Standing Room Only

Jon Ossoff has what the likes of JD Vance never could get: sex appeal. The Georgia senator has become a viral sensation, with fans on TikTok and social media posting thirsty highlight reels and declaring "America needs a hot president to unite us all." Ossoff's charisma is also driving MAGA nuts. My guest, Monica Venzke, who runs the Boyfriends We Deserve social media account, explains why hotness matters in politics right now and how the internet is reshaping the image of Democrats, especially with midterms in mind.  

James Talarico, the Texas Democratic nominee for Senate, could do lasting damage to the Republican Party and they're freaking out! In this episode, I break down why Talarico's campaign has been enormously successful at attracting Christian voters. He is terrifying white evangelicals because they have been told, repeatedly, that Democrats are demonic and there is no such thing as a liberal Christian. My guest is Amanda Litman, the co-founder of the organization Run For Something that helped Talarico get his start in politics.  If you enjoy Standing Room Only please subscribe, rate and leave review. It helps grow our audience!

Pete Hegseth is getting raked over the coals for leading the Trump administration's messy conflict in Iran. How long can the former Fox News personality keep the pumped-up, testosterone-soaked tough-guy routine going? In this episode, I look at the Defense Secretary's public image, his leadership at the Pentagon, and the heightened criticism surrounding his handling of the Iran conflict. My guest is Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton, who provides insight on why Hegseth's wife Jennifer Hegseth has become a curious and increasingly influential figure in it all.

Season 2 opener! In this episode, I break down why I think Erika Kirk is failing as the leader of Turning Point USA, one year after her husband Charlie Kirk's passing. Why is this organization such a joke (even with conservatives) and why is Erika's role as CEO such a glaring paradox? My guest, Tim Whitaker, is a former Christian Nationalist and a founder of The New Evangelicals. He helps us understand what's driving Erika's bad life advice for women and performative grief.

Stories about young men returning to religion are everywhere right now. But when we saw a recent Gallup poll showing that 42% of young men say religion is "very important" to them, we knew something felt off. In this podcast, Amanda breaks down why the so-called rise of religion among Gen Z men has less to do with faith and more to do with gender politics and the growing popularity of podcast bro culture. As Christianity becomes increasingly tied to masculinity and conservative identity, seemingly harmless religious language online often evolves into something far more extreme. Today's guest, Tia Levings, shares her firsthand experience inside tradwife and fundamentalist Christian culture and explains why this type of values-driven spirituality can quickly escalate into rhetoric centered on control, submission and limiting women's rights. Levings is the author of the NYT bestselling book "A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy." Her latest book, "I Belong to Me," is available now. Follow her on Substack: https://tialevings.substack.com.