This Is Critical

Stitcher & Virginia Heffernan
  • 4.7 (153)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
This Is Critical

Fearless, sophisticated culture criticism for all generations. Nothing is off-limits, nothing dumbed down. With American culture on the rocks, we're split into fake "wars" about everything from avocados to bicycles to medical masks. It's time we took a critical lens to every facet of our shared experience. And that's what Virginia Heffernan is prepared to do.

  1. 08/18/2022

    Why Bother with Critical Theory at All?

    Over the last year, right-wing agitators have turned the academic discipline of Critical Race Theory into the hottest-button issue facing schools. Their anti-intellectual arguments can be maddening. But, paradoxically, the outsized blowback to CRT makes a strong case for it, and for critical theory of all kinds. Victor Ray, sociologist and author of the new book On Critical Race Theory, joins Virginia for a deep dive into both the CRT panic and what the theory actually is.

    41 min

  2. 08/11/2022

    Home-Buying Needs a Gut Renovation

    Homeownership has been synonymous with the American Dream since the New Deal. But after the 2008 financial crisis, millions of low-cost "starter houses" were bought for a song by private equity giants who use them as financial instruments rather than places to live. So what's a homebuyer to do? Journalist Aaron Glantz, author of Homewreckers, joins Virginia to analyze whether there's still hope for ordinary homebuyers.

    30 min

  3. 08/04/2022

    Our Bodies, Our Climate: How Heat Affects Humans

    As heat waves rip across the globe, many climate pessimists are calling this "the coolest summer of the rest of our lives." Umair Irfan, climate reporter at Vox, joins Virginia to talk about the real impacts of extreme heat on humans, and the moral obligation we have to solve this problem — with resources that already exist.

    30 min

  4. 07/28/2022

    The Twisted Road to Wellville

    The $4.4 Trillion (with a T!) wellness industry has captured the minds, bodies, and wallets of many women. But what are we actually paying for? Longtime scholar of the fitness landscape Rina Rapheal, author of the new book The Gospel of Wellness, joins Virginia to try to understand our winding and often demoralizing quest to feel "better."

    30 min

  5. 07/21/2022

    When Our Organs Are Under Surveillance: Privacy After Roe

    In the wake of Dobbs, the conversation about digital privacy — and how abortion seekers can protect their data from law enforcement — has exploded. But what's actually important to online security, and what is a red herring? Cindy Cohn, Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, joins Virginia to get to the bottom of what individuals can do to keep their most personal data safe.

    30 min

  6. 07/14/2022

    How to Change a Mind

    In a time when people are more dug in than ever on partisan beliefs about the world, is it ever possible to change anybody's mind? Science journalist David McRaney, author of the new book How Minds Change, says yes. He and Virginia investigate the psychology of how we come by our beliefs — and the tried-and-true methods social scientists recommend using to change peoples' minds — even on hot-button issues.

    32 min

  7. 07/07/2022

    Cooling Off is a Hot Topic

    Until the 1920s, public pools were all over this country, racially integrated and a popular summer activity for all. So what changed? Historian Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, joins Virginia to recount the history of public pools in the 20th century — and share the pleasures of swimming together, as the world grows hotter.

    31 min

  8. 06/30/2022

    Stagecraft, Storytelling, and the January 6th Hearings

    Nearly a year and a half after the Capitol was breached, the January 6th Committee is making its case to Congress and the nation on TV. But how effective is their storytelling? Story scientist Angus Fletcher joins Virginia to dig into the science of narrative and why this committee has its work cut out for it.

    30 min
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4.7
out of 5
153 Ratings

About

Fearless, sophisticated culture criticism for all generations. Nothing is off-limits, nothing dumbed down. With American culture on the rocks, we're split into fake "wars" about everything from avocados to bicycles to medical masks. It's time we took a critical lens to every facet of our shared experience. And that's what Virginia Heffernan is prepared to do.

Information

  • Creator
    Stitcher & Virginia Heffernan
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Stitcher
  • Show Website
    This Is Critical

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