Marketplace’s Hit Podcast This Is Uncomfortable Back With New Season About How We’re All Getting Scammed
The show about life and how money messes with it returns for an all-new season featured as part of Apple Podcasts’ new Spotlight initiative. Listen to episode one and subscribe here.
LOS ANGELES, April 8, 2021 — Marketplace announces the new season of its podcast This Is Uncomfortable today. Hosted by Reema Khrais, the show digs into stories about the unanticipated ways money affects relationships, shapes identities and often defines what it means to be an adult.
Reema and This Is Uncomfortable have been hand-picked as the Apple Podcasts Spotlight for April. Apple’s new editorial franchise highlights rising podcast creators and provides them with support from the world’s largest podcast platform, with prominent positioning on the U.S. “browse” tab in the Apple Podcasts app and full-scale marketing and promotional support.
Each week, Reema — an expert in the emotional side of money — dives into uncomfortable topics, like the awkwardness of lending friends money, how to exist in a financially unequal romantic relationship and many other ways money impacts who we are. Episodes one and two are available now.
This new season is centered on scams; it gets into the gut-wrenching, eyebrow-raising money moments that permeate our modern economy. From a decadeslong search over a stolen identity, to the cultish allure of multilevel marketing, to a divorce inspired by a Medicare bill, this season hits deep with personal stories.
“So much of what we hoped for ourselves just isn’t happening, and it can leave you feeling kinda scammed,” Reema says. “Our team got really fascinated with that idea — yes, literal scams, but also how our society is built in a way that can sometimes leave us feeling cheated. From unpaid internships and exorbitant medical costs to shady business practices and the allure of self-optimization, we’re constantly making these risky bets in hopes of improving our well-being. But more and more, it feels like the game of success is rigged.”
“Reema and the ‘This Is Uncomfortable’ team tell completely different kinds of personal finance stories than anywhere else, and our audience has responded with so many of their own stories of how money has affected their lives,” says Sitara Nieves, Marketplace’s executive director of on demand. “We’re thrilled about Apple Podcasts’ selection of ‘This Is Uncomfortable’ as only their fourth Spotlight pick and are excited about the opportunity for this season to reach new audiences.”
With more than 5.5 million downloads, This Is Uncomfortable is a Webby Award-nominated podcast that has been nationally recognized.
THIS SEASON’S EPISODE TOPICS INCLUDE:
Identity theft: 4/1
Axton spent 20 years trying to track down an identity thief wreaking havoc on her family, only to discover the truth was uglier than she imagined.
MLMs: 4/8
Multilevel marketing companies promise the American dream: If you just hustle hard enough, you’ll make bank, you’ll have community and be an all-around bad boss bitch. But for those desperate to make ends meet, that “Hey, Hun” in your DMs can become a dangerous siren song.
Medicaid Divorce: 4/15
When Dear vowed “in sickness and in health,” she meant it, especially since her wife, Amber, has a debilitating condition. But when a raise for Dear threatens Amber’s Medicaid coverage, the couple is forced to decide between lifesaving health care and their marriage.
Beauty is a scam: 4/22
After learning that an expensive hair product she bought for years to help her curls might be the reason for her hair loss, Reema tries to unpack what it means when our self-worth gets tied to how far we’re willing to go — and how much we’re willing to spend — to look good.
GoFundMe Suicide: 4/29
A young woman grapples with the cost of her mental illness and tries to rid her family of the burden, even after death.
The Intern Coup: 5/6
Diana gets her big break in fashion — head intern at Harper’s Bazaar — but soon figures out nothing good in life is free, except intern labor.
Find Lottie: 5/13
After finding a hundred dollar bill tucked inside a birthday card addressed to “Lottie,” Reema tries to reunite the money with the owner and tells three stories of money, lost and found.
What doesn’t love you back: 5/20
When Victoria told her Catholic school teachers she wanted to be a priest when she grew up, she didn’t realize she was about to spend decades chasing a dream that didn’t want her back.
The Art of Getting By: 5/27
Aisha spent her teen years inventing ways to get by when she was financially behind: She charged friends for braiding hair and running errands, hawked imported goods in the hallways between classes. But now, as a financially stable adult, she can’t seem to let go of the anxiety that helped her survive.
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About Marketplace
Marketplace® is on a mission to raise the economic intelligence of the country. Its core programs —"Marketplace®,” “Marketplace Morning Report®” and “Marketplace Tech®” — are currently broadcast nationwide on more than 800 public radio stations and nearly 400 commercial stations, heard by over 12 million weekly listeners. Marketplace podcasts, including “Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly,” “The Uncertain Hour®,” “This Is Uncomfortable” and “Million Bazillion,” can be found at Marketplace.org or on your favorite podcast app. The Marketplace portfolio of programs are produced and distributed by American Public Media®, one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world. For more information on Marketplace, visit marketplace.org, follow us on Twitter @marketplace or like us on Facebook. For more information on American Public Media, visit americanpublicmedia.org.
Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Fall ’20.
About American Public Media
American Public Media® (APM) is the national programming and distribution division of American Public Media Group and reaches nearly 17 million listeners via approximately 1,000 public radio stations and nearly 400 commercial stations nationwide each week. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programs in the nation. APM offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. For more information on APM, visit americanpublicmedia.org.
Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Fall ’20.