Afleveringen
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In this week's episode, we take a deep dive into Grisch, the fascinating niche style gaining traction among Sweden's affluent youth. Drawing on our listeners' firsthand accounts and a century of Scandinavian cultural history, we dissect its surprisingly long lineageâ from fin-de-siĂšcle dandies and Eurotrash dudebros to gangster rappers and old money influencersâall culminating in a high-stakes world of designer denim, puffer vests, and luxury low-profile sneakers. We ponder how the complex relationship between class, age, nationalism, and masculinity embodied by Grisch might result in its global domination.
Special thanks to Charles, Elsa, Justine, Iman, Matilda, Ebba, and Jesper for their insights!
Links:
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Selected TikToks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Chris Heyn Jr. on TikTok
eric_roth2 on TikTok
Marcus Rolf on TikTok
Your Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Fashion by The Daily Scandinavian
About Us â Garde Grisch
De Vet Du â Sture P (Music Video)
Peder Fogstrand aka Greven
"The Law of Jante" (on Janteloven) by Michael Booth for The Paris Review
The Murder of Einar (Swedish rap legend) â YouTube
Azealia Banks announces her move to Stockholm in Swedish radio interview
Yung Lean @subwaytakes Interview
Consumers that are middle and upper class in Nordic countries 2024 â Statista -
In this episode, journalistic superstar Ezra Marcus joins us to chronicle his journey from the ashes of millennial digital media to the frontlines of today's most exciting investigative reporting. We extol his epic track recordâthe Sarah Lawrence sex cult, the culinary horror story of Horses, the galaxy gas epidemic, and moreâ and discover what draws him to the shady fraudster kingpins that personify online hustle culture. We also discuss the true crime documentary slop machine, moonlighting as a party-pumping DJ, the idea that men are the new women, and what it means to stand at the brink of the Chinese century.
Links:
Ezra Marcus's Website
Ezra Marcus on Instagram
Some of Ezra's greatest hits:
The Next Drug Epidemic is Blue Raspberry FlavoredThe Package King of Miami
The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence
The Cat Who Could Kill Horses
The âE-Pimpsâ of OnlyFans
How Do You Make a Weed Empire?
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the Hollyweirdness of the Oscars (notably that James Bond humiliation ritual), Pretty Little Thing's rebrand from Love Island resortwear to halal clean girl prison clothes, the Losercore undertones of Prada's FW 2025 show, the abjection of the Shrek 5 trailer and the gravity of Shrek's highbrow legacy, the revolt against millennial burger joints and craft breweries, plus Biz makes a special announcement.
Join our Patreon for more episodes and early access to Biz's top secret project!
Links:
James Bond Musical Tribute at the 97th Oscars (Lisa, Doja Cat, Raye)
Pretty Little Thing
Featured PLT monstrosities: sage tailored cropped blazer/dress, burgundy soft rib two piece set, grey bardot ruched dress
PLT founder Umar Kamani on their rebrand â Drapers
Boohoo/PLT/Nasty Gal class action settlement
Prada Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Vogue Runway
Shrek 5 Official Trailer on YouTube
Euphoria Season 3's "Silver Slipper" strip club
Kyle Gordon's "We Will Never Die" on TikTok
Millennial burger spot roast on TikTok
Tate McRae â Revolving door (Official Music Video)
Flew out to Atlanta TikTok storytime (Girl's POV)
Flew out to Atlanta TikTok storytime (Boy's POV)
Appalachian hair texture discourse on TikTok
Stephanie Soo/Rotten Mango Ash Trevino Deep Dive on YouTube -
In this week's episode, we discuss the legacy of Losercore, an aesthetic of the late 90s and early 2000s that celebrated the awkwardness of young adulthood and the sartorial idiosyncrasies of social outcasts, from orthodontia and ill-fitting gym uniforms to wire-frame glasses and dishwater-blond hair. We analyze the socioeconomic conditions that led to this period of loser glorification, identify key players (Todd Solondz, Paul Dano), cinematic touchstones (Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine), and generational anthems ("Teenage Dirtbag," "Buddy Holly"), and reflect on how the Internet has transformed today's young losers into threats to themselves and others.
Links:
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"The Birthâand Maybe Deathâof Yuppiedom" by Walter Shapiro for Time
"Loser: The Hero of the 1990s" by Grunge Included on Substack
The Trap by Adam Curtis
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
@yungkombucha420 on TikTok
"Americans Need to Party More" by Ellen Cushing for The Atlantic
"The Anti-Social Century" by Derek Thompson for The Atlantic
Loser Generated Content: From Participation to Exploitation by Soren Mork Petersen
Billie Eilish on having no friends
Celebrity with no friends blind item ("not Jessica Chastain")
Emma Chamberlain closet video
Bed rot talking stage TikTok /
"Love in the Time of Bed Rotting" by Isabel Unhinged on Substack
"The Story Behind The Song: Beck and the crowning of the âLoserâ generation" â Far Out
Teenage Dirtbag â Wheatus (Offical Music Video)
Buddy Holly â Weezer (Official Music Video)
Losercore TikTok boys: Slushy Noobz, Thomathy, Ben Awad, William Conrad
Marc Jacobs, Circa 2003: Long Hair, Neck Brace & Sweaty (PHOTO)
Prada Spring/Summer 1996
Marc Jacobs Spring 1999
Marc Jacobs Fall 1999
Vetements Fall 2019 Menswear
Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2021"Gucci's Beautiful Losers Hit New York" â Business of Fashion
"The Book of Gucci According to Alessandro Michele" â 032c
"Student Teaches Teacher" aka Jeff Bliss aka Friggin Packet Yo (Original YouTube Video)
"Who's Afraid of Hasan Piker?" â Slate
"Still Life (Betamale)" by Jon Rafman
Party in their Blood â Cloudy Heart (Official Music Video)
Bully (formerly @bully.incel.simp.hero)
Duane Hanson â Saatchi Gallery
Dadsgiving by Chris Maggio -
This week, we are joined by special guest Evan Collins â architect, design archivist, and cofounder of Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute â for a conversation about the Institute's pioneering work in coining and defining the most fascinating aesthetics of the past half-century, including Indie Sleaze, Frutiger Aero, McBling, Whimsigothic, Shoe Diva, and many more. We discuss his foundational research into the Y2K aesthetic, the consumer incorporation of subculture, the challenges of community-based digital archiving, the benefit of researching ugly and unfashionable visual culture, and more.
Links:
Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute Official Website
CARI on Are.na
Evan Collins on Are.na
Evan Collins on Patreon (access to 700+ books and magazines!)
Art Deco of the 20s and 30s by Bevis Hillier
Blobjects and Beyond: The New Fluidity in Design by Steven Skov Holt and Mara Holt Skov -
Full episode available on Patreon <3
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the TikTok ban fakeout, Andrea Dworkin's Right-Wing Women, the inauguration party coverage heard around the world, the consequences of Trumpism on critical beauty studies, the true meaning of Eusexua in a post-Brat society, and more. Also, Sam finally reviews Emilia Perez.
Links:
Watch Vica's New Atlas Reels on Instagram
Johanne Sacrebleu (Emilia Perez parody)
Zoe Saldaña - La Vaginoplastia (From Emilia Perez)
Karla SofĂa GascĂłn's crazy tweet archive
Right-Wing Women by Andrea Dworkin
Candace Owens on Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni
Dr. Natalya (Natalya Toryanski) on TikTok
"The Cruel Kids Table" by Brock Colyar for New York magazine
Michelle Santiago Cortés on the Pursuit of Hotness
Sean Monahan on the Boom Boom Aesthetic
Tate McCrae ordering drinks behind the scenes of "Sports Car"
Tate McCrae â Sports Car (Official Music Video)Listen to exclusive episodes here <3
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Full episode available on Patreon <3
In this week's episode, we investigate the rise of what we're calling Geometrica, the edgy, STEM-influenced design trend that ruled the 2000s and 2010s. We talk about the iconic looks of Lady Gaga's The Fame, triangle-induced Illuminati hysteria, Obama-era techno-optimism, second-generation k-pop music videos, Alexander McQueen's historic Plato's Atlantis collection, and much more.
Links:
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Cubism and Fashion â Met Gala 1998 Press Release
Cubsim and Fashion by Richard Martin
Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 (Plato's Atlantis) â Vogue Runway
SHOWstudio: Plato's Atlantis by Alexander McQueen (archived livestream)
The McQueen Show that Changed the Future of Fashion â DAZED
Essay: Nick Knight on "Plato's Atlantis" â SHOWstudio
Top by @perlaz0ne on Instagram
Imogen Heap's MiMU Gloves
Iris Van Herpen Spring 2010 (Crystallized)
Mary Katrantzou Spring 2009 (Graduate Collection)
Mary Katrantzou Fall 2011
Basso & Brooke Fall 2009
Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness for V Magazine (2015)
Daphne Guinness / Nick Knight / Noritaka Tatehana: Floating World â SHOWstudio
2NE1 - ëŽê° ì ìŒ ì ëê°(I AM THE BEST) M/V
PSY - GANGNAM STYLE(ê°ëšì€íìŒ) M/V
BIGBANG - FANTASTIC BABY M/V
Girls' Generation ìë ìë 'I GOT A BOY' MV
Asians Wear Clothes on the Internet by Minh-Ha T. Pham
20 Years of Issey Miyake's Bao Bao Bag â The Guardian
Saudi Arabia asks Hans Zimmer to rework national anthem â The Guardian
Comme des Garçons Fall 2012
La Maison Gaga
Special thank you to Telle from our Discord for this episode idea!Listen to exclusive episodes here <3
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Recorded in the twilight days of the Biden administration, we gathered round to discuss a dizzying variety of cultural phenomena in this edition of Study Break, including the Freakmas double feature of Babygirl and Nosferatu, the troubling rise of Galaxy Gas and other flavor-blasted/cartoonified smoke shop abominations, the vestigial parallels between Lily-Rose Depp and Timothée Chalamet, the resonance of face-tatted country artists, the passing of national Pastel Protestant Grandfather, Jimmy Carter, and much more.
Links:
The Next Drug Epidemic is Blue Raspberry Flavored â Ezra Marcus for New York
The 1830s Gothic Fashion of Robert Eggers' Nosferatu â Focus Features on YouTube
Timothée Chalamet | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #551
Timothée Chalamet Instagram Complete Livestream
Jimmy Carterâs Grandson Honors 39th President's Life, Legacy in Eulogy
T.O.P Breaks Silence on Controversial Return to Acting in Squid Game Season 2 â Korea Times
Chloe Forero on TikTok re: Latino influencers
Ethel Cain's Tumblr post on the irony epidemic
Hawk Tuah and the Zynternet â Max Read on SubstackSpecial thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience. Learn more about Croissant on their website!
Listen to exclusive episodes here <3 -
In our first episode of 2025, we're joined by the inimitable Mel Ottenbergâ longtime muse, generational style mastermind, Editor in Chief of Interview magazine, and Nymphet Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award recipientâ to discuss controversial figures (Natalia Grace, Blake Lively, Luigi Mangione), the current status of normcore (Brandy Melville, classic menswear, tighty whities), his incredible fashion legacy (styling Rihanna, conceiving Lana's iconic cover, channeling the Warholian spirit), and much more.*
*This episode was recorded before the tragic California wildfiresâ our hearts go out to everyone affected! Find ways you can help locally or from afar at the links below:
Friends of Forever â LA Fire Support & Resources
Mutual Aid LA Network Fire & Wind Storm Resources
Resource Masterlist from InterviewLinks:
Interview magazine
Mel Ottenberg on Instagram
Ralph Lauren Recieves the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively exposé in the New York Times
Luigi Mangione's courtroom fashion in WWD
Haliey Welch shot by Alyssa Kazew for Interview
Rihanna for Esquire UK, 2014
Sway House shot by Eli Russell Linnetz for Interview
Joan Rivers interviewed by Mel for Interview in 2010Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience. Learn more about Croissant on their website!
Listen to exclusive episodes here <3 -
In our last episode of the year, we're joined by superstar musician Harrison Patrick Smith, aka The Dare, to discuss his stylistic evolution and fashion predictions for 2025. As he ties up the album cycle for his hit LP What's Wrong with New York?, we revisit his male art hoe days as Turtlenecked, ponder his notorious black-and-white suit, and anticipate the necklines, color schemes, and pants widths that will define his next era. Harrison tells us about eating kangaroo, his genealogical tree, living in an Industrial Business Zone, the paradise/warzone of his DMs, all things electroclash, bloghouse, and indie sleaze, and more.
Links:
The DareSpecial thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.
Learn more about Croissant on their website!
Listen to exclusive episodes here <3
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Full episode available on Patreon <3
In this week's episode, we journey into a World of Pure Imagination to discuss fantasy, fairytales, and the endless revisitation of children's media. We investigate the historical influences of the fantasy genre, from classic feudalism to Victorian industrialization, and unpack common motifs from talking animals to hopecore orphans. We also discuss the turn to live-action realistic fairytales, the consequences of this aesthetic and conceptual darkening, the effects of AI on the storytelling and creativity, and more.
Links:
Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes by John Cotton (1656)
The Golden Age of Children's Literature â The Literary Encyclopedia
The AarneâThompsonâUther Index of Folktale Types
Under the Influence: Anna Biller on Donkey Skin â Criterion
"Chapter 31: Fairy Tales" from All Things Considered by G. K. Chesterton
"Out of Kansas: Revisiting the Wizard of Oz" by Salman Rushdie for The New Yorker
How Wicked Built Immersive Real-Life Sets, From Shiz To Emerald City â Architectural Digest
Willy's Chocolate Experience (Glasgow, Scotland Scam Willy Wonka Event) Script
Pinnochio: A True Story (2022) Trailer -
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the rise of celebrity lookalike contests, YSL's Proustian fantasy films, recent literary scoop on Cormac McCarthy, the extension of Brat into the deep dark winter, and all things Wicked from the uncanny Hollyweird sapphism of its press tour to the inescapability of its garish color scheme in consumer products.
Links:
Saint Laurent â AS TIME GOES BY
Marc Jacobs reading selfies
Emma Chamberlain for Warby Parker
Celebrity lookalike contests in CNN
"Aquarius" from Hair (movie adaptation)
Wicked costume design breakdown â InStyle
Gwyneth Paltrow wins Best Actress â 1999 Oscars
Mr. Golightly's "Who Sang It Best" YouTube playlist
"Cormac McCarthyâs Secret Muse Breaks Her Silence After Half a Century" by Vincenzo Barney â Vanity Fair
Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik â Interview
Charli xcx Opening Monologue â Saturday Night Live
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson post-fight speech
Miley Cyrus on her upcoming album Something Beautiful â Harper's Bazaar -
In this week's episode, we are honored to talk with dancer Lexee Smith, one of the most captivating and quietly influential figures in contemporary pop culture. Fresh off the heels of her crazy month of newly released projects, including Addison Rae's "Aquamarine" and Lady Gaga's "Disease," Lexee joins us to discuss her approach to dance, performance, and style. We talk about showgirls, video vixens, Clarice Lispector, Dance Moms, Parisian elegance, unhinged warmups, the Age of Aquarius, insane asylums, and much more.
Special thanks to Death to Stock! Use code "Nymphet" to get 20% off your first 12 months. Visit Death to Stock here!
Links:
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@lexeesmith on Instagram
Damiano David â Born With a Broken Heart (Music Video)
"You Were Meant for Me" from Singing in the Rain
Lady Gaga â Disease (Music Video)
Addison Rae â Aquamarine (Music Video)
Addison Rae â Aquamarine (Behind the Scenes)
"The American Modern Dancer: LoĂŻe Fuller and Isadora Duncan"
Martha Graham â Lamentation (1943)
All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse by Martin Gottfried
A Look at Halstonâs Historic Costumes for Martha Graham Dance Company â Vogue
My Boyfriend's Back â Molly Long Choreography
Massive Attack, Young Fathers â Voodoo in My Blood (Music Video) -
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the double-release of Addison Raeâs âAquamarineâ and Lady Gagaâs âDisease,â Lexee Smith as Hollywoodâs body double Rasputin, the âDirty Cashâ effect, the pros and cons of Gay Halloween, the triumph of the Dodgers, Slavic Dolls versus Brazilian Bombshells, and more.
Full episode available here <3
Links:
Lady Gaga - Disease (Official Music Video)
Addison Rae - Aquamarine (Official Music Video)
Dirty Cash (Money Talks) videos on TikTok
Shawn Mendes opens up about his sexuality, in a way
Shawn Mendes Interview feature
ian - Sh*t Sad (Feat. Chief Keef) (Official Music Video)
Barack Obama on DeepCut with VicBlends
Slavic Dolls vs. Brazilian Bombshells videos on TikTok
Saturday Night Live TikTok skit
Young Posse (ìíìš) - Ate That (Official Music Video)
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In this Halloween centennial special, we have the sublime honor of being joined by one of our all-time heroes Valerie Steele, fashion studies trailblazer and director of the Museum at FIT, to discuss all things Gothic, inspired by her seminal book Gothic: Dark Glamour. We explore the aestheticâs medieval origins and trace its cultural evolution through literature, art, and architecture all the way to the rise of the Goth subculture in the 1970s and beyond, covering Victorian dandies, sexy vampires, McQueen skull scarves, Japanese couturiers, and more.
Thanks so much to Valerie for joining us!
Links:
Image boardThe Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Gothic: Dark Glamour by Valerie Steele and Jennifer Park
Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at MFIT on Google Arts & Culture
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu
Goth Talk: Christina Ricci - Saturday Night Live
âVery Mad, Very Maudlin, Very Macabre: Itâs Showtime for the Goth Revivalâ by Tish Weinstock for Vogue
How to Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style by Tish Weinstock
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In this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable Emma Glenn Baker, NYC personal trainer and host of the podcast STARGIRL, to discuss all things body and the cultural status of fitness as it relates to body, brand, and spirit. We discuss activewear power players from Gymshark to Lululemon to Skims, the rise of the erotic fitness-inspired editorials, the sublime embodiment of Gen Z sweethearts Livvy Dunne and Addison Rae, the spiritual consequences of a life lived in stretchy clothes, and more.
Listen to STARGIRL, join the Patreon, and follow Emma on IG!
Links:
âAthleisure, barre, and kale: the tyranny of the ideal womanâ by Jia Tolentino in The Guardian
Toxic gym motivation trend on TikTok
âMake Yourself a Giftâ by Emma Glenn Baker in Real Life
Equinox âWant It Allâ ad campaign
The Official Gymshark Story
âMuscleboundâ in A Dedicated Follower of Fashion by Holly Brubach
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In this week's episode, we define the Pastel Protestant Grandmother aesthetic, a cozy visual universe recognizable to anyone belonging to the American Middle Class, or anyone who's ever been to an antique store in America. We discuss the hypnotic sedation of low-definition media, nostalgia-based commodities from Precious Moments figurines to dusty dollhouses, anti-intellectualism and sentimentality in American culture, the social history of craft, Christian kitsch and camp, the dark side of elderly matriarchs, and more.
Links
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Pastel Protestant Grandma â Our Official Playlist!
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life â Richard Hofstadter
Red Hat Society
âThe Forgotten Everyday Origins of âCraftââ â Sarah Archer
CrĂŠft: An Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts â Alexander Langlands
Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America â Steven M. Gelber
âDo Protestants Have a âLowâ Aesthetic?â â Front Porch Republic
âA Defense of Christian Kitschâ â Paul Griffiths
Gaither Music on TikTok
Listen to exclusive episodes here <3
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss Mel Ottenberg's new denim line and its adjacent clean boy creepshot visuals, the two-pronged cultural force of the Sweat/Short 'n' Sweet tours, our prediction for Disney adult chic following Coperni's S/S '25 show, Lady Gaga's disastrous Harlequin styling and Ryan Murphy's indelible impact, Dark Brainrot and weirdcore developments, recent cinematic triumphs including Megalopolis and The Substance, and more.
Links:
Club Mel â Mel by RE/DONE
TikTok King Bach Buquen is Hot, Viral, and French â Interview
Sabrina Carpenter's Short 'n' Sweet Tour â Rolling Stone
Gracie ABramS
Coperni Spring/Summer 2025 at Disneyland Paris
Coperni Vinted Disney merch controversy
Chloé Spring/Summer 2025
Joker Folie Ă Deux x Louvre â Lady Gaga, Mona Lisa
Francis Ford Coppola explains the origin behind "Wow Platinum"
Aubrey Plaza vs. Patti Lupone â Hot Ones Versus
Smartschoolboy9 â An Internet Rabbit Hole
Mr. Prada Murder Trial
At New York Fashion Week, Designers Search for America â AnOtherHurricane Helene Relief Efforts:
North Carolina Disaster Relief FundOne SC FundUNC Asheville Disaster Relief -
Full episode available here <3
In this week's episode, we ascend the great champagne tower of history and proclaim the existence of Continental Luxury, an evocative aspirational aesthetic that has bewitched the palates of tastemakers across generations. We discuss the history of luxury hotels, the evolution of the boutique hospitality industry, Old World cuisine and interiors as status symbols, and we summon a cast of characters including Anthony Bourdain, Nancy Drew, and Keith McNally to unpack the oyster-laden, gold-trimmed, cherry-garnished lifestyle of our collective dreams.
Links:
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Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr
"Towards a Political Geography of Hotels" by Ruth Craggs
"A Legend as Big as the Ritz" â Vanity Fair
CeÌsar Ritz: Life and Work by Chastonay, Adalbert
The History of Tourism: Structures on the Path to Modernity â Institute of European History
The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class by Dean MacCannell
âThe Social and Material Life of Colonial Hotels" by Maurizio Peleggio
Hotel: An American History by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz
Home on the Rails: Women, the Railroad, and the Rise of Public Domesticity by Amy G. Richter
The romantic journey; the story of Thomas Cook and Victorian travel
Travel influencer rice farm controversy in The Daily Mail
"The World's Revolt Against 'Bad Tourists'" â BBC -
In this episode, we investigate the cultural landscape of the 1990s with the help of a most legendary guest: NYT pop music critic and Popcast host Jon Caramanica. We discuss slackerism and authenticity discourse, the rise of alternative and independent media, the intricacies of subcultural style, the twin flames of rock and hip-hop, the surprising parallels between Gen X and Gen Z, white rappers, child rappers, Tommy Hilfiger grails, and much more.
Links:
Listen to Popcast
Jon on Instagram
Lady Gaga on the Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW, 2014
How SoundScan Changed Music Charts â Billboard
Pop Music's Middle Class by Shaad D'Souza â New York Times
Ice Spice vs. Cleopatra Drama Explained â Rolling Stone - Laat meer zien
