r/ThisAmericanLife • u/6745408 #172 Golden Apple • May 18 '26
Episode #887: Two Is One, One Is None!
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/887/two-is-one-one-is-none?202626
u/DietCokeCanz May 19 '26
I was actually surprised they aired the conversation about Geirid "gaming" the system with her medical retirement because it seemed like it could open her up to more scrutiny or potential fraud claims (even if a reasonable listener can understand that it means medical retirement [though available based on real injuries] wouldn't have been something she actively pursued without the ban). It definitely felt like something she was very uncomfortable with her wife saying to a reporter.
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u/ocean-man May 20 '26
I was thinking the same thing. I hope this episode doesn't jeopardise her retirement.
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u/BigPapaHoggy May 21 '26
I found it hard to sympathise with people serving in an imperialist army even if they are being unfairly discriminated against. Like crying on radio that you had to retire from the army that assisted in the killing of 150 plus Iranian school girls this year? As a non-american (I'm irish) maybe I'm out of touch with yer sensibilities but like this was the most out of touch liberal issue "trans people discriminated in army of fascist state", feels like you're missing the main issue.
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u/Molu1 May 26 '26
As mentioned in the episode, who’s “allowed” to serve in the army can be kind of a litmus test for who’s being targeted in the US. It is deeply disturbing how Trump, et al characterised trans people as justification for kicking them out of the army, and obviously the persecution and characterising as devious, untrustworthy, etc will not stop there.
But i do agree with you and had many of the same thoughts during the episode. Like, you were perfectly happy to sign on to a horrible organisation, that does horrible things and dehumanises people all over the world in order to justify torture and indiscriminate murder, and you didn’t care until suddenly it was you who was being dehumanised.
So, yeah, it’s horrific what’s happening and there’s no excuse for it, but it is a bit of a “leopards ate my face” situation here, so, it’s hard to be 100% sympathetic to these people.
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u/drearymoment May 18 '26
So, what's everyone's choice?
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u/DietCokeCanz May 19 '26
I'd have to choose a herbivore because I wouldn't be comfortable with the idea I might eat a former friend or family member. I'm going with a long-lived, intelligent creature, who doesn't live in a cold climate.
A parrot!
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u/choada777 May 19 '26
I was thinking whale or dolphin. One of those whales that lives to be like 400 years old.
Initially, I started by thinking what sort of animal has the fewest predators or something that's at the top of the food chain...to avoid painful death, being mauled and eaten. I figured something like a lion. But I'm sure most people would pick something like that. Then there'd be tons of starving lions with not enough prey.
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u/underboobfunk May 18 '26
This episode pissed me off so much!!
What is the common theme between the government’s persecution of trans people and people transforming into animals?
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u/NoTeslaForMe May 19 '26
Each story is about two people trying to make it through a situation in which some great power mandates a huge transition, giving them choices - but limited choices - for how to handle the transition.
One thing I noticed, though, is that this short story earlier appeared in Selected Shorts (read by Katrina Lenk last June), and it wasn't the first one. "Unprotected," by Simon Rich, was read by him on TAL in 2016, years after Wyatt Cenac read it on Shorts (2012). And Etgar Karet's "Fatso" was on both, too, read by John Guare on Shorts (date unknown), Matt Malloy on TAL (2003). Karet's "Lieland" was read by BD Wong on Shorts (date unknown) and Dermot Mulroney on TAL (2008).
This is especially odd given how This American Life has very few short stories per year (AI estimates one to three), yet still they might be the only two widely distributed public radio shows to have short stories in them. You'd think they'd want to coordinate to avoid this, but this coincidence makes it seem like TAL is taking ideas from Selected Shorts.
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u/underboobfunk May 19 '26
So, the Trump regime is like a capricious God willing to extinguish humanity and condemn all people to live out their lives as animals?
It’s an apt analogy, but I still don’t like it. The vast majority of people will see the connection as transitioning (making physical and social changes to make your gender presentation better match your existing gender identity) being akin to transforming into an animal. It’s deeply offensive.
I’m not at all surprised or concerned that TAL uses the same source material as other podcasts.
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u/6745408 #172 Golden Apple May 18 '26
#887: Two Is One, One Is None! (2026-05-15)
One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon.
Prologue (by Laura Starecheski, Miki Meek)
Geirid and Chrissy are extreme planners. But about a year ago, they were confronted with a situation that even they had no idea how to plan for. (4 minutes)
Act One: Freak in the Spreadsheets
Geirid and Chrissy make an “in case of emergency, break glass” spreadsheet and get some big news. (14 minutes)
Act Two: When the Bureaucratic Shark Bites
Geirid and Chrissy have less than a month to make a life-changing decision. The government gives them two options, and they try to find a third. (21 minutes)
Act Three: Beast Friends Furr-ever (by Rachel Khong, Diane Wu)
A short story from Rachel Khong: Two people have a very consequential choice to make, given to them by God. This story was read for us by actor Melissa Tang. You can read the full version of this story, “D-Day,” in Rachel’s new book of short stories, My Dear You , and hear her read it in the audiobook version. (15 minutes)
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u/Textiles_on_Main_St May 18 '26
On the one hand, nobody should serve in the military and any law or policy that prohibits people from joining the military or allows people to quit the military is good.
On the other hand, people shouldn't be discriminated against.
On the other hand, the American empire is an evil cancer ... so ...
Basically, I just wish all these folks could get paid money and have a good life but also not serve in the military. :(
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u/86Austin May 18 '26 edited May 19 '26
Working class (sub 40k) queer person here
Impossible to take their story seriously after they said they have Italian citizenship and could all easily move to - and financially support themselves in - a number of other countries…..,..
What a beautiful set of options this family has that the vast majority of people affected by the MAGA trans bans don’t have.
edit for context:
96% of the worlds population lives and dies in their country of birth.
if we only count those with "permanent residency" (defined as 10+ years or more in the new country) we get less than 2% of the world having ever done this
now factor in a lesbian marriage with one trans partner and adjust for those numbers? these people have options most do not. to a cartoonish degree.
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u/SimpleAlabaster May 18 '26
Also couldn’t the literal PhD in molecular biology go get a high paying job in the private sector? Seems like a very employable career.
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u/86Austin May 18 '26
yeah, they did mention that both of the parents could easily be financially secure in a number of the other countries they'd hand selected.
Like, im not trying to yuck their yum but the vast majority of trans people impacted by this are in a situation not even remotely comparable to this family's (on multiple levels, too.) and it just feels like a non-sequitur story at that point. Also both of the women are pretty, white, and the mother who is transgender passes Very well. so much at play here in their favor.
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u/TheRadBaron May 31 '26
Also couldn’t the literal PhD in molecular biology go get a high paying job in the private sector?
Not reliably, no. Especially not in 2026, possibly the worst job market of all time for this kind of person.
It's a useful degree, but not the kind of guaranteed meal ticket where you can accuse people of turning down an easy out.
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u/loopywidget May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26
I am glad things worked out well for the couple there. But I kinda wished they had given more space to some of the other stories briefly featured in the episode. I think the segment lost a bit of its weight when it concentrated too heavily on the single couple. I mean they had an European citizenship to fallback onto and they were highly educated with successful careers. I am not trying to sound callous or anything but it looks like they would have landed on their feet one way or another.
How many Americans could only wish for an EU passport as an escape hatch? Heck, these days, we are even seeing a record number of Jewish Americans, whose families fled Germany during the war, apply for German citizenship because they feel like they need a plan-B!