For Labor Day — the unofficial end of summer and the official holiday celebrating the American worker — we are checking in on the state of the striking actors and writers demanding more from the studios they work for. When the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went ... Show More
Nov 20
Is the Economy OK? Why It Might Not Feel Like It to You
Missed car payments, crowdfunding for groceries, prices rising on everything from rent to hummus — everyday signs that something in the economy feels...tense. But the official numbers, and even the White House, keep insisting things are steady. Audie unpacks the strange gap betwe ... Show More
24m 28s
Nov 13
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Next Act
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led her country through some of its greatest crises: the Christchurch mass shooting, a deadly volcano eruption, and a global pandemic. A new CNN documentary takes an intimate look at Ardern’s political career, filmed over seven yea ... Show More
40m 12s
Nov 6
“Love is Blind” Is About More Than Dating
This week, Audie sits on the other side of the mic and talks about her favorite show, “Love is Blind.” Her conversation is with Anne Helen Petersen on her podcast “Culture Study.” Yes, “Love Is Blind” is reality television, but it has a lot to say about this moment in history and ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 2023
One Thing: Hollywood’s Strike Season is Ripe for Adaptation
Thousands of Hollywood actors and writers have been on strike for weeks demanding raises, regulation of artificial intelligence, and residuals from content created for streaming services. Meanwhile, thousands of hotel workers and public sector employees in Los Angeles have also s ... Show More
17m 59s
Sep 2023
Did Hollywood Writers Get Their Happy Ending?
<p>After 148 days on strike, writers of movies and television are returning to work on Wednesday</p><p> with an agreement in hand that amounts to a major win for organized labor in Hollywood.</p><p>John Koblin, a media reporter for The Times, explains why the studios acquiesced t ... Show More
25m 50s
Jul 2023
Hollywood’s existential crisis
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hollywood is facing a crisis. Almost every writer and actor is on strike against major studios, halting production. Massive protests have taken over LA and New York. Today, we unpack the upheaval that will chang ... Show More
18m 13s
Oct 2023
What the Summer of Strikes Means For The Broader Economy
<p>This special episode of Odd Lots was recorded live at the Bloomberg Screentime festival earlier this month in Los Angeles, where the summer strikes by Hollywood writers and actors were a hot topic among panelists and guests. During the event, we spoke with Omair Sharif, the fo ... Show More
40m 11s
May 2023
How Streaming Hurt Hollywood Writers
<p>This week, thousands of writers went on strike against Hollywood studios over what they say is an existential threat to their livelihoods.</p><p>John Koblin, a media reporter for The New York Times, explains how streaming turned the most prolific era in American entertainment ... Show More
27m 51s