Explain It to Me
Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement? Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar. You’ll get the answers you were looking for, and sometimes ones you didn't expect — and always with a dose of humor. New episodes every Sunday. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
October 5, 2025 • 30 mins
Society teaches us empathy is a good thing. But some are now saying the opposite, and science is complicating our assumptions too.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Megan Cunnane, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Image credit Olga Pankova/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It ...
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September 28, 2025 • 29 mins
Young men are more interested in becoming parents than young women are, and there's a growing number of single dads by choice. A look at modern fatherhood.
This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Megan Cunnane, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill.
Thanks to Jonquilyn Hill for sharing a family photo for our episode image today. Image of dad John and baby Jonquily...
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September 21, 2025 • 29 mins
Americans seem to be getting ruder. Are our attempts at making ourselves better actually making us worse?
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch and Isabelle Lichtenstein, engineered by Matthew Billy and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Image: Francesco Carta Fotografo/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to E...
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September 14, 2025 • 30 mins
Hollywood has always made money from vampires and brain-eating zombies. But this year's a record-breaker thanks to sequels, hilariously unlikely creators, and pure thrills.
This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill.
A detail from The Conjuring Museum Of The Occult based on "The Conjuring" films....
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September 7, 2025 • 30 mins
From #rushtok to country music, American culture is getting more and more southern.
This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy and Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of a Beyonce fan waiting to see her perform in LA by Rashida Zagon/For The Washington Post via Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-854...
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August 24, 2025 • 30 mins
Americans are flocking to gyms and fitness classes. It wasn't always that way.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy with help from Naureen Khan, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of an outdoor group fitness class by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send u...
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August 17, 2025 • 30 mins
We track our steps and our sleep, guzzle supplements and protein shakes, and even inject hormones – all in the name of wellness.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Naureen Khan and Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-6...
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August 10, 2025 • 29 mins
Americans are investing billions in their health and wellness. What good do all these green powders and costly club memberships actually do?
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Image of a guest floating in a saline sensory deprivation pool at the Chiva Som Health Resort by Peter Charlesworth/LightRocket via...
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August 3, 2025 • 29 mins
The US is well behind much of the world in building passenger rail, especially high-speed trains. But we do have one major advantage.
This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Naureen Khan, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Patrick Boyd with help from Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or sen...
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July 27, 2025 • 29 mins
From raising the tipped minimum wage to "no tax on tips," we look at the challenges of remaking tipped work.
This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Patrick Boyd and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. List...
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July 20, 2025 • 30 mins
Summer. Time for pools, BBQs, and the beach read. But why do we read "summer books"?
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
Further Reading: Bad Witches by H.B. Akumiah and Constance Grady's newsletter from Vox. Further listening: Limousine podcast.
If you ...
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July 13, 2025 • 30 mins
More and more of us are interacting with chatbots. Can we have real relationships with AI, and can AI teach humans to be better people?
This episode was a collaboration with Vox's Future Perfect team. It was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Kim Slotterback, engineered by Patrick Boyd and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance via Getty Images.
If you have a ques...
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July 6, 2025 • 29 mins
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar openly celebrate the American flag. But a lot of Black Americans feel differently. What does that tell us about identity today?
This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Image of Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.
...
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June 29, 2025 • 30 mins
So many of us believe we understand what our pets are feeling. Are we fooling ourselves?
This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy and Naureen Khan, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered byPatrick Boyd and hosted by Noam Hassenfeld. Photo by Kylie Cooper for The Washington Post via Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to ...
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June 22, 2025 • 30 mins
Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone.
This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Sarah Schweppe, engineered by Matthew Billy and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Maskot/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Mem...
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June 15, 2025 • 30 mins
A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer.
This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Colleen Barrett, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of a cyclist in a bike lane intersection in Washington, DC by Kevin Carter/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send...
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June 8, 2025 • 30 mins
Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no?
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo of Katy Perry performing in Sydney, Australia by Nina Franova/Getty Images.
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a not...
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June 1, 2025 • 29 mins
For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church?
Further reading: The surprising chasm splitting Americans along religious lines by Christian Paz. Pew report: Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off.
This episode was produced by Gabrielle Berbey, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Mat...
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May 18, 2025 • 28 mins
It feels like sneezing season lasts longer and takes more victims every year. An allergist and a public health specialist explain how to fight back.
This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Matthew Billy, and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Bernd Weißbrod/picture alliance via Getty Images.
If you have a question for us, give us a call on 1-800-618-85...
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May 11, 2025 • 30 mins
With the at-home DNA testing company 23andMe filing for bankruptcy, what happens to all the data millions of Americans handed over? And how should you approach the family you've found through sites like these?
If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545. Or send us a note here.
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This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda ...
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