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Meredith for Real: the curious introvertAuthor: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
Each episode explores a taboo question or cultural blind spot with an expert who is themselves, a paradox -Like the atheist doctor who studied near death experiences for 50 years (ep 224)Or the deeply religious man studied by NASA who sees UFOs regularly (ep 261).The mission is to inspire the kind of curiosity that looks for & celebrates nuance, because we all deserve a more curious future.So tune in each week (new episodes every Monday) to question things like American individualism (ep 260), trigger warnings (ep 208) & circumcision (ep 178).Still not sure where to start?Other listeners loved ep 230 - Can a sexless marriage survive? and ep 237 - Black man who attends KKK rallies: race & friendship Language: en-us Genres: Science, Social Sciences, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Ep. 340: Funerals in America: Status FOR SALE?
Episode 340
Sunday, 19 April, 2026
What made the American funeral industry what it is today? Why do we embalm? How do societal status & funeral styles overlap? Gary Laderman, PhD, is the Goodrich C. White Prof of Amer Religious History & Cultures at Emory University in Georgia, the author of multiple books & featured on The Mortician: an HBO documentary covering a 1980s funeral home who exploited grieving families. In this episode, you’ll hear how funeral rituals went from DIY to the elaborate & long list of menu options today, how those options supported or detracted from family status, the spooky status of the death worker themselves, how embalming changed everything (hello capitalism!) & the growing resistance towards the commodification of death If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 278: MORBID OR SACRED? LET’S TALK ABOUT DEATH (WITH A DEATH DOULA) Guest:https://garyladerman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/garyladerman/ Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 04:00 — Death for Sale05:30 — When Death Was a Family Affair09:20 — Strange Death Rituals in America12:00 — A Patchwork of Beliefs13:20 — The Birth of the Funeral Industry15:30 — Respect, Race, and Funeral Culture17:00 — Profit Meets Death20:30 — Death Moves to the Hospital27:00 — Animals, Intoxication, and Curiosity29:00 — Religion or Escape?30:30 — The Power of Ritual32:00 — The Embalming Shift32:30 — Lincoln’s Death Tour36:30 — JFK and Public Mourning39:30 — Exposing the Death Industry40:45 — Our Obsession with Famous Deaths42:30 — Bringing Death Back Home45:30 — When Options Become Overwhelm46:00 — Life After Religion47:30 — Reclaiming Death Traditions48:45 — Designing Your Own GoodbyeRequest to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/Follow me in all the places:https://www.meredithforreal.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/ meredith@meredithforreal.comhttps://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert
