In the third episode of our culture podcast Dazed and Discoursed, hosts Halima Jibril and Laura Pitcher are joined by writer, video essayist and podcaster Mina Le to discuss her recent YouTube video, “Why is ‘America’ Cool Again?”– the inspiration for Jibril’s latest feature, “‘Cool America’ is back – but will it survive another Trump presidency?” In her video, Le observes that while America has long held cultural dominance, with cities like New York and LA consistently seen as “cool,” patriotic sentiment is resurging in pop culture. This trend is reflected in the rising popularity of country music, seen in artists like Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, Ethel Cain, and even Zayn Malik, who released a country album this year, along with a renewed focus on the Midwest. Jibril uses Le’s video as a starting point, speaking to young, left-leaning Americans about why they feel more pride in America under Democratic leadership, how the Democratic Party hides its more evil policies behind vibes, charisma, and merch to attract support, and whether it’s possible to love America under Trump when it continues to commit injustices both domestically and globally.

Le, Jibril and Pitcher discuss the election results, America’s nostalgia for the mythologised ‘simpler times,’ the rise of tradwives, and whether there’s any hope for the nation’s future.

You can listen to episode three of Dazed and Discoursed above. It’s also available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.