun Violence? Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda react to a series of lawsuits involving gun deaths and discuss whether financial settlements actually act as a deterrent to gun manufacturers or negligent movie producers. How broken is our system that the only justice for families is to dedicate their lives to getting accountability? They break down the $73 million settlement awarded to Sandy Hook families before discussing why Halyna Hutchins’ family is suing Alec Baldwin. Finally, they discuss how gun violence complicates attempts at criminal justice reform.

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#640 Russians And Royals Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Milly, Alise, and Amanda start with the breaking news that Prince Andrew has reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre in her lawsuit related to Jeff Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. They also put on their tinfoil hats to consider why a damning picture in the case mysteriously disappeared. Then, they discuss the reaction to Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s doping scandal and the double standards and unfair circumstances that allowed her to compete. They also hold a moment to make space for Christina Yuna Lee, who was murdered in her Chinatown apartment last week.

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#639 Vibe Check: The Super Bowl Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Amanda and Sami are joined by Alexis Barber, host of Betches’ new “Bad Vibes” podcast, to unpack all of the ethical problems involved with the Super Bowl and why we still watch it anyway. They start with a harsh assessment of the halftime show and whether the NFL asked Eminem not to kneel in honor of Colin Kaepernick. They also discuss how sports fans can use their purchasing power to demand better practices without fully boycotting the NFL. Finally, they rate the vibes on the Ukrainian border.

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#638 Revisiting America’s Next Top Model ft. Sarah Hartshorne Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Milly, Alise, and Amanda are joined by Sarah Hartshorne, a writer and comedian who competed on Cycle 9 of “America’s Next Top Model.” Sarah describes being selected for the show and being told she was the “plus-size” contestant at size 8. She tells us the moment she realized it would be an intense experience and pulls back the curtain on the show’s signature elements. Then, she looks back at the show’s most problematic elements and how its intersection between the fashion industry and reality TV made it especially toxic.

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#637 Mask On, Mask Off Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

Sami and Kaitlin kick things off with a conversation about the lifting of various mask mandates around the country, all in the name of maintaining public trust. Is this a policy decision made with health data in mind, or just political posturing for the sake of appeasing voters? They also dig into a new federal lawsuit against Harvard University from three female graduate students for various incidents of sexual harassment. How is it possible for this type of behavior to happen unchecked at the university for so long? Then they reflect on the state of academia throughout the country and how these traditional power structures enable systemic abusers.

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