Flipping the Script is a podcast all about Bay Area life, culture, and politics. From the history of Oakland sideshows to the South Bay's public transportation, host Rahul Ray tackles the big questions and even bigger guests as he interviews local politicians, business owners, and educators to keep you up to date on social issues from all over the Bay Area and beyond. Feminism, skateboarding, gun control, small businesses-- Flipping the Script has it all.
"We shouldn't have to live like this, and we don't have to die like this."
On the show's longest episode to date, Rahul is joined by Mariya Hodge, a volunteer from Moms Demand Action, to discuss the show's most serious topic yet: gun violence in our communities. The two provide an emotional and data-driven breakdown of the problems facing the American public, from mass shootings and suicides to federal assault weapon bans and the problematic gun lobby in our government.
Everytown: www.everytown.org (https://www.everytown.org/?source=ggnp_br&refcode=ggnp_br_donate_broad&utm_medium=p&utm_campaign=br&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23017859488&gclid=CjwKCAjwmNLHBhA4EiwA3ts3mcTmBfVt8souThisTjc_8VPyHM_WCaFdQZgZBtl45Z53HWFczlNFLhoCvNIQAvD_BwE)
Moms Demand Action: https://momsdemandaction.org (https://momsdemandaction.org)
Students Demand Action: https://studentsdemandaction.org (https://studentsdemandaction.org)
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a related crisis, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 now.
12 Oct 2025
San Jose's Skateboarding Scene
In part two of his interview with Wheelbite Skateshop owner Andy Alvarez and local skateboarder Jonny Baker, Rahul dives deeper into the politics of the San Jose skateboarding scene, breaking down the persisting cultural significance of San Jose and California as a whole to a culture that is rapidly globalizing, as well as analyzing the city's response to skateboarders and their exploits throughout San Jose's famous skate spots.
5 Oct 2025
Skateboarding, Stigmas, and Small Businesses
"We're human beings, just like everyone else."
In the first half of this two-part interview, Rahul dives into the San Jose skateboarding scene, talking with Andy Alvarez, the owner of Wheelbite Skateshop in Downtown SJ, and LA film student Jonny Baker, a local skater from East Side San Jose. The three delve into the passion many locals have for their sport and the ins and outs of running a skateshop. Poser culture, harmful stereotypes, psychological and social benefits for at-risk youth, and local policies are all topics of discussion this week, showing that for some, skateboarding is more than just four wheels and a wooden plank.
31 Aug 2025
Tackling the Homelessness Crisis
Exploring the prevalence of homelessness here in the Bay Area and the rampant criminalization of poverty, Rahul is joined by Kelly Vazquez, the Chief Operating Officer at HomeFirst, a local nonprofit dedicated to fighting homelessness by providing service and aid to families in crisis across Santa Clara and Sonoma County. In the episode, the two discuss the work HomeFirst does for the community, the root causes of homelessness, the history of policies impacting social work, and the unfair legal frameworks many homeless people face today.
24 Aug 2025
Feminism and Pop Culture
On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Santa Clara University's Dr. Mukta Sharangpani, a feminist scholar, for a discussion on the impact of feminism on today's media. From literature to video games, the two analyze how women are portrayed in both Western and South Asian media, breaking down the debate over "woke" characters, the evolution of female archetypes, and the writing of inclusive stories in the modern world.
17 Aug 2025
Reinventing the Tenderloin (ft. Bilal Mahmood)
Fifty blocks. 3,000 children. Almost no groceries.
The Tenderloin has long been plagued by a myriad of issues, from homelessness to the fentanyl crisis, but on this week's episode, San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood joins Rahul as the two discuss ways in which changes are coming to the neighborhood, as well as the rich culture that continues to flow through its diverse streets.
3 Aug 2025
How Do We Interpret American History? (ft. Libra Hilde)
Rahul and guest Libra Hilde, the History Department Chair at San Jose State University, unpack the complicated concept of American history in the modern context on this week's episode. The two discuss varying interpretations of the Civil War and Reconstruction, regional differences in historical understanding, the subjectivity of revisionism, and what it truly means to be a patriot.
27 Jul 2025
All About Oakland Culture (ft. Janani Ramachandran)
On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Oakland's District 4 City Councilmember, Janani Ramachandran, the youngest councilmember in the city's history. The two discuss Oakland's current state, talking about the future of sports in the city, all sorts of cultural events taking over the streets this year, and the future of Oakland's politics as a new generation of leaders takes the helm.
NOTE: Episodes are recorded several days or weeks in advance. Dates referenced do not necessarily refer to days in relation to the episode's release date.
20 Jul 2025
The Bay Area Music Scene
In part two of his interview with Melodrama Records co-founder Nikhil Dutta, also known by the stage name nowoe, Rahul dives into the local music scene in the Bay, asking about local artists, venues, social media, and more. The two explore the evolution of the music scene, the journey of music production, and the networking needed to find success in the local scene.
nowoe: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2LqvujvrWek5akOvEnZIu6?si=7dd189cde64d436f
13 Jul 2025
What's Going on in Our Classrooms?
On this week's episode, Rahul is joined by Nikhil Dutta, a math teacher based in the Bay Area who also produces music. As the two discuss the current state of the education system, Nikhil explains the experience of becoming an educator, policies that impact both teachers and students, and most jarringly, the disparity between schools across the Bay.
6 Jul 2025
Transit and Racial Equity
"Who is this built for?" is a question that has long defined the Bay Area's complicated urban planning, and it's one that Rahul attempts to answer alongside this episode's guest, Ky-Nam Miller. Ky-Nam, an equity officer working at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, breaks down the intersection between race relations and public policy, inequality and urban planning, and how Bay Area public transit continues to evolve in today's rapidly changing world.
NOTE: Any interviews conducted on this show are the personal views of only the guests interviewed and are not remarks made on behalf of any affiliated organizations.
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