Word Goblins

Are you a fitness girlie or a gym bro? Why are new diet fads and attractive influencers taking over our newsfeeds? Tune in to hear us discuss the pervasive culture of fitness; why it's damaging; and the coded message behind the "Instagram body".

Why are there so many terms and slang words describing the same thing? Catch us deconstructing the evolution of slang; how internet has escalated the dissemination of niche subculture language; and why we love and hate words. Ft. special guest Cora Thomas of Pacific Noise Weird fame.

Tune in to hear us discuss Amanda Montell's book "Cultish"; the Netflix documentary "Escaping the Twin Flames Universe"; and our endless fascination with cult content.

Stan culture vs celebrity culture? How has the fandom scene transformed over the decades? Tune in to hear us discuss what being a fan looks like and review the new documentary "Anything For Fame" which explores the world of online influencers and the extreme lengths they are willing to go for fame and fortune—streaming now on nfb.ca

Where did pop culture phrases go and is the era of sitcoms dead? Tune in to hear us discuss the rise and fall of film & TV one-liners; iconic quotes from Mean Girls; and how media consumption habits have changed.

Is business lingo really insufferable or does it serve a unique purpose? Tune in to hear us dissect corporate jargons; share the ones that give us the ick; and talk about the origin of it all.

Originally aired on September 13, rebroadcast September 27th during SOCAN. Why is everyone making girl dinner? Tune in to hear us dissect the girlification of everything, discuss gender essentialism, and of course blame capitalism.

Why is everyone making girl dinner? Tune in to hear us dissect the girlification of everything, discuss gender essentialism, and of course blame capitalism.

Did you know the phrases "spilling the tea" and "throwing shade" have roots in drag subculture? Tune in to hear us share other slangs that originate from marginalized in-groups, and discuss whether using them colloquially is appropriation or appreciation, or something in-between?

What does woke even mean now and who gets to use it? Tune in to hear us trace back the origin of the word woke; how it got co-opted by the conservatives and the corporations; and the shift in the meaning from "you know what's up" to "you really don't get it, do you."

Are you being ghosted; submarined; or love bombed? Tune in to hear us take a jab at modern dating lingo and ask the ultimate question, "why do we need 50 different quirky ways of saying someone is manipulative and/or acting poorly?"

Are revenge body, glow up culture, and hot girl summer different phrases for the same idea of reinforcing stringent beauty ideals? Tune in to hear us make sense of these physical transformation trends and discuss the commodification of the body as social currency.

Are you setting boundaries or are you avoiding accountability? Tune in to hear us dissect the burgeoning therapy-speak on Instagram and discuss whether codifying mental health language really serves anyone?

Why was everything and everyone so random and awkward in 2007? Tune in to hear us do a deep dive into millennial humour (aka LOLcat and dogespeak) and its rise and fall.