Julia Louis-Dreyfus explains how not to comfort a cancer patient on The Deep Dive

The Deep Dive With Jessica St. Clair And June Diane Raphael
The Whole Hog W/ Julia Louis-Dreyfus

There are a lot of practical and uplifting things people can do for their friends who are sick with cancer. Gifting them a cancer-themed Barbie with a detachable wig is not one of them. Neither is giving an ill person a home-knit prayer shawl, bawling in front of them, or asking, “What can I do to help?” instead of thinking it up yourself and just doing it. It’s a topic both The Deep Dive co-host Jessica St. Clair and guest Julia Louis-Dreyfus have firsthand experience with, and their shared notes this week are an honest and cathartic look at something many women will face directly or indirectly in their lifetime. Better choices, they suggest, include gifts like soft pajamas, a cute boat tote big enough to haul all the shit patients need to bring to chemo sessions, indulgent goodies (patients or caretakers, someone is stress-eating), and regular no-response-needed “Just wanted to say I love you” texts. Since its debut earlier this year, St. Clair’s new series with June Diane Raphael has aimed to propel the hosts and friends into the most authentic versions of themselves without the fluff, and with its sense of earnest compassion, the series could have easily been called The Check-In. This funny and feel-good episode largely centers on Louis-Dreyfus’ friendship with St. Clair, and how Louis-Dreyfus encouraged St. Clair to pursue motherhood on the set of Veep. [Dan Jakes]

This Land
Behind The Curtain

To be a citizen of the United States is to reckon with the fact that it exists on stolen land gained by genocide. Yet the abuses and discrimination that Native Americans have endured—and continue to endure—are often overlooked and downplayed by miswritten histories and a flawed education system. This Land seeks to bring attention to the battles in which Native Americans are currently embroiled, particularly as far right conservatives seek to undermine the few legal protections tribes still have. Host Rebecca Nagle introduces listeners to a specific case in which a white family attempting to adopt a Native child has had a dangerous impact. The case has drawn the attention of conservative corporate law firm Gibson Dunn as an opportunity to determine that the Indian Child Welfare Act—the 1978 law designed to make sure Native Children weren’t being taken from their families and tribes—is unconstitutional, with the support of the State of Texas. This Land is a disturbing and vitally important listen. [Jose Nateras]

True Crime And Cocktails
Pro Wrestler Chyna

For nearly a year now, actress Lauren Ash (best known as the hella-bossy assistant manager from Superstore) and her cousin/BFF Christy Oxborrow have been hosting this podcast where they slip into some PJs, pour a drink or 15, and delve into noteworthy crimes and mysteries. With their current season focused on “famous fatalities,” the pair have been diving deep on such fallen angels as Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith. The latest ep cycles through many different emotions as they chronicle the rise and fall of Joanie Laurer, a.k.a. groundbreaking WWE wrestler Chyna, who died in 2016. They get downright furious as they call out the people (mostly men) who exploited and discarded Laurer, sending her on a downward spiral filled with drugs, alcohol, and appearances in porn movies. By the end of this three-hour journey, Ash and Oxborrow are straight-up verklempt, fighting back tears as they pay tribute to someone who truly deserved better. For those who fondly remember when Laurer was the baddest force of nature to come out of the WWE, don’t be surprised if you react the same way. [Craig D. Lindsey]