Take It Personal

This week on Take It Personal, we follow one idea all the way through: What happens when the system becomes visible? We start with a conversation about time after Will's article about how something as simple as the clock is actually a system someone chose — and use that lens to unpack what’s happening across sports right now. From there, we get into: The MLB vs WNBA CBA and what players are really...

The BAFTAs were supposed to be calm — and then the night went sideways. We unpack the broadcast controversy, what accountability should look like with a tape delay, and what the winners signaled: Sinners, One Battle, plus why Hamnet hit so hard. Subscribe + follow Take It Personal so you never miss an episode: TIP Website : Subscribe for full episodes, writing, video diaries, and updates YouTube:...

Jay-Z’s umlaut shows up again — JAŸ-Z — and Steph and Will treat it like an operator signal: a subtle, coordinated move across platforms that makes the ecosystem react. They connect that kind of “signal” behavior to Ye’s paid Wall Street Journal apology as a premium-room strategy: not optimized for the timeline, but for the financiers, insurers, and gatekeepers who decide what gets funded. Then th...

This week on Take It Personal, we’re breaking down Super Bowl night: the game (we’ll be quick), the commercials (why they felt oddly underwhelming), and the halftime show that had us fully locked in. We talk the big ad themes (hello crypto/AI), the spots we actually remember, and the ones that mysteriously didn’t show up. Then we go full deep-dive on Bad Bunny’s halftime performance—sugar cane sym...

We’re recording this episode 48 hours after the Grammys , and it’s clear none of us watched the same show. Between the Recording Academy’s YouTube premiere ceremony, the red carpet, CBS, Paramount+, and the group chat, the Grammys felt less like one event and more like five stitched together . In this episode, Steph, Will, and Jamie break down: Why the pre-show and premiere ceremony felt more musi...

Sports aren’t just games—they’re emotional, social, and deeply personal. In this episode of Take It Personal crew , dig into the psychology of sports: why fandom becomes part of identity, how community turns wins and losses into shared experience, and why certain sports moments stay with us for life. We talk about: How sports shape identity across different phases of life Why is community the mult...

In this short “Smoke Break” episode, Steph and Will process Ye’s decision to publish a long, paid apology as a national newspaper ad. Recorded the same day the statement dropped, this conversation captures the immediate emotional, cultural, and strategic questions raised by the apology — without rushing to a verdict. Topics include: Why the apology feels unusually polished and strategic The differ...

Some shows don’t just end; they betray you , and suddenly the whole series becomes impossible to rewatch. This episode started with Will’s Substack piece on “unrewatchable TV,” and we take it from there: why How I Met Your Mother feels like a trust fall that never got caught, why Game of Thrones is still rewatchable for some people even after a rushed finale, and the three big ways a show becomes...

This week on Take It Personal , Steph, Will, and Jamie unpack Netflix’s Sean Combs: The Reckoning — and what it feels like to watch a documentary when you already know too much. Steph comes in with a long memory (and a clipboard), Will is hit with visceral nostalgia and discomfort, and Jamie watches once as a bystander and again as a skeptic. Together, they trace how Bad Boy Records shaped an era...

YouTube is the super-app that has already won the streaming wars. Jamie, Steph, and Wil dig into watch habits, Shorts vs. long-form, creator economies, live sports, policy risks, and why YouTube feels like “groceries” while prestige TV is dessert. Segments 00:03:00 YouTube as a media “super app” (UGC + TV + music + rentals + podcasts) 00:10:00 Social detox → intentional YouTube viewing vs. doomscr...

We’re kicking off our new one-topic deep-dive format with the obligatory (!) Taylor Swift episode. Will argues that much of Taylor’s catalog reads like fictional storytelling rather than diary pages, Steph pushes back (All Too Well hive, rise), and Jamie brings the generational context — from Harry Chapin to how upheaval fuels creative renaissances. What we cover The format change (single-topic ep...

This week on Take It Personal , Steph, Will, and Jamie discuss the platforms they trust—and how podcasts have become the most influential mic in the room. From Taylor Swift’s 12th album release via Travis Kelce’s podcast to Marc Maron’s impact and the decline of traditional media, the hosts examine the cultural shift toward unfiltered voices. Then, things get personal. Jamie shares about doing bed...

This week on Take It Personal , we’re talking about what real power looks like. From WNBA players rewriting the rules to a dead uncle’s cookbag going viral, we’re unpacking culture, chaos, and clarity. We break down the Stud Budz livestream, NIL power moves, why gas stoves are canceled (per Will), and why the new Clipse album might just be scripture for grown folks. Oh—and someone definitely got c...

This week, we’re talking about change—when it’s freeing, fake, messy, or just weird. Steph unpacks two Beyoncé concerts, from pit seats to suite tears. Jamie’s colonoscopy prep collides with right-wing outrage over Superman’s immigration status. Will introduces us to “Chit,” a viral TikTok series that might be the future of sitcoms. We get personal about JoJo Siwa, Billie Eilish, queer identity, a...

In this episode of Take It Personal, things become raw, quirky, and almost sacred. Steph, Jamie, and Will explore the grief of losing Jamie’s foster dog Mugsy and ponder big questions: Do animals have souls? Can grief be sacred? Should we trust advice from genuinely caring people? They also discuss Tina Knowles’ memoir Matriarch , the pain and awkwardness of past journal entries, and the excitemen...

In Episode 2 of Take It Personal , Steph, Jaimie, and Will dive deep into everything from the NBA playoffs to the ethics of separating art from the artist. It’s a wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation on reality TV, political corruption, housing market chaos, and cultural accountability—with plenty of laughs (and gasps) along the way. Topics include: Jason Tatum's legacy and the Celtics' identit...

In the debut episode of Take It Personal , Steph, Will, and Jamie bring their group chat to the mic. From the absurdity of grief to Beyoncé’s new era to childhood movies that made us feel too much — this is what it means to process life out loud. Come for the jokes, stay for the catharsis. Follow the Take It Personal Pod on TikTok and YouTube for daily videos and clips from the episode. 0:00 – Int...