Say More

Latest Episodes:

Boys and Men Are Struggling. How Do We Help Them? Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Men and boys are less likely to excel in high school or go to college. They are more likely to get hooked on drugs or die of suicide. More broadly, boys and men are at a crossroads. While the #MeToo movement has provided a needed global reckoning for women and girls, it left boys with a long list of “don’ts” without enough “dos.” This week on Say More, author and scholar Richard Reeves talks to Shirley Leung about how this cultural vacuum leaves boys vulnerable to reactionary figures, such as Andrew Tate and other ‘manfluencers.’ He gives Shirley advice on how to prepare her sons for the world. Reeves is president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and author of the book “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It.” Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Kenji and Deb on What Makes a Good Recipe Mar 07, 2024

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Stovetop mac-and-cheese is a simple dish, but there are many ways to get there. Deb Perelman, founder of the Smitten Kitchen blog, and New York Times food columnist J. Kenji López-Alt could spend hours discussing the art of perfecting a recipe—in fact they often do. They are the hosts of the new podcast The Recipe with Kenji and Deb. This week on Say More, they join Shirley to talk about what they would make for their favorite celebrities, cooking for picky kids, and the wisdom of online commenters. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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This Election Is ‘Deeply Weird.’ Let’s Talk About It Feb 29, 2024

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It’s not just you. Many Americans feel disempowered and unmotivated to participate in the political process. This week’s guests, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers of the “Pantsuit Politics” podcast, have been called “America’s political therapists.” They talk with Shirley about this year’s “deeply weird” presidential race, voter malaise, the trickiness of talking about a candidate’s age and how to have “grace-filled”’ conversations about politics. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Can We Bring Manufacturing Back to the US? Feb 22, 2024

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Throughout the last half-century more of our stuff has been made somewhere else. Much of the manufacturing that formed the economic backbone of US regional economies has relocated to distant countries. Today on Say More, Shirley talks to Boston author and journalist Rachel Slade, who says it’s not only possible to bring manufacturing back to the US, but necessary. Her new book is called “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (And How It Got That Way).” Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Decoding AI: How AI Could Wreck the 2024 Election Feb 15, 2024

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Imagine it’s the eve of the 2024 presidential election, and you get a call that sounds like it’s coming from a family member or a friend — or even the president — telling you the polls will be closed and you should stay home. The call could sound real but be totally fake, generated by easily available AI technology. That type of ruse is hugely concerning to national security expert and author Miles Taylor. As part of his ongoing series on the promise and perils of AI, Globe Ideas Editor Brian Bergstein talks to Miles about his fears for the 2024 election and how we can protect democracy from this growing AI threat. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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For Lunar New Year, Shirley Makes Dumplings Feb 07, 2024

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This week Shirley ventures outside the studio and visits local restaurant owner Irene Li to make dumplings together for Lunar New Year. Irene is co-founder of Mei Mei Dumplings in South Boston. Shirley and Irene share their memories of celebrating Lunar New Year as children and their relationship with Chinese-American culture. Irene talks about the state of the restaurant industry and how she wants to make it better. Email us as saymore@globe.com.

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Were Blaxploitation Films Exploitative or Empowering? Feb 01, 2024

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Blaxploitation films are known for their Black stars, gritty material, and funk music. When they caught on in the early 1970s, these movies had a ton of style and iconic characters. At the time of their release, they were celebrated for their depictions of Black empowerment but also criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and caricatures of Black culture. The Boston Globe’s chief film critic, Odie Henderson, has a new book about the history of the genre called “Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema.” He talks to Shirley about revisiting these movies as an adult and the evolving representation of Blackness on screen. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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"Two Down:" A Right-Wing Plan for Higher Education Jan 25, 2024

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The ideological battles on college campuses have reached a new pitch in recent months, leading to high-profile presidential resignations and calls for more. This week’s guest on Say More says this is all part of a long-standing campaign to destabilize and overhaul higher education, funded by billionaires on the right. Nancy MacLean is a historian at Duke University. Nancy tells host Shirley Leung about the money behind these campaigns, the playbook, and what lies ahead in the battle over higher education. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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Bonus: New Hampshire GOP Voters Make Their Choices Jan 19, 2024

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The New Hampshire primaries will take place on January 23. The choices voters in the small state make could have a major impact on the presidential election. The Democratic primary in New Hampshire isn't competitive this year, but the Republican one could be interesting. On today’s episode, Boston Globe politics reporter Emma Platoff introduces us to three New Hampshire GOP voters as they decide how to cast their ballots. Their views are nuanced, idiosyncratic, and molded by unique life experiences, but they also reveal a lot about where this year’s primary could be heading. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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AI Decoded: Reining in Big Tech Jan 18, 2024

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The Globe’s Brian Bergstein will be joining Say More about once a month to host conversations about artificial intelligence, with the aim of asking big questions and getting past the hype. Artificial Intelligence is hard to define. It’s even harder to regulate. But without good regulation, the technology could do a lot of harm to innocent people. This week, Brian speaks to Columbia Professor Tim Wu, the father of “net neutrality,” about the best way to regulate AI and how to avoid the mistakes the government made with social media. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

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