Culture Study Podcast

After our GREAT discussion of A Court of Roses and Thorns we realized we wanted to talk a lot more about romance: about the so-called “boom” and what’s fueling it, of course, but also about various tropes (sick bed, forbidden romance, grumpy protagonist), race and cultural specificity, the level of “spice” and how it shows up on the page, and how to manage your own romance reading behavior. Melody heard Nisha Sharma speak at Romance GenreCon last year and knew she was the person to address so many of your questions. Whether you’re new to romance like me, don’t read it but are interested in why other people do, or have immersed yourself in the genre for years, I promise there’s something in this conversation that’s going to stick in your head for days.Show Notes:Nisha Sharma!!!! Follow her on Instagram and TikTok, and here’s links to all her recent books and upcoming eventsYou can pre-order The Letters We Keep and Marriage & Masti at Bookshop.org— promo code CULTURE gets you 10% offOr for pre-order swag, order from Doylestown Bookshop  Maya Rodale’s Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained“Canon building is empire building”Janice A. Radway’s Reading the RomanceLee & Low Books Diversity Baseline SurveyMONSTER THEORYA very fun round-up of Fabio romance novel covers, by the numbersA 2018 piece on cartoon covers “tricking” people into reading romanceAND NOW, A LIST OF EVERY BOOK RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODEThe Proposal by Jasmine GuilloryFor Real by Alexis HallThe Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata PatelYou Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke EmeziThe Roommate by Rosie DananThe Partner Plot by Kristina ForestQueen Takes Rose by Katee RobertDestiny’s Captive by Beverly JenkinsDouble Exposure by Rien GrayBeach Read by Emily HenryBride by Ali HazelwoodThat Prince is Mine by Jayci LeeA Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLeanSay You’ll Be Mine by Naina KumarRock Hard by Nalini SinghButcher & Blackbird by Brynne WeaverPower Play by B. P. GilmoreCollide by Bal KhabraOut on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-YoungChloe Liese for disability representationKimberly Lemming for cozy monster romanceMorning Glory Milking Farm by C. M. NacostaWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Sydney Sweeney (and Gen-Z Stardom)Learning to craft / make things / hobby-around-the-houseTrad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: We could’ve kept this podcast going for another three hours. So let’s do more of it here. What other tropes do you want to unpack? What didn’t we talk about — or what did we miss?

Spoiler: No, millennials are not the most nostalgic generation — we’re just in a deeply nostalgic moment in our lives, reckoning (sometimes gracefully, other times less so) with no longer being the Main Character in the generational story. But this moment does give us opportunity to talk about the shape and purpose of nostalgia, how YouTube both amplifies and short-circuits it, and so much more — featuring one of my favorite nostalgia thinkers, Gabe Bullard. We talk about gum commercials, inflated Limewire persecution threats, Bagel Bites, and interrogate the idea of “core memories,” and I cannot wait for your thoughts.Show Notes:Subscribe to Gabe’s fantastic Substacks, Number One With a Bullard and Together, Alone (a magazine about watching TV)Melody also highly recommends his episode of 99% Invisible on the Elvis stampWho wants to burn off their taste buds with some Big RedHere’s Svetlana Boym’s obituary which nicely sums up her work on nostalgia (gift link)Gabe also mentions writer and music critic Mark Fisher’s usage of “hauntology”— Fisher’s whole book Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology, and Lost Futures is available as a PDF hereYou can read Fred Davis’s 1977 paper about “the current nostalgia wave” hereThe ragtime song that made it to #3 on the charts because of The StingOne listener’s question referenced the Richard Scarry books— here’s a round-up of some of the modernization that’s been done on themWe’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Trad wives, featuring a co-host who used to be oneFor our continuing series on romance novels: QUEER ROMANCE and ROMANCE BOOKSTORESArtificial Intelligence (we’re gonna see if we can figure out an actually interesting theme here, so send us your weirdest or most mind-boggling questions)The economy, a.k.a. why is everything so damn expensive right now (my dream here is like an Odd Lots guest who doesn’t have private equity brain, please let us know if you have suggestions!)What’s up with food blogs in 2024Contemporary ideas of self-careBuy Nothing groups and/or the current state of the secondhand marketAnything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segmentYou can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (and here’s the subscriber-only priority form)For today’s discussion: We can all talk about our favorite old commercials… or we can talk about the purpose nostalgia serves in your life.

Exploring the pitfalls of online shopping, from misleading ads to low-quality products. Discussing the importance of community recommendations and the joy of mall shopping. Diving into the complexities of online reviews and the impact of marketing tactics on consumer decisions.

Celebrity feelings expert Margaret H. Willison discusses the reasons behind our anger towards celebrities, exploring dashed expectations and specific examples like Taylor Swift with Matty Healy. Delve into the complexities of public outrage, celebrity controversies, and fan relationships, gaining a more nuanced understanding of our own celebrity feelings.

Dive into the rise and fall of Christian rock from the '90s and early 2000s, examining its impact on the culture wars. Learn about the nostalgic bands like Newsboys and Third Day, and how they influenced evangelical ideologies. Discover the evolution of rock music in Christian circles and its role in shaping beliefs and societal values.

Join Maris Kreizman, book critic, as she discusses the pitfalls of Goodreads, from negligent owners to blurred lines between readers and authors. Explore the pressure to read a certain number of books per year. Delve into the challenges of book marketing on Goodreads and the evolution of online book communities. Unravel the impact of declining criticism on book reviews and the struggles of managing diverse opinions through star ratings.

Taylor Swift's fashion journalist, Sarah Chapelle, discusses work, scarcity, aesthetics, whiteness, authenticity, and romance narratives in the ongoing Taylor Swift conversation. They explore Taylor's deliberate fashion choices, creativity in artistry, personal experiences, emotional expressions, and excitement for a new style book and podcast subscription offer.

Exploring Beyoncé's impact on the country music genre, challenging traditional boundaries and sparking debates. Delving into Canadian vs American country radio content, and the significance of diverse collaborations in music. Join the discussion on this indie pod diving deep into Cowboy Carter.

Journalist Laura Pappano talks about Moms For Liberty, revealing their censorship tactics in schools. Discussion includes their funding, organizing against them, historical context, and the battle for public education. Learn about the far-right influence, targeting school boards, and the impact on diversity in reading materials.

Discussion on the negative impacts of sitting and ways to counteract it with movement breaks, exploring analogies between sitting and smoking, relaxation strategies, and embracing movement in a sedentary world. The hosts also reflect on social media platforms and podcast promotion.