# The Politics of Pretending to be Apolitical

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vibe-check-5608224/the-politics-of-pretending-to-be-apolitical
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/vibe-check-5608224/the-politics-of-pretending-to-be-apolitical.md
Podcast: [Vibe Check](https://stenobird.com/podcast/vibe-check-5608224)
Published: 2026-02-25T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.siriusxm.com
Audio file: https://mgln.ai/e/2/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/93631aed-f31d-4c5b-b678-a6cd6844abdd/episodes/951e4680-e546-489b-9029-88dfc24b2867/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=93631aed-f31d-4c5b-b678-a6cd6844abdd&awEpisodeId=951e4680-e546-489b-9029-88dfc24b2867&feed=tA_4bn2c
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/vibe-check-5608224/episodes/the-politics-of-pretending-to-be-apolitical
Duration seconds: 3748

## Resource

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach break down the political drama surrounding the Berlin Film Festival 2026 (Berlinale). Then, they dive into Tyra Banks and the new documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, unpacking how the show’s cruelty reflected its era, and how it functioned as part of a broader cultural machine built to break women down. Plus, they share their latest picks for “the vibes are on” and “the vibes are off.” ------------------------------------------------------ Saeed’s Poem of the Week: “How Can Black People Write About Flowers at a Time Like This” by Hanif Abdurraqib

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## Transcript

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