STAN

✨ thank u, next ✨ TW: eating disorders Our lovely guest Lillie leads the conversation on Ariana Grande. We get into the long term impact of child stardom, the era of Tumblr ‘thinspo’ and the double standards in considering women’s personal lives and relationships far more heavily in evaluating their art than we do for men. The (vanishingly) redeeming qualities of reality TV The surprising allure...

🍮Thank you for being a friend 🍮 Our marvellous guest Mandy Kaplan (from Make Me a Nerd podcast) leads the conversation on The Golden Girls. We get into whether the Golden Girls was borne from genuine interest in telling the stories of older ladies, or opportunistic tokenism, whether social issues ever gain meaningful traction through fictional media and how GG set the tone for comedic writing st...

🧇 Friends don’t lie 🧇 Our effervescent guests Emily Jaye and V Arrow (of This Week in Fandom History) lead the conversation on Stranger Things. We get into the genius of the film references, how Stranger Things defined its own format and exemplified cross-genre writing, and whether Steve Harrington is the blueprint for the perfect redemption arc. Tangents include…. - Justice for Barb! (And other...

🔮 “There’s no such thing as psychics” 🔮 Our cracking guest Crystal Watanabe (aka @pikkotheeditor of the Rom Com Detectives) leads the conversation on The Mentalist. We get into the dubious value of the slow burn romance, the safety of watching chaotic characters from a distance (and the relief that they don’t exist in our real lives!) and the benefits/dangers of relying on one narrative thread t...

⛰️ Kid, you’ll move mountains! ⛰️ Our accomplished guest Amy leads the conversation on “Oh, the places you’ll go!” by Dr Seuss. We get into whether personal achievement and the ‘solo hero’s journey’ are responsible message to impart to our children, whether ‘the waiting place’ serves as reassurance or a cautionary tale and how overconsumption has enabled some truly insane movie IP merchandise. Tan...

Our ingenious guest Isabella leads the conversation on David Letterman. We get into the death of late-night television (and its resurrection in weird Youtube shows?), the necessary ingredients of a legendary comic and the evolution of the press junket, not necessarily for the better. Tangents include… The special quality~ that comedy agents are searching for at festivals The impossible balance bet...

Our marvellous guest Michael (from You Wanted a Hit! podcast) leads the conversation on Beastie Boys. We get into whether artists should bear accountability for their audiences’ interpretation of their work, the power dynamics of the creative process and the enduring relationship between politics and art. Tangents include… the dissipating etiquette observed during concerts (get off your phone, gir...

Our insightful guest Neoshia leads the conversation on the X Files. We get into the origins of the term 'shipping,' how TV got more gory and technical during its 'golden age' and how the X Files set the bar for the enduringly popular genre of crime procedurals. Tangents include...  - the ability of television to start conversations about social, political and even existential realities  - the have...

Our joyous guest Julia Makhalova Chi (founder of Brand Backstage and writer of Next in Culture) leads the conversation on Vince Gilligan. We get into why fandoms can be such a tense space, whether art can really ever be divorced from its promotion and deepening our understanding of content through an extended metaphors of food. Tangents include… - the inherent value of brat summer (immeasurable) -...

The boy who LIVED. Our legendary guest Lacey leads the conversation on Harry Potter. We get into the power of cultural diplomacy, the key ingredients of a ‘generationally defining’ text (particularly in a micro-event driven media landscape), and the ways in which we allay anxieties surrounding longevity and mortality. Tangents include: the involuntary bodily reaction to being starstruck the unexpe...

Our exceptional guests Ilissa and Michelle (of @totalbettypodcastnetwork) lead the conversation on Pretty Little Liars. We get into the evolving relationship between fandoms and writers rooms, the weird romanticisation of age-gap relationships and why the teen drama genre is so comforting and intoxicating. Tangents include...  the acceptable contexts to approach a woman in public the thin line sep...

Good morning upper east siders. Our hysterical guests Yarden and Kaia (from Not My Scene podcast) lead the conversation on Gossip Girl. We get into how media catalyses the loss of childhood innocence, unrealistic expectations of adulthood and the versatility of New York City as a background character. Tangents include… the completely unwarranted shame that accompanies menstruation the feminine urg...

Our genius guest Jayne (aka @didoriot) leads the conversation on The Row, and the Olsen twins. We get into the how the consumption cycle is diminishing the overall quality of clothing, successful marketing within post-irony culture and how the Olsen twins straddle the ‘competing’ identities of respected public intellectuals and slammin’ hotties. Tangents include… the unparalleled comfort of imagin...

Our marvellous guest Marilyn leads the conversation on twihard mania. We talk about the accidental success of the Twilight saga , the seductive wealth of the Cullens and the redeeming(?) qualities of Bella Swan as a female lead (jury's still out) Tangents include.... - the inevitability of crushing on authority figures - the inaccuracy of representations of depression in pop culture - the role of...

Our luminescent guest Lydia leads the conversation on the height of the YouTuber era in 2010s. We touch on vicarious living through lifestyle content, the ethics of childhood media exposure and the co-opting of content by thirsty corporations. Tangents include...  - the disappearance of our collective attention spans   - the enduring myth of the American dream  - the healing capacity of James Bond...

Our amazing guest Kasey leads the conversation on American Girl, the dolls that defined a generation of playtime. We talk about the stages of educational and empathetic development, representation in toys and the darkness of American history. Tangents include... - the unacknowledged difficulty of learning to read  - the consequences of the concerning rise of iPad kids   - the events of 9/11, i gue...

tw: sexual references (...obviously)  Our fabulous guest Jaylene leads the conversation on the growth of erotica produced by and for women. We talk about fan fiction, healthy sexual dynamics and women driven fantasies. Less serious tangents include...  - The romantic appeal of Brazil  - Harry Styles's hero's journey as "the world's boyfriend"  - The definitive hierarchy of Danish supermarket chain...

Our glorious guest Kat returns to continue the conversation on One Direction's impact on young women during the height of their fame.  Less serious tangents include... - Growing popularity and variety of erotic literature - Having 'problematic faves' (e.g. Matty Healy)  - Reminiscing over Topshop's high street hegemony     

Our glorious guest Kat leads the conversation on One Direction's impact on young women and the dis/advantages of having access to endless content during their developmental years.  Less serious tangents include...  - the flood of Americans moving to London  - the hell of teenage social dynamics  - explaining 'internet friends' to your parents  This episode was so juicy we made it into a two parter...

Our brilliant guest Zara leads the conversation on the Kardashian's impact on culture, beauty and the nature of celebrity. Less serious tangents include...  how dating evolves with age   misogyny in the workplace    yacht propaganda 

tw: mental health, body dysmorphia & sexual abuse  Our incredible guest Hannah leads the conversation on Katniss Everdeen's impact on confidence & resilience in the face of hardship.  Less serious tangents include.... - Hypochondriac crashouts  - Making friends as an adult  - Misogynist double standards in sports  and the all important question...is it possible to be hot whilst wearing a b...