Podcast
Making It Awkward
Hosted by Jessica Wilson, MS RD · EN
What's going on with health and food policy right now? Each week dietitian and author Jessica Wilson shares her conversations with experts in their field or on their farm and figures out how we got here and why. Jessica has followed the ultra-processed food hysteria to trad wife pipeline and the direct path from COVID conspiracies to RFK Jr to the current administration.
From her conversation with the Make America Healthy Again spokesperson to the Oregon beef farmer this podcast connects it all. Listen each week as she brings something new to the conversation and at times makes it awkward.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Unfiltered and Uncensored: Reflections on Speaking at the ADA Conference with Sherene Chou, MS RDN
1w ago00:48:34Tap to summarizeDietitian Sherene Chou and Jessica had a drastically different experience at the ADA Scientific Sessions than the researchers who were removed! Sherene may have been the first person to include a Subway Take at a medical conference. Today's episode continues the conversation about the ADA conference, one that started a few weeks back with journalist Lindsay Lee Wallace. Just last week, the medical journal Lancet published a recap of what happened to the researchers. Jessica got to sit down with a representative at ADA and record her experiences as a clinician. You can catch her answers over on the Patreon! This episode mentions the work of children's educator Ms. Rachel, who also came up in the first ADA conference recap with Lindsay. Ms. Rachel on Dilley Detention Center Ms. Rachel on Instagram Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Re-release: 5G, Conspiracies and the Post-Truth Era with Dr. Eoin Flaherty of Maynooth University
2w ago00:47:09Tap to summarizeHave you wondered how 5G conspiracies developed or what makes some people more vulnerable to conspiracy theories? Today Jessica talks with Dr. Eoin Flaherty, assistant professor at Maynooth University to find the answers to these questions and many others. The two talk about conspiracism and the post-truth era in which we're living. Dr. Flaherty explains 5G and why some people believe it's dangerous. The two talk about Wi-Fi and 5G-free chicken, RFK Jr., how conspiracies generate and spread and Jessica asks him if she could be the next one to spread a theory of her own. Jessica came to his work via the article "The conspiracy of Covid-19 and 5G: Spatial analysis fallacies in the age of data democratization", which he co-authored. NBC: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claims measles vaccine protection 'wanes very quickly' Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson How to support this podcast? Follow/subscribe, rate and review and share with a friend! Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Queer Men and Body Image: Peptides, Peacocking, and Pick Mes
3w ago00:57:29Tap to summarizeClosing out Pride Month with a conversation about body image in queer men. Blake Flaugher MPH returns to the show and joins Caleb Draper to talk about gym culture among queer men including a selfie-specific locker room mirror, peacocking among queer men, nudes, looksmaxxing, dating apps and body dysmorphia. The three of them got to be besties while playing kickball with Outloud Sports, stories about which you'll hear sprinkled in the episode. These two are a lot of fun and will be back next month with their reviews of the Australian horror film Leviticus. Caleb tried Monch Monch! Clavicular Leviticus trailer Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Health Journalism and Disruption; What Happened at the American Diabetes Assoc. Conference? With Lindsay Lee Wallace
4w ago00:54:40Tap to summarizeThe American Diabetes Assoc. conference got spicy! But was that intentional? Did it have to? Lindsay Lee Wallace returns to the show to talk about her recent trip to the Health Journalism 2026 conference and the ADA conference where police escorted researchers out of the venue after they distributed paper copies of a published editorial. The researchers detained were not allowed back, including those who were scheduled to speak. Health Journalism 2026 was in Minneapolis, and Lindsay shares how being there post Operation Metro Surge influenced some sessions at the conference. She also talks about what was missing from the presentations, and shares a unique and unhygienic experience while eating chicken tender sliders. Lindsay provides context for the no one is covering this effect that I am always asking her about and in a fun reveal she shares her story of getting kicked out of a Sundance event regarding AI, which may be featured in an upcoming documentary. There's some great bonus content coming from this interview including my dad in all of his Pride merch over on the Patreon! Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Re-Release! Queerness, Christianity, & 50% Off Ozempic for Pride!? with Kent Thomas, MSW
Jun 1100:46:52Tap to summarizeHappy Pride month! 🏳️🌈 50% off Ozempic for Pride!!! Jessica traveled to NYC in 2024 and got to investigate an ad for Ozempic. Kent Thosmas, MSW joined Jessica to talk about this ad and her visit to the clinic offering the deal, and what this means for gay men. Kent shared how his Christianity played into his eating disorder and the two talk about queer men, and how religion, queerness, and health are connected. They also talk about the normate body and hardness for gay men. Kent's original reel Dr. Jeff Iovanonne Additional ad And salmon injections… Email the show: makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson You can watch this episode on Spotify and at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod How to support this podcast? Follow, rate and review and subscribe to Patreon membership with access to bonus content and announcements! Jessica's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Tradwives, Motherhood and Traditional Values; Book Club: Yesteryear Part 2
Jun 400:58:49Tap to summarizeSpoilers! Meghan Cichy, trad wife Leslie Voorhees Means, Selena Salfen and Alison Pill are back on the show for Part 2 of a conversation about Yesteryear, a novel about a tradwife, Natalie, and her curated yet frightening life. Yesteryear offers the reader two lived experiences for Natalie. One in contemporary times, the other in the 1850s. The novel switches back and forth between these two lives without context or explanation. In this second episode the group discuss their thoughts about the twist in the book. They also share their thoughts on the book ending, including predictions they'd had. This conversation gets into the complexities of motherhood and the different places in which the novel struck a chord for the five of them. Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilsonJessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Tradwives, Motherhood and Traditional Values; Book Club: Yesteryear Part 1
May 2800:50:20Tap to summarizeNo spoilers! Meghan Cichy, trad wife Leslie Voorhees Means, Selena Salfen and Alison Pill are back on the show for Part 1 of a conversation about Yesteryear, a novel about a tradwife and her curated yet frightening life. Each of them shares who, if any, of the characters they connect with. They also discuss trad wives and whether we can define them, the idea of family values and the valuing of what is typically thought of as women's work. They spend a lot of time discussing motherhood. They get into what a possible difference in Progressive and Conservative values may be, though that topic isn't fully resolved today! Part 2 will come next week with the spoilers of the book and our analysis of the protagonist. Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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Re-release! Pronatalism, Eugenics, Fertility and Climate Justice with Dr. Eoin Flaherty
May 2101:17:58Tap to summarizeDr. Oz has made up a new description of American women: under-babied. So it was a good time to return to this conversation with Dr. Eoin Flaherty. The Trump administration has talked about using awards, scholarships and cash as incentives to have more children. People see Elon as a leader in pronatalism conversations. Dr. Eoin Flaherty is back on the show to connect the dots between population control, pronatalism, and the environment. Eoin talks with Jessica about the Better Baby fairs of the 1900s and the two talk about how race is the underpinning of pronatalism even if no one speaks about it directly. The two talk about fertility hysteria, and the difference between fertility rates and birth rates. Eoin shares what research is next for him, and Jessica thinks that he might get the attention of Make America Healthy Again evangelists. Eoin on YouTube Some mentions from the episode: Alison Pill's episode Dr Paul Saladino AKA Captain Cotton Underpants Adriana Smith Timeline of Ireland abortion laws Maternal death rates in the US Dr. Harvey Kellogg RELATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO RACE DEGENERACY Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson
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Anti-Hunger Policy and MAHA's Creep into Public Health with Meghan Cichy, MPH. RD.
May 1401:07:19Tap to summarizePeople are hungry in America, in a country of billionaires, where food should be a human right, and the administration will no longer collect data on food insecurity in the US saying that it is "redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous" and that number is only going to grow as people attempt to renew their benefits and the work requirements for SNAP go into effect. In this episode Meghan Cichy, MPH RD returns to discuss her and Jessica's recent trip to DC for the National Anti-Hunger and Policy Conference, and their time walking the halls of Congress. They chat about the Farm Bill that will go before the Senate. Meghan and Jessica get into one conference presentation in particular, and its surprising similarities to MAHA talking points. They also reference the People vs Poison rally. Next episode's topic will be Yesteryear. Sec of USDA Brook Rollins said that "we now have moved 4.3 million Americans off of the food stamp program." Food insecurity vs nutrition insecurity SNAP work requirements Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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The People vs Poison Rally RoundUp with Trampus Harmon
May 700:59:16Tap to summarizeJessica attended the People vs Poison rally that was held in Washington DC on April 27th and Trampus Harmon comes back to the show to hear all about it. She shares her conversation with a Bernie Sander door knocker turned Trump supporter and the two talk about Alex Clark's speech, Cory Booker's appearance, and whether things were truly bipartisan at the rally. Trampus also shares his thoughts and experience with SNAP, from his farmer perspective. Watch the rally Del Bigtree Liana Werner-Gray Trampus's previous episode Steak and Shake MAHA officer Like this episode? You can rate, review, subscribe, follow, share and comment! Questions about the show? Guest pitches? Email makingitawkwardpod@gmail.com You can buy awkward merch! You can become a Patreon member and my dad will welcome you to the community! You can watch this episode at https://www.youtube.com/@MakingItAwkwardPod Follow Jessica Wilson on Instagram @jessicawilson.msrd and TikTok @byjessicawilson Jessica Wilson's book: It's Always Been Ours; Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
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