Stay ConnectedWelcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes.
After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture podcast. Party hopping between what you’re watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds.
Copyright: © 2023 CNN
What was this year in pop culture like? A scrappy Canadian gay hockey romance becomes the internet’s obsession while big-budget, star-packed shows are dwindling. AI rage-bait memes (some from government accounts) keep hijacking the national conversation. These are just some of the pop culture moments that defined 2025. Audie and New York Magazine staff writer Rebecca Alter break it down.
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This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson.
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
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Audie talks with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan about how people are reshaping their spiritual lives -- from Wicca to aliens -- and searching for new sources of meaning. Donie is exploring all of this in a new docuseries called “Devoted.” It’s available on CNN All Access.
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This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta.
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
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Will an uncertain economy lead to less charitable giving this holiday season? And what if you want to give back but don’t have a lot of money? Audie talks with Sara Herschander, who covers philanthropy for Vox’s Future Perfect, about all the ways you can help.
Producer: Madeleine Thompson
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Missed car payments, crowdfunding for groceries, prices rising on everything from rent to hummus — everyday signs that something in the economy feels...tense. But the official numbers, and even the White House, keep insisting things are steady. Audie unpacks the strange gap between how the economy looks and how it feels with CNN Business’s Senior Writer, Allison Morrow.
This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led her country through some of its greatest crises: the Christchurch mass shooting, a deadly volcano eruption, and a global pandemic. A new CNN documentary takes an intimate look at Ardern’s political career, filmed over seven years. Audie met Ardern at Oxford University to talk about the film, parenting in the spotlight, empathetic leadership, and what’s next.
CNN Films will broadcast the television premiere of “Prime Minister” on Sunday, November 16 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN. “Prime Minister” will be available to stream the next day for subscribers of CNN’s All Access streaming offering.
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This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson and Osman Noor
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Audie sits on the other side of the mic and talks about her favorite show, “Love is Blind.” Her conversation is with Anne Helen Petersen on her podcast “Culture Study.” Yes, “Love Is Blind” is reality television, but it has a lot to say about this moment in history and politics. They talk about what works and doesn't work about these shows, and what they say about us as viewers.
Learn more about Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study newsletter and podcast.
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Over the past decade, horror has evolved from cheap thrills to cultural reflection—tackling everything from systemic oppression to collective trauma. Audie talks with writer and filmmaker Tananarive Due, who explains how we got here. And why, in an age defined by fear, horror might just be the healthiest thing to watch.
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With New York City’s mayoral election fast approaching, one candidate in particular has managed to break through the noise — even outside the five boroughs. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist-backed progressive whose campaign videos have gone viral, has become the face of a growing leftist wave. But is it a one-city phenomenon, or the beginning of something bigger? Audie talks to CNN Contributor Astead Herndon. His story about Mamdani’s campaign was just published in the New York Times Magazine. He is now a host and Editorial Director at Vox.
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The WNBA just wrapped its most-watched season in history, with soaring team valuations and unprecedented public interest. But the league is preparing for possible labor tension as players push for greater revenue sharing and ask who really benefits from its success. Audie turns to CNN contributor and host of Naked Sports, Cari Champion, to talk about what the next era of the WNBA could look like: the economics of the game and how a new competitor could redefine ownership, competition, and opportunity for female athletes.
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Film director Raoul Peck grew up in Haiti and the Congo, and is no stranger to authoritarianism. So it was an easy “yes” when he was offered access to author George Orwell’s entire body of work, from the original manuscript of “1984” to letters and journals. The result is “Orwell: 2+2=5,” a documentary about how a man named Eric Arthur Blair became the timeless face of truth. Peck talks to Audie about his take on Orwell’s legacy and what it still has to teach us.
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This episode was Produced by Madeleine Thompson and Lori Galarreta
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez
Technical Director: Dan Dzula
Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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