What makes someone a star nowadays? And why does every generation of humans crave to celebrate them?For decades, Hollywood has promoted a carefully curated ideal of aspirational talent, beauty, and intrigue. But in 2026, it feels like that power is in the hands of the one thing that alleges to know us best: the algorithm. Now computer programs hold more power in shaping who is famous and what we all are fed as aspirational ideals: from who is a star to what our bodies should look like. Enter the algorithm body.In this episode, host Brittany Luse is joined by Christiana Mbakwe Medina, screenwriter and host of the Pop Syllabus podcast. They get into the evolving nature of fame and why Christina thinks the thin body ideal is out and the sculpted body ideal is in.Want more about tech, beauty, and cultural cache? Check out these IBAM episodes:The morbid lifelessness of modern beautyPeptides & the pursuit of the "perfect" bodySupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is AI in the workplace lightening your load...or frying your brain?Researchers at Boston Consulting Group and the University of California, Riverside coined the term "AI brain fry" to describe “mental fatigue that results from excessive use of, interaction with, and/or oversight of AI tools beyond one's cognitive capacity.” In other words, doing too much with A.I.There's something kind of comically tragic about the idea that these tools that were meant to lighten our loads seem to be doing the opposite for some. But beyond the psychic damage, there's a lot in this brain fry idea that points to how we work with AI: for example, with all the managing it needs, is turning us all into bosses? And is this really the future of work?Brittany is joined by John Herrman, tech columnist for New York Magazine, to get into the ins and outs of AI brain fry.(00:00) Who gets "AI brain fry"(05:34) The strange incentives behind more AI-powered output(09:30) Is working with AI simulating management?(12:42) How AI chat tools challenge workplace boundaries(16:18) The anxious future of work with AIFor more episodes about AI and modern life, check out:Me and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?The hard work of having "good taste"You're not broken - the job market is.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

With everything going on in the world, it makes sense that some of us want to check out. But at what cost?In this episode, host Brittany Luse is dissecting our current obsession with numbing ourselves to the moment and tuning out. This so-called “numb girl” attitude and aesthetic is defined by detachment, irony, and a world weary cynicism. Think the "Gen Z pout," "expressionless Botox chic,” a deadpan voice, or selfies with a vacant gaze. Of course, It appears effortless and nonchalant, but it’s highly curated and self-aware — it’s the perfect mask for avoiding humiliation in a world that is always there to judge you. But is avoiding the pain of the world good for us?Brittany is joined by writer Rayne Fisher-Quann aka Internet Princess and freelance cultural critic Sophie Lou Wilson to get into why all the cool girls are dissociating and what we lose when we numb ourselves to the world around us.(0:00) News fatigue, detachment, & irony are cooler than ever(5:02) Gucci runways to political nihilism: numbness went mainstream(10:15) Lobotomy Chic: an ironic joke turned beauty trend(14:57) The privilege of dissociating. Who can afford to disconnect?(18:08) Is numbness a form of feminist resistance?(20:15) How to un-numb and reconnect with humanityThis episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9 8 8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Have you seen ADHD content pop up in your feeds? Are you getting a lot of it? In the past few years, there's been a surge in the number of adults diagnosed with ADHD, and at the same time more and more people online are going viral with "signs" that you might have it too. Whether with our doctors or friends, we're all talking a lot more about adult ADHD. Is this a perfect storm of online content leading to more diagnoses? Or is there more to the story?Brittany is joined by culture journalist Kelli Maria Korducki, who wrote about this for The Guardian, and Manvir Singh, assistant professor of anthropology at UC Davis, to get into it.This episode originally aired on April 25, 2025.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

After dominating television screens for decades, has reality TV gone into decline?Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Taylor Frankie Paul has been a controversial figure for some time now, but the latest allegations surrounding the star - and the subsequent cancellation of her season of The Bachelorette - have caused viewers to ask: how far is too far for reality TV? With ratings on the decline and networks desperate to keep audiences coming back, reality TV has taken some drastic turns to remain relevant.To get into all this Rebecca Jennings, features writer for New York Magazine, joins the show to unpack the drama surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul and the state of reality TV at large.(0:00) Who's being exploited more on reality TV?(03:36) Unpacking Taylor Frankie Paul's controversial reality TV journey(09:27) ABC's risky bet on Taylor Frankie Paul as 'The Bachelorette'(18:29) Navigating the line between 'messy' and 'dark' on reality TV(21:25) How reality TV fandom has changed(25:37) Finding unexpected value in reality TV drama(29:23) The need for better vetting and ethics in reality TV casting(33:33) Official statements from Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota MortensenWant more about reality TV? Check out these IBAM episodes:Our love lives have gone full Love Island.Dating skills vs. dating gimmicks in 'Love on the Spectrum'Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Do you and your loved ones see eye-to-eye... about AI?There’s been a lot of discourse about age gaps and wage gaps – but there’s a new kind of gap rocking relationships: AI gaps. For example, when a couple isn't on the same page about when and how to use it, or even how AI becomes an unwelcome third wheel in a relationship. And this is big for some couples – but this also can be an issue in some friendships and family dynamics, too. So what does AI usage say about what people value? And are conflicts around AI becoming proxies for deeper issues in relationships?Brittany chats with Jenny Singer, a freelance culture writer who wrote about this for The Washington Post, and Heather Kelly, a freelance reporter who focuses on how technology affects daily life.(00:00) Can using AI be an ick?(03:35) When AI becomes an unwelcome third in your relationship(07:41) Why Americans are pessimistic about AI - but might use it anyway(13:08) What AI usage might say about our values(18:06) Strategies for bridging the AI divide in relationshipsFor more episodes about modern dating, check out:"Girl Math" does not add up to financial freedomThe unbearable fear of being cheated onThe joy of breaking up with dating appsSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We have officially wrapped Quarter 1 of 2026. That means it's time to gather the pop culture C-suite and take stock of the best and worst of culture this year...so far.Host Brittany Luse is your Pop Culture CEO, and she's joined by esteemed members of the C-suite, Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson, co-hosts of the Eating for Free podcast, to recap the last three months in an official Pop Culture Quarterly Review. What have been the major cultural achievements and setbacks so far this year? And in the Pop Culture Boardroom, who will emerge as the MVP?Want more bird's eye views of pop culture? Check out these episodes.The Best & Worst Moments of 20252026 Predictions: Beyoncé retires, AI busts, Democrats lift weightsSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Does 2026 belong to "Wasians?"Actor Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry) and Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu recently became household names very quickly. And people are talking about the rising stars beyond just their talents: they’re talking about Liu’s and Williams’ race. Both are half-Asian, half-white, also known as “Wasian” – and some have dubbed this past season “Wasian winter.” But why are Wasians a topic of conversation now, and what does this discussion say about how attitudes around some mixed race identities have changed?Brittany is joined by Mika Ellison, intern for It’s Been a Minute and Life Kit, to get into the geopolitical and cultural forces around the “Wasian fixation.”(00:00) Unpacking the 'Wasian Fixation' (04:38) Geopolitical forces behind Wasians in culture(09:53) From 'Hapa' to 'Wasian'(13:38) What does a Wasian story look like?(19:53) The evolution of mixed discourse(23:04) Is 'Wasian' a good term?For more on Heated Rivalry, check out: What's so hot about Heated Rivalry?For more on identity and the internet, check out: Think you have ADHD? Here's why so many of us are saying yes.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sorry but...the "Girl Math" is not adding up.And by "Girl Math" we mean the class fantasies of young women; the dream of achieving financial freedom by being frivolous with finances (because 'I'm just a girl!')... and rely entirely on their husband or partner (with no backup plan!).You see these fantasies peddled in romance novels, divorce memoirs, and, of course, tradwife content. According to Chelsea Fagan, author and CEO of The Financial Diet, these are all part of our culture's obsession with class fantasies. While we may believe much of our social and romantic desires are solely rooted in love, Chelsea wants to encourage women especially to interrogate their financial status and future. Brittany is joined by Chelsea to answer the question: is it really love if you don’t have the financial ability to come and go as you please? (0:00) Unpacking the infantilization of "girl math" and women's financial fantasies(1:58) Financial fantasy brain rot: relying on a wealthy man(05:18) How 'Just Getting Good' got started(08:55) How 'Just Getting Good' debunks financial myths(12:05) How romance novels peddle regressive class fantasies(17:28) How fictional fantasies bleed into real life(24:55) How voluntary financial ignorance harms women(30:32) Building relationships with financial clarity and equityWant more on financial fantasies or relationships? Check out these IBAM episodes: Money can make or break your relationshipThe embarrassing truth of dating menSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is fanfiction mainstream now?If you are anywhere near fan spaces online, you’ve probably seen people talking about fanfiction. And it's also behind some of the biggest books of the last decade – some of the publishing industry's greatest hits are fanfic adaptations. But even as fanfic seeps into the mainstream, there’s a battle inside fanfic communities over whether it should be kept private – and a larger culture war brewing over what gets published and who’s reading it. Brittany gets into the gendered, economic, and cultural forces pushing fanfiction to the fore with Ashley Reese, writer, cultural commentator and fanfic veteran, and Eli Cugini, culture writer, Ph.D. student and author of a Defector article called “Fanfiction’s Total Cultural Victory.”Want to hear more about the state of literacy? Check out these episodes: Have we lost the art of reading?Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to readSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy