In this episode, we’re joined by legendary TikTok creator, Slushy Noobz creative director, and certified #SWAG Dadaism pioneer Chase Rutherford to further interrogate the ideas introduced in our previous episode. We discuss the freedom of default aesthetics and the legacy of normcore, the provocative power of readymades over a century after Fountain, how Kanye anchored the preppy misfit years of Chase’s youth, and how Chase resisted the siren song of LA influencer culture in favor of creative autonomy. We also discuss the art historical impact of Beyoncé and Jay-Z at the Louvre, how Sombr’s personal brand might still be salvaged, and the importance of reframing transient microtrends—from clout goggles to Brazil baby tee—as the significant cultural artifacts of our time.

Links:

Chase Rutherford on Instagram

Chase Rutherford on TikTok

Slushy Noobz on Patreon

Slushy Noobz official merchandise

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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the less-than-triumphant return of Euphoria and Sam Levinson’s pivot to everythingsplotation Western, Michael Jackson’s new hagiography and the grotesque legacy that transcends it, and recent fashioncore highlights from the literalism of the Met Gala to the nostalgia of The Devil Wears Prada 2. We also discuss the Substack truth nuke that rocked the indie music scene, Olivia Rodrigo’s coquette comeback, The Drama’s fresh take on the tribulations of female adolescence, and more.

Links:

Suga Free the Pimp on Instagram

Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim

“Why Is Everything So Ugly?” in Issue 44 of n+1

“Fashion Is Not Art (And That’s OK)” by Valerie Steele in Someone Else

“See Every Look from the Met Gala 2026 Red Carpet” in Vogue

Hudson Williams MUA Aika Flores Pinterest board leak

Hudson Williams heading home at 7am following the Met Gala after party

“Abnormals, Freaks, and Michael Jackson: Foucault, Baldwin, and the Truth of the Grotesque” by Brad Elliott Stone

“Freaks and the American Ideal of Manhood (Here Be Dragons)” by James Baldwin, originally published in Playboy, January 1985

Rabelais and His World by Mikhail Bakhtin

Michael Jackson describes his first sexual encounter with Tatum O’Neal (2003)

Telephone Stories: The Trials of Michael Jackson on Spotify

On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson

“Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour on Power, Fashion, and Acting the Part” (April 2026 cover story) by Chloe Malle in Vogue

Synopsis: Innocence by Kaija Saariaho from the Metropolitan Opera

Olivia Rodrigo – drop dead (Official Music Video)

Olivia Rodrigo – begged (Live) on Saturday Night Live

“Fake Fans” by Eliza McLamb in words from eliza on Substack

Nancy Pelosi Endorses Jack Schlossberg For Congress

Acquired Style x Swan Beauty Viral Bachelorette Party

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In this episode, we coin a new term for one of the most interesting creative impulses of our generation: #SWAG Dadaism. Like the original Dadaists responding to the whiplash of industrialization and WWI, a certain subset of young creatives are responding to the vertigo of global instability and breathless technological futurism through fashion assemblage, IP maximalism, and a fearless embrace of all things chopped and random. We conduct a historical survey from Clement Greenberg’s theory of kitsch and the avant-garde to the early days of meme culture to explore page fashion parodists of the past decade. We also get into Justin Bieber and Timothée Chalamet’s parallel #SWAG rebrands, the collapse of the secondhand market and its unexpected creative upside, and how #SWAG exists as the antithesis of refinement culture.

Links:

Image board

Dada Manifesto by Tristan Tzara (1918)

“Avant-Garde and Kitsch” by Clement Greenberg from The Partisan Review (1939)

“The First Meme of 2026 Is About Not Explaining Yourself. And Buttons.” by Madison Malone Kircher for The New York Times

Chase Rutherford on Instagram (referenced posts one, two, three)

Chase Rutherford interview for Perfectly Imperfect

@okniceok on Instagram

@kalebphobic on TikTok re: digicore sampling

Canal Street Research Association and Shanzhai Lyric on Instagram

“Bags, Bootlegs and Art: A Quirky Communion on Canal Street” by Siddhartha Mitter in The New York Times

Ava Nirui / @avanope interview in Office magazine (2017)

“Meet Ava Nirui, The Creative Force Behind Marc Jacobs’ Heaven Line” by Eni Subair in Vogue (2020)

“Go To The Thrift Store That’s Where The Heat Is” on Know Your Meme

@harmonytividad “filet minion” post on Instagram

Middle school boy bar crawl on TikTok

Tung Tung Tung Sahur boxers outfit on TikTok

@twylatoktok on TikTok (referenced posts one, two, three)

@turtlewithhat_ / Izzy and Emma pink leggings outfits

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In this week’s episode, we’re joined by critical mastermind Caroline Cai (aka Clairolime) to unpack what we’re calling Catalan Chicslop, the downtempo, sophisticated, quietly freaky aesthetic championed by brands like Paloma Wool and Gimaguas. We discuss how this look evolved from avant-basic dopamine dressing, its influences from ‘90s minimalism to early 20th century experimental couture, Barcelona’s history as a modernist aura farm, post-Phoebe Philo feminist-lite brand mythos, and strategies to transcend the tyranny of chicness. We also analyze the aesthetic’s appeal to women across successive life stages, from 13-year-old Penelope Dissick to microinfluencer gallerinas to mysterious pregnant brunettes. Links:

@clairolime on Instagram

Image board

Relevant brands: Paloma Wool, Gimaguas, Susmie’s Collection, Belle Anna, Deiji Studios, Buci, Geel, DémodéMODÉ

“How Spain’s Indie Fashion Scene Nailed Global Growth” in Business of Fashion

“These Brands are Putting Spanish Style on the Map” by Zoe Suen in W

“Paloma Wool: From Cool to Basic and Back Again” by Yola Mzizi in The New York Times

Paintings by Ramon Casas (Ex. 1, Ex. 2, Ex. 3, Ex. 4)

Paloma Wool’s “San Sebastián 2025” campaign featuring Carlotta Baan

“Studio Visit: Paloma Wool” in Sleek magazine (2023)

“Where Are All the Women Designers?” by Emma Childs in Marie Claire

Chicslop runoff examples from Miaou, Frankie’s Bikinis, Guizio, Jaded London, Revolve house brands Lioness and Lovers and Friends, With Jean, UNIFHAIM - Relationships (Official Music Video)

Crumbs from Penelope Dissick’s deleted TikTok photo dump

Emma Chamberlain’s “i got rid of (almost) everything” closet video

“T-boy swag: Claiming space where trans people feel we don’t inherently belong” by Reanna Cruz in NPR

Note from Alexi: I’m sorry I mispronounced Phoebe Philo omg put your chic pewter pitchforks down!!

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In this edition of Study Break, the girls review the latest cultural dispatches, including the newest wave of attention-seeking fashion week stunts (from Fakemink at Balenciaga to Bryan Johnson lurking at Matières Fécales), the Buffalo Bill realness of Robert Pattinson and Zendaya’s Interview Magazine cover, Tyra Banks’s wacky legacy, Hillary Clinton’s bleach-and-tone, the rise of Wuthering Heights womanslop, and more!

Links:

Fakemink for Dazed

Brian Johnson for Fecal Matter in Paris

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya for Interview Magazine

Jim Carrey Clone Allegations

Alexis Stone Jim Carrey Prank

Punch the Monkey

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In this week’s episode, we discuss Romantasy, the Franken-genre that has conquered the publishing world and defined the libidinal landscapes of a generation of women. We decode the genre’s DNA from dimestore bodice-rippers to high fantasy epics, examine the sociological profile of its authors and audiences, and explore how it’s mutated in the digital age via AI visualizers and high-budget audio erotica. We also talk about Renaissance faires, fujoshi discourse, the mirror image of male vs. female gooning in popular culture, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights as the BookTok movie of the century, and more. Links: Image board

Sam’s Romantasy Spotify Playlist

“Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Author Steal Another Writer’s Story?” by Katy Waldman in The New Yorker

“She Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Then She Ghosted It.” (r/MyBoyfriendIsAI profile) by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times

“Gender difference in brain activation to audio-visual sexual stimulation” by Chung et. al. in PubMed

“Sexual Scripts: Permanence and Change” by William Simon and John H. Gagnon in Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 15, No. 2

“How the Renaissance Fair became America’s favorite fantasy” by Kelly Faircloth in National Geographic

r/AskAHistorian discussions about medievalism and high fantasy (one, two, three)

The Oxford Handbook of Victorian Medievalism ed. Joanne Parker and Corinna Wagner

Hard to Be a God (2013) dir. Aleksei German

Candlelight Ecstasy Romance Guidelines c. 1980

Love Story magazine ed. Daisy Bacon (1921–1947) (see covers here)

“The Uses of Reading Mass-Produced Romance Fiction” (Harlequin study) by Susan B. Neuman (1985)

History of the “sex and shopping” genre by Pascal Tréguer

“Girls Who Love Boys Who Love Boys” by E. Alex Jung in Vulture

Interview with Quinn founder and CEO Caroline Spiegel in Refinery29

“Aural Fixation: Celebrity Audio Erotica Is 2025’s Answer to the Centerfold” by Hannah Jackson in Vogue

“The Importance of Critical Thinking in a Zombiefied World” (Why romantasy is crucial to understanding Apple TV’s hit show Pluribus) by Maris Kreizman in The Atlantic

“Liking Books is Not a Personality” by Hannah McGregor in Electric Literature

@shauna_the_author on Instagram

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In this week’s episode, we’re joined by actress and generational internet phenomenon Ivy Wolk (Anora, The English Teacher) to discuss her sartorial origins from roller derby to riot grrl to rockabilly, the sorry state of the Theatre, the evolving identity of the character actor, the cult mystique of a volatile decade-long online presence, and why cultural curiosity may be the closest thing we have to world peace. Ivy also weighs in on the uncanny e-girl invasion of the latest Guess campaign and reflects on the spirit of authentic Angeleno style.

Links:

Ivy Wolk on Instagram

Theatre and Film on Tape Archive at NYPL for the Performing Arts

Mike Tyson’s “fat and nasty” MAHA Super Bowl ad

Peloton’s Kendall Toole in viral “get ‘em banned” clip

Guess girl Instagam campaign

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In this edition of Study Break, we survey the triumph and tragedy of the 2026 Grammys and deliver our official assessment of the Momania (The Moment + Melania) double feature. The declaration of war on Sombr is formally expanded to include newcomer Olivia Dean, and the strange theater of Latino representation in Hollywood comes under review. Elsewhere, several urgent notes are issued to the pop music PR puppeteers who seem to have lost motor control of talents like Jelly Roll and Billie Eilish. We also unpack the honky tonk heartbreak of Bella Hadid and Adan Banuelos, Gaga’s McQueen resurrection, Justin Bieber’s soulful Captain Underpants realness, the newest wave of Windrush Generation excellence, and more!

Links:

Sacheen Littlefeather accepting an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando

Adan Banuelos Arrested for Public Intoxication

Bella Hadid dancing in a Honky Tonk with Adan Banuelos

Theo Von on Jelly Roll Acceptance Speeches

Zillennial Cozy Funk Wedding

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In this week's episode, we examine a specific brand of dark femininity that feels like a vestige of 2016, embodied through dramatic imagery of luxury accessories, cartoon vixens, and predatory wildlife, and expressed through a paradoxical strain of man-hating male centrism. We discuss this aesthetic’s positioning in opposition to the Clean Girl and how interpersonal dynamics popularized by sex work inform its understanding of power and money. We also investigate why the dark feminine resonates so deeply among women of the so-called “Latina belt,” drawing connections to chola culture and Arabic literary traditions to explore how this affect functions as a negotiation between patriarchal tradition and Western ideas about female sexuality and autonomy. Finally, we identify the aesthetic’s greatest arbiters and muses, from Helmut Newton and Riccardo Tisci to Maddy Perez and BLACKPINK’s Lisa.Links:

Image board

Examples on Instagram, TikTok

Ralph Bakshi: A Forgotten Pioneer

Rihanna - B***h Better Have My Money (Explicit) (Official Music Video)

BbyMutha - RULES (Official Music Video)

Why Men Love B*****s: From Doormat to Dreamgirl by Sherry Argov

“How the Cholo Clown Became the Face of L.A.” by Frank Rojas for LA Times (“Smile Now, Cry Later” history)

Viral Alexa Demie Yo Voy clip

Ghazal History – Encyclopaedia Iranica

BLACKPINK’s Lisa introduces “Vixi”

@shopnou_ on Instagram

“The Wild World of Chris von Wangenheim” by Daisy Woodward for AnOther

Chris von Wanghenheim on TheFashionSpot

“Pomellato Revives Helmut Newton’s Daring ’80s Campaigns in a New Show” by Annie Davidson Watson for W

Ricardo Tisci by Donatella Versace for Interview

Givenchy Fall 2011 Menswear on Vogue Runway

Givenchy Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway

Givenchy Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway

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In the first Study Break of the year, Biz and Sam survey the state of the world refracted through the prism of pop culture. They discuss Odessa A’Zion’s wig allegations, the hypernormal clownery of Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping, Bella Hadid’s blonde hair omen, and the pop-princess perfection of Zara Larsson. Plus: a meditation on time in the second quarter of the 21st century, viewed through the anamorphic looking glass of Hollister’s 2016 anachronism, Cameron Winter’s Dorian Grey agelessness, and North West’s prodigious beat-making potential.

Links:

Hollister’s Tumblr Drop

2016 Revisionism

Stateside + Zara Larsson by Pink Panthress

North West’s Beatmaking Sample

Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall

Bella Hadid for Dazed MENA

@shop_reallifeasliv

Carnival Time, Hardness, and the Machines That Process Excess by Sachin on Substack

Work-Hardened Archetypes by Sachin on Substack

Venezuelan Oil Explainer in The Guardian

Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques

Oil Company Pushback in The Guardian

Who is Zach Bryan’s Wife?

Rama Duwaji Profile in The Cut

Previous Episodes Referenced:

Ep. 76: Get Silly

Ep. 24: The Snapocalypse

Ep. 25: America (with Light Townsend Cummins)

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