Culture Study Podcast

This episode is so chaotic! (Also very fun, very interesting, and obviously very smart.) All of our best laid plans for how it would go went straight out the window — that's what happens when you talk to two of the smartest, most introspective personalities in podcasting right now. We talk about NPR Voice (and how it's continuing to change), ticks of rural speech, what people actually mean when they say 'I didn't know you were Black' or 'I didn't know you were gay,' and so much more. This episode is a real just trust me — I hope you laugh as much as we did.

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:
If you’re looking to make a small change in your routine, you can get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTURE.
Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 70% off your first box!
Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD.
NOBL gives you real travel peace of mind — security, design, and convenience all in one. Head to NOBLTravel.com for 46% off your entire order!
Show Notes:
Go listen to Engagement Party!
Follow Audie on Instagram here and Ari on Instagram here
The conversation with Kara Swisher on 'ditching the NPR personalities' that made me want to do this episode is excerpted here
We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION — no one knows wtf to do these days. Why are emails SO BAD? Why are people texting your personal phone? What are we even doing with Slack/Teams right now? Let's work through the weirdness.
FANCY JOURNAL / PLANNER CULTURE with Alex Sujong Laughlin — what fantasy of self are we chasing? What works, what pisses you off, what feels like pandering?
WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
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.

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is not an episode about whether or not you should delete your social media accounts — we've had that conversation, and we'll keep having that conversation. Instead, this is an episode about all the weird habits we've developed around posting: posting on vacation, posting (or not posting) when sick or on leave, posting about your everyday life to your 200 followers like you're an influencer. It's about what compelled us to start posting in the first place — all the small pleasures of knowing things about people — and how those pleasures have been wrung out of the process.
Social media taught us a different way of telling the story of our lives. But now those stories feel dystopian and uncanny. Is it the end of posting as we knew it? Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of the fantastic new book The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything, joins the pod to work through these questions and more.

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:
Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/culture
Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Go to https://zbiotics.com/culturestudy and use CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics.
Use code CULTURE at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Gift with your first purchase!
Show Notes:
FOLLOW KATHRYN'S GREAT INSTA!! (lol) No seriously, follow her here.
Buy THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE here
All of Kathryn's fantastic writing on The Cut re: parenting / social / everything in-between
The NYT review of The Story of Your Life I briefly reference is here
If you're interested in Kathryn's dissertation on momfluencers
The Marie Claire piece on vacation posting reference by one of the questions: I'm Not an Influencer. So Why Do I Feel Pressure to Post Holiday Photos?
We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:
WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Second Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends.....
JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away!
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.

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It feels like a real symptom of the modern age that an article of clothing can just start... following you around online. There it is, in your Instagram feed (again, and again, and again). But it's also there in between paragraphs while you're reading the New York Times, or suggesting you click while you're sifting through your Buy Nothing group on Facebook, or accosting you every tenth video on TikTok.
It'd be one thing if these things were cute... but so many of them feel like they're trying to make fetch (or a barrel leg) happen. I'm so thrilled to have veteran fashion journalist Cheryl Wischhover here to explain how an item of clothing goes viral (we tackle so many of your specific asks) and how virality, e-commerce, and influencing intertwine. This is an absolutely fascinating ep — I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode:
Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/CULTURE
Ollie. Feed the Obsession. Go to ollie.com/culture and use code culture to get 70% off your first box!
Listen to rePROS Fight Back wherever you get your podcasts.
Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/CULTURE
Show Notes:
Strongly suggest subscribing to Cheryl's newsletter, Good for Your Age
Her piece on the Ruti pants that made me want to pod with her immediately
Cheryl's Bloomberg piece on how affiliate links are even taking over group chats
This is the second entry in our 'Back to School' Fashion Episodes — check out our previous episode on All Your Questions About Personal Style, Answered
We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:
WTF IS GOING ON WITH TELEVISION RIGHT NOW with Phil Maciak and Kathryn VanArendonk — podcasts-as-television, Netflix's Season Season Problem, what the networks aren't learning from Widow's Bay, ask us more!
WOMEN LEAVING THE (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH — what are you seeing, what are you curious about, what are they leaving for?
VENMO CULTURE: People who won't let you treat, people who say they're gonna Venmo you after you put a big dinner on your card and then don't, the utility (and annoyance) of Splitwise, Venmo-ing for a $4 coffee... convince Melody that there's an episode here
LOW KEY SUPER RICH PEOPLE — ever since I read this piece on 'American Gentry' I've wanted to do a big episode about how the real (diffuse) wealth in this country is people who own care dealerships, HVAC companies, and other "pass-through" S-Corps. How does that wealth persist, what power does it wield, why do they vote the way they do, WHO ARE THEY, REALLY? (We're talking with some economists who've really crunched the numbers on this, so it's gonna be fascinating)
THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends.....
JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away!
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.

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are eight books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and people have bought fourteen million of them. First published online, then self-published on Amazon, with an audiobook version that people won't shut up about, Dungeon Crawler Carl has become the fantasy phenomenon of the year — and earned the moniker of "the book that all your [dude] friends who don't read are actually reading."
I went in skeptical: video game fiction is decidedly not my genre. But there were enough people in the Culture Study universe reading and loving them that I knew there was something going on — with the style, the worldview, the genre play — that would be the makings of a good podcast episode. (I just didn't expect to like it quite as much as I did — as you'll hear in the ep, I'm on now on Book Four!)
If you're deep in DCC and want to talk about what works (and doesn't), we go there. If you're mystified by the popularity, we go there too. And we try really, really hard to make this an episode that'll still be interesting to people who haven't read the books, but want to think more about why these books are so popular.
Also discussed: Princess Donut as child sidekick, editing (or lack thereof), Katia's surprising arc, whether this book is for teens, Foot Buffs, D&D, a particular stylistic tick, Wenatchee in-jokes, and truly so much more.
(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 dot com)
Quick Show Notes:
As always, follow Margaret on Instagram and subscribe to Two Bossy Dames
The piece I repeatedly reference: "You deserve better literature than Dungeon Crawler Carl"
The best thing I've read on Dungeon Crawler Carl, no question: "Left in the Dungeon"

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the last six years, our conversations on Culture Study have often circled back to a handful of recurring themes: contemporary work culture, burnout, optimization culture, intensive parenting, the often hollow pull of the algorithm, the tattered social safety net, and the desire to engage more with the world (and community) around us. We're fun, I promise! And today we're going to weave together so many of those threads in an intricate conversation about the broken promises of convenience culture.
Gabe Bullard started writing Against Convenience years before "friction-maxxing" became a thing. He's thought deeply about the bad time bargains of conveniences large and small, and he's spectacularly well-equipped to work through your questions on everything from the tyranny of pre-check, the difficulty of letting go of a lunch-order-habit, and much bigger questions about how convenience culture facilitates our worst forms of individualism. There's so much for us to keep building on in the comments, too, so make sure and find us there.
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/CULTURE
Ready to upgrade your eyewear to something functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable? Head to goodr.com/CULTURE to claim $10 off your first order.
Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Visit ARTICLE.COM/CULTURE and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE
Show Notes:
Buy Against Convenience at your local bookstore (or through Bookshop, which is more convenient than your local bookshop but purposefully less convenient than Amazon)
Subscribe to Gabe's newsletter here
Gabe references Never Done: A History of American Housework by Susan Strasser
He also mentions this classic Wendell Berry essay, "Why I Am Not Going To Buy A Computer"
We're currently looking for your questions on the following topics:
WHAT'S GOING ON INFLUENCER CULTURE? with Katie Sturino — what's going on with privacy, spon, monetization, politics, algorithm fatigue — anything you want to ask someone who's watched the influencing world transform from inside
THE LATEST IN BOOK TRENDS with Alyssa Morris (from our very popular BookTok episode!). Ask Alyssa about whatever you're seeing in the book world: covers, genres, how it's handling fan-fic, BookTok trends.....
JOURNO-INFLUENCERS with s.e. smith — yep, another episode on influencers, this time on how they're changing the norms of journalism. What journo-influencers do you follow and what makes them compelling? What's the future of journalism when it's wed to this style of promotion? Is it actually anything new? Ask away!

Join the ranks of paid subscribers and get bonus content, access to the discussion threads, ad-free episodes, and the knowledge that you're supporting an indie pod trying to make its way in the world.
Got a question to submit, a prompt for Ask Anne Anything, or an idea for a future episode? Tell us here.
Catch up on everything else happening in the Culture Study universe here.
Transcripts will be available here within 24 hours of publishing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.