What's Left?
153 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★ - 367 ratingsWhat's Left? is a podcast hosted by Aimee Terese and Oliver Bateman, discussing political theory, philosophy, and current affairs from a critical perspective.
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Episodes
The Work of Government, Part 2 (w/ Congressman Ric Keller)
October 11, 2022 14:06 - 48 minutes - 66.2 MBOliver talks to former Florida Congressman Ric Keller about his 8-year stint as the representative for Florida's 8th district as well as his new book Chase the Bears: Little to Achieve Big Dreams (Simon & Schuster, 2022). Oliver and Ric discuss the challenges of serving in a "swing" district, the impact of primary elections on polarization, the fundraising costs associated with serving on congressional committees, the importance of civility in public discourse, and the difficulties associate...
The Work of Academia (w/ Lura Forcum)
October 07, 2022 20:17 - 1 hour - 157 MBMarketing professor (and Oliver's high school classmate) Lura Forcum returns to the show to discuss some of the challenges facing academia. Become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
The Work of Government (w/ Senator Jeff Bingaman)
October 01, 2022 21:14 - 53 minutes - 73.9 MBOliver talks to retired United States Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM, served 1983-2013) about how the legislative process evolved during his 30 years in Washington, D.C. They discuss the debt ceiling, successful instances of past bipartisan cooperation, the war in Iraq, industrial policy, energy policy, and much more. Senator Bingaman's new book Breakdown: Lessons for a Congress in Crisis offers an insightful, first-hand analysis of the causes and consequences of the dysfunction in Congress. S...
The Work of Fame (w/ Susie Meister)
September 14, 2022 16:58 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MBOliver talks to long-time friend and veteran Brain Candy Podcast host Susie Meister about life twenty years after her MTV debut on Road Rules in 1998. How has the nature of fame changed? Would she have approached fame differently had social media platforms such as IG, TikTok, and the like existed? And most importantly, why do people keep telling Oliver to read his own articles and listen to this podcast? Become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading/viewing: Meister, "What I ...
The Work of Horny Brands (w/ Nathan Allebach)
September 01, 2022 19:40 - 1 hour - 146 MBIn this episode, Oliver Bateman talked to marketing guru Nathan Allebach about how brands got horny - and how strangely unsexy this is. Suggested Reading Allebach, "When Brands Got Horny," https://www.vulture.com/article/when-brands-got-horny.html Nathan's Prior Appearances on What's Left? "The Work of Marketing," https://www.patreon.com/posts/work-of-60978923 (w/ Lura Forcum) "Steak-Umm Bless," https://www.patreon.com/posts/steak-umm-bless-43073199
PREVIEW: The Work of BlackRock (w/ Will Hild)
August 30, 2022 21:34 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MBOliver talks to Will Hild of Consumers' Research about the many problems with the way BlackRock oversees its $10 trillion worth of assets under management. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading "About BlackRock," https://aboutblackrock.com/ (Consumers' Research site) "Texas orders state pension funds to divest from BlackRock holdings," https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/25/texas-says-10-companies-including-blackrock-boycotting-energy-.html "S...
PREVIEW: The Work of Abortion
August 06, 2022 14:16 - 2 minutes - 3.59 MBAimee returns with a discussion of abortion jurisprudence. patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Taking Stock (w/ Kathleen Stock)
July 27, 2022 12:55 - 4 minutes - 6.81 MBAimee talks to former University of Sussex philosophy professor Kathleen Stock about sex, gender, and much more. Become a patron: patreon.com/whatsleft All About Kathleen Stock Twitter: @Docstockk Column: https://unherd.com/author/kathleen-stock/ Book: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/kathleen-stock/material-girls/9780349726595/ Substack: http://kathleenstock.substack.com
PREVIEW: The Work of the Sexual Revolution (w/ Louise Perry)
July 19, 2022 12:35 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBIn another signature What's Left? "Girls Chat," Aimee talks to writer Louise Perry (author of The Case Against the Sexual Revolution; review here) about feminism, the sexual revolution, and much more. To listen to the full 2-hour episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
The Work of Literary Fiction (w/ Iris Smyles)
July 13, 2022 16:26 - 1 hour - 125 MBOliver talks to Iris Smyles about her new book Droll Tales, the work of writing, the consistency of the Red Lobster, the artistic compromises made by Sylvester Stallone, and the emptiness of phrases like "I hate writing, but I love having written." They also discuss identity and representation in literature, "cancelling" great writers for one reason or another, and other topics. Suggested reading: -- Smyles, "Embracing My Weird," https://www.vogue.com/article/iris-smyles-personal-style-gr...
PREVIEW: The Work of Oliver to Oliver (w/ Oliver Traldi)
July 01, 2022 13:35 - 7 minutes - 10 MBOliver Traldi joined Oliver to discuss the "smell test" or "work sense," arguments based on reasons, good and bad books, the marketplace of ideas, and much more. To listen to the full two-hour episode, become a patreon at patron.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Ben Sixsmith (w/ Ben Sixsmith)
July 01, 2022 13:33 - 5 minutes - 7.13 MBJournalist Ben Sixsmith joins Oliver to discuss the refugee situation in Poland, right-wing comedy, the emptiness of John Cena, and more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Sex Negativity (w/ Katherine Dee)
June 14, 2022 19:53 - 2 minutes - 4.03 MBOliver and Katherine Dee talk about incels, truecels, volcels, sex, dating, and much more in this wide-ranging episode. To listen to the full 2-hour episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Abercrombie & Fitch (w/ Moe Tkacik)
May 31, 2022 20:24 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBFormer Wall Street Journal reporter/Jezebel writer/&c. Moe Tkacik joins Oliver to discuss the cultural legacy of Abercrombie & Fitch. Topics include the recent Netflix documentary (in which Moe appears/Oliver declined to appear), Gen-X culture, the rise of the mall, billionaire sex cults, Dinosaur Jr., Reality Bites, the rise of the "corny," Abercrombie's approach to the presentation of the male body, and more. To listen to the full 2-hour episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Law Enforcement (w/ T.A. Frank)
May 22, 2022 22:24 - 4 minutes - 5.7 MBAimee and Oliver talked to writer T.A. Frank about his recent reporting on the post-CHOP/CHAZ state of policing in Seattle, his reporting on the early days of COVID, and his early-career work in China. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
The Work of the Internet (w/ Justin E.H. Smith)
May 17, 2022 20:07 - 1 hour - 105 MBIn this wide-ranging discussion, Oliver talks to philosophy and history professor Justin E.H. Smith about his new book The Internet is Not What You Think It Is. Suggested Reading Smith, "It's All Over," https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/its-all-over/ "It's All Just Beginning," https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/its-all-just-beginning/ "The Internet Is Not as New as You Think," https://www.wired.com/story/the-internet-is-not-as-new-as-you-think/ "Working Arrangement," https://ww...
PREVIEW: The Work of Brand Differentation
May 17, 2022 20:05 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBOliver discusses the future of the marketplace of ideas. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft.
PREVIEW: The Work of U.S. Tech Workers (w/ Kevin Lynn)
March 30, 2022 14:12 - 4 minutes - 6.39 MBAimee talked with U.S. Tech Workers founder Kevin Lynn (this link goes to the Tech Workers website) about the state of organized labor, "organization" more broadly, and the future of labor advocacy. To listen to the full episode, become a patron and patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Work of Russians with Attitude
March 15, 2022 14:31 - 2 minutes - 3.67 MBIn this time zone-spanning episode, Aimee talked to the podcast team at "Russians with Attitude" about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rwapodcast Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/rwapodcast Substack - https://substack.com/profile/23837742-russians-with-attitude Gumroad - https://russianswithattitude.gumroad.com/l/RWApodcast
PREVIEW: The Work of Leighton Woodhouse
February 28, 2022 22:34 - 11 minutes - 15.4 MBPREVIEW: The Work of Leighton Woodhouse by What's Left?
The Work of Housing (w/ Joel Kotkin)
February 14, 2022 20:17 - 46 minutes - 64.4 MBUrban Reform Institute executive director Joel Kotkin returns to the podcast to discuss housing and development issues with Aimee and Oliver. Suggested reading Kotkin, "Green hypocrisy hurts the poorest," https://unherd.com/2022/02/green-hypocrisy-hurts-the-poorest/ "California's economy is weaker than it looks," https://unherd.com/thepost/californias-economy-is-weaker-than-it-looks/ "Even Elon Musk is leaving California behind," https://unherd.com/thepost/even-elon-musk-is-leaving-cali...
PREVIEW: The Work of the 2022 Primaries (w/ Oren Cass)
February 11, 2022 16:17 - 11 minutes - 15.8 MBOren Cass returns to the show to discuss issues related to the 2022 primaries and the future of the Republican Party. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Cass, "America Needs a Conservative Labor Movement," https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-needs-a-conservative-labor-movement-11600379608 A Seat the Table for the American Labor Movement, https://americancompass.org/in-focus/seat-at-the-table/ (downloadable report) "What American Wor...
PREVIEW: The Work of Pro-Democracy (w/ Alex Rubinstein and Mila Ghorayeb)
February 11, 2022 16:13 - 6 minutes - 9.06 MBIn this episode, Aimee talks to Alex Rubinstein and Mila Ghorayeb of the Pro-Democracy Pod. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Alex's substack: https://substack.com/profile/6825370-alex-rubinstein Mila's substack: https://ghorayeb.substack.com/ Alex Rubinstein, "New Gates Foundation trustee led plot to overthrow Zimbabwean leader alongside US gov't," https://thegrayzone.com/2022/01/31/gates-foundation-trustee-overthrow-zimbabwean-cove...
The Work of Unequal Treatment (w/ Aaron Sibarium)
February 02, 2022 20:11 - 9 minutes - 12.7 MBAimee and Oliver talked to Free Beacon reporter Aaron Sibarium about his reporting on COVID guidelines by race, anonymous pandemic-related student snitching at Yale, and more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Sibarium, "How an Anonymous Reporting System Made Yale a COVID 'Surveillance State,'" https://freebeacon.com/campus/how-an-anonymous-reporting-system-made-yale-a-covid-surveillance-state/ "FDA Guidance Drives Racial Rationing o...
PREVIEW: The Work of JD Vance
January 27, 2022 15:58 - 14 minutes - 19.6 MBHillbilly Elegy author and Ohio Senate hopeful JD Vance joins Aimee and Oliver to discuss his campaign platform and life since the book's release. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Simon van Zuylen-Wood, "The Radicalization of JD Vance," https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/01/04/jd-vance-hillbilly-elegy-radicalization/ Vance, "Beyond Libertarianism," https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/07/beyond-libertarianism ...
PREVIEW: The Work Of The Soup Kitchen
January 24, 2022 14:08 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBAimee and Oliver talked to John Dios (@NormalOneHaver) about running a soup kitchen and the impact of COVID-19 on social services. To listen to the full 90 min episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
The Work of Marketing (w/ Nathan Allebach & Lura Forcum)
January 10, 2022 16:13 - 2 hours - 173 MBOliver talks marketing with Steak-Umm social media mastermind Nathan Allebach and Clemson University marketing professor Lura Forcum. They discuss brands behaving like humans, humans behaving like brands, and the risks and rewards of co-opting "Weird Twitter" aesthetics to sell products. Suggested listening Nathan's first appearance on What's Left? https://www.patreon.com/posts/steak-umm-bless-43073199 Suggested reading Know Your Meme interview with Nathan Allebach (https://knowyourmem...
PREVIEW: The Work of Common-Good Constitutionalism (w/ Adrian Vermeule)
December 21, 2021 13:58 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBHarvard Law School professor Adrian Vermeule joins Aimee and Oliver to discuss and at times debate the merits of common-good constitutionalism (which he explains in greater detail in his forthcoming book from Polity Press), "pretty-good" constitutionalism, originalism, the administrative state, and much more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Vermeule, "Beyond Originalism," https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/common-good-...
PREVIEW: The Work of San Fransicko (w/ Michael Shellenberger)
December 21, 2021 13:56 - 8 minutes - 11.3 MBJournalist Michael Shellenberger joins Aimee and Oliver to discuss his new book San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities. They cover topics such as drug treatment, homelessness, and mental health. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Suggested reading Shellenberger's Substack: https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/ "Behind London Breed's stunning 'defund the police' turnaround in San Francisco," https://nypost.com/2021/12/15/behind-london-breeds-de...
The Work of Trucking, pt.2 (w/ Steve Viscelli and Gord Magill)
November 22, 2021 14:32 - 1 hour - 126 MBOliver talks with scholar Steve Viscelli and veteran trucker Gord Magill about the labor issues impacting truckers, the political narratives surrounding the industry, the daily work of driving a big rig, and more. If you liked this episode, please consider subscribing to What's Left? to support the production of similar content in the future and gain access to 150 exclusive episodes. For further information, check out the American Trucking Association (https://www.trucking.org/), the Owner...
PREVIEW: The Creeps (w/ Walter Kirn)
November 05, 2021 15:16 - 2 minutes - 3.11 MBNovelist and critic Walter Kirn joins the program to discuss his essay "The Creeps," what about old rich politicians like Nancy pelosi is so creepy, and the creepiness of the future promoted by tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
Sugar Daddy (w/ Jack the Perfume Nationalist)
November 01, 2021 15:58 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBJack from The Perfume Nationalist podcast joins the program to discuss hookup culture, the politics of consent, liberal psyops, the workout regimes of Richard Spencer and Ned Flanders, and much more.
PREVIEW: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (w/ Filthy Armenian)
October 29, 2021 17:30 - 8 minutes - 12.2 MBFilthy Armenian (@FilthyArmenian) joins us to discuss the newest Dave Chappelle controversy, the politics of comedy, how Jon Stewart wrote the book on manufacturing consent, and more. To listen to the full 2-hour episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Post Left (w/ Park MacDougald)
October 25, 2021 15:46 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBWriter and editor Park MacDougald joins the program to discuss the post left, the radical left, the democratic left, and what's left over. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
The Kids Are All Right (w/ Poppy Coburn)
October 22, 2021 16:45 - 4 minutes - 6.83 MBPoppy Coburn, writer and zoomer correspondent, joins the show to answer an important question: what the hell is going on with young people? She talks the hopes and dreams of Generation Z, the impact of accelerating technological progress on relationships, and more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft.
PREVIEW: Be Gone, Girl (w/ Kat Rosenfield)
October 18, 2021 16:10 - 11 minutes - 15.4 MBAuthor Kat Rosenfield joins the podcast to discuss her new book, No One Will Miss Her, the #metoo movement, Oliver's massive jar of milk, and much more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Communions (w/ Adam Lehrer)
October 13, 2021 17:25 - 5 minutes - 7.92 MBWriter, critic, artist, and podcaster Adam Lehrer joins the show to discuss his new book, Communions, the glamorization of the creative addict, liberal fetishization, and more. To listen to the full 90 minute episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Bikini Vax (w/ Jesse Singal and Katie Herzog)
October 06, 2021 16:14 - 11 minutes - 15.5 MBJesse and Katie join the podcast to discuss COVID vaccines, anti-vax ideology, our collective loss of trust in institutions, conspiracy theories, the gender identification of children, and much more. To listen to the full 2-hour episode, become a patron and patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Nuclear Option (w/ Emmet Penney & Adrian Calderon)
September 24, 2021 14:38 - 8 minutes - 11.4 MBEmmet and Adrian join the show to discuss all things nuclear power, the green new deal, the politics of energy and climate change, and more. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Girl, Unvaccinated (w/ Alex Kaschuta and Angie Speaks)
September 17, 2021 19:35 - 8 minutes - 12.1 MBPREVIEW: Girl, Unvaccinated (w/ Alex Kaschuta and Angie Speaks) by What's Left?
PREVIEW: Imagine All the People (w/ Jeff Poulos)
September 14, 2021 20:19 - 6 minutes - 8.87 MBAimee and Oliver are joined by Executive Editor of The American Mind, James Poulos, to discuss social media culture, the internet panopticon, whether Aimee should log off Twitter, and more.
PREVIEW: Imagine All the People (w/ James Poulos)
September 14, 2021 20:19 - 6 minutes - 8.87 MBAimee and Oliver are joined by Executive Editor of The American Mind, James Poulos, to discuss social media culture, the internet panopticon, whether Aimee should log off Twitter, and more.
PREVIEW: As A Woman (w/ Mary Harrington)
September 09, 2021 15:45 - 8 minutes - 11.6 MBAimee and Oliver are joined by writer and contributing editor at Unherd, Mary Harrington, to discuss the history of feminism, the #metoo movement, pornography, relationship power imbalances, and more. To listen to the full 90 min episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Mad Libs (w/ Glenn Greenwald)
September 02, 2021 17:35 - 5 minutes - 8.12 MBOliver and Aimee are joined by the great Glenn Greenwald (and his dog) to discuss COVID-19, civil liberties, being of the object of online hatred, Trump's impact on the left, the politics of recognition and inclusion, and why movements become more militant as they become mainstream. To listen to the full episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: How Liberalism Failed by Succeeding (w/ Patrick Deneen and Sohrab Ahmari)
June 20, 2021 17:47 - 10 minutes - 14.5 MBAimee and Oliver are joined by Patrick Deneen, author of Why Liberalism Failed (2018), and Sohrab Ahmari, author of The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos (2021). They discuss the failures (or successes) of liberalism, and its relationship to tradition, conservatism, and the economy. To listen to the full 90 min episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Reprivatizing Fine Art In The Name Of Equality (w/ Angela Nagle)
May 31, 2021 21:36 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBAimee is joined by Angela Nagle to discuss her recent article, "Reprivatizing Fine Art In The Name Of Equality." They talk beauty as a public good, the intersection of identity and art, neoliberal gender politics, and much more. To listen to the full 3-hour conversation, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Read Angela's article and subscribe to her newsletter here: https://angelanagle.substack.com/p/reprivatizing-fine-art-in-the-name
PREVIEW: The Work of Filmmaking (w/ Ralph Moffettone)
April 26, 2021 14:39 - 10 minutes - 14.2 MBOliver is joined by Ralph Moffettone, writer and director Delenda (2018), to discuss the work of filmmaking, the real purpose of prestige television, and why streaming services don't care if you're really paying attention. To listen to the full 2 hr episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: Intersectional Imperialism (w/ Alex Rubinstein)
March 25, 2021 19:16 - 11 minutes - 15.4 MBTo listen to the full 2 hr episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft Aimee is joined by journalist Alex Rubinstein to discuss his article on the weaponization of wokeness, the American empire under Biden, abolishing the police, and more. Alex's article: https://realalexrubi.substack.com/p/intersectional-imperialism-a-wholesome
PREVIEW: A Genealogy of Wokeness (w/ @htmlmencken)
March 04, 2021 20:46 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MBAimee is joined by the great @htmlmencken for a 3.5 hr conversation about disciplinary woke culture, its recent history, and its uses. To listen to the full conversation, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft
PREVIEW: The Managerial Elite (w/ Michael Lind)
February 25, 2021 15:21 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBAimee and Oliver are joined by Michael Lind to discuss his analysis in The New Class War: Saving Democracy from the Managerial Elite. They talk the educational divide, the geography of class, the function of NGOs, and much more. To listen to the full 90 min episode, become a patron at patreon.com/whatsleft