Culture Study Podcast

In June, I sent out a Friday Thread prompt that readers had been asking for, in one shape or another, for years: How do we talk about non-romantic breakups? Why do they sting SO MUCH? Why is the vocab...

28 Aug 11min

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 beac...

26 Aug 1h 18min

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 ...

19 Aug 1h 1min

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...

12 Aug 1h 15min

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...

5 Aug 1h 16min

Two bonus episodes in two weeks, what is even happening! Well, The Odyssey happened — and after reading and writing about Matt Damon for this week's newsletter, I knew I wanted to talk and think more ...

3 Aug 4min

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. Abs...

29 Jul 1h 23min

Bonus eps are when we go deep on a cultural phenomenon, text, or celebrity that's overwhelming our feeds, charming our pants off, sparking general bewilderment, or, in this case, making us think long ...

26 Jul 10min