Michael Hobbes | |
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Occupation(s) | Journalist and podcaster |
Known for | Maintenance Phase, You're Wrong About, If Books Could Kill |
Website | https://rottenindenmark.org/ |
Michael Hobbes is a journalist and podcast host.[1] He was formerly a Senior Enterprise Reporter for HuffPost.[2][3] His writing has also appeared in Pacific Standard,[4] The New Republic,[5] and Slate.[6] He currently co-hosts the podcast Maintenance Phase, which focuses on the poor science behind health and wellness fads,[1] and the podcast If Books Could Kill, which focuses on the flawed premises of various popular non-fiction books.[7][8] He also previously hosted You're Wrong About, which debunks common historical myths and stories.[9]
Before beginning his writing career, Hobbes worked in human rights for 11 years.[10] He was previously a reporter for the Huffington Post,[2] where he covered the new economy.[3] He also writes journalistic and personal essays for publications including Pacific Standard,[4] The New Republic,[5] and Slate.[6] His article on the plight of millennials[11] was nominated for a National Magazine Award.[12] He has also appeared in multiple episodes of WNYC's On the Media.[10][13]
Michael Hobbes, along with co-host Sarah Marshall, started the podcast You're Wrong About in May 2018.[14] Each episode centers a historical event or concept and breaks down the common myths and misconceptions that surround it. Unlike many history podcasts, one co-host researches the episode and the other blind-reacts to the information.[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns the podcast gained a cult following.[14][10] Hobbes decided to step away from the podcast in October 2021, citing his wish to end his involvement on a high note.[10]
Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon have co-hosted the podcast Maintenance Phase since October 2020.[15] They use the show to debunk the myths and "junk science" behind health, nutrition, and wellness trends, and have discussed topics including popular diets and diet foods, anti-fat bias, and eating disorders.[1]
In November 2022, Hobbes and lawyer Peter Shamshiri launched If Books Could Kill, a podcast that breaks down popular non-fiction books like Freakonomics in the same style as Maintenance Phase and You're Wrong About.[7]
Hobbes criticized a February 2024 essay in The Atlantic by Adam Rubenstein, a former New York Times editor who said he had been chastised by a human resources employee due to eating at Chick-fil-A, given the CEO's position against same-sex marriage. Hobbes called Rubenstein's story an "egregiously fake anecdote". The Atlantic contradicted Hobbes' claim, asserting that the story had been fact-checked and confirmed with multiple Times employees who had "contemporaneous knowledge" of the incident. Journalists Robby Soave and Jonathan Chait also supported Rubenstein.[16][17][18]
Hobbes is a vocal critic of anti-trans rhetoric specifically in The New York Times[19][20] and in UK politics. He has repeatedly spoken out on twitter[21][22] and his own podcasts[23] critiquing claims of "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" and what he calls the moral panic around transgender youth.
Hobbes is gay.[24][25] He has lived in Seattle, Berlin, the UK and Denmark.[26][10]