Podcast Summary: The Review of Mess – Episode: Adult Babies Incoming

Hosts: Jessica Defino & Emily Kirkpatrick
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Podcast Description: The Review of Mess critically examines the lesser-known and often problematic facets of pop culture, particularly focusing on fashion and beauty trends. Hosts Jessica Defino and Emily Kirkpatrick dissect celebrity happenings, offering unfiltered opinions on the evolving landscape of fashion and beauty.

1. Introduction and Season Highlights (00:15 - 02:04)

Jessica Defino and Emily Kirkpatrick kick off the episode with reflections on their recent collaborations and guest appearances. Emily shares her enthusiasm about Mackenzie Thomas’s newsletter, praising its humor and impact:

Emily (00:43): "Mackenzie is so funny. You should all subscribe to her newsletter. It genuinely makes me laugh out loud every month."

Jessica acknowledges the feedback on their audio quality, attributing it to their high spirits during recordings.

2. Trend Appropriation by The New York Times Style Section (02:04 - 08:58)

Emily raises concerns about The New York Times Style section seemingly appropriating trends she and Jessica have been discussing:

Emily (02:38): "The line from the Kendrick song, like, he a fan. He a Fan. He. A fan. Like that just keeps playing on repeat in my mind because, yeah, the New York Times style section is into me..."

They delve into the "Minds Drift to Medieval Times" trend, which Emily had previously explored in her essay “Chainmail as Pre Capitalist Yearning.” She criticizes the NY Times for presenting the trend in a flippant manner, minimizing its deeper societal implications:

Emily (04:02): "...instead of being demure, quote unquote demure, people in 2025 will start readying themselves for battle..."

Jessica and Emily express frustration over the NY Times not crediting their original work and the broader issue of media appropriating independent content without acknowledgment.

3. Fur Trends: Real vs. Faux (08:58 - 14:37)

The conversation shifts to the resurgence of fur in fashion, contrasting vintage and faux fur. Emily critiques the NY Times article for its simplistic framing and lack of depth:

Emily (09:34): "Their headline is what happened to the stigma of wearing fur? Which I believe is kind of exactly the question that I ask."

They discuss Carly Mark’s perspective on faux fur as a sustainable option versus PETA’s stance on vintage fur. The hosts highlight the environmental and ethical complexities surrounding fur use in fashion.

4. Jessica’s Experience with The New York Times (14:37 - 25:43)

Jessica recounts her attempt to publish a story in The New York Times Wellness section about beauty reporters reducing their skincare routines. She faced significant editorial pushback, leading to the removal of critical historical context and systemic analysis:

Jessica (14:16): "So I wrote this whole intro interviewing a bunch of beauty reporters... the feedback was I had to kill the whole intro because they don't report on reporters."

Emily supports Jessica’s experience, emphasizing the challenges of getting systemic critiques published in mainstream media, which often prefers individualized stories over broader analyses.

5. Current Fashion Trends: Tighty Whities and Diaper Core (25:43 - 35:00)

Emily introduces the emerging "tighty whities" trend, where adult women sport tighty whities, resembling adult diapers. She traces its origins to adult baby fashion and notes its presence in celebrity ensembles:

Emily (28:11): "It's a real adult baby situation happening out there in Hollywood."

Jessica adds examples of male models embracing similar trends, highlighting the baffling nature of adults adopting baby-like attire:

Jessica (29:29): "It's an adult male diaper and, like, a glittery shirt that says, wow, what a."

The hosts analyze how these trends reflect deeper societal anxieties and the infantilization within modern fashion, questioning the motivations behind such dramatic shifts.

6. Panniers and Geometric Shapes in Fashion (35:00 - 46:26)

Emily discusses the trend of panniers and big geometric shapes on the red carpet, likening them to the novella Flatland—a satirical take on societal hierarchies:

Emily (45:05): "It reminds me of the novella Flatland, which is a satirical novella that was written in 1884... involves geometric shapes."

They critique how these avant-garde designs ignore real human body shapes, creating a dystopian aesthetic that symbolizes societal disconnect and rigid class structures.

7. Republican Makeup Trends and Beauty Standards (46:26 - 54:21)

The hosts delve into the trend of “Republican makeup,” characterized by heavy, conspicuous application aimed at traditional gender norms. They critique media coverage for superficial analysis:

Jessica (49:07): "something about it just, like, really rubs me the wrong way... none of the analysis of what's actually happening here is, like, going deep enough."

Jessica and Emily argue that both conservative and liberal beauty standards impose restrictive and ethically problematic norms, perpetuating beauty as a moral hallmark.

8. Economic Boycotts as Resistance (54:21 - 77:12)

Emily explores historical and modern economic boycotts as tools for systemic change. She references the Montgomery and Baton Rouge bus boycotts, highlighting their economic impact and organizational strategies:

Emily (61:31): "So, yeah, this boycott is being spearheaded by a group called the People's Union USA..."

Jessica and Emily discuss contemporary boycotts targeting companies like Target and Walmart for rolling back DEI initiatives. They examine the economic repercussions, noting significant declines in foot traffic and stock prices for these retailers:

Emily (73:04): "Retail sales dropped by the most in nearly two years. In January... retail sales dropped 0.9%, which is the biggest decrease since March 2023."

They advocate for targeted, sustained boycotts as effective resistance against oppressive systems, emphasizing the power of consumer spending in driving change.

9. Critique of Deuxmoi and Celebrity Gossip Culture (77:12 - 95:45)

Emily expresses strong disdain for Deuxmoi, a celebrity gossip account, criticizing its lack of journalistic standards and ethical reporting. She recounts personal confrontations and the dissemination of misleading information:

Emily (93:47): "I do not stand that account... it just got me thinking."

The hosts condemn Deuxmoi for spreading unverified gossip, undermining legitimate journalism, and employing deceptive practices like undisclosed sponsored content.

10. Critique of Love is Blind and Reality TV (95:45 - 107:38)

Jessica and Emily critique the reality show Love is Blind for its poor editing, repetitive scenes, and superficial treatment of relationships. They highlight problematic interactions between contestants that reflect broader issues with beauty culture and relationships:

Emily (105:14): "...how much of our time, money, energy, effort... forced to put into maintaining a certain look in order to access basic human treatment."

They argue that the show perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards and undermines genuine relationship dynamics by emphasizing appearance over substance.

11. Conclusion and Final Thoughts (107:38 - End)

The hosts wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of critically analyzing fashion and beauty trends, media practices, and economic strategies as forms of resistance against oppressive cultural norms. They encourage listeners to engage thoughtfully with the content they consume and support systemic change through informed consumer choices.

Emily (110:45): "And it just got me thinking. She has this legal statement at the top of her account... 'some statements made on this account have not been independently confirmed.'"

Jessica and Emily sign off with commitments to continue dissecting the "dregs of pop culture," promising future discussions on topics like Fashion Week and upcoming guest episodes.

Notable Quotes:

• Emily Kirkpatrick (02:38): "The New York Times style section is into me... what they're not into is to crediting my ideas."
• Jessica Defino (09:34): "Their headline is what happened to the stigma of wearing fur? Which I believe is kind of exactly the question that I ask."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (28:11): "It's a real adult baby situation happening out there in Hollywood."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (35:05): "Flatland is set in a two dimensional world... a social commentary on the hierarchy of Victorian culture."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (46:26): "...all of my research and all of my fashion trends keep tying back into Victorian culture over and over."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (54:21): "Economic strategies and what you do with your money and where you put your money... money is what changes things."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (77:12): "Half of Democrats indicated that they had shifted their spending entirely in the last few months to align with their morals, compared with 42% of Republicans."
• Emily Kirkpatrick (93:47): "Deuxmoi and I do not get along mostly because I just think that she's like, a terrible and irresponsible news source for celebrity information and gossip."

Conclusion:

In this episode of The Review of Mess, Jessica Defino and Emily Kirkpatrick offer a comprehensive critique of contemporary fashion trends, media practices, and economic resistance strategies. They highlight the appropriation of independent ideas by mainstream media, the problematic resurgence of fur in fashion, the infantilization evident in modern trends, and the ethical failures of celebrity gossip platforms like Deuxmoi. Additionally, they explore the potency of economic boycotts as a form of resistance against systemic oppression, drawing parallels with historical movements. The hosts emphasize the importance of conscious consumerism and community solidarity in driving meaningful cultural change.