This economy sucks. It's not a hot take, but it is the situation.

And yet here we are, still hustling, still underpaid, still oddly optimistic.

I'm Anna Marie Cox. And I'm open Mike Eagle. And this is past due, a podcast about surviving in an economy that doesn't want you to.

The era of peak TV is definitely over.

According to IndyWire, the Writers Guild of America says the 2023 to 24 TV season had 1,319 fewer writing jobs than the prior season.

Every week we're talking to comedians, writers, artists, musicians.

People have had to build something out of nothing.

We talked to workers of all types about money, meltdowns, and the myth that doing what you

love means you're not allowed to ask for more.

Today, the Los Angeles Times laid off 115 employees.

This is just the latest in months and months and months of layoffs in the

media industry. Local news has been obliterated. The newspaper industry is cratering.

We're digging into the gig economy, the collapse of the media industry, and the rise of

newsletters, side hustles, all on platforms that promise the world, but could disappear

overnight. I was doing Uber Lyft. I had the Nielsen People Meter, which tracked everything

I was listening to on radio and TV to make an extra 20 bucks. And along the way, we'll share our

own horror stories, regrets, small wins, the terrible advice we've gotten. Exposure doesn't pay the bills. Oh wait a minute. Yes, it does. The terrible advice we've gotten.

Exposure doesn't pay the bills. Oh, wait a minute. Yes, it does. The good advice we've gotten.

I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations.

I think they're produced, they're generally produced their worst work when they do that.

This show is for anyone trying to make it in a system that feels designed to wear you out.

Because when you're paying your bills with 10 side gigs and your emotional support dog has anxiety, something's got to give.

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