Don't Make It Worse

Makenzie Mizell
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Everything is political, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be a fight. From sex work to prison abolition, we take the topics people usually argue about and unpack them with curiosity and empathy. Meet brilliant guests, learn something new, make things better.

Episodes

  1. Oct 1

    Pole Dance with AM Davies

    Episode 4 - Pole historian and career stripper AM Davies tells the story of pole dancing: from carnival tents, where the stripper pole was known as the “snorting pole,” to the #notastripper backlash that separated the art from the sex workers who created it. Mak and AM unpack how that divide became whorephobia—and what makes sex work punk. RESOURCES: International Pole Dance Day: https://yaswork.org/international-pole-dance-day YAS Work: https://yaswork.org GUEST: IG: https://instagram.com/amdavies_ YAS YouTube: https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg   MAK: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell Website: https://makenziemizell.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:47 What is Pole Dance 03:48 Cultural Evolution and Mainstream Acceptance 06:34 The Influence of Black Culture on Pole Dance 09:24 The Global Spread of Pole Dance 18:09 Understanding Horaphobia & The Whorearchy 26:45 Legislation and the Safety of Sex Workers 30:49 Work and Dehumanization 36:29 Cultural Biases and Toxic Masculinity 41:25 How to Support Sex Workers

  2. Sep 18

    Housing (but actually it’s about currency) with Zach Foust

    Episode 3: A conversation about the housing market takes a hard turn into whether money is even real. Realtor and creator Zach Foust joins Makenzie to talk gold, fiat currency, and the systems that determine who gets to build wealth. Turns out real money might be about as made up as Monopoly money. RESOURCES: Learn about the Georgist (basically socialist) roots of Monopoly: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/ruthless-monopolys-secret-history GUEST: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zacharyloft IG: https://www.instagram.com/zachary.loft Zach Foust Show: https://www.youtube.com/@ZachFoustShow MAK: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell Website: https://makenziemizell.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 Understanding the Housing Market 03:54 Housing as a Symbol of Power 07:06 The Value of Gold in Economic Discussions 10:48 Generational Perspectives on Housing 13:48 Bridging the Gap in Economic Conversations 16:54 The Impact of Economic Policies on Housing 19:12 The Future of Currency and Trust 25:47 The Emotional Ties to Currency 26:41 The Future of the Dollar and Global Currency 27:46 Bitcoin vs. Gold: The Value Debate 28:56 The Financial Identity Complex 31:50 The Disconnect of Wealth and Community 34:35 Paths to Political Change 38:45 The Role of Local Action 41:54 Unity in the Face of Division 48:43 Clarifying Perspectives on Israel and Judaism

  3. Jul 2

    Paleontology with Dr. Meaghan Wetherell

    Episode 2 - Professor Meaghan Wetherell has thoughts on dinosaurs, Noah’s Ark, and not being an a*****e. Makenzie sits down with her to unpack why facts alone rarely change minds, how science communicators can avoid “winning” people into a wall, and what learning-style myths reveal about everyone’s need to protect their worldview. It all ends with a free paleontology video game and a fossil find she can barely talk about yet. RESOURCES: Finding Lake Chewaucan: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3512920/Finding_Lake_Chewaucan PBS Eons: https://www.meaghanwetherell.com/script-writing GUEST: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geopetalfabric Weird & Dead Podcast: https://www.weirdanddead.com Weird & Dead Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WeirdandDeadPodcast MAK: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell Website: https://makenziemizell.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - What is Paleontology? 02:08 - Oreodonts 03:35 - Noah's Ark 04:40 - Science Communication 10:09 - Motivational Interviewing 13:45 - Role Play 16:53 - Early Paleontologists & Religion 22:48 - How to Make It Better 25:35 - The Knowledge Deficit Model 28:25 - Avoiding Being Condescending 31:44 - Learning Style Exercise 34:59 - Where to Find Meaghan

  4. Jun 17

    Sex with August McLaughlin

    Episode 1: August McLaughlin turns “What is sex?” into the episode’s most complicated question. Makenzie sits down with August to unpack pleasure, purity culture, and the masturbation experience that made her realize her sexuality didn’t depend on anyone else. From Mormon loopholes to porn moves nobody actually wanted, the conversation ends with a simple challenge: look at what you learned about sex, and what nobody ever taught you. RESOURCES: Planned Parenthood: https://weareplannedparenthoodaction.org Scarleteen: https://scarleteen.com AUGUST: IG: https://instagram.com/augustmclaughlin Website: https://augustmclaughlin.com Girl Boner Radio: https://augustmclaughlin.com/podcast MAK: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell Website: https://makenziemizell.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - What is sex? 03:40 - Sexual Pleasure 05:22 - Performance Culture 08:05 - August’s Story  09:53 - Personal Discovery 13:43 - Sexual Shame 15:50 - Religious Messages 19:50 - Purity Culture 23:50 - Ethical Porn 26:34 - How to Make It Better 28:37 - Where to Find August

  5. May 27

    Don’t Make It Worse (Trailer) — with August McLaughlin

    Enjoy this sample of the first episode of Don't Make It Worse, featuring sex educator August McLaughlin. Full episodes begin Wednesday June 4, with new episodes every Wednesday after that. Find August online at @augustmclaughlin Follow Mak on TikTok at @makenziemizell Visit MakenzieMizell.com

  • 1 Trailer
    4 Episodes

Trailer

About

Everything is political, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be a fight. From sex work to prison abolition, we take the topics people usually argue about and unpack them with curiosity and empathy. Meet brilliant guests, learn something new, make things better.

Information

  • Creator
    Makenzie Mizell
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Makenzie Mizell
  • Show Website
    Don't Make It Worse