Culture Study Podcast

Keza MacDonald, video games editor and critic at The Guardian and author of a cultural history of Nintendo, reflects on falling for games later in life. She discusses Nintendo's early pull, changing habits from rentals to lasting titles, the rise of cozy games, gaming stigma for women and queer players, and practical ways adults can rediscover play.

Allie Jones, writer and Hilary Duff superfan who runs Gossip Time, breaks down Duff’s steady rise from Lizzie McGuire fame to millennial mom icon. Conversations touch on her mall-era nostalgia, why she never truly disappeared, her crafted relatable persona, muted stage presence, the timing of her comeback, and the celebrity mommy-group drama that reinforced her image.

Doug Gordon, advocate and co-author working on transportation and urban design. Sarah Goodyear, journalist and co-author focused on transportation policy. They debate how cars shape daily life and community. They explore tradeoffs of reducing car dependence, real-world wins like Ghent, urban and rural differences, and cultural resistance to rethinking streets.

Cat (Kat) Sebastian, prolific queer romance author known for vivid historicals, talks craft and vibes. She discusses her vibes-over-plot approach, choosing immersive time periods, research, and how themes surface during messy drafts. Conversation also covers editors, queer historical happy endings as political joy, and her recent book Starshipped.

They dig into how names reveal class, race, gender, and family lineage. They trace why some names endure and how others explode in popularity. They talk about the rise of unique-but-not-weird names and the cultural forces that shape naming trends. They also examine middle-name traditions and how names affect hireability and social perception.

Margaret H. Willison, literary commentator and educator known for close readings of classics, joins to riff on Wuthering Heights and Victorian literature. They spar over adaptation choices, casting and modern takes on teenage feeling. Expect playful debates about melodrama, abjection, film influences, and why certain directorial choices land or don’t.

Natasha Vaynblat, comedian and TV writer who made a one-woman show about choosing not to have kids. She riffs on awkward questions people ask, how saying "nope" can defuse pressure, and navigating family, friendships, and alternative child-centered roles. Expect sharp humor about societal expectations and the freedom in embracing a different path.

Colin Gorrie, a linguist and newsletter author who digs into historical English and etymology, unpacks odd spellings and strange word histories. Short segments trace gh to guttural sounds, reveal why yacht and weird look and sound off, and explain flip compounds like pickpocket and turncoat. Fun, nerdy stories show how printing, dialects, law, and literature froze quirky forms into modern English.

Jackie Davalos, investigative reporter who covers the fertility industry and hosts the IVF Disrupted podcast. She exposes how IVF startups prioritize growth and profit over care. Short, sharp conversations cover upsells, dubious add‑ons, staffing churn, regulatory gaps, insurance blind spots, and how corporate medicine shapes reproductive choices.

Julia Whelan, audiobook narrator, author, and founder of Audiobrary, talks about how audiobooks are made and performed. She covers vocal technique, production roles, pronunciation research, and pacing. The conversation probes narrator pay, royalties, union protections, and the risks of synthetic voices. Julia also previews Audiobrary’s plans and the mechanics of turning books into audio.