W Kamau Bell on East Bay Lesbians, Right Wing Grifters, and United Shades of America

Comedian Amber Ruffin is a trailblazer in the late night space and she joins the show this week ahead of season two of CNN’s “Have I Got News For You.” But first, Megan gives us a behind the scenes look at the making of her documentary “Rapinoe.” Amber and Megan dive into all of the highs and lows of Amber’s career . from her unsuccessful audition at “Saturday Night Live” to her getting a writing job on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Amber also shares her musical side, from becoming a choir director at the age of 11, to writing the book and lyrics to “Bigfoot! The Musical.”  Amber and Megan reminisce on their coming out stories and discuss how to find joy in moments of chaos. Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the 10-year anniversary of his historic protest during the national anthem, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick joins Megan on the show for a one-of-a-kind conversation about a moment in time that would come to define both of them. They dive deep into Colin’s protest, getting blackballed by the NFL and his life beyond football, including writing his upcoming memoir The Perilous Fight. They also discuss the collective power athletes have and Megan shares her experience protesting alongside Colin.  00:00 Introduction 09:00 How Colin seen himself 14:10 Playing in the NFL  23:50 Getting Blackballed and Missing Competing 28:14 Colin’s Decision to Protest and Kneel 37:58 Megan’s Decision to Start Kneeling 45:15 The Collective Power of Athletes 47:38 Colin’s Takeaways from Protesting 49:22 “Watching” The World Move on From Kneeling 55:40 Know Your Rights Camp and Conducting Autopsies 1:07:10 His Relationship with his wife Nessa 1:13:10 Colin’s Memoir 1:14:30 Mommy, Daddy, Baby Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the 2024 election, Kamala is coming back into the public eye and sat down with Megan. They talk about her Oakland roots, her decision to become a prosecutor and why she’s fully committed to public service. Megan puts Kamala on the hot seat to see if she’s going to run for President in 2028 and Kamala puts her own spin on “Mommy, Daddy, Baby.”  0:00 Introduction 04:57 Becoming a prosecutor 10:00 Studying at Howard University 14:45 Her Duty as a Public Servant 18:40 Americans’ issues with trust 22:10 Being the first 26:03 Governing as a woman 32:13 The Next Iteration of the US President 36:21 Why Kamala Harris has returned to the public eye Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Megan is joined by award-winning writer and cultural critic Roxane Gay, whose books have had a huge impact on the way Megan sees the world. One of the most important feminist writers of her generation, Roxane is a contributing Opinion writer for the New York Times and the author of the books “Bad Feminist,” “Hunger” and most recently “The Portable Feminist.” Roxane’s 2017 memoir “Surviving the Silence,” was recently adapted into a Lifetime movie.  The duo talk about Roxane’s queerness, dealing with pressure, and how she protects herself while writing about difficult topics. Roxane discusses why she refuses to operate from a scarcity mindset, and her upcoming novel with Channing Tatum. We also get a special guest appearance from her dog, Max!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“It was so demystifying because a lot of these people are f*cking stupid” This week, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Pablo Torre joins Megan on the show. But first,  Megan sounds off about the latest WNBA controversy surrounding Enes Kanter in the latest edition of “Are You Serious?” Then Megan and Pablo dive into the highs, lows and unexpected turns that landed Torre at the helm of his show “Pablo Torre Finds Out.” Megan finds out how the New York native strikes fear into the hearts of sports teams and Pablo flips the script to get Megan to answer a spicy question. Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Megan is joined by stand-up comedian and director W. Kamau Bell. They dig into the “whys” behind some of Kamau’s biggest decisions, like holding space for Ted Danson to talk about his Blackface scandal, his approach to dealing with trolls, and launching his new podcast “Are You With Me?” Plus they wonder if Megyn Kelly is lowkey flirting with them and Kamau goes off about social media in a new segment called “What Are We Doing?!” Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Catch new episodes of 'Who's With Me? with W. Kamau Bell' every Wednesday on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@WhosWithMePod or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from WNBA All Star Weekend, Megan is joined by the winningest coach in WNBA history and five-time All-Star coach Cheryl Reeve. They discuss how she supported the 2016 Lynx’s protest against police brutality, Cheryl’s stellar t-shirt collection, and how the StudBudz changed her approach to coaching. Plus, Cheryl decides if she’s more “Mommy,” “Daddy” or “Baby.”  Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the inaugural episode of “Why Are You Like This?” Megan Rapinoe sits down with Top Chef host Kristen Kish. Kish took the culinary world and media space by storm after becoming the second female winner of Top Chef. The duo dig into how Kristen came out to herself, why she doesn’t yell at others in the kitchen and what success looks like to her.  And Megan sounds off on the recent discourse around transgender athletes and sports in the segment “Are You Serious?” Check out the latest episode of  “Why Are You Like This?” wherever you get your podcasts, and on YouTube. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyareyoulikethis/  Follow Why Are You Like This? on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whyareyoulikethis Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megan Rapinoe is sitting down with the athletes, artists, activists, and architects of our culture who weren’t satisfied with the status quo and wanted to do things differently. Why Are You Like This? premieres on August 6 wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wrapping up her special World Cup series, Megan talks to World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, and NWSL Champion with Gotham FC Rose Lavelle. Megan and Rose discuss Gotham’s record-setting game at Citi Field and her stunning return to the beautiful game after ankle surgery. The duo also reminisce on their 2019 World Cup winning campaign.  And because the tournament is almost over, it’s time for the most prestigious awards show: The Meggies!  ALSO: Megan is doing a live show with a special guest in Chicago on July 24th as part of Vox Media’s The Lineup. Your ticket gets you all-day access to food, drinks, and the energy of one of the biggest women’s basketball events of the year. Get your tickets at voxmedia.com/thelineup. And here's a little bonus for ya:  if you also grab tickets to a live taping of ANDMOM with Skylar Diggins and Cassidy Hubbarth, you can bundle both events and save 30% with code AFTERNOON30.  A Touch More: The Beautiful Game is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrapinoe/  Follow A Touch More on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atouchmore/  Follow A Touch More on X: https://x.com/atouchmore  Follow A Touch More on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atouchmore  Learn more about A Touch More here: https://www.atouchmore.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices