Podcast
Engagement Party
Hosted by CNN Podcasts · EN
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.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Protein-maxxing, 'blue dot fever' and the slopbowl downfall
6d ago00:28:52Tap to summarizeFrom 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 is Blind" to the internet "boy kibble" creators. But can protein be...MAGA-coded? And does fiber have what it takes to become the internet’s new favorite food trend? Plus, Alan Cumming calls for an end to “slop bowls,” and what's really behind musicians like the Pussycat Dolls canceling their tours this summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Yes, We're Still Hate-Watching 'Euphoria'
2w ago00:33:39Tap to summarizeSeason 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 has grown up with the show. In this episode of Engagement Party, Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro dissect the careers and controversies surrounding Sam Levinson's 'Euphoria.' Plus, what the sale of original Bob Ross paintings says about the line between art and kitsch, and what's up with all these AI Michael Jackson cartoons. 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 video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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TMZ is Turning Heads on Capitol Hill
Apr 3000:32:52Tap to summarizeCapitol 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, co-managing editor of TMZ DC, to discuss his first few weeks on the job—and why both government insiders and legacy media can’t look away. Producers: Lori Galarreta, Jesse Remedios, Graelyn Brashear Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Ramy Youssef Wants Everyone to Laugh
Apr 2300:31:52Tap to summarizeRamy 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 Love, he joins Audie to reflect on what it means to tell Arab American stories today vs seven years ago and why aiming to make everyone laugh is both a choice and a challenge. Then, Audie’s longtime friend and soon-to-be-coworker Ari Shapiro stops by to talk about Ramy— and also what's ahead for The Assignment. ===== Producers: Jesse Remedios, Lori Galarreta and Graelyn Brashear Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Tell Me How to Feel About Space
Apr 1600:25:06Tap to summarizeArtemis 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 unpack the mix of awe, hope, and unease shaping this new era of space exploration. Oluseyi is the author of ‘Why Do We Exist? The Nine Realms of Universe that Make You Possible.’ Producers: Lori Galarreta, Jesse Remedios, Graelyn Brashear Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Is the Manosphere Finally Collapsing?
Apr 900:25:47Tap to summarizeThe 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 rise, from the gamergate controversy to personas like Andrew Tate. Audie speaks with New York Times Opinion writer Jessica Grose, who’s followed the movement since its beginning. They explore the state of the manosphere, the downfall of “alpha-male influencers” and how women fit —or don’t— into this world. ---- Producers: Elizabeth Corallo, Jesse Remedios, Lori Galarreta, Graelyn Brashear Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Astrology Isn’t Just a Vibe, It’s a Booming Industry
Apr 200:27:17Tap to summarizeFrom 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 about why this obsession has turned into big business. And, what we’re really looking for when we look up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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When the Bookie Is in Your Pocket
Mar 2600:37:08Tap to summarizeOne 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 money betting on the NFL over the course of a season. They discuss how online sports gambling reshaped his habits, what it reveals about a rapidly expanding industry, and how betting has seeped into everyday culture. Plus, the manosphere of it all. Producers: Jesse Remedios & Lori Galarreta Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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From JFK to RFK Jr.: How the Kennedys Track American Culture
Mar 1900:30:25Tap to summarizeFrom 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 series on JFK Jr. and a fresh wave of online fascination. Audie Cornish sits down with comedian and The United States of Kennedy co-host George Civeris to unpack how the family evolved from political dynasty into cultural barometer—and what their latest chapter reveals about where America is right now. Produced by Jesse Remedios and Lori Galarreta Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Oscars 2026: Chalamet, Sinners ... and Our Predictions
Mar 1200:30:32Tap to summarizeThis 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 categories are stacked with talent. And yet the final week of campaigning has been dominated by talk about Timothée Chalamet’s apparent disrespect to opera and ballet. Audie sits down with film critic and influencer Megan Cruz (aka @j.stoobs) to talk about the biggest night in movies at a moment when Hollywood is worried about its future. This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta and Jesse Remedios Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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