(81 mins) | Thrilled to share I’ve invited my team of pop culture analysts, i.e. Avi Bonnerjee and Harling Ross, back on the podcast today to discuss nepotism in America (especially Hollywood), as inspired by the Twitter discourse around Cazzie David’s essay in The Cut last week. We also, in the name of literary critique, weigh in on whether we ever get too full to fuck. Come for the goss, stay for Avi’s dead-serious cover of LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.”
I really enjoy these conversations with your pop culture analysts, please do make them regulars. Also, appreciate how, in all their lightheartedness, they still manage to give me a different, broader perspective, e.g. your comments on how we choose to focus on individuals and even take them apart, instead of reflecting on what is truly the root of our anger and frustration, and Harling's comments on how social media sustains and benefits from this. (Which is why I wish there were now a trancript of the podcasts, so I could easily go back and retrieve whatever pops to mind afterwards.) I don't know if these are actually obvious remarks and conclusions to other people, but to someone like me, who hasn't really stopped to consider them, they are thought-provoking and, in some cases, eye-opening. I appreciate the food for thought is what I am trying to say!
P.s. I had no idea who Cazzie David was, so I visited her ig page after listening to this and her first post is from the nyt, a best sellers print paperback list, where her book ranks second :). Also, first congratulatory comment on her post, by Lily Collins :)).
P.s.2: On a second listen, Avi's cover becomes a vibe.
I love this podcast and thought this episode was so so interesting! Another nepotism that is super interesting is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who's family is like french billionaires!
One thing I would love to say about your comment on the end of (Man)Repeller—I think a lot of fans (not like writers/other publications) were just really sad and felt like there wasn't a proper goodbye! This probably generated a lot of snark, but I think there was a big feeling of getting ghosted I think which mostly felt super sad to so many readers. Not that anyone owed us a goodbye (and who knows! maybe it's coming and we just don't know!) but we cared about the writers and creators because y'all were so talented and funny and the writing published on the site felt so welcoming for so many, so it felt very out of the blue if you weren't in the media world and were just a reader. Totally understand and agree with the criticism of MR re: lack of diversity in terms of wealth, POC, and LGBTQ+ voices! It just makes me sad because there were so many writers/ photographers whose work i wouldn't have seen if it weren't for MR including faves like Sabrina Santiago and you, Haley! It seemed like they were headed in a good direction and wish they were given more time to execute the new more diverse vision— I wish the staff nothing but the best of luck!!
Thank you for bringing up the double spaces in the story! And lack of editing and outdated perspective. It really sounded like she was talking to other women in the entertainment industry who still think they have to be skinny and ashamed of eating. But the joke was just off.
my comments on these things always feel ridiculous, but just came here to say that Pete Davidson is not the inspiration for big dick energy! It was coined by Twitter superstar/my forever fave @imbobswaget in reference to Anthony Bourdain (source: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/big-dick-energy). just feel she deserves her flowers for this important piece of internet history, her impact etc. and also Pete Davidson shouldn't get credit for stuff,,, I am so sorry for making this comment lololololol
just reached the point when Bug popped on and I couldn't help but wonder... would you ever release a video of y'all chatting? is that like a *live* podcast? i know it's cringe but you could do a youtube channel (would watch).
Haley, I really enjoy your podcast and the variety of guests and topics. The eps with Harling and Avi really hit the spot. I always get a laugh which is so welcomed right now, but also, as another commenter mentioned, within the fun are unique perspectives on culture and critique of the "systems". Also would def listen to an Avi podcast about Tom Hanks' connections to the CIA.
I totally agree that sometimes I’m too full to fuck! (25 y/o girl here for the record). Some nights I like to indulge and eat till I’m uncomfortably full and when I do that, I’m absolutely choosing food over fucking! I didn’t read it as disordered eating myself. That part in the essay where she mentions “getting over her fear of eating” references an earlier part of the book where she chokes on a piece of food. The fear she’s talking about is choking.
I feel like it’s clear that she’s using a metaphor and anatomically knows that yes, there’s room for dick. The metaphor kinda lands for me bc it makes me feel just as gross as the thought of fucking immediately following a thanksgiving meal
I love when it’s you + Avi + Harling! Delightful listen. I love how invested Avi was in listing his nepotism examples. Also I agree that Cazzie’s essay was pretty.. uninspiring (relief that she’s unlikely a subscriber so she won’t see this), however, I also agree that she shouldn’t be bashed for it - people on planet Twitter need to chill. I didn’t really know who she was and now I’m actually intrigued by her book? Last but not least, I confess.. I’m Cazzie’s age and my girlfriend and I have been too full to fuck each other many times. Oops.
I enjoy the dynamic of the three of you talking and would listen to more of those eps...but I agree Avi does interrupt and it can be annoying. All of you interrupt each other and it's fine, it's the nature of conversation with friends, but he seems tp be less conscious/more comfortable speaking over you all or speaking at length than you and Harling do. I thought he got better after it was mentioned in this episode!
omg I was so excited for this week's podcast, and it was incredible as always! a couple of thoughts:
- the concept of the american dream as a rhetorical tool I believe predates america as a unified country. if I recall correctly, the first record of it is from a journal of a settler from I think the early 18th century. further, your discussions on the american dream made me realize that the american dream is a deeply liberal idea rooted in the ability to pull oneself up by their own bootstraps which, unsurprisingly, is the same idea that we can infer and can read about outright when american popular discourse attempts to undermine the welfare state
- did anybody see that ivanka trump's former best friend released that piece about her being a bad person? as though it's new information? just another example of nepotism (look who I used to be close to!) and an expedient story in the aftermath of the american election
Checked out the comments on the essay itself, the only one that matters to me is from deach5: "Eat after."
I really enjoy these conversations with your pop culture analysts, please do make them regulars. Also, appreciate how, in all their lightheartedness, they still manage to give me a different, broader perspective, e.g. your comments on how we choose to focus on individuals and even take them apart, instead of reflecting on what is truly the root of our anger and frustration, and Harling's comments on how social media sustains and benefits from this. (Which is why I wish there were now a trancript of the podcasts, so I could easily go back and retrieve whatever pops to mind afterwards.) I don't know if these are actually obvious remarks and conclusions to other people, but to someone like me, who hasn't really stopped to consider them, they are thought-provoking and, in some cases, eye-opening. I appreciate the food for thought is what I am trying to say!
P.s. I had no idea who Cazzie David was, so I visited her ig page after listening to this and her first post is from the nyt, a best sellers print paperback list, where her book ranks second :). Also, first congratulatory comment on her post, by Lily Collins :)).
P.s.2: On a second listen, Avi's cover becomes a vibe.
I love this podcast and thought this episode was so so interesting! Another nepotism that is super interesting is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who's family is like french billionaires!
One thing I would love to say about your comment on the end of (Man)Repeller—I think a lot of fans (not like writers/other publications) were just really sad and felt like there wasn't a proper goodbye! This probably generated a lot of snark, but I think there was a big feeling of getting ghosted I think which mostly felt super sad to so many readers. Not that anyone owed us a goodbye (and who knows! maybe it's coming and we just don't know!) but we cared about the writers and creators because y'all were so talented and funny and the writing published on the site felt so welcoming for so many, so it felt very out of the blue if you weren't in the media world and were just a reader. Totally understand and agree with the criticism of MR re: lack of diversity in terms of wealth, POC, and LGBTQ+ voices! It just makes me sad because there were so many writers/ photographers whose work i wouldn't have seen if it weren't for MR including faves like Sabrina Santiago and you, Haley! It seemed like they were headed in a good direction and wish they were given more time to execute the new more diverse vision— I wish the staff nothing but the best of luck!!
Thank you for bringing up the double spaces in the story! And lack of editing and outdated perspective. It really sounded like she was talking to other women in the entertainment industry who still think they have to be skinny and ashamed of eating. But the joke was just off.
my comments on these things always feel ridiculous, but just came here to say that Pete Davidson is not the inspiration for big dick energy! It was coined by Twitter superstar/my forever fave @imbobswaget in reference to Anthony Bourdain (source: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/big-dick-energy). just feel she deserves her flowers for this important piece of internet history, her impact etc. and also Pete Davidson shouldn't get credit for stuff,,, I am so sorry for making this comment lololololol
just reached the point when Bug popped on and I couldn't help but wonder... would you ever release a video of y'all chatting? is that like a *live* podcast? i know it's cringe but you could do a youtube channel (would watch).
Haley, I really enjoy your podcast and the variety of guests and topics. The eps with Harling and Avi really hit the spot. I always get a laugh which is so welcomed right now, but also, as another commenter mentioned, within the fun are unique perspectives on culture and critique of the "systems". Also would def listen to an Avi podcast about Tom Hanks' connections to the CIA.
I totally agree that sometimes I’m too full to fuck! (25 y/o girl here for the record). Some nights I like to indulge and eat till I’m uncomfortably full and when I do that, I’m absolutely choosing food over fucking! I didn’t read it as disordered eating myself. That part in the essay where she mentions “getting over her fear of eating” references an earlier part of the book where she chokes on a piece of food. The fear she’s talking about is choking.
I feel like it’s clear that she’s using a metaphor and anatomically knows that yes, there’s room for dick. The metaphor kinda lands for me bc it makes me feel just as gross as the thought of fucking immediately following a thanksgiving meal
I love when it’s you + Avi + Harling! Delightful listen. I love how invested Avi was in listing his nepotism examples. Also I agree that Cazzie’s essay was pretty.. uninspiring (relief that she’s unlikely a subscriber so she won’t see this), however, I also agree that she shouldn’t be bashed for it - people on planet Twitter need to chill. I didn’t really know who she was and now I’m actually intrigued by her book? Last but not least, I confess.. I’m Cazzie’s age and my girlfriend and I have been too full to fuck each other many times. Oops.
I enjoy the dynamic of the three of you talking and would listen to more of those eps...but I agree Avi does interrupt and it can be annoying. All of you interrupt each other and it's fine, it's the nature of conversation with friends, but he seems tp be less conscious/more comfortable speaking over you all or speaking at length than you and Harling do. I thought he got better after it was mentioned in this episode!
omg I was so excited for this week's podcast, and it was incredible as always! a couple of thoughts:
- the concept of the american dream as a rhetorical tool I believe predates america as a unified country. if I recall correctly, the first record of it is from a journal of a settler from I think the early 18th century. further, your discussions on the american dream made me realize that the american dream is a deeply liberal idea rooted in the ability to pull oneself up by their own bootstraps which, unsurprisingly, is the same idea that we can infer and can read about outright when american popular discourse attempts to undermine the welfare state
- did anybody see that ivanka trump's former best friend released that piece about her being a bad person? as though it's new information? just another example of nepotism (look who I used to be close to!) and an expedient story in the aftermath of the american election
Perrrrrrrfect timing, needed something invigorating to hang the laundry to. PLAY!