171. Cabinet Pick Scandals and Secret Muses

First, happy Thanksgiving! We love you all. It’s possible we love our paid subscribers a little bit more …

Nancy and Sarah discuss two recent dust-ups between men and women: One is fraught and potentially career-damaging, the other is (arguably) romantic, but also potentially legacy-damaging. Trump’s nominee to lead the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is facing scandal that stems from a 2017 encounter at a Republican women’s convention, and the details are … confusing? Don’t really add up? Then we discuss the secret muse of Cormac McCarthy, 64-year-old Finnish lass Augusta Britt, who shares the story of her underage love affair (and lifelong connection) with McCarthy in a Vanity Fair story that was much-loved and much-trashed. Wanna guess where we fell?

Also discussed:

• Can anyone pronounce the last name Hegseth?

• The detail that brought the case together for Nancy

• Never name your bar “Knuckles”

• What if he were in a blackout, and she wasn’t …

• Cock-clock, crotch-block, what?

• The two foods all men love

• “We don’t get enough Finnish chutzpah”

• “Well baby, that’s what I do. I’m a writer.”

• Nancy just keeps vibrating

• Purple prose? Bring it

• The case of Joyce Maynard

• Sarah is really mad at Wicked

Plus, controversy over a writer’s hair, Nancy’s stuffing recipe, and more!

REMINDER: First Sunday Zoom! This Sunday, December 1. Tell us the best thing you ate, and the worst (and why it was green bean casserole). Have questions about recent guests? We have answers! 5pm PT/8pmET, paid subscribers get Zoom link day-of.