Pop Syllabus

By Pop Syllabus with Christiana Mbakwe Medina

Pop Syllabus is a show where host Christiana Mbakwe Medina deconstructs the zeitgeist and answers the big cultural questions. How did we swing from body positivity to thin-being-in? Why do so many peo... more

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FAQs about Pop Syllabus:

How many episodes does Pop Syllabus have?

The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.

Pop Syllabus episodes:

April 01, 2026 Taylor Swift & Swiftynomics With Misty Heggeness
If you’re a Swiftie, this episode is for you.

Today, Christiana sits down with professor and author Misty Heggeness to break down her book Swiftnomics and how Taylor Swift turned fandom into a $4 billion touring empire, and what it reveals about consumption, influence, and the rise of a new economic model led by women.

Misty’s website: https://www.mistyheggeness.com/

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00:42 Meet Misty Heggeness
04:07 Swiftynomics and studying Taylor Swift as an economic muse
09:20 How do we scale swiftynomics?
11:13 Women creating space for other women
15:08 Swiftnomics vs. Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement
18:00 “Pearl clutchers” vs. “granolas”
20:00 Women leaving the workforce and being economically sidelined
31:44 “Masterminding” the systems
36:08 Hoarding wealth
42:45 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
49:40 The future of Swiftynomics

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54min
April 01, 2026 A Sexual History of the Internet With Mindy Seu
The internet didn’t just change sex. Sex built the internet. So who actually gets credit for shaping the digital world?

Today, Christiana speaks with Mindy Seu, author of A Sexual History of the Internet, to unpack how sex, desire, and the labor of sex workers quietly built the foundations of the internet, and why that history is still left out of the conversation.

Follow Mindy on Instagram

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00:56 Meet Mindy Seu
01:32 Cyberfeminism
05:04 How sex and sex workers have influenced the evolution of the internet
10:10 Sex workers and cryptocurrency
12:05 Defining “sex work”
23:36 Why don’t more people know about the sexual history of the internet?
26:40 The physicality of technology
32:26 Female body parts named after men
33:51 How technology and the sex industry are influencing each other
35:36 How the sexual nature of the internet is affecting girls and women
38:31 Digital black books for sex workers
39:30 Sex workers currently experimenting with technology and artificial intelligence
42:05 OnlyFans
45:54 The internet as a utopic fantasy space
47:30 The future of the internet and AI

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1h 2min
March 18, 2026 Why “Valley Girls” Are Totally Misunderstood With Koa Beck
Like, why did the “Valley Girl” become America’s favorite punchline?

Today, Christiana sits down with journalist and author, Koa Beck, to talk about how the Valley Girl stereotype took off in pop culture, why it has been so misunderstood, and how it reflects America’s bigger anxieties about young women and femininity that still shape how we see them today.

Follow Koa: Instagram

Subscribe to Koa’s Substack

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00:28 The Valley
01:25 Defining the “Valley Girl”
05:03 Valley speak and the valley girl accent
08:10 From the valley girl to the modern day influencer
17:35 The history of the Valley Girl
24:31 Why the trope of the “Valley Girl” is white
26:44 Why the valley stereotypes are associated with girls
31:00 How the concept of the “Valley Girl” became negative
40:00 The Valley Girl and sex
44:29 The Valley Girl and influencer culture
48:19 The future of the Valley Girl

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59min
March 11, 2026 Hollywood’s Colorism Curse With Dr. Yaba Blay
Colorism isn’t new. It’s the curse embedded in Hollywood’s DNA.

Today, Christiana sits down with scholar-activist Dr. Yaba Blay to unpack how colorism operates behind the scenes of pop culture, why lighter skin is still centered, and how these hierarchies shape everything from stardom to self-worth.

Follow Dr. Yaba Blay: Instagram

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00:37 Defining “colorism”
03:30 The relativity of colorism
06:04 How colorism functions in Hollywood
08:15 A history of colorism and skin bleaching
12:50 Gender bias and colorism in entertainment
17:02 Beyonce and colorism in the music industry
28:40 Moments that feel like societal shifts
33:00 How skin bleaching has transformed
37:00 Understanding the context around why people bleach their skin
42:55 Hair trends among Black women
51:00 Questioning society and capitalism (not just the individual)
54:20 What choices can we make in light of colorism?

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1h 4min
March 04, 2026 The Dangers of Looksmaxxing With Dr. Michael Halpin
Looksmaxxing is the internet’s latest male self-improvement trend — where your jawline is a strategy and your face is a project.

Today, Christiana sits down with Associate Professor of Sociology at Dalhousie University, Dr. Michael Halpin, to explain what looksmaxxing really is, why cosmetic surgeries are on the rise, and how this corner of the Manosphere is reshaping masculinity and the way men see women.

Dr. Michael’s research on looksmaxxing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hn3HDozK8_GMWOVtv3do3joZ4Guyxlpp/view

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03:35 Defining “looksmaxxing”
09:45 Who is looksmaxxing?
11:00 Lookism and why boys and men are looksmaxxing
14:50 How looksmaxxing and its harmful impacts are spreading beyond the manosphere
20:42 The PSL scale
24:40 How looksmaxxers and incels are subcultures within the manosphere
40:38 What can be done to stop harmful looksmaxxing
44:00 Looksmaxxing as an emerging health crisis

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55min
February 25, 2026 The Power of “Sinners” With Wunmi Mosaku
Almost a year later, Sinners is still unforgettable, and Wunmi Mosaku’s Annie stole our hearts. But behind the performance was a woman navigating first-time motherhood, career crossroads, and big life choices.

On today’s episode, Christiana talks to Oscar-nominated Wunmi about her maternity brand Iyadé, self care, and lessons from a career-defining role.

Wunmi’s maternity brand’s website:.iyadebywunmi.com
Follow Wunmi on Instagram: @wunmimosaku

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00:36 Wunmi’s Oscar nomination
03:40 “Sinners” and how playing Annie changed Wunmi’s life
08:40 Why Annie resonates with audiences
14:57 Loving yourself
18:45 Wunmi’s Golden Globe pregnancy announcement
24:04 Creating Iyadé, a maternity clothing brand
29:55 Being careful about who and what you invite in
38:43 Admiring Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan’s acting
42:35 Self care

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50min
February 18, 2026 Space Racism & Astrology With Margaret Gaida
Astrology is everywhere, blending spirituality, social media, and even AI apps that promise to read your future.

Today, Christiana speaks with astrology historian, Margaret Gaida, to understand how astrology shapes love, culture, and the hidden inequalities of the cosmic world.

Margaret’s website: mghsci.wordpress.com/dissertation

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Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

02:20 Astrology in the East vs. West
03:30 Astrological predictions throughout history
07:45 The mothers of astrology
12:45 Why women and LGBTQ+ communities are attracted to astrology
18:32 Astrology and science
23:48 Big Zodiac, tech and AI
29:31 White influencers and astrology
41:04 “Space racism” and dating
44:50 Individualism vs. communities
47:40 The future of astrology in America

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55min
February 11, 2026 Paying Homage to Black Women in Reality TV With Rachel Lindsay
When Rachel Lindsay said yes to being on The Bachelor, she had no clue what she was getting herself into. Since then, she has gone from practicing lawyer, to The First Black Bachelorette, to media personality and author.
Today, Christiana and Rachel talk about Black women on reality TV and how she helped change the genre.
Follow Rachel: Instagram
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Sponsor Pop Syllabus: [email protected]
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54min
February 04, 2026 The Myth of an “Overnight Success” With Jeff Hiller
Jeff Hiller was 49 when he won his first Emmy but, despite what many people think, he didn’t just come out of nowhere. He was a working comedian and actor for years before landing his breakout role on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere.

On today’s episode, Christiana talks to Jeff about his book “Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success” and why none of us seem to feel like we’re adulting right.
Follow Jeff: Instagram
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Sponsor Pop Syllabus: [email protected]
If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments.

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49min
January 30, 2026 The World of Disney Adults With Robbie Whelan
Disney Adults are some of the most fascinating, layered, and hated subcultures in contemporary American life.
Today, Christiana speaks with Robbie Whelan, author of the forthcoming book House of Mouse, to understand the world of Disney Adults.
Follow Robbie: X
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Sponsor Pop Syllabus: [email protected]
If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments.
Email: [email protected]

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1h 8min

FAQs about Pop Syllabus:

How many episodes does Pop Syllabus have?

The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.