STARGIRL

Today we use Kim Kardashian and Skims to close out many open conversations of the year: the body, motherhood and domesticity, women megalomaniacs, athleticism as an editorial trend, and so much more. I argue that Skims is the most exciting, subversive contemporary *beauty brand* and *grand editorial project* of 2023, commend Kim for her commitment to her own point of view, knight her as a Free Thinker, and formally retire our paranoia around “Girl Culture.” 

Plus! A deep dive into Tate McRae: her revival of White Girl Hairography, confused visual identity, and the renewed thirst for pop stars who can seriously freaking dance 😻😻😻

P.S. Addison walked so Tate McRae could run… missing her always… see u in 2024  💫 

Discussed: 

Kim on the goop podcast

Jens Grede on the BoF podcast

Skims nipple bra ad

Rachel Tashjian on the Skims nipple bra in the Washington Post

“Nothing Lasts Forever” music video, Sevdaliza

“Mel Ottenberg Gets Ripped for Rick Owens” in Interview

“Woman in Retrograde” by Isabel Cristo in the Cut

*Full episode on Patreon*

Bianca Giaever was a local legend, a mythic figure whose forest nymph-like presence lingered in the walls of Garfield High School long after she graduated. I learned about her—her confidence, adventurousness, cleverness, and drive—within the first month of my freshman year, and witnessed hoards of girls (and myself) debase themselves to try to emulate her vibes. I kept tabs on Bianca well after high school, too, and, for a few key years in the 2010s, used her viral Vimeo videos to guide me down a vague path toward what I thought I might want to someday get up to.

This episode explores the charm and tyranny of my highschool’s outdoors club, Bianca’s artful devotion to The Mundane, and why it’s a lot easier to get over the excruciating disappointment of being yourself if you have a role model. 

Discussed:

GQ names Kim Kardashian “Man of the Year”

“The Scared is scared,” Bianca Giaever, 2013

“Holy Cow Lisa” 2012

“CRUSH” campaign for Rachel Antonoff’s SS14 line

Constellation Prize, Bianca’s new podcast
Tape podcast interview with Bianca, 2020

Today we welcome YouTuber and general internet darling Sally Darr Griffin to tackle Taylor Swift. Discussed: Taylor's insidious creep toward total world domination, the Dream/Threat of a Girls' Girl, power hungry female celebrities, songwriting vs. performance value, the Swiftie microeconomy, Taylor's relentlessly out-of-step visual identity, and so much more. I also let SDG nerd out on her favorite fan theories... buckle up!

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This week we welcome K-pop expert and fanatic Alexi Alario, the co-host of Nymphet Alumni, to analyze Miss Jennie Kim ♡ We discuss how Jennie sets herself apart from her BLACKPINK peers, her craving for multi-hyphenate Western relevance, and why the “lazy Jennie” narrative makes her even more stannable. We also dissect her perfect neotenous face, Calvin Klein billboards, and incoherent budding solo career.

Mentioned:

Alexi’s episode of Stan Accounts, the MTV-produced docuseries on K-pop fans

“Lazy Jennie”

DDU-DU DDU-DU music video

You & Me performance video

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Video of Wonyoung and Sydney Sweeney…

K-Pop Masterclass, Nymphet Alumni episode

Follow Alexi <3

Listen and subscribe to Nymphet Alumni 0:-)

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Welcome back! Today we discuss Zendaya, arguably the most celebrated Face of Young Hollywood and one of my favorite people to watch move. We discuss all that's demanded of her liminal space of race, her incredible lankiness, the attempted "queering" of her relationship with Tom Holland, and what's beneath the understanding of her as a "safe" celebrity.

Mentioned:

"Zendaya Holds Court" ELLE magazine shoot

Euphoria deleted scene w/ Angus Cloud

BTS video w/ Storm Reid

This week I'm joined by Marisa Meltzer, longtime beauty industry chronicler and the author of the new book Glossy: Beauty, Ambition, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. We make the case for Glossier as *the* millennial brand, and discuss Emily's guarded, cipher-esque persona, and chat about how the "girlboss" tag is more apt than modern feminist criticisms give it credit for.

Mentioned:

Glossy, Marisa's new book on the subject

"The Story Behind Glossier" Marisa on The Run Through with Vogue

"Milky Jelly Hotline Special ft. Marisa Meltzer" Every Outfit podcast

"The Real Story Behind Glossier with Marisa Meltzer," Forever35 podcast

"Where Have All the Girlbosses Gone?" Marisa in Vanity Fair

NYT review of Glossy

Washington Post review of Glossy

The Guardian review of Glossy

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Big one today! This week we discuss Hannah Neeleman, the first generation farmer and marketing genius behind Ballerina Farm. We discuss the many Dreams/Threats evoked by her particular brand of Harmony: effortless health, graceful motherhood, the family as a social unit, etc. I push back on the angry fixations on her stove, her husband’s family money, and her “lack of agency,” and salute her reverence for performance as a craft in itself. Buckle up!

Discussed: 

@BallerinaFarm on Instagram

We Took The Train, Hannah’s old blog from the Brazil days

“Performing the American Pastoral,” Binchtopia podcast on Ballerina Farm

“Motherhood, Pig Farming, and Homeschooling with Hannah of Ballerina Farm” The Momforce Podcast

“Pursuing Your Dreams- From Julliard-Trained Ballerina to Small-Town Farmer with Hannah Neeleman” Just Ingredients podcast

“Ballerina & Business Guy Go Full Hog” Couple Co. podcast

“The Edenic Allure of Ballerina Farm” Culture Study, Anne Helen Peterson’s Substack

“Is Tradwife content dangerous, or just stupid?” Kathryn Jezer-Morton in the Cut

“The Crunch-to-Alt-Right Pipeline” Kathleen Belew in the Atlantic

This week we’re throwing some paint at the wall! I check-in on the aimlessness of my summer energy, reorient, and give a preview of my top 3 Urgent Themes for Fall: Doing Things, the question: How am I treating my body?, and Campy Femininity. I also give my official stance against feminine fragility, and usher in a new era of capability and resourcefulness. Let’s get it!

Discussed:

“Outdoor Voices Founder Ty Haney Has Moved On. Mostly.” Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz, The Cut

@BallerinaFarm on IG

Addison’s A.R. album release party vibes

Tinx remixing Addison’s “2 die 4” https://soundcloud.com/tinxlucas/addison-rae-2-die-4-tinx-lucas-remix 

“The Alix Earle Effect” ELLE writing Veronique Hyland, photos Tyler Joe, styling Sarah Zendejas

“Zendaya Holds Court” ELLE writing Clover Hope, photos Steven Klein, styling Law Roach

Julia Fox for Victoria’s Secret

Today we return to the subject of Caroline Calloway with CC herself! We discuss the difficulty of self-publishing, the over-simplification of her "revenge" narrative, being a lifelong loner, the worst of her times in New York, and what she sees as her true "craft." Plus, Caroline runs herself through the STARGIRL paradigms and gets an A+ !

Caroline on Twitter, IG

Buy SCAMMER

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Today we welcome SATC superfan Callie Hitchcock to opine on the “ambling bravado” of Carrie Bradshaw, the beloved character created by Candace Bushnell in her column at the New York Observer and reimagined in HBO’s Sex and the City. We discuss the evolution of the character from seedy partygirl to prudish romantic, the blurring of Candace/Carrie/Sarah Jessica Parker, and what it means to uphold Carrie as an emblem of New York.

Discussed:

"Why Sarah Jessica Parker Keeps Playing Carrie Bradshaw," Rachel Syme in The New Yorker

"The Difficult Women of Sex and the City," Emily Nussbaum in The New Yorker

"It Girl, Interrupted" Candace Bushnell on Every Outfit podcast

"Sex Lives of Serious Journalists: He's a Feminist, She's a Real Man" Candace Bushnell in New York Observer (full column archive here)

"Candace Bushnell Is Back in the City" Q&A with Jia Tolentino in The New Yorker

"Cynthia Nixon Dismisses 'Bizarre' Fan Complaints About Miranda" Ryan Gajewski Hollywood Reporter

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