• 32 minutes 12 seconds
    RushTok is Southern Soft Power

    This week, the internet turned its eyes to an annual 2020s tradition: watching freshman girls rush sororities at big Southern state schools via an endless stream of social videos. What does our obsession with RushTok tell us about the South, the internet, and America? Plus, what's up with the influencer backlash on Nantucket, and why is mahjong so hot right now?

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    21 August 2026, 10:00 am
  • 42 minutes 23 seconds
    Lauren Weedman From 'Hacks' Has Main Character Energy

    As generational warfare feeds TV scripts from Beef to Hacks, Emmy nominee Lauren Weedman joins the party to talk about hanging with Gen Z on the Hacks set, the art of scene stealing, and finding main character energy after 50. 

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    14 August 2026, 10:00 am
  • 39 minutes 11 seconds
    How Ella Langley Won the Electoral College of Culture

    "Choosin’ Texas" broke the Billboard charts – so why can’t we all agree it’s the Song of Summer? Audie breaks down why the answer may say more about the state of the music industry than Ella Langley. Plus: Boy Throb is Ari’s latest summer music obsession, and he doesn’t care if it’s a psyop.  

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    Something in your feed you want us to talk about on the show? Email us a video at engagementparty@cnn.com and we’ll feature you on the show.

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    7 August 2026, 10:15 am
  • 35 minutes 7 seconds
    Eddie Huang and the Power of "Sad Boy Lit"

    Writer and chef Eddie Huang joins the party for a conversation about "sad boy" literature, finding love, and the worst relationship advice he's ever received.


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    Something in your feed you want us to talk about on the show? Email us a video at engagementparty@cnn.com and we’ll feature you on the show.

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    31 July 2026, 10:00 am
  • 47 minutes 40 seconds
    Gen Z's '90s Nostalgia Has Some Gaps

    The '90s are everywhere these days — clothes, music, TV — and brands are doing everything they can to capitalize on the revival. Audie and Ari explore what’s driving the modern fascination with a decade they lived through, what Gen Z's rose-colored glasses miss about the era, and what they wax nostalgic for (mix tapes!). Plus, comedian Rob Anderson joins Audie to discuss why nostalgia is so damn funny. 

    Like what you heard? Sign up for our newsletter to catch up on the latest trends, obsessions and culture. 

    Is there something in your feed you want Audie and Ari to talk about? Email us a video at [email protected] and we might feature you on the show.  

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    24 July 2026, 10:00 am
  • 38 minutes 19 seconds
    'The Odyssey' Is Epic But The Discourse Is Not

    Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey isn't just a movie — it's an event. Audie and Ari sift through the hype, backlash, and what the online chatter says about the cultural moment. Plus: how Venmo is warping our relationships with money and each other, and why Love Island watch parties rival ones for the World Cup. 

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    17 July 2026, 10:00 am
  • 32 minutes 27 seconds
    Will Meta’s AI Glasses Ever Be Cool?

    Meta’s trying hard to sell people on its AI glasses, but will partnering with Ray-Ban and celebrities like Kylie Jenner let them shed the pervasive take that they’re creepy and cringe? Plus, why fro-yo’s in the midst of yet another revival, and whether the viral “airport theory” of rolling up to security when you’re flight’s due to board is smart or horrifying (Audie and Ari disagree). 

    About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds. 

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    10 July 2026, 10:00 am
  • 39 minutes 23 seconds
    The Summer of Peptides and Celebrity Weddings

    Is this officially the summer of peptides and celebrity weddings? Audie and Ari consider what Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback means for the rise of GLP-1s and the evolution of body positivity. Then they dive into Taylor Swift, our parasocial obsession with celebrity romance, and unveil their official taxonomy of weddings. Finally, what was up with that “tapping” scene in The Devil Wears Prada 2?

    About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds. 

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3 July 2026, 10:00 am
  • 41 minutes 49 seconds
    ‘Nunmania,’ the Woke Pope, and Gen-Z's Loneliness Content

    From pop stars like Rosalía and Lilly Allen in habits to nuns blessing Spurs players and praise for the “woke Pope,” Catholicism is in, and everywhere. But is it just about the aesthetics? Plus, why are people celebrating having no friends in their TikTok videos? And are those adorable videos of World Cup fans delighting in America’s air conditioning, oversized servings and ranch dressing for real?  

    About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds. 

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    26 June 2026, 10:00 am
  • 39 minutes 34 seconds
    The Anti-Toxic Masculinity of Modern-Day Rom-Coms

    Amazon's wildly popular "Off Campus" is just the latest in a parade of BookTok-beloved titles to gain new fans as streaming shows, and the pairing of explicit sex and non-toxic masculinity means these aren’t your mom’s rom-coms. And as fans react to Phoebe Bridgers’ announcement of a phone-free arena tour this summer, Audie and Ari debate the merits of locking away devices for live events. Plus, "Wild Card" host Rachel Martin is over menopause-friendly salmon recipes in her feeds. 

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    19 June 2026, 10:00 am
  • 40 minutes 39 seconds
    'Obsession' Fever, 'The Republic of Wasia,' and Why Tan Lines Are Hot Again

    "Obsession" and "Backrooms" are breaking box office records. Audie and Ari dissect both films' YouTube origins, the secrets of their success, and why the whole horror genre is killing it right now. Then, friend of the show Elise Hu helps break down how the "Republic of Wasia" became a meme and a moment, and why not everyone who's mixed-Asian feels included. Plus: Why are tan lines in again?

    About the show: Welcome to Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro’s Engagement Party, where the hot takes are the smart takes. ​After years of working side by side, Audie and Ari have made it official with their pop culture video podcast. Party hopping between what you're watching, reading, and scrolling, these longtime friends unpack what matters in our endless feeds.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 June 2026, 10:00 am
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