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This episode dives into the significant political question posed by Ronald Reagan during the closing moments of his 1980 presidential debate with Jimmy Carter: 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' Ken Woodward explores the context of the 1980 political climate, marked by economic difficulties, high inflation, unemployment, and international issues such as the Iran hostage crisis and concerns about U.S. global standing and nuclear threats. Reagan's question, which became iconic in U.S. political discourse, was noted for its simplicity, personal relevance, emotional resonance, and strategic timing. The question invited voters to reflect on their circumstances rather than abstract policies, ultimately contributing to Reagan's landslide victory. The episode details six crucial lessons for crafting influential questions, emphasizing audience perspective, engagement, simplicity, timing, self-reflection, and a call to action. Listeners are encouraged to consider how such questions have shaped their decisions and to apply these insights in personal and professional contexts. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com . Keep questioning! Episode Notes [01:58] Setting the Stage: The 1980 Presidential Debate [04:24] Reagan's Memorable Question [06:01] Impact and Aftermath of the Debate [06:45] Analyzing the Rhetorical Question [13:06] Lessons from Reagan's Question [16:05] Modern Applications and Reflections [18:04] Conclusion and Call to Action Resources Mentioned Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Questions Asked Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we're as strong as we were four years ago? Where do you feel it in your body? What emotions come to the surface? What pictures race through your mind? Would it kill you to stop chewing your food with your mouth open? What is your number seven? What comes to mind? Did you feel the knee-jerk need to answer right away when your politician asked? Did you actually do the homework to determine what factors were most important to you, then look at data vice depending on emotion? Is it any easier to see why someone in a different circumstance may answer differently than you? How did the question affect your answer when the opposing politician asked it? Did you use the same metric for the candidates or give your preferred candidate extra leeway? What famous questions continue to pop up in your world?…
Content provided by The Bulwark. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Bulwark or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Here's the elevator pitch: It's "Left, Right, and Center" meets "Siskel and Ebert." Three friends from different ideological perspectives discuss the movies and controversies (or nontroversies!) about them. Featuring bonus episodes for Bulwark+ members.
Content provided by The Bulwark. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by The Bulwark or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Here's the elevator pitch: It's "Left, Right, and Center" meets "Siskel and Ebert." Three friends from different ideological perspectives discuss the movies and controversies (or nontroversies!) about them. Featuring bonus episodes for Bulwark+ members.
‘I’m Still Here’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the blight of the Inappropriate Laughers. ( Here’s a gift link to the New York Times piece we reference. ) Then they review I’m Still Here , the, uh, other foreign language film nominated for best picture at this year’s Oscars. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode Friday on the next generation of movie stars. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘The Brutalist’ (MovieStillsDB) Some websites and podcasts start putting out their best-of lists on December 1. Not Across the Movie Aisle. We want to make sure you had plenty of time to see all the award-season stuff. If it takes until February, well, so be it. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! Share…
On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the, frankly, bonkers number of nominations received by Emilia Perez . Will the Academy favor it for best picture as a way to stick it to Trump? Then they review Presence , Steven Soderbergh’s new haunted house movie told from the perspective of the ghost. Is it just a formal experiment, or something more? Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our Steven Soderbergh draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend! Share…
‘September 5’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask what, precisely, Trump’s “ ambassadors to Hollywood ” are supposed to be doing. Then they review September 5 , the harrowing tick-tock examination of how ABC Sports covered Black September’s terrorist attack at the Munich games that led to the slaughter of nearly the entire Israeli Olympic team. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘The Brutalist’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) broke down why the PVOD window has settled where it settled. Then they review The Brutalist , Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half hour portrait of artistry and immigration and assimilation in America. (We know this movie isn’t out in most of the country yet, so we tried to keep it pretty spoiler free until minute 30. There is a warning in the audio file, but just as a heads up: stop listening at minute 30 if you’re worried about spoilers!) If you enjoyed listening, please share this episode with a friend! Share…
‘Nosferatu’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed the announcement that a Melania Trump documentary is in the works with director Brett Ratner for Prime Video. (No, this is not Mad Libs.) Then they reviewed Nosferatu , Robert Eggers’s remake of the 1922 silent film by F.W. Murnau. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode about the vampyr. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘A Complete Unknown’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason), discussed Will Tavlin’s n+1 opus on Netflix and the rise—or maybe resurgence—of casual viewing as the primary mode of media engagement. Then they reviewed A Complete Unknown , James Mangold’s movie about Bob Dylan’s early years on the New York folk scene. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus episode on recent representations of the 1960s on screens large and small. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘Emilia Pérez’ (MovieStillsDB) Merry Christmas Eve! On this week’s supersized episode to get you through the airport, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if it’s a controversy or a controversy that Blake Lively’s costar and director, Justin Baldoni, seems to have orchestrated a virtual sliming of her in response to fears he was going to get called out for harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us . (You can read the whole New York Times story discussed in this episode via this gift link .) Then they review Emilia Pérez , Netflix’s main awards-season contender and one of the most deranged movies of the year. But hey: at least it’s not boring! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘Kraven the Hunter’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) looked at The Entertainment Strategy Guy’s breakdown of podcast stats and asked if this truly was “the podcast election.” Then they reviewed Kraven the Hunter , a movie so bad it killed an entire cinematic universe. (Kinda.) Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for our bonus episode looking ahead to 2025. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
‘Nightbitch’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discussed a controversial (or possibly nontroversial?) op-ed in the New York Times asking if “the awkward diversity era” of blockbuster filmmaking is over. (Gift link there so you should be able to read it.) Then they reviewed Amy Adams’s new movie Nightbitch , in which she plays a mother pushed to the brink by her unsatisfying home life. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ for our bonus episode on Friday about the Golden Globes nominations. And if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend! Share…
‘Wicked: Part One’ (MovieStillsDB) On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) ask if it matters that people prefer AI slop to art produced by real-world hacks. (Kinda?) Then they review Wicked , a movie that’s half a movie despite being 160 minutes long. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a discussion of Juror Number 2 , out on VOD today. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend! Share…
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