This week, we reminisce on mall culture and what once was: eating Cinnabon, going to Claire's, Justice, & Hollister, romanticizing the act of loitering, and more. We talk about the history of American malls, their subsequent demise, and how TikTok shop is responsible. Third-wave mall culture is just glorified amusement parks, and we're mad about it!

Links: 

⁠Spotify Playlist

Pinterest Board⁠

Avery Hartmans, ⁠"The rise and fall of the American shopping mall"⁠ (Insider)

Candace Davison, ⁠⁠"If Malls Are Dying, Why Are We Still So Obsessed with Them?"⁠⁠ (PureWow)

Eva Rothenberg, ⁠"The US mall is not dying"⁠ (CNN)

Find us:

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⁠Spotify⁠

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⁠Twitter⁠ 

Watch ⁠this episode⁠ on YouTube

Timestamps:

Intro 00:00

Let’s Go to the Mall 00:41

A Brief History of the American Mall 01:11

Is the Mall Dying? 04:58

The Mall in Culture 05:32

Nostalgia for the Mall 06:33

Recreation and Socialization 07:32

Online Shopping Killed the Mall 10:27

Clothing Stores 14:30

Mall Santa (and Easter Bunny) 18:48

Victoria’s Secret and Pink 19:21

The Mall’s Representation in Media 20:28

Milestones at the Mall 22:45

Stealing 23:13

Rainforest Cafe 23:47

Capitalism is the Design Killer 25:32

YouTube Shopping Hauls 26:31

Daria in “Malled” 27:04

The Symbol of Teenage Independence 28:24

American Dream Mall 29:04

Third-wave Mall Culture 30:29

Hobby Stores and Mall Kiosks 31:02

Frozen Yogurt 31:33

Mall Concerts 31:52

Paulina’s Celebrity Encounter 33:39

AI and Online Shopping 35:01

Mall Food 36:37

Claire’s vs. Justice 37:21

Outro 40:20

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