UPDATE: Chicago Live Show Postponed to July 2

UPDATE: Chicago Live Show Postponed to July 2

Josh got sick and had to go to the hospital, so we're postponing our Chicago live show to Thursday, July 2. Here's the link to the new event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ill-conceived-podcast-live-in-chicago-one-night-only-70226-tickets-1990032806695?aff=oddtdtcreator [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ill-conceived-podcast-live-in-chicago-one-night-only-70226-tickets-1990032806695?aff=oddtdtcreator] Previous ticket buyers should have already received a refund and a link to rebook their tickets; please let us know if you experience any issues with that. Thank you for your understanding and we'll see you in a month!

Simone & Malcolm Collins

In mainstream media coverage of natalism, one specific couple keeps popping up. Their eccentric appearance and apparent ironclad commitment to the principles of tech natalism make them catnip to curious reporters, who have profiled them exhaustively. But who are Simone and Malcolm Collins, and what are they actually trying to sell you? This week, Josh and June do their best to find out. ***GET TICKETS TO JOSH'S SHOW IN CINCINNATI HERE [https://cincyfringe.com/2026-fringe/the-boy-from-bantay/] AND THE ILL CONCEIVED JUNE 4TH LIVE SHOW IN CHICAGO HERE!!! [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ill-conceived-podcast-live-in-chicago-one-night-only-60426-tickets-1990032806695]*** ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived! [https://www.patreon.com/illconceived]*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com [illconceivedpod@gmail.com]*** EPISODE ART: Malcolm and Simone Collins in a press photo by Hannah Yoon AUDIO CLIPS: * 18:35 – Simone Collins in a YouTube video entitled "Are You an Ambivert?" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBm61Eu9fP8] originally uploaded in November 2011 * 24:15 – Simone performing a cover of the Firefly theme song in a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDIshWOTs4I] originally uploaded to YouTube in July 2011 * 46:59 – Simone introduces Malcolm to the channel in a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPj9VmYrnKE] originally uploaded to YouTube in November 2014  * 1:00:08 – Malcolm and Simone discuss "A Pragmatist's Take on the Red Pill" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ARBV1LIUw&t=129s] originally uploaded to YouTube in March 2020 * 1:16:46 – The introduction to the Based Camp episode "One Conspiracy Explains All Modern Culture (This Explains EVERYTHING)" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_uzCsEUyu8&t=46s] originally uploaded to YouTube in May 2026 * 1:20:09 – The Bort license plate scene [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D95k6xJ4Ho] from "Itchy And Scratchy Land" (The Simpsons, S06E04) SOURCES: * "How I Proposed to My Girlfriend on Reddit" [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reddit-proposal_b_3713560] by Malcolm Collins (Huffington Post, August 6, 2013) * ArtCorgi's profile on Crunchbase [https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/artcorgi#financials] * "Why Many Entrepreneurs Are Turning to a ‘Search-Fund’ Model" [https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2017/january-february/why-many-entrepreneurs-are-turning-to-a-search-fund-model/] by Glenn Hunter (D Magazine, January 9, 2017) * "Scoop: Dialog, a secretive forum, plans D.C.-area campus" [https://www.axios.com/2025/08/07/dialog-secret-network-thiel-hoffman] by Mike Allen (Axios, August 7, 2025) * Simone's LinkedIn profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonehcollins/] * Malcolm's LinkedIn profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolmcollins/] * Simone's Reddit account [https://www.reddit.com/user/LadyTechnocracy/] * Malcolm's Reddit account [https://www.reddit.com/user/SirTechnocracy/] * "Meet the ‘elite’ couples breeding to save mankind" [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/pronatalists-save-mankind-by-having-babies-silicon-valley/] by Io Dodds (The Telegraph, April 19, 2023) * "About Simone and Malcolm Collins’ Smear Campaign Against Me" [https://medium.com/@lymanstone/about-simone-and-malcolm-collins-smear-campaign-against-me-3db669bd0a25] by Lyman Stone (Medium post, October 22, 2024) * "America’s premier pronatalists on having ‘tons of kids’ to save the world: ‘There are going to be countries of old people starving to death’" [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/25/american-pronatalists-malcolm-and-simone-collins] by Jenny Kleeman (The Guardian, May 25, 2024) * Based Camp on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SimoneandMalcolm] FOLLOW THE SHOW: * Website: illconceivedpodcast.com [https://illconceivedpodcast.com] * Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com [https://bsky.app/profile/illconceivedpodcast.com] * Tumblr: @illconceivedpod [https://www.tumblr.com/illconceivedpod] FOLLOW JOSH: * Website: joshboerman.com [https://joshboerman.com] * Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world [https://bsky.app/profile/bosh.worstpossible.world] * Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds [https://www.worstpossible.world] * Stream: Traditional Scrench [https://www.twitch.tv/traditional_scrench/] FOLLOW JUNE: * Bluesky: @junlper.beer [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mf5dzzqkp7fnmby6blfeljwj] * Other podcast: Kill The Computer [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-the-computer/id1647062210] * Writing: June's Substack [https://junlper.substack.com] ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree [https://linktr.ee/birdrespecter] / Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/birdrespecter.bsky.social])

ANNOUNCEMENT: Ill Conceived Gives You The Talk

Thursday, June 4 at 7pm / Lincoln Lodge, Chicago $20 per ticket / 50 tickets only https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ill-conceived-podcast-live-in-chicago-one-night-only-60426-tickets-1990032806695?aff=oddtdtcreator [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ill-conceived-podcast-live-in-chicago-one-night-only-60426-tickets-1990032806695?aff=oddtdtcreator]

JD Vance: The B-Side (PREVIEW)

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF A BONUS B-SIDE EPISODE. For access to the full length version of this and every other biweekly bonus B-side, go to Patreon.com/illconceived [https://www.patreon.com/posts/jd-vance-b-side-158391085] -------------------------- The natalist arguments of people like JD Vance are increasingly being used to defend new laws rolling back bodily autonomy, and in Wyoming, a newly signed "fetal heartbeat" bill has made this connection explicit [https://www.npr.org/people/nx-s1-62504/hanna-merzbach]. We're talking about it, plus we read your mail about: * The tendencies of fundamentalist Catholicism vs. more mainstream Catholicism and the people they tend to attract * The varying cultural tendences of different ethnic Catholic traditions * JD's connection to Erika Kirk and her whole deal

JD Vance

The Vice President of the United States and his wife Usha are expecting their fourth baby, setting an apparent example for their fellow natalists. But just how intertwined is JD Vance with the natalist movement overall and what does it have to do with Usha’s new podcast about children’s books? This week, June and Josh dig into JD Vance’s history with conservatism and Catholicism to try to figure it out. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived! [https://www.patreon.com/illconceived]*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com [illconceivedpod@gmail.com]*** EPISODE ART: JD Vance in a press photo by Niall Carson for Getty Images. Born in Middletown, Ohio, Vance graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School, eventually working under Peter Thiel at Mithril Capital. After being elected to the United States Senate in 2022, Vance was selected by Donald Trump to serve as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election. AUDIO CLIPS: * 18:51 – Donald Trump reading from 2 Corinthians [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oqyMMBAapY] as part of the America Reads the Bible special event * 24:51 – JD Vance referring to Democratic opposition as "childless cat ladies" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBTz3n9ZzPA] * 59:39 – Usha Vance reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlqxCvyjlP4] for her podcast Storytime with the Second Lady SOURCES: * J. D. Vance and the Right’s Call to Have More Babies [https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/j-d-vance-and-the-rights-call-to-have-more-babies] * The troubling history behind JD Vance's natalism [https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/troubling-history-behind-jd-vances-natalism] * JD Vance And Peter Thiel: What To Know About The Relationship Between Trump’s VP Pick And The Billionaire [https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/07/16/jd-vance-and-peter-thiel-what-to-know-about-the-relationship-between-trumps-vp-pick-and-the-billionaire/] * What have I done? I forced my kid to listen to Usha Vance’s podcast - now she’s a fan [https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2026/apr/22/usha-vance-podcast] * JD Vance Repeats ‘Anti-Family’ Criticism of Democrats on Sunday Morning News Show Tour [https://archive.is/thVOI#selection-549.0-552.0] * Baby Bonuses and Motherhood Medals: Why We Shouldn’t Trust the Pronatalist Movement [https://nwlc.org/resource/baby-bonuses-and-motherhood-medals-why-we-shouldnt-trust-the-pronatalist-movement/] * Trump May Soon Offer a Motherhood Medal, an Idea Popularized in Nazi Germany [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/trump-motherhood-medal-pronatalist-nazi/] * Republicans Are Right: One Party Is ‘Anti-Family and Anti-Kid’ [https://archive.is/vJV7r#selection-501.0-508.0] * Usha Vance and JD Vance, Pronatalism’s Poster Couple, Are Having a 4th Kid [https://archive.is/L5l6c#selection-611.0-616.0] * JD Vance’s Approval Rating Plunges to New Historic Low [https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-approval-rating-plunges-historic-low-11809549] * Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul Announce First Four Communities to Receive Free 2-K Seats [https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/mayor-mamdani-and-governor-hochul-announce-first-four-communitie] * Democracy | Of Childless ‘Psychopath’ Women and ‘Replacement’: JD Vance’s Birthrate and Immigration Obsessions Have Shared History [https://www.mississippifreepress.org/democracy-of-childless-psychopath-women-and-replacement-jd-vances-birthrate-and-immigration-obsessions-have-shared-history/] * An Analysis of Happy No Snakes Day and the Deeper Implications on the Horizon for Children’s Literature and Christian Nationalist Policies in the Public School System [https://medium.com/@pierreandjaime/an-analysis-of-happy-no-snakes-day-and-the-deeper-implications-on-the-horizon-for-childrens-2a2b67920ba4] * Beyond the Nuclear Family [https://dissentmagazine.org/article/beyond-the-nuclear-family/] * The Role of the Nuclear Family in Capitalism [https://voicesofcapitalism.com/nuclear-family-capitalism/] * With Defense of ICE, JD Vance Clarifies His Next Target: You [https://inkstickmedia.com/with-defense-of-ice-jd-vance-clarifies-his-next-target-you/] * J.D. Vance Used to Be an Atheist. What He Believes Now Is Telling. [https://archive.is/KoCKA] * Gold Mother's Cross [https://www.holocaust.org.uk/gold-mothers-cross#:~:text=The%20crosses%20came%20in%20three%20classes:%20*,approximately%204.7%20million%20crosses%20had%20been%20awarded.] * Wikipedia: Order of Maternal Glory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Maternal_Glory#References] * Who in the USSR was awarded the ‘Mother-Heroine’ title? [https://www.gw2ru.com/history/2425-russia-mother-heroine] * National Conservatism: A Statement of Principles [https://nationalconservatism.org/national-conservatism-a-statement-of-principles/] * 5% of People Detained By ICE Have Violent Convictions, 73% No Convictions [https://www.cato.org/blog/5-ice-detainees-have-violent-convictions-73-no-convictions] FOLLOW THE SHOW: * Website: illconceivedpodcast.com [https://illconceivedpodcast.com] * Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com [https://bsky.app/profile/illconceivedpodcast.com] * Tumblr: @illconceivedpod [https://www.tumblr.com/illconceivedpod] FOLLOW JOSH: * Website: joshboerman.com [https://joshboerman.com] * Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world [https://bsky.app/profile/bosh.worstpossible.world] * Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds [https://www.worstpossible.world] * Stream: Traditional Scrench [https://www.twitch.tv/traditional_scrench/] FOLLOW JUNE: * Bluesky: @junlper.beer [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mf5dzzqkp7fnmby6blfeljwj] * Other podcast: Kill The Computer [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kill-the-computer/id1647062210] * Writing: June's Substack [https://junlper.substack.com] ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree [https://linktr.ee/birdrespecter] / Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/birdrespecter.bsky.social])