The World According to Jen & Carolyn

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we're going back to 1892 and the infamous Lizzie Borden case, but we're less interested in solving the murders than in understanding the woman at the center of them. What did it mean to be a woman in Victorian America, and how did expectations around femininity, respectability, anger, money, and family shape the way Lizzie was perceived? Jen takes us through the history of the case, while Carolyn digs into the psychology and sociology behind the story, including why we're so quick to decide what a "murderer" looks like, what happens...

Send us Fan Mail

She was a songwriter, performer, actress, businesswoman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, theme-park owner, literacy advocate, employer, producer, and—whether she wanted the title or not—a political and cultural force.

And somehow she did all of this while maintaining the persona of the woman who would sit at your kitchen table, eat your biscuits, tell you a dirty joke, and then send your kid a book.

On this episode, we're going to talk about why Dolly Parton was actually amazing. Not just musically. Not just because she was funny. Not just...

Send us Fan Mail

Let's not sugarcoat this. What's happening right now in the United States is not a debate over policy. Not a difference of opinion. It is a coordinated, escalating effort to make life harder — legally, medically, socially — for transgender people to simply exist. And if that sounds dramatic, good. It should. Join Jen & Carolyn as they dissect the right's war on trans folx-an episode we wish to God we didn't have to do...

References:

Trans Legislation Tracker — 2026 data — https://translegislation.com/

"Hundreds of Anti-Trans Bills Have Already...

Send us Fan Mail

It's hard to overstate the impact Fox News has had on American politics and media. When it launched in 1996, it wasn't just another cable news channel—it introduced a completely different model that would reshape how millions of Americans consume information and understand current events. Today, we're diving into how Fox News was built, why it became so influential, what 24-hour news does to the human brain, and what decades of research—and Fox's own internal communications—reveal about its relationship with misinformation. This isn't a partisan episode; it's a look at the histor...

Send us Fan Mail

In 1925, forty thousand robed Klansmen marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in broad daylight. By then, the Klan wasn't a fringe movement—it was mainstream. It elected governors and mayors, and for many Americans, membership was a sign of status, not shame.

We're talking about it now because history has a way of repeating itself. As extremist groups become more visible under the current presidential administration and some on the right try to rewrite the Klan's history by claiming it was simply a movement of "the left," it's worth looking at what the Kl...

Send us Fan Mail

*Sorry about the audio on this one, folks! Things got a little wonky! 

Today’s episode is… heavy. We’re diving into something that sounds like a sci-fi dystopia, but is very real: The Dark Enlightenment. Also known as NRx, or neoreactionary thought. And if you’ve never heard of it before, you’re not alone—but its influence is quietly growing in tech, politics, and online spaces. This is not just fringe internet philosophy. It intersects with power, wealth, and governance—and challenges the core assumption that democracy is the best system we’...

Send us Fan Mail

Today’s episode is about a movement that has spent years operating on the political and cultural fringe, but is increasingly influencing mainstream conservative politics, religious institutions, online radicalization spaces, and even parts of the federal government. It’s often called the “masculinist” movement — a loose coalition of Christian nationalists, authoritarian traditionalists, online misogynists, white identitarians, and reactionary political influencers united by a common belief: That modern democracy — especially gender equality — has weakened society, undermined men, and must be reversed.

The Creation of Patriarchy (Gerda Lerner) — https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-crea...

Send us Fan Mail

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know we usually live in the deep end of… everything. Politics, policy, democracy on fire, institutions crumbling—you know, light, breezy stuff. And look—we’re not abandoning that. The world is still doing whatever this is. But every once in a while, for our own sanity—and frankly, yours—we need a break. Not a “head in the sand” break. More like a “let’s examine something chaotic, ridiculous, and deeply revealing… but also kind of funny” break. Because sometimes the best way to understand...

Send us Fan Mail

Today’s episode is… unhinged. Truly. We are diving into some of the wildest conspiracies on the internet—Lizard people. Secret cabals. Pizza-based espionage, and the sprawling universe of QAnon. But we’re not just laughing at them. We’re asking: Why do people believe this? What’s happening psychologically, socially, historically…and what does it say about us as a society?

Send us Fan Mail

Happy belated Women’s History Month! Every wave of feminism promised liberation — so why did it keep leaving the same women behind? The feminist waves we were taught to celebrate were not failures of reach — they were strategic choices to maintain proximity to patriarchal power. That choice required the consistent sacrifice of women of color, queer and trans women, and working-class women. The 1990s cultural moment — Lilith Fair, 'girl power,' the rise of the female pop star — looked like matriarchy but was bounded by whiteness, industry gatekeeping, and commercial co-option. That same decade lai...

Send us Fan Mail

Today, Jen & Carolyn are diving into something that is often framed as a private pain but may actually be one of the most significant public health and political threats of our time: loneliness. And not loneliness as a vibe. Not “I wish I had brunch plans.” We’re talking about chronic social isolation — the kind that alters brain chemistry, distorts threat perception, and erodes a person’s sense of meaning and belonging. Because when we look at patterns of sexual violence, mass shootings, and certain forms of political extremism, we repeatedly see a profile em...

Send us Fan Mail

We tend to talk about violence in politics as something abstract. Policy violence. Structural violence. Metaphorical violence. But today, Jen & Carolyn are talking about literal violence. As in: people who ran for office, held office, advised presidents, or built political movements-and also murdered people. And what’s disturbing isn’t just that it happened—but how often power delayed consequences, softened accountability, or made people look the other way. This episode is about what happens when political entitlement meets the belief that some lives simply don’t matter. And spoiler: it’s not rare, it’s...

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode, Jen & Carolyn ask the question on everyone’s mind: Is AI coming for your job? With rapid advances in artificial intelligence — from automated text tools to industrial robots — many workers are wondering if their livelihoods are safe. We’ll break down the facts, the fears, and the future — and help you understand what’s real and what’s speculation.

Equities close with slight gains as tech shares recover | Reuters

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd — Written Testimony, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, January 2026

Send us Fan Mail

On today’s episode, Jen & Carolyn explore a topic that hits home for many: how intense political and ideological divisions in the United States are shaping the modern dating landscape. We’ll talk about how politics influences who we date, how couples navigate differences, and what it all means for relationships in an era of polarization.

Garcia, J., & Gesselman, A. (2025). Singles in America: 14th Annual Study. The Kinsey Institute & Match.

Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Harmony Books.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The...

Send us Fan Mail

The United States in 2026 is not Nazi Germany…yet. But history doesn’t only warn us through identical repetition. It warns us through patterns—through early signals, institutional stress, and social dynamics that recur under different conditions. In this episode, Jen & Carolyn ask a difficult but important question: What happens when we compare the United States today—not to Nazi Germany at its endpoint—but to Germany in the years before it became Nazi Germany? Because the tragedy of the Weimar Republic was not that Germans woke up one morning and chose dictatorship. It was tha...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen & Carolyn explore the relatively new phenomenon of bots. They’re everywhere online — but what are they doing to our elections, our beliefs, and our politics? Artificial accounts that look like real people… automated armies flooding social media… AI chatbots that can change minds. Are bots influencing elections? And if so, how much?

Brashier, N. M., & Marsh, E. J. (2020). Judging truth. Annual Review of Psychology, 71, 499-515.

Fazio, L. K., Pillai, R. M., & Patel, D. (2024). The illusory truth effect: A review of how repetition increases belief in misinfor...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we dig into the implementation of Project 2025 — the 900+-page blueprint created by The Heritage Foundation and other conservative organizations for remaking the federal government and policy agenda. What parts have already been actioned? What remains pending? What are the risks, and where are the potential levers of accountability? We’ll review data from trackers and assess next steps.

American Civil Liberties Union+2Democracy Forward+2
Wikipedia+2Congresswoman Grace Meng+2

Democracy Forward

AFSCME Council 5 Retirees United+1

Democracy Forward+1

PBS+1

Proj...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen & Carolyn dive into the phenomenon of leaders who surround themselves not with the best and brightest, but with the most loyal and the most sycophantic. Yes-men. Lapdogs. Toadies. Whatever you call them, they have shaped history — and often brought down the very leaders who empowered them. Our jumping-off point is a recent column by Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, titled Why Trump Built a Staff of Incompetent Sycophants. Reich’s argument is stark: Donald Trump, like authoritarian rulers before him, prizes loyalty over competence. And the resu...

Send us Fan Mail

So there we were, at the Anne Rice Vampire Ball in New Orleans, surrounded by people in Victorian goth attire, fangs, and elaborate costumes...and thinking, "Yeah, we're definitely the weirdos."

We fit right in!  But you know what? That's exactly the energy we need for today's episode. Because Jen & Carolyn are talking about an organization that's been called everything from "trolls" to "heroes of religious freedom"—and they're doing it all while waving the banner of Satan.   But here's the twist: they don't actually believe in Satan.

Send us Fan Mail

Today, Jen & Carolyn are diving into something that's going to make you rethink everything you thought you knew about political violence in America.  We're going to connect three stories that on the surface seem completely unrelated: a Netflix series about a 13-year-old murderer, the assassination of a conservative activist, and a teenager who used ChatGPT to plan his own suicide.  But here's the thing - they're not unrelated at all. They're all symptoms of the same digital disease that's rewiring young minds in ways our political systems can't even comprehend yet. So buckle up...

Send us Fan Mail

What do Emperor Norton, Steve Silver, Wyatt Earp, and William Randolph Hearst have in common?

They’re all buried in Colma, CA — the city of souls! 💀

Join Jen & Carolyn as we take you on a video journey through the resting places of San Francisco’s most iconic figures. Happy Halloween, y'all! 🎥✨

Watch now 👉 https://youtu.be/ebYqZM1fQLM?si=XM-tEIImb_mdtnqx

Send us Fan Mail

On this week’s episode, Jen and Carolyn explore the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants, both documented and undocumented. We'll examine not only the fear and disruption these enforcement efforts are causing in communities, but also the broader economic consequences of dramatically reducing immigrant labor.

Office of Justice Programs

Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants – ITEP

ACLU Announces Major Settlement in Family Separation Lawsuit | American Civil Liberties Union

900 migrant children separated from parents despite court order, ACLU says

US: Lasting Harm from F...

Send us Fan Mail

Join Jen & Carolyn as we dive into the intriguing world of public figures who have recently veered toward conservative, MAGA politics. From Hollywood stars embracing Republican identity, to Gen Z influencers mobilizing youth conservatism, we'll unpack why these shifts matter and what they reveal about politics, fame, and identity.

The TimesEW.com

The TimesThe GuardianEW.com

The Guardian

FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort WorthNew York Post

New York Post

Vanity Fair.
Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

People.com<...

Send us Fan Mail

He was a financier, a socialite, a convicted sex offender. He had a private jet, a private island, and friends in the highest places — presidents (including our current one), princes, and billionaires. But behind the wealth and glamour, Jeffrey Epstein ran something darker. A system of abuse. A network of silence. And a web of power that shielded him for decades. Join Jen and Carolyn as they unpack the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and examine the deep-rooted systems of privilege and power that allowed him to operate with impunity for decades.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen & Carolyn tackle a question that more and more Americans are asking as Donald Trump begins his second term: “What can I do to defend democracy?” It’s a ridiculously difficult moment, no doubt. But history—and real change—reminds us: the power doesn’t start at the top. It starts with us. Join us as we take you on what we hope will be a hopeful and illuminating journey of resistance and resilience. 

How Americans can defend our democracy against Trump

Gene Sharp - Right Livelihood

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen & Carolyn tackle one of the most persistent and damaging myths in modern medicine: that vaccines cause autism.

Despite being thoroughly debunked by decades of research, this false claim continues to drive vaccine hesitancy across communities. This has only been made worse by RFK, one of the loudest voices in the world of vaccine skepticism, being appointed to oversee the Health and Human Services department. So today, we’re going to explore where this myth came from, why it stuck around, and how we can move forward with sc...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen & Carolyn explore a force that’s shaped revolutions, shaken regimes, and spoken louder than speeches: art and media. From protest murals in Chile, to Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer-winning rap about Black America, to viral TikToks calling out injustice—art is activism. And media? It’s the megaphone.

MoMA: Emory Douglas – Museum of Modern Art retrospective

EmoryDouglas.com – Official website
Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas (2007, Rizzoli Publishing) – Book collecting his most iconic images
The Guardian – “The Visual Vanguard of the Black Panthers”

Th...

Send us Fan Mail

In honor of pride month, Jen & Carolyn are amplifying the achievements of transgender people — individuals who have broken barriers, shattered stereotypes, and made history in ways that inspire us all. Jen & Carolyn recognize that transgender people have always been part of the human story — and today, we’re lifting up some of their most notable contributions across activism, science, arts, politics, and sports.

Trans Activists You Need to Know

Trans Women in Sports: Facts Over Fear | SF.gov.

Transgender Athletes In History

ReutersAdvocate. 

Factbox...

Send us Fan Mail

Today, we’re tackling a question that’s come up repeatedly since 2016: Which parts of the Constitution has Donald Trump violated—or is alleged to have violated?

Now, let’s be clear: There’s no official, court-verified list of constitutional provisions Trump has been found guilty of violating. But over the years, a range of legal scholars, watchdog groups, and even Congress have raised serious concerns about whether his actions have conflicted with the Constitution’s letter—or its spirit.

So today, we're breaking down the most important constitutional clauses and am...

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Jen and Carolyn are tackling one of the most urgent and controversial topics in American politics: Taxing the Rich. From record-breaking billionaire wealth to working families living paycheck to paycheck, America’s wealth gap has never been wider. But what can we actually do about it? And what does it mean to 'tax the rich' in policy terms—not just as a rallying cry, but as a real solution?

Institute for Policy Studies (2023). “Billionaire Wealth Surges Amid Crisis.”
Federal Reserve, Distributional Financial Accounts (2023).
Joint Committee on Taxation...

Send us Fan Mail

Because Jen and Carolyn are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we decided to focus this episode exclusively on the “colorful” cornucopia that comprises the ladies of the MAGA movement. While some are loud and proud, willing to flagrantly vape and engage in sex acts in public, others, like Ginni Thomas, make moves more insidiously. While they all differ slightly, there’s one thing they’re united on-they want the US to be a pilar of Christian Nationalism. So, get ready to be zapped by Jewish space lasers because we’re going to tell you a...

Send us Fan Mail

Today, we’re diving into a conversation that feels more urgent than ever: censorship. Across the country — in classrooms, libraries, boardrooms, and online spaces — powerful forces are working overtime to erase the voices of women, LGBTQ folks, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Books are being banned. Websites are being scrubbed. Histories are being rewritten. And the dangerous truth is: when we lose these ystories, we lose part of ourselves. On this show, we believe that storytelling is survival. That visibility matters. That history belongs to everyone — not just those in power. And so t...

Send us Fan Mail

WTF is a tariff and will the imposition of tariffs on foreign imports help or hinder the US economy? Join Jen and Carolyn as we attempt to break down complex economic policies into real-world impacts. Today, we’re diving into tariffs—what they are, how they've shaped U.S. history, and why Trump's aggressive tariff strategy could put the U.S. economy at risk of a recession.

Send us Fan Mail

The U.S. government has a documented history of conducting unethical experiments on people, often without their consent. These experiments, spanning from the 19th century through the late 20th century, were sometimes justified under the guise of medical research, national security, or public health. Join Jen and Carolyn as they take you on a disturbing historical journey highlighting the most egregious experiments conducted by our government-mostly on American citizens. Prepare to be disgusted and angry!

https://ew.com/chaos-the-manson-murders-biggest-bombshells-netflix-11692444?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33731260...

Send us Fan Mail

Can Jen & Carolyn pronounce "oligarchy?" Apparently not. But do we know that the US is being controlled by one? Hell yeah, we do! Oligarchy is a word that has been popping up a lot lately to describe the Trump administration and we think it fits! Simply put, an oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.We think this shoe fits, so we’re going to break down the elements of an oligarchy as well as try to answer the question “has the U.S. actually been...

Send us Fan Mail

Who the hell is Elon Musk? No, he isn’t technically our president, but he may as well be. I think a lot of us, especially those of us who live in California are a bit confused about Elon’s descent into MAGA madness. Wasn’t he the guy who helped design the most popular electric car in an effort to save the environment from climate change? Or, was all of his rhetoric about saving the planet tied to his need to “save” humanity while amassing billions of dollars? Join Jen and Carolyn as they br...

Send us Fan Mail

Ever wonder why so many migrants from Central America, South America, and Mexico come to the U.S. in search of a better life? Hint: it’s not because America is the greatest country on earth. It has more to do with the lingering effects of American colonial interventionist policies and coups orchestrated and perpetrated by the CIA. Join Jen and Carolyn as they discuss the dirty deeds of the CIA and how the overthrowing of democratically elected governments results in long-term destabilization of the region and out migration. We’ll also throw in s...

Send us Fan Mail

We don’t think anyone who is critical of our government or economic system would be surprised to learn that profiting off of tragedy is big business in the U.S. Disaster capitalism refers to a phenomenon in which businesses, governments, or other entities capitalize on disasters—whether natural (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics) or man-made (e.g., wars, economic crises)—to implement policies or practices that may exacerbate inequality or prioritize profit over public well-being. The term gained prominence through Naomi Klein's 2007 book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, which critiq...

Send us Fan Mail

Boycotts! We don’t talk about them much anymore. Still, considering that the founding of our country technically started with American revolutionaries boycotting British goods, we think it’s important to discuss their history as well as where boycotts have worked and where they could work again. This is America and the one language we all speak is the dialect of the dollar. But, do boycotts actually hurt corporate revenue or is the potential or actual harm to a business’s reputation the tactic that moves the needle? All this and more with Jen...

Send us Fan Mail

On December 4, 2024, a young man named Luigi Mangione, gunned down United Healthcare Insurance CEO, Brian Thompson. Instead of reacting with shock and disgust, people took to the internet to defend Luigi’s actions, offering fake alibis and posting health insurance horror stories. The resounding sense of shared disdain for the health insurance industry was palpable and, as far as Jen and Carolyn are concerned, totally understandable. Join Jen and Carolyn as they review the history of the insurance industry with a special focus on the reprehensible health insurance industry. 

The History of...