Love is a Softball Field Annie Krabbenschmidt, Maddie Ross

It was a tough decision on how to move forward today - we are a white-centered podcast by virtue of having two white hosts. However, we have always been a podcast that has been trying to move our communities forward in social justice and so today we're trying to do our part in that. This is a surface level introduction to understanding white supremacy and its ongoing presence in this country and our (my, your, our) lives. We have been complicit by virtue of our whiteness. We have been benefiting from a system that is rigged in our favor. If that makes you uncomfortable, you are not alone, but I hope you listen anyway. And if you'd prefer to skip me talking (which I absolutely respect), skip to the last 15 minutes and I list some books and organizations I'm learning from and supporting.

Pretty Sure the title of the episode says it all this week.

In this EPIC conclusion to our EPIC two episode arc premiering this EPIC season, these two pals just keep talking like they always do. Annie’s rate of crying is at least THREE TIMES BIGGER than last week’s episode. In fact she just snuffles her way through this whole episode, but she also turns a lot of corners in her ability to stand up for herself and assert her boundaries. We are all proud of Ann Krabb as she becomes a real Ben Schmidt. Meanwhile. Maddie blissfully discusses her desirability on the LA market. A classic moment of solidarity for these two rising stars.

Season five opens with a brand new feature of LSF - Annie is an official (albeit temporary) resident of Los Angeles, fulfilling Maddie’s decade long dream of controlling Annie’s life. These two chia pets, growing and changing in the wind, are both the same and not: Annie’s been recently heartbroken and Maddie has suitors, but their attitudes and reactions to their scenarios are new and different. You know, like chia pets. Yeah. The metaphor definitely works. On this episode we catch up on what’s been going on during social distance time and what’s to come. Welcome back listeners.

Maddie and Annie spend the week in perfect domestic bliss together. There was a homemade ravioli, an explosive mess from Annie’s suitcase, and two viewings of Booksmart in 20 hours. Maddie and Annie worked HARD on their various professional endeavors and then had some well-deserved wind-down time with weed mints. After spending the night together, our two heroines immediately jump on Tinder for some high speed confidence boosting.

In this episode, two young women make contact with each other, and with what’s her name Foster. Maddie finally announces that she won’t be running for president. Annie talks at length about her book, and it’s a little bit like, “Enough already. I’ll buy a copy if you stop talking about it.” And that’s how the book became a bestseller.