Culture Study Podcast

If you've ever attended a Christian church, you know that place might be led by men — but it's run by women. Women making the coffee hour cookies. Women making the felt banners that hang at Easter. Women showing up, tithing, and singing in the choir. Women are the core constituency of the Christian church — and for the first time in history, young women are leaving the church at higher rates than men.

Journalist Sarah Stankorb has spent years talking to women about all the reasons they've left the church. Some left because of how their leaders handled the pandemic. Others left because of Trump, or the refusal to grapple with sexual abuse in the church, or Black Lives Matter — or a dozen reasons that come together into a loss of faith, either in God or the institution of which they'd been a part. For this episode, we explore those reasons for leaving, but also ask: what's the future of the Christian church in America? What becomes of these spaces when and if women are no longer there to organize and keep them running? And if these women are leaving their churches... where, exactly, are they going?

• Go to  curehydration.com/CULTURE and get 20% off your first order with promo code CULTURE.
• Machine washable rugs, made better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE.
• Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase!
• Blueland’s biggest sale of the year is here! Save up to 30% when you go to Blueland.com/CULTURE.

• Go buy Damned If She Does here!
• Find more of Sarah's excellent work here
• The Pew study that Sarah repeatedly references can be found here
• Sarah's recent Slate piece on trad wives leaving the church (including the original 'stay-at-home daughters')

• SIMPLE COOKING WITH YOTAM OTTOLENGHI! We're talking about his new cookbook, Simple Too, and want to talk about the entire concept of "simple cooking" — but you can also ask for tips, specific recipes for specific situations that hew to "simple," or any other questions you have for one of the most renowned cookbook authors of our time.
• FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own car dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, Anne went on Slate's podcast about internet culture, ICYMI. The conversation felt very in line with what we talk about on Culture Study, so we're dropping this episode in your feed as a special weekend treat. Enjoy!

The “tradwives” are retreating. Nara Smith went on Call Her Daddy to renounce any association with the term, and has been in the middle of a full-on rebrand as the promotes her new cookbook. Other figureheads, like Hannah Neeleman aka Ballerina Farm, are taking a step back to put their business first. Meanwhile, the actual former tradwives are suffering. On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by author and Culture Study host Anne Helen Petersen to talk about why these women are making such public shifts, and what happens when the word “tradwife” loses all meaning.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Coworkers using AI to respond to emails written using AI. Coworkers who put the entire email, in caps, in the subject line. Other coworkers who seemingly refuse to use their email at all. Coworkers who send you a Teams Chat, then an email, then a text, then call you on your personal phone. Organization-wide freakouts about moving from Slack to Teams. What made contemporary workplace communication into such a sh*t show — and what can we do about it? Amy Gallo joins us to answer all your questions about annoying, bewildering, and time-sucking coworker comms, and to give some provocative takes on which generation is actually the worst at email.

• Don’t miss NOBL’s Biggest Sale of the Year! Head to NOBLTravel.com for up to 67% off your entire order!
• Go to  https://zbiotics.com/culturestudy and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.
• Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
• Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/culture

• Find out more about Amy Gallo and her work here
• Follow Amy on Instagram here
• Buy Amy's bestselling book Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) here

• SIMPLE COOKING WITH YOTAM OTTOLENGHI! We're talking about his new cookbook, Simple Too, and want to talk about the entire concept of "simple cooking" — but you can also ask for tips, specific recipes for specific situations that hew to "simple," or any other questions you have for one of the most renowned cookbook authors of our time.
• FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own car dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GOD THIS EPISODE IS GOOD. I absolutely love talking about the publishing industry with Alyssa Morris: she has such a sharp eye for what makes people feel things (and what does and does not make people buy books). Every time we talk I swear we could go another two hours, but this time we try our best to limit ourselves to just over one. We talk about the feeling that "high-concept" books are everywhere, Yesteryear and its siblings, cozy fantasy, Dungeon Crawler Carl's Audible exclusive deal (and what the author is doing to make it more accessible), why SO MANY NOVELS take place in WORLD WAR II, how Theo of Golden went big with boomers, and, of course, the slow burn success of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. It's such a fun ride.

Also: when we recorded, I'd only read the first Emma M. Lion — I am now fully obsessed, on Volume Five, and can't wait to do a whole pod on the series when Volume Nine comes out in February. I have also been apprised by ex-Mormon/Mormon pop culture expert Meg Conley that Brower is absolutely Mormon, so take this as an update to our uncertain discussion of Brower's religion.

• Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE
• Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE.
• Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order.
• Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box!

• Follow Alyssa on Instagram here
• Learn more about her work as an agent here
• GO SUBSCRIBE TO ROMANCING THE PHONE (and read the most recent piece on ACOTAR's very curious period panty partnership)
• We talk about The Poison Daughter (which hit #1 on the NYT Bestseller List and Alyssa agented)
• Beth Brower's Substack is a must for Emma M. Lion fans — a real treasure trove of sidequests
• A transcript for this episode is available here

• FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A psychological thriller about writing with three movie stars — sign me up! Let's do this! This is extremely my shit! But Verity has so much going wrong: bad writing, incoherent acting, a hesitancy to embrace the abject, a text that wishes it was Rebecca, a distractingly cool house, Dakota Johnson being Dakota Johnson.....it's quite bad. And yet, both Margaret and I agree: we had a pretty fun time at the movies. Contradictions abound.

Also discussed: the bad mother trope, favorite worst passages from the book version, the return of Josh Hartnett, a very weird understanding of book publishing, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, what Gone Girl does that Verity cannot, and naming your kid Crew.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The third installment in our BACK TO SCHOOL Fashion Series is here! Corinne Fay is one of my favorite style writers — in part because she's writing for people that "Style" has largely ignored. She's out here finding the clothes that are actually inclusively sized, that work on all sorts of bodies, and that fit with your vision of self and gender. Her work delights me and expands my own style repertoire, and I think you, too, will be delighted as we work through so many listener questions about the everyday problems of just getting dressed. How do you figure out your style vs. what media has said should be your style? How do you find your sense of style postpartum? How do you deal when shopping for clothes feels like distress? How do you figure out your late-in-life queer style? We tackle them all.

• Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE
• Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase
• Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE
• Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

• Go subscribe to Big Undies! No matter your size, gender, or who you're into, you're gonna have fun with the style features here
• I love Corinne's Tiktok VERY MUCH but I love this tok the most
• Corinne mentions one of Dacy Gillespie's classes
• Some of the brands Corinne suggests looking at: Elizabeth Suzann, Ace & Jig, State, Connolly Goods, Nettle Studios
• Gem lets you search for an item across multiple secondhand websites
• Check out our previous installments in the 'Back to School' Series: All Your Questions About Personal Style, Answered and How an Article of Clothing Goes Viral

• FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is so chaotic! (Also very fun, very interesting, and obviously very smart.) All of our best laid plans for how it would go went straight out the window — that's what happens when you talk to two of the smartest, most introspective personalities in podcasting right now. We talk about NPR Voice (and how it's continuing to change), ticks of rural speech, what people actually mean when they say 'I didn't know you were Black' or 'I didn't know you were gay,' and so much more. This episode is a real just trust me — I hope you laugh as much as we did.

• If you’re looking to make a small change in your routine, you can get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTURE.
• Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box!
• Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD.
• NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head to NOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order!

• Go listen to Engagement Party!
• Follow Audie on Instagram here and Ari on Instagram here
• The conversation with Kara Swisher on 'ditching the NPR personalities' that made me want to do this episode is excerpted here

• WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION — no one knows wtf to do these days. Why are emails SO BAD? Why are people texting your personal phone? What are we even doing with Slack/Teams right now? Let's work through the weirdness.
• FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is not an episode about whether or not you should delete your social media accounts — we've had that conversation, and we'll keep having that conversation. Instead, this is an episode about all the weird habits we've developed around posting: posting on vacation, posting (or not posting) when sick or on leave, posting about your everyday life to your 200 followers like you're an influencer. It's about what compelled us to start posting in the first place — all the small pleasures of knowing things about people — and how those pleasures have been wrung out of the process.

Social media taught us a different way of telling the story of our lives. But now those stories feel dystopian and uncanny. Is it the end of posting as we knew it? Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of the fantastic new book The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything, joins the pod to work through these questions and more.

• Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/culture
• Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
• Go to  https://zbiotics.com/culturestudy and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.
• Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Gift with your first purchase!

• FOLLOW KATHRYN'S GREAT INSTA!! (lol) No seriously, follow her here.
• Buy THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE here
• All of Kathryn's fantastic writing on The Cut re: parenting / social / everything in-between
• The NYT review of The Story of Your Life I briefly reference is here
• If you're interested in Kathryn's dissertation on momfluencers
• The Marie Claire piece on vacation posting reference by one of the questions: I'm Not an Influencer. So Why Do I Feel Pressure to Post Holiday Photos?

• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends.....
• JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away!
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It feels like a real symptom of the modern age that an article of clothing can just start... following you around online. There it is, in your Instagram feed (again, and again, and again). But it's also there in between paragraphs while you're reading the New York Times, or suggesting you click while you're sifting through your Buy Nothing group on Facebook, or accosting you every tenth video on TikTok.

It'd be one thing if these things were cute... but so many of them feel like they're trying to make fetch (or a barrel leg) happen. I'm so thrilled to have veteran fashion journalist Cheryl Wischhover here to explain how an item of clothing goes viral (we tackle so many of your specific asks) and how virality, e-commerce, and influencing intertwine. This is an absolutely fascinating ep — I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

• Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE
• Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box!
• Listen to rePROS Fight Back wherever you get your podcasts.
• Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE

• Strongly suggest subscribing to Cheryl's newsletter, Good for Your Age
• Her piece on the Ruti pants that made me want to pod with her immediately
• Cheryl's Bloomberg piece on how affiliate links are even taking over group chats 
• This is the second entry in our 'Back to School' Fashion Episodes — check out our previous episode on All Your Questions About Personal Style, Answered

• WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Season Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
• WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
• VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
• LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
• THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends.....
• JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away!
• Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment.

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are eight books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and people have bought fourteen million of them. First published online, then self-published on Amazon, with an audiobook version that people won't shut up about, Dungeon Crawler Carl has become the fantasy phenomenon of the year — and earned the moniker of "the book that all your [dude] friends who don't read are actually reading."

I went in skeptical: video game fiction is decidedly not my genre. But there were enough people in the Culture Study universe reading and loving them that I knew there was something going on — with the style, the worldview, the genre play — that would be the makings of a good podcast episode. (I just didn't expect to like it quite as much as I did — as you'll hear in the ep, I'm on now on Book Four!)

If you're deep in DCC and want to talk about what works (and doesn't), we go there. If you're mystified by the popularity, we go there too. And we try really, really hard to make this an episode that'll still be interesting to people who haven't read the books, but want to think more about why these books are so popular.

Also discussed: Princess Donut as child sidekick, editing (or lack thereof), Katia's surprising arc, whether this book is for teens, Foot Buffs, D&D, a particular stylistic tick, Wenatchee in-jokes, and truly so much more.

(And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com)

• As always, follow Margaret on Instagram and subscribe to Two Bossy Dames
• The piece I repeatedly reference: "You deserve better literature than Dungeon Crawler Carl"
• The best thing I've read on Dungeon Crawler Carl, no question: "Left in the Dungeon"

• Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
• Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
• Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
• Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.