It's Been a Minute

Thin, is unfortunately in. 

The defining mantra of the 90s and early aughts, has reappeared as celebrities, influencers and everyday women shrink in size. But as people get smaller, others are talking. Online and in person, imperfect, candid and concern conversations are happening about the the thinner frames we see online and in person. But what’s the best way to have these conversations? To learn how Brittany spoke with Angelina Chapman, features writer at The Cut and Vanessa Scaringi, PhD, licensed psychologist, to learn how  to express concern, without pointing fingers.

Want more about body image? Check out these IBAM episodes: 
GLP-1s & eating disorders have a complicated relationship
The difference between losing weight & being "healthy"

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There are influencers taking money to promote music – and not telling you about it.

It's great when you find people who put you on to hot new music that matches your taste. But online tastemakers might be getting secretly paid to shill for labels. This is not a conspiracy theory – it's a real practice. NPR music reporter Isabella Gomez Sarmiento spoke to several online content creators who told her about how labels approached them – and who they’re being asked to promote. By the way – this is potentially illegal. But what does it mean for regular music enjoyers that music discovery is so weighed down by dollars? And can we ever disentangle money from the Internet – and from culture?

Brittany is joined by Isabella to get into the juicy details and the broader implications of this practice.

(00:00) Whose music recommendations do you trust?
(02:21) The influencers secretly paid to boost musicians
(04:31) The tea on which artists are getting promoted
(05:43) Is this secret money ethical - and legal?
(12:39) Why music fans are so wary of "industry plants"
(15:51) Do musicians need these secret campaigns to be successful?
(18:12) Is the internet kind of dead?

For more episodes on the state of music in culture, check out:
The shelf life of a pop star
The D-List pop star purgatory
Can TikTok spark a new era of protests?

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Are you feeling the heat? 

While this summer has been a nonstop ride of historic and unprecedented wins for the culture at large, Brittany has noticed a little bit of sour in all this sweetness: what’s up with everyone having a chip on their shoulder? 

From sports to reality TV to music - some real grievances are showing up in pop culture and Brittany wants to know why. Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix, hosts of Lemme Say This, join the show to give this summer a much needed vibe check.

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The United States is home to a silent epidemic - do you know about it?

We're referring to what researchers are calling femicide, or the gender-based killing of women and girls. And while some countries like Italy and Mexico have femicide or intimate partner homicide in their penal code, most countries, including the United States, do not. Today, Brittany is joined by Abené Clayton, lead reporter for the Guns and Lies in America Project for the Guardian, and Cheryl L. Neely, sociology professor at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak, Michigan to understand the pipeline from everyday and online misogyny to gender-based killings.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline via phone, text, or online chat. Their website is thehotline.org.

Want more deep dives into the social science of womanhood?

It only takes 30 minutes to be a good mom
Young women are struggling, too. Why can't we see it?
The women leaving the 'New Right'

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It shouldn’t be that hard to be a nepo-husband. Right? 

Nepo- husbands, the spouses of celebrity women come in many shapes and forms, but what unites them all is their proximity to the wealth, power and prestige of their famous partners. And while that proximity can be great for building a business, it can also lead to scrutiny... especially when things go wrong. Matt Kaplan, who’s married to Alex Cooper, the host of the popular Call Her Daddy podcast, recently faced a Vanity Fair expose which alleged a toxic work environment of their media company, Unwell. So, what does it take to be a nepo-husband? Brittany chats with Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, hosts of the Good Noticings podcast, to discuss the benefits, and expectations of nepo-husbands. 

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