Episode 32. Now Play Nice: Debating Civility, Ocasio-Cortez's Victory, and S. Johansson: Trans Icon

Summary: And we're back! After Joe gives an update on his whirlwind adventures to Hawaii and Iceland (including the joy of traveling internationally with a sibling), the SWOTI hosts dive in to talk politics and pop culture. First, Joe and Brie offer their thoughts on Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's primary victory in New York City. Is this a harbinger for a socialist wave come November? Or is socialism still too much of a dirty word for the average American voter? And why is it, our hosts wonder, that people can't wrap their minds around the fact that many of the public programs American citizens value most—Medicare, Social Security, and Disability, to name a few—are, in fact, socialist programs? Are we all actually socialists in capitalists' clothing? Next, the SWOTI hosts wax philosophical about civility. In these troubled times, many have pushed for the notion that we must remain "civil" to one another, in spite of our political differences. But how can we agree on *how* to be civil when there isn't a shared definition of the concept? Must we reconcile how easy it is for us to opportunistically argue for civility, but only when it's our ideas that are being attacked? In other words, is one man's gay wedding cake baker another woman's Scott Pruitt? Is it ever all right to kick Sarah Huckabee Sanders out of a restaurant? Finally, we also talk about some U Mads and U Glads, specifically Joe's disapproval of casting everyone's favorite Asian actress Scarlett Johansson as a trans character in an upcoming film, and Brie's delight in "Sorry to Bother You," a mainstream film that centers POCs, union organizing, and social revolution. And stay tuned for the SWOTI hosts fawning over Cate Blanchett, the most ravishing actress of modern cinema. Again, we have to apologize for the delay in getting this episode out, but we promise it was worth the wait! As always, let us know what you think. And please rate us and leave us a review on iTunes! Theme song: Comfort Fit - Sorry