Long-form deepdive is live!

I have always been intrigued by the way in which the public feels entitled to share their opinion online, including ones that are deeply nasty or mean towards creators. In the aftermath of Becky Jones leaving the internet, I realised that this entitlement-to-share comes from the fact that we as viewers are aware of the fact that our views/likes/engagement keeps influencers ‘employed’messentially, therefore gives a degree of power. Today I discuss this power dynamic between influencers and viewers, and how we as the public essentially are employers in this realm.

Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead. 

We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this episode is juicy and packed xoxo

Outline:

• why queer women are using dating apps, tiktok, and digital platforms to forge community
• the impact of digital queer communities and coming out
• why gay bars and clubs are not always safe/inclusive spaces to queer women, trans-women and women of colour
• the history of lesbians and gay bars/clubs
• the focus towards daytime, community centred cafes, bookstores, etc amongst lesbians
• The Mafia’s role in lesbian bars
• Intersectionality in queer spaces

find me on insta: @whatzaraloves

tiktok: @whatzaraloves6

youtube: Whatzaraloves

References for this episode:

https://medium.com/@anyacrittenton/how-misogyny-makes-the-lgbtq-community-a-lonely-place-for-queer-women-236a7bf24cf2

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7430466/

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses

https://medium.com/girl-genius-magazine/studying-the-intersection-of-queer-history-and-feminism-6c13e3e4599a

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/06/misogyny-gay-men-sexist-rose-mcgowan-rights-women

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4226&context=theses

https://www.vice.com/en/article/when-drag-kings-ruled-alongside-the-mafia-235/

Is the WLW hashtag on TikTok really one of the closest things to a queer community for so many of us? Today I sat down to talk about the lack of intersectional physical spaces for queer women, discussing the historical reasons for this and also what is driving us to foster community online instead. 

We’ve got dissertation research, we’ve got my own research study, we’ve got YOUR input, this mini version on the bus is the beginning of this wider conversation. If you like this, check out the next episode which is a 30 min deep-dive.

In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s discuss how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift across fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. I discuss this from multiple lenses, including class, quiet luxury, and fashion. If you enjoyed the bus version, you’ll love this deep dive. 

Sources mentioned:

Book: Bad Taste, Natalie Olah 

Creators: @kfesteryga / @janinejellars (tiktok) 

Nylon article: "Errand-Core" And The Rise of The High-Fashion Paper Bag 

Journal: When is food a luxury? DOl: 10.1080/0043824021000026422

Is food a status symbol now? On food, class, and quiet luxury 

In a week of PLT rebranding cementing the emphasis on ‘quiet luxury’, let’s talk about how food becomes part of this conversation. Amid our current economic climate, access to food, time, and resources is increasingly becoming harder, and with that, displays of food are becoming increasingly aspirational. Think: fridge restocks, fresh grocery hauls, come-shop-with-me content. We’re seeing this shift accross fashion, art, and the social media sphere as food is positioned as more of a ‘luxury’ and symbolise both wealth and time. if you enjoy the bus version, you’ll love the deep dive, see my latest episode for 35 minutes of this. 

You all adored the mini bus version of this episode, so let's deepdive the 'full bush in a thong' discourse for 30 mins to truly underpin this changing discourse towards women's body hair. I’ve noticed an increase in the discusion and potential rage bait online amongst men debating whether or not women should have body hair, yet on the flip side, we are seeing mainstream love and normalisation of body hair amongst the girls - particularly the cis het community online. 

This episode is a JOURNEY, discussing the where the notions of femininity=hairlessness derive from, the correlations between race, class, and body hair, and an interesting study conducted in the 2010’s that I think can underpin the entire ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse today. For real, grab a cup of tea and a snack.

All my love

socials: @whatzaraloves 

Study mentioned:

http://www.breannefahs.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10679051/2011_embodied_resistance_fahs_delgado.pdf

Commercialisation of choice quote from Susan Bordo:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yt0qnwdZRCcC&oi=fnd&pg=PP12&dq=body+hair+women+&ots=QprmcqYfqr&sig=9ZWbqm55ioF3-lFWXl13GQevNd4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=body%20hair%20women&f=false

As someone in my comments coined it, we are in a “Buchaissance”, meaning it is high time for women and body hair! The ‘full bush in a thong’ discourse is going to be instrumental in breaking down the equation of women’s body hair to femininity, and I am here for it! Let’s discuss the origins of why women even shave, the harmful stereotypes and ideologies associated with women’s body hair, and an interesting study done on a class of girls that I think can tell us a lot about the impact of the ‘full bush in a thong’ discussion online. 

All my love

socials: @whatzaraloves 

Study mentioned:

http://www.breannefahs.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10679051/2011_embodied_resistance_fahs_delgado.pdf

I was RUDELY confronted with an “almond-daughter’ aesthetic image on my Pinterest feed (help) and ran to TikTok to see if this is yet another girl, core, IT, aesthetic, and of course it is a thriving subculture. Let’s fully debunk the commodification of women’s identities online, and how we are pushed into these boxes of self, taking the almond-daughter as a perfect example of how this has gone too far now. The almond-daughter is simply a repackaged ED, sold and pushed as an aesthetic lifestyle to pertain to, and it has to stop. 

Listen in to discuss the harms of fashioning yourself to these identities, the role of capitalism in heightening these, and why I think the almond-daughter subculture/trend is pureposely kept online despite its harm. 

Keywords: Almond Daughter, TikTok trends, identity commodification, wellness aesthetics, social media and mental health, performative lifestyles, consumerism, online personas

Sit down with Zara at the front of the bus to discuss the thriving internet subculture of the ‘almond-daughter’. It is exactly what you think it is: a repackaged ED sold and made aesthetic to the girls in yet another girl, core, IT, box. Let’s talk about the harm that slotting ourselves in to these boxes can cause, and why I think the almond-daughter subculture/trend is pureposely kept online despite its harm. 

I’m on the London Tube this week for a special episode of: Taboo on the Tube instead of my bed/ the bus. Joined by Tori West, founder of Bricks Magazine, we discuss the inaccessibility of fashion weeks and the lack of accommodations made for disabled/neurodivergent individuals. Tori has worked her way from standing room to front row seats at fashion week, and sits down to give us a first-hand account of her experience. Join us to talk about the way clout is so often put before accommodation and lift the lid on fashion week. 

Thank you Tori West and the darling Prada for joining me for this episode. I will be back on the bus/bed next week as per usual! 

Socials: @whatzaraloves

#FashionWeek #lfw #taboo #fashionweek2025 #toriwest