Pop Syllabus

September is for back-to-school, changing weather, and apparently a LOT of celebrity magazine covers.

For the Season 1 finale of Pop Syllabus, Christiana picks up the September issues and takes us inside their biggest covers and most interesting stories. From Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere on Vogue to Rihanna, Usher, Charli XCX, and a powerful Essence cover celebrating Black women, she explores what these magazines choose to put on their covers, what they leave inside the pages, and what it all says about pop culture right now.

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01:30 Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere on the cover of US Vogue 

02:42 Regime change at Vogue 

03:30 Nepo babies 

06:00 US Vogue cover 

07:16 Rihanna on the cover of Elle

09:35 Rihanna’s relationship with Dior 

10:47 Elle editorial with Rihanna  

12:08 Jermey Strong on the cover of GQ 

14:21 GQ editorial with Jeremy strong

16:33 Nicole Kidman on the cover of British Vogue 

18:43 Brad Pitt on the cover of Esquire

20:04 Esquire editorial with Brad Pitt

26:18 Sanaa Lathan, Nina Compton, Mara Brock Akil and Nikole Hannah-Jones on the front cover of Essence 

27:50 Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the back cover of Essence 

28:09 America at 250 

30:00 Seeing Black women with mature skin and gray hair 

31:30 Isan Elba 

32:01 Hair styles and product recommendations in Essence 

35:38 Mardi Gras 

36:00 Essence editorial with Sanaa Lathan, Nina Compton, Mara Brock Akil and Nikole Hannah-Jones 

37:19 Terrence Jenkins and Mikalah Sultan

39:12 Essence editorial with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

40:57 “Letters to America” in Essence

41:30 Afro-optimism 

41:52 The American flag and who gets to own it 

44:20 Christiana’s relationship with England and the English flag

46:19 Black women and reproductive health in Essence 

46:42 Usher on the cover of Architectural Digest

49:25 A feature on decorative plates in Architectural Digest

49:58 Usher’s Architectural Digest feature 

52:58 Charli XCX on the cover of Rolling Stone 

54:40 George Michael feature in Rolling Stone

55:00 Comparing Rolling Stone to other magazines

55:13 Shaboozey in Rolling Stone

55:40 James Comey profile in Rolling Stone

57:00 Charli XCX editorial in Rolling Stone 

57:40 Afroman in Rolling Stone

59:00 Keke Palmer editorial in Rolling Stone

01:00:18 Adam Friedland in Rolling Stone 

01:00:42 The Legend of the Plaster Caster in Rolling Stone

01:02:16 A man who wants to help people print guns in Rolling Stone

01:02:30 Assessing Rolling Stone 

01:03:12 Star Magazine

01:10:00 How to keep up with Christiana

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Forget the stereotypical image of ADHD. For many women, it looks a lot different. 

This week, Christiana sits down with Corinne the Coach to explore why women and girls are so often overlooked, why women of color face even greater barriers to diagnosis, and how ADHD can impact everything from mental health and shame to motherhood, money, and work. Corinne also opens up about her own diagnosis, navigating medication, and building a business while neurodivergent.

Corinne’s website: https://corinnethecoach.life/ 

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01:43 Corinne’s ADHD diagnosis 

06:45 Why it takes longer for girls and women to get diagnosed with ADHD

11:30 Different types of ADHD 

16:30 Underdiagnosis among girls and women of color

22:15 How ADHD can be related to eating disorders and substance abuse

26:58 Skepticism around women of color having ADHD 

29:30 Signs that a woman may be struggling with mental health challenges

31:45 How women hide their shame 

35:12 Strains on mothers

38:58 How Corinne started her business while being neurodivergent 

39:50 How ADHD keeps people impoverished 

41:04 Taking medication for ADHD 

48:00 Corinne’s experiences with ADHD medication 

54:45 How we can support the people in our lives who might have ADHD

01:08:21 How you can find Corinne the Coach

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We love to talk about motherhood like there’s a right way to do it. But the rules have never been as simple as they seem.

This week, Christiana sits down with WIRED senior culture writer and author of One Bad Mother Ej Dickson to explore the cultural history of the “bad mom,” from the “welfare queen” to today’s MAHA moms, momfluencers, tradwives, and stage moms. They unpack why the ideal of the “good mother” has always been complicated, why dads seem to get a much easier assignment, and how motherhood became one of our favorite ways to police women.

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Ej’s website: https://www.ejdickson.com/ 

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Botox, filler, beauty trends, and the pressure to keep up with it all. This week, Christiana sits down with NYT columnist and UNC Chapel Hill professor Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom to explore how beauty culture is changing around the world, why our appearances carry so much power, and what happens when the rules of beauty keep changing.

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01:37 Meet Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom 

03:45 Sculpt and how beauty norms became what they are right now

06:12 The democratization of plastic surgery and injectibles 

09:06 Beauty and ugliness as structural concepts 

13:14 The end of body positivity a return to whiteness 

15:13 How technology has changed time, our attention, and beauty norms 

16:55 Peptides 

19:45 How what is seen as beautiful has changed 

21:00 Thinking of ourselves as scientific compositions 

22:05 Grappling for community 

22:39 Discourse around “the Black community” 

24:15 Ethnic rhinoplasty 

25:51 The death of the natural hair movement 

26:30 What is Black beauty now?

27:10 The homogeneity of beauty 

30:14 How the formula we were taught for a good life isn’t working and cruel optimism

35:26 Observing neutrally and knowing our choices aren’t neutral 

39:10 The cost of resistance and choosing our defeats 

42:49 Bracing for impact 

45:00 Black women being punished 

45:40 Conservative movements among white women and where white women go next

49:55 “One Household, One Vote” and women retreating from the workplace 

52:30 Late-stage capitalism and AI will come for everyone, including men

54:00 Men committing Interpersonal violence

55:30 Going analog 

56:38 How Tressie approaches reading and engaging with ideas

01:01:22 What Tressie is turning to for nourishment and delight 

01:06:25 What Tressie is working on now

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Divas! We all love them, and we all have very strong opinions about who deserves a spot in our personal top 3. So this week, Christiana sits down with journalist, culture critic, and the NFL’s first LGBTQ+ brand ambassador Ryan Mitchell to bring back our signature pop culture rubric and rank the biggest divas of the 2020s. But who will take the crown? Listen in to find out.

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00:00 Intro

00:13 Meet Ryan

05:00 Showing up as a Black queer fat person 

07:20 Growing up in the South 

08:22 Ryan’s role as the NFL’s first queer ambassador 

12:12 Navigating the current conservative backlash

15:02 How to show up for queer folks right now 

19:02 How pop culture brings people together 

22:20 The definition of a “Diva” 

27:20 How Christiana made this 2020s diva list 

29:17 The “general population” category for 2020s divas

30:10 The “technicalities” category for 2020s divas

30:48 The “sleeper divas” category for 2020s divas 

32:50 Attitude as part of the criteria 

36:00 Ariana Grande

47:27 Billie Eilish 

55:14 Chappell Roan

59:00 Celebrities are still humans 

01:00:35 Olivia Rodrigo

01:02:50 Sabrina Carpenter

01:04:43 Olivia Rodrigo

01:05:55 Beyoncé

01:12:26 Charli xcx

01:19:29 Cleo Sol and Syd

01:19:37 Yebba

01:20:40 PinkPantheress

01:20:54 SZA

01:20:59 Doechii

01:21:03 Where you can find Ryan Mitchell 

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Only a small percentage of women are naturally blonde, yet blonde hair has become one of the most powerful symbols of beauty and privilege in American culture.

This week, Christiana sits down with Sarah Mesle, USC professor and author of Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity, to examine the cultural politics of white women’s hair. Through stories of blonde privilege, Britney Spears, and Princess Diana, Sarah explains how hair reveals the complicated relationship between beauty, identity, and power.

Sarah’s website: https://sarahmesle.com/ 

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1:26 Meet Sarah 

1:47 Hair and white feminine power

3:50 Sarah’s interest in hair

5:08 White visual performances and whiteness as a currency 

8:50 January 6th uprising

10:40 Partisan aesthetics 

13:50 Princess Diana and women with short hair

18:43 Blonde hair 

20:58 JoJo Siwa

21:33 Maternal love and white resource hoarding 

22:40 White mothers giving their daughters elaborate hair styles 

25:00 Blonde privilege and the value of the currency of whiteness

27:47 How Black women are treated depending on their hair styles

29:30 Class and white women’s fear of “trashiness” 

32:40 Relationship between white women’s hair and thighs 

33:30 Thin hair 

35:17 Long hair and the women surrounding Trump 

36:06 Picking white women to focus on in “Tangled” 

40:32 Britney Spears

45:50 Complicating the idea that there are victims and villains

47:00 Cruel optimism 

48:10 Gwyneth Paltrow 

51:00 Opting out and diverging from the norm 

54:30 The game is rigged 

55:20 What’s next? 

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This week, writer and YouTuber Blue Telusma joins Pop Syllabus for a wide-ranging conversation on modern relationships, gender dynamics, and what Love Island reveals about our culture. Best known for her sharp commentary on the hit reality series, Blue and Christiana explore everything from dating and accountability to race and media. Then, the two debut our new Pioneers, Builders & Innovators game, weighing in on cultural figures from Joe Rogan and Tyra Banks to Jay-Z, Madonna, Kim Kardashian, and Kris Jenner.

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1:18 Meet Blue Telusma

5:28 The Diaspora Wars Explained

6:10 Dating Nigerian Men and Blue's Dating Experience

10:16 "Good Women Aren't Having Babies Anymore"

15:45 Partnership vs. Companionship

22:05 Dating as an Unambiguous Woman

27:37 What Love Island Gets Wrong About Race

36:20 Calling Out Women vs. Challenging the System

38:55 The Ego Tantrums Taking Over Love Island

40:38 Has Reality TV Normalized Dysfunction?

45:45 Pioneers, Builders & Innovators Game

52:12 Joe Rogan: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator?

57:18 Tyra Banks: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator?

1:07:13 Jay Z: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator?

1:11:45 Madonna: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator?

1:15:58 Kim Kardashian & Kris Jenner: Pioneers, Builders, or Innovators?

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The royal family has mastered the art of staying in the spotlight. For generations, they’ve been a source of fascination, controversy, and endless conversation. But why do we keep coming back to the Crown?

In this episode, Christiana sits down with NY Times bestselling author of Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, TV writer, producer, and royal commentator Omid Scobie to break down the monarchy as the ultimate pop culture phenomenon.

After 13 years covering the royal beat, Omid shares what he’s learned about the institution, the media machine behind it, the scandals that shaped public opinion, and why the world remains obsessed with the royals.

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Explore Omid Scobie’s Books on the Royal Family

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1:14 Meet Omid Scobie

3:40 Inside the Royal Beat

5:54 Why Britain Created WAG Culture

6:50 Meghan, Harry & the Palace

13:28 How the Press Built Meghan's Narrative

17:46 Why Americans See the Royals Differently

19:46 What Makes Someone a Royalist?

21:21 Kate's Cancer Announcement

23:28 Why Royal Women Face More Scrutiny

26:31 Why Meghan & Harry Became Easy Targets

30:08 Writing Endgame

36:17 Inside the Royal Feuds

39:32 America's "Royal Families"

43:49 Can the Monarchy Ever Change?

46:13 Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal

52:14 King Charles, Trump & Politics

55:27 Harry vs. William

58:17 Behind Palace Dynamics

1:04:51 The Monarchy's Diversity Problem 

1:09:24 The Royals in 2027: What's Next?

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Millions of people watch The Real Housewives, but few know what it's really like to be one. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with former Real Housewives of Potomac star and Miss USA 2013, Candiace Dillard Bassett, for an honest conversation about fame, friendship, IVF, marriage, and what it actually takes to survive one of television's biggest franchises.

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Read Christiana’s Substack essay on why The Real Housewives is the dark mirror we deserve:

https://popsyllabus.substack.com/p/why-the-real-housewives-is-the-dark 

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01:16 Meet Candiace Dillard Bassett

02:17 Why Candiace became a Real Housewife

03:30 Candiace’s familial privilege  

05:20 Black American Princess (BAP) culture 

06:00 Feeling shame about growing up privileged 

10:00 From beauty pageants to Real Housewives

13:38 Crying as a Black woman on reality TV

18:49 Candiace and Monique Samuels’ friendship breakup

20:45 Drew Sidora’s salary leak and the economics of being a Real Housewife

29:44 The psychological toll of being on Real Housewives 

33:00 Going through IVF

37:08 On returning to Real Housewives

39:14 Colorism on reality TV

43:44 Candiace’s first test scene

45:10 Candiace’s longstanding relationships from the show

45:30 The Traitors season 4

48:08 What’s next for Candiace

54:20 Candiace’s marriage with Chris Bassett

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Are GLP-1s changing our relationship with our bodies? The science says yes, but not in the ways you might think.

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama, health psychologist, UCLA professor, and director of the Diet, Stigma, and Health (DiSH) Lab, to examine how GLP-1s are redefining body positivity, exposing the persistence of weight stigma, and raising bigger questions about who gets to be accepted and why.

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1:25 Meet Janet

3:53 What Japan and Nigeria Reveal About Weight Stigma

5:55 Is Weight Really About Willpower? The Science of Genetics & Dieting

7:56 Should Governments Pay for Weight Loss?

9:37 Why Most Diets Don't Work Long-Term

15:41 How Culture Shapes the Way We Eat

20:21 Why Bigger Bodies Once Represented Wealth

24:29 What Is "Food Noise"?

29:01 The Hidden Reality of Eating Disorders in Black Women

32:14 GLP-1s, Grief, and the Identity Shift No One Talks About

36:41 Who Gets Access to GLP-1s?

42:21 The Risks and Unknowns of GLP-1 Medications

49:03 Are GLP-1s a Lifetime Commitment?

51:28 Raising a Family in a Weight-Obsessed World

56:14 Should Parents Put Their Kids on GLP-1s?

1:01:21 Why Body Neutrality May Be More Realistic Than Body Positivity

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We're back with another round of our signature pop culture game, Are They a Star, Celebrity, or Famous Person? 

This week, Christiana is joined by Emmy Award-winning TV host, Zuri Hall, to pull names from the bowl and weigh in on everyone from Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Timothée Chalamet, Anna Wintour, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, and more. They also get into the rise of influencer culture, the business of celebrity, and who has the staying power to become a true star. Ready to play?

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Zuri’s Substack

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1:36 Meet Zuri Hall

3:35 Zuri’s exit plan from Access Hollywood

9:36 The game begins

12:33 Angel Reese enters the chat

13:30 Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark rivalry breakdown

15:41 Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio & Daniel Day-Lewis energy

18:03 Anna Wintour: the “mean boss” myth

19:41 Charli D'Amelio family drama

20:37 Celebrities vs influencers: who runs culture now?

26:44 Cardi B chaos & charisma

34:14 Dua Lipa wedding watch + love life

37:47 Billie Eilish era check

40:03 Bad Bunny takeover

41:43 The Weeknd enters the conversation

47:23 Zohran Mamdani surprise finale

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More women are having children after 40, but what does that actually look like when you are in it?

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Jesse Golden, CEO and founder of The Golden Secrets, to talk about her journey of trying for motherhood at 45, including IVF, miscarriage, and starting over later in life. She also opens up about home birth, treatment costs, community, and what it really means to redefine motherhood on your own terms.

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1:09 Meet Jesse Golden

2:53 Trying for motherhood again at 45

4:09 What it’s really like trying to get pregnant in your 40s

6:15 Navigating miscarriage and loss

10:04 Inside Jesse’s IVF journey

14:43 The real cost of IVF (financial and emotional)

19:44 Finding community as a woman giving birth after 40

22:14 What actually helps improve your chances of pregnancy

27:22 Is IVF the right path for you?

32:53 Egg freezing and what the future of IVF looks like

36:21 Exploring home birth later in life

40:13 Jesse’s home birth story

43:36 Staying grounded in your choices and your body

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This week’s pop culture syllabus comes straight from the magazine rack!

In this solo episode, Christiana sits down to talk us through the latest from Women's Health, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, and the juiciest tabloids, breaking down celebrity glow-ups, style statements, and luxury obsessions from names like Jay-Z, Anne Hathaway, Rita Ora, and more while unpacking what this month’s magazines are really saying about pop culture.

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0:39 Rita Ora’s wellness era

3:12Inside Rita’s new look

7:00 The millennial facelift boom

13:55 Meghan & Harry tabloid drama

17:30 Ryan Seacrest’s face fears

19:17 Paris Hilton, theme queen

21:40 Crosswords: hot or not?

23:04 Jay-Z’s GQ takeover

23:39 Is Jay-Z channeling Basquiat?

28:12 Luxury ads everywhere

29:02 Pop culture’s iconic watches

32:22 Sketchers sketchy ads

34:06 GQ’s wedding rulebook

36:22 The life of Jay-Z

38:44 The Horology of HOV

45:38 Anne Hathaway’s Harper’s Bazaar moment

49:35 Chanel’s star-studded campaign

54:10 Bobbi Brown & beauty businesses

57:18 Ariana’s Swarovski sparkle

59:03 Inside Lulu Guinness’ whimsical home

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Women spend a lot of time wondering what men really think about love and relationships.

In this episode, Christiana sits down with Holly Solem, advice columnist and creator of the social media series Manthropology, to discuss what she’s learned from interviewing men about dating, masculinity, and loneliness. They also play a game revisiting iconic fictional men in pop culture and how they shaped millennial women’s understanding of love and relationships.

Holly’s Vogue essay

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01:19 Meet Holly Solem

06:20 Holly’s move back to LA

07:14 Creating “Manthropology”

11:28 What Holly has learned about men while making “Manthropology”

13:34 How men in LA compare to men in NY

14:45 How women absorb the shame of men

16:09 Misogyny in 2026

18:02 Platonic relationships between straight men and women

22:20 How Holly reacts during Manthropology interviews

23:20 White girlhood vs. Black girlhood

25:51 Fictional pop-culture men game

27:14 Chandler Bing from “Friends”

28:58 Ross Geller from “Friends”

29:39 Batman

30:50 Superman

32:24 Homer Simpson

34:10 Lawrence from “Insecure”

35:13 Big from “Sex and the City”

37:13 Don Draper from “Mad Men”

38:18 Walter White from “Breaking Bad”

40:13 Nick Young from “Crazy Rich Asians”

41:35 Prince Akeem from “Coming to America”

42:46 Austin Powers

43:37 James Bond

46:40 Wolverine

48:13 Adam Sackler from “Girls”

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We’ve been calling women divas for years, but we still can’t agree on what the word actually means or who qualifies.

In this episode, Christiana sits down with music journalist Gerrick Kennedy, co-author of Brandy's new memoir, Phases, to do the impossible: rank the greatest divas across the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and unpack what really earns someone the title.

Together, they debate the diva status of icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, while making the case for a few overlooked sleeper divas along the way. By the end, it becomes clear that defining a diva is a lot harder than it sounds.

Gerrick’s book with Brandy: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/phases-brandy?variant=44324080779298

Gerrick’s book on Whitney Houston: https://gerrickkennedy.com/whitneyhouston

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01:18 Meet Gerrick Kennedy

03:20 How Gerrick Built a Career in Music Journalism

06:33 The Time Gerrick Met Joe Jackson

11:18 Diva Ranking Game

13:19 Defining a “diva”

16:46 Ranking 90s divas

18:50 Brandy

27:07 Janet Jackson

29:22 Mariah Carey

34:07 Gerrick on Working With Brandy on Phases

36:16 The Patriarchal Control Behind Pop Divas

40:59 Ranking 2000s divas

42:11 Why Divas Have to Go Solo

48:59 Jennifer Lopez

55:59 Britney Spears

1:00:37 Amy Winehouse

1:05:01 Ranking 2010s divas

1:06:03 Lady Gaga

1:12:54 Rihanna

1:16:29 Tinashe

1:17:52 Beyoncé

1:23:56 Taylor Swift

1:25:39 The Next Generation of Pop Stars

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Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to argue the Kardashians didn’t completely change the way we think about fame. So how did this family go from reality TV to becoming the blueprint for modern celebrity and one of the most powerful forces in pop culture?

In this episode, Christiana sits down with author MJ Corey to talk about her book Deconstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto and trace the evolution of the Kardashians and what their success really says about them. Together, they do what the internet has always done best and overanalyze the Kardashians, getting into fame, branding, controversy, and where this endlessly fascinating family goes next.

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00:52 MJ Corey’s first time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians

03:08 Understanding postmodernism to understand the Kardashians

03:50 Kim Kardashian and ethnic ambiguity

04:55 Comparing the Kardashians to iconic American brands

08:50 Kris Jenner, the O.J. Simpson trial and revisionist history

13:00 The Kardashians, cultural appropriation and Black romantic partners

22:00 The Kardashians as early adopters of technology

25:25 The Paris robbery and trial

31:09 How the Kardashians will be remembered

32:15 Who will be Kris’ successor?

34:12 Predicting Kim’s future in politics

36:20 Which grandchild is most likely to be the next star?

37:40 Does Kim venture into podcasting?

38:10 Does SKIMS IPO?

38:28 How many more times will Kim Kardashian get married?

40:00 When will Kris Jenner retire?

42:04 What’s the future of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet?

44:29 Which Kardashian is mostly likely to make a hard pivot?

48:30 MJ’s biggest prediction for the Kardashians/Jenners in the next five years

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Celebrity couples today don’t just date, they trend, and every move instantly becomes part of the cultural conversation online. 

In this episode, Christiana sits down with E! Entertainment host Erin Lim Rhodes to play our signature Celebrity Couples Game and debate some of pop culture’s most talked-about pairs, from Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, and more. Expect hot takes, chaotic rankings, and a few moments that will definitely have you rethinking everything you thought you knew about these couples.

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01:03 Meet Erin Lim Rhodes

04:24 Erin’s move to Singapore 

06:18 Getting hired by E! 

11:46 “The Rundown” and using social media 

18:29 The Celebrity Couples Game

19:30 Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner

20:43 Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

24:36 Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

28:40 Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 

33:14 Olandria and Nic Vansteenberghe

36:28 John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

41:57 Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco

48:49 Zoë Kravitz and Harry Styles

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Womb health is still one of the most misunderstood areas of women’s care, especially for Black women.

In today’s episode, Christiana sits down with gynecologic oncologist and author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing to walk us through fibroids, endometriosis, and the symptoms that are often dismissed, plus what women should be asking about care and diagnosis.

Dr. Kemi’s website

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01:00 Meet Dr. Kemi Doll

03:40 How Dr. Doll’s background has informed her work

07:30 Understanding womb suffering

08:55 Black women with womb suffering getting misdiagnosed

10:47 Womb condition #1: heavy menstrual bleeding

23:40 Options for people with the BRCA1 gene

25:36 Womb condition #2: endometriosis

35:29 Teenagers and young women with womb suffering

39:05 Womb condition #3: fibroids

51:18 Womb condition #4: endometrial cancer

01:01:28 Advice for dealing with doctors and medical institutions

01:08:45 Combining holistic wellness with medicine

01:11:55 Setting boundaries in order to heal

01:13:00 Where to find Dr. Kemi Doll’s work

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Welcome to another week in pop culture, where nothing is calm and everything is a headline.

In this episode, Christiana flips through the latest tabloids and magazines, breaking down celebrity chaos, unhinged headlines, and the editorials everyone can’t stop talking about.

Sydney Sweeney, Doja Cat, Timothée Chalamet, Anne Hathaway, and more all show up in this week’s rundown as Christiana shares her hot takes on what’s worth the hype and what’s just noise.

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01:50 Sydney Sweeney’s “Magazine Milkies” Moment

02:59 Sofía Vergara’s Sketchy Skechers Ad

03:54 Sydney Sweeney’s Viral Lingerie Editorial

08:15 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With Tyriq Withers

10:04 Twilight Taylors

10:22 Is Robert Pattinson the New Leonardo DiCaprio?

12:40 Teyana Taylor as Lady Liberty

14:26 Inside the “MAGA Land” Editorial

21:54 Doja Cat on Vogue

24:48 India’s Growing Influence on Pop Culture

27:10 Bhavitha Mandava, Versace & Fashion’s Rising New Faces

29:08 Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss Transformation

34:20 Sarah Michelle Gellar’s People Magazine Cover

35:48 The Royal Roundup: Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle & More

37:22 Anne Hathaway’s Best Oscars Look

38:14 Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Making a Comeback

40:19 Harry & Meghan “Exiled” From Hollywood?

43:21 Christiana’s Top Magazine Recommendation

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In Hollywood, everyone wants a “perfect” face, but the goal now is to make it look like nothing was ever done. But behind that natural look is a growing set of procedures most people would never recognize.

Today, Christiana sits down with Double Board Certified Facial & Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon Dr. Carl Truesdale to understand what’s driving Hollywood’s obsession with undetectable plastic surgery, from subtle lifts to revision procedures, as well as how cosmetic work among men and AI are shaping today’s beauty standards.

Dr. Truesdale’s website

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01:02 Meet Dr. Carl Truesdale

02:07 How Dr. Truesdale got into cosmetic surgery

03:50 Cultivating a diverse practice with cultural competency

09:05 The costs of cosmetic surgery

10:01 Thread lifts, fillers and botox

12:20 How Dr. Truesdale contributes to beauty standards and pressures

15:00 Psychological shifts for patients

17:00 Patients who are unhappy after their procedures

18:55 Dr. Truesdale on sharing his work on social media

21:46 Not being able to share the work he does for some celebrities

22:58 Celebrities who don’t share that they have had work done

25:20 Karama Brown

25:38 Lower blepharoplasty

26:06 Men getting plastic surgery

30:08 Looking younger longer

31:24 Revision surgeries

34:17 Knowing when to operate and turning patients away

34:57 Mid-facelifts

35:45 Responding to those who say plastic surgery is bad

39:10 A rapper whose “friend” paid for her cosmetic work

40:41 The future of plastic surgery, AI, and beauty standards

46:02 Christiana requests a free consultation from Dr. Truesdale

47:30 Dr. Truesdale doing his parents’ plastic surgery

49:00 Where you can find Dr. Truesdale online

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Non-monogamy is everywhere right now, and so are the opinions about it.

In today’s episode, Christiana sits down with psychologist and Chapman University Professor Dr. Amy Moors to unpack open relationships, ethical non-monogamy, and why more people are exploring love outside the traditional mold.

Dr. Amy Moors research

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01:07 Meet Dr. Amy Moors

03:31 Defining non-monogamy

04:30 Defining polyamory and open relationships

05:50 Different types of polyamory

07:06 Who engages in consensual non-mongamy? And how common is it?

10:25 Loving multiple people

14:10 Stigmas towards people who practice consensual non-monogamy

17:35 Christiana’s familial experiences with polygamy

21:35 Both monogamy and non-monogamy can be messy

22:40 How societal inequities show up in relationships

25:19 Lindy West, millennial feminism, and trad wives

27:04 Gender ratios among non-monogamous couples

28:10 Measuring “success” among non-monogamous relationships

31:01 Couples who open their relationships after being monogamous

34:20 Why is non-monogamy seemingly everywhere?

39:18 Americans don’t like to talk about sex

41:45 LGBTQ+ couples and non-monogamy

44:28 Learning from people who practice non-monogamy

46:16 Non-monogamous parents and their children

53:20 Non-hierarchical polyamory

55:30 Finding the time to sustain non-monogamous relationships

57:42 The future of consensual non-monogamy

01:04:30 Where to find Dr. Moors’ work

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No matter where you find yourself on the internet, celebrities’ lives are constantly in front of us, but who’s actually a star and who’s just famous?

From icons like Beyoncé to rising names like Sabrina Carpenter and Sydney Sweeney, Christiana sits down with award-winning reporter and podcaster Sam Sanders to play “star, celebrity, or famous person” and break down what really makes someone last in pop culture.

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#SugarBaby culture is everywhere online. But why is it making such a big comeback now?

As money gets tighter and “SugarTok” gains traction, conversations around sugar dating and hypergamy are becoming more mainstream.

Christiana sits down with Cornell lecturer Dr. Megan Sawey to examine what’s driving the trend and what it means for modern dating.

Megan’s research on sugar dating

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01:17 Meet Dr. Megan Sawey

07:20 Understanding hypergamy and dating up

12:29 Sugar dating in relation to sex work

17:55 Sugar dating as an entrepreneurial endeavor

31:50 Sugar dating and the digital intimacy economy

33:50 Sugar dating and politics

37:20 How sugar dating is portrayed as heteronormative in media and marketing

41:45 Sugar daddies and how sugar dating is regulated

45:20 Sexual racism and sugar dating

48:28 Sugar dating for men vs. women

51:07 The future of sugar dating and hypergamy

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The internet didn’t just change sex. Sex built the internet. So who actually gets credit for shaping the digital world?

Today, Christiana speaks with Mindy Seu, author of A Sexual History of the Internet, to unpack how sex, desire, and the labor of sex workers quietly built the foundations of the internet, and why that history is still left out of the conversation.

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00:56 Meet Mindy Seu

01:32 Cyberfeminism

05:04 How sex and sex workers have influenced the evolution of the internet

10:10 Sex workers and cryptocurrency

12:05 Defining “sex work”

23:36 Why don’t more people know about the sexual history of the internet?

26:40 The physicality of technology

32:26 Female body parts named after men

33:51 How technology and the sex industry are influencing each other

35:36 How the sexual nature of the internet is affecting girls and women

38:31 Digital black books for sex workers

39:30 Sex workers currently experimenting with technology and artificial intelligence

42:05 OnlyFans

45:54 The internet as a utopic fantasy space

47:30 The future of the internet and AI

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If you’re a Swiftie, this episode is for you.

Today, Christiana sits down with professor and author Misty Heggeness to break down her book Swiftnomics and how Taylor Swift turned fandom into a $4 billion touring empire, and what it reveals about consumption, influence, and the rise of a new economic model led by women.

Misty’s website: https://www.mistyheggeness.com/

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00:42 Meet Misty Heggeness

04:07 Swiftynomics and studying Taylor Swift as an economic muse

09:20 How do we scale swiftynomics?

11:13 Women creating space for other women

15:08 Swiftnomics vs. Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement

18:00 “Pearl clutchers” vs. “granolas”

20:00 Women leaving the workforce and being economically sidelined

31:44 “Masterminding” the systems

36:08 Hoarding wealth

42:45 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

49:40 The future of Swiftynomics

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Like, why did the “Valley Girl” become America’s favorite punchline?

Today, Christiana sits down with journalist and author, Koa Beck, to talk about how the Valley Girl stereotype took off in pop culture, why it has been so misunderstood, and how it reflects America’s bigger anxieties about young women and femininity that still shape how we see them today.

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00:28 The Valley

01:25 Defining the “Valley Girl”

05:03 Valley speak and the valley girl accent

08:10 From the valley girl to the modern day influencer

17:35 The history of the Valley Girl

24:31 Why the trope of the “Valley Girl” is white

26:44 Why the valley stereotypes are associated with girls

31:00 How the concept of the “Valley Girl” became negative

40:00 The Valley Girl and sex

44:29 The Valley Girl and influencer culture

48:19 The future of the Valley Girl

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Colorism isn’t new. It’s the curse embedded in Hollywood’s DNA.

Today, Christiana sits down with scholar-activist Dr. Yaba Blay to unpack how colorism operates behind the scenes of pop culture, why lighter skin is still centered, and how these hierarchies shape everything from stardom to self-worth.

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00:37 Defining “colorism”

03:30 The relativity of colorism

06:04 How colorism functions in Hollywood

08:15 A history of colorism and skin bleaching

12:50 Gender bias and colorism in entertainment

17:02 Beyonce and colorism in the music industry

28:40 Moments that feel like societal shifts

33:00 How skin bleaching has transformed

37:00 Understanding the context around why people bleach their skin

42:55 Hair trends among Black women

51:00 Questioning society and capitalism (not just the individual)

54:20 What choices can we make in light of colorism?

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Looksmaxxing is the internet’s latest male self-improvement trend — where your jawline is a strategy and your face is a project.

Today, Christiana sits down with Associate Professor of Sociology at Dalhousie University, Dr. Michael Halpin, to explain what looksmaxxing really is, why cosmetic surgeries are on the rise, and how this corner of the Manosphere is reshaping masculinity and the way men see women.

Dr. Michael’s research on looksmaxxing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hn3HDozK8_GMWOVtv3do3joZ4Guyxlpp/view

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03:35 Defining “looksmaxxing”

09:45 Who is looksmaxxing?

11:00 Lookism and why boys and men are looksmaxxing

14:50 How looksmaxxing and its harmful impacts are spreading beyond the manosphere

20:42 The PSL scale

24:40 How looksmaxxers and incels are subcultures within the manosphere

40:38 What can be done to stop harmful looksmaxxing

44:00 Looksmaxxing as an emerging health crisis

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Almost a year later, Sinners is still unforgettable, and Wunmi Mosaku’s Annie stole our hearts. But behind the performance was a woman navigating first-time motherhood, career crossroads, and big life choices.

On today’s episode, Christiana talks to Oscar-nominated Wunmi about her maternity brand Iyadé, self care, and lessons from a career-defining role.

Wunmi’s maternity brand’s website:.iyadebywunmi.com

Follow Wunmi on Instagram: @wunmimosaku

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00:36 Wunmi’s Oscar nomination

03:40 “Sinners” and how playing Annie changed Wunmi’s life

08:40 Why Annie resonates with audiences

14:57 Loving yourself

18:45 Wunmi’s Golden Globe pregnancy announcement

24:04 Creating Iyadé, a maternity clothing brand

29:55 Being careful about who and what you invite in

38:43 Admiring Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan’s acting

42:35 Self care

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Astrology is everywhere, blending spirituality, social media, and even AI apps that promise to read your future.

Today, Christiana speaks with astrology historian, Margaret Gaida, to understand how astrology shapes love, culture, and the hidden inequalities of the cosmic world.

Margaret’s website: mghsci.wordpress.com/dissertation

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02:20 Astrology in the East vs. West

03:30 Astrological predictions throughout history

07:45 The mothers of astrology

12:45 Why women and LGBTQ+ communities are attracted to astrology

18:32 Astrology and science

23:48 Big Zodiac, tech and AI

29:31 White influencers and astrology

41:04 “Space racism” and dating

44:50 Individualism vs. communities

47:40 The future of astrology in America

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