Trad Wives, MAHA, and the Women’s Wellness Pipeline
A new flavor of conservative content is targeting women online—and it’s going viral. This week, Akilah Hughes explores the rise of the "tradwife" aesthetic, the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, and how a wellness pipeline is pulling women to the political right.
We talk to experts and journalists who’ve tracked this trend firsthand, from TikTok to Turning Point USA’s wellness-themed women’s conference.
Guests:
- Madeline Peltz, independent journalist
- EJ Dickson, senior writer at The Cut
Chapters:
0:00 - Open
1:38 - How did we get here?
3:07- EJ Dickson
3:51 - How the Right has framed health and wellness
7:09 - Madeline Peltz
8:30 - Turning Point USA women's conference
10:53 - The shift from COVID
12:39 - Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA
17:56 - The grift
19:57 - Are trad wives real?
20:25 - Nara Smith
21:45 - Ballerina Farm, poverty cosplay
23:02 - Conclusion
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27:41
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27:41
Politics is Wrestling
In this episode, Akilah Hughes steps into the ring with "The Progressive Liberal"—yes, that’s his real wrestling persona—alongside author Josie Riesman and journalist and former WWE writer, Dave Schilling, to explore why politics today feels more like WWE than C-SPAN,
We dive into the personas, the crowd work, the heels and the faces (iykyk)—and how both wrestling and politics rely on performance, polarization, and pandering to win over the crowd.
If you’ve ever wondered why politics feels more like a reality show than real life… this is the episode for you.
GUESTS:
Dave Schilling, LA Times Columnist and former writer for WWE
Josie Riesman, author of RingMaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America
Daniel Harnsberger aka “The Progressive Liberal”
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26:29
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26:29
Erasing Jackie Robinson
Baseball legend Jackie Robinson broke barriers on the field, but his legacy off the field is under attack.
In this episode, Akilah Hughes explores how the Trump administration is trying to rewrite history in its crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Guests Roy Wood Jr., Jeremy Taché, and The Nation’s Kali Holloway unpack why it’s important to defend history and what DEI efforts are designed to achieve.
Guests:
Roy Wood, Jr., actor and comedian
Kali Holloway, columnist, The Nation
Jeremy Taché, Miami-based sports reporter and host
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - OPEN
00:22 - INTRO
03:00 - THE PUSH TO REWRITE HISTORY
04:02 - KALI HOLLOWAY
07:35 - DEI HIRE, JACKIE ROBINSON
09:14 - JEREMY TACHÉ
14:52 - ROY WOOD JR.
19:28 - WHY ARE THEY SCRUBBING HISTORY?
23:47 - HOW IS IT BETTER?
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31:07
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31:07
Don’t Blame Canada: Trump Blew It With Our Besties
America’s relationship with Canada has always been close — like cousins who share a border, celebrities and culture, and a love for maple syrup. But lately, that closeness has taken a weird turn.
In this episode, we explore how Donald Trump has soured the relationship with our once closest ally – referring to Canada as the “51st state.”
Host Akilah Hughes talks with Noor Azrieh, host and producer of the podcast Canadaland, and Silke Labson – Akilah’s friend who fled north after Trump took office the first time.
Guests:
Noor Azrieh, host and producer of the podcast Canadaland.
Silke Labson, owner of Hen Dog Marketing (and Akilah’s friend)
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29:05
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29:05
The Evolution of Mark Zuckerberg
Once a hoodie-wearing coder preaching openness and connection, Mark Zuckerberg is now a gold chain wearing, jiu jitsu obsessed metaverse warlord who is vibing with Trump-adjacent influencers. What happened?
Host Akilah Hughes digs into Zuckerberg’s transformation — from the early Facebook years through his big metaverse bet and into his (chicken nugget eating?) macho phase. Ryan Broderick, host of Panic World and author of Garbage Day; and tech reporter Steven Levy, journalist and author of Facebook: The Inside Story, join to break down this evolution.
And as always, Akilah is asking the question “how is this better?” and wondering if Zuckerberg still cares about making the world “more connected,” or if he ever really did.
Guests:
Ryan Broderick, host of the podcast Panic World and author of the Garbage Day newsletterSteven Levy, journalist and author of “Facebook: The Inside Story"
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:02 - Does Mark Zuckerberg only eat chicken nuggets?
02:18- Ryan Broderick, Panic Word + Garbage Day
04:48 - Steven Levy, Wired + Facebook: The Inside Story
06:21 - Digital Gentrification – Myspace vs. Facebook
08:03 - Zuckerberg's Public Perception by Era
09:53 - Metaverse
15:04 - Zuckerberg's Midlife Crisis?
15:38 - The New Mark Zuckerberg
18:02 - AI Slop
23:51 - Does He Still Have a "Greater Good" Mission?
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We're constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to "make America great" to tech bros who say they're making the world a "better place." Akilah Hughes has had enough. She's finally asking...How Is This Better?
USA