Bad Takes

How Joe Rogan bullied Matt into losing weight redux Mar 29, 2023

Matt talks about the time podcast celebrity Joe Rogan shamed him about his weight on air. Matt and Laura then discuss their frustration with what’s missing on both sides of the obesity debate – a conversation about recent medical breakthroughs that could help a lot of people live healthier lives.

Suggested reads:

#1573 – Matthew Yglesias, The Joe Rogan Experience

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong, Michael Hobbes @ The Huffington Post

After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight, Gina Kolata @ The New York Times

The lesson elites should have learned from Iraq Mar 22, 2023

Jacobin writer Branko Marcetic argues that elites learned nothing from the Iraq War. While Matt and Laura agree that this is a bad take, they point to glaring examples of what should have been learned but hasn’t. In fact, pack journalism and group mentality is getting worse.

Stop blaming DEI for bank failures like SVB Mar 15, 2023

A Wall Street Journal writer argues diversity might have distracted Silicon Valley Bank executives from risk. Matt and Laura agree the bank got exactly what it wanted. But they disagree on whether the government should have let it fail.

Wokeness isn’t worse than covid Mar 08, 2023

Description: Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley fired up a crowd at CPAC with a line Matt and Laura agree is a bad take. Covid-19 killed millions of people, and scientists fear worse viral pandemics could be on the horizon. More broadly, Matt argues, calling political opponents dangerous is bad for policy debate.

Traffic enforcement isn’t regressive Mar 01, 2023

Matt’s critics say that ticketing and booting low-income drivers is unfair and doesn’t solve the problem of pedestrian injuries. Laura agrees with Matt that the evidence shows enforcing lower-level traffic infractions reduces the harms of speeding. And they throw in a complaint about Jeff Bezos.

The real reason liberal intellectuals don’t want Joe Biden to run again Feb 22, 2023

Matt and Laura discuss a movement on the left to bench President Joe Biden and hold an open primary instead. If you’re a Democrat who wants to keep the White House, they agree this idea is a bad take. Matt points out that primaries are expensive and unpredictable. Laura notes that it would be weird to run a campaign against a president of your same party successfully.

Is all of our stuff actually getting worse? Feb 15, 2023

Matt and Laura discuss whether all of our stuff is getting worse, an argument made in a recent article. They agree this is a bad take. Fast fashion is a hook for the piece, but the writer doesn’t critically assess fields of computers, batteries, energy, medicine and many others that she should have.

When did curing blindness become a bad thing? Feb 08, 2023

A YouTube star paid for 1,000 blind people to be able to see and then aired their emotional post-op reactions. His critics argue blindness isn’t necessarily a “problem.” Laura and Matt call this a clear-cut bad take. It also misses the bigger point about access to revolutionary medical procedures.

Obesity is a real health problem Feb 01, 2023

The fat acceptance movement argues that discrimination is the problem with obesity, not health. Matt and Laura dive into new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatricians rooted in research that shows obesity has real health consequences. They discuss the challenges of creating policy to prevent it in the first place.

The left vs. Zients, Biden’s new chief of staff Jan 25, 2023

Zeints' background in business is fueling a revolving door debate.

What Mindy Kaling’s ‘Velma’ tells us about cancel culture Jan 18, 2023

Kaling once said “The Office” wouldn’t get made today. Her new show muddies the waters.

Matt Schlapp and the limits of #MeToo Jan 11, 2023

A Herschel Walker campaign aide said the conservative powerbroker fondled him.

George Santos lied. Now what? Jan 04, 2023

Matt and Laura agree to disagree on whether Democrats should call for investigations into the congressman elect who made up wild details about his personal and professional life.

Little Women is about women — or is it? Dec 28, 2022

A New York Times op-ed argues that Louisa May Alcott was a trans man. Matt and Laura wonder whether we can know anyone’s gender identity looking back 150 years. They also discuss what it would mean for feminism if the mother of modern women’s literature was really its father.
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Liberals have won more than they think Dec 21, 2022

What's the Matter with Kansas author Thomas Frank argues that conservatives are winning at dynamism, a take that Matt and Laura agree neglects major accomplishments by the left over the last 30 years and misdiagnoses the reason Democrats aren't winning more elections. Democrats' problem isn't being too boring, it's that they are too dynamic.

The enigma of Kyrsten Sinema Dec 14, 2022

Matt and Laura bring bad takes from either end of the political spectrum this week. After Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced her decision to register as an independent, some liberals called her a white supremacist, while some moderate Republicans like Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah cheered her as a moderate. Neither take makes much sense.

Fossil fuel ads are fine! Dec 07, 2022

A Semafor climate journalist quits over a Chevron sponsorship, spurring a conversation about the ethics of accepting fossil fuel dollars. Matt and Laura say that undermines journalistic ethics and offers a very unrealistic vision of climate politics and the world economy.

Suggested reads:

Bill Spindle’s Twitter thread about why he quit his Semafor gig [the “bad take”]

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

Nate Silver’s ‘both sidesism’ Nov 30, 2022

Pollster Nate Silver says that reporting “both sides” of a story is better than the alternatives, to which Matt agrees but makes a narrow objection: That style of reporting crumbled in the last presidential election, not in the run-up to 2016.

Laura looks at how events like the Iraq War and Bush v. Gore inspired a generation of journalists to push beyond the “both sides” dynamic. Both discuss how covid further broke the “both sides” standard, convincing journalists there was no “other side” to the lab leak theory. Matt says journalists could use a little humility before making those kinds of judgments.

Suggested Reads

Nate Silver’s tweet [the “bad take”]

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

Watch a closed captioned version of the episode here.

SBF was not for real Nov 23, 2022

This week, the call is coming from inside the house: Laura deems Matt’s old take defending Sam Bankman-Fried’s character the “bad take.” A debate ensues about whether the FTX founder’s good intentions matter. Matt argues the cryptocurrency billionaire is an “effective altruist” who was funding projects no one else wanted to, like pandemic preparedness. Meanwhile, Laura maintains SBF is a bad actor but doesn’t take away from the “effective altruism” movement at large.

Suggested Reads:

Understanding Effective Altruism’s move into politics, Matthew Yglesias [the ‘bad take,’ according to Laura]

Sam Bankman-Fried gave millions to effective altruism. What happens now that the money is gone?, Matthew Zeitlin, Grid [Good primer on SBF’s ‘effective altruism’]

The fall of FTX: The stunning collapse of a massive crypto firm could send shock waves through traditional financial markets, Benjamin Powers, Grid

How FTX played both parties and almost won Washington, Matthew Zeitlin, Maggie Severns, Grid

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

2024 predictions are irresistible Nov 16, 2022

Matt and Laura agree it’s a “bad take” to say Democrats are in a great position for 2024, not because it’s wrong but because it’s unknowable. But they still can’t resist disregarding their own advice. They discuss their most embarrassing presidential predictions of yore and, for some reason, go all in on who they think will win in 2024.

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

Republicans’ real agenda Nov 09, 2022

In the homestretch of the campaign, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida claimed he doesn’t know any Republicans who want to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Matthew Yglesias and Laura McGann can name a few.

In fact, as much as the election has been a debate about inflation, abortion and democracy, none of those issues will be at the top of either party’s agenda at the start of the next Congress. Instead, House Republicans are planning to force President Joe Biden to make cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid. It would be risky to cut these popular programs on their own, but Democrats won’t agree to join them without a compromise, like raising taxes. So that leaves Republicans hoping to hold up a vote on the debt ceiling to force Biden’s hand.

Suggested reads:

Ian Millhiser tweet [the ‘bad take’]

Fetterman says his stroke recovery 'changes everything' but that he’s fit to serve as senator, Dasha Burns and Jonathan Allen, NBC News [the NBC interview in question]

Dr. Oz’s Scientific Experiments Killed Over 300 Dogs, Entire Litter of Puppies, Kylie Cheung, Jezebel

Kanye West — free speech martyr? Oct 19, 2022

The right holds up Kanye West as a conservative folk hero, even calling his bid for social media platform Parler a “groundbreaking move into the free speech media space.” Hosts Matthew Yglesias and Laura McGann point out all the things conservatives are willing to overlook to have a Black celebrity on their side.

Plus: Laura wonders if this should be a political story at all, raising larger questions of how the media covers mental health.

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

Suggested reads:

Kanye West, aka Ye, is buying Parler. Is that a smart business move? What to know about the social media app., Christian Thorsberg and Alex Leeds Matthews, Grid

Kanye West to buy the conservative-friendly social site Parler, Bobby Allyn, NPR [Contains the free speech ‘bad take’ from Parler CEO]

Biology isn't a social construct Oct 12, 2022

A scandal in chess has reignited an old argument that sports shouldn’t be segregated by gender – an idea lefty intellectuals think will solve the question about trans participation in sports. Matt stamps it as a bad take because it’s based on a falsehood, that women aren’t allowed to compete against men in chess – they are! The idea, Matt points out, requires a belief that biology is“a social construct.” Laura agrees it is bad take, but she sees it as more insidious. Intellectuals, she argues, are threatening the existence of women’s sports behind a sheen of progressivism. No elite woman athlete – cis or trans – is calling for the end of segregated sports. The question is who gets to play women’s sports, not whether they should exist.

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news

Suggested reads:

What Lia Thomas Could Mean for Women’s Elite Sports, Michael Powell, The New York Times

Separating Sports by Sex Doesn’t Make Sense, Maggie Mertens, The Atlantic

Transgender sports bans raise an awkward question: Why categorize healthcare and sports by sex at all?, Heath Fogg Davis, The Washington Post [Monkey Cage]

Ann Friedman’s writing: https://www.annfriedman.com/writing

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Covid hawks pick the wrong battle Oct 05, 2022

This week, a Politico article from June resurfaced online. Disability activists wanted the Biden administration to publish information on how covid is spreading inside individual hospitals, but Matt and Laura aren’t convinced they chose the right battle. Matt loses his cool over his frustration with identity politics and covid policy.

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Sundance’s unwarranted apology Sep 30, 2022

Who’s allowed to tell stories about the war on terror? That’s the question Matt and Laura explore this week after the Sundance Film Festival apologized for airing the documentary film “Jihad Rehab,” a film created by a white woman who documents the experiences of four former Guantanamo Bay inmates at a Saudi rehabilitation facility for extremists. Muslim filmmakers criticized the film for its portrayal of Muslim men through the lens of a white American woman.

Suggested reads:

Sundance Liked Her Documentary on Terrorism, Until Muslim Critics Didn’t, Michael Powell, the New York Times

After ‘Jihad Rehab’: Muslim American Filmmakers Tell Sundance How to Do Better in Open Letter, IndieWire

Letter from Abigail Disney on film Jihad Rehab

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For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Covid learning loss is real Sep 28, 2022

New data showing historic learning losses during the pandemic prompts bad takes from both the right and the left — a conservative policy fellow says kids will catch up, while a teachers union head implies tests don’t matter. Matt and Laura argue that both of these positions make kids the situation’s losers who will just keep falling behind unless they make up lost time. Plus, they explore how the pandemic shook up ideological fault lines on education.

Suggested reads:

The Pandemic Erased Two Decades of Progress in Math and Reading, Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times

School Is for Wasting Time and Money, Bryan Caplan, The New York Times (a runner-up for this week’s ‘bad take’)

Students Are Learning Well Again. But Full Recovery? That’s a Long Way Off., Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times

How federal covid aid trickled down to Xavier’s classroom, Perry Stein, The Washington Post

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Ron DeSantis’ cunning migrant ploy Sep 23, 2022

Gov. Ron DeSantis has found a way to make the immigration issue work for him by flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Matt and Laura agree the stunt is a smart political move, but not “the best thing that’s happened to these migrants,” as the National Review’s Rich Lowry recently claimed. Matt and Laura discuss the competing political pressures of the border crisis. Laura argues Biden has found a more humane solution to the border, while Matt questions how much has changed since Trump left office.

Suggested reads:

Has Biden’s Top Diplomat in Mexico Gone Too Far, Officials Ask?, Natalie Kitroeff and Maria Abi-Habib, The New York Times

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Tucker Carlson’s case for the British Empire Sep 21, 2022

Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s glowing review of Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy divides Matthew Yglesias and Laura McGann this week. Matt gives credence to some of Carlson’s points and makes the case that the British were comparatively “better” than other brutal imperialist powers. Laura points out that the British Empire was built on violence and slavery, and she questions Elizabeth’s record.

How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth, Mark Jared Rubin and Mark Koyama

Colonialism and Modern Income: Islands as Natural Experiments, James Feyrer and Bruce Sacerdote

Republic, U.K. movement to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state (note: this is what Matt is referencing when he calls Laura a ‘republican;’ it’s in opposition to monarchists not Democrats)

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

How Joe Rogan bullied Matt into losing weight Sep 14, 2022

Matt talks about the time podcast celebrity Joe Rogan shamed him about his weight on air. Matt and Laura then discuss their frustration with what’s missing on both sides of the obesity debate – a conversation about recent medical breakthroughs that could help a lot of people live healthier lives.

Suggested reads:

#1573 – Matthew Yglesias, The Joe Rogan Experience

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong, Michael Hobbes @ The Huffington Post

After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight, Gina Kolata @ The New York Times

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Police are more popular than pro-abortion rights advocates (and liberals) might think Sep 14, 2022

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona wants to link its issue to anti-police politics. Some Senate Democrats are weaving abortion and gender rights together. Matt and Laura dig into public attitudes to assess the wisdom of grouping political causes.

Pew poling on police funding, Growing share of Americans say they want more spending on police in their area

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Climate justice vs. the climate bill Sep 14, 2022

Matt and Laura break down the numbers on the climate bill and find a big net reduction in carbon. So why do climate justice activists say it does more harm than good?

Suggested reads:

Climate Justice Alliance, The Inflation Reduction Act is Not a Climate Justice Bill

‘We've been sold out’: Enviro justice advocates slam Biden's climate compromise, Zack Colman @ Politico

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.

Trailer: Bad Takes with Matthew Yglesias & Laura McGann Sep 01, 2022

Bad Takes, Grid's new flagship podcast, launches September 14th.