Under the Influence with Jo Piazza - podcast cover

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

Jo Piazzawww.iheart.com
Under the Influence is a deep dive into social media, a place haunted by aspirational marketing where it feels like every other person is a social media influencer trying to sell you something, all while posed in perfect houses that never seem to get messy. And behind this airbrushed perfection is money, so much money. Billions and billions of dollars. Journalist and mom Jo Piazza looks at how we got here, what it all means and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone (but mostly women and mothers) a little insane.
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Episodes

All Your Perimenopause Questions Answered with Dr. Kim Einhorn

If you’ve said the word perimenopause anywhere near your phone lately, you’re probably being served a firehose of hormone hackers, estrogen patch evangelists, and protein-powder miracle cures. I hate most of these influencers and their content. But I also love that we’re finally talking about what’s happening to our bodies. In this episode, I talk to OB-GYN Dr. Kim Einhorn founder of The Menopause Collective about all the stuff we were never taught in health class: murder-scene periods, 3 a.m. n...

Jul 24, 202548 min

The Italian Lady Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis

Today, we're diving into the untold history of four women who risked everything to fight fascism in WWII Italy. Author Suzanne Cope joins Jo to talk about her new book Women of War , which profiles badass resistance fighters who smuggled weapons, organized underground strikes, and wrote radical newspapers while the men were often hiding in the hills. These women didn't wait for permission to lead—they just did it. Jo and Suzanne explore what made them so effective, why history has buried their s...

Jul 22, 202543 min

Sunday Nice Things: Unladylike

Unladylike is an absolute delight. Host Cristen Conger dissects the myths, messes, and media shaping modern womanhood—and un-womanhood. From bisexual imposter syndrome to tall girl therapy, gun culture to birth control backlash, she gets into it all—backed by deep research, sharp interviews, and just enough unseriousness to demystify the uncanny valley of 21st-century patriarchy without doomspiraling. I'm actually on this episode talking tradwives, but if you want to binge something else check o...

Jul 20, 202549 min

Content Creation Is a Business. Grace Atwood Treats It Like One.

There are very few influencers who can actually influence me these days, but Grace Atwood is one of them. And that's because I trust her. The business of influencing has changed a lot and Grace has been navigating those changes for 15 years. From Blogspot to Substack, affiliate links to brand deals, she’s built a full-fledged media brand by being transparent, trustworthy and having impeccable taste. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of content creation, the emotional labor of staying ...

Jul 15, 202547 min

Sunday Nice Things: The Messy Parts with Katie Sturino

While social media feeds overflow with‬‭ polished success stories, a new‬ ‭ podcast is asking: what if the biggest career breakthroughs come from the moments we’re least‬‭ likely to share? The Messy Parts cuts through the highlight reel to explore‬‭ the raw, unfiltered reality behind achievement.‬ Host Maryam Banikarim, a powerhouse executive with 20+ years in the C-Suite at Nextdoor,‬‭ Hyatt, NBC Universal, and Univision, created the show after growing tired of the facade. “I’ve‬ ‭been 'success...

Jul 13, 202550 min

The Smart Woman’s Guide to Escaping Into Reality TV With Kate Casey

Reality television isn’t just escapism—it’s a sociological goldmine. In this episode, Reality Life host Kate Casey breaks down why the smartest people she knows are watching Love Undercover , Jury Duty , and The Keepers . Plus: the archetype of the aspiring influencer, what Mariska Hargitay’s new doc reveals about legacy and loss, and how Jeff Bezos turned his wedding into an extravagant PR stunt. This is your sharp, funny, wildly satisfying guide to what to watch when the world feels like a dum...

Jul 10, 202546 min

Friend Breakups Will Stick With You Forever

We don’t have rituals for breaking up with friends. Romantic breakups come with scripts—we know how to mourn them, process them, even joke about them. But when a friendship falls apart, we’re left in a strange cultural vacuum. I still think about the women I’ve lost as friends more than the men I’ve dated. I still stop myself from texting them, still wonder if they think about me, still carry the unresolved ache of the loss. Their absence haunts me in a way that lovers never have. Why is this? W...

Jul 08, 202540 min

Sunday Nice Things: Mental Health Rewritten

Mental Health Rewritten , is a recently released nonfiction narrative podcast tackling stigma in mental health head on. Host Dominic Lawson and his guests are challenging narratives around sex, suicide, and cultural identity. Here's the first episode, which covers sex addiction and porn. Listen to Mental Health Rewritten here . Join our newsletter community here . Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here . Visit our lovely sponsors here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

Jul 06, 20251 hr 4 min

Out of F*cks to Give with Carla Sosenko

Carla Sosenko grew up with a rare vascular disorder, a body that didn’t conform and a deep love of fashion that helped her feel seen. In this intimate conversation, the author of the new memoir I'll Look So Good in a Coffin opens up about navigating shame, self-worth, and beauty standards in a culture obsessed with thinness. We talk about what it means to dress a body that defies expectations, how weight-loss drugs like semaglutide shift our internal narratives, and why turning forty might just ...

Jul 03, 202546 min

She Turned Geology Into a Content Goldmine

There’s an influencer for everything—including the intersection of geology, volcanology, academia, and queer joy. This week, we are chatting with Denali (@dykanite), a PhD student and science communicator with nearly 300k Instagram followers whose viral posts make earth science funny, fierce, and deeply human. They dig into how a geology joke launched an entire platform, why science isn’t neutral, and what it means to be an openly queer researcher in a field still catching up to the moment. It’s...

Jul 01, 202555 min

Sunday Nice Things: Fierce

Many years ago I made a podcast about the bad ass women left out of too many history books. Today I am dropping Fierce in your feed. This episode is about Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress. Years before the United States ratified the 19th amendment, a woman from Montana had already infiltrated Capitol Hill. Jeannette Rankin rose through the ranks of the women’s suffrage movement, bringing an electric energy to every town she visited. Her activism earned her a place on the bal...

Jun 29, 202549 min

All of Our Thoughts on Poop Cruise with Nick Aster

The number one show on Netflix right now is Poop Cruise. What happens when a Carnival cruise ship loses power in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and thousands of passengers are left with no food, no working toilets, and no way out? You get a poop cruise. In this special episode we break down the gloriously grotesque Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, a surprisingly funny, bizarrely moving, and fully revolting story of what happens when modern luxury hits the fan. We talk poop bags, cr...

Jun 28, 202524 min

Real Talk on Weight Loss Drugs

We get real about weight loss drugs in this episode—no shame, no BS. Journalist Kara Baskin joins me to talk side effects, societal judgment, and the weird, wonderful, often infuriating experience of being a woman in a changing body. This isn’t about chasing skinny. It’s about reclaiming comfort, confidence, and control in a culture that tells us we can’t win either way. Read Kara's work here . Join our newsletter community here . Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here . Visit our lovely sponso...

Jun 26, 202549 min

It’s Giving Junior Varsity Tradwife: The Viral Pipeline Grooming Gen Z Girls

This week, we're talking to journalist EJ Dickson of The Cut about what really happens at Turning Point USA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit, where thousands of Gen Z girls gather to hear influencers tell them the future is feminine, submissive, and off the grid. But here’s the twist: it doesn’t look extreme. It looks aspirational. It looks like a lifestyle brand. We break down how the conservative movement is packaging traditional gender roles as empowerment, why this message is resonating wit...

Jun 23, 202546 min

Sunday Nice Things: (RE) Committed

Today I am dropping an episode of my new mini-series (Re) Committed here. (Re) Committed dives into stories of love lost and found again when people least expect it. This series was inspired by Christine Pride's new novel, All the Men I've Loved Again , which is based on her own second chance romance when she fell in love with the same two men in her twenties and again in her forties. Today we hear Christine's story of how she fell for her college boyfriend and then a handsome young TV producer ...

Jun 22, 202542 min

The PBS Kids Crisis: It’s Not Just About Sesame Street

What happens when the U.S. government slashes one-third of PBS Kids' funding? Shows get canceled. Summer camps disappear. The most vulnerable kids lose access to free, educational media. Today we're talking with Sara DeWitt of PBS Kids about what Trump's recent cut what that means for shows like Daniel Tiger and Molly of Denali , and why public media is still one of the most powerful tools we have to reach and teach all children—especially the ones algorithms forget. Visit Protect My Public Medi...

Jun 19, 202540 min

The Quiet Influence and Power of Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton might be the last thing Americans agree on. In this episode, we talk to ⁠Will Bonfiglio⁠ , the WashU lecturer behind a wildly popular college course on Dolly, about how the country icon became a cultural unifier across politics, class, gender, and generations. From Dollywood to “9 to 5” to her million-dollar vaccine donation, this is a conversation about kindness, capitalism, and why Dolly Parton is an uber influencer in the best possible way. ⁠Join our newsletter community here⁠ . ...

Jun 17, 202551 min

Sunday Nice Things: That Aged Well

There are too many movie podcasts. That’s why I only bring you the ones that are actually worth your time. That Aged Well is one of them. Hosts Paul and Erika are pop culture savants who rewatch the movies we all thought were perfect and lovingly tear them apart. They ask the real questions, like: “How guilty should I feel for still loving this?” Start with their Father of the Bride episode because it’s perfect. Binge That Aged Well Here . Join our newsletter community here . Pre-order EVERYONE ...

Jun 15, 20252 hr 7 min

Father’s Day Shouldn’t Be a Hallmark Holiday—It Should Be a Reckoning

What if dads stopped “helping” and just…parented? Today I am talking about flipping the script of the patriarchy with @Tidy Dad (Tyler Moore). We talk paid leave, emotional vulnerability, and why men need to start showing up in the ways that matter most. Get Tyler's book Tidy Up Your Life here . Subscribe to Tyler's Substack here . Join our newsletter community here . Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here . Visit our lovely sponsors here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

Jun 12, 202555 min

How to Get Published: A Literary Agent Tells All

You’ve got a book idea—but how do you go from blank page to published author? Literary agent and author Kate McKean of the Agents & Books substack joins us to demystify the publishing process from query letters to advances, platforms, rejection, and all the weird feelings in between. This is the real talk every aspiring writer needs. What does a literary agent really do—and how do you find one? How do you write a query letter that actually gets noticed? Do you really need a social media plat...

Jun 10, 202552 min

Sunday Nice Things: Glamorous Trash

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2 Analysis (with Jo Piazza) Chelsea is joined by author and podcaster Jo Piazza for a Season 2 analysis of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” They break down what made this season so hauntingly wonderful, from the plastic surgery Utah waves alchemy to Taylor's mom getting her 15 minutes of fame in her new AI bot form, to breaking down what each wife brought to season 2, to quote Demi, put your earbuds in and "LOOK ME IN THE EYES, YOU NARCISSIST" Binge Glamoro...

Jun 08, 20251 hr 14 min

Welcome to the Cult of Skinny with EJ Dickson

Influencers are selling women starvation and calling it empowerment. Today we talk to Cut reporter EJ Dickson about her viral investigation into SkinnyTok and the Skinni Société, a subscriber-only Instagram group where thousands of young women are encouraged to obsess over calories, steps, and how to be the “skinniest girl at graduation.” Together, we unpack how social media platforms allow this to flourish, why these communities feel like cults, and how the language of feminism is being co-opte...

Jun 05, 202547 min

MAGA Makeovers and the Death of Individuality

Close your eyes. Picture a woman with lashes so long they could reach across the aisle. Lips plump enough to bounce a quarter off. Matte foundation, pageant curls, a bold lip, and a jawline that could cut glass. Now ask yourself: Is she a Real Housewife or a member of the Trump administration? This week, we’re digging into MAGA Beauty —the algorithm-fueled, hyper-feminized aesthetic dominating the right-wing political sphere. From bulletproof vests and barrel curls to a full-face glam that's bec...

Jun 03, 202540 min

Sunday Nice Things: The Secret Lives of Debt Heads

Today I’m dropping a brand new, really unique podcast into your feed and it's all about money. “Debt Heads” is a very funny, surprisingly cathartic, extremely relatable investigation into the American economy from two people in debt. In the pilot episode we meet our two co-hosts, Jamie & Rachel, who dig into the reasons why so many people find money so hard to discuss, why we think we’re happier when we keep our secrets hidden, and how powerful it can be to come clean. After Jamie fesses up ...

Jun 01, 202545 min

Motherhood Has Been Hacked With Amanda Hess

What if the thing you bought to keep your baby safe was actually preparing them for a lifetime of being watched? This week we sit down with New York Times critic and author Amanda Hess to talk about the dark underbelly of parenting tech. From the SNOO to the Owlet sock to that creepy CGI fetus in your pregnancy app, we unpack how modern devices promise safety while quietly feeding our data, and our kids’ data, to the algorithm gods. Amanda’s new book Second Life traces how technology has crept i...

May 29, 202554 min

An Influencer's Child Died and the Internet Came For Her

When a tragedy happens to a mother online, does it still belong to her—or does it belong to all of us? After beloved TikTok mom influencer Emily Kaiser’s 3-year-old son tragically drowned, the internet didn’t wait for confirmation. Strangers started playing detective, matching Zillow screenshots to TikToks, scouring Arizona death records, and demanding answers before her family had time to grieve. This week, journalist Fortesa Latifi—who’s been doing some of the sharpest reporting on influencer ...

May 27, 202529 min

Sunday Nice Things: On Drugs, from Other People’s Problems

Sharing something special with you this week, it’s an episode of Other People’s Problems, from CBC. Normally, therapy sessions are totally confidential — but this podcast opens the doors. On this season, the host Dr. Hillary McBride explores the transformative power of psychedelics in a therapeutic setting. With her psychological expertise, Dr. Hillary leads clients through drug-assisted therapy, guiding them to new heights on their healing journeys. You’ll experience these real, unscripted sess...

May 25, 202542 min

Is Motherhood Hard Everywhere, or Just in America?

Is it possible to raise a child without losing yourself— if you live in a country that actually supports parents? In this episode, we sit down with journalist and author Abigail Leonard to talk about her powerful new book Four Mothers , a narrative that follows four women across four countries through the highs and heartbreaks of their first year of motherhood. From Finland’s robust family leave to Japan’s intense cultural expectations, from a grieving new mom in Kenya to an American mother who ...

May 22, 202538 min

Is Your Kid an Asshole or Just a Kid? With Melinda Wenner Moyer

Ever feel like gentle parenting only works for gentle children—and yours were born throwing punches? Same. That’s why this week, I sat down with science journalist and parenting sanity-saver ⁠ Melinda Wenner Moyer ⁠ , author of ⁠ How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes ⁠ and the new book ⁠ Hello, Cruel World: How to Parent with Hope in an Era of Anxiety and Doom ⁠ . We’re diving deep into the hard stuff: screen time panic, why discipline doesn’t mean dictatorship, and how to build actual resilienc...

May 20, 202553 min

Sunday Nice Things: How to Write a Good Book with Andi Bartz

What do writing a thriller, running a marathon, and raising small humans have in common? At some point, you’re convinced you’re doing it all wrong. This week on Sunday Nice Things I down with bestselling author Andrea Bartz ( The Last Ferry Out ) to talk about the messy middle of any creative process—when everything feels like garbage and your brain is screaming “just quit.” If you've ever felt stuck in the middle of something hard—writing a book, parenting, being a human in the world—this episo...

May 18, 202534 min
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