Pushing Past Polite
Laura and Kori
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
All episodes
Best episodes
Seasons
Top 10 Pushing Past Polite Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Pushing Past Polite episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Pushing Past Polite for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Pushing Past Polite episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Election results and just say no wristbands and sleepovers (Ep.29).
Pushing Past Polite
11/13/24 • 47 min
Episode 29 kicks off with Kori anticipating the fatigue and stress that is hosting sleepovers for little ones. Laura thinks she’s lost her mind, hosting toddlers and preschoolers for a sleepover. Not even caffeine and wine can save you. We all agree that whoever put Halloween, Daylight Savings, and Election Day in the same week clearly hates us.
We spend most of our time debriefing our lack of surprise, but sincere disappointment with the federal election outcomes from our perspectives: Keith as a white man in a red state, Kori as a Black woman in a blue state, and Laura as a white woman in a reddish-purple area of a blue state. We touch on Florida’s constitutional amendments to enshrine abortion rights and legalize marijuana that failed, representation, the importance of protecting transgender kids, how moving to Portugal is tempting, immigration, the perception of the economy, how we recovered and processed our feelings in the wake of the outcomes, the blue bracelet “trend,” how we won’t be storming the capitol, 34 felony charges that seem not to matter because of someone’s whiteness, how our government secrets will be by the toilet in MiraLago, and so much more.
We focus on what’s true before the election that’s also true now - like our care for the vulnerable, love for our families, and showing up to do the work. We mourn how everyone will lose something - even if they don’t realize it yet, and we again flex our compassion muscle to try to understand what motivated folks to vote against their own interests. And we have to then craft a message and a platform that speaks to those needs. So we look ahead to next year’s governor’s race (in Virginia) and congressional midterms (2026) to put together a firewall against this administration - as well as actions we can take in our communities to organize and stand up for folks who will need us.
And Kori shares more about her toddler and preschooler's plans for an epic sleepover. Godspeed, mama.
Follow us on social media (@pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube), drop us a rating and review, and share episodes with your friends!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Holiday movies, trees, cards, and meals. But hold the nog. (Ep.16)
Pushing Past Polite
11/22/23 • 41 min
Episode 16 starts off with Kori sharing how her preschooler has started creatively dropping f bombs, which we adopt throughout the episode. It’s holiday time, and the gals (and Keith) share a bit about their traditions, memory making, and intentions for the season. Conversion includes decorating for Halloween, putting up numerous Christmas trees and enjoying the glow for as long as possible (Good Morning America cites science that this makes you happier!), creating a Christmas movie watch list, viewing lights (Richmond, Virginia has an awesome Tacky Light Tour and a beautiful botanical garden display), cookie and gingerbread house decorating (check out the Candy Cottage for bake-free fun), drinking vs. eating calories, to love or hate egg nog, systems for Christmas cards and where Christmas cards go at the end of the season, and trading in turkey for tastier meats (at least 2 per meal!). Kori’s youngest son J makes an appearance and volunteers to help cook the holiday meals. What a gem! Kori reminds all of us folks to moisturize every chance we get this winter, and we set our intentions for slow, meaningful, gratitude-filled time with our people.
Keith, Kori, and Laura all agree - starting this podcast was one of the best parts of 2023 and our listeners warm up our hearts - those we know and those we have yet to meet. Cheers to more connection and pushing past polite to engage in meaningful conversations in 2024 and beyond! Safe travels, happy holidays, and know we appreciate you!
Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU!
@pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Please rate and review us anywhere you get your podcasts and share with friends!
We would very much appreciate you rating us where you listen to your podcasts - and sharing this episode with your friends and loved ones as they travel, prep food, or slow down to relax this holiday season.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sacred texts. Eddie Murphy, The West Wing, and Phil Collins. (Ep.22)
Pushing Past Polite
03/13/24 • 56 min
Episode 22 starts out with Laura getting a little picked on for quirks she didn’t know she had - ha! Today, the three musketeers (yes, Keith too) talk about their “sacred texts” - art that they come back to over and over again - movies, TV shows, quotes, books, music. You name it! We use this conversation as a way to better understand each other as friends - and reflect on the power of art to connect, communicate, and inspire. The soul of art speaks to us and changes us - no wonder censorship is a thing. Art can change the world!
Here are some highlights. Can you guess who liked what?
Eddie Murphy’s stand up and movies,
Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Sex in the City, Father of the Bride, Princess Bride, Lost, A Different World, the whole TGIF lineup (Family Matters, Dinosaurs), Golden Girls, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, House of Card (we all agree - ick), Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Friere, Rainer Maria Rilke’s quote about questions, The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, vampire books by Melissa de la Cruz, The Last Airbender, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Don Henley, Mumford and Sons, Sia, Fiona Apple, Alanis, Nirvana, Counting Crows, Sublime, Dave Matthews, The Cosby Show, Prince, the Eagles, Michael Jackson and more.
Laura introduces the term “Facebook know,” Keith shares a disturbing prediction from tech giants on the future of AI in publishing, Kori can’t help but nerd out with a conversation on Optimus Prime, and then guess who brings up Love is Blind Season 6 chatter? Clay’s mom is a shero, but also let that woman not have to work so hard to fix the men in her life.
Y’all - we wrap things up by saying art helps us connect with our own humanity - and lord knows we need to connect with our humanity now more than ever! So share this pod with your folks, ask about what texts are sacred to them, and share yours back!
Visit our new home on the web: www.pushingpastpolitepodcast.com. Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU! @pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. What are YOUR sacred texts? Let us know!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
No to demure. Have a Red Bull. We ride at dawn. (Ep.33)
Pushing Past Polite
02/05/25 • 59 min
2025 is no joke y’all, and community is CRITICAL to survival. You know one way to build community? Share this episode with a like-minded friend from our website (pushingpastpolitepodcast.com) and talk about it! Give us a review on your podcast app, engage with our posts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube so other folks can find us.
On Episode 33, we start by talking about all the things the new administration doesn’t want you to hear about, like bird flu, a raging tuberculosis outbreak, how firing the FAA director and freezing hiring of air traffic controllers likely contributed to a deadly plane crash, the operation of a concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay that will likely include the internment of our own citizens (WWII history repeating itself), challenging the citizenship for indigenous people. This is how hate works. You think that the “others” are fine to direct hate towards, but it’ll eventually be your turn. There is no protection from it.
People are stunned by the flurry of activity - timed perfectly to make us stay home, be compliant, and then they can even blame things on the previous administration.
Keith shared about his challenging work in communications on federally-funded projects and the real impact a funding freeze has and might continue to have on his colleagues. Gutting federal departments is a way to make his homies rich, awarding federal contracts to them instead.
Kori, Keith, and Laura plot their hopefulness on a continuum. Keith is most despairing, Laura is in the middle, and Kori is most hopeful. Probably b/c her entire 42 years of lived experience as a Black woman in America have prepared her for injustice. Kori points out that white folks are socialized to be nice, be polite, don’t talk about that here or now - or ever. And that’s a big part of what got us here - our unwillingness to confront harmful thinking and behaviors.
Being on the receiving end of harmful policy is pretty new for most white folks, so while they may feel stunned, scared, and hopeless, Kori gives us all the pep talk we need. This isn’t the time to be tired. Take a lesson from our Black, trans, differently-abled brothers and sisters and keep moving. Drink that Red Bull if you need it, but get out there and fight - and live in spite of injustice. Channel your inner Brave Heart. Paint that face. Let’s effing go! Look for the helpers and BE one of them! Listen to your patriotic songs and know that this is YOUR time.
If the events of the past few weeks have opened your eyes in new ways, you are welcome here. Check out our catalog of 32 other podcast episodes and join us in Pushing Past Polite in your communities.
P.S. And can we say how ahead of our time our fangirling of Costco was? I mean damn. Love you, COSTCO. Now more than ever. And three cheers for the Bravo Cinematic Universe sweatshirt Laura wore for this recording. Takes us way back to our friendship origin story and the conversation where we debate Bravo v. Marvel.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Birth stories with a side of tornadoes and frozen peas. (Ep.11)
Pushing Past Polite
09/13/23 • 36 min
Kori and Laura take their vulnerability a step further - from sharing about pregnancy to birth stories and what we did with our placentas. Two different, yet chaotic birth stories (one almost didn’t make it and one got sent home due to failed induction) and our subsequent plans that involved scheduled c-sections and a vasectomy for our partner, respectively. Laura shares a trait in common with Shakira, how things went sideways with her first child’s delivery and Kori discusses how her dad - a doctor - saved the day and the importance of getting your vehicle ready for the journey to the hospital. Kori also mentions a historic tornado that coincided with the birth of her second child, encourages folks to consider a doula to support you through your birthing journey (particularly for women of color as we reflect on the disproportionate rates of maternal mortality for Black women in America and reflect on the news story related to the 4x100 relay team), and shares a poignant exchange she had with a doctor. We end with an encouragement for everyone - regardless of how you relate to pregnancy and birth - childbearing does not define your value!
Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU!
@pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Please rate and review us anywhere you get your podcasts and share with friends!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tears for Gaza amidst Disney rides and face farts (Ep.14)
Pushing Past Polite
10/25/23 • 31 min
Kori starts things off with a bang - or rather a toot - relaying her latest mom-of-toddler antics, and Laura shares briefly her family vacation that involved Disney and dolphins. While Laura was in the happiest place on earth, Gaza experienced brutal attacks, bringing both Kori and Laura to tears - and feelings of anger. In this episode, the women acknowledge the complexity and nuance this topic deserves and promise to point to informed sources for better details, but they elevate values all of us should be able to get behind - liberation, full rights, protecting children and innocent civilians, peace, safety, hope for a future, as well as rejecting anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and genocide. Kori makes connections between Free Palestine and Black Lives Matters, and encourages us to remember more than one truth can exist at the same time, creating cognitive tension. The ladies share ideas for how we can impact change in this dire situation. Potential actions include voting, calling your federal representatives to demand a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, donating to nonprofits serving the region, learning and reading more about the history of the region, using your social media feed to call attention to human impacts, diversifying your sources of information, sending light, energy and safety for folks on the front lines of diplomacy and humanitarian aid, and most importantly, checking on the people in your Jewish and Muslim, Palestinian, Israeli, and Arab friends and family members - who feel their existence is threatened in this moment. Be kind, find common humanity, and avoid the temptation to oversimplify the matter to one good and one bad side.
Check out our socials for thought leaders and quality information sources on the conflict in Gaza.
@pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
We would very much appreciate you rating us where you listen to your podcasts - and sharing this episode with friends.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Divesting from White Supremacy Culture (Pt2). The car salesman and punctuality (Ep.25)
Pushing Past Polite
05/01/24 • 34 min
Episode 25 continues the conversation from Episode 24, focused on sharing the characteristics of White Supremacy Culture (WSC). We review the 15 characteristics from Tema Okun’s seminal work and then continue to unpack ways in which we see WSC in ourselves, in our society, and institutions. Examples include the prevalence of white men in positions of power in our workplaces. Laura shares her relationship with perfectionism and worship of the written word, and Kori confesses how a sense of urgency and defensiveness is something she has to actively note and work to disrupt. We both acknowledge the importance of self-talk as a strategy to work through moments where we see WSC in ourselves. We point out how most Americans fear open conflict, preferring instead to sweep problems out of sight to protect comfort. Our personal chat to wrap things up includes Kori’s annual crawfish boil, the Cowboy Carter album, the purchase of a moonbounce, how much her boys love travel, and potty training. Laura shares the plan for a fun summer full of swim team practices and even a week of sleep away camp - and the ladies sign off Season 3 with warm wishes for our listeners to enjoy wonderful time with their loved ones over our break. We’ll be back for Season 4 with some surprises, including more friends for you to meet!!
Visit our new home on the web: www.pushingpastpolitepodcast.com for full show notes, transcripts, links to resources, and discussion prompts. Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU! @pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Divesting from White Supremacy Culture (Pt1). Beyonce, hustle culture, and eclipse watching. (Ep.24)
Pushing Past Polite
04/17/24 • 39 min
Episode 24 begins with misheard lyrics from a Jay Z and Alicia Keys song (thanks Popcast podcast). It makes no sense and isn’t appropriate for all audiences but you can’t unhear it. Kori asks if Laura’s heard Beyonce’s new Cowboy Carter album and phew! Has she ever! The backlash against Beyonce was the PERFECT segue into our topic for this pod - and next pod as we talked for a long time. Drum roll please! White. Supremacy. Culture. Kori grounds us in understanding culture in general, and then Laura shares the 15 characteristics of white supremacy culture from a seminal article by Dr. Tema Okun. They are: perfectionism, a sense of urgency, defensiveness, valuing quantity over quality, worship of the written word, only one right way, paternalism, either/or thinking, power hoarding, fear of open conflict, individualism, I'm the only one, progress is bigger and more, illusion of objectivity, and the right to comfort. Phew! Next, we trace evidence of white supremacy through country music, language in job descriptions, headlines about the impact of the eclipse on lost wages (WTH!), how one of our kiddos pretend works to avoid his sibling, and the unreasonable expectation of strong performance on evaluations. Kori, in a recent speaking engagement, was asked by a listener how to push back against perfectionism in herself and begin to unlearn it. We also address discomfort as not being the same as being in danger - and that’s where we leave off this time - thanking listeners for embracing elements of the pod that might have made them uncomfortable or defensive - and hopefully pushing past politeness to interrogate why so we can all root out white supremacy culture - in our society, but first in our own thinking.
Visit our new home on the web: www.pushingpastpolitepodcast.com for full show notes, transcripts, links to resources, and discussion prompts. Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU! @pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sh*t’s going down in the macro and the micro - and you need more glue sticks (Ep.26)
Pushing Past Polite
07/24/24 • 61 min
Season 4 starts now! Keith joins Laura and Kori to touch base mid-summer because Lord, y’all - so much is happening! The three discuss the tension of living our individual lives with its daily rhythms, routines, and pressing “must dos” while acknowledging the big picture things happening in our world that we just cannot ignore! And boy oh boy are we tired of living in unprecedented times! Poor elder millennials - it’s all we know.
Big macro forces include the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a shooting at a presidential campaign rally, famine in Sudan and DRC, exploitative mining practices in Congo, inflation, violations of the separation of church and state in Louisiana classrooms, dangerous and crazy Supreme Court decisions about homelessness, bribery, and presidential immunity, AIPAC bragging about influencing our elections, a felon leading the presidential race, Nazis marching in Nashville. Yet we have to pack for vacations, drive kids to camps, and make dinner. Gah!
We reflect on the events of recent weeks and have some takeaways.
Americans consume violence as our entertainment - from the NFL to the Law and Order series to true crime podcasts. So why are we surprised when we see political violence? Violence is woven into the fabric of our nation’s history - particularly violence against native peoples and Africans captured and forced into slavery. And it only continued - see Tulsa Race Massacre - and even school shootings. Assassinations aren’t even new - see Lincoln, JFK, MLK. Yes we condemn violence, but let’s be clear - this is not new.
Kori shares a terrifying, poignant memory of being a 10 year old girl in the backseat of her parents’ vehicle as the police pulled them over with SWAT and helicopters, assuming the car was stolen. Perhaps the shock is just new to white Americans?
More than ever - community is everything - practically and strategically. Check on and take care of your people. Flex your empathy muscles. Don’t feel guilty about self-care. Remember - you’re putting out brush fires in your own life while a forest fire rages all around. Finding joy and healing spaces is critical. And even if you have the privilege to ignore what’s going on in the world - fight that urge. Don’t be a rugged individualist. Lean in and recognize the power of the collective. And if you haven’t read about Project 2025, the time is now. So much dangerous wild stuff - from women’s rights to weather reports! Get educated about the stakes and talk about them with your people.
And lighter topics of conversation include The Price is Right and how Bob Barker is better than Drew Carey as host. Streaming services with ads are making us cranky. Wasn’t the point of streaming to skip ads on cable? And all the categories of exercise classes in these handy dandy apps, The Outer Banks on Netflix, school supply shopping with a bajillion glue sticks, crazy school calendars, our vacation plans.
Follow us on social media, as we want to hear from YOU!@pushingpastpolite on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
The best ways to support us are by rating, reviewing, and sharing episodes with folks in your circle.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Personal and professional mentors. With gripe water and a Winnebago. (Ep.20)
Pushing Past Polite
02/14/24 • 52 min
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does Pushing Past Polite have?
Pushing Past Polite currently has 37 episodes available.
What topics does Pushing Past Polite cover?
The podcast is about Identity, Society & Culture, Parenting, Educator, Motherhood, Professional, Podcasts, Millennial, Self-Improvement, Education, Relationships and Race.
What is the most popular episode on Pushing Past Polite?
The episode title 'Psst...We miss y’all. Crop tops and Flonase.' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Pushing Past Polite?
The average episode length on Pushing Past Polite is 44 minutes.
How often are episodes of Pushing Past Polite released?
Episodes of Pushing Past Polite are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Pushing Past Polite?
The first episode of Pushing Past Polite was released on Jan 9, 2023.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ