Kennedy: A Gen X Rebel’s Journey From MTV to Fox News

The Fox News personality reflects on her evolution from a contrarian Republican to a libertarian and her belief that personal freedom, humor, and not giving a shit are the keys to a better America.

https://reason.com/podcast/2025/06/11/kennedy-a-gen-x-rebels-journey-from-mtv-to-fox-news/
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Today's guest is the former MTV video jockey and current Fox News personality Kennedy, who emerged in the 1990s as a leading voice of Gen X when it came to politics and culture. Reason's Nick Gillespie talks with her about how a generation raised on neglect, nuclear nightmares, and Nirvana forged an ethos of irreverence and independence that still matters today. Kennedy explains her evolution from a teen Republican who swooned over Dan Quayle to a principled libertarian, why the culture of alternative music and media once felt so alive and vital, and what it means when former pop culture rebels like Jimmy Kimmel and Howard Stern become defenders of the status quo. She also talks about free-range parenting and why more of us need to stop caring about what others think and let everyone live radically on their own terms.

0:00—Introduction

2:30—What was MTV like when Clinton was elected president?

730—How did Kennedy become a 'self-declared libertarian'?

12:20—What is the most appealing about libertarianism?

15:01—How did being 'alternative' become mainstream?

22:07—What was it like being a public virgin?

25:42—What is the Gen X ethos?

31:22—Why you can make fun of everything

36:58—How Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla went down vastly different paths

41:07—What is it like to work at Fox News?

47:25—Are conspiracy theories fun?

Today's sponsor:

Future of Freedom: If you're tired of cable news debates and Twitter shouting matches, and you're looking for serious, good-faith conversations between people who actually care about liberty then it's time to check out the Future of Freedom podcast. Each episode dives deep into a single topic—tariffs, campus speech, the Department of Government Efficiency—and brings together two guests who disagree on the best path forward. But here's the twist: This isn't a debate show. No interrupting. No dunking. If you believe the future of freedom depends on more than just winning arguments and you're ready for something deeper than the usual echo chambers, check out the Future of Freedom podcast. Real disagreement. Real ideas. Real conversations. Subscribe to Future of Freedom wherever you get your podcasts.

Video editor: Cody Huff