Podcast
Culture Study Podcast
Hosted by Anne Helen Petersen · EN
A podcast about the culture that surrounds you — with Anne Helen Petersen and a bunch of very smart co-hosts.
21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What Made Our Boomer Moms... Like This?
6d ago01:05:23Tap to summarizeWe love our boomer moms. And our boomer moms are complicated. When Tracy Clark-Flory first told me about her memoir — in which she discovers the half-sister her mother had at age 19, and was forced to give up for adoption — I immediately thought about how so many of our boomer moms' choices were limited in ways we struggle to imagine. No matter how feminist their current politics may be, it doesn't change the fact that so many of them grew up (and became adults) in deeply patriarchal, racist, restrictive, and incredibly anti-sex families and communities. So in this episode, Tracy and I work to activate some deep empathy for boomer moms just generally — but we're also very real about how some of the patterns they couldn't escape have affected their children. We talk about boomer moms who loathe feminism, who've dealt with un-present partners, who struggle with bitterness, who reproduce the criticalness of their own parents, and who really, really want to give gifts. The goal for this episode is empathy that doesn't shy from consequences; became a paid subscriber so you can continue to work through these themes in the comments! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/CULTURESTUDY Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE Show Notes: Buy My Mother's Daughter here Follow Tracy Clark-Flory's work here Subscribe to Tracy's weekly newsletter on sex, feminism, and pop culture here Listen to her fantastic podcast Dire Straights (with the fantastic Amanda Montei!!) here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. QUITTING. Journalist Lindsay Crouse's forthcoming book asks, "In a world that prizes persistence, when does perseverance work against us?" What are your thoughts, fears, and questions around quitting? What are you struggling to quit? Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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RF Kuang Answers Your Questions About Dark Academia
2w ago01:07:27Tap to summarizeFIRST THINGS FIRST: IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! Dark Academia is a literary genre. Dark Academia is an aesthetic. Dark Academia is a fantasy space. Or maybe Dark Academia is kind of a overgeneralizing label that few authors actually embrace. That's what R.F. Kuang, author of Babel and Katabasis thinks — and having her on the pod to talk about the trappings of the genre made for a fascinating discussion. We talk about the rise of genre right now, whether it subverts or reinforces the world it depicts, why State School Dark Academia doesn't really exist, and of course race, class, and the ideologies fantasy allows us to explore (and explode), just generally. Come hang out in R.F. Kuang's brilliant mind!! Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Show Notes: Pre-order Taipei Story here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780063473744 Katabasis is now out in paperback! https://bookshop.org/p/books/katabasis-standard-edition-a-novel-r-f-kuang/078c5e32fe5f2db6?ean=9780063021488&next=t The New Yorker profile I reference: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/the-otherworldly-ambitions-of-r-f-kuang Subscribe to Rebecca's newsletter here: https://rfkuang.substack.com/ Taipei Story tour dates in the US, UK, Ireland, and Canada! https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/taipei-story#tour We reference Possession by A.S. Byatt: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780679735908 (also Possession was published in 1991, we were way off!) Rebecca mentions Audre Lorde's 1982 talk, "Learning from the 60s": https://garadinervi-repertori.blog/post/620761451560386560/audre-lorde-learning-from-the-60s-talk We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Intergenerational Friendships Rule
3w ago00:50:24Tap to summarizeFIRST THINGS FIRST: IF YOU NEED HELP ADDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEED TO YOUR PODCAST PLAYER, JUST CLICK HERE! When people around my age tell me that no one else their age has time to hang out, I have a go-to response: you need intergenerational friends! Older friends, younger friends, friends at a different (and often more flexible) life stage than you — it rules. I cherish my intergenerational friendships, and I'm thrilled to have Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer on the pod to talk about the legendary intergenerational friendship that inspired his new novel, Villa Coco, and help answer all your questions on cultivating these relationships in your own life. This episode will make you grateful for your existing age-spanning friendships and get you excited to make many, many more. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD. Get 15% off your first order of cleaning products by going to Blueland.com/CULTURE Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Show Notes: Go buy Villa Coco right now: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780385551977 Follow Andrew Sean Greer on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/asgreer/?hl=en We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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BONUS EPISODE: Is Off Campus the Corniest New Show on Television... or The Hottest? [preview]
3w ago00:18:19Tap to summarizeBonus eps are when we go deep on a cultural phenomenon, text, or celebrity that's overwhelming our feeds, charming our pants off, or sparking general bewilderment. Off Campus does all three! It's a new, eight-episode hockey romance now airing on Amazon and it manages to be intermittently corny, incredibly hot, ostensibly very straight (but arguably made for the bisexual-gaze) and... does a pretty excellent job of handling of storylines involving sexual assault and physical abuse?? A wonder, truly. For the first half of the episode, we talk about the series in general: what it's about, where it's set, its worldview and understanding of romance. We talk about the basics of the plot but avoid major spoilers. Then we get detailed. We talk about bra fit. We talk about specific needle drops. We discuss what makes that scene so hot — and the way the show handles trauma and consent. If you haven't watched, I hope this ep compels you to give Off Campus a try... and if you have, WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT. (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail dot com) Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Dozens of Irish Books for Your Summer Reading (with Maggie O’Farrell)!
4w ago00:44:44Tap to summarizeI LOVE IRISH LITERATURE. And like so many of you, I love the work of Maggie O'Farrell – so when I heard her new book was very Irish (set in the aftermath of The Great Hunger in the late 19th century) I wondered if she'd be willing to come on the pod to do one of our favorite things here on Culture Study: offer very specific book recommendations. Stay tuned for a delightful conversation that will add a solid half dozen books to your TBR list. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Go to https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a free gift with your first purchase! Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. Show Notes: You can buy Maggie O'Farrell's new book Land here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9780593320648 Links for the 30+ books we recommend are available for paid subscribers. We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this week's piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. HOW HAVING A FAMILY BECAME SO DAUNTING (and DIFFICULT). Anna Louie Sussman is coming on the pod to talk about her incredible new book on the feeling of "impossibility" when it comes to contemporary family. We can talk about fertility, cost, equal partnership, affordability, safety, climate grief, so many things. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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The Future of Summer Camp, Post-Camp Mystic
May 2701:15:57Tap to summarizeI grew up going to all manner of camps: church camp, science camp, French camp, cheerleading camp... if there was a way for me to be away from home (and have a fun packing list), I took it. I loved the freedoms and rituals of camp, the goofy, cool counselors who felt like visions of my potential future, and the cachet that accumulated with each passing summer. Camp was a place where I could be a different person, or at least a better, more likable one. I thought I was a camp person. But when I reached adulthood, I realized my camp-ness was nothing in comparison to the people whose families had dedicated their kids' summers to one camp... for decades. That's what Camp Mystic was — and still is — for thousands of former campers. So when a flash flood last July took the lives of 28 Mystic campers, questions about the future of the camp also became questions about the future of that identity. Kerry Howley spent six months reporting a stunning feature for New York Magazine on the aftermath of the Mystic flood. She joins the pod to answer your questions about Camp Mystic itself, but also the larger culture of camp and its role in identity formation. This conversation's going to stick with me for a very long time. A Camp Mystic Brochure from 1981 (via Getty) Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode: Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box! Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE Go to Biologica.com/CULTURE, take their quick Hormonal Life Stage Quiz to find the formula that’s right for you, and get up to 32% off your first subscription order today! Show Notes: Read Kerry Howley's incredible New York Magazine feature — "Could the Girls of Camp Mystic Have Been Saved?" — here Read more of Kerry's features at NYMag here Find out more about Kerry's work here and buy her book Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State (a real fave in this household) here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: THE NEXUS OF LLMS/A.I. AND CREATIVITY: A.I. Boosters argues that LLMS can free us for more creative endeavors — or "facilitate" our creative work. THOUGHTS???? (This one's with the brilliant Vauhini Vara, whose work grapples with these questions in a way I've never seen before). Hopefully this week's piece on how A.I. keeps wasting my G-D time will spark some questions on your end. WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything — it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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A Big Juicy Gossip Episode
May 2001:07:13Tap to summarizeThis episode is juicy, and it does have gossip — but I admit that it's actually less about specific juicy gossip and more about why we love juicy gossip... gossip about celebrities, gossip about extended family, gossip about our coworkers and frenemies and reality stars and even random people involved in high drama. We love reading gossip, whispering gossip, talking shit about people who gossip too much (or not enough)... gossip is a primary means of making sense of the world, and we should all talk (and think) about it more. Nichole Hill, host of the fantastic podcast Our Ancestors Were Messy, joins me to do just that. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/ Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order. Show Notes: Listen to Our Ancestors Were Messy! Learn more about Nichole's work Nicole references the episode on Paul Robeson, which you can find here My chapter on Dorothy Dandridge is in my book Scandals of Classic Hollywood Dandridge on the cover of Life Magazine: We also reference the episode on Oscar Micheaux, which is so wild Nichole's co-host on that episode = Dr. Ray Christian We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: WOMEN'S FITNESS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. As our co-host Zoe Rom puts it: "Women are told they need to do fasting, creatine, lifting, fueling, and recovery differently than men. Sometimes the science backs it. More often the "different" is a marketing mechanism: invent a gendered problem, sell a gendered protocol, collect the markup." What's going on here? Where have you seen it, what pisses you off about it... take this wherever you'd like. WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Checking In On The Momfluencers
May 1301:10:33Tap to summarizeThis one's a classic Culture Study ep. We've got a return Culture Study guest, Sara Petersen, talking about a recurring Culture Study topic: WTF is going on with the momfluencers? Because when we talk about momfluencers, we're obviously also always talking about the ways we want motherhood to be performed in public... and how we also want/crave/need to police that performance. How are today's up-and-coming (and old school and tired) momfluencers managing politics, MAHA, privacy, and the constant demand for more reels? What is it about these accounts that always make "family" feel like a conservative project? And what's going on with the Canva-style checklists for "how to visit my newborn baby"??? We have SO much to talk about. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Get 15% off your first order of cleaning products at Blueland.com/CULTURE Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at Tumbleliving.com/CULTURE Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box! Show Notes: Definitely subscribe to Sara Petersen's newsletter (I read every issue) and check out her new podcast with Emily J. Smith, Clean Countertops Like..... read her latest missive on Mr. Ballerina Farm The Ballerina Farm pregnancy announcement/Protein Powder promotion short film Like Sara, I am now obsessed with BROOKE RAYBOULD (pictured above) SO MUCH HAPPENING I reference MTPromiseLand Read Sara's interview with Fortesa Latifi, author of the book about the kids of influencers Brooklyn and Bailey (whom I call the Baylor Influencer Twins) We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: SUMMER CAMP, SPECIFICALLY THE SUMMER CAMPS LIKE CAMP MYSTIC — camp-as-society-funnel, what counts and doesn't count as safety — with Kerry Howley, the author of this deep dive feature into the aftermath of the Mystic tragedy WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What Do We Do With All This STUFF??
May 601:10:34Tap to summarizeThis episode is just satisfying. I've heard from so many of you about how to deal with accumulated stuff. Not just accumulated linens, or too many hair products, but stuff with emotions attached: stuff that's been directed your way (with great import) from relatives, stuff you're trying to sift through when a parent died unexpectedly, or just artifacts from the last few decades of your life that you feel like you should keep (but definitely don't want to, or have space to). Professional organizer (and Culture Study reader) Tara Bremer joins the pod to grapple with so many of your complicated questions, like: What do I do with (very old) photo albums? Like, from the early 1900s? We moved into my Grandparents house and now we have to figure out what to do with boxes and BOXES of old history/Catholic theology books WTF do I do with my My Little Sisters' Vacuum-Sealed Cabbage Patch Dolls WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THE CHINA How to subtly tease the messaging between "I don't want this many things in my house" vs. "I don't want this many of YOUR things in my house" Will I regret not holding on to more things as I age? We have such a meaningful discussion about the various forces we encounter when figuring out what to keep and pass on — and, of course, I can't wait to hear your own suggestions (and help with your own conundrums) in the comments. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com Use code CULTURESTUDY to get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com/culturestudy Our listeners get a free gift with their first purchase when they use code CULTURE at Jonesroadbeauty.com Show Notes: Follow Tara on IG here and her professional account (for House Peace) here If you missed our subscriber-only episode about The Pitt, it's here That's it, no more show notes! We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about: WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE: Late to The Pitt Party [preview]
May 300:05:00Tap to summarizeIn today's BIG MARGARET ANNOUNCEMENT, we mentioned that we'll be doing (consistent) monthly bonus episodes from here on out — and here's the first one! It's part of an ongoing series that we're either calling 1) Late to the Party or 2) Cool Takes, in which we arrive a few weeks late to whatever cultural text is dominating the discourse (because that's when most of us have actually found the time to watch/listen/read/whatever). This month, we're talking about Season Two of The Pitt, which also means we're talking about melodrama, medical procedurals, the hottest doctor, what it was like for Margaret to binge both seasons to prep for this ep, whether the show knows Dr. Robby is a dick (yes) and whether the show is also teeing us up for the Night Shift in Season Three (yes). There's obviously a lot here for anyone who watches the show — but we purposefully crafted this ep to focus on larger questions of what makes a television show effective right now. Can't wait for alllllll your thoughts on this one. If you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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