This episode is a director's cut version of So we’re all obsessed with dolls right now, including extra discussions on dolls in horror films, "living dolls," the power of Bratz, and an interview with Dr. Jillian Hernandez, professor and author of Aesthetics of Excess: The Art of Politics of Black and Latina Embodiment.

You can find Jillian on Instagram @pastelitocookie!

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SOURCES

Ancient and Creepy Doll Head Discovered in Prehistoric Child Grave Joins World's Oldest Known Toy Collection

Paddle Doll | Middle Kingdom | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Condon, Eileen M. "Spirit dolls (munequitas) in New York Puerto Rican homes: engaging with saints and ancestors." Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore 39, no. 1-2 (2013): 14+. Gale Academic OneFile (accessed May 16, 2023).

Voodoo for dummies: A quick guide to how magical possession works in the 'Chucky' universe

Myths About Voodoo 

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW OF ANNABELLE: CREATION

The History of Creepy Dolls

The Other Sara Lee: A Doll Story - The Strong National Museum of Play

Are All These Diverse Dolls Actually Making a Difference for Kids' Self Esteem? | Allure

Antique Q&A: French papier-mâché doll.

The Lovely & Disturbing: The History Of Wax Dolls – Inherited Values

Oh, You Beautiful Doll : Wax Dolls Were Once as Popular as Their Cabbage Patch Descendants Are Today. This Year, One Antique Sold for $1,842

Porcelain Doll History and Origin

Antique Porcelain Dolls: How to Determine Their Value.

CHILDHOOD PLAYTHINGS

Antique Infants: A Brief History of Baby Dolls.

Change in sociocultural ideal male physique: An examination of past and present action figures - ScienceDirect

The Secret of Barbie's Rivals - TIME

The New Yorker (Dec 4, 2006)

A Brief Cultural History of Bratz

American Girl dolls: Where the brand has both championed and failed America's girls 

Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century France and England by Gesa Stedman

Walk, Walk, Fashion Baby: 18th Century Fashion Dolls - The Costume Society

Guide to the Paper Dolls Collection mid 19th century

The Paper Dolls of Anne Sanders Wilson | European Fashion Heritage Association

The Secret History of the Dolls That Inspired Dior's Couture Collection

Cissette: The Rise & Fall of a Fashion Icon | DOLLS magazine

20th Century Commercialization of Childhood

COMPANY NEWS: Mattel Says It Erred; Teen Talk Barbie Turns Silent on Math - The New York Times

Billboard (Aug 16, 1997)

Mattel Sues Aqua Over “Barbie Girl” – Rolling Stone

Margiela's "A Doll's Wardrobe" | helicon

Moschino Brings Paper Dolls to Life for Spring 2017

Cover up your dark circles in style with a giant doll's head

The 5 Most Influential Barbie Designers.

Moschino Creates Barbie Doll and Capsule Collection – WWD

Balmain Collaborates With Barbie on Fashion Collection – WWD

This Is What a Mowalola Bratz Doll Looks Like

Ball-Jointed Doll Wiki

Volks USA

So, What is a BJD Anyway? | BJDs for Dummies

Super Dollfie - Wikipedia

ドール面 橋本ルル の活動終了理由について Reason for ending the Hashimoto Lulu Project (doll mask)

Subcultures and Social Trends: Living Dolls – The Quest for Plastic and Latex Perfection — Steemit

Meet Valeria Lukyanova, The 'Human Barbie' Who Claims She's Only Had One Plastic Surgery

Blondie Bennett has hypnotherapy to make her like 'brainless sex doll' | Daily Mail Online

A conversation with @klit.klittredge, American Girl doll meme maker and shitposter - Digital Culture

What Do American Girl Dolls Say About Us? - The Strong National Museum of Play

Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

In this episode, Mina reviews some of late April/early May's trending topics.

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Here was her reading list:

The rise of dating vigilantism

Meet the People Working 3 Jobs to Afford Erewhon

FINDING EREWHON

Celebrity Chef Reveals What She Gets A-List Clients in $1500 Erewhon Haul

'Cosplaying as rich people': Customers spend $80 in EBT at Erewhon

2023 Writers Guild of America Strike: What You Need to Know - The New York Times

In past strikes, networks turned to reality TV. Now it's more complicated.

Neil Gaiman on Tumblr

George R.R. Martin Weighs In On The Writer's Strike (& Why He Hates Mini-Rooms)

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

In this director's cut episode, Mina taps into celeb "courtcore" aka the way that celebrities dress when appearing in the judicial court. In this special episode, she also dives further into history, starting with Joan of Arc and ending with contemporary films and the way characters are costumed for trial (e.g. Legally Blonde).

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Clothing | Joan of Arc | Jeanne-darc.info

Primary Sources and Context Concerning Joan of Arc's Male Clothing

Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison

Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser

The Misgendering of Joan of Arc

Mary, Queen of Scots, Became an Iconic Figure for Many Catholics Over the Centuries, Scholar Says

Fatty Arbuckle and the Birth of the Celebrity Scandal | The New Yorker

“Fatty’s Wife’s Smiles Lighten Grim Tragedy,” The Washington Times (1921)

“Women Throng First Hearing of Arbuckle Case,” The New York Tribune (1921)

What America will remember from Gwyneth Paltrow's ski crash trial - The Washington Post

Courtroom Style: Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, Lindsay Lohan and more’s iconic outfits while on trial

The most iconic celebrity courtroom outfits

The Verdict on Winona's Clothes - The Washington Post

Why Did She Do It? - TIME

Naomi Campbell Shows the World How to Dress for Court

Lindsay Lohan wears fancy pants to court. Who decides her attire? | EW.com

In Court, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Dress to Suggest - The New York Times

Experts Decode Amber Heard's Suited Courtroom Looks

Amber Heard accused of COPYING Johnny Depp's courtroom outfits: see similarities between ensembles | Daily Mail Online

free" Winona

From Faux Pas to Fashion Statement - Los Angeles Times

https://www.facebook.com/wmagazine/photos/a.10166595114335004/10166627967380004/?type=3

Lindsay Lohan's 'F-You' a Joke, Says Lawyer...Then Quits | LAist

Did Lindsay Lohan Write 'F*** U' on Her Fingernail for Her Probation Hearing?

Cardi B Is Guilty... of the Best-Ever Celebrity Court Fashion

Megan Thee Stallion sent a powerful message with the purple suit she wore to testify against Tory Lanez -- who's found guilty of shooting her, more courtroom fashion over the years | Gallery | Wonderwall.com

How Should Gwyneth Paltrow Dress for Court?

Our celebrity trial obsession sets a dangerous precedent

American Trial Films and the Popular Culture of Law

Case Study 4: Chicago (2002) – The Femme Fatale and the Distortion of Female Criminality

Legally Blonde Fashion: Costume Designer Sophie de Rakoff on Elle's 'Signature Color' | EW.com

Legally Blonde, Legally Fashionable: The Evolution of Elle Woods - The Art of Costume

My Favourite Outfits In Legally Blonde – The Vault Publication

Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

The director's cut version of Mina's The Life and Death of the Fashion Magazine video she published onto Youtube on Monday.

In this expanded edition, she shares listener stories, gives proper shout-outs to some 20th century woman EICs, dives into indie zines, and talks with Mi-Anne Chan, senior director of programming and creative development at Conde Nast (ooooh fancy), who shares valuable insight on today's digital fashion magazine industry.

Check out Mi-Anne's Mixed Feelings!

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and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

SOURCES

“Fashion in the ‘Mercure’: From Human Foible to Female Failing by Reed Benhamou

Femininity and Consumption: The Problem of the Late Nineteenth-Century Fashion Journal by Christopher Breward

‘Making the Magazine’: Visuality, Managerial Capitalism, and the Mass Production of Periodicals, 1865—1890 by Vanessa Meikle Schulman

Reflecting and Shaping American Culture: Magazines Since World War II by David Abrahamson

Hypervisibility and Invisibility of Female Haafu Models in Japan’s Beauty Culture by Kaori Mori Want

What Happened to 50 Magazines Since the Pandemic Began – WWD 

Internet Crushes Traditional Media: From Print to Digital

Seventeen print magazine moving to digital first: The era of the teen mag is over

The Monthly Fashion Magazine Is No More

Selling Style I: The History of Fashion Marketing Through the 19th Century | Wilson College of Textiles

Fashion magazines: History of the biggest magazines - Vogue, ELLE & Co. - CM Models | Model Agency

The Birth of Fashion Magazines - JSTOR Daily

The Importance of Godey's Lady's Book on 19th c. Fashion History

The Influence of Fashion Magazines

The Evolution of Fashion Journalism from Print to Digital

History Of Magazines | When Were The First Magazines Invented?

The Gilded Age of Magazines | The Nation

“Americana.” Time, February 3, 1930

Godey's Lady's Book in the Accessible Archives

Godey’s Lady’s Audience: The Women of the Mid 19th Century – The History of the Book

The Power of Community: On the Radical History of Women's Magazines

Helen Gurley Brown: 10 Best Tips From ‘Sex and the Single Girl’

Helen Gurley Brown and the Birth of the Cosmo Girl | The New Yorker

Helen Gurley Brown dead: Assessing America’s most puritanical wild woman

The Magazine Business, From the Coolest Place to the Coldest One - The New York Times

The Assistant Economy - Dissent Magazine

Does the fashion industry still need Vogue in the age of social media?

Women’s magazines are dying. Will we miss them when they’re gone? - The Washington Post

America's print tabloid era is over

The Death of Newspapers and Magazines - CBS News

The Print Renaissance

Celebrate Punk Zines With the Musicians Who Created Them | Smithsonian Voices

Revolutionary PHL: Blankets, Beer, and Beef: Broadsides for Care of Military Bodies

History of Amateur Journalism

FIRE!! Devoted To Younger Negro Artists (1926) by POC Zine Project - Issuu

Get To Know The Little Magazines of The Harlem Renaissance

The Amazing Zines That Kicked Off Geek Fandom

Xerox factor. The short-lived graphic energy of punk fanzines and posters.

Music HerStory: Women, Zines, and Punk | Smithsonian Institution

IS PRINT REALLY DEAD? HOW GEN-Z IS REVIVING ZINE CULTURE - CULTED

Anna Wintour on the Future of Print, Hillary, and How She Feels About Her Reputation

Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

In this episode, Mina explores some of the discussions that came up in April: the Barbie trailer, terrible lighting in modern movies/tv shows, sharing pet custody, Instagram divorce announcements, how therapyspeak is harming relationships, flavored watertok, and the luxury water market (have you heard of iceberg water (yes, water from an iceberg) and did you know it costs $300 a bottle?).

Here was her reading list:

Ryan Gosling Reveals Why He Agreed To Play Ken In ‘Barbie’ Movie: “His Story Must Be Told”

Why are movies so dark these days? A filmmaker walks us through the reasons behind the ‘dark cinematography’ that’s causing so many complaints 

Don’t Adjust the Brightness: Here’s Why TV and Movies Are So Dark Now

All My Divorced Friends Are Sharing Custody of Their Pets

Everyone Announces Their Divorce Like a Celebrity Now 

Why do people overshare on social media?

For Love or Money

Is Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish?

The Danger Of Instagram Therapists (& What Real Therapists Think Of Them) 

The Problem With Letting Therapy-Speak Invade Everything

TikTok's Latest Obsession With Flavored Water Is Basically Just Juice

What is WaterTok? Why flavored water is blowing up on TikTok

This TikTok-Famous Stanley Tumbler Always Sells Out, but You Can Grab It on Amazon Right Now

Here's How Everyone On Instagram Became Obsessed With A Previously Obscure Cup

Inside the Very Real (and Very Complicated) World of Luxury Water Collectors 

Meet the Hydro-Haters: The People Who Refuse to Drink Water, No Matter What

Americans' main complaint about water is that it tastes too much like water

Go to athenaclub.com and use promo code MINA today and you’ll get 25% off your first order!

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

The director's cut version of Mina's "let's discuss MLMs, Pyramid Schemes, and Grindset Culture video she published onto Youtube on Monday.

In this expanded edition, she shares listener stories, debunks bogus claims by MLMs like Young Living, and talks with journalist Sophie Dickinson who wrote the ever informative "The 'Get Rich Quick' MLM Schemes Targeting Gen Z During Lockdown" article for Vice!

Keep up with High Brow on Instagram!

Subscribe to the Patreon!

and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Sources

Multilevel Marketing: A Historical Perspective by William W. Keep and Peter Vander Nat (2013)

Avon Products 1964-2014: The Slippery Slope of Direct Selling by William W. Keep (2015)

Theorizing #Girlboss Culture: Mediated Neoliberal Feminisms from Influencers to Multi-Level Marketing Schemes by Frankie Mastrangelo (2021)

The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing By Jon M. Taylor, MBA, Ph.D., Consumer Awareness Institute

Islamic Marketing: Understanding the Socio-Economic, Cultural, and Politico-Legal Environment (Management for Professionals) by Cedomir Nestorovic 

The Rise and Fall of Albania's Pyramid Schemes by Christopher Jarvis

Multi-Level Marketing Businesses and Pyramid Schemes

The Story of Brownie Wise, the Ingenious Marketer Behind the Tupperware Party

Tupperware Parties: Suburban Women’s Plastic Path to Empowerment 

Hey, Hun! In women’s joblessness, multi-level marketers saw opportunity.

The Story Behind the Mary Kay Pink Cadillac 

‘It’s very culty’: the bizarre billion-dollar downfall of fashion company LuLaRoe

Do You Trust This Momfluencer? Good, Because She Has Something To Sell You

Inside the influencer MLM that peddles more than just an Insta-perfect life

The 'Get Rich Quick' MLM Schemes Targeting Gen Z During Lockdown 

Where Working Women Are Most Common

10 reasons Mormons dominate multi-level marketing companies

Follow the profit: How Mormon culture made Utah a hotbed for multi-level marketers

Amazon Docuseries LuLaRich Breaks Down the Chaotic Story of Deception Behind Multilevel Marketing Company LuLaRoe 

These Women Say An Essential Oil MLM Has Been Taken Over By Satan. Yes, Really.

How Essential Oils Became the Cure for Our Age of Anxiety

FTC Takes Action Against doTERRA Distributors for False COVID-19 Health Claims

What You Should Know about Youngevity

Multilevel Marketing Companies Are Cashing In on the Crisis

Latinos crucial to Herbalife’s financial health 

Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

Mina welcomes friend of the pod, Rian Phin, to chat about cultivating your own identity/aesthetic, being part of a subculture, the perilous state of fashion archiving, our unhealthy(???) usage of social media, the old money mystique, and more!

Rian Phin is a fashion writer, theorist, and content creator. You can find her on TikTok, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is the TikTok video we discuss briefly.

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and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

In this episode, Mina explores some of the discussions that came up in February and March: aestheticizing failure as a woman, HBO's The Idol, sex scenes in tv shows, and how censorship and AI are affecting society's relationship to sex and companionship.

Keep up with High Brow on Instagram!

Subscribe to the Patreon!

and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Here was her reading list:

All hail the girlfailure by Roison Lanigan

Why are so many people rewatching Girls? by Callie Holtermann

What Rewatching Old Shows Teaches Us about Ourselves by Allie Volpe

'The Idol': How HBO's Next 'Euphoria' Became Twisted 'Torture Porn' by Cheyenne Roundtree

Are Sex-Negative ‘Puriteens’ Actually Taking Over the Internet? By EJ Dickinson

Penn Badgley Goes Deeper on Swearing Off Racy ‘You’ Sex Scenes: ‘That Aspect of Hollywood Has Been Very Disturbing’ by Kate Arthur

Hundreds of sexual deepfake ads using Emma Watson’s face ran on Facebook and Instagram in the last two days by Kat Tenbarge

When It Comes to OnlyFans, Humans Can Outcompete AI by Lux Alptraum

Replika's Companion Chat Bot Reportedly Loses the Sex and Leaves Fans Despondent by Nikki Main

Italy bans U.S.-based AI chatbot Replika from using personal data by Elvira Pollina and Martin Coulter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz 

For this episode, Mina revisits an old video she made on the history of dieting, supplemented (no pun intended) with more information, listener stories, and an interview with Dr. Katharina Vester, culture historian and professor at American University.

Keep up with High Brow on Instagram!

Subscribe to the Patreon!

and keep up with Mina on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Sources:

Regime change: Gender, class, and the invention of dieting in post-bellum America by Katharina Vester

From Robust Appetites to Calorie Counting: The Emergence of Dieting among Smith College Students in the 1920s by Margaret A. Lowe

The Progressive Era Body Project: Calorie-Counting and “Disciplining the Stomach” in 1920s America by Chin Jou

Dieting in the Long Sixties: Constructing the Identity of the Modern American Dieter by Nancy Gagliardi

Slimming One’s Way to a Better Self? Weight Loss Clubs and Women in Britain, 1967–1990 by Katrina-Louise Moseley

“Lose Like a Man”: Gender and the Constraints of Self-Making in Weight Watchers Online by Emily Contois

Fasting Girls: A History of Anorexia by Joan Jacobs Brumberg

Holy Anorexia by Rudolph M. Bell

An examination of the imposture of Ann Moore, called the fasting woman, of Tutbury: illustrated by remarks on other cases of real and pretended abstinence by Alexander Henderson

America’s First Amphetamine Epidemic 1929–1971 by Nicholas Rasmussen

The return of rainbow diet pills by Pieter A. Cohen, Alberto Goday & John P. Swann 

A Speedy History of America’s Addiction to Amphetamine

Saint Wilgefortis: a bearded woman with a queer history

How slimming became an obsession for women in post-war Britain by Myriam Wilks-Heeg

Kids' Sugar Cravings Might Be Biological 

5 Food Myths You Should Stop Believing

Anorexia Mirabilis: Fasting in Victorian England and modern India

The Jacob Case

Breatharian Website

Cult that shuns food shaken by reports leader is eating

Breatharian Leader Wiley Brooks Lives On Light, Air, And Quarter Pounders

Written by Mina Le, Ella Gray, and Sophie Carter

Edited by Sophie Carter

Music by Olivia Martinez

Cover by Lindsay Mintz