Proxy with Yowei Shaw
It’s the knot you can’t untangle - a problem so specific, it makes you feel alone. But what if you could talk to someone who gets it? On Proxy, we find just the person you were looking for, a stranger who's lived something close enough to help you get a little less stuck. It’s not therapy - it’s emotional investigative journalism™️. Yowei Shaw, former co-host of Invisibilia, at your service. If you’re just discovering the show, a good place to begin is Bisexual Wife Guy, Mic Chooses the Wrong Life, or Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law. The team is hard at work investigating another batch of cases, with new episodes publishing in April 2026 🚀 Proxy is an independent podcast, supported mostly by listeners. If you want to help the show keep going, consider joining our Patreon. Membership starts at $5 a month and includes bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and access to our group Zoom hangs. You can also join our Patreon for free to get the newsletter 🍏 Follow us on Instagram: @proxypodcast @yoweishaw Get in touch at proxythepod@gmail.com
Episodes
This week, while Proxy is busy investigating new cases, we're sharing something we loved. One of our favorite episodes from The Dream, a show about the "American Dream" and all the systems (and assholes) that make it harder to achieve. In this episode, a once popular teen anti-abortion activist finds herself switching sides in this national debate.
From the episode:
- Subscribe to The Dream
- Follow Jane Marie on I...
Proxy will be back soon with new cases. In the meantime, we're sharing an investigation into arguably the most consequential social force shaping life on this planet: capitalism.
Scene On Radio isn't afraid to tackle the big questions about who we are and how we got that way. In this series on capitalism, they try to understand how capitalism became our dominant economic system, what is it really, and how to make our e...
This week we’re sharing something we loved and found useful, just in time for the new year. A rigorous look by the show Science Vs into whether there’s any science behind manifestations.
Nicole is an organizer who's good at channeling her anger. The problem is she can't always downshift.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or Yaroslava Can't Go Home.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Deborah Gould, a Professor and Chair of Sociology at UC Santa Cruz
- Read Debbie's book Moving Politics: Emotion and ACT UP's Fight Against AIDS
- For liner notes and reading rec...
Erin wants to forgive the person she's holding a grudge against, but doesn't know how. Is it possible to just disappear resentment?
If this episode resonates, you might also try Brian Can't Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law or JC's Kids Won't Talk To Her.
From the episode:
- Find Robert Enright's forgiveness program and other free resources at the International Forgiveness Institute: www.internationalforgivenes...
Yaroslava’s town in Ukraine was taken by Russians. She's now safe in the US. But how do you make a new life when you feel guilty about not being home?
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or JC's Kids Won't Talk To Her.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Dignity Beyond Borders at www.dignitybeyondborders.org and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @dignitybeyondb...
A historic step in extrovert-introvert relations i.e. a proxy bloodbath roundtable with 2 extroverts and 2 introverts airing our grievances about each other.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Aparna and the Self-Loathing Introvert or Zakiya Used to Be So Fun.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Aparna Nancherla, read her book Unreliable Narrator, and follow her on Instagram @aparnapkin
- Learn more ab...
At the heart of many family estrangements lies a mystery. Adult kids insist they’ve told their parents why they’re walking away, while parents say they don’t understand. Why is it sometimes so hard for parents to hear their kids? And how to get through?
If this episode resonates, you might also try Bob and the Forgiveness Spell or Brian Can't Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law.
From the episode:
The case of the mom who doesn’t understand, and the daughter who’s done explaining.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Bob and the Forgiveness Spell or Brian Can't Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Chess Dugas, subscribe to her YouTube channel The Scapegoat Club, and follow her on TikTok
- Learn more about Joshua Coleman, subscribe to his newsletter Family Troub...
Alex used to host a huge podcast (Reply All). He now makes a new independent show and loves doing it. Only problem is, Alex now has to ask for money all the time to survive, which he hates.
If this episode resonates, you might also like Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law or Mic Chooses the Wrong Life.
From the episode:
- Listen to Alex Goldman's new podcast Hyperfixed
- Learn more about Haley Bash and ...
Ever since the election, Sandy Ernest Allen has been clocking a strange silence from cis people about trans rights. So Sandy reached into the void to hear what the silence had to say.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Nicole Can't Stop Being Aggro.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Sandy Ernest Allen and his work
- Sandy's newsletter What's Helping Today
- For suggestions on how to support trans peopl...
Anya Kamenetz was having trouble coping with the state of the world. So she decided to report on those feelings. In this conversation, Anya shares what she learned from talking to scientists, activists, and thinkers about our collective emotions - why we feel the things we do, the limits of those feelings, and how to move through them to take action.
From the episode:
The case of the people person who fell out of love with people.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or Bisexual Wife Guy.
From the episode:
- Learn more about Zakiya Gibbons
- Follow Zakiya on Instagram @zak_sauce
- Learn more about Dr. William Chopik and his research
- Follow Bill on Bluesky @Chops310 or X @Chops310
Proxy is an independent podcast, supported mostly by li...
The case of Amanda, a writer whose internal monologue won't stop narrating her life, instead of just letting her live it.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Aparna and the Self-Loathing Introvert or Mic Chooses the Wrong Life.
From the episode:
- Read Amanda Montell's books The Age of Magical Overthinking, Cultish, and Wordslut
- Listen to Amanda's podcasts Magical Overthinkers and Sounds Like a Cult
- Fo...
The case of Brian, a journalist whose mother-in-law has Alzheimer's. Even though Brian knows she can’t help misremembering things, he can’t stop losing his patience with her, and with himself.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or Bisexual Wife Guy.
From the episode:
- Listen to Brian Reed's podcast Question Everything
- Follow Brian on Instagram @brihreed and X @BriHReed
- Car...
The case of Evan and Chris, best friends who love playing music together. But after the band suffers a terrible tragedy, they find themselves unable to regain their momentum. We pair them up with another musician who’s all too familiar with the neverending drama that comes with being in a band with friends.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or Brian Can't Stop Fact-Checking His Mo...
For a long time, Yowei saw her introversion as a character flaw to fix. She gets advice from comedian (and fellow introvert) Aparna Nancherla about how to stop wishing for personality puberty to hit.
If this episode resonates, you might also try Mic Chooses the Wrong Life or Bisexual Wife Guy.
From the episode:
- Read Aparna's book Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Imposter Syndrome
- Learn more about Aparna
- Fo...
The case of Mic, who feels like he defied his fate and now has no purpose in life. We find someone uniquely able to help him break out of his regret loop.
This episode is often a first listen for new Proxy listeners. If it resonates, you might also try Bisexual Wife Guy or Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law.
From the episode:
- Follow Mic Nguyen on Instagram @nicepantsbro and subscribe to his podcas...
If you're new to Proxy, welcome. This episode is a great place to begin.
The case of George, the bisexual wife guy who got dumped. In this episode, we find a proxy to stand in for a listener's ex - another queer woman who left her straight relationship. What follows is a conversation about breakups, grief, and the strange disorientation that can come when the story you thought you were living suddenly changes.
Yowei shares exciting show news and goes on a self-delusion bender with the team at Proxy HQ. Is she being delusional? Or is delusion just necessary for starting any new project?
From the episode:
- Useful Delusions: The Power & Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, by Shankar Vedantam
- Radiotopia from PRX
Proxy is an independent podcast, supported mostly by listeners. If you want to help the show keep go...
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