The Necessary Conversation with the Kultgen family is an absolutely necessary part of my weekly routine. Not only do I wait for new videos to drop, but my own family joins me on the couch every Wednesday and Sunday evening to watch. What begins as entertainment often becomes conversations of our own: about political ideologies, human rights, and systemic inequality.
The podcast features an American family divided across the political spectrum: liberal siblings Chad Kultgen and Haley Popp, and their conservative MAGA parents, Mary Lou and Bob Kultgen. Each week, they sit down together to debate current events and attempt, however imperfectly, to bridge ideological divides.
My own family joins me every Wednesday and Sunday evening to watch.
Some episodes are pure entertainment, and I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of certain exchanges. Other times, I’m reaching for a box of tissues or reading comments until my anger subsides. I’ve been through it all with the Kultgens — laughter, frustration, empathy, and despair.
On Wednesdays, Chad invites his family to join him for a series called ‘Busting The MAGA Bubble’ and is usually accompanied by his mother — Mary Lou. During these episodes, Chad and Mary Lou share videos and clips that were recommended in their feeds. The point? To step outside the digital bubble that is conveniently created by social media algorithms designed to catch and hold your attention.
I’ve been through it all with the Kultgens — laughter, frustration, empathy, and despair.
I recommend this podcast, not because it offers solutions or pleasant conflict resolution, but because it’s messy, unfiltered, and oftentimes uncomfortable to watch. These kinds of conversations are must haves, and, dare I say — necessary, because without such dialogue, we only become more polarized and isolated in our world views.
You can check out The Necessary Conversation podcast on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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