Text Me Back! is a celebration of the 25-year best friendship between New York Times bestselling author Lindy West and “recovering lawyer” and democracy expert Meagan Hatcher-Mays. The pair dissects pop culture, politics, snakes, the paranormal and anything else that crosses their minds.
As part of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, West and Hatcher-Mays are joined by Los Angeles-based writer and comedian Guy Branum for a raucous roast of the Supreme Court. They rank the nine justices and give them each snappy taglines in the style of the hit Bravo television franchise The Real Housewives of New York City.
Branum reveals what it’s like to be an exceptionally large gay man auditioning for mainstream Hollywood movie roles. He dishes on his celebrity colleagues, including Zac Efron, Natalie Portman, Jean Smart, Chelsea Handler and Ludacris.
They also get serious for a moment, talking about the erosion of personal liberties, women’s rights, the power dynamics of the Supreme Court and how people can educate themselves to make a political impact.
This conversation was recorded in Seattle on May 4, 2024.
Listen to full uncut episodes on the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival podcast at crosscut.com/podcast.
Cascade PBS Ideas Festival
Journalists, politicians, authors and newsmakers from around the world come together.
Text Me Back!: A U.S. Supreme Court roast
Author Lindy West, comedian Guy Branum and democracy expert Meagan Hatcher-Mays raucously skewer our legal system, starting at the top.