649 episodes

The Gray Area with host Sean Illing is a philosophical take on culture, politics, and everything in between. We don’t pretend to have the answers, but we do offer a space for real dialogue. Resist certainty, embrace ambiguity, and get some cool takes on a very hot world. New episodes drop every Monday.

The Gray Area with Sean Illing Vox Media Podcast Network

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.5 • 10.2K Ratings

The Gray Area with host Sean Illing is a philosophical take on culture, politics, and everything in between. We don’t pretend to have the answers, but we do offer a space for real dialogue. Resist certainty, embrace ambiguity, and get some cool takes on a very hot world. New episodes drop every Monday.

    Can a friend be our most significant other?

    Can a friend be our most significant other?

    Journalist Rhaina Cohen believes that modern culture undervalues friendships and discusses the ways in which deep friendships are distinct from but no less meaningful than romantic partnerships. 

    Guest host: Sigal Samuel (@sigalsamuel)
    Guest: Rhaina Cohen (@rhainacohen). Her book is The Other Significant Others. 
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
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    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Jon Ehrens 


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


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    • 50 min
    The power of climate fiction

    The power of climate fiction

    Stephen Markley’s novel, “The Deluge,” is an ambitious and terrifyingly realistic look at our collective future on a warming planet. He joins Sean to talk about the 10-year process of writing the book, the current political struggle over climate action, and how we can confront and mitigate the worst effects of climate change.  

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
    Guest: Stephen Markley. His book is “The Deluge.”
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
    Be the first to hear new episodes of The Gray Area by following us in your favorite podcast app. Links here: https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area
    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Jon Ehrens 


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


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    • 47 min
    The denial of death

    The denial of death

    It’s been 50 years since Ernest Becker’s breakthrough book The Denial of Death was first published, and its thesis has become more relevant than ever. Filmmaker Jef Sewell is the co-creator of a new documentary about Becker called All Illusions Must Be Broken. It features never-before-heard audio of the enigmatic anthropologist and puts his theories in a modern context. 

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
    Guest: Jef Sewell. Find out more about the film at www.twobirdsfilm.com 
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
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    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Jon Ehrens 


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


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    • 45 min
    A brief history of extinction panics

    A brief history of extinction panics

    Silicon Valley is in the middle of an AI frenzy, and many of its leaders believe this technology could eventually result in human extinction. Tyler Austin Harper breaks down the most outlandish predictions, some of the more plausible problems AI poses, and how this moment reminds him of earlier extinction panics.
    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
    Guest: Tyler Austin Harper (@Tyler_A_Harper). Read his piece in the New York Times here. 
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
    Be the first to hear new episodes of The Gray Area by following us in your favorite podcast app. Links here: https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area
    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Jon Ehrens 


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


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    • 50 min
    The new(ish) world order

    The new(ish) world order

    America solidified its dominant posture in the international order following World War II and largely held that position for the following half-century. But as problems have accumulated at home and abroad, Americans are reconsidering their country’s role in the world, and so are its leaders. Alex Ward, author of The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy After Trump, joins us. 


    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
    Guest: Alex Ward (@alexbward). His book is The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy After Trump.
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
    Be the first to hear new episodes of The Gray Area by following us in your favorite podcast app. Links here: https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area
    Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Jon Ehrens 


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


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    • 42 min
    The free-market century is over

    The free-market century is over

    Sean Illing talks with economic historian Brad DeLong about his new book Slouching Towards Utopia. In it, DeLong claims that the "long twentieth century" was the most consequential period in human history, during which the institutions of rapid technological growth and globalization were created, setting humanity on a path towards improving life, defeating scarcity, and enabling real freedom. But... this ran into some problems. Sean and Brad talk about the power of markets, how the New Deal led to something approaching real social democracy, and why the Great Recession of 2008 and its aftermath signified the end of this momentous era.

    Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
    Guest: J. Bradford DeLong (@delong), author; professor of economics, U.C. Berkeley
    References: 


    Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century by J. Bradford DeLong (Basic; 2022)


    The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich von Hayek (1944)


    The Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi (1944)


    Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy by Joseph Schumpeter (1942)


    "A Short History of Enclosure in Britain" by Simon Fairlie (This Land Magazine; 2009)


    "China's Great Leap Forward" by Clayton D. Brown (Association for Asian Studies; 2012)


    What Is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1840)


    The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle (Oxford University Press; 2022)


    Apple's "1984" ad (YouTube)


    The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keynes (1936)


    "The spectacular ongoing implosion of crypto's biggest star, explained" by Emily Stewart (Vox; Nov. 18)


    "Did Greenspan Add to Subprime Woes? Gramlich Says Ex-Colleague Blocked Crackdown" by Greg Ip (Wall Street Journal; June 9, 2007)

    "Families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same," from President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address (Jan. 27, 2010)

    "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" by Karl Marx (1852)


    Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein (Simon & Schuster; 2020)


    The Paradox of Democracy: Free Speech, Open Media, and Perilous Persuasion by Zac Gershberg and Sean Illing (U. Chicago; 2022)

     
    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
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    This episode was made by: 


    Producer: Erikk Geannikis


    Editor: Amy Drozdowska


    Engineer: Patrick Boyd


    Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall


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    • 54 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
10.2K Ratings

10.2K Ratings

EmoEmu86 ,

Love this podcast!

This podcast has become my go-to listen. I love the thought provoking guests and Sean is relatable and asks great questions. I’m always learning something new or getting inspiration. Thank you!

Drdanprofman ,

Denial of death

My deepest gratitude to you for showcasing this stunningly meaningful book. I read it over 20 years ago; at some level it’s lived in me since.
Must watch the documentary and reread the book.
Regards,
Dan Torlone

katie-gray ,

Great!

I really appreciate this podcast. Interesting, engaging, sound—such a great resource. I’m often sending episodes to friends and family!

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