Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 27:36
It's been 20 years since Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise changed the face of reality T.V. In this special bonus episode, former Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss joins…
Sep 25, 2026 · 36:10
The film review app Letterboxd is a social hub for movie fans everywhere. But has democratizing criticism somehow lowered the bar, or is this the last truly great social media…
Sep 18, 2026 · 47:43
With The Disappearers, Marlon James has written an explicit and violent epic that’s been called “the novel of the decade, if not the century." He joins the party to talk about…
Sep 11, 2026 · 30:49
Nepo babies have sparked debate for years, but chart-topping singer-songwriter Stella Lefty, who also happens to be the daughter of a billionaire, is reigniting the conversation.…
Sep 4, 2026 · 38:01
The internet is full of dating horror stories and think pieces the death of traditional romance. It’s a concept built for virality. But is the moral panic real? Audie and Ari…
Aug 28, 2026 · 38:24
Television's golden age is over, replaced by one that’s decidedly more, as they say, “mid.” Audie and Ari weigh in on whether TV really got worse, the industry's post-prestige…
Aug 21, 2026 · 32:12
This week, the internet turned its eyes to an annual 2020s tradition: watching freshman girls rush sororities at big Southern state schools via an endless stream of social…
Aug 14, 2026 · 42:23
As generational warfare feeds TV scripts from Beef to Hacks, Emmy nominee Lauren Weedman joins the party to talk about hanging with Gen Z on the Hacks set, the art of scene…
Aug 7, 2026 · 39:11
"Choosin’ Texas" broke the Billboard charts – so why can’t we all agree it’s the Song of Summer? Audie breaks down why the answer may say more about the state of the music…
Jul 31, 2026 · 35:07
Writer and chef Eddie Huang joins the party for a conversation about "sad boy" literature, finding love, and the worst relationship advice he's ever received. Like what you…
Jul 24, 2026 · 47:40
The '90s are everywhere these days — clothes, music, TV — and brands are doing everything they can to capitalize on the revival. Audie and Ari explore what’s driving the modern…
Jul 17, 2026 · 38:19
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey isn't just a movie — it's an event. Audie and Ari sift through the hype, backlash, and what the online chatter says about the cultural moment.…
Jul 10, 2026 · 32:27
Meta’s trying hard to sell people on its AI glasses, but will partnering with Ray-Ban and celebrities like Kylie Jenner let them shed the pervasive take that they’re creepy and…
Jul 3, 2026 · 39:23
Is this officially the summer of peptides and celebrity weddings? Audie and Ari consider what Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback means for the rise of GLP-1s and the evolution…
Jun 26, 2026 · 41:49
From pop stars like Rosalía and Lilly Allen in habits to nuns blessing Spurs players and praise for the “woke Pope,” Catholicism is in, and everywhere. But is it just about the…
Jun 19, 2026 · 39:34
Amazon's wildly popular "Off Campus" is just the latest in a parade of BookTok-beloved titles to gain new fans as streaming shows, and the pairing of explicit sex and non-toxic…
Jun 12, 2026 · 40:39
"Obsession" and "Backrooms" are breaking box office records. Audie and Ari dissect both films' YouTube origins, the secrets of their success, and why the whole horror genre is…
Jun 10, 2026 · 50:32
What are the pieces of pop culture — movies, music, TV, books, speeches — that you return to over and over again? Sam Sanders calls them “Modern Scriptures,” and on the latest…
Jun 5, 2026 · 39:19
The racially charged love triangle drama on the long-running reality series "Summer House" has echoed far beyond the Bravo-verse, and Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro are unpacking…
May 29, 2026 · 28:52
From PopTarts to soda, food brands are adding protein to almost everything, and people are going to gross lengths online to get enough of it, from the stars of Netflix show "Love…
May 22, 2026 · 33:39
Season three of HBO’s 'Euphoria' is coming to a close, and its characters...are not teens anymore. Neither are the stars. From Zendaya to Sydney Sweeney to Jacob Elordi, the cast…
Apr 30, 2026 · 32:52
Capitol Hill has a new kind of journalist: TMZ, the tabloid news powerhouse known for its scoops and celebrity paparazzi coverage. Audie sits down with Jacob Wasserman,…
Apr 23, 2026 · 31:52
Ramy Youssef has spent the past decade building a career that spans TV, stand-up, film and has even landed some big awards. Now, with the release of his third comedy special, In…
Apr 16, 2026 · 25:06
Artemis II returns from its historic mission to the far side of the moon, inspiring millions during an otherwise tense news cycle. Astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi joins Audie to…
Apr 9, 2026 · 25:47
The manosphere isn’t fringe anymore. It’s mainstream, political and hard to ignore. Louis Theroux’s latest Netflix documentary “Inside the Manosphere” arrives after a decade-long…
Apr 2, 2026 · 27:17
From birth charts to astrology apps, we have an enduring fascination with what the stars can tell us. Audie sits down with Astrologers Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas to talk…
Mar 26, 2026 · 37:08
One man’s journey from suburban dad to self-described “degenerate gambler.” The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins joins Audie to recount how he spent $10,000 of his employer’s…
Mar 19, 2026 · 30:25
From Camelot-era glamour to RFK Jr.’s viral moments, the Kennedys have a way of reflecting the cultural mood of any given time. That pattern is resurfacing again—with a buzzy FX…
Mar 12, 2026 · 30:32
This year’s Oscars race has been great for film and weird for discourse. There’s the friendly Best Picture duel between two crowd-pleasing films from the same studio. The acting…
Mar 5, 2026 · 28:51
Are work spouses actually a thing? And what turns a desk-mate into a ride-or-die? In this special episode of The Assignment, Audie Cornish reunites with former work husband and…
Feb 26, 2026 · 30:19
Actor Ken Leung is no stranger to the toxic male archetype. He embodies it as Eric Tao, the ruthless baseball-bat-carrying trading floor bully he plays on HBO’s “Industry.” Leung…
Feb 19, 2026 · 28:48
Let’s talk about professional sex. Audie sits down with Yehuda Duenyas, a SAG-AFTRA Hollywood intimacy coordinator, to go behind the scenes of how physical romance is…
Feb 12, 2026 · 25:29
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show is still resonating as fans celebrate his history-making rise from Puerto Rico to global dominance. Audie is joined by journalist Suzy…
Feb 5, 2026 · 26:17
The fashion season is officially underway. Celebrities are strolling the award show red carpets and models are strutting the runways in Paris and Milan. CNN Senior Style Reporter…
Jan 29, 2026 · 26:34
This year marks a milestone for Millennials: the youngest of the cohort finally turns 30. So what comes next for the first generation of true digital natives now that they have…
Jan 22, 2026 · 22:05
The Winter Olympics kick off Feb. 6 in Northern Italy—and the politics may steal the show. The U.S. may face boos, especially as it squares off with Denmark in hockey amid…
Jan 17, 2026 · 26:56
Audie is joined by longtime friend and former NPR colleague Ari Shapiro for a special episode they’re calling Engagement Party – a chance to finally talk on-mic about the culture…
Jan 15, 2026 · 24:01
Arguably the first viral moment of 2026 is an essay about a “toxic” group of mom friends. Actor and singer Ashley Tisdale French wrote an essay for New York Magazine’s The Cut…
Jan 8, 2026 · 24:51
It may be a new year, but one of 2025's most unexpected hits isn’t done with us yet. Heated Rivalry, the TV adaptation of a spicy romance novel about two hockey players, has…
Jan 1, 2026 · 35:11
After a head-spinning year in the worlds of health and technology, Audie invited Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the host of Chasing Life, and Clare Duffy from Terms of Service, to break down…
Dec 18, 2025 · 23:41
As families gather for the holidays and political differences resurface, we revisit Audie's conversation with psychologist Joshua Coleman, who breaks down why partisan divides…
Dec 11, 2025 · 20:39
What was this year in pop culture like? A scrappy Canadian gay hockey romance becomes the internet’s obsession while big-budget, star-packed shows are dwindling. AI rage-bait…
Dec 4, 2025 · 27:00
Audie talks with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan about how people are reshaping their spiritual lives -- from Wicca to aliens -- and searching for new sources of meaning. Donie is…
Nov 27, 2025 · 17:04
Will an uncertain economy lead to less charitable giving this holiday season? And what if you want to give back but don’t have a lot of money? Audie talks with Sara Herschander,…
Nov 20, 2025 · 24:28
Missed car payments, crowdfunding for groceries, prices rising on everything from rent to hummus — everyday signs that something in the economy feels...tense. But the official…
Nov 13, 2025 · 40:12
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led her country through some of its greatest crises: the Christchurch mass shooting, a deadly volcano eruption, and a global…
Nov 6, 2025 · 1:03:16
This week, Audie sits on the other side of the mic and talks about her favorite show, “Love is Blind.” Her conversation is with Anne Helen Petersen on her podcast “Culture…
Oct 30, 2025 · 24:55
Over the past decade, horror has evolved from cheap thrills to cultural reflection—tackling everything from systemic oppression to collective trauma. Audie talks with writer and…
Oct 23, 2025 · 27:39
With New York City’s mayoral election fast approaching, one candidate in particular has managed to break through the noise — even outside the five boroughs. Zohran Mamdani, the…
Oct 16, 2025 · 25:17
The WNBA just wrapped its most-watched season in history, with soaring team valuations and unprecedented public interest. But the league is preparing for possible labor tension…
Oct 9, 2025 · 31:07
Film director Raoul Peck grew up in Haiti and the Congo, and is no stranger to authoritarianism. So it was an easy “yes” when he was offered access to author George Orwell’s…
Oct 2, 2025 · 37:30
This week The Assignment presents the first episode of CNN’s powerful narrative series, Tortured Justice with Omar Jimenez. It’s the story of systemic torture carried out by the…
Sep 25, 2025 · 28:06
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to TV after being suspended for his comments on Charlie Kirk's assassination. It was the latest sign of political pressure shaping the media…
Sep 18, 2025 · 26:10
Charlie Kirk’s assassination may be part of a larger “political realignment” in America, that’s according to Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for…
Sep 11, 2025 · 27:17
Social media doesn’t just decide what you see — it shapes how you speak. Audie talks to linguist, author and educational influencer, Adam Aleksic to explore how the way we…
Sep 4, 2025 · 24:51
One of the biggest shows of the summer was Netflix’s “Hunting Wives,” a raunchy, soapy thriller about gun-toting Texas housewives. It’s the latest hit in a growing wave of…
Aug 28, 2025 · 27:19
It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. But for many, the storm is not just a memory, it’s an inheritance. At Be Loud Studios, an after-school program…
Aug 21, 2025 · 22:57
Dating apps are reporting record breaking numbers. Yet surveys show people across generations and sexualities are partnering less, having less sex, and are feeling increasingly…
Aug 14, 2025 · 26:49
Audie talks with artist and organizer Kennedy McDaniel about how she, and others in her generation -- Gen Z -- are finding connection and power offline through an old school…
Aug 7, 2025 · 35:58
Kamala Harris is stepping back. And Jasmine Crockett – the fiery Texas congresswoman known for viral clapbacks – is turning heads. This week, Audie asks: are “respectability…
Jul 31, 2025 · 27:55
We’re living in a golden age of yachts, bunkers, and ultra-wealth – and social media is eating it up. Audie talks with journalist and author Evan Osnos about what this era…
Jul 24, 2025 · 25:46
In the early 2000s, girlhood became a spectacle. It was sold through reality TV, tabloid scandals, and the early Internet. And it’s still shaping the way we see women today.…
Jul 17, 2025 · 26:33
President Trump's megabill sets Immigration and Customs Enforcement up to be the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency. Journalist Garrett Graff tells Audie how a…
Jul 10, 2025 · 25:38
These days, the toy industry isn’t all fun and games. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks sits down with Audie to talk about how trade wars and culture wars are shaping the state of play in…
Jul 3, 2025 · 26:42
Star Trek legend George Takei has spent a lifetime confronting injustice: his family was sent to internment camps during World War II, he fought for civil rights in the 60’s, and…
Jun 26, 2025 · 30:17
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski spent the past two decades making a name for herself as a Republican who regularly straddles party lines. In a new book, Far from Home, Murkowski…
Jun 19, 2025 · 33:43
Just a few years ago, ‘body positivity’ was everywhere. Then came Ozempic. Audie talks with Virginia Sole-Smith, who spent the past decade writing about ‘diet culture.’ She…
Jun 12, 2025 · 27:57
Protest has long been a tool for change in American life. But in an age of political gridlock and viral outrage, what actually works? Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible—…
Jun 5, 2025 · 35:21
Some companies just build products. Others build empires — with innovative leaders who inspire fierce devotion. But when does innovation become something more like faith? Tech…
May 29, 2025 · 33:57
Should you put your DoorDash burrito on a payment plan? Probably not. But Klarna co-founder and CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski argues the rise of "buy now, pay later" -- or BNPL --…
May 22, 2025 · 31:32
As Sean “Diddy” Combs stands trial in New York, the music industry is reckoning with a hard truth: how did he stay untouchable for so long? Music journalist Sowmya…
May 15, 2025 · 32:54
Conspiracy theories are not new. They’re as old as time itself. But if you feel like they’re everywhere right now, you’re not alone. So, what do you do when somebody you love has…
May 8, 2025 · 34:36
Catholicism is having a moment. The election of a new pope set social media buzzing with silly songs and comedy sketches, fantasy pope drafts and power rankings, and last year’s…
May 1, 2025 · 30:30
It’s been called a ‘romantic recession.’ Has love and dating always been this hard? Orna Guralnik, a psychoanalyst and star of Showtime’s Couples Therapy, says she’s seeing…
Apr 24, 2025 · 33:03
The White House Correspondents Dinner takes place this weekend with at least one notable absence: comedy. Standup comic W. Kamau Bell visits Audie to talk about the tough…
Apr 17, 2025 · 28:22
The fallout continues from the president’s so-called “Liberation Day,” with the on-again off-again global tariffs and the rising tensions with China. This all has the financial…
Apr 10, 2025 · 38:37
Artificial Intelligence can be difficult to understand, but a few things are certain: it's here, it's reshaping entire industries, and it's making a lot of people nervous. Audie…
Apr 3, 2025 · 39:54
Detaining foreign students over their activism is the “kind of policy that ends democracies.” That’s what Jameel Jaffer tells Audie this week. He’s a law professor and Executive…
Mar 27, 2025 · 30:06
What’s the way out of the political wilderness for Democrats? The mayor of Chicago says look to his city “leading the way in this moment around the value system that the people…
Mar 20, 2025 · 28:41
For decades, college athletes made millions for everyone but themselves. Now, the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness policy, NIL, has changed the game. Audie dives into the chaos…
Mar 13, 2025 · 29:00
Sweeping cuts are throwing America’s national parks and forests into uncertainty. With fewer rangers, trail crews, and wildfire fighters, the effects could be immediate — closed…
Mar 6, 2025 · 37:26
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal. Now, he’s back and running for mayor of New York City. And he’s not the only…
Feb 27, 2025 · 33:57
A growing number of tech leaders, conservatives, and social influencers believe falling birthrates pose an existential threat to civilization, and this “pro-natalist” movement…
Feb 20, 2025 · 32:27
The Oscars aren’t just about the movies—they’re about politics, too. Audie talks with New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman, author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in…
Feb 13, 2025 · 32:31
Raw milk, seed oil skepticism, and...coffee enemas? The rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the conservative “Make America Healthy Again” movement is reclaiming what it means to be…
Feb 6, 2025 · 42:04
President Trump put Elon Musk in charge of government efficiency and the result has been nonstop chaos and trauma for civil servants. Audie talks with WIRED reporter Vittoria…
Jan 30, 2025 · 30:53
In the wake of Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration, Audie talks with Rev. Gabriel Salguero about how faith leaders are navigating the call to provide support and…
Jan 23, 2025 · 30:55
"Dry January" is evolving into something more than a 4-week virtue signal. American attitudes about drinking are changing, especially among younger generations who are drinking…
Jan 16, 2025 · 35:19
Peter Kalmus left California two years ago in part because of his concerns about hotter days and increasing wildfires. Today, his former neighborhood of Altadena is one of the…
Jan 9, 2025 · 25:47
Donald Trump’s reelection has some people putting politics over family. Audie talks with psychologist Joshua Coleman about the forces driving family estrangements over political…
Jan 2, 2025 · 52:09
It’s a very special New Year episode for The Assignment: a conversation with Emmy-winning comedian and writer Samantha Bee about the state of politics and how she’s engaging with…
Dec 19, 2024 · 29:17
The cost of your clothes could go up if Donald Trump implements promised tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. Audie talks with Christina Binkley, editor-at-large for…
Dec 12, 2024 · 21:28
The killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, and the arrest of his alleged killer, has been met with online memes, TikTok songs, and even celebration. So how does the response…
Dec 5, 2024 · 30:42
Senator-elect Andy Kim’s rise in politics has been anything but conventional. In 2020, he was one of seven Democratic congressmen who won a district also won by Donald Trump. In…
Dec 2, 2024 · 34:11
Anthony Scaramucci is synonymous with the rough and tumble world of an incoming Trump Administration, and the perfect person to talk with about what it’s like to be in Donald…
Nov 28, 2024 · 31:16
New technologies like artificial intelligence, facial recognition and social media algorithms are changing our world so fast it can be hard to keep up. That’s why The Assignment…
Nov 21, 2024 · 27:51
Would you prefer to feel morally righteous, or to win? Audie talks with Adam Jentleson, who wants all Democrats to consider that question and adjust their tactics accordingly.…
Nov 14, 2024 · 30:12
Lifelong Republicans who passionately resisted Trump are now grappling with how to move forward. Audie talks with political strategist and publisher of The Bulwark, Sarah…
Nov 6, 2024 · 36:43
The Republican Party had the strongest showing among Latinos in decades, particularly Latino men. CNN’s national exit poll found Trump won 54 percent of Latino men compared to…
Nov 4, 2024 · 33:15
With just hours before election day, we’re returning to a handful of people who represent a crucial voter segment: unhappy Pennsylvania Republicans. John King interviews three…
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