Vibe Check

Heartbreak Hotel

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach get into heartbreak, the breakups that sparked creativity, and the heartbreaks that have shaped the pop culture, art, and hi

Welcome to the Reckoning

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach unpack the hope of the blue wave, and the red crash out. Then, they talk about the affair between NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang an

When the Internet Plays Judge and Jury

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed sits down with Ruby Cramer, staff writer at The New Yorker, to discuss the story behind the “Cornell Seven” and her article, “The Dox

The Politics of Being Fed Up

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach unpack the historic blue wave of Democratic wins in the midterm elections. They also look ahead to the next two years before

A Little Death Never Hurt Anybody

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach explore queer history in the horror genre and talk about how the film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma flips traditiona

Thirst Trap Politics

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach talk about what’s going on with the midterm elections. Plus, they share their latest picks for “the vibes are on” and “the v

America Has Abandoned Women (with Jessica Valenti)

On this episode of Vibe Check, Zach talks with writer and activist Jessica Valenti about the state of reproductive rights in America, how women’s rights shape the politic

Everybody Wants a Revolution Until It's Black

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach unpack the double standards in how Americans view political protest, romanticizing resistance in France while condemning it

The Ancient Greeks Would Have Loved WAP (with Emily Wilson)

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach talk with classicist and translator Emily Wilson about her book Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea, the “Roman Empire” trend, and th

America's Death Cult (with Ari Shapiro)

On this episode of Vibe Check, Zach talks with journalist Ari Shapiro about America’s relationship with death, the politics of public executions, and how to balance a thr

An Autumn Witchual

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach sit down with Pam Grossman—writer, curator, and teacher of magical practice and history—to explore what it means to be a wit

Nobody Likes These People

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach discuss who gets to define power, and what that says about our culture. They discuss Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment” list,

The World Was Never Straight

On this episode of Vibe Check, Zach sits down with award-winning playwright and performance artist Taylor Mac to talk about their new book, Bark of Millions, why art is p

Rape Culture Has a Group Chat

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach unpack Cornell University gang rape case. Then, they get into the viral Massachusetts lesbian bar story. Plus, they share th

Wait, Are All Movies About Grief?

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach put a theory to the test: Is every great movie and TV show really about grief? --------------------------------------------

The Hasan Piker Problem

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach unpack the recent backlash against popular progressive streamer Hasan Piker. Then, in light of the Ed Sheeran controversy, t

The Skies Are Not So Friendly

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach swap their best and worst travel stories, reflect on how 9/11 permanently changed the experience of flying, and share two un

The AI Apocalypse Is a Distraction

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach are joined by computer scientist and AI expert Timnit Gebru to talk about AI and why the future doesn't have to end in human

Everybody Can’t Be a Star

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach are joined by Christiana Mbakwe Medina, host of Pop Culture Syllabus. They talk about why gossip is a social technology, the

Rivals Make Better Lovers (featuring Rachel Reid)

On this special live episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach sit down with New York Times Best-Selling author Rachel Reid, author of the Game Changers series and creator of