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Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness — Education
Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

Join Jonathan Van Ness (Queer Eye) each week for their next exciting endeavor! “Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness” is here to empower listeners (and also make them laugh) by using curiosity as a tool for personal growth. In a world that often feels overwhelming—where it’s easy to feel stuck, frustrated, or helpless—Getting Better offers a lifeline. Each week, Jonathan Van Ness, alongside experts and thought leaders, guides us through our shared challenges—confidence, productivity, mental health, happiness, relationships, and more—helping us emerge thriving, invigorated, and most importantly – a little bit better.

Join us every Wednesday for brand new episodes, and catch full video episodes on YouTube! And tune in every Monday for brand new episodes of our companion show: The Monday Edit, where JVN and senior producer Chris giving you a behind the scenes look at the creation of Getting Better, hot takes on today’s headlines, and all in all share with you how the sausage gets made!

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastsales@sonymusic.com

Copyright: © Jonathan Van Ness

Latest Episodes:

Why Am I So Obsessed With Video Games? Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Fortnite. League of Legends. The Sims. Candy Crush. From playing with your friends as a kid to competing with a team in an esports competition, there’s no denying that video games have a huge influence in our lives and the world around us. Professor Megan Condis and gamer Cybbi Barton join a Fortnite-obsessed Jonathan for a conversation on the immense influence this $217 billion industry has on our culture.

Dr. Megan Condis is an assistant professor of Communication Studies at Texas Tech University. Her book, “Gaming Masculinity: Trolls, Fake Geeks, and the Gendered Battle for Online Culture”, was published by the University of Iowa Press in 2018.

Cybbi Barton is the Director of the Esports Competition and Streaming Lab at Texas Tech and is a member of the Queer Women in Esports Organization.

You can follow Megan on Twitter @MeganCondis and Cybbi @cybbib

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from

Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PRETTY CURIOUS | How Can I Take Hotter Photos? Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

Ryan Rudewicz (aka @rudepolaroids) is *the* expert in capturing your inner glow on film. NYC’s hottest nightlife photographer and Jonathan go behind the lens to talk about Polaroids, the magic of physical photos, and the joy of documenting Queer community on camera. Plus, are iPhone .5 pics meh or major?

Ryan Rudewicz (better known as Rude Polaroids) is a Polaroid and film photographer based in Brooklyn capturing Queer nightlife, drag, and portraits. He is the winner of the 2023 Glam Award as New York's Best Nightlife Photographer. Ryan had his first solo gallery exhibit last summer in Provincetown and will be returning to Studio Lacombe for his second solo exhibition August 23rd - September 2, 2024.

Ryan is on Instagram @rudepolaroids and on Twitter @rudepolaroids. You can find more information about Ryan’s work here.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to learn more about the products from this episode, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the transcript. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Find books from Getting Curious and Pretty Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s It Take To Be A Cool Mom? with Busy Philipps Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

She’s not like a regular mom, she’s a cool mom! This week, Busy Philipps joins Jonathan to talk all things Mean Girls and what it takes to be a cool mom on screen - and in real life. From bringing Mrs. George into 2024, parenting her own kids, and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, Busy totally makes fetch happen!

Busy Philipps is a New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, and writer. She’s known for her television roles on Freaks and Geeks and Dawson's Creek. She’s also appeared in films like White Chicks, Made of Honor, and He's Just Not That Into You. She currently stars in the Peacock/Netflix original series Girls5eva, and is in the new Mean Girls film, inspired by the 2004 original and Tony nominated Broadway show which released in theaters on January 12th. She and her creative partner Caissie St. Onge also co-host the podcast Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best.

You can follow Busy on Instagram @busyphilipps. You can listen to Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PRETTY CURIOUS | How Can We Level Up Our Nails? with Mei Kawajiri Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

Mei Kawajiri (aka @nailsbymei) has actually touched Madonna’s hands…while she was doing her nails! She also happens to be the nail artist for *the host of this podcast.* Mei joins Jonathan to share the incredible story of how she moved from Tokyo to New York City and became a top celebrity nail artist. Plus, how does she create her famous 3D nail art? Do we really have to cut our cuticles? And what’s on trend for nails right now?

Mei Kawajiri is the nail artist behind the most viral manicures on your Instagram feed. Mei's art is frequently in the pages of Self Service, i-D, and Pop Magazine, as well as campaigns for Vivienne Westwood and Miu-Miu. Her celebrity fans include Marc Jacobs, Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, Rosalía, Cardi B…and Jonathan Van Ness. Mei was recognized as one of the most inspiring and innovative creative trailblazers by the British Fashion Council in 2018 and continues to lead with passion and an indomitable spirit.

Mei is on Instagram @nailsbymei.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to learn more about the products from this episode, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the transcript. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Find books from Getting Curious and Pretty Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is White Supremacy A Covert Killer? Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

If you loved our episode on the women of the far right then this one’s for you! We’re returning to the world of white nationalism to uncover the connections between the growing anti-woke backlash movement and the rise of white power. Historian Kathleen Belew joins Jonathan to answer questions about the rise of Christian nationalism including: what’s the current state of white supremacy in America? How is the Charlottesville riot related to the January 6th insurrection? And what can we do if we see people being radicalized in our own communities?

Kathleen Belew is author of “Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.” She is an Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University.

You can follow Kathleen on TikTok @kathleen.belew and Twitter @kathleen_belew. You can follow Harvard University Press on Instagram @harvardpress. You can find more information about Kathleen, here.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PRETTY CURIOUS | How Did You Shape The Hollywood Hair Scene? with Adir Abergel Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

From Tina Turner to Kristin Stewart, this week’s guest has worked with practically every iconic celeb. Celebrity hairstylist Adir Abergel spills the tea to Jonathan on how he got his start, what hair trends are “in” for 2024, and what hair product he can’t leave home without. Plus, Adir and Jonathan reveal all the insider secrets for a perfect blow-dry.

Adir Abergel fuses the boundaries between fashion, art and celebrity in a way that few Hollywood hairstylists have managed to do. Using hair as his principal medium, Adir challenges red carpet conventions to exquisite effect, integrating beauty and originality into a single expression. He has been instrumental in constructing the distinctive styles of such influential talent as Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, and Reese Witherspoon.

Adir is on Instagram @hairbyadir. You can find Virtue Labs on Instagram @virtuelabs.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to learn more about the products from this episode, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the transcript. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Find books from Getting Curious and Pretty Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Can We Be Happier In 2024? with Gretchen Rubin Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

It’s a new year and there’s a new topic that Jonathan’s curious about! We’re talking about happiness with the expert herself, Gretchen Rubin from the Happier podcast. She answers all of our burning questions about happiness in the new year: Is focusing on our own happiness selfish? How can we use our personality type to set more achievable goals in the new year? And how can we be more playful with our resolutions?

Gretchen Rubin is the author of many bestselling books, such as The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies, which have sold millions of copies in more than thirty languages. Her most recent book is Life in Five Senses. She’s also host of the popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and founder of award-winning Happier app, which helps people track their happiness-boosting habits.

You can follow Gretchen on Instagram @gretchenrubin. You can find more information about Gretchen, here and you can listen to Happier wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What Conversations Are We Looking Back On? (ICYMI) Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

For our *last* episode of the year, we’re giving you a montage à la Golden Girls. Join Jonathan, as they look back on some of their favorite conversations from recent years. We’re talking about the sociosexual behavior of bonobos, the history of Germany’s anti-sodomy law, and Tammy Baldwin’s attempt to help pass the Equality Act in Congress. We’ll see you in 2024!

Dr. Laura Simone Lewis is a UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Psychology department at UC Berkeley. Check out her full episode of Getting Curious here.

Dr. W. Jake Newsome is an award-winning scholar of German and American LGBTQ+ history whose work educates global audiences. Check out his full episode of Getting Curious here.

Tammy Baldwin is the Junior US Senator from Wisconsin & was the first openly gay woman to be elected to Congress. Check out her full episode of Getting Curious here.

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Wrong Was The Supreme Court On Abortion? (ICYMI) Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

2023 was a year of big decisions for the Supreme Court, including recent news that they’ll be reviewing the constitutionality of mifepristone in the coming year. So we’re heading into the archives with this episode recorded right after the Dobbs decision was leaked. Professor Jacqueline Antonovich and Jonathan trace the history of abortion care and reproductive rights across the country in this episode originally recorded in July 2022.

Jacqueline Antonovich is an Assistant Professor of History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She is the author of the article, “White Coats, White Hoods: The Medical Politics of the Ku Klux Klan in 1920s America,” and she is currently working on a book on the history of women physicians and medical imperialism in the American West. Jacqueline is the creator and co-founder of Nursing Clio, a collaborative blog project that examines the historical roots of present-day issues surrounding gender, health, and medicine.

Make sure to follow Professor Antonovich on Twitter @jackiantonovich and Nursing Clio on Twitter @NursingClio and at nursingclio.org.

Looking for further reading? Here are some books Professor Antonovich recommends:

Killing the Black Body by Dr. Dorothy Roberts

Medical Bondage by Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens

Medicalizing Blackness by Dr. Rana A. Hogarth

Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s The State Of HIV Research? Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

December is World AIDS Month, so we’re bringing back Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes to learn about recent developments in HIV research. We’re also covering weight-neutral health care, a win for the LGBTQIA+ community, and a rare bird spotting in Colombia!

Celeste Watkins-Hayes is the Jean E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and Sociology at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and founding director of the school's Center for Racial Justice. Dr. Watkins-Hayes holds a PhD and MA in sociology from Harvard University and a BA from Spelman College.

You can follow Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes on Instagram @celestewatkinshayes and on Twitter @watkinshayes. You can learn more about her work here. Check out her previous episode of Getting Curious here. You can follow the Ford School on Instagram @fordschool.

For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious, Curious Now, and Pretty Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our senior producers are Chris McClure and Julia Melfi. Our associate producer is Allison Weiss. Our engineer is Nathanael McClure. Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.

Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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