I was thrilled when my friend Kelsey Dundon who writes The Waited invited me onto her podcast to chat about our shared love of bringing people together and how (and why) we started our respective book clubs. Immediate yes!

The loneliness epidemic and lack of connection generally speaking is something that regularly bums me out. I spend a lot of time thinking about how we used to move around as a village, and now it feels like a silo. I’ve also spent plenty of time on the internet (and off), thinking about influencers and our parasocial relationship to them. Does having these parasocial relationships substitute for our real life friends and family at times? How much online connection is taking up the bandwidth for actual, real life community? These are BIG questions. If you too have pondered the state of where this is all headed (especially with AI!), and want to build more irl connections, this podcast episode is for you. And as a very type B person who lives by the rule, ‘good enough!,’ I’m here to tell you that you don’t need perfect tablescapes and dreamy pinterest fueled aesthetics to host your very own book club (or any club for that matter).

Follow Kelsey Dundon:
Watch our episode on YouTube
On Substack: The Waited, which is all about creativity amidst chaos and Kelsey Dundon
On Instagram: @KelseyDundon

If you enjoy the podcast, you will most definitely love my Substack 'we need to unpack this'. It's free to subscribe and breaks down current cultural obsessions. If you like the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you really like it, consider leaving a 5 star review and sharing with your fellow culture stans. If you have a culture beat topic you’d like the show or Substack to explore, DM on Instagram where we also share cool links, form show ideas, and generally gossip @haveyouheardpodcast

So excited to continue the trad wife conversation with writer and content creator Caro Claire Burke. I first stumbled across her hot takes on my TikTok fyp and she quickly became one of my favourites. Caro has a book coming out next year that I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on. Her fictional novel Yesteryear was born from her fascination with the trad wife discourse and follows a Trad Wife influencer who suddenly finds herself stuck in the past; it has so much buzz that Anne Hathaway has already signed on to produce and star in the movie adaptation. I can’t wait to read this!
I loved getting deeper into trad wives with Caro as we discuss the intersection of trad wives and politics, religion, motherhood, and empathy; she is such a big picture thinker, and l learned so much from her. Find more of Caro on TikTok and Instagram, and listen to her podcast Diabolical Lies.
If you enjoy the podcast, you will most definitely love my new Substack 'we need to unpack this'. It's free to subscribe and breaks down current cultural obsessions. If you like the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you really like it, consider leaving a 5 star review and sharing with your fellow culture stans. If you have a culture beat topic you’d like the show or Substack to explore, DM on Instagram where we also share cool links, form show ideas, and generally gossip @haveyouheardpodcast
Helpful References & Links:
How Mormonism Churns Out the Most Influential Tradwives (Caro Claire Burke)
Meet the Queen of the Trad Wives (The Times, Megan Agnew)
The Edenic Allure of Ballerina Farm (Anne Helen Petersen)
Blonde Highlights are Gender Affirming Care (Diabolical Lies podcast)
Gender was Made for White People (Substack, Anna Marie, PHD)
Amazon MGM Wins Auction for Hot Book Yesteryear (Deadline)

When I first read Jen Sookfong Lee's thoughtful memoir 'Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart,' I knew I'd have to have her on the show. A fellow Vancouverite, Jen's memoir explores what it was like growing up in a Chinese-Canadian household, cleverly set against the lens of pop culture.
We chat about what it was like growing up wanting to see more of yourself on screen, how kids of immigrants can use pop culture as a tool to navigate the world around them, why we should be paying more attention to the culture that informs us, and so much more.
If you enjoy the podcast, you will most definitely love my new Substack 'we need to unpack this'. It's free to subscribe and breaks down all the cultural beats I've been thinking about. If you like the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you really like us, consider leaving a 5 star review and sharing with your fellow culture stans. If you have a culture beat topic you’d like the show or Substack to explore, follow along or DM on Instagram where we share cool links, form show ideas, and generally gossip @haveyouheardpodcast
Find more of Jen here and follow her on Instagram 
 

I started a Substack! It covers all the podcast culture beats you love, but also standalone topics that are best explored through writing. I'll also provide recommendations, interesting links, and the usual hot goss. It's called 'we need to unpack this,' and you can subscribe to it for free here.
The first two pieces are all about Blake Lively, both in what she’s really trying to sell us, (no, it’s not just the promise of good hair or sparkling craft beverages), and breaking down what the backlash from the press tour from ‘It Ends With Us’ tells us about ourselves. I’ve been thinking about her and Ryan Reynolds for an embarrassingly long time - both in how they’ve positioned themselves, together, as industry power houses, and how they seem to evade a lot of the backlash from overexposure and earnestness we don’t tolerate as much from other celebrities.
If you enjoy the podcast, you will most definitely love the Substack. And if you want to get into the social media of it all, follow along on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. Thanks for listening, your support and feedback make doing the show so much fun, and I really appreciate it. If you have a culture beat topic you’d like the show or Substack to explore, shoot me a DM on Instagram. Enjoy the Substack! 

You know when that incredibly divisive Ballerina Farm article by Megan Agnew for The Times created such a social media frenzy, we would have a lot to say about the trad wife of it all. This is particularly interesting because it's the first time in recent memory that a trad wife has broken the fourth wall. Chiming in is guest host Rachel, who has become our resident influencer expert, as we break down all the notable moments in the interview. We debate whether Hannah Neeleman actually needs your sympathy, why influencing seems to have a chokehold on Mormon wives (and how they are weaponized to spread alt-right propaganda!), give our hot takes, and so much more.
If you like the show, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you really like us, consider leaving a 5 star review. If you want to contribute your two cents to the making of the show, follow along on our instagram where we share cool links, form show ideas, and generally gossip @haveyouheardpodcast
Helpful References & Links:
Meet the Queen of the Trad Wives (The Times, Megan Agnew)
My Day with the Trad Wife Queen, and What it Taught Me (The Times, Megan Agnew)
Ballerina Farm on TikTok
Ballerina Farm (About Us)
On Ballerina Farm and Ballet's Crushing Lesson's in Femininity (Vogue, Ellen O'Connell Whittet)
The Unbearable Daniel of it All (In Pursuit of Clean Countertops, Sara Petersen)

This episode is quite the departure for the show and was born out of some Instagram stories around perimenopause, when I realized- hey, we all seem pretty uninformed! And more scary - way too many people are tuning into their fave influencers for peri content, which is becoming increasingly monetized.
While I personally got my puberty education from the legend that is Judy Blume and a few school health classes, nothing like this quite exists for perimenopause. While we're starting to get more comfortable with the topic from a cultural standpoint, there's still so much confusion and disinformation on the internet. And with influencers recently jumping on the bandwagon, it's more difficult than ever to separate the snake oil from the science.
Joining me today is Dr. Carley Akehurst, ND, founder and practitioner at Clementine Natural Health in Vancouver. With a keen interest in women's health and evidence, science based care, I ask her all your burning questions from Instagram. From when perimenopause can start and what it commonly and not so commonly looks like, to Menopause Hormone Therapies (HRT/MHT), and how to talk to your doctor in an informed way. Consider this your crash course; the things you wish you knew to gear up for transitioning into perimenopause.  Please be responsible and use this information as a tool in your arsenal to be better informed. Medicine is not one size fits all, and you should speak to your own practitioner for specific health concerns. I learned so much, and hope you do too.
Support the pod! If you like the pod, please consider supporting by sharing with friends and subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. We also love reading reviews, so please rate us 5 stars and write a review on Apple or Spotify. It goes a long way and is much appreciated! For a more dynamic experience, follow us on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. So many of our episodes, including this one, are shaped through discussions with listeners.
Helpful references and links:
Follow Dr. Carley Akehurst and her clinic, Clementine Natural Health on Instagram
Visit Clementine Natural Health
Find a Certified Menopause practitioner near you through the Menopause Society
The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research 

So thrilled to interview Sara Petersen, author of 'Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture' for the podcast. One of the most memorable books I've read in the past year, 'Momfluenced' helps you make sense of your own complicated parasocial relationship with the domestic goddesses we both love, and truthfully, sometimes hate to follow. We cover everything from trad wives, gatekeepers of the 'good mom aesthetic,' the economic and cultural value of momfluencing, those snarky subreddits, and so much more. If you've found yourself second guessing your follow list, this one is for you!
If you like the pod, please consider supporting by sharing with friends and subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. We also love reading reviews, so please rate us 5 stars and write a review on Apple or Spotify. It goes a long way and is much appreciated! For a more dynamic experience, follow us on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. So many of our episodes, including this one, are shaped through discussions with listeners.
Helpful references and links  / pop culture homework:
Subscribe here to Sara Petersen's amazing substack, 'In Pursuit of Clean Countertops'
Purchase 'Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture'

Today’s pod was meant to focus strictly on the reality reckoning and the aftermath of Vanderpump Rules explosive Scandoval that took over the pop culture zeitgeist a year ago. But, in light of Princess Catherine’s video announcement yesterday sharing the news of her cancer treatment, this podcast became something bigger. We’re going to be looking at not only how media treats women and how we’re complicit in it, but what that says about our own values and expectations on what it means to be a princess, a mistress, a scorned woman, and everything in between.
While the Royal Family aren’t influencers or Reality stars, a case could be made that they were the origins of this type of entertainment. And if that’s the case, we know the best reality tv gives us a winner and a loser, a villain and a hero, followed by a redemption arc that if you pay close attention, tells us about ourselves. So, let’s talk about it.
If you're only here for Scandoval analysis, skip to the 45 minute mark. Fair warning, we have some hot takes!
For a more dynamic experience, follow us on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast. So many of our episodes, including this one, are shaped through discussions with listeners.
If you like the pod, consider supporting by sharing and subscribing wherever you get your podcasts, and rating us 5 stars/writing a review. It goes a long way and is much appreciated - xo Mahsa
Helpful references and links  / pop culture homework:
Inside the Real Housewives Reckoning that's Rocking Bravo (Vanity Fair, Anna Peele)

This is more than just a ghostwritten autobiography, it's Britney's ultimate manifesto of feminist rage.
From the betrayal of having friends and family leverage her fame for their own agenda, to the unforgiving and relentless scrutiny she's faced simply for being human, Britney finally tells us her truth. A stark look at what happens when a teenage dream tries to break free from societal expectations, one thing remains clear; Britney's ultimate revenge is survival. And by the way, we are all complicit.
To enter to win a copy of 'The Woman in Me,' simply rate and write a review of the pod on Apple Podcasts, screenshot, and DM us through Instragram @haveyouheardpodcast. So many of our episodes, including this one, are shaped through discussions with listeners. We also post cool articles and generally love to break down notable cultural moments. Join us!
Please consider rating 5 stars and writing a review on Apple or Spotify, it goes a long way in supporting the podcast and is much appreciated! xo Mahsa
Helpful references and links  / pop culture homework:
The True Villain of Britney Spears' Memoir? You (Hayley Maitland, Vogue)

Hey... we're back! Kicking off the new season exploring the singular Taylor Swift who is currently the reigning champ of our pop culture zeitgeist, seemingly everywhere all at once (including the NFL!)
Joined by friend of the pod, marketer, and fellow culture enthusiast Patty Connor, we go deep into the Taylorverse. She's generously always giving us something to talk about; the squads, the feuds, the prolific songwriting, and the nearly unmatched work ethic. We cover so much ground including what we think drives her, the communal spirit of her loyal fandom, and her legacy on the music industry and beyond. Oh yeah, and we talk about #87 himself, Travis Kelce. Could he be the perfect assist to her QB persona?
 
For a more dynamic experience, follow us on Instagram @haveyouheardpodcast where there’s lots of pop culture analysis and behind the scenes highlights of how shows are formed, which you, dear listener, are a part of.
If you like the show, please share with your friends, subscribe, and give give us 5 stars to show your support. xo Mahsa

Helpful references and links  / pop culture homework:
Taylor Swift Pre-VMA Squad Strategy (Lainey Gossip)
Olivia Rodrigo Adds Taylor Swift to 'Deja Vu' (Rollingstone)
8 Ways Taylor Swift has Changed the Music Business (Billboard)
What Taylor Swift's Pivot to Streaming Reveals about the Music Industry (The Economist)
Here's Why Taylor Swift is Re-Recording her Old Albums (Time)
The Staggering Economic Impact of Taylor Swift's the Eras Tour (Time)