STAN

Our marvellous guest Michael (from You Wanted a Hit! podcast) leads the conversation on Beastie Boys. We get into whether artists should bear accountability for their audiences’ interpretation of their work, the power dynamics of the creative process and the enduring relationship between politics and art.

Tangents include…

Our insightful guest Neoshia leads the conversation on the X Files. We get into the origins of the term 'shipping,' how TV got more gory and technical during its 'golden age' and how the X Files set the bar for the enduringly popular genre of crime procedurals. Tangents include... 

- the ability of television to start conversations about social, political and even existential realities 

- the haven of 'blerd' (black nerd) spaces 

- the danger of rom-coms teaching young women their happiness is predicated on finding love, especially if they used to treat you poorly (ew!) 

Neoshia is a 'consultant' on the Rom-Com Detectives podcast: https://www.romcomdetectives.com/

She previously hosted the Cafe Flamingo podcast: https://soundcloud.com/ajscafeflamingo?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn8x8Bqran6FkqAHLo5PeTLtBPIF3dn8t7OCI4oawLy2-Gj74PbIe9I5pDqVY_aem_FIkasJMShEaGlox4LMF_NQ

Our joyous guest Julia Makhalova Chi (founder of Brand Backstage and writer of Next in Culture) leads the conversation on Vince Gilligan. We get into why fandoms can be such a tense space, whether art can really ever be divorced from its promotion and deepening our understanding of content through an extended metaphors of food. Tangents include…

- the inherent value of brat summer (immeasurable)

- the comparative value of Jake Paul as a tooth fairy (negative)

- the surprising response to the happenings of Tribeca Film Festival

You can find more of Julia on:

Company Website: https://www.brandbackstage.com/

Substack: https://nextinculture.substack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-makhalova/

The boy who LIVED.

Our legendary guest Lacey leads the conversation on Harry Potter. We get into the power of cultural diplomacy, the key ingredients of a ‘generationally defining’ text (particularly in a micro-event driven media landscape), and the ways in which we allay anxieties surrounding longevity and mortality. Tangents include:

You can find more of Lacey on her own podcast: What’s Next? with Lacey

https://pod.link/1715368900?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnXXXpn9p3CI_zCRDynZzWxi7LJY2uzWZje9NeO8sE8KcB7h-8Q8WNfwJ5M-E_aem_51jO7xEcEd3pqy5LIlLKZg

Our exceptional guests Ilissa and Michelle (of @totalbettypodcastnetwork) lead the conversation on Pretty Little Liars. We get into the evolving relationship between fandoms and writers rooms, the weird romanticisation of age-gap relationships and why the teen drama genre is so comforting and intoxicating. Tangents include... 

You can find more of Total Betty Podcast Network through their: 

Shows: https://totalbettypodcastnetwork.transistor.fm/shows

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/totalbettypodcastnetwork

YouTube channel: youtube.com/@totalbettypodcastnetwork?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnrhyc5j1_xJS9jRGPDMau2ZES76Vp5oKozMxiAiNV3XGiDfPwSnf-M8XxDtU_aem_5RM_vEqsQXaT9hteD4D_KQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totalbettypodcastnetwork/?hl=en

Good morning upper east siders.

Our hysterical guests Yarden and Kaia (from Not My Scene podcast) lead the conversation on Gossip Girl. We get into how media catalyses the loss of childhood innocence, unrealistic expectations of adulthood and the versatility of New York City as a background character. Tangents include…

You can find more of Not My Scene on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3yPek3emvnbB2CU1VOHuBl?si=d628c7ede31f4636

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotMyScenePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notmyscenepodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@notmyscenepod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

*I spent 1/2 of my summers there since childhood, relax

Our genius guest Jayne (aka @didoriot) leads the conversation on The Row, and the Olsen twins. We get into the how the consumption cycle is diminishing the overall quality of clothing, successful marketing within post-irony culture and how the Olsen twins straddle the ‘competing’ identities of respected public intellectuals and slammin’ hotties. Tangents include…

You can find @didoriot on

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@didoriot

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/didoriot?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

A video version of this podcast is available on Youtube.

Our marvellous guest Marilyn leads the conversation on twihard mania. We talk about the accidental success of the Twilight saga , the seductive wealth of the Cullens and the redeeming(?) qualities of Bella Swan as a female lead (jury's still out) Tangents include....

- the inevitability of crushing on authority figures

- the inaccuracy of representations of depression in pop culture

- the role of religion in young adult fiction

Our luminescent guest Lydia leads the conversation on the height of the YouTuber era in 2010s. We touch on vicarious living through lifestyle content, the ethics of childhood media exposure and the co-opting of content by thirsty corporations. Tangents include... 

- the disappearance of our collective attention spans  

- the enduring myth of the American dream 

- the healing capacity of James Bond