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Culture Study Podcast

Anne Helen Petersen

A podcast about the culture that surrounds you — with Anne Helen Petersen and a bunch of very smart co-hosts.

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Friday · 11 min
BONUS EPISODE: Let's Talk About Friend Breakups [preview]
In June, I sent out a Friday Thread prompt that readers had been asking for, in one shape or another, for years: How do we talk about non-romantic breakups? Why do they sting SO MUCH? Why is the vocabulary around a friend breakup so paltry? I know many people found tremendous solace just reading through other people's stories and knowing that 1) friend breakups are part of life and 2) yes, as a culture, we are very bad at acknowledging them let alone grieving them. For this month's subscriber-only bonus episode, Margaret and I decided to do a deep read of the thread — and a deep revisiting of our own friend histories — to talk about different "buckets" of friend breakups, how we process them in the moment and as we age, what facilitates them (bad communication!), and why they're sometimes necessary. Discussed therein: ghosting, sub-tweeting, sucky boyfriends, recurring dreams about long-ago friends, expectation mismatches, friendship promiscuity, the dearth of pop culture representations of (lasting, non-comedic) friend breakups, and more. (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com) 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#139
August 26 · 1 hr 18 min
The Politics of White Women's Hair
Let's do some HAIR STUDIES! How does blondeness recruit and convey power? When is curly hair a signifier of unruliness — and when does it say Cool Girl? Will we ever be free of the tyranny of the beachy wave? What's the New Karen Cut? Should we talk about Julia Roberts' hair in Pretty Woman for a solid 10 minutes? (Yes!) Sarah Mesle joins the pod to talk about her new book, Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity, parse "good" blonde dye-jobs, wonder what happened to the Old Lady cut, and answer all of your questions about the politics of white lady hair. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Show Notes: Follow Sarah on Instagram here Buy Tangled!!!!!!! It's so good! How to submit your hair studies pitch to Avidly A great short piece by Sarah on why hair studies matters Tressie McMillan Cottom on blondeness The episode of the Amy Poehler podcast I reference about blondes — with Leanne Morgan And also the episode of Amy Poehler I reference re: Paula Pell and her beautiful hair Sarah mentions the Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn Sarah also references Sabrina Strings' excellent book Fearing the Black Body Sarah also cites this article from Helana Darwin The Dolly Parton and Miley in 2010 (!) singing Jolene (I also love this one that's part of Miley's Backyard Sessions) We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: WHAT'S GOING ON INFLUENCER CULTURE? with Katie Sturino — what's going on with privacy, spon, monetization, politics, algorithm fatigue — anything you want to ask someone who's watched the influencing world transform from inside THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends..... JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away! Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#138
August 19 · 1 hr 1 min
All Your Questions About Personal Style, Answered
Welcome to the first of our three-part series on BACK TO SCHOOL FASHION, which is really just an excuse for us to talk about style and clothes. Today, the incredible Sophie Strauss — aka, the stylist for regular people — joins us to answer your questions about finding that one piece that will solve all your fashion problems, letting go of the fantasy capsule wardrobe, what you're actually asking when you say "can I pull this off?," and, of course, our most popular question by far: how to figure out your style in your late 30s/40s. Sophie is the ideal Culture Study guest; I can't wait for you to get to know her (and her style philosophy). This is an episode about style that is not meant to make you feel bad about yours — what a revelation! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! 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. Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Show Notes: Follow Sophie Strauss on Instagram here Get access to the Style School Classes Sophie references here The Big Undies interview with Sophie ("that's not style, that's marketing") The Virginia Sole-Smith work I reference: Are Capsule Wardrobes Just for Thin People? We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course) WTF IS GOING ON WITH DUDES/ DESPERATE MASCULINITY RIGHT NOW with Jon Ronson. You can read about his incredible new book here, but the gist is: the old order of masculinity is collapsing, and some very weird behaviors are emerging amidst that collapse. What have you noticed, what's alarming, what are your theories about how dudes are dude-ing the way they are — let's go. FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE with Maria Melchor, author of Always Have Enough. Instead of aiming for financial independence, what does it mean to try and build a sort of collective wealth for your family and community? How does the idea of wealth operate differently for first-generation immigrants — and what lessons should everyone adopt? All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context) Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#137
August 12 · 1 hr 15 min
How Does AI Mess With Our Creativity?
More than a year ago, Melody put a placeholder in our shared podcast planning document: SOMETHING SMART ABOUT AI. We were sick, bored, or frustrated with the way so many podcasts were talking about it — usually because it involved dudes talking with other dudes and universalizing proclamations about whether artificial intelligence was going to usher in an age of utopia (doubtful) or kill us all (doubtful but more probable). We wanted someone willing to get into the gray areas of LLM and chatbot use in particular — someone with real experience with what they can do and real ambivalence about what they do to us. That person is Vauhini Vara, author of Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, and one of my absolute favorite thinkers working and writing today. In this episode, we talk about how LLMs short circuit the creative process, how they're changing the way students learn to think and discern, the specious argument that AI "democratizes creativity," really bad AI art, and why it's so hard to talk about AI usage just generally. I loved this conversation and keep coming back to the ideas, challenges, hopes, and frustrations we discussed — I think you will too. AI comes for the Community Flyer Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD. Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! If you’re looking to make a small change in your routine, you can get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTURE**.** Show Notes: Follow Vauhini on Bluesky here and learn more about her work here Buy Searches (which you know I LOVED!) here Read my interview with Vauhini from last year about Searches here Vauhini's essay in the The Believer that we repeatedly reference — "Ghosts" Vauhini's piece in Bloomberg on chatbots and AI in kids' classrooms You can find a transcript of this episode here We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course) WTF IS GOING ON WITH DUDES/ DESPERATE MASCULINITY RIGHT NOW with Jon Ronson. You can read about his incredible new book here, but the gist is: the old order of masculinity is collapsing, and some very weird behaviors are emerging amidst that collapse. What have you noticed, what's alarming, what are your theories about how dudes are dude-ing the way they are — let's go. FINANCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE with Maria Melchor, author of Always Have Enough. Instead of aiming for financial independence, what does it mean to try and build a sort of collective wealth for your family and community? How does the idea of wealth operate differently for first-generation immigrants — and what lessons should everyone adopt? All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context) Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#136
August 5 · 1 hr 16 min
The Women's Fitness Industrial Complex
Why is Planned Parenthood telling you that you should lift heavy during your menstrual cycle? Why will no one shut up about protein? How many different ways can a company try and convince you it's not a diet when it's TOTALLY A DIET??? How have companies taken advantage of the actual gaps in research on women's bodies to sell us crap? Journalist and elite distance runner Zoë Rom and registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn join the pod to break down how the women's fitness industrial complex convinces us of new health and training vulnerabilities (and then offers their products to fix them). This is one of those episodes that will piss you off and make you feel grateful that others are out here noticing how weird and manipulative these spaces can be. Via the Planned Parenthood Instagram Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! 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. Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/CULTURE Show Notes: Follow YOUR DIET SUCKS on Instagram here!!! Listen to YOUR DIET SUCKS here Find our more about Your Diet Sucks — including how to support them on Patreon — here Find out more about Zoë Rom's other work — including her book on How to Become a Sustainable Runner — here Follow Kylee / Fly Nutrition on IG here Learn more about Fly Nutrition here An example of the Planned Parenthood "how to exercise during what part of your cycle" messaging My now quite old piece on yoga teacher training as an MLM I reference the work of friend of the pod Virginia Sole-Smith; go check out her stuff! You can find a transcript of the episode here We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton WE'RE DOING A WHOLE FASHION SERIES! Submit any/all questions you have about viral clothing trends, plus-size thrifting and/or anything you want to ask Corinne Fay, author of Big Undies, or figuring out your style HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course) All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context) Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
August 3 · 4 min
BONUS EPISODE: The Hair (and Women) of The Odyssey [preview]
Two bonus episodes in two weeks, what is even happening! Well, The Odyssey happened — and after reading and writing about Matt Damon for this week's newsletter, I knew I wanted to talk and think more about the adaptation itself. Or, more specifically: the women of The Odyssey and Nolan's struggle to write women in his films. Oh, and their hair, of course — which is why Sarah Mesle, preeminent hair scholar, was the first person I emailed. We have an upcoming episode of the regularly scheduled pod with Sarah all about her forthcoming book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity, but for now, enjoy as we talk about Calypso's balayage, what Circe's hair could've (and should've) done, how Nolan created a world without female armpits, and so much more. Just remember these bonus episodes are a bit more off-the-cuff and unpolished — we think of them as the beginning of a conversation, not the end. So let's continue in the comments! (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com) 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#135
July 29 · 1 hr 23 min
The Case For Quitting
I have aspired to be like Lindsay Crouse — professionally and personally — since the first time I figured out who she was. Killing it as an editor and writer at the New York Times opinion section. Absolutely wrecking expectations about how fast women in their 30s can be (re: running). If you're a high-achiever millennial, she was living that that life we all dreamed of. Then a bunch of things in her life changed (I won't spoil them entirely here, but yes they involve difficult pregnancies and difficult physical recoveries) and she quit a bunch of things — and then wrote a book about quitting. In this episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation about what keeps us from quitting (especially but not uniquely high-achieving eldest daughters), who has the privilege to quit, and the actual science around quitting (and why most people should quit far earlier than they think). We recorded this conversation two weeks ago, and I'm still rolling it over in my head — I think it'll have a similar effect on you. 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/CULTURE Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Show Notes: Follow Lindsay on Instagram here Pre-order The Case for Quitting here! Find out more about Lindsay's work here I reference the piece Lindsay wrote about getting really freaking fast in her 30s Here's the short film The Queen of Basketball that Lindsay helped produce that WON AN OSCAR (it's streaming in full on YouTube, watch it!) Another one of my favorite Lindsay productions: "Nike Told Me to Dream Crazy, Until I Wanted a Baby" We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton WE'RE DOING A WHOLE FASHION SERIES! Submit any/all questions you have about viral clothing trends, plus-size thrifting and/or anything you want to ask Corinne Fay, author of Big Undies, or figuring out your style HOW TO FIGHT! Priya Parker has a new book on how to actually disagree (fruitfully!) with others, so this is your opportunity to ask all those questions about the people in your life who shut down when you disagree / escalate unnecessarily / immediately throw straw-men your way ('people in your life' can also include you, of course) All things CODE-SWITCHING with Ari Shaprio and Audie Cornish (how do you change your voice, your posture, your demeanor, your subject areas, the way you talk about reality television, whatever, depending on layered context) 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
July 26 · 10 min
BONUS EPISODE: The 'Woke' Little House on the Prairie... Kinda Works??? [preview]
Bonus eps are when we go deep on a cultural phenomenon, text, or celebrity that's overwhelming our feeds, charming our pants off, sparking general bewilderment, or, in this case, making us think long and hard about a text. When Vulture critic Kathryn VanArendonk texted Margaret to report that the new "woke" (don't worry, we discuss this designation at length) Little House on the Prairie was actually pretty good... I have to admit, I was dubious. HOW. HOW COULD THIS BLATANTLY RACIST AGAINST NATIVES, this deeply engaged in MANIFEST DESTINY INDIVIDUALISM story be... good? Worthwhile? Useful? Yes, I devoured this whole series as a kid. But an adaptation now? I was envisioning Yellowstone for elementary students. But listen: this Little House is doing something pretty interesting. It's not always successful. But you're going to have to listen to the episode to hear why. (Side note: Even if you haven't watched it and/or have no plans to, there's so much to think about re: adaptations and how to talk about this particularly foundational narrative to American history.) (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com) 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#134
July 22 · 1 hr 20 min
How to Fall in Love with a City
IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! Are you struggling to figure out the joys of your new home? Do you keep comparing it to a city you fell deeply in love with before? Maybe you're visiting a new city soon and just want tips on how best to appreciate its pleasures. Lilah Raptopoulos has spent so much time in her personal and professional life amassing tips on how to fall in love with a city — and this conversation is such a font of wisdom (about tourism, about living), with a ton of small, mid-size, and under-appreciated city boosterism. We talk about a bunch of US cities — but also a bunch of cities all over the world. I already know the comments on this one are gonna rule. An aerial view of Cadiz, Spain (Marco Bottigelli, Getty Images) Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! 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. Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/culture Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Show Notes: Follow Lilah on IG here (she's one of my favorite follows) and learn more about her work here (a truly aspirational personal website) Loved Lilah's guide to her home neighborhood of Red Hook This is Lilah's third time on the pod! Listen to our previous episodes on Cooking in the Age of Infinite Recipes and Figuring Out How To Feel About 'With Love, Meghan' You can find a backlog of Lilah's city guides for the Financial Times Globetrotter here We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on these apps... with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton CONVENIENCE CULTURE: From dinner to groceries to daily news to hailing a cab to finding a playlist-- we're used to getting a lot of things we want in a "convenient" way. What's that doing to us and our society? How have you embraced or eschewed convenience in your life? WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#133
July 15 · 1 hr 8 min
Who Are The Heartthrobs of 2026???
There are few things I like to do more than argue about the fine gradations of Who Is A Star Today And Why. I love the categorization element (what's the difference between a heartthrob and a sex symbol??) but I especially love thinking about what the actors we designate as heartthrobs tell us about our current understandings of masculinity. Is Pedro Pascal a heartthrob or a boyfriend? Is Leonardo DiCaprio the Eternal Heartthrob? Are the stars of Heated Rivalry the Official Heartthrobs of 2026? Do our heartthrobs age with us, or are they eternally 22? Romance author and male celeb aficionado Adib Khorram joins me to work through all of the above and so much more. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party (via Getty) Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Make the switch to Blueland today and get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/CULTURE Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Show Notes: Learn more about Adib and find links to all his books: https://adibkhorram.com/ Order Adib's most recent book One Word, Six Letters: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9781250405555 And pre-order his next adult romance, Isn't He Romantic?: https://bookshop.org/p/books/isn-t-he-romantic-adib-khorram/3c6c724552db372c?ean=9781538739594 Follow Adib on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adibkhorram The BBC Article we reference about heartthrobs through the ages: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20191218-timothe-chalamet-and-hollywood-heartthrobs-through-the-ages Everyone is Beautiful and No One is Horny!!! https://bloodknife.com/everyone-beautiful-no-one-horny/ I reference Emma Straub's book American Fantasy: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9798217046850 Strongly recommend this essay collection if you want to think a lot more about the masculinity of Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920s: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/idols-of-modernity/9780813547329 As promised, the photo of when Pedro Pascal visited the BuzzFeed office in 2014: We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on this apps....with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton THE NEXUS OF LLMs/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. CONVENIENCE CULTURE: From dinner to groceries to daily news to hailing a cab to finding a playlist-- we're used to getting a lot of things we want in a "convenient" way. What's that doing to us and our society? How have you embraced or eschewed convenience in your life? WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#132
July 8 · 1 hr 4 min
You Asked for a Parental Death Prep Episode. We Got the Perfect Guest.
Whatever your relationship is with your parents — incredibly close, estranged, somewhere in-between — there's just so much to handle when one of them dies. It doesn't matter if the death was sudden or a long time coming, our reticence to deal with (or even talk about) the postscripts of our lives leaves people scrambling, untangling, and slamming up against walls of legal bureaucracy. So we wanted to talk to someone who's been through it — and has accumulated a deep well of knowledge about preparing for these scenarios and navigating them when they've arrived. Certified death doula Becky Robinson offers deeply practical advice that's also filled with compassion — and I know we'll continue to build on her advice in the comments. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/CULTURE Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! 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. Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Show Notes: Buy My Parents Are Dead: Now What: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9781683694687 So many resources on Becky's fantastic website! https://www.deadparentswhatnow.com/about Follow Becky on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/deadparentswhatnow/ Becky references The Conversation Project for help starting these conversations: https://theconversationproject.org/ The TikTok I reference in the episode re: never-ending post-death account maintenance: https://www.tiktok.com/@emilymmorrison/video/7562575993529994551r=1&t=ZT-97oapcHmudh The Alzheimer's Association: https://www.alz.org/ We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics: HOW WE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY — how we narrativize our lives, what's changed, what's weird, what's still important and keeping us on this apps....with the great Kathryn Jezer-Morton THE NEXUS OF LLMs/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. QUITTING. Journalist Lindsay Crouse's new book asks, "In a world that prizes persistence, when does perseverance work against us?" What are your thoughts, fears, and questions around quitting? What are you struggling to quit? Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#131
June 24 · 1 hr 5 min
What Made Our Boomer Moms... Like This?
We love our boomer moms. And our boomer moms are complicated. When Tracy Clark-Flory first told me about her memoir — in which she discovers the half-sister her mother had at age 19, and was forced to give up for adoption — I immediately thought about how so many of our boomer moms' choices were limited in ways we struggle to imagine. No matter how feminist their current politics may be, it doesn't change the fact that so many of them grew up (and became adults) in deeply patriarchal, racist, restrictive, and incredibly anti-sex families and communities. So in this episode, Tracy and I work to activate some deep empathy for boomer moms just generally — but we're also very real about how some of the patterns they couldn't escape have affected their children. We talk about boomer moms who loathe feminism, who've dealt with un-present partners, who struggle with bitterness, who reproduce the criticalness of their own parents, and who really, really want to give gifts. The goal for this episode is empathy that doesn't shy from consequences; became a paid subscriber so you can continue to work through these themes in the comments! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/CULTURESTUDY Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE Show Notes: Buy My Mother's Daughter here Follow Tracy Clark-Flory's work here Subscribe to Tracy's weekly newsletter on sex, feminism, and pop culture here Listen to her fantastic podcast Dire Straights (with the fantastic Amanda Montei!!) here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. QUITTING. Journalist Lindsay Crouse's forthcoming book asks, "In a world that prizes persistence, when does perseverance work against us?" What are your thoughts, fears, and questions around quitting? What are you struggling to quit? 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#130
June 17 · 1 hr 7 min
RF Kuang Answers Your Questions About Dark Academia
FIRST THINGS FIRST: IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! Dark Academia is a literary genre. Dark Academia is an aesthetic. Dark Academia is a fantasy space. Or maybe Dark Academia is kind of a overgeneralizing label that few authors actually embrace. That's what R.F. Kuang, author of Babel and Katabasis thinks — and having her on the pod to talk about the trappings of the genre made for a fascinating discussion. We talk about the rise of genre right now, whether it subverts or reinforces the world it depicts, why State School Dark Academia doesn't really exist, and of course race, class, and the ideologies fantasy allows us to explore (and explode), just generally. Come hang out in R.F. Kuang's brilliant mind!! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Show Notes: Pre-order Taipei Story here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780063473744 Katabasis is now out in paperback! https://bookshop.org/p/books/katabasis-standard-edition-a-novel-r-f-kuang/078c5e32fe5f2db6?ean=9780063021488&next=t The New Yorker profile I reference: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/the-otherworldly-ambitions-of-r-f-kuang Subscribe to Rebecca's newsletter here: https://rfkuang.substack.com/ Taipei Story tour dates in the US, UK, Ireland, and Canada! https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/taipei-story#tour We reference Possession by A.S. Byatt: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780679735908 (also Possession was published in 1991, we were way off!) Rebecca mentions Audre Lorde's 1982 talk, "Learning from the 60s": https://garadinervi-repertori.blog/post/620761451560386560/audre-lorde-learning-from-the-60s-talk We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#129
June 10 · 50 min
Intergenerational Friendships Rule
FIRST THINGS FIRST: IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! When people around my age tell me that no one else their age has time to hang out, I have a go-to response: you need intergenerational friends! Older friends, younger friends, friends at a different (and often more flexible) life stage than you — it rules. I cherish my intergenerational friendships, and I'm thrilled to have Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer on the pod to talk about the legendary intergenerational friendship that inspired his new novel, Villa Coco, and help answer all your questions on cultivating these relationships in your own life. This episode will make you grateful for your existing age-spanning friendships and get you excited to make many, many more. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD. Get 15% off your first order of cleaning products by going to Blueland.com/CULTURE Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Show Notes: Go buy Villa Coco right now: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780385551977 Follow Andrew Sean Greer on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/asgreer/?hl=en We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
June 7 · 18 min
BONUS EPISODE: Is Off Campus the Corniest New Show on Television... or The Hottest? [preview]
Bonus eps are when we go deep on a cultural phenomenon, text, or celebrity that's overwhelming our feeds, charming our pants off, or sparking general bewilderment. Off Campus does all three! It's a new, eight-episode hockey romance now airing on Amazon and it manages to be intermittently corny, incredibly hot, ostensibly very straight (but arguably made for the bisexual-gaze) and... does a pretty excellent job of handling of storylines involving sexual assault and physical abuse?? A wonder, truly. For the first half of the episode, we talk about the series in general: what it's about, where it's set, its worldview and understanding of romance. We talk about the basics of the plot but avoid major spoilers. Then we get detailed. We talk about bra fit. We talk about specific needle drops. We discuss what makes that scene so hot — and the way the show handles trauma and consent. If you haven't watched, I hope this ep compels you to give Off Campus a try... and if you have, WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT. (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com) 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#128
June 3 · 44 min
Dozens of Irish Books for Your Summer Reading (with Maggie O’Farrell)!
I LOVE IRISH LITERATURE. And like so many of you, I love the work of Maggie O'Farrell – so when I heard her new book was very Irish (set in the aftermath of The Great Hunger in the late 19th century) I wondered if she'd be willing to come on the pod to do one of our favorite things here on Culture Study: offer very specific book recommendations. Stay tuned for a delightful conversation that will add a solid half dozen books to your TBR list. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. Show Notes: You can buy Maggie O'Farrell's new book Land here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780593320648 Links for the 30+ books we recommend are available for paid subscribers. We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this week's piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#127
May 27 · 1 hr 15 min
The Future of Summer Camp, Post-Camp Mystic
I grew up going to all manner of camps: church camp, science camp, French camp, cheerleading camp... if there was a way for me to be away from home (and have a fun packing list), I took it. I loved the freedoms and rituals of camp, the goofy, cool counselors who felt like visions of my potential future, and the cachet that accumulated with each passing summer. Camp was a place where I could be a different person, or at least a better, more likable one. I thought I was a camp person. But when I reached adulthood, I realized my camp-ness was nothing in comparison to the people whose families had dedicated their kids' summers to one camp... for decades. That's what Camp Mystic was — and still is — for thousands of former campers. So when a flash flood last July took the lives of 28 Mystic campers, questions about the future of the camp also became questions about the future of that identity. Kerry Howley spent six months reporting a stunning feature for New York Magazine on the aftermath of the Mystic flood. She joins the pod to answer your questions about Camp Mystic itself, but also the larger culture of camp and its role in identity formation. This conversation's going to stick with me for a very long time. A Camp Mystic Brochure from 1981 (via Getty) 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/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box! Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE Go to Biologica.com/CULTURE, take their quick Hormonal Life Stage Quiz to find the formula that’s right for you, and get up to 32% off your first subscription order today! Show Notes: Read Kerry Howley's incredible New York Magazine feature — "Could the Girls of Camp Mystic Have Been Saved?" — here Read more of Kerry's features at NYMag here Find out more about Kerry's work here and buy her book Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State (a real fave in this household) here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this week's piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#126
May 20 · 1 hr 7 min
A Big Juicy Gossip Episode
This episode is juicy, and it does have gossip — but I admit that it's actually less about specific juicy gossip and more about why we love juicy gossip... gossip about celebrities, gossip about extended family, gossip about our coworkers and frenemies and reality stars and even random people involved in high drama. We love reading gossip, whispering gossip, talking shit about people who gossip too much (or not enough)... gossip is a primary means of making sense of the world, and we should all talk (and think) about it more. Nichole Hill, host of the fantastic podcast Our Ancestors Were Messy, joins me to do just that. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Show Notes: Listen to Our Ancestors Were Messy! Learn more about Nichole's work Nicole references the episode on Paul Robeson, which you can find here My chapter on Dorothy Dandridge is in my book Scandals of Classic Hollywood Dandridge on the cover of Life Magazine: We also reference the episode on Oscar Micheaux, which is so wild Nichole's co-host on that episode = Dr. Ray Christian We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#125
May 13 · 1 hr 10 min
Checking In On The Momfluencers
This one's a classic Culture Study ep. We've got a return Culture Study guest, Sara Petersen, talking about a recurring Culture Study topic: WTF is going on with the momfluencers? Because when we talk about momfluencers, we're obviously also always talking about the ways we want motherhood to be performed in public... and how we also want/crave/need to police that performance. How are today's up-and-coming (and old school and tired) momfluencers managing politics, MAHA, privacy, and the constant demand for more reels? What is it about these accounts that always make "family" feel like a conservative project? And what's going on with the Canva-style checklists for "how to visit my newborn baby"??? We have SO much to talk about. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Get 15% off your first order of cleaning products at Blueland.com/CULTURE Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at Tumbleliving.com/CULTURE Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Show Notes: Definitely subscribe to Sara Petersen's newsletter (I read every issue) and check out her new podcast with Emily J. Smith, Clean Countertops Like..... read her latest missive on Mr. Ballerina Farm The Ballerina Farm pregnancy announcement/Protein Powder promotion short film Like Sara, I am now obsessed with BROOKE RAYBOULD (pictured above) SO MUCH HAPPENING I reference MTPromiseLand Read Sara's interview with Fortesa Latifi, author of the book about the kids of influencers Brooklyn and Bailey (whom I call the Baylor Influencer Twins) We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: SUMMER CAMP, SPECIFICALLY THE SUMMER CAMPS LIKE CAMP MYSTIC — camp-as-society-funnel, what counts and doesn't count as safety — with Kerry Howley, the author of this deep dive feature into the aftermath of the Mystic tragedy WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#124
May 6 · 1 hr 10 min
What Do We Do With All This STUFF??
This episode is just satisfying. I've heard from so many of you about how to deal with accumulated stuff. Not just accumulated linens, or too many hair products, but stuff with emotions attached: stuff that's been directed your way (with great import) from relatives, stuff you're trying to sift through when a parent died unexpectedly, or just artifacts from the last few decades of your life that you feel like you should keep (but definitely don't want to, or have space to). Professional organizer (and Culture Study reader) Tara Bremer joins the pod to grapple with so many of your complicated questions, like: What do I do with (very old) photo albums? Like, from the early 1900s? We moved into my Grandparents house and now we have to figure out what to do with boxes and BOXES of old history/Catholic theology books WTF do I do with my My Little Sisters' Vacuum-Sealed Cabbage Patch Dolls WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THE CHINA How to subtly tease the messaging between "I don't want this many things in my house" vs. "I don't want this many of YOUR things in my house" Will I regret not holding on to more things as I age? We have such a meaningful discussion about the various forces we encounter when figuring out what to keep and pass on — and, of course, I can't wait to hear your own suggestions (and help with your own conundrums) in the comments. 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 doctor you love today Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com Use code CULTURESTUDY to get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com/culturestudy Our listeners get a free gift with their first purchase when they use code CULTURE at Jonesroadbeauty.com Show Notes: Follow Tara on IG here and her professional account (for House Peace) here If you missed our subscriber-only episode about The Pitt, it's here That's it, no more show notes! We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. 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. Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here. Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here. Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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