Inspired by her immensely popular newsletter, author Anne Helen Petersen turns her attention to the wild world of work in Work Appropriate. Featuring guest appearances by the smartest people Anne knows - they have real jobs, we promise - the show delivers humorous but practical workplace advice for a range of listener questions like “how do I get my manager to stop texting me after hours,” to “what do I do when my company thinks our toxic culture can be fixed with Taco Tuesdays?” The problems ma...
Nov 02, 2022•41 min
Grief…it’s the one thing we all will experience in our lifetime. The ladies of Imani State of Mind discuss the effects grief can have on your everyday life and how to live a healthy life while living with grief.
Aug 26, 2022•53 min
Join Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual Peña, and Yasmine Hamady – three young actresses, disruptors, and best friends as they navigate the issues that affect our lives; from hookup culture and social media to structural racism and LGBTQ+ rights. They won’t shy away from diving deep into controversial topics, even turning to their elders – actors, activists, comedians, experts, politicians, 26 year olds – to try to understand the world their generation was handed. Catch a new episode of Crooked's newes...
Aug 11, 2022•3 min
Happy holidays! To celebrate the ~festive season~, we thought we'd release a fan-favorite: Phill's conversation with Brittany Packnett Cunningham about Jesus. Yes, that Jesus! As appealing as hunky blondes can be, Phill isn’t interested in worshipping one (well, at least not as the son of God). There's a whole lot of myths about Jesus—and then there's who the Bible ACTUALLY says he was. And turns out, he's kind of a great guy! To help him dissect the activist Jesus was in his own life, Brittany ...
Dec 17, 2021•29 min
On the final episode of this season of Unholier Than Thou , we end where it all began. On the first episode, Phill sat down with his fiancé, Darien, about being a healthcare worker during the first wave of covid. Darien is back, covid is still here, and the world is much changed. He and Phill discuss how being on the frontline worker has changed, and their newly long distance relationship, and how they remain committed to each other. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholi...
Dec 10, 2021•58 min
This week, Phill is joined by Bambi, who helped him come out of the closet many moons ago in a magical land called gay.com. They talk about what it's like growing up the black sheep, finding acceptance and love in the arms of strangers, and what it's like reconnecting with someone who changed your life. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou .
Dec 03, 2021•48 min
This week, Phill is joined by his classmate, Sarah Pearson, who works fighting clergy abuse. She and Phill discuss how high up the chain coverup efforts go, how predatory priests are often relocated into communities of color, and what justice for victims may look like. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou .
Nov 26, 2021•43 min
Alcohol consumption increased 23% during the pandemic, particularly among women and those who live alone. People are cut off from their support systems, and many have lost their income. Without social and financial resources, staying in recovery is hard and entering it can be even harder. This week, we have two stories about recovery. First, we have Odette. Odette is part of an online recovery group called Cafe RE, and over the course of the pandemic, became the host of its podcast and the face ...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 25 min
This week, Phill is joined by author Reza Aslan to revisit the early aughts in the American imagination. In the wake of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, how do notions of American exceptionalism hold up? Reza and Phill discuss how Christian imperialism has crept its way into allegedly secular politics, look critically at America's outmoded hero complex, and question to legitimacy of the liberator theology that we carry with us today. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/...
Nov 12, 2021•54 min
And now for something a little different. This week, Phill is joined by a panel of great thinkers, writers, and theologians to tackle a big question: What role does Christianity have in an increasingly secular America? Do we need it? Does it leave room for those of marginalized identities? Does it welcome those who might have left and want to come back? Can it eschew its imperial past and embrace those it has harmed? It sounds heavy, but you'd never know it from the all the laughter. Panelists: ...
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr
Content warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide Have you heard the one where the atheist walks into the divinity school? Oh, it’s not a joke, it’s the lived experience of humanist chaplain Chris Stedman. Phill and Chris talk about the pros and cons of organized religion, cultivating community and ritual outside of religious contexts, using the internet to heal after personal tragedy, and finding the divine in pop divas. Required listening for the “spiritual vibes of non-religious p...
Oct 29, 2021•52 min
Welcome to covid’s Groundhog Day. Every day’s the same and we constantly have six weeks to go before it’s over. But school’s open, traffic is back, and it’s time to start thinking about what the world looks like on the other side. Here to talk to Phill about reentering a very changed and very similar world are writers Michael Arcenaux and Aminatou Sow. They chat about the challenges of creating through disaster, seeing old injustices through new eyes, creating boundaries, and finding god in meme...
Oct 22, 2021•51 min
Phill was always bound to interview Michelle Williams. You could call it fate, but we prefer DESTINY, child. The Gospel Girl talks to Phill about the connections between mental health and faith, how god lives in the high notes, and what to do with your life after you check ‘global superstar’ off the checklist. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Oct 15, 2021•48 min
In the inaugural episode of our resurrected show, Phill talks to one of his favorite people in the world: Samhita Mukhopadhyay. Samhita made some big changes during covid (like a lot of us). As Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue , she was at the height of her career: she had the high profile, the platform, the influence. And then? She stepped away. She and Phill dive in to betting on yourself, the lessons of grief, and rebuilding relationships over time. For a transcript of this show, please visit cr...
Oct 08, 2021•53 min
Someone must have moved a boulder out of the way, because Unholier Than Thou is back from the dead, baby! And we’re celebrating our resurrection with stories about yours. New jobs, new loves, new mistakes, new realizations, new challenges, new gay people talking about Catholic guilt (not all new — Phill’s still here). Join Phill and a stable of stars, friends, colleagues, and strangers as they try to glean answers from a year full of questions. New episodes every Friday, starting October 8. Foll...
Oct 01, 2021•1 min
Remember that time Joe Jonas had a Purity Ring and then…didn’t? That’s the Virgin Mary’s fault. Sort of. The most famous woman in all of Christianity is a virgin — or is she? Phill is joined by feminist theologian Meggan Watterson for a chat on Biblical revisionism and the real miracle of the immaculate conception. For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Dec 25, 2020•30 min
As appealing as hunky blondes can be, Phill isn’t interested in worshipping one (well, at least not as the son of God). There's a whole lot of myths about Jesus—and then there's who the Bible ACTUALLY says he was. And turns out, he's kind of a great guy! To help him dissect the activist Jesus was in his own life, Brittany Packnett Cunningham joins to play a fun Bible game. (The grand prize is kind of a bummer, though.) Listen to Brittany's podcast, Undistracted For a transcript of this episode, ...
Dec 18, 2020•31 min
It's Hanukkah, listeners, and you're going to plotz when you see this week's guests. First, Phill shmoozes with author, icon, and national treasure Alice Hoffman about the role of Jewish folklore in her work, the resilience of women, and the power of the word (and Practical Magic). Then, Crooked Media founder and all-around mensch Jon Lovett confronts his sins for a (very personal) Am I Going To Hell For This? For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Dec 11, 2020•39 min
The Pope wants you to stay home, but Amy Coney Barrett wants to see your ass in church. We check in with Dan Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, on what the most recent SCOTUS hearing really means about "religious freedom." Then, after an explosive report detailing how the US military is buying the location data of millions of Muslim people, Phill welcomes Joseph Cox, the journalist who broke the story. Then, Ani Zonneveld, founder of Muslims for Progressive Val...
Dec 04, 2020•42 min
Now that you're stuffed with stuffing, it’s time to go shopping. Psychology professor Matt Rossano joins to argue that consumerism is filling the hole left vacant by religious rituals. Do you buy it? (What if it's 50% off?) Then, comedian Bryan Safi offers his sinful expertise for a holiday edition of Am I Going To Hell for This. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Nov 27, 2020•37 min
Our national revisionist-history holiday is upon us, so Phill has a special guest at his Thanksgiving table. Kaitlin Curtice is a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and also (wait for it) a Christian. She and Phill talk about balancing conflicting identities, decolonizing her faith, and rethinking, reimagining, and relearning our history. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Nov 20, 2020•36 min
Now that the facism is ebbing, should the apologies be flowing? That's what Phill is hoping to glean from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. She walks us through the process of repentance and if you're required to forgive the MAGA hat wearers in your life. Next, Pastor Mike McBride joins to dissuade Phill from buying a gun to defend himself in the event of a rocky transition of power. Turns out firearms lead to violence, not safety! Who knew? Go to Vote Save America for volunteer/donation opportunities in ...
Nov 13, 2020•48 min
This week, Phill is putting his phone down and looking up to the stars. First, he welcomes ABC News anchor and Ten Percent Happier founder Dan Harris to talk about how to develop mindfulness outside of an oppressive news cycle. After an on-air panic attack, he’s the expert. Next, Chani Nicholas joins to check back in on that finicky Mercury, explain why this week was such a clusterfuck, and if we have anything to look forward to in 2021 (we do). Show notes: Check out the Ten Percent Happier podc...
Nov 06, 2020•37 min
This week we’re looking at the church, and more specifically, who’s welcome inside. First, Phill chats with Gerald Posner, a journalist and Vatican expert, about Pope Francis' widely praised but incredibly vague comments surrounding civil unions for gay couples. Then, author and researcher Robert P. Jones joins to talk about Southern Baptists' unholy history with segregationists, and the slow and unsteady march of white Christians towards racial justice. Follow Gerald Posner's work here Learn mo...
Oct 30, 2020•40 min
This week, we’re turning off the news and picking up our brooms. Witches are all around us, and always have been, so Phil decides to debunk some of the black magic around them. First, he speaks to Sabina Magliocco, an expert in witchcraft and folklore to dive into history. Next, he talks with Amanda Yeats-Garcia, a witch who gained prominence trying to put a binding spell on our president (Did it work? Find out next week!). And finally, he welcomes La Loba Loca, a queer educator and herbalist wh...
Oct 23, 2020•48 min
In this week’s episode, Phill chats with two religious experts about the perversion of Christianity on display during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. First, progressive faith leader Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons explains how the majority of the Christian electorate is *actually* voting come November 3rd, and how Barrett’s positions betray many of the teachings of Christianity. Then, the author and journalist Olga Marina Segura joins to explain how Barrett’s alleg...
Oct 16, 2020•42 min
This week, Phill takes a deep dive into what’s been on all of our minds: Is Donald Trump finally experiencing the karmic retribution he deserves? Former Buddhist monk, author, and meditation teacher Jason Siff explains a little bit about the philosophy of Karma—and what we in the West tend to get wrong about it. Then, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio joins Phill for a follow-up discussion about the Supreme Court, and how “religious freedom” disputes could potentially push the justices to overturn marri...
Oct 09, 2020•44 min
This week, Phill has a question on his mind -- is it okay to hate Trump? In a week in which Trump nominated a conservative judge to the Supreme Court, defended paying only $750 in taxes and gave orders to white supremacists during the Presidential debate, Phill asks Reverend Broderick Greer and Abby Stein, an ordained rabbi, how they process their feelings towards Trump. They talk through their philosophies of forgiveness and the responsibility of standing up against Trump. For a transcript of t...
Oct 02, 2020•47 min
In light of the tragic passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Phill invites Jenny Pizer of Lambda Legal to speak to the power RBG held on the Supreme Court and to discuss how the religious right is attempting to codify powers in the US through Trump's potential nominee. We also hear how faith can guide judges without imposing on their rulings and how Jenny herself handles her relationship to faith. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/unholierthanthou ....
Sep 25, 2020•36 min
As the death toll from the coronavirus reaches 200,000 in the United States, Phill talks to two chaplains about the difficulty of dying in isolation. Halle Diecidue and Stephanie Ramos have spent the last months helping individuals plan their deaths during a most unusual time—and without the usual coping mechanisms that we’re used to in end-of-life care. Before speaking to the chaplains, Phill talks to political strategist Zara Rahim about the revisionist history of the legacy of Islamophobia po...
Sep 18, 2020•43 min
