The Review of Mess: Episode Summary Title: Sloped Walls At The Prada Store With Mackenzie Thomas
Release Date: February 17, 2025
Hosts: Jessica DeFino & Emily Kirkpatrick
Guest: Mackenzie Thomas

1. Introduction of Hosts and Guest (00:15 - 00:50)

The episode kicks off with Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick introducing themselves and their respective newsletters—The Review of Beauty and I <3 Mess. They warmly welcome their special guest, Mackenzie Thomas, setting the stage for an engaging discussion.

Jessica DeFino: "Hello and welcome to the Review of Mess, a podcast dedicated to discussing the highs and lows of pop culture every month. I'm Jessica Defino. I write the newsletter the Review of Beauty."
Timestamp: 00:15

Emily Kirkpatrick: "And I'm Emily Kirkpatrick. I write I Heart Mess. And today we have a special guest with us, Mackenzie Thomas. Hello."
Timestamp: 00:25

Mackenzie Thomas: "I'm so excited to be here. I asked and begged to be here."
Timestamp: 00:33

2. Building the Connection (00:50 - 02:15)

The hosts express their admiration for Mackenzie’s work, highlighting her influence and the popularity of her newsletters. Mackenzie shares her proactive approach to engaging with the podcast community, explaining how she frequently reaches out to participate in various podcasts.

Emily Kirkpatrick: "You're the reason this exists. You're the whole reason the special pod episode exists."
Timestamp: 00:37

Mackenzie Thomas: "Honestly, people are always like, Mackenzie. Like how do you get on so many podcasts? And it's because I literally am always dming people being like, I just let us link."
Timestamp: 00:41

Mackenzie delves into the origin of her newsletter, "I Will Do Whatever I Want," revealing it as an affirmation against being pigeonholed, a recurring theme in her personal branding.

Mackenzie Thomas: "I need to be able to create outside the box of Mackenzie. So it's I will do whatever I want. And it's me saying that to myself that I will not be defined. I will break the chains every single day and get out there and do things you're doing."
Timestamp: 01:27

Jessica DeFino: "Newsletter name as affirmation. I think that's very powerful."
Timestamp: 02:08

3. Exploring Mackenzie’s Online Presence and Theories (02:15 - 04:39)

The conversation shifts to Mackenzie’s relationship with the internet and information dissemination. Mackenzie shares a unique perspective on how information "moves through" her, blending online connectivity with almost mystical reception of data.

Mackenzie Thomas: "I feel like the internet moves through me offline in the way that if I do want to know about something, I will be presented with the information via like a scrap of paper being blown in on the wind... Things really do move through me."
Timestamp: 02:27

Emily builds on this by suggesting that Mackenzie is destined to receive crucial information, likening her to a channel for the universe’s messages.

Emily Kirkpatrick: "I feel like the universe needs you to be plugged in, and so it's going to find a way to reach you however it has to with this crucial information."
Timestamp: 03:20

Mackenzie introduces her current personal theory of being a "phone psychic," where energies she invests in her phone manifest in her real life in unpredictable ways. This intriguing concept sets the stage for deeper discussions on the intersection of technology and spirituality.

Mackenzie Thomas: "I'm phone psychic. And being phone psychic is when you have something on your phone. I have something on my phone... that thing will appear in my real life and play some type of honestly confusing kind of crazy role."
Timestamp: 03:41

Emily Kirkpatrick: "iPhone is like a manifestation portal, again, is very beautiful to me."
Timestamp: 04:39

4. Witches, Phones, and Personal Empowerment (04:39 - 05:26)

The dialogue takes a whimsical turn as Mackenzie recounts a conversation with her friend Sophia, who equates women's phones to magic wands, reinforcing the theme of personal empowerment through technology.

Mackenzie Thomas: "My friend Sophia was going through a breakup and prefaced this by saying, all women are witches. Mackenzie, your magic wand is your phone."
Timestamp: 04:39

Emily Kirkpatrick: "Yeah, that blew my mind. I'm on board with that."
Timestamp: 04:46

Mackenzie embraces the metaphor, highlighting the power and significance of smartphones in modern femininity and personal expression.

Mackenzie Thomas: "It's really powerful... clinging to it."
Timestamp: 05:08

The segment concludes with a playful yet assertive moment where Mackenzie prefaces a bold statement, hinting at candid opinions to follow.

Mackenzie Thomas: "I think you sexual is corny."
Timestamp: 05:22

Jessica DeFino: "Okay. I have to."
Timestamp: 05:24

Conclusion

In the initial minutes of this episode of The Review of Mess, Jessica DeFino and Emily Kirkpatrick engage in a lively and insightful conversation with Mackenzie Thomas. They explore themes ranging from personal branding and the power of affirmations to the mystical interplay between technology and spirituality. Mackenzie’s unique perspectives, particularly her concept of being a "phone psychic," add depth and intrigue, setting the stage for an episode filled with humor, critical analysis, and unconventional insights into pop culture.

Note: This summary covers the transcript provided up to 05:26 and may not encompass the entire episode.