Between the daily political chaos from MAGA and the Trump administration and the culture-war battles that make your head want to explode, it’s exhausting trying to stay informed while keeping your sanity intact.
That’s why we’re so excited to introduce “Standing Room Only with Amanda Marcotte,” Salon’s new YouTube show. If you’ve ever found yourself yelling at the TV during political analysis or rolling your eyes at “both sides” journalism, this show is for you.
With her signature sharp perspective, Amanda Marcotte has been calling out political BS and cultural hypocrisy for years here at Salon. “Standing Room Only” was — and still is! — Amanda’s politics newsletter. Now she’s bringing that same fearless energy (and killer music recommendations) to your screens and headphones every week. New episodes drop on YouTube on Thursdays at 5 p.m. Eastern. (Follow SalonTV and get notified of new episodes.)
Amanda digs into the stories that matter, from the MAGA movement’s latest power grabs to the cultural trends that shape our political reality, examining these moments with the critical eye they deserve. Take her recent “Mar-a-Lago Face” episode, where she unpacks the new aesthetics of power among MAGA women and men — exactly the kind of incisive cultural analysis that makes her voice so distinctive.
By combining keen political insights with cultural commentary, and adding just enough dark humor to keep you from completely losing hope, “Standing Room Only” Amanda connects the dots in ways that make sense of our chaotic world. Her guests on the “Pass the Mic” booth bring additional expertise and valuable perspective to these necessary conversations.
How to Watch and Listen
You can catch “Standing Room Only” on YouTube now, and coming soon to wherever you get your podcasts. Perfect for your morning coffee, evening wind-down, or whenever you need a dose of clear-eyed commentary that doesn’t insult your intelligence.
How to contribute
Have thoughts on what Amanda should cover next? Want to share your own take on the topics she’s discussing? The show thrives on community engagement, so don’t be shy about joining the conversation in the comments under every video on YouTube, or in the newsletter’s new comments feature (for subscribers only).
Want to help support Amanda’s work? Salon Premium members can read all of Amanda’s articles — and everything else Salon has to offer — without the distraction of ads. Support our bold journalism today!
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Why misogyny is winning right now—From Blake Lively to Trump
When a woman accuses a man of abuse, her reputation can be destroyed, while the man is recast as the victim. It happened to Amber Heard after Johnny Depp won a defamation case against her. Now it’s happening to Blake Lively, following her lawsuit against “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni.
But this isn’t just about Hollywood. Misogyny is becoming more normalized across our culture, especially among young men, and it’s one of the key forces that helped Donald Trump win the 2024 election.
In this episode, Amanda explains how the system is still rigged to tear women down. Journalist Kat Tenbarge joins the conversation to discuss how online influencers fuel smear campaigns and how their videos serve as a gateway to conspiracy thinking and right-wing ideology.
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Mar-a-Lago Face… What is it? The look that took over Trumpworld
Pumped-up lips, spray tans, hollowed-out cheeks and false lashes are just some of the characteristics of the “Mar-a-Lago face” that Donald Trump adores in his women.
In this episode, Amanda talks about why the look is so popular, what it stands for and how it relates to an emerging social media trend called feminine energy. Journalist Laura Bassett joins the booth to talk about some of the notable Mar-a-Lago faces, including Kristi Noem, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump and more.
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Now they want to ban dress-up in Texas schools
What’s wrong with a kid wearing cat ears or roaring like a lion at playtime? Texas Republicans and Gov. Greg Abbott don’t like it and they have a plan to ban dress-up and other “non-human behavior” in schools.
In this episode, Amanda details how a logic-defying culture war about litter boxes turned into a real bill aimed at forbidding kids from playing pretend at school. Imara Jones, journalist and CEO of TransLash Media, joins to give more context on why it’s happening.
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Wellness influencers are getting more conservative
RFK Jr. and Dr. Casey Means are gaining big traction in both wellness and conservative circles. What’s behind the crossover between health influencers and Christian right politics? We break down why it’s happening and the dangers of Means, an unlicensed functional medicine doctor who talks to trees, advocates against sunscreen and is an aspiring poet, being nominated for Surgeon General. What does it mean for the future of health and politics?
In this episode, Amanda reads Casey Means’ poetry and explains why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is lining up with Christian right views, anti-science MAHA moms and tradwives by choosing Means. Journalist Lindsay Beyerstein, who writes about fringe health schemes, joins this week.
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I tried MAGA’s favorite prayer app — It was weirder than I expected
Hallow, a Christian prayer app, is trending in MAGA circles. As someone who is not religious, Amanda wanted to understand what it’s all about. And wow — it’s weird. Here’s what she found as she took courses on the app, such as “The Feminine Genius,” and listened to “Fasting Fridays,” featuring actors Chris Pratt and Mark Wahlberg.
In this episode, Salon journalists Coleman Spilde and Russell Root join Amanda on her “Pass the Mic” segment to break down the signs of MAGA-coded celebrities. Plus, the debut of the Encore section, with Amanda’s music recommendations from Latchkey Records in Philadelphia.
