4 episodes

Jamie Loftus takes you through her year in the high-IQ Mensa society, from taking the test as a joke to spending the Fourth of July with 2000 angry Mensans in Phoenix. Chaos reigns, but at least it tests well.

My Year in Mensa iHeartPodcasts

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 128 Ratings

Jamie Loftus takes you through her year in the high-IQ Mensa society, from taking the test as a joke to spending the Fourth of July with 2000 angry Mensans in Phoenix. Chaos reigns, but at least it tests well.

    Episode 4: Scottish Hooters and the Death of the Mensa Slut

    Episode 4: Scottish Hooters and the Death of the Mensa Slut

    Welcome to My Year in Mensa, episode final!
    NOTE: ALL NAMES IN THIS PIECE HAVE BEEN CHANGED. This is a first-person account based on my own writing and experience within the group, and the rest is sourced below. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out at myyearinmensa@gmail.com.
    Theme song by Sadie Dupuis (@sad13)
    Featuring the voices of Miles Gray, Caitlin Durante, Jacquis Neal, Anna Hossnieh, Danl Goodman, Ify Nwadiwe, Dani Fernandez, Maggie Mae Fish, Shereen Lani-Younes, Isaac Taylor, and Jack O'Brien.
    Music used in this episode:
    "Through the Crystal" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library  "Absolutely Nothing" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library  "Lost and Found" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library"Highland, Bagpipe, Joyful Song": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ZqBSq7_GALicensed to YouTube by Epidemic Sound (on behalf of Epidemic Sound); Epidemic Sound Publishing"Scheming Weasel (faster version)" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Clean Soul" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)  License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)“Your Call" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"The Time of My Life" Karaoke (Fair Use): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGAW18eoevk"Pixelland" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)  License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Official National Anthem" by Jingle Punks: from the free YouTube Audio Library
    All sources for this series can be found at: http://jamieloftusisinnocent.com/myyearinmensasources
    --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-loftus/message

    • 44 min
    Episode 3: Hotel Meetings, Mead Guys and MAGA Hats

    Episode 3: Hotel Meetings, Mead Guys and MAGA Hats

    Welcome to My Year in Mensa, episode three!
    NOTE: ALL NAMES IN THIS PIECE HAVE BEEN CHANGED. This is a first-person account based on my own writing and experience within the group, and the rest is sourced below. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out at myyearinmensa@gmail.com.
    Theme song by Sadie Dupuis (@sad13)
    Featuring the voices of Miles Gray, Caitlin Durante, Jacquis Neal, Anna Hossnieh, Danl Goodman, Ify Nwadiwe, Dani Fernandez, Maggie Mae Fish, Shereen Lani-Younes, Isaac Taylor, and Jack O'Brien.
    Music used in this episode:
    "Through the Crystal" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Absolutely Nothing" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Lost and Found" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio LibrarySheldon Cooper Sexist Joke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQZuBytY4Q"Unseen Horrors" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Pooka" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Scheming Weasel (faster version)" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Pixelland" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
    All sources for this series can be found at: http://jamieloftusisinnocent.com/myyearinmensasources
    --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-loftus/message

    • 42 min
    Episode 2: Phoenix in July

    Episode 2: Phoenix in July

    Welcome to My Year in Mensa, episode two!
    NOTE: ALL NAMES IN THIS PIECE HAVE BEEN CHANGED. This is a first-person account based on my own writing and experience within the group, and the rest is sourced below. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out at myyearinmensa@gmail.com.
    Theme song by Sadie Dupuis (@sad13)
    Featuring the voices of Miles Gray, Caitlin Durante, Jacquis Neal, Anna Hossnieh, Danl Goodman, Ify Nwadiwe, Dani Fernandez, Maggie Mae Fish, Shereen Lani-Younes, Isaac Taylor, and Jack O'Brien.
    Music used in this episode:
    "Through the Crystal" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Absolutely Nothing" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Lost and Found" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library"Run Amok" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Onion Capers" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Sightlines" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Official National Anthem" by Jingle Punks: from the free YouTube Audio Library "Pixelland" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.comLicense: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"Welcome to HorrorLand Kevin MacLeod" (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
    All sources for this series can be found at: http://jamieloftusisinnocent.com/myyearinmensasources
    --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-loftus/message

    • 38 min
    Episode 1: IQ and the Average Girl

    Episode 1: IQ and the Average Girl

    Welcome to My Year in Mensa, episode one!
    NOTE: ALL NAMES IN THIS PIECE HAVE BEEN CHANGED. This is a first-person account based on my own writing and experience within the group, and the rest is sourced below. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out at myyearinmensa@gmail.com.

    Theme song by Sadie Dupuis (@sad13)
    Featuring the voices of Miles Gray, Caitlin Durante, Jacquis Neal, Anna Hossnieh, Danl Goodman, Ify Nwadiwe, Dani Fernandez, Maggie Mae Fish, Shereen Lani-Younes, Isaac Taylor, and Jack O'Brien.

    Music used in this episode:
    "Through the Crystal" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library"Absolutely Nothing" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio Library"Lost and Found" by Jeremy Blake: from the free YouTube Audio LibraryEric Andre goes to Mensa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-pAWbqdyuY"Welcome to HorrorLand Kevin MacLeod" (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

    All sources for this series can be found at: http://jamieloftusisinnocent.com/myyearinmensasources

    --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jamie-loftus/message

    • 38 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
128 Ratings

128 Ratings

CarlosLWatson ,

Excellent podcast

A fascinating story and a likeable host. Such an easy listen I have relistened a few times over.

foobar9000 ,

A deeply narcissistic and cynical exercise

The podcaster gets into Mensa (an organization in which I am not invested, and for which I had no sympathy from the get-go) clearly with the premeditated intent of getting some sort of negative attention, and then capture nasty soundbites from a subgroup of alt-right trolls within the organization so that she could create "content" out of that.
Something that can be done with every club that is sufficiently large.

A deeply narcissistic and cynical exercise that adds absolutely nothing whatsoever to our understanding of both Mensa and alt-right Internet subcultures, peppered with annoying snarky remarks and continually interrupted by insufferable sound effects.

hazelkated ,

Could have been better

Firstly, the sound design is dreadful! All the stupid sound effects are extremely off putting.
Secondly, the more professional way to journalistically explore this topic would be to write about it after the experience. Rather than publish takedowns of it while trying to be part of it.

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