Betches Media

American Fever Dream

News EN ↓ 1096 episodes

From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Sage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night. For const...

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Betches Media

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News

Latest episode

Jul 29, 2025

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Episodes

#671 Are The Kardashians Our Era’s Kennedys? 14.04.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Sami, MJ Corey of @KardashianKolloquium Topics: The Kardashians seem to touch every aspect of our society, from race to feminism to politics. How did they do that? Why can’t we resist talking about them? And *should* we resist talking about them? The darker ways the family appropriates Black women and culture Which politicians embody the same type of post-modern celebrity Pre...

#670 Wanted: Crimestoppers 13.04.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Kaitlin More insight into how law enforcement reacted to yesterday’s attack in Brooklyn and how the suspect got away Why adding more police is not the answer (we give real reasons, not just hot takes) The relationship between police and the media Boris Johnson find for partying too hard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#669 Don’t Buy Guns On Etsy 12.04.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: What we know about the shooting in a Brooklyn train station Some context for NYPD in subways and the crime situation in New York President Biden’s promise to reign in “ghost guns” and the history of these DIY and 3D-printed weapons The Academy banning Will Smith from 10 years of Oscar ceremonies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#668 Bad Medicine 11.04.2022

Hosts: Alise, Amanda Topics: What Alise learned from watching MSNBC 24/7 on her cruise. Trump endorsing Dr. Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race – and whether he was right about “women” supporting the quack doctor. The false arrest of a Texas woman who may have induced an abortion – and why the headlines will only get darker as we approach the potential end of Roe. Learn more about your ad choices....

#667 Remembering The Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda Ft. Yvette Rugasaguhunga 07.04.2022

Today, in honor of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Sami hosts genocide survivor Yvette Rugasaguhunga. Yvette gives us her personal account of how the events affected her and her family so deeply, and shaped the course of the country for generations to come. She also reflects on the state of Rwanda today and how it was able to reform its democra...

#666 Elon Musk Will Make Twitter Less Toxic, Right? 06.04.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin Topics: Selena Gomez says she hasn’t used the internet in four and half years. How?! What Twitter appointing Elon Musk to its board reveals about our warped capitalist incentive structure Why so many publicly known founders are assholes How Ivanka Trump may be using her January 6 testimony to rehabilitate her reputation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

#665 Why Is Society Built For Married People? 05.04.2022

Hosts: Alise, Amanda, Aimée Lutkin, author of “The Lonely Hunter: How Our Search For Love Is Broken" Topics: The wedding reception coming to the White House Why these Republicans are voting for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson What the pandemic revealed about how our society is built to reward married people The problem with the term “the loneliness epidemic” A proposed Alabama bill that would force wo...

#664 Cancel Culture Lost Its Grammy Invite 04.04.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami Topics: Looking at the gender breakdown of the recording academy to figure out why Louis CK took home a statue after admitting to sexual misconduct The incredible David and Goliath story behind the Staten Island Amazon union Discussing the devastation in Bucha, Ukraine and the apparent genocide of Ukrainian civilians Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

#663 Key Bumps And Burner Phones 31.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Milly, Kaitlin Topics: Our journey through Madison Cawthorn’s claims of cocaine-fueled orgies in the capital Brainstorming what Trump might have been doing in the seven-hour and 37-minute gap in his phone records What’s coming next in the January 6th committee’s investigation – where is Merrick Garland?! Our thoughts on the second season of “Bridgerton” and tips for overcomin...

#662 Did Women Actually Leave Their Jobs During The Pandemic? 30.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Axios Markets Correspondent Emily Peck What the conventional wisdom around women, work, and the pandemic gets wrong New research from Harvard outlining which women actually left the workforce and why Why so many college educated women considered quitting – but actually didn't The ongoing importance of paid leave and child care to women’s professional mobility Learn more about your a...

#661 Meet Virginia (Thomas) 29.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Milly’s very Sup-y vacation Unpacking the aftershocks from the Oscars slap – did Chris Rock know his joke was in poor taste? Does it matter? The history of the Academy expelling members and revoking Oscars Why aren’t we all talking about Clarence and Ginni Thomas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#660 Men Ruined The Oscars 28.03.2022

Hosts: Bryan, Sami, Amanda Topics: Debriefing on an eventful Oscar ceremony and reacting to Chris Rock’s hurtful joke about Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s slap heard ’round the world. Discussing the context and dynamics at play and how that moment should have played out differently.  Bryan shares anecdotes related to bills suppressing discussion of sexual orientation in schools and why they t...

#659 Clone Cory Booker 24.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Kaitlin, Alise Topics: Debriefing on confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson – new lows from Republicans and not enough offense from Democrats Unpacking some of the most noteworthy exchanges this week — racist babies, etc. Senator Mike Braun’s backtracked claim that interracial marriage should never have been legalized on the federal level Learn more about your ad choices. V...

#658 Does The US Have A Freedom Of Speech Problem? 22.03.2022

Hosts: Alise, Sami, Amanda Topics: A new poll about what shows Americans think represent politics the most accurately Days 1 and 2 of the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Ted Cruz’s airport meltdown The New York Times editorial board’s warning that “America Has A Free Speech Problem” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#657 Court Is In Session: Confirmation, SB8, Kim & Kanye 21.03.2022

Hosts: Sami, Amanda, attorney and TikTok creator Reb MaselTopics: Previewing attacks likely face Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about being “soft on crime” and why they are out of context and in poor faith – specifically with regard to sentencing of child sex abuse images. The fate of Texas’s abortion ban after the latest court letdown. Kanye West’s public harassment of Kim Kardashian and how the sca...

#656 Is COVID About To Fuck Us Again? 17.03.2022

Topics: The fate of Daylight Savings Time and why long summer nights are actually bad for you (sorry) The Biden administration says we’ll run out of lifesaving COVID supplies by the end of the month and is publicly pleading with Congress to act. So… why is no one ready? Why major GOP donors are publicly opposing Russian sanctions, and what this will mean for 2024 prospects Learn more about your ad...

#655 The Gender Pay Gap Really Is That Bitch 15.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Reflecting on Equal Pay Day and how the “improving” gender pay gap disguises worsening inequities. An extra-spicy roast of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – and his secret plan to tank the voting rights act. New insights about Clarence Thomas’s wife and the January 6 rally What percent of Joe Rogan listeners are vaccinated? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

#654 A Ukrainian Social Media Activist Shares A Day In Her Life 14.03.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Val Voshchevska Topics: Ukrainian social media activist Val Voshchevska takes us through a day in her life collecting and sharing information about Putin’s invasion for western audiences. Why it’s important to use Ukrainian sources during this war. The pros and cons of war content going viral on social media. Why Russia banned Instagram and how Putin spreads disinformation Follow @m...

#653 How Far Will Putin Go? 11.03.2022

Sami is joined by Andrea Chalupa, co-host of the podcast Gaslit Nation and an expert on Russia and Ukraine. They discuss why Putin is so obsessed with Ukraine, his aspirations beyond the neighboring country, and what predictions we can make about his behavior moving forward. How serious is a nuclear threat? They also discuss Andrea’s film “Mr. Jones,” which tells the story of Stalin’s famine in Uk...

#652 Kim K’s Business School For Women 10.03.2022

Hosts: Milly, Amanda, Kaitlin Topics: Kim Kardashian’s out-of-touch business advice for women. Exciting updates in the legal weed world NYC ends mask mandate and vaccine requirements in restaurants The anti-lynching bill was passed and VAWA reauthorized… so what’s the catch Reacting to the NY Times article “I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship Instead.” Learn more about your...

#651 Zoom Calls With Zelensky 08.03.2022

Alise, Milly, and Amanda are back for a jammed-packed episode. They share details about our fundraiser for the International Rescue Committee before sharing updates from Russia’s escalating brutality in Ukraine. They map out a few potential endgames and discuss Joe Biden’s plan to ban Russian oil imports and what that means for Americans. Finally they address some predictably absurd headlines out...

#650 A Very Unhappy Women’s History Month 07.03.2022

Milly, Alise, and Amanda take a step back from daily news to discuss some timely themes related to women’s history month. Their conversation focuses on the stereotype that women are the more “emotional” actors and contrast this with… all the chaos men are inflicting upon the world. They share how being perceived as overly emotional has impacted their careers so far, and but also how it’s shaped th...

#649 The State Of The Union Is Anxious 03.03.2022

Amanda, Alise, and Milly are back to react to Joe Biden’s first State of the Union and share their highs and lows. They also share updates from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#648 How Does The Russian Invasion End? + Secretary Pete Buttigieg 01.03.2022

Hosts: Sami, Milly, Amanda  Topics:  Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stops by to talk about Biden’s State of the Union tonight and how infrastructure spending will impact women  What people mean when they say Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was a “miscalculation.” Mapping out Putin’s potential end games  The origin of Russia’s oligarchs and why Putin’s power over them may finally be at risk...

#647 The Comedian To World Leader Pipeline 28.02.2022

Hosts: Alise, Amanda, Ginny Hogan  Topics:  Reacting to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, specifically how the world has rallied around President Volodymyr Zelensky. Analyzing the social media landscape during global conflict. How Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s college improv skills will come in handy on the Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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