What a WILD week for celebrities! It seems like everyone is in a race to the bottom of the barrel. This episode was going to be solely dedicated to the 2023 VMA's but we had lots of other things to cover at the end. Here is a list of all the artists that performed at the 2023 VMA's: https://www.mtv.com/vma/performers Ashton Kutcher resigns from Thorn after him and Mila Kunis wrote letters of support for Danny Masterson: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/... Drew Barrymore pauses show until end of strike: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/17/arts/television/drew-barrymore-show-pause-writers-strike.htmlEverything expressed is my personal opinion. -- TIME STAMPS: 1. Introduction 0:00 to 3:00 3. The History of the VMA’s 3:00 to 9:254. 2023 VMA’s 9:25 to 15:155. Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher 15:15 to 18:006. Lizzo’s Comeback 18:00 to 19:127. Drew Barrymore vs. Jimmy Fallon 19:12 to 21:258. Billboard launches TikTok Top 50 Chart 21:25 to 23:119. Dunkin’ Donuts & Ice Spice collab 23:11 to 25:26 10. Olivia Rodrigo VMA performance 25:26 to 27:41-- Join the #AheadOfTheCurve discord chat here: https://discord.gg/n6qc4gcYf5 For business inquiries, email: cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Holly Madison on "Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe". Written and produced by Coco Mocoe For business inquiries and bookings, email: cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Pre-Order #ExtremelyOnline here: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982146869?tag=extremelyonlinecom Did you know YouTube was originally a dating app?! I didn’t know either but I learned that in Taylor Lorenz’s new book ‘Extremely Online’. Taylor Lorenz is a journalist who has written some of the most viral stories about the internet on New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic and more. You can learn more about her and her stories here.A few topics that Talyor and I discuss in this episode are: How Lonelygirl15 changed the internet forever Why ‘industry plants’ are not actually a real thing  The origins of YouTube & the first VidCon convention The genius of Logan & Jake Paul (for better or for worse) Why does YouTube promote problematic people like Colleen Ballinger (and now Ruby Franke)? The era of Emma Chamberlain, Tana Mongeau & TanaCon Taylor Lorenz coverage of Hype House (Charli D'Amelio, Addison Rae, etc) The genius of Famous Birthdays "Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe" is a podcast about marketing, pop culture and rising internet trends + stars. You can find Coco Mocoe on your favorite socials media apps here: Instagram: @cocomocoeTikTok: @cocomocoeLinkedIn: @cocomocoeYouTube: @cocomocoeJoin the Discord and chat about the internet's biggest stories here: https://discord.gg/k94JJmqcFor business inquiries, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

The Streamy's 2023 aired last night and featured nominees like H3 podcast, Alix Earle, Brittany Broski, Logan Paul and more. Here are my thoughts on what it foreshadows about the creator space and why I think the Streamy's will eventually hit a more prestigious level - once they have this one ingredient.I also talk about the controversy surrounding Taylor Swift impersonator, Ashley Leechin (noitsashley13) who pulled a prank recently by pretending to be Taylor Swift and leading to a mob. Article here.I also touch on the Dillon Danis controversy with Logan Paul. He has attempted to shame Paul's fiance, Nina Agdal, in a smear campaign ahead of their boxing match. Article here. -- Thank you for listening! You can hear more on the Share Your Screen podcast. For business inquiries, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

UPDATE: A day after this episode went up, a video surfaced online of Drew Barrymore's lifelong stalker rushing the stage with her and Renee Rapp at an event. Read more about the story here. Fame is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a person. You may have seen videos of fans swarming a small restaurant in New Jersey that Taylor Swift was spotted inside of. Here is why that normalizes the stalking behavior to those with the worst of intentions. Plus the shifts in culture and legislation that I hope happens to protect these people from the worst of the stalkers. Plus we talk about celebrities who have tragically died because of fame; from John Lennon to Princess Diana to Selena and more. Here is the TikTok that I referenced that sparked this discussion. Here is an article about the fans who showed up to stalk Taylor Swift outside of Jack Antonoff's wedding rehearsal in New Jersey. You can find me on your favorite social media platforms @cocomocoe For business inquiries, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Bethenny Frankel has been speaking out against the treatment of reality stars recently and says she was inspired by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. While there was some initial pushback, it seems that she is gaining momentum. SAG-AFTRA publicly expressed support to Bethenny and reality stars fight to unionize against networks like Netflix, NBC Bravo and more. I recently talked about the treatment and exploitation of reality stars on an episode of #ShareYourScreen with Nicky Reardon. You can watch the slideshow, deep dive here. You can also listen to Share Your Screen wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Momentum has been growing for reality stars and their fight for better treatment during and after filming. This comes after former 'Love is Blind' star, Nick Thompson, filed a lawsuit against Netflix last year and launched U.C.A.N. (Unscripted Cast Advocacy Network). There seem to be many parallels with how reality stars are treated across multiple networks - hinting at an institutional problem that needs change. TAGS: Real Housewives VPR Vanderpump Rules Bravo Love is Blind Big Brother CBS Survivor MTV Teen Mom Reality TV SAG-AFTRA Union Strike Nick Thompson Bethenny Frankel Marketing PR Public Relations Lawsuit Pop Culture News I got the statistics about reality TV programming from gitnuxFor business or interview inquiries, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you so much for listening to, rating and sharing the podcast! Send it to all your marketing friends. In today's episode, we react to these topics from a marketing perspective. Everything is based on opinion. 1. BookTok Drama (5:05) InTheKnow posted a great article recapping all of the booktok drama that went down this last week, if you want to read the full article. In short, a TikToker by the name of Kierra Lewis began fixating on hockey players after reading the smut novel 'Pucking Around' by Emily Rath. She began posting videos of real-life hockey players, one of which was Alex Wennberg. The videos became increasingly sexual and the Seattle Kraken hockey team even flew her out to the Stanley Cup. There she posted vulgar videos of players which could be seen as sexual harassment, in my opinion. TikToker, @mynameismarines, posted now deleted videos from Kierra Lewis in which Lewis talked about players strokes, her holes, and filmed hockey players without their consent during stretches with sexual commentary over the videos. Wennberg's wife eventually spoke out against the harassment that her husband and other players faced as a result of Lewis' videos. Seattle Kraken unfollowed Lewis and deleted all their booktok videos. Lewis claimed that the team used booktok for clout, insinuating that players should be okay with her sexually suggestive videos because it gave them 'fame'. This is all based on my own opinion of the situation. Let me know what your thoughts are. 2. Kai Cenat Riot (33:00) Twitch Streamer, Kai Cenat, tried to hold a PS5 giveaway in NYC last Friday and it quickly turned into a riot. The situation led to legal ramifications for Kai and his team. He was arrested and released Saturday morning but has to go to court. The charges are 'inciting a riot' among other things. Here are my thoughts on why live-streamers hold a specific type of fame and can turn out an audience that is sometimes bigger than A-List, 'mainstream' stars. The riot felt like Tanacon 2.0 but somehow even worse. Here is an article by AP recapping the event.3. Cardi B Microphone (51:00) Cardi B was recently performing in Vegas and threw her microphone at an audience member who splashed water on her. Where the story sparked my interest was TMZ reported that the microphone was being listed on eBay and is currently going for $99,900. The bids end tomorrow (Tuesday). But in my opinion, the microphone has yet to be verified. There are no identifiable features on the eBay listing. There are other listings on eBay claiming to be the same exact microphone. How do we know it is legit? --Thank you for listening to 'Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe'. You can find Coco on social media (@cocomococe). Tune in every Monday morning for trending pop culture news from a marketing perspective. For business inquiries or guest appearances, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Listen to Nicky and Coco's new show 'Share Your Screen' on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow Nicky on TikTok @nicky.reardonIn this episode, we talk about the science behind fandoms. Refinery29 wrote a great article about this topic. We specifically focus on the fandoms around Doja Cat and Taylor Swift and their differing approach to handling that relationship. For business inquiries, email: cocomocoe@whalartalent.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Just a few years ago, Barbie was seen as a polarizing and sometimes hated figure - as documented in the 2018 documentary "Tiny Shoulder". Fast forward to 2023, Barbie could be argued as one of the most universally loved brands in the lead up to the release of the movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. But how did Mattel do it? To understand the branding of Barbie, we must first dive into her history. Did you know that the founder of Barbie, Ruth Handler, created the doll because she felt like only giving young girls baby dolls indoctrinated them into motherhood? There is a great article about Ruth Handler, the mother of Barbie, on Tablet Magazine (read here) You can watch "Tiny Shoulders" on Hulu. This episode is a deep dive into Mattel and the polarizing history of Barbie in the lead up to the 2023 movie. The reason I do not spend much time discussing the Barbie movie is because I stand with the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strike. This is more about the brand behind the doll, Barbie, and is not to be mistaken as a promotional piece of content for the movie. For business inquiries, email: cocomocoe@whalartalent.comYou can find Coco Mocoe on your favorite social platforms by searching @cocomocoe This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe

Today's episode is on a guilty pleasure of mine, which is reality stars! Meet Courtney Bagby Lupilin (@courtneybagby), the founder of Little Red Management. She works as a talent manager to some of the biggest reality stars to come out of The Bachelor, Love is Blind, Teen Mom and more. Some topics we cover are: 1. How does she know what stars will have the biggest audience once a show ends 2. How do reality stars make money and stay in the limelight even after their season has come and gone3. She talks about a reality star who was fired from a network show then re-hired 4. We talk about what people do once their fame fades away 5. We talk about why so many reality stars are turning to podcasting 6. She talks about why some stars go broke and what they do afterwardsYou can find Courtney on TikTok (@courtneybagby) For business inquiries, email cocomocoe@whalartalent.com Thank you for listening and rating my podcast! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cocomocoe.substack.com/subscribe