Why Here

About Why Here

A liberal arts degree guarantees you nothing, besides a sense of entitlement and the nerve to think that you could somehow start a critically acclaimed podcast. Enter Why Here, a show independently produced and hosted by Tristan McAllister and Benton Whitley, two millennials and constant over thinkers who have spent their adult lives learning how little they actually know about the world around them. What manifests is a narrative as much about origin as it is about finding a destination. Through cultural commentary and interviews with friends and strangers the two uncover the complicated and inspiring stories that led us all here.

Publisher

Benton Whitley and Tristan McAllister

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 May 2020

Latest episode

5 Nov 2021

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2021

   Episode 3.4 - The Biggest Winner (Bob Harper)

   Bob Harper is a reality TV legend (trust us, we remember being mesmerized by his hotness in primetime). The globally known fashionista, photographer, author and celebrity trainer starred first as a fitness coach on NBC’s The Biggest Loser and then as a host in the revival of the series. This, in turn, has thrust him to a special kind of stardom. His whole world nearly collapsed four years ago when, while in peak shape, he fell to a gym floor after suffering a heart attack. On this week’s epis...

2. 

   22 Oct 2021

   Episode 3.3 - How To Be an Icon (Mx. Justin Vivian Bond)

   We don't use the term icon loosely. But if singer, actor, activist and author Mx. Justin Vivian Bond (Viv for short) aren’t deserving, then no one we know is. As an NYC entertainment mainstay, their stage performances, sultry vocals and searing humor have kept a generation of New Yorkers in check. On this episode of Why Here, they explain what it was like trying to make people pay attention to pronouns decades ago, share how they intend to "sleigh" Christmas this year and respond to the trans...

3. 

   15 Oct 2021

   Episode 3.2 - Queer & Trans in Afghanistan (Qais Munhazim)

   As a child in Afghanistan, Qais Munhazim says their queerness was something they were allowed to embrace. For many other queer and trans Afghans, Qais suggests it's a similar story. Still, the Taliban's recent return to power has left the fates of women, trans and queer people in question. On this week's episode, Qais helps us learn what everyday life holds for LGBTQ+ Afghans, how the world's perception of the country is often tainted and what it's like to move from a queer life in Afghanista...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

80 ratings

Contact Why Here

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.