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    Society & Culture

    How Is This Better?

    We’re constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to “make America great” to tech bros who say they’re making the world a “better place.” Akilah Hughes has had enough. She’s finally asking…How Is This Better?

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    Latest Episodes:
    How Wrestling Ruined Politics Forever (BONUS) Jun 05, 2026
    Show notes

    Long before Donald Trump entered politics, he understood professional wrestling.

    In this bonus conversation from How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes sits down with writer and former WWE writer Dave Schilling to unpack how wrestling became a blueprint for modern political culture. From Trump’s relationship with Vince McMahon to the rise of political "heels," they explore why voters connect more with characters than policies, why Democrats struggle to create compelling narratives, and what professional wrestling can teach us about charisma, authenticity, and power.

    Drawing on his experience inside WWE's writers room, Dave explains how stars are built, how audiences become emotionally invested in underdogs, and why today's politicians often resemble wrestlers more than public servants.

    If politics feels more like entertainment than ever before, this conversation might explain why.

    Moments from this conversation, and others, appeared in our episode Politics is Wrestling.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It. May 22, 2026
    Show notes

    Akilah Hughes travels to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama for “All Roads Lead to the South,” a national day of action responding to the Supreme Court’s latest attack on the Voting Rights Act.

    Along the way, she speaks with Bernice King, Justin Pearson, and Janai Nelson about the fight over racial gerrymandering, the future of democracy in the South, and why organizers say this moment demands action from the entire country.

    61 years after Bloody Sunday, the battle over voting rights is far from over.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    School’s Out. Campus Political Wars Are Just Beginning May 15, 2026
    Show notes

    Young voters — especially young men — are drifting to the right. At least, that’s the narrative dominating politics right now.

    But according to Elise Joshi, the head of More Perfect University, the bigger story might actually be something deeper: a generation that feels increasingly disillusioned with the economy, institutions, and the promise that hard work still leads to stability.

    This week on How Is This Better? – Akilah Hughes talks with Elise about why organizations like Turning Point USA have been so successful on college campuses, why AI has become such a political flashpoint for Gen Z, and how the left is trying to build a competing media and organizing ecosystem through More Perfect Union and More Perfect University.

    Follow More Perfect University @moreperfectuniversity


    Mint Mobile: Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/courier for three months of coverage at $45.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Erika Kirk's Rise to Power May 08, 2026
    Show notes

    After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Erika Kirk tried to turn grief into political momentum. Instead, the internet turned the entire thing into a meme.

    Akilah Hughes talks with journalist Kat Tenbarge about Erika Kirk’s chaotic rise inside Turning Point USA, the backlash to her grief tour, and her feud with Candace Owens.

    This episode explores internet culture, conservative media, gender politics, and the efforts to capture the post-Trump MAGA universe.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    How the Met Gala Lost the Plot May 01, 2026
    Show notes

    What happens when fashion’s biggest night starts to look like a billionaire branding exercise?

    This week, we examine the growing influence of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the Met Gala—and what it says about power, philanthropy, and who gets to shape culture in America.

    With Rebecca Sananes and Meredith Lynch, Akilah unpacks the contradictions at the center of the event: a fundraiser dependent on extreme wealth, a cultural institution tied to political influence, and a public that’s increasingly skeptical of both.

    Then designer Jonathan Hayden breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes—from labor realities to the economic pressures reshaping fashion from the ground up.

    Mint Mobile: Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/courier for three months of coverage at $45.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    RFK, Beef Tallow, and the Collapse of American Healthcare Apr 17, 2026
    Show notes

    The American healthcare system is sick.

    This week, Akilah talks with Abdul El-Sayed—physician, public health expert, and U.S. Senate candidate—about the structural problems at the heart of American healthcare, from medical debt to for-profit insurance.

    They also unpack the growing gap between real public health expertise and the rise of political figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, and what it says about trust, media, and power.

    It’s a conversation about systems, incentives—and what it would actually take to build something better.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    Class Solidarity Could Change Everything Apr 10, 2026
    Show notes

    Why have Democrats recently struggled to connect with working-class and rural voters – and what would it take to change that?

    Akilah Hughes talks with journalist John Russell about class politics in America, the rise of Trump, and the missed opportunities that reshaped the political landscape.

    Drawing on his reporting in Appalachia and across the country, Russell explains how economic frustration gets redirected into culture war battles, and why a focus on material issues could still unite voters across deep divides.

    They discuss:

  • The Democratic Party's shift away from working class messaging.
  • How Trump capitalized on that gap
  • The real story behind “redneck” and labor history in Appalachia
  • Why economic issues still resonate across political lines
  • And whether change will come from within the system—or outside it
  • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    How Mormons Captured Pop Culture Apr 03, 2026
    Show notes

    Mormonism is having a pop culture glow-up. But did it happen by accident?

    In this episode, Akilah Hughes digs into the rise of Mormon influencers, the explosion of “MomTok,” and the broader cultural moment putting LDS aesthetics front and center. With reporting from New York Magazine’s Bridget Read, we explore how Mormon women helped shape modern influencer culture, and why that’s now paying off in a massive way.

    Ex-Mormon podcaster Shelise Ann Sola joins to unpack what life inside a high-control religion can actually look like, and what gets lost when that experience is repackaged as aspirational content.

    From the church’s controversial history to its quiet influence on tech and media, this episode asks a bigger question:


    What happens when a belief system becomes a brand and we all start buying in?

    If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier

    • Follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts.
    • Check out Bridget's work including her story about this second "Mormon moment"
    • Check Shelise's Cults to Consciousness show.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    The Oscars, Brain Rot, and The Death Of Prestige Mar 20, 2026
    Show notes

    As younger generations continue to turn towards the internet for their content, what fate awaits for Hollywood?

    Last Sunday, celebrities and renowned members of the Academy gathered together to celebrate the Oscars. The awards show is considered one of the touchstones of modern-day media culture, but how much impact does it really have? And what messages are the films we’re praising really sending?

    In this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes is joined by journalist and podcaster Ryan Broderick, who has dug deep into the myriad of ways in which the internet has been shaping the awards landscape, rather than the other way around.

    Together, they discuss:

    • How viral marketing, “brain rot” trends, and inexperienced influencers disguised as journalists are leaking out of online spaces and into Oscar campaigns.

    • The increased struggle for actors and filmmakers trying to take traditional paths, and how the web is turning into a more viable career launchpad.

    • How many of the favored nominees, even at their most political, reflected warped versions of cultural fears, while those left snubbed were too close to our current moment to be properly celebrated.

    • Hollywood’s notable shift away from outspoken, political statements during red carpets and acceptance speeches, and whether they were driven by bowing to fascism, career instability, or apathy?

    The media landscape is shifting before our very eyes, into a version of itself that’s more chronically online, more desperate, and more disconnected from the people who are supposed to be watching it.

    And if Hollywood continues this transformation…is it time to roll the credits?

    You can get more from Ryan at his podcast @panicworldpod here on YouTube, or anywhere you listen to pods. You can also find him at @ryanhatesthis on Instagram.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


    The First AI War Mar 13, 2026
    Show notes

    AI-generated war footage is spreading across the internet faster than the truth.

    As conflict escalates in Iran, social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok are being flooded with AI-generated missile strikes, fake battlefield footage, and fabricated videos of captured soldiers. Some posts rack up millions of views before anyone can confirm whether they’re real.

    In this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes speaks with WIRED reporter David Gilbert, who has been tracking how generative AI is reshaping the disinformation landscape during breaking conflicts. Check out his recent piece, "Fake AI Content About the Iran War Is All Over X."

    Subscribe or follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


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