Ill Conceived

Josh Boerman & June Sternbach

A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Kill The Computer, The Onion).

  1. 18h ago

    Natalism and The New York Times

    As part of the national push by natalists to roll back the clock on gender policy in the United States, recent articles about birth rates have started popping up in the country's paper of record. One of those articles, published just last week, was written by someone we've covered quite a bit on the show already. This week, Josh and June check it out alongside four other articles about birth rates in The New York Times to get a sense of how the issue is being framed, both in good and bad faith, as a matter of news and public opinion. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: The headquarters of The New York Times in midtown Manhattan AUDIO CLIPS: 26:07 – The "Gen Z boss and a mini" TikTok that made a lot of men extremely angry SOURCES: “The Quest to ‘Make America Fertile Again’ Stalls Under Trump” by Caroline Kitchener  (The New York Times, January 13, 2026) “The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.” by Sabrina Tavernise and Jeff Adelson (The New York Times, February 27, 2026) “Women in Their 20s May Not Be Having Babies, but by 45 Most Probably Will” by Claire Kane Miller (The New York Times, April 9, 2026) “A Conservative Role Model for Ending the Fertility Crisis” by Anenoma Hartocollis (The New York Times, July 8, 2026) “The Population Bust Is Coming Sooner Than Anyone Is Prepared For” By Lyman Stone (The New York Times, July 11, 2026) FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Natalism and The New York Times
  2. Jun 21

    Viktor Orbán

    ***TICKETS TO OUR JULY 2 SHOW IN CHICAGO ARE ON SALE! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BY CLICKING HERE!!!!*** While natalism as a political project has its proponents, few heads of state have been willing to attempt to use the full force of the state to raise birth rates. However, one leader does stand out: Hungary's recently-ousted prime minister, Viktor Orbán. This week, June and Josh take a look at Orban's 16-year term as PM, the effects of his policies, and the ways that right-wing authoritarianism in Europe both mirrors and partners with similar movements in the United States. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Viktor Orbán, the former prime minister of Hungary. AUDIO CLIPS: 1:08:34 – Marco Rubio speaking in Budapest in February 2026, declaring a "golden era" in relations between Hungary and the United States 1:14:09 – JD Vance calling Donald Trump at an April 2026 Viktor Orban election rally in Budapest SOURCES: How Viktor Orban hollowed out Hungary’s democracy How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets Hungary’s opposition struggles to beat Viktor Orban’s stealth autocracy Home Building Allowance for Families Viktor Orban’s pro-natalist policies are not working In a state of necessity. How has Orban changed Hungary Hungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ+ public events Hungary Ends Legal Recognition for Transgender and Intersex People Hungary’s ongoing demographic decline: an increase in birth rates is the only hope Authoritarian Populism in Disguise: Orbán’s Anti-Worker ‘Pro-Worker’ Regime Hungary races to build border fence as migrants keep coming Orbán rejects the European Union’s migration agreement and defends keeping asylum seekers out of EU territory Conference of U.S. conservatives opens in Orban’s Hungary Hungary offered €30,000 to couples having 3 kids—but its birth rate has still fallen to a record monthly low Vance, after rallying in Hungary for Orban, says he wasn’t surprised by the autocrat’s defeat Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a seven-point family protection action plan Hungary’s New Leader Reveals Viktor Orbán Was Paying CPAC  Here's why American conservatives are heading to Hungary for a big conference At CPAC, Hungary’s Orban decries LGBTQ+ rights, migration  What one country's experiment says about attempts to boost birth rates  Farewell To Hungary, And To Europe FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Viktor Orbán
  3. May 30

    Simone & Malcolm Collins

    In mainstream media coverage of natalism, one specific couple keeps popping up. Their eccentric appearance and apparent ironclad commitment to the principles of tech natalism make them catnip to curious reporters, who have profiled them exhaustively. But who are Simone and Malcolm Collins, and what are they actually trying to sell you? This week, Josh and June do their best to find out. ***GET TICKETS TO JOSH'S SHOW IN CINCINNATI HERE AND THE ILL CONCEIVED JUNE 4TH LIVE SHOW IN CHICAGO HERE!!!*** ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Malcolm and Simone Collins in a press photo by Hannah Yoon AUDIO CLIPS: 18:35 – Simone Collins in a YouTube video entitled "Are You an Ambivert?" originally uploaded in November 2011 24:15 – Simone performing a cover of the Firefly theme song in a video originally uploaded to YouTube in July 2011 46:59 – Simone introduces Malcolm to the channel in a video originally uploaded to YouTube in November 2014  1:00:08 – Malcolm and Simone discuss "A Pragmatist's Take on the Red Pill" originally uploaded to YouTube in March 2020 1:16:46 – The introduction to the Based Camp episode "One Conspiracy Explains All Modern Culture (This Explains EVERYTHING)" originally uploaded to YouTube in May 2026 1:20:09 – The Bort license plate scene from "Itchy And Scratchy Land" (The Simpsons, S06E04) SOURCES: "How I Proposed to My Girlfriend on Reddit" by Malcolm Collins (Huffington Post, August 6, 2013) ArtCorgi's profile on Crunchbase "Why Many Entrepreneurs Are Turning to a ‘Search-Fund’ Model" by Glenn Hunter (D Magazine, January 9, 2017) "Scoop: Dialog, a secretive forum, plans D.C.-area campus" by Mike Allen (Axios, August 7, 2025) Simone's LinkedIn profile Malcolm's LinkedIn profile Simone's Reddit account Malcolm's Reddit account "Meet the ‘elite’ couples breeding to save mankind" by Io Dodds (The Telegraph, April 19, 2023) "About Simone and Malcolm Collins’ Smear Campaign Against Me" by Lyman Stone (Medium post, October 22, 2024) "America’s premier pronatalists on having ‘tons of kids’ to save the world: ‘There are going to be countries of old people starving to death’" by Jenny Kleeman (The Guardian, May 25, 2024) Based Camp on YouTube FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Simone & Malcolm Collins
4.5
out of 5
308 Ratings

About

A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Kill The Computer, The Onion).

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