Culture Study Podcast

When we recorded this episode two weeks ago, we knew that the Supreme Court was planning on releasing a judgment in Chiles v. Salazar — to decide whether Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy (which is similar to laws in 22 other states) likely violated the First Amendment. We thought the decision might come in June. But it fell last week like a hammer, and has the potential to undo years of advocacy to ban treatments that have tried to "ungay" thousands of kids, teens, and adults. The judgment is devastating. But it also reminds us that just because a treatment is "legal" doesn't mean it's ethical — or even that it works. (It doesn't!) Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez endured years of conversion therapy, and joins the pod to talk about the real psychological harms it inflicts, and answer all of your excellent questions about how to spot a therapist using low-key conversion tactics, how to make sure kids growing up in high-control anti-gay environments know you're a safe person, and why this therapy persists despite so much evidence that it doesn't work. This is a hard episode — but an important one. GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod — just come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREOllie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 60% off your first box!Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.Show Notes:Pre-order Conversion Therapy Dropout here: https://bookshop.org/a/56144/9798889835431 Follow Timothy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/timothy.s.rodriguez/Subscribe to Timothy's newsletter here: https://timothysrodriguez.substack.comThe Center for American Progress report on the Trump administration's efforts to rebrand conversion therapy: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-campaign-to-rebrand-conversion-practices-puts-lgbtqi-communities-at-risk/A solid overview of some of the ramifications of deeming therapy as protected free speech: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2026/03/chiles-salazar-therapy-free-speechExodus International disbanded in 2013 and released a statement that conversion therapy doesn't actually work: https://www.npr.org/2013/06/20/193965227/group-that-claimed-to-cure-gays-disbands-leader-apologizesFor anyone who needs it, Tim recommends the Q Christian Fellowship, which provides resources for LGBTQ+ Christians - https://www.qchristian.orgMelody's other podcast, Strict Scrutiny, recorded an emergency episode about the opinion, its complications, and its ramifications: https://crooked.com/podcast/scotus-not-cool-with-colorado-ban-on-conversion-therapy/We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. EMILY BLUNT! (and secondary characters becoming primary ones!) with Xochitl Gonzalez — obvi we're gonna talk a lot about Devil Wears Prada and 2000s-era striving but you can take this in so many directions BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CITY with Lilah Raptopoulos, editor of the Financial Times city life vertical. We're going to talk about how to fall in love with cities WHILE VISITING (for fun, for vacation, for work) and how to fall in love with the city where you currently live. What tips do you want? What city are you struggling to fall in love with? Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: If you have additional advice on how to highlight that you're a safe person for kids who are growing up in repressive/anti-gay homes, we'd love to hear it.

The future of the chain restaurant is... chicken? I learned so much from this conversation with food systems (and chain restaurant) expert Austin Frerick — from how Sysco maintains its restaurant supremacy (and what Sysco "tastes" like) to which chain restaurants have significantly changed in quality (Wendy's) and are on the verge of extinction (also Wendy's). Did you know what makes a chain restaurant resistant to suckage? The answer will and will not surprise you! This was such a fun, enlightening conversation — the sort that you'll think about every time you eat in or drive past a chain restaurant — and does exactly what we always hope for a Culture Study episode: it'll make you think a lot more about the (very everyday, very unassuming) world around you. Enjoy! GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod — just come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Shimmer Face Oil with your first purchase!Go to  https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Get an additional 20% off better plants and better growing at FastGrowingTrees.com using the code CULTURE at checkout.Get 15% off your first order of cleaning products by going to Blueland.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Learn more about Austin Frerick's work here: https://www.austinfrerick.com/Buy Barons (and get links to a whole bunch of excerpts) here: https://www.austinfrerick.com/baronsThe episode of Odd Lots with Austin as the guest (it's so good) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mega-corporations-that-control-what-americans-eat/id1056200096?i=1000650703441The Top 250 US Chain Restaurants (as of 2025): https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/top-500-2025-rankingThis is a very fawning look at the history of Simplot (which we mention briefly) but you'll get the larger Baron moves: https://www.readtrung.com/p/jr-simplot-became-a-billionaire-sellingA history of frozen food in America: Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in AmericaRevisit our episode from last year on how private equity ruins everythingWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. EMILY BLUNT! (and secondary characters becoming primary ones!) with Xochitl Gonzalez — obvi we're gonna talk a lot about Devil Wears Prada and 2000s-era striving but you can take this in so many directions BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CITY with Lilah Raptopoulos, editor of the Financial Times city life vertical. We're going to talk about how to fall in love with cities WHILE VISITING (for fun, for vacation, for work) and how to fall in love with the city where you currently live. What tips do you want? What city are you struggling to fall in love with? Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: We want to hear all your contemporary fast food observations — what's thriving, what's struggling, and what are your (additional) theories about why?

Did you get into gaming as an adult? Did you come back to gaming as an adult? Or, like me, did you savage people on Bubble Bobble in the early '90s... and are trying to figure out how to reproduce that feeling as an adult? Or maybe you're gaming-curious... but can't shake the feeling that gaming is a waste of time (and/or associate it with POS ex-boyfriends). Keza MacDonald, gaming critic for The Guardian and author of a stunning new book on the history of Nintendo, is here to field all your questions: about those dude-gaming stereotypes, about gaming as "unproductive"... but also what sort of new games you should be playing (based on what you already play and love). Melody came to gaming as an adult and says THIS EPISODE IS SO GOOD, and I'm still trying to figure out my way there and also say THIS EPISODE IS SO GOOD. Wherever you are in your gaming journey, you're gonna love Keza and love this conversation. And if you want Keza's expert recommendations for games, you'll definitely want to become a paid subscriber so you can access this week's Ask Anne Anything!GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod — just come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 60% off your first box!Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTUREGet 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTUREShow Notes:Go buy Keza Macdonald's Super Nintendo: The Game-Changing Company That Unlocked the Power of Play ( I mean, it made Melody cry!) Read Keza's treasure trove of columns at The Guardian here Make sure to check out the much longer conversation I had with Keza about the history of Nintendo over in the newsletter! A nice write-up of "cozy games" (and refusing to let that label delegitimize them) Same Face Syndrome or Why Scruffy-White-Dude Protagonists Don’t Help Anyone (look for the image on the right of all the protagonists) Stats on LGBTQ representation in game development: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/feb/19/video-games-industry-diversity-women-people-of-colour Keza references The Score: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735252/the-score-by-c-thi-nguyen/Thinky Games! https://thinkygames.com/We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL GOSSIP! We're talking with Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, about hot, messy, ideologically fascinating world historical gossip (and how gossip works today). We really want to make this episode happen but we need your questions! WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. EMILY BLUNT! (and secondary characters becoming primary ones!) with Xochitl Gonzalez — obvi we're gonna talk a lot about Devil Wears Prada and 2000s-era striving but you can take this in so many directions BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you. HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A CITY with Lilah Raptopoulos, editor of the Financial Times city life vertical. We're going to talk about how to fall in love with cities WHILE VISITING (for fun, for vacation, for work) and how to fall in love with the city where you currently live. What tips do you want? What city are you struggling to fall in love with? Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: We'd love to hear all your thoughts about your successes (and struggles) getting into gaming as an adult. Take this in whatever direction you'd like!

It's the second coming of Hilary Duff... but real ones know she never went anywhere. This week we're so lucky to have Allie Jones — author of the superb Gossip Time newsletter and Hilary Duff superfan — on the show to answer all your questions about how Duff managed to avoid her peers' timeline, her professionalism, her relatable lack of stage presence, and the crafting of her millennial mom image. (Melody fans will also appreciate her appearances in this episode touting bottomless Duff knowledge). If you want the podcast equivalent of going to the mall in 2005 and walking around doing nothing but somehow having a great time, this ep is for you. GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod — just come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Take your food to the next level with Graza. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use promo code CULTURESTUDY today for 10% off your first order of olive oil!Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout.Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/Go to  https://zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.Show Notes:Go subscribe to Gossip Time! https://gossiptime.substack.com/Allie's breakdown of the mom drama: https://gossiptime.substack.com/p/ashley-tisdale-mom-group-drama-mandy-mooreAllie's breakdown of Haylie vs. Hilary: https://gossiptime.substack.com/p/hilary-duff-haylie-duff-feud-explainerThe original With Love choreography from The Today ShowHilary doing the 'With Love' choreography on the new tourThe That's So Gay PSA for those who'd like to re-liveThe problematic sexy pilgrim costume from 2016The music video for Roommates, from Hilary's new album luck... or somethingWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL GOSSIP! We're talking with Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, about hot, messy, ideologically fascinating world historical gossip (and how gossip works today). We really want to make this episode happen but we need your questions! WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one. EMILY BLUNT! (and secondary characters becoming primary ones!) with Xochitl Gonzalez — obvi we're gonna talk a lot about Devil Wears Prada and 2000s-era striving but you can take this in so many directions BOOMER MOMS! Tracy Clark-Flory and I need your questions about why boomer moms (very broad designation here, I realize) are the way they are — we're specifically going to talk about the constrictions of growing up in '60s/'70s U.S., particularly around femininity, race, education, body image, employment, and motherhood. This one's gonna be really good, I know it. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Gonna make it easy this week... just give us more of your Hilary Duff thoughts!!

Free Yourself from the Tyranny of the Automobile!! That's the subtitle of the new book Life After Cars, written by the hosts of the popular podcast "War On Cars." And listen, I am 100% on board: this quasi-hippy spent most of her 20s trekking around college towns on a crappy commuter bike. But like a lot of you, I also live in a place where the infrastructure has refused to catch up to my desire to have fewer cars on the road. So here's what I absolutely loved about this conversation: we talked at length about all the ways that cars make our lives worse... and also talked about the ways that we need them (particularly in rural areas) and the movement they afford people whose freedoms are otherwise circumscribed. There is absolutely nothing fixed about our current car-contingent culture, and Sarah and Doug were so good at fostering a funny (and super smart) conversation about what sucks, what doesn't have to suck, and places that are working to make it suck less. This was one of those eps were Melody and I finished recording and couldn't stop texting about how good they were — so let's keep the conversation going in the comments. GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod — just come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Get 15% off your first order by going to Blueland.com/CULTURE Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODFeed the obsession by going to ollie.com/culture and using code CULTURE to get 60% off your first box!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Buy Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile here!Listen to the War on Cars podcast (and if you love it, subscribe to their Patreon)You can also sign up for their newsletter hereFollow War on Cars on IG hereOh and check out all of the great War on Cars merch hereFor more on the creative traffic solutions in Ghent, watch this YouTube videoWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL GOSSIP! We're talking with Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, about hot, messy, ideologically fascinating world of Black gossip columns during the golden era of Black newspapers (1930 to 1960). What do you want to know about how the Black press worked during this era — and how gossip in particular worked (both about stars, local celebrities, and normal people?) There's so much here!!!Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc — we're talking to Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez about his new book, Conversion Therapy Dropout, and there are so many connections to the ways the current administration is currently trying to "de-trans" people in custody) Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: How would your life change with fewer cars on the road? If you have a car, what infrastructure improvement would make it easier to let it go?

When I first came up for the idea for the Culture Study Romance Book Club back in January, I knew I wanted every edition to have two books: one contemporary, and one historical. Part of this desire was selfish (I personally gravitate towards historicals) but I also wanted to explore the contrast between what you can do with a romance set in the past (with its particular confines) and one set in the present (with seemingly none, but actually so many). I also knew that I wanted to start with M/M romances (hi, Heated Rivalry) and that Melody had sung the very loud praises of renowned historical queer romance author Cat Sebastian's mid-century queer romance — particularly You Should Be So Lucky, which managed to combine baseball (one of Melody's true loves) with romance (Melody's secondary love). And listeners, I hope this is clear: when it comes to so many things, but romance in particular, I listen to Melody! And when Melody asked if we should try and get Cat on the pod, I said "obvi please try." AND THEN SHE MADE IT HAPPEN. This remains a total marvel of hosting a podcast: sometimes the people you admire so deeply... can also come on your pod. This is a long preamble to the overarching point: Cat Sebastian isn't just an absurdly talented (and successful) author of queer historical romance. She's also whipsmart when it comes to the crafting of these romances, the idea of vibes vs. plot (and third act break-ups in particular), how she translates the historical record, and so much more. This pod is for you if you're at all interested in romance, obviously, but also if you're at all interested in how we think about the past as a narrative playground. Final note: We had such a good time recording this episode and laughed one billion times — I hope that joy translates when you listen! GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table, bed, or classy full-length mirror, head over to Article.com.Go to zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY to get 15% off your first order when you use CULTURESTUDY at checkout.Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Shimmer Face Oil with your first purchase!Show Notes:As Cat suggested, the best way to keep up with her is by subscribing to her intermittent newsletter hereYou can find a breakdown of all of Cat's books and their time periods here (I found this very helpful) You can buy Cat's new book, Star Shipped, HERE!!!!A great AMA with Cat here Cat mentions the book Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II, by Allan BérubéA listener mentions The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, and Cat and Anna enthusiastically co-sign the recommendationCat recommends: The Duke by Anna Cowan (out April 28); A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander; When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley; and An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HISTORICAL GOSSIP! We're talking with Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, about hot, messy, ideologically fascinating world of Black gossip columns during the golden era of Black newspapers (1930 to 1960). What do you want to know about how the Black press worked during this era — and how gossip in particular worked (both about stars, local celebrities, and normal people?) There's so much here!!!HILARY DUFF!!! The comeback, the new album, let's talk about all of it — with Hilary Duff expert/forever-fan ALLIE JONES (also Melody loves Hilary Duff so much and will be very sad if we don't get enough questions for this episode) Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc — we're talking to Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez about his new book, Conversion Therapy Dropout, and there are so many connections to the ways the current administration is currently trying to "de-trans" people in custody) KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? We're talking with the author of a new book about the ramifications of growing up within these worlds — it's gonna be so good. Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: OH MY GOD WE COULD TALK FOREVER! If you could set a queer romance at any time, when would it be? What would your characters be doing, and how would they fill their days? Also who wants to be best friends with Cat (me)

Baby names are in inexhaustible cultural text. They're a way to talk about class, race, and gender, of course — but also the way we perform familial respect and coherence. In this episode, sociologist Hannah Emery — who wrote her dissertation on baby names — joins us to talk about the history of baby names, how naming conventions and aspirations have changed over the last century, and the broad and specific requests parents bring to her as a naming consultant. It's all fascinating — and I can't wait to continue the conversation (about our names and the names of the children in our lives) in the comments. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTUREGet 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURETreat your dog with Ollie! Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your first boxHead to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the Best sellers Trial Pack or the NEW plant-based trial packShow Notes:You can find Hannah's fascinating name newsletter here (Try starting with this piece on middle names)I put Melody's name graph up top but here's mine (you can find yours for the U.S. here)The Top U.S. Names of 2025 According to BabyCenter: This made me laugh We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:HILARY DUFF!!! The comeback, the new album, let's talk about all of it — with Hilary Duff expert/forever-fan ALLIE JONES (also Melody loves Hilary Duff so much and will be very sad if we don't get enough questions for this episode) Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!) Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.) Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison) KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? We're talking with the author of a new book about the ramifications of growing up within these worlds — it's gonna be so good. Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What names still bewilder you? Let's talk about them!

Unstructured conversation! Teenage Feelings! Flesh walls! Abjection! Jacob Elordi's Jacob Elordi-ness! Arguments about the purpose of adaptation! THE GREAT AND VERY SMART MARGARET WILLISON! This bonus episode's got it all. So listen on as three English Majors with various levels of affection for the source text talk about horny aspic, the melodramatic imagination, Romeo + Juliet, pseudo race-blind casting, the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, and whether director Emerald Fennell is enough of a perv (no). Even if you haven't seen Wuthering Heights, this is a much larger conversation about adaptation, contemporary film, casting, the feelings we're looking for when we go to the movies, and much more. And if you have seen it, wow do we have more to talk about in the comments. So enjoy this bonus episode — and tell us what bonus episodes (with similar, loose-but-text-based-focus) you'd like to see in the future! (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail) !

I've written a bunch of mildly serious stuff about having BIG NO-KIDS ENERGY. I've talked with so many others — and published interviews with them! — about how they've negotiated conversations with others about not having kids, leaned in to the expansiveness of their no-kids lives, and figured out their own life priorities when they're not what society tells you they should be. But all of these conversations have been pretty, well, serious. But not having kids can be many things. More specifically, not having kids can be hilarious. Today, comedian (and not-kid-haver) Natasha Vaynblat joins the pod to answer all your questions about the awkward, unconsciously ridiculous, and straight-up offensive questions that people ask when you don't have kids — and how to figure out how to answer (sometimes seriously, sometimes with a sense of humor). I don't think any Culture Study guest has made me spit out my water as much as Natasha, so regardless of whether you don't have kids and relate immediately or DO have kids and just relate to the idea of strangers and/or supposedly beloved family members asking you inappropriate shit... I hope you almost spit out your water, too. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/Go to Graza.co and use CULTURESTUDY to get 10% off your first order of olive oil, and be sure to look for Graza Mayo the next time you're at your local grocery store!For a custom-fit night guard, go to shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE  at checkout for 50% off.Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout.Show Notes:Follow Natasha Vaynblat on Instagram here (worth it I promise) BUY A TICKET TO SEE NATASHA ON APRIL 28TH IN NEW YORK!!!!Visit Natasha's website for links to alllll of her stuff, including her stand-up special We're All Dads Here If you want to read the previous posts in the BIG NO-KIDS ENERGY series, they're all collected here! We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS (with Sara Petersen, of course) Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!) Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.) Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison) What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Natasha offered so many possibilities for how you could respond to various weird questions... do you have more? Or: let's hear the most awkward (having kids or not having kids) question someone has asked you about your reproductive future!!!!

Why is weird spelled like that? Why is yacht pronounced like that? Why is a firefighter a person who fights fires... but a pickpocket is neither a pick nor a pocket? We're so lucky to have linguist Colin Gorrie on the pod to talk about the "disaster" of English spelling and the history you can unearth in pretty much every English word. This one's such a nerdy delight — if you found yourself enraptured by our episode on accents, you're gonna love this one, too. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Celebrate your number one valentine, your greatest love, your dog! Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit.Go to wildalaskan.com/CULTURE for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood.Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD.Get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Subscribe to Colin Gorrie's newsletter, Dead Language Society, hereI personally really love 'Dog' is a Weird Word (you can find all the Weird Word editions collected here)Listen to our episode on The Ridiculously Interesting World of American Accents! I reference Wound Man — here's my interview with the art historian on the historical representations of him A very weird 1818 illustration of a pickpocket Just for fun, a map of Europe with place names in the dominant language of the placeWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS (with Sara Petersen, of course) Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!) Getting into Gaming as AN ADULT (and especially as a woman or non-binary person) (with Keza Macdonald, author of the new history Super Nintendo) Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.) Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison) What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Just gonna be real basic here and ask... What did you learn from this episode? So many tidbits and delightful explanations!

What happens when the "move fast and break things" start-up philosophy comes for infertility treatments? Exactly what you'd expect: cut corners, bad service, aesthetically pleasing offices that can't seem to stop churning staff, upsells backed by dubious science, and more. This week, journalist Jackie Davalos joins the pod to talk about her reporting on IVF start-up Kindbody, breaking down why so many of these women's health start-ups give us the ick... and also answer all your questions about sketchy IVF business practices. I cannot tell you how much I learned from this episode — and how wild it is to have this corner of health care remain this unregulated. If you're not in the right place to listen to other people's complications with IVF, feel free to skip this episode — but if you want to get pissed about how difficult, weird, and opaque the process can be, definitely listen to this episode. Finally, a special thanks to Culture Study reader & listener Shawn Wen for making this episode happen. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Get 50% off your purchase of a new night guard at shopREMI.com/CULTUREHead to ZBiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use the code CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% offIf you’re in the market for a new sofa, dining table, or bed, check out the beautiful options at Article.comStop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love todayShow Notes:Go listen to IVF Disrupted You can find in-depth descriptions of all the episodes here [IN GENERAL, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOURCING, THEY'RE ALLLLLLLL RIGHT THERE IN THE PODCAST] You can follow host Jackie Davalos (in her new French bakery era) on IG hereWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS (with Sara Petersen, of course) Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!) Writing Queer Historical Romance (with Cat Sebastian) Getting into Gaming as AN ADULT (and especially as a woman or non-binary person) (with Keza Macdonald, author of the new history Super Nintendo) Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.) Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison) What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: This is a space to share how the more unregulated (or business-minded) components of IVF manifested in your own experience — or just to talk about what pissed you off the most from this episode.

How does an audiobook narrator know how to pronounce everything? Do they have editors? How many books can they do a year? What differentiates the live voice from AI — and how do they get paid (vs. how should they get paid)? And why are so many beloved books read by Julia Whelan? WELP, FRIENDS, GOOD NEWS, WE GOT JULIA WHELAN TO COME ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS. This is a conversation about mechanics and production flows and vocal health... but it's also a conversation about how we conceive of and compensate artistic labor. This one's gonna stick with you — it's certainly stuck with me. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Head to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the Best sellers Trial Pack or the NEW plant-based trial packCozy up with your pup this season! Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 60% off your first boxTake your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use promo code CULTURESTUDY today for 10% off your first orderOneSkin is making it even easier to stay consistent with your skincare routine with 15% off when you use code CULTURE at oneskin.co/CULTUREShow Notes:Follow Julia Whelan on Instagram here and find out more about Audiobrary hereAn interview with Julia about the Audiobrary modelThe episode of romance podcast Fated Mates featuring Julia Julia Whelan named Spotify's Top Audiobook Narrator for 2026To give you a sense of how many books Julia has narrated, you can see 432 of them listed over at Audible (she's narrated more than 500) We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS Dark academia-- the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you wantHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What did you learn about audiobook production from this ep — and how are you going to think differently about audiobooks moving forward?

If you don't make your living creating content online, you probably think of yourself as the furthest thing from an influencer — a designation that has developed the same slightly dirty connotation as being a celebrity, especially a celebrity like Paris Hilton, back in the 1990s. But influencers have cultivated and refined a mode of existing online that has filtered down into the way so many of us navigate online spaces: in the way you craft your profile on LinkedIn, in your font choice for a pic of your houseplant on IG, in the TikTok your coworker cajoles you into making on a slow day at work. The subtle way that influencer vernacular has entered our lives.....that's INFLUENCER CREEP. Sophie Bishop coined the term to talk about the ways that influencer behaviors (specifically: self-branding, performance of authenticity, constant optimization) were codifying and re-setting online norms, and joins me to answer all your typically excellent (and complicated) questions about the performance of self and work online. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!Get 40% OFF select Lola Blankets products by going to LolaBlankets.com and using code CULTURE at checkoutGo to shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE  at checkout for 50% offSave 20% off Honeylove at honeylove.com/CULTUREIf you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table, or bed, head over to Article.comShow Notes:Find out more about Dr. Sophie Bishop's work here Buy Influencer Creep: How Optimization, Authenticity, and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture hereJust another example of a weird workplace tok where everyone's awkwardThe Atlantic piece about getting bullied for adopting dogs onlineSophie references Brooke Erin Duffy's work on authenticitySophie references Jodie Dean's work on communicative capitalismIn case you don't know who Bama Morgan is (and here's her TikTok)Silly Pink Shoes on Instagram! We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS For our next Culture Of Place: Puerto Rico! How to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What sort of influencer creep have you noticed in your feeds... or in your own behavior?

"Family-friendly society" sounds SO BORING but listen: it's what we all want. It's what singles and elders want, it's what parents and partnered people without kids want, it's what KIDS WANT. A society that takes all of us — and our needs and capacities — seriously?? That considers all of us, in whatever scenario we find ourselves, AS A FAMILY? When we announced that we were doing this episode, we got a ton of questions asking us to also consider people who weren't parents in their 30s and 40s, and yes, of course, team, I would never approach this topic without thinking expansively about it — as in, expansively enough to include me, and our beloved co-producer Melody, and all of our various family configurations. I would only do an episode with expansive questions like yours with someone (with tremendously policy experience) who understands "family-friendly" expansively. So listen in as Elliot Haspel and I imagine a better (and possible!) family-friendly world.AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Get 15% off your first order of high-quality, refillable cleaning products at Blueland.com/CULTUREWake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPODCozy up with your pup this season! Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your first box!Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to:  https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTUREShow Notes:Find out more about Elliot's work here — and buy Raising a Nation: 10 Reasons Every American Has a Stake in Child Care for All hereSubscribe to Elliot's truly excellent newsletter, The Family Frontier, hereA pretty fantastic write-up of the 1971 Comprehensive Childhood Development Act (and its failure) by the Institute for Research on PovertyMore on "the curb-cut effect"Elliot cites a now famous maxim from the former mayor of Bogotá mayor, Enrique Peñalosa: "children are a kind of indicator species, if we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for everyone.”"70% of children under the age of 6 have all available parents in the workforce" Elliot cites Elissa Strauss's book When You Care — here's my interview with herOnly 13.9% of US workers were part-time in December 2024 — compare to the EU numbers here!!!Chamber of Mothers! The AMAZING coconut-miso-ginger curry I mention in the Wild Alaskan ad! We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Wedding culture (especially the more, uh, cult-like or obligatory components) What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!) For our next Culture Of Place: Puerto Rico!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What did this conversation make you want the MOST? What feels like it could be possible in our lifetimes, and what still feels intractable?

This episode is the result of years of listener requests: how did dating get SO bad, and how can we possibly make it better? Melody and I have been out of the dating game for a hot minute, but we knew that the combination of your excellent questions + an excellent co-host [Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox's Explain It All who is, importantly, currently dating] + sociological discussion of how dating has historically functioned (and why it no longer functions that way) could lead us to something that manages to be at once cathartic and hopeful (and educational for anyone who hasn't tried to date in the last decade). We answer your questions on "informational intimacy," how long is too long to chat (before setting an actual date), optimization culture, and whether or not it's weird for someone to run your Hinge account (I LOVE THIS QUESTION).....plus bonus content on how to actually meet people off the apps. You don't have to be dating to love this episode, but if you are — let's go after it in the comments. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love todayIf you're in the market for a new sofa, dining table, bed, or filing cabinet, peruse the beautiful and long-lasting offerings at Article.comGet 15% off your first order of Pre-Alcohol at zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY using code CULTURESTUDY at checkoutGet 50% off your purchase of a new night guard at shopremi.com/CULTURE, using code CULTUREShow Notes:Follow Jonquilyn on Instagram hereYou can find all episodes of Explain It To Me hereListen to Jonquilyn's episode of Explain It To Me on Cuffing SeasonMelody found this super-interesting article: Men Are Just As Picky As Women About Who They’d Date—If They’re the Ones Being PursuedJonquilyn mentions the Netflix show THE LATER DATERSI mention my interview with sociologist Corinne Low re: figuring out what you actually want in terms of a future life (before finding a partner) We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Wedding culture!!For our next Culture Of Place: Puerto Rico!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Tell us your dating frustrations! What's changed, what annoys you, what strategies have worked?

Is there something in your life that you do — with some sort of regularity, and without direct compensation — that you find tremendously satisfying? Something you do just because you like it? CONGRATS, YOU HAVE A HOBBY. And here at Culture Study, we love to talk about hobbies — how to find them, how to keep them, and how to deal with the seemingly ceaseless push to monetize them. Listeners have been asking for a hobby episode for years, so for the New Year, we asked two great hobbyists — Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu, of the beloved podcast Forever35 — to come on and answer all your hobby questions, including: How do I find time to hobby when I'm a parent? How do I figure out my hobbies now that I finally have time to myself? How do I keep myself from BUYING ALL THE STUFF every time I find a new hobby? How do I keep a hobby from becoming a chore? We can't wait to hear your own thoughts on these questions in the comments. ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to.And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to Article.com and explore the optionsGo to wildalaskan.com/CULTURE for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafoodSave 20% on comfortable, supportive undergarments at honeylove.com/CULTUREGive the gift of softness this holiday season with Lola Blankets. For a limited time, our listeners are getting a huge 40% OFF their entire order at LolaBlankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkoutShow Notes:Go listen to Forever35!! And follow Doree on Instagram and Elise on InstagramRead Doree's tennis newsletter, CourtdateI love Doree's celebration post from nationals: Listen to Elise's previous appearance on the podcast talking all about "Sephora Teens" Read my post about The Unexpected Benefits of Starting a Small-Scale Dahlia Farm with Your FriendsDoree's IVF podcastWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow incel culture and slang pops up in the mainstreamHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOBBY! Or tell us how you've made your hobby a joyful part of your life.

It's BONUS EPISODE TIME! While everyone else is listing their favorite movies and albums and television shows in their end-of-year wrap-ups, Melody and I opted to make up random (but wonderful) categories and force the other person to come up answers. Favorite Internet Dog! TikTok that made you cry! Best Practical Thing You Bought Yourself + Best Extravagant Thing! There's a lot more but I won't spoil them for you other than to say if you need a little very low stakes delight in your life right now, this episode is for you. And free subscribers — I realize sending this to you is a total tease, but maybe also incentive to become a paid subscriber and join in the deeper levels of weirdness. You get ad-free episodes, the bonus advice-time segment every week, and these bonus episodes, which come out every 2-3 months. Just click here to become a paid subscriber.And a reminder, we're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here

I don't remember when I first noticed Eldest Daughter content popping up in my various social media feeds, but like so many millennials, I loved a meme that seemed to REALLY SEE ME. Why yes, I am a consummate planner who somehow holds at least six people's yearly calendars in my head at once! Why yes, I am a perfectionist! WHY YES, I AM AN ELDEST DAUGHTER!Does Eldest Daughter discourse give Eldest Daughters a means to communicate their (sometimes contradictory) feelings about their familial and societal roles? Or is it a way for Eldest Daughters to lean into their own martyrdom complexes? And how does being the immigrant eldest daughter compound your Eldest Daughter-ness? We got Eldest Daughter Ifeoma Ozoma to come on the show and help me (Eldest Daughter) and Melody (also Eldest Daughter, duh) answer all your questions — and work through our own changing relationship to the Eldest Daughter Discourse. (And yes, there's a reason this one's coming out during the holidays, the best/worst time to be an Eldest Daughter) ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible! If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTUREGet 15% off your first order of cleaning products by going to Blueland.com/CULTURETry Beam's Dream Powder for up to 40% off at shopbeam.com/CULTURE and use code CULTUREHead to Zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use the code CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% offShow Notes:Ifeoma Ozoma is an eldest daughter and also A TOTAL BOSS (TRULY)At the end of the episode we talk about her advocacy with Niños and Neighbors — you can read more about it here and join their mailing list/donate here The Eldest Daughter Club on IG (218k followers!) The study I referenced re: stress during pregnancy and hormones in eldest daughters comes out of UCLA — you can find more about it here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!) The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Do you have eldest daughter energy? If you do, how has it changed over time? And if you don't: how do you relate to eldest daughters?

Sometimes I wish I could just have the intro paragraph to an episode be GAAHHHHHHH THIS ONE WAS SO FUN! So this is my version of that: telling you that I wish it could be that, and then also telling you that we go deep on so many components of the global spread (and embrace) of Korean pop culture. We go into the calculated political elements, the uncanny elision of North Korean stories, and why so many of the Korean narratives resonating with American audiences are ones crafted by Korean-Americans. This is a really effusive and loving episode that also manages to have some very real talk about why kids dressing up as characters from K-Pop Demon Hunters is not yellow face. IT'S SO GOOD, and I know we're gonna have a great discussion about it. ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible! If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Head to Graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use code CULTURESTUDY to get 10% off your order and get cooking this holiday season with some fresh, delicious olive oil!Visit moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the best sellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial pack.Go to shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE to receive 55% off  your new nightguard PLUS a free foam gift.Show Notes:GO LISTEN TO BIG KOREAN ENERGY!!! And then go find out a lot more about The Mash-Up AmericansSubscribe to The Mash-Up Americans newsletter for updates Really cannot recommend Episode 1 highly enough — it puzzle pieces so well with what we talk about for each of these questions A good secondary listen: our episode with Elise Hu about the Sephora Teen Freakout and my interview with Elise re: her book on K-Beauty We also reference this episode on The Irishification of Pop Culture with Caroline O'Donoghue REP SWEATSTHE KOREAN VEGAN!R.O. Kwon's appearance on Big Korean EnergySusan Choi's Flashlight, Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, Lisa See's Island of Sea Women I try to remember the name of Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions About How to Respond When People Ask/React To the Knowledge That You're Not Having Kids'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!) The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What's your favorite manifestation of BIG KOREAN ENERGY right now?

Do you need an episode that's the equivalent of a big, deep, inhale and exhale? GREAT NEWS, TEAM, WE HAVE THE EPISODE FOR YOU. Journalist and urban birder Ryan Goldberg joins me to talk about the recent spike of interest in birding (particularly amongst young people), but we go a lot deeper than "wow seems like millennials are taking up old people hobbies." We talk about the intergenerational magic of birding clubs, bird list gamificiation (and how to avoid it), and how apps like Merlin have changed birding culture. But the real heart of this episode is what makes people fall in love — and stay in love — with a hobby that's really, at heart, about listening. I'm not a birder, so this episode will be accessible to anyone in my shoes (or who's birding-curious) — and if you are a birder, get ready to nerd out. I hope your blood pressure drops a few points while listening, because my mine sure did while recording.If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!We're experimenting with producing our own (moderately polished) transcripts. They'll be uploaded here within 24 hours of publishing. Thanks to the sponsors of today’s episode!Take the guesswork out of your dog's well-being. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 60% off your first box!Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://trymiracle.com/CULTURE and use the code CULTURE to claim your free 3-piece towel set and save over 40% OFF.Get better sleep, hair and skin with Blissy and use CULTUREPOD to get an additional 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD Get an exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/CULTURE, promo Code CULTUREShow Notes:Buy Bird City here! Learn more about Ryan's work here — also noting two upcoming events (learn more on his website) An Eastern Towee in action (with its call!) A lovely birding guide to Central ParkJoin the Brooklyn Bird Club! All about the Merlin app Black Birders Week!Feminist Bird ClubThe Macaulay Library of Bird SongsThe hungover birdwatcherWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOGQuestions About How to Respond When People Ask/React To the Knowledge That You're Not Having KidsThe Wild Largely Unregulated World of IVF (and IVF Bureaucracy) Audiobooks!!! (with MVP audiobook narrator Julia Whelan)'90s Movie Soundtracks How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCH PEOPLE'S NAMES and what they signify (and how it changes with time) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Tell me about your experience with birding culture — or something about this episode that made you want to get into it! (I bet it was me laughing like a 5 year old about birds named tits)