Salon.com

Standing Room Only

News EN ↓ 41 episodes

Salon.com's Amanda Marcotte brings her sharp perspective on politics and culture by calling out political BS and cultural hypocrisy. From the MAGA movement's latest power grabs to the online trends that shape our political reality, Amanda examines these moments with a critical eye and just enough dark humor to keep you from completely losing hope. Each episode includes Amanda's unique take, a guest segment in the corner booth with political experts and journalists, and an on-topic music recommendation from Amanda, whose weekend gig is DJing. If you've ever found yourself yelling at the TV duri...

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Salon.com

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News

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Latest episode

May 8, 2026

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Episodes

Everyone says young men are more religious — here's what's actually changing 08.05.2026

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...

The real reason for male loneliness will surprise you 24.04.2026

The "male loneliness epidemic" has a scapegoat problem. In this episode, Amanda takes a closer look at the online media shaping young men, especially podcast culture and the values it pushes around women and politics. From toxic dating advice to bizarre narratives around self-pleasure, she breaks down how some influencers may be making loneliness worse, while promoting dehumanizing views of women....

Gen Z doesn't want to be tradwives 17.04.2026

Fox News is suggesting that young women want to ditch their careers and submit to their husbands. The data says otherwise. In this episode, Amanda debunks a Fox News segment promoting the "tradwife" myth and explain what Gen Z women actually want. Spoiler: feminist progress isn't reversing. Today's guest, Kylie Cheung, staff reporter at "Abortion, Every Day," explains why access to birth control c...

Why MAGA men keep posting workout videos 10.04.2026

If you've seen even one video of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. working out shirtless in jeans, you've seen enough. But there are dozens more, featuring him and other men from the Trump administration grinding through pull-ups, push-ups and heavy lifts with a level of intensity that borders on absurd. In this video, Amanda breaks down why these fitness stunts have little to do with improving...

Why JD Vance is talking about demons right now 03.04.2026

When Vice President JD Vance was asked about aliens, he couldn't resist steering the conversation toward demons. This demon talk goes beyond his personal beliefs, it points to a broader strategy within MAGA to energize the Christian right. By leaning into dark, supernatural themes, right-wing influencers are trying to tap into curiosity about the diabolical as a way to draw in younger audiences (m...

JD Vance's tough guy act crumbles over Iran 27.03.2026

JD Vance's defense of the Iran war is raising serious questions about his political future. He is trying to project alpha male strength, but standing next to Donald Trump his image is cracking! For one, he's defending the same war he warned us all against. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why this moment could define Vance's long-term ambitions for the 2028 presidential race with guest Scott Le...

Pete Hegseth's macho act is backfiring 20.03.2026

As the U.S. military escalates tensions with Iran, the stakes on the world stage couldn't be higher. But back home, defense secretary Pete Hegseth is preoccupied with something else entirely: his image in the mirror. Reports that photographers were removed from the Pentagon for taking "unflattering" pics raise serious questions about his priorities. In this episode of Standing Room Only, Amanda br...

TPUSA's Alex Clark wants more babies — but she's still single at 33 14.03.2026

Turning Point USA wellness influencer Alex Clark regularly urges her female audience to get married young, quit their jobs and have lots of babies. There's just one problem: she's an unmarried, childless working woman herself. In this episode, Amand takes a closer look at Clark's podcast, Culture Apothecary, and her role headlining events for TPUSA. Behind the lifestyle advice and wellness aesthet...

Candace Owens vs. Erika Kirk: The real reason these women can't get along 09.03.2026

The feud between Candace Owens and Erika Kirk isn't just juicy online drama. Owens' viral "Bride of Charlie" series, which takes shots at the widow of Charlie Kirk's family and personal life, reveals a deeper problem inside the right-wing movement: why prominent conservative women so often turn on each other. In this episode, Amanda explains the Candace Owens vs. Erika Kirk controversy, what the "...

Why MAGA rewards terrible dads 26.02.2026

Having a big family isn't the same thing as having a happy or healthy one, but don't tell that to the MAGA dads shaping policy in the White House. For guys like Pete Hegseth and JD Vance, fatherhood often seems less about being present, supportive or loving, and more about how many kids they can claim as proof of traditional values. At a time when most families can barely afford to raise even one...

Why washed-up celebs go MAGA 13.02.2026

After rapper Nicki Minaj proclaimed she's Trump's "#1 fan" and Kid Rock headlined that sad TPUSA halftime show, it's worth asking: why do certain celebrities drift toward MAGA politics? Amanda breaks down the overlap between right-wing politics and celebrity culture, and why fading stars like Kid Rock and Nicki Minaj have become MAGA magnets. And the reputational fallout cannot be ignored. Artists...

How Tucker Carlson got so weird 06.02.2026

For over 20 years, Tucker Carlson has persisted as one of the most influential conservative voices. He's a longtime culture-war provocateur, first on cable news and now on YouTube. But the real key to his success isn't longevity, it's his willingness to amplify the right's strangest and most extreme instincts. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why Tucker Carlson's conversations keep getting weir...

Why MAGA's baby headlines fall flat with women 02.02.2026

Three women close to Donald Trump have recently announced their pregnancies. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But it reflects something much bigger: MAGA's obsession with boosting birth rates, while doing little to actually support families and make raising kids easier. These three mothers, Karoline Leavitt, Katie Miller and Second Lady Usha Vance, are all cushioned by wealth, power and nannies, while...

Republicans in total meltdown after TPUSA brawl 09.01.2026

MAGA's infighting just got worse. We've got all the dirty details from the latest right-wing civil war at TPUSA's AmericaFest. And no, invading Venezuela is not going to mend fences inside the conservative movement. In this episode, Amanda breaks down why Erika Kirk, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly and other major MAGA figures are openly at war, and why fringe influencers like Milo Yiannop...

Fox News ruined Christmas (again) 19.12.2025

Fox News is once again trying to make its annual war on Christmas happen. Surprising? Of course not. Hilarious? Always. In this episode, Amanda and Melanie McFarland, award-winning senior culture critic at Salon, break down some of their most painfully corny holiday segments—packed with forced cheer, smarmy Christian proselytizing and a sudden pivot into full-blown rage bait. Follow Melanie on Blu...

JD and Usha Vance can't escape divorce rumors 12.12.2025

JD and Usha Vance can't escape the divorce rumors and JD certainly isn't helping. Amanda unpacks the couple's catastrophic public relations strategy, JD's latest "jokes" that land as demeaning moments for his wife, and what all of it reveals about gender dynamics in conservative movements, MAGA gender politics and the role political spouses are expected to play within Christian, right-wing family...

Allie Beth Stuckey loses it over "toxic empathy" criticism 05.12.2025

Allie Beth Stuckey, the far-right commentator and host of Relatable, is weaponizing her gender to sell the twisted idea that we need less empathy in the world—not more. In this video, Amanda explains why her philosophy is actually about power and control. The guest this episode is Tim Whitaker, founder of The New Evangelicals media, who recently debated Allie Beth on Jubilee about the Bible.

Whatever Podcast is radicalizing young men to the right 21.11.2025

The Whatever Podcast—also known as "Dating Talk" —isn't just edgy entertainment for young men. It's a pipeline into misogyny. In this episode, we examine how host Brian Atlas stages confrontational "debates" with women to push anti-feminist narratives disguised as discussion. Progressive streamer Erin (Straighterade) joins to share what really happens on set, how conflict gets manufactured and wha...

JD Vance's marriage: Why Erika Kirk's hug backfired 17.11.2025

An on-stage hug between the vice president and Charlie Kirk's widow sparked wild rumors about their relationship. But the real story isn't an affair, instead it's an image problem for the GOP. JD Vance's marriage to Usha Vance increasingly clashes with the ideals he's selling, built on white supremacy and rigid gender roles. In this episode, Amanda explains why that's becoming a serious liability...

Zohran Mamdani conquered. Other young Democrats can, too. 10.11.2025

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani beat incredible odds to win in New York City. His campaign rejected old guard, establishment Democrats and leaned heavily into volunteers and a clear vision. In this episode, Amanda talks about why it worked and show how Mamdani is one of many young people helping usher in a new generation of courageous Democratic leadership. The guest is Amanda Litman, president and co-...

E. Jean Carroll shows how to beat the creeps 28.10.2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to great lengths to exploit the government shutdown in order to hide the Jeffrey Epstein files. Amanda explains why this move is all about silencing victims, defending alleged abusers, and worse of all, protecting President Donald Trump. Trump was already found to have sexually abused journalist E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room by a civil jury...

Pam Bondi is Trump's Regina George 17.10.2025

Pam Bondi's Senate Judiciary Committee appearance revealed just how far the attorney general will go to protect Donald Trump. Channeling the manipulative energy of Mean Girls movie villain Regina George, Bondi has turned cruelty, nasty insults and tantrums into a political strategy. Amanda explains why Trump can't quit this sneering mean girl, no matter how much other Republicans want her gone. Th...

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene makes Republicans miserable 12.10.2025

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has set herself apart from the GOP as an anti-Republican Republican, but her rebellion might finally be catching up to her. As she distances herself from Trump and GOP leadership, Amanda digs into the one big reason why her outsider strategy will actually get her nowhere in Washington. Laura Bassett, journalist and writer of Nightcap on Substack and former editor in chi...

Why Erika Kirk can't replace Charlie Kirk 06.10.2025

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, is now the CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). But can she ever replace the role Charlie played in his "debates" with college students? In this video, Amanda digs into the myth of those debates and why Erika's record exposes a deep hypocrisy. Drew McCoy of Genetically Modified Skeptic joins the conversation to explain why Charlie Kirk's debate performances were mere...

The real reason Karoline Leavitt wears a cross 28.09.2025

Karoline Leavitt is known for wearing her bold, oversized cross necklaces to the White House press briefings, but what do they really say about faith in politics? Author and SiriusXM radio host John Fugelsang joins Amanda to talk about the hypocrisy behind Karoline Leavitt's statement jewelry. John's new book, "Separation of Church and Hate," is available now.

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