Straight Up

We have more entertainment than any generation in history, so why does everything feel boring now? Fatigue, the death of originality and digital overwhelm are things we’ve been mulling over a lot recently, after finding ourselves sick of the onslaught of mid-level media, the memeification of politics, nihilism, AI slop and remake after re-release upon algorithm-driven copycat. Is this all just a symptom of the attention economy in overdrive? And what can we do to reclaim our interest? This week we’re deep-diving into why we all feel so bored of everything and how we fight back in the age of average.

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod
Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod
Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs / reviews:

“Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?” The Atlantic
The decline of Hollywood talent and originality, Brad Starks on LinkedIn
This is what it looks like when nothing matters, The Atlantic
What Does '6-7' Mean? Don't Expect Gen Alpha to Explain It. New York Times (is this the right one?)
What Does Boredom Do to Us—and for Us? New Yorker
When Did Reading Become A Competitive Sport? Elizabeth Day on Substack
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are supposedly getting married this weekend, so we discuss how much of a spectacle it will be. Plus, what Olivia Wilde’s unfiltered Call Her Daddy episode says about the demonisation of mothers, what the glamourisation of smoking says about today’s weight-loss era, and why the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe feels so deeply relevant today. Also, the return of Caroline Calloway, boyfriend shaming, and why singles nights are revolutionising dating. Thank you to this week’s wise and wonderful guest co-host Olivia Petter, award-winning journalist, author of the brilliant debut novel Gold Rush and founder of Red Lips Dating.

Hear Olivia answer your juicy dating questions in our exclusive bonus ep now on Patreon! patreon.com/StraightUpPodcast

Olivia’s IG: @oliviapetter

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod
Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod
Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews

Red Lips, @redlipsdating on IG
Gold Rush, Olivia Petter
Olivia’s first Straight Up ep in 2024
The Unheard Tapes, Netflix
Marilyn Monroe–The Rest Is History
Letters from Scamelot, Airmail
My Week with Marilyn
I recognise the person in Netflix’s Wellmania — it used to be me, The Times
Olivia Wilde, Call Her Daddy
Olivia Wilde has to disappear, The Cut
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Two Weeks in August, ITV
The Invite, in cinemas Friday
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did Brooklyn Beckham just blow up any chance of a family reunion with his controversial $1m Door Dash ad, or is it straight out of the Victoria Beckham playbook? Also this week: the increasingly fraught discourse about Ariana Grande's weight loss, and whether Emily Ratajkowski is ragebaiting us with her viral new essay and accompanying photoshoot that’s ‘sexualising breastfeeding’. Plus, why women are obsessed with Off Campus, the must-read, five-star book about the Kardashians, and the traumatising experience of reporting sexual misconduct within the Met Police. Thank you to this week’s incredible guest co-host, broadcaster, writer, pop culture queen and OG hun Jackie Adedeji!

Jackie’s IG: @jackieadedeji

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod
Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod
Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews
DeKonstructing the Kardashians, MJ Corey
The Moment, AppleTV
Off Campus, Amazon Prime
Off Campus’s Hannah Finally Makes Me And My Big Boobs Feel Seen, Pedestrian TV
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, SkyTV (out July 8)
Karen Carpenter offers a haunting warning for Ariana Grande fans, Telegraph
What if we're not actually worried about Ariana Grande? Liz Plank, Substack
Reporting ‘police sexual misconduct’ - my traumatic experience, Channel 4 News
My Big Boobs: Untold, Channel 4
I Don't Trust My Therapist: Untold, Channel 4

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pregnant women are being unfollowed in their droves on social media, but at the same time, pronatalist messaging has never been harder to escape. So why is it that both the child-free community and parents alike feel so under siege? We take a look at the celebs at the centre of the discourse, from Margot Robbie facing backlash for “pretending she’s not a mum” and Emma Grede catching heat for her comments on balancing work and motherhood, to Rihanna’s body being under constant surveillance and Nara Smith-style ‘momfluencer’ culture. Plus: K’s personal experience of pregnancy, why society isn’t set up for people to procreate and postpartum representation.

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod
Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod
Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/ reviews:
Madeleine White Responds to Commenters Who Say They Are Unfollowing Her for Being Pregnant, People
Margot Robbie, stop pretending you’re not a mum, The Courier Mail
The Bump Watch That Won't Quit, Yahoo Entertainment
Influencers are selling a delusional fantasy of being postpartum. Why is it so easy to believe? Substack
The Kardashian Whisperer Who Says Three Hours With Her Kids Is Enough, WSJ
Emma Grede: from the East End to $300m with the Kardashians, The Times
The Big Kids Question: does anyone want to be a parent anymore? Straight Up
Dispatches from Motherhood, Substack
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did Dua Lipa just host the celebrity wedding ‘of the decade’? We rake over all the gossip from the three-day bash in Palermo and debate over whether Callum Turner’s status as ‘Mr Dua Lipa’ is reductive and career-damaging. Also on the show: how former ‘kidfluencer’ Piper Rockelle monetises a Lolita fantasy on OnlyFans (including a countdown to her 18th birthday), Bonnie Blue's 'golden' baby shower and Euphoria star Chloe Cherry’s viral interview about how we’re having the wrong conversations about sex work. Plus, Cara Delevingne’s incredible Call Her Daddy episode, the Right-wing backlash to Alex Cooper’s pregnancy, and the woman selling ‘good wife’ courses to Christian women. Thank you to this week’s very special guest Emma-Louise Boynton, journalist, broadcaster and author of the incredible new book Pleasure: The Reclamation of My Body, about how sex therapy transformed her relationship with her body and broke a 17-year-cycle with bulimia.

Pleasure: A Reclamation of My Body, by Emma-Louise Boynton is available to buy here.

Come to see Ellie and Emma-Louise at our How to Date Better event next Wednesday in London! Tickets

Get our brand-new bonus episode (plus early access and ad-free listening) on Patreon! patreon.com/straightuppodcast

Get 10% off our fave (flat pack!) furniture brand Swyft Home with our code straightup10 at swyfthome.com

Try the adaptogenic coffee that changed our lives with 20% off using code straightup at londonnootropics.com

Follow us on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and TikTok @straightuppod
Find us on YouTube @straightupmediapod
Email at ⁠⁠hello@straightuppodcast.co.uk

Recs/reviews

Michael Jackson: The Verdict, Netflix
Margot’s Got Money Troubles, AppleTV
The strange surveilled life of Piper Rockelle: why did a former child influencer decide to go on OnlyFans?, Guardian
Euphoria’s Chloe Cherry On Cassie’s OnlyFans Storyline: “Holy Sh*t, That’s Where We Are In Society?”. Refinery29
The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, Netflix
Why is the Right so mad about Alex Cooper’s pregnancy? New York Magazine
Gen Z Women's New "Anti-Woke Voice", Diabolical Lies
‘A husband expects a yes’: how wife schools are shaping submissive Christian women, Guardian
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.