82 Comments
Nov 10Liked by Meghan Daum

I propose that Meghan now hook up with Kat Rosenfield and Phoebe Maltz-Bovy to create "The 6th Column" podcast. They can talk over and interrupt each other for 90 minutes in a cramped studio.

Expand full comment
Nov 11Liked by Meghan Daum

🙌genius

Expand full comment

I totally agree with Sarah. The gender stuff is way scarier than the reproductive rights stuff.

Expand full comment

The denial of obvious reality is so bizarre. I say that it’s like the Men in Black because the strategy of trans advocates is to behave in ways that are so absurd that if you simply describe what they’re doing, you sound crazy.

Expand full comment

An aspect of this that I think is obvious to many folks in purple land but not to those in left-wing bubbles: Abortion remains much more controversial than opposition to youth gender medicine and trans women in sports. There are many people in both parties who can agree about gender issues, even if they disagree about traditional red-blue politics. But one may not know that if one lives in a world in which it's not allowable to voice one's skepticism about the American progressive position here.

Expand full comment
Nov 10Liked by Sarah Haider

Truly sad to see this one go, I’ll continue to follow you both individually.

Sarah your journey from new atheism through nihilism to wherever we are now, I’ve related to and shared 100%. Through your part of on this pod, I’ve found some validation and clarification of my own views. Thank you.

Expand full comment

So sad to hear this. You made a great team – few podcast hosts succeed in being both articulate and humorous. I’ll miss your takes. Thanks for everything!

Expand full comment

This show ending is SUCH a drag. But I can totally see why if Sarah feels like she needs to get her hands more in the dirt in order to have a real impact.

That said, I don't see why Meghan doesn't just continue with another co-host, one who contrasts/complements Meghan as much as Sarah does.

The Unspeakable is great, but the charm of a podcast is watching two people develop a rapport with their chemistry deepening/evolving over time.

I don't see why that aspect has to end. I mean, can't it be like "A Special Place, Season 4"?

Expand full comment
Nov 11Liked by Sarah Haider

I think Meghan does better with another voice to bounce off of, but how could anyone replace Sarah Haider? There is only one. Or two, if you count Zendaya.

Expand full comment
author

PENELOPE

Expand full comment

I am mandated by law to report this as elder abuse.

Expand full comment

She's gotta bring-in a new member of the duo!

Expand full comment

She ought to bring in the Hawk Tuah girl. That'll boost her subscriber numbers.

Expand full comment

Ha, no. But I would urge Meghan to look at this situation the same way as a music duo having to replace one of the co-founders while in the middle of a touring cycle. It's worth a shot.

Expand full comment
author

I have a call in to Sammy Hagar.

Expand full comment

Haha good one. And if Sammy falls through, you can call Gary Cherone.

(Deep dive Van Halen joke there.)

Van Hagar - bland, soulless corporate rock but I didn't hate it as much as some other old time VH fans do.

Expand full comment

(I mean, it's not all >that< far-fetched to imagine Sammy on The Unspeakeasy.)

Expand full comment

I'm always torn between the value of single-sex spaces and the importance for people from the opposite sex to talk to each other. A lot of times on this show it's very clear that even though they might want to talk about men, they don't understand the male experience at all. Maybe what Meghan really needs is (gasp!) a podcast bro.

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 10Liked by Meghan Daum, Sarah Haider

Dear Sarah and Meghan,

I don't know how to say thank you, and also how sad I am that you're stopping this wonderful podcast. I heard that you are finding it hard to stare into so much abyss, and I understand this. I suppose that was part of your appeal to me, because I was staring to the abyss, too, and I wanted someone – SOMEONE – with smarts to look at it with me and contextualize it in a way that didn't make me feel I was the insane one.

Since 2020, it's either been that everyone around me thought all the nonsense was totally sane, or they were in some bubble where they had no idea how terrible it was out there in the world... or the abyss – I honestly am not sure they were much different for a while.

I went through a very dark tunnel starting in 2021 where I uprooted everything in my leftist world, living in South Minneapolis, working for a very successful Creative Agency, where I was a leader and department head. I lost colleagues and a few friends. I sold so many things, including my home I made a slight career switch, am now an engineer, moved in with my parents in an exurb and bought and started renovating a home just a few blocks away.

We are now moved into our new home, after over a year without home of our own, and I've unpacked all our things from storage. I'm starting to regain my confidence.

But all through it I was listening to you both (many others, of course) and I particularly loved A Special Place in Hell. I have fond memories of watching the stars come out at sunset as I walked through the forested neighborhoods of Orrock Township, listening to the two of you bantering and making crazy things seem like they are, yes indeed, absolutely crazy.

You're both beautiful and smart and you can keep my founder subscription payment, which renewed very recently. Thank you thank you thank you.

With Gratitude,

Matthew

Expand full comment
author

That is so lovely, Matthew. Thank you. And I'm glad you renovated a house!

Expand full comment
Nov 10Liked by Sarah Haider, Meghan Daum

Sorry to see y'all leaving my feed, but I absolutely get how tiresome hot takes culture can be. The only way to really make money at is to lean hard into culture wars and spend all your time saying variations of "check out this idiot over here."

While I wanted Kamala to win, I'm glad Trump won a majority and hope he mostly spends his time just being corrupt instead of going full Orbán. The biggest domestic risk is mass deportation spurring a BLM style protest movement that gets out of hand. The biggest international risk is China going into Taiwan. A tail risk economically is a debt crisis from ever higher deficits.

Democrats are still in the circular firing squad formation but this is definitely the end of wokeness as an attractive identity. It's a loser mentality. I predict a Bill Clinton-esque leader will come along and stage a series of Sister Soulja moments.

Matt Yglesias pointed out that this is the first time in 20 years that a Democrat has failed to win the popular vote. That's an entire generation!

I hope Sarah builds something cool that we can support, and I hope Meghan takes ayahuasca and writes the Great American Novel or morphs into, I dunno, an avant-garde TikTok star.

Expand full comment
Nov 10Liked by Sarah Haider, Meghan Daum

Whaaaat?!? I needed you two to articulate what I was thinking and feeling and questioning and hoping. I needed you two to script arguments with my husband to which he had no defense for primarily because he wasn't arguing with me to begin with. I just knew I (read: you two) had a well informed, thoughtful point to make about the things I care about. Your "little podcast" made a huge impact on me. I will definitely support your solo gigs, whilst always longing for your duets. Comeback tour??? I wish you all the best and thank you for creating this special community in hell.

Expand full comment
Nov 10Liked by Meghan Daum, Sarah Haider

Been worried this would happen for awhile tbh. This podcast is my favorite of them all. I will hop onto the unspeakable bandwagon to keep up with Meghan. Sarah I hope to see a new podcast in the future

Expand full comment

What specifically made you worry for a while that this might happen?

Expand full comment
Nov 11Liked by Sarah Haider

A while back they told people not to take out yearlong subs, which was a flag for me. I thought maybe the decreased output would be it for a while though :(

Expand full comment
author

I was wondering if people would realize what that implied!

Expand full comment

Meghan, you are fine, you are awesome and beautiful and you know yourself, you know how limited aya is in terms of resolving traumas. There’s no need for you to do ayahuasca. Don’t listen to Sarah.

Expand full comment
Nov 11Liked by Meghan Daum

Ahh, all good things must come to an end I suppose. Thanks for being voices of reason at a time when they were hard to find! This is one of the podcasts that saved my sanity a couple of years ago.

Sarah, I totally understand the weekly burnout, I find I look at X and am not outraged, just kind of vaguely curious these days. Definitely prefer long form/ deep dives into interesting topics.

I will be signing up to The Unspeakable - honestly have wanted to for some time but $$ would not allow.

Looking forward to seeing what you do next!

All the best lxdies!

Expand full comment

This is so sad. But I can just imagine how hard it must be to have new opinions and ideas every week. My favourite podcast, which I subscribed to in August and paid for a year in advance. Any chance a portion of that money could be refunded? Or even transferred to Meghan's podcast?

Expand full comment
author

Yes, paying subscribers to ASPIH will get 20% off a yearlong subscription to The Unspeakable. We'll be updating about that soon.

Expand full comment

Oh this is so sad. I’m actually devastated. This is the only podcast I paid for.

Expand full comment

So, basically, the end of this podcast is ayahuasca’s fault???

Expand full comment

First on the last :’(

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 12Liked by Meghan Daum

I’ve always followed you both as a paid subscriber and will continue to. This has been a salve and will be missed but I wish you both the best and look forward to whatever it is you each continue to put out. Cheers!

Expand full comment