CLASH: THE CHANGING NOTION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN "AMERICAN". Today we dissect what the heck being an "American" even means — starting allll the way back at pre-pubescence. From Dani's early days idolizing various aspects of American culture with one foot in and one foot out, to Gabby's lame a** midwestern ignorance, we chat about our evolving perceptions, and embodiments, of "Americanness". What kinds of clashes did key cultural events, crises, and international immigrations spark? And how did moving to Paris turn us into unsolicited ambassadors of a country we barely understand ourselves? Don't worry - we absolutely spend half the podcast discussing Bad Bunny.

CLASH: WATCHING YOUR CITY CHANGE. Today’s Clash is a big one: watching the city you love….change. And in front of your eyes, no less. We’re joined by journalist, author, and podcaster Lindsey Tramuta—Paris resident of 20 years—to talk about the strange whiplash of seeing your home evolve in real time. From the changing attitudes of new Parisians to the growing American infusion of food, fashion, and culture (WE'RE SORRY), we get into the city’s personality shifts—and, maybe most importantly, how we're all navigating the increasingly small stools at "modern" coffee shops.

• Read Lindsey's substack, The New Paris Dispatch here
• Listen to her podcast, The New Paris Podcast here
• Check out more of. Lindsey's work here

A few additional links:

• The Atlantic, What if Our Ancestors Didn't Feel Anything Like We Do
• Decoder Ring, Is Culture Stuck?
• Articles of Interest, Knockoffs
• @goodgoodgoodco
• Needle & Skein story here

CLASH: AGING. Today we’re joined by the author of The Cut’s essay on wtf a 30 year old looks like, Claire Lampen, to unpack what actually happens when women get older—and why it makes us so dang confused. From the never-ending plastic surgery discourse (what even is the "mid face"), to why the less controllable we become- the “uglier” we suddenly are (so strange!! wonder why!!??), the strange mix of insecurity & confidence that come from making big life changes later in life, and what dating feels like when you’re being perpetually perceived during peak physical changes (see: bad). It's full of clashes & complicated & we're confused!!! And it shows!!

Hi all! Your OGs D & G were long overdue for a lil' mailbag catchup to answer all the qs we get on a weekly basis: from "how did you two meet" to "how did you two meet"? JK JK JK (though we do get asked that one a lot). Spoiler alert: Dani went viral on TikTok for saying she buys a baguette every day & ppl had ~thoughts~.

Don't worry, though, we also touch upon some other hard hitting subjects, like: "Marry / F / Kill: NYC, Paris, London", how to make friends in a new country (tip: social media might be a necessary evil my friends!!!), what we consider the biggest sacrifices of living abroad (see: fun dating), a few tips for pushing through cringe & starting new projects, and a handful of our neighborhood favs (see: places w/ giant blocks of butter).

CLASH: LIVING AMIDST HISTORY. This week on the podaroo, we talk with Cat Byers—historian AND author of the upcoming book Morgue AND most importantly our very smart and thoughtful friend!!!

We chat about the mental clash of going from living a "normal" life to realizing you're living on top of centuries upon centuries of juicy history and how studying the stories of past deaths can be a surprisingly effective way to learn about life—both others' and your own.

And of course it wouldn't be a true Clashists ep if we didn't wind our way through the twisted tunnels of life's inevitable career changes—from Cat's food styling past (think: mashed potatoes as ice cream and glued-on sesame seeds) and why she was once convinced she hated history.

It’s an episode about the past not as a museum piece, but as something you’re constantly tripping over—and about pushing yourself off proverbial life cliffs, even when that leads you to...well, death.

Check Cat out on:

• Instagram @heymorguegirl
• Her blog (Gabby's personal obsession!!): https://www.catbyers.com/blog
• Linktr.ee for some great other pods she's been on!

CLASH: HOW TASTE CHANGES. What happens when you live enough lives that your palate can’t keep up? This week we sit down with Caitlin Gunther— New Yorker in Paris, author of The 75 , and writer for pubs like The New York Times, Wash Post, Harper's Bazaar, Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, Bon Appétit & more! — to trace the many shockwaves of a life lived in reinvention: from law school at Cornell, to a life-altering lunch at Septime, to unglamorous gigs in global kitchens, and an eventual transition to food writing in Paris. We ask: what happens to your sense of taste—food, style, people, ambition—when life keeps on ... well ... keeping on? Does it remain a constant, or does the whiplash of change recalibrate what we crave??

Don't worry, we leave plentyyyy o' room for unhinged friends, fashion identity crises, painful breakups, and (maybe most importantly!!!) cheesy ramen & Cheez-its.

** excuse some audio issues in this ep - we're workin' on it <3

• Read The 75 here: https://caitlingunther.substack.com/
• Find more of Caitlin's video interviews on her IG, here!: https://www.instagram.com/caitlintgunther/?hl=en

CLASH: HUMOR ACROSS BORDERS. This week we’re joined by comedian Sarah Donnelly—an American double agent who’s been doing stand-up in France for 13 years. We get into the big questions, like: Is French humor actually more sophisticated, or do they just say it with an accent? Can the French actually make fun of themselves (because… could’ve fooled us)? Which swear words hit in both English and French? And MOST importantly — how is one EVER brave enough to do stand up in the first place?!?!

See more of Sarah!

• Instagram: @sarahdcomedy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahdcomedy
• Her famous Picard TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahdcomedy/video/7343192174512672032?lang=en

The Prisonic x Monoprix collab: https://www.monoprix.fr/lookbook-prisunic.html

CLASH: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN "COOL". Today we're talking about the slow, creeping horror of realizing that the things you once thought were cool…aren’t. Maybe you aged out of them. Maybe you matured. Maybe you moved zip codes and discovered that being “insanely busy" or “performatively confident” or a "relentless partier" doesn’t translate outside your original habitat. It’s the life clash of having to retire your old identity badges and admit that some of your personality was realistically a ... regional trend.

All that, plus we’re snacking on some AMERICAN-LY sweet (*wink, wink* — see our IG) treats as a form of cultural regression.

Today on the pod: we interrogate the cultural pinnacle of Passport to Paris in a playful ~petite ep~. Questions we ask ourselves include but are not limited to: which parts of the movie actually hold up 26 years later? Which aspects are now painfully dated?? And which were never true? Why does everyone speak a mystery language? How do they make headscarves look like high art? Should we be trying quail eggs? And maybe the singular most crucial question—are more cowboy hats the answer to Parisian stranger energy? Spoiler alert: no probably not but stick around anyways.

CLASH: AMERICANS ABROAD. Today we're joined by actor, writer, filmmaker, and new-ish Paris resident—Clark Moore—to tackle our most oft-heard accusation: that Americans in Paris are inherently annoying. From casting ourselves as the city’s main character, to treating Paris like a personal art incubator, and the well trodden theater-kid-to-Paris-pipeline, we explore the behaviours that grind the gears of outsiders & locals alike.

Are we just as insufferable as the incessant rumours say, or, well .... are y'all just jealous?? Come at us baby. Years of Parisian "c'est pas possibles" have thickened our skin.

Referenced:

• Bloomberg's "Revisiting Paris Syndrome in the Smartphone Era": https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-10-24/revisiting-paris-syndrome-in-the-smartphone-travel-era
• Gateway guy theory: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOb3f2BkRaa/

Where to find Clark!

• Clark's Substack, Wistover: https://clarkmoore.substack.com/
• Read his essay in the first issue of the new literary magazine, Souvenir: https://www.souvenir-paris.com/
• @mrclarkmoore on IG