Everything is political, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be a fight.
From sex work to prison abolition, we take the topics people usually argue about and unpack them with curiosity and empathy. Meet brilliant guests, learn something new, make things better.
Episode 4 - Pole historian and career stripper AM Davies tells the story of pole dancing: from carnival tents, where the stripper pole was known as the “snorting pole,” to the #notastripper backlash that separated the art from the sex workers who created it. Mak and AM unpack how that divide became whorephobia—and what makes sex work punk.
RESOURCES:
International Pole Dance Day: https://yaswork.org/international-pole-dance-day (https://yaswork.org/international-pole-dance-day)
YAS Work: https://yaswork.org (https://yaswork.org)
GUEST:
IG: https://instagram.com/amdavies_ (https://instagram.com/amdavies_)
YAS YouTube: https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg (https://youtube.com/@YASWorkOrg)
MAK:
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell (https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell)
IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell (https://instagram.com/makenziemizell)
Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell (https://patreon.com/makenziemizell)
Website: https://makenziemizell.com (https://makenziemizell.com)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:47 What is Pole Dance
03:48 Cultural Evolution and Mainstream Acceptance
06:34 The Influence of Black Culture on Pole Dance
09:24 The Global Spread of Pole Dance
18:09 Understanding Horaphobia & The Whorearchy
26:45 Legislation and the Safety of Sex Workers
30:49 Work and Dehumanization
36:29 Cultural Biases and Toxic Masculinity
41:25 How to Support Sex Workers
18 Sept 2026
Housing (but actually it’s about currency) with Zach Foust
Episode 3: A conversation about the housing market takes a hard turn into whether money is even real. Realtor and creator Zach Foust joins Makenzie to talk gold, fiat currency, and the systems that determine who gets to build wealth. Turns out real money might be about as made up as Monopoly money.
RESOURCES:
Learn about the Georgist (basically socialist) roots of Monopoly: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/ruthless-monopolys-secret-history (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/ruthless-monopolys-secret-history)
GUEST:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zacharyloft (https://www.tiktok.com/@zacharyloft)
IG: https://www.instagram.com/zachary.loft (https://www.instagram.com/zachary.loft)
Zach Foust Show: https://www.youtube.com/@ZachFoustShow (https://www.youtube.com/@ZachFoustShow)
MAK:
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell (https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell)
IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell (https://instagram.com/makenziemizell)
Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell (https://patreon.com/makenziemizell)
Website: https://makenziemizell.com (https://makenziemizell.com)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 Understanding the Housing Market
03:54 Housing as a Symbol of Power
07:06 The Value of Gold in Economic Discussions
10:48 Generational Perspectives on Housing
13:48 Bridging the Gap in Economic Conversations
16:54 The Impact of Economic Policies on Housing
19:12 The Future of Currency and Trust
25:47 The Emotional Ties to Currency
26:41 The Future of the Dollar and Global Currency
27:46 Bitcoin vs. Gold: The Value Debate
28:56 The Financial Identity Complex
31:50 The Disconnect of Wealth and Community
34:35 Paths to Political Change
38:45 The Role of Local Action
41:54 Unity in the Face of Division
48:43 Clarifying Perspectives on Israel and Judaism
2 Jul 2026
Paleontology with Dr. Meaghan Wetherell
Episode 2 - Professor Meaghan Wetherell has thoughts on dinosaurs, Noah’s Ark, and not being an asshole. Makenzie sits down with her to unpack why facts alone rarely change minds, how science communicators can avoid “winning” people into a wall, and what learning-style myths reveal about everyone’s need to protect their worldview. It all ends with a free paleontology video game and a fossil find she can barely talk about yet.
RESOURCES:
Finding Lake Chewaucan: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3512920/Finding_Lake_Chewaucan (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3512920/Finding_Lake_Chewaucan)
PBS Eons: https://www.meaghanwetherell.com/script-writing (https://www.meaghanwetherell.com/script-writing)
GUEST:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geopetalfabric (https://www.tiktok.com/@geopetalfabric)
Weird & Dead Podcast: https://www.weirdanddead.com (https://www.weirdanddead.com)
Weird & Dead Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WeirdandDeadPodcast (https://www.patreon.com/WeirdandDeadPodcast)
MAK:
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell (https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell)
IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell (https://instagram.com/makenziemizell)
Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell (https://patreon.com/makenziemizell)
Website: https://makenziemizell.com (https://makenziemizell.com)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - What is Paleontology?
02:08 - Oreodonts
03:35 - Noah's Ark
04:40 - Science Communication
10:09 - Motivational Interviewing
13:45 - Role Play
16:53 - Early Paleontologists & Religion
22:48 - How to Make It Better
25:35 - The Knowledge Deficit Model
28:25 - Avoiding Being Condescending
31:44 - Learning Style Exercise
34:59 - Where to Find Meaghan
17 Jun 2026
Sex with August McLaughlin
Episode 1: August McLaughlin turns “What is sex?” into the episode’s most complicated question. Makenzie sits down with August to unpack pleasure, purity culture, and the masturbation experience that made her realize her sexuality didn’t depend on anyone else. From Mormon loopholes to porn moves nobody actually wanted, the conversation ends with a simple challenge: look at what you learned about sex, and what nobody ever taught you.
RESOURCES:
Planned Parenthood: https://weareplannedparenthoodaction.org (https://weareplannedparenthoodaction.org)
Scarleteen: https://scarleteen.com (https://scarleteen.com)
AUGUST:
IG: https://instagram.com/augustmclaughlin (https://instagram.com/augustmclaughlin)
Website: https://augustmclaughlin.com (https://augustmclaughlin.com)
Girl Boner Radio: https://augustmclaughlin.com/podcast (https://augustmclaughlin.com/podcast)
MAK:
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell (https://tiktok.com/@makenziemizell)
IG: https://instagram.com/makenziemizell (https://instagram.com/makenziemizell)
Patreon: https://patreon.com/makenziemizell (https://patreon.com/makenziemizell)
Website: https://makenziemizell.com (https://makenziemizell.com)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - What is sex?
03:40 - Sexual Pleasure
05:22 - Performance Culture
08:05 - August’s Story
09:53 - Personal Discovery
13:43 - Sexual Shame
15:50 - Religious Messages
19:50 - Purity Culture
23:50 - Ethical Porn
26:34 - How to Make It Better
28:37 - Where to Find August
27 May 2026
Don’t Make It Worse (Trailer) — with August McLaughlin
Enjoy this sample of the first episode of Don't Make It Worse, featuring sex educator August McLaughlin. Full episodes begin Wednesday June 4, with new episodes every Wednesday after that.
Find August online at @augustmclaughlin (https://www.instagram.com/augustmclaughlin/)
Follow Mak on TikTok at @makenziemizell (https://www.tiktok.com/@makenziemizell)
Visit MakenzieMizell.com (https://makenziemizell.com/)
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