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It seems like there's a bunch of people who *weren't* so crazy about the final iteration of Invisibilia, but for those of you who liked that new direction, Yowei has a new show called Proxy. Different vibe, but same sort of content, i.e. reporting on psychology, sociology, etc. I for one like it, and it seems to be getting some positive buzz.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/proxy-with-yowei-shaw/id1746433334

I was super excited once I heard a few episodes of Season 1 after finding out about this podcast a few months ago. It quickly became one of my favorite podcasts. I knew SOMETHING happened at some point between the seasons because people would tell me "Enjoy it while it is good." and various things like that.

Season 4 was okay enough to keep listening to even though it then became a "I have nothing else to listen to I will put this on." Then I heard "The Callout".

I couldn't understand how Emily was getting such a supportive edit about how rough she had it being deplatformed from her scene. She did the same exact thing to her BEST FRIEND for something a lot less worse than what she did, and SHE called him out, not a stranger. It was clear that woman had crocodile tears. She only cared she was called out, not that she did it. It was honestly the most pathetic podcast I ever listened to... Until "A Very Offensive Romcom".

"She needed to decolonize her desire. Fight back against centuries of racist US policies, western colonialism, and way too many romantic comedies starring moderately attractive white guys. She was going to sleep her way out of her prejudices." (@ 26:37 on s05e05)

I legit can't even listen to the rest of this episode. I have deleted the podcast from my app, apologized to my friends and family I recommended this podcast to when I was halfway through season 1.

I just don't understand. Why did the two original hosts leave? I think one is a contributing editor on This American Life and the other one has the same title on Radiolab with one of them doing a podcast for kids.

Did they choose to leave? Has anyone else stopped listening? Has anyone that started listening to the podcast at Season 1 still listening?

Or am I just completely wrong?

Fuck.

This is an older episode from 2020, but honestly I still can't quit thinking about it, and I'm wondering if any of you remember it as well. I loved Invisiblia, but since this episode I couldn't shake how bothered I was by their takeaway.

Here's the synopsis: "Welcome to what is possibly the most tense and uncomfortable summer program in America! The Boston-based program aims to teach the next generation the real truth about race, and may provide some ideas for the rest of us about the right way to confront someone to their face."

Mainly what I remember about this episode is that it is about a program for kids to talk about race. The kids, white and black, start out playing games together, all laughing and getting along. But then the adult leader brings up how oppressed the black kids still are in society, and eventually gets them to start chanting "Fuck white people" over and over. So...good vibes over. Tense vibes start!

The program starts hemorrhaging white kids (I wonder why) until eventually it's just a bunch of black kids and one white girl who's trying to "do the work" or something. Well, at the end, this white girl gets up and gives a speech about her white privilege but it still isn't good enough for the black kids and they all start berating her until she goes and cries in the bathroom. The host of Invisibilia feels very protective of this girl, and when she attempts to try and comfort her, the girl basically says she clearly still has work to do in understanding what it's like to be black in America. The host then gives a speech in which my takeaway was that she found this girl's white guilt admirable.

This episode was enabling such toxic, racist behavior that I found it downright crazy and I haven't honestly felt like listening to the pod since. These kids were integrated, feeling good and laughing together, forming bonds and relationships. And this "fuck white people" program snuffed out that progress and basically brainwashed them to judge and alienate their fellow humans based on skin color, leading to more segregation.

I felt so exasperated and infuriated by the coddling of this insanity.

Ok, rant over.

Hmm

That's all. I just had to say it.

Admittedly, I haven't listened to the past couple seasons yet. I do listen to a lot of other podcasts.

Is the season over or are they just on hiatus?

hello, can someone tell me a summary of that episode because i watched it twice but i still somehow don't get it lol.

What am I even listening to. The beginning discussion about a boring story was foreshadowing. I’m not even a harsh critic of the new episodes but this one was extraordinarily boring.

This is the smoothest hustle that I’ve ever seen. It would even make Joel Osteen blush.

As a long-time podcast and NPR listener I found the change in hosts for this show refreshing. I like the way they sound, and I like the Stockton story they're digging into.

Also, the admins for this subreddit should change the "about community" description to reflect the change in hosts.

Found this final episode almost unlistenable.

The journalist sounds blindingly naive, and her perspective was idiotic and condescending to the people of Stockton (who deserve much more than to be used as pawns in a sociopath’s empire building and Machiavellian campaigns of influence).

There was zero mention of integrity in the podcast, despite supposedly being about the ethics of journalism and the media, nor that 209 Times should aspire to perhaps more than tabloid hackery.

Motec sounded malevolent, but that was, again, ignored by the journalist in favor of spouting woke buzzwords about inequality and racism.

And even the take on the fight, and the guy waving guns around in photos, making threats, and starting fights in the street... i mean, Yowei seemed to simply shrug off this instance of genuine violence as “shit happens”. As if starting fights in the street to a guy walking with his girlfriend DOESN’T deserve to be a criminal act!

This podcast is far from the original quality of the podcast. I’ve unsubscribed.

I should start out by saying that I agree with most of the critiques of the recent episodes. I don't think they've been stellar and I do think the first one or two seasons were better.

BUT.

The show was getting really weird and almost farcical prior to this season. Who remembers the episode they did on the four year old who could magically remember past lives that no one could verify had ever happened?

At its outset, I think the show tried to straddle some line between This American Life and Radiolab--a science show about things that affect us all. Rational, and also human. That's not an easy recipe but to make it harder the show also purported to report on the "invisible forces that control human behavior," which, while obviously is a thing, gets very much into woo woo "science" if not handled with care.

To be honest, I'd rather have a show about some weirdo reporter/political disrupter in a town I don't live in than hear about someone's past life. Is it great journalism? Eh, probably not. Should it have been a single hour? Probably. But again, it beats hearing about a four year old's past lives when literally a million reasons can be offered for why he probably isn't the reincarnation of anyone.

Again, not trying to start any fights here and if you're displeased with this season, I get it but ... something about the initial trajectory of the show just seemed inherently unsustainable and if this is what the show is now, I'm OK with that. I can appreciate a good soap opera podcast.

Don't know about you guys, but I'm done after this episode. Not a journalistic train wreck like episode 1, but just not interesting. No more special spark left in this show. :(

My immediate reaction to seeing this in my Spotify stream was "oh god nooo 🤦‍♂️", knowing how off-the-rails/divisive this first episode was, I knew this episode could easily cause a shit-storm with larger audiences.

But I noticed it was much shorter (22 min) than the original and decided to listen-in. It's interesting how they remixed this episode in a more critical approach.

Here's Code Switch's show notes on the episode:

Two friends living in Vermont decided to try a radical experiment: They asked White people in their community to give money directly to their Black neighbors — a DIY, hyper-local "reparations" program, of sorts. Our friends at the Invisibilia podcast took a look at how the community reacted, for better and for worse.

Wondering what's yall's thoughts on these "remixes" if you've listened?

A lot of people gave the first episode shit for not "pushing back" in the interviews, but clearly the team could have produce a more balanced episode if they wanted to.

The original episode had me scratching at my head (and ears) - I both admired the boldness of the experimental-ness of the narrative, while also hating they way it ended without deeper discussion/critique. These "remixed" episodes at least scratched that itch, a tiny bit.

The podcast “Eat the Rich” made a farcical mockery of the important and complicated reparation topic. As I listened to the founders and the journalist justification regarding the “white people pay black people campaign ” - scenes of Showtimes - Shameless - kept coming to mind. Frank Gallagher’s bizarre rationalization for his many swindles while blaming society for his poverty, health, and any other undesirable circumstance.

“You see, this is the point I'm making with the liberal elite. In the war between the have-nots and the have-everything's, their guilt is our ammunition. Never forget that.”

Creating an effective mechanism to heal, repair and restore the integrity of people injured by past injustice warrants a deep investigation. Slinging money as a single solution, offers only a shallow and immature approach to reparation.

I hope Invisibilia will returned to quality shows of former seasons.

Uh idk misinformation exists and a local politician might have lost because of it.

First episode of a new season. Two new co-hosts. I'm only a quarter in but this is sounding a lot like TAL or post-2016 Radiolab.

I was looking for a discussion post on today’s episode but ... the last post is eighty days old?

Anyway. I’m curious about anyone’s thoughts on today’s episode, eat the rich.

Thanks!

I really fucking hated this episode. I was hoping I could come to the Internet snd find criticism of it and it looks like Reddit doesn’t disappoint. Yowei is a biased author with a sleazy shitty white boyfriend whom I hope she leaves, so that’s already kind of a bad place to start. Then there’s claiming to tackle race in dating but then only actually talking about white-Asian dynamics. (If it had claimed to be about white-Asian dynamics only that would be another thing.) then L’s whole method and worldview was so DEEPLY fucked up and while Yowei criticized it a LITTLE, she didn’t offer any strong counterpoints or THE VOICES OF THE MEN L USED???? The Black men L used as her shitty weird creepy experiment???? Fucking Disturbing. Hated that shit. Also imagine being a straight woman being like “if the person looked Latinx” bro you’re clearly cishet4cishet you can Say Latino. But that’s just a side note.

Then the RATS which... was Bad. I was hoping they’d have a different scientist’s voice on afterwards but was sorely disappointed. Most humans first experience with orgasm-on-purpose isn’t even at the hands of another human, and you let a “scientist” talk about sexuality-forming experiences without even touching parent/child and sibling/sibling stuff? (Don’t boo me, I’m right.)

The one thing I did like was the interrogation of the legal history of framing East Asian(-Americans) as (un)dateable objects for white Americans, but presenting it with racist sound bites was gauche.

The episode mostly just left me feeling Bad.

Which side do y'all stand on?