Over the last six years, our conversations on Culture Study have often circled back to a handful of recurring themes: contemporary work culture, burnout, optimization culture, intensive parenting, the often hollow pull of the algorithm, the tattered social safety net, and the desire to engage more with the world (and community) around us. We're fun, I promise! And today we're going to weave together so many of those threads in an intricate conversation about the broken promises of convenience culture.Gabe Bullard started writing Against Convenience years before "friction-maxxing" became a thing. He's thought deeply about the bad time bargains of conveniences large and small, and he's spectacularly well-equipped to work through your questions on everything from the tyranny of pre-check, the difficulty of letting go of a lunch-order-habit, and much bigger questions about how convenience culture facilitates our worst forms of individualism. There's so much for us to keep building on in the comments, too, so make sure and find us there.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/CULTUREReady to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order.Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Buy Against Convenience at your local bookstore (or through Bookshop, which is more convenient than your local bookshop but purposefully less convenient than Amazon)Subscribe to Gabe's newsletter hereGabe references Never Done: A History of American Housework by Susan StrasserHe also mentions this classic Wendell Berry essay, "Why I Am Not Going To Buy A Computer"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 insideTHE 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! 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.

IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! Conflict happens — and navigating that conflict is essential to a healthy community, a healthy relationship, and a healthy workplace. But so many of us are conflict-adverse (often for good reason). We need better strategies, better paradigms... better fighting advice. Priya Parker, author of the Culture Study foundational text The Art of Gathering, is here to give it to us.We talk about fighting with our parents — especially stubborn parents. We talk about women figuring out their tone and conflict navigation at work (and on Slack!!!). We talk about how to fight when you and your partner have opposite fighting "styles"... and how to fight when you start crying as soon you sense conflict. I often shy away from conversations like these because the advice can feel very theoretical and woo. But there's so much actionable advice packed into this episode — we finished recording and Melody immediately texted me to say wow, to which I replied, dude, I know. Listen and see what we mean! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODOllie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box!Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase!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:Follow Priya Parker on IG here (I'm always getting ideas from her!)Buy The Art of Fighting hereSubscribe to Priya's wonderful newsletter "Group Life" hereThe Group Help Learning LabA transcript for this episode is available here.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 insideTHE 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.

I love kids. In a different timeline, I'd almost certainly have them. But when I was in my 30s, I looked around — and looked at my own bank account, and the realities of childcare, the weight of my student loans, and how hard people without close family support were working just to get by — and I thought: I can't make this work. And because I didn't even try to have a kid, I didn't have to confront the likelihood of needing fertility treatment to get pregnant in my late 30s.People often say that there's no good time to have a baby, so you should just ignore all the things that make it feel fraught and go for it. You'll make it work. But that argument has begun to feel increasingly out-of-touch. Parenting amidst a polycrisis is really hard. If you've delayed parenthood for whatever reason, getting pregnant — or adopting a child — has become incredibly expensive. Even in countries with robust safety nets, adults are increasingly deprioritizing having kids. In her new book, Anna Louie Sussman takes a non-sensationalist look at the declining birth rate in so many countries, digging past the surface-level data to get at the much deeper question: what makes parenthood feel increasingly inconceivable? And what could possibly be done to make it feel otherwise? Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head to NOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order!If you’re looking to make a small change in your routine, you can get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTUREGet $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREArticle is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.Show Notes:Learn more about Anna Louie Sussman's work hereBuy Inconceivable hereWe talk about the original NYT article ("The End of Babies") that sparked this book; you can find it here (gift link)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 insideTHE 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.

A man with a fairytale castle in upstate New York who keeps trying to make a self-produced reality show about "princesses" happen — and become a modern-day Hugh Hefner. A man who got famous on YouTube for lawn care who ends up filming himself as a baby — and has a SWAT team called to his house. These stories form the backbone of Jon Ronson's journey into the world of "unraveling men." Those two men's stories are exceptional, but they're also an entry point into a subject area I like to think of as "WTF is going on with dudes right now." Join Jon and me as we avoid the usual discussion about "toxic masculinity" and go deeper into friend-less-ness, algorithms, purposelessness, Sad Dads, and male buffoonery. It's a wild ride that felt like the beginning of a much longer conversation (that I hope we can keep having in the comments)!   Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/culture Go to  https://zbiotics.com/culturestudy and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Show Notes: Buy The Castle here! You can read an excerpt of The Castle — specifically about the guy who started out as a lawn care influencer and then became The Third Baby — in the New York Times Magazine  Jon mentions his piece for GQ about the White House cage fight Learn more about Jon Ronson's work (there's so much of it!) here We mention So You've Been Publicly Shamed, Jon's previous book I wrote a piece back in 2023 addressing some of Richard Reeves' findings re: men & ambition I reference an episode of The Ezra Klein Show where he references his arguments being reproduced/distorted for engagement — it's the most recent Mailbag ep, which you can find here 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! 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.

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.

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! From Sophie Strauss's Style School Newsletter 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Weddings are such a rich text. Maybe the richest text? At least how they're performed today, at the intersection of conspicuous consumption and cultural capital. What do your wedding favors say about you? What about your cell-phone policy? The number of times you post your wedding photos? If you have three separate wedding outfits, is that extra? But is just one... not enough? And if people talk so much shit about weddings (going to them, paying for them, planning them) why don't we just get married like it's 1962? Amanda Montell — author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and architect of an extremely extra wedding — joins the pod to unpack wedding culture's turn towards content creation (with a bunch of bonus talk about how to do what actually feels right for you). What a wacky, joyful, yet still classically Culture Study ep! Via Pinterest, of course Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Take the Hormonal Life Stage Quiz and get 32% off your first purchase at Biologica.com/CULTURE Treat yourself to the most advanced bras on the market and get 20% off at honeylove.com/CULTURE Go to wildalaskan.com/CULTURE for $35 off your first order of premium, wild-caught seafood Get $25 off the best-selling Carver Mat frame at AuraFrames.com with promo code CULTURE Show Notes: Follow Amanda Montell on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_montell/?hl=en We talk a lot about Amanda's wedding/wedding photos — a peek here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2R0NzsruX/?hl=en&img_index=1 Buy The Age of Magical Overthinking here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9781668007983 Buy Cultish here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780062993168 Listen to Amanda's podcast, Sounds Like a Cult: https://www.soundslikeacult.com/ And her other podcast, Magical Overthinkers: https://bio.site/magicaloverthinkers We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: BOOK CONCIERGE... BUT FOR IRISH LITERATURE. We're so thrilled to have Maggie O'Farrell (author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait) on the pod to do an Irish version of our book concierge: tell us what books you love, and Maggie and I will suggest Irish books to check out (or ask us Maggie O'Farrell-related questions! Her new book, Land, is set in Ireland before and after 'The Great Hunger') HEARTTHROBS with return guest Adib Khorram! Who are the heartthrobs in 2026, where did they come from, who gets to be one, etc etc 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. BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. 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. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CITY with Lilah Raptopoulos, editor of the Financial Times city life vertical. We're going to talk about how to fall in love with cities WHILE VISITING (for fun, for vacation, for work) and how to fall in love with the city where you currently live. What tips do you want? What city are you struggling to fall in love with? 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. As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here For this week’s discussion: How have you observed the content-ification of weddings in your world... and how have you seen people resist it? 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.

When we wax poetic about the wonders of 2007 and 2008... what are we actually yearning for? Serendipity? Hope? The as-yet uncompromised belief that the arc of history bends toward justice? Or maybe just... a world without smartphones? Atlantic writer and bestselling novelist Xochitl Gonzalez joins the pod to talk about what it felt like to be at the epicenter of 2007/2008 nostalgia, and how it created the perfect backdrop for her take on very Brooklyn Great Gatsby. This was such a dynamic discussion, filled with tangents and joy and trying to parse the contradiction of feeling nostalgia for an era that objectively sucked... but also generated a feeling of optimism and possibility that many of us have not felt since. I can't wait for the discussion on this one. Brooklyn October 2008 (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Get $25 off the best-selling Carver Mat frame with code CULTURE at auraframes.com/culture If you're in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table, or bed, head over to Article.com Start your dog's obsession with 70% off your Welcome Kit by using code CULTURE at Ollie.com/CULTURE Show Notes: Buy Xochitl's Last Night in Brooklyn here Follow Xochitl on Instagram here More on the YOUTHQUAKE A solid overview from Marketplace on the housing affects (and ramifications of) the recession — including the stat referenced by Xochitl that nearly 10 million people lost their homes Xochitl's first novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, is about a Sunset Park wedding planner (something Xochitl talks about extensively in this conversation) Our episode re: "Are Millennials the Most Nostalgic Generation?" Michelle Obama in J.Crew (and why it mattered) Photo evidence (from my FACEBOOK ALBUM) that the scene I describe re: Brooklyn with my brother on Fourth of July did occur   We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: BOOK CONCIERGE....BUT FOR IRISH LITERATURE. We're so thrilled to have Maggie O'Farrell (author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait) on the pod to do an Irish version of our book concierge: tell us what books you love, and Maggie and I will suggest Irish books to check out (or ask us Maggie O'Farrell-related questions! Her new book, Land, is set in Ireland before and after 'The Great Hunger') HEARTTHROBS with return guest Adib Khorram! Who are the heartthrobs in 2026, where did they come from, who gets to be one, etc etc 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. BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. 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. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CITY with Lilah Raptopoulos, editor of the Financial Times city life vertical. We're going to talk about how to fall in love with cities WHILE VISITING (for fun, for vacation, for work) and how to fall in love with the city where you currently live. What tips do you want? What city are you struggling to fall in love with? 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. As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here For this week’s discussion: Tell us about your 2007/2008 — and your feelings about it (and how it relates to this larger nostalgia for this era). 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.