Discourse Pod #07: Wicked 2: Wicked-er

We’re back! After taking a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, producer Sam steps out from behind the curtain to be our third chair this week and boy do we cover a lot! Including:* Elf on the Shelf culture* Wicked: For Good and Oz’s opaque political system and the lack of sexual chemistry between a gay guy and a green lesbian * The Olivia Nuzzi-Ryan Lizza feud getting really dark * A wild story about a University of Oklahoma student writing a bad essay, getting a zero, and using it as the latest flashpoint in the anti-trans culture war * The absolutely cursed and definitely made-up “FIFA Peace Prize” Trump got that is giving Pacific Rim EmmyAlso: We finally figured out our closing segment! And it only took seven episodes. It’s everyone’s cultural recommendations for the week: * Jack recommends Traitors UK Series 3, all-celebrity edition, now on Peacock for U.S. viewers* Sam recommends The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion and the wonky 4K remaster on Mad Men on HBO Max * Aleks recommends Heated Rivalry on HBO Max Until next week! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.discourseblog.com/subscribe