Pop Syllabus

We're back with another round of our signature pop culture game, Are They a Star, Celebrity, or Famous Person? 

This week, Christiana is joined by Emmy Award-winning TV host, Zuri Hall, to pull names from the bowl and weigh in on everyone from Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Timothée Chalamet, Anna Wintour, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, and more. They also get into the rise of influencer culture, the business of celebrity, and who has the staying power to become a true star. Ready to play?

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1:36 Meet Zuri Hall

3:35 Zuri’s exit plan from Access Hollywood

9:36 The game begins

12:33 Angel Reese enters the chat

13:30 Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark rivalry breakdown

15:41 Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio & Daniel Day-Lewis energy

18:03 Anna Wintour: the “mean boss” myth

19:41 Charli D'Amelio family drama

20:37 Celebrities vs influencers: who runs culture now?

26:44 Cardi B chaos & charisma

34:14 Dua Lipa wedding watch + love life

37:47 Billie Eilish era check

40:03 Bad Bunny takeover

41:43 The Weeknd enters the conversation

47:23 Zohran Mamdani surprise finale

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More women are having children after 40, but what does that actually look like when you are in it? 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Jesse Golden, CEO and founder of The Golden Secrets, to talk about her journey of trying for motherhood at 45, including IVF, miscarriage, and starting over later in life. She also opens up about home birth, treatment costs, community, and what it really means to redefine motherhood on your own terms.

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1:09 Meet Jesse Golden

2:53 Trying for motherhood again at 45

4:09 What it’s really like trying to get pregnant in your 40s

6:15 Navigating miscarriage and loss

10:04 Inside Jesse’s IVF journey

14:43 The real cost of IVF (financial and emotional)

19:44 Finding community as a woman giving birth after 40

22:14 What actually helps improve your chances of pregnancy

27:22 Is IVF the right path for you?

32:53 Egg freezing and what the future of IVF looks like

36:21 Exploring home birth later in life

40:13 Jesse’s home birth story

43:36 Staying grounded in your choices and your body

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This week’s pop culture syllabus comes straight from the magazine rack! 

In this solo episode, Christiana sits down to talk us through the latest from Women's Health, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, and the juiciest tabloids, breaking down celebrity glow-ups, style statements, and luxury obsessions from names like Jay-Z, Anne Hathaway, Rita Ora, and more while unpacking what this month’s magazines are really saying about pop culture.

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0:39 Rita Ora’s wellness era

3:12Inside Rita’s new look

7:00 The millennial facelift boom

13:55 Meghan & Harry tabloid drama

17:30 Ryan Seacrest’s face fears

19:17 Paris Hilton, theme queen

21:40 Crosswords: hot or not?

23:04 Jay-Z’s GQ takeover

23:39 Is Jay-Z channeling Basquiat?

28:12 Luxury ads everywhere

29:02 Pop culture’s iconic watches

32:22 Sketchers sketchy ads 

34:06 GQ’s wedding rulebook

36:22 The life of Jay-Z

38:44 The Horology of HOV

45:38 Anne Hathaway’s Harper’s Bazaar moment

49:35 Chanel’s star-studded campaign

54:10 Bobbi Brown & beauty businesses

57:18 Ariana’s Swarovski sparkle

59:03 Inside Lulu Guinness’ whimsical home

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Women spend a lot of time wondering what men really think about love and relationships. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Holly Solem, advice columnist and creator of the social media series Manthropology, to discuss what she’s learned from interviewing men about dating, masculinity, and loneliness. They also play a game revisiting iconic fictional men in pop culture and how they shaped millennial women’s understanding of love and relationships.

Holly’s Vogue essay

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01:19 Meet Holly Solem 

06:20 Holly’s move back to LA 

07:14 Creating “Manthropology”

11:28 What Holly has learned about men while making “Manthropology” 

13:34 How men in LA compare to men in NY

14:45 How women absorb the shame of men  

16:09 Misogyny in 2026

18:02 Platonic relationships between straight men and women 

22:20 How Holly reacts during Manthropology interviews

23:20 White girlhood vs. Black girlhood 

25:51 Fictional pop-culture men game 

27:14 Chandler Bing from “Friends” 

28:58 Ross Geller from “Friends”

29:39 Batman 

30:50 Superman 

32:24 Homer Simpson 

34:10 Lawrence from “Insecure”

35:13 Big from “Sex and the City” 

37:13 Don Draper from “Mad Men”

38:18 Walter White from “Breaking Bad” 

40:13 Nick Young from “Crazy Rich Asians” 

41:35 Prince Akeem from “Coming to America” 

42:46 Austin Powers 

43:37 James Bond

46:40 Wolverine

48:13 Adam Sackler from “Girls”

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We’ve been calling women divas for years, but we still can’t agree on what the word actually means or who qualifies. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with music journalist Gerrick Kennedy, co-author of Brandy's new memoir, Phases, to do the impossible: rank the greatest divas across the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and unpack what really earns someone the title. 

Together, they debate the diva status of icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, while making the case for a few overlooked sleeper divas along the way. By the end, it becomes clear that defining a diva is a lot harder than it sounds.

Gerrick’s book with Brandy: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/phases-brandy?variant=44324080779298 

Gerrick’s book on Whitney Houston: https://gerrickkennedy.com/whitneyhouston 

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01:18 Meet Gerrick Kennedy 

03:20 How Gerrick Built a Career in Music Journalism

06:33 The Time Gerrick Met Joe Jackson

11:18 Diva Ranking Game 

13:19 Defining a “diva” 

16:46 Ranking 90s divas 

18:50 Brandy 

27:07 Janet Jackson 

29:22 Mariah Carey 

34:07 Gerrick on Working With Brandy on Phases

36:16 The Patriarchal Control Behind Pop Divas

40:59 Ranking 2000s divas 

42:11 Why Divas Have to Go Solo

48:59 Jennifer Lopez 

55:59 Britney Spears 

1:00:37 Amy Winehouse

1:05:01 Ranking 2010s divas 

1:06:03 Lady Gaga 

1:12:54 Rihanna 

1:16:29 Tinashe 

1:17:52 Beyoncé

1:23:56 Taylor Swift 

1:25:39 The Next Generation of Pop Stars

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Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to argue the Kardashians didn’t completely change the way we think about fame. So how did this family go from reality TV to becoming the blueprint for modern celebrity and one of the most powerful forces in pop culture?

In this episode, Christiana sits down with author MJ Corey to talk about her book Deconstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto and trace the evolution of the Kardashians and what their success really says about them. Together, they do what the internet has always done best and overanalyze the Kardashians, getting into fame, branding, controversy, and where this endlessly fascinating family goes next.

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00:52 MJ Corey’s first time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians

03:08 Understanding postmodernism to understand the Kardashians

03:50 Kim Kardashian and ethnic ambiguity 

04:55 Comparing the Kardashians to iconic American brands

08:50 Kris Jenner, the O.J. Simpson trial and revisionist history 

13:00 The Kardashians, cultural appropriation and Black romantic partners

22:00 The Kardashians as early adopters of technology 

25:25 The Paris robbery and trial

31:09 How the Kardashians will be remembered

32:15 Who will be Kris’ successor?

34:12 Predicting Kim’s future in politics 

36:20 Which grandchild is most likely to be the next star? 

37:40 Does Kim venture into podcasting? 

38:10 Does SKIMS IPO?

38:28 How many more times will Kim Kardashian get married? 

40:00 When will Kris Jenner retire?

42:04 What’s the future of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet?

44:29 Which Kardashian is mostly likely to make a hard pivot? 

48:30 MJ’s biggest prediction for the Kardashians/Jenners in the next five years

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Celebrity couples today don’t just date, they trend, and every move instantly becomes part of the cultural conversation online. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with E! Entertainment host Erin Lim Rhodes to play our signature Celebrity Couples Game and debate some of pop culture’s most talked-about pairs, from Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, and more. Expect hot takes, chaotic rankings, and a few moments that will definitely have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about these couples.

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01:03 Meet Erin Lim Rhodes

04:24 Erin’s move to Singapore 

06:18 Getting hired by E! 

11:46 “The Rundown” and using social media 

18:29 The Celebrity Couples Game

19:30 Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner

20:43 Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

24:36 Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

28:40 Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 

33:14 Olandria and Nic Vansteenberghe

36:28 John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

41:57 Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco

48:49 Zoë Kravitz and Harry Styles

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Womb health is still one of the most misunderstood areas of women’s care, especially for Black women. 

In today’s episode, Christiana sits down with gynecologic oncologist and author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing to walk us through fibroids, endometriosis, and the symptoms that are often dismissed, plus what women should be asking about care and diagnosis.

Dr. Kemi’s website

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01:00 Meet Dr. Kemi Doll

03:40 How Dr. Doll’s background has informed her work 

07:30 Understanding womb suffering

08:55 Black women with womb suffering getting misdiagnosed 

10:47 Womb condition #1: heavy menstrual bleeding 

23:40 Options for people with the BRCA1 gene

25:36 Womb condition #2: endometriosis 

35:29 Teenagers and young women with womb suffering 

39:05 Womb condition #3: fibroids 

51:18 Womb condition #4: endometrial cancer 

01:01:28 Advice for dealing with doctors and medical institutions

01:08:45 Combining holistic wellness with medicine

01:11:55 Setting boundaries in order to heal 

01:13:00 Where to find Dr. Kemi Doll’s work 

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Welcome to another week in pop culture, where nothing is calm and everything is a headline.

In this episode, Christiana flips through the latest tabloids and magazines, breaking down celebrity chaos, unhinged headlines, and the editorials everyone can’t stop talking about.

Sydney Sweeney, Doja Cat, Timothée Chalamet, Anne Hathaway, and more all show up in this week’s rundown as Christiana shares her hot takes on what’s worth the hype and what’s just noise.

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01:50 Sydney Sweeney’s “Magazine Milkies” Moment

02:59 Sofía Vergara’s Sketchy Skechers Ad

03:54 Sydney Sweeney’s Viral Lingerie Editorial

08:15 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With Tyriq Withers

10:04 Twilight Taylors

10:22 Is Robert Pattinson the New Leonardo DiCaprio?

12:40 Teyana Taylor as Lady Liberty

14:26 Inside the “MAGA Land” Editorial

21:54 Doja Cat on Vogue

24:48 India’s Growing Influence on Pop Culture

27:10 Bhavitha Mandava, Versace & Fashion’s Rising New Faces

29:08 Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss Transformation

34:20 Sarah Michelle Gellar’s People Magazine Cover

35:48 The Royal Roundup: Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle & More

37:22 Anne Hathaway’s Best Oscars Look

38:14 Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Making a Comeback

40:19 Harry & Meghan “Exiled” From Hollywood?

43:21 Christiana’s Top Magazine Recommendation

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In Hollywood, everyone wants a “perfect” face, but the goal now is to make it look like nothing was ever done. But behind that natural look is a growing set of procedures most people would never recognize.

Today, Christiana sits down with Double Board Certified Facial & Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale to understand what’s driving Hollywood’s obsession with undetectable plastic surgery, from subtle lifts to revision procedures, as well as how cosmetic work among men and AI are shaping today’s beauty standards.

Dr. Truesdale’s website 

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01:02 Meet Dr. Carl Truesdale 

02:07 How Dr. Truesdale got into cosmetic surgery 

03:50 Cultivating a diverse practice with cultural competency 

09:05 The costs of cosmetic surgery 

10:01 Thread lifts, fillers and botox 

12:20 How Dr. Truesdale contributes to beauty standards and pressures 

15:00 Psychological shifts for patients

17:00 Patients who are unhappy after their procedures  

18:55 Dr. Truesdale on sharing his work on social media 

21:46 Not being able to share the work he does for some celebrities 

22:58 Celebrities who don’t share that they have had work done 

25:20 Karama Brown 

25:38 Lower blepharoplasty

26:06 Men getting plastic surgery 

30:08 Looking younger longer 

31:24 Revision surgeries  

34:17 Knowing when to operate and turning patients away 

34:57 Mid-facelifts 

35:45 Responding to those who say plastic surgery is bad 

39:10 A rapper whose “friend” paid for her cosmetic work 

40:41 The future of plastic surgery, AI, and beauty standards 

46:02 Christiana requests a free consultation from Dr. Truesdale  

47:30 Dr. Truesdale doing his parents’ plastic surgery 

49:00 Where you can find Dr. Truesdale online

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