Blocked and Reported – Premium: Help! Help! I'm Being Harassed

Episode Preview | March 19, 2026
Hosts: Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal

Overview

In this premium preview episode, Katie and Jesse weave together commentary on internet subcultures, journalism, and online mobs—specifically drawing attention to recent drama involving journalist Jamelle Bouie on BlueSky, critiques of media reporting on transgender issues, and a side-eye at the reporting of Lindy West’s polyamorous relationship. With their usual sardonic tone, the hosts dissect social media echo chambers, debate absurd terminology (“dog skiing,” “heat domes”), and highlight the ways online communities amplify conflict and obscure nuanced discussion.

1. Weather Chat & Climate Anxieties (00:25 – 03:57)

• Jesse and Katie begin with weather banter, using unusual warmth in California and the Pacific Northwest as a springboard for light-hearted debate about climate change and environmental journalism.
  • Katie: “We’re not supposed to, like, point to one weather thing and be like, that's global warming, but this is global warming, right? You tell me. You're the environmental reporter.” (00:32)
  • Jesse: “No, you can't point to one weather thing and say that's global warming.” (00:45)
• The conversation drifts to ski conditions, snowpack depletion, and the trendiness of terms like “heat dome” and “atmospheric river.”
• Entertaining detour about “dog skiing” and allowing pets on ski trails.

2. Lindy West, Polyamory Profiles, and Media Misrepresentation (03:57 – 09:41)

A. Slate Profile Critique

• Katie reads from a Slate profile of Lindy West written by Sachi Cole, lambasting its portrayal of West’s residence as “remote.”
  • Katie: “Bainbridge Island, Washington, is not remote… you can literally walk from Bainbridge Island to Seattle to the SeaTac Airport, mostly by foot.” (05:15)
  • “Lindy West doesn’t live on Bainbridge Island. She doesn’t even live close to Bainbridge Island… This is Jefferson County Erasure. I won’t stand for it.” (06:28)
• Jesse cracks wise about the logistics of traveling in the region and pokes fun at the article’s dramatic framing.

B. Polyamory and Gender Identity

• Jesse reads sections from the profile describing the dynamics of Lindy West’s relationship and gender roles:
  • Critiques the passage describing West’s nonbinary spouse performing “all the man things around the house.”
  • Jesse: “‘Aham is very smart and very emotional, very sensitive…’ So, being very smart, emotional, and observant, and trying to have the difficult conversations—those are women things. So that’s what makes him non-binary?” (08:14)
• Katie and Jesse question the sincerity and utility of redefining traditional roles through the lens of queer identity:
  • “Even among ardent believers in these ideas about gender identity, isn’t there a certain point at which, like, just stolen valor comes in?” (09:02)
  • Katie: “It’s queer for a man to have two women, right?” (09:19)
  • “Joseph Smith was very queer. Quite queer.” (Jesse, 09:24)

3. Gender Medicine, Substack Influencers, and Accusations of Lying (09:41 – 14:09)

• Katie asks Jesse about his recent New York Times opinion piece regarding the politicization of professional medical organizations and gender medicine.
  • Jesse notes that feedback is polarized: positive among some, outrage from others (especially on BlueSky), and that Aaron Reed called him a liar.
    • Jesse: “I've read it several times now in search of the thing I lied about and I can't find it… Lying is intentional. You can’t lie accidentally.” (10:47, 11:02)
  • Katie points out Aaron Reed’s influence and large Substack following.
• Jesse and Katie unpack criticisms from the activist community, noting their circular logic about the corrupting influence of politics in science:
  • Jesse: “Her argument is, you can’t trust these organizations because they’re influenced by politics. My argument is, you can’t trust these organizations because they’re influenced by politics. But I’m a liar, so it’s got it.” (12:15)

4. The BlueSky Echo Chamber & Michael Hobbes’ Critique (14:09 – 18:46)

• Katie and Jesse discuss a Jeremy Peters New York Times article and Twitter criticism from podcast journalist Michael Hobbes, especially Hobbes’ unwillingness to engage dissenters.
  • Katie quotes: “Weird how every journalist writing ‘balance’ feature stories on this issue turns out to be a deranged conspiracist and ideologue the second you hear them speak off the cuff.” (13:47)
  • Jesse: “If there’s one thing Michael Hobbs is known for, it’s he refuses to ever engage with his critics in any meaningful way. I would kill for a situation… where Michael Hobbs—who’s like actually extremely influential…—would have to answer basic questions about his work on weight and obesity.” (14:09)
• The hosts grouse about the self-reinforcing monoculture of BlueSky, noting the strict blocking norms, political homogeneity, and limited exposure to opposing views.
  • Jesse: "If you follow Matt Iglesias on BlueSky, you’ll get immediately added to a bunch of block lists... Matt Iglesias is not a Nazi." (18:10)
  • Katie: "You guys [Jesse and Matt Iglesias] are considered like the far-right problematic on BlueSky, whereas you're basically milk toast in the real world." (18:20)

5. BlueSky Mobs vs. Jamelle Bouie (Preview End, 18:46)

• The promised main topic—BlueSky users harassing New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie for trivial reasons—is teased but not fully developed in this preview.
  • Jesse: “Our story today is about Jamel, or as you would call him, Jamel Boot. Jamal.” (16:35)
  • Katie: “What are people mad at Jamelle Bouie about?” (18:46)
• The hosts end the preview and pitch listeners to subscribe for the full episode.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "My former boss's pornography festival. It's just a great phrase." – Jesse (01:42)
• “Big weather is trying to make things more dramatic than they necessarily are.” – Katie (02:54)
• “I think sealing the place off from outside viewpoints is actually part of the point. Because people feel, like, threatened by being disagreed with.” – Jesse (17:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:25 – 03:57: Weather, climate talk, and “dog skiing”
• 03:57 – 09:41: Lindy West profile, house location drama, gender roles in polyamory
• 09:41 – 14:09: NYT article fallout, accusations of lying, Aaron Reed’s critique
• 14:09 – 18:46: Criticism from Michael Hobbes, dangers of BlueSky echo chambers
• 18:46: Teaser: Jamelle Bouie’s BlueSky harassment (main story in full episode)

Tone & Style

The hosts’ conversational style is irreverent, biting, and self-deprecating, often shifting topics with meta-commentary and wry humor. Jesse and Katie mix casual banter with pointed critiques of internet and media dynamics, never shying away from controversial takes or self-mockery.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This Blocked and Reported premium preview is a rambunctious, tangential tour through online culture wars, the self-seriousness of activist influencers, and the digital pile-ons that ensue in highly insular spaces like BlueSky. While the main event—Jamelle Bouie’s online tribulations—is reserved for subscribers, the preview alone delivers tasty samples of sharp cultural criticism, in-jokes, and absurdist asides. For listeners interested in internet sociology, media bias, or simply enjoying two journalists riffing on the madness of modern online life, this episodic appetizer offers plenty to chew on.