Everything I Know About

Anyone else wondered how the Pumpkin Spice Latte was born or what happens to Spirt Halloween stores on November 1st? This week, we dig into seasonal products and businesses to understand how and why they thrive. Topics covered: -Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and the power of seasonal products -Spirit Halloween’s founding story and business model Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

The Barbie movie’s critical lens on dolls was just the beginning…We dive into adult fan communities of American Girl Doll and reborn dolls to understand the enduring cultural impact of these pillars of girlhood. Topics covered: -The reborn doll community -American Girl Doll’s cultural impact and its adult fans -The Jellycat craze -The rise and fall of Beanie Babies -The psychology of collecting Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

Looking to justify your reality TV habit? Listen in as we explore why this genre deserves to be taken seriously, with both its positive and frightening impacts on our society and psychology. Topics covered: -The history of reality TV—how the format and drama originated -Behind the scenes: how casting, scripting/prompting, and editing really work -Why we find reality TV addicting and its psychological impact on the cast and audience -How trends in reality TV viewership have changed over time -The difference in content and approach between Western produced reality TV and Eastern (Korean, Japanese) Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

You’ve heard of Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate, but what about cargo and hot yoga cults? We dive into two unusual cults we didn’t know existed: the Cargo Cults of Melanesia and the Bikram Yoga cult. Topics covered: -Fitness and health cults like YouTube high carb low fat vegans and Soulcycle -Amanda Montell's book Cultish -The history of Bikram yoga and its founder Bikram Choudhury -The crimes, scandals, and ongoing cultish behavior from the Bikram community -The origins of Cargo Cults and the John Frum Movement Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

Ever wondered how Olympic host cities are selected and how much they have to spend? We dig into the big budgets behind the gold medals. Topics covered: -The history of the Olympics and its revival in modern day -Why the International Olympic Committee says countries should host -What independent research shows about the economics of hosting -Deep dive into the economics of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics + Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

We quit our jobs in tech to work for ourselves and in the last 7 months, built Pagebound, a web app that combines the best of Goodreads and Reddit. Listen in as we get our first users and share lessons learned from our journey. 📚 ✨ Create a free account at https://pagebound.co/ Join the Everything I Know About pod book club on Pagebound!

From mukbangs to what I eat in a day vlogs, why are we so fascinated with what other people eat? This week, we dive into the origins of mukbang, its transformation when it hit mainstream America, and what the implications are of sensationalizing food and eating online. (Bonus—check out Patreon for us making mukbang content 🍗 🍪) Topics covered: -The origins of mukbang in Korea -Entrance into the American mainstream -The commercialization of mukbang and the new incentive structure -Discourse around Nikocado Avocado, Jelly Bean Sweets: promoting binge eating, feeder content, wastefulness -ASMR crossover -Why people love mukbang, how it affects our mental health and eating habits Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

Our first episode with a guest! We bring our Enneagram skepticism to an expert. Will she convert us? Topics covered: -The intersection of mental health, therapeutic techniques, and the Enneagram -How to understand your Enneagram type: from triads to stances to wings, discover how your type approaches the world, how it uses energy, and how all this information can help you better understand yourself and those you care about -Christina’s journey growing a social media following and publishing two books Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

We reflect on our newest obsession, the show Couples Therapy. From sharing our own experiences with therapy to takeaways from the famous couples therapists out there, this episode is sure to get you thinking, whether you’re in a relationship or not. Topics covered: -Who’s going to couple’s therapy -The efficacy of couples therapy -When should you go to couples therapy (and when should you not)? -The types of couples therapy and finding a good fit with a therapist -Advice from popular couples therapists: Orna Guralnik, Virginia Goldner, Terry Real, Esther Perel Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

What do olive oil and sand have in common? We dive into the surprising economies controlled by organized crime. Topics covered: -The history of the mafia -The olive oil mafia (also its effects on mozzarella and red wine) -The sand mafia (sand theft in India, Jamaica, and Kenya) Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

To what degree is college still worth it? We explore the benefits, financial and developmental, of higher ed and dig into what’s really driving declining college enrollment. Topics covered: -How most Americans feel about college today -How college has changed: tuition increases, student loan debt, shady for-profit colleges, declining enrollment -Alternatives to college: software bootcamps, apprenticeships, trade schools Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

We will be releasing episodes every other week in June and July. This is a re-release of our episode originally named Living Abroad "like" the Locals. What’s the difference between an expat and a migrant? In this episode we explore the global impact of digital nomads and tourists, the community cost of airbnbs, and third-wave gentrification while unpacking our own experiences as expats. Topics covered: -Why are some groups labeled expats while others are migrants? -Media portrayals vs our own experience as expats -The rise of digital nomads -Displacement of local populations -The 3 waves of gentrification -The billionaire class and investment properties -The issue with Airbnb -NYC’s changing response to gentrification -Voluntourism and the ethics of being a tourist Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

This week, a special guest co-host joins Lucy… Topics covered: -National Geographic’s “The Changing Face of America” and The Race Card Project -The rise in interracial marriages and multiracial children -Fusion in food: the history of food fusion and its newest form -Fusion vs authenticity as it relates to Chinese American food -Fusion in music: international music charting in America, racial barriers in country music Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

So we know supplements have questionable science and little regulation, but what about something as common as protein powder? Join us as we investigate claims that roots and pills can invigorate libidos, kick coffee habits or even prevent hangovers. We discover surprising facts, and even find a product that convinces Lucy, our skeptic. Topics covered: -The science behind the most common vitamin and mineral supplements Americans take: multivitamins, calcium, and fish oil -Why we add vitamins to food products -Do scientists agree on what levels of vitamins we need for ideal health? -The surprising science behind protein powder, and should you be taking it daily? -Influencer promoted supplements: Athletic Greens (AG1) and libido gummies -Herbs and roots in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, adaptogens and coffee alternatives -A supplement to rid us of hangovers -The placebo effect Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

We lurk on Reddit’s Am I the Asshole forum and pass our own judgements using the backing of moral philosophy and some questionable logic. Questions covered: -AITA for telling my wife that she needs to seriously work on her mental and physical toughness? -AITA for being truthful and admitting that I find my wife unattractive after her surgery? -AITA for leaving my disabled mom with no caregivers after giving her over 6 months notice? Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ ❤️

The case of the true crime obsession. Join us as we unwind the history, unearth the clues, and navigate the pitfalls of being a true crime fan. Topics covered: -The history and origins of true crime -The rise of detective fiction -How Serial changed the industry and the rise of prestige true crime dramas: HBO’s The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst and Netflix’s Making a Murderer -Who watches true crime and why -Gender differences in criminals, victims, and viewers -News coverage of crimes and the relationship between serial killers and media -True crime’s effect on our judicial system -The problems with true crime: sensationalization of crime for profit and entertainment, centering the criminal rather than the victim -Parasocial relationships and armchair detectives -The women who fall in love with serial killers Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠Patreon⁠ ❤️

We examine the social norms around paying for things for others. From gifts to obligations, how we spend our money speaks to our culture, our values, and how we may or may not be afraid of judgment from others. Topics covered: -Spending on milestones for our friends: weddings, showers, bachelorette parties, gifts -Sex and The City, A Woman’s Right to Shoes -Wedding one-upmanship & social media -Why we follow social norms, even when it doesn’t align with our self interest -Money norms when it comes to dating and splitting finances as a couple, in the US vs Europe -The history of tipping, tipping culture today, and tipflation Sources & transcript available to anyone at our Patreon ❤️

We explore the tropes, trends, and monsters in the romance universe, asking important questions like why is it we have to go outside of our species to find a good man? 👹  Topics covered: -The history of the romance novel, from 1700s to today -The development of modern romance: romantasy, erotica, tropes -Inflection points like the invention of the “the bodice ripper” in 1972, Fifty Shades of Gray in modern day -An exploration of the types of romance novels: ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses), From Blood and Ash, Fourth Wing; authors like Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry; and monster corn like Ice Planet Barbarians and the Omega verse -Dark romance, taboos, and the “misattribution of arousal” phenomenon -How monster smut helps you heal from trauma -Kindle Unlimited and AI tools effect on indie authors and readership -Changing ideals of masculinity -Female sexual liberation Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠Patreon⁠ ❤️

We dive into the Western Esoteric Tradition, how its shaped our stories, symbols, and secret societies. From the Knights Templar to Beyonce as a member of the Illuminati, we traverse centuries of history and question fact vs conspiracy. Topics covered: -The origins of secret societies in the Western Esoteric Tradition -Its relation to Dark Academia as a genre of fiction: Babel by RF Kuang, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Harry Potter -The history of the Freemasons and what we know about their practices today -The Anti-Masonic party and the pushback against secret societies -The Knights Templar and their potential ties to the Masons -The history of the Illuminati and modern conspiracy theories -How secret societies relate to modern Greek fraternities, Phi Beta Kappa -The history of secret societies at universities, and how the Skull and Bones society at Yale has changed over time -Research on in group, out group psychology in relation to empathy vs apathy Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠Patreon⁠ ❤️

Are men and women drifting further apart in their views on the world? After living on the girlie side of the internet for so long, Jennifer & Lucy dip their toes into male-coded media and experience its wildly different messaging. Topics covered: -Male-coded media personalities and their similarities/differences: Joe Rogan, Andrew Huberman, David Goggins, Jocko Willink -Stoicism as a predominately male philosophy -Should art be separated from the artist? -Parasocial relationships and how celebrities become role models -Media echo chambers and how reading fiction helps us develop empathy -Female-coded media personalities and their similarities/differences: Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy, Binchtopia, Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle -The differences between male-coded and female-coded content and messaging -How the genders are drifting apart -Gender socialization and gender as a construct Sources & transcript available to anyone at our ⁠Patreon⁠ ❤️