This week Francis and Daisy welcome writer and researcher Greta Rainbow. They discuss the evolving landscape of food journalism, the impact of digital art through the Glance Back browser extension, and the relationship between technology and personal identity.

Glance Back piece: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/my-machine-and-me/

Greta: https://x.com/gertsofficial

00:00 Introducing Greta

01:15 The changing landscape of food journalism

06:09 The internet is for making friends

08:21 Glance Back: Your relationship with your computer

14:43 Balancing privacy and risk of contemporary storage

17:47 The evolution of our relationship with tech

27:19 The future of alt-lit in a changing internet

34:34 Scenes are shortcuts for attention

39:52 How we spend our days is how we spend our life

43:33 The role of visibility in the digital age

46:59 Nobody is cool on the internet

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Emily Sundberg, creator of the popular business newsletter Feed Me. They explore the theme of specialness in modern life, discussing how technology, communication, and social interactions have evolved and impacted our sense of intimacy and connection.

Feed Me: https://www.readfeedme.com/

00:00 Introducing Emily and Feed Me

01:40 Nothing Feels Special Anymore

04:28 Texting's Effect on Communication and Intimacy

10:10 The Relationship Between Friction and Specialness

15:03 The Balance of Responsibility for Social Collapse

18:12 The Intention Behind Special Experiences

25:26 Feed Me: Preserving Specialness at Scale

30:12 The Degradation of Faith in Language

33:21 The Crisis of Truth and Consensus

37:29 The Democratization of Writing in the Digital Age

46:22 Adjusting to Success in the Media Industry

52:26 You Can't Spill the Special Sauce

2025 is kicking off with another mailbag episode of Tasteland. Daisy and Francis are answering your questions about whether smoking is cool again, what sucks the most, and sharing their synesthesia wrapped.

00:00 Happy New Year

01:44 Is Smoking Cool Again?

09:12 Media That Shapes Your Worldview and Opinions

15:27 Podcasts and Personal Connections

17:58 Navigating Creative Output and Information Diets

22:07 Feedback Mechanisms in Digital Media

28:47 Synesthesia Wrapped: Purplest Movie of the Year

36:11 What Sucks the Most? Elon Musk and The Passage of Time

38:28 Francis' Best and Worst Instagram Creators of 2024

For this Christmas Day episode of Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are reaching into their sack of questions sent in by you, the listeners. Gas station orders, apple picking, hypergamy and more.

00:00 Seasons Greetings and Gas Station Eatings

Overrated or Underrated

04:33 Restaurants and Queueing Culture

10:00 Alo Yoga, Working For Yourself, Baja Blast

11:07 The M Train, Apple Picking, Annie Ernaux

13:17 Hypergamy and The Cast of Challengers

15:01 Talking About Your Mental Health and Accidental Bronson

17:01 Flats: The Shoe and the Wing, Post Post Alt Lit

18:45 Parasocialailty and Legal Weed

22:12 Cured Meats and Long Meals

24:58 Dune 2 and IMAX

29:12 Natural Fibers and Karl Ove Knausgård

34:00 Watching Soccer and Works in Translation

36:00 Fernet and Coke, Metro North, Randomly Texting Your Friends

Other Mailbag Questions

39:24 Today's Breakfast and Fit Check

Josh Citarella is an artist, writer, podcaster, and researcher who is best-known for his work researching online Gen Z political extremism. He’s the founder of Do Not Research, a non-profit artist community. He’s currently a dozen episodes into Doomscroll, an in-person video talkshow exploring online culture and politics.

Email your questions to [email protected] to be featured in our upcoming mailbag episode.

Doomscroll: https://www.youtube.com/@doomscrollpodcast

Joshua: https://x.com/JoshuaCitarella

00:00 Contribute to the Mailbag

01:03 Introducing Joshua and His Work

03:30 The Modern Genres of Accelerationism

08:38 Joining Destiny on the Bridges Podcast

13:50 What is a Contrarian Status Quo Defender?

17:19 Redesigning Social Media to Model the Post Office

22:54 The Increasing Uncertainty of Contemporary Storage

27:02 The Need for a 21st Century Envelope

30:11 Not Identifying as a Journalist

35:57 The Role of the Manifesto in Gen Z Political Identity

42:57 The Political Drift Over Time

49:03 The Growth of Doomscroll

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by DJ, producer, founder, renaissance man Trevor McFedries.

Email your questions to [email protected] to be featured in our upcoming mailbag episode.

00:00:00 Ask Tasteland

00:03:41 Introducing Trevor McFedries

00:07:26 The State of Social Media and Creator Payouts

00:13:08 The Impact of Current Events on Social Media

00:18:57 Populism and the Search for Common Ground

00:24:36 The Nature of Violence and Change

00:31:14 Techno-Optimism vs. Techno-Pessimism

00:37:04 Network Spirituality and the Tech Community

00:46:04 The Gold Rush of Content Creation

00:50:02 The Search for Meaning in Content Capital

This week Francis and Daisy are joined by longtime magazine writer and sports gambling expert, David Hill.

Read David's piece, Sportsbook Nation: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/sports-betting-law-draftkings-fanduel-1235158334/

David's website: https://www.davidhillonline.com/

00:00 Introducing David and His Work

05:15 The Rise of Sports Betting

10:08 The Evolution of Betting Markets and Technology

16:42 Regulatory cChallenges and Consumer Protection

21:12 Advertising and Market Competition in Sports Betting

27:30 The Dynamics of Online Gambling

35:25 Is Profitability a Priority for Sports Betting Companies

42:48 The Tax Implications of Being a Bad Gambler

44:42 Chasing the Steam: Strategies in Sports Betting

45:37 There's More to the Story

51:36 The Future of Online Gambling

This week we're talking worker-owned media with people from three of our favorite worker-owned publications — Defector, Hell Gate, and 404 Media. They're very transparent about what it takes to run a modern, subscription-based media business — it's a great conversation.

This is from our live pod earlier this month in support of the National Writers Union's legal fund for media workers. You can still donate here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-us/fundraising/donate-to-the-media-freelancers-legal-fund

00:00:00 Introducing guests

00:04:30 The Business of Worker Owned Media

00:06:30 The Biggest Trials and Errors of Being a Founder

00:11:19 The Media Landscape's Monetization Uncertainty

00:19:13 The Future of Public Funding for Local News

00:21:59 The Diverse Ad Tolerance of Audiences

00:28:56 Audience Taste Shift Post Election

00:35:37 The Messaging Behind Different Payment Options

00:43:52 Making Editorial Choices as a Writer-Owner

00:50:02 Saturation in the Creator Economy

00:59:24 Transparency and Accountability in Worker Owned Media

Q&A From Audience

01:02:02 Content Creators Creating Competition?

01:06:09 The Value of Print Media

01:11:08 Expanding Ownership to Readers

01:13:34 Final Thoughts

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Ben Leventhal, co-founder of Eater, Resy and, most recently, Blackbird.

Blackbird: https://www.blackbird.xyz

00:00 Introducing Ben Leventhal and Blackbird

07:19 The Evolution of Restaurant Criticism

15:28 Defining New York's Definitive Restaurants

21:07 The Future of Dining Experiences

30:54 Friction in Dining Culture

35:11 Barriers to Restaurants' Adoption of Blackbird

36:31 Newly Learnt Consumer Insights

38:00 The Desire to Expand Beyond Restaurants

40:00 The Blockchain's Role in Identity and Payments

46:21 Ben's Best Meal of the Fall

48:38 Content Evolution and Future Plans

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Lauryn Menard, CEO and co-founder of Gob, a compostable, plastic-free, mycelium-based earplug company.

Gob: https://www.gob.earth/

Tickets for the NWU event: https://dirrrt.fyi/paywriters

00:00 Introducing Lauryn, Gob and its Mission

02:03 The Concept of Friction in Modern Consumerism

06:20 Designing with End-of-Life in Mind

11:32 Scaling Production and Sustainability

15:07 The Role of Tesla in Green Marketing

19:38 Navigating the B2B and B2C Landscape

22:26 Branding and Marketing Positioning

26:19 Innovations in Mycelium Materials

29:34 Supply and Demand in Mycelium Production

34:15 The Identity of a Founder in the Bay Area

38:27 The Future of Sustainable Products

44:17 Envisioning the 22nd Century

49:01 Exploring New Biomaterials

51:05 Teaching Biomaterials and Student Innovations