Why Shame Makes the Best Punchlines (Youngmi Mayer)

By the time he was sixteen, Jason Baldwin had already felt the sting of prejudice from his community in West Memphis, Arkansas. Kids at the trailer park where he lived had long been shunned by more well off residents of the town. Still, nothing could have prepared him for how vicious these prejudices would turn once the bodies of three eight year old boys were found murdered. Jason and two of his friends were convicted of the murder despite a complete lack of physical evidence. If not for the case coming to the attention of two documentary filmmakers, the West Memphis Three would likely still be in prison today. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Chris return for another round of Who’s Right? Up for debate today: excuses and disrespect. Does offering an excuse ever make things better? Why do we care about motive? Do we want apologies with "no excuses," or is it helpful to understand why someone screwed up? Does being disrespectful require intent? This one gets heated! We need your input. Let us know who's right, and how you think about this thorny topic. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Youngmi Mayer is a comedian, writer, and podcaster whose work blends dark humor with deeply personal stories about trauma, identity, and immigrant family dynamics. In this conversation, Amanda and Youngmi explore how humor can become a survival tactic passed down through generations, how telling the “inappropriate” truths can create unexpected community, and how comedy helps us confront the parts of ourselves we’re taught to suppress. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isabelle Boemeke is a former fashion model turned climate activist, author and the world’s first “nuclear energy influencer,” known for making one of the most complex and controversial climate solutions both accessible and inspiring. In this conversation, Amanda asks how Isabel transformed despair about climate change into agency and why optimism about human creativity may be our most important renewable resource. They explore how individuals can actually move the needle on massive problems, why embracing imperfect solutions beats paralyzing cynicism, and how joy, creativity, and personal responsibility can turn even the scariest global challenges into solvable puzzles. Isabelle's book, Rad Future: The Untold Story of Nuclear Electricity and How It Will Save the World https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739852/rad-future-by-isabelle-boemeke/ Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Vasquez was just nineteen when she and three of her friends were accused of a horrific crime that they were completely innocent of. Their case was swept up in the mass hysteria about satanic cults that had seized the country in the 80s and 90s. It would take twenty four years for Anna and her friends to be fully exonerated, including over a decade in prison. But Anna's story didn't end with her release from prison or even with her exoneration. After prison, Anna found love. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Chris return for another round of Who’s Right? This time debating the meaning and future of Thanksgiving. Together they ask how the holiday’s mythology became so cringe, and why rethinking its stories, rituals, and food traditions might help us build a culture of gratitude that actually feels authentic. Along the way, they explore how gratitude works in real life, not just in holiday lore, and why reframing our struggles as opportunities can transform even the most frustrating moments. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helen Lewis is a journalist and author whose new book The Genius Myth dismantles how achievement really works. In this conversation, Amanda and Helen ask how the stories we tell about brilliance shape our culture and why our fixation on lone, exceptional individuals so often misleads us. They explore how luck, collaboration, and power create the illusion of “born geniuses,” and why understanding the real mechanics of success can make our own lives more grounded, resilient, and meaningful. The Genius Myth https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803542/the-genius-myth-by-helen-lewis/ Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this playful and revealing back-and-forth, Amanda and Chris debate the ethics, psychology, and survival-value of improvising your way through life. They touch on careers, creativity, parenting, identity, and confidence, while exploring why adaptability may now be the most essential human skill of all. How do you know when to “fake it till you make it”? Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weeks wide-ranging conversation, Amanda Knox and Aella, a writer, sex worker, and self-taught researcher, explore the art of questioning everything. They talk about status, desire, fear, and freedom. And it’s a deep dive into what happens when living experimentally turns your whole life into a lab. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people are pretty bad at having difficult conversations. We don't get much practice--the internet makes sure that we mostly see content from people we agree with. When we do see opposing viewpoints, it's usually in the form of hateful comments. But when Dylan Marron started receiving a deluge of online abuse in response to his viral video series, he did the opposite of what most people do. He gave his detractors a call. Photo credit: Mindy Tucker. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices