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SPOILERS AHEAD! Elaine and Carlyn discuss a little Canadian show that has people talking. From our own impressions of the series, to who makes up the intended audience, to what the wave of popularity says about our world at the turn of this new year… its time to talk Heated Rivalry . Further Reading: * Heated Rivalry on HBOMax * South Park Clip Theme Music: “Banjo Beat” - Will Records This is a pu...

Elaine and Carlyn talk about their religious upbringing and the importance of community in this holiday season. Theme Music: “Banjo Beat” - Will Records; Handel’s Messiah: Part II, Hallelujah Chorus (Sargent 1958) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit relatedpodcast.substack.com

As romance culture wobbles and capitalism keeps capitalism-ing, a century-old idea has reentered the group chat: marrying a best friend for the benefits, not the butterflies. We explore why lavender marriages are resurfacing now, what they reveal about modern adulthood, and how people are redesigning partnership to fit the lives they actually have. It’s marriage, but make it pragmatic. Further Rea...

“Millennials killed” have become the first two words of a countless number of articles blaming our generation for the death of fads, traditions, and even industries. Today, we talk about the attention-grabbing trend and whether or not this naming convention is something too that millennials should kill. Further Reading: * The decade of ‘millennials killing’ things has come to an end, but it wasn’t...

Rollerskating. Gardening. Knitting. Rock tumbling. Hiking. Palm reading. Fly fishing. Birdwatching. Hobbies are making a comeback among the Gen Z and Millennial generations…In this episode we dig into our own hobbies and simultaneously unpack this rising trend. FURTHER READING: Why Gen Z says ‘hotties need hobbies’ (WBUR) What is Millennial Hobby Energy? (Culture Study) From hiking to birdwatching...

In the last several years there has been a change in public perception about powerful men. People like Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, who were once proclaimed as geniuses, have undergone increased scrutiny by the media and by citizens examining our capitalist infrastructure. And they are not the only ones being questioned. People are looking closer at the intentions of notable m...

Over the past month, a few essays about work and corporate life have struck a nerve online. In “ The Death of the Corporate Job, ” Alex McCann argues that traditional work isn’t collapsing; it’s quietly dying because people no longer believe in it. The offices, the meetings, the decks all still happen, but the meaning has leaked out. More and more, the paycheck is just funding the real work: side...

In 2025, the story of Pride & Prejudice has a few significant anniversaries. The 1995 BBC miniseries is celebrating 30 years and the 2005 film is celebrating 20 years. Plus, this upcoming winter marks 250 years since Jane Austen’s birth. Despite the time elapsed since Austen wrote the book and its publication, the novel seems to have remained part of our cultural narrative. Today, we sit down and...

When notable figures have acted in a way that swaths of people have found unacceptable they are boycotted and shunned, resulting in losing work opportunities and, in some cases, retreat from the spotlight. Such “cancellation” or decision to stop supporting a public persona, entered the vocabulary about ten years about, but really started to grow in popularity during the #MeToo movement, beginning...

Today, we’re talking about hair! Specifically: curly, mixed, natural hair. As biracial women with naturally curly hair ourselves, our relationship with our hair has been…complicated. And in recent years, the conversation around curls/natural hair has become more pronounced — with the rise of curly brands and products like Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, hairstyle trends like ‘cloud curls’, and incre...

In our first teaser episode, the day after Kamala Harris lost, we briefly discussed our feelings on the November 2024 elections. It’s been a while since that initial talk and a lot has happened. Now, six months into Trump’s second term, we wanted to check in to see how we’re feeling. FURTHER READING: Elaine’s Political Newsletter: Seeking Democracy First Teaser Episode: "But first," A Quick Electi...

Carlyn recently went to her 20th high school reunion. Elaine is still on the fence about hers. According to multiple sources, statistically only about 30% of a graduating class shows up to a reunion. Which makes you wonder: why do some people go, and others don’t? What are reunions really for in a world where we now see everyone’s life updates online? In this episode, C & E unpack that exact tensi...

Elaine (at 36) and Carlyn (at 38) talk about the beauty standards surrounding aging. As women, we are subjected to standards of beauty that are aimed at selling us solutions long before we hit puberty, but we’ve noticed that the market has changed – no longer is it offering simple beautification but now offers include anti-aging serums and supplements. Not to mention the uptick in cosmetic procedu...

According to research, women are increasingly interested in going on solo adventures - both domestic and international. One report states that 40% of all female travelers have voiced desire to travel alone in 2025 – up 8 percentage points from last year. There are over 60K women in the “Solo Female Travel” reddit group, and there are an increasing amount of tours, travel apps, accommodation that a...

Kendrick Lamar made waves when he performed at the Super Bowl, the climax of a beef between him and the rapper Drake that started in the spring of 2024. One of the songs he performed was “Not Like Us”, arguably the most well-known song of last year and the diss track that solidified Lamar’s victory in the battle. Though Lamar did not attacked Drake’s biracial heritage directly, many of the reviews...

Purchasing products is a reality of our lives; and the associated branding is becoming increasingly omnipresent. In this episode, Carlyn and Elaine examine how companies use product branding to appeal to customers like them by looking at two emerging terms: “yassificiation” and “enshittification”, which both describe the relationship between an actual product and how they present to a potential co...

AI is everywhere—from chatbots to self-driving cars—and while some embrace it as an essential tool, others remain skeptical. In this episode, Carlyn and Elaine explore the ways AI and technology are reshaping personal relationships and social interactions. Carlyn, deeply embedded in the tech world, uses AI regularly, while Elaine has intentionally distanced herself from social media and digital to...

After our episode on the 4B movement, we wanted to have an additional conversation pertaining to how men might be viewing their own places in society. The Manosphere, which first coalesced on the internet, but has spread beyond, is an anti-feminist movement that has the potential to radicalize men. How do we understand the appeal of such a space? Join us, and our brother, as we explore the Manosph...

As we approached Valentine's Day this year, we found ourselves reflecting on a movement that's reshaping how many women view love, relationships, and their place in society. The 4B movement, which emerged in South Korea during the mid-2010s as a reaction to persistent gender inequality, represents four deliberate choices – the four “nos”: bihon "bee-hon" (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), b...

2024 was a year! In Elaine’s words: “it was a looong year…” 😂. In today’s episode, we reflect on 2024 and look forward towards 2025. Featuring: Pantone's Color of the Year - Mocha Mousse (Carlyn = "yay", Elaine = "nay"), a brief Chappell Roan discussion, Elaine’s love of trains, our personal highs and lows, a new “Stranger Shout-Out” segment, and more. Further Reading: Our respective favorite rea...

‘Tis the season… for Hallmark movies! At this most special time of the year, we talk about the growing holiday movie phenomenon. What defines a “Hallmark Movie”, why are they so appealing to our demographic, and does their rising popularity say anything about the TradWife trend? Further Reading: Tis The Season: A Hallmark Christmas Movie Outrated Everything On Cable News Last Week, Forbes.com ( ht...

Introducing our first full RELATED podcast episode. We both recently took so-called "career breaks", and as we near the end of our respective time away from 9-5 corporate, we reflect on what we've learned, general observations and thoughts regarding taking time off, millennial life/work trends, and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce...

We're still in the studio recording our first proper episode (launching after Thanksgiving!), but we wanted to take a moment to talk through our initial post-election reactions -- from election TikToks, to the role of black women in the Democratic Party. Recorded November 7, 2024. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vi...