Going There: Taboo Topics Are Back on the Table

An insightful discussion about what it means to be the best version of YOU. With a wonderful panel of guests who are passionate about personal growth. Their anecdotes, stories and experiences offer relatable insights into the challenges and triumphs of the journey towards being your overall best self mentally, physically, and emotionally. With a kickass mental health soundtrack from DuPont Brass -...

Join us for a candid conversation about death and grief from the perspective of our co-producer, Porche Brenner, and our returning panelist, Rachel Aidala, who both experienced the devastating loss of a loved one. We're also joined by our good friend and Pastoral Care Director, Shannon M. Blower, as well as a new voice on the panel, Hospice and Palliative Care Doctor, Dr. Luke Hashiguchi, who prov...

In this episode, we discuss the flaws in the education system in America from the viewpoint of educators and parents. They share their experiences navigating the system and give insight into how funding, politics, fear, violence, and more impact educators, students, parents, and our society at large. With our Musician Spotlight on Marcellus Hall & The Hostages. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

A wild episode from the final recording of 2022, on Dec. 28th, Matt's b-day! New faces, returning guests, and special surprises fill an entertaining episode for Season 2. They share their controversial takes on everything from music and films to God and Santa Claus. Is the Rock a good actor? Does Porche actually like Polka music? Is Stanley Kubrick overrated? And who the hell is Hawkman!?! This an...

Many of us who were raised by more traditional parents grew into adults and witnessed a totally different type of child – the one kicking the back of our seat on the airplane or throwing a public fit with no parental invention. We’ve also seen this completely different parent than what we remember. This new one who seems passive, if not permissive. The parent who acts like BFFs with the hell-raise...

A frustrating topic leads to a heated debate: Cancel Culture. What does it look like? Does it really exist or is it a facade? The Right and the Left clash over what's considered canceled and what's simply the public using their voices to hold the powerful accountable. Do corporations actually have a moral cause or are they doing a consumer risk assessment by un-backing celebrities and/or brands wh...

As a perfect follow-up to the previous episode on purity culture, the Going There team takes a road trip to Philadelphia, PA, for a special one-on-one conversation. Matt meets with Erica Smith, the creator of the Purity Culture Dropout program and author of My Sexual Values Workbook. Erica talks to her experience in working with clients traumatized by church and religious teachings on purity, what...

Especially prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s, the phenomenon known as purity culture reached a nationwide status and was echoed by the Evangelicals and moral majority.  It focused on waiting until marriage to remain 'pure' in God's eyes.  From purity rings, v-card declarations, body and sex shaming, anti-feminist ideologies and teachings of eternal damnation, this cultural issue impacted the...

As a culture, we've become addicted to true crime content, whether a podcast, streaming series, or documentary. Can consuming true crime content in heavy doses verge on being irresponsible? What's the difference between a docuseries and a dramatized serial? Are our viewership and consumption dangerous or disrespectful to the ones who are left behind? Renown author James Renner joins the panel to d...

Between the 24 hour news cycle, doom scrolling, and the presence of disinformation, it's hard not to spiral. But burying your head in the sand is not a viable option. How do we keep the balance? This informative discussion features veteran journalists, educators and communication professionals. Plus the musical stylings of Alex Ariff and The Wali Sanga.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

What happens when TV Shows, Movies, and art fall out of grace with our culture because of themes, characters and language being deemed as offensive? What makes a film or show controversial and what enables it to be redeemed? Are there objectively offensive works or does every piece of art deserve redemption? Can we reconcile the culture of the past and still salvage some of the art and expression...

What is behind the "War on Christmas?" Where did it come from, and it is even a reality? In the eyes of conservative Christians, Christmas became a target in the as our culture has evolved to be more inclusive of other religions and holiday practices. The facade that the left is trying to "Cancel Christmas" by being more inclusive is the hill that some go to die on when it comes to the holidays. F...

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion. Over decades, research has demonstrated that abortion bans most severely impact people in marginalized groups who already struggle to access health care, including abortion. Where do we draw the line on bodily autonomy? Is abortion healthcare?...

Join Matt and Lindsay as they chat with Kate aka The Girl with A Microphone about how it feels to stand up for those who are targeted and how overnight-internet-celebrity has two very different sides of an important coin. Social justice isn't new, and those who work to uphold it have been there from the start. The biggest changes in social justice awareness were observed when we paired amateur cel...

Organized religion has been around for thousands of years. Christianity has defined its practices on loving thy neighbor and treating others with kindness... but there is a dark side that only some are brave enough to speak out about. Ostracized and discredited by their congregations, and even friends and family, these individuals shed light on one of the most systematic methods of abuse that our...

The body positivity movement of late is in stark contrast to what most of us grew up with, including body negativity, fat shaming, and diet culture. We're joined by a health coach, weight-loss cult trauma survivor, and body positivity advocate to discuss this heavy topic. Personal stories, experiences and trauma shape our self-image and play into some of these dangerous societal norms. Musician sp...

The panel discusses our short attention spans with caring for devastating events and loss. Gun violence, Covid, Ukraine, hurricanes, and the list goes on. Hashtags trend for a few days and then we, as a society move on. Leaving behind only our empty thoughts and prayers. Musician Spotlight: Evan Crommett. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What comes to mind when you hear the term "Baby Boomer"? How about someone in Generation X? What do you think of when you hear someone's a Millennial? How about Gen Z? These generational identities span more than 50 years and make up almost the entirety of all adults in the US today. A panel representing all of these generations discuss the events, societal norms and communication styles that defi...

With all the issues the next generation are going to have to live through: School shootings, the global climate crisis, democracy at risk of being dismantled, and many more, we pose a serious and complicated question... is the future f*cked? Matt is joined by an economist, a public servant, a child psychologist, parents and a pre-K teacher to help unpack this topic. Musician Spotlight: Madison Cum...

In our Season 2 premiere, we ask the question "Where do we go from here?" It's meta in the sense that we're talking about the show as well as the state of the world. We're joined by a panel that includes a teacher, parents, a virologist and a vaccine guinea pig. Together they discuss how things have been since Season 1 and what the future might look like. Musician Spotlight: DJ $crilla. TheGoingTh...

In the final Bonus Episode for Season 1, Matt catches up with journalist, presenter and podcaster Louise Blain of Podworld, Killt and BBC Radio 3. They nerd out on horror movies, video games, soundtracks, true crime and Michael Fassbender. Louise shares her experience of being a podcast & radio personality who stands for something in today’s divided world, while Matt sits, mesmerized by...

Matt, Jo and LeJon are joined by podcast host David Loos of The Illuminating Mycelium show out of Minnesota. David shares his views on the importance of hallucinogens, especially psilocybin mushrooms. Jo chimes in on her positive experiences with certain drugs and LeJon tells his stories of bad trips as a cautionary tale of the wrong settings. The group quickly leaps into the conversation about Pa...

Juan and Wendy, the hosts of the Don't Tell My Grandma podcast, call in from Tokyo to chat with Matt & Lindsay about getting married and the cultural expectations. As a Dominican man and an adopted Chinese-American female, they share their experiences with the ins and outs of dating and befriending people from other cultures and religions. From racism and bigotry to fetishizing and cultural as...

Matt & Lindsay are still in CA chatting with Caleb Hudson, talking about his pool party fundraiser in all its glory! They capture some amazing on-location bites about TrailMixer and its impact on LGBTQ+ youth. They talk to Rick Gilles, a TrailMixer board member about the event and how they incorporated Juneteenth. And Matt chats with their star performer, Drag Queen, Miss Barbie-Q, managing to...

June is Pride month, so Matt and Lindsay visit beautiful, sunny California to meet up with Caleb Hudson aka A Boy Named Barbara for the first official bonus episode! Caleb shares his journey from devout Christian with identity issues to proud, queer activist with authentic self-expression. He shares some wonderful insights & resources for people who are looking to marry faith, spirituality, se...