Engagement Party

We’re living in an age of surveillance anxiety. And yet, hand us a leaked DM or security footage of Kelly Clarkson at a Brooklyn toy store and we’re here for it. Are we feeding into the very surveillance culture we claim to fear?

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In You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder sets his reality-distorting comedic documentarian talents on disgraced tech founder Elizabeth Holmes. The movie had the internet in a chokehold even before its release. Are there lessons in Fielder’s theater of the awkward and the cringe comedy genre for traditional journalism?

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and...

Former Gawker editor A.J. Daulerio got sober before “sober-curious” was trending. As an original arbiter of internet culture, he’s got a long view of today’s drinking discourse — and advice for anybody questioning their relationship with their vices. 

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless f...

From a viral story on a lesbian bar’s masking policy to Nikole Hannah-Jones' essay on making school segregation a personal issue to the “Cornell Seven,” Audie and Ari connect the dots on the internet’s reckoning with "Woke 1.” 

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds...

It's been 20 years since Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise changed the face of reality T.V. In this special bonus episode, former Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss joins Audie to talk about why reality shows feel so different these days, Kandi's about-to-be-very-public divorce, and what it’s like watching her daughter on her own new Bravo show. 

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video p...

The film review app Letterboxd is a social hub for movie fans everywhere. But has democratizing criticism somehow lowered the bar, or is this the last truly great social media app? Plus, how makeup "dupes" sparked the internet’s latest class conflict.

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matt...

With The Disappearers, Marlon James has written an explicit and violent epic that’s been called “the novel of the decade, if not the century." He joins the party to talk about queer Jamaican culture, ’80s music icons, and the gay sex scene that even his editor thought he should leave out.  

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're wat...

Nepo babies have sparked debate for years, but chart-topping singer-songwriter Stella Lefty, who also happens to be the daughter of a billionaire, is reigniting the conversation. Audie and Ari debate how the rich and privileged should navigate fame and success — and they don't entirely agree. Plus, why an Ivy League dean wants you to be skeptical of the explosion of college admissions content online.

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it of...

The internet is full of dating horror stories and think pieces the death of traditional romance. It’s a concept built for virality. But is the moral panic real? Audie and Ari turn to relationship writer Karley Sciortino to talk navigating romance in the age of the apps.

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Television's golden age is over, replaced by one that’s decidedly more, as they say, “mid.” Audie and Ari weigh in on whether TV really got worse, the industry's post-prestige identity crisis, and the ingredients for making some of your favorite shows with TV’s best director, Hiro Murai (Widow's Bay, Atlanta, Station Eleven).

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This week, the internet turned its eyes to an annual 2020s tradition: watching freshman girls rush sororities at big Southern state schools via an endless stream of social videos. What does our obsession with RushTok tell us about the South, the internet, and America? Plus, what's up with the influencer backlash on Nantucket, and why is mahjong so hot right now?

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As generational warfare feeds TV scripts from Beef to Hacks, Emmy nominee Lauren Weedman joins the party to talk about hanging with Gen Z on the Hacks set, the art of scene stealing, and finding main character energy after 50. 

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"Choosin’ Texas" broke the Billboard charts – so why can’t we all agree it’s the Song of Summer? Audie breaks down why the answer may say more about the state of the music industry than Ella Langley. Plus: Boy Throb is Ari’s latest summer music obsession, and he doesn’t care if it’s a psyop.  

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Something in your feed you want us to talk about on the show? Email us a video at engagementparty@cnn...

Writer and chef Eddie Huang joins the party for a conversation about "sad boy" literature, finding love, and the worst relationship advice he's ever received.

Like what you heard? Sign up for our newsletter to catch up on the latest trends, obsessions and culture. 

Something in your feed you want us to talk about on the show? Email us a video at [email protected] and we’ll feature you on the show.

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The '90s are everywhere these days — clothes, music, TV — and brands are doing everything they can to capitalize on the revival. Audie and Ari explore what’s driving the modern fascination with a decade they lived through, what Gen Z's rose-colored glasses miss about the era, and what they wax nostalgic for (mix tapes!). Plus, comedian Rob Anderson joins Audie to discuss why nostalgia is so damn funny. 

Like what you heard? Sign up for our newsletter to catch up on the latest trends, obsessions and culture. 

Is there something in your feed you want Aud...

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey isn't just a movie — it's an event. Audie and Ari sift through the hype, backlash, and what the online chatter says about the cultural moment. Plus: how Venmo is warping our relationships with money and each other, and why Love Island watch parties rival ones for the World Cup. 

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Meta’s trying hard to sell people on its AI glasses, but will partnering with Ray-Ban and celebrities like Kylie Jenner let them shed the pervasive take that they’re creepy and cringe? Plus, why fro-yo’s in the midst of yet another revival, and whether the viral “airport theory” of rolling up to security when you’re flight’s due to board is smart or horrifying (Audie and Ari disagree). 

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie an...

Is this officially the summer of peptides and celebrity weddings? Audie and Ari consider what Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback means for the rise of GLP-1s and the evolution of body positivity. Then they dive into Taylor Swift, our parasocial obsession with celebrity romance, and unveil their official taxonomy of weddings. Finally, what was up with that “tapping” scene in The Devil Wears Prada 2?

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it offic...

From pop stars like Rosalía and Lilly Allen in habits to nuns blessing Spurs players and praise for the “woke Pope,” Catholicism is in, and everywhere. But is it just about the aesthetics? Plus, why are people celebrating having no friends in their TikTok videos? And are those adorable videos of World Cup fans delighting in America’s air conditioning, oversized servings and ranch dressing for real?  

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari hav...

Amazon's wildly popular "Off Campus" is just the latest in a parade of BookTok-beloved titles to gain new fans as streaming shows, and the pairing of explicit sex and non-toxic masculinity means these aren’t your mom’s rom-coms. And as fans react to Phoebe Bridgers’ announcement of a phone-free arena tour this summer, Audie and Ari debate the merits of locking away devices for live events. Plus, "Wild Card" host Rachel Martin is over menopause-friendly salmon recipes in her feeds. 

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"Obsession" and "Backrooms" are breaking box office records. Audie and Ari dissect both films' YouTube origins, the secrets of their success, and why the whole horror genre is killing it right now. Then, friend of the show Elise Hu helps break down how the "Republic of Wasia" became a meme and a moment, and why not everyone who's mixed-Asian feels included. Plus: Why are tan lines in again?

About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. ​After years of working side by side, Audie and...

What are the pieces of pop culture — movies, music, TV, books, speeches — that you return to over and over again? Sam Sanders calls them “Modern Scriptures,” and on the latest episode of his podcast, he joins his longtime friends and fellow NPR colleagues Ari Shapiro and Audie Cornish to hear all about theirs.

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The racially charged love triangle drama on the long-running reality series "Summer House" has echoed far beyond the Bravo-verse, and Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro are unpacking why Ciara's responses have gone so viral. Plus: Andrew Lloyd Webber of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sunset Boulevard" fame joins to talk "Cats," sobriety, and letting go of creative control. Kara Swisher wonders why Pete Hegseth is pirouetting across her socials. 

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From PopTarts to soda, food brands are adding protein to almost everything, and people are going to gross lengths online to get enough of it, from the stars of Netflix show "Love is Blind" to the internet "boy kibble" creators. But can protein be...MAGA-coded? And does fiber have what it takes to become the internet’s new favorite food trend? Plus, Alan Cumming calls for an end to “slop bowls,” and what's really behind musicians like the Pussycat Dolls canceling their tours this summer. 

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Season three of HBO’s 'Euphoria' is coming to a close, and its characters...are not teens anymore. Neither are the stars. From Zendaya to Sydney Sweeney to Jacob Elordi, the cast has grown up with the show. In this episode of Engagement Party, Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro dissect the careers and controversies surrounding Sam Levinson's 'Euphoria.' Plus, what the sale of original Bob Ross paintings says about the line between art and kitsch, and what's up with all these AI Michael Jackson cartoons.

Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the...

Capitol Hill has a new kind of journalist: TMZ, the tabloid news powerhouse known for its scoops and celebrity paparazzi coverage. Audie sits down with Jacob Wasserman, co-managing editor of TMZ DC, to discuss his first few weeks on the job—and why both government insiders and legacy media can’t look away. 

Producers: Lori Galarreta, Jesse Remedios, Graelyn Brashear

Senior Producer: Dan Bloom

Technical Director: Dan Dzula

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Ramy Youssef has spent the past decade building a career that spans TV, stand-up, film and has even landed some big awards. Now, with the release of his third comedy special, In Love, he joins Audie to reflect on what it means to tell Arab American stories today vs seven years ago and why aiming to make everyone laugh is both a choice and a challenge.

Then, Audie’s longtime friend and soon-to-be-coworker Ari Shapiro stops by to talk about Ramy— and also what's ahead for The Assignment.

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Producers:  Jesse Remedios, Lori Galarreta and Graelyn Brashear<...

Artemis II returns from its historic mission to the far side of the moon, inspiring millions during an otherwise tense news cycle. Astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi joins Audie to unpack the mix of awe, hope, and unease shaping this new era of space exploration. 

Oluseyi is the author of ‘Why Do We Exist? The Nine Realms of Universe that Make You Possible.’ 

Producers:  Lori Galarreta, Jesse Remedios, Graelyn Brashear 

Senior Producer: Dan Bloom 

Technical Director: Dan Dzula 

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The manosphere isn’t fringe anymore. It’s mainstream, political and hard to ignore. Louis Theroux’s latest Netflix documentary “Inside the Manosphere” arrives after a decade-long rise, from the gamergate controversy to personas like Andrew Tate. Audie speaks with New York Times Opinion writer Jessica Grose, who’s followed the movement since its beginning. They explore the state of the manosphere, the downfall of “alpha-male influencers” and how women fit —or don’t— into this world.

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Producers: Elizabeth Corallo, Jesse Remedios, Lori Galarreta, Graelyn Brashear

Senior Producer: Dan Bloom

Technical Director: Dan Dzula

From birth charts to astrology apps, we have an enduring fascination with what the stars can tell us.  Audie sits down with Astrologers Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas to talk about why this obsession has turned into big business. And, what we’re really looking for when we look up.

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One man’s journey from suburban dad to self-described “degenerate gambler.” The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins joins Audie to recount how he spent $10,000 of his employer’s money betting on the NFL over the course of a season. They discuss how online sports gambling reshaped his habits, what it reveals about a rapidly expanding industry, and how betting has seeped into everyday culture. Plus, the manosphere of it all.

Producers: Jesse Remedios & Lori Galarreta

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez

Technical Director: Dan Dzula

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From Camelot-era glamour to RFK Jr.’s viral moments, the Kennedys have a way of reflecting the cultural mood of any given time. That pattern is resurfacing again—with a buzzy FX series on JFK Jr. and a fresh wave of online fascination. Audie Cornish sits down with comedian and The United States of Kennedy co-host George Civeris to unpack how the family evolved from political dynasty into cultural barometer—and what their latest chapter reveals about where America is right now.

Produced by Jesse Remedios and Lori Galarreta

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez

Technical Di...

This year’s Oscars race has been great for film and weird for discourse. There’s the friendly Best Picture duel between two crowd-pleasing films from the same studio. The acting categories are stacked with talent. And yet the final week of campaigning has been dominated by talk about Timothée Chalamet’s apparent disrespect to opera and ballet. Audie sits down with film critic and influencer Megan Cruz (aka @j.stoobs) to talk about the biggest night in movies at a moment when Hollywood is worried about its future.

This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta and Jesse Remedios

Seni...

Are work spouses actually a thing? And what turns a desk-mate into a ride-or-die? 

In this special episode of The Assignment, Audie Cornish reunites with former work husband and longtime co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro. They dive into the stories that defined their careers, the push and pull of competition in the newsroom, and the ways creative collaborators develop shared languages—from Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  

Taped live at On Air Fest in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Actor Ken Leung is no stranger to the toxic male archetype. He embodies it as Eric Tao, the ruthless baseball-bat-carrying trading floor bully he plays on HBO’s “Industry.” Leung talks with Audie about what pushes characters like Eric—on screen and in real life—over the edge from family man to a name you could see in the Epstein files.  They also discuss why women of color don’t get the “anti-hero” treatment, and how “Industry” has evolved into a portrait of the greed, corruption, and class conflict defining this moment.   

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This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta...

Let’s talk about professional sex. Audie sits down with Yehuda Duenyas, a SAG-AFTRA Hollywood intimacy coordinator, to go behind the scenes of how physical romance is choreographed, why stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Sean Bean are skeptical of the position, and what depictions of sex on screen reveal about our culture.

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This episode was produced by Sofía Sanchez. 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

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Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show is still resonating as fans celebrate his history-making rise from Puerto Rico to global dominance.  Audie is joined by journalist Suzy Exposito to talk about the power of Benito's unique brand of authenticity--and how he's wielding it in the culture war. Exposito has covered Bad Bunny from the beginning. She is an editor at De Los, the Latin culture wing of the LA Times. 

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This episode was produced by Sofía Sanchez. 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

Learn mo...

The fashion season is officially underway. Celebrities are strolling the award show red carpets and models are strutting the runways in Paris and Milan. CNN Senior Style Reporter Rachel Tashjian joins Audie to talk about the complicated politics in the fashion world, fashion vs style, and which designers are getting the most notice for dressing celebrities.

Producer: Lori Galarreta

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez

Techincal Director: Dan Dzula

Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

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This year marks a milestone for Millennials: the youngest of the cohort finally turns 30. So what comes next for the first generation of true digital natives now that they have achieved “unc” status? Audie talks with Sam Sanders, host of KCRW’s The Sam Sanders Show, about the generation that watched media transform from Buzzfeed quizzes into AI slop. They also discuss Millennial activism taking over the generation’s Instagram feed as ICE protests continue in Minneapolis.  

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The Winter Olympics kick off Feb. 6 in Northern Italy—and the politics may steal the show. The U.S. may face boos, especially as it squares off with Denmark in hockey amid Trump’s Greenland threats. But there’s joy, too: Lindsey Vonn is back, and the U.S. figure skating team is stacked. New York Magazine’s Will Leitch breaks down the geopolitics and must-watch storylines from Milan and Cortina.

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