Are psychedelics the next big thing? Psychedelics include the drugs LSD, magic mushrooms, peyote, and often ketamine and MDMA too, among others. And some of these drugs have a history of spiritual practice spanning millennia. Then many of these drugs became synonymous with hippies and 60s and 70s counterculture. But now, psychedelics have new cheerleaders: tech bros and CEOs. So why the rebrand? To get into it all, Brittany is joined by Maxim Tvorun-Dunn , PhD candidate at the University of Toky...
May 20, 2026•19 min
Defectors from the ‘New Right’ say that sexism is a feature, not a bug of modern-day conservatism. New York Magazine’s Sam Adler-Bell published The Young Women Leaving the New Right , detailing the experiences of conservative women who say that rampant misogyny within the space is pushing them out of a community they helped build. From demanding that women stay home and out of public life to advocating for the repeal of civil rights law - some conservative women have reached their limit. But hos...
May 19, 2026•33 min
Are you a “high agency” person? The tech world has been buzzing about the benefits of being a “high agency” person: someone who doesn’t wait for permission to pursue their own agendas. And that idea has been trickling out into the wider culture - for instance, posts that say things like “you can just do things,” or “when you remember you have free will.” High agency's wider appeal speaks to some of our biggest anxieties and existential questions, like: do we have control over our lives? And what...
May 18, 2026•21 min
How does it feel to be called hostile? What about barren? Inhospitable? Geriatric? These are all words women over the age of 35 have heard in doctor's offices for decades to describe their reproductive health as they explore options for childbirth. The terminology has been changing, but for some, not quickly enough. When the culture is pushing for more humane ways to talk about women's bodies, how long will it take modern medicine to catch up? Brittany talks with Rachel E. Gross , author of Vagi...
May 15, 2026•21 min
Is social media giving you analysis paralysis? You’re not alone. In his new book, ‘ Minor Black Figures ,’ novelist Brandon Taylor explores this vicious cycle and what it does to our self-worth. His characters are artists hyperaware of how social media can make or break their careers - and how it affects the art they make too. In this episode, Brandon joins Brittany to talk through what it means to make art in a world of critics - online and off - and the beauty of giving yourself grace. This ep...
May 13, 2026•19 min
Political podcasting is said to be a men's game (and predominantly conservative). But two women stood up and said "I've had it!" Now they are revolutionizing political commentary in America. The hosts of the ‘ I’ve Had It’ podcast : Jennifer Welch, a lifelong atheist, and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, a former evangelical conservative, started their podcast to air petty grievances. But, as American politics got heated so did their podcast. Wine jokes became unfiltered takedowns of both Democrats and R...
May 12, 2026•38 min
Can AI really do everything by itself? AI has impressed a lot of people with its output. But even though it’s sold as an autonomous, inhuman tool, there’s a lot of human work that goes into it. While that work does happen in the US, many AI laborers also live overseas – and get paid less to do it. Everything that goes into making AI function – from the data it feeds on to the labor that trains it – smacks of colonialism, according to some scholars and researchers. This has led to the emergence o...
May 11, 2026•28 min
The Kennedys are the first family that comes to mind when Americans consider homegrown, pseudo-royal dynasties. From Joe to John and Jackie, they have been elevated to a mythical cultural status. But is it possible that they share more in common with another prominent American family, the Kardashians? Today, Brittany is joined by MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto , to find out how these two American 'royal' families share a cultural Krown. Want more about ...
May 08, 2026•23 min
Many millennials either are already in their 40s or are staring them down. Are they having a midlife crisis? As this generation enters midlife, their lives look really different from their parents' lives: Millennials are more educated and have a higher median net worth , but the generation is also more unequal than previous generations, has higher debt and has lower rates of homeownership and marriage . How does that all shape what millennial midlife crises are starting to look like? Brittany fi...
May 06, 2026•17 min
The MET Gala 2026 was eclipsed by its own sponsors, making the event feel out of touch and out of fashion. Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into qu...
May 05, 2026•28 min
The MET Gala 2026 is already off to a controversial start, and no one has even shown up yet. That's because Anna Wintour has been buddying up with a certain billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The couple are the lead sponsors of this year's gala. To be clear, the wealthiest people have always been involved with fashion's biggest night, but this year some folks feels its more in the spotlight - at a time when many Americans feel like life is getting more and more unafford...
May 04, 2026•18 min
The Jackson family and estate have joined forces to give us another biopic of Michael Jackson's life. Michael doesn't tell us anything new about the King of Pop, but it has had the biggest opening weekend of a music biopic ever. From Whitney Houston to Freddie Mercury, why do these posthumous biopics always seem to fall flat, and what do decades of Jackson family drama say about how we reckon with the complicated figures in pop culture and our own lives? Brittany talks with Aisha Harris, critic ...
May 01, 2026•26 min
The slur disappeared but is once again popular to use on and offline. What's up with that? Over the past few years, the R-word — a term for disabled people that otherwise left the cultural lexicon — has been popping up more and more. It is the rare slur that goes out of vogue and makes a resurgence, particularly among young men. Its return may also have larger implications that affect policy, culture and how we treat each other. Disability advocate Imani Barbarin joins the show to break down how...
Apr 29, 2026•13 min
Is the American fashion industry making a conservative turn? Despite her modeling past, fashion-obsessed First Lady Melania Trump has not graced the cover of Vogue during President Trump’s tenure. And that’s not necessarily surprising– Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of American Vogue, is a longtime advocate for the Democrats. But there’s definitely been a shift. That’s why it’s been so curious to see Trump associate Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the digital cover of Vogue . And it was def...
Apr 28, 2026•44 min
Is polyamory about more than just how many partners you have? According to a YouGov survey from 2023, on a scale of zero being completely monogamous and six being completely non-monogamous, one third of Americans put their answer somewhere above zero. And there are a lot of different types of non-monogamy, but one of those types – polyamory – has been in the discourse as of late. The polyamory that writer Lindy West describes in her new book, Adult Braces , has spawned a thousand takes: her path...
Apr 27, 2026•24 min
Do you feel poor every time you turn on Bravo television? You're not alone - the beautiful homes of the rich and famous showcased on reality TV shows from Keeping Up with the Kardashians to the Real Housewives of Atlanta are meant to be something of a fantasy for audiences everywhere. But what are the housing realities behind the glitz and glamour? And how are your favorite reality TV stars shaping your own ideas of home and stability? To find out, Brittany is joined by Jack Balderrama Morley, a...
Apr 24, 2026•21 min
Are men ashamed of their porn habits? The majority of men consume porn, and most use it for masturbation, but two thirds of men under 25 think porn should be harder to access, according to research from the Survey Center on American Life. There's a broader discussion now among some men about the role of porn and masturbation in their lives – and manosphere figures like Andrew Tate and Hamza Ahmed are urging their listeners to stop watching it. Some men are cutting it out entirely: they congregat...
Apr 22, 2026•27 min
The internet was built off women's labor. Will it ever pay them back? From the creation of Google Images to the overlooked - or criminalized - digital labor of sex workers, the internet has been built on the intellect, image, and likeness of women. So where does that leave us in a rapidly changing digital environment where algorithms, AI, and even beauty filters distort our reality? To answer these questions, Brittany is joined by artist and UCLA professor Mindy Seu . Her books, Cyberfeminism In...
Apr 21, 2026•44 min
Pilates is great. Why are people being weird about it? Pilates is an exercise that has been around for a long time – around a hundred years – but it’s just now coming into vogue in a big way. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association report from 2025, Pilates is the fastest growing form of individual exercise in the United States: participation jumped by nearly 40% since 2019. And it’s gotten pretty big on social media. But there's something interesting happening with that social ...
Apr 20, 2026•25 min
Across the country, Evangelicals are facing a moral dilemma -- is supporting government actions in line with their religious beliefs? The answer shows a rift in Evangelical communities, as government officials like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth use scripture to justify war and deportation. To parse through these questions of God and country, Brittany is joined by NPR Religion correspondent Jason DeRose , and Reverend Dr. Gabriel Salguero , president and ...
Apr 17, 2026•24 min
When you can bet on anything, everything changes. Unlike sports betting, prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi give users the freedom to bet on anything that comes to mind. Will Lady Gaga sing at the Super Bowl? What words will Trump say in his next speech? Or worse… the assassination of a world leader. Those bets - which are illegal - is what has prediction markets in hot water and lawmakers hustling to put guardrails on the industry. It’s also what today’s guest predicted in our 2026 p...
Apr 15, 2026•21 min
What makes someone a star nowadays? And why does every generation of humans crave to celebrate them? For decades, Hollywood has promoted a carefully curated ideal of aspirational talent, beauty, and intrigue. But in 2026, it feels like that power is in the hands of the one thing that alleges to know us best: the algorithm. Now computer programs hold more power in shaping who is famous and what we all are fed as aspirational ideals: from who is a star to what our bodies should look like. Enter th...
Apr 14, 2026•39 min
Is AI in the workplace lightening your load...or frying your brain? Researchers at Boston Consulting Group and the University of California, Riverside coined the term " AI brain fry " to describe “mental fatigue that results from excessive use of, interaction with, and/or oversight of AI tools beyond one's cognitive capacity.” In other words, doing too much with A.I. There's something kind of comically tragic about the idea that these tools that were meant to lighten our loads seem to be doing t...
Apr 13, 2026•22 min
With everything going on in the world, it makes sense that some of us want to check out. But at what cost? In this episode, host Brittany Luse is dissecting our current obsession with numbing ourselves to the moment and tuning out. This so-called “numb girl” attitude and aesthetic is defined by detachment, irony, and a world weary cynicism. Think the "Gen Z pout," "expressionless Botox chic,” a deadpan voice, or selfies with a vacant gaze. Of course, It appears effortless and nonchalant, but it’...
Apr 10, 2026•26 min
Have you seen ADHD content pop up in your feeds? Are you getting a lot of it ? In the past few years, there's been a surge in the number of adults diagnosed with ADHD, and at the same time more and more people online are going viral with "signs" that you might have it too. Whether with our doctors or friends, we're all talking a lot more about adult ADHD. Is this a perfect storm of online content leading to more diagnoses? Or is there more to the story? Brittany is joined by culture journalist K...
Apr 08, 2026•18 min
After dominating television screens for decades, has reality TV gone into decline? Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Taylor Frankie Paul has been a controversial figure for some time now, but the latest allegations surrounding the star - and the subsequent cancellation of her season of The Bachelorette - have caused viewers to ask: how far is too far for reality TV? With ratings on the decline and networks desperate to keep audiences coming back, reality TV has taken some drastic turns to...
Apr 07, 2026•36 min
Do you and your loved ones see eye-to-eye... about AI? There’s been a lot of discourse about age gaps and wage gaps – but there’s a new kind of gap rocking relationships: AI gaps. For example, when a couple isn't on the same page about when and how to use it, or even how AI becomes an unwelcome third wheel in a relationship. And this is big for some couples – but this also can be an issue in some friendships and family dynamics, too. So what does AI usage say about what people value? And are con...
Apr 06, 2026•24 min
We have officially wrapped Quarter 1 of 2026. That means it's time to gather the pop culture C-suite and take stock of the best and worst of culture this year...so far. Host Brittany Luse is your Pop Culture CEO, and she's joined by esteemed members of the C-suite, Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson , co-hosts of the Eating for Free podcast, to recap the last three months in an official Pop Culture Quarterly Review. What have been the major cultural achievements and setbacks so far this year? And i...
Apr 03, 2026•25 min
Does 2026 belong to "Wasians?" Actor Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) and Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu recently became household names very quickly. And people are talking about the rising stars beyond just their talents: they’re talking about Liu’s and Williams’ race. Both are half-Asian, half-white, also known as “Wasian” – and some have dubbed this past season “Wasian winter.” But why are Wasians a topic of conversation now, and what does this discussion say about how attitudes around some...
Apr 01, 2026•28 min
Sorry but...the "Girl Math" is not adding up. And by "Girl Math" we mean the class fantasies of young women; the dream of achieving financial freedom by being frivolous with finances (because 'I'm just a girl!')... and rely entirely on their husband or partner (with no backup plan!). You see these fantasies peddled in romance novels, divorce memoirs, and, of course, tradwife content. According to Chelsea Fagan , author and CEO of The Financial Diet , these are all part of our culture's obsession...
Mar 31, 2026•37 min
