This Is Uncomfortable

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So, who’s gonna pay for this? Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Nicole and Rachel were deeply in love when they had their first serious fight about money. It seemed easily resolvable, but the disagreement dragged on for months and brought a lot more to the surface than they expected.

This episode originally aired in 2022 and includes a short update at the end about how Rachel and Nicole are doing today.

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You used to be so pretty Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Growing up, Haein Shim was taught that if she wanted to succeed, she needed to change her appearance. Shim was raised in South Korea, where a competitive job market and booming beauty industry combined to make careful beauty maintenance all but mandatory for gainful employment. By the time she was a young adult, she was spending hours a day and hundreds of dollars a month on makeup and clothes, until one day her friend asked, “Why do we spend so much money on our appearance?” That question upended Shim’s family, career and sense of self. It led her to join a movement called Escape the Corset, calling for an end to strict beauty standards.

In this episode, we also speak to NPR’s Elise Hu, who spent years reporting on the rise of the K-beauty and how it has impacted Korea’s economy and gender politics. Her book on the subject, “Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture From the K-Beauty Capital,” examines how women like Haein Shim are changing the face of beauty in Korea.

Are rich people bad? From “Classy” Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

This week, we’re sharing an episode from another podcast we think you’ll love. “Classy” is a new show from Pineapple Street Studios and Audacy exploring the ways that class infiltrates our day-to-day lives. Host Jonathan Menjivar has some hang-ups about class. In this episode, he takes us from a nightclub outside Los Angeles to the halls of a fancy Manhattan prep school, and asks sociologist Rachel Sherman, “Are rich people bad?”

Money talks, love listens Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Four years later, host Reema Khrais checks in with one of our favorite couples, Mandy and Zach. In our first season, they told us about the challenges they ran into early in their relationship around gift giving. Now, life’s latest milestones are forcing them to figure out how to become more fluent in each other’s languages — the ones they use to talk about life, love, and of course, money.

Dream on a deadline Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

At what point do you walk away from your dreams? Kashy gave himself a deadline: if he didn’t become a pop star by the time he turned 25, he’d give up music. But years after he left his music career behind, the universe gave him a second chance, thousands of miles from home.

First-gen finances, from “Financially Inclined” Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

We wanted to share a particularly uncomfy episode from Marketplace’s “Financially Inclined,” a financial literacy podcast for teens.

Being a first-generation student can mean facing bigger financial pressures than your peers, with less generational knowledge and wealth. “Financially Inclined” host Yanely Espinal talks to Gigi Gonzalez, the First Gen Mentor, to help you navigate the unique pressures of being the first in your family – whether that’s being a first-gen American, first-gen college student, first-gen professional, first-gen entrepreneur or more!

Think you’re financially inclined? Check out these resources:

Explore resources for first-gen students from the Collective Success Network
Learn more wealth building tips from Business Insider
Prepare for a “money talk” with your family using this guide from CNBC

Are you in an educational setting? Here’s a handy listening guide.

This podcast is presented in partnership with Greenlight: the money app for teens — with investing. For a limited time, our listeners can earn $10 when they sign up for a Greenlight account.

My name is Hana Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Overnight, Hana’s life became unrecognizable. She used to enjoy quiet mornings in her lovingly decorated apartment in Gaza, but since Israel’s invasion forced her to evacuate, she’s now sleeping on the cold floor of a crowded house, fearful of airstrikes. Hana shares how the war is threatening the life she built for herself and the impossible financial calculations ahead of her.

A conversation with Baba Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

In our new season premiere, Reema sits down with her father to reflect on how recent global headlines have been impacting their family in Gaza.

“This Is Uncomfortable” is back Feb. 1 Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

“This Is Uncomfortable” returns for its ninth season Feb. 1, with brand-new episodes about life and how money messes with it. We’ve got stories about medical scams, workplace discrimination, the fast fashion industry and more. New episodes coming Thursdays.

A note from Reema Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

Hey, Reema here. I just wanted to thank you all for listening to “This Is Uncomfortable” this year. We shared some great stories in 2023 and memorable conversations that I’m still mulling over. And we have some great new episodes coming for you soon in our ninth season, which starts Jan. 25.

We could not have done this kind of reporting without your support. So thank you! Your support keeps our nonprofit newsroom and podcasts going and helps us bring you the rich, personal stories you love. If you’re able, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end donation today. Contribute what you can at marketplace.org/giveTIU

We really appreciate it.

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