Inside the Hive by Vanity Fair
417 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★ - 891 ratingsEach week, Vanity Fair special correspondent Brian Stelter examines the powerful forces driving today’s news and politics. Through incisive conversations with newsmakers, journalists, politicians, and Vanity Fair’s own experts, Stelter reveals the story behind the story. Share your thoughts via our Listener Survey here: https://selfserve.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/222b/75187?pin=1&uBRANDLINK=5&uCHANNELLINK=2 For more from Inside the Hive, visit vanityfair.com/podcast/inside-the-hive
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Episodes
The Jan. 6 Case Against Trump Is "A Shark Beneath the Water"
June 22, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBCBS News's Robert Costa joins Brian Stelter to dig into the existing indictments against the former President — and take a close look at the swirling waters ahead. "What has happened here with January 6," Costa says, "remains a systemic shock to the American system." Costa, who co-authored "Peril" with Bob Woodward, says "witnesses, lawyers to witnesses, people familiar with the investigation" into election interference have said the probe is "moving like a shark beneath the water."...
It’s the Clarence Thomas Court Now
June 17, 2023 12:39 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBMichael Waldman, CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice and author of the new book, THE SUPERMAJORITY, joins VF’s Bess Levin and Claire Howorth to discuss new SCOTUS rulings from a polarizing, polarized court; the ongoing ripple effects of the leaked Dobbs opinion; and the way Donald Trump’s legal issues are shaping up.
CNN's Shakeup and the Media's Identity Crisis
June 09, 2023 17:05 - 32 minutes - 29.3 MBThe ousting of the CNN CEO Chris Licht on the heels of a damning magazine profile is just the latest symptom of an old order’s waning adroitness across legacy media, digital media, and social media. This week on Inside the Hive, Delia Cai and Hive staff writer Charlotte Klein discuss the prescient Licht profile and what it reveals about media’s larger state of crisis—one where Tucker Carlson has turned to Twitter, once promising players like BuzzFeed News and VICE have failed, and e...
Elon Musk’s Twitter Threat to Fox News
June 01, 2023 14:55 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBOn this week’s episode, Brian Stelter talks to Vanity Fair special correspondent Gabriel Sherman and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik about how Rupert Murdoch’s empire is covering the early stages of the 2024 Republican race—and whether Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis will emerge as the Fox News favorite. Plus, the trio of Murdochologists assess threats to the 92-year-old patriarch's power coming from Elon Musk and elsewhere.
HBO’s Succession Is Ending. The Murdoch Family Drama Plays On.
May 25, 2023 13:39 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBAs the Succession finale nears, host Brian Stelter catches up withVanity Fair executive editor Claire Howorth about the stunning plot twists in the fictional drama—and within the real-life media dynasty. And when it comes to politics, do powerful TV networks or the president—whether Jeryd Mencken or Donald Trump—really run the show?
Fox News Is Losing Its Grip on the Base
May 18, 2023 13:41 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBOn this week’s episode, host Brian Stelter talks to Vanity Fair staff writer Caleb Ecarma and Bulwark political columnist Amanda Carpenter about the expanding right-wing media ecosystem, from Newsmax to The Daily Wire, “The War Room” to “InfoWars.” (Not to mention Tucker Carlson taking his talents to Twitter.) Can Fox News stave off the insurgents and keep its audience glued to the channel?
Tucker and Twitter and Trump, Oh My!
May 11, 2023 14:02 - 36 minutesOn this episode, host Brian Stelter checks in with Vanity Fair senior media correspondent Joe Pompeo and Washington Post national enterprise reporter Sarah Ellison about Tucker Carlson’s Twitter gamble before diving into Donald Trump and Fox News’s dysfunctional relationship, and whether the Murdochs’ network will be in his corner in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tucker and Twitter and Trump, Oh My!
May 11, 2023 14:02 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBOn this episode, host Brian Stelter checks in with Vanity Fair senior media correspondent Joe Pompeo and Washington Post national enterprise reporter Sarah Ellison about Tucker Carlson’s Twitter gamble before diving into Donald Trump and Fox News’s dysfunctional relationship, and whether the Murdochs’ network will be in his corner in 2024.
The Tucker Carlson Implosion Continues
May 04, 2023 14:23 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBOn this week’s episode, host Brian Stelter talks to Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein and New York Times Magazine contributor Jason Zengerle, who is writing a book about Tucker Carlson, about the latest revelations surrounding the now-former Fox News star, and whether a newly surfaced text is really a smoking gun.
The Tucker Carlson Implosion Continues
May 04, 2023 14:23 - 44 minutesOn this week’s episode, host Brian Stelter talks to Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein and New York Times Magazine contributor Jason Zengerle, who is writing a book about Tucker Carlson, about the latest revelations surrounding the now-former Fox News star, and whether a newly surfaced text is really a smoking gun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Inside The Hive: Fox vs. Tucker Carlson
April 27, 2023 14:30 - 41 minutesOn this week’s episode, host Brian Stelter talks to Gabriel Sherman and Bess Levin about the bombshell Fox dropped before the Dominion dust had even settled: the ouster of prime-time star Tucker Carlson. The Vanity Fair writers discuss what it means for the company, the viewers, and the host who seemed to have no boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Inside The Hive: Fox vs. Tucker Carlson
April 27, 2023 14:30 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBOn this week’s episode, host Brian Stelter talks to Gabriel Sherman and Bess Levin about the bombshell Fox dropped before the Dominion dust had even settled: the ouster of prime-time star Tucker Carlson. The Vanity Fair writers discuss what it means for the company, the viewers, and the host who seemed to have no boundaries.
Fox on Trial: Fox News Won’t Apologize—Or Change
April 20, 2023 13:49 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBDominion won an eye-popping $787.5 million settlement this week, but Fox also notched a major victory in keeping the Murdochs, its top executives, and stars like Tucker Carlson off the witness stand. On the latest episode of Inside the Hive, host Brian Stelter talks to Vanity Fair special correspondent Molly Jong-Fast and Hive editor Michael Calderone about the fallout from the payout, the future of the network, and how the public is losing out in the trial's abrupt end.
Fox on Trial: Rupert Murdoch’s Date With Destiny
April 13, 2023 15:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBWill the 92-year-old media mogul be able to steer his empire through an incoming legal maelstrom? On the latest episode of Inside the Hive, Brian Stelter and Gabriel Sherman, who have been following Murdochland for decades, spill the tea on what Monday’s trial could mean for the dynasty—and democracy at large.
Fox on Trial: Rupert Murdoch’s Date With Destiny
April 13, 2023 15:00 - 38 minutesWill the 92-year-old media mogul be able to steer his empire through an incoming legal maelstrom? On the latest episode of Inside the Hive, Brian Stelter and Gabriel Sherman, who have been following Murdochland for decades, spill the tea on what Monday’s trial could mean for the dynasty—and democracy at large. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Winners and Losers in Trump’s Stormy-Weather Week
April 07, 2023 18:13 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBNew York may have seemed sedate during his arraignment, but elsewhere in Trump’s America, the MAGA faithful are as committed as ever.
Who Actually Still Wants to be An Influencer?
April 03, 2023 18:51 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBAs the creator economy reaches a saturation point—even Barbie’s an influencer now!—growing concerns about children’s rights and parasocial celebrity relationships paint an increasingly grim picture.
Can the news media ever learn to resist Trump’s psychodrama?
March 29, 2023 11:57 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBOn this, the last episode of Inside the Hive featuring cohosts Emily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan, the Vanity Fair Correspondents reflect on 3 years of covering and discussing Trump and ask whether indictments will finally chasten Trump—and whether the media will remain hopelessly addicted to his noise.
All You Need to Know About the "Absolute Utter Shitshow" on Wall Street
March 22, 2023 17:01 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBNick Bilton talks to author Zach Carter about SVB, Credit Suisse, and whether or not a total meltdown is on the horizon
Gen Z Takes the Dems
March 17, 2023 21:54 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBMaxwell Frost represents a generational shift in the Democratic Party—one where activism is at the fore.
Gen Z Takes the Dems
March 17, 2023 21:54 - 34 minutesMaxwell Frost represents a generational shift in the Democratic Party—one where activism is at the fore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
(Rerun) Lis Smith Says the Path to Trounce Ron DeSantis Is Straight Through Right-Wing Media
March 15, 2023 16:03 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThis week, Inside the Hive cohost Joe Hagan talks to Lis Smith, Democratic campaign veteran and author of the new memoir Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story, which details her journey, the public one and the private one, through Democratic campaigns over the past 17 years, for candidates as varied as Jon Corzine, Barack Obama, Pete Buttigieg, and, most infamously, former governor Andrew Cuomo, whose lurid political demise she details down to the last moments of his time in off...
Let’s Just Say It: The GOP Is Obsessed With Penises
March 10, 2023 21:29 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBFrom Trump’s “Tiny D” moniker to Tucker Carlson’s ball-tanning, Republicans can’t seem to stop talking about that body part. Is somebody feeling insecure? Hive politics correspondent Bess Levin and senior Vanities editor Maggie Coughlan take a look at the uniquely toxic world of Republican men and their obsession.
(Rerun) Inside Ozempic’s Rise as Hollywood’s Latest ‘Miracle’ Diet Drug
March 08, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBOn this week’s episode of Inside the Hive, dietician Kim Shapira joins Emily Jane Fox to talk about the new weight loss drug taking Hollywood and TikTok by storm—how it works, why everyone seems to be talking about it, and what kind of message the “quick-fix” trend is sending. Plus: Fox and Joe Hagan break down Michael Avenatti’s sentence and what it could mean for other wayward political figures.
Is the Party Over for Peak TV?
March 03, 2023 22:32 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBNatalie Jarvey and Joe Pompeo explain the course correction in Hollywood, as the sun begins to set on streaming’s golden age and TV writers gird for a possible strike.
Who Is the ‘New Right’ Anyway?
March 01, 2023 17:11 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBPoser fascists? Dilettante preppers? The new elite? James Pogue and Jeff Sharlet join Joe Hagan to discuss and debate the specific contours of America's rising fringe
(Rerun) An Interview with Hunter Biden
February 22, 2023 19:08 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBOn this week’s episode of Inside the Hive, Emily Jane Fox sits down with the First Son to talk about his addiction, his dad, what makes a Biden love story, and why he thinks the GOP, and Don Jr. in particular, are obsessed with him.
The Right's Obsession with Culture Wars
February 17, 2023 20:59 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBMolly Jong-Fast and Chris Murphy break down the conservative outrage machine, and the right's obsession with using national events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars to push their agenda.
The Dark Scandals and Power Struggles of Sumner Redstone, Les Moonves, and the Companies They Controlled
February 15, 2023 20:28 - 33 minutes - 31 MBThis week, “New York Times” reporters James Stewart and Rachel Abrams join “Inside the Hive” cohost Joe Hagan to discuss their explosive new book, “Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy,” which details the unseemly power struggles around the late Sumner Redstone, who controlled Viacom and CBS, and the downfall of CBS chief Les Moonves, whose attempts to cover up years of alleged sexual misconduct exploded at the height of the #MeToo movement. ...
America’s Grifter Obsession
February 10, 2023 20:09 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBJoe Pompeo and Maggie Coughlan jump down the rabbit hole of some of the all-time greatest grifter sagas, tracing our obsession back to the 19th century and bringing it forward to Anna Delvey and George Santos.
America’s Grifter Obsession
February 10, 2023 20:09 - 35 minutesJoe Pompeo and Maggie Coughlan jump down the rabbit hole of some of the all-time greatest grifter sagas, tracing our obsession back to the 19th century and bringing it forward to Anna Delvey and George Santos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Inside Biden's SOTU Victory Lap
February 08, 2023 21:06 - 34 minutes - 32 MBOur team of Hive all-stars came together post State of the Union Address to break down how President Biden commanded the room, owned the Republicans, and what this could reveal about what a Biden-Trump head-to-head could look like in 2024.
“We’re Going to See Benghazi 2.0”
February 03, 2023 21:35 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBHive minds Bess Levin and Abigail Tracy analyze the GOP’s House afire with chaos and investigations, and why a DeSantis presidency is not necessarily better than a Trump one.
“He's Running. There’s Almost No Doubt In My Mind.”
February 01, 2023 19:33 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBBestselling author and White House insider Chris Whipple talks Biden 2024, party divisions, the GOP’s “hair on fire” chaos, and what Jill Biden could be thinking.
Is George Santos the End of the GOP? Or the Beginning of a Reboot?
January 25, 2023 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBOn this week's episode of Inside the Hive, Molly Jong-Fast dishes on George Santos's most egregious lies, what they reveal about the Republican thirst for power above all else, and how Democrats could leverage the shenanigans to their advantage.
How California Plans to Navigate a Future of Apocalyptic Weather
January 19, 2023 17:58 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBAfter weeks of torrential rain storms that have flooded communities, toppled trees and brought on huge economic devastations, Yana Garcia joins Inside the Hive to share how environmental justice will play a role in recovery. For weeks, a battery of atmospheric rains has bombarded California, destroying roads, triggering mudslides, and flooding homes and farms — all that following months of drought, and before that, wildfires. This week, Inside the Hive is joined by Yana Garcia, Cal...
Inside the Congressional Shitstorm That (Maybe) Ruined the GOP
January 11, 2023 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBOn this week’s episode of Inside the Hive, co-hosts Joe Hagan and Emily Jane Fox are joined by their Hive colleague and Capitol Hill all-star Abigail Tracy, who was in the halls of Congress last week as the House speaker debacle played out in real time. She gives a window into the chaos—and the consequences for both parties—as well as what it could mean for the 2024 races.
Kevin McCarthy and the GOP’s Cult of No Personality
January 04, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBJoe Hagan and Molly Jong-Fast analyze the war inside the Republican Party as California congressman Kevin McCarthy is thrice denied his bid for Speaker of the House. In disarray and denial, the GOP appears intent on kicking off the New Year with the same old extremist politics that have depressed its fortunes through the past three election cycles. Then, Jong-Fast discusses her exclusive interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, who has the Sisyphean task of tackling immigra...
(Re-run) Inside the "New Right"
December 28, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBAuthor James Pogue talks to cohosts Emily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan about the so-called New Right, the intellectual movement congealing around tech billionaire and MAGA mega-donor Peter Thiel and the Trumpist GOP, which he wrote about for this month’s Vanity Fair. After embedding himself with the vanguard of intellectuals whose reactionary politics, antagonism for democracy and visions of retro-patriarchy inform the agendas of people like Tucker Carlson and JD Vance, Pogue demystifies ...
Trump’s Inner Circle Is “Running the Other Way”
December 21, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBEmily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan discuss the implications of the January 6 committee’s criminal referrals to the Department of Justice over Donald Trump’s alleged crimes. Jack Smith, the special prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, faces a complex calculus: Will prosecuting the former narcissist in chief bring long-awaited justice, or only help reanimate Trump’s political fortunes for 2024? Plus: some of the best in this year’s culture.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Lonely Campaign Against AIDS
December 14, 2022 22:52 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBOn this week’s episode of Inside The Hive, author Kate Anderson Brower joins Emily Jane Fox to discuss her new authorized biography, Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon [https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Taylor-Grit-Glamour-Icon-ebook/dp/B09V2ZZ7KK]. Andersen Brower takes us inside the lesser known sides of one of the most famous women of all time. Brower, who interviewed 250 people for the book and combed through thousands of never-before-seen personal effects, paints ...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Lonely Campaign Against AIDS
December 14, 2022 22:52 - 31 minutesOn this week’s episode of Inside The Hive, author Kate Anderson Brower joins Emily Jane Fox to discuss her new authorized biography, Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon [https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Taylor-Grit-Glamour-Icon-ebook/dp/B09V2ZZ7KK]. Andersen Brower takes us inside the lesser known sides of one of the most famous women of all time. Brower, who interviewed 250 people for the book and combed through thousands of never-before-seen personal effects, paints a vivid po...
Inside Ozempic’s Rise as Hollywood’s Latest ‘Miracle’ Diet Drug
December 07, 2022 19:51 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBOn this week’s episode of Inside the Hive, dietician Kim Shapira joins Emily Jane Fox to talk about the new weight loss drug taking Hollywood and TikTok by storm—how it works, why everyone seems to be talking about it, and what kind of message the “quick-fix” trend is sending. Plus: Fox and Joe Hagan break down Michael Avenatti’s sentence and what it could mean for other wayward political figures.
“People Are Paying With Real Lives”: May Jeong Joins the Hive to Talk China Uprising
November 30, 2022 21:24 - 44 minutes - 41 MBThis week, Vanity Fair contributing editor May Jeong joins Inside the Hive to examine the popular uprising against the Xi Jinping regime over its repressive COVID policies, which have held China’s 1.4 billion citizens in virtual captivity. Jeong, who visited China in 2019 to investigate what happened to the country’s biggest movie star, Fan Bingbing, sees parallels to recent uprisings in Iran—specifically, women on the front lines. “The intersectional ways in which our struggles are...
Thanksgiving Special: Dinner SOS
November 22, 2022 10:00 - 39 minutesA last-minute party with no menu inspiration. A kitchen with no space. A toddler who will only eat buttered pasta. Name your dinner emergency—Bon Appétit is here to help. Dinner SOS is the podcast where we answer desperate home cooks' cries for help. In every episode, food director Chris Morocco and a rotating cast of cooking experts tackle a highly specific conundrum and present two solutions. The caller will pick one, cook through it, and let us know if we successfully helped rescue dinner....
“Sit Back and Let Trump Implode”: 2024 Looks Better and Better for DeSantis—But Dems Need a Message
November 16, 2022 19:53 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBIn the short but long weeks since Elon Musk took over Twitter, it seems like the platform, along with the social media class, has been put through the spin cycle. Between debates over who could be verified and how much that might cost, employee layoffs, and, of course, the lingering question of whether and when Donald Trump might be replatformed, there have been many questions about the fate of Twitter. Vanity Fair’s Nick Bilton, who literally wrote the book on Twitter, joins t...
“Trump Is Furious”: What the GOP’s Midterms Flop Means for a Trump-DeSantis 2024 Showdown
November 09, 2022 18:47 - 33 minutes - 31 MBGabe Sherman, fresh off his Ron DeSantis feature, and Molly Jong-Fast, the Hive’s newest contributor, join Emily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan for a Wednesday-morning revel in what the midterms portend for the future of the country—not to mention for pollsters and the pundit class—and how the Democrats can contend with the GOP’s “extreme gerrymandering” in battles ahead.
“Trump Is Furious”: What the GOP’s Midterms Flop Means for a Trump-DeSantis 2024 Showdown
November 09, 2022 18:47 - 37 minutesGabe Sherman, fresh off his Ron DeSantis feature, and Molly Jong-Fast, the Hive’s newest contributor, join Emily Jane Fox and Joe Hagan for a Wednesday-morning revel in what the midterms portend for the future of the country—not to mention for pollsters and the pundit class—and how the Democrats can contend with the GOP’s “extreme gerrymandering” in battles ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
T-Minus 5 Days. Molly Jong-Fast Joins the Hive Team to Talk Midterms
November 02, 2022 22:23 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBWith less than a week to go until the midterms determine our country’s future, Joe Hagan and Emily Jane Fox sit down with The Hive’s newest star, special correspondent Molly Jong-Fast, and VF national political reporter Abby Tracy to break down the final stages of races across the country, including how abortion is playing as an issue. Plus, CNBC’s Julia Boorstin stops by for a timely discussion about women in power as her new book, When Women Lead, hits shelves. In conversation w...
“I Think You’re Reading Too Much Into That”: Ben Smith Talks the Steele Dossier, James Bennet, and—Obviously—Semafor
October 26, 2022 21:27 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBThe former BuzzFeed editor and New York Times media columnist offers pushback on critiques of his new media offering.