Philanthropy is so weird. Celebrities: also weird. When the two collide, you get something even more bizarre. Why should we believe what Ashton Kutcher has to say about human trafficking? How did Bill Gates change the very core of his image? What does The Gilded Age teach us about philanthropy and social position? And why does giving feel more and more like shopping? Amy Schiller joins the pod to work through the tangled knot of modern philanthropy.

If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or coworker who’d love it. Post it on Instagram. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

Also: we’ve made enough through subscriptions to pay Melody through early March, but without more…..we can’t keep making the show. So if you like the pod, if you want it to continue, consider subscribing today. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal).

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: The romance novel boom; your thoughts and feelings on student loans; whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

At some point in the last year I looked around and realized… 2000s music was EVERYWHERE. Nelly Furtado. Timbaland. Eminem. 50 Cent. MGMT. In Bama Rush videos. At sports games. In the background of TikToks of teens plaintively yearning to be 2000s teens. In weird animation videos meant for seven-year-old boys. Why THIS music, and why RIGHT NOW? Musicologist Nate Sloan— co-host of one of my favorite podcasts, Switched on Pop— has all the answers, or at least most of them.

If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or coworker who’d love it. Post it on Instagram. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

Also: we’ve made enough through subscriptions to pay Melody through early March, but without more…..we can’t keep making the show. So if you like the pod, if you want it to continue, consider subscribing today. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal).

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Weird modern architecture and home design trends; your thoughts and feelings on sitting; whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit culturestudypod.substack.com/subscribe

This week I get my “cold plunge curious” partner Charlie Warzel to come on the pod and talk about how cold plunging suddenly feels like it’s everywhere, the science (some interesting, some junk) behind it, whether it’s been “bro-ified,” who’s buying those $6000 cold plunge tubs… and how to actually start doing it, if that’s your thing.

If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or coworker who’d love it. Post it on Instagram. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

Also: we’ve made enough through subscriptions to pay Melody through early March, but without more…..we can’t keep making the show. So if you like the pod, if you want it to continue, consider subscribing today. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal).

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Moms for Liberty; your thoughts and feelings on sitting; the cultural force that is ACOTAR; whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

This week I’m joined by Michelle Cyca to talk about the trailer for the Mean Girls reboot. You might think: wow, that’s a very small thing to focus on, what could you possibly talk about for 45 minutes… but just you wait. WHY are they hiding that it’s a musical? WHO do they think is the actual audience for this movie? What happens when millennial content is rebooted for Gen-Z audiences without context? And why is Tina Fey apparently uncancellable? We cover it all.

If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or coworker who’d love it. Post it on Instagram. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

Also: we’ve made enough through subscriptions to pay Melody through early March, but without more…..we can’t keep making the show. So if you like the pod, if you want it to continue, consider subscribing today. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal).

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Goodreads (what has made it so bad, a particular trend you’ve observed, should you go to Storygraph, you can take this anywhere you want); sitting (think expansively here); Moms for Liberty; the cultural force that is/was Contemporary Christian Music; whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

For the fifth episode of the Culture Study podcast I’m joined by Nicole Washington to talk about all things F1: what’s behind the recent rise, is it in fact Real Housewives of Monaco, what’s the current drama, and so much more. Because this is a conversation between someone with very little knowledge about F1 (me) and someone with an abundance of knowledge about F1 (Nicole) it’s accessible to all levels of fandom. If you’re utterly mystified by the newfound popularity, this episode’s for you. If you have a text thread dedicated to F1 memes, this episode is also for you.

If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or coworker who’d love it. Post it on Instagram. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

Also: we’ve made enough through subscriptions to pay Melody through early March, but without more…..we can’t keep making the show. (We haven’t found the right ad partner and ads won’t sustain the show anyway!!) So if you like the pod, if you want it to continue, consider subscribing today. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal).

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.); Moms for Liberty; Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’); Why Goodreads is the way it is (think expansively here); ONLINE PURCHASE REVIEW CULTURE (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?); Whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

For the fourth episode of the Culture Study podcast I’m joined by Philip Maciak — who manages to be a professor, the television critic for The New Republic, and an avid consumer of children’s television — to talk about Paw Patrol.

We talk about copaganda, plot laziness, why 90% of the characters are boys, how Paw Patrol gets “in the water” at most kids’ schools even if they don’t actually watch the show, and take arguably too deep of a dive into the theme song. If you hate Paw Patrol, this episode is for you. If you’re annoyed by its banality, this episode is for you. Even if you’ve never heard of it, it’s a really fascinating exploration into why so much kids media turns out the way it does.

If you like the episode, it is SO HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or parent who’d love it. Post it on social media. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.); Moms for Liberty; Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’); Why Goodreads is the way it is (think expansively here); ONLINE PURCHASE REVIEW CULTURE (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?); Whatever Bradley Cooper's whole deal is.

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit culturestudypod.substack.com/subscribe

Esteemed law professor Leah Litman, co-host of Strict Scrutiny, joins me and Melody to talk about all things TAYLOR + TRAVIS.

Like: How did Taylor make the transition from big time pop star to BIGGEST POP STAR? How do we feel about the Matty Healy of it all? Is Travis Kelce interesting or is their relationship just interesting? Why do I feel so ambivalent about the prospect of Taylor getting married (and/or having kids)??

[If you're coming to the paid episode from the free episode, you'll want to pick up the conversation around 50:22.]

If you like the episode, it is SO HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or parent who’d love it. Post it on social media. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes.

If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.); Moms for Liberty; Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’); Huberman Husbands; Booktok (think expansively here); ONLINE PURCHASE REVIEW CULTURE (as in: what motivates people to leave reviews? With photos? What makes a good review, what makes a worthless one?); Athleisure (also think expansively here)

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

For the second episode of the Culture Study podcast, we’re diving into the nerdy and awesome and frustrating world of the infrastructure that surrounds us. Why are sidewalks so bad in so many places? How do we undo car dependencies? What’s the deal with a power company in Vermont distributing a huge battery to every customer? What are we going to do about all these ready-to-fail water treatment plants? If we can have air conditioners in our STEERING WHEELS why can’t we have good trains?

Deb Chachra, author of How Infrastructure Works, joins the pod to talk about the wild and fascinating systems that shape our world. Also: septic systems.

This is the podcast version of a "just trust me," so even if you don’t think you’re an infrastructure nerd, you’re going to love it. I love it enough to release it ahead of next week’s Taylor Swift deep dive and the following week’s deeply funny episode about Paw Patrol, so that’s saying something.

If you like the episode, it is SO HELPFUL for our fledging pod if you can share it with others. Send it to your nerdy friend or parent who’d love it. Post it on social media. Follow or subscribe to the pod on your podcast app, and/or write us a quick review on iTunes. You’re the best and we literally could not make this pod without your help.

If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:

-We could still use a few questions re: The Mean Girls Trailer!!!-Celebrity Philanthropies (weird ones, good ones, why do they exist, etc.)-“Little treat” culture-Cold Plunging-Moms for Liberty-Very Contemporary Architecture Trends (like ‘modern farmhouse’)

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

For the maiden voyage of the Culture Study podcast, we’re taking a hard look at a problem that plagues us all: terrible clothes. Why are shirts falling apart or pilling after just a few wears? Why does Gucci charge $3200 for a polyester sweater? What happened to ironing and will we ever dry clean en masse again?

Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins me for a deep dive into the past twenty years of fashion production (and consumption) trends.

If you like the ep, it helps a fledging pod SO MUCH if you can help us get the word out. Share it with your friends, post it to social media, “follow” it in your podcast app, or write us a review on iTunes. You’re the best and we literally could not make this pod without your help.

If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.

Show notes:* The tweet I describe in the beginning of the podcast* Read Amanda Mull’s piece in The Atlantic: “Your Sweaters Are Garbage”* Read Sarah Zhang’s piece in The Atlantic: “How I Got Bamboo-zled by Baby Clothes”* Amanda mentioned: Sofi Thanhauser’s Worn: A People’s History of Clothing* Some other Amanda pieces I love: Millennials Have Lost Their Grip on Fashion, The Free-Returns Party Is Over, How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan Leather* You can see Amanda’s Jeffrey Dahmer glasses in the bio of her Instagram (which is private, so don’t friend request unless you actually know her)* Paul Mescal’s rat tail situation (perhaps more appropriately called a mullet)

This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:* Resurgent interest in early 2000s music (with Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan)* The Mean Girls Trailer* A deep analysis of Taylor and Travis Kelce discourse* Kevin Bacon’s Hott Instagram and Gen-X/Elder Millennial Instagram in general* “Little treat” culture* You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

To hear more, visit culturestudypod.substack.com

Everything is interesting.

That idea has guided the tremendously popular Culture Study newsletter, and it’s at the heart of the Culture Study Podcast, where host Anne Helen Petersen and the smartest people she knows answer listeners’ questions about the nooks and crannies of contemporary culture, from “why are clothes like this now?” to “what’s the deal with F1?”

Listeners can submit their own questions here, and find weekly discussion threads, extensive show notes, transcripts and a lot more on Substack.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit culturestudypod.substack.com/subscribe