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Every year millions of people struggle with mental health conditions, and for some, their trauma can become a lifelong prison. They try medication, conventional therapy and every self help book they’re told might help. But for people with treatment-resistant PocTSD, the nightmares don't seem to come to an end. But what if there could be another way to heal? For years, therapists and researchers have explored how psychedelics, paired with carefully guided counseling, can help people break free from behavioral patterns that have held them back. In the new documentary More Than Medicine, filmmakers Kerthy Fix and Paul Kloss follow therapists and patients for nearly a decade as they explore the promise, controversy, and impact of psychedelic therapy. But this emerging movement faces significant challenges, including the FDA's 2024 rejection of an application for MDMA-assisted therapy.  So what did Kerthy and Paul discover after eight years of documenting this evolving movement? And what might the future of mental health care look like?  Today Kerthy Fix and Paul Kloss join us to talk about More Than Medicine, what they witnessed while making the film, and why they believe psychedelic therapy is a revolution in healing.  FEATURED FILM: More Than Medicine: The Rise of Psychedelic Therapy TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7uuIfX-x48 SUPPORT: https://seedandspark.com/fund/more-than-medicine FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/morethanmedicine_doc ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion

When Bonanza ended after 14 seasons, NBC television turned to its biggest star, Michael Landon, to create a new series. Landon adapted Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved “Little House” books into “Little House on the Prairie,” a family drama about perseverance, faith, and community on the American frontier. Premiering in the aftermath of Watergate, the series became a cultural phenomenon, offering an optimistic vision of neighbors coming together to overcome hardship. More than 50 years later, Little House remains one of television's most beloved franchises. Netflix is now rebooting the series with promises of a more historically accurate adaptation. The project has already sparked heated debate, with some conservatives dismissing it as "woke." Today we're joined by writer Lee Ingalls, a cousin of Laura Ingalls Wilder and a leading voice in preserving the Ingalls family legacy. Along with his husband Brett Cullum, he helps organize the Society for the Ingalls Family, a fan group for Little House events and fan gatherings. Lee has written a deeply personal memoir, The Prairie Has a Rainbow, about growing up as a gay boy in the rural Midwest during the 1950s and 60s. Plus-- • Did Heated Rivalry inspire the Netflix producers to create a bromance between Pa Ingalls and Mr Edwards?  Link: ★ Society for the Ingalls Family Follow Us on Instagram:  ★ instagram.com/theprairiehasarainbow ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion

As fascism and other systems of oppression slither their way into the mainstream, resistance doesn't always come from politicians, it’s coming from people with guitars, amps, and fierce music. From P***y Riot crashing churches in Russia to Welsh grannies cranking up distortion in Brooklyn, punk is still one of the loudest ways to say, “Hell to the no!” Today Marc Felion is on special assignment in Brooklyn, New York talking to The Nanaz, a punk rock group from South Wales made up of women in their 50s and beyond. The group started as total strangers in a community sponsored music workshop, and now they’re tearing up festival stages, and bringing their beautiful chaos to New York City for the Loud Women Music festival. Listen as we chat about how punk is giving them a second adolescence, their anthems like “Everyone’s an Idiot” and “Care Home Robbery” call out ageism, the nightmare of elder care, recycling, and why older women with guitars might be some of the most dangerous people in the room. Follow Us on Instagram:  ★ instagram.com/thenanazband ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion

Society is collapsing, the moon is full, and Madonna, Cher, and Nadya Ginsburg have all escaped from their cages.  Comedian, writer, and woman of a thousand voices, Nadya Ginsburg, is back with her new musical comedy cabaret Feral Fatale, featuring stand-up, songs, AI critiques, shapeshifting into pop icons, and a dramatic reading of Cher's most legendary tweets. Today Nadya joins us to sink our teeth into Madonna's brand new album, Confessions II, which just like World War II uses Roman numerals to determine the version number.  Is it her best album in decades or is it a reboot? Has the Queen of Pop finally stopped chasing trends and started reflecting on her legacy with vaginal green space lasers?  Check Out Nadya Ginsburg's New Show "Feral Fatale" July 17 @cavern_cabaret July 22 @thefoundryws July 23 @cuttingroomnyc Plus: • Madonna teams up with daughter Lourdes on a new dance track. • Why the New York Times misses the mark on rejecting the word "queer." • Jackie Beat's Final Destination moment. • Little House on the Prairie gets a Netflix reboot. Follow Us on Instagram:  ★ instagram.com/nadyaginsburg ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion

By now you’ve probably sick of hearing about the weird video made by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempciznski, where he nervously takes a tiny bite of their new burger, referring to it as a “product.”  Since then, a myriad of executives have tried to one-up each other with their own burger “eating” videos, creating a full-fledged social media spectacle with the hopes of raising sales and building brand loyalty. But one question still stands: why won't these burger CEOs show themselves swallowing their own “meat?” Today Chicago comedian and burger aficionado Dan Cass joins us to look at the incredibly weird new burger wars, which instead of making people want to buy one, is making everyone question their life choices.  Plus-- • Did Timothée Chalamet’s off putting comments on opera and ballet cost him the Oscar? • BuzzFeed reports they may be going out of business. Here’s 10 reasons and why #4 will shock you.  Follow us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/dankass ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion

People love sports for the thrill of the challenge, to push their bodies to boldly go where they’ve never gone before. But in Star Trek, how would people compete in a universe where physical augmentation makes almost anything possible?  What happens to bodybuilding a thousand years from now? Today’s episode is a dual drop from Feast of Fun and Let’s Grow Big Together, think of it as a transporter mishap where two podcasts are fused as one, but not as awkward as Tuvix. In this series, we take a look at the passion for muscle, adventures in bodybuilding, muscle gods, muscle worship and practical advice to put on the gains. The new series Starfleet Academy centers the Star Trek universe around the school for new recruits with a fresh focus on youth culture and hot bodies. Today Starfleet Academy’s production designer Matthew Davies joins us to look at his work imagining schools, starships, gyms and nightclubs of the future. Davies is also an accomplished bodybuilder, so we’re having a little fun imagining what bodybuilding might look like in that world. How will technology shape bodybuilding? What will giant, glorious bodies mean centuries from now?  Plus-- • Lesbians in Space! Creating same sex, interspecies relationships. • Why Matthew has no regrets turning down Heated Rivalry. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion ★ instagram.com/westqueerwest

The sexual revolution didn’t happen all at once, it came in throbbing waves: the Pill. Stonewall. The AIDS crisis. The Internet. Grindr. PrEP. Doxy PEP. Sniffies!  We have more options than ever before and yet some still feel lonely. Swipe culture gives us abundance, but it also trains us to treat each other like custom coffee drinks.  How do we build intimacy without running a background check on somebody? And why does jealousy still show up like it is paying the rent? Today, queer activist and marriage and family therapist Damon L. Jacobs joins us to unpack the great queer divide: monogamy vs. open relationships. His web series Choosing Queer Joy argues that joy isn’t frivolous, it’s revolutionary. But when we start talking about sex, love, and commitment the revolution can get real messy, real fast. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion ★ instagram.com/damonljacobs

Considering the rebellious spirit of reggaeton music, folks were all up in a knot as Bad Bunny took to the Super Bowl stage, expecting a vulgar, over-the-top spectacle. Instead, we got a triumphant celebration of Puerto Rican culture, and at the end, a giant billboard reminding us: “The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love.”  Not just a jolgorio for Puerto Rico, but a nod to queer icons like Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny’s record-breaking show drew 10 million more viewers than the game itself, making it officially the most-watched halftime show in history, causing some to declare the Republican culture wars over.  Today, Chicago comedy icon Dan Cass joins us to unpack the cultural legacy of Bad Bunny’s Halftime show, why he pronounces words a little differently in Spanish, and the LGBTQ+ Puerto Rican excellence that shined throughout the show.  Plus--  • Now that Lady Gaga is officially Puerto Rican, will she team up with Bad Bunny for a salsa album? • More horrifying revelations from the Epstein/Trump files.  • The Olympic Penisgate! Ski-jumping athletes allegedly inject hyaluronic acid in their dongs to fly higher. • Peaches Christ and Sir Ian McKellen bring their shows to Chicago. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion ★ instagram.com/dankkass

Move over RuPaul’s Drag Race! Straight women are now obsessing over a whole new TV show packed with competitive queens, only this time it’s hunky hockey players playing a little tonsil hockey off the ice. Heated Rivalry, the sizzling new TV show based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling series about the secret gay romances of rival star hockey players, is scoring big with audiences. Like Brokeback Mountain, it’s got everyone thinking about how the puck slides into the net without lube. The series has also sent the four lead actors’ careers skating into the spotlight, leaving fans drooling over every off-ice action in their real-life love lives. Looks like the ice isn’t the only thing getting slippery. Today we take a look at the cultural impact of all the new queer TV shows streaming right now, including: Pluribus, Heated Rivalry, Stranger Things, Starfleet Academy, and, of course, RuPaul’s Drag Race.   Plus--  • Hands Across America is about to celebrate its 40 year anniversary in May. Can we unite the country again to fight hunger and poverty? • How the Love Boat sank after they let go of the original Julie.  • How to make a tuna melt sandwich. • Remembering Chicago LGBTQ legend Rick Garcia, who died this month, he was 69.

Happy Holidays, everybody! One of the best parts of the season is when friends and family come back to town to bring the light, the noise, and the funk. Today we welcome back one of the first openly gay comedians in Chicago’s stand-up comedy scene: Bill Cruz. After his time in LA, Bill has returned to Chicago and is here to help us wrap up this difficult year without crying into our coquito. Back in the day, Bill helped shape our live Chicago comedy show, “Feast of Fools,” a little experiment that somehow evolved into one of the world’s first and longest-running podcasts, “Feast of Fun.” And yes, even we’re still surprised it’s still going on. Join us for this and all the hot news: • Bowen Yang, the second openly gay comedian on Saturday Night Live retires from the show.  • Are Republicans using AI to create fake pictures of Trump and Bill Clinton as gay lovers to discredit the Epstein Files?  • Britney Spears’ “Toxic” video director Joseph Kahn says the reason Avatar never became a big part of the public’s consciousness is because gays don’t want to have sex with blue cat aliens. • Farewell to filmmaker Rob Reiner and actor Gil Gerard, star of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” He was 82.  Follow us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/bill_cruz_gurl ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Help Fausto & Marc Fight Blindness and Heart Disease: ★ https://gofund.me/00771d8fe

One of the hardest things about building muscle is being able to consume vast amounts of food. And that’s why we say competitive eating is bodybuilding's distant cousin.  But for a plus sized drag queen, who is already big, it’s a challenge pivoting into bodybuilding and losing fat while building muscle at the same time.  Let’s Grow Big Together! It’s the podcast that reminds you it takes a lot of courage to sashay in heels, and even more to deadlift in them. In this series, we take a look at the passion for muscle, adventures in bodybuilding, muscle gods, muscle worship and practical advice to putting on the gains. Today drag queen and bodybuilder Spencer Duncan joins us to look at going from being Vivica Galactica, a plus sized drag queen on the reality TV series Camp Wannakiki to nabbing the bronze medal at the NPC Midwest Gladiator 2025, Masters 35 and over division. SLAY QUEEN!  Plus:  How imitating others robs us of our own voice.Losing your dad just weeks before stepping on stage. Follow us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/spencerblooms ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Help Fausto & Marc Fight Blindness and Heart Disease: ★ https://gofund.me/00771d8fe

As Republicans trip over themselves trying to explain why Jeffrey Epstein’s emails are “no big deal,” we’re all being reminded how easily the powerful can redefine sexual violence when it suits their needs. Meanwhile our friend Dan Cass has been living the opposite nightmare. Dan was falsely accused by his ex-girlfriend of sexual assault, and unlike Republicans who can just get Megyn Kelly to shrug it off, Dan lost work, relationships, and nearly his mind trying to clear his name. But here’s the twist: Dan did what almost nobody does, he successfully fought the defamatory allegations with a lawyer and prevailed. What happens when the reality of violence is manipulated by unscrupulous people? Today comedian Dan Cass joins us to talk about what it’s like to survive false accusations in a world where people tend to believe gossip over facts, and how he managed to rebuild his life and career. Also joining us is Dan’s brand-new wife, visual artist and hip-hop dancer Jessica, who married him just three weeks ago. Jessica has been with Dan since the allegations started and has supported through the whole ordeal. Join us for this and all the hot news: • Did Trump Suck Bubba off? Who is Bubba? • Devil Wears Prada 2 is set to film with all the original cast returning except the boyfriend and Anne Hatheway’s original face. • Hitler’s DNA is recovered and examined but no clone yet. Follow us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/dankass ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Help Fausto & Marc Fight Blindness and Heart Disease: ★ https://gofund.me/00771d8fe

Transformations are often quite painful. Whether we’re growing emotionally or undergoing a physical metamorphosis, real change usually demands discomfort, and sometimes even danger. In Jon M. Chu’s Wicked films, the characters literally burst through their own limits: they sprout wings, become tin or straw, or learn to fly by defying gravity. Like all the past Wizard of Oz books and films, Wicked is a mirror of its time. Since the Covid pandemic, conservative movements around the globe have seized on a new scapegoat: openly trans and gender-diverse people. Despite being a tiny fraction of the population, trans folks have been painted as a massive cultural threat, a convenient distraction and a powerful tool for those hungry to seize political power. So what can Wicked teach us about facism? What can Elphaba’s journey reveal about the machinery of oppression and about the yellow brick roads queer and trans people are still carving toward liberation? Today we’re joined by trans-tech visionary Violet Kitajewski to explore Wicked as an allegory for LGBTQ resilience, transformation, and resistance. After all, that gravity isn’t going to defy itself. Plus-- Cynthia Erivo and Arianna Grande announce they are in a “non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship.” FEATURED MUSIC: Here Comes the Hurricane Legendary Katrina - Kevin JZ Prodigy ★ https://youtu.be/GMKaa_q1eCg?si=d0F5b7bV9eSpG6_m FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/transosaur ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Help Fausto & Marc Fight Blindness and Heart Disease ★ https://gofund.me/00771d8fe

Sometimes life forces you to hit the pause button. Not because you wanted to, but because your body says, “sit down honey, we’ve got work to do.” After nearly two decades of podcasting, we thought we’d seen it all, until this summer, when I had emergency eye surgery to save my vision, and Marc had his heart shocked back into rhythm after a scary bout of atrial fibrillation. Between the two of us, we had enough hospital bracelets to start our own line of jewelry.  But through all of it, we learned a few things: about getting older, facing fear, and finding humor when life gets dizzy or blurry. On today’s show, we’re sharing what really happened, what we learned about resilience and love, and how to keep your sense of humor when the road gets bumpy.  It’s our comeback episode: I Almost Went Blind, a story about healing, gratitude, and seeing life in a whole new light. 3 Help Fausto & Marc Fight Blindness and Heart Disease: ★ gofundme.com/help-fausto-marc-fight-blindness-and-heart-disease Follow us on Instagram: ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Plus-- • ICE can’t handle the cold.  • A new Miss Piggy movie written by Broadway drag comedy diva Cole Escola is in the works.  • Yoko Ono‘s art comes to Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.  • Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City’s most progressive mayor since La Guardia.  • Marriage Equality is safe, for now.

One of the most divisive books in children’s literature is Shel Silverstein’s "The Giving Tree," the story of a dysfunctional relationship between a boy and a sentient apple tree who gives him everything she has, from her apples and leaves to her branches and trunk, until all that's left is a stump. Meant as a parable of unconditional love, writer Topher Payne thought our doomed pair needed a better ending to their sad story. He wrote "The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries," where the tree learns to say no and lives a long, happy life because of it. Today, playwright and Hallmark screenwriter Topher Payne joins us to revisit "The Giving Tree" and other classic children's books with questionable moral compasses, and to explore what happens when we give these stories the therapy they clearly need. What's the trouble with "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Where the Wild Things Are?"  READ "Topher Fixed It" ★ https://www.topherpayne.com/fixed-it FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: ★ instagram.com/topherwrites ★ instagram.com/faustofernos ★ instagram.com/marcfelion Plus– Topher takes us behind the scenes of his films with the Hallmark Channel, where the snow is always falling, the cookies are always warm, and love is just one conveniently timed misunderstanding away.