If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here! I've never resisted Love is Blind so much as run out of time for it... but then Audie Cornish said she wanted to come on the show to talk about it, and I said: I will watch any reality show, in its entirety, to talk to you about it. (Cornish was previously best known as the co-host of NPR's All Things Considered; now she is best known as the host of CNN's early morning newscast and The Assignment with Audie Cornish). I did my homework and thought I had smart things to say about Love is Blind and then Audie had way, way smarter things to say, specifically about the ways in which this current season functions as a skeleton key for the ideologies battling for dominance in our cultural moment. Even if you've never watched an episode of Love is Blind, there's a LOT here about how people perform their identities and politics and relationship needs that will snag you — and if you have watched this season (or any season), you're gonna love it even more. What a privilege to have Audie Cornish on-air cackling over reality television, and what a delight! Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/culture to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Take the guesswork out of your dog's well-being. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your first box!Go to  https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY  and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Get better sleep, hair, and skin with Blissy. Use code CULTUREPOD to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODShow Notes: Go listen to Audie's fantastic podcast The Assignment Follow Audie on InstagramYou can also catch Audie as the anchor of CNN This Morning, airing weekdays from 6-7AM ET and streaming in the CNN appI really appreciate the Love is Blind Reddit and I know Audie and Melody do too No I am not uploading my Laguna Beach grad school paper what is wrong with you the writing is horrific We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Contemporary Dating Culture!!! Why does it suck, how can it suck less! (with Jonquilyn Hill)Eldest daughter discourseThe sociology of NAMES (naming trends, naming assumptions)WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOGAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: We can obviously talk about Love is Blind, but I'd also love to hear how you think other reality shows are reflecting the conflicting ideologies of this moment.

People are fascinated by hoarding culture — in part because it presents a reality that's not that distant from our current accumulation habits. Like, turn one screw in my brain slightly more to the left, and my dahlia collecting habit becomes something that's widely understood as a social problem. When I heard about Amanda Uhle's Destroy This House, a memoir of growing up in a hoarding household, I knew listeners would want to explore that fine line between "proper" consumption and hoarding, the stories we tell about why people hoard, and the real difficulty in navigating hoarding behaviors by people you love. Culture Study is now on Patreon! To read about why we moved, go here.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Use code CULTURE to get 10% off your next order at Bookshop.orgGet $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREGet 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Cool Gloss with your first purchaseShow Notes:GO BUY DESTROY THIS HOUSE: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9781668083444Follow Amanda's work here: https://www.instagram.com/amanda.uhle/?hl=enI reference Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780547422558I reference my interview with Emily Mester about American Bulk: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/american-bulkThe episode we did on "over-consumption" of books: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-the-latest-book-publishing-trends-explained/id1718662839?i=1000718656026We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:BIG KOREAN ENERGY with Mash-Up Americans (Their framework for questions: What is this Korean vibe everywhere in culture, in food, in beauty, in politics? Definitely not complaining, but maybe confused? Well. Do we have the explainer for all of you Korean Americans, Korean Koreans, and everyone who is adjacent to Korean culture -- which is everyone. What are YOUR questions?)Contemporary Dating Culture!!! Why does it suck, how can it suck less! (with Jonquilyn Hill)Eldest daughter discourseThe sociology of NAMES (naming trends, naming assumptions)WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOGAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What is YOUR relationship to stuff? How did this conversation reframe it?

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this one: Avery Trufelman, host of the beloved podcast Articles of Interest, is here to talk all things OUTDOOR GEAR. More specifically: how so much of our everyday clothing became gear adjacent, what the military has to do with all of this (everything), why outdoor clothes still don’t come in plus sizes, gear as Tech Bro status symbol, and SO MUCH MORE. This one’s a multi-faceted delight — the sort of episode you’ll be bringing up in conversation for weeks to come.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Head to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Go to HelloFresh.com/CULTURESTUDY10FM now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for LifeSave 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/cultureVisit shopbeam.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get up to 40% off your orderShow Notes:LISTEN TO ARTICLES OF INTEREST !!!!Follow the newsletter for Articles of Interest hereThe specific Articles of Interest about the zippersJason Chen on GORPCORELoved this piece on visiting the Carhartt company archiveI Wore A Fleece Vest To Work To See If I Felt Like A Tech BroWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:BIG KOREAN ENERGY with Mash-Up Americans (Their framework for questions: What is this Korean vibe everywhere in culture, in food, in beauty, in politics? Definitely not complaining, but maybe confused? Well. Do we have the explainer for all of you Korean Americans, Korean Koreans, and everyone who is adjacent to Korean culture -- which is everyone. What are YOUR questions?)Contemporary Dating Culture!!! Why does it suck, how can it suck less! (with Jonquilyn Hill)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishEldest daughter discourseAn ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!The sociology of NAMES (naming trends, naming assumptions)WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOGAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: How do you see gearification in your own wardrobe? What piece of clothing are you going to look at differently from now on?

What does masculinity have to do with climate change denial? F-ing everything! Daniel Penny, host of the new Drilled podcast Carbon Bros, joins me to answer all of your questions about how the Manosphere and its ideologies of dominion, virility, control, and anti-wokeness collide with climate change narratives. We talk about petro-masculinity, of course, but also how environmentalism became “feminized,” the intersection with “muscular” Christianity, the Spotted Owl, fear of the electric truck, and how the Trump Administration has successfully exploited fears of a cucked, climate-focused nation. This one will piss you off and give you a lot to think about.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 35% off the best blankets of all time at LolaBlankets.com, using code CULTURE at checkoutBlueland is offering 15% off your first order of cleaning products at Blueland.com/CULTURETry OneSkin with 15% off using code CULTURE at oneskin.coIf you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, find something beautiful and long-lasting at Article.com.Show Notes:You can listen to CARBON BROS and find out more about the podcast hereFind more of Daniel’s work here and listen to other episodes of Non-Toxic (and the newsletter) hereA bunch of Chad memes that may or may not elucidate Chad-nessDaniel references Dr. Sophie Bjork-James’s work — find out more about it hereMy interview with Kristin Kobez Du Mez on White Christian NationalismI reference my reporting on North Idaho & the spotted owl — it’s in this big featureThe ridiculous “premature electrification” Super Bowl truck commercial:FROM THE AAA: My piece on What Makes Women CleanYour Cleaning StoryWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:BIG KOREAN ENERGY with Mash-Up Americans (Their framework for questions: What is this Korean vibe everywhere in culture, in food, in beauty, in politics? Definitely not complaining, but maybe confused? Well. Do we have the explainer for all of you Korean Americans, Korean Koreans, and everyone who is adjacent to Korean culture -- which is everyone. What are YOUR questions?)Cultural panics with THE Sarah MarshallContemporary Dating Culture!!! Why does it suck, how can it suck less! (with Jonquilyn Hill)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishEldest daughter discourseAn ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!The sociology of NAMES (naming trends, naming assumptions)WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOGAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Where have you seen anti-climate-change masculinity pop up in your own life? Commercials, relatives, IG feeds — tell us about it.

FIRST OFF — PLEASE TAKE OUR MEMBERSHIP SURVEY!!The podcast only works because of your questions (and episode ideas!) and we want more of them (and your ideas about bonus episodes, pricing, etc.) It’ll take five minutes tops, and really helps us figure out the future of the entire Culture Study extended universe. Thank you ahead of time, and just click here to take it.Baseball is so romantic!! There is SO MUCH RITUAL! It’s beautiful, it’s meditative, it’s the very best thing to listen to on the radio. And I’m so glad that we convinced Ali Liebegott [Mets Fan] to come join Melody [Royals Fan] and me [Mariners / Twins fan] to answer all of your questions about baseball culture (and there were SO MANY OF THEM). We talk about how to respond to people who say it’s boring; we talk about the changes in the game over the last two years (and how casual and opposite-of-casual fans feel about it); we talk about MR MET and Homer Hankies and Dadness and being a queer fan of baseball and how long a game should be (Ali says: forever). It’s just a really delightful conversation, and I’m so excited for you to join it.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!It’s Graza’s annual sitewide sale! Time to stock up on olive oil for the year. Discounts are automatically applied at checkout; no code needed.Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe todayHead to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the Best sellers Trial Pack or the NEW plant-based trial packStop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Show Notes:Subscribe to Ali’s newsletter, it’s the fucking best!Ali’s piece about Opening Day that moves me endlesslyAli’s piece on her tattoos (including Mr. Met)Ali’s glorious paintings available for sale (you can’t buy Mr. Met but you can buy this portrait of the ‘86 MetsFollow Ali on InstagramWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiWhat an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!The sociology of NAMESAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: There’s so much we didn’t even have time to cover, so consider this a free for all!

Maybe your mom endlessly scrolls Facebook every time you visit. Maybe your kid has to be asked six times to get off his tablet. Maybe your friend is always checking Instagram when you’re out to dinner. Maybe your partner keeps checking their phone while you’re watching a movie together. Or maybe you find yourself doing all the things you find SO ANNOYING when others do them — and know these behaviors are affecting your relationships, but struggle to change them. Are you one of the 510234 moms who submitted a question about feeling guilty being on your phone (even if you’re just reading an eBook!) in front of your kids? Welp, this is the podcast for you.This isn’t a podcast episode about how ALL SCREENS ARE BAD and YOU ARE BAD FOR ENGAGING WITH THEM. It’s about recasting our relationships with them so that we can have better relationships with each other (which sometimes involves watching a screen… together!) Ash Brandin, founder of the tremendously popular Instagram account The Gamer Educator and author of Power On: Managing Screen Time To Benefit The Whole Family, joins me for a nuanced and deeply empathetic conversation that I know we’ll continue in the comments.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probioticsTry a Blissy silk pillowcase for 60 nights, risk-free, and get an additional 30% off when you shop at Blissy.com/CULTUREPOD and use code CULTUREPOD at checkoutVisit Article.com/CULTURE to get $50 off your first order of $100 or moreTry Remi risk-free at shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE to get up to 50% off your nightguard at checkoutShow Notes:Buy Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family here!You can follow Ash’s super popular Instagram, The Gamer Educator, here:You can find more of Ash’s work hereAsh on Virginia Sole-Smith’s podcast re: screen time restrictionMy collection of adults interviewing kids about why they liked playing video games (I forgot how good this was!)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiThe history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!The sociology of NAMESAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: How have screens been affecting your relationships with your friends or family members — and what would you like to shift?

By the mid-2010s, Jen Hatmaker had become one of the most important voices in white Evangelical culture. She had multiple best-selling books; she headlined massive women’s retreats; she was an influencer before we really even used that term. But then she broke with Evangelical doctrine when it came to LGBTQ people… and everything fell apart. More accurately, they started to fall apart — because the real life implosion wouldn’t come until 2020, when she woke up to the sound of her husband, a pastor, sending a voice memo to his mistress. Then things really fell apart.Hatmaker hasn’t spoken publicly about the details of her divorce, but after five years, a lot of therapy, and her five children all entered into adulthood — she’s ready. Her life exploded. But then she was able to rebuild it using her own designs — not the church’s. Today she’s on the pod to answer your complex questions about midlife reinvention: how it happens, all the reasons it can happen, and who gets the “privilege” of pursuing it. I really loved this conversation, and if you like rolling around all the ways we can (and sometimes struggle) to change our lives, you will too.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get deep, restful sleep with 25% off sitewide at BirchLiving.com/CULTURETry Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder and get up to 40% off at shopbeam.com/CULTURE, and use code CULTURE at checkoutGet 35% off your entire order at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout.Go to HelloFresh.com/CULTURESTUDY10FM to get 10 free meals, plus a free item in each box for lifeShow Notes:You can buy Awake here!Follow Jen Hatmaker on Instagram here:Sign up for Jen’s Substack, Notes From The MiddleThe story I wrote in 2016 (the weekend before the election) featuring Jen HatmakerWhat happened when Hatmaker announced that she was “affirming” of same-sex relationships (also in 2016)The big New York Times interview (with David Marchese) that I reference several timesI reference “the portal” — here’s the Culture Study piece on itWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)The history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: I just know you’re going to have a lot to say about mid-life invention, so let’s do it.

I love talking about food as culture — and like all parts of culture, food has trends that ebb and flow. We asked you to provide us with food trends you’ve noticed (and/or confuse you) — and then we asked the great Evan Kleiman (chef, cookbook author, and longtime host of KCRW’s Good Food) to come unwind them with us. Want to know what it takes for a dish to show up at every corporate catering event? Why every restaurant in the U.S. (still) has a brussels sprouts dish? How hot chicken got franchised? WE’VE GOT YOU. This episode is filled with delights (and will make you want to browse expensive tinned fish online).Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to ZocDoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor todayRight now, get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/CULTUREGo to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probioticsShow Notes:Learn more about Evan Kleiman’s storied career hereListen to GOOD FOOD on KCRW!Follow Evan on Instagram:An example of the “recession meal” TikToks:The hot chicken Bitter Southerner piece I referenceThe Amanda Mull piece I reference (and summarize poorly): The United States is Southern NowA good background piece on the tinned fish boomMangos are the world’s most popular fruit!!!!“Meet SoCal’s Premier Mango Seller”A great overview of the rise of CrumblWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)The history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What food trend are you STILL curious about?

This one’s a weird one! But it’s also going to elucidate a bunch of bewildering phrases that you might have noticed popping up in advertisements or in teens’ conversations. Adam Aleksic runs the incredibly popular TikTok/IG/YouTube account Etymology Nerd, where he breaks down how new phrases and memes travel across the internet. Today, we’re talking to him about the way these phrases also make their way into our spoken language — and how algorithms function as a new engine in language change. Like I said, it’s a weird one — but it’s also incredibly interesting.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 15% off your first purchase using code CULTURE at FastGrowingTrees.comHead to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off, plus free shipping, on the Best sellers Trial Pack or the NEW plant-based trial packGet better sleep, hair and skin with Blissy and use CULTUREPOD to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODTake your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use promo code CULTURESTUDY for 10% off your first order!Show Notes:You can find Adam’s Tiktoks hereA recent example of a very Adam Tok:Buy Algospeak here!An explanation of Italian BrainrotThe Year in Brainrot (which explains how Skibdi is involved in all of this)Some Fifth Graders Playing Around with Brainrot terms:A hilarious wormhole Reddit explanation of Skibidi RizzAnother explainer of Italian BrainrotAdam on Labubu Chocolate Crumbl Cookie (???) memes as ‘Microbrainrot’We don’t talk about this in the show but I find it fascinating: Is There a Fortnite Accent?We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)The history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What other forms of ‘algospeak’ do you see popping up in your life?

There aren’t many contemporary celebrities with images layered enough that I could talk about them all day. But Gwyneth? She’s one of them. She’s it. She’s never pretended to be “just like us,” which is part of what makes her beguiling — and infuriating. She knows exactly what she’s doing, and sometimes what she’s doing is trying to get a bunch of people to talk about jade eggs you put in your vagina. She’s a master marketer of self, a promoter of charlatans, and impossible to ignore. And I’m so thrilled to have Amy Odell, author of the new, impeccably reported Gwyneth biography, here to discuss all your excellent questions.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probioticsSave 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURETry Remi risk-free at shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE to get up to 50% off your nightguard at checkoutHead to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe todayShow Notes:Follow Amy Odell on Instagram hereSubscribe to Amy’s Substack, BACK ROWBuy Gwyneth hereThe glorious backside of the book, covered in interview excerpts:You can read excerpts of the book in PeopleTHE Great Expectations outfit:The big piece I wrote on Ben Affleck (that includes some parts about class anxiety / Gwyneth)Sara Petersen’s excellent piece on the bookGwyneth’s commercial for Astronomer after the CEO/Coldplay Concert Love Affair ScandalWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)The history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Tell me all your ADDITIONAL Gwyneth thoughts!

Over on the newsletter, our book concierge threads — when people ask for specific book recommendations, and readers then offer their suggestions — regularly top 1500 comments. We wanted to bring the same energy to the podcast, and Maris Kreizman, author of The Maris Review and I Want To Burn This Place Down, reads more (and more widely) than anyone else I know. I promise: you’ll leave this episode with a new pile of books you want to read immediately. (And honestly, that’s the Back to School Adult Energy I crave).Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Go to HelloFresh.com/CULTURESTUDY10FM to get 10 free meals + a free item for lifeGet 35% off your entire order at LolaBlankets.com using code CULTURE at checkoutGet a great night’s sleep with a new mattress from Birch. Go to BirchLiving.com/CULTURE to get 27% off sitewideTry OneSkin for 15% off using code CULTURE at oneskin.coShow Notes:Subscribe to Maris’s newsletter, The Maris Review, here.Buy Maris’s new book, I Want To Burn This Place Down, here!Listen to our previous episode with Maris on How Goodreads Got SO BADBOOKS WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODEEveryone Is Lying To You by Jo PiazzaThe Parisian and Enter Ghost by Isabella HammadFlashlight and Trust Exercise by Susan ChoiAudition by Katie KitamuraWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghyEat the Document by Dana SpiottaBoy, Snow, Bird by Helen OyeyemiThe Trees by Percival EverettPerma Red by Debra Magpie EarningOutlawed by Anna NorthWhiskey When We’re Dry by John LarisonNews of the World by Paulette GilesThe Best Bad Things by Katrina CarrascoLiquid: A Love Story by Mariam RahmaniThe Rachel Incident by Caroline O’DonoghueWriters & Lovers and Euphoria by Lily KingThe Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCrackenHappy All The Time by Laurie ColwinThe Boys of my Youth by Jo Ann BeardCowboys are my Weakness by Pam HoustonThe Dud Avocado by Elaine DundyFreedom; The Corrections; and Crossroads by Jonathan FranzenThe Family Fang by Kevin WilsonLove Medicine; The Master Butchers Singing Club; The Night Watchman; and LaRose by Louise ErdrichThe God of the Woods and Long Bright River by Liz MooreDare Me; The Fever; and The Turnout by Megan AbbottThe Flavia de Luce series by Alan BradleyNevada by Imogen BinniePaul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea LawlorLove & Other Disasters by Anita KellyThe Company She Keeps by Mary McCarthyMutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-SmithWe Ride Upon Sticks by Quan BarryHelp Wanted by Adelle WaldmanMy Friends by Hisham MatarThe Catch by Yrsa Daley-WardOn the Calculation of Volume by Solvej BalleThe Old Drift by Namwali SerpellCloud Atlas by David MitchellThe Safekeep by Yael van der WoudenThe Sellout by Paul BeattyFight Night and All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam ToewsHidden Valley Road by Robert KolkerA Marriage at Sea by Sophie ElmhirstGreat Black Hope by Rob FranklinThe Dream Hotel by Laila LalamiBlack Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn IveyDisappearing Earth by Julia PhillipsThese Summer Storms by Sarah MacLeanSeating Arrangements by Maggie ShipsteadThe Wedding People by Alison EspachThe First Wives Club by Olivia GoldsmithWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)All things Love is Blind with Audie CornishDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)The history/utility/culture of OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE GEAR with Avery Trufelman (of Articles of Interest)What an actually family-friendly society would look like (with Elliot Haspel)An ADULT HOBBIES crossover episode with Forever35!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: In addition to our recs… what other books would you suggest for our question-askers?

Texas Culture is at least a dozen cultures smashed into one enormous state — with a whopping 254 counties, four sprawling metro areas, 1255 miles of border with Mexico, the best breakfast item in the United States (fight me) and the best grocery store chain (fight me again). I needed a co-host who was up to the task — and, like all of our other regional-specific episodes, loves the place they’re from intensely… but is also willing to interrogate its mess. I needed longtime friend of the pod (and San Antonio native) Sam Sanders. In this ep, we go deep into so many corners of Texas Culture — and talk about what people who’ve never lived there just don’t get. It’s wonky and delightful, a perfect Culture Study combo.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 15% off your first order of Blueland cleaning products at Blueland.com/CULTUREHead to Graza.co and use CULTURE to get 10% off of the TRIO which includes Sizzle, Frizzle and Drizzle, and get to cookin’ your next chef-quality meal!Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use CULTURESTUDY at checkoutTry Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder— get up to 40% off at shopbeam.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE at checkoutShow Notes:Follow Sam Sanders on InstagramListen to Sam’s two excellent podcasts: The Sam Sanders Show (on KCRW and wherever you get your podcasts) + Vibe CheckHere’s me on Sam’s podcast earlier this summer re: Feminist DystopiasThe long profile I wrote on Texas voters/voting during the Beto campaignThe piece I wrote about Dallas and refugee resettlement in the wake of the 2016 election (lots of really interesting Dallas history here!)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions about genre & publishing for Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and so many other Culture Study favsRunning a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)Different Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiStarting over in mid-life with Jen HatmakerBaseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What other corners of Texas Culture still mystify you??

I first read about Cara Meredith’s book on evangelical church camp over at Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s newsletter, and as soon as I saw “cry night” in the subtitle, I knew any conversation with her was gonna be a real one. Put differently, I knew she was ready to talk about what drew people to these camps — but also how they worked to deftly manipulate the young people who attended them. I went to church camp for a decade. I was a counselor for several years. I cried on cry night; I watched bad skits; I highlighted the crap out of my Youth Bible — and I adored it. But I also internalized a lot of contradictory and harmful messages, and felt weird about some of the ways we were counseling young kids.Cara and I process all of that in this episode — and also answer a bunch of your complicated questions. And as always with these episodes, we’re working hard to make the episode accessible to people outside of the culture (or who find it weird, which, real talk, it is) while also going deep into the weeds. I’m so eager for your thoughts.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Blissy is offering 60-nights risk-free PLUS an additional 30% off when you shop at Blissy.com/CULTUREPODSave 20% Off Honeylove at honeylove.com/CULTUREStop putting off those doctors appointments and go to ZocDoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor todayShow Notes:Follow Cara Meredith on Instagram here and buy Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Nights, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation hereWhat could be more millennial church camp than Michael W. Smith singing “Our God is an Awesome God”The type of stuff we always played on the boom box at breakfast at camp:And if you liked this episode I strongly recommend our previous episode on Contemporary Christian RockWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions about genre & publishing for Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and so many other Culture Study favsBirding Culture!Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)Hoarding Culture / How to Navigate Hoarders in Your LifeDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiStarting over in mid-life with Jen HatmakerFood Trends (like, what are you seeing on the menu in all the restaurants? Why are people pushing this particular ingredient or prep in their recipes???)Baseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: If you didn’t go to church camp….what felt wild about this discussion? If you did, what was hard or validating?

When your family is from a place with a distinctive, often-mockable accent, and you don’t have that accent but can (and do) readily fall into it as soon as you get around anyone who does their vowels like a Minnesotan, you learn to love accents. And then, as soon as you take any class (or read any text) in the anthropology/sociology/cultural analysis realm, you start thinking about accents as signifiers: of place, of race, of social status, of education, of insider/outsider status… the meanings feel endless.I’m SO thrilled to have Dr. Nicole Holliday on this week’s episode to go deep and nerdy on all of your very complicated (or, sometimes, deceptively simple) questions about accents — most of them American, but we’ve got a few Canadian questions in there, too. And I can pretty much guarantee: you’re going to absolutely devour this episode. It’s the platonic ideal of a Culture Study ep, and I can’t wait to discuss it.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Zbiotics Sugar-to-Fiber: Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics has a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason they will refund your money, no questions asked.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/culture and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Head to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus free shipping on the best sellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial packHead to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe todayShow Notes:Find out more about Dr. Nicole Holliday’s work hereFollow Dr. Holliday on TikTok (where I first started watching her!)If you haven’t heard GloRilla’s Memphis accent, here you go:Taste of the Yinzer Accent:Okay one more:We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Birding Culture!Running a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)Hoarding Culture / How to Navigate Hoarders in Your LifeDifferent Modalities of Hanging Out (aka, best ways to hang out with different people) with Mary HK ChoiFood Trends (like, what are you seeing on the menu in all the restaurants? Why are people pushing this particular ingredient or prep in their recipes???)Baseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: How did this conversation make you rethink an accent (or many accents) in your life?

When I first heard about Hannah Zeavin’s new book, Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the Twentieth Century, I knew it Culture Study material. Historicizing the intersection between tech and motherhood (and how surveillance affects mothers and changes parenting norms which leads to more surveillance)… that’s some Culture Study shit. I’m thrilled that Hannah Zeavin — whose work so compellingly crosses the lines of media history and history of psychology — agreed to come on the pod (and that she was such a dynamic and engaging co-host).If you’re skeeved out by breastfeeding discourse, if you’ve ever been a childcare provider (for your own children or others’) and resent the threat of cameras, if you feel so deeply ambivalent about the nanny cam… this episode will take you to places that make all of this surveillance “make sense” (which is very different from making it feel better). I can’t wait for your thoughts on this one.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get great sleep on a new Birch mattress. Go to BirchLiving.com/Culture for 27% off sitewideGet $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE.Show Notes:I hope it’s clear that I’m obsessed with Mother Media. It’s pretty academic but if that’s not intimidating (for whatever reason) I strongly recommend it (and you can buy it here).Learn more about Hannah Zeavin and her work hereYou can read Ray Bradbury’s The Veldt in its entirety here (originally published in the Saturday Evening Post, wild!)The International Nanny Association’s official guidance about nanny camsSome of my favorite books by the great family scholar Stephanie CoontzCiting some research about Dr. Spock’s infant sleeping advice and SIDSDorothy Roberts’ work on how the child welfare system destroys black familiesMy favorite rebuttal of Jonathan Haidt’s Anxious GenerationIf you’re not familiar with Emily Oster’s ParentData (and a sharp piece on the optimization of parenting/Oster’s style of parenting advice)Viviana A. Zelizer’s classic, Pricing the Priceless ChildRichard Beck’s book on the satanic/moral panic of the ‘80sMadeline Lane-McKinley’s work on child liberationWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Gwyneth Paltrow (with the author of the new juicy bio)Birding Culture!Male Grievance Culture and Its Connection to Climate Change Denial (this is a real thing, ask us questions!)Hoarding Culture / How to Navigate Hoarders in Your LifeRunning a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)Food Trends (like, what are you seeing on the menu in all the restaurants? Why are people pushing this particular ingredient or prep in their recipes???)Baseball Culture (with Ali Liebegott and Melody as additional co-host!!!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: how have you seen surveillance of motherhood (and its ramifications) in your own life? (You don’t have to be a mother yourself to answer this, OBVIOUSLY)

This is an audience of people who love books — and people who have thoughts about the culture around books. Book clubs, BookTok, the popularization of book genres, special editions, the way other people talk about us reading — there’s endless fodder for discussion and analysis. I’m thrilled to have Alyssa Morris, one of the sharpest observers of contemporary book culture, back on the pod to answer all of your questions about very of-this-moment trends (and give some very good advice on how to keep your book club thriving). This one’s a juicy one (and yes I do talk mild shit about Reese’s Book Club!!!)Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Add Graza Olive Oil to your summertime patio party arsenal. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use promo code CULTURE today for 10% off of the TRIO!Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/Show Notes:Subscribe to Alyssa’s Substack Romancing the Phone:Our super-popular episode with Alyssa from last year: Is BookTok Actually About Reading?If you’re interested in lists for various celebrity book clubs, here’s Reese’s, Read with Jenna, and Oprah’sA few Toks on Bookshelf Wealth and “Overconsumption”This piece explained A LOT re: Brandon SandersonMelody recommends Page for fun Kindle covers— they have a strap! She has this one, this one, and this one (talk about overconsumption)Go read I Who Have Never Known Men!This is maybe one of the TikToks that kicked off the virality of I Who Have Never Known MenThe Publisher’s Weekly article on the cover designs of 831 StoriesWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The evolution of internet slang (and how it’s affected how you speak offline, too)Gwyneth Paltrow (with the author of the new juicy bio)Birding Culture!Male Grievance Culture and Its Connection to Climate Change Denial (this is a real thing, ask us questions!)SCREENTIME — Your own, your parents’, your kid’s, your partner’s, your family’s (with Ash Brandin)Hoarding Culture / How to Navigate Hoarders in Your LifeRunning a Small Business — and How to Make It Sustainable & Survivable (with Jen Hewett!)Food Trends (like, what are you seeing on the menu in all the restaurants? Why are people pushing this particular ingredient or prep in their recipes???)Fiction concierge!! Much like our old movies episode, let us know a few books you read and loved as well as whatever other parameters you want to put in place, and Maris Kreizman and I will make some recs!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereThere’s so much to discuss in this week’s episode — just run with any of the themes (or tell us a celebrity book club book you’ve recently read and how you felt about it)

Montana’s unofficial tagline is “the last best place” — which should tell you something about the way the state thinks about itself. It’s a political frankenstein, incredibly beautiful, increasingly filled with tourists, and a twelve-hour drive from one corner of the state to the other. Oh, and just over a million people total live there. Including Chris La Tray, who’s just finishing his tenure as Montana Poet Laureate, and one of my favorite thinkers on what makes Montana so easy to fall in love with — but not always a very easy place to live.In this episode, we talk about our favorite, most contradictory, and most hostile parts of Montana culture, from exorbitant housing prices to what it’s like to live in a place that falls in love with its own area code. If your vision of Montana culture comes from Yellowstone, this is a great corrective… that will also make you want a huckleberry milkshake.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/culture to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor todayBlissy is offering 60 nights risk-free PLUS an additional 30% off when you shop at Blissy.com/CULTUREPODGet 40% off Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder at shopbeam.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE at checkoutSwitch your cleaning products to Blueland and get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/cultureShow Notes:FIRST AND FOREMOST: FIND OUT MORE ABOUT INDIGIPALOOZA HERE — AND DONATE HERE!Now subscribe to Chris’s newsletter (my most-opened/most-read newsletter):Classic Montana Self-Obsession (“Last Best Place”) from The Last Best StoreThe “406” Collection from The Montana Shirt CompanyA few of the pieces I’ve written on Montana: on the Special Election in 2017. reporting from a Trump rally, Love Lives in Whitefish Montana, But So Do Neo-NazisWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The evolution of internet slang (and how it’s affected how you speak offline, too)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Sabrina Carpenter????Food Trends (like, what are you seeing on the menu in all the restaurants? Why are people pushing this particular ingredient or prep in their recipes???)Fiction concierge!! Much like our old movies episode, let us know a few books you read and loved as well as whatever other parameters you want to put in place, and Maris Kreizman and I will make some recs!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Is a huckleberry milkshake the best milkshake in the world? DISCUSS. (Or whatever else you found interesting from this episode!)

At some point in late April, near the apex of the memes and jokes and ridicule of Katy Perry’s recent “women’s empowerment” trip to space, Melody and I wondered: is it even worth doing a Katy Perry episode? Do we have anything to say, other than wow, all of this — the new album, the tour visuals, the trip to SPACE, is hilariously bad? But then we asked Zach Stafford if he had anything to say, and when his response was an immediate YES, we decided to turn the episode over to your (as always, very insightful) questions and probe deeper. Yes, all of this recent promotional tour is cringe, and the album is not good — but cringey people with bad albums still get their singles played on the radio.So what is it about Perry that makes her such a target in this moment? Join Zach and me as we try to figure it out (and decipher what’s happening with those Lifetimes costumes).Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Head to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus free shipping on the best sellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial packHead to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe todayGo to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probioticsVisit ARTICLE.COM/culture to get $50 off your first purchase of $100 or moreShow Notes:Follow Zach on Instagram and listen to Vibe Check hereOne of the many SpaceX Instagram posts that made people want to bang their heads against their desksJust another shot from the Lifetimes Tour for good measureZach mentions the episode he and I recorded with Sam Sanders re: the Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersThe satire that fell flat for “Women’s World”“‘I created this character called Katy Perry. I didn’t want to be Katheryn Hudson. It was too scary’”Before we taped Melody had me watch this pretty heartbreaking clip of Katy breaking down backstage and having to go on with the showThe very messy and complicated fight with the nuns over the Los Angeles monasteryKaty Perry at Gaga’s show in Mexico CityWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The evolution of internet slang (and how it’s affected how you speak offline, too)The intersection of technology and parenting (especially how mothers are surveilled)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Sabrina Carpenter????Book trends right nowFiction concierge!! Much like our old movies episode, let us know a few books you read and loved as well as whatever other parameters you want to put in place, and Maris Kreizman and I will make some recs!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What do you think of our thesis about why we have to performatively disavow Katy Perry? What did we miss? Let’s go deeper!

Why do men wear shirts under their shirts? Are you forever doomed to wear the same clothes as your 32-year-old self? Why isn’t male fashion more fun? Why are all these moms still buying clothes for their adult children? WHY IS EVERYTHING IN EARTH TONES? This week we welcome Jason Diamond to the show to answer all these questions — with side trips into slutty dad jorts, aspirational dad fashion, the joys of good tailoring, what it feels like when you put on something and really feel yourself, and just generally figuring out your style as an adult. This one’s very fun and very funny — a perfect summer listen.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Start your risk-free trial of the Mill food recycler at mill.com/cultureAdd Graza Olive Oil to your summertime patio party arsenal. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use promo code CULTURESTUDY today for 10% off of the TRIO!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREYour dog deserves the best. Get 60% off your first box of Ollie at ollie.com/culture, and enter code CULTUREShow Notes:Subscribe to Jason’s wonderful newsletter, The Melt:Follow Jason Diamond on Instagram here! (I really can’t recommend this highly enough)The sort of thing you get when you follow Jason’s IG:Jason FEELING IT in some shortsJust because, a few of my favorite Jason pieces: The Lost Art of Ordering a Round at a Bar, Gene Hackman’s Clothes Never Felt Like a Costume, I’m Not a Model. But I Ended Up In a Menswear Look Book AnywayJust a bit more jortsJason references this sketch from I Think You Should LeaveGo To Hell pantsJason mentions the podcast Throwing FitsWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The evolution of internet slang (and how it’s affected how you speak offline, too)The intersection of technology and parenting (especially how mothers are surveilled)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Sabrina Carpenter????Book trends right nowFiction concierge!! Much like our old movies episode, let us know a few books you read and loved as well as whatever other parameters you want to put in place, and Maris Kreizman and I will make some recs!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Where have you found non-earth-tone clothes for dudes? Dude or not dude, what outfit makes you FEEL YOURSELF?

Chances are high that you’ve heard about the way that “private equity” has acquired, hollowed out, and bankrupted some service, product, or company you depend on. For years, I understood the work of private equity only in the vaguest terms — that it was bad, and that it f*cked stuff up. I had to learn a lot more when I was writing Can’t Even, because private equity acquisitions are one of many reasons work has become a burnout factory for so many. But I didn’t fully understand the breadth and the depth of private equity’s impact on our current economy until reading Megan Greenwell’s Bad Company — which she started writing after resigning from her position of editor-in-chief of Deadspin after private equity acquired the site and began excavating and eliminating the very core of what it made it work.In today’s episode, Megan joins me to answer your questions about how private equity actually works, how it affects industries, what companies it’s historically targeted and who it’s targeting now (hello, dental and vet care!) This episode will make you feel like you understand a structuring reality of our culture better — and will also help you understand why so many experiences and services just feel shittier. It’s a hellscape of an episode but a deeply enlightening one!Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 15% off your order at ZBiotics.com/culturestudy, promo code CULTURESTUDYGet better sleep, hair and skin with Blissy and use CULTUREPOD to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODGet $75 off a Mill food recycler at mill.com/cultureGet rid of the Sunday Scaries by signing up for the Raw Signal Group newsletter at worldssecondbestnewsletter.comShow Notes:Buy Bad Company here!Follow Megan on Instagram hereMegan’s now-canonical piece on “The Adults in the Room,” published on Deadspin after Megan tendered her resignation, discussing what private equity had done to the siteDetails on how private equity killed Toys R UsA good overview of private equity’s effects on vet care and an NPR examination of high suicide rates amongst vet professionalsOn Walgreens’ acquisition by private equity and the future of pharmacy careThe Stop Wall Street Looting ActWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The evolution of internet slang (and how it’s affected how you speak offline, too)The intersection of technology and parenting (especially how mothers are surveilled)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Sabrina Carpenter????Book trends right nowFiction concierge!! Much like our old movies episode, let us know a few books you read and loved as well as whatever other parameters you want to put in place, and Maris Kreizman and I will make some recs!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What did this discussion illuminate re: private equity? And what service/product/store has it decimated (in your life?)

People often ask me why I care so much about parenting when I am not, myself, a parent. This question is always so weird to me — of course I care about parenting norms, because I’m surrounded by parents! The choices that parents make (in the voting booth, as consumers, as community members, as friends) have so many direct and indirect effects on my life and everyone’s lives. Plus I’m always interested in how people try and make sense of a ton of contradictory information and “best practices” about how to be in the world, and whew, that is contemporary parenting right now.I’m so pleased that Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of Hello, Cruel World!, agreed to join us to unpack your questions about contemporary parenting trends — she is so good at balancing empathy (for why we gravitate towards certain strategies) with reassurance (less is almost always more). So if you want to talk about the weird ways gentle parenting rhetoric has seeped into the playground, the pressure to overschedule, and the deeply annoying professionalization of kids’ sports, whew is this the episode for you. And if you’re not a parent but affected by parenting practices: you’ll also find so much here. This week’s discussion is gonna be a good one.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Raw Signal Group: If you’re a manager doing good in the world, and you want a better toolkit for how you’re showing up for your community, go to worldsbestmanagementtraining.com to find out moreMake the switch to Blueland today! Get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/cultureHead to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribeArticle is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Visit ARTICLE.COM/culture and the discount will be automatically applied at checkoutShow Notes:Buy Melinda’s book, Hello, Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Kids in Terrifying Times Subscribe to Melinda’s wonderful parenting newsletter, Now WhatAny writing on a parenting practice draws a lot of ire but this New Yorker look at gentle parenting from 2022 both elucidated the roots and gave me a lot to think aboutMy polemic against Kids Sports and my interview with Linda Flanagan re: whether or not they’re reformableWe reference Virginia Sole-Smith’s classic post on The Grandmothers Are Not OkayThe Culture Study discussion from a few months ago re: “What Are We Actually Talking About When We Talk About Intensive Parenting”?Melinda references The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom by Nancy ReddyWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentThe intersection of technology and parenting (especially how mothers are surveilled)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: I feel like I don’t even need a prompt here because people are going to have THOUGHTS. Let’s just try and abide by normal Culture Study guidelines: don’t make people feel like crap in the comments!

Is it weird that I really love talking about all the ways the formative culture of my teens screwed me up? Maybe it’s just cathartic — talking with someone else who’s spent time in the postfeminist ideological trenches, trying to unpack all of the contradictory messaging about who we should be and how we should act. Sophie Gilbert has been deep in that muck for years writing her new book, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves, and is here to help answer your excellent questions on how all of this took root in the ‘90s, the slutty cool baby girl ideal, the weird dude raunch movies, why we don’t know how pants are supposed to fit, the abomination of Bride Wars, and much, much more. Listen and let’s navigate all this accumulated sludge together.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 40% off Beam’s Dream Powder at shopbeam.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE at checkout.Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Show Notes:Buy Girl on Girl here!!!!You can read Sophie’s back catalog of writing at The Atlantic here — I really love this Madonna piece from 2023Follow Sophie on Instagram and BlueskyListen to the official playlist of Girl on Girl on Spotify!Read an excerpt from Girl on Girl hereThis is a POSTER you can BUY ewwwwwwwThe Gail Porter FHM cover that was projected on to parliamentAn interview with Porter about the moment and its aftermathThe Jenna Jameson interview in the Abercrombie & Fitch “Naughty or Nice” Christmas catalog:The Angela McRobbie work on postfeminism and “romantic individualism” I referenceThe trailer for the horrible movie Bride WarsThe surveilling eye at work in Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love”My piece on Jennifer Lawrence and The History of Cool Girls from 2014The Katherine Heigl Vanity Fair interview where she calls Knocked Up “a little sexist” (and it then ruins her career)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentThe intersection of technology and parenting (especially how mothers are surveilled)REGIONAL ACCENTS!!!! (We have a accent/dialect expert as co-host!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What cultural sludge of the ‘90s and 2000s did this bring up for you?

For each of these culture-of-place episodes, we look for someone who both adores a place, are very much a product of that place… and are also very much at home talking shit about that place. They see its difficulties, drawbacks, and hostilities clearly — and can hold all of that alongside their deep and abiding love for the place. And that’s Gustavo Arellano, who’s been writing about SoCal culture with verve and humor and great skill for decades. (Such great skill that just a week after we taped this episode, he was named as a finalist for this year’s Pulitzer Prize in commentary). I can’t wait for you to join us as we talk about making dioramas of missions out of sugar cubes, car culture, conspiracy-curious crunchy-fascists in Orange County, and so much more.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREHead to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off and get FREE shipping on the Best Sellers Trial PackGet $75 off a Mill food recycler at mill.com/CULTUREStop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Show Notes:Read Gustavo’s wonderful (free!) weekly newsletter, I promise it will become a highlight of your SaturdayRe: elementary school student mission diorama project — you can see a bunch here. As of 2017, the California Department of Education now recommends against the diorama project as a way of teaching fourth graders about the missionsYou can read Gustavo’s (Pulitzer Prize nominated!!!) Los Angeles Times column hereFor more on the idea of “Spanish fantasy heritage” — check out Phobe S. Kropp’s California ViejaA fantastic Mother Jones profile of Jessica Reed Kraus, the woman behind House Inhabit, and her SoCal-borne (and deeply paranoid) approach to pop cultureThe column Gustavo mentions in the AAA segment re: the anniversary of KKK city council members getting recalled in AnaheimAlta Baja Market!Mitla Cafe!So many Original Tommy’s!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:MONTANA Culture, MONTREAL/Québécois Culture, and Philly Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (different eps don’t worry)Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentVariations of American accents/dialects/linguisticsAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What parts of SoCal Culture do you love — and what OTHER restaurants would you recommend?

This isn’t a bleak episode about period pain. Yes, we talk a LOT about death cramps — and all sorts of other symptoms that accompany menstruation. But we also talk a lot about how ridiculous it is that we don’t talk about these things — at least not publicly, and often not even with our close friends and family members. Kate Helen Downey, host of the incredible new podcast Cramped, joins me to talk very openly about all the things we usually don’t talk about and why. I learned so much in this episode. But I also laughed a lot, too. Pain isn’t funny, but hanging out with others who get it — it’s like a giant, glorious sigh of relief.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get $75 off the Mill food recycler at Mill.com/CULTURE.Ancient Nutrition is offering 25% off your first order when you go to AncientNutrition.com/CULTURE.Head to Graza.co and use promo code CULTURE to get 10% off of TRIO which includes Sizzle, Frizzle, and Drizzle, and get to cookin’ your next chef-quality meal!Show Notes:Listen to Cramped (if you go to the website, there are also full transcripts and citations!)Learn more about Kate’s work here, and follow her on Instagram and TikTokThe collection of readers’ fibroid experiences I published on Culture StudyThe INCREDIBLE theme song from Cramped (by Farideh)The Culture Study thread I mention re: menopauseThe New Yorker olive oil profile I mentioned in the Graza adSteve Sando’s The Bean Book (where Bobby got the BIG WHITE BEAN recipe)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:TEXAS Culture, MONTANA Culture, and MONTREAL/Québécois Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (different eps don’t worry)Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentHow/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything UpThe intersection of technology and parentingCan we have a smart conversation about Katy Perry??Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: This is a BIG FEELINGS episode, so tell us where this discussion led you.

Tove Danovich is the person to talk to about raising backyard chickens — at least if you want to talk about the culture and discourse swirling around raising backyard chickens. When the current administration started messaging that everyone should consider countering rising egg prices by raising some chickens in their backyard, Tove and I wanted to do an episode about what people are really talking about when they talk about getting backyard chickens. This is an episode about chickens, in other words, but it’s actually an episode about ‘wellness,’ regulation, MAHA, homesteading, the very real joy of being a steward to animals, and so much more. If this doesn’t immediately strike you as your thing, I hope you’ll give this nuanced discussion a chance.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe today!Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE athttps://www.oneskin.co/Make the switch to Blueland and get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/cultureShow Notes:Subscribe to Tove’s newsletter, follow Tove on Instagram, and buy Under the Henfluence! You can also see Tove’s chicken influence Instagram account here, temporarily (we hope) on hiatusRead my interview with Tove from back in 2023:Data sources re: increase in people keeping backyard chickensWrite-up of the Secretary of Agriculture encouraging people to keep backyard chickens as a way to a) combat avian flu and b) afford eggsTove mentioned Martha Stewart’s first book, Entertaining, as inspo for a wave of chicken popularity. Here’s a story of how people clamor over old copies of it, driving the publisher to re-issue it later this year (NYT gift link)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What 2000s pop culture did to women’s understanding of themselvesWhat’s going on in AMERICAN PARENTING CULTURE (broadly conceived) right now (with Melissa Wenner Moyer!)TEXAS Culture, MONTANA Culture, and MONTREAL/Québécois Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (different eps don’t worry)Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentHow/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything UpThe intersection of technology and parentingKaty Perry?? Maybe??Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What gives you the same vibe as the push/urge to raise backyard chickens???

Tate McRae is one of the most popular artists in the world — but millions of my peers have only the faintest idea of who she is. Alternately, they’re baffled by her. Is she Britney rebooted? Is she talented? What does she mean? Does it matter? After listening to Reanna Cruz guide listeners through McRae’s sound on Switched on Pop, I knew I wanted them to come on the show and work through more of McRae’s image. We talk about her sound, of course, but also consider her through the lens of her Canadianness, her Gen-Z-ness, her ‘organic’ songwriting success on YouTube, and her popular girl vibes.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/culture and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics has a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason they will refund your money, no questions asked.Show Notes:Listen to the episode of Switched on Pop (re: Tate) that made me desperate to have Reanna come on the showReanna on TwitterThe referenced video for Sports Car which is trying to do….somethingPerforming Greedy at the NHL All-Star Game:https://youtu.be/hq64R4RU1msThe goalie pads on the wrong legs on the album cover for Think Later:If you want a sense of McRae’s dancing start at the two-minute mark here:https://youtu.be/cr4wnsLI_XwVery early McRae songwriting:https://youtu.be/pBk0VFLz9_sWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What 2000s pop culture did to women’s understanding of themselvesWhat’s going on in AMERICAN PARENTING CULTURE (broadly conceived) right now (with Melissa Wenner Moyer!)TEXAS Culture, MONTANA Culture, and MONTREAL/Québécois Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (different eps don’t worry)Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentHow/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything UpThe intersection of technology and parentingDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What did you learn about Tate McRae in this episode? Or: what still befuddles you?

Here at Culture Study we’re launching a new series on culture of place — it could be a state, a region, a city, so long as it has place-ness. The first in the series features Josh Gondelman, one of the place-iest comedians I know, and exactly what we’re looking for when it comes to co-hosts in this series: people who love a place dearly, who are deeply intimate with its peccadilloes, but who can also generate some analytical distance from that place as we talk about insider/outsider dynamics, how race and class intersect with a place’s understanding of itself, accents, tells, code-switching, cliches, and so much more.For this episode, listeners gave us so many excellent questions — from three-way beef and the allure of Dunkin, to how a city does or does not jettison a racist reputation. And because our co-host is Josh, it’s also very funny. I can’t wait to argue (with grace) about Boston in the comments with all of you.Thank you to the sponsors of today’s episode!Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/Ancient Nutrition is offering 25% off your first order when you go to AncientNutrition.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Subscribe to Josh’s newsletter which I promise will be the best thing in your inbox every Monday:Follow Josh on InstagramThe North Shore Roast Beef Sandwich: a Scientific Study (this is WONDERFUL additional reading if Josh’s description of the three-way piqued your interest and/or you already love the three-way)I love Josh’s piece on “The Nirvana of Ben Affleck” from 2021The Dunkin Robe in questionJosh’s new pug Maggie!!!!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What 2000s pop culture did to women’s understanding of themselvesWhat’s going on in AMERICAN PARENTING CULTURE (broadly conceived) right now (with Melissa Wenner Moyer!)TEXAS Culture, MONTANA Culture, and MONTREAL/Québécois Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (two different eps don’t worry)Evangelical Summer Camp, past and presentHow/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything UpDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: How did this discussion mesh with your own experience/understanding of Boston? And the question we’re going to keep returning to throughout this series: how do clock people as insider/outsider where you’re from?

So many of you have been asking for an episode on plastic surgery culture for so long — but I knew I couldn’t do it until I had the perfect co-host. Someone deeply familiar with the allure and contradictions that infuse the world of plastic surgery… but also conversant in plastic surgery as a form of gender and class performance. I needed Arabelle Sicardi — and was so thrilled when they agreed to come on the show. This conversation will take you to some very unexpected places: it will challenge you, alarm you, and I can promise you’ll never look at Elon Musk the same again. This is one of my favorite episodes we’ve recorded — I think you’ll quickly see why.Thank you to the sponsors of today’s episode!Celebrate Earth Month and make the switch to Blueland today. Get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/cultureStop putting off those doctors appointments! Go to Zocdoc.com/culture to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor.Show Notes:Subscribe to Arabelle’s excellent newsletterThe piece from Arabelle’s newsletter I reference re: “Beauty is Going Backwards”A write-up of the BYU study of Utah women and plastic surgery that Arabelle referencesOn Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: my piece in Culture Study and the Culture Study Pod episode I did with Sara Petersen:Will MomTok Even Survive This?!?!My conversation with Sam Sanders re: Nicole Kidman’s Resting Rich Face:Nicole Kidman's Resting Rich FaceAnd now some PLASTIC SURGERY ASMR!!!***And if you want the running belt I mention in the AAA section — this is it.***We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What’s going on in AMERICAN PARENTING CULTURE (broadly conceived) right now (with Melissa Wenner Moyer!)TEXAS Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place seriesHow/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything UpDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifeAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: How has your thinking on plastic surgery changed over time?

Whether you’ve been deep in the fanfic world for years or have only heard others talk about it — we’ve worked really hard to make this episode for all of you. Yes, you might have to hear someone define what slash is (very useful for newbies!) but then we go deep on how fanfic is influencing genres, general fanfic mainstreamification, how and why AU (alternative universe) fics work more or less effectively with different texts, and, best of all, WHERE TO FIND THE GOOD STUFF.This is a classic case of the Culture Study Pod making the argument that even if you’re not super into a cultural object/phenomenon (and especially if you are) there is so much interesting stuff to talk about — you just have to the find the right people, like our brilliant cohosts Emily and Vee, avid fanfic writers (and theorists) and cohosts of Mind the Tags.Thank you to the sponsors of today’s episode!Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURE and use promo code CULTURE today for 10% off of TRIO!Dogs deserve the best, and that means fresh, healthy food. Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe today!Show Notes:Listen to MIND THE TAGS!Highlighting this great episode on AO3And another on Kirk/Spock and the Genesis of SlashMy interview with The Pudding about “Who Gets Shipped and Why”And the piece that inspired that interview (and prompted the email exchange that led to this episode): Who Gets Shipped and WhyEmily and Vee recommend using the extensive tagging system to find your first fic on AO3Read more about the Organization for Transformative Works, the non-profit that runs AO3We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:TATE MCRAE (who is she, how did she get so popular, why is calling her the New Britney imprecise, take this wherever you want)SoCal Culture (broad, I know, but whew there’s so much — we’ll be talking with the great Gustavo Arellano, formerly an investigative reporter for The OC Weekly and current columnist for the Los Angeles Times, who pleads to consider this theme as broadly as possible! )Dark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifeAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What’s your favorite piece of fanfic, and where can others find it?

This is such a delight of an episode! We’ve been wanting to do a big cookbook conversation since the start of the podcast, and when America’s Test Kitchen emailed to see if we’d be interested in talking to Sarah Ahn about Umma— the cookbook she put together with her mom (!!!) documenting the Korean recipes that have defined her past and present life— we were thrilled. We just wanted one more layer: what if we had a cookbook editor as well? Enter: Adam Kowit, editoral director of all books at America’s Test Kitchen. You’re going to learn so much about the making of this cookbook (which, as you’ll see in the episode, I cannot shut up about) but also how cookbooks just generally go from a handful of recipes to an actual text. Again: what a delight, and I can’t wait for your thoughts.Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Zbiotics Sugar-to-Fiber: Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics has a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason they will refund your money, no questions asked.Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/culture and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Show Notes:Buy Umma today!!!! (Chances are very high we’ll do this as a future Culture Study Cooking Club Pick, fwiw!)Follow Sarah Ahn’s incredibly popular Instagram account (and look at those tour dates near you)A few posts we reference:One we don’t reference but I found so fascinating:Follow America’s Test Kitchen on InstagramIn the AAA, Anne references this newsletter from JanuaryWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:TATE MCRAE (who is she, how did she get so popular, why is calling her the New Britney imprecise, take this wherever you want)SoCal Culture (broad, I know, but whew there’s so much)WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Dark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifePERIODS (and specifically, period pain) with Kate Helen Downey, host of CrampedAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What part of the process was the most illuminating? What do you still want to know even more about?

It feels weird to call yourself a “None,” but according to demographers, that’s what I am: one of millions of Americans who understand themselves as “religiously unaffiliated.” That means atheists, agnostics, and people who answer “nothing in particular” when asked if they practice a religion. Today, Nones make up 28% of the U.S. population — up from 16% in 2007. But just because you’re religiously unaffiliated doesn’t mean you don’t want some of the things that often come with religion: ritual, community, ethics, care. So what does that look like? How do we find it while also avoiding culty wellness shit?Fellow None (and atheist Jew) Vanessa Zoltan, who’s currently teaching a class at Harvard on spiritual care for the non-religious, is here to help answer all your questions.(Also note: this one’s for Nones and Non-Nones, people with a lot of religious experience and people with very little, people repelled by religion and people hungry for it. It might not seem like something in your wheelhouse, but if you’re interested, broadly, in ideas about friends, community, how to have serious conversations, and why people get really really into Crossfit, you’re going to love it)Show Notes:Find out more about Vanessa’s work here — and listen to Hot & Bothered, her podcast on rom-coms, hereFind out more about Common Ground Pilgrimages here (Melody went on the Taylor Swift one last year!)Vanessa references Casper ter Kuile’s The Power of Ritual (I also interviewed Casper for the newsletter back in 2021!)I mention “75 Hard” (barf emoji, I think I call it Hard 75 but whatever) — here’s the parametersWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:TATE MCRAE (who is she, how did she get so popular, why is calling her the New Britney imprecise, take this wherever you want)SoCal Culture (broad, I know, but whew there’s so much)WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Backyard chickens/farmingDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifePERIODS (and specifically, period pain) with Kate Helen Downey, host of CrampedAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: If you’re a None… what has spiritual care looked like for you? Or anything else this episode made you think about!

Why does every person who runs marathon want to convince you that you too could run one? What makes running clubs so intimidating? When people get into running, why can’t they shut the hell up about it? I’ve asked avowed non-marathoner Raziq Rauf, author of the newsletter Running Sucks, to help address all of your running culture related questions. Yes, we’re both runners; but we’re also both runners who are very willing to admit that running does often suck — and also willing to interrogate the cultures (of performance, of optimization) that percolate around it. (Plus: why academics get so into running, how people use Strava as a social/dating app, and how to find people who run your pace!) Raz might have even convinced me to try a running club. Maybe. Okay probably not.Thank you to the sponsors of today’s episode!Zocdoc is a FREE app and website where you can search and compare high quality, in-network doctors AND click to instantly book an appointment.Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURE and use promo code CULTURE today for 10% off of TRIO!Show Notes:Subscribe to Raziq Rauf’s newsletter, Running SucksMy piece on Aging Into AthleticismRaz interviewed me for Running Sucks and you can read it here!A running newsletter I really love (and that does a lot to interrogate the norms of trail running culture, and what happens when races become profit centers): Sarah Lavender Smith’s Mountain Living & RunningIs Strava the New Dating App?Really interesting psychological study on Strava and collegiate club runners“Is Strava Ruining My Running?”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Backyard chickens/farmingDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifeSoCal Culture (broad, I know, but whew there’s so much) + Boston/Mass Culture (with Josh Gondleman)PERIODS (and specifically, period pain) with Kate Helen Downey, host of CrampedAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here

When With Love, Meghan — the Netflix lifestyle show starring Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex — first came out, I knew the only way I wanted to even touch that discourse was by talking about the show, as a show. How does it conform to or reject our understanding of what a lifestyle program should look it? What’s Meghan’s twist? And what’s going on with the (predictably) weird way I knew people would respond to it?Luckily, Lilah Raptopolous — cohost of one of our most popular episodes ever, on figuring out what to make in the world of infinite recipes — wanted to talk about all the same stuff. Namely: is this an aspirational show? A relatable one? Does it have to be one or other other? Why did Netflix make such weird editing choices? How do we balance a protective impulse of Meghan, given all the very real sh*t she’s endured, with an understanding that some of the decisions on this show are just odd?Lilah, Melody, and I tried to be really thoughtful in the way that we approached this discussion — and I think you’ll hear that in episode. (In many ways, a podcast is the perfect place to have this sort of complicated, dynamic discussion). With that said: if you’re not in the mood to hear analysis of some of the show’s shortcomings, this might not be the episode for you. But if you want to sort through your own feelings (or just want to hear us sort ours!), I think this episode’s pretty great — in large part because your questions were so layered and good.Today’s episode is sponsored by Ollie. Dogs deserve the best, and that means fresh, healthy food. Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit when you subscribe today! Plus, they offer a Clean Bowl Guarantee on the first box, so if you’re not completely satisfied, you’ll get your money back.Show Notes:Listen to our previous episode with LilahFollow Lilah on InstagramHunter Harris and Allie Jones: ‘With Love, Meghan is a Show About Vessels’If you really want to read about glamour and post-war stardom, here’s my very academic essay on Gloria Swanson and televisionA more accessible option is Chris Becker’s fantastic book on post-war television stars, It’s The Pictures That Got SmallThe article to read on the Netflix aesthetic: Will Tavlin, “Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Backyard chickens/farmingDark Academia (as in, the literary genre)Van/Skoolie/RV LifePlastic Surgery and Body Modification (with Arabelle Sicardi)SoCal Culture (broad, I know, but whew there’s so much)PERIODS (and specifically, period pain) with Kate Helen Downey, host of CrampedAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here

This all started with my desire to do a Paul Mescal episode. A listener suggested we ask Caroline O’Donoghue — author of The Rachel Incident, host of Sentimental Garbage, noted Irish person — to be co-host. We reached out, and (gasp!) she responded that she didn’t actually know that much about Paul… but would be more than happy to do an episode about the “Irishification of pop culture.” Since my interest in Irish men (and movies, books, music, television, poetry) by no means starts with Paul Mescal, I was thrilled.And let me tell you: this episode is fascinating. Hilarious, expansive, weird — and I promise you it will make you see Irish Pop Culturification in a different way (and perhaps appreciate Paul Mescal even more). It will certainly make you appreciate Caroline O’Donoghue, who made me laugh on mic more than any previous co-host. She’s brilliant, and this episode is so weird and good (one of those ones where we finished recording and Melody and I immediately texted each other: AMAZING). As always, I can’t wait for your thoughts — come join the conversation in the comments!Show Notes:Buy The Rachel Incident! I cannot stop shouting about this book; I foist it on every millennial I know.Follow Caroline on InstagramListen to Caroline’s fantastic podcast, Sentimental GarbageWe reference this Vulture piece: How the Irish Came to Rule Pop CultureMy 2015 profile on Enya for BuzzfeedRIP HOUSE FROM BAD SISTERSPaul’s Meaty Clackers:PEAK IRISH POP CULTURE, “Falling Slowly” from Once:Sorry one more Paul (this time with Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones)We’re currently looking for your questions for futureWith Love, Meghan — the new Netflix show with Meghan Markle — through the lens of cooking/lifestyle televisionMEN’S EVERYDAY FASHION. Not high fashion. The stuff that dudes wear everyday. Like will the fleece/puffy vest ever die? Where actually is a man’s waist? (with Jason Diamond)The governmental push for backyard chickens/homesteading (with Tove Danovitch)Contemporary Plastic Surgery Culture (with Arabella Sicardi)Whatever questions you have for Josh GondelmanDark AcademiaCleaning Culture especially “cleanliness as moral”Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What’s your favorite Irish Pop Culture artifact? And what’s behind your love/the societal love?

If you’re a historical romance person, all I need to say is: Sarah MacLean is here, and she is answering all the questions. If you’re not a historical romance person, I’ll spell it out a little more: Sarah MacLean is one of the most popular writers of historical romance today — and she’s also the cohost of the incredibly popular podcast Fated Mates. She’s a very good pod conversationalist, which is one of many reasons we wanted to have her on the show (that and I knew it would make Melody faint if she said yes). We talk about how the conventions and constrictions of the historical genre allow for feminist play and provocation, how historicals handle virginity, why author’s first books are so often the most compelling, and so, SO much more. If you’re a longtime fan (of the genre, of Sarah), you’re going to absolutely love this; if not, we’ve got so many recommendations for starting points. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we enjoyed recording it!Show Notes:If you don’t already: listen to Sarah MacLean’s ridiculously good podcast Fated Mates, co-hosted with romance critic Jen ProkopFollow Sarah on InstagramPre-order These Summer Storms here and read more about it here (Melody got an ARC and can attest that it’s a great time!!)I also appreciate how Sarah’s website divides up all her mini-series in a way that I can track them clearly; we talk at length about The Bareknuckle Bastards series (I like #2 the best) and A Scot in the Dark (that’s the one about revenge porn)Sarah mentions The Heroine’s Journey by Gail CarrigerThis is our best attempt at collecting all the recommended books!Lorraine Heath, The Earl Takes All (this is the monkey twin one!!)Meredith Duran, The Duke of the Shadows (a first novel)Erin Langston, The Finest Print (about a judge’s daughter and a printmaker)Joanna Shupe, A Notorious Vow (bad bad family) and The Duke Gets Even (Comstock laws!)Adriana Herrera, A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke (the one with an abortion doctor!)Myah Ariel, When I Think of You (a debut with interesting structure, featuring former film school classmates)Louisa Darling, Don’t Let Your Dukes Grow Up to Be Scoundrels and Where Have All the Scoundrels Gone? (features a heroine who has had great sex in the past)Judith Ivory, The Proposition (reverse Pygmalion)Mark your calendars for next year’s Derek Craven Day!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Dark Academia (as in, the literary genre)How cookbooks get made (we’re interviewing a cookbook author and their editor)Van/Skoolie/RV LifePlastic Surgery and Body Modification (with Arabelle Sicardi)PERIODS with Kate Helen Downey, host of CrampedSpiritual care for non-religious people (as in: is there a way we can think about spiritual care even for people who aren’t religious? IS THIS POSSIBLE? Take this wherever you want!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What’s the historical romance that’s stuck with you, and how do you think of it in the context of all Sarah brings up here? Or: why can’t you get into historical romances?

Last month, I published an interview in the newsletter with Dana Miranda about “budget culture” — and it became one of the most popular (and discussed) interviews I’ve done since I first launched the newsletter. At the time, I asked for questions for Dana about specific myths of budget culture for us to unpack. We got dozens of those — plus a bunch of compelling follow-up questions, like “what’s the difference between knowing how much money goes in and out of your account and ‘budget culture’” and “is YNAB budget culture?”We tackle all of that and much, much more, with a bonus prolonged guest appearance from Melody about her experience with Dave Ramsey (which included cutting up her credit card in front of her class and sparked the worst fight of her marriage). I loved this conversation and have been thinking about it for weeks; I think you will too.Show Notes:Read the original interview with Dana over on the Culture Study newsletterSign up for Dana’s really wonderful newsletter hereBuy You Don’t Need a Budget hereI reference Dana’s post about retirement — “This country doesn’t have a retirement plan for most of us, so we have to rethink what “retirement” means in our lives”Here’s the Elise Granta piece I reference re: “Venmo Brain” (SO GOOD)I also mention hunting on private land, which is a common practice in rural areas in the West — Montana Fish & Wildlife has a good overview of how it usually worksWorth listening to/reading: Virginia Sole Smith’s conversation with Dana about the similarities between diet culture and budget culture (their conversation also received a lot of pushback….interesting!)The piece Dana wrote for Culture Study back in 2022 about Dave Ramsey specifically and how his thinking has infused budget cultureMelody found the photographic evidence of cutting up her (canceled) credit card in a Dave Ramsey classWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with contemporary/everyday men’s fashion (will Dockers make a comeback? How should we think about the business casual fleece/puffer vest? What’s going on with swimwear? HATS? I’m so excited for this one, with the great Jason Diamond)Dark Academia (as in, the literary genre)How cookbooks get made (we’re interviewing a cookbook author and their editor)Van/Skoolie/RV LifeSpiritual care for non-religious people (as in: is there a way we can think about spiritual care even for people who aren’t religious? IS THIS POSSIBLE? Take this wherever you want!)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What part of budget culture is the hardest for you to let go or reconsider?

I love old movies — but I didn’t always! In fact, I needed many years of directed classwork to fall in love with them. But if you’re not in the mood to pause your life and take on significant graduate debt, THERE ARE STILL OPTIONS, and Margaret H. Willison and I are here to offer them. In this episode, we offer specific suggestions to listeners based on short lists of their (recent) film favs, talk about “aesthetic friction” and how to overcome it, strongly invite you to put your phone in the other room, and travel all over film history in a very earnest attempt to help you find your own entry point into the expansive mansion that is “old movies,” broadly defined.Show Notes (Scroll Down for a List of EVERY MOVIE MENTIONED):Follow Margaret on Instagram!!Find out more about Margaret’s course on Mansfield Park hereIf you want to learn A LOT more about Pre-Code Cinema, this book is my go-to (and very accessible)A bunch of classic streaming services have challenged some of the arguments in this piece, but it’s a decent overview re: the disappearance of classic film from NetflixIf you want to go deep on screwballs and the comedy of remarriageMy Scandals of Classic Hollywood on Warren Beatty lives onEVERY MOVIE MENTIONED AND WHERE TO FIND IT(as best as Melody could figure out) (recs for checking the local library are implicit)Vertigo (1958) - rentPaper Moon (1973) - Paramount+Badlands (1974) - rentTokyo Story (1953) - MaxAn Autumn Afternoon (1962) - MaxGosford Park (2001) - rentWhat’s Up, Doc? (1972) - rentBringing Up Baby (1938) - rentThe Lady Eve (1941) - Criterion, rentSylvia Scarlett (1935) - rentNow, Voyager (1942) - Tubi, TCM, rentSullivan’s Travels (1941) - rentThe Palm Beach Story (1942) - rentThe Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944 ) - rentShampoo (1975) - rentTo Be or Not To Be (1942) - Max, CriterionBorn Yesterday (1950) - rentThe Philadelphia Story (1940) - Tubi, rentButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Tubi, rentNorth by Northwest (1959) - Criterion, Tubi, TCM, rentForeign Correspondent (1940) - Max, Criterion, Tubi, rentSingin’ in the Rain (1952) - Max, rentMagnolia (1999) - Paramount+, rentMcCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - rentCabaret (1972) - Tubi, rentNew York, New York (1977) - not available for streaming :(Broadcast News (1987) - Starz, rentDesk Set (1957) - rentThe Conversation (1974) - Paramount+, Criterion, rentEvil Under the Sun (1982) - Prime, rentDouble Indemnity (1944) - rentThe Third Man (1949) - rentKind Hearts and Coronets (1949) - rentThe Shop Around the Corner (1940) - rentHoliday (1938) - rentShadow of a Doubt (1943) - Criterion, rentThe Women (1939) - rentAll About Eve (1950) - rentFunny Face (1957) - rentBarefoot in the Park (1967) - rentCharade (1963) - Prime, rentAnatomy of a Murder (1959) - rentRear Window (1954) - Criterion, rentWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Dark AcademiaHow cookbooks get madeVan/Skoolie/RV LifeSpiritual care for non-religious peopleAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What suggestions did we miss? Which suggestions do you endorse? Share the old movie love!

What makes something Dad? Is it pleated Dockers? A worn baseball cap? Asking (again) if you’ve checked your oil? Incompetency in the domestic sphere paired with competency outside of it? I’ve long loved thinking through both the serious and the ridiculous of Dad Culture, and for today’s episode, we have an actual scholar of it (Phil Maciak, currently hard at work on a Dad Culture book) to unpack the history and theory of Dadness, including: do you have to be a dad to be part of Dad Culture (no) is Dad Culture just white middle-class boomer dads (also no) and is Bandit from Bluey too good of a Dad (maybe). Listen on, and let’s Dad It Up.Show Notes:We’re big Phil Maciak fans here at Culture Study — read my interview with him re: screentime here and listen to the (very popular) episode of the pod (one of our earliest!) on Paw Patrol:Follow Phil on BlueskyRead Phil’s television criticism at The New Republic hereDad Magazine !!!Phil mentions Kirsten Swinth’s book Feminism’s Forgotten Fight: The Unfinished Struggle for Work and FamilyElla Emhoff in her camo Harris/Walz hat:Rob Mitchum’s original review of Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky (2007) for PitchforkIn 2019, Mitchum revisited the concept of “dad rock”Is 26-year-old MJ Lenderman making dad rock? The comments on this YouTube video suggest… maybe.We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL ROMANCE (will neither confirm nor deny that we have a co-host whose confirmation made Melody faint)Fan Fiction — Past, Present, FutureDark AcademiaHow cookbooks get madeSpiritual care for non-religious peopleCleaning Culture especially “cleanliness as moral”Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What’s Peak Dad to you??

I know a lot about historic Hollywood feuds. I could do an entire episode just on the magazine covers featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Eddie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds circa 1959. But to do any episode on Celebrity Feuds right — particularly one that airs just days before Kendrick Lamar performs at the Super Bowl — I knew I needed a different sort of celebrity feud expert. When Joel Anderson, host of three blockbuster seasons of Slow Burn (including a canonical one on Biggie + Tupac), agreed to come on the show, I legitimately let out a little scream of delight. He has so much knowledge, context, and perspective; this episode is a dream come true.**Note: This episode was recorded before the Grammys, and we didn’t correctly predict Beyonce’s AOTY win nor Kendrick Lamar’s FIVE awards for “Not Like Us.”**Show Notes:If you’re unfamiliar with Joel’s work and want an intro, I can’t recommend the first episode of the Clarence Thomas season of Slow Burn highly enough. I’ve listened to it so many times (which is VERY rare for me with podcasts); it’s such a journalistic coup. The entire season is a marvel.But also — and pertinent to this discussion — check out the season of Slow Burn on Biggie and TupacListen to Joel over at The Ringer on The Press BoxI strongly recommend (re)watching the video for “Not Like Us” (the lyrics auto-play)A solid overview of the Kendrick/Drake feud from GQOne of the first reaction Tiktoks I remember seeing:Easter Eggs from the video for “Not Like Us”The ridiculous Cosmo compilation of “Celebrity Feuds From the Year You Were Born” I keep referencingJoel references “The Fight’s Over, Joe,” a classic Sports Illustrated article on the feud between Muhammad Ali and Joe FrazierListen to the Elizabeth Taylor episode of You Must Remember ThisThis is the unfathomable movie where Liz and Debbie raz Eddie FisherIf you really want to know about Jane Fonda’s “feud” with her father, the Fonda section of Richard Dyer’s Stars is unrivaledI personally learned about 50 Cent’s beefs from this episode of 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s: The 2000sWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL ROMANCE (will neither confirm nor deny that we have a co-host whose confirmation made Melody faint)By popular request, all things fan fictionDark AcademiaHow cookbooks get madeSpiritual care for non-religious peopleAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What celebrity feud did we not talk about? Or what layer of celebrity feuds did we miss?

We’re at the point where we know a bullshit attempt to commodify our burnout when we see it. No one’s buying the self-care spiel the bath bomb companies are selling us. But the rhetoric of self-care has crept into the workplace, family dynamics, and TikTok therapy speak, usually divorced from any critique of the systems that make self-care feel necessary in the first place. Pooja Lakshmin MD, author of Real Self-Care, joins the pod to answer your very smart questions about contemporary self-care in workplace trainings, in conversations encouraging everyone to GET A HOBBY!, and in advice to perfectionist women to “lower the bar.” Pooja is so clear-eyed and compassionate — and I think this episode will make you feel seen and challenged.Show Notes:Subscribe to Pooja Lakshmin MD’s newsletter, Real Self-CareRead my interview with Pooja from 2023:Buy Real Self-Care on Bookshop!Re: menopause / perimenopause scams — I like this Dr. Jen Gunter piece from last yearIf you missed the episode from earlier this month on Therapy SpeakWant to see the art from our AAA asker, Erin? It’s here, and it’s beautiful!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL ROMANCE (will neither confirm nor deny that we have a co-host whose confirmation made Melody faint)By popular request, all things fan fiction!Pre-teen influencersBudget Culture + Specifically Budget Advice You Find DubiousDark AcademiaHow cookbooks get madeSpiritual care for non-religious peopleAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: How have you come to think about the role of self-care in your life? What’s the line between a self-care motivated boundary… and not doing anything you don’t want to do?

I grew up skiing at a mid-size mountain in the middle of Idaho. I wasn’t ever an athletic kid, but skiing — it made me feel fast and really good at something. I loved it: the routine, the long slog to the mountain, the Cup of Soup for lunch, the crappy hotels, the freedom. But the ski culture that I grew up with is largely gone, at least in the U.S. — and I’ve spent the last few years coming to terms with how industrial shifts, climate change, conglomeration, the explosion of the unregulated short-term rental market have changed not only who can learn to ski, but who can keep doing it.Heather Hansman, author of Powder Days, is the perfect co-host to grapple with your questions about the future of skiing, ski towns, and ski culture, including all the business nitty-gritty (and a frank discussion of what can make ski people so annoying). This is a ski conversation, but it’s also a conversation about housing, and class, and city planning — and the commodification of hobbies. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.Show Notes:Find more about Heather’s work and buy Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and the Future of Chasing Snow(Here’s a great review)I mention the movie Ski Patrol — for real ones, here’s my favorite scene (and a pretty great encapsulation of the two stereotypes of ski culture)Heather’s really thoughtful piece on picking where to liveWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Celebrity feuds, past and present, with Joel Anderson!!! (Yes this will come out around the time Kendrick headlines the Super Bowl halftime show)HISTORICAL ROMANCE (will neither confirm nor deny that we have a co-host whose confirmation made Melody faint)By popular request, all things fan fiction!Pre-teen influencersBudget Culture + Specifically Budget Advice You Find DubiousDark AcademiaGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youDad culture, whatever that means to youAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What’s your relationship to skiing? Did this episode shift or cement any of your thinking about skiing?

Let me start with this: this is a dream interview. If, like me, you spent a lot of time in the 2000s and 2010s reading about celebrity online, Go Fug Yourself was an essential part of your online diet. Heather and Jessica were simply unrivaled when it came to celebrity fashion in general and red carpet fashion in particular. I idolized them the same way I idolized Lainey Gossip — both of whom I read alongside all of my graduate texts in star studies. The problem with those star studies is that they were always rooted in the past. But The Fug Girls and Lainey, they were doing the analysis now, on celebs who were desperately (and often unsuccessfully) attempting to navigate the new, digital gossip landscape — and that’s how they became part of my dissertation, on the history of celebrity gossip, themselves.That’s why it’s such an absolute f-ing treat to talk to Heather and Jessica about the present and future of celebrity gossip: they have the context. They know the history. We talk about Deuxmoi, sourcing, blinds, accounting for past shittiness, so much. Melody had to jump in like 17 times to make us explain various peak 2000s gossip terms here, so if you were part of that universe (HELLO, TOOTHY TILE) you will love this episode — but if you weren’t, and you just appreciate an introspective look at how celebrity discourse works, you’ll love this, too (in part because Melody made us explain stuff, she’s the best).Note: This episode was recorded just before the Blake Lively/New York Times bombshell so don’t get mad that we don’t mention it!!Show Notes:GoFugYourself if you haven’t already visited — but make sure you check out Drinks with Broads, Heather and Jessica’s Substack for even more in-depth analysis (and recaps), plus open threads for big celeb events (like the Golden Globes). Subscribe below!!!Drinks With BroadsHere’s what I sent Melody when she was confused about what Toothy Tile wasI liked this piece from Rebecca Jennings on DeuxMoi back in 2020The Fug Girls’ note on discontinuing royals coverageThe subreddit devoted to DeuxmoiRe: Brad Pitt — I wrote about him and the stink of sad smut back in 2022We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Celebrity feuds, past and present, with Joel Anderson!!! (Yes this will come out around the time Kendrick headlines the Super Bowl halftime show)HISTORICAL ROMANCE (will neither confirm nor deny that we have a co-host whose confirmation made Melody faint)By popular request, all things fan fiction!Pre-teen influencersBudget Culture + Specifically Budget Advice You Find DubiousGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youDad culture, whatever that means to youAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What are your feelings about celeb gossip today? Where are your trusted sources, and what do you think we have (and haven’t) learned from the 2000s?

Thrifting has a smell, but it also has a feel. For me, the feel is of thick, almost indestructible rayon weaves; of dense, mothbally wool; of slick, ancient crinoline; of stiff and generously cut denim. It was the feel of handstitching on a dress made from a pattern, or a cracked logo on a company picnic shirt from 1975. It was not the feel of shopping at Forever 21, even though the prices were approximately the same. Like so many of you, at various points in my life I’ve relied on thrift stores for resilient everyday clothes and delightful dress-up/costume accoutrements.But thrifting has changed dramatically over the last fifteen years — and it’s never been more popular. In this episode, Kelsey Vlamis and I break down all the reasons for its its transformation, from the rise of fast fashion to influencers making haul videos. Plus: there’s a thrifting mystery we’d love to solve; listen and see if you can help us!Show Notes:Read Kelsey’s big piece on thrifting in Business Insider — you can also read/hear her talk about it more on MarketplaceWelp here I am in my Tiffany outfit, thrifted entirely from a now-defunct thrift store in Downtown Walla Walla, WashingtonA Fast Company overview of ThredUp’s booming businessOn the success of The RealRealA pretty good Reddit Thread on “Boots Theory”Dr. Danielle Sponder Testa is the ASU professor referenced by KelseyPatagonia’s resale site, WornWearA pretty fun video of the Lummi Island Rummage Sale rope dropWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Pre-teen influencersPivoting from my beloved Paul Mescal…..can we just talk about Irish Pop Culturification (including Paul) with Caroline O’Donoghue (!)Budget Culture + Specifically Budget Advice You Find DubiousGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youContemporary ideas of self-care (remember this newsletter?)Dad culture, whatever that means to youAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment — WE REALLY NEED MORE!! You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What’s your personal experience with thrifting / reselling, and how has it changed? What didn’t we touch on that you think is driving it? AND WHO ARE THESE TEENS IN THE BINS????

No matter where you spend your time, online or off, you’ve encountered some form of therapy speak. Maybe it comes from a friend who loves processing their therapy with others; maybe it suffuses your TikTok FYP; maybe your friends or family members have been using it to try and describe how they’re trying to foster and maintain healthy relationships; or maybe you’ve just been keeping up on the latest celebrity gossip. It’s everywhere — and as you’ll find in this episode, tracing its proliferation will lead you in so many fascinating (and complex!) directions. I’ll be real: I knew this episode would be interesting; I didn’t know it would be this interesting.As soon as I heard about the new podcast Bad Therapist — cohosted by psychotherapist Ash Compton and New Yorker journalist Rachel Monroe — I knew they’d be the perfect people to help answer all of your questions about therapy speak. This is complicated shit! We’re talking about language that is often super useful to people… but can also be weaponized (GAH, THERAPY SPEAK) to inoculate those using it from critique. Weirdly, I feel like it’s the perfect New Year’s Day episode? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about all of it.Show Notes:Listen to Bad Therapist! Start with the intro ep (just 12 minutes); my fave ep thus far is the one on “Shadow Work”Read Rachel Monroe’s stunning collection of writing at The New YorkerAn overview of Ashlyn Harris’s “disassociating” comments re: her relationship with Ali KriegerA smart piece on the Jonah Hill therapy speak / connection to his therapy documentaryThe famous/infamous/memeable Wicked “holding space” junket interview with Tracy E. Gilchrist (and the subsequent breakdown of the meme with Grande and Erivo)The Rachel Aviv book Ash and Rachel mention is Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories that Make UsThe 2005 Vanity Fair profile of Jennifer Aniston that lives in my head rent-freeNicole Daniels is the comedian I mention re: non-profit boss impersonations. Here’s a recent fav:And here’s the TikTok that opened the showWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Pre-Teen/Tween Influencer CultureRUNNING CULTURE (you can take this in any direction you’d like — good, bad, ambivalent, we’re talking to Raziq Rauf so it’s gonna rule)Pivoting from my beloved Paul Mescal…..can we just talk about Irish Pop Culturification (including Paul)Budget Culture + Specifically Budget Rules You Want/Need To Destabilize or Break EntirelyGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youContemporary ideas of self-care (remember this newsletter?)Dad culture, whatever that means to youAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What part of therapy speak do you find useful and/or grating? Why do you think it bugs you — or what has it helped explain?I’ll also add that we tried to be very, very careful in the way we talked about terms, diagnoses, and experiences that are often very personal and very sensitive (for very good reason!). I hope we can be thoughtful about the way that we talk about all of this here in the discussion, too.

As an Registered Auntie, I get to watch kids’ toy trends from the backseat. I’ve bought annoying things (sorry, parent friends) and learned how to play new things (Beyblades, I rule) and passed down precious things (all of my My Little Ponies from the ‘80s). We could talk forever about the merits of various toys, past and present, but your listener questions this week underline that there’s also a tremendous amount of anxiety and class signaling absorbed by kids’ toys.So this episode, featuring toy expert Youngna Park, has it all: light nostalgia, unpacking the obsession with wooden toys, getting to the heart of why grandparents give “junky” gifts, and, of course, talking about what kids actually like when it comes to toys. If you didn’t have Big Toy Feelings before, you will after this one.Show Notes:You can find more about Youngna’s work here — and I strongly recommend subscribing to her newsletter, which always has my favorite writing about parenting and kids cultureHere’s where you can find all of Youngna’s New York Mag age-specific gift guides, amassed in part by interviewing actual kidsFollow Youngna’s Instagram side project for kids’ books recsThe Fisher Price Chatter Phone!!!The truly preposterous dog crate I mention in the episodeYoungna and I both love/cite Hanna Rosin’s 2014 essay The Overprotected Kid (gift link!)The Wall Street Journal article about Lovevery capitalizing on kids’ anxiety (no gift link, but you can Pocket)The amazing gift guide site that Youngna mentions is The Kids Should See This!Youngna sent this follow-up note re: recs for young kids:For stacking cups, I can't find the exact ones my kids had but something like these. There are so many varieties in both muted scandi, and primary palettes. These ones also look cool and are made of silicon (but prob not great for the beach, then). These squeaky eggs are like a drug to small children. I think something about noise, surprise inside, fitting shapes into shapes, etc. High success rate as a gift. For first drawing stuff, these chunky paint sticks are great — vibrant, easy to hold, don't dry out.Recent hits with Melody’s one-year-old twin nieces include a thing we call “Long Book” and this Melissa & Doug busy boardWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:RUNNING CULTURE (you can take this in any direction you’d like — good, bad, ambivalent, we’re talking to Raziq Rauf so it’s gonna rule)The rise of therapy speak, how therapy manifests on social media, etcPivoting from my beloved Paul Mescal…..can we just talk about Irish Pop Culturification (including Paul)Budget Culture + Specifically Budget Rules You Want/Need To Destabilize or Break EntirelyGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youContemporary ideas of self-care (remember this newsletter?)Dad culture, whatever that means to youPre-teen influencersAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What big toy feelings did we not address? What did this discussion surface that you hadn’t thought about before?

Sometimes we do episodes where I know a fair amount about the subject and end up on a three minute digression about picture palaces. And sometimes I’ve only started to learn about a topic — or read within a genre — and am absolutely thrilled to spend an hour listening to someone else’s expertise. That’s what we’re doing today with queer romance writer Adib Khorram: tackling your questions on everything from how to feel about queer romance written by straight people, why so many romance plots are M/M, where to find great trans romance, and so much more. And as with every episode in our romance series: you do not have to be an avid romance reader to find all of this interesting. (Although this episode might get you interested in becoming an avid romance reader!)Show Notes:Read more about Adib and his work here but also: everyone buy his books??? For YA, start with Darius is the Great is Not Okay. IMO there here has never been a better book synopsis than this:Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's a Fractional Persian--half, his mom's side--and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.Darius has never really fit in at home, and he's sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn't exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they're spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city's skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush — the original Persian version of his name — and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab.Adib Khorram's brilliant debut is for anyone who's ever felt not good enough — then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.For non-YA Queer Midwestern NOT BIG CITY vibes, go to I’ll Have What He’s Having:When it comes to love, substitute teacher Farzan Alavi is a disaster. Newly heartbroken--again--he's drowning his sorrows at Kansas City's newest wine bar. Only instead of being crowded between strangers, he's escorted to a VIP table for one. There, the hot sommelier does more than treat him to the meal of his life. The way he flirts with Farzan ignites instant sparks.There's just one problem: David Curtis thinks Farzan is Kansas City's most influential food critic. The truth only comes out after the two spend an unforgettably hot night together. Good news--both think the mix-up is hilarious. Bad news — David is studying to become a master sommelier and has no interest in a relationship.Neither expects their paths to cross again . . . until Farzan inherits his family's bistro. The two agree to a friends-sans-benefits exchange: David will share his industry knowledge, and Farzan will help David study. Only business turns to pleasure when neither can ignore the attraction still sizzling between them. But with David set on moving cross-country after his test, and Farzan committed to his family's restaurant, how can their relationship last past the expiration date?Adib has lots of upcoming romance-related appearances; check here to see if he’ll be near you, and follow him on Instagram and TikTok!Read ‘Nathan Burgoine’s essay “The Shoulder Check Problem”Explore the wondrous trove that is LGBTQreads.comThe 700-page basilisk shifter romance mentioned was originally self-published as Split or Swallow. Since we recorded this ep, it’s been picked up by a traditional publisher, retitled Kiss of the Basilisk, and you can pre-order itIf you have super specific desires for a book, Melody highly recommends getting involved in r/RomanceBooksHas anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:RUNNING CULTURE (you can take this in any direction you’d like — good, bad, ambivalent, we’re talking to Raziq Rauf so it’s gonna rule)The rise of therapy speak, how therapy manifests on social media, etcThe future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyPivoting from my beloved Paul Mescal…..can we just talk about Irish Pop Culturification (including Paul)Budget Culture + Specifically Budget Rules You Want/Need To Destabilize or Break EntirelyGetting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for youContemporary ideas of self-care (remember this newsletter?)Dad culture, whatever that means to youPre-teen influencersAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What are your favorite queer romance reads? Or, if we want to get deeper into it: what’s your theory about the popularity of cis straight ladies writing and reading M/M romance?

What is Quince and why is it everywhere? Who is running Albion Fit? Who buys clothes at Altar’d State? Why is Madewell so sad? This is an explainer episode, but it’s also a brands-feelings processing episode, because any time millennials try and talk about how J.Crew or Madewell has changed, they’re also talking about how their own feelings about fashion have changed. And no one understands the rhythms of brands quite like Caroline Moss, the host and curator of the Gee Thanks Just Bought It extended universe. Listen as we attempt to answer all of your WTF-is-going-on-with-this-brand questions and hold space, as it were, for all of you big brand feelings… and tell us what brand still mystifies you!Show Notes:Again plugging Caroline’s Instagram (the primary way I access Gee Thanks content) and her eternally useful newsletter. And then there are the thousands who swear by the FB Group!The latest episode of the Gee Thanks podcast is an interview with the founder of Miry’s Place (which we’re raising money for over at the Culture Study newsletter!) about the dynamics of Giving Tuesday and weird discourses around charity/giving — it’s excellentThe Instagram account that catalogs classic J.Crew catalogsAs promised, the Carhartt overalls I’ve had forever (not pictured: the Carhartt pants I’ve had since I was 20)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with kids toys right now (you can take this in any direction)The rise of therapy speak, how therapy manifests on social media, etcThe future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyThe new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What is going on with Quince? What brands are you still curious about? What did we miss?

Sometimes I forget just how many classes I took on the history of cinema — or that I used to teach a class on it! — but then I have a conversation like the one you’re about to listen to and remember: oh right, I am a huge film history dork. This episode, featuring the brilliant Hannah McGregor, travels all over the past, present, and future of the blockbuster, from the theory of the “whammy,” to Hannah’s book on Jurassic Park, from Barbie to Twisters, from why we started going to the movies to why we’ve (largely) stopped. It’s a ROMP and incredibly listenable — perfect for wherever you’re driving or to have on in the background while you chop one million brussels sprouts.Show Notes:Read Hannah’s Jurassic Park book, Clever Girl!!!Follow Hannah on InstagramI appeared on Hannah’s podcast Material Girls to talk about ATHLEISURE, you can find it hereOh do you want a really nerdy book on the history of picture palaces? Here we go! And here’s another! Even more nerdy!!!We didn’t talk about this in the ep but here’s a great way to look up and see if there was a picture palace in your hometownAn explanation on why these kinds of movies are called blockbustersA graph on the number of movie tickets sold over time:We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:KIDS TOYS! This is an expansive one with a kids toy expert, so you can really take it wherever you wantThe rise of therapy speakThe future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What makes Wicked work as a blockbuster? What makes Gladiator II fail? Or: Is it even possible to make a blockbuster anymore without existing IP?

I could talk about Nicole Kidman for hours. Very few Hollywood actors have had careers this varied, this delightful, this weird — oh, and she’s also been married to Tom Cruise. She manages to be both chronically underestimated and overrated, and she’s recently found herself in a slew of roles where she embodies a slew of different rich white ladies, each miserable in their own specific ways. For this episode, I’m joined by the great Sam Sanders to talk about our own Kidman Syllabi and answer your questions about her most recent roles, (not) aging onscreen, and what makes her such an effective miserable rich person.Show Notes:Listen to Sam’s new podcast on KCRW, THE SAM SANDERS SHOW!Watch Sam and his splendid variety of shacketsFollow Sam on IGMy big feature on Nicole Kidman that came out during Big Little Lies: “How Many Times Does Nicole Kidman Have To Prove Herself?”I’m obviously obsessed with The OthersIt had been a hot minute since I watched To Die For but I’m just saying it’s in The Criterion Collection for a reasonThe cast of The Hours on Oprah in 2002Kristen Bell and Dax Sheppard do indeed sell diapersOne of the questions cites Audrey Hepburn in her 60sNicole Kidman wigs, rankedWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with kids toys right now (you can take this in any direction)The future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyThe new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What roles do you want to see Nicole Kidman in? What are your complicated feelings about stars and aging on the screen?

Almost all of the public conversations about sex testing and sports — or, more to the point, who should be allowed to participate in women’s sports — are pretty bad. In many if not most cases, they’re outright transphobic; even in the “best” cases, they’re still pretty ham-fisted. But Rose Eveleth is having a very different sort of public conversation about sex testing in their new podcast, Tested — one that looks to the way these tests affect the athletes subject to them, and how the concept of fairness in women’s sports has become so fraught. For today’s episode, Rose answers your questions about the history of women’s sports gender panic, why men aren’t subject to the same sex testing, and how the Paralympics imagines “fairness” in profoundly different ways. I absolutely loved this conversation. I think you will too.Show Notes:Go listen to Rose’s podcast, Tested — it’s phenomenalThe website for Tested has so much good stuff, including a glossary (and explanation) for all the terms used in the series and a bunch of the supplemental pieces Rose and I reference in our conversation, like this piece on the ParalympicsBecome part of FlashForward and directly support Rose’s ongoing workRose strongly recommends Michael Waters’ The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern SportsChristine Mboma, one of the featured athletes in TestedRose also recommends: Katrina Karkazis’ Testosterone: An Unauthorized BiographyWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with kids toys right now (you can take this in any direction)The future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyThe new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: I don’t think this will be a problem here, but absolutely no transphobic bullshit will be tolerated in these comments, full stop. But if this episode helped reframe some things for you, we’d love to hear about it — or your own thoughts re: the Ask Anne Anything question!

“Most people who complain about BookTok have never seen a BookTok.” Alyssa Morris drops that insight about two-thirds of the way through the episode, and it’s such a good point that I almost want to make it the title of the episode. Most people have an idea of what BookTok is (people talking about books on TikTok) but no real understanding of the immensity of BookTok. It’s talking about what you’ve read, sure, but it’s also about recommendations, and performance, and the aesthetics of reading culture — and the criticisms of it have a lot more to do with weird ideas about what reading (or talking about reading!) “should” look like.If you’re interested in reading culture, you’ll be interested in this episode — full stop. Let it surprise you! And make sure to check out Alyssa’s BookTok newsletter, which has quickly become one of my favorite reads of the week.Show Notes:Check out more of Alyssa Morris’s work here — and subscribe to Romancing the Phone!!!Alyssa breaks down a bunch of the different “genres” of Booktok here — it’s so goodOne of my favorite Alyssa pieces on the appeal of the hockey romanceThe Hinge “No Ordinary Love” Collection featuring Roxane GayThe Atlantic piece I reference re: “college kids can’t read books”The Rachel Cusk reading order TokThe VERY FALL Laurie Gilmore booksThe special edition Bridgerton hardbacksYes / No / MaybeUnderhyped / Appropriately Hyped / OverhypedHow Much I Read This Week (With a Full Time Job)Glen Powell in a White T-Shirt RecsSOME OF THE DAHLIA THINGS I MENTION: Kristine Albrecht’s Dahlias: From Seed to Bloom, Swan Island Dahlias, The Saran Wrap Method, The Dahlia Growers FB Group (which is absolutely full of gall pictures right now). And if you want to read the other things I’ve written about dahliasWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:THE STATE OF KIDS TOYS — what’s weird? What’s interesting? What doesn’t make sense?Why does it feel like thrifting sucks nowThe new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What’s your relationship to BookTok? What are your thoughts on book recs as a popularity contest? Why do you think some people get so cranky about other people reading a lot?

A podcast episode on the state of podcasting? Classic Culture Study Pod. At this point in my career, I’ve been interviewed on hundreds of podcasts, been adjacent to the production of dozens, been the host of three pods, and even watched a fourth pod go through two years of production only to get axed. The podcasting world is so dynamic, so weird, and so complicated… and industry analyst and critic Nicholas Quah is the best person to talk about its shifts, its future, and the best stuff coming out RIGHT NOW.You asked so many good questions (about ads, about funding structures, about editing) that Nick and I did our best to answer — but I also can’t wait to hear your follow-ups, because this world is ever-changing.Show Notes:Find all of Nick’s writing (on podcasts and non-podcasts) over at Vulture; I especially liked this recent piece on the devaluation of the “good interview”Nick’s piece on the Best New Podcasts of 2024 (thus far)Nick’s podcast recs:Hysterical, about a mysterious illness spreading among a group of high school girls in upstate New YorkThe Town with Matthew Belloni, about the business of HollywoodNymphet Alumni, about fashion and cultural trendsWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WTF is going on with kids toys right now (you can take this in any direction)The future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generallyThe Present and Past of NICOLE KIDMAN (with Sam Sanders!)The new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What podcasts are you listening to outside of your normal favs? How do YOU feel about podcast editing?

You might look at the question in the title of this episode and think: duh, it’s because we’re weird about death. But cancer is so common, with so many different variations, with so many ways it can touch your life, in ways immediate and lasting… that of course we’ve figured out ways to be weird about it. Of course there are bizarre metaphors, of course we don’t have space for the messy, extended work of recovery; of course there are bizarre tropes and plot lines intended to make cancer more understandable which just make so many people feel like they’re “failing” at cancer when their own experiences don’t fit the popular narrative trajectory.Dr. Stacy Wentworth is an oncologist, the author of the newsletter Cancer Culture, and the host of Less Radical, a new podcast about the surgeon who revolutionized breast cancer treatment — and changed the way we understand cancer today. And I knew she’d be the perfect person to talk about the way we talk about cancer, all the weirdness that can accompany it, and how that discourse has changed over time.Show Notes:Subscribe to Stacy’s newsletter, Cancer CultureAnd listen to Less Radical wherever you get your podcasts by clicking this magic buttonFind all of Kate Bowler’s work (which Stacy mentions) hereA good interview re: pinkwashing with the author of Pink Ribbon BluesStacy also mentions a guest post in her newsletter by Judy Pearson, the biographer of the New York socialite who was instrumental to passing the bill that would grant significant government funding to cancer research — it’s fascinatingThe trailer for LOVE STORY!!!!! I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING!My Life now I’m really cryingBrian’s SongWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The Present and Past of NICOLE KIDMAN (with Sam Sanders!)Midwest [Dad] Masculinity / Tim Walz MemedomThe new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYExplaining trends on BookTokWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What weird cancer conversations have popped up in your life? How has living through cancer (or being close with someone who has) changed the way you talk about it with others?

You know that feeling when you and a friend get weird and detailed and hilarious about something you deeply (and maybe irrationally) hate, or find ridiculous, or can’t stomach in your vicinity? It’s one of my favorite versions of friendship intimacy — talking shit about something you shouldn’t dislike nearly as much as you do, because that thing is relatively trivial, but that doesn’t mean that the thing itself doesn’t make you want to bang your head against the wall.And that’s what this week’s episode is: talking about all of your strong opinions about trivial shit. Our co-host, Krista Burton, came up with the idea — because it’s a regular feature of her excellent and always entertaining newsletter (O Caftan My Caftan!). So join us as we talk about your strong opinions about gnomes, “journey” and “season,” boarding planes, late-in-life-lesbian-Tok, calling your romantic person “partner,” mullets, and a very juicy/useful AAA section about almond boomers. I can’t wait to talk even MORE about all of your strong opinions about trivial shit in the comments.Show Notes:Subscribe to O Caftan My Caftan!!!!!My interview with Krista about her AMAZING book Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in AmericaBUY MOBY DYKE !!!The thread where Melody said she wasn’t going to buy the porch geese costumesIf you didn’t get the gnome situation like me here’s what we’re talking aboutThe British GQ article I reference re: the feelings about the mulletHow the “green bubble” for Android users has been part of the case against Apple re: “anti-competitive behavior”One of those infinitely annoying articles about how there are better ways to board a planeJust a hot lesbian chopping wood on TiktokFrom the AAA: one of my favorite Virginia Sole-Smith pieces about “the grandparents are not okay” re: boomers and diet cultureWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The Present and Past of NICOLE KIDMAN (with Sam Sanders!)Midwest [Dad] Masculinity / Tim Walz MemedomWhat Happened to the Summer Blockbuster?The new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYExplaining trends on BookTokWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: Add your own strong opinions about all the trivial shit we covered!

What’s the difference between a conspiracy theory and gossip? When does joking around about Kate Middleton’s abduction turn into something much darker? Are women actually more susceptible to contemporary conspiracy theories — or are we just finally paying attention to it? Cristen Conger, host of the new podcast Conspiracy, She Wrote joins me to talk about Taylor Swift’s evil twin, Beyoncé’s illuminati connections, Katie Holmes getting impregnated by Scientology aliens, sex trafficking panics, and how to talk to someone when they start directing a conspiracy theory your way. We go deep down the wormhole in this one, friends, but I think you’re gonna love it.Show Notes:Go listen to Conspiracy, She Wrote!Follow Cristen’s other (very popular!) podcast Unladylike on InstagramMy piece from earlier this year re: the information vacuum around Kate Middleton’s disappearance from public viewAnnie Kelly is one of the leading researchers on QAnon (and women’s involvement in particular). Read her excellent op-ed in the Times and listen to her episode of QAnon Anonymous on Mothers for QAnonI briefly mention a book about the history of C-sections — it’s called Invisible Labor, and here’s an interview with author Rachel SomersteinCristen talks about The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk — here’s a fascinating deep diveCORRECTION: An earlier version of the podcast referenced Naomi Klein, when we meant Naomi Wolf. The episode has been corrected and re-uploaded. Thank you to Marissa for pointing it out in the comments!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The Present and Past of NICOLE KIDMAN (with Sam Sanders!)Midwest [Dad] Masculinity / Tim Walz MemedomWhat Happened to the Summer Blockbuster?The new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLYExplaining trends on BookTokWhy does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What do you think leads particular groups towards conspiracy theories? Is my ‘women don’t know how to explain patriarchy’ theory full of shit? Let’s talk about it!

You can almost hear the producers trying to sell this show to Hulu: It’s hot Mormon moms… who are also swingers. Turns out only one of them was “swinging,” and the swinging was (in her words) “soft.” But it was enough to get Hulu — and now, millions of other viewers — on board with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which tracks the interlocking stories of eight Mormon influencers in Utah.Like so much of contemporary reality television, this show is glossy, melodramatic, unhinged, and addictive. It’s entertainment, sure, but it’s also a way for us to think through some of our own understandings of marriage, sex, friendship, religion, and feminism — which is exactly what Sara Petersen and I try to work through in this episode. That, and whether Dakota is a paid actor.Show Notes:Subscribe to Sara’s newsletterAnd read her latest piece on Secret Lives of Mormon WivesThe Us Weekly aggregation of “where the women stand with the church”The breakdown of Demi’s relationship with BretThe best thing I’ve read from the Mormon feminist perspective re: Secret Lives and the church’s reaction to itA big feature I wrote for BuzzFeed about the women who’d left the FLDS and were trying to remake their livesMy interview with Meg Conley re: what got left out of LuLaRich and the role of MLMs in Mormon cultureSara’s excellent reflection on the Times Ballerina Farm profile (and Hannah Neeleman’s reaction)For today’s discussion: How do you think about religious culture vs. religious belief? How toxic is Jen’s husband? Is influencing the new Mormon MLM????

We’ve had listeners asking us to do an episode on sapphic pop for months now, and were trying to figure out who we wanted to co-host. Then Melody sent me a text: I FOUND THE PERFECT PERSON. That person is Trish Bendix, who just published a sprawling look at the past and present (and popularity) of sapphic pop, from Big Momma Thornton to Chappell Roan. I absolutely loved this conversation, where we did our very best to answer your questions about everything from the ‘80s sound in contemporary sapphic pop to Jojo Siwa “inventing” the genre. Plus we talk about “Constant Craving” at least three times (which Melody had never heard!!!!) Make sure you check out the show notes to links to all the songs we mention in the episode. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world. If you're already a subscriber-- thank you! Join us in the discussion thread for this episode! Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.Show Notes:Read Trish’s piece on NBC News re: the history of sapphic popSubscribe to Trish’s newsletter LIT FEMME!CONSTANT CRAVING 4EVER!!!!Some of the ‘80s flavor in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please”We didn’t go into it but the Michigan Womyn’s Festival/MichFest shut down in 2015 amidst ongoing arguments from TERFs (including the festival’s founder) that the festival was only for “women born women.” You can read an overview here.Indigo Girls “Ghost”:Indigo Girls 1200 Curfews Live Album (especially recommend the cover of River)Tracy Chapman, “The Promise”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions about queer romance that aren’t related to “why are all these women writing about romance between two dudes” (which we will definitely tackle, don’t worry)What happened to the summer blockbuster?!How do people access/consume celebrity gossip these daysMidwest [Dad] MasculinityWTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] hereGwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-hostStill want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What’s your favorite sapphic pop artist? Or: what memories do you have of hearing any of the artists discussed for the first time?

This is a dream come true of an episode: we got the owners of The Ripped Bodice to talk to us about all the ins and outs of running a romance-only bookstore. We talk about everything from the genesis of their annual State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Report to their fav recommendations for tweens and teens …..and how they deal with “vintage” romances in the store. I found everything about our discussion fascinating — plus, if you’re a paid subscriber, you get very good advice on how to recommend books to others!Show Notes:FOLLOW THE RIPPED BODICE ON INSTAGRAM!!!Or even better, go to one of their actual bookstores in Brooklyn or Culver CityIf you can’t get to LA or Brooklyn, here’s a Reddit thread compiling a list of more romance bookstoresThe Ripped Bodice State of Racial Diversity in Publishing ReportListen to our previous romance-specific episodes:How Romance Novels Center Marginalized JoyHow Romance Writers Rewrite Publishing’s RulesThe ACOTAR ChokeholdA fascinating piece on the use of “spicy” as a descriptor for romance novelsSome of the books and authors mentioned in this episode:Chuck TingleDon’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma R. AlbanThe historical romance writers Bea dealt out of her backpack as a kid: Lisa Kleypas, Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn, Lorraine Heath, Loretta ChaseJane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca RomneyThe Ripped Bodice’s collection of used and rare romance novelsThe Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. WoodiwissIce Planet Barbarians by Ruby DixonFor YA recs: Alexandra Bracken, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Sarah Kuhn, and Elise BryantWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:We’re still looking for questions about queer romance that aren’t related to “why are all these women writing about romance between two dudes” (which we will definitely tackle, don’t worry)Women’s Sports and/or Gender Panic in/around Women’s SportsSAPPHIC POP, SO HOT RIGHT NOW (especially want to talk about Chappell Roan but we can go in so many directions)How do people access/consume celebrity gossip these daysHow we talk and think about cancerMidwest [Dad] MasculinityWTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] hereGwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-hostStill want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: How did this discussion change or texture your understanding of how a romance bookstore works? Or: what are your tips for recommending books to others?

This episode is the Culture Study Podcast’s version of a Just Trust Me. It’s difficult to describe exactly WHY it’s so good, just that after we finished recording (with Lilah Raptopoulos, host of the podcast Life and Art) Melody and I both immediately texted each other with: SO GOOD!!! The episode is ostensibly about figuring out how to cook in the world of infinite recipes, but it’s also about how we pass down recipes (or gatekeep them), recipes as a form of memory making (and retrieval), recipes as heritage… capped off with some practical advice about how to organize the recipes you do have (and how to ascertain if a recipe is “good”).I can’t wait for you to listen, and if you don’t think you’re a person that invested or interested in recipes: just trust me.Show Notes:Follow Lilah on Instagram and listen to Life and Art here (it’s so good!!!)Lilah mentions Fuschia Dunlap’s The Food of Sichuan and Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid HeatI mention Melissa Clark’s Dinner which is just filled with keepersA lot of Culture Study readers swear by the Paprika app for recipe organization (I cannot vouch for it but maybe this is the day I actually try it out)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:SAPPHIC POP, SO HOT RIGHT NOW (especially want to talk about Chappell Roan but we can go in so many directions)Women’s sports— our societal thinking on gender and athleticism, broadly conceivedHow we talk and think about cancerHow do people access/consume celebrity gossip these daysMidwest [Dad] MasculinityWTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] hereGwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-hostStill want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!Why does it feel like thrifting sucks nowAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What recipes does your family pass down or gatekeep — and how do you think about recipe organization (and preservation)?

We’re more than twenty years into the current reality boom — and things are getting complicated. What are the unspoken and spoken ethics of signing up to become a reality star? What resources (about harassment and protection, about brand deals) should be made available to anyone who signs a reality contract? Are reality stars scabs during strikes — and should they unionize? WHAT MAKES THESE MELODRAMAS SO COMPELLING? WTF IS SCANDOVAL??? Hollywood correspondent Natalie Jarvey joins me to talk through it all.(And just to be clear, even if you’re not a huge reality television person, this episode has something for you — I watch very little but I’m very invested in reality melodrama reality labor as labor)Show Notes:Some of my favorite Natalie Jarvey pieces: The Year That Broke Hollywood; Why Are Movies Sooooo Long? An Investigation; Actors Don’t Want a Yacht — They Just Want to Survive Peak TVThe truly WILD profile of Tom Sandoval in the New York Times MagazineA detailed timeline of Scandoval if you really want to go down that wormholeSo much great writing on the production and legacy of Cops: The Unreality of Cops; Cops: the violent legacy of a TV show that sculpted America's view of police; Is ‘Cops’ Committing Crimes Itself?How Netflix Became the New King of Reality TVFrom the Triple-A segment: ARE YOU IN THE PORTAL???We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:SAPPHIC POP, SO HOT RIGHT NOW (especially want to talk about Chappell Roan but we can go in so many directions)How do people access/consume celebrity gossip these daysMidwest [Dad] MasculinityWTF is going on with [insert clothing brand/website] hereGwyneth? The new Brad Pitt / George Clooney movie?We’re definitely doing a Paul Mescal episode but I’d love your ideas about who should be my co-hostStill want to do a Sydney Sweeney and Gen-Z Stardom ep!!!!!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What reality television do you watch — and how has your thinking about it changed with time? Are reality stars actors? What protections should they seek (or deserve?)

Jennifer Romolini is one of my favorite thinkers about ambition, and workism, and the stories we tell ourselves about what we must endure in order to find a modicum of security and pride — and she also happens to be a true scholar of all things Ben Affleck. Months ago, I asked her to come on the podcast to talk about the intersection of Affleck and ambition, but we held the episode for a bit to give it some distance from the (also excellent!!) J.Lo episode. But we’d had it scheduled for today for several weeks — and I’m writing this intro just hours after the news broke that Lopez had filed for divorce.The good news is that everything Jenn and I talk about re: Affleck’s star image, ambition, striving, his relationship to stardom just generally — all of that still holds true. Just ignore the part when I say that I don’t think they’re going to get divorced. And I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.Show Notes:Follow Jenn on Instagram (lots of good Ben content!)Buy Ambition Monster! It’s so fucking good!Subscribe to Jenn’s great newsletter:My BuzzFeed piece The Unbearable Sadness of Ben AffleckObsessed with this photo of Affleck and Paltrow from the Armageddon premiereAffleck being horrible in Chasing AmyTHE BACK TATTOOWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Why is Paul Mescal so hotSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: WHAT’S NEXT? Where does Affleck go from here? Were you invested in this relationship…and how does it feel to de-invest?

TikTok is filled with wonders. It’s SO weird. It can make you feel like the algorithm is telling you something you don’t even realize about yourself….or it serve you a whole bunch of cyst draining videos. In order to answer your questions about WTF is happening in your feed, I knew I needed a weird internet aficionado who also understands the way our tech platforms actually work. I needed Katie Notopoulos. Join us as we talk about the parallel dimension that is TikTok Live, the difference between Reels and TikTok content, those bizarre “bugs all over me” videos, nail tapping ASMR, the clean girl aesthetic, and SO MUCH MORE.Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world. If you're already a subscriber-- thank you! Join us in the discussion thread for this episode! Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.Show Notes:Read all of Katie’s great and weird reporting over at Business InsiderFollow Katie’s weird reels on InstagramSome Chainsaw TestingCLEAN GIRL AESTHETICMORE CLEAN GIRLSICK ROPE CUTTINGThe vaguely Patrick Bateman ASMR clean living guy on InstagramA classic in the hoof cleaning genreMy favorite sheep herding dog guyOne of the fake bug videos (I PROMISE IT’S FAKE)We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Why is Paul Mescal so hotSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What’s good and weird in your TikTok feed right now? What do you see as the difference between Reels and TikToks?

Trad Wife Discourse is everywhere. It’s been everywhere for a while, in part because it offers a twisted fantasy of ease to women who are attempting to negotiate life, and family, and career in a society whose policy is actively hostile to women working outside the home. But I’ve seen a spike in interest in the ramp-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, where a Trump victory — paired with the explicit goals of Project 2025, J.D. Vance, and Christian Nationalism in general — will make trad wife life just, well, life. It doesn’t happen overnight. It happens incrementally, as choices are very slowly taken from you, or made more attractive. To get to what lures women into this life, and just how difficult it is to escape, I wanted to talk to someone who gets it in a way that those lurking in the Instagram comments simply cannot. So today we’re talking with Tia Levings, who left her trad wife life and, through a bunch of therapy and processing and support, figured out how she wanted to tell her story.Content Warning: In our conversation, we talk explicitly about emotional and physical abuse and coercion. If you’re not in a place where you want to listen to that discussion, I’d suggest skipping this episode.Show Notes:Tia Leving’s book, A Well-Trained Wife, is an absolute must-read. As Melody put it: I’m not even a memoir person and I devoured it. You can find it here.You can find more about Tia, her work, and how to book her for interviews here.Tia’s Fundie Baby Voice TikTok (I also recommend exploring the rest of Tia’s Toks)Tia is also in the Amazon Prime documentary Shiny Happy People, about the Duggars, Bill Gothard, and the Institute for Basic Life Principles. Here’s the trailer:I didn’t talk about this in the episode, but I highly recommend Seyward Darby on the place of trad wives in the white supremacist vision of the futureMy piece on Trad Wife Life as self-annihilation and some reflections on the recent Ballerina Farms discourse, which ramped up after we recorded this episodeWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Why is Paul Mescal so hotSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: How has hearing from someone who used to be on the inside changed or textured your thinking about trad wives?

How do the politics of taste and HGTV shows intersect? Why do we watch, why do we feel the way we do when we watch, and how is taste shaped in the process of watching? When Jonathan Menjivar, host of the fantastic podcast Classy, told me he wanted to talk all things HGTV, I was thrilled. In this episode, we discuss the aesthetics of “quiet luxury,” Ben and Erin Napier vs. Chip and Joanna Gaines, the newly ubiquitous neo-farmhouse look and so much more.Show Notes:Listen to Classy and read my interview with Jonathan about the making of the show and “Am I Classhole??” hereYou can read my big feature on life in Waco in the post-Fixer Upper world hereOne of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done in Culture Study = talking to Rebecca Lee Potts about the “shiplap frontier”When I interviewed Ben and Erin Napier for TownsizingJonathan mentions Donald Judd furniture— here’s a sketch of a Donald Judd stool that costs $3,200We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The culture of conspiracy theories!Why is Paul Mescal so hotSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: Why do you watch HGTV? How has it implicitly and explicitly affected your taste? Or anything the episode made you want to talk about!

A seven-part Netflix docuseries on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders called America’s Sweethearts? Oh my god, WHAT a rich text. The uniform, the dances, the body norms, the coded language, the particular feminine ideals, the intersections with Texas culture and evangelical culture — there’s just so much there. And I was thrilled when Sam Sanders and Zach Stafford, two of the co-hosts of the indispensable Vibe Check, agreed to help answer all of your (excellent) questions. (We couldn’t get the rights to Thunderstruck, but you can just imagine it playing over the intro and on repeat forever.)Show Notes:LISTEN TO VIBE CHECK, IT’S SO GOOD!!! Plus: Sam’s IG and Zach’s IGCaitlin Dickerson’s fantastic piece in The Atlantic that includes the “Who Am I….?” page from the DCC handbook that Sam reads in the episodeThe jump split that tears up the hips!How much money to NFL cheerleaders get paid? It’s complicated.Alex Sujong Laughlin makes the case for cheerleader unions in DefectorWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Why is Paul Mescal so hotSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: What feels most cult-like about DCC? Or truly anything else you’d like to discuss re: DCC, performance of Southern evangelical femininity, the thin ideal, etc. etc. Also, can someone convince Melody to actually watch the show?

How are romance writers — and the recent romance boom — chipping away at the norms of Big Publishing? Does self-publishing lead to more diverse authors and characters? How has Amazon both expanded and limited the market? That’s what we’re grappling with in today’s episode.Back in June, romance novelist Nisha Sharma broke down all the tropes and trends of contemporary romance. Next month, we’ll have the owners of a romance bookstore explaining the the big (and complicated) business of romance-only bookselling. And today, we have Christine Larson, author of Love in the Time of Self-Publishing, walking us through the labor dynamics of romance publishing. If you like thinking about different ways of organizing labor, you’ll find all of this fascinating — and if you’re a romance fan, it’ll make you think a lot about which books end up in front of you and why. You’re gonna love it.Show Notes:Find Love in the Time of Self-Publishing here and learn more about Christine’s work hereJanice Radway’s foundational scholarly work on romance: Reading the RomanceChris’s recent romance rec: We Could Be So Good by Cat SebastianA good summary from 2021 of what went down within the Romance Writers of America organizationSince we recorded this episode, RWA has filed for bankruptcyWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WHAT’S GOING ON WITH PODCASTS! This is kinda meta, but we’re doing a whole episode about the current state of the podcast industry, so you can take that general theme in any direction you’d like.Sydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: Did this episode change your thinking on creative labor? What’d we miss? And if you have personal experience with self-publishing, we’d love to hear your perspective!

J.Lo is, as we say in the Culture Study universe, a rich text. There is so much history, so many layers of accumulated meaning, so many relationships, and so little in terms of actual revelations. She gives so much and yet offers so little! Chelsea Devantez is a celebrity memoir aficionado, a humor writer, and a newly-minted J.Lo scholar — and the absolute perfect co-host to unpack all of your J.Lo questions, like why does Mariah hate her, why can’t she and Ben be happy, what the hell is going on with the new movie, and what does she actually want?Show Notes:Follow Chelsea Devantez on Instagram, listen to her celebrity memoir podcast Glamorous Trash, and buy her new memoir, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You ThisGloria Swanson’s memoir, Swanson on SwansonJ.Lo on In Living Color:J.Lo in Selena:J.Lo and Ja Rule, “I’m Real”:J.Lo’s “TELL ALL” memoirChelsea’s TikTok about the Bennifer wedding cupsJ.Lo’s 73 Questions:We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The upcoming “season” of Bama RushSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)For today’s discussion: How has your opinion of J.Lo changed with time? What was your first memory of her? ARE HER AND BEN ACTUALLY OVER????

Why do jeans make us FEEL THINGS? I mean, I have a lot of feelings about the “going out top,” but at least I no longer have to deal with it. Jeans, they’re still here in my wardrobe, making me feel uncool. It’s the actual garment, sure, but it’s also a garment in constant fashion flux — and almost always designed to fit one sort of (thin) body. There’s no one better to talk about big jeans feelings than Virginia Sole-Smith, who’s written a four-part series on ‘jean science’ and the relationship between jeans production (and jeans ‘norms’) and anti-fatness. Whether you’re clinging to your comfort jeans or trying to figure out what shoes to wear with a barrel leg or banishing jeans from your closet, this episode is for you.Show Notes:Virginia’s *FOUR-PART* JEAN SCIENCE SERIES!!!*Our previous episode with Amanda Mull re: why clothes suck nowFollow anti-diet stylist Dacy Gillespie (mindfulcloset) on InstagramThe Universal Standard Ponte Pant! (there are several)Corrine Fay tries the swim romperKatie Sturino does a jeans try-on round-upJordache jeans ads from the 70s, 80s, and 90sFollow Virginia on Instagram, subscribe to Burnt Toast, and listen to the Burnt Toast PodcastWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The upcoming “season” of Bama RushSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) hereFor today’s discussion: What are your current BIG JEANS FEELINGS? What shoes are you wearing? If you’ve given jeans the middle finger, how does it feel?

Most people I know think the monarchy — any monarchy — is pretty ridiculous. And yet: most people I know also know a lot about Meghan Markle and followed the #whereiskate conspiracy theorists at least part way down the rabbit hole. They’re rich celebrities, sure, but they’re also embodiments of empire in decline — and I wanted to think through how royal fascination manifests differently depending on where you live, how you were raised, and identification (or lack thereof) with “your” generation of monarch. Hannah McGregor and Marcelle Kosman are scholars, podcast hosts, and Canadians — and the perfect people to navigate all of your questions about colonial hangovers, misogynoir and Team Meghan vs. Team Kate, and when and how we’ll actually see an end to the monarchy. I loved this conversation, and I think you will too.Show Notes:Listen to my appearance on the Athleisure episode of Material Girls and listen to Material Girls just generally! (Recent episodes include: Disney and Pinkwashing; Dirty Dancing and Nostalgia; Gilmore Girls and Normporn; Bridgerton and Reading the Romance, SO MANY GOOD ONES)Melody and I absolutely died when we found the Charles-as-Tampon on SNL skit; it’s even better than I remembered:My piece on #WhereisKate and the botched comms management around her decision to retreat from public life:Ellie Hall’s piece in BuzzFeed comparing headlines about Kate and MeghanWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The upcoming “season” of Bama RushSydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What’s your current relationship to royal culture? What did we miss in our various explanations, and what did you want to talk about more? (And do you have any advice for our hobbyists in the AAA segment?)

Sephora teens are teens who hang out at Sephora — and they’re a point of cultural anxiety because 1) they’re buying a lot of makeup and skincare products and 2) we have complex and contradictory feelings about when we should start caring about makeup and skincare products, even though absolutely everything in our culture tells young people they should’ve started caring about these things yesterday. Do Sephora Teens just want a public place to hang out without their parents? Didn’t we also play around with makeup at their age? But wait where are they getting all of this money? I I was so thrilled when Elise Hu — author of a whole book on the contemporary skin care industry and mother of three teen/tween girls — agreed to come on as co-host for this episode… and I can’t wait for your thoughts.Show Notes:Follow Elise Hu on Instagram and read her interview with Culture Study re: her book FlawlessDirect link to Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital (code CULTURE gets you 10% off)Elise’s piece in The Atlantic re: Sephora TeensElise’s installment of NPR’s Life Kit on how to create a skin care routineWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Sydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What did you spend your money on as a teen, and where did you get it? What still feels weird about Sephora t(w)eens, and how would you talk to your own Sephora t(w)een about beauty culture?

After our GREAT discussion of A Court of Roses and Thorns we realized we wanted to talk a lot more about romance: about the so-called “boom” and what’s fueling it, of course, but also about various tropes (sick bed, forbidden romance, grumpy protagonist), race and cultural specificity, the level of “spice” and how it shows up on the page, and how to manage your own romance reading behavior. Melody heard Nisha Sharma speak at Romance GenreCon last year and knew she was the person to address so many of your questions. Whether you’re new to romance like me, don’t read it but are interested in why other people do, or have immersed yourself in the genre for years, I promise there’s something in this conversation that’s going to stick in your head for days.Show Notes:Nisha Sharma!!!! Follow her on Instagram and TikTok, and here’s links to all her recent books and upcoming eventsYou can pre-order The Letters We Keep and Marriage & Masti at Bookshop.org— promo code CULTURE gets you 10% offOr for pre-order swag, order from Doylestown Bookshop  Maya Rodale’s Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained“Canon building is empire building”Janice A. Radway’s Reading the RomanceLee & Low Books Diversity Baseline SurveyMONSTER THEORYA very fun round-up of Fabio romance novel covers, by the numbersA 2018 piece on cartoon covers “tricking” people into reading romanceAND NOW, A LIST OF EVERY BOOK RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODEThe Proposal by Jasmine GuilloryFor Real by Alexis HallThe Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata PatelYou Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke EmeziThe Roommate by Rosie DananThe Partner Plot by Kristina ForestQueen Takes Rose by Katee RobertDestiny’s Captive by Beverly JenkinsDouble Exposure by Rien GrayBeach Read by Emily HenryBride by Ali HazelwoodThat Prince is Mine by Jayci LeeA Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLeanSay You’ll Be Mine by Naina KumarRock Hard by Nalini SinghButcher & Blackbird by Brynne WeaverPower Play by B. P. GilmoreCollide by Bal KhabraOut on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-YoungChloe Liese for disability representationKimberly Lemming for cozy monster romanceMorning Glory Milking Farm by C. M. NacostaWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Sydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: We could’ve kept this podcast going for another three hours. So let’s do more of it here. What other tropes do you want to unpack? What didn’t we talk about — or what did we miss?

Spoiler: No, millennials are not the most nostalgic generation — we’re just in a deeply nostalgic moment in our lives, reckoning (sometimes gracefully, other times less so) with no longer being the Main Character in the generational story. But this moment does give us opportunity to talk about the shape and purpose of nostalgia, how YouTube both amplifies and short-circuits it, and so much more — featuring one of my favorite nostalgia thinkers, Gabe Bullard. We talk about gum commercials, inflated Limewire persecution threats, Bagel Bites, and interrogate the idea of “core memories,” and I cannot wait for your thoughts.Show Notes:Subscribe to Gabe’s fantastic Substacks, Number One With a Bullard and Together, Alone (a magazine about watching TV)Melody also highly recommends his episode of 99% Invisible on the Elvis stampWho wants to burn off their taste buds with some Big RedHere’s Svetlana Boym’s obituary which nicely sums up her work on nostalgia (gift link)Gabe also mentions writer and music critic Mark Fisher’s usage of “hauntology”— Fisher’s whole book Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology, and Lost Futures is available as a PDF hereYou can read Fred Davis’s 1977 paper about “the current nostalgia wave” hereThe ragtime song that made it to #3 on the charts because of The StingOne listener’s question referenced the Richard Scarry books— here’s a round-up of some of the modernization that’s been done on themWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Trad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)What’s up with food blogs in 2024Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: We can all talk about our favorite old commercials… or we can talk about the purpose nostalgia serves in your life.

The very first episode of this pod was on how clothes got so shitty — and it prompted a whole bunch of you to write in with your questions about how the entire experience of obtaining those clothes became so shitty. Some of it is just what’s going on in the fashion world more broadly (and a continued refusal to believe that anyone larger than a size 12 wants cute, well-made clothes that fit and wants to pay you money for them) but some of it is just the weird ever-changing world of online shopping, which encourages our worst impulses and often leaves us with earrings that look nothing like the picture and make our earlobes turn green. To answer your questions (about best online shopping practices, about email marketing tactics, about how to quell or at least abate your anxiety shopping) I wanted to talk to the best and smartest shopper I know: Caroline Moss.Show Notes:Follow Caroline/Gee Thanks Just Bought It on Instagram and join the larger community on FacebookSubscribe to Caroline’s free Substack, where she’s rounding up all the good Memorial Day salesTrustpilot.com to see if a company is indeed a legit companyThe Amanda Mull piece on returns I referencedDumpster Dive King on Instagram + The Trash Walker + a NYT piece on the work they doHere’s the Honey browser extension and phone app (AHP remains dubious but will dutifully try it out)The Shop App that Caroline uses to keep all orders/notifications in one place (will also try out)THE TUB SHROOM!!!!!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Home renovation shows + class! (Our guest is Jonathan Menjivar, host of Classy. If you haven’t read his interview in the newsletter, it’s fantastic.)What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help. Co-host isVirginia Sole-Smith, so it’s gonna be great)For our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Anything you need advice or want musings onYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: How has your approach to online shopping shifted? How do you quell your anxiety shopping? What’s your version of Caroline’s tap shoes? TELL US EVERYTHING.

I spent years of my life studying celebrity images and what makes them meaningful to us. A celebrity’s actions or words can make or deepen our connection to them — or they can really piss us off. But why? Is it just a classic case of dashed expectations? What makes, oh, Taylor Swift hanging out with Matty Healy so disappointing? For this episode, I asked celebrity feelings expert Margaret H. Willison to come answer your questions about the broad contours of celebrity-directed anger — and work through some very specific examples. I promise: you’ll leave this episode with a more textured understanding of your own celebrity feelings.Note: This episode was taped before the conversation re: the Met Ball and celebrity silence on Gaza; you can read more about it here.Show Notes:Follow Margaret on Instagram (her account is a delight) and subscribe to her newsletter, Two Bossy DamesRegister for Margaret’s TTPD Listening Party on May 19th and the Taylor Swift pilgrimage on Cape Cod in NovemberLearn more about Not Sorry Productions, and sign up for the Common Ground newsletterA write-up of Plan B distribution at Olivia Rodrigo’s St. Louis show (how much of this was her call now seems up for debate)Travis Kelce’s unearthed tweetsJia Tolentino on Matty HealeyIf you want to read my favorite star study of all time — on Marilyn Monroe — it’s in Richard Dyer’s Heavenly Bodies. It’s somewhat academic but also very accessible for an academic text. I could read it every day. Dyer also wrote the definitive star study of Fonda in Stars, which is out of print but lots of used copies floating aroundA bit of a tangent but if you want to read a really great academic history of the economic imperatives of the Red Scare & The Hollywood Ten, whew this is itI’ve been thinking about the ethics of private jets (and privacy, and labor) amidst the conversations re: the WNBA moving to charteringTake a look at Anna Marie Tendler’s art!!!Just for laughs, a TikTok imagining Taylor Swift’s PR in the Matty Healy eraWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Home renovation shows + class! (Our guest is Jonathan Menjivar, host of Classy. If you haven’t read his interview in the newsletter, it’s fantastic.)What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help. Co-host isVirginia Sole-Smith, so it’s gonna be great)Weird TikTok trends you’re seeing on your FYPFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESBen Affleck (specifically within the framework of Ambition)Artificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Anything you need advice or want musings onYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What do you think celebrities owe to the general public? Who are your problematic faves, and how have you reconciled your feelings about them? Or how do you feel about the Matty Healy and the John Mulaney of it all?

If you grew up in or adjacent to evangelical culture, the sounds of ‘90s and early 2000s Christian Rock are as familiar to you as the beginning bars of Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” The Newsboys, dcTalk, Jars of Clay, Third Day, Jennifer Knapp, Caedmon’s Call — these groups peaked just twenty years ago, but the sound and vibe feels like an archeological find. Same for the crossover “secular” hits from Creed, Lifehouse, Sixpence None the Richer, and Switchfoot. Where did Christian rock go? Did it just get devoured by Nickelback and Noah Kahan? Was it actually good? And what purpose did it actually serve in what we now understand as the evangelical culture war?Leah Payne, author of a God Gave Rock & Roll To You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music joins us to root the rise of Christian rock in history — and consider the ways it was wielded to control teens. If you grew up in this culture, there will be a lot of nostalgic groaning; if you didn’t, we’ve worked hard to make it as accessible as possible — and help connect some dots about how evangelical ideologies work their way into the mainstream.Show Notes:Follow Leah on Instagram and find out more about her work hereBuy God Gave Rock & Roll To You here! (promo code CULTURE gets you 10% off!)An amazing little write-up of Creation Fest 1999 from The Seattle TimesRevisit Anne’s interview with Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a NationCreed’s NFL halftime show two months after 9/11Some of my Christian Rock Greatest Hits include Jennifer Knapp:Jars of Clay (THE WHOLE FIRST ALBUM!)Third Day (oh no what is going on in this video)“Breakfast” by the Newsboys, cited in the ep as emblematic of the quirky corners of the genreJust a TikTok that’s only tangentially related but made Melody laughWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)The State Of The Food Blog in 2024Weird TikTok trends you’re seeing on your FYPYour strong opinions on things that, in the grand scheme, don’t matter muchFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESThe Contemporary Jennifer LopezBen Affleck (specifically within the framework of Ambition)Artificial Intelligence (in a thought-provoking way, think expansively here)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (and we need your co-host ideas for someone cool and fun who can talk about this in an accessible way!)Anything you need advice or want musings onYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: If you grew up in/adjacent to this culture: how have you reconsidered your relationship to this music? What song haven’t you thought of in a VERY LONG TIME that came rushing back?And if you didn’t, what did this episode clarify for you re: Christian “culture”?

A platform where you can record what you’re reading and talk to others about what they’re reading doesn’t sound like a recipe for dystopia. But throw in a negligent billionaire conglomerate owner, optimization culture, and a competitive industry in which the line between reader and author is continually blurred… and you have a legitimate book lover’s hellscape. In other words: Goodreads! Today, I’m joined by book lover and book critic Maris Kreizman to talk about the rot at the heart of the platform, what feeds it, and whether there’s any hope of salvaging the entire enterprise. (Plus: a special bonus section where we give advice about dealing with self-imposed pressure to read X number of books a year). Also: it doesn’t matter if you’ve never gone on Goodreads in your life. If you read books, if you’re interested in the way we talk and think about books, you’re going to appreciate this episode.Since you’re a paid subscriber, you won’t hear the ad for Bookshop.org at the start of this episode— but we want to make sure you get the discount code! Use promo code CULTURE to get 10% off your next purchase. (And tell us in the comments what you buy!)Show Notes:Maris on Instagram! Maris’s new newsletter, The Maris Review! Maris’s new column for Lit Hub! Maris’s old podcast, also titled The Maris Review!Maris’s piece in the New York Times on the decline of Goodreads: “Let’s Rescue Book Lovers From This Online Hellscape”Some of Maris’s favorite places for reviews and criticism:BookforumBookmarks.reviews, which she describes as Rotten Tomato for booksLos Angeles Review of BooksA rundown of that weird story of the author creating fake accounts to review bomb other debut authors on GoodreadsJust for funsies, one-star reviews of classic novelsWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:How we talk about the royals today (especially looking for some questions from people outside of the U.S. here!)The State Of The Food Blog in 2024Your strong opinions on things that, in the grand scheme, don’t matter muchFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESThe future of reality TVWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)The Contemporary Jennifer LopezBen Affleck (specifically within the framework of Ambition)Artificial Intelligence (in a thought-provoking way, think expansively here)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (and we need your co-host ideas for someone cool and fun who can talk about this in an accessible way!)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: How do you use Goodreads in a way that’s… good? What pisses you off about the lost opportunity of the platform, and what other ways have you found to talk about the books you’ve read (and find new ones?)

A listener submitted a question earlier this week that was basically: Why are we talking about Taylor Swift again???? And I get it: if you’re not a fan, if her music is not for you, you too might be tired of the ongoing Taylor Swift Conversation. But I’m ultimately less interested in Taylor Swift herself and more interested in the shape of that conversation: what are we actually talking about when we talk about Taylor Swift? We’re talking about work and scarcity, we’re talking about aesthetics and whiteness, we’re talking about the performance of authenticity and narratives of romance… and we’re talking about all of those things today with Sarah Chapelle, the fashion journalist behind the enormously popular Instagram account Taylor Swift Style.Show Notes:Follow Sarah on Instagram, and pre-order Taylor Swift Style (out October 8)!Read the NYT review one listener referenced: “On ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ Taylor Swift Could Use an Editor”And as a counterpoint, how about this Bloomberg op ed: “Taylor Swift Is Proof That How We Critique Music Is Broken”As a reminder, here’s Taylor’s Grammy look the night she announced TTPDRevel in the aesthetic of the “Fortnight” music videoHere’s the YouTube short of snippets from Taylor’s life in the past few monthsAnd of course, revisit our third ever episodeWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:How we talk about the royals today (especially looking for some questions from people outside of the U.S. here!)The State Of The Food Blog in 2024Your strong opinions on things that, in the grand scheme, don’t matter muchFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESThe future of reality TVWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)The Contemporary Jennifer LopezBen Affleck (specifically within the framework of Ambition)The cultural force that is nostalgia (especially interested in how it functions in different generations)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What are your thoughts on The Tortured Poets Department? What’s your favorite/least favorite Taylor Swift aesthetic? Do you also think of your life in eras, and are your outfits a part of them?

Who can force a nationwide conversation about musical genre for a whole damn month? Beyoncé can. And I knew I wanted to be several weeks into that discussion — and several weeks into my own relationship with the album — before I dove in myself. I also knew I wanted to talk about it with someone else with a similarly deep and ambivalent relationship with country music: the good, the white, the cold-beer-nation-building, all of it. So I was absolutely thrilled when Elamin Abdelmahmoud agreed to come on the show and engage in what he calls one of his favorite hobbies: “talking about Beyoncé at length.” You’re gonna love the show and you’re gonna love Elamin and it’s gonna make you think a lot more about Cowboy Carter, even if it’s not (yet) your fav. I can’t wait for your thoughts (and to argue more about Jolene in the comments).Show Notes:Follow Elamin on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to his excellent show, Commotion (also read my interview with Elamin on Culture Study here from a few years ago here!)The episode of Into It with Sam Sanders and Tressie McMillan Cottom on country music and raceA few of the country self-referential songs I mentioned: Tim and Faith, Damn Straight, She Had Me At Heads CarolinaWatch Beyoncé and The Chicks perform at the 2016 CMAs (and also watch the crowd shots)Natalie Maines of The Chicks talked about the performance on The Howard Stern Show in 2020Elamin references Dr. Jada Watson’s studies on race in country music— check out “Redlining in Country Music: Representation in the Country Music Industry (2000-2020)” and the follow-up on representation in 2021 and 2022Read Doreen St. Félix’s piece in The New Yorker: “Beyoncé Won’t Burn Down the Barn with Cowboy Carter”Read Julianne Escobedo Shepherd’s review of the album for PitchforkAnd just because it never gets old, revisit Miley Cyrus’s cover of “Jolene”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:How we talk about the royals today (especially looking for some questions from people outside of the U.S. here!)The State Of The Food Blog in 2024Your strong opinions on things that, in the grand scheme, don’t matter muchFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESThe future of reality TVWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)The Contemporary Jennifer LopezBen Affleck (specifically within the framework of Ambition)The cultural force that is nostalgia (especially interested in how it functions in different generations)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: Which songs on Cowboy Carter are your favorite? What are your favorite references and throwbacks? And… is Jolene a skip?

Moms For Liberty sucks. I’m not going to even try to soften that statement, because it’s true: they’re an ideologically regressive organization that is wielding the idea of “parental rights” to censor books, teachers, and instructional materials. They make it much, much harder for educators to do their jobs — and many of the people most involved don’t even have kids in public schools.But to defeat them, you have to understand what they’re doing — and how they’re doing it. Which is why I wanted to have journalist Laura Pappano come on the show to talk about her extensive reporting on “school moms” and the place of Moms for Liberty within the “battle” for public schools. We talk about where the money comes from, how other parents are effectively organizing against them, the history of parent-led school activism, and most importantly, what uniform you wear to a conservative mom conference.Show Notes:Find Laura’s book, School Moms: Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education hereLaura on the “Brief History of the Grand Old American Tradition of Banning Books”Her report from the Moms for Liberty gathering from last summer)Laura’s excellent piece on the effort to take back control of the school board from far-right extremists in West Bonner County, North IdahoA few of the pieces I mention re: my reporting on extremism in North Idaho: Here’s What Happens When Republicans Have No One To Fight and The Fight to Bear ArmsFind Laura’s website — with links to her other reporting and work — here!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The force and vector shifts and general dynamics of getting very mad at a celebrityWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)For our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESThe future of reality TVHow we talk about the royals today (especially looking for some questions from people outside of the U.S. here!)The Contemporary Jennifer LopezOnline shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe cultural force that is nostalgia (especially interested in how it functions in different generations)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: How have you seen Moms for Liberty or a group like it work in your community? What, if anything, has proven effective in combatting these groups?

Driving, attending meetings, hunching over laptops, zooming, commuting, absentmindedly scrolling Instagram — so much of contemporary life encourages if not outright demands that we sit. But study after study (and maybe just your own body) has told you: this much sitting is not great for us. But what are we supposed to do instead? Can we get rid of the junk wellness moralizing (10,000 steps a day!) and figure out small things that actually make our bodies feel better?Turns out, yes! And Manoush Zomorodi is here to talk about all of it — including whether those walking pads are bullshit. And I promise: this show won't make you feel like a horrible person for sitting. But it might give you some ideas about how you can listen to your body more.Show Notes:NPR/Ted Radio Hour’s The Body Electric Challenge, which is very coolManoush’s recap of the challenge:The Roxanne Gay Work Friend column on walking treadmillsManoush’s piece in the Los Angeles Times re: strategies to break up sittingDebunking the 10,000 Steps MythWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:THE NEW BEYONCÉ ALBUM — SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF COUNTRY MUSIC (this ep’s with Elamin Abdelmahmoud and it’s going to be so good, but we absolutely need your questions to guide us)What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)For our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCEThe future of reality TVHow we talk about the royals today (especially looking for some questions from people outside of the U.S. here!)The Contemporary Jennifer LopezOnline shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe cultural force that is nostalgia (especially interested in how it functions in different generations)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: How have you tricked yourself into sitting less? And what sitting questions still annoy you?

As any Pacific Northwest teen from the ‘90s and early 2000s who carted a Nalgene around campus can tell you: WATER BOTTLE CULTURE IS NOT NEW. As pretty much any Grandpa or Boomer Dad can tell you: NEITHER IS STANLEY. But the demand for Stanley Tumblers (and, just as important, the inflated, often misogynistic conversation around it?) That’s (sorta) new. Like everything we talk about on this show: it’s complicated.For today’s episode, we invited Amanda Mull back to the show to unpack the so-called Stanley Tumbler “obsession,” the relatively novel fascination with hydration, and why every kid has to have a water bottle at school. You might not think there’s that much to talk about when it comes to water bottles, but this one’s a whole lot of fun and as always, Amanda is a font of consumer behavior knowledge. (And make sure to check out Amanda’s first appearance on the pod, exploring why do clothes suck now??)Show Notes:Amanda’s piece on Stanley Cups in The Atlantic (gift link)Amanda’s 2019 piece on millennials and fancy water bottles (gift link)The TMZ video of the argument in the Target line, which you hear at the start of this episodeThe model of Nalgene we had in my family for hiking (???)The great Decoder Ring episode on “the invention of hydration”Melody wants everyone to rewatch this clip from Parks and Rec, in which Pawnee citizens use water fountainsVirginia Sole-Smith’s piece on diet culture and Stanley discourse is also worth the read (paywalled)Just one example of what a Stanley collection looks likeAn official Owala TikTok on how to clean the damn thingFind all of Amanda’s work here and here’s one of my favs on where your returns actually goWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Specific questions for a romance author (already scheduled, she’s awesome!) and romance booksellers (send us your recs!)The weird TikTok trends on your specific FYPWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)Sephora Teens and teen skincare/makeup cultureHow we talk about the royals todayBeyond Ballerina Farm [and is there such a thing as too much tradwife discourse? How do we critique but also not celebritize?]WHAT CELEBRITY IMAGE SHOULD WE UNPACK NEXT?Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe cultural force that is nostalgia (especially interested in how it functions in different generations)Anything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What was your first water bottle? And how has your thinking on hydration changed over the years?

I occasionally encounter someone who asks: Who would follow a celebrity on Instagram? Lady, I WOULD. I do! I follow celebrities who I actually like and celebrities who I find weird and complicated (Gwen Stefani, hi) and celebrities I wrote about or profiled at some point in the last ten years and now know all about their workout routines (hi, Brie Larson). But I didn’t follow Kevin Bacon — until a reel of him dancing, back-lit in his barn, to “Footloose” (in celebration of the end of the Actor’s Guild Strike) took over my field. Over the weeks to come, I let the posts of a man fundamentally at ease wash over me. Here was Kevin Bacon, playing me an LP from his collection. There was Kevin Bacon, slow-dancing with his wife of many decades (Kyra Sedgwick) in their modest farmhouse kitchen. There he was, with his shaggy graying hair and well-fit jeans, just effortlessly existing, seemingly free of the anxiety of public social media performance.Of course, I’ve studied stars long enough to know there was something more complicated going on — in the performance of a particular kind of masculinity and progressive semi-agrarian whiteness and heterosexual romance and so much more. So I asked Sarah Mesle, one of my favorite culture analysts (also, crucially, a Gen-Xer like Bacon and a practitioner of “hair studies”) to come on the pod to unpack it all.Show Notes:KEVIN BACON’S INSTAGRAM, DUHI mention my favorite theorist of stardom, Richard Dyer — his canonical book is Stars, but I find Heavenly Bodies more accessible outside of academic contextSarah references Cruel Optimism by Lauren BerlantA movie poster for Quicksilver accidentally (?) stayed up in the NYC subway for 36 yearsFollow Sarah Mesle on Instagram, and stay tuned for her forthcoming book Tangled: American Racism and White Women's HairWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The weird TikTok trends on your specific FYPWhat’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)Sephora Teens and teen skincare/makeup cultureHow we talk about the royals todayBeyond Ballerina Farm [and is there such a thing as too much tradwife discourse? How do we critique but also not celebritize?]WHAT CELEBRITY IMAGE SHOULD WE UNPACK NEXT?Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What is your read on Kevin Bacon’s Instagram? Or maybe even better: What other celebrities give you this vibe??

What does it mean to think of student loans as culture? First off, it means that we can think of them as something that’s changeable. Because as much as we’ve come to think of massive piles of debt as “just the way it is” for a broad swath of people (and more and more every year), there’s nothing inevitable about student loans. Our status quo doesn’t have to be saddling young adults (and/or their parents, and/or their grandparents) with albatrosses of debt, simply to obtain the credentials that (at least theoretically) put someone on track to financial security. But if significant student debt isn’t our status quo… what could be?Dominique Baker is one of my favorite thinkers on higher ed in general and the topic of student loans in particular — and we’re answering all your student-loan-culture questions, from “why can’t endowments just pay for all of this” to “how do I convince my beloved partner that it’s okay for us to share their student loan obligations?”Show Notes:My Culture Study interview with Dominique Baker all about her most recent research re: the educational background of journalists writing about student loansDominique Baker on Work Appropriate, giving advice on navigating the broken space of higher ed (one of our most beloved episodes, fwiw)I briefly mention the work I did writing about student loans at BuzzFeed News — here’s the big feature I did on the broken state of Public Service Loan Forgiveness, better known as PSLFMy piece on what’s missing from most conversations about student loan forgiveness: any acknowledgment of wealthThe podcast interview I’ve sent to anyone who doesn’t have student loans and wants to grasp the bigger picture (this also made me understand my own place in the system so much better): Tressie McMillan Cottom and Louis Seamster on The Ezra Klein Show. I’ll never shut up about this interview.Cottom’s seminal work on deeply exploitative for-profit colleges and the generation of student debtA direct link to Dominique’s workWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)Sephora Teens and teen skincare/makeup cultureHow we talk about the royals todayBeyond Ballerina Farm [and is there such a thing as too much tradwife discourse? How do we critique but also not celebritize?]WHAT CELEBRITY IMAGE SHOULD WE UNPACK NEXT?Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: How did this conversation shift or texture your thinking about higher ed and student loans?

If you’ve been in a bookstore lately, you’ve undoubtedly seen it: A Court of Thorns and Roses, better known as ACOTAR, ruling over the paperback bestsellers with all its sequel pals. These books are behemoths. They’re massive. They’ve sold millions upon millions of copies. They’re about faeries. And they’re very, very hot.Culture writer (and lifelong fantasy reader) Kathryn VanArendonk joins me to talk all things ACOTAR, from “is the writing bad” and “is that actually an interesting question” to “is Feyre secretly a horrible painter” and “wtf is happening with book four.”The podcast conversation is neatly divided, so you can listen to the first half without spoilers or without any previous knowledge of the books, and the second half (behind the paywall) is more of an ACOTAR book club, where we work through specific questions about plotting, characterization, and Feyre’s aforementioned painting skills.And if you want even more ACOTAR content, head over to the Culture Study newsletter for everything I’ve been thinking about that didn’t make its way into this episode.Show Notes:[If you want a WHOLE BUNCH MORE from ACOTAR-tok, I’ll be posting on my Instagram stories starting Wednesday morning — and then will save as a highlight]Read Kathryn’s piece about Sarah J. Maas for Vulture, “The Mortal Queen of Faerie Smut”Done with ACOTAR and need another fantasy fix?Anne recommends Outlander by Diana GabaldonKathryn recommends Freya Marske’s queer Victorian fantasy series that starts with A Marvellous Light [AHP NOTE: I'm half-way through this and love it]Melody recommends The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi and The Undertaking of Hart and MercyRead Kathryn’s tremendous back catalog of writing and the interview I did with her on Culture Study about transitioning from academia to her job as a full-time criticWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:What’s the deal with JEANS right now (alternate title = Jeans: Help)Sephora Teens and teen skincare/makeup cultureHow we talk about the royals todayBeyond Ballerina Farm [and is there such a thing as too much tradwife discourse? How do we critique but also not celebritize?]WHAT CELEBRITY IMAGE SHOULD WE UNPACK NEXT?Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: I don’t even need to give you a prompt, I know you have thoughts

Every so often, I do a Culture Study (newsletter) interview that inspires a LOT of follow-up questions — and the podcast is the perfect forum to address them, particularly when the interviewee is as smart and hilarious and curious as Heather Radke. For today’s episode, Heather and I tackle all your BUTTS questions, like: Why are butts so funny? Isn’t it weird the fossil record can’t tell us how big butts were? Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone told you about hemorrhoids in a very matter-of-fact way at, like, age 16?Show Notes:Find Heather’s incredible, hilarious, and deeply informative book, Butts: A Backstory, hereSo much more about Sarah Baartman and a bunch of the specific references re: historical butts in my interview with Heather on Culture StudyMy piece on getting a colonscopy (and why you should talk to people about yours!) (If you have any sort of family history — get one now! And if you don’t, the new guidance is still to get one starting at age 45.)NOT ME ON THE PREPARATION H INSTAGRAM PAGE!!!!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WHAT CELEBRITY IMAGE SHOULD WE UNPACK NEXT?Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsStudent loans— how we talk about them, think about them, take this wherever you wantThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: Why ARE butts so funny? Are you inspired to talk more about hemorrhoids? And aren’t you so glad that Melody convinced me not to have the key image for this episode be AN ACTUAL HEMORRHOID?

Bradley Cooper would very much like an Oscar. If you’ve been paying attention to Hollywood at any point over the last five years, you know this. It’s evident in the films he makes, the way he talks about them, the cheesesteak food truck he opened for a weekend to keep himself in the press cycle. There’s nothing wrong with wanting an Oscar — what actor doesn’t want one?! — but what happens when that desire becomes the overarching theme of your entire image? The dominant way the public understands you?The great Sam Sanders joins the pod to talk about Cooper’s star image, Hollywood masculinity, and the Tracy Flick of it all.[If you’re familiar with Culture Study/my work/Sam’s work, you’ll recognize this type of star image analysis — if not, a reminder that we’re talking about what Cooper means, not trying to be mean.]Show Notes:The Tracy Flick of it allIf seven-year-old celebrity gossip is your thing, listen to the conversation Sam and I had about my book Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too LoudBradley Cooper serving cheesesteaks was a real thingBradley Cooper asking Robert De Niro a question from within the audience in Inside the Actors StudioBradley Cooper’s episode of Smartless, in which he tells his story of getting soberThe scene from Alias that was sexiest thing 13-year-old Melody had ever seenTaffy Brodesser-Akner’s iconic profile, Bradley Cooper Is Not Really Into This ProfileAllie Jones’s excellent piece on Bradley Cooper’s Oscar WomenSam Sanders talking soft news versus hard news on Las CulturistasListen to Vibe Check!!!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsStudent loans— how we talk about them, think about them, take this wherever you wantThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What is your theory about Cooper’s whole deal? What confuses you, what beguiles you, what makes you have soft or hard or annoying feelings about him?

Maybe you’ve seen it happen, or maybe you’ve just heard it whispered: divorce is contagious. One person in a friend group gets divorced, and suddenly it seems like EVERYONE is. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but we wanted to have divorce aficionado Lyz Lenz on the pod to answer all your questions about the way we pathologize divorce.Show Notes:Pre-order Lyz Lenz’s book, This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life (out February 20th!!)Lyz also has a fantastic podcast (focused on divorce) and newsletterHere’s the study from Brown University on contagious divorce, in case reading studies is your thingLyz references The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane WardRead Lyz’s OG essays in Glamour that made her a Professional Ex-Wife: “I’m a Great Cook. Now That I'm Divorced, I'm Never Making Dinner for a Man Again” and “It Took Divorce to Make My Marriage Equal”Watch the absolute time capsule that is the original trailer for The First Wives ClubWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsStudent loans— how we talk about them, think about them, take this wherever you wantThe romance novel boomAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: Okay but is divorce contagious? When have you wished it was?

Today, there are coaches for everything. Business, fitness, careers, breastfeeding, parenting, ADHD, MLMs, divorce… even death. Is it bullshit? Or is it offering a valuable service? And how can you tell the difference in a totally unregulated space? Jane Marie, host of The Dream, joins me to delve into the world of personal coaching.Show Notes:Listen to The Dream! Season 1 is about MLMs; Season 2 is about the wellness industry; Season 3 is about coaching.I’ll also recommend this great conversation with Meg Conley re: LulaRoeAn explainer on NXIVM and the criminal investigation around itRe: the settlement against Gwyneth Platrow/GOOP/jade eggsI wrote a bit about the research around the surge in interest in productivity books and apps hereRe: inbox zero — You’re Wrong About EmailJohn Cougar Mellancamp’s LIFE COACH DAUGHTER TeddiPre-order Jane’s book on MLMs: Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans (out March 12th!!!!)Follow Jane Marie on InstagramWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Online shopping culture, including but not limited to people’s reliance on reviews and/or compulsion to leave reviewsStudent loans— how we talk about them, think about them, take this wherever you wantAll things ACOTARAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What’s your experience with the coaching world? When would you choose therapy instead?If you’re a coach, how do you think about “success,” and what do you grapple with when it comes to others’ understanding of what you do?

Philanthropy is so weird. Celebrities: also weird. When the two collide, you get something even more bizarre. Why should we believe what Ashton Kutcher has to say about human trafficking? How did Bill Gates change the very core of his image? What does The Gilded Age teach us about philanthropy and social position? And why does giving feel more and more like shopping? Amy Schiller joins the pod to work through the tangled knot of modern philanthropy.Show Notes:The RED celebrity-filled video Amy and I watch at the very beginning of the episodeMy interview with Amy Schiller over on Culture StudyAmy’s book, The Price of Humanity: How Philanthropy Went Wrong — And How to Fix ItAshton Kutcher testifying before congress re: human traffickingKutcher’s anti-trafficking software company THORN, which “defends children from sexual abuse”The Eagles Autism Challenge and the jacket bidding warThe Gilded Age Season Two (and using philanthropy as a means to achieve social status)The Heritage Brick Locator at Gateway Plaza, home of the Cleveland GuardiansThe “GrantLove” Project from Alexandra GrantIn case you needed a refresher on KONY 2012The exquisite (and free to all!) Cleveland Museum of ArtFollow Amy on InstagramAnd don’t forget to follow the show on Instagram!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:The romance novel boomStudent loans— how we talk about them, think about them, take this wherever you wantVery Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What celebrity philanthropy still gives you pause? What other types of philanthropic appeals still give you the creeps? What celebrity did you email from your mom’s email account when you were 11?

At some point in the last year I looked around and realized… 2000s music was EVERYWHERE. Nelly Furtado. Timbaland. Eminem. 50 Cent. MGMT. In Bama Rush videos. At sports games. In the background of TikToks of teens plaintively yearning to be 2000s teens. In weird animation videos meant for seven-year-old boys. Why THIS music, and why RIGHT NOW? Musicologist Nate Sloan— co-host of one of my favorite podcasts, Switched on Pop— has all the answers, or at least most of them.Show Notes:THE ONE, THE ONLY, SKIBIDI TOILET:A frankly hilarious Guardian article on the moral panic over Skibidi ToiletSwitched on Pop’s “Listening 2 Britney” series is a must (I am also a huge fan of this ep on Seal’s Kissed By a Rose, FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST SEAL!!!)The original music video for Hey Ya!, and Obadiah Parker’s coverMentally, I’m at the Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (and Slate’s oral history on how and why it was made)One of my absolute favorite music podcasts: 60 Songs That Explain the 90s (I have so many favorite episodes but “Return of the Mack” is a great place to start)Nate recommends Laufey as an upcoming artist— check out her Tiny Desk ConcertJust a very popular TikTok compilation of Timbaland’s 2000s hits“2000s music just hits different”“2000s hip hop > >”If you want a whole bunch more in this vein — I’ll be posting them in my IG Stories starting Wednesday morning (check in Saved Stories for ‘2000s Toks’ if they’re not showing up in my normal stories)Follow the show on Instagram!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: What 2000s song are you hearing everywhere….and how did it get there? IS IT A BOP? What 2000s song do you wish was everywhere?

This week I get my “cold plunge curious” partner Charlie Warzel to come on the pod and talk about how cold plunging suddenly feels like it’s everywhere, the science (some interesting, some junk) behind it, whether it’s been “bro-ified,” who’s buying those $6000 cold plunge tubs… and how to actually start doing it, if that’s your thing.Show Notes:The Huberman Lab Podcast (I also like this Jess Grose piece on “Huberman Husbands”)The Coney Island Polar Bear Club, founded in 1903The Tiktok guy who plunges every day:The $6000+ cold plunge tub:Charlie at The Atlantic and Charlie on InstagramFollow Melody on Instagram and follow the show on Instagram!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:SITTING. Is it that bad? How do you feel about how much you sit? Do you do anything to sit more or less?The cultural force that is/was Contemporary Christian MusicMoms for LibertyGoodreads (what has made it so bad, a particular trend you’ve observed, should you go to Storygraph, you can take this anywhere you want)Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isAnything you need advice on!You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)Tell us all your plunge thoughts. Do you love it? Does it annoy you? Are you mostly just sick of people talking about it?Or maybe you just want links to all the cold plunge robes that have haunting me for the past month. We’ve got it all.

This week I’m joined by Michelle Cyca to talk about the trailer for the Mean Girls reboot. You might think: wow, that’s a very small thing to focus on, what could you possibly talk about for 45 minutes… but just you wait. WHY are they hiding that it’s a musical? WHO do they think is the actual audience for this movie? What happens when millennial content is rebooted for Gen-Z audiences without context? And why is Tina Fey apparently uncancellable? We cover it all.Show Notes:THE TRAILER IN QUESTION:Some context about studios shying away from marketing musicals as suchRevisiting Queen Bees and WannabesI misremembered how Drive Me Crazy is integrated into the movie — it’s more like the movie is integrated into the video for the Britney song???Julia Stiles’ unforgettable modern dance routine at the end of Save the Last Dance:Mean Girls 2 did in fact existJust in case you forgot Laura Dern’s style from Jurassic ParkRe: the Barbie Marketing Campaign (via Variety)The piece I wrote back at BuzzFeed News after seeing Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: “It’s Time to Stop Apologizing for Tina Fey”All about Michelle Cyca!!!Follow Melody on Instagram and follow the show on Instagram!We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:SITTING. Is it that bad? How do you feel about how much you sit? Do you do anything to sit more or less?The cultural force that is/was Contemporary Christian MusicMoms for LibertyThe appeal of the ACOTAR seriesGoodreads (what has made it so bad, a particular trend you’ve observed, should you go to Storygraph, you can take this anywhere you want)Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)Would love to hear your thoughts on the Mean Girls trailer (and the movie if you see it) — come join us in the comments!

For the fifth episode of the Culture Study podcast I’m joined by Nicole Washington to talk about all things F1: what’s behind the recent rise, is it in fact Real Housewives of Monaco, what’s the current drama, and so much more. Because this is a conversation between someone with very little knowledge about F1 (me) and someone with an abundance of knowledge about F1 (Nicole) it’s accessible to all levels of fandom. If you’re utterly mystified by the newfound popularity, this episode’s for you. If you have a text thread dedicated to F1 memes, this episode is also for you.Show notes:The trailer for Drive to Survive on NetflixA pretty hilarious Quora thread attempting to answer the question “how did Red Bull get into racing”“Actual Florida Man” Logan SargeantKathryn VanArendonk making the compelling case for F1 as a secret Housewives franchiseLewis HamiltonTwo Girls 1 FormulaLily Herman’s F1 Newsletter, Engine FailureThe Fan Behavior F1 PodcastIf you need some help following the Max Verstappen/Kelly Piquet relationship, bless PeopleView of the Vegas Grand Prix Route (Side note, we recorded this episode before the Vegas race happened— here’s an NPR piece on how it all unfolded in the end)What Nicole sent us when we asked for an iconic F1 memeFollow Nicole on Instagram for many reasons including a bunch of F1 gossip on stories during the seasonWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Goodreads (what has made it so bad, a particular trend you’ve observed, should you go to Storygraph, you can take this anywhere you want)Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isONLINE PURCHASE REVIEWS (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?)You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)Would love to hear your thoughts on F1 and rich people gossip — come join us in the comments!

For the fourth episode of the Culture Study podcast I’m joined by Philip Maciak — who manages to be a professor, the television critic for The New Republic, and an avid consumer of children’s television — to talk about Paw Patrol.We talk about copaganda, plot laziness, why 90% of the characters are boys, how Paw Patrol gets “in the water” at most kids’ schools even if they don’t actually watch the show, and take arguably too deep of a dive into the theme song. If you hate Paw Patrol, this episode is for you. If you’re annoyed by its banality, this episode is for you. Even if you’ve never heard of it, it’s a really fascinating exploration into why so much kids media turns out the way it does.Show notes:Phil on the glory of BlueyThe Problem With Cop Storylines in Children’s Media — and you can find Amanda Hess’s overview of the critique hereThis poster is the best representation of the Paw Patrol ‘universe’The Paw Patrol Theme Song (if you really want to subject yourself to that again)The DuckTales Theme Song!!!!Just a good Paw Patrol Meme:You can read my previous interviews with Phil here (on Reservation Dogs) and here (on screentime) and find Avidly Read: Screentime here.We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Goodreads (what has made it so bad, a particular trend you’ve observed, should you go to Storygraph, you can take this anywhere you want)Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalCold Plunge CultureWhatever Bradley Cooper’s deal isONLINE PURCHASE REVIEWS (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?)You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)Would love to hear your thoughts on Paw Patrol, the state of kids television, the episode in general…how we’re supposed to feel about Scrooge McDuck. Come join us in the comments!

For the third episode of the Culture Study podcastEsteemed law professor Leah Litman, co-host of Strict Scrutiny, joins me and Melody to talk about all things TAYLOR + TRAVIS.Like: How did Taylor make the transition from big time pop star to BIGGEST POP STAR? How do we feel about the Matty Healy of it all? Is Travis Kelce interesting or is their relationship just interesting? Why do I feel so ambivalent about the prospect of Taylor getting married (and/or having kids)?? Show notes:The TikTok from the intro:All about Leah Litman!!!What It Takes To Be in the 1% — of Taylor Swift FansTalk to Me About Taylor Swift SweatshirtFollow Stevie the Mini GoldendoodleMelody’s Instagram where she posts honest book reviews in her stories“You’re Losing Me”The video for “White Horse”The 2014 era of “Taylor stepping out of her apartment” photos I referenceThe imagery of Folklore/Evermore:Some of Melody’s favorite SwiftTok influencers include:@tessdear is THE PLACE to go for Eras Tour livestreams@bryanlicious2 for an unhinged kind of humor@cowboy.han makes hilarious mash-ups of Taylor songs@mikael.arellano, creator of the Bejeweled dance, all-around wholesome fanI have a low tolerance for the “men react to Taylor Swift lyrics” genre, but the two exceptions are @hthaze and Darriel and Ashton@pokemonmasterzo’s hilarious videos are a great example of why I love this dumb app@invisibletheme for smart and well-researched queer analysisA primer on GaylorEaster Eggs on the Eras TourVideo for “You Need To Calm Down”A 2020 primer on Tree Paine (Swift’s publicist); Tree Paine vs. Deux MoiSwift’s bisexual pride flag wigA recap of Swift + Emily Dickinson“Why didn’t Jason bring jeans for Jason?”We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’) and/or wtf is going on with Chip & Joanna Gaines these days, why is their new show so banalHuberman HusbandsBooktok (think expansively here)ONLINE PURCHASE REVIEW CULTURE (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?)Athleisure (also think expansively here)You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)Now come hang out with us in the discussion — a few ideas to get us started:What’s your investment in Gaylor?Is Travis Kelce ACTUALLY INTERESTING?Is Leah right about Harry Styles?What do we do with these end game vibes?

For the second episode of the Culture Study podcast, we’re diving into the nerdy and awesome and frustrating world of the infrastructure that surrounds us. Why are sidewalks so bad in so many places? How do we undo car dependencies? What’s the deal with a power company in Vermont distributing a huge battery to every customer? What are we going to do about all these ready-to-fail water treatment plants? If we can have air conditioners in our STEERING WHEELS why can’t we have good trains?Deb Chachra, author of How Infrastructure Works, joins the pod to talk about the wild and fascinating systems that shape our world. Also: septic systems.This is the podcast version of a "just trust me," so even if you don’t think you’re an infrastructure nerd, you’re going to love it. I love it enough to release it ahead of next week’s Taylor Swift deep dive and the following week’s deeply funny episode about Paw Patrol, so that’s saying something.Show notes:Deb’s book How Infrastructure Works!!!!Deb’s colleague Dr. Allison Wood, who did her PhD work on neighborhood scale septic systemsJust a neat engraving of 19th century sewage treatment construction (via Getty, exact date unknown)Henry Graber’s book on sidewalks and parking, Paved ParadiseThe “term of art” Deb and I were looking for re: wide roads with tons of lanes that are the deadliest in the U.S.: STROADSThe problem with curb cuts & accessibilityThe “micro metro” system in Los Angeles (like an Uber bus, sort of)The cool Vermont utility program to distribute big batteriesThe new Lummi Island electric ferry!!!!Amartya Sen’s canonical lecture “Equality of What?” and the argument, as Deb puts it, that “wealth is a way of providing us the freedom to live the kinds of lives that we have reason to value”Here’s a link to Deb’s newsletter, METAFOUNDRYMy introduction to Deb’s writing: “Care at Scale: Bodies, Agency, Infrastructure,” from Comment (a past Culture Study just trust me!)This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:We could still use a few questions re: The Mean Girls Trailer!!!Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.)“Little treat” cultureCold PlungingMoms for LibertyVery Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’)You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.Now come hang out with us in the discussion — a few ideas to get us started:What’s an impressive piece of infrastructure from your daily life?What piece of infrastructure (in your daily life or just generally) do you think is totally underrated and deserves daily celebration?Just a thought experiment in line with Deb’s thinking… I’m often pretty pessimistic about our ability to accomplish big infrastructure projects in the U.S. Take one that usually makes you say “that’ll never happen”… what would be possible if it COULD and DID happen? What would it allow?What infrastructure questions do you STILL have?OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT FROM THIS EPISODE!!

For the maiden voyage of the Culture Study podcast, we’re taking a hard look at a problem that plagues us all: terrible clothes. Why are shirts falling apart or pilling after just a few wears? Why does Gucci charge $3200 for a polyester sweater? What happened to ironing and will we ever dry clean en masse again?Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins me for a deep dive into the past twenty years of fashion production (and consumption) trends.Show notes:The tweet I describe in the beginning of the podcast:Read Amanda Mull’s piece in The Atlantic: “Your Sweaters Are Garbage”Read Sarah Zhang’s piece in The Atlantic: “How I Got Bamboo-zled by Baby Clothes”Amanda mentioned: Sofi Thanhauser’s Worn: A People’s History of ClothingSome other Amanda pieces I love: Millennials Have Lost Their Grip on Fashion, The Free-Returns Party Is Over, How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan LeatherYou can see Amanda’s Jeffrey Dahmer glasses in the bio of her Instagram (which is private, so don’t friend request unless you actually know her)Paul Mescal’s rat tail situation (perhaps more appropriately called a mullet)This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:Resurgent interest in early 2000s music (with Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan)The Mean Girls TrailerA deep analysis of Taylor and Travis Kelce discourseKevin Bacon’s Hott Instagram and Gen-X/Elder Millennial Instagram in general“Little treat” cultureYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.Now come hang out with us in the discussion — I’ve put a few ideas to get us started below:What’s your best made piece of clothing — and what’s the piece of clothing that SHOULD be well made but has evidenced itself to be shit?Did you go check the tags of your sweaters after listening WHAT DID THEY SAY???How do we think of this general decline in clothing quality as a symptom of deregulation?I’d love to hear your thoughts about the decline in ironing and “women’s domestic tasks” in general.PLUS ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LOVE TO TALK ABOUTAs is the case in the rest of subscriber-only Culture Study, this is a private space, and our expectation is basically: don’t be butts. In this case, don’t be butts about clothes and other people’s relationship to those clothes, and let’s keep this one of the good places on the internet.And if you’re looking for the fancy subscriber-only-question-form that allows us to prioritize your questions: it’s here. And thank you so much for subscribing — you allow us to make the show we want (which is also hopefully the show you actually like) free of advertiser imperatives, and that rules.

Friends! I am so thrilled to introduce THE CULTURE STUDY PODCAST.It’s like the Culture Study newsletter….but more esoteric, more casual, and (most of the time) a lot more funny. The format is pretty simple. We’re going to take the Culture Study ethos of everything is interesting and turn it on various cultural phenomena that beguile and annoy and fascinate and infuriate us.Like: why are clothes LIKE THIS right now?Or: what is the deal with F1?Or even: why is the Paw Patrol theme song that bad?Every week, a smart and knowledgable co-host will help me answer your questions about these cultural objects, trends, and mysteries.You can find the Culture Study Podcast wherever you get your podcasts — and you can also listen to it right here on Substack. (Sign up below to get notifications for new episodes, transcripts, and calls for questions for upcoming episodes).But you can also become a paid subscriber, which comes with perks:NO ADS! NO ADS! NO ADS!Sprawling weekly discussion threads for each episode (if you already subscribe to the Culture Study Newsletter, you know these are going to be great)A priority subscriber-only Google Form for your questions and future episode suggestionsAccess to the bonus “Ask AHP Anything” section at the end of each episodeHow Much Does a Subscription Cost?If you already subscribe to Culture Study: $3 a month/$30 a year (current subscribers, check your email or the Substack app for “Culture Study Podcast Promo” to get the link; new subscribers will get access to the promo link after they subscribe)If you just want to subscribe to the podcast: $5 a month/$50 a yearWhat Does That Subscription Pay For?Culture Study’s EDITOR, PRODUCER, AND CO-CREATOR Melody Rowell! I wanted to create a profit-sharing scenario where Melody — who is just as instrumental to this show’s success as I am — would also benefit equally from it. We’re sharing all proceeds 50/50 and will continue to do so as the show grows. Melody schedules guests, sifts through questions, helps with audio set-ups, drafts scripts, collects voice memos, makes people feel comfortable and most importantly: edits the show to make it listenable and smart and compelling.As soon as the podcast starts making money, we’re going to start paying guests for their time and labor — the goal is $500 an episode. We’ll keep you posted as we get closer to that goal!If a podcast seems like it doesn’t take a lot of work, that’s usually because it TAKES A LOT OF WORK. Dozens of people work on a podcast like The Daily. Their salaries are covered by a combination of ads and subscriptions. So we’re going to give that a try, only with the option to totally forgo ads (and get a lot of other good stuff) when you subscribe.Can I Talk To You About Advertising?We’d love that. We won’t accept advertising from any shady companies or anything even remotely related to diet-culture or TERF-ism or Trumpism or bigotry broadly defined. But if that’s not you, drop us a line at culturestudypodcast@gmail.com.We do accept advertising for smaller stuff, too: maybe you want to get the word out about your newsletter, podcast, or new book, and think the Culture Study audience would be a good fit. Email us! Let’s figure out a reasonable rate!We Still Need Your Questions for Future Episodes:Upcoming episodes in need of guiding questions include:Infrastructure (why is it the way it is?? why is it so hard to change?)Kevin Bacon’s InstagramThe Mean Girls reboot trailer (and reboots of millennial culture in general)WHY IS EARLY 2000S MUSIC SO POPULAR RIGHT NOWCold PlungingConservative Men’s Fashion TrendsOnline Mom Culture (like those groups freaking out about red dye)Buy Nothing GroupsCelebrity’s Weird PhilanthropiesAthleisureOrganization TikTokVeneersOnline Shopping / Sales / Why Are They The Way They AreGENERAL ADVICE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING (we answer these in the bonus section!)Submit your questions (or ideas for future episodes) here.And finally, don’t forget to subscribe — either right here or in your podcast app. That way you’ll get the first ep as soon as it drops a week from today. Melody and I can’t wait to go on this podcast journey with you — it’s going to lead us so many weird and hilarious places.