Podcast Summary: “Do You Shun Popular Pop Culture?”

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Date: April 9, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart
Featured Guest: Anna Holmes, Atlantic Contributing Writer
Episode Theme: The psychology and personal stories behind shunning super-popular pop culture.

Overview

This episode digs into why some people consciously avoid hugely popular TV shows, movies, music, and trends—a phenomenon explored in Anna Holmes’ recent Atlantic article, “The People who Shun Super Popular Pop Culture.” With listener interactions and expert insights, the episode examines “LOMO” (Love Of Missing Out), the emotional and psychological dynamics of resisting the bandwagon, and the personal quirks, anxieties, and tiny rebellions that drive this cultural behavior.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spark for the Conversation (02:46)

• Anna Holmes admits she resists culturally dominant shows and trends, often due to overexposure or hype.
  • Quote [03:13]: “The sheer amount of people who are recommending it to me and the amount of conversation I’m seeing about it in the culture kind of turned me off.”
• Her Atlantic editor relates to this feeling, revealing a shared avoidance when popularity becomes pressure.

2. Why Popularity Is a Turnoff (04:05)

• Anna’s avoidance increased with age and the explosion of streaming options.
  • Quote [04:12]: “As I got older... I started to feel overwhelmed by television and film options... just this kind of curmudgeonliness that evolved as I got older.”
• She delayed watching “The Wire” for years, only giving in when the cultural moment faded.

3. Social Media’s Role & Performative Culture (07:50)

• The rise of platforms like Twitter amplified the experience of hype and cultural consensus.
  • Quote [07:50]: “It also felt a little bit performative... a kind of performativity around or identity marking around what you watch and what you don’t watch...”

4. Listener Stories: Why They Resist (10:50–14:11)

• Matthew (Harlem) avoided “Sleep No More” because of “extreme hype,” then became obsessed after finally going [11:05].
• Mike (Astoria) distinguishes “good” vs. “bad” popular culture, suggesting total rejection is illogical [12:29].
• Simone (Long Island) shares how TV avoidance shaped her life and household habits [12:20].

5. Hype Aversion & Psych Reactance (14:11)

• Anna introduces “hype aversion.”
  • Quote: “It’s just an avoidance of pop culture products that seemingly everyone insists I would like.”
• She explains psychologist Jonas’s concept of psychological reactance, a defensive urge against anything that feels like compulsory participation.

6. Text Messages: Famous Holdouts (15:38–16:15)

• Listeners confess to never engaging with cultural behemoths like “Harry Potter,” “Cats,” or Beyonce.
  • Text: “I have never seen or read Harry Potter. I might be the last person on earth not to, so I’m holding out.”

7. The Role of Time & Binge Anxiety (17:39)

• Anna often waits years for hype to settle before watching acclaimed series, like “The Wire” or “Breaking Bad.”
  • Quote [17:39]: “When the hype died down... I feel that I need some time to come around to it on my own.”
• She acknowledges the risk of binging once she’s hooked, affecting sleep and productivity.

8. The Awkwardness of Faking Fandom (19:06)

• Anna recounts pretending to have seen “The Pit” when meeting its executive producer, then later confessing the truth—a moment both uncomfortable and revealing [19:06].
  • Memorable moment: “I was fibbing that I’d seen it... I thought she was going to find this amusing... she did not.”

9. Listeners: Pride and Defiance in Missing Out (21:22–22:41)

• Rosie (Hoboken): “Never listened to Taylor Swift or seen Breaking Bad,” but became a fan after finally trying “Heated Rivalry.”
• Gail (Warren, NJ): Considers never having seen “Titanic” a “red badge of courage” [21:22].
• Barbara (Manhattan): Links her avoidance to a lifelong instinct to resist trends, describing it as an act of individualism.
  • Quote [22:41]: “There’s a certain defiance... almost feels like a threat to my individualism.”

10. Individualism, Snob Effects, and Social Influence (24:45–29:24)

• Anna references the tension between bandwagon effects (conformity) and snob effects (avoidance), drawing on research from the Wharton School.
  • Quote [27:57]: “On the spectrum of bandwagon effects and snob effects, I think I lean more toward snob effects, but I conveniently don’t think of myself as a snob.”
• Many admit to the satisfaction and social cachet of saying, “I’ve never seen Titanic,” using non-participation as a point of pride.

11. Choosing What to Engage With (26:46)

• Anna relies on recommendations from friends—especially those in the industry—even if she ultimately dislikes what’s popular, as with “Heated Rivalry.”
  • Quote [26:46]: “...They think they can finally crack me at some point. And sometimes they do.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anna Holmes on the perils of hype:
  “Once the moment passes, is when I will start interacting with a lot of this culture...” [24:22]
• Barbara (Listener):
  “Going with the crowd and the popular vote almost feels like a threat to my individualism.” [22:41]
• Anna Holmes:
  “There’s something a little bit fun, you know, in water cooler conversation in saying, well, I’ve never seen Titanic or I haven’t read Harry Potter or I don’t like Trader Joe’s.” [29:24]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:13: Anna describes the origin of her avoidance.
• 04:12: How age and streaming altered her habits.
• 07:50: Social media and performativity in pop culture.
• 11:05: Listener Matthew’s “Sleep No More” confession.
• 14:11: The idea of “hype aversion” and “psychological reactance.”
• 17:39: Letting time dull the hype before watching a show.
• 19:06: Anna’s awkward fib to the executive producer of “The Pit.”
• 22:41: Listener Barbara on individualism and defiance.
• 24:45: Individualism and “snob effect” vs. “bandwagon effect.”
• 26:46: How Anna selects what she (might eventually) watch.

Takeaways

• Many people avoid massively popular culture to maintain a sense of uniqueness, autonomy, and critical distance.
• Hype (especially on social media) can make people feel pressured, sparking psychological “reactance.”
• There’s often pride, humor, or irony in what people have not seen—sometimes bordering on defiance or badge-of-honor territory.
• Even pop culture professionals feel resistance to the bandwagon.
• Eventually, curiosity or peer influence may crack resistance, but not always—missing out can be its own form of pleasure.

Episode Title: "Do You Shun Popular Pop Culture?"
Listen for: A mix of anecdote, self-examination, theory, and listener confessions that illuminate the peculiar joys—and costs—of letting hype pass you by.