? Grab a drink, prep a hearty snack, and get ready to sink into your favorite arm chair for an hour (or two). In Ordinary Unhappiness, husband and wife duo — and fellow academics — Abby Kluchin and Patrick Blanchfield discuss all things psychoanalysis with the occasional political and pop culture tie-in. Just like Sigmund Freud, our podcast hosts recognize that unhappiness is indeed a part of life whether we like it or not, and learning to live with that ordinary unhappiness might just be the key to overcoming the occasional bouts of “hysterical misery.”

Throughout the podcast’s 100+ episodes, Kluchin and Blanchfield use psychoanalytic frameworks to analyze myriad topics, including cultural trends, political events, and day-to-day human experiences. Given they’re both academics, it only makes sense that the duo would back up everything they say with sources neatly listed in each episode’s description box — just in case you want to double check for yourself, though we’re happy to take their word for it.

What would Freud have thought of the Taylor Swift phenomenon? In one exclusive two-hour-long episode, Kluchin and Blanchfield take their time psychoanalyzing none other than US megastar and global cultural phenomenon, Taylor Swift — and the idea of parasocial relationships as a whole. They even go as far as using Swift’s Eras tour to explain Nietzsche's eternal return thought experiment.

Now, we know what you’re thinking, but bear with us. Following a quick disclaimer that neither of the hosts are Swifties, the duo — alongside guest host US author Daniel Lavery — quickly introduce two concepts through which they eventually explored the “Taylor Swift phenomenon”: cathexis (one’s obsession with a person or an idea), and the Lacanian ‘big other’ theory (a hypothetical “other” many of us believe observes us, and thus perform for). The episode then delved deep into the dangers of celebrity culture, the impact of music on the psyche, and why Taylor Swift’s impact is more powerful than you might have thought.

What sets Ordinary Unhappiness apart from other podcasts within the same genre is how natural it is. Abby Kluchin and Patrick Blanchfield know how to keep you listening, the hosts are innately conversational, humorous, not afraid to get personal, and spare you all sorts of unnecessary psychological or philosophical jargon. Their ability to discuss complicated frameworks and theories easily and swiftly — yes, pun intended — guarantees a listening experience that is both entertaining and educational.

WHERE TO LISTEN - You can find Ordinary Unhappiness on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

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