Counterculture

Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost

Arts, culture, and politics with Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost.

  1. How Trump Lost His Cool

    Jul 1

    How Trump Lost His Cool

    Donald Trump rode a vibe shift back to the White House in 2025. Eighteen months later, the vibe has shifted back again. Matthew and Julia discuss why, and ask whether America is still moving right. Plus: A very important announcement. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    46 min
  2. ‘Disclosure Day’ and our UFO Religion

    Jun 15

    ‘Disclosure Day’ and our UFO Religion

    “Disclosure Day,” Steven Spielberg’s film about the leaking of UFO files, is a hit. The Trump administration’s release of actual UFO files is not. Meanwhile, a Catholic exorcist has been fired for saying that UFOs are demonic. Matthew and Julia argue that rising interest in flying saucers says a great deal about the direction of our society. They also ask and answer the question of the moment: Are aliens Catholic? For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    18 min
  3. Heteropessimist Horror

    Jun 1

    Heteropessimist Horror

    “Backrooms” and “Obsession,” the indie sensations that beat out Star Wars at the box office this weekend, reflect a distinctly Zoomer worldview, one marked by despair about relationships and the loss of ’90s-era confidence. Matthew and Julia explore the ruined temples of American commerce and announce the rise of heteropessimist horror. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    49 min
  4. Yesteryear and the Tradwife Panic

    May 22

    Yesteryear and the Tradwife Panic

    Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear, about a tradwife influencer who wakes up one day to find herself trapped on a nineteenth-century homestead, is topping the fiction bestseller charts. Liberals applaud the novel’s social critique, but Matthew and Julia are less impressed. Does the tradwife really represent the benighted past, as Burke thinks? Or is she the wave of the future? For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    13 min
  5. Repent and Submit

    May 1

    Repent and Submit

    Young adults are driving a surge in Catholic conversions. Meanwhile, some on the right are looking east, to Islam. Matthew and Julia talk about the two hottest trends in religious conversion, and the many motives converts have—from spiritual hunger to gender politics to civilizational survival. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    40 min
  6. Californian Psycho

    Apr 13

    Californian Psycho

    Democrats are eager to nominate a straight white man for president—which may explain why Gavin Newsom is leaning into “toxic” masculinity. Julia and Matthew discuss the California governor’s strange but telling decision to compare himself to Patrick Bateman, the serial-killer protagonist of American Psycho. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    15 min
  7. Who Killed the New Atheism?

    Apr 1

    Who Killed the New Atheism?

    Was it Richard Dawkins? Rebecca Watson? Fedora Guy? Or maybe Tom Holland? Matthew and Julia discuss why the New Atheism died and will never be resurrected. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    46 min
  8. Where the West Is Headed, with Louise Perry

    Mar 16

    Where the West Is Headed, with Louise Perry

    Louise Perry is one of the most perceptive observers of the trends that are transforming the West. Matthew and Julia talk to her about the migration boom, the fertility bust, and the quiet resurgence of religion—in society and her own life. For more like this, become a member at patreon.com/againstthepod.

    21 min
See All (27)

4.8
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Arts, culture, and politics with Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Matthew Schmitz and Julia Yost
  • Show Website
    Counterculture

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