From Taylor Swift's "Lavendergate" scandal to One Direction conspiracy theories colonizing adolescents' personalities, celebrity fandom appears more hallucinatory and brutal now than ever before... or are we overthinking it? A few stats about celebrity worship have been confirmed: In 2019, a Japanese study found that ~30 percent of adolescents aspired to emu ... Show More
Jun 10
Overthinking About Mommy Issues
No matter how old we get, there’s a decent chance a small part of us is still trying to impress, understand, forgive, rebel against, or be comforted by our mothers. This week, Amanda is joined by writer and editor Ashley Oerman (@ashleyoerman), author of Motherf*cked, to spiral a ... Show More
46m 33s
May 27
Overthinking About Burnout
When we first aired this episode in 2024, burnout felt like the defining emotional state of modern life. Two years later… honestly, not much has improved. If anything, burnout has shape-shifted. The girlboss hustle era may be less aspirational than it once was, but it’s been repl ... Show More
1h 5m
Jul 2018
BONUS Illuminati Consumerism Pt 2- Century of the Self, 1950s Mind Control, Freud, & Bernays!
On today’s episode of the Conspiracy Theories and Unpopular Culture podcast we pick up where we left off from “Illuminati Consumerism Pt 1“!!! We go into phase two of the “Century of the Self” documentary that Kanye West tweeted about! We explore the 1950s a bit more with Freud a ... Show More
32m 7s
May 2024
the difference between celebrities and influencers
Ben dives deep into the nuanced distinction between celebrities and influencers, especially in the wake of the 2024 Met Gala. Reflecting on Hollywood's evolving landscape, Ben explores how the industry is increasingly divided between these two realms, with very few influencers su ... Show More
33m 38s
Jul 2024
How Are Eating Disorders Embedded In Our Culture?
If you’ve ever seen a “What I Eat In A Day” video, glanced at a tabloid in the checkout lane, or even turned on the TV, you’re likely familiar with the problematic and often toxic messaging about food and our relationship with it. JVN and Emmeline Clein delve into the complexitie ... Show More
57m 2s
Oct 2025
Madonna's Revealing Tell-All: Sepsis, Spirituality, and Resilience with Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty BioSnap a weekly updated Biography. Jay Shetty has stormed the news cycle over the past few days, largely thanks to his headline-making interview with Madonna, her first-ever podcast appearance and an installment that instantly sent shockwaves through pop culture chann ... Show More
3m 33s
Sep 2024
Taylor Swift Decoded with Pop Music Journalist Brittany Spanos
Brittany Spanos is a senior writer for Rolling Stone Magazine who has taught a course at NYU called Topics in Recorded Music: Taylor Swift, which analyzes "the culture and politics of teen girlhood in pop music, fandom, media studies, whiteness and power as it relates to her imag ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2024
Social Media: Is It Rotting Your Brain?
Social media. Many of us don’t feel very good when we’re on it, and yet we sometimes spend hours a day scrolling, eyeballs glued to our screens. Some experts say that social media is causing a mental health crisis, and governments are even talking about banning social media for k ... Show More
46m 36s