Podcast: Maintenance Phase

It’s been my intention for a minute to be actually recommending media on here that I find inspiring and / or informative. Instead, I mostly post gifs of my dog and sometimes food or me doing weird stuff. But today is a new day! It’s 10:30pm on the west coast and I’m ready to recommend a podcast.

Maintenance Phase is hosted by Aubrey Gordon, author of the blog Your Fat Friend and self-described “fat lady about town”, and Michael Hobbs, who also cohosts a podcast called You’re Wrong About, which I’ve never listened to so if you follow that link, let me know if I’m missing anything. They explore topics related to the diet / “wellness” industry and fat-phobia including The Master Cleanse, Olestra, The Biggest Loser, Moon Juice and The Twinkie Defense. Their last few episodes have revolved around the myth, the legend, the unapologetically Aquarian Oprah, including that time she starved herself thin and then proceeded to drag a wagon of animal fat out on stage.

In addition to hosting, I believe Aubrey and Michael also produce the podcast. Every episode is a balance of facts and research, personal anecdotes, and unmitigated snark. In shaping each story, they do a great job of placing blame on the con artists who are profiting from cultural fat-phobia and people’s insecurities, while cultivating a gentle balance of criticism and empathy for figures who are unintentionally perpetuating the harm to which they are also subject. They do a lot - consider supporting them on Patreon!

So if you ever find yourself wondering, why do people hate fat people so much? Will celery juice cure my herpes? And is that man really a divine healer, or just a sexual predator? then Maintenance Phase is the podcast for you.

Happy listening!