Cosmo, Crushes & Cover Stories

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: You Had 2 Be There
Episode Title: Cosmo, Crushes & Cover Stories
Hosts: Erin Miller, Kate Steinberg, Nicole Story Dent
Aired: July 23, 2026
Theme:
This episode is a vibrant journey through the nostalgia of 90s and 2000s teen magazine culture—exploring everything from formative crushes to questionable beauty and dating advice, body image, fashion, and the quirky DIY quizzes that defined a generation. The hosts reminisce about how these glossy pages shaped their personalities and perceptions during their formative years.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Book Club Tangent: "Yesteryear" and Reading Habits

• Nicole proudly reveals she finished a book for the first time in about a decade, sparking discussion on reading vs. scrolling culture (00:24).
• The struggle with finishing books and the ADHD challenges of reading (01:45).
• "I have to read and re-read the same five pages. My brain doesn't comprehend, but this one got me." – Nicole (01:45)
• They discuss trending "smut" (romance/erotica) genres and the awkwardness of audio versions (04:05–05:26).
• Notable: The infamous “biting the bed frame” scene in "Verity" leaves a lasting impression (04:13).

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2. The Golden Era of Teen Magazines

• The transition from reading American Girl and Nickelodeon magazines to aspirational catalogues (AOL/Alloy/Delia’s) and ultimately to Tiger Beat, J14, Seventeen, Cosmo, and YM (06:48–12:32).
• Favorite titles and subscription memories, including hiding scandalous magazines like Cosmopolitan from parents (10:08–11:41).
• "Magazines shaped our entire personalities for $4.99 and a dream." – Erin (06:51)
• The collective longing for the tactile, immersive experience of reading and shopping from magazines—circling outfits, cutting out ads, and comparing with friends (08:18–09:54).

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3. Pop Culture Crushes & Celebrity Posters

• The importance of magazine posters (especially Tiger Beat, J14), ordering belly chains, and cataloging crushes (10:02–11:03).
• The hosts guess each other's childhood "wall crushes":
  • Erin: Paul Walker ("Every inch was covered with Paul Walker." – Erin, 32:13)
  • Nicole: Justin Timberlake (with earlier phases for JTT & Devin Sawa)
  • Kate: Jonas Brothers, especially Nick Jonas ("I fell to the floor and prayed when Nick Jonas said he had diabetes." – Kate, 36:07)
• The emotional impact of celebrity news and the slow pace of updates in the pre-social media era (36:01–37:37).

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4. Magazine Ads, Quizzes, and DIY Beauty

• Iconic ad campaigns: Steve Madden "big head" shoes, Candies toilet ads, Lip Smackers, perfume insert hoarding (14:10–15:14, 40:53–41:11).
• DIY perfume use: "I would put all the perfume inserts around the room thinking it would make it smell good." – Erin (14:36)
• The career- and personality-defining power of magazine quizzes ("If Cosmo said I was meant to be a nurse, I was." – Nicole, 15:36).
• Actual magazine quizzes are performed live—“Do you really want a boyfriend?”, “Are you a stress case?”—revealing the hosts’ lingering affection for this ritual (16:04–18:47).

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5. Horoscopes, Advice Columns, and Editorial Realities

• The performative authenticity of magazine advice columns and horoscopes—Nicole admits she once wrote both the questions and answers during her time on a college mag staff (19:07).
• Live horoscope readings from a 2009 Seventeen magazine (20:31–21:53).
• The realization that kids’ media now lacks similar editorial "in-between" zones—everything is too instant and unfiltered with social media (12:24–12:37).

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6. Body Image, Diets, and Mixed Messages

• Candid analysis of the impact teen magazines had on eating disorders, body shame, and the obsession with “bikini bodies” (07:37–07:45, 22:31–23:36).
• Absurd diet tips revisited, like “eat cotton candy instead of funnel cake at the beach,” and portion-obsessed advice for teens (23:29–24:11).
• Tabloid culture’s focus on shaming, yo-yo weight, and unflattering "real life" celebrity photos (25:08–26:51).
• "You couldn't win. If you lost weight, you were unhealthy; if you gained it, you let yourself go." – Nicole (25:24)
• Modern parallels are drawn to toxic social media commentary on bodies and aging (26:07–27:43).

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7. Dating Advice, Decoding “The Brain of a Boy”

• Hilarious retro advice from Cosmo and Teen People on “cracking the code:”
  • Apparently, "Do you want to hang out at my house?" means "let’s hook up."
  • "Touching him casually" and "returning his gaze" were suggested “secrets.”
• Hosts mock the overanalysis of every crush’s glance or word, comparing magazine advice with real teenage awkwardness (28:01–29:48).

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8. Slang, Trends, and Generational Gaps

• They read a 2009 “dude dictionary”: “brodeo” (a party with too few girls), “butter face,” “Facebook dumped.” All met with eye-rolls (“No one said brodeo.” – Erin, 30:52).
• Comparison with their own kids’ slang ("roasted") and how words move generationally (31:02–31:49).

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9. Nostalgia, DIY Decor, and Magazine Hoarding

• Reminiscing about using magazine cutouts for room decor, with specific allusions to magazine scrap collages entirely devoted to crushes (32:03–36:01).
• The cult of Teen Vogue internship dreams, thanks to The Hills and Devil Wears Prada (42:24–43:17).

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10. Advice, True Crime, and Tabloid Sensationalism

• Remembering dark or sensational “true story” columns and over-the-top headlines—precursors to internet “rage bait” (43:36–44:17).
• The "Stars, they’re just like us!" photo sections—celebrities doing normal things, with hosts finding the premise hilarious (44:21–44:33).

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Listener Stories (ASL Segment, 46:07–51:26)

• Tips like rinsing hair with cold water come directly from magazine “expertise” (46:16–46:47).
• Classic stories about hiding Cosmopolitan from parents and the social embarrassment of being caught with “How to give the best blow job” articles (49:19–49:29).
• Listener admits learning how to kiss from step-by-step instructions—and the anxiety it caused ("Be sure to close your eyes, even Brad Pitt doesn’t look that good close up." – Magazine quote, 50:57).

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Memorable Quotes

• "Magazines shaped our entire personalities for $4.99 and a dream." – Erin (06:51)
• "If Cosmo said I was meant to be a nurse, I was meant to be a nurse." – Nicole (15:36)
• "You couldn't win. If you lost weight, you were unhealthy; if you gained it, you let yourself go." – Nicole (25:24)
• "Every inch [of my closet] was covered with Paul Walker." – Erin (32:13)
• "I fell to the floor and prayed when Nick Jonas announced he had diabetes." – Kate (36:07)
• "I learned how to kiss a boy from a magazine...and it made me more nervous!" – Listener story read by Nicole (50:57)

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Notable Timestamps

• 00:24–03:10: Book talk, ADHD and reading, the allure of new smutty books
• 06:51: "Magazines shaped our entire personalities..." – Erin
• 09:54–12:32: Magazine shopping, favorite titles, early Barnes & Noble/Hastings memories
• 16:04–18:47: Live magazine quiz on "stress" and boyfriend desire, complete with results and advice
• 20:31–21:53: Horoscope readings from a 2009 Seventeen
• 22:31–24:11: Body image and absurd teen diet tips
• 28:01–29:48: “Cracking the code” for dating—mocking magazine boy advice
• 32:03–36:01: Poster crushes and magazine wall-decor stories
• 41:11: Scented magazine inserts and perfume nostalgia
• 43:36–44:17: True crime columns in teen magazines
• 46:16–46:47: ASL segment—listener stories about beauty tips from magazines
• 49:19–49:29: Awkward moments being caught with “adult” magazine articles
• 50:57: "Learned how to kiss a boy..." – Listener story
• 51:36–53:24: Debate: Was AIM the peak of social media?

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Tone and Style

The hosts maintain a witty, confessional, sometimes brutally honest tone—quick to poke fun at themselves and 90s/2000s culture. Storytelling is both nostalgic and sharply observant, blending laugh-out-loud moments with sincere reflection on the lasting effects of media on self-image and adolescence.

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Summary Takeaways

• Teen magazines were an immersive rite of passage, profoundly shaping Gen Y’s formative years, for better and worse.
• Readers used magazines for everything: fashion, flirting, self-discovery, body image, even early true crime fascination.
• Even as many of the messages were toxic, problematic, and sometimes simply made-up, they defined adolescent experience in a way social media never quite can.
• The power of tactile nostalgia and the eternal hunt for glossy portal to belonging, knowledge, and crush validation.

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For Further Reflection

If you "had to be there," this episode will hit you right in the core memories. If not? Welcome to MTV, body mist, and mall culture school.

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Transcript

[Narrator]

You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby.

[Kate]

Hey, guys, welcome to you had to be There, the millennial podcast where we. Where we talk about things where you simply had to be there. All right, I'm gonna stop acting like I'm a reporter. Okay? Hey, I'm Kate.

[Nicole]

I'm Nicole.

[Erin]

And I'm Erin.

[Kate]

You're three millennials.

[Nicole]

Musketeers. Three millennial Musketeers. Guys, I'm really proud of myself. I did something that I have not done in maybe 10 years, possibly 15, and it's gonna. You can't. I need you to not laugh. I need just to be a safe space because you can't laugh when I say this. But I read a book. I read a full ass.

[Erin]

Hey, I just started reading in January, so listen, I'm not laughing.

[Nicole]

Well, I. I purchase books. I purch much. It's much like work.

[Erin]

I never read them.

[Nicole]

I purchase things with the full intention of reading them. That's always like, I don't make resolutions. But it's always a goal of mine to read more, scroll less, read more. And it was yesteryear. I don't know if you've heard of

[Kate]

I knew it yesterday.

[Erin]

Yeah.

[Kate]

How is it?

[Nicole]

It's great, but. And it was weird. It was kind of interesting reading it as a content creator because so much of it focuses around, like, you know, the whole. It's everybody's highlight reel. Like, what you see is not what you get. And she's a mom. And there's a lot of, like, questioning of, like, fame and faith and motherhood, womanhood. And yeah, it centers around, like, this, like, kind of trad wife.

[Erin]

Maybe I should add it to my content creator list.

[Nicole]

So it's very much like, it's based, like, it's very much in the current haps. Like, it's very modern. It's got, like, references to things like, like Instagram and all of that. So it's a good one. And I think it was like 400 pages. And I read it in, like a week.

[Erin]

I read slow same.

[Nicole]

My issue is. And I. I'm not even on my ADHD meds. And because my issue is I will read like five pages and then I will have. I will be somewhere else. My eyes read the words, but my brain did not comprehend any of it. And then I have to go back and start over. And it happens all over Again, but something about. And maybe it's just because it's a good book and I connected to it, but I was actually able to focus so naturally. Now I've already ordered like 17 more books to read because I'm a reader now.

[Erin]

Amazing.

[Nicole]

I'm a reader. So, Kate, you've read it?

[Erin]

You've read this book?

[Kate]

No. So I've just heard so many good things about it. So I am still. For like the past year, I'm slowly reading the Fourth Wing. I'm almost done with it, but I read like two pages every night, then fall asleep. And then also everybody was dming me. Like, I asked for recommendations for an audiobook on a road trip and I got Shield of Sparrows. Oh, my God, this book's horrible. I'm on chapter 42 out of 68, and I feel like I need to finish it before I move on to another point. I can't start my third book and not finish it. Oh, I also started that Margot book about seven husbands of Margot.

[Erin]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I've heard of that.

[Kate]

I start so many books and I don't finish and then it's like, I feel bad, like, but also, I don't

[Nicole]

know, it's like, cut your losses, you know, Just let it go and start. Start again.

[Kate]

These are all like fantasy books. Like dragons. I'm not a dragon girl.

[Nicole]

That's not for you.

[Kate]

But like Verity, like a book, like something that's like.

[Erin]

Yeah, I just read that.

[Kate]

Like a little bit of. Oh, give me gobble. Like, are you.

[Erin]

Oh, are you excited for the movie?

[Kate]

Oh, I'm so excited. Anne Hathaway is in every movie, but other than that, she's in everything.

[Erin]

Like, she's in literally every movie.

[Kate]

It's so funny. I heard they're going to bring back. I think they're going to start yester year in a movie.

[Nicole]

I think they have to. They have to make it.

[Erin]

I'm sure they are. Okay, I need to read that.

[Kate]

I want to say it's either Anna Kendrick or it's Anne Hathaway in it. I forget which one.

[Erin]

Don't say which one. It's probably Anne Hathaway. I mean, she does not turn a movie role down, that girl.

[Nicole]

I have never been able to say in my life other than Harry Potter, the book was better than the movie. I've never. I. I don't get to be that.

[Erin]

It rarely happens.

[Nicole]

I'm so excited. I also, because. And there's a. You know, there's a couple, like, sex scenes in it, but Now I feel like the thing is, all the slutty books, the smut, they call them smuts.

[Kate]

Smuts.

[Nicole]

The spicy books.

[Erin]

Verity has some stuff.

[Nicole]

Does it?

[Kate]

I will never forget. When she bites the. The bed frame.

[Erin]

The bed frame.

[Kate]

The bed frame. She leaves her teeth marking it. Like, that's a core memory. I remember like reading this on a plane and like, kind of like curling

[Erin]

up a little like, oh, my God, this is.

[Nicole]

I remember because I don't read. And I. I feel like this was even like pre. Insta. Like pre there being like book talk, whatever. 50 Shades of Gray came out and I. I didn't know the full of what it was, but just the book, not the movie. And I remember my mom being like, oh, like, what are you. And I'm like, yeah, I'm starting this new book, 50 Shades of Gray. And then I started reading it and I was like, I just told my mom I'm reading 50 Shades of Gray. And I remember being really embarrassed that my mom would know that I was reading that.

[Erin]

Oh, so you read that? I never read it. Never saw the movie.

[Nicole]

Started it. I started. I. I started that. I didn't finish it. I read.

[Kate]

I saw the movie. The movie was a lot, like.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I just remember, like, the movie was a lot. But the book was more really.

[Kate]

Oh, yeah.

[Erin]

I could see that.

[Nicole]

There's only so much. There's only like. Yeah, you can. They can describe stuff that they're not able to show on screen.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Kate]

Okay. I fear that I might like smut as a genre then. That might be.

[Nicole]

I'm sure. And there's like, there's. There's reading it and then there's like, audio. You might be into the. More audio.

[Kate]

Okay, so.

[Nicole]

Okay. But also, how do you. Like. I moaned vividly. Like, did Some actually don't.

[Erin]

I don't want to listen to it.

[Kate]

I don't want to do that.

[Erin]

I'd rather.

[Kate]

But so for Shield of Sparrows I posted, I was like. I shared them, like, halfway through this book. It's horrible. Like, what is. Like, what are you guys talking about? Then everyone dm, they're like, you have to listen to the smart. Like, you're not listening to the right version. And that's probably right.

[Nicole]

Cause it's so like the narrator. Like, the narrator I would understand.

[Kate]

They're like, in a tree, there's dragons and monsters. I'm like, oh, my God, get over this.

[Erin]

Okay.

[Nicole]

Because I. The next one I'm gonna read is the Acotar series, which. That took me a second oh, I've heard of that, too. And I'm like, is there. They couldn't give me a clear answer. The person I was talking about, if there was bestiality involved, they were like, well, not technically, but there's, like, fair. There's fairy. There's. It's not of this. It's like a magical, mystical world. So I have not. I will soon decide if I'm into dragon.

[Erin]

Interesting.

[Nicole]

Have not.

[Erin]

I've never read, like, a fantasy book. Yeah, let me know.

[Nicole]

Because I'd be reading, but not sexual fantasy.

[Erin]

Yeah, that'd be interesting.

[Kate]

Like, the fourth wing is, like, steamy, but, like, I need them to do more. Like, I can't have, like, a.

[Nicole]

Is it humans?

[Kate]

Yeah, they're humans, but they're with dragons. And just. Oh, not enough. Like, they're feeling. They're getting, like, their sexual, like, drive through the dragon. I'm just so over it. I'm so over dragons. All right, what are we talking about today?

[Nicole]

My God, is she wearing the new couture? Well, this is a good segue. Yes.

[Erin]

Wow.

[Kate]

Yes. Great segue.

[Erin]

There was once a time when our entire personalities were being shaped by a $4.99 magazine and a dream. And that is so true. We're talking about magazines. Okay. Shaped our entire lives. Wow. Talk about a pastime.

[Kate]

I know.

[Nicole]

It's supposed to be, like, I don't think we'll ever come back. I think.

[Erin]

Who's reading magazines?

[Nicole]

I think we're. The Internet would have to go away for magazines.

[Erin]

Yeah. Because. Yeah, that's where we got all our information. Like, that's where I got my hair inspo. My makeup tips, my skin hair tips. Put toothpaste on zits. That's where I got dating advice. Like, that's where I saw paparazzi photos.

[Nicole]

Like, everything. What. What books to read, what movies were coming out.

[Erin]

Who's dating who. Was that £7 in two days. Yikes.

[Nicole]

Like what? Like, most of our, you know, eating disorders probably came from magazines, too.

[Erin]

Between.

[Kate]

Sure. Magazines and my fitness pal, but that's a whole nother topic.

[Erin]

Yeah, but magazines came first because, remember,

[Kate]

you guys came first.

[Erin]

There used to be whole sections showing, like, celebrities where you could see their bones. Huh. It'd be. Yeah, it'd be photos of, like, look at everyone's rib cages. And anyway, we're getting. We're going no way to one side right away.

[Nicole]

Tell me about. Because I feel like we were primed for magazines because there was. I remember there was a Nickelodeon magazine, and there was an American Girl magazine. Kate, did you subscribe to the American Girl magazine?

[Kate]

Absolutely. And I. That's the magazine I would read up and down, and I would circle the things that I want, like the American Girl doll matching outfits and the bed sets and such with Never get it. But it did start at American Girls for me.

[Erin]

And my God, before. Wait, before we even talk about, like. Like, ordering from magazines, like, having to circle things and call in and make orders. Like, sorry, I was just totally, like,

[Nicole]

dealing with that whole part of it.

[Kate]

Oh, yeah.

[Nicole]

We would literally shop through magazines.

[Erin]

I was just thinking about, like, reading articles.

[Kate]

But, yeah, we would order, but that's how we shop. Do you guys remember? Did you guys ever get the magazine called Aloe? It's like a L, L, O.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Erin]

Yes.

[Kate]

Oh, that's.

[Nicole]

You say it that way or is a Lloyd.

[Erin]

You say it.

[Nicole]

I would say alloy.

[Erin]

Oh, really? I say alloy. What is it?

[Kate]

Oh, Alloy. You know what? It's probably. My mom was like, where's the. Like, I just said it. Yeah, but I remember, like, that was like, the magazine. I'm like, oh, my God, I wish I was these girls. I wish I was, like, had these outfits. Like, we never ordered anything. But I remember, like, yeah, that was how you did it.

[Nicole]

I don't remember ever actually ordering from those, but I remember dreaming of ordering those. And those became almost like, okay, let me take this with me to JCPenney to try to emulate this Delia's outfit.

[Kate]

Or even, like, the Target magazines. And like, those store magazines were also, like, what I was reading when I was eating breakfast. Like, those. Like, just imagine having all the toys and stuff. But for me, it started like, what was like, Seventeen magazine was my magazine growing up. What was like, your Lifeline magazine.

[Nicole]

Wow. You started at 17. Okay. Because we. I had. And it's funny, I actually have one in my lap. Tiger Beat.

[Erin]

Yeah. See, I never got probably well aware of.

[Nicole]

Guys are probably a little young. Let me tell you the date.

[Erin]

I think I might have been a smidge young.

[Nicole]

Oh, it doesn't have a year. It says December. I've got to find. The first ad is a Tam. A Tampax mat. But guys wonder this. It's black and white.

[Kate]

Whoa.

[Nicole]

It's black. It's like, there would be the random colored poster. And that was really what you got it for, was the posters inside. But look, here, you can order. There's an order form to order a belly chain for only 3.95.

[Erin]

Okay.

[Kate]

Ear huggers. Wait, what are. What year is this?

[Nicole]

I've got to find the year that.

[Erin]

What Is this? Day 14 is what you're looking at?

[Nicole]

No, this is Tiger Beat.

[Erin]

Oh, Tiger Beat. Oops.

[Kate]

See, I remember Tiger Beat. And I was. I think I was more like J14.

[Erin]

Tiger Beat was. No. Okay, here we go.

[Nicole]

December 1995, this magazine. So I was seven.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Nicole]

I was seven. Just starting to get crushes on.

[Erin]

And you were getting.

[Narrator]

Damn.

[Erin]

I didn't hear magazine. So I was in middle school, and unfortunately, the magazine I read the most was Cosmopolitan. It's unfortunate.

[Kate]

I don't know who's getting those. I think my grandma was, like.

[Erin]

My grandma was getting Cosmopolitan and then, like, giving them to my sister and I. And I don't think anyone knew what was going on there.

[Kate]

That was a scandalous magazine for me. Like, that's where I learned about, like, what a BJ was or, like, how to, like, arouse a boy. Like, right.

[Erin]

I was reading it when I was 10. Like, what was I doing? That's like. Was my magazine.

[Kate]

And then 17 was like.

[Erin]

I love 17. 17 was great. 17 was good.

[Nicole]

So I think also ym. I think my favorite was ym.

[Erin]

Was it okay? Oh, yeah. I have a bunch of Seventeen and Teen People. A lot of teen peoples.

[Kate]

Teen People. Oh, my God, I forgot about that. That was, like, the celebrity one. I felt like that's where I saw, like, Paris. Good Britney.

[Erin]

But I think that was smart of

[Nicole]

them to create the teen version of People because, like, I think we didn't care about, like, what George Clooney was doing, but we wanted to know what Paris Hilton was doing. So they created. Yeah. The option, which, you know, they say teen, but it was really 11 and 12.

[Erin]

It was.

[Nicole]

It was tween was who was actually consuming it.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

But that was so smart of them. I feel sad that, like, I feel like kids today, they don't have that, like, in between.

[Kate]

They're not reading well.

[Erin]

Yeah. And it's just straight to social media, and everything's so instant. And you see.

[Kate]

Yeah, that's. That's the sad part. I would. Did anyone ever go to Barnes and Nobles growing up? Like, my friend and I would go to Barnes and Nobles on a Friday night, get our Starbucks strawberry Frappuccino, and just sit there and go through the magazines because we weren't gonna buy them. They were so expensive. But, like, we just, like. That's where we, like, absorbed all, like, the knowledge of, like, what's going on in the early 2000s.

[Nicole]

And ours was a store called Hastings was what ours was called, but same thing they sold books, they sold music and they sold magazines.

[Erin]

Yeah, I went to Borders and listened to music. Border.

[Nicole]

I think they created a rule that you couldn't look through because enough kids were just coming and looking through the magazine. Looking and leaving them or stealing posters out of them and leaving. I feel like they either they started putting them in sleeves so that you couldn't just go and read all day.

[Erin]

Yeah, I don't remember just like going through magazines at stores. I had. I don't know how I was getting magazines, but I was getting them somehow. Speaking of ym, you mentioned ym. I have. There's one ad that lives rent free in my head and it was Britney Spears with an. It was an izone camera ad and it was Britney Spears and it was in YM and it was in like 2000 and she's like wearing all pink. And in the ad it has like a strip of photos and one of them is like an up close photo of her like belly button ring. And I was like, this is the

[Nicole]

coolest ad ever seen.

[Erin]

I need to get my belly button pierced. I don't know why that, that ad just.

[Nicole]

Anyway, the ads are almost as iconic as the magazine articles and the pictures themselves. Like you have a thousand percent. Steve, the. Steve Madden, the Big Head.

[Erin]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Whole ad campaign.

[Erin]

Why? Oh my God, 2,000 advertisements were. Oh my God, Milk.

[Nicole]

I remember like Candies. Candies always had really great ads.

[Kate]

Candies. The average Lip Smackers soda.

[Nicole]

Lip Smackers, yes.

[Kate]

Also Aaron, you made a video about like the perfume. Like Obia, the perfume. Genuinely would do that. Would rub it all over myself.

[Erin]

I would put. I would rip them all out and place them all over my bedroom thinking it was going to make it like smell really good.

[Nicole]

Oh, that was like you were using them like they were in the diffuser.

[Erin]

No, I, Yeah, I would place them on top of my dresser and on top of my nightstand, like over my room, like periodically thinking it was gonna make it smell like an Abercrombie. Like it's in it, it's in it. I put them in like my underwear drawer.

[Kate]

Oh my God. You're actually.

[Nicole]

I mean, that's kind of brilliant.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I'm gonna say I don't think I

[Kate]

did it, but that's so smart. I was just like trying to wear like the Coach or Ralph Lauren on my arm. Like I was just trying to rub and smell like something. I really think I would try to

[Nicole]

make them last more than one time too. I would open them 100 and like catalog them like in A safe place. As if it were like, oh, my God. Yeah. Ford perfume back then.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Erin]

No body mist all day, baby.

[Kate]

I think that quizzes were the.

[Erin]

Oh.

[Kate]

Like, that's how I developed my personality of, like, who I was.

[Erin]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Yeah. And we were. And we were primed from having done mash and those types of things. I feel like we. We needed it. We. Maybe it was because we didn't have another way of, like, somebody. We needed somebody to tell us who we were. And we turned to magazine quizzes to do that because I would take the results very seriously. Like, I would have a career path. Like, if, If, If Cosmo told me that I was going to be a nurse, I was going to be a nurse that, like.

[Erin]

Are we going to do a quiz right now?

[Nicole]

Oh, no, we should. We'll find a quiz to take. Let's find a quiz to take. Well, on my.

[Erin]

The one in front of me just says, are you really good friend? That's the test in here. But I don't know. That's like, fine. That's, like, not that exciting.

[Nicole]

I have a quiz. Are you a stress case? Quiz. Do you really want a boyfriend, Kate? I'm going to say that you would get, like, could you do it to Kate?

[Erin]

Do it to Kate? What is it? Do you really need a boyfriend? Or what is it? Yeah.

[Nicole]

Boys, boys, boys. Quiz. Do you really want one?

[Narrator]

Good question.

[Kate]

Okay, let's see how stressed I am.

[Nicole]

Oh, gosh, honey. Okay, let me find a pen.

[Erin]

You need a pen to jot down our answers?

[Nicole]

If you're all bees, you are a stress ball.

[Erin]

We are so excited for this from ym. Okay, this is. What year is this? What year is this from?

[Nicole]

This is from Elijah Wood is on the COVID This is January from Lord of the rings. 3. Think about everything you did last week. How many hours did you have entirely to yourself? So how many hours last week did you have entirely to yourself? A, around 10. I often have a few free hours afternoons a week. B, more than 20. I don't do anything but eat Cheetos and play Nintendo. Or C, like 4. Between my after school job, field hockey, and SAT classes, I can barely take a breath. You know those SAT classes? Okay, wait, so C. Okay, C, C, so that gives you three points. So remember that. Three. You're okay. In the middle of chemistry, your extremely hilarious teacher leaps up from her chair and sings. Pop quiz. You, A, start to hyperventilate. B, try to quickly skim the last chapter you covered before she makes you close the test book. Textbook or C, don't even pause in writing a funny note to your best friend. You're not worried about it.

[Kate]

Hey, I passed out. I'm like passing out now.

[Nicole]

Okay, three points. You're at six points. Let's do one more. The boy you're seeing tells you after school that he'll call you that night. 10pm rolls around and you still have not received his call. A, you decide he must have gotten caught up in something and resolve to ask him about it tomorrow. B, you are so upset and can't concentrate on your homework or eat a bite of your traditional pre bed bowl of honey bunches of oats. C, you are too busy iming the cute kid you met at summer even

[Erin]

though you're B, 100.

[Kate]

I'm D going to a psych ward. I am not. Well, that's like 100 points. So like just add that to what's like the highest number you can get.

[Nicole]

Yeah, that was another three pointer. So you're headed toward the highest. It's called stress spiral.

[Erin]

Whoa.

[Nicole]

You're so tense that one more worry might send you over the edge. You tend to blow your problems way out of proportion. Getting one bad grade on a history test doesn't mean you're going to fail the whole class. Next time you study for an exam, work an hour a day for a week instead of pulling an all night or the day before. Cut back on your activities and get more exercise. May I suggest yoga? I may. Why thank you. There we go.

[Kate]

Wait, not it giving me like a different like it's like keep working out but like instead of doing this, like do this.

[Nicole]

That was great.

[Kate]

But that was 100% accurate. And yeah, I would have taken that to heart. Like I would have actually started taking my studying the increments throughout the week because a 26 year old writer put that in the, in the magazine and

[Nicole]

that's what it is. So I, when I worked at a magazine I worked at, I actually worked at a coupon like those magazines where you can clip coupons to like your local air conditioning worker. Well, they wanted to start a, I was a big college town. There were like three colleges in the town that I was in and they wanted to start a college magazine. It was basically like a miniature version of these where I'd go take pictures on campus and I would interview students and I would write like where people can like write in and ask questions and do like an advice column and do quizzes. Well, the questions were all me and the answers were all me. Like there was no so all these advice clubs where you think, like, people really. Our ASL is true. Our anonymous story lounge is 100% legit. But back in the day, like, how are you getting people. How are people even writing into magazines? And it was actually just an editor making it all up.

[Erin]

Damn.

[Kate]

Well, same with, like, the horoscopes.

[Erin]

Like, I was just going to bring those up. That's the first time I came across horoscopes was magazines. And I'd be like. And of course, took them for truth. I'm like, oh, my God.

[Kate]

And that's just, like, a writer out of college, like, so excited.

[Nicole]

Making it up.

[Erin]

Yeah. That was Nicole making up.

[Nicole]

That was me. Good news for you. Pisces got. Always got the good news, because I'm a Pisces.

[Kate]

Wow. What are you.

[Erin]

What are you, Kate, what are you?

[Kate]

Cancer.

[Erin]

Okay. I'm a Leo, and I don't know you did any, like, go buy that? Okay.

[Kate]

I was gonna say I could read your horoscope if anybody wants their horror.

[Nicole]

Okay, I want to know.

[Erin]

I want to know.

[Nicole]

Okay, what time are we at?

[Kate]

Yeah, actually, this is June 2009, so let's see where we're at.

[Erin]

Okay. Wait, Nicole, where were you at in 2009?

[Nicole]

I was graduating.

[Narrator]

Call.

[Nicole]

I was the summer before I graduated from college. I just met my husband.

[Erin]

Okay. Sophomore year of college. Okay.

[Kate]

Okay. So, Aaron, what are you, a Leo? Your. Your BF seems to be hanging out with his guys all the time. But don't count him out yet. Use your Leo matchmaking skills to set up his pals with your friends. Plan a group date on the 8th when Venus will make sparks fly for everyone. After others pair off, you'll have. You'll have them all to yourself.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Erin]

I was going through an actual horrible breakup at that time, so that's false.

[Nicole]

Nicole, what are you, Pisces?

[Kate]

Pisces. Okay, okay. Your BFF has been taking you for granted lately. You're getting sick of rearranging your plans around her. Pisces are usually totally chilled, but she can't keep treating you like this when you're both invited to a party on the 21st. Let her find out on her own ride for a change. Wait. Let her find her own ride for a change. She'll get the hint. Nasty. Nasty.

[Nicole]

Funny thing is, that was the month I met my future husband and I. They were dating when I met him, so I was actually correct. Ding, ding, ding. All right, well. Or kind of the other way around. I don't know. I don't know. But, yeah, there Was a big falling out that happened.

[Kate]

Wait, this is funny. It says. Actually, it says, like, it has a little icon in the corner and it says it stands for friend trouble.

[Nicole]

Okay, okay, okay. Word. One for two.

[Kate]

Wow. Okay. So interesting. And then next to it is a ad for gummy Lifesavers. Wow, those things were good.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. They still make those. Actually, I still get those.

[Kate]

Yeah. And they are so delicious. Also, as I was skimming through this magazine, I think we kind of touched about it. Touched upon it in the beginning of this podcast. But, like, just. We learned about our diet and exercise through magazine. Like, we learned how our bodies should be at a very young age. Like, every magazine cover said, bikini body. Get the best legs ever. Shame. Then it would show, like, a stick. Like a stick thin Paris Hilton next to, like, just a normal, average body. And we were taught, like, the normal, average, average body was bad. And this is the exercise. So like, you said, lose seven pounds in two days.

[Erin]

So, yeah, this magazine I'm looking at next to me literally says, bloated. Lose five pounds of pooch by eating three new things.

[Kate]

Bloated. You could not. Bloating was like the.

[Erin]

This is where it all stemmed from. Was magazines. Before America's Next Top Model, we had magazines.

[Kate]

Like, I told, like, there's like a eat this whatnot. We eat this. Not that.

[Nicole]

Yes, eat this.

[Kate]

Can I tell you some of the things that it's telling us to eat at the pool for the bikini bodies.

[Erin]

Oh, God.

[Kate]

This one actually says bikini body and feed 15 minutes, work out now and lounge later. Like Elsie. Because if you only have a bikini body, you can lounge out by the pool. That's insane.

[Erin]

Okay, wait, no, you go, you go.

[Kate]

All right, so it says, what to eat this summer? Skip the fried chicken. Pick the barbecue chicken and a barbecue.

[Erin]

You could find me at kfc.

[Kate]

Sorry, famous. Okay, okay. When you're at a concert, skip the nachos, have a pretzel and mustard. Bonus points for no salt.

[Nicole]

I think that's just bad advice.

[Erin]

No.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Kate]

At an ice cream shop, skip the chocolate shake, but do get an ice cream sundae. It comes down to portion size. And then it says, if you're at the beach, skip the funnel cake, have cotton candy. Cotton candy at the beach sounds like the most horrible thing.

[Erin]

Who's having that at the fucking beach?

[Narrator]

Are you kidding?

[Erin]

And then, wait, I love cotton candy, though. But at the beach.

[Kate]

Wow. And then at the bottom, there's this recipe to make your own, like, strawberry pudding. But just listen to, like, what's in it. Okay. It's four ingredients. Sugar free vanilla jello pudding, half cup of sugar free. Cool whip, Sugar free, sugar free strawberry preserves and reduce fat. Nilla wafers. Like, they're giving this to a 14 year old. Like, I'm reading this in eighth grade,

[Erin]

being like, yes, I know.

[Nicole]

I unfortunately survive after those. There were five cal. The jello cups. Yeah, there were five calories. So I was like, well, then I can eat as many of these as I want. Why do I feel hungry all the time?

[Erin]

Yeah, well, the guys there would be in magazines, they would have unflattering, like, photos of celebrities. Like tabloids, you know, they'd be like, look at their cellulite.

[Kate]

And it would be like Jessica Simpson, size 4. Just like literally looking.

[Erin]

Okay.

[Nicole]

But then if they lost weight, it was like, is so and so unhealthy. Oh, no. Like cocaine.

[Erin]

You couldn't win.

[Nicole]

You couldn't win.

[Kate]

You couldn't.

[Erin]

Like, it is so crazy. Like, I remember, I specifically remember this paparazzi photo of like Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie.

[Nicole]

Huh?

[Erin]

And I mean, they were on talking about like, right? But like, it was just like, whoa.

[Nicole]

Like, yeah, I can't imagine having been them. But. But I think, though, did that lead us to like. I feel like that's very similar to now. You post something online and it's not even like, like just a picture of somebody in a bathing suit on the beach having a good time, like, with their family. And it's not even just like they were trying to do. And all the comments are about the body.

[Erin]

Yeah. The Sports Illustrated Runway show that just re. That happened a little bit ago. The comments on some of those photos

[Nicole]

and videos, I cannot even imagine making

[Erin]

me like, are you like, who cares?

[Kate]

Like, I'm. I'm so over it. I'm so over.

[Erin]

It was insane.

[Kate]

The comics, like, people commenting on bodies, people commenting on walls.

[Nicole]

Too skinny. I'm like, what the dude?

[Erin]

Anyway, it was me so mad.

[Kate]

It's really annoying.

[Nicole]

Well, even aging, I. I don't feel like we were drawn to, like, obviously, like, anti aging stuff in the magazines back then because we were prepubescent and didn't have a wrinkle in our body. But like, even now, it's like, age gracefully. But then if somebody gets work done, it's like, why can't they just age gracefully?

[Erin]

Oh, my God, I can't with that stuff.

[Kate]

I remember when I was working at Ulta Beauty, there was one. And I never thought about this because, like, I feel like just growing up when I Would write copy in the beginning for, like, let's say it was like retinol serum. I'd be like, anti aging, blah, blah. My boss was like, we don't. You know, we have to stop saying anti aging. And also things like cover your grays. Like it more. It's like, like, embrace your grays. But if you want to change things up, it's like the way we talk about it. It's so ingrained in women to, like, shame ourselves for, like, cover up anti. Like, go age backwards. No, it's really wild. And we're held to, like, such different standards. Has, like, a dad bod.

[Erin]

Like, oh, my God, how dare you have a wrinkle. But then when you get botox and you get, like, trash for getting a botox anyway.

[Kate]

Yeah, that's a whole.

[Erin]

Yeah, but got. Yeah, but guys are celebrated for having dad bod anyway.

[Kate]

Yeah, that's the whole thing. Wait, also, because I did not have a boyfriend in high school. I literally didn't even know how to talk to boys. So like, a magazine, I just flipped open a page and it just like, crack the code to dating guys. Mystery solves. Like how? Like, literally secret turn ons. Wait, can I read you guys these secret turn ons?

[Erin]

Ooh, I got.

[Kate]

Okay, this is actually interesting. There's two parts of this. It's the brain scan of a boy. Okay. What he. We'll start with what he really means. So when he says, do you want to hang out tonight at my house? He means, let's hook up. When he says, the thing is, I don't really know what I want right now, he means, I'm not interested in you. Okay. He says, seriously, I've been thinking about you all day. It means, seriously, I've been thinking about making. I've seriously, I've been thinking about making out with you all day.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Erin]

Okay.

[Kate]

But here are the turn ons. Whispering in his ear. Oh, my God. Sometimes at a party, you have to yell over loud music. But if instead you lean and whisper in his ear. That's so hot. Okay. Touching him casually.

[Nicole]

These are probably all written by a woman. Yeah, undoubtedly.

[Erin]

Yeah.

[Kate]

Touching him casually when you accidentally brush his leg against mine when we're sitting next to each other. It's subtle but effective. I'm dying. Because if Chad's like, like, hair, sweaty leg touches me, I'm like, get away. Like, I like to like, I'm so overstimulated. I'm gonna get that leg away. Like. Or you brush my elbow. I'm like, I can't be touched. Returning. Returning his gaze. Say you're in study hall doing your work, and you suddenly glance at me from across the room, then turn away when our eyes meet. That is so cute. It sparks my imagination and makes me wonder about. Wonder all about you just by a glance in study hall.

[Nicole]

But also, they were giving. They were giving teenage boys way too much credit. Boys were not thinking that much.

[Erin]

Literally.

[Nicole]

They really.

[Erin]

There wasn't a thought behind those Ass.

[Kate]

No.

[Nicole]

That we were like. We had all these, like.

[Erin]

Oh.

[Nicole]

Like, we were overanalyzing every move, every look, every glance, every side eye, every, like, meanwhile across the room. Meanwhile.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

They couldn't have. Were they reading magazines? Trying to figure, like. No, they were reading Playboys, so.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Erin]

I was gonna say we also.

[Kate]

Okay, then I'm gonna shut this book, but it says, dude, dictionary at the bottom. So this is 2009. What guys were saying Rodeo. A party gathering with a disappointingly low number of girls. Also known as a sausage fest. That's what it says. Butter face. A girl with a hot body who doesn't look as cute up close. Wow. And then Facebook dumped. Being publicly outed as a newly single by the broken heart icon on your newsfeed.

[Erin]

Ooh.

[Kate]

Okay.

[Nicole]

What? Those were also probably being written, though, by. Because I remember I was out of college, like, whenever I worked this job. I wasn't in college anymore, but I was writing about what it was like to be a college student. Like, I can imagine. That was, like, boomers writing. Wow. Because it wasn't kids writing Tiger. Tiger Beat magazine. It was, like, people in their 30s writing about Jonathan Taylor Thomas and what it's like to be 14. So that's why that thing that they're like, nobody said brodeo. What are you talking about?

[Erin]

No one said rodeo.

[Narrator]

That's.

[Kate]

What are some words that your kids are saying? Like what? Like, I get called unk a lot, and I know what that means.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Erin]

What's roasted?

[Nicole]

Roasted is like the equivalent of burn. It's funny. There's a surround. I follow. Oh, I forget his name. But he is a middle school teacher, and he helps. He has a whole series. He's like, okay, hey, guys, here's what the kids are saying this week, and I find it to be so informative and helpful because he will. He'll say what the word is and then also what it means. But my daughter's 8, so she, like, doesn't. She's not getting quite as many of those. Or they come, like, six months after. They're cool. Like, it takes a while to get to third grade, but yeah, roasted is the current one that she's like, if, like, I. I'll say something to her and she'll say something sassy back and be like, roasted, mom.

[Kate]

Kind of love that. You know, it kind of gets. Also is 67. What's the pulse on that? Are we. Are we done with it?

[Erin]

They've moved on.

[Nicole]

They've moved on. They've.

[Erin]

It's time.

[Nicole]

Thank God they've moved on. Yeah, cuz that was for a little bit there.

[Erin]

Okay, I want to know, like, who. Obviously we used magazines to decorate our rooms, right? Like, we were all. Who was all over your room? I had one person that was all over my room. I want to know.

[Nicole]

Let's get all over. Hold on, let's guess. Okay, let's guess. Aaron's one person.

[Erin]

So I'll tell. Okay, so first off, I'll tell you. Like, I had closet doors that. Like the accordion closet doors. Right. Do you know what I'm saying that like.

[Kate]

Yes.

[Erin]

You know what I mean? So I had four panels. Every inch was covered with one person.

[Nicole]

Like 500 photos of one person. My gut. My gut went to somebody. Okay, here are my context clues. Although Aaron is an old soul, but I don't see her going for an older man. Oh, granted, they were all older men. I guess so technically, yeah, at the time. But she also was like wannabe beach Roxy Pacsun girl. So I'm going, Paul Walker. Is that him?

[Erin]

Did I get it right? Yes. Wow.

[Kate]

That is actually really cool and like, really shows our friendship. That really shows.

[Nicole]

Girl, I know you're getting. I don't need. I don't need no quiz to know you.

[Erin]

No.

[Nicole]

I was obsessed with Paul Walker.

[Kate]

Oh, my God.

[Erin]

Yeah. He was old.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Nicole]

I mean, he had. He had the vibes that he. It was everything you've described about the vibes that you dreamed of, he would have fit that narrative.

[Kate]

Rip.

[Nicole]

Is it a fever dream that he and Jessica Alba actually dated? Or were they just in the movie together? Do they ever actually date?

[Erin]

Not that I'm aware of. You know, unfortunately, in my head, they did. Unfortunately, not too long ago, I did learn that he was dating like some 16 year old when he was like 30.

[Nicole]

So I. I know.

[Erin]

Anyway, I don't want to.

[Kate]

Anyways.

[Erin]

Yeah. Wait, Nicole, who's yours?

[Kate]

Mine? Wait, can we get a guess? We guess.

[Nicole]

Yeah, guess.

[Erin]

Okay. Okay, Wait. Okay, okay. Devin Sawa.

[Nicole]

No, I mean, that was one. I feel like I went through a few phases because you would. I feel Like, I. There was, like, an elementary school where it was. It was Spice Girls, it was Mary Kate, Ashley. It was Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devin Sawa, like, the early years of Crushes. Then I ripped all of that down and it became Justin Timberlake.

[Erin]

Oh, wow.

[Nicole]

So I had, like, round one. I don't know if I want to guess, was Devin Sawa and then Justin Timberlake, like, ramen noodle. Ramen noodle, Ramen noodle.

[Erin]

Justin Timberlake. Okay, so before his solo career.

[Nicole]

Correct.

[Erin]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Kate]

I, I, I love that clip of, like, him performing. He's like, Justin Timber, Timber.

[Narrator]

Timberlake.

[Kate]

And it cuts to Britney Spears and do you know what I'm talking about? Where it's like, they just broke up. And he's like.

[Erin]

He's like,

[Nicole]

Well, I know there's a

[Erin]

concert that you're talking about where he starts, like, beatboxing. Yes.

[Kate]

And, like, it cuts to Britney Spears in the audience.

[Erin]

Like, okay, well, here, let me read you.

[Nicole]

He's on the COVID of this 17 I have from also just airbrushed to hell.

[Erin]

Literally. The airbrushing was insane.

[Kate]

Who is that?

[Nicole]

Is that the Photoshop? I know that really looks like him. This is AI. Is that an A?

[Erin]

I was gonna say looks.

[Narrator]

AI.

[Nicole]

What the hell?

[Kate]

I forgot.

[Nicole]

Where does it say I don't see the year that this is from the side.

[Kate]

The side right here.

[Nicole]

The side's covered up. It's got.

[Erin]

Oh, damn.

[Nicole]

But it's. The table of contents will have it. Right. November 2002. November 2002. And the COVID says, why is Justin smiling? Hint. He's over Britney, into his Harley. And, oh, yeah, he's got a solo cd.

[Kate]

You know what?

[Erin]

Whatever. He had the butt like he had that hair in 2002. Wow.

[Nicole]

Okay, again, I don't think. I think that's an illustration of Brittany. Scram.

[Kate]

That's wild. Like, we. Poor Britney. Poor Britney. I want.

[Erin]

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. Like, how real was that relationship anyway? Wait, who was on. Okay, who was on your wall?

[Kate]

A Hint.

[Erin]

Okay, wait. Yes. Let's guess.

[Nicole]

I have. It's got to be either or.

[Erin]

Jonas Brothers.

[Kate]

Jonas Brothers.

[Erin]

The Jonas Brothers.

[Kate]

Yes. I just put up a fresh Joe photo right here.

[Erin]

Who. Who is your fave, though?

[Kate]

Oh, my God. I wanted Nick so badly.

[Erin]

Nick.

[Kate]

I care.

[Nicole]

Remind me, who's Nick?

[Erin]

So when he came out and said he had diabetes. Were you knees?

[Kate]

My knees. I fell to the floor and I was crying. I was praying to God to help this man get through whatever he was getting through. Why no, my nose.

[Erin]

No.

[Kate]

It's amazing. My best friend about that. My best friends went and made. When they found out he had diabetes. They went to the mall and they got dog tags, like army dog tags that said Nick Jonas with a quote from him. Because that's how distraught they were. Like, he. Like him having diabetes. The whole world was coming to an end.

[Erin]

That is. I'm sorry. That's funny.

[Nicole]

It's real and it's a disease and it's a. You know.

[Erin]

But no, it's not funny, but it's kind of funny.

[Kate]

But at the time.

[Erin]

Or as my mom calls it, diabetes.

[Nicole]

Diabetes.

[Kate]

Same as my mom.

[Nicole]

Oh, my gosh.

[Erin]

Everybody.

[Kate]

But the thing is, like, at the time, like, when we heard the news, we couldn't check up on him. It's like you would get the news and then all of a sudden go silent. So all these girls are like. Were all, like, spiraling in our rooms. Like, oh, my God. This was just announced. But like, now on social media, like, I think it's incredible that you can follow people's journey and, like, hear how they're doing. And I don't know, you. You have more.

[Erin]

Easier to keep up. That's for sure. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Do you remember where you were at 9 11? And do you remember where you were when you heard that Nick Jonas?

[Kate]

Yes, exactly.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Erin]

Two markers.

[Kate]

That's really.

[Nicole]

Hashtag.

[Erin]

I unfortunately don't know where I was. Wait, I wasn't paying attention.

[Kate]

But know what? I feel like the third one is, like, where were you when you found out that, like, Amanda Batula and West hooked up? Like, I feel like that's new. And then, like, hurt Sierra Miller. Like, that's the third Pinnacle Trinity. That was.

[Erin]

Okay.

[Nicole]

The other thing, because my mom YouTube didn't exist, and my mom was a tomboy, I learned how to do my makeup for magazines.

[Erin]

Oh, same, same. My mom doesn't wear makeup, so I was stuck to magazines. Yeah, the beauty tissue. That's where I learned everything in a magazine. Literally.

[Nicole]

Also, like, we learned about, like, periods.

[Kate]

Yes.

[Erin]

Per. Like, perfumes.

[Kate]

Sorry, that was like. You guys are like, periods.

[Erin]

I'm like, perfumes, skincare, hair care. Like, outfits.

[Kate]

Outfits. Outfits was so huge.

[Erin]

Not that I could ever, like, get the outfit from the magazine, but.

[Nicole]

Well, because they were showing. It's funny, I looked through my magazine and it was like, patchwork jeans are all the rage, and the examples they have are, like, 300 jeans, and that's in, like, 2002.

[Erin]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

So there was no. But here I was circling it as if like it were something that I was going to be able to go to the mall and get.

[Kate]

Oh my God. I like open. I opened up this magazine. There's like a reversible Roxy striped and polka dot swimsuit. Like you would have gone gaga over there. Yeah.

[Erin]

You guys, can I read the. Can I read the, the COVID of this Cosmopolitan magazine? Reading when I was 11.

[Nicole]

Okay, great.

[Erin]

Oh my God. Okay, here we go. Here's all we got. November 2001. Be his best ever. How to satisfy the naughty male needs most women ignore.

[Nicole]

Okay, great.

[Erin]

Tighter. Love. Five magic words that will totally fuse the two of you. Oh, can I know inside? They have a 69 page section all about men.

[Nicole]

Good.

[Erin]

Great.

[Nicole]

Interesting.

[Erin]

With Number twice with 713 mind blowing tips on men, love and lust. Spanky panky morrine but wildly amusing tales of bad boys who got busted monkeying around. Sexy beauty. The knockout look guaranteed to make his jaw drop. That's about it.

[Nicole]

Nowhere on there was like, here's how to find a well balanced man. Like it wasn't. There was nothing healthy. It was all toxic advice. It was all, here are things you can do to twist, change and do this to yourself. To be attracted to men.

[Erin]

How to make sex even yummier. Good. Good to know.

[Nicole]

I should read Jessica Simpson.

[Erin]

Seven Bad girl bedroom moves you must master. Sorry. Okay. Five. Could you.

[Nicole]

Will you DM me that article please? No. Okay. I have a Marie Claire. I feel like Marie Claire was a kind of forgotten about. Like it sounds classy but very similar to this Tom Cruise on. It's just December 2003. Your orgasms. More, better, longer. And then also the hidden reason why you gain weight.

[Kate]

Oh, and what is it like?

[Nicole]

And let me know, please. No.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Men confess 15 secrets they keep from you.

[Kate]

Also, I'm obsessed with that Gap sweater. There's like a colorful sweater on the back. Multi stripes. And I vividly remember it. Oh my God, the Katie Holmes is on.

[Nicole]

Katie Holmes.

[Kate]

I know.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Nicole]

And Tom on the COVID

[Kate]

Tomcat. They really did that.

[Nicole]

They really did that. They knew what they were doing.

[Kate]

Exactly. Else I thought about was that like in order to renew the magazine, you had to like fill out the little card inside. Also. Wait, which one? Does it still smell?

[Nicole]

It still smells as strong as the day you bought it.

[Kate]

For our audio listeners, Nicole just opened up an Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani.

[Nicole]

Armani.

[Kate]

And it still smells from 2003.

[Nicole]

Smells fresh. That just. That's because I feel like.

[Erin]

Does it really smell fresh?

[Nicole]

I feel like there was something they put in. There's like a. I don't know if it's the glue. It must be the glue. There's some sort of a smell that, like, no matter the perfume, there was a part of it that smelled the same. So smelling this is taking me right back to my bedroom.

[Erin]

Oh, really?

[Nicole]

Oh, this kind of makes me sad.

[Kate]

There is a part of me that, like, wishes we can go back to that time where you would just have a magazine. You would bring it to the pool, like, when you're tanning or, like, when you're. Well, I was gonna stay on the plane, but never, I guess, in the car. On a car ride or.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Kate]

It was just so innocent. I actually should do this beachbody routine in 15 minutes and let you guys know next time how it is.

[Nicole]

What these were were, like, the original, like, the. The. The headlines that are just rage bait. This was like the. The OG none of them were real. They were making promises that they couldn't keep. It's the same thing as, like, online articles. Today is what's the most outrageous thing we can promise you?

[Kate]

Also. Okay, I just pulled out this magazine, and how many of us. Okay, so sorry. I realized there are people listening, so I just pulled out a Teen Vogue magazine. And I. I think every girl's dream after watching the Hills and Lauren Conrad being an intern at Teen V, like, I never. I wanted to be an intern there so badly. I was rewatching episodes, and, like, she had to work late on, like, a shoot. And I remember her, she was, like, getting so pouty and upset because she was missing a dinner with Jason, but I was like, oh, my God, if I had a job, I would stay there till solely. I don't even care. Screw Jason. Like, we don't.

[Nicole]

Well, I think between that and then andy's character in 10 Things I Hate about yout, she worked at a magazine. Devil Wears Prada. I think they all worked at a magazine. Dreams.

[Erin]

We.

[Nicole]

That was the dream job. That was the dream job that really wasn't even necessarily to work in fashion. It was to work at a magazine that involved fashion.

[Kate]

Yeah, yeah, but look.

[Nicole]

Look at this ad. Look at this ad for American spirits.

[Erin]

American cigarettes.

[Nicole]

Can't do that anymore.

[Erin]

My go to college sig.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Nicole]

Wait, it says 100 add. Oh, not addictive free. I thought it said addictive free, but it says additive free free.

[Kate]

I was about to start. I was like, okay, hang on. Also, I don't know if you remember, like, in the back of the magazines, too. I think it was, like, 17. There would be, like, a very tragic story or a very, like, juicy case. It would be like a kidnapping case. Or, like, I don't know. There was just, like, something very dark. Yes. Yes. What? What does it say?

[Nicole]

There it is, inside page. I was 17 when I turned my first trick. And there's more that gets worse. But that's so true.

[Kate]

It's like our true crime. Like, we're all like, we love, like, a true crime junkie podcast. But, like, before then, we were reading, like, that was, like, so intense and, like, well, they had to get something

[Nicole]

of substance in the magazines.

[Kate]

Yeah, that's so true.

[Erin]

The stars are just like us pages always made me laugh. It'd be like, I don't know, Mandy Moore, like, walking out of a gas station or something. Or like Kate Bosworth, like, paying a parking meter.

[Kate]

Like, that's so funny.

[Erin]

Like.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Kate]

So like, pushing a cart or holding a purse. I don't know. That was so crazy.

[Nicole]

Eating.

[Kate]

Yeah, I. Yeah, exactly.

[Nicole]

When at the airport with a pillow.

[Erin]

They use pillows.

[Kate]

When I was visiting LA as, like, I was like, in high school, we were in Gap and we were on Road Day or Robertson Boulevard here in la. And we are walking out of a kitchen, and my dad's Brittany. I had no clue I was ahead of my dad. My dad's walking out and Brittany was in front of him. So paparazzi was all like. And my dad was in the back of, like, a pop. Britney's paparazzi photo. Then it was, like, published in People. We were, like, dying.

[Erin]

Are you talking about. What year is this?

[Nicole]

How have you never talked about this?

[Kate]

This? Because it was, like, a glimpse. So it is after her head was shaved. So she's wearing, like, she has, like, the dark hair extensions. She's coming out of a Kitson or it was a Gap Kitson or Gap. And she's walking out, and my dad walks out behind him. Like, so clueless that it's like, Britney in front of him. But we were, like, dying forever that we're like, oh, my God. Because the photo was, like, for a little bit, like, would be in magazines and stuff for, like, there's.

[Erin]

If you could find that photo, like, wow, that's amazing.

[Kate]

I could if I did.

[Erin]

You should try. That's crazy.

[Kate]

And I remember not even also realizing that was Britney. Like, it was that. It was just so quick.

[Erin]

Okay, I guess we probably gotta move on to asl, guys. We've been.

[Kate]

I think so.

[Nicole]

That's me. That's me. Okay. So I. On my Instagram. I asked people to send in any just like magazine memory.

[Erin]

Like, what.

[Nicole]

What's the thing that's just gonna unlock a memory for us or a hilarious story you have about magazines. So I will share some of my favorites. This one I thought was hilarious. It's funny that we haven't mentioned this, but somebody said because I feel like this is a universal truth for millennials. Well, I can tell you, I still usually rinse my hair with cold water after I wash it to make it super shiny because YM or 17 told me to 15 years ago. Yes, same.

[Erin]

Remember that? I remember that. I remember that.

[Kate]

I feel like that's.

[Nicole]

There's no millennial woman who didn't get that tip from whatever specific magazine article that was.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Nicole]

To always close your cuticles with cold water. Is that not true? I don't want to know if it's not.

[Kate]

Also, your hair looks so long and luscious.

[Erin]

Have you been.

[Nicole]

Thank you.

[Erin]

Using cold water?

[Nicole]

Yeah. Is it with cold.

[Kate]

Did you get it done or something? It looks so good.

[Nicole]

Well, I have extensions.

[Kate]

It looks really.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I do extensions because I. I had some hair loss issues.

[Erin]

Did you just get them put in?

[Nicole]

No, I've had them for a while. I think I just look so good blue. I blue blow dried my ha hair today.

[Kate]

Yeah, it looks really pretty and shiny.

[Nicole]

I just have been coming to these looking. That's my trick in life is look like hell 90 of the time. Because then when you show up and you put in just a little bit of effort, people are gonna be like, oh my God, who is she?

[Narrator]

Oh,

[Nicole]

so funny thing. Oh, thanks. I showered. Okay. My friends and I found a box buried underground at a playground with Playboys magazines inside of it. My husband had this literal, exact experience. He found a box of random playbo by a railroad track near his dad's house whenever he was a kid. Did he. That's like, like, like man.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Of course he kept him.

[Kate]

Right.

[Nicole]

He had actually this little like, it looked like an old like, you know how sometimes it will go. Like there was a period of time where old stuff was really cool to have like around your house. Well, he had this like vintage missile cabinet that was supposedly like from the military from forever ago. And it was locked and we could never figure out how to open it. Well, finally one day we were like, screw it, let's just break the lock and open it. And inside of it were some like playboys from like 1970.

[Kate]

Wow.

[Nicole]

That he forgot that. I think those may have been one of those Playboys from the box that he found whenever he was a kid.

[Kate]

That's so interesting.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I don't know where those are today. Okay, I remember. I remember sneaking and reading my aunt's Cosmopolitan magazine when I was a preteen, thinking I was so cool reading about things that I had no idea about. Did you guys hide magazines or did you openly read them?

[Erin]

I mean, I was reading them by myself in my room. I spent a lot of time in my room, you know, just reading magazines, listen to CDs, doing my nails.

[Kate]

You know, I still feel like. Like up until recently, if I had like. Oh, oh my God. Because I would read when I was working at Ulta Beauty, I would always read magazines to help me get like inspo. And I would still. I'd be like shy to pull out my Cosmopolitan. I think I still like at that age. I feel like I'm still hiding.

[Erin]

I know I. I must have hid my Cosmopolitan magazines. I know I had my thongs, right?

[Kate]

Yeah, it's true, Aaron. You were hiding it.

[Erin]

I probably was this one.

[Nicole]

Similarly, she said in high school, I left a Cosmo out and was open to an art. Left it open in her room to article titled how to give the best blow jobs. Well, my mom saw it and we never spoke of the incident.

[Erin]

Oh, no, no. Oh, sorry, mom.

[Nicole]

Oh, I thought this was an interesting. Which I don't remember doing this, but maybe you guys did it this person because I'd asked kind of like who. If somebody was on the COVID there was usually your person. Whether it was a Jonas brother or Paul Walker or Devin saw. If they were on the COVID you bought it. It didn't matter matter what the magazine. It could have been like Goat Living usa. But if Devin saw while was on the COVID I was buying it. Well, this girl said she would sit in the aisle at CVS and count how many pictures of Nick Carter for her specifically were throughout the magazine. And she would buy the magazine that had the most pictures of Nick Carter in it.

[Kate]

Shut up. That's crazy. I feel like now I'm like buying things like inside the brain of a cat. Like that's the stuff. Do you know what I'm saying?

[Nicole]

Like this. What magazine I read now? Costco.

[Kate]

Yeah, exactly.

[Nicole]

Oh, this isn't funny. We mentioned the ads, the epic ads. My mom canceled my YM subscription due to the candies ads with Jenny McCarthy on the toilet. Do you remember those? She called the customer service line right on our beige kitchen corded phone and told them what she how she felt about it. But her mom made her cancel her YM subscription because of that. Candy's ad. I think Kelly Clarkson did it, too. There was a whole series where they were sitting on the toilet.

[Erin]

Oh, I don't remember that.

[Nicole]

I'd have to advertise a shoe. No. Okay, last one. I learned how to kiss a boy from a magazine. It gave you a step by step instruction on the perfect first kiss. And I'll never forget it because it said, quote, be sure to close your eyes because even Brad Pitt doesn't look that good close up.

[Erin]

I bet he does.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I beg to differ, but we would. I do feel like. Like we would. It would be, like, step by step instructions for things that. But also then, like, made us. I feel like, made us more nervous to do those things because then your head's not in the game. Your head's like. Tilt head, lean forward, stick tongue out.

[Erin]

You can't overthink it. You just gotta go in, figure it out. Yeah, that's my advice. You'll figure it out. You will.

[Nicole]

Oh, my goodness.

[Kate]

You will.

[Nicole]

Well, thank you, everybody.

[Kate]

This was great.

[Nicole]

That was great for your stories and memories.

[Erin]

Those are good.

[Nicole]

My God, is she wearing the new. Who's got to hear me out today?

[Erin]

I do. Okay, peak social media was aim. The adrenaline. No.

[Nicole]

Start over.

[Kate]

This is.

[Narrator]

No.

[Erin]

I'm barely gonna get this done in 30 seconds.

[Kate]

Time's taken.

[Nicole]

No, no.

[Erin]

The adrenaline. The adrenaline rush of hearing that door open and seeing your crush had just signed on away. Messages were in our form. Song lyrics, cryptic messages, the font choices, the buddy list made up of the people you actually knew. Conversations were intentional. You weren't scrolling through a Stranger strangers page for an hour. Chat rooms were strangers. But that built her character. People didn't have access to you 24 7. The entire Internet couldn't weigh in. You had to wait until you actually got home to use it. When you logged off, you were actually gone. It was the perfect balance of access and misery. Not misery. Mystery. No.

[Nicole]

Social media peaked when the goal was

[Erin]

for them.

[Kate]

Mute her, Kayla. Yeah, cut her mic.

[Erin]

But I got cut off for, like, 10 seconds in the BE.

[Kate]

No, you did it. Actually, that was you against.

[Nicole]

I don't know. Who would disagree with that.

[Erin]

Well, someone might argue that, like, my face was peak. Like, I'm saying AIM was peak. Okay, so you might have another opinion on some other sort of. Sure. Social media, but mine is AIM. And I bet a lot of people would say MySpace. Controversial opinion.

[Kate]

I was gonna say Facebook is peak social media, but see.

[Erin]

Okay, interesting.

[Nicole]

And it might just be it more of like it's the age. The age that you were. Yeah. Like it 100. There's a peak age and it's middle school or it's like high school.

[Erin]

Like 12 years old is when like I feel like your senses are so heightened and that's in like music and that's when I was on AIM and so like crushes and all that stuff was just so heightened in my mind. So maybe what's.

[Nicole]

Why what AIM had though, that Facebook didn't have and I feel like so much of it, it's the sounds of this. Somebody logging on, somebody logging off, getting a new message, dial up. There were so many sounds. Yes. I feel like it was a multi. Sensory.

[Kate]

Yeah.

[Erin]

Experience. Okay. Thanks for listening to you had to be there if you weren't there. Sucks to be you. The exclusive club to unlock your most chaotic memories.

[Kate]

Log off, touch grass and take a quiz.

[Narrator]

You had to be there, babe. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, baby. You had to be there, babe.

[Kate]

Thanks for listening to youo had to Be There with Kate, Nicole and Erin. You had to Be There is produced by Sick Bird Productions. Deanna dacosta, Kayla Foreman and Rachel Derbyshire. If this episode unlocked a core memory, subscribe wherever you eat your podcast and leave us a five star rating. See you next week for another trip down memory lane.