What's Bradley Cooper's Deal?

Bradley Cooper would very much like an Oscar. If you’ve been paying attention to Hollywood at any point over the last five years, you know this. It’s evident in the films he makes, the way he talks about them, the cheesesteak food truck he opened for a weekend to keep himself in the press cycle. There’s nothing wrong with wanting an Oscar — what actor doesn’t want one?! — but what happens when that desire becomes the overarching theme of your entire image? The dominant way the public understands you? The great Sam Sanders joins the pod to talk about Cooper’s star image, Hollywood masculinity, and the Tracy Flick of it all. [If you’re familiar with Culture Study/my work/Sam’s work, you’ll recognize this type of star image analysis — if not, a reminder that we’re talking about what Cooper means, not trying to *be* mean.] Today's full episode is free for everyone! If you like what you hear, please consider supporting the show with a paid subscription. (And if you’re already a Culture Study newsletter subscriber, you get a screaming deal). Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here. This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about: The romance novel boom; the Stanley cup obsession, your thoughts and feelings on student loans; online shopping culture (including but not limited to the significance of reviews). You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit culturestudypod.substack.com/subscribe