Malcolm Gladwell

Oh. And I nearly forgot to mention, we're going to spend a lot of time with the newly minted Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., because I listened to Joe Rogan tell the story of how he met Kennedy, and I was riveted.

Oh. And I nearly forgot to mention, we're going to spend a lot of time with the newly minted Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., because I listened to Joe Rogan tell the story of how he met Kennedy, and I was riveted.

Exactly. What's up with these guys? We have a very full year coming up. Stay tuned, my friends.

Exactly. What's up with these guys? We have a very full year coming up. Stay tuned, my friends.

Pushkin.

Pushkin.

Yeah, I don't think country music does good love songs. I think it does good breakup songs, heartbreak songs. It does the reverse.

Yeah, I don't think country music does good love songs. I think it does good breakup songs, heartbreak songs. It does the reverse.

So country music, which is consistent with its role in American popular culture, it is the downer to rock music's upper. Right. Rock music. And I did a whole revisions history episode on on this. It was, you know, the the striking thing about rock music is the inability of rock musicians to write effective sad songs. Their sad songs are terrible. They're just not sad. Right.

So country music, which is consistent with its role in American popular culture, it is the downer to rock music's upper. Right. Rock music. And I did a whole revisions history episode on on this. It was, you know, the the striking thing about rock music is the inability of rock musicians to write effective sad songs. Their sad songs are terrible. They're just not sad. Right.

They're not believably sad. They're rock and roll songs that are kind of, you know, trying to pretend to like I gave the example of of Wild Horses, which is supposed to be a sad song. It's not sad. What's sad about it? It's faux sad and faux country. It's also banal and like wild, wild horses. Like what is going on? I mean, it's just like it doesn't work.

They're not believably sad. They're rock and roll songs that are kind of, you know, trying to pretend to like I gave the example of of Wild Horses, which is supposed to be a sad song. It's not sad. What's sad about it? It's faux sad and faux country. It's also banal and like wild, wild horses. Like what is going on? I mean, it's just like it doesn't work.

Country, though, is totally comfortable in that kind of emotional morass. That's the whole—it's depressive music. That's the whole point. It's the South. It's like white guys who lost the Civil War, never got over it. That's what it is. You know, I was talking to some guy yesterday about the Church of Christ, which is a almost overwhelmingly Southern denomination of Christian denomination.

Country, though, is totally comfortable in that kind of emotional morass. That's the whole—it's depressive music. That's the whole point. It's the South. It's like white guys who lost the Civil War, never got over it. That's what it is. You know, I was talking to some guy yesterday about the Church of Christ, which is a almost overwhelmingly Southern denomination of Christian denomination.

And Nashville is the heart of— of Church of Christ. The music in Church of Christ churches is insane. The Church of Christ famously has no orchestral music. It's all a cappella, which is way more demanding. The Church of Christ, it is not a happy denomination. It's not Pentecostals jumping up and down and welcoming the risen Lord. No.

And Nashville is the heart of— of Church of Christ. The music in Church of Christ churches is insane. The Church of Christ famously has no orchestral music. It's all a cappella, which is way more demanding. The Church of Christ, it is not a happy denomination. It's not Pentecostals jumping up and down and welcoming the risen Lord. No.

It's like white Southerners bemoaning the loss of their status and be bowing their head in the face of a vengeful God.

It's like white Southerners bemoaning the loss of their status and be bowing their head in the face of a vengeful God.

And no piano to lift their spirits. No organ, no piano, no nothing. Use your own voice, damn it. Which is why, by the way, so many country singers come from the Church of Christ. Amy Grant is Church of Christ. Merle Haggard is Church of Christ. I could go on and on. The list, if you look it up, is insane.

And no piano to lift their spirits. No organ, no piano, no nothing. Use your own voice, damn it. Which is why, by the way, so many country singers come from the Church of Christ. Amy Grant is Church of Christ. Merle Haggard is Church of Christ. I could go on and on. The list, if you look it up, is insane.