Axis Conversations

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! After much deliberation (heard in the Roundtable Episode) here is the list of the Top 10! 10. AI video slop (Sora, VEO3, Vibes) 9. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show 8. The American Pope 7. Taylor Swift's engagement 6. Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter 5. Stranger Things season 5 4. A Minecraft Movie 3. 6-7 2. Videos of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on social media 1. KPop Demon Hunters   Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene make their case for the top spot! Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Mike and Becky McNamee are the founders of Legacy of Faith, an organization dedicated to hosting retreats for grandparents who seek to leave a lasting spiritual legacy for future generations. Before founding Legacy of Faith, Mike served with the Navigators as General Manager of the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs. Becky has devoted her life to being a loving wife, homemaker, homeschool mom, and proud Grammy. Together, they are blessed with three married children and six wonderful grandchildren.   ---> Learn mor about Legacy of Faith ---> See upcoming retreat dates Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you'll receive 20-11; next week, you'll get the top ten. After much deliberation (heard in the Roundtable Episode) here is the list of the Top 20-11! 20. Hailey and Justin Bieber drama 19. The LA Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani winning the World Series 18. The rise of smartphone bans in schools 17. Forrest Frank breaking his back 16. The fall of Sydney Sweeney 15. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle 14. Labubu Dolls 13. Adolescence 12. The Coldplay concert cheating scandal 11. Season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty   --> Check out our Conversation Kit on Miracles Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you'll receive 20-11; next week, you'll get the top ten. Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene discuss their top picks! Moving 10 up and moving 10 down - 0:41 Ranking 20-11 - 27:55 Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

"Our oldest is a 14 year old boy so we're still newbies to parenting teens. Our 8th grader teen seems, in mom and dad's opinion, overly concerned with materialism (things like shoes and iphone model etc). We've heard that this is pretty typical for middle school boys; do teen boys tend to become less materialistic after middle school/once they're in high school? We try to talk with him about materialism not being a healthy priority but it doesn't seem to be sinking in yet." -  Sarah Scientific Paper --> Growing up in a Material World: Age Differences in Materialism Scientific Paper --> Effects of Materialism on Adolescents' Book Reference --> The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Dr. Lisa Damour Axis Resource --> A Parent's Guide to Teen Identity   This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

 Three Big Conversations: TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song - 8:40  Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros. - 22:38 Hollywood might be having a "God moment." - 35:52 Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande - 1:02 Click here for the lyrics. In Other News: - 52:20 Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society." Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song, Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros., and Hollywood might be having a "God moment."  Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande Click here for the lyrics. In Other News: Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society." Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

Justin Whitmel Earley is the creator of The Common Rule, a program of habits designed to form us in the love of God and neighbor. He is also a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. Justin and his wife, Lauren, have four sons.  Click here for The Common Rule Youth Edition: Growing Your Faith in a Distracted World. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience! For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

Three Big Conversations: Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release. - 09:08 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less. - 29:30 Making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. - 29:30 Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee - 1:10 In Other News... 53:52 Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point by fighting about it. It's officially "Wrapped" season as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Twitch, and many others put nice packaging on all the user-data they gathered this year. Sabrina Carpenter and the White House have beef. On Monday, the White House social media team posted a video of ICE agents making arrests with Carpenter's song, "Juno" playing in the background. Carpenter responded with disgust. Do you know the band Geese? Some are calling them "Gen Z's Nirvana" and the generation's "first great rock band." On TikTok, the word "genuinely" (language) has now become a comically overused way to emphasize anything and everything. Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release, 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less, and making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.   Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee   In Other News... Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point by fighting about it. It's officially "Wrapped" season as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Twitch, and many others put nice packaging on all the user-data they gathered this year. Sabrina Carpenter and the White House have beef. On Monday, the White House social media team posted a video of ICE agents making arrests with Carpenter's song, "Juno" playing in the background. Carpenter responded with disgust. Do you know the band Geese? Some are calling them "Gen Z's Nirvana" and the generation's "first great rock band." On TikTok, the word "genuinely" (language) has now become a comically overused way to emphasize anything and everything. Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Axis!  As part of our yearly tradition, instead of our normal issue of the Culture Translator, here are 15 conversation starters to help you make the most of time around the table with family and friends this year. Enjoy!   What's something you're really excited about right now?  What's the funniest trend or meme you've come across lately?  If you could permanently fix one issue in our culture, what would you choose?  What's one way you've changed this year?  If TEMU offered you $2,000 to represent their brand on your platform, would you do it?  What band or musician do you think is seriously overrated? What about underrated? Has anything you've watched, read, or listened to changed you this year? What was it and how did it change you?  What's one show that you think more people should watch?  Are there any new skills you're trying to develop, or want to try to develop? What's something you're looking forward to in 2026?  If you could be a social media influencer known for only one thing, what would that be?  Serious question: why do you think so many people started saying "67" this year? Why did that catch on?  Does a hot dog count as a sandwich? Why or why not?  When the history books mention 2025, what do you think will be included? What won't be?  How would you describe your relationship with God at this point in your life? Click to sign up for  our audio Advent experience, for the record—that launches on Sunday, November 30!   Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"Could you speak to the subject of gossip? As we raise 2 girls this is something my husband and I talk about often. How can we explain the difference between venting and gossip? When does sharing about your day at school cross the line into gossip? How can we teach the idea of being loyal to the absent in the way we speak about others? When friends are gossiping, how can our kids redirect the conversation? How can our words be uplifting like we are called to in the Bible?" - Autumn Dr. Mayfield is a former pastor, award-winning author, speaker, certified master Christian coach, mental health counselor, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Colorado Christian University. To see more of Dr. Mayfield's resources click here. Click here to check out Dr. Mayfield's podcast - Mental Health Made simple This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: Celebrities are making cigarette smoking cool for a new generation - 9:50 Wicked 2 is poised to blow the box office back to Kansas - 26:54 This year's runaway bestseller is the Bible. - 37:28 Slang of the Week: "Cracked" - 1:10 In Other News: - 51:04 The United States House of Representatives and Senate almost unanimously agreed to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which now awaits President Trump's signature. A new study from Gallup found that in 2025, 40% of 15- to 44-year-old women would leave the U.S. permanently if given the opportunity (a slight decrease from 44% in 2024). The Game Awards has announced its nominations for 2025, with the turn-based role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receiving 12 total nominations, more than any other game. Gaming company Valve has announced that it will release its own console, the "Steam Machine," which many expect to become a significant challenger to Xbox and PlayStation. The man who jumped the rope to embrace Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good movie premiere was sentenced to nine days in prison. Click to join the Pour Over's Newsletter We'd love to hear from you, fill out this form to share your Axis story. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Celebrities are making cigarette smoking cool for a new generation, Wicked 2 is poised to blow the box office back to Kansas, and this year's runaway bestseller is the Bible. Slang of the Week: "Cracked" In Other News: The United States House of Representatives and Senate almost unanimously agreed to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which now awaits President Trump's signature. A new study from Gallup found that in 2025, 40% of 15- to 44-year-old women would leave the U.S. permanently if given the opportunity (a slight decrease from 44% in 2024). The Game Awards has announced its nominations for 2025, with the turn-based role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receiving 12 total nominations, more than any other game. Gaming company Valve has announced that it will release its own console, the "Steam Machine," which many expect to become a significant challenger to Xbox and PlayStation. The man who jumped the rope to embrace Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good movie premiere was sentenced to nine days in prison.   Click to join the Pour Over's Newsletter We'd love to hear from you, fill out this form to share your Axis story. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

This interview is with Sarah and Truman Wells, a mom and son who walked through a time of suicidal ideation together, and are now sharing their story together for the first time to help shed light on the real mental health issues that teens and parents are facing.  Axis Resources: Parent Guide to Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention How To Talk About Mental Health With Your Teen A Parent's Guide to Teen Emotion   Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

Three Big Conversations: The limited edition Bearista cup fosters true insanity. - 06:34  Article in Vogue suggests that "having a boyfriend is embarrassing,". - 15:04 The rising popularity of Contemporary Christian Music. - 35:50 Slang of the Week - "Twin" - 01:38 In Other News: - 57:18 The GRAMMY nominations were announced last week, with Gen Z and Alpha notables like sombr and KATSEYE being nominated for Best New Artist. MrBeast is launching a "Beast Land" theme park (in Saudi Arabia). The GOAT of League of Legends, Faker, led his team to their third consecutive World Championship win. The portion of actress Sydney Sweeney's interview with GQ where she was asked to apologize for her American Eagle ad has been turned into a meme format. Dictionary.com has announced its "Word of the Year," and we regret to inform you that it is "67." Click here to see Savannah Bananas - Your Way's Better Dance Click here for our Conversation Kit on Miracles. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

The limited edition Bearista cup fosters true insanity, an article in Vogue suggests that "having a boyfriend is embarrassing," and the rising popularity of Contemporary Christian Music. Slang of the Week - "Twin" In Other News: The GRAMMY nominations were announced last week, with Gen Z and Alpha notables like sombr and KATSEYE being nominated for Best New Artist. MrBeast is launching a "Beast Land" theme park (in Saudi Arabia). The GOAT of League of Legends, Faker, led his team to their third consecutive World Championship win. The portion of actress Sydney Sweeney's interview with GQ where she was asked to apologize for her American Eagle ad has been turned into a meme format. Dictionary.com has announced its "Word of the Year," and we regret to inform you that it is "67." Click here to see Savannah Bananas - Your Way's Better Dance Click here for our Conversation Kit on Miracles. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"I need some help! My son is struggling to make friends at his new school and is running to video games. It's hard to get him to share and open up. He's not eating a lot, I think he might be depressed. What should I do?" - Justin Dr. Mayfield is a former pastor, award-winning author, speaker, certified master Christian coach, mental health counselor, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Colorado Christian University. To see more of Dr. Mayfield's resources click here. Click here to check out Dr. Mayfield's podcast - Mental Health Made simple This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

Three Big Conversations: Tech company 1X debuts a $20,000 robot to help with chores around the house. - 18:30 Changes in SNAP eligibility requirements will impact minors. - 39:17 Teens say luxury is a feeling, not a price tag.- 48:24 Song of the Week - "Dracula" - Tame Impala - 1:20 Elsewhere in culture: - 58:16 The video game Arc Raiders had a  very successful launch, signaling a growing preference in gaming for the "extraction shooter."Spotify is being sued for using bots to artificially increase streaming numbers, with rapper Drake being named as an artist who benefited. Popular and problematic AI chatbot site character.ai ended the ability for teens to chat with bots, a restriction that is likely to be ineffective, based on… all of internet history. Popular publication Teen Vogue is being absorbed into Vogue, but Axis will continue to help you understand teen culture, fear not! The LA Dodgers won the World Series this week as viewership for America's pastime surged back after weaker numbers in previous years. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.