Magical Overthinkers

Revenge is one of our oldest fantasies. It's sharp, seductive, but rarely as satisfying as it promises to be. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by lawyer, author, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, James Kimmel Jr. to overthink our obsession with revenge: why it feels so good in theory, why it rarely delivers in practice, and what it reveals about our deepest wounds and longings. Together, they explore how the brain processes revenge almost like an addictive substance - flooding us with momentary relief, then keeping us hooked in a cycle of suffering. From the neuroscience of vengeance to the quiet, radical possibility of letting go, this conversation opens up a gentler path through pain. A soft spiral into anger, control, and the sacred art of breaking the cycle. Further Reading: The Science of Revenge by James Kimmel Jr. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ ⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to ⁠https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Ditz.” It’s a word that sounds harmless, silly, soft-edged, even cute. But underneath it is a long, messy history of gendered judgment. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Koa Beck (@koabeck) to gently spiral about the cultural construction of ditziness: where the word came from, who it’s been used against, and what it reveals about how we punish femininity for being either too much… or not enough. Together, they unpack how "ditzy" became shorthand for whiteness, blondness, and a very specific kind of Southern California-coded femininity, despite the fact that the so-called “ditz” in pop culture (Elle Woods, Cher Horowitz, Regina George) is often brilliant, strategic, and socially powerful. Is ditziness a stereotype, a defense mechanism, a flirtation tool, or all three? What happens when smart women lean into softness? And how do internalized misogyny and impossible expectations make it feel safer to play dumb than to risk being called bossy, smug, or shrill? A quietly radical spiral into language, performance, and the politics of not being taken seriously on purpose or by accident. Further Reading: White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind By Koa Beck Further Reading: Valley Girl Substack by Koa Beck - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Head to https://LETSLIVEITUP.com/MAGICAL and use code MAGICAL for 15% off your first Super Greens order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can you be trained by a gaslighter to gaslight yourself? This week, Amanda (@amanda_montell) is joined by Harvard historian and sociologist Rebecca Lemov (@rebeccalemov) to overthink gaslighting, a word that’s become part of our everyday vocabulary, but whose origins and implications run deeper than we realize. Together, they trace gaslighting’s roots in psychology, politics, and culture, and explore how this slow erosion of truth can shape our relationships, our self-trust, and our collective understanding of reality.A quiet spiral about doubt, distortion, and the radical act of believing yourself.   Further Reading: The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion by Rebecca Lemov - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should I move or stay where I am? Take the job or turn it down? Text back or disappear into the ocean? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Vicki Tan (@vickiheart), a digital product designer and author, to gently spiral about indecision: why it’s so hard to choose, what’s actually hiding underneath all that back-and-forth, and how much of it is really fear dressed up as logic.Together, they unpack the mental clutter, perfectionism, and quiet grief that decision making so often stirs up, and ask what it would feel like to choose without trying to be perfect. A spiral into possibility, analysis paralysis, and the sacred mess of not knowing what comes next.Further Reading: Ask This Book A Question by Vicki Tan - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the digital age, the people we feel closest to sometimes don’t even know we exist. This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Jessica Zier and Lizzie Li, PhD students at Northwestern University who study parasocial relationships, to spiral about the emotional life of one-sided intimacy. Together, they explore how digital closeness blurs the line between connection and projection, and why it makes perfect sense that we feel so seen by people who’ve never met us. A soft spiral into loneliness, identity, and the very human instinct to reach for connection, even through a screen. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/Magical to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The case of Amanda, a writer whose internal monologue won't stop narrating her life, instead of just letting her live it. Listen to Proxy with Yowei Shaw Follow Yowei on Instagram @yoweishaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when the future is something you have to build, but others get to inherit? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalists Wailin Wong and Stacey Vanek Smith (@svaneksmith) to overthink the emotional, historical, and spiritual weight of generational wealth: what it gives, what it withholds, and who it was never designed for. Listen as they explore the systems that have kept generational wealth out of reach for so many marginalized communities, the guilt of those who inherit it and do care, and the quiet alienation of watching others take it for granted.A layered spiral into privilege, precarity, and what it means to want stability in a world that’s never been fair.Further Listening: The Indicator from Planet MoneyFurther Reading: Machiavelli For Women by Stacey Vanek Smith  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.   Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Go to https://Quince.com/magical for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an age where everyone has to have a hot take, how does this shape our inner voice? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist Fortesa Latifi (@hifortesa) to unpack the emotional weight of opinion overload: the pressure to react, post, and declare where we stand before we’ve even had a chance to feel what we feel. Together, they explore what it means to live in a world where silence is suspect, nuance is suspicious, and uncertainty is quietly taboo. What do we lose when we’re expected to be explainable at all times? A soft spiral into the exhaustion of constant takes, the grief of unspoken thoughts, and the quiet rebellion of saying “I don’t know yet.”  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠⁠⁠ For a limited time, get Headspace FREE for 60 days at  https://Headspace.com/MAGICAL Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Head to ⁠https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL⁠ and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much of who you are is really you—and how much is habit, circumstance, or a story you started telling yourself a long time ago? This week, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Olga Khazan (@olganator) to explore the strange, sticky concept of personality: where it comes from, why it feels so permanent, and whether we can actually change it. We touch on the appeal of personality frameworks like Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram, but zoom out to ask deeper questions: Do people ever really change, or do we just learn how to act differently? What happens when we no longer feel like the person we’re known to be? A quiet spiral about identity, adaptability, and the mysterious choreography of who we become.Further Reading: Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change by Olga Khazan  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Head to https://Greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping.  Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠⁠ Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at ⁠⁠https://www.skims.com/magical⁠⁠ #skimspartner Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do we, against all logic, evidence, and bank account balances, still kind of believe that billionaires earned it? This week on Magical Overthinkers, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) sits down with writer and cultural critic Dasia Sade (@dasiadoesit) to unravel the glittery, gaslight-y spell of billionaire worship in America: how it started, who profits from it, and what it’s doing to our collective sense of possibility (and sanity). From Calvinism to Musk, we trace how a stew of religious guilt, PR manipulation, and celebrity obsession shaped a culture where having a billion dollars feels aspirational instead of deeply dystopian. Plus: why most of us can’t actually comprehend how much a billion is, what billionaires are really doing with all that money, and what it might take to finally break the spell (spoiler: it’s not another Forbes profile). - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠⁠ Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at ⁠https://www.skims.com/magical⁠ #skimspartner Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What even is laziness? A moral failing? A personality flaw? Or just capitalism talking? In a culture obsessed with productivity and grindset mentality, the fear of being perceived as “lazy” runs deep—and it’s often weaponized against people who are overwhelmed, burnt out, or simply existing outside the hustle.To help us rethink laziness from a more philosophical (and compassionate) perspective, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Ellie Anderson (@ellieanderphd), philosopher, college professor, and co-host of the podcast Overthink. Together, they explore where our cultural obsession with busyness comes from, how laziness intersects with class and race, and why doing nothing might just be the most radical act of all.Further listening: Overthink podcast with Ellie Anderson and David Peña-Guzmán. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to⁠ https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL⁠ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical  Make this spring your most delicious yet with Green Chef. Head to https://greenchef.com/50MAGICAL and use code 50MAGICAL to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is intuition just a fancy word for guesswork, or is it a real, reliable tool we can actually trust? And if it is real, how do we tell the difference between genuine gut feelings and anxiety disguised as instinct? For a phenomenon that’s supposed to be effortless, intuition can spark a lot of magical overthinking. To help untangle it all, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist and author Elizabeth Greenwood (@lizgreenwood4u), whose new book Everyday Intuition explores the science, psychology, and everyday magic of tuning into your inner voice. Together, they dive into how intuition really works, why it's often misunderstood, and how to cultivate it without spiraling into self-doubt.Further reading: Elizabeth Greenwood’s Everyday Intuition (available May 6th!).  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers.- To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack.- Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/magical #skimspartner Thrive all year with clean, easy meals from Green Chef. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The decision to cut someone out of your life—whether a parent, a sibling, or a once-close friend—can feel both deeply necessary and impossibly fraught. But why does going no contact inspire so much shame, confusion, and second-guessing, especially when it’s often a tool for self-preservation? What does it really mean to choose absence over obligation? In this episode, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Jeanette Tran, a professor at Drake University who explores the complexities of estrangement through an unexpected lens: Shakespeare. Drawing from centuries-old drama, Jeanette helps us parse why going no contact still feels so taboo, how literature mirrors (and sometimes distorts) our ideas of family and forgiveness, and why choosing peace can be the most radical act of all. Further reading: Jeanette Tran’s essay “As more Americans go ‘no contact’ with their parents, they live out a dilemma at the heart of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’” in The Conversation.   - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Thrive all year with clean, easy meals from Green Chef. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. No matter how you say it, don’t overpay for it. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We live in an era where misinformation spreads faster than ever—shaping our beliefs, fueling our anxieties, and making it nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. Why are our brains so susceptible to false narratives even when we know better? How do we resist falling for this stuff? And also, where is the line separating misinformation from harmless ~lore~ anyway? In this special episode, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) reads an exclusive excerpt from her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, diving into the psychology behind misinformation, revealing some mistakes of her own, and exploring the linguistic tricks that make debunking a falsehood so much harder than believing it in the first place. Listen to the full audiobook here: https://bit.ly/48mnRkG Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING by Amanda Montell, read by the author. Copyright © 2024 by Amanda Montell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. For more, follow @simon.audio on IG and @SimonAudio on FB/X! Overthinker Corrections: From our episode on toxins, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has faced controversy over the years, with critics arguing that it overstates chemical risks, relies on flawed methodologies, and promotes an organic marketing agenda. Despite these concerns, EWG defends its work as being rooted in a mission to protect public health and empower consumers to make safer choices. For those seeking alternative resources to the EWG, consider exploring Consumer Reports for independent product testing and safety insights, and Made Safe for certified non-toxic product recommendations. A couple of points made in our fertility interview—namely, the study about birth control pills disrupting pheromones and the implication that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can cause the same side effects—are debated. Listen to Science Vs the Pill to learn more. Thanks for your listenership and thoughtful engagement! Overall, we hope this episode inspires more critical conversation and self-advocacy, and less shame, about the thought spiral-inducing subject of fertility  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: No matter how you say it, don’t overpay for it. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/magical #skimspartner Cannot use any other commissionable clothing links including, but not limited to, LTK, MagicLinks, Amazon Storefront, ShopMy, etc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Climate anxiety is nothing new, but lately, it feels like the volume has been cranked all the way up. Between record-breaking heat waves, apocalyptic air quality, and the general sense that our leaders are doing basically nothing to stop it, it’s hard not to spiral about the future of our planet. Are we completely doomed? Should we all be prepping for societal collapse? And how do we balance staying informed with not losing our minds? To help us navigate these thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Dharna Noor (@thispartysux), a climate journalist who has spent years reporting on environmental policy and corporate accountability. Together, they discuss the myths and realities of climate activism, how to stay engaged without succumbing to total nihilism, and whether it’s still okay to enjoy iced coffee and long showers while the world burns. - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Indoor cats and indoor humans agree - Pretty Litter helps my house smell fresh and clean. Go tohttps://PrettyLitter.com/magical to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://MINTMOBILE.com/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weddings! They’re supposed to be the "happiest day of your life"... so why do they inspire so much stress, scrutiny, and existential dread? From the absurd cost to the vague standards of "tradition" to the social politics and not-so-subtly gendered pressure to make every detail deeply personal yet universally beloved, modern weddings are a minefield of overthinking. Should one cave to family expectations or take on the creative labor of reimagining the modern wedding from the ground up? Why does the term "bridezilla" feel like a trap? Is throwing a big shebang just consumerist narcissism? And why do we judge people so hard for how they choose to celebrate their partnership?To help untangle these nuptial-flavored thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by author, mental health advocate, and longtime wedding overthinker Allison Raskin (@allisonraskin), whose sharp, heartfelt takes on marriage make her the perfect guest for this topic. Together, they unpack the evolving culture of weddings and how to take control of your own matrimonial destiny. Further Reading: I Do (I Think): Conversations About Modern Marriage by Allison Raskin - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/MAGICAL to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. Go to https://GreenChef.com/magicalfree and use code magicalfree to get started with FREE Salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

According to 2023 Pew Research, nearly half of social media users have been politically active on their platforms of choice in the last year. In an era when Instagram, TikTok, and the app formerly known as Twitter aren't just venues for brunch pics and cat memes but have turned into sites for collective action and grassroots organizing, social media activism has become a powerful tool... and a major source of internal conflict. Is engaging in Instagram activism actually effective, or does it just create the illusion of impact? How much of it is just performative, and is performativity always bad? And what about the pressure? If we post, are we overbearing? If we don’t, are we complicit? To help untangle these thought spirals, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) sits down with Leah Thomas (@greengirlleah), an environmental author and creator who has built a massive platform for environmental justice online. Together, they discuss the complexities of social media activism, how "spiritually bankrupt" the space has become, and how we can engage meaningfully—without losing our peace in the process.  Further reading: The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet by Leah Thomas Pew Research Study: Americans’ views of and experiences with activism on social media by Samuel Bestvater, Risa Gelles-Watnick, Meltem Odabaş, Monica Anderson, and Aaron Smith - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is gossip just a petty pastime, or a tool to empower the marginalized? Or both? From ancient hearsay to celebrity blind items to the group chat’s hottest tea, gossip has always been a part of how humans connect, but why does it carry such a negative (gendered) reputation? Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by journalist, novelist, and Normal Gossip creator Kelsey McKinney (@mckinneykelsey) to unravel the fascinating etymology and moral gray areas of gossip in the digital age. Together, they explore if gossip can be an "addiction," how to get people to gossip with us *more*, if the internet has corrupted gossip's original aims, and whether it’s actually possible to be a good person and still enjoy a little harmless chatter. Further Reading: Kelsey McKinney’s You Didn’t Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip (out on February 11th, 2025).  - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharing another podcast we can’t get enough of: Your Mama’s Kitchen. It’s a show about cuisine and culture, ingredients and identities, and the meals and memories that make us who we are. Host Michele Norris talks to Michelle Obama, Glennon Doyle, José Andrés and so many other guests about the complexities of family life and how their earliest culinary experiences helped shape their personal and professional lives. And of course, each guest shares a recipe for a favorite dish from their youth so you can taste a bit of their story. In this episode, Late Show host Stephen Colbert and his wife Evie reminisce on their romcom-worthy meet cute, they share the food they ate growing up in Charleston, North Carolina (hint: lots of seafood), and some of the cooking hiccups they faced as a new couple in their first kitchen. Plus, Stephen teaches us how to make his version of his mama’s fudge – a recipe none of his siblings can agree on.   You can find more Your Mama’s Kitchen at https://lnk.to/yourmamaskitchenMA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delicate does not even begin to describe this week's topic, and we're so thankful for the vulnerable thought spirals listeners submitted for discussion. The concept of fertility is often surrounded by an overwhelming mix of mystery, pressure, shame, fear, and misinformation—and, if you're fortunate to find it, hope and solidarity, too. From decoding hormones to navigating the emotional and societal complexities of "trying" (or choosing not to), there’s no shortage of material to overthink about. Host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) is joined by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack (@fertilityfriday), certified fertility awareness educator, holistic reproductive health practitioner, and author of three bestselling books on fertility and menstruation. Together, they unpack how fertility awareness can empower us, challenge long-held myths, and shift the way we view reproductive health in the modern world. CORRECTION: A couple of points made in this week’s interview—namely, the study about birth control pills disrupting pheromones and the implication that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can cause the same side effects—are debated. Listen to Science Vs the Pill to learn more. Thanks for your listenership and thoughtful engagement! Overall, we hope this episode inspires more critical conversation and self-advocacy, and less shame, about the thought spiral-inducing subject of fertility ❤️ Further Reading: Lisa Hendrickson-Jack’s The Fifth Vital Sign - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Thank you to our sponsors! Indoor cats and indoor humans agree - Pretty Litter helps my house smell fresh and clean. Go to https://PrettyLitter.com/magical to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices