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Mess World

Jessica DeFino

Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty.

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  • 23 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 1 hr 31 min
  • English

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  • Friday · 1 hr 44 min

    The Foucault of Eye Patches

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Why people suck at watching TV now [2:23], the Dieux x Fishwife collab [17:20], an Emmy’s fashion recap [22:15], Elizabeth Holmes’ “I’m Innocent!” makeover [54:00], collars and clown ruffs are having a moment [1:04:01], what the viral “grinder eye mask” controversy says about the sustainability-to-status-symbol pipeline [1:13:00], a Fashion Month overview (shoes are disappearing! eyes are getting deader! automata reign supreme!) [1:28:30], Donna Karan’s brattiness [1:40:20], and “hair makeup” at Ulta. Plus more! Media we mentioned: Masscult and Midcult [Dwight Macdonald], “The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century” [NY Times] “How The Dropout’s Makeup Team Nailed Elizabeth Holmes’s Signature Look” [W], Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison [Michel Foucault], “Fecal Matter Dreams a Fashion Dream” [NY Times], “The Sandman” [ETA Hoffman], The End of Fashion [Teri Agins] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • September 4 · 1 hr 25 min

    All About That Treble

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The John Galliano Met Gala mess [2:58], a new perfume named White Blood [20:18], Klutz-core plastic gems [33:50], the trouble with r.e.m. beauty and Ariana Grande [43:06], justice for the Chanel barefoot shoes [59:30], misinterpreted data from the Reddit People’s Beauty Index [1:09:47], Brooks Nader’s Gucci pap walk [1:16:57], and ads for chemical peels in medical clinics [1:21:44]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Galliano Goes Bye-Bye? Yeah, No S**t.” [Brain Matter], Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma [Claire Dederer], “What Does MAGA Smell Like?” [Dazed], Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting [Sianne Ngai], “Ariana Grande’s Fans Have Two Bad Options Right Now” [Slate], “Ariana Grande and the Disappointment of Diagnosis” [The New Yorker], “Ariana Grande and the Shadow of My Own Thinness” [Wall Street Journal], Ways of Seeing [John Berger] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • August 7 · 1 hr 40 min

    All Aboard The Glambulance!

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The next Lowbrow Book Club read [4:00], Marie Claire Australia’s AI faux pas [9:01], the whole Jessica vs. Jia Tolentino mess [22:15], insider intel re: Travis Kelce’s wedding outfit (it’s rough) [35:45], Caroline Calloway’s “nothing tastes as good as fraudulently-acquired Ozempic feels” essay [50:46], the rise of sea hag-esque shredded gowns [59:40], embodiment vs. “embottlement” [1:11:09], is Aaron Rogers dating an AI chatbot?? [1:16:03], a feminist argument for critiquing influencers [1:18:00], an ode to Jimothy [1:30:54], and a takedown of Tarte’s Glambulance [1:33:12]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: Ways of Seeing [John Berger], GET OFF MY HOLE! bumper stickers [FLESH WORLD], “They Used GLP-1s to Lose Weight. They Ended Up in Treatment for Anorexia.” [WSJ], “A Completely Smooth Forehead Is Out. ‘Strategic Wrinkles’ Are In.” [WSJ], “Everyone Wants to Smell Like a Pretty Kitty This Summer” [Byrdie], Perfection [Vincenzo Latronico] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • July 3 · 1 hr 39 min

    Clear Eyes, Pink Nips, Can't Lose

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: A new pink tint for your nipples [0:50], the delightful fashions of the Pornhub Awards [9:00], the beauty industry’s hottest new collab: billboards x your body [28:20], red carpet publicity stunts [37:11], a bizarre Blake Lively pap walk [44:30], Clavicular’s plastic surgeon wrote a children’s book about liposuction [51:00], the battle of the smart glasses (everyone loses) [1:07:00], s**t-talking QR codes [1:30:07], and “glowing down” [1:33:15]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Mother F*cker” [The Cut], “The Must-Have Lingerie According to New York City Strippers” [Interview], “The Madonna Interview” [Interview], “Dr. Miami Speaks Out After Ex-Employee Calls Him ‘Erratic,’ Claims He Encouraged Her to Get Liposuction” [People], “Jewish plastic surgeon in trouble over ‘Jewcan Sam’ video” [The Washington Post], “The Search for Mark Zuckerberg’s Mystery Stylist” [Vanity Fair], “Woman Accuses Tech of Wearing Meta Recording Glasses During Her Brazilian Wax” [VICE], “Will We Ever Burn Out On Beauty?” [Vogue Business], our guest appearance on the Too Niche? podcast Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • June 9 · 2 hr 20 min

    Plastic Surgery Poesy

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The Jeff Koons-ian packaging of the new Marc Jacobs Beauty products [2:00], lip balm for boys inspired by AK-47s [9:27], conjoined twin-core [14:15], accessorizing with teeth [23:30], fake tans vs. suntans [35:00], the final word on James Charles [41:00], a bizarre literary/skincare crossover [1:10:00], a Met Gala recap (Bad Bunny’s aging prosthetics! The Kardashians’ simulated nipples! Eileen Gu’s bubbles!) [1:19:55], the Queen of Cannes [2:05:27], and a dramatic reading of Rosie O’Donnell’s facelift reveal poem [2:08:40]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Meet The Lipsdick: A Dick-Shaped Lipstick” [FLESH WORLD], “MJ Corey Will Make You Love The Kardashians” [Interview], Someday Perfect [Kat Schneider], Yesteryear [Caro Claire Burke], “Meet The Man Who Gave Bad Bunny Jowls” [Interview] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • May 4 · 1 hr 47 min

    The Cult of Cuteness

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: April Fool’s Day beauty products and the death of parody [1:30], even more fowl-inspired fashion [8:13], the return of the joutfit [17:00], diet-culture-beauty-culture mashups (Fat Oil Body Oil!) [24:30], inflatable attire [32:40], the machine behind the Swan Beauty mirror [41:10], Sianne Ngai’s theory of cuteness [58:00], Bieberchella x Hailey Bieber’s Rhode pimple patches and the reign of the digital doppelganger [1:16:00], Kris Jenner’s quest for tautness [1:35:52], and Euphoria makeup madness [1:48:40]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “The rise and rise of ‘dewy dumpling skin’” [Sunday Times], “The Estée Lauder Companies is investing in skin-care technology to fight sugar’s impact on skin” [Glossy], Our Aesthetic Categories [Sianne Ngai], Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World [Naomi Klein], “My Strange Dysphoria” [The Cut], “Inside Kris Jenner’s Facelift-gate” [Puck], The Lowbrow Book Club Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • April 7 · 1 hr 40 min

    The Butt Blush Boom

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The Listerine Strip beauty boom [8:50]; poultry inspiration on the red carpet [14:15]; cadaver fat injectables as a form of cannibalism [21:30]; invisible and/or ephemeral shirting [25:39]; the Gen Z pout [44:44]; Chappell Roan, Timothée Chalamet, Lindy West, and discoursing celebrity to death [52:53]; blush for your butt and the aesthetics of spanking [1:11:03]; Kevin O’Leary’s $12.9 million necklace [1:24:14]; and beauty products for female humanoids [1:31:00]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Can feathers ever be ethical? Stella McCartney is betting on it” [Vogue Business], “How organ and tissue donation companies worked their way into the county morgue” [LA Times], “Worried about how your body parts will be used? Here’s what you can do” [LA Times], “The cult of the dissociative pout” [i-D], “Everyone Is Botoxed & No One Is Horny” [FLESH WORLD], “A New Report Has Found That Chappell Roan Was The Target Of A Bot-Driven Online Attack” [Buzzfeed], “Lindy West’s How-Not-To Guide to Polyamory” [Slate], Women, Race & Class [Angela Davis], Metropolis [Fritz Lang] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • March 4 · 2 hr

    Eugenicsmaxxing

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Carrot-and-saddle-leather perfume to make you smell like a horse [2:07], protest fashion and shibari details on the AVN red carpet [8:11], investigating faux post-Botox photos of Florence Pugh [29:00], Deuxmoi’s affinity for AI slop [34:14], Deepak Chopra in the Epstein files & the fate of his (creepy!) beauty collab with Augustinus Bader [51:26], the cult of Clavicular [59:10], Brooklyn Beckham’s tattoo cover-up [1:35:44], and pilates and rosacea on Love Is Blind [1:38:48]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “The Most Bizarre Covers of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s George Magazine” [Vanity Fair], “The AI Platform Reimagining The Future Of Wellness” [British Vogue], “Handsome at Any Cost” [New York Times], “CLAVICULAR Talks Female Psychology, Drug Habit, Infamy” [The Adam Friedland Show], “Inside the PSL Scale: The Looksmaxxer Rating System That All the Teenagers Are Referencing” [GQ], “Fashion’s Alt-Right Flirtation” [I <3 Mess], “People Are ‘Harmonizing’ Their Faces. Why?” [FLESH WORLD] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • February 6 · 1 hr 59 min

    Longevity Erotica

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The obscured asscrack [2:30], the obscured face [9:40] , Kendall Jenner’s “Accutane nose job” [13:40], Alix Earle’s perioral dermatitis (“if eczema, acne, and rosacea had this evil baby”) and new “Get Real With Me” Youtube show [18:30], Dolce & Gabbana’s umpteenth cancellation [23:49], everyone’s being stupid about the “male gaze” [51:30], we (unfortunately) watched Ryan Murphy’s “The Beauty” [1:05:00], Bryan Johnson’s longevity erotica [1:39:22], and brands turning anti-ICE activism into ads [1:52:30]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Mess Is The Moment: Our Trend Forecast For The Year” [MESS WORLD], “Cracks Are Back” [The Cut], “ICE is a Public Jobs Program for Losers” [Diabolical Lies], “When Beauty Becomes Background Noise” [FLESH WORLD], Ways of Seeing [John Berger], “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” [Laura Mulvey], Powers of Horror [Julia Kristeva], “Everyone Is Beautiful and No One Is Horny” [Blood Knife], The Shock Doctrine [Naomi Klein] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts! About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • January 6 · 1 hr 38 min

    Mess Is The Moment: Our Trend Forecast For The Year

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Our 2026 trend predictions: adult babies [5:30], lampshade dressing [6:40], chastity belts [10:45], clown aesthetics [12:12], fetal skincare [16:30], Pleaser innovation (maybe stilts?) [20:55], death-related beauty [25:50], ephemeral fashion [32:10], plastic surgery spon-con [35:00], the “bleph in a bottle” [37:00], outer space [41:45], hyperreal bodies [48:00], hypergender [54:00], mask-off marketing [1:01:05], Americana [1:05:00], 2-D shapes [1:07:00], manufactured messy girls [1:15:00], the obscured face [1:20:40], oil blotting sheets [1:24:00] and pet nail care [1:26:00], as well as our Messes of the Month (Tom Brady’s Instagram and Kris Jenner’s real nose). Plus more! Media we mentioned: “What Was Beauty In 2025?” [FLESH WORLD], “We Tried It: The $650 ‘Penis Facial’” [People], “Corporate types are clamoring for a new kind of plastic surgery — using dead people’s fat” [Business Insider], Mad Men’s “death drive” scene [YouTube], “The plastic-eating bacteria that could change the world” [The Guardian], Simulacra and Simulation [Jean Baudrillard], “The Year The Beauty Industry Made You Its Biche” [CNN] Also: We’re on YouTube now, where you can watch previous episodes. About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Dec 2, 2025 · 1 hr 40 min

    Welcome To Placenta University

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Our Doppelgänger discussion last night with the Lowbrow Book Club, Emily’s Kim K body paint prediction came true [5:25], a wave of anti-plastic surgery essays on Substack [9:00], Cardi B’s chrome-plated umbilical cord [19:45], a wide-ranging rant about Rini, Shay Mitchell’s skincare brand for kids [29:30], Addison Rae’s blindfold [43:20], Simone Biles’ cosmetic transparency [52:40], the shadow side of fast fashion [1:08:32], The Costume Institute’s Spring 2026 Exhibition — Costume Art — sponsored by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos [1:15:00], Jennifer Aniston’s 30-year-old toe ring [1:29:00], and Sephora’s strange holiday campaign [1:32:50]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Is it weird facelifts are becoming normalized, or am I being too judgmental?” [The Guardian], “Shay Mitchell’s Kid Skin Care Line Isn’t That Deep. Neither Was Your Childhood Beauty Obsession.” [Glamour], “I’m getting ads for beauty products for my baby. Infants don’t need skincare – do they?” [The Guardian], “Hair and skin care products expose kids to hormone disrupting chemicals, study finds” [NPR], “Growing skincare use by children is dangerous, say dermatologists” [BBC], “What experts want you to know about Ozempic earlobes” [Hello], clothing waste in Ghana [Instagram], The House of Beauty: Lessons From The Image Industry [Arabelle Sicardi], “My Gucci Addiction” [GQ] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts. About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Oct 31, 2025 · 1 hr 40 min

    Your Neck Is Saggy (Complimentary)

    We’re back with a new episode of Mess World, a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The Kardashians are stalking Emily [4:15], the European Wax Center is in cahoots with Skims [17:30], was Fashion Month anti-woman? [22:45], clown couture [41:30], why no one gets a neck lift “for themselves” [49:30], the hair extensions at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show [58:30], Shark Beauty and the rise of pore-vacuuming [1:04:48], Taylor Swift’s failed showgirl aesthetic [1:11:00], the Hollywood pumpkin patch PR crisis [1:31:28], and Wrinkles Week at The Strategist [1:34:25]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste [Pierre Bourdieu], “Consider the Lip Kit” [Slate], “Why Can’t Fashion See What It Does to Women?” [The New York Times], “We Are All Disney Adults Now” [Mental Hellth], “Who Is Allowed to ‘Perform’ Gender and Identity?” [Many Such Cases], Thick [Tressie McMillan Cottom] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts. About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Oct 3, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min

    Simulacra-Mania!

    We’re back with a new name and a fresh episode of Mess World (formerly The Review of Mess): a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: The “scandal” at the mental health start-up Selena Gomez started with her mother [6:30], a very dystopian NikeSkims launch at the New York Public Library [15:00], Pamela Anderson’s capitalist absorption [33:30], Doja Cat dreams of edible lipstick [38:45], the (Emily-predicted!) rise of the “Bodies on Bodies” trend [45:30], a Fashion Month beauty recap (Simulacra Skin! China Doll Hair! What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Makeup! Dirt! Pepto Pink! Butthead Sunnies!) [55:30], a Labubu on Karl Marx’s grave [1:16:18], and the inane “ear seeding for cortisol face” discourse [1:21:15]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Sick People Are Sick” [Freddie DeBoer], Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto [MJ Corey], Love, Pamela [Pamela Anderson], What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? [Tubi] Also: We’re on YouTube now, for those who prefer to watch their podcasts. About the podcast: Mess World is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Mess World theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Aug 29, 2025 · 1 hr 39 min

    Ambient Eugenics

    We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between FLESH WORLD (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Skims’ dystopian skull shapewear [3:50], Alicia Keys’ “It’s Like Skin” foundation [18:40], Anna Delvey’s Trumpian approach to scandal, the politics of beauty’s WNBA takeover [39:00], the “Stretch Armstrong” trend (or the manspreading of garments) [49:35], Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ads [56:55], ambient eugenics in the beauty industry [1:10:00], Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater DNA [1:20:00], rage-bait as a gimmick [1:24:55], “The Summer I Turned Pretty” [1:30:25], and the Virgin Mary’s botched glow-up [1:36:00]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: Aesthetic Labour : Rethinking Beauty Politics in Neoliberalism [forward by Susie Orbach], “Alicia Keys Opens Up About The Pressures of Perfection” [Nylon], “haterade: the ny liberty think your vagina stinks” [Out Of Your League], “athlete beauty campaigns in the age of transvestigations” [Out Of Your League], Calvin Klein’s 1980 Brooke Shields commercial, “How Sydney Sweeney Became the Most Talked-About Woman in Hollywood” [WSJ], “Sydney Sweeney Knows Exactly What She’s Doing” [Salon], Gwyneth: The Biography [Amy Odell], Theory of the Gimmick [Sianne Ngai] About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind FLESH WORLD, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Aug 1, 2025 · 1 hr 24 min

    You Can Never Escape The Labubu

    We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Our new book club!, period blood as a fashion statement (or protest) [4:55], Kim Kardashian’s Elizabeth Taylor cosplay [10:45], Revlon’s inane lip gloss collab with Guy Fieri [19:26], the panopticon of surveillance culture by way of the Coldplay cheating scandal [26:30], heat damage is the hot new hair trend [38:30], Hailey Bieber’s perioral dermatitis [42:10], The Battle of Versailles’ impact on the modeling industry [47:25], Labubu as the embodiment of Sianne Ngai’s aesthetic theory of cuteness [59:00], Schiaparelli’s unsettling beating heart dress [1:13:38], and frozen cod as skincare [1:20:35]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: The Lowbrow Book Club [Substack], So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed [Jon Ronson], So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed review [The Guardian], The Battle of Versailles [Robin Givhan], Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting [Sianne Ngai] About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Jun 30, 2025 · 1 hr 46 min

    Should We Take Ugly Women Seriously?

    We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). Today we’re talking about: Our first impressions of the Caroline Bessette-Kennedy costuming in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming “American Love Story” (very Lifetime Original Movie-coded!) [6:30], why temporary tattoos and faux nipple piercings are trending right now [26:30], the faults and failings of “cosmetic transparency” [37:30], hyperreal paparazzi shots [1:02:20], shaving: personal preference or cultural conditioning? [1:13:20], women who aren’t hot: should they be taken seriously? [1:19:00], Tom Brady’s charming no-show socks [1:34:10], and the Baccarat Hotel stinkin’ up the streets of NYC [1:36:00; please note Jessica oh-so-stupidly referred to this as the Baccarat 540 perfume store, which it is not]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Colorist on the “Totally Wrong” Hair Color in Those Ryan Murphy Images” [Vogue], “Ryan Murphy Addresses the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Discourse” [Puck], The Century of the Self [YouTube], Fur Annual Body Hair Survey [Instagram], @messworldwide [Instagram], Impersonal Foul [Substack] About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Jun 2, 2025 · 1 hr 50 min

    A Hermeneutic Analysis of Jones Road Beauty

    We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment we invited Mikala Jamison, writer of the newsletter Body Type, to chat about muscle-as-accessory in the Build-A-Body era. Today we’re talking about: A final Met Gala recap [3:12]; the Cannes red carpet nipple ban [27:30]; a hermeneutic analysis of Jones Road Just Enough Tinted Moisturizer [38:30]; genderqueer outfits from Justin Bieber and Alexander Skarsgård [48:30]; faux-free bleeding from Julia Fox [54:30]; Jennifer Aniston and LolaVie’s gimmicky “No Gimmicks” campaign [58:40]; a conversation with Mikala Jamison about Sophie Turner’s muscles, Khloé Kardashian’s protein popcorn, and the absurdity of “revenge bodies” [1:06:50]; Barbie Fashion Designer CD-ROMs [1:39:45]; and DIY otoplasty [1:43:25]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity [Monica L. Miller], “Black Dandyism: a Cultural History, an interview with Monica L. Miller” [Dressed: The History of Fashion Podcast], Theory of the Gimmick [Sianne Ngai] About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • May 27, 2025 · 5 min

    $33 Non-Toxic Toilet Paper with Ochuko Akpovbovbo

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jessicadefino.substack.com We’re back with another very special paid subscriber only episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment, we invited Ochuko Akpovbovbo — writer of the must-read and oft-quoted (by us) newsletter as seen on — to join us. Today we’re talking …

  • May 5, 2025 · 1 hr 52 min

    David Cronenberg For The Girlies

    We’re back with another episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment, we invited writer and director Emilie Blichfeldt to talk about her new “beauty horror” film, The Ugly Stepsister, which is theaters now and will begin streaming on Shudder on May 9. Today we’re talking about: Apocalyptic steampunk fashion at Coachella [3:30]; the astounding number of beauty brand founders on Time Magazine’s list of The 100 Most Influential People of 2025 [18:45]; aesthetic recession indicators [23:57]; a horrifying/embarrassing story involving Jessica, J.K. Rowling, and this Batsheva BUTTERFACE t-shirt [39:20]; a new hole care brand called Niches & Nooks [42:00]; luxury fashion post-tariffs [51:10]; Anne Hathaway’s alleged face lift [1:02:45]; an interview with Emilie Blichfeldt on tape worms, hair loss, and ugly heroines [1:08:36]; Lauren Sanchez’s $5,750 Balenciaga coffee cup [1:40:00]; and a fun little mental breakdown that resulted in Jessica bleaching her eyebrows [1:48:45]. Plus more! Media we mentioned: “Small plate cowgirls” [American Style], Ways of Seeing [John Berger], “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” [Walter Benjamin], “Weight-Loss Drugs Like Wegovy Are Linked to Hair Loss” [TIME], “Reentering The World With Anxiety Eyebrows” [Vogue] About the podcast: The Review of Mess is a podcast by Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick that takes a critical look at the dregs of pop culture. Jessica is the writer behind The Review of Beauty, which has been called the newsletter “the beauty industry fears,” and Emily is the creator of I <3 Mess, a weekly roundup of the best of the worst celebrity fashion. Together, they dissect the biggest and dumbest celebrity happenings every month and give their unfiltered opinion on everything going on in the world of fashion and beauty. Subscribe to receive future podcast posts in your inbox: About the theme music: The Review of Mess theme song is “Hot Mess” by Carly Lind. Find more about Carly here and listen to her music here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jessicadefino.substack.com/subscribe

  • Apr 21, 2025 · 7 min

    Bon Iver's Tinned Fish with Josh Gondelman

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit jessicadefino.substack.com We’re back with another very special paid subscriber only episode of The Review of Mess: a podcast collaboration between The Review of Beauty (by me, Jessica DeFino) and I <3 Mess (a fashion newsletter from Emily Kirkpatrick). For this installment, we invited comedian extraordinaire Josh Gondelman, writer of the newsletter That's Marvelous!, to join us in conversation. Today we’re tal…

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