This Is Uncomfortable

Latest Episodes:

Hired, fired, can’t retire May 26, 2022

Show notes

Rebecca Danigelis never planned to stop working. She was an executive housekeeper in Boston raising two kids as a single mom, and everything she earned went to making sure they got the best education she could afford. When her son Sian-Pierre was climbing the ranks as a journalist and entrepreneur, it seemed like all the overtime, frozen dinners and sacrifice were worth it. Just as his career was taking off, however, hers started to crumble.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, subscribe to our newsletter. Each Friday you’ll get a note from Reema and some recs from the Uncomfortable team. If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.

Finding Michael, part two May 19, 2022

Show notes

Last week, we followed Stephanie Stone’s years long journey to find her late brother Michael’s gravesite. This week, our team picks up the search. Along the way, we learned a lot about what happens to the thousands of people who die indigent and go unclaimed every year in this U.S. Later, Reema travels to Austin with Stone and a Texas bureaucrat who goes above and beyond to help families find closure.

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Finding Michael, part one May 12, 2022

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When Stephanie Stone’s older brother Michael died, their family didn’t have the money to pay for his burial. His body went unclaimed, and the county where he was living made arrangements. Years later, Stone doesn’t know where he was laid to rest. In this episode, we follow Stephanie’s quest to find her late brother and dig into what it reveals about the economic and emotional toll of losing a loved one. Next week, we’ll join in the search.

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So, who’s gonna pay for this? May 05, 2022

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Nicole and Rachel were deeply, happily in love when they had their first serious fight about money. Nicole’s two-year old nephew accidentally scratched up Rachel’s car, leaving them to figure out who was responsible for paying to fix it. To Rachel, it seemed obvious: Nicole’s family was responsible. Nicole didn’t see it that way. During the months-long fight, both women realized their fight about money was really about something else.

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On May 5, “This is Uncomfortable” is back! Apr 22, 2022

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“This is Uncomfortable,” our show about life and how money messes with it, is back for a new season starting May 5!

This season, we’re exploring love and relationships of all kinds. Because there’s probably no close relationship — be it with friends, family or coworkers — where money doesn’t make things weird. And sometimes the fights you think are about money are not actually about money at all.

Check out the trailer above, and follow “This Is Uncomfortable” wherever you get podcasts.

The Mariachi Rent Strike Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

The Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles has historically been home to tightknit immigrant communities. Francisco Gonzalez had lived in an apartment a block away from the neighborhood’s Mariachi Plaza for a decade when the building was sold, and the new owner nearly doubled his rent. Several of Gonzalez’s neighbors got rent hikes too. At first, Gonzalez figured he had no choice but to get out, but then he learned about another option. On this week’s show, the last of our fifth season, we’ll follow Gonzalez and his neighbors through a rent strike — involving lawyers, protests, tense sit-downs and, maybe, a way to stay in their homes.

If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And to get even more Uncomfortable, subscribe to our newsletter. Each Friday you’ll get a note from Reema, Uncomfortable videos and some recs from the Uncomfortable team. It’s all exclusively for our email list, so don’t wait! If you missed it, here’s the latest issue.

“This Is Uncomfortable” is Reema Khrais, Donna Tam, Megan Detrie, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Camila Kerwin, Phoebe Unterman, Marque Greene and Serena Chow.

Chasing hippos Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Gina Serna is helping lead Colombia’s effort to sterilize the roughly 120 invasive hippos roaming the Magdalena River — hippos that were never supposed to be there at all. They were illegally imported decades ago by Pablo Escobar, the country’s most notorious drug lord. In many ways, it’s the perfect job for Serna. She dreamed of being a wildlife veterinarian since she was little. On the other hand, her career has a direct tie to the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.

“This Is Uncomfortable” is Reema Khrais, Donna Tam, Megan Detrie, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Camila Kerwin, Phoebe Unterman, Marque Greene and Serena Chow.

Endless circle of debt Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

When Dalip Singh became taxi driver in New York City, he thought it’d be his ticket to the middle class. It would take years before he discovered that he’d instead bought into a massive lending scam, one that would go on for decades, pushing him and thousands of other drivers into extreme debt. Now, as Dalip and his family try to get ahead, they find themselves struggling against the exact systems they thought were meant to help them.

“This Is Uncomfortable” is Reema Khrais, Donna Tam, Megan Detrie, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Camila Kerwin, Phoebe Unterman, Marielle Segarra and Serena Chow

The College Fund (rerun) Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

When you’re a kid, your parents make all the financial decisions for you. But what happens when you grow up … and don’t agree with their choices?

We’re off this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. This episode originally aired in July 2019.

White Gold (from “How We Survive”) Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

This week, we’re running a story from our colleagues at the new Marketplace podcast “How We Survive.” It’s about the climate, but it’s not all doom and gloom. It explores solutions for avoiding some of the worst effects of the crisis.

If you liked this story, be sure to follow “How We Survive” wherever you get podcasts.