How Are We 40?

This week on How Are We Forty?, we recap Episode 11 of The Valley — aka “Darkside Danny,” which is rich considering Jax and Jesse are out here behaving like actual sleep paralysis demons while Danny’s greatest crime is…having feelings? The gang is somehow STILL in Big Bear (this trip has lasted longer than some wars), Janet throws the most aggressively Pinterest-2012 baby shower imaginable, Jesse continues his one-man psychological warfare campaign against Danny, and Brittany finally says the word “divorce” out loud. In short: everyone is unwell, and we’re having the time of our lives watching their worlds crumble around them. OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your resident Bravo expert (Tay’s Dad) is back for another recap of the greatest show on television—and this episode is a gift. The Big Bear babymoon has officially gone rogue with unresolved tension bubbling over. From Jax’s full-blown rage spiral to Jesse’s porch therapy session, it’s emotional chaos at altitude.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Tay is joined by a very special guest—her dad—who comes in with the hot takes (and honestly? some extremely valid opinions). Together, they break down the cast’s trip to Big Bear, Janet’s covert mean girl antics, Jesse’s ayahuasca-induced ego trip (spoiler: his takeaway is… he’s perfect?), and Michelle being confronted about cheating rumors. It’s messy, chaotic—and apparently now multigenerational?OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s HAW40’s b-day!!! This week, we reflect on how this podcast started (as a coping mechanism, obviously), what we’ve learned after 12 months of oversharing, and why we’re still doing this. Plus, Whit recaps her Universal Studios trip and a dental meltdown that truly tests her will to live. Equal parts heartfelt and unhinged—just how we like it.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whit chats with journalist and author Fortesa Latifi about her eye-opening book LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online. From toddler TikTok stars to full-blown family vlog empires, they unpack the booming industry built on kids’ lives—and what it actually means to grow up with your most vulnerable moments living online forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk all things Easter—and quickly realize how chaotic and unhinged this holiday really is. We unpack the lore, the candy, and the questions no one is asking. Plus: our quiet hatred of jelly beans, egg hunt glory, demonic Peeps and the discovery of long-forgotten eggs in Whit’s house.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’re joined by writer Ej Dickson to talk about her phenomenal new book "One Bad Mother." In it, she unpacks the myth of the “bad mom”—where it comes from, who it benefits, and why so many women feel like they’re failing at something no one defined in the first place.We get into mom guilt, perfectionism, identity spirals, and the systems that benefit from women constantly second-guessing themselves—in their careers, relationships, and even their friendships. It’s honest, uncomfortable, and extremely validating.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of our breakdown of the NYT’s 35 Rules for Modern Dating, we get into avoidant partners, meeting the parents timeline, moving in together, and why modern dating’s obsession with being “nonchalant” might be the thing ruining everyone’s love life. OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York Times just published “35 Rules for Modern Dating,” and we have thoughts. In Part 1, we break down the first half of the list — from therapy-culture oversharing to why texting has turned dating into a psychological strategy game, and the complicated timing of first-time sex. At this point, modern dating is basically a social experiment happening in iMessage. OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk with journalist Amil Niazi about her new memoir Life After Ambition and the uncomfortable realization a lot of millennials are having: the career we centered our lives around isn’t centering us back. Raised on Lean In and the girlboss industrial complex, millennial women were taught to define themselves by their careers. Now that many of us have finally reached the top of the mountain, we’re asking… is this actually the life we wanted? We discuss career burnout, and why so many women are quietly reevaluating their relationship to achievement, identity, and self-worth.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined by Elise Peterson, founder of COOL Moms. When Elise became the first in her circle to experience pregnancy, she wrestled with the fear of losing her identity postpartum. Seeking guidance, she turned to women she admired for radically honest conversations. These talks turned into COOL Moms — a podcast and community built around the conversations women actually want to have about motherhood.We talk about the part no one prepares you for: the identity shift. Not just becoming a parent, but becoming a different version of yourself overnight. We get into loneliness after kids, dating as a mom, whether mothers are allowed to still be sexual beings, and why modern womanhood feels like juggling 14 roles and doing none of them to our liking.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we attempted personal growth and immediately regret it. Tay returns from a wellness retreat with absolutely no inner peace and several hot takes. Meanwhile, Whit is reunited with her phone and experiences a level of joy normally reserved for military homecomings. Then, because we are now a Bravo recap podcast whether we planned it or not, Taylor gives a full beginner’s guide to The Valley — who everyone is, who hates each other, and the emotional backstory you need before we start recapping. Consider this your catch-up cheatsheet so you can spiral with us.OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we unpack two hot takes on modern motherhood. First, we dive into the Wall Street Journal’s “Tyranny of the ‘Hot Mom,’” about the cultural pressure for moms to look hot while still doing literally everything else. Then we turn to The Cut’s provocative Brooding essay on the power mothers hold at home—and why sharing it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Is this era empowering, exhausting, or just another set of expectations for women to live up to?OUR INSTAGRAMOUR TIKTOKOUR YOUTUBE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.