In the 2nd part of their dissection of MJ Corey’s Dekonstructing the Kardashians, Amile & Phoebe distil the family's media playbook down to its core. They examine what happens when hyper-visibility evolves into a self-sustaining corporate empire.

They revisit some of the legendary conspiracies from the "Kardashian Curse " to Amile’s naive theory that Kanye’s demise was actually a piece of high-concept performance art.

Along the way, they ask the hard questions. Just how far is Kim willing to go in service of the feed? Why has Khloé become the tragic, relatable figurehead of modern American anxiety? And did anyone actually buy Rob’s socks?

This episode pairs well with:

• Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey
• For the Culture by Marcus Collins 
• The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
• Succession (2018, HBO)
• Aggressively organising your pantry into labelled glass containers.
• An ice-cold can of UPDATE, because even Kim’s energy has a personal brand.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the girls turn to MJ Corey's Dekonstructing the Kardashians to examine how one family transformed the mechanics of modern celebrity. For the 1st part of their dissection, Amile & Phoebe have no qualms admitting they've been Kardashian fans, passive consumers and occasional apologists throughout their 19-year reality television reign.

They contrast an older celebrity culture built on mystery, distance and carefully controlled appearances with today's demand for constant visibility. Is hyper-visibility and (faux vulnerability) a form of empowerment—or the ultimate trap for a society obsessed with Keeping Up?

• Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey
• We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
• All About Eve dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1950)
• The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016)
• Marrying for the network, not just the networth.
• A bone-dry, filthy Dirty Vodka Martini (à la Mother Kris)

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to live in a tastefully decorated apartment, have good politics and know the best natural wine bar in town? And why did personal taste and aesthetic become such an important part of our identity.

Amile & Phoebe respond to Vincenzo Latronico's scathing assessment of millennials in his translated novel Perfection.They discuss the strange emptiness of a lifestyle built around the right objects, opinions and experiences.

This episode pairs well with:

• Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
• The Lonely City by Olivia Laing
• All Falls Down (2004) by Kanye West
• Describing yourself as a "creative” or “dot connector”.
• Citing Bourdain as your personal hero, but not knowing why.
• Unironically relating to Rick Rubin’s quotes on taste.
• Knowing you have the Bank of Mum and Dad to fall back on.
• A citrus-forward craft beer from the local brewery.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to live in a tastefully decorated apartment, have good politics and know the best natural wine bar in town? And why did personal taste and aesthetic become such an important part of our identity.

Amile & Phoebe respond to Vincenzo Latronico's scathing assessment of millennials in his translated novel Perfection.They discuss the strange emptiness of a lifestyle built around the right objects, opinions and experiences.

This episode pairs well with:

• Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico
• The Lonely City by Olivia Laing
• All Falls Down (2004) by Kanye West
• Describing yourself as a "creative” or “dot connector”.
• Citing Bourdain as your personal hero, but not knowing why.
• Unironically relating to Rick Rubin’s quotes on taste.
• A citrus-forward craft beer from the local brewery.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a star-studded Nigerian adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway on the horizon, Amile and Phoebe return to the novel's intimate world of parties, private thoughts and social performance.

Despite its famously demanding stream-of-consciousness style, the novel opens up a conversation about what it means to be considered by someone we love and the ways we protect ourselves and others from difficult truths.

From Clarissa's drawing room to the comment section, they consider how critique moves through society. They ask who gets to judge, who gets judged, and how quickly criticism can become cruelty. They ask what the general critique of Ariana Grande says about society.

This episode pairs well with:

• Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• Assembly by Natasha Brown
• Clarissa (release date: Dec 2026), dir. Arie and Chuko Esiri
• Lucky (2000) by Britney Spears
• Calling it love when what you meant was security.
• Debating whether consideration is the highest form of love.
• Your favourite glass of Cabernet Sauvnon to help you mask.

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off another summer of record-breaking heatwaves across England, wildfires sweeping through Europe, and worldwide concern over the environmental cost of data centres, Amile and Phoebe turn to Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass.

In this conversation, they discuss stewardship, reciprocity, and our responsibility to the natural world. Drawing on Kimmerer's unique perspective as a botanist & member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, they select the stories of indigenous wisdom that stayed with them. You will leave this episode thinking about how we can rectify things for the generations to come.

This episode pairs well with:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• It's Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach
• WALL-E (2008), dir. Andrew Stanton
• That viral "Hacks" episode on AI (S5, Episode 6: QuikScribbl)

• Experiencing civic responsibility for the first time at Burning Man
• A mug of nettle tea brewed from whatever's growing nearby

Happy listening! What should we read next?

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only one book can make for a conversation peppered with equal amounts of laughter and cringe. Yes, Tony Tulathimutte's Rejection.

Across a series of 4 painfully funny essays, Amile and Phoebe discuss rejection in all its forms: romantic, social and self-inflicted. From the "nice guy" performing wokeness in exchange for companionship, to the young woman lost in an obsessive spiral of limerence, no one’s stories (including their own!) escapes unexamined.

Perhaps the rejection itself isn't what we're most afraid of. Perhaps it's what the rejection reveals about our deepest insecurities.

This episode pairs well with:

• Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte
• So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
• Queenie by Candy Carty-Williams
• Why Did I Get Married? (2007), dir. by Tyler Perry
• He's Just Not That Into You (2009), dir. by Ken Kwapis
• Binge watching Chewing Gum or Fleabag over the weekend.
• Sending "No worries!" when there are, in fact, many worries.
• Seeking a partner who triggers your childhood wounds.
• One more drink than you planned on having.

Enjoy listening!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off reading Divya Maniar's soon-to-be-released novel After Care, Amile and Phoebe discuss the strange afterlife of reality television and the unspoken pressure to remain visible long after the cameras stop rolling.

Through the story of Grace, a former reality star intent on clawing her way back into the public eye, they explore influencer culture, the attention economy, and the blurred line between authenticity and performance. They ask whether social media has turned all of us into our own publicists, carefully curating lives designed to be consumed.

What happens when our identity hinges on being watched? And what responsibilities do the watchers have in return?

This episode pairs well with:

• After Care by Divya Maniar [pre-order for Oct 2026]
• The Truman Show (1998), dir. Peter Weir
• Black Mirror: "Nosedive" (Netflix, 2016)
• Miriam: Death of a Reality Star (Channel 4, 2024)
• Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth (2025)

• Commenting "what are they doing working at a checkout?"
• Wondering whether you're living for yourself or a personal brand
• Choosing the Montepulciano over the Tempranillo for social clout

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile & Phoebe use their next read as a springboard to discuss familial disharmony, competing ideas of freedom & the relational ties that can both sustain and hold us back.

Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum is an intimate portrait of family identity & the complicated relationships that shape us. The story begins with an Italian Moroccan woman who returns to her childhood home of Calabria upon the death of her father.

They also explore the tensions that linger between Mina, her hijab-wearing sister, her emotionally absent mother & the father who built the family business from the ground up. In the end, they ask whether home is somewhere we return to or something we carry with us.

This episode pairs well with: 

• Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum
• The Farewell (2019), dir. Lulu Wang
• Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head by Warsan Shire

• Swapping your shagpile rug for a handwoven Berber heirloom
• Arguing with your sister over who makes the better feminist
• A Negroni sbagliato (with prosecco in it, duh)

Happy listening,

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first-ever recap episode, we revisit the conversations that lingered long after the microphones were switched off.

From Love Island analogies to our very different reactions to the Barbie movie, we reflect on the cultural moments that divided us, surprised us, and challenged the way we think.

We also highlighted some of our favourite books from the season including Reel, Yesteryear, Strangers, and Lost Boys, asking whether time (or netizen reactions!) has changed the way we view them.

Think of it as one last drink before the next chapter.

This episode pairs well with:

• Returning to your favourite highlighted passage
• Turning your boyfriend into a fan of reality television
• Romanticising barista FIRE
• Texting, "I finally read the book!"
• Choosing the long conversation over the hot take

Toasting to another 20 episodes!

A&P

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.