I've divided this episode of Subject to Change into four chapters: Satire (5:28) Turns out, there's a TikTok account heckling the same launch that I've been speaking critically about here on the pod. Is it distasteful according to wellness-cult standards? For sure. Do I think that's part of its brilliance? Absolutely, and I'll tell you why. The Eagle & The Crow (21:54) There's a viral post circulating with a parable about an eagle & a...
In the opening to this episode of Subject To Change, I share details about work I did as a wellness grifter when I was fresh out of Nia (2007-2009) for another mind-body fitness empire. I didn't know it, but I was re-enacting colonizer logic and creating top-down leadership models because capitalism teaches wellness influencers that this is really the only way to get ahead. Did you know that the (once-fringe) Wellness Industry is worth more...
It's been a year since the 'cult'ure series wrapped, so I invited Tracy Stamper back for a chat & check-in. No, this is not a reboot, it's a final word long in coming. Filters are off, y'all. Using the real name of 'the Org' publicly used to feel scary AF... now it feels 🤷♀️ so we do it & it's no big whoop. Tracy shares how she was able to break her addiction to "the spin cycle" & why setting boundaries has been such a...
“My mouth is a fire escape. The words coming out don't care that they are naked. There is something burning in here.” ~ Andrea Gibson (RIP 🙏🏽💕) It's time I spoke to the 'mean girl' label. It's been tossed around a bit too liberally for my taste, so I've decided to risk the high-road backlash and tell you what I’ve really been thinking and feeling. Am I a mean girl? I'll let you decide. I kick things off with an excerpt from a...
I'm finally back with another episode of Subject To Change where I share about my recent travels to Los Angeles. Not much to say as a lead-in, this episode speaks for itself. Patrons can listen to the audio (or WATCH to experience what I experienced through photos and video footage) from the L.A. No Kings protest. In the second half of the episode, I share about my experience at a women's conference in the days just prior... my first real foray...
Hey y'all. I'm back with another episode of Subject To Change. A parasocial relationship is the one-sided connection we feel to a leader, influencer, or public figure whom we’ve never met in person (and/or with whom we've had limited contact). Thanks to the internet, parasocial interactions are more common than ever, and they can influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. In this episode: I describe the parasocial bond, how it develops,...
It’s no accident that gender essentialism is a (sometimes vitriolic) obsession on the right, with folks clinging to the idea that gender is fixed and immutable. Strict enforcement of gender norms is page-one in the fascist playbook. In this episode, I talk about why, and also, what we can do about it. Places I go in this release >> Inspired by Judith Butler, I argue against essentialism and ask: what if gender is a social construct?...
In today's release, I lay the foundation for a series of episodes that'll be rolling out on the main feed in the coming weeks. Because as life would have it, 'cult'ure series content is syncing-up with my graduate studies... and in a big way! While I don't 'talk politics in this particular episode, a critique on modern leadership is of existential importance right now. Also, a friendly heads up... today's content may challenge your core beliefs...
Some of you may be relieved to hear that today's release will turn our attention away from current events, circling back to a 'cult'ure series topic that is yet-unfinished. I recorded the bookend portions of this episode a couple of weeks ago, just as I was wrapping up my first term of graduate study at ASU. I was still actively recovering from Covid, but I sat down to press record anyway. I was feeling fired up and eager to share some recent...
Hi friends. My apologies for the long lag time between episodes. I've been laid out with Covid for two weeks, and I'm just now coming up for air. 🥴 AND I'm finally sharing this convo that Monica Welty & I recorded back on January 29th. It's the first drop in a new series, Togethering, where I'll be inviting friends - both new and old - to chat out what's most alive for us in the moment. And in this moment in the U.S., a literal...
