Welcome to The Tim & April Show!

Summary

Summary of "Welcome to The Tim & April Show!" Episode

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Tim & April Show
• Host/Author: The New Evangelicals
• Description: Where we unravel faith, politics, and culture.
• Episode: Welcome to The Tim & April Show!
• Release Date: January 28, 2025

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Introduction to The Tim & April Show

In the premiere episode of The Tim & April Show, hosts Tim and April introduce their new platform designed to delve into the intricate intersections of faith, politics, and culture. Transitioning from their previous work with The New Evangelicals, the duo emphasizes the need for a dedicated space to explore these themes more deeply and frequently.

April [02:35]: "I've been doing the New Evangelicals recaps for over a year, talking every Friday about cultural issues... we have to think about a space where we can talk about it more often."

Naming and Branding

Tim and April discuss the process behind naming their show, highlighting the importance of simplicity and community feedback. After extensive deliberation and polling their audience, they decided to retain a straightforward and personal title.

Tim [02:39]: "We just settled on. Let's just keep it simple. The Tim and April Show. It's our show."

They also address concerns about potential perceptions of sexism by placing Tim’s name first, clarifying that the decision was based on the name's flow rather than any underlying bias.

April [03:55]: "I think it's purely pragmatic... It just rolls off the tongue better."

Focus and Content

The show aims to cover a broad spectrum of topics at the nexus of politics, culture, and faith, with a particular emphasis on Christian nationalism and its impact on contemporary political landscapes.

Addressing Christian Nationalism

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the influence of Christian nationalism in shaping current political regimes, specifically referencing the Trump administration. Tim and April intend to unpack how Christian nationalist ideologies underpin many of the administration's policies and actions.

April [05:17]: "We're going to be one of the only real places on the Internet that's talking about not just politics, but the Christian nationalism that fuels it."

Tim [06:15]: "We were very, very Christian nationalist, though I didn't know it... this is why it does not line up with the actual teachings of Jesus."

Balancing Seriousness with Humor

Recognizing the heavy nature of the topics, Tim and April plan to incorporate humor and levity to maintain mental well-being and create a more engaging atmosphere for their audience.

April [04:13]: "A little bit more humor, hopefully a little more levity... we need some spaces to laugh this year as well."

Hosting Style and Community Engagement

The hosts emphasize their commitment to creating an interactive and supportive community. By hosting live sessions on YouTube and providing timely podcast episodes, they aim to engage with their audience in real-time and keep up with the rapid pace of news.

April [06:50]: "So this is what the show's about, friends. The show is about doing this."

Tim [07:33]: "And as news comes in, we can catch it as we're talking... focus on the things that have a Christian nationalist bent."

Building a Supportive Space

Tim and April acknowledge the feelings of isolation and fear among their listeners due to the evolving political climate. They pledge to offer a space where listeners feel heard and supported, combating the normalization of authoritarian practices and gaslighting.

April [08:06]: "If you're coming over from the New Evangelicals... we are here throughout the entire next four years."

Tim [09:20]: "To be normalized, is allowing them to go into churches."

Commitment to Consistency and Accessibility

The hosts outline their schedule and distribution strategy, committing to regular live broadcasts on Mondays and Thursdays, complemented by podcast releases. They also stress the importance of building a community through various social media platforms.

April [07:29]: "Currently, the plan is to go live on Mondays and Thursdays."

Tim [10:17]: "Follow us in all the places because I do think the way we're going to get through these next four years is together and with community."

Conclusion and Call to Action

In closing, Tim and April express their gratitude to the listeners for joining them at the inception of their new venture. They encourage the audience to subscribe, share the show, and engage with them across multiple platforms to foster a strong, interactive community.

April [09:24]: "Make sure you subscribe to this YouTube channel... follow us on socials."

Tim [10:54]: "We are not going to allow us... to normalize harmful practices."

April [10:54]: "Stay tuned for more. We will be in touch."

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps:

• April [02:35]: "We've been doing the New Evangelicals recaps for over a year... now we have to think about a space where we can talk about it more often."

• Tim [04:10]: "The elephant in the room."

• April [05:17]: "We're going to be one of the only real places on the Internet that's talking about not just politics, but the Christian nationalism that fuels it."

• Tim [06:50]: "This is why it does not line up with the actual teachings of Jesus 100%."

• Tim [09:20]: "To be normalized, is allowing them to go into churches."

• April [10:17]: "The way we're going to get through these next four years is together and with community and not being alone and laughing a little."

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This introductory episode sets the stage for The Tim & April Show, positioning it as a thoughtful and engaging platform for dissecting the complex relationships between faith, politics, and cultural dynamics. With a blend of serious analysis and humor, Tim and April aim to create a community where listeners can navigate the challenges of modern evangelical experiences together.

Transcript

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[Tim]

To a new evangelicals production, the Tim and April show, where we unravel faith, politics and culture. Hey everybody. Welcome to our brand new show, why are you laughing? The Tim and April Show.

[April]

I'm excited.

[Tim]

I know.

[April]

I'm pumped. April, we're finally doing it and we've.

[Tim]

Talked about it for a few months now and we just settled. We went back and forth on the name we did along and we just settled on. Let's just keep it simple. The Tim and April show. It's our show. Put our name up there.

[April]

Here we are. This is a little. A little teaser, a little. A little appetite, as Michael Scott says from the office. Just to give you all a heads up of what is coming. I'm very excited. We've been doing the new evangelicals recaps for over a year, talking every Friday about cultural issues. And then we realize that there's so much to talk about because it all relates to Christian nationalism that we have to think about a space where we can talk about it more often. So, yeah, I said, april, why don't we think about doing a show together that tne will power and sponsor, but it's its own separate entity and we'll call it some kind of show name. And after going through revision, after revision and polling our community, we said, you know what? Let's just keep it simple. The Tim and April Show.

[PayPal Representative]

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[Tim]

Tim and April Show.

[April]

I'm pumped.

[Tim]

Yeah, me too. And we did not put Tim's name first because we're following along sexist lines, as some of us have accused. I do think the shorter name sounds better going first. Just Tim and April.

[April]

I think it's purely pragmatic. Right. The Tim and April show, it just. It rolls off a tongue better. The April and Tim show, it does.

[Tim]

The same kind of ring to it, and I would agree. Yeah.

[April]

Okay. Well, I'm so glad that you said this for the first episode.

[Tim]

The elephant in the room.

[April]

So here's what you can look forward to on this show. Obviously, the new evangelicals podc, we talk a lot about theology and church abuse, and for a while we were talking about current political issues pretty often. But we need a new space. So this show is going to be kind of at the intersection of politics, culture, probably church abuse when it. When it makes sense. And a little bit more humor, hopefully a little more levity, because let's face it, April, I get pretty ranty. I get frustrated. And my. My therapy is going on podcast or YouTube and talking about this. That's not bad. But. But I think some humor we need. We need to find some spaces to laugh this year as well.

[Tim]

Yeah. Because with this new administration coming in, I think one thing that a lot of people, especially if you have family or friends or are still in evangelical spaces, you're going to regularly come against gaslighting, where everyone around you is like, oh, no, this is normal and great and good, and your alarm bells are going off inside. And we want to be the space to just say, like, no, you're not crazy. This is not okay.

[April]

That's right. And we're going to be one of the only real places on the Internet that's talking about not just politics, but the Christian nationalism that fuels it. I don't think enough commentators, whether the progressive or conservative, are talking about the, the influence that Christian nationalism and really white evangelicalism has in what is shaping up to be the current Trump. I'm calling him in his administration, the regime, the current regime, because he's walking in as an authoritarian. I mean, he's signing hundreds of executive orders, they're raiding places of business looking for, quote, unquote, illegal immigrants. It's a regime. And so we are really going to try and be the place to help you understand why Christian nationalism is behind so much of what's animating the Trump regime, even a week or two into the, into the whole, the whole rule with his team. And that's gonna be a very important piece for us, I think, for sure.

[Tim]

Yeah. And I think we also want to just give some insight as both of us come from that world. I was very, very Christian nationalist, though I didn't know it. And we would love to give you, like, hey, how can people be so anti immigrant when Jesus says to welcome the foreigner? And we can tell you this is why, this is the insight behind that. This is why they think that way, you know, in a non dehumanizing way, knowing that we're all humans and we're all trying to figure this out. But also, this is where this is coming from. And this is why it's not okay. And this is why it does not line up with the actual teachings of Jesus 100.

[April]

So you might not understand the logic and you might not, you might not even agree with the logic when we give it to you. But there is a logic that animates this. So this is what the show's about, friends. The show is about doing this. And we do plan on making these live. Live, meaning we want to go live on YouTube to record the episode with an audience. It's so much more fun. And then of course, we'll post it the following day or even that afternoon to podcasts. So listening on podcasts, you will get a very fresh take for sure. But if you want to do it, or if you want to see it in the moment, make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel so you catch whenever we're going live. Currently, the plan is to go live on Mondays and Thursdays. Is that what we said?

[Tim]

I think that was what we said.

[April]

That's the plan. And like afternoon time.

[Tim]

Yeah. We can cover more news that way. And, you know, and as news comes in, we can catch it as we're talking and we're not because the news is coming in so fast already, like every day. There's just so many news stories, it's hard to keep up. So we want to focus on the things that have a Christian nationalist bent, which, honestly, the whole Trump administration, which we've talked about this many times, you don't have a second Trump term without Christian nationalism. Huge player and not a hundred percent people in the media are talking about it. So we will.

[April]

That's right. We are here every step of the way. We told you, if you, if you're coming over from the new evangelicals, if you listen to the recap, April and I have both told you that we are here throughout the entire next four years. We are here every step of the way. We know how many of you feel so alone and are scared and it makes complete sense. It's justifiable. And we know that you need voices that are gonna be able to say, we hear you, we see you, and we're walking this with you. We're not just someone who is not. We're not. We're not people who are impervious to what Trump is doing. Right. We feel the effects as well. And so our commitment is to be here as much as possible on podcasts and on YouTube, walking you through what's going on, laughing a little along the way and just showing up and hopefully building a community space where we can be live together, have the conversation together, talk about what's happening in the news, and also not losing our sanity. One thing that April and I refuse to do is to let Christian nationalism and right wing media ecosystems gaslight us into thinking that this is normal, into thinking that Elon Musk giving a Nazi salute twice on stage is no big deal, or that people or that ice going into businesses, interrogating civilians who are US Citizens is somehow the, the status quo. We are not going to allow us.

[Tim]

To be normalized, is allowing them to go into churches.

[April]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So. So we are here every step of the way. Make sure you subscribe to this YouTube channel. If you're watching on YouTube. I know if you're watching on YouTube, all of our, like, video looks the same. We're gonna be changing all this to a different kind of branding so you can see the difference. And also, if you're on podcasts. Make sure you subscribe to the show and please spread it. We are hoping to get this thing off the ground in the next few weeks. So make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode. I appreciate everyone's patience. It's a lot of work to get a whole separate show off the ground. A lot of questions to ask, a lot of things to think about, but we are starting it. This is the first little teaser episode of what's to come. We are so grateful that you're here with us. It means the world. Please share the show. What else, April? Oh, you can follow us on socials. I mean, I think we have an Instagram account. The Tim and April show. Obviously we're on YouTube. We'll be on TikTok. Just trying to kind of get the word and in this launch out there to more people.

[Tim]

Yeah, follow us in all the places because I do think the way we're going to get through these next four years is together and with community and not being alone and laughing a little. I literally just watched an educator say how she was looking up in 1930s Germany and that one of the best ways to combat fascism is satire and humor. Because they want to be scary, they want to be feared. And if they come across silly, then they're not being feared, because you don't fear silly people. So I love it. Lots of different angles.

[April]

Lots of different angles. All right, friends, that's all we got for this episode. Stay tuned for more. We will be in touch. Do not forget to sub to the channel and download the podcast. We'll talk soon. Can't wait to get started. See you later.

[Tim]

Yay, Tim and April show.

[April]

Woo.