The Stacks – Ep. 406: “A Consumer of Pop Culture First with Christiana Mbakwe Medina”

Host: Traci Thomas
Guest: Christiana Mbakwe Medina
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode of The Stacks, Traci Thomas sits down with Emmy-nominated TV writer, journalist, and host of the upcoming podcast Pop Syllabus, Christiana Mbakwe Medina. Their conversation dives into Christiana’s formative relationship with books and storytelling, her approach to critical pop culture analysis, the nuance of celebrity personas, questions of class and ambition in the UK vs. the US, and of course, book recommendations and reading habits.

Key Topics & Insights

Christiana’s Background & Literary Upbringing

• Oral Tradition and Storytelling:

  • Christiana credits her Nigerian Igbo heritage and parents—her father’s love of debate and her mother’s passion for reading—for fostering her love of stories.
  • Quote: “I come from a culture of storytellers... storytelling and chronicling our histories and the way of understanding our world in that way is just very germane to us.” (06:31)

• Family Reading Rituals:

  • The family regularly discussed and read the Bible together.
  • Listening to and reading the Sunday paper was a cherished family activity.

Critical Engagement with Pop Culture

• Becoming a “Consumer First”:

  • Christiana describes herself as a “fan first”—she engages with pop culture out of genuine enjoyment before bringing in critical analysis.

  • She interrogates the media she consumes, examining why certain narratives attract her and their impact on her values.

  • Quote: "I'm a consumer of pop culture first and, like, a lover... But I think as you grow... you’re interrogating what you’re consuming... is this good for me? If it’s not, why isn’t it? What are the forces acting on pop culture itself?" (14:02–15:25)

Comedy Writing and TV Career

• Finding Comedy in Darkness:

  • Christiana’s background includes writing for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and The Morning Show.

  • She was discovered on Twitter and entered comedy writing via research roles, despite not seeing herself as “funny” at first.

  • Quote: “It’s a show that tries to find the comedy in the darkness and the horrors of the world. So comedy writing became part of my career.” (11:04–11:20)

On Celebrity, Public Persona, and Pop Performance

• Nuanced Views on Celebrities:

  • Discussion includes Christiana’s “prickly but loving” relationship with Beyoncé (17:00), fascination with figures like Meghan Markle, and skepticism of wealthy celebrities flaunting relatability.

• Performing Identity in Pop Culture:

  • Christiana argues celebrity identities (especially Markle’s) are public performances—strategic and sometimes necessary shields.
  • Quote: "Meghan Markle is a character that she plays. The Meghan Markle that the public consume, for good or for bad, is kind of a character..." (23:52–24:30)

Class, Ambition, and American Exceptionalism

• UK vs. US Attitudes:
  • In the UK, the class system stifles ambition, whereas the US celebrates “betting on yourself”—for better and worse.
  • Quote: "In England... the expectation is that the class you were born into is the class you will die in... Whereas in America, if you say to someone, 'I'm going to build the biggest tech company that ever existed,' they'd be like, 'Oh, wow.'" (29:43–32:29)

British Pop Culture & Sports

• Working-Class Dynamics in Football (Soccer):
  • Christiana notes the sport’s working-class roots and the limited class mobility for footballers even amid wealth and success.
  • Quote: "Football... is a working-class sport now... most of the parents here, they're investing a lot in this trial because this is our ticket out of the hood." (34:54–36:19)

Book Club, Recommendations, and Reading Habits

Book Club Pick

• January Selection:
  • Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Girls Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert
  • Christiana returns on January 28th for a deep dive.

Book Recs for Families

Ask The Stacks segment – Recommendations for a diverse reading family (40:54+):

• Traci’s Picks:

  • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
  • There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone

• Christiana’s Picks:

  • The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • The Family Dynamic by Susan Dominus
  • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Rapid Fire Book Chat (44:52–56:19)

• Books Christiana Loves:

  • The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
  • Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

• Book(s) She “Hates”:

  • Pauline books of the Bible (“Pauline theology has been really bad for women.” [45:49])

• Reading Habits:

  • Always reading, across different media (Kindle, audio, print)

  • Prefers books mostly by women; dislikes smut/romantasy genre but respects its cultural importance

  • Quote: "I read constantly... I think I'm the person that people kind of outsource their reading to." (48:28)

• Recent & Impactful Reads:

  • Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism by Robert Chapman (54:30)
  • How to Be Well by Amy LaRocca – “A real interrogation of the multi-billion-dollar wellness empire and how it targets women.” (57:00)
  • Acting (or Actress) of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller – made her both laugh and cry (59:42 & 59:56)

• Other Recommendations:

  • The Twittering Machine by Richard Seymour (would assign to high schoolers about tech/social media) (63:47)
  • The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (for the President—“every president needs to have a deep respect for Black Americans and their contributions and their sacrifice and their courage.” [65:15])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Pop Culture Consumption:
  • "Ultimately I'm just a fan first." – Christiana (15:25)
• On Performance in the Public Eye:
  • “Everyone in pop culture is doing this delicate dance... you make up some fictions.” – Christiana (24:00)
• On UK vs. US Attitudes:
  • “In England... ambition is frowned on. It’s seen as nasty.” (29:43)
• On Reading Smut:
  • "I'm more curious about why women are into smut outside of the sexual desire and the fantasy... I'd be interested in the overlap [with] men consuming porn." (51:38)
• On Reading Goals:
  • “I think I could probably read less because I think if I read less, I could sit with the books I do enjoy more.” (55:31)
• On Being Embarrassed About Books:
  • “I'm actually very anti that kind of elitism... I think you're honoring that time.” (62:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Pop culture as personal and critical practice: 14:02–15:25
• UK vs. US class, ambition, and celebrity: 29:43–32:29
• Family Ask the Stacks—book recs: 40:54–44:38
• Quickfire reading habits & favorites: 44:52–56:19
• Deepest book recommendation for a president: 65:08

Summary Takeaways

• Engagement with stories is rooted in Christiana’s Nigerian-British background, family, and oral tradition.
• She brings a joyful, but critical, fan’s eye to all things pop culture—constantly questioning the forces that shape what we love.
• Thoughtful about the intersection of class, culture, and ambition, Christiana draws out differences between the US and UK that shape both literature and celebrity.
• Her reading life is omnivorous and passionate, with a strong preference for works by women and a skeptical but curious attitude toward cultural phenomena she doesn’t enjoy.
• Recommended reads range from literary fiction to journalism, memoir, and pop culture critique.
• She believes in reading for yourself, skipping embarrassment or canon anxiety, and returning to texts when the moment is right.

Next Steps:
Don’t miss the The Stacks Book Club conversation on Girl on Girl (Jan 28th, 2026) with Traci and Christiana.

For more highlights and bookish content, visit thestackspodcast.com.