
How Did Dating Get THIS Difficult?
07/1/2026 | 1h 7 mins.
This episode is the result of years of listener requests: how did dating get SO bad, and how can we possibly make it better? Melody and I have been out of the dating game for a hot minute, but we knew that the combination of your excellent questions + an excellent co-host [Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox's Explain It All who is, importantly, currently dating] + sociological discussion of how dating has historically functioned (and why it no longer functions that way) could lead us to something that manages to be at once cathartic and hopeful (and educational for anyone who hasn't tried to date in the last decade). We answer your questions on "informational intimacy," how long is too long to chat (before setting an actual date), optimization culture, and whether or not it's weird for someone to run your Hinge account (I LOVE THIS QUESTION).....plus bonus content on how to actually meet people off the apps. You don't have to be dating to love this episode, but if you are — let's go after it in the comments. AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love todayIf you're in the market for a new sofa, dining table, bed, or filing cabinet, peruse the beautiful and long-lasting offerings at Article.comGet 15% off your first order of Pre-Alcohol at zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY using code CULTURESTUDY at checkoutGet 50% off your purchase of a new night guard at shopremi.com/CULTURE, using code CULTUREShow Notes:Follow Jonquilyn on Instagram hereYou can find all episodes of Explain It To Me hereListen to Jonquilyn's episode of Explain It To Me on Cuffing SeasonMelody found this super-interesting article: Men Are Just As Picky As Women About Who They’d Date—If They’re the Ones Being PursuedJonquilyn mentions the Netflix show THE LATER DATERSI mention my interview with sociologist Corinne Low re: figuring out what you actually want in terms of a future life (before finding a partner) We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Wedding culture!!For our next Culture Of Place: Puerto Rico!Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Tell us your dating frustrations! What's changed, what annoys you, what strategies have worked?

What's So Great About a Freaking Hobby?
31/12/2025 | 56 mins.
Is there something in your life that you do — with some sort of regularity, and without direct compensation — that you find tremendously satisfying? Something you do just because you like it? CONGRATS, YOU HAVE A HOBBY. And here at Culture Study, we love to talk about hobbies — how to find them, how to keep them, and how to deal with the seemingly ceaseless push to monetize them. Listeners have been asking for a hobby episode for years, so for the New Year, we asked two great hobbyists — Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu, of the beloved podcast Forever35 — to come on and answer all your hobby questions, including: How do I find time to hobby when I'm a parent? How do I figure out my hobbies now that I finally have time to myself? How do I keep myself from BUYING ALL THE STUFF every time I find a new hobby? How do I keep a hobby from becoming a chore? We can't wait to hear your own thoughts on these questions in the comments. ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to.And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to Article.com and explore the optionsGo to wildalaskan.com/CULTURE for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafoodSave 20% on comfortable, supportive undergarments at honeylove.com/CULTUREGive the gift of softness this holiday season with Lola Blankets. For a limited time, our listeners are getting a huge 40% OFF their entire order at LolaBlankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkoutShow Notes:Go listen to Forever35!! And follow Doree on Instagram and Elise on InstagramRead Doree's tennis newsletter, CourtdateI love Doree's celebration post from nationals: Listen to Elise's previous appearance on the podcast talking all about "Sephora Teens" Read my post about The Unexpected Benefits of Starting a Small-Scale Dahlia Farm with Your FriendsDoree's IVF podcastWe're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow incel culture and slang pops up in the mainstreamHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOBBY! Or tell us how you've made your hobby a joyful part of your life.

Bonus Episode: AHP + Melody's Super Weird Best of 2026 [PREVIEW]
24/12/2025 | 1 mins.
It's BONUS EPISODE TIME! While everyone else is listing their favorite movies and albums and television shows in their end-of-year wrap-ups, Melody and I opted to make up random (but wonderful) categories and force the other person to come up answers. Favorite Internet Dog! TikTok that made you cry! Best Practical Thing You Bought Yourself + Best Extravagant Thing! There's a lot more but I won't spoil them for you other than to say if you need a little very low stakes delight in your life right now, this episode is for you. And free subscribers — I realize sending this to you is a total tease, but maybe also incentive to become a paid subscriber and join in the deeper levels of weirdness. You get ad-free episodes, the bonus advice-time segment every week, and these bonus episodes, which come out every 2-3 months. Just click here to become a paid subscriber.And a reminder, we're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!)The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one)Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here

What's With All This Eldest Daughter Discourse?
17/12/2025 | 51 mins.
I don't remember when I first noticed Eldest Daughter content popping up in my various social media feeds, but like so many millennials, I loved a meme that seemed to REALLY SEE ME. Why yes, I am a consummate planner who somehow holds at least six people's yearly calendars in my head at once! Why yes, I am a perfectionist! WHY YES, I AM AN ELDEST DAUGHTER!Does Eldest Daughter discourse give Eldest Daughters a means to communicate their (sometimes contradictory) feelings about their familial and societal roles? Or is it a way for Eldest Daughters to lean into their own martyrdom complexes? And how does being the immigrant eldest daughter compound your Eldest Daughter-ness? We got Eldest Daughter Ifeoma Ozoma to come on the show and help me (Eldest Daughter) and Melody (also Eldest Daughter, duh) answer all your questions — and work through our own changing relationship to the Eldest Daughter Discourse. (And yes, there's a reason this one's coming out during the holidays, the best/worst time to be an Eldest Daughter) ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible! If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode! Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTUREGet 15% off your first order of cleaning products by going to Blueland.com/CULTURETry Beam's Dream Powder for up to 40% off at shopbeam.com/CULTURE and use code CULTUREHead to Zbiotics.com/CULTURESTUDY and use the code CULTURESTUDY at checkout for 15% offShow Notes:Ifeoma Ozoma is an eldest daughter and also A TOTAL BOSS (TRULY)At the end of the episode we talk about her advocacy with Niños and Neighbors — you can read more about it here and join their mailing list/donate here The Eldest Daughter Club on IG (218k followers!) The study I referenced re: stress during pregnancy and hormones in eldest daughters comes out of UCLA — you can find more about it here We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!) The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: Do you have eldest daughter energy? If you do, how has it changed over time? And if you don't: how do you relate to eldest daughters?

What's Behind All The BIG KOREAN POP CULTURE ENERGY
10/12/2025 | 1h 12 mins.
Sometimes I wish I could just have the intro paragraph to an episode be GAAHHHHHHH THIS ONE WAS SO FUN! So this is my version of that: telling you that I wish it could be that, and then also telling you that we go deep on so many components of the global spread (and embrace) of Korean pop culture. We go into the calculated political elements, the uncanny elision of North Korean stories, and why so many of the Korean narratives resonating with American audiences are ones crafted by Korean-Americans. This is a really effusive and loving episode that also manages to have some very real talk about why kids dressing up as characters from K-Pop Demon Hunters is not yellow face. IT'S SO GOOD, and I know we're gonna have a great discussion about it. ALSO GUESS WHAT, WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODES TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible! If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode! Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.Head to Graza.co/CULTURESTUDY and use code CULTURESTUDY to get 10% off your order and get cooking this holiday season with some fresh, delicious olive oil!Visit moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the best sellers trial pack or the new plant-based trial pack.Go to shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE to receive 55% off your new nightguard PLUS a free foam gift.Show Notes:GO LISTEN TO BIG KOREAN ENERGY!!! And then go find out a lot more about The Mash-Up AmericansSubscribe to The Mash-Up Americans newsletter for updates Really cannot recommend Episode 1 highly enough — it puzzle pieces so well with what we talk about for each of these questions A good secondary listen: our episode with Elise Hu about the Sephora Teen Freakout and my interview with Elise re: her book on K-Beauty We also reference this episode on The Irishification of Pop Culture with Caroline O'Donoghue REP SWEATSTHE KOREAN VEGAN!R.O. Kwon's appearance on Big Korean EnergySusan Choi's Flashlight, Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, Lisa See's Island of Sea Women I try to remember the name of Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:Questions About How to Respond When People Ask/React To the Knowledge That You're Not Having Kids'90s Movie SoundtracksHow we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCHHow to process all the STUFF accumulated from relatives (we have a really helpful organizer with a bunch of mental health training for this one!) The State of The CHAIN RESTAURANT — and chain restaurant supply chain!!! (I'm so excited for this one) Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segmentAs always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) hereFor this week’s discussion: What's your favorite manifestation of BIG KOREAN ENERGY right now?



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