American Fever Dream - podcast cover

American Fever Dream

Betches Media
From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Sage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night. For constant news updates, sign up for the Sup email newsletter at betches.com/newsletters and follow us on Instagram at @betches_news. And follow V on TikTok and Instagram @underthedesknews. Watch American Fever Dream On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebetchesnews

Episodes

#700 Gun Shows vs. Drag Shows

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Milly Topics: A quick debrief on the week of news Amanda missed How Republican billionaire Rick Caruso paid his way to the top of LA’s mayoral race despite Rep. Karen Bass’ clear superiority. Why celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow (notably not LA residents) are endorsing Caruso and the power of a “tough on crime” message - and why we should care The chilling parallels between a Texas rep’s attempt to ban children from drag shows and Stonewall-era polic...

Jun 07, 202241 min

#699 Throw A Jubilee, Unless You’re BoJo

Hosts: Sami, Alise Topics: There were ten shootings in two days in the US. What is Congress doing about gun control? Ron DeSantis bullied the Special Olympics A special escape from America: Why we need to throw more Jubilees, unless you’re Boris Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 06, 202238 min

#698 What is the Carbon Footprint of the Mona Lisa?

Hosts: Alise Morales, Milly Tamarez Topics: Why are the policies that can stop shootings (waiting periods, bans, etc...) only used to stop abortions? The bleak implications for the MeToo movement after the verdict in Depp v. Heard We play Support or Suppress where we talk student loans, caking the Mona Lisa, and Santa Claus running for Congress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 02, 202251 min

#697 The Women Who Already Know A World Without Roe

Hosts! Amanda is joined by Diane Stevens and Eileen Smith, two members of the Jane Collective, which worked to provide abortion care and support to women in Chicago when the procedure was illegal in the years preceding Roe vs. Wade. They discuss their reactions to Supreme Court draft opinion overturning abortion rights and how the world of "illegal" abortion will look similar in 2022 as it did in 1972 and how it will be very different. the directors of the documentary "The Janes," based on this ...

Jun 01, 202233 min

#696 No Rational Republicans

Hosts: Alise, Milly Topics: Update on the shooting in Uvalde, TX and whether or not anything will be done to act on gun control What is being done about Alito’s leaked abortion opinion at SCOTUS Debriefing the long weekend surprise appearances made by Paul Pelosi and Johnny Depp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 31, 202244 min

#695 One Nation, Under Guns

Hosts: Milly, Amanda Topics: What the conflicting timeline on the Uvalde shooting tells us about whether police could have done more to stop the massacre. How the shooting challenges the narrative that good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns. Some relief with this week’s game of Support or Suppress, in which we unpack Beto’s necessary outburst, Bill De Blasio’s congressional run, and whether the world needs “burrito tape.” A discussion with Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) on how social media ...

May 26, 202252 min

#694 How Many More Tiny Coffins?

Hosts: Alise, Amanda, Kaitlin Topics: The impossibility of processing devastating events in quick succession The likelihood that this moment of national outrage over the murder of 19 kids and two teachers will lead to action in Congress The gun control debate since Sandy Hook Is it as simple as standing up to the gun lobby? Not quite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 202242 min

#693 Politics And The ‘Authenticity’ Problem

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise, Natasha Murphy of Black Girls Vote Topics: Unpacking Senator Bill Cassidy’s comments on Black maternal mortality and what they tell us about how the Republican party views its electorate. The policies at stake in the 2022 election and non-negotiable positions for candidates that claim to support Black women. Why we need to make gerrymandering the new political buzzword. Finally, a conversation about why some businesses benefit from chiming in on politics, and why som...

May 24, 202238 min

#692 The Planned Parenthood CEO On A World Without Roe

Hosts: Amanda, Bridget Schwartz Topics: The CEO and President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America join to talk about how they’ve been preparing for a post-Roe world What about the end of legal abortion keeps her up at night The challenging logistics of helping women access a procedure that could be outlawed in many states Unpacking Senator Bill Cassidy’s shocking comments on Black maternal mortality The poem that keeps her motivated Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

May 23, 202230 min

#691 How Did The Depp-Heard Trial Become A Meme?

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Milly Topics: Discussing which 2000s trends deserve to come back after George W. Bush seemingly admits to an unjust invasion Analyzing the disturbing internet reaction to the defamation trial involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard The troubling signals the mockery and ridicule send to survivors who speak out Milly breaks down two stories in a new segment dedicated to Black Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 19, 202251 min

#690 Can Good Vibes Keep The Senate?

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin Topics: Analyzing the fascinating results from the Pennsylvania and North Carolina primaries Theorizing what line of work Madison Cawthorn will go into next Whether Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman will have a better shot against Dr. Oz or Dave McCormick Why the race for Pennsylvania’s governor might be the most important in the country to prevent a constitutional crisis in 2024 Is John Fetterman hot? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

May 18, 202238 min

#689 Will Madison Cawthorn Get Fired?

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Discussing the latest surge of COVID cases Previewing today’s primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina Why are Republicans working so hard to offend this group of anti-abortion voters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 17, 202243 min

#688 A Weekend In America

Hosts: Amanda, Sami Topics: More details about what led up to an 18-year-old self-described fascist, racist, and anti-Semite driving 200 miles to murder 10 people in a primarily Black neighborhood The roots of “replacement theory” and how the far-right has mainstreamed the idea Why 1 in 3 Americans believe in similar ideas How some Republicans are using the same tactics to misrepresent the formula shortage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16, 202235 min

#687 How Will We Feed A Domestic Supply Of Infants?

Hosts: Sami, Milly, Amanda Topics: Amanda’s week menacing New York City’s men Discussing the origins and state of the infant and toddler formula shortage in the US. How might this crisis play out of women held the majority of elected positions?! Which US cities are offering big $$$ to attract tech workers? Would you move to Tennessee for a free hot tub? Why traditional industries are walking back their return-to-office plans Our weekly round of SUPport or SUPpress Learn more about your ad choice...

May 12, 202252 min

#686 What The Pennsylvania Primaries Might Tell Us

Hosts: Milly, Kaitlin, Amanda Topics: Susan Collins called the police because protesters wrote a mild message in pastel chalk Reacting to a handful of the world’s most privileged men deciding it was “morally wrong” to ban Trump from Twitter A heated family discussion directed at the Democratic party leadership about the changes we need to see to know they’re fighting for us Unpacking the primaries and predictions for Pennsylvania’s primary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

May 11, 202246 min

#685 Abortion Should Be Private. Here’s Why I’m Sharing Mine.

Hosts: Alise, Amanda Topics: Alise and Amanda have a timely discussion about the personal impact of abortion access and the deep invasion of privacy represented by bans on reproductive health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 10, 202229 min

#684 Gender Traitor Round-Up

Hosts: Sami, Amanda Topics Casual weekend debrief and how the Roe news intersected with Mother’s Day A deep dive on Louisiana’s unified assault on abortion rights and why “anti-abortion rights Democratic women” are still a thing Exactly how and why this could pave the way to outlaw IVF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 09, 202237 min

#683 What To Know About Data Collection And Abortion

Hosts: Milly, Alise, Amanda Topics How anti-abortion groups could purchase data sets to harass and surveil women seeking abortion access, their doctors, and their partners Preparing for a future without Roe without fear-mongering or contributing to misinformation This week’s edition of support or supplant involves Kim K’s crash diet, Madison Cawthorn’s latest offense, and new laws requiring companies to disclose salary ranges in job listings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

May 05, 202250 min

#682 The Abortion Rights Strategy No One Is Talking About

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin Topics We start with a tangent on the sacred nature of baths during times of political turmoil Unpacking how minority rule got us to this upsetting and confusing moment for abortion rights, and how we can fix a fixed system Why Democrats should be racing to embrace the Equal Rights Amendment as a midterms strategy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 04, 202237 min

#681 Who Could Have Seen This Coming?

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise, Alencia Johnson Topics: Initial reactions to the draft Supreme Court opinion poised to overturn Roe vs. Wade What elected leaders can do now to prepare for a chilling of abortion access Alencia Johnson joins to share insights from reproductive rights groups and interprets what the Court’s opinion signals about future attempts to revoke rights for other marginalized people A rumination on staying hopeful Follow Alencia Johnson on Twitter at @alenciajohnson Learn more ...

May 03, 202240 min

#680 White House Correspondents’ Dinner Debrief ft. Symone Sanders

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, guest MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Topics Symone Sanders, previously the spokeswoman and senior advisor for the Vice President, joins to give some behind the scenes tea from the White House Correspondents Dinner (including how she seized on a Kim K-related opportunity) How her experience working for a presidential administration will inform her new show “Symone” on MSNBC premiering this week Getting brutally real about what to expect for the midterms, and how to cover them product...

May 02, 202232 min

#679 The Correspondents’ Dinner And Pro-Kremlin Dolphins

Hosts: Alise, Amanda Topics: President Biden sure looks like he’s about to forgive $10,000 in federal loan debt. So how did this become a “left wing” issue? Is the White House Correspondents Dinner this weekend really necessary? We discuss, and share the jokes we’d use to roast Joe Biden if we were invited Introducing our new segment “SUPport or SUPplant,” in which we share overlooked headlines from the week and whether we endorse the outcome or wish it went a different way. This time it’s Hilla...

Apr 28, 202240 min

#678 Democrats Need The Kris Jenner Treatment

Hosts: Sami, Amanda, Kaitlin; later, Axios reporter Sara Fischer Topics Which lawmaker just caught got with a loaded gun in TSA (for the second time) Ranking the latest drop of Coup Text, from most hapless to most treasonous The January 6th committee will hold big hearings on its findings in June, so we imagine how Kris Jenner would drive hype to big storylines Axios Media Trends reporter Sara Fischer joins to discuss the future of Elon Musk’s deal with Twitter and how the world’s richest man mi...

Apr 27, 202256 min

#677 Do We All Quit Twitter Now?

Hosts: Amanda, Alise Topics: What it means that Elon Musk actually bought Twitter – what happens now, and how the platform could change How Musk’s purchase reflects broader trends in billionaires taking over the means of communication Which tweets we’d buy back from Elon Musk Why the state of New York is making Donald Trump pay $10,000 a day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 26, 202238 min

#676 Capital Chaos Continues

Hosts: Sami & Alise Topics: Madison Cawthorn is okay with wearing women’s lingerie, so long as he’s in a silly goofy mood Marjorie Taylor Greene could get kicked off the Georgia ballot for her role on Jan 6th The NYT released audio from a phone call between Kevin McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers about Trump’s role on January 6th Twitter is considering Elon Musk’s offer to buy the social media company for $43B in cash Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 25, 202236 min

#675 (Pop) Culture Wars

Hosts: Alise, Milly, Amanda Topics: Should Bernie Sanders run for president in 2024? What Ron DeSantis did to the congressional maps while hoping we were all paying attention to his feud with Disney Two huge Hollywood defamation trials: Johnny Depp suing Amber Heard, and Blac Chyna suing the Kardashian-Jenners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 21, 202249 min

#674 A Blunt Assessment

Hosts: Alise, Amanda, Kaitlin Topics: We share our nightmare blunt rotations in honor of 420 Joe Biden just canceled $17 billion in student debt The latest senator with damning January 6 texts An interview with Stephen Post of Last Prisoner Project on why 40,000 people are still incarcerated for cannabis and what a bill legalizing weed at the federal level needs to include to repair the harm done by criminalization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 20, 202243 min

#673 Petri Dishes In The Sky

Hosts: Milly, Amanda Topics: Reactions to the end of the federal mask mandate and the MAGA Mistress judge who killed it Looking back on how “anti-masker” became a political identity that will outlast the pandemic Why the day we stopped wearing masks was always going to be politically charged Behind the “Libs Of TikTok” Twitter account providing content for Fox News and Ron DeSantis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 19, 202234 min

#672 Tax Day Pep Talks

Hosts: Sami, Amanda + interview with Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President Topics: A Tax day reminder of how little billionaires actually pay in taxes compared to the rest of us Why the federal government can’t tell you exactly how much you owe, for free The latest in Elon Musk’s bid to take over Twitter, and why a confluence of societal and economic trends make it hard to stop him A conversation with Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant ...

Apr 18, 202245 min

#671 Are The Kardashians Our Era’s Kennedys?

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Sami, MJ Corey of @KardashianKolloquium Topics: The Kardashians seem to touch every aspect of our society, from race to feminism to politics. How did they do that? Why can’t we resist talking about them? And *should* we resist talking about them? The darker ways the family appropriates Black women and culture Which politicians embody the same type of post-modern celebrity Predicting the strategic narratives they’ll pursue in their new show Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Apr 14, 202245 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast