Podcast appearances and mentions of Anne Helen Petersen

We have a treat for you today with a drop-in episode from Anne Helen Petersen's Culture Study. Culture Study is a podcast about the culture that surrounds you. This episode featuring Hannah and Marcelle is all about Royal Family gossip, colonialism, and empires in decline! Together, Anne, Hannah and Marcelle consider how royal fascination manifests differently depending on where you live, how you were raised, and identification (or lack thereof) with “your” generation of monarch.You can find Culture Study wherever you get your podcasts and at culturestudypod.substack.com.Head to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease to become a supporter of the show. On Patreon you'll get so many ad-free bonus episodes you will stop missing us completely. It costs as little as $5 USD a month to support the show but it is the difference between us paying Coach or not. Don't you want to pay Coach? Don't you want to listen to more episodes? Again head to patreon.com/ohwitchplease or wait until next week for a new episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a treat for you today with a drop-in episode from Anne Helen Petersen's Culture Study. Culture Study is a podcast about the culture that surrounds you. This episode featuring Hannah and Marcelle is all about Royal Family gossip, colonialism, and empires in decline! Together, Anne, Hannah and Marcelle consider how royal fascination manifests differently depending on where you live, how you were raised, and identification (or lack thereof) with “your” generation of monarch.You can find Culture Study wherever you get your podcasts and at culturestudypod.substack.com.Head to Patreon.com/ohwitchplease to become a supporter of the show. On Patreon you'll get so many ad-free bonus episodes you will stop missing us completely. It costs as little as $5 USD a month to support the show but it is the difference between us paying Coach or not. Don't you want to pay Coach? Don't you want to listen to more episodes? Again head to patreon.com/ohwitchplease or wait until next week for a new episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're listening to Burnt Toast! Today, my guest isMara Gordon, MD. Dr. Mara is a family physician on the faculty of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, as well as a writer, journalist and contributor to NPR. She also writes the newsletter Your Doctor Friend by Mara Gordon about her efforts to make medicine more fat friendly. And she was previously on the podcast last November, answering your questions on how to take a weight inclusive approach to conditions like diabetes, acid reflux, and sleep apnea.Dr. Mara is back today to tackle all your questions about perimenopause and menopause! Actually, half your questions—there were so many, and the answers are so detailed, we're going to be breaking this one into a two parter. So stay tuned for the second half, coming in September! As we discussed in our recent episode with Cole Kazdin, finding menopause advice that doesn't come with a side of diet culture is really difficult. Dr Mara is here to help, and she will not sell you a supplement sign or make you wear a weighted vest. This episode is free but if you value this conversation, please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. Burnt Toast is 100% reader- and listener-supported. We literally can't do this without you.PS. You can always listen to this pod right here in your email, where you'll also receive full transcripts (edited and condensed for clarity). But please also follow us in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and/or Pocket Casts! And if you enjoy today's conversation, please tap the heart on this post — likes are one of the biggest drivers of traffic from Substack's Notes, so that's a super easy, free way to support the show!And don't miss these: Episode 203 TranscriptVirginiaWhen I put up the call out for listener questions for this, we were immediately inundated with, like, 50 questions in an hour. People have thoughts and feelings and need information! So I'm very excited you're here. Before we dive into the listener questions, let's establish some big picture framing on how we are going to approach this conversation around perimenopause and menopause.MaraI should start just by introducing myself. I'm a family doctor and I have a very general practice, which means I take care of infants and I have a couple patients who are over 100. It's amazing. And families, which is such an honor, to care for multiple generations of families. So, perimenopause and menopause is one chunk of my practice, but it is not all of it.I come from the perspective of a generalist, right? Lots of my patients have questions about perimenopause and menopause. Many of my patients are women in that age group. And I have been learning a lot over the last couple of years. The science is emerging, and I think a lot of practice patterns amongst doctors have really changed, even in the time that I have been in practice, which is about 10 years. There has been a huge shift in the way we physicians think about menopause and think about perimenopause, which I think is mostly for the better, which is really exciting.There's an increased focus on doctors taking menopause seriously, approaching it with deep care and concern and professionalism. And that is excellent. But this menopause advocacy is taking place in a world that's really steeped in fatphobia and diet culture. Our culture is just so susceptible to corporate influence. There are tons of influencers who call themselves menopause experts selling supplements online, just selling stuff. Sort of cashing in on this. And I will note, a lot of them are medical doctors, too, so it can be really hard to sort through.VirginiaYour instinct is to trust, because you see the MD.MaraTotally. There's a lot of diet talk wrapped up in all of it, and there's a lot of fear-mongering, which I would argue often has fatphobia at its core. It's a fear of fatness, a fear of aging, a fear of our bodies not being ultra thin, ultra sexualized bodies of adolescents or women in their 20s, right? This is all to say that I think it's really exciting that there's an increased cultural focus on women's health, particularly health in midlife. But we also need to be careful about the ways that diet culture sneaks into some of this talk, and who might be profiting from it. So we do have some hearty skepticism, but also some enthusiasm for the culture moving towards taking women's concerns and midlife seriously.VirginiaThe cultural discourse around this is really tricky. Part of why I wanted you to come on to answer listener questions is because you approach healthcare from a weight inclusive lens, which is not every doctor. It is certainly not every doctor in the menopause space. And you're not selling us a supplement line or a weighted vest, so that's really helpful. So that's a good objective place for us to start! Here's our first question, from Julie: It's my understanding that the body naturally puts on weight in menopause, especially around the torso, and that this fat helps to replace declining estrogen, because fat produces estrogen. I don't know where I've heard this, but I think it's true? But I would like to know a doctor's explanation of this, just because I think it's just more evidence that our bodies know what they're doing and we can trust them, and that menopause and the possible related weight gain is nothing to fear or dread or fight.MaraOof, okay, so we are just diving right in. Thank you so much for this question. It's one I get from many of my patients, too. So I looked into some of the literature on this, and it is thought that declining estrogen—which happens in the menopausal transition—does contribute to what we call visceral adiposity, which is basically fatty tissue around the internal organs. And in clinical practice, we approximate this by assessing waist circumference. This is really spotty! But we tend to think of it as “belly fat,” which is a fatphobic term. I prefer the term “visceral adiposity” even though it sounds really medical, it gets more specifically at what the issue is, which is that this particular adipose tissue around internal organs can be pathologic. It can be associated with insulin resistance, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, and risk of what we call metabolic—here's a mouthful—metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease, which is what fatty liver disease has been renamed.So I don't think we totally understand why this happens in the menopausal transition. There is a hypothesis that torso fatty tissue does help increase estrogen, and it's the body's response to declining estrogen and attempts to preserve estrogen. But in our modern lives, where people live much longer than midlife, it can create pathology. VirginiaI just want to pause there to make sure folks get it. So it could be that this extra fat in our torsos develops for a protective reason —possibly replacing estrogen levels—but because we now live longer, there's a scenario where it doesn't stay protective, or it has other impacts besides its initial protective purpose.MaraRight? And this is just a theory. It's kind of impossible to prove something like that, but many menopause researchers have this working theory about, quote—we've got to find a better term for it—belly fat. What should we call it, Virginia? Virginia. I mean, or can we reclaim belly fat? But that's like a whole project. There is a lot of great work reclaiming bellies, but we'll go with visceral adiposity right now.MaraAnyway, this is an active area of menopause research, and I'm not sure we totally understand the phenomenon. That being said, Julie asks, “Should we just trust our bodies?” Do our bodies know what they're doing? And I think that's a really philosophical question, and that is the heart of what you're asking, Julie, rather than what's the state of the research on visceral adiposity in the menopause transition.It's how much do we trust our bodies versus how much do we use modern medicine to intervene, to try to change the natural course of our bodies? And it's a question about the role that modern medicine plays in our lives. So obviously, I'm a fan of modern medicine, right? I'm a medical doctor. But I also have a lot of skepticism about it. I can see firsthand that we pathologize a lot of normal physiologic processes, and I see the way that our healthcare system profits off of this pathology.So this is all to say: Most people do tend to gain weight over time. That's been well-described in the literature. Both men and women gain weight with age, and women tend to gain mid-section weight specifically during the menopausal transition, which seems to be independent of age. So people who go through menopause earlier might see this happen earlier. This weight gain is happening in unique ways that are affected by the hormone changes in the menopausal transition, and I think it can be totally reasonable to want to prevent insulin resistance or prevent metabolic dysfunction in the liver using medications. Or can you decide that you don't want to use medications to do that; diet and exercise also absolutely play a role. But I think it's a deep question. I don't know, what do you think? Virginia, what's your take?VirginiaI think it can be a both/and. If everybody gains weight as we age, and particularly as we go through menopause transition, then we shouldn't be pathologizing that at baseline. Because if everybody does it, then it's a normal fact of having a human body. And why are we making that into something that we're so terrified of?And I think this is what we're going to get more into with these questions: It's also possible to say, can we improve quality of life? Can we extend life? Can we use medicine to help with those things in a way that makes it not about the weight gain, but about managing the symptoms that may or may not be caused by the weight gain? If the weight gain correlates with insulin resistance, of course you're going to treat the insulin resistance, because the insulin resistance is the concern. Does that mean weight loss is the thing we have to do? Not necessarily.MaraTotally. I define size inclusive medicine—which is the way that I practice medicine—as basically not yelling at my patients to lose weight. And it's quite revolutionary, even though it shouldn't be. I typically don't initiate conversations about weight loss with my patients. If my patients have evidence of metabolic dysfunction in the liver, if they have evidence of diabetes or pre-diabetes, if they have high blood pressure, we absolutely tackle those issues. There's good medications and non-medication treatments for those conditions.And if my patients want to talk about weight loss, I'm always willing to engage in those conversations. I do not practice from a framework of refusing to talk with my patients about weight loss because I feel that's not centering my patients' bodily autonomy. So let's talk about these more objective and less stigmatized medical conditions that we can quantify. Let's target those. And weight loss may be a side effect of targeting those. Weight loss may not be a side effect of targeting those. And there are ways to target those conditions that often don't result in dramatic or clinically significant weight loss, and that's okay.One other thing I'll note that it's not totally clear that menopausal weight gain is causing those sort of metabolic dysfunctions. This is a really interesting area of research. Again, I'm not a researcher, but I follow it with interest, because as a size-inclusive doctor, this is important to the way that I practice. So there's some school of thought that the metabolic dysfunction causes the weight gain, rather than the weight gain causing the metabolic dysfunction. And this is important because of the way we blame people for weight gain. We think if you gain weight, you've caused diabetes or whatever. This flips thta narrative on its head. Diabetes is a really complex disease with many, many factors affecting it. It's possible that having a genetic predisposition to cardiometabolic disease may end up causing weight gain, and specifically this visceral adiposity. So this is all to say there's a lot we don't understand. And I think at the core is trying to center my patients values, and de-stigmatize all of these conversations.VirginiaI love how Julie phrased it: “The possible related weight gain in menopause is maybe nothing to fear, dread, or fight.” I think anytime we can approach health without a mindset of fear and dread and not be fighting our bodies, that seems like it's going to be more health promoting than if we're going in like, “Oh my God, this is happening. It's terrible. I have to stop it.”And this is every life stage we go through, especially as women. Our bodies change, and usually our bodies get bigger. And we're always told we have to fight through puberty. You have a baby, you have to get your body back as quickly as possible. I do think there's something really powerful in saying: “I am going through a big life change right now so my body is supposed to change. I can focus on managing the health conditions that might come along with that, and I can also let my body do what it needs to do.” I think we can have both.MaraYeah, that's so beautifully said. And Julie, thank you for saying it that way.VirginiaOkay, so now let's get into some related weight questions.I was just told by my OB/GYN that excess abdominal weight can contribute to urinary incontinence in menopause. How true is this, and how much of a factor do you think weight is in this situation? And I think the you know, the unsaid question in this and in so many of these questions, is, so do I have to lose weight to solve this issue?MaraYes. So this is a very common refrain I hear from patients about the relationship between BMI and sort of different processes in the body, right? I think what the listeners' OB/GYN is getting at is the idea that mass in the abdomen and torso might put pressure on the pelvic floor. And more mass in the torso, more pressure on the pelvic floor.But urinary incontinence is extremely complicated and it can be caused by lots of different things. So I think what the OB/GYN is alluding to is pelvic floor weakness, which is one common cause. The muscles in the pelvic floor, which is all those muscles that basically hold up your uterus, your bladder, your rectum—all of those muscles can get weak over time. But other things can cause urinary incontinence, too. Neurological changes, hormonal changes in menopause, can contribute.Part of my size inclusive approach to primary care is I often ask myself: How would I treat a thin person with this condition? Because we always have other treatment options other than weight loss, and thin people have urinary incontinence all the time.VirginiaA lot of skinny grandmas are buying Depends. No shame!MaraTotally, right? And so we have treatments for urinary incontinence. And urinary incontinence often requires a multifactorial treatment approach.I will often recommend my patients do pelvic floor physical therapy. What that does is strengthen the pelvic floor muscles particularly if the person has been pregnant and had a vaginal delivery, those muscles can really weaken, and people might be having what we call genitourinary symptoms of menopause. Basically, as estrogen declines in the tissue of the vulva, it can make the tissue what we call friable.VirginiaI don't want a friable vulva! All of the language is bad.MaraI know, isn't it? I just get so used to it. And then when I talk to non-medical people, I'm like, whoa. Where did we come up with this term? It just means sort of like irritable.VirginiaOk, I'm fine having an irritable vulva. I'm frequently irritable.MaraAnd so that can cause a sensation of having to pee all the time. And that we can treat with topical estrogen, which is an estrogen cream that goes inside the vagina and is an amazing, underutilized treatment that is extremely low risk. I just prescribe it with glee and abandon to all of my patients, because it can really help with urinary symptoms. It can help with discomfort during sex in the menopausal transition. It is great treatment.VirginiaItchiness, dryness…MaraExactly, yeah! So I was doing a list of causes of urinary incontinence: Another one is overactive bladder, which we often use oral medications to treat. That helps decrease bladder spasticity. So this is all to say that it's multifactorial. It's rare that there's sort of one specific issue. And it is possible that for some people, weight loss might help decrease symptoms. If somebody loses weight in their abdomen, it might put less pressure on the pelvic floor, and that might ease up. But it's not the only treatment. So since we know that weight loss can be really challenging to maintain over time for many, many reasons, I think it's important to offer our patients other treatment options. But I don't want to discount the idea that it's inherently unrelated. It's possible that it's one factor of many that contributes to urinary incontinence.VirginiaThis is, like, the drumbeat I want us to keep coming back to with all these issues. As you said, how would I treat this in a thin person? It is much easier to start using an estrogen cream—like you said, low risk, easy to use—and see if that helps, before you put yourself through some draconian diet plan to try to lose weight.So for the doctor to start from this place of, “well, you've got excess abdominal fat, and that's why you're having this problem,” that's such a shaming place to start when that's very unlikely to be the full story or the full solution.MaraTotally. And pelvic PT is also underutilized and amazing. Everyone should get it after childbirth, but many people who've never had children might benefit from it, too.VirginiaOkay, another weight related question. This is from Ellen, who wrote in our thread in response to Julie's question. So in related to Julie's question about the role of declining estrogen in gaining abdominal fat:If that's the case, why does hormone replacement therapy not mitigate that weight gain? I take estrogen largely to support my bone health due to having a genetic disorder leading to fragile bones, but to be honest I had hoped that the estrogen would also help address the weight I've put on over the past five years despite stable eating and exercise habits. That hasn't happened, and I understand that it generally doesn't happen with HRT, but I don't understand why. I guess I'd just like to understand better why we tend to gain abdominal fat in menopause and what if anything can help mitigate that weight gain. I'm working on self acceptance for the body I have now, and I get frustrated when clothes I love no longer fit, or when my doctor tells me one minute to watch portion sizes to avoid weight gain, and the next tells me to ingest 1000 milligrams of calcium per day, which would account for about half of the calories I'm supposed to eat daily in order to lose weight or not gain more weight. It just feels like a lot of competing messages! Eat more protein and calcium, but have a calorie deficit. And it's all about your changing hormones, but hormone replacement therapy won't change anything.Ellen, relatable. So many mixed messages. Dr. Mara, you spoke to what we do and don't know about the abdominal fat piece a little bit already in Julie's question, so I think we can set that aside. But yes, if estrogen is playing a role, why does hormone replacement therapy not necessarily impact weight? And what do we do with the protein of it all? Because, let me tell you, we got like 50 other questions about protein.MaraI will answer the first part first: I don't think we know why menopausal hormone therapy does not affect abdominal fat. You're totally right. It makes intuitive sense, but that's not what we see clinically. There's some evidence that menopausal hormone therapy can decrease the rate of muscle mass loss. But we consider it a weight neutral treatment. Lots of researchers are studying these questions. But I don't think anybody knows.So those messages feel like they're competing because they are competing. And I don't think we understand why all these things go on in the human body and how to approach them. So maybe I'll turn the question back to you, Virginia. How do you think about it when you are seeking expertise and you get not a clear answer?VirginiaI mean, I'm an irritable vulva when it happens, that's for sure. My vulva and I are very irritated by conflicting messages. And I think we're right to be. I think Ellen is articulating a real frustration point.The other thing Ellen is articulating is how vulnerable we are in these moments. Because, as she's saying, she's working on self-acceptance for the body she has. And I think a lot of us are like, “We don't want weight loss to be the prescription. We don't want to feel pressured to go in that direction.” And then the doctor comes in and says, “1000 milligrams of calcium a day, an infinity number of protein grams a day. Also lose weight.” And then you do find yourself on that roller coaster or hamster wheel—choose your metaphor. Again, because we're so programmed to think “well, the only option I have is to try to control my weight, control my weight, control my weight.” And you get back in that space.What I usually try to do is phone a friend, have a plan to step myself out of that. Whether it's texting my best friend or texting Corinne, so they can be that voice of reason. And I would do this for them, too! You need help remembering: You don't want to pursue intentional weight loss. You're doing all this work on self-acceptance. Dieting is not going to be helpful. So what can you take from this advice that does feel doable and useful? And maybe it's not 1000 milligrams of calcium a day, but maybe it's like, a little more yogurt in your week. Is there a way you can translate this to your life that feels manageable? I think it's what you do a great job of. But I think in general, doctors don't do a great job with that part.MaraYeah, I bet you Ellen's doctor had 15 minutes with her. And was like, “Well, eat all this calcium and definitely try to lose weight,” right? And then was rushing out the door because she has 30 other patients to see that day.I think doctors are trying to offer what maybe they think patients want to hear, which is certainty and one correct answer. And it can feel hard to find the space to sort of sit in the uncertainty of medicine and health and the uncertainty of like our bodies. And corporate medicine is not conducive to that, let's put it that way.VirginiaBut so how much protein do we need to be eating?MaraI have no idea. Virginia, I don't think anybody knows. I think exercise is good for you. It's not good for every single body at every single moment in time. If you just broke your foot, running is not a healthy activity, right? If you're recovering from a disordered relationship with exercise, it's not healthy.But, movement in general prolongs our health span. And I'm reluctant to even say this, but, the Mediterranean diet—I hate even calling it a diet, right? But vegetables, protein—I don't even want to call them healthy fats, it's just so ambiguous what that means. But olive oil. All those things seem to be good for you. With the caveat that it's really hard to study the effects of diet. And this is general diet, not meaning a restrictive diet, but your diet over time. But I don't think we know how much, how much protein one needs to eat. It is unknowable.VirginiaAnd that's why, I think what we've been saying about figure out how to translate this into something that feels doable in your life. It's not like, Oh, olive oil forever. Never butter again. MaraOf course not. I love butter. Oh, my God. Extra butter!VirginiaRight. Butter is core to the Burnt Toast philosophy. I know you wouldn't be coming here with an anti-butter agenda.MaraOh, of course not. Kerry Gold forever.VirginiaBut it's, how can you take this and think about what makes sense in your life and would add value and not feel restrictive? And that's hard to do that when you're feeling vulnerable and worried and menopause feels like this big, scary unknown. But you still have the right to do that, because it's still your body.MaraBeautifully said.ButterVirginiaWell, this has all been incredibly helpful. Let's chat about things that are bringing us joy. Dr Mara, do you have some Butter for us? MaraI had to think about this a lot. The Butter question is obviously the most important question of the whole conversation.We have been in a heat wave in Philly, where I live, and it's really, really hot, and we have a public pool that is four blocks from our house. Philly actually has tons of public pools. Don't quote me on this, but I've heard through the grapevine—I have not fact-checked this—that it is one of the highest per capita free public pools in the country. I don't know where I heard that from. I know I should probably look that up, but anyway, we've got a lot of pools in Philly. And there's one four blocks from my house.So I used to think of pool time as a full day, like a Saturday activity. Like you bring snacks, you bring a book, you lounge for hours. But our city pool is very bare bones. There's no shade. And so, I have come to approach it as an after work palate cleanser. We rush there after I get my kid from daycare, and just pop in, pop out. It's so nice. And pools are so democratic. Everybody is there cooling off. There's no body shame. I mean, I feel like it's actually been quite freeing for my experience of a body shame in a bathing suit, because there's no opportunity to even contemplate it. Like you have to hustle in there to get there before it closes. There's no place to put your stuff. So you can't do all those body shielding techniques. You have to leave your stuff outside of the pool. So you have to go in in a bathing suit. And it's just like, all shapes and sizes there. I love it. So public pools are my Butter.VirginiaWe don't have a good public pool in my area, and I wish we did. I'm so jealous. That's magical. Since we're talking about being in midlife, I'm going to recommend the memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success by Jeff Hiller, which I just listened to on audiobook. Definitely listen to it on audiobook. Obviously, Jeff Hiller is a man and not in menopause, but he is in his late 40s, possibly turned 50. He's an actress of a certain age, as he says. If you watched “Somebody Somewhere” with Bridget Everett, he plays her best friend Joel. And the show was wonderful. Everyone needs to watch that.But Jeff Hiller is someone who had his big breakout role on an HBO show at the age of, like, 47 or something. And so it's his memoir of growing up as a closeted gay kid in Texas, in the church, and then moving to New York and pursuing acting and all that. It's hilarious. It's really moving. It made me teary several times. He is a beautiful writer, and it just makes you realize the potential of this life stage. And one of his frequent refrains in the book, and it's a quote from Bridget Everett, is Dreams Don't have Deadlines, and realizing what potential there is in the second half of our lives, or however you want to define it. Oh my gosh, I loved it so much. There's also a great, great interview with Jeff on Sam Sanders podcast that I'll link to as well. That's just like a great entry point, and it will definitely make you want to go listen to the whole book.MaraI love it.I will briefly say one thing I've been thinking about during this whole conversation is a piece by the amazing Anne Helen Petersen who writes Culture Study, which is one of my favorites of course, in addition to Burnt Toast. She wrote a piece about going through the portal. That was what she calls it. And she writes about how she's talking with her mom, I think, who says, “Oh, you're starting to portal!” to Anne. And I just love it.What she's getting at is this sort of surge of creativity and self confidence and self actualization that happens in midlife for women in particular. And I just love that image. Whenever I think of doing something that would have scared me a few years ago, or acting confident, appropriately confident in situations. I'm like, I'm going into the portal. I just, I love it, it's so powerful, and I think about it all the time.VirginiaWell, thank you so much for doing this. This was really wonderful. Tell folks where they can find you and how we can support your work.MaraThank you so much, Virginia. I'm such a fan of your work. It has been so meaningful, meaningful to me, both personally and professionally. So it's such an honor to be here again. You can find me on Substack. I write Your Doctor Friend by Mara Gordon . And I'm on Instagram at Mara Gordon MD, too. And you can find a lot of my writing on NPR as well. And I'm writing a book called, tentatively, How to Take Up Space, and it's about body shame and health care and the pursuit of health and wellness. So lots of issues like we touched on today, and hopefully that will be coming into the world in a couple of years. But yeah, thanks so much for having me, Virginia.The Burnt Toast Podcast is produced and hosted by Virginia Sole-Smith (follow me on Instagram) and Corinne Fay, who runs @SellTradePlus, and Big Undies.The Burnt Toast logo is by Deanna Lowe.Our theme music is by Farideh.Tommy Harron is our audio engineer.Thanks for listening and for supporting anti-diet, body liberation journalism! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com/subscribe

Readers, if you are feeling burned out right now, you are not alone. In our team meeting last week, we talked about the fact that things are hard right now. That's why this feels like a great time to revisit a favorite past episode from another time not so long ago when we were also feeling burned out. Today we're sharing Anne's May 2021 conversation with journalist Anne Helen Petersen, which originally aired back then as Episode 284. Anne Helen writes the weekly email newsletter Culture Study and she knows a lot about burnout because she literally wrote a book about it: Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. In today's episode, Anne Helen shares her personal experience with reading during a grueling season, advice and hope for readers who feel stuck in burnout, and a handful of backlist favorites from her own bookshelves. No matter how your reading life has evolved over the last few years, or even if it hasn't, we think you'll find comfort and insight in today's episode. Find the full list of titles mentioned today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/474. We've been working hard behind the scenes to prepare your 2025 Summer Reading Guide! This year will be our 14th annual Summer Reading Guide, and we kick off the celebration with our live unboxing before continuing with all sorts of bonus reading adventures in Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club and in our Patreon community. Order your Summer Reading Guide at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by culture critic and writer Anne Helen Petersen. Together, they answer letters about secretly contributing to a kid's college fund, asking a friend to apologize for their internalized fatphobia, and resolving a massive fight with a stepchild. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. This week's podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by culture critic and writer Anne Helen Petersen. Together, they answer letters about secretly contributing to a kid's college fund, asking a friend to apologize for their internalized fatphobia, and resolving a massive fight with a stepchild. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. This week's podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by culture critic and writer Anne Helen Petersen. Together, they answer letters about secretly contributing to a kid's college fund, asking a friend to apologize for their internalized fatphobia, and resolving a massive fight with a stepchild. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. This week's podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by culture critic and writer Anne Helen Petersen. Together, they answer letters about secretly contributing to a kid's college fund, asking a friend to apologize for their internalized fatphobia, and resolving a massive fight with a stepchild. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen. This week's podcast is produced by Maura Currie, Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Anuli Ononye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reinvention Room is launched with a whole new twist!!! This episode is a juicy one. I'm breaking down the Tradwife phenomenon—a throwback to 1950s-style homemaking in today's modern world. If you've ever stumbled across an Instagram account like Ballerina Farm or found yourself questioning the aesthetics, values, and privilege behind these curated lives, you're in for a treat.I dive into what Tradwives are, why they're so polarizing, and what makes them both fascinating and frustrating. From the allure of simplicity to the backlash from feminists, I'm unpacking why this cultural moment lights up so many debates. Are Tradwives just living their best lives, or are they masking privilege and systemic inequities? And, most importantly, how does this trend reflect where we are as women in 2025?I'll share my personal reactions (spoiler: I'm not moving to a farm anytime soon) and highlight key players like Ballerina Farm and other tradwife influencers. We'll also explore whether this movement is truly about choice—or if it's an MLM-esque path back to traditional gender roles.Notable Timestamps:0:00-2:15: Welcome to The Reinvention Room relaunch! Why we're talking about Tradwives.2:16-10:30: My journey to this podcast name and why reinvention is central to this conversation.10:31-18:45: What the heck is a Tradwife? Let's define it and break it down.18:46-27:00: Meet Ballerina Farm—aesthetic goals or a recipe for rage?27:01-33:20: The feminist critique, the conservative dream, and everything in between.33:21-41:10: The behind-the-scenes hustle of tradwife content creators. Are they even “traditional”?41:11-49:00: Is the tradwife movement just an MLM in disguise?49:01-53:30: My closing thoughts: Why this trend makes us feel all the feelings.Mentioned in This Episode:Check out Ballerina Farm on Instagram for a deep dive into the aesthetic.Anne Helen Petersen's viral piece on TradwivesGrab your spot in the Freedom25 workshop and mastermind.If this episode got you thinking, please share it with your friends or tag me on Instagram at @allison__hare. Your shares help change the culture—one conversation at a time. Let's keep this dialogue going.Until next time, take up more space and create the life you truly want. You deserve it all. Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Sign up for the free Reinvention Roadmap weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.Schedule a FREE breakthrough call with me Want to take these ideas and apply them to your life? Let's do it!DOWNLOAD the free PDF - 40 Simple Ways to Add Energy To Your Day- get a quick burst of energy right now and KEEP IT!Reb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Personal Brand - need help building yours? Schedule a call with me here and let's discuss.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

It's a time-honored tradition: for the third year in a row, FT Weekend editor-at-large Matt Vella joins Lilah to reflect on this past year, and muse on the coming one. We've asked listeners to send their predictions and wishes for 2025, and today we're talking through them! Will next year bring an end to meme culture? How do we step away from restaurant reservation wars? Will Lena Dunham make a comeback? Plus, Matt tells us why he is embracing chaos, and why we should all let go of the fear of being watched.------ As you know, the show is ending in early January – and you can still send in a cultural question through December. What's rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com, or connect with her on Instagram @lilahrap.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – You can flip through all of our listeners' and colleagues' predictions on Instagram, here– You can read Lena Dunham on Sally Rooney in our 2024 Women of the Year round-up here: https://www.ft.com/womenof2024– Lilah mentions this piece by Anne Helen Petersen on how we're all posting less on social media, and this opinion piece by Michael Grunwald about the future of farming– Matt mentions the rise of the noodle boys– You can listen to last year's predictions here, or by searching ‘Life and Art 2024 cultural predictions'– Matt is on X @mattvella-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Music clip from Family ProductionsRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a heads up, this episode will make you want to refresh your bra and underwear drawer! We're talking Thingies with Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, the authors of the smart, compelling, and fast-pased book Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. As mentioned, bra and underwear Thingies incoming! Chantal absolutely swears by the Tom Bra from the brand Mary Jo, and Lauren likes bras from Only Hearts, Notori Bliss underwear, and Bombas UItra Stretch Calf Socks. Also, shoutout to Le Bon Shoppe's Her Socks.  Misc. Thingies include Chantal's go-to assassin's pasta and Lauren's rejection of (most) kids' music.  Want more of Lauren and Chantal? Lauren writes Puck's Line Sheet newsletter and hosts the companion podcast Fashion People, and you can find Chantal's writing in The Cut (see: “The Unbranding of Abercrombie”), for starters. Friends, you gotta read Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. We are thinking and talking about it a lot, a lot. Finally, for those intrigued by Soupstack, check out Anne Helen Petersen's 3rd annual soup roundup (4th annual coming…sometime, we'd bet?!). Ella Risbridger of You Get In Love And Then is also testing crowdsourced soups, and Becca Freeman shared her favorites too. A few of our own favorites: Ottolenghi's curried lentil, tomato, and coconut, 101 Cookbook's red lentil with lemon, Smitten Kitchen's carrot with miso and sesame, Thomas Keller's butternut squash.  Actually good: Souper Cubes.  Do you have bra and underwear recs we have to know about? Please share them at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Treat your teeth well with a Slate Electric Flosser and get 10% off when you use our link. Try L.A. Burdick's delightful and individually handcrafted chocolates (the ghosts, the coffin!). Give your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO.   YAY.

Today we're sexy, confident, intelligent, heaven-sent – and taking on Katy Perry's disastrous new album, 143. Featuring the lead single ‘Woman's World', this album has gone viral for all the wrong reasons: a muddled feminist message, a slew of publicity gaffes and even a government investigation. What makes the album so disappointing? And why do people care so much about a Katy Perry flop? Lilah is joined by two excellent guests who bring expertise in celebrity culture and music: Anne Helen Petersen hosts the Culture Study podcast, and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney is our pop critic of almost 25 years.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we're grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Ludo's one-star review of 143 by Katy Perry is here: https://on.ft.com/4gTRSga. Here's the “Woman's World” music video, so you can decide what it means for yourself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVIJUH29pjU – Anne Helen Petersen hosts the Culture Study podcast. Listen to her conversation with Lilah about cooking in the age of infinite recipes here, or by searching “Culture Study” wherever you listen– Anne is on Instagram @annehelenpetersen. Her newsletter is here: https://annehelen.substack.com/ – Ludo is on X @ludohunter-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips this week courtesy of Capitol. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.This episode first aired on May 16, 2024.Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.ResourcesThe Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The AtlanticVox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"Our GuestA former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.Your HostsFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies.Stay ConnectedWebsiteLinkedInNewsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trevor, Christiana, and noted writer and journalist Anne Helen Petersen discuss the growing #tradwife trend, the ideological conviction that a woman's sole and highest purpose is to be her spouse's modest, subservient helpmate, and that anything less is ungodly. Why do more women now seem to be taking on this mantle? Are cleaning, cooking, and total submission truly the path to godliness, or have we fallen so far off the societal cliff that women are simply exhausted? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello everyone and welcome to the monthly review for July! I'm sending this out to all subscribers since some life chaos prevented me from getting the Weekly Forecast out to you all this week. I'm loathe to skip anything Incandescent Tarot-related, so I hope this makes up for the absence and maybe gives an enticing peek behind the curtain/look at the magical realm of a paid subscription. So how was July for you all?I was looking back at my camera roll and shocked to see how much had happened. I took a trip to visit family up north and was able to take a small detour alone to visit my hometown. I hadn't been back in almost nine years and it was euphoric and eerie to drive along the backroads of Western Massachusetts and know my way exactly. We had an interesting group of cards this month - all minor arcana - and the month had a similar feeling of profound everyday-ness. Working through the same issues, going back to the work, driving along the backroads again, and again, and again. What did you learn from all the returning, revisiting, and repetition? I'm writing this with the knowledge of our cards for the next month and wow. There's clearly a lot to uncover in this month that can help steer us in the weeks ahead. Be sure to scroll down for reflection prompts to gather your thoughts and insights, and of course the cards for August. (I am shook!) Before then, a few highlights:In the tarot-verse: I did a bunch of personal readings this month, including one with a fun structure I'm excited to share. (Anyone else out there into DIY-spreads?) The first card I drew?? Strength! I'm also so excited that a second edition Uusi Design Studio's Eros Tarot (joyfully NSFW) is on pre-order. What decks have you been enjoying? Always looking for recommendations to diversify my heavily-RWS tarot portfolio.Reading, watching, listening: Vacation time means reading time and aah and I am missing the feeling of being able to devour a book in two days! I finally read Wandering Stars, Tommy Orange's follow-up to the wonderful There There (very Five of Cups, Ten of Pentacles, and The Moon with its themes of lineage, grief, and transformation) and Birnam Wood, which I found annoying at first and then absolutely engrossing. It probably didn't help that many of the characters gave me flashbacks to myself, age twenty, ranting about Noam Chomsky and “decentralized nodes of modality,” but what can you do? I had the delightful experience of sitting by myself at a movie theater watching a film set in my hometown. Janet Planet follows a single mother and her daughter as they navigate the rhythms of a lazy summer in Western Massachusetts. Set in the 90s, it was like a flashback to my childhood; think Six of Cups nostalgia mixed with zany alternative Four of Wands shenanigans. (This movie made me want to host my own surreal puppet show in my back yard.)I also got sucked in to the Netflix documentary series about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, America's Sweethearts. (Anne Helen Petersen has a characteristically insightful take on it on her substack.) Come for the performative femininity, stay for the deeply relatable characters!Ace of the Month: This itty bitty baby snapping turtle!How was your June? I'd love to hear in the comments below! And don't forget to scroll down for prompts and that insane reading for August.Reflection Prompts for JuneEight of Pentacles* What work, projects, or routines naturally drew your focus this month?* How were you able to remain centered and on task?* What have you learned about yourself through committing to work?Eight of Swords* What self-limiting beliefs, mental blocks, and insecurities were you able to identify this month?* How did you successfully confront them?* What do you now know about your true desires, thoughts, and direction?Eight of Cups* When did you feel the need to retreat, chase something new, or find fault with the support and resources you have?* How did it feel to come back home to yourself?* What part of your desires are you inviting back into your life?Nine of Cups* What did you learn about your emotional and spiritual resources?* How did it feel to uplift and appreciate the love and beauty in your life?* Did you feel discomfort? How did you soothe it?and, finally, a look at our next reading…Cards for August 2024(I almost didn't post these because I wanted it to be a surprise in the live reading, but you'll just get to listen to me huff and puff with incredulity on the recording - I can't get over this array!!) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit incandescenttarot.substack.com/subscribe

Most of us would like to find meaning in the work we do, but many of us are burnt out or stressed at our jobs. In this episode, an international mental wellness educator, a former journalist turned meditation advocate, and the author of the literal book on millennial burnout share why –and how– we can rethink our relationship to work and stress entirely.The episodes we referenced were:• Anne Helen Petersen on changing your relationship to work and the guardrails that can prevent burnout•How to cultivate the skill of happiness (w/ Dan Harris)•How to stop finding your self-worth through your job (w/ Gloria Chan Packer)

"Passion work is doing work you feel 'called to,' a job that makes you feel very obviously 'fulfilled,' a job that announces itself clearly as 'making a difference.'" (When Your Profession is on Fire by Anne Helen Petersen)Tiffany Pearsall joins host Heather Bernt-Santy for a discussion of early care and education as passion work, systems thinking, burnout, and our love of everything Anne Helen Petersen writes. Read the substack article here: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/when-your-profession-is-on-fire?utm_source=publication-searchWant even MORE Nerd content? A Nerd Membership at Buy Me a Coffee offers soapbox videos from Heather, the opportunity to join in for monthly virtual office hours, and more! Join here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Culture writer Anne Helen Petersen has spent years researching and writing about burnout —that feeling of chronic stress and exhaustion that plagues so many in our always-working culture. On this special replay edition of the show, Anne explains how burnout differs from regular stress, why millennials seem particularly susceptible to it, and how we can start to overcome it both individually and systemically.    Subscribe to Anne's substack Culture Study @ annehelen.substack.com Subscribe to Jonathan Small's substack @ jonsmalltalk.substack.com

Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z seem to be more divided than ever. But why are tensions running high now? This hour, TED speakers explore new reasons for this generation gap—and how to bridge it. Guests include professor and author Scott Galloway, social entrepreneur Louise Mabulo, advocate Derenda Schubert and writer Anne Helen Petersen. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/tedLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jala is joined by Desirée to discuss burnout, current work culture and the economy through the lens of history. This episode is primarily a book report of:Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/cant-even-anne-helen-petersen?variant=41000353759266) Related episodes: * Episode 7: Diversity and the Next Generation with Simón (https://www.jalachan.place/7) - our first book report episode. * Episode 30: Pursuing Your Passions with Matthew (https://www.jalachan.place/30) - discussion of doing what you love, which folds into the "do what you love" discussion on this episode * Episode 36: Unraveling Grind Culture with Moxie and Moon (https://www.jalachan.place/36) - the first episode on today's topic, inclusive of suggestions on how to cope. * Episode 40: Internet and Identity (https://www.jalachan.place/40) - discussion involving digital pros/cons and how the internet has affected our lives * Episode 41: SIMULACRA (IP) (https://www.jalachan.place/41) - SIMULACRA 2 delves into the ways being public on the internet can affect your well-being and sense of self. This is also discussed in this episode Support this show via Ko-fi! Just like Patreon, there are subscription tiers (with bonus content!) in addition to the ability to drop us a one-time donation. Every little bit helps us put out better quality content and keep the lights on, and gets a shout out in a future episode. Check out ko-fi.com/fireheartmedia (https://ko-fi.com/fireheartmedia) for the details! Don't forget to rate & review us on your podcasting platform of choice~ Jala Prendes - @jalachan (https://twitter.com/jalachan) The Level (https://thelevelpodcast.com/hosts/jala) Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/fireheartmedia) Swag Shop (https://www.teepublic.com/user/fireheartmedia) Desirée Neyens - @dneyens (https://twitter.com/dneyens) Special Guest: Desirée Neyens.

Well folks – we've arrived! Our tenth and final episode of our How To series about How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days. We've puzzled over its messaging, marveled at its efficiency, and learned a lot about the mechanics of film-making. On today's episode, Vanessa shares her concluding thoughts on the movie and brings her lingering questions to the brilliant cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen. We end the episode looking at the HEA with our new co-host, Hannah McGregor.In two weeks, we're starting the next chapter of Hot and Bothered with Sleepless in Seattle! We'll see you on the top of The Empire State Building.---If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon! On Patreon have more great romance content including a close scene analysis inspired by this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First of all, we are downright GIDDY to share two iconic voices on this week's episode—not only our expert guest, the iconic culture reporter (and personal hero of Amanda's) Anne Helen Petersen, but also Sounds Like A Cult's very own intern (actually recently promoted to coordinator

As we revisit this crowd favorite episode from last year, can we ask you to leave us VMs and tell you how you're coping with cringe now? Is it changing? What's to thank (or blame)? 833-632-5463! If you're not getting our newsletter!Today's prompt: Nell Diamond's repost of a tweet from @isabelunraveled. (For more on Nell, founder of Hill House Home, dip into these profiles from New York Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.)The Justin Long post. Discuss!For some cringe backstory: Kaitlyn Tiffany's story “How Did We Get So ‘Cringe'?” for The Atlantic.We had to revisit Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic—because avoiding cringe and chasing perfectionism are related…no? See also: Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, David Brandon Geeting's installment of the Perfectly Imperfect newsletter, and the edition of Kaelen Haworth's Kael Mail newsletter about ins but no outs. Check out Her Country by Marissa R. Moss. Among the themes: how Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Mickey Guyton gave up on wanting people to like them to find success. On finding affection for your younger self: this Anne Helen Petersen newsletter, Jonah Hill's doc Stutz, the podcast Mortified, Justin Cooley on his role in Kimberly Akimbo, and Mo Willems in the NYT.A definition of post-cringe; an example of post-cringe: Kaitlin Phillips.How are you embracing cringe? Who's your cringe-spiration? You know where to find us: 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.ResourcesThe Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The AtlanticVox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"Our GuestA former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.Your HostsFarrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. Stay ConnectedWebsiteLinkedInNewsletterSign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're thrilled to be joined by Anne Helen Petersen for this episode about the popularity of athleisure! If you don't already know, Anne Helen Petersen (she/her) is the incredible writer, journalist and recovering academic behind the beloved newsletter Culture Study. She is the host of a brand new podcast of the same name and the author of four books, most recently Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home (co-written with Charlie Warzel) and Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. Together we begin with a history lesson from Hannah about WWII's effect on the fashion industry, particular women's clothing and the rise of spandex. Hannah offers some insight from cultural critic Jia Tolentino and her essay, "Athleisure, barre and kale: the tyranny of the ideal woman." We then move on to some helpful framing from theorist Michelle Foucault, sociologists Daniel Nehring and Anja Röcke, and feminist scholars Julie Brice and Holly Thorpe. We talk neoliberalism, fatphobia, and, of course, our culture's obsession with optimization. We end with an honest discussion about the role of pop culture analysis in helping us navigate the murky waters of ideology. We loved having Anne on the show and if you like this episode, we recommend heading to patreon.com/ohwitchplease for more! Anne joins us for two perks you DO NOT want to miss. And of course, you can find more of Anne's specific, timely and thoughtful writing all over the internet @annehelenpetersen!You can learn more about the show at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back in two weeks for another episode, but until then, we mean it — go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! ***Material Girls is a show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, comedian and Fake the Nation host Negin Farsad and Ted Talks Daily host Elise Hu join us to discuss a week's worth of litigious news. We learn about the guy who's suing Powerball for posting the incorrect numbers, the dating app users who say the platforms are too addictive, and the proposed “right to disconnect” law protecting workers in Australia. Plus, how many exclamation points are too many?!! In her substack newsletter ‘Culture Study,' Anne Helen Petersen recently unpacked why so many women have been told to use fewer exclamation points in the workplace, while others have been told to use more. At its heart, Anne says, it's all about “policing women's speech!”]]>

How close do you live to your friends? Next door? Down the street? Or do many of your friends live on the other side of the country? Today's guest, Jenna Myhre Deyle, actually made a cross-country trip in order to be closer to friends. Before the move, she'd been married, was climbing the corporate ladder, but after her divorce, she couldn't shake a certain level of unhappiness. Linked in our show notes is an article that cites some amazing statistics – that a person is 8 percent happier living with a spouse, 14 percent happier living within a mile of your siblings, and 25 PERCENT happier a mile from your friend.Jenna's move to the midwest to be closer to friends is an out-of-the-box decision – and it's one of the reasons I'm so excited to have her on the podcast today. Whether we realize it or not, our proximity to friends can tremendously impact our happiness.In this episode you'll hear about:Jenna's story about “checking off the boxes” – getting married, moving up the corporate ladder, etc. – only to realize she was deeply unhappyThe major decision Jenna made, calling her company's VP about her wish to move back home to Kansas City, not matter what that meant for her future employmentSociety's understanding of what success is and the idea that if you're unhappy you should self-care your way out of itJenna's intentional work to make new friends/communities besides the friends she already had in Kansas City – and the impact this made on her perspective and careerResources & Links:The Wheel of Connection Framework, it's the cumulative impact of everyone in your life.Check out “You'd Be Happier Living Closer to Friends. Why Don't You?” by Anne Helen Petersen.Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!

There is no bigger cultural story right now than the romance between NFL superstar Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. The reaction to their relationship has been so extreme that parody is almost indiscernible from reality. It's a potent mix of celebrity culture, sports, and extreme politics.  Audie brings together Cari Champion and Anne Helen Petersen, to dissect why all of this is happening. Why have Travis and Taylor generated a supernova of fans, haters, and overwhelming scrutiny?  Cari Champion is the host of the podcast Naked with Cari Champion and former anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter.  Anne Helen Petersen is the author of Culture Study on Substack, and the host of the Culture Study podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trends say a lot about where we are as a culture… and some of them say a lot about what it means to be a woman with money in the 21st century. Thankfully, long gone are the days when men made all the money (and also controlled what it was spent on) while women cooked, cleaned, and greeted their husbands at the door with a hot meal every night. But recently, there's been a growing trend on social media with the hashtags #tradwife (traditional wife) or #stayathomegirlfriend. What does this all mean for feminism in America in 2024?  Anne Helen Petersen, author of the Substack “Culture Study” recently wrote about this phenomenon for Elle, and breaks down what's really going on with #tradwife culture.  Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! The HerMoney with Jean Chatzky podcast is sponsored by Edelman Financial Engines. The podcast team and its host are neither employees nor clients of EFE, however, the show does receive fixed compensation and is a paid endorser and therefore has an incentive to endorse EFE and its planners. To learn more about the sponsorship, please visit PlanEFE.com/HerMoney. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast, and to learn more about Airwave, head to www.airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the maiden voyage of the Culture Study podcast, we're taking a hard look at a problem that plagues us all: terrible clothes. Why are shirts falling apart or pilling after just a few wears? Why does Gucci charge $3200 for a polyester sweater? What happened to ironing and will we ever dry clean en masse again?Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins me for a deep dive into the past twenty years of fashion production (and consumption) trends.If you like the ep, it helps a fledging pod SO MUCH if you can help us get the word out. Share it with your friends, post it to social media, “follow” it in your podcast app, or write us a review on iTunes. You're the best and we literally could not make this pod without your help.If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.Show notes:The tweet I describe in the beginning of the podcastRead Amanda Mull's piece in The Atlantic: “Your Sweaters Are Garbage”Read Sarah Zhang's piece in The Atlantic: “How I Got Bamboo-zled by Baby Clothes”Amanda mentioned: Sofi Thanhauser's Worn: A People's History of ClothingSome other Amanda pieces I love: Millennials Have Lost Their Grip on Fashion, The Free-Returns Party Is Over, How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan LeatherYou can see Amanda's Jeffrey Dahmer glasses in the bio of her Instagram (which is private, so don't friend request unless you actually know her)Paul Mescal's rat tail situation (perhaps more appropriately called a mullet)This week, we're looking for your questions for future episodes about:Resurgent interest in early 2000s music (with Switched on Pop's Nate Sloan)The Mean Girls TrailerA deep analysis of Taylor and Travis Kelce discourseKevin Bacon's Hott Instagram and Gen-X/Elder Millennial Instagram in general“Little treat” cultureYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

Everything is interesting. That idea has guided the tremendously popular Culture Study newsletter, and it's at the heart of the Culture Study Podcast, where host Anne Helen Petersen and the smartest people she knows answer listeners' questions about the nooks and crannies of contemporary culture, from “why are clothes like this now” to “what's the deal with F1?”Subscribe to the Culture Study Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Listeners can submit their own questions here, and find weekly discussion threads, extensive show notes, transcripts and a lot more on Substack.

Everything is interesting.That idea has guided the tremendously popular Culture Study newsletter, and it's at the heart of the Culture Study Podcast, where host Anne Helen Petersen and the smartest people she knows answer listeners' questions about the nooks and crannies of contemporary culture, from “why are clothes like this now?” to “what's the deal with F1?”Listeners can submit their own questions here, and find weekly discussion threads, extensive show notes, transcripts and a lot more on Substack. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit culturestudypod.substack.com/subscribe

The Best Of Unleah (original Episode Description Below!) Anne Helen Petersen is an academic, journalist, and author best known for her work as the former senior culture writer and western correspondent at BuzzFeed, her book Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, and her most recent gig as a writer at Substack. On top of that, She has been featured in publications such as Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, The Wallstreet Journal, NPR and many more. As I mentioned, Anne wrote a book on Millennial burnout and is an expert on it. So I wanted to have Anne on the show, because honestly, I am pretty burnt out. And I have been for a while. Reading her book was a revelation of just how much I've been living hand to mouth and my out-of-whack priorities have been.The awareness of what burnout looks like, has helped me start to make small changes to rejuvenate myself and get back in touch with the sweetness and simple joys of life. It's my hope that this interview can be an inciting moment for you to do the same, if you're feeling similarly. From This Conversation You'll Learn: What burnout is and how to know if you have it Why she was drawn to the topic  How to form a practice to deal with your burnout & rest Why millennials suffer for burnout more What our boomer parents/history has to do with it What to do if you feel like you never work hard enough How the pandemic is affecting burnout Why you should talk to trees and plants (REALLY) Why a traditional office setting lends itself to burnout Why employers both overwork millennials and criticize them for not being hardworking enough Why Anne believes it's sometimes better to do what you really like instead of what you love How to get over Creative heartbreak And more! Get Anne's Book Here!  Download my new song, "Freakshow" Here: ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow  Time codes:  00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:06 Revisiting the Burnout Episode 01:11 The Importance of Rest and Reflection 01:51 Introducing the Guest: Anne Helen Peterson 02:33 The Burnout Generation: A Deep Dive 03:03 Anne Helen Peterson's Expertise and Background 03:31 Personal Experiences with Burnout 04:18 Understanding and Dealing with Burnout 04:56 Interview with Anne Helen Peterson Begins 06:22 Personal Journey and Burnout Realization 06:34 Understanding Millennial Burnout 10:14 The Impact of Work Culture on Burnout 13:07 The Role of Parenting and Childhood in Burnout 24:46 The Pandemic and Its Effect on Burnout 27:42 The Paradox of Productivity on Slack 28:20 The Impact of Surveillance on Work Culture 29:48 The Journey of Writing a Book 31:58 The Misconception of Millennials and Work 41:43 The Transition from Academia to Journalism 46:52 The Challenges and Freedom of the Gig Economy 53:03 Reflections on Childhood and the Journey to Now 54:31 Closing Thoughts and Acknowledgements

We're in Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Countdown! To keep you company while you slowly lose your mind, we're re-running some of our favorite holiday episodes. This one is about the "holiday creep" which, if you're reading this, has already begun... "Holiday Creep" is well on its way to being an entry in Merriam-Webster's dictionary. And with good reason. Amy and Margaret bemoan the fact the Christmas seems to start ever earlier, and weigh in on their strategies for managing the gift giving, decorating, and scheduling craziness at this time of year. Amy and Margaret discuss: Why Margaret is everyone's Christmas nightmare The 3 best rules for holiday gift giving When Christmas should REALLY start The solution to all the madness? Let the laws of holiday attrition work in your favor! If something falls off the list of priorities or is just no longer fun, take it off the calendar. Ask for a no-gift-exchange policy amongst family, friends, and coworkers, and find your "no" when it comes to holiday events, tasks, or experiences that are nothing but drudge for everyone! Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Anne Helen Petersen, "A Theory of Sprawling Holidays" Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, "Waiting By the Jesse Tree" Eleanor Lees for Newsweek: "Why Does the Christmas Countdown Get Earlier Every Year?" We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne Helen Petersen is the voice behind the popular newsletter, Culture Study, and the podcast, Work Appropriate. This week she joins Vanessa to talk about our relationship to work, social media, and aging. --This show is completely funded by Patreon, and we are so grateful to our supporters who make it possible. If you can, please considering chipping in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Work Appropriate's 50th episode, one-year anniversary episode, and last episode, all rolled into one. Producer Melody Rowell joins host Anne Helen Petersen to talk about their favorite moments from the show and share updates from listeners who have written in.Keep in touch! Subscribe to Anne's newsletter (it's free!) to stay in the know about future podcast plans.

From terse Slack messages to Zoom happy hours, the culture of remote workplaces can be frustrating to navigate. But it can also be an opportunity to experiment, to build friendships... and to have an annual retreat in an exotic location! Chase Warrington, head of remote for Doist, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to create a healthy and enjoyable work culture when there's no water cooler to gather around.Read Chase's recent blog post, "How to build human connections in an async workplace"Check out our other episodes on remote work: "Onboard Me" with Adrian Hon and "Remote Work Done Right" with Marissa Goldberg

Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe to Anne Helen Petersen's Substack Culture Study.Read her piece on #tradwives here.And listen to her podcast Work Appropriate.

If all my coworkers are younger than me, am I still relevant? How can I stay motivated and engaged until retirement, when I've been working so long and it still feels so far away? Should I tell my boss I'm struggling at work because of menopause? Debbie Millman, educator, artist, and host of the podcast Design Matters, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer all these questions from listeners in the later phases of their careers.Like this episode? Check out "Big Working Parent Questions" with Lydia Kiesling and "Is It Too Late To Start Over?" with Ailsa Chang from our archives.Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

We wanted to tackle some of the most complicated management questions that listeners sent in, so host Anne Helen Petersen turned to our favorite management experts, Melissa & Johnathan Nightingale of the Raw Signal Group. Whether you're suffering from micromanaging, a boss who loves to hear himself talk, or way too much work in too few hours-- we've got some suggestions.Listen to Melissa's fantastic advice on our previous episodes, "May I Speak to the Manager?" and "How to Be A Better Boss"Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it-- we may use your question in a future episode!Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

We've done episodes on pivoting careers, on starting over, on starting a new job-- and now it's time to talk about the absolute slog that is searching, applying, and interviewing for a new job. Phoebe Gavin, career coach and founder of Better with Phoebe, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to give listeners advice on getting through the slog and landing the job you want.Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Fill out our form at www.workappropriate.com, or email us at workappropriate@crooked.com. You can stay as anonymous as you like!Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Are hiring managers checking out your Instagram stories? Is it okay to tweet about the NSFW writing you do on the side? Should you expose the idiots who send vitriol to your company's inboxes? The intersection of work and social media can be a messy place. Rachel Karten, social media strategist and writer of the Link in Bio newsletter, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about when online problems become IRL.Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Fill out our form at www.workappropriate.com, and your question may appear in a future episode! You can also send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com.Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok —  a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting).   This week we speak to writer, journalist, and former sorority sister Anne Helen Petersen, who  has been documenting the phenomenon. Why are the videos dominating our feeds? And what does RushTok's popularity say about its stars... and its biggest stans?  Anne Helen Petersen is a writer and journalist whose writing has appeared in BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vox, The Atlantic, and more. Her books include Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home and Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She writes a Substack newsletter called Culture Study.   To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok — a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting).   This week we speak to writer, journalist, and former sorority sister Anne Helen Petersen, who has been documenting the phenomenon. Why are the videos dominating our feeds? And what does RushTok's popularity say about its stars... and its biggest stans?  Anne Helen Petersen is a writer and journalist whose writing has appeared in BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vox, The Atlantic, and more. Her books include Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home and Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She writes a Substack newsletter called Culture Study.    To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We usually create Work Appropriate episodes around a theme, grouping similar questions together. But over time, we've amassed a collection of questions that are, shall we say, unique. Greta Johnsen, host of WBEZ's Nerdette, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer this cornucopia of singular submissions.Need advice about a sticky situation at work? We're here for you. Head to www.workappropriate.com and ask away-- or you can email workappropriate@crooked.comListen to Anne's guest appearance on NerdetteFollow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

So your company put out a statement about its commitment to DEI (or DEIB, or IDEA, or whatever your workplace calls it)-- now what? Efforts to make workplaces more diverse, equitable, and inclusive can often get bogged down by the processes and culture that made the efforts so necessary in the first place. Sameera Kapila, product designer and author of Inclusive Design Communities, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to keep doing the work, and make it effective.Get 50% off of Inclusive Design Communities with code WORK15, from September 6-20.Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it, or send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com.Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

It's been over three years since the pandemic started and changed the way millions of Americans work. The possibilities of remote work gave a new kind of freedom to many workers. But as more and more companies demand employees return to the office, is the work from home era coming to an end?Host Scott Detrow speaks with Anne Helen Petersen, culture writer and the author of Out of Office, about the future of remote work.

We're starting off the weekend with two excellent panelists: Anne Helen Petersen, 'Work Appropriate' podcast host and writer of the newsletter “Culture Study,” and Nick Quah, Vulture's podcast critic. We discuss the late night hosts turned daytime podcasters, the gender reveal of cocktail glasses, and Meg Ryan's return to the romcom. Then, we talk about a brewing reckoning in reality television. Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel called out Bravo this month for exploitation of its reality show cast members and a lawsuit may be in the works. Lawyer and pop culture writer Claudia Rosenbaum fills us in.]]>

Sometimes the job is fine, the pay is fine, the schedule is fine, but you still feel stuck. It's a miserable feeling, like no matter what you do, this is going to be your life until the end of time. Josh Gondelman, pep talker extraordinaire and our first three-peat guest, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to offer some glimmers of hope to listeners who feel woefully, hopelessly stuck. Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Send your questions at www.workappropriate.com or send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.comFollow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Lovett or Leave It survives the red wave that never was after this week's midterms, and celebrates the only way we know how: gorgeous gay mayhem. Matt Rogers channels this era's two greatest villains, Donald Trump and Lydia Tár. Abbott Elementary's Lisa Ann Walter reminds the world: yes, she was in that, too. Unspooled's Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson see if our audience has the 411 on AFI's Top 100 movies. Anne Helen Petersen helps you put in the work, and our dais of stars welcomes these chilly autumn nights with a piping round of Hot Takes. Thank you, thank you, thank you for voting, you beautiful listeners, you!