Day One FM

Ian Michna is the founder of Jenkem Magazine. We talk with him about bringing an outside perspective to skateboarding, being a good beginner, why a combination of fear and shame keeps skateboarding alive, cold plunges with “Andy” Huberman, how Jenkem works with brands as a boutique agency, and why most things that turned out well also could've been terrible.Recommended this week:Be a beginnerGo to Amoeba and shop for records based on their album artWhere to find Ian:@ian.michna@jenkemmag jenkemmag.comyoutube.com/@jenkemmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We begin with a very brief Super Bowl recap, where Eli was one lazy holding call away from a handful of benjamins. Then, we put some respect on some of the American athletes sweeping, skating, and skiing in Milano Cortina. Nothing cooler than being extremely good at one specific thing. And finally, Clara and Trey dive into a lively debate centered around Joshua Rothman's latest piece in The New Yorker, “Is Good Taste a Trap?” Yes. Recommended this week: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley (dir. Amy Berg)3 Women (dir. Robert Altman)The Culture Journalist Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, we caught up with Adweek's Senior Media Reporter Mark Stenberg to help us contextualize the trends we're seeing in this year's crop of commercials and identify what you should look out for as you watch on Sunday. We cover the rise of the multi-week attention ecosystem, why we'll see more health-focused ads, and more. Plus, we get Mark's thoughts on the integration of prediction markets into media platforms and whether he buys that people trust journalists less than funeral home directors. Recommended this week: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick writes The Trend Report™️ on Substack and co-hosts the HIP REPLACEMENT podcast alongside friend of the pod, Ben Dietz. We talk about Kyle's early trend reports while at Nickelodeon, working in broadcast news, why America isn't so bad actually, Barcelona internet vs. American internet, why advertisers often don't talk to real people, how people are pouring themselves into “brand lore” instead of fighting for healthcare, “letting people just enjoy things,” and more.Recommended this week: “GALA” – XG “Tati Quebra Barraco” – Montagem GuerreiraJeff Mills Live At The Liquid Room - Tokyo 1996 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about Alex Honnold's Taipei 101 climb on Netflix, the return of David Blaine-style spectacle, greasy poles, construction YouTube, and more. Recommended this week: The B1MPrehistoric Planet, Season 3Wigwam socks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Lindsay is the author of internet culture substack, “Embedded,” and host of Slate's ICYMI podcast. She joins us to unpack social media's cause of death in 2026, analog bags, how we got too addicted to stay addicted, brain rot as political resistance, and what happens when social platforms become places of entertainment instead of places to connect. Plus, stay tuned until the end for the reveal of Kate's family secret. Recommended this week: Ancestry.com Where to find Kate:Embedded on substackICYMI podcast@kathrynfiona on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back! To kick off the year, we're talking about a new exposé in the Financial Times, which found that OnlyFans creators and influencers are now increasingly dominating requests for O-1B visas, a speciality visa reserved for “exceptional” creatives with “extraordinary ability or achievement.” Recommended this week: "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know" - E.D. Hirsch Jr.https://nytv.live/ Persimmons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Tum Town. Long time listeners will know that we often center our distaste for marketing slop and feral commercialism around a few brands, namely Crumbl, Blank Street, and MrBeast. So in our final episode of the year, we decided to actually try the stuff for ourselves and review it live. Stay until the end for a small crumb of analysis on brands trying to “tap into culture.”Here's what we got: Crumbl (6 pack): The Cookie That Stole Christmas, Chocolate Crumb Cookie ft. OREO®, Holiday Red Velvet Sandwich Cookie, Candy Cane Brownie Cookie, Peanut Butter Cup Cookie ft. REESE'S, Confetti Cake Cookie Blank Street: Iced Strawberry Shortcake Matcha, Iced Blueberry MatchaMrBeast: Feastables BarPrime: Ice Pop, Mystery flavor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about how Saudi Arabia has renewed Dakota Johnson's faith in film and Clara eavesdropping on Gen Alpha sleepover semantics. We also dive into the broader implications of younger consumers' preference for Buy Now, Pay Later, Gary Vee evangelizing livestream shopping, and how frictionless access to credit has allowed the creator economy and the trend ecosystem to rise at scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Francombe is a contributing editor at Vogue Business and writer of the amy_coded newsletter on Substack. We talk about why news is out and gossip is in, moving from a post-truth society to a post-meaning one, how unplugging became luxury's most valuable currency, entertainment vs. conversion, why engagement metrics are junk, whether or not it cheapens a brand to have TikTokers sitting front row at fashion week, restoring fashion brands to a level of cultural leadership, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's desire to “go back to an era where we didn't wear our pajamas to the airport,” real bread lines at Meadow Lane, only doing charity if it's a good content opportunity, and being “ghosted” by brands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annie Rauwerda is a comedian, long-time Wikipedian, and founder of the must-follow @depthsofwikipedia Instagram. In this special live episode, we ask her about the current right-wing attacks on Wikipedia, the Wikimedia awards, what it takes to be a Wikipedia editor, “Corn” being such a controversial entry page, muffins, why she's optimistic about the next generation of internet users, and a wonderful story about making life-long friends from her “Perpetual Stew.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew unpacks Zohran Mamdani's electoral victory and what it says about a younger generation of New Yorkers who are looking to claw back a sense of agency, power, purpose, and connection beyond the “brand universe.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anu Lingala is a trend strategist and founder of the must-read Substack, WHAT'S ANU. We get a crash course in trend forecasting methodology, and then move on to who killed cool, the collapse of the irony/sincerity cycle, why people are trying to escape being seen by brands, Anu's new theory on “trend bipolarity,” why we need to return to the basics of brand strategy, Anthony Bourdain, shareholder value, the Grimace shake, Peter Thiel, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod we unpack what stunt movie marketing, the rise of fan edits, exclusive Glen Powell pics, and the not-advertising-advertising of the Louvre art heist reveal about what it takes to make a film relevant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel-Yaw Miller is an award-winning journalist and writer of the newsletter, SportsVerse. We talk to him about whether or not streamers and influencers are welcome disruptors or interlopers, not watching upstart sports leagues out of principle, what makes Stone Island a “smart collaborator” brand, depth vs. breadth, Loewe and On's partnership with stone skipping GOAT Kurt Steiner, and NIL. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything is an ad and no one is paying attention. Trey and Eli discuss if it's possible to cut through in an era of calcified apathy, ad blockers, toilet TV, and “brandspeak” afflicted gen pop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ Wolfe is a blogger and author of Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture. We dive into Disney Adult culture, what's behind a sort of religious fervor for the House of Mouse, how Disney is shifting its business priorities and offerings to meet an older, childless consumer base, why “the worst part about being a Disney Adult is other Disney Adults,” why you don't have a divine right to fun rides and Star Wars hotels, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We—and the rest of New York—have a few thoughts on the sprawling, million dollar subway campaign for “Friend,” the AI-powered companion pendant that listens to whatever you're doing and offers a running commentary on your interactions. It's yet to ship a single product. Plus, Meta's new “Vibes,” Palantir tote bags, ChatGPT and Claude's new marketing pushes, and we ask “why do some brands have so much disdain for the consumer?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christina Loff is the Head of Lifestyle on the partnerships team at Substack. She also writes her own newsletter called The Dry Down Diaries. We talk to her about recruiting new writers to the platform, not being held to an algorithm, leaning into “founder-led” brand stories (but not every brand should be, or needs to be on the platform), bathhouse readings, and the importance of downloading the app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We delve into Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick's apt and unrestrained diatribe on the “era of ad-based psychosis” in his newsletter The Trend Report, and what happens when we leave people with nothing other than products, branding, or a community manager in the comments section to bind their entire identity to. On the brighter side, stay to hear about a hamster riding a motorcycle, Owen Cooper and the return of earnest, Jane Eyre, Benghazi, and Clara's time in The Pitt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Derrick Gee has established himself as one of the internet's most authoritative voices and purveyors of taste in music, amassing almost two million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. His Sydney home/studio (shoes off, please) is also the backdrop for his show “Solid Air,” where he's welcomed Lorde, beabadoobee, MJ Lenderman, Jamie xx, and more. We discuss the road to becoming a Professional Music Fan, being “selfishly slow,” why he's sympathetic to good A&Rs, how Gen Z is more open to selling out, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss AI's increasingly complex role in advertising, from the way it's used to churn out social feed filler, to how consumers react when they find out the “authentic” campaign they loved was never real in the first place. We talk about the Oasis concert over the weekend—bucket hats and pre-rolls included—J.Crew's faux-vintage lookbook, and Skechers' sketchy subway ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we're joined by our Day One colleague, Jordan Stone. We start off with a quick examination of the global elites' music tastes, recently uncovered via the ‘Panama Playlists,' and then move on to debate what we have to gain, or lose, when we have a more critical, curatorial lens to the ad world and culture at large. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belly buttons, Morse code, Miami Dolphins colorways… We're talking Taylor Swift's Showgirl Era™. But beneath the bright orange or purple glitter and brand commenting chaos, the creator economy is still grinding away — and not in a good way. We break down why it feels like a “race to the bottom for human dignity,” per ZINE's Matt Klein, how brands are fracking culture for quick hits, and what a more sustainable Creator Economy 2.0 might look like. (Spoiler: the future is scaling up to be micro.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thom Bettridge is the editor in chief of the newly-relaunched i-D magazine. He's previously held stints at 032c, SSENSE, Highsnobiety, and Interview. We talk about building off of the publication's 45+ year legacy, scouting unknown talent, the importance of actually talking to people, how Gen Z insights are just Millennial insights, and why he launched his own Substack, CONTENT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clara's seeking out angel investors for a pretzel brand by women, for women. Plus, a discussion around why brands just can't help themselves from using bleak insights as jumping off points for gimmicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Frommer is the founder of The New Consumer: a publication which draws upon his expertise as a business and tech journalist to examine how and why people spend their time and money. He joins us to talk through some of the takeaways from his recent 2025 Mid-Year Report. We cover Gen Z's uneasiness on AI, why people would rather meet their favorite podcaster in the wild than an A-list movie star, and “the humanization of pets” (do you cook for your dog or cat?), as well as how he brings rigor and depth to the crowded, noisy field of consumer insights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trey kicks things off with a quick (hopefully final) recap of the Coldplay “Jumbotron Incident” and a momentary return of monoculture. You can't just cheat in today's surveillance culture, sorry. Then, Clara shifts gears to talk about the new “gentle-jacked” Superman, and how the film's refreshingly earnest plotline highlights a much-needed cultural shift away from irony-pilled junk. Finally, Eli rounds things out with a watch out around all of this talk of “community marketing.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Janfaza is a writer, political analyst and founder of The Up and Up: the authoritative newsletter tracking the cultural and political forces influencing Gen Z. We discuss how Covid split Gen Z in two, why MAGA appeals to young women, wedge issues, voting against your interests, whether or not young voters who shifted right in 2024 are up for grabs, purpose-driven branding, and a wishful plea for the return of civil discourse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss snack jail (aka CVS's shopping-proof shelves) and Crumbl's Moonbeam Ice Cream Cookie, inspired by the Benson Boone song “Mystical, Magical.” Plus, the Cannes Lions have been marred in controversy over the past few weeks, following several exposés around wonky data and AI-filled case study videos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zito Madu is an author, sports journalist, and cultural critic. We talk about why there are empty seats at the Club World Cup, why sports betting is here to stay, losing a multi-million dollar contract on a three figure parlay, how pay-to-play sports eliminates a diversity of playing styles, why we need to bring more whimsy back to sports marketing, and the joy of seeing waterfalls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're talking about how Blank Street Coffee built a $500 million dollar empire, “Lower East Side Dimes Boy” matcha personas, fellas…, the founder of an Erewhon-adjacent grocery store in Tribeca is letting his “fans” stock the shelves, and betting markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are letting you bet on the end of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a very hot day four, Matt Klein joins us to talk about the work exhibit in the Palais basement (where ad-hoc insights and very creative data points abound), what's missing from conversation about the creator economy, and giving up personal data for a piece of fruit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Semafor Media Editor, Max Tani, joins us for day three. We talk about sunburns, the evolving media presence at Cannes, pre-fab buildings, YouTube eating TikTok's lunch, Chat J'ai Pété, Substack's will-they-won't-they dance with advertisers, the changing tide in the culture wars, and where to get the best Thai food in Cannes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day two of Cannes Lions kicks off with former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, advocating a Dolly Parton approach to brand purpose followed by a refreshing marketing talk break from James Blake. In other news, will.i.am says we're not prepared to be good hosts to aliens, Paris Hilton's husband talks about AI and VC (two things you really don't hear about enough), and our AG1 partnership continues to deepen (jk). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clara and Eli are on the ground reporting from day one of the Cannes Lions. Highlights include: Willa Bennett's plans for rebooting Cosmopolitan's IP, Apple's VP of Marketing saying “human creativity” over 18 times in 20 minutes, a potential new sponsor, Chinese soft power, being in the Nashville of France, and our ideas for a Bravo buildout on the Croisette. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonjour. Eli and Clara will be dropping daily episodes of the podcast, recorded live and uncut from the Cannes Lions Festival next week. We'll break down some of the Croisette's highs and lows, plus get the rundown of what some former D1FM guests are seeing on their end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Edgar is a Chicago-based designer who's been making a lot of very cool things for a very long time. He co-authored the early aughts blog THE BRILLIANCE, founded Boxed Water, and more recently started An Object Company. We talk about the importance of design consistency, how we're at an inflection point with “phone stuff,” Dieter Rams, bar etiquette, applied design, Adrien Brody's art, why it's interesting to know what you're interested in, Chicago, the sin wave of culture and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're talking about the NBA's “crisis of cool,” and whether that's also inclusive of Timothée Chalamet's Chrome Hearts, Adam Friedland's interview on Mixed Signals, the rise of “establishment podcasts,” cruise ships, space ships, and waiting in line at pop-ups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recho Omondi is the host and creator of The Cutting Room Floor, the popular fashion podcast featuring guests like Cynthia Erivo and Law Roach. In this episode, we explore why blue chip design names like Steve Madden and Brendon Babenzien of Noah open up on her mic, revealing unfiltered takes on the business of fashion. We also dive into Omondi's “clipping” technique, the politics of taste, and why being a partial outsider gives her the clearest view of fashion's inner workings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forget the score, on this week's episode we unpack how the real action isn't happening on the court, but instead on the second screen and…OnlyFans? We'll unpack SNY's surprisingly good social content, “Smash City,” Engelbert Humperdinck, pollen, and “water-based cooking.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Paul Brammer is an author, artist, and writer of the popular advice column, ¡Hola Papi!. He joins us on the pod to discuss midwest debauchery, advice on giving advice, high-profile penguins, his top 5 birds, why Bluesky is “giving gas leak,” standing behind something you 100% do not believe in, house parties, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're talking about friend supply versus “friend demand,” AI designed specifically for cheating on your Costco job interview, naming a sandwich after a disease epidemic (bad idea), thirst trap strategies, and how the West Village is now filled with identikit personalities wearing scrunch bum leggings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back with another impromptu in-house episode, this week we take stock of the grocery store shelves which are packed with protein: Khloé Kardashian Khloud popcorn, dry as sawdust Quest bars, and… Hormbles Chormbles. Also, why does every new product sound like it was named by a toddler? And are we experiencing a mass cognitive decline or does every advertisement sound nonsensical? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're being scammed. The latest Mr Beast experience was a flop, Fyre Festival is back, Chinese manufacturers are exposing the luxury goods industry, and everyone is buying now and paying later. Between financing your Coachella tickets and your Chilli's baby back ribs, this week on the pod we unveil the many ways scams have gone mainstream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aidan Walker is an internet culture and meme researcher and writer, former editor at Know Your Meme, and self proclaimed ‘Slopimist'. He joins us to discuss Skibidi toilet and the surveillance state, the “War and Peace” of our times, John Pork lore, why he's optimistic about Gen Alpha's chances, historicizing memes, and how “God didn't want us to drink slushies, red 40, or vapes that taste like crème brûlée”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adolescence on Netflix. White Lotus on Max. Bot on… bot? This week on the pod, people are having withdrawal symptoms from overuse of ChatGPT. Tinder is rolling out the opportunity to practice flirting with AI before moving into the real world, and we question whether or not too much conversational practice with a digital entity is turning every man into an incel. The one good use of AI: a new app that will make annoying customer service calls on your behalf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chloé Desaulles is a multidisciplinary artist based out of New York. She specializes in using “new tools to tell old stories about people, habits and environments.” She previously held stints at The New York Times R&D with a focus on mixed reality and VR, and has also done work for Megan Thee Stallion, Apple, and Alicia Keys. She joins us to explore the ways AI is shaping the art world, rising interest in analog mediums, “hyper optimization,” Netflix shows made for you to fold your laundry to, and why hot yoga is a scam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laundry day but make it ~aesthetic~. Willy Wonka but make it a Netflix competition series. Today on the pod we discuss unoriginal ideas disguised as masquerading as new, trace Mr. Beast's similarities to Jigsaw in ‘Saw,' and mourn the loss of six-figure media jobs. We also take a moment for ‘White Lotus' theories and predictions, like everyone else online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Weisner and Lukas Bentel are the Chief Creative Officers of MSCHF, the subversive Brooklyn-based art collective known for “drops” like the Big Red Boots, Key4All, Tax Heaven, Satan Shoes and more. They join us to discuss their new book, "Made By MSCHF", the importance of creative antagonists, defending Rothko, never having KPIs, virality is cheap and hating on golf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.