Sometimes our shows just start with a bang—or with a yank.
We set the tone for today right out of the gate, with Lawrence recounting a weekend highlight involving nose-hair waxing, Milwaukee pliers, and the strange relief that comes after voluntarily doing something that sounds far more painful than it is.
People may come for the news and political analysis, but apparently they stay for the friendship—and the grooming anecdotes.
From there, we shifted into two big announcements:
💙 An Open Letter to Defend Democracy and the First Amendment
We talked about an open letter of demands spearheaded by Blue Amp Media in response to the recent arrests of journalists and activists, including Don Lemon.
Lawrence laid out why the arrests were such a serious First Amendment warning sign, how clearly they’re tied to voter suppression ahead of the midterms, and why simply posting outrage online isn’t enough anymore. The letter calls for charges to be dropped and urges people to add their names as a way to turn collective concern into real political pressure.
Read it, restack it, and if it resonates: Add your name to the list.
✍🏼 Introducing the I Write Out Loud project.
I Write Out Loud is a new home for my creative nonfiction writing, past and present. It’s a singular, beautiful space for my work, in my own voice, and out in the world. I consider it my act of creative defiance. Our world may be burning, but we still should—no, we must—keep sharing our art, words, music, power, all of it.
I plan to share a new one (nearly) every day for at least 88 days—and then it will live on as the forever home for my work.
My first essay is a brand new one, called The Men Who Still Open Me, and it went live this morning.
Announcements out of the way, we welcomed our very special guest, Bob Cesca, host of The Bob Cesca Show and co-creator of Trek Politics with Mary Trump. Bob, who is a good friend of one of our favorites, The Opinionated Ogre, brought warmth, humor, and depth to the conversation.
Bob wove together Star Trek lore, political allegory, and the very real stakes of living and speaking openly under an increasingly authoritarian climate.
He also talked candidly about Mary Trump’s courage, the toll of being in the direct line of fire of her uncle’s power, and the broader anxiety so many of us carry now about visibility, retaliation, and accountability.
The conversation ranged from “ favorites to oligarchy, gun violence, and the dangers of unchecked wealth, always circling back to the same question: how do we keep showing up, telling the truth, and protecting each other?
We closed on a lighter note, asking Bob our favorite Gen X question. His answer,“Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” felt just right for a morning that balanced humor, fear, resolve, and the strange comfort of shared cultural touchstones.
Thank you Kait Justice, Nick Paro, The Opinionated Ogre, Polly Walker Blakemore, Jason Odell, Yanni Hamburger, Cat, Rachel @ This Woman Votes and Karen Marie Shelton for moderating The Whatever chat. Have a great weekend everyone!
We’ll be back bright and early on Tuesday for The Daily Whatever Show with our guest Teri Leigh 💜
We love you all—truly!—mean it.
