Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness

Kohl. Mebari. Kajal. Eyeliner. It may go by many names, but most people know exactly what this iconic makeup tool is, and how to use it to enhance their eyes. On this week’s Getting Curious, journalist Zahra Hankir takes us on a journey through thousands of years of history to learn all about eyeliner. From Queen Nerfertiti in ancient Egypt to the Wodaabe community in Chad to the drag queens on Fire Island, we’ll learn all about how people have used this amazing tool in the past, and how they just might use it in the future. Zahra Hankir is a Lebanese-British journalist who writes about the intersection of politics, culture and society. Her work has appeared in publications including Condé Nast Traveller, the Observer, Times Literary Supplement, BBC News, the Los Angeles Times, and The Rumpus. She was awarded a Jack R. Howard Fellowship in International Journalism to attend the Columbia Journalism School and holds degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies. You can follow Zahra on Instagram @zahraha

What do you get when you combine sustainably sourced botanicals with Indigenous plant science? Sḵwálwen Botanicals! Ethnobotanist and founder of Sḵwálwen, Leigh Joseph, joins Jonathan on this week’s Pretty Curious to talk all about her approach to harvesting their botanicals, what motivated her to start her brand, and how we can all become more connected to the land. To learn more about the products referenced in the episode, check out our Instagram @curiouswithjvn, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the episode transcript. Sḵwálwen Botanicals is an Indigenous skincare brand that honours cultural knowledge, Indigenous plant science and self care. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, Sḵwálwen (skwall - win) provides gentle and effective skincare and wellness products that draw from the ceremonial aspects of plants. Incorporating sustainably harvested and sourced botanicals, Sḵwálwen unites ancestral traditions with modern beauty rituals, empowering people to connect to themselves

This week’s guest has not one, but TWO Olympic gold medals. Middle-distance runner Caster Semenya joins Jonathan to discuss what fairness in athletics really looks like. From her experience undergoing public scrutiny to her favorite sport to watch on TV, we learn all about this amazing Olympian and her fight to be allowed to compete. Caster Semenya, OIB, is a South African middle-distance runner and winner of two Olympic gold medals and three World Championships in the women’s 800 meters. The Race to Be Myself is her debut memoir. She lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her wife, Violet Raseboya, and their children. You can follow Caster on Instagram @castersemenya800m and Twitter @MightyCaster. You  can follow W.W. Norton on Instagram @w.w.norton and Twitter @wwnorton. Caster’s memoir The Race to Be Myself is available now via W.W. Norton or wherever books are sold. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode ar

Writer and performer Travis Alabanza joins Jonathan on this week’s Curious Now to talk about some of the differences between club culture in the U.S. and U.K., some current issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community, and how they hope we can all come to see gender nonconformity. Travis Alabanza is an award-winning writer, performer, and theater maker. After being the youngest recipient of the Artist-in-Residency program at Tate Galleries, Alabanza’s debut show Burgerz toured internationally to sold-out performances in London, São Paulo, and Berlin, and won the Edinburgh Fringe Total Theatre Award. You can follow Travis on Instagram and Twitter @travisalabanza, and the Feminist Press on Instagram and Twitter @feministpress. Their memoir None of the Above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary is available now via Feminist Press or wherever books are sold. For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. You can go to iwillvote.com for more information o

Dolls play a huge part in our childhoods. Whether it was your best friend, or it gave you the creeps, your doll probably had some role in making you who you are today. This week, Getting Curious is getting all dolled up! Freyja Hartzell joins Jonathan to talk about disability representation in dolls, why some kids harm their dolls, and what makes play so important. Plus, she shows us perhaps the creepiest doll we’ve ever seen. Freyja Hartzell teaches the history of modern design, architecture, and art at Bard Graduate Center in New York City. She’s currently writing a new book about dolls, robots, and AI--Doll Parts: Designing Likeness. She’s also working on a related exhibition called Dollatry, which will open at Bard Graduate Center Gallery in February 2025. You can learn more about Freyja’s work on her website. Her book, Richard Riemerschmid’s Extraordinary Living Things (MIT Press, 2022) can be found here. You can find more information about Tanya Marriott, the toy designer mentioned in the episode,

You might know this week’s Pretty Curious guest from Season 12 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race." This week, model and artist Gigi Goode joins Jonathan to solve a makeup mystery, talk all things Avalon TV, and teach us how to choose an absolutely iconic costume this Halloween. Our conversation with Gigi begins around 5 minutes into the episode. To learn more about the products referenced in the episode, check out our Instagram @curiouswithjvn, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the episode transcript. Gigi Goode is a radiant force captivating the world with her stunning looks and fierce charisma. From the small town of Rockford, Illinois, Gigi's journey began with a passionate pursuit of self-expression, drawing inspiration from her childhood love of dress-up to create an iconic and glamorous persona. Her unforgettable journey on Season 12 of “RuPaul's Drag Race” left a mark on fans worldwide. Beyond the screen, she is an active advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and self-acceptance, earning recognition as a role model

More than half of the world’s population lives near a coastline. And where there’s a coastline, there’s the potential for a tsunami. This week, Dr. Tina Dura joins Jonathan to talk all about these geohazards, whose waves can soar to over 1000 feet tall. Learn how tsunamis form, how they’ve altered landscapes across millenia, and what to do if you’re in a hazard zone. Dr. Tina Dura, head of the Coastal Hazards Lab at Virginia Tech, specializes in subduction zone paleoseismology, which combines the methods of coastal stratigraphy, sedimentology, and micropaleontology to reconstruct thousands or year-long histories of earthquake induced land-level change and tsunami inundation. These long-term records of earthquakes and tsunamis help us understand their magnitude and recurrence interval through time, improving hazards preparedness along subduction zone coastlines. Dr. Dura is on Twitter at @diatomdura. You can learn more about Dr. Dura’s work at coastalhazardslab.com. Want to learn more about tsunami prepa

On February 3rd, a train derailed right outside of East Palestine, Ohio. Toxic substances were released into the air, thousands of gallons of oil leaked into the ground, and the residents of the town feel they have been forgotten. This week, activists Justin Garner and Emily Wright join Jonathan to talk about what’s happened in the eight months since the disaster, and what we can all do to help. We get into our conversation with Emily and Justin around 8 minutes into the episode, so skip to then if you simply can’t wait to hear from them! For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. You can follow River Valley Organizing on Instagram @rivervalleyorganizing, Twitter @RiverValleyOrg, and Facebook @rivervalleyorganizing. Their website is rivervalleyorganizing.com. Justin Garner is the Communications Director for River Valley Organizing. Emily Wright is an activist, organizer and resident of the area surrounding East Palestine, Ohio. Tune in next

Your passport tells a story of where you’re from—and where you’re allowed to go. But what if you wanted to rewrite that story? Professor Kristin Surak joins us to discuss the world of golden passports, where millionaires and billionaires buy citizenship to countries they’re not from—and are often not living in—in order to navigate travel perks, business opportunities, and even scandals. If you thought all passports were created equal, you’re in for a trip. Kristin Surak is Associate Professor of Political Sociology at the LSE and the author of The Golden Passport: Global Mobility for Millionaires (Harvard University Press 2023). In addition to her academic work, she writes for popular outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Guardian, and comments regularly for the BBC, Bloomberg TV, and Sky TV News. You can follow her on Twitter @KristinSurak and on TikTok @goldenpassports. To learn more about her work, check out her department page. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to jo

Imagine a beauty playground where every makeup product is multi-use, you’re encouraged to get creative, and everyone is welcome. You’re imagining Danessa Myricks Beauty. Danessa Myricks drops by Pretty Curious this week to share her dynamic approach to makeup, the magical ingredient that’s powering her product lines today, and her tips for achieving a creamy, long-lasting look. Our conversation with Danessa begins around 10 minutes into the episode. To learn more about the products referenced in the episode, check out our Instagram @curiouswithjvn, or head to JonathanVanNess.com for the episode transcript. Danessa Myricks has continuously broken boundaries and built a world of beauty for people from all races, ages and genders. As a pro makeup artist, photographer, and entrepreneur, Danessa is one of the most influential leaders in the beauty industry, inventing products that work in multiple places and on all faces. With the creation of her multi-million-dollar eponymous brand, Danessa Myricks Beauty a

Warrior princesses. Gender-bending Vikings. Nuns who were writing about orgasms and writing world-class music. This week, Dr. Janina Ramirez is taking us back to the 400s—and introducing us to the baddies of the Middle Ages. What did people think about abortions? Did Vikings really wear horned helmets? And why is this period anything but a dark age? Dr. Janina Ramirez is a cultural historian, broadcaster and author based at the University of Oxford. Her research began with a degree in English literature at Oxford, followed by an MA and PhD at the Centre for Medieval Studies in York on the art, literature and culture of Anglo-Saxon England. Her book Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It is available now! You can follow Dr. Ramirez on Instagram and Twitter @DrJaninaRamirez. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Gett

From reproductive rights to school curricula to traffic and infrastructure, state legislatures make decisions about our everyday lives, all across the country. And these legislators regularly win their seats by a couple hundred votes, even fewer. Sister District co-founders Lala Wu and Lyzz Schwegler join Jonathan this week to discuss what’s at stake in state legislative elections this fall, how states like Virginia are bellwethers for 2024, and why every voter needs to show up this odd-year election. We get into our conversation with Sister District around 13 minutes into the episode, so skip to then if you simply can’t wait to hear from them! For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. You can follow Sister District on Instagram and Twitter @Sister_District, and at sisterdistrict.com. For more, check out the following resources: Text “JOIN” to 68998 Sister District’s State Bridges Program Princeton Gerrymandering Project Virginia Public Ac

She’s a Jeopardy! champion, an advocate for trans rights and representation, and this week’s guest on the podcast. Who is Amy Schneider? Amy joins Jonathan this week to talk all about her Jeopardy! career, her latest Wikipedia wormholes, and her love of tarot. Plus, a Jeopardy! round inspired by Jonathan’s favorite topics. Amy Schneider is an American software engineer and recent Jeopardy! champion. Following an impressive forty-game winning streak, she became the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy!. She is second all-time in the show’s history, trailing only Ken Jennings. Amy is also the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Her new book In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life is out now. You can follow Amy on Instagram and Twitter @jeopardamy. For more from Avid Reader Press, check out @avidreaderpress on Instagram and Twitter. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagr

Whether she’s on the basketball court or the red carpet, this week’s Pretty Curious guest knows how to turn a look. Actress, producer, and ballroom legend Trace Lysette joins Jonathan to discuss her favorite beauty products, how she takes inspiration from both 1930s Hollywood and 1990s ballroom culture, and her thoughts on the phrase “stunning.” Our conversation with Trace begins around 8 minutes into the episode. Trace Lysette is a dynamic and talented actress known for her remarkable contributions to the entertainment industry and has emerged as a powerful voice and a beacon of representation for transgender individuals in Hollywood. She currently stars in the critically acclaimed film MONICA playing the title role opposite Patricia Clarkson; which also has a SAG/AFTRA Interim agreement so they can promote for the upcoming awards season including the Oscars. You can follow Trace on Instagram @tracelysette Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @

What’s in a calorie? So much more than what you see on a box of cereal or a restaurant menu. The story of the nutritional calorie is the story of U.S. empire, dating back to the late 1800s when government agencies used it to determine just how little they could feed people in the military, prisons, asylums, and Native boarding schools. This week, Dr. Athia N. Choudhury joins Jonathan to discuss the history and politics of the calorie, and explains why counting on this metric—and wellness culture more generally—can be a “mundane kind of violence.” A note from Dr. Choudhury and Team JVN: This discussion periodically includes the term “ob*sity.” When it is referenced, it is only to describe a process of medicalization and pathologization, and not in alignment with its politics or political uses. Athia N. Choudhury is a writer and cultural historian/theorist interested in questions of race, food, militarism, eugenics, and body surveillance in the 20th-21st century. She earned a Ph.D. in American Studies and

If you haven’t seen this week’s Curious Now guest on your TikTok feed, you’ve definitely seen her work. Annie Wu Henry was a breakout star of John Fetterman’s winning Senate campaign, where she crafted iconic, witty, incisive videos for Fetterman’s TikTok account—and turned likes and views into votes. We’re hearing all about her political strategy work, her take on Gen Z and millennial voters, and how she’s planning to post her way through the 2024 presidential elections. We get into our conversation with Annie around the 11-minute mark, so skip to then if you simply can’t wait to hear from her. For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. You can follow Annie on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @annie_wu_22. Annie Wu Henry is a progressive social media and digital strategy expert who passionately believes in the synergy of on-the-ground organizing, electoral campaigns, and online media. Currently holding key roles as Creative Director at AAPI Vict

There’s a group of far right influencers lurking on your social media feeds. They post organic recipes, millennial mom advice, and #glowups. And they’re using this content to promote white supremacist ideas. This week, Dr. Eviane Leidig joins us to discuss who these women are and how they’re spreading hate on social media. Dr. Eviane Leidig is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow at Tilburg University. Her research specializes in the global far-right, gender, and online radicalization, recruitment, and propaganda. Her latest book, The Women of the Far Right: Social Media Influencers and Online Radicalization, is published by Columbia University Press. You can follow Dr. Leidig on Twitter @evianeleidig, and at www.evianeleidig.com. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn. Our executive prod

Welcome to Pretty Curious, a new series where every other Monday, we’ll be talking all things beauty—skincare, haircare, self-care, and beyond. For our premiere episode, we’ve invited back Getting Curious guest David Yi to discuss their GRWM routine, their K-Beauty faves, and how they’re making skincare more inclusive with their brand Good Light. We get into our interview 8 minutes and 30 seconds into the episode, after some stunning product reviews from Jonathan, so skip to then if you simply can’t wait to hear from David! For more information on the beauty products we discussed this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. David Yi is the founder and editor of Very Good Light, a beauty platform that aims to democratize beauty for all people and author of the book, PRETTY BOYS. He's been written about in the NYT, LAT, Forbes, Allure, among others as the thought leader in men's beauty, identity, and Asian American advocacy. David has championed DEI in his decade of journalism, writing for the likes o

Gather your plant fam and tell all the green gurls—there’s royalty on the podcast this week! Christopher Griffin aka THE Plant Kween joins Jonathan to discuss the joys of indoor gardening, from finding a plant that fits your lifestyle to tending to root rot. Plus, a casting session for Divas Live: Green Gurls edition! Christopher Griffin, also known as Plant Kween, is a Brooklyn-based educator, author of YOU GROW, GURL! Plant Kween’s Lush Guide to Growing your Garden, and gardener with a collection of more than 200 green plants (also known as “green gurls”) in their apartment. Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Christopher grew up visiting local nurseries with their grandmother, which inspired their plant parenting journey. As an educator, Christopher started their Instagram account @plantkween in 2016 as a way to share the many lessons, lush adventures, and simple joys that come with being a plant parent. Their social media presence has been rooted in a journey of self-care, sharing joy, and community

It’s a new week—and we’re debuting a new series! Welcome to Curious Now, where every other Monday, we’ll be covering topical issues like elections, climate change, LGBTQIA+ rights, and beyond. For our premiere episode, we’re honored to be back in conversation with Alicia Roth Weigel, a beloved Getting Curious guest who is advocating for intersex rights. We discuss how recent anti-trans legislation also affects intersex people, and what it looks like to protect the “I” in LGBTQIA+. We get into our conversation with Alicia 10 minutes into the episode, so skip to then if you simply can’t wait to hear from her! For more information on the news stories we covered this week, head to @curiouswithjvn on Instagram. Alicia Roth Weigel is a writer and activist working to improve the political and social landscape for marginalized populations in the South and worldwide through her firm, Intrepida Strategy. As a partner for the Pride Fund, Alicia is raising and deploying capital to grow LGBTQIA+-led companies in Tex