{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Messy Liberation: Feminist Conversations about Politics and Pop Culture","title":"Performative Activism, Billionaire Art Shows, and the Myth of Meritocracy","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/fa0384d9\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2307,"description":"In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into the tone-deaf spectacle of the Met Gala, unpacking what celebrity wealth displays reveal about economic inequality and performative activism. They also explore the myth of meritocracy in higher education, the emotional labor of parenting during high-stakes testing, and how to find joy and rest when everything feels heavy.\n\nIn This Episode, We Get Into:\nWhy the Met Gala feels like a \"let them eat cake\" moment during skyrocketing inflation and wealth inequality\nThe difference between art as subversion and art as \"sucking the dick of power\"\nPerformative activism vs. real protest (looking at you, Sarah Paulson's dollar bill accessory)\nHow billionaires like Jeff Bezos hosting the Met Gala undercuts any claim of artistic rebellion\nThe myth that going to Harvard (or other elite schools) is the secret to wealth\nHow legacy admissions and cronyism maintain class hierarchies in higher education\nSupporting kids through stressful standardized testing without reinforcing toxic achievement culture\nProcessing grief, finding dopamine hits in gamified productivity, and giving yourself permission to rest\nThe slow, steady growth of creative projects you do just because you love them\nWhy we keep showing up for these conversations (and thank you for listening)\n\n🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/aNtkeONUK2JFF10pE30y12Nynv6W5wgwicUSi78cNts/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mMmU0/NjgyMWQ2YWYxMDE4/MTE0ZGIzY2I3MDEx/MTlhYS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}