Tasteland

Ep. 87: The Great Slowdown

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000

No guest this week. Daisy and Francis discuss the concept of 'The Great Slowdown' as a response to media overload and the desire for deeper engagement with content, the idea of 'vibes gambling' in media, and Dirt's recent contest for essays on health and wealth.

00:00 Transitioning to a New Format

03:11 The Great Slowdown: A Response to Media Overload

05:58 Vibes Gambling: The New Media Economy

09:02 Creating Meaningful Engagement in Media

11:59 Exploring Wealth and Health Through Personal Narratives

15:50 The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

21:59 The Future of Digital Interaction and Content Creation

Ep. 86: #GuyHobbies ft. Raihan Anwar

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:32:50 +0000

Raihan Anwar is a marketing leader for web3 products and communities at scale. He was a co-founder of FWB and also has his own fragrance business in addition to being a coffee connoisseur – all things we love talking about on this pod.

Twitter

Desire Paths

00:00 Navigating Travel Chaos

02:25 Enter Raihan: The Intersection of Culture and Business

06:01 Exploring Fragrance and Identity

08:53 The Art of Taste and Experience

12:11 Podcasting Landscape and Market Dynamics

15:34 The New Media Landscape

17:16 Web 0.5 and Early Internet Ventures

19:22 Coining Terms and Cultural Commentary

25:37 The State of Web3 and Cryptocurrency

30:03 Guy Hobbies and Their Cultural Significance

31:45 Stripe Press and Innovative Publishing

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by

Ep. 85: Artifacts of scenes ft. Elliot Aronow

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Elliot Aronow is the host/producer of minor genius, a culture imprint that publishes zines, hosts parties, and occasionally produces very handsome neckties. Inside that there's also a very discreet private studio where he works as an editor/co-conspirator with visible weirdos to ship finished artifacts.

Elliot Aronow

Instagram

minor genius

Timestamps

00:00 A year as a degenerate gambler

04:00 What is minor genius?

08:25 The tension between punk and preppy

18:46 Reading in public

22:25 Scene vs audience

24:49 Jiu jitsu midlife journey

27:25 A scene memoir

33:08 Never going to be a Beastie Boy

37:42 Artifacts of the 2020s

41:18 What sucks about menswear?

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 84: Stomp clap hay ft. Jesse Hirsch of Offrange

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Jesse Hirsch is editor of Offrange. He has spent years working as a journalist focused on food and agriculture, most recently as managing editor at The Counter. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, San Francisco Chronicle, Bon Appétit, Eater, and other outlets.

Offrange is a digital publication covering American agriculture, food production, and natural resources. We publish three original stories each week, a monthly podcast, and a weekly newsletter.

Jesse Hirsch

Offrange

Twitter/X

Instagram

Timestamps

00:00 Laptop at the cinema

04:15 Sod and cranberry bog

07:15 Offrange and its mission

15:35 Knowing when to rebrand

19:57 The best meal of 2026

21:45 Covering agriculture vs food

27:27 The farming and agriculture audience

33:40 Diversification of writers and contributors

35:45 The evolution of agricultural journalism

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 83: Bread and circus and Punch

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000

No guest this week on Tasteland, so Daisy and Francis discuss books they haven't read, iPods, a sad monkey, and the state of modern media startups.

Daisy

Francis

Timestamps

00:00 Monitoring the situation

02:35 The barbell of modern media

09:11 The 4 revenue streams of a media startup

13:33 Sober in New Orleans

18:26 Health is wealth

24:45 A bit vague

26:59 Texting less, going out more

28:54 25 years of iPod brain

32:46 Punch, the monkey

38:25 Stolen taste

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 82: 21st century science fiction ft. Pri Desai

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:56:08 +0000

This week we're joined by Pritanka Desai, the COO at Tribute Labs & Partner at ADIN.

Priyanka Desai

Twitter/X

The Physical Renaissance: AI Makes You Look Up

Timestamps

00:00 Hammy Mad Men

04:38 Doomslop moving markets

12:06 The world's transition period in now

17:00 Information overload affecting perception of reality

23:24 Prediction market's role in society

30:27 True crime and information gaps

38:30 AI powered venture capital

45:05 The physical renaissance

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 81: Bookseller as human algorithm ft. James Webster

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Today on Tasteland we're speaking to James Webster, the co-owner of Recluse Books, an indie bookstore in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Recluse Books

Website

Instagram

Timestamps

00:00 Doing Italian things

03:53 Recluse best sellers

07:28 Logistics of picking and stocking 6,000 books

11:40 Bookstore culture of Fort Worth

15:05 Receiving feedback on book recommendations

17:11 Current reads

24:15 Running bookstore events

29:47 Bookstore location and community impact

36:04 Making books approachable

41:57 Reading hard books because they're hard

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 80: 36 unrecognizable hours ft. Charly Wilder

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Charly Wilder is writer, award-winning journalist and executive editor at Roads & Kingdoms.

Charly Wilder

Instagram

Twitter/X

Timestamps

00:00 Respect the Quad God

05:45 Maintaining a unique travel journalism perspective

10:51 Looking at the world through many lenses

17:10 The deepest culinary tours on Earth

23:50 The Roads and Kingdoms audience

28:57 Curating contributors

34:16 Joining the Roads and Kingdoms team

37:36 Maintaining and updating city guides

45:03 Thinking about food as a storyteller

48:14 The qualities of a great travel and food writer

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 79: Not his first Rodeo ft. Sam Levy

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Sam Levy is the former COO of Hinge and co-founder of Rodeo, a new app designed to wrangle the details of your social life and keep you organized.

Sam Levy

Rodeo

References

Patient Capital Will Eat the World

Timestamps

00:00 Somebody that I used to know

03:35 Patient capital will eat the world

09:27 Infrastructure for your social life

14:15 Managing the user experience

19:44 The expectation of apps as a memory layer

23:56 Types of Rodeo users

27:47 Using TikTok as a research group

35:32 Choosing the name Rodeo

37:13 The evolution of the idea

42:14 A business plan that maintains integrity

48:06 Get offline

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 78: Panic! On the tech right ft. Julia Black

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:31:00 +0000

Julia Black is a tech and business correspondent at Vanity Fair and freelance writer whose work has also been published in the New York Times, MIT Technology Review, WIRED, The Verge, and others.

Julia Black

Website

Twitter/X

Timestamps

00:00 Resy anxiety

07:35 The reality of modern genetic testing

12:38 Substack on TV

17:50 Evolving opinions and journalistic integrity

23:48 TikTok takeover conspiracies

28:32 The shifting politics of big tech

39:00 Symbolism in politics and ideology

47:44 Holding on to what's meaningful

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 77: Radiohead message boards ft. Bre Morell from crushed

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Bre Morell, one half of the duo, crushed.

crushed

Timestamps

00:00 Judging a book by its cover

09:29 Brits in an Oasis

14:46 Entering eBay flow state

19:46 Late 90s musical influences

28:11 Nostalgic corners of the internet

33:00 Video game musical influences

38:33 Driving in Texas

41:37 Touring the country as a vegan

44:28 To make timeless music, be genreless

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 76: Dry phone January ft. Natasha Hoskins

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:20:28 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by the GM and co-founder of Boys Club, Natasha Hoskins.

Boys Club

Natasha Hoksins

Timestamps

00:00 The asperges defense

05:38 Into the archives

07:55 Boys Club extended universe

12:23 Golden Globes Polymarket collab

17:15 The Boys Club network

20:27 Twitter muted words reveal

29:17 Trump to Tom Brady chlamydia domino effect

35:50 Traitors in the Industry

41:43 Hooked on Reels

44:12 New year, new LinkedIn strategy

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 75: The Cosmos Girl ft. Dena Yago

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Dena Yago, an artist, writer, and founding member of the trend forecasting group K-HOLE. Dena is currently working at Cosmos, a visual discovery and inspiration platform for creatives.

Dena Yago

Website

Instagram

Twitter/X

Timestamps

00:00 Smoking Christmas gift

4:44 No smoke without fire

10:00 GQ editor-in-chief predictions

12:40 Name that trend

16:26 Parallel thinking and Darwinism

19:45 The Cosmos secret sauce

25:25 Why books still matter in fast media

32:19 Irony is dead, long live cringe

42:25 The rise of the Cosmos girl

49:04 AI and curation

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 74: One year after another

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

Daisy and Francis bring 2025 to a close by looking back on their defining media of the year and looking ahead to the world of tech and media in 2026.

Timestamps

00:00 A New England Christmas

04:09 Invisible labor of the holiday season

08:15 Dirt Books

14:13 Songs and albums 2025

18:23 Is 2026 the year of the techlash

22:37 The creator economy in 2026

29:32 Dirt reader's top books of 2025

31:44 Daisy's viral tweet of 2024-2025

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 73: It goes down in the Google Doc ft. Daniel Spielberger

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:30:00 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by writer and editor, Daniel Spielberger. Daniel is also the executive editor of Study Hall and the host of the Study Hall Podcast. Read the Farmer's Almanac article we discuss here.

Daniel Spielberger

Timestamps

00:00 $45 well spent, $5 poorly spent

07:36 Surprise proposal and tweets going viral

11:09 Influencer culture in media

17:50 We need storytellers

24:39 Daniel Docs

28:09 Study Hall

33:08 Too much media about media

44:32 Olivia Nuzzi did it all for nothing

53:43 Grown men shouldn't have birthday parties

58:29 Worst movie of 2025

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 72: Minimum viable meme ft. Jamie Wilkinson

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:30:11 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Jamie Wilkinson, co-founder of Know Your Meme, VHX, and most recently, Glif.

Jamie Wilkinson

Timestamps

00:00 Coke and Wall St

03:26 Memes are a business of their own

11:30 The evolution of memes

17:03 Relationships with social media by generation

26:45 Software sub-cultures of consuming and creating

34:37 The intention of creation

38:45 Creating for yourself

45:02 The state of vibecoding

50:40 The art and value of software creation

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers

Ep. 71: Business with boundaries ft. Ochuko Akpovbovbo

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:30:12 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Ochuko Akpovbovbo, creator and writer of the culture and marketing newsletter as seen on.

Ochuko Akpovbovbo

Timestamps

00:00 Naturist, not nudist

05:38 Resident of nowhere

10:07 Books of 2025

14:20 Nuremberg is boring

17:00 Writer vs. Substacker

27:22 An aversion to defining

34:30 Avoiding the parasocial

42:21 For business reasons, I need to be perceived

52:32 Influencers shaping brand narratives

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 70: Meet the Silkers ft. Zane Kind

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:30:13 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by technologist and artist, Zane Kind. Zane is the co-founder and CEO of Silk, a blogging platform for creative research,moodboarding, and subculture.

Zane Kind

Timestamps

00:00 Notebook vandalism and clone hype

08:57 Building the zoomer Facebook

17:06 The slow scale business model

19:28 Defining taste

23:38 Scaling without killing subculture

30:07 Where are the Silkers?

36:51 Celebrity is changing

47:09 Creation starts with consumption

49:02 Rapid-fire hot-potatoes

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 69: Canadian Canto ft. Ethan Sawyer

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:35:07 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Ethan Sawyer, a field producer at CBC and curator of the newsletter Human Pursuits, a newsletter for navigating modern existence with help from need-to-know names in media and culture.

Ethan Sawyer

Timestamps

00:00 beats to write/edit to

04:08 Writer's block is not real

07:57 Nights in the Gardens of Brooklyn

11:46 An analysis of social climbers

18:40 Olivia Nuzzi did it all for love

24:23 The art of guest selection

32:15 Francis tells a bad joke

32:57 Music for work and focus

37:46 Music is so good

43:16 Defining slop

54:46 Introducing the "content economy"

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 68: Pope Pluribus Polycene

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:30:09 +0000

No guest this week on Tasteland so Daisy and Francis discuss whether Frankenstein should've shown hog, the introduction to the polycene and quote tweeting the Pope.

Daisy

Francis

Timestamps

00:00 The hog of Frankenstein

09:55 It was all yellow

16:29 Welcome to the polycene

27:15 Gambler's wives

30:24 Don't die, take mushrooms

34:00 Marc Andreessen vs. the Pope

39:29 Vibe shifts are vibe shifts

44:00 Affordability vs abundance in politics

46:50 But I'm not a rapper, I'm mayor

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 67: Don't forget the reader ft. Adam Voith

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:30:22 +0000

This week on Tasteland we’re joined by novelist Adam Voith. Adam is the editor and publisher of Little Engines magazine.

Adam Voith

Timestamps

00:00 Did Zohran win?

03:14 Dirt’s new podcasts

08:01 Relationship between art and commerce

13:29 Submission culture in publishing

20:29 Conservatism in publishing

26:35 Culture reflected in literature

33:32 Monetizing early support in creative industries

43:29 The rise of freelancing and founding

48:00 Writers are small business owners

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 66: War of the worlds ft. Nick Susi

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:30:23 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Nick Susi, a strategy executive and entrepreneurial builder for 13+ years, exploring the technological, societal and psychological forces that shape our identity, perception and culture.

Nick Susi

Timestamps

00:00 Creators are consumers of the self

07:51 Posts are the cheetle of your identity

15:19 Presence in marketing

17:11 Start a war, create a monoculture

29:16 Building trust vs capturing attention

36:59 How myths shape modern media and technology

45:25 Separating the technology for the myth

51:45 Ice Cube got it right

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 65: Run club ft. Cole Townsend

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:30:13 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by startup founder, developer, and runner, Cole Townsend. Cole has been a product designer for over a decade and is the head of tech and co-founder of Sole Retriever.

Cole

Timestamps

00:00 Jury duty

06:54 Post Tokyo crash

17:20 Every app is a marketplace or dating app

24:49 Running is becoming lifestyle

29:53 Crewing an ultramarathon

34:12 Performance culture

37:17 Founding Sole Retriever

43:36 Never had a New Balance

50:20 Moth tech

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 64: Radical legibility ft. Claire Landsbaum

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:35:19 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by NYC based journalist, Claire Landsbaum. Claire is the Deputy Editor at HighSnobiety and has formerly held positions at The Cut, Vanity Fair, and Business Insider.

Claire

Timestamps

00:00 Show and tell

09:02 The bowling alley is the new afterparty

11:27 Writing for magazines

15:06 Finding journalistic honesty

19:03 Fake adult in Berlin

26:53 Are Veronika and Kyle for real?

32:40 I saw this tweet

37:08 Can The Daily Beast be saved?

48:35 Revenue and editorial integrity

54:29 Tattoos and steaks

57:53 The dream profile

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 63: Load-bearing leisure ft. Jose Mejia

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:30:10 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Jose Mejia, the CEO and Co-Founder at Scene Infrastructure Company, a software company building better instruments for socialization.

Jose Mejia

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:42 Stress-induced tramp stamp

04:07 Zero-slop pop-up gets pwned

10:44 Daisy bullies Chat-GPT, again

13:16 Addison Rae Iconic Magazine scene report

15:10 Wild soda flavor combos

17:45 Shopify for the experience economy

21:31 World Cup 2026 ticket prices

26:17 The endgame of the attention economy

33:38 The decline of consensus reality

41:34 Rebuilding consensus reality

48:38 Matryoshka doll of meaning

51:08 When did everything become so intentional?

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 62: Soy, sourdough, subscriptions

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:30:22 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Francis and Daisy go guest-free and dive into everything from small farms and soybeans to the future of media and paywalls. Is media all media marketing now? Life is good.

Timestamps

00:00 Sourdough fatherhood

01:43 Venture agriculturalism

05:34 Soybean political own goal

10:06 All media is marketing

15:40 Not all media is marketing

22:37 Retiring the op-ed

27:46 The future of micropayments and paywalls

35:27 Distasteland

38:11 Nostalgic scent of manure

39:33 AGI is coming, go to party school

42:04 Life is good; drip

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 61: First day of school ft. Casey Lewis

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:30:24 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Casey Lewis, founder of the After School newsletter and Gen Z consumer trends expert. Casey has been an editor at Teen Vogue, MTV, and New York Magazine, and in 2016, she started a media company for Gen Z, which was acquired by another media company for Gen Z.

Casey

Links & References

A Taste of Thomas Bernhard

Timestamps

00:00 Thomas Bernhard renaissance

05:25 Double dogs and doubled subs

08:00 Gen alpha are the marketing generation

10:11 Denim is back

18:51 Individuality vs. conformity in youth culture

26:46 Brand loyalty in gen z and gen alpha

30:45 Mom's influence on tween shopping

34:00 The uncanny valley of fashion

38:09 Refragmentation of youth culture

44:03 You stole my brainrot

51:30 The ethics of child influencers

58:27 I wanna be your billboard

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 60: Class and collection ft. Dani Loftus

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 10:30:26 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Dani Loftus. Dani is a founder, writer and investor focused on the digital evolution of culture. After founding content platform This Outfit Does Not Exist in 2021, she became a leading voice in the digital fashion space working with brands like Chanel, Dion Lee, and Google and writing for publications such as HUNGER, DIRT and Jing Daily.

Dani

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Dani

01:00 Gimmicky martini epidemic

05:10 The return the hipsterdom

17:27 Happy victims

20:28 Fashion is fine art

28:18 Pandemic shopping habits

31:22 The Doji problem

38:58 The commodification of taste in fashion

46:52 Putting a watermark on humanity

51:22 Class structure in the UK vs US

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 59: The business of books ft. Andy Hunter of Bookshop.org

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:13:26 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Andy Hunter, the founder and CEO of bookshop.org, an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

Bookshop

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Andy and Bookshop

02:08 Press Publish NYC

06:26 Introducing e-books on Bookshop

08:00 Aligning against big tech

11:36 Best performing genres on Bookshop

14:12 The catalyst for Bookshop's impressive growth

15:52 Rejecting investment to maintain the company's mission

19:51 Support bookstores, not billionaires

28:03 Innovating the e-reader

35:00 Bookshop's impact on local book stores

37:25 AI vs human book recommendations

46:42 Taking the Bookshop model beyond books

53:40 The value of physical books

57:40 Current reads

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 58: Generational luxury ft. Ben Dietz

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 10:30:18 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Ben Dietz, a long-time media/entertainment business guy.

Ben

Timstamps

00:00 Do not disturb

05:12 No new luxury brands

11:11 Cybertruck: a future classic

16:20 Can software be luxury?

23:23 AI email summaries, with emotion

30:34 Brand safety is dead

34:56 Podcasting for the generations

38:31 Job tenure trends

47:39 Well-mannered, socialized and curious

51:13 Psychological foot binding

54:00 A month of sobriety

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 57: Fad World ft. W. David Marx

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:30:22 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by W. David Marx, an American fashion and culture writer who works and lives in Tokyo, Japan. He is the author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style and Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change.

Preorder Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century

W. David Marx

Timestamps

00:00:00 Subway tastes

00:02:26 There's no song of the summer

00:09:05 Skinny pants are never coming back

00:12:10 Only Fads

00:17:10 Fad consumerism culture, US vs Asia

00:21:27 The age of the double sellout

00:24:00 The 21st century crisis

00:35:49 Rich enough to not have a smartphone

00:41:25 Cultural roots of contemporary politics

00:51:04 Everyone is a marketer

00:56:37 You can't be unfamous

01:01:04 Capitalism without morality

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 56: Literary hot takes ft. Greta Rainbow

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:30:20 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Greta Rainbow. Greta is an editor at the Creative Independent, arts columnist for the New York Review of Architecture, and she's the anchor contributor for Dirt's books newsletter, Blank.

Greta

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Greta

04:33 Genre + scene = literary movement

08:37 Disney adults of alt-lit

11:03 In defense of perfection

16:44 An audatious literary sandwich

24:22 Literary gnats

31:09 Unfulfiled references come as great surprise

34:51 Books that we hate

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 55: Herb Wednesdays ft. Sam Valenti IV

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:30:17 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined Sam Valenti IV. Sam is the founder and leader of Ghostly International, a 25-year-old collective that has grown from a dorm room-based record label to a recognized platform for the work of great artists, designers, technologists, and musicians. The New York Times says Ghostly “transcends its record label roots to sell and ethos.” Ghostly International is the first label alongside upstart drink sum wtr in All Flowers Group, a label unit formed as an affiliate of Secretly Group. An inveterate collector, Valenti also writes the weekly newsletter Herb Sundays, which features a personal playlist by a noted artist or enthusiast.

Sam

Timestamps

00:00:00 Igno-fiction

00:05:45 Cultural beatdowns

00:11:18 The knowledge requirement of fandoms

00:18:15 Sycophancy vs. fandom

00:21:50 Community in record labels

00:27:45 Archiving culture

00:33:29 Nostalgia and new media engagement

00:36:52 Preserving artists legacies

00:42:36 New media monetization strategies

00:50:00 AI and the future of media consumption

00:57:31 The best music journalism right now

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 54: Spiritual tech and secular tech ft. Reggie James

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 10:30:20 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Reggie James, a writer, product architect and investor.

Reggie

00:00

02:09 Best hardware of 2024

06:11 Interviewing Jasper of Teenage Engineering

08:06 The most contemporary city in America

12:07 Secular tech vs spiritual tech

17:25 Heriticon loses its edge

22:30 The tech right and religious right cannot coexist

28:41 Faith and doubt in startup tech

35:31 Private vs public capital in innovation

42:26 Having a startup is a lifestyle choice

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 53: Sloppy ft. Rax King

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:30:21 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by Rax King, a James Beard Award-nominated writer and host of the podcast Low Culture Boil. Rax is the author of the 2021 book Tacky, and her new release Sloppy is out now.

Rax

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Rax

02:37 Write sober, edit sober

07:26 The goal of personal writing

13:20 Reframing past experiences

20:25 Service industry draft

29:11 Banjos in the sky

31:27 Drink the Kool-Aid but know your dosage

35:21 Reverse abundance mindset

38:00 Nobody does bread anymore

42:59 Didn't make the cut

45:55 Sex tourism and calamari

48:40 Noble savage reply guys

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 52: Gentle-parenting your audience ft. Jeremy Kirkland

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:30:20 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Jeremy Kirkland, host of the podcast Blamo! — a podcast exploring the world of fashion with the personalities that shape it.

Blamo!

Jeremy

Timestamps

00:00 I always make my knock a little song

05:36 All podcasts are restaurant podcasts

08:13 Nine years of podcasting

14:47 The business of Blamo!

22:28 The culture of criticism online

29:29 You should do embarrassing things

37:45 The cost of existing in the creator economy

41:08 E-commerce recovery

52:15 There's no runway in Missouri

57:38 Bag check survival instincts

01:01:01 Running up that hill

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 51: Never Post ft. Mike Rugnetta

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:30:23 +0000

This week on Tasteland we're joined by writer, producer, and podcaster, Mike Rugnetta. Mike is the host of Never Post, a podcast that asks questions about why the world of the internet – and the world, because of the internet – is the way it is.

Follow Mike

Timestamps

00:00 Sunday summer derangement

03:25 Changing the way the world changes

08:50 The age of the platform has ended

14:16 The rise of the agentic web

17:06 Hentai explains everything

22:50 Bob Geldof's flaming pitchfork

27:48 Attention is a zero-sum game

33:00 You cannot recreate attention

39:18 AI vs. the library

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 50: Information Age ft. Cora Lewis

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:30:17 +0000

This week on Tasteland we are joined by writer and award winning journalist, Cora Lewis. Cora's fiction has appeared at The Yale Review, Joyland Magazine, Epiphany, and elsewhere. She currently works at the Associated Press in New York, and she previously worked at BuzzFeed News. Cora's debut novella, Information Age, comes out on July 15th.

Pre-order Cora's book Information Age

Follow Cora

Timestamps

00:00 Reading Information Age

04:37 Book design and unique literary devices

11:46 Title inspiration and influences

14:12 The artistry of fragmented writing

20:14 Composing fragments into a finished piece

26:09 You can't write life to scale

34:42 Honing the aesthetics of a novella

37:36 Cora's lack of social media presence

44:58 The duty to represent life accurately

51:25 A clearheaded view of AI

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 49: Icks from the Six ft. Ariel Rubin

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:30:22 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Webby Award-winning content creator, social strategist, and meme enthusiast, Ariel Rubin. Ariel is the the head of content at Air and one of Francis' greatest enemies.

Follow Ari

Links & References

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Ariel Rubin

01:40 Recent icks

07:33 LinkedIn hates Bonnie Blue

11:45 Wife guys, one hell of a fraternity

14:24 SaaS is the most honest industry

20:19 Selling out is compulsory now

28:14 Daisy's ultimate black pill

31:53 You can't get rich in Canada

37:21 Never think again

42:58 Cigs are back

44:54 Ari's SaaS persona

47:38 Startup founder bravado

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 48: Planting the internet ft. Nika Simovich Fisher

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:14:56 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by design strategist, writer, journalist, and educator, Nika Simovich Fisher.

Nika Simovich Fisher

Links & References

More about Nika's Hard Pack piece
Nika's piece on Digitizing and Preserving Cyrillic Typefaces in Serbia
Nika's website, Wildflowers
Nika's piece on The evolution of the trash icon

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:41 Berlin fragrance experience

05:49 The design of modern political campaigns

15:06 The relationship between midcentury design and skiing

22:12 Digitizing and preserving Cyrillic typefaces in Serbia

27:34 The parallels between gardens and websites

33:15 Digital memorializations

42:40 Drawing conclusions from digital footprints

46:01 Data is litter

50:15 The impact and legacy of Kate Spade's death

53:55 Invisible nightlife

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 47: Venture Capital Culture ft. Maya Bakhai

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:30:17 +0000

This week we have part two of Daisy and Francis' conversation with Maya Bakhai, founder of Spice Capital, a venture capital firm focused on taking big bets in areas primed for rapid change in the coming decades.

Listen to part one:

Maya Bakhai

Spice Capital

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing part two

03:11 The role of small businesses in today's economy

07:56 Asset class creep

11:43 The rise of women in wealth management

15:53 Micro changes vs. shock changes in the economy

21:43 The crypto divide: Manhattan vs. Brooklyn

27:21 The crypto infrastructure grift

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 46: State of Skate ft. Cole Nowicki

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:30:24 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by writer, producer and publisher Cole Nowicki. Cole runs the newsletter Simple Magic, a newsletter about skateboarding, the internet, and other means of escape.

Cole

Links & References

Dirt x Simple Magic Introducing... Nosegrab
Cole's piece Boom and echo
Cole's piece Falling or failing
Cole's piece Is social media dead?
Hardbody Skateboarding NEVER ENUFF III
Gail.com

00:00 Introducing Cole

04:08 Unstated notes of piss

06:24 Early skater media influences

12:30 Skate culture and third spaces

15:48 The current state of the skate industry

21:26 Younger generations' relationship to skate culture

28:00 Right, Down + Circle

33:48 Is social media dead?

40:33 The dangers of happinessmaxxing

46:46 Bringing the swagger back to Vancouver

52:47 Betting on the future of skateboarding

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 45: In defense of friction ft. Kyla Scanlon

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:30:19 +0000

This week Francis is joined by financial content creator, educator, and author, Kyla Scanlon. Kyla writes about everything from crypto to macroeconomics to similarities between grief and love, bringing the human aspect of economics to the forefront.

Kyla

References

Kyla's essay The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is Friction
Kyla's essay Economic Lessons from the Screwtape Letters
Tasteland Ep. 14 ft. David Rudnick

Timestamps

00:00:00 Animal Cracker friction

00:06:32 Understanding friction as a commodity

00:11:25 The simulation economy

00:18:07 Is the American dream a frictionless world?

00:25:25 The purpose of life is friction management

00:30:50 Corporate responsibility and alternatives to frictionlessness

00:34:56 Economic literacy for all

00:43:58 Making an impact through content creation

00:51:35 Crafting a unique style

00:55:55 Vibe report: Reagan National Economic Forum

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 44: Cultural arbitrage ft. Maya Bakhai

Wed, 28 May 2025 10:30:15 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Maya Bakhai, founder of Spice Capital, a venture capital firm focused on taking big bets in areas primed for rapid change in the coming decades.

Maya Bakhai

Spice Capital

References

Lenny: How tech works really feel about work right now
LinkedIn Post: Why PRIME hit a $3.2B valuation overnight
TBPN: Technology Brothers podcast
The Information: How the 'Technology Brothers' Seized Silicon Valley

Timestamps

00:00:00 Vineyards and interstates

00:06:41 Venture capital: The invisible curator of millennial taste

00:14:38 To be investable you must be legible

00:19:20 Naive optimism of a startup founder

00:29:55 From Crocs to stocks

00:36:33 The hype cycle of creator-led products

00:44:50 The barnacles of tech industry

00:52:18 Embracing the power of cultural arbitrage

00:57:02 Taking over Silicon Valley

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 43: The Scented Mr. Ripley ft. Carly Silverman

Wed, 21 May 2025 10:30:31 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by comedy, culture, and perfume writer, Carly Silverman. Carly is also a TV and video producer, and host of the new podcast Smell That Movie.

Carly

Links & References

Dirt / Greta Rainbow: Where will the next literary movement come from?
Cosmo / Carly Silverman: The PerfumeTok influencers have got it all wrong
Substack / Kyla Scanlon: The most valuable commodity is friction

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Carly Silverman

00:56 The sign of a good party

03:35 Literary movement = scene + genre

07:09 We're back to selling out

11:41 Smell that movie

17:32 The Talented Mr. Zierer

22:07 Aesthetic perfumes go against the idea of humanity

27:19 Smell and friction

34:18 The great fragrance and culture writers

35:41 What does the internet smell like?

41:25 What book do you want to smell like?

45:44 Nostalgic summer camp smells

53:37 From letterboxd to podcast

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 42: Old restaurants are the new restaurants ft. Matt Rodbard

Wed, 14 May 2025 10:30:28 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Matt Rodbard, a seasoned writer, editor and author in the food and culture space. Matt is the Editor in Chief of the award winning food publication TASTE and co-host of podcast This is TASTE.

Matt

Taste

Links & References

Nieman Lab piece on Clone

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introducing Matt Rodbard

00:01:39 Food content at The Webbys

00:06:39 The shift to creator-first journalism

00:14:32 Rising critical food content online

00:18:37 Visual identity in a sea of sameness

00:27:41 The relationship between written and audio content

00:32:10 The financial landscape of the food industry

00:35:58 Diners habits are changing

00:40:20 Pop-ups are the newsletters of restaurants

00:45:40 The old thing is someone's new thing

00:55:43 Like it or not, you're a founder

01:01:58 The best German food outside of Germany

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 41: Under the Henfluence ft. Tove Danovich

Wed, 07 May 2025 10:30:25 +0000

Francis is out of town this week and Daisy is joined by Tove Danovich, a journalist and writer who has featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Ringer, and Dirt. She is the author of the 'Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them', an immersive blend of chicken-keeping memoir and animal welfare reporting.

Tove

Links & References

Dirt x Boys Club: clone.fyi
Tove's book list: Nine amazing books about animals
Tove's climate change piece: On hope and hopelessness
Daisy's essay: Attention is what makes us human

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Tove

01:50 Curiosity is the topic of life

06:49 Our relationship with urban wildlife

12:33 Impactful responses from Tove's readers

17:56 Chicken's in culture through the ages

22:04 The political power of the egg

27:00 The deeply feminist story of chickens and egg-money

31:32 Beekeeping and pollination myths

36:00 Nine amazing books about animals

41:17 The challenges of writing about climate and nature

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 40: Bread and Magazines ft. Sarah Leonard of Lux

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:37:38 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Sarah Leonard, editor in chief of Lux Magazine, a feminist magazine of politics and culture founded in 2021. Sarah is also a contributing editor to Dissent and The Nation, and her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, and elsewhere.

Lux Magazine

References

Interview with Sarah: Creative Independent

Timestamps

00:00 American tourists irritate American tourist

09:10 The joys and difficulties of print media

12:33 Designing a website that feels like a magazine

15:02 Customizable databased for your personal life

17:18 Fundraising for a politically opinionated media business

19:27 The versatility of an editor

23:19 Who is the Lux reader?

32:13 Helping young writers

43:21 Highlights from Lux

50:15 Don't fall into the clout trap

56:56 How the internet works

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 39: In defense of internet addiction ft. Boys Club

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:30:29 +0000

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskins of Boys Club, a media and creative studio. They're also the hosts of the Dumb B!tch Hour, a podcast for the deeply online, where they chat about all things tech, crypto, and pop culture news.

Boys Club

References

Ben's play: Rich Beyond Our Wildest Dreams
Francis' essay: What is the creator economy?

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Boys Club

01:17 New verticals & what is the creator economy?

03:52 Chet and Pret

06:02 The internet is where we live

09:16 Twitter, ribbed for your pleasure

16:06 Black Mirror, a zone 2 show

19:35 Rich beyond our wildest dreams

22:26 The sustainability of a cosy internet

28:04 Google Doc website, the ultimate no-code

36:28 Strong memories loosely accurate

41:59 Daisy's latest Chat-GPT beef

43:45 AI companionship and the lack of refusal

50:55 Putting your mouth where your money is

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 38: Coachella hacks ft. Paula Mejía

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:29:05 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by versatile writer and editor, Paula Mejía. Paula specializes in arts and culture journalism and is currently a leading contributor at Dirt.

Paula

Other references

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Paula Mejía

00:28 Festival experiences

03:40 Coachella emergency dental

07:15 The best and worst of Coachella

12:16 Flower crowns out, assless chaps in

14:36 Spa day festival hack

18:15 Hot Topic and the evolution of subculture

25:58 Embrace the spoilers

30:48 The power in mischief in brand collabs

36:26 The revival of the bookstore

43:46 Facebook marketplace is the place

45:30 The role of festivals in social connections

50:06 County fair community nostalgia

53:09 The corporatization of modern life

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 37: In defense of hospitality ft. Colin Nagy

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:33:00 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis talk to travel and hospitality writer, Colin Nagy. Colin is also the co-creator of the newsletter 'Why is this interesting?'

Colin: https://x.com/CJN

Why is this interesting?: https://www.interesting.us

00:00:00 Long live the girl moss

00:04:08 The podcast mic and illusion of authority

00:06:20 Credibility laundering: How to industry plant yourself

00:11:01 Blockchain taste formalization

00:13:51 Abstract theories applied to the blockchain

00:16:43 Who gets to decide how we remember?

00:27:10 Language, Culture, and Their Role in Shaping LLMs

00:33:01 Media literacy and factchecking LLMs

00:42:32 New money's impact on hospitality and experiences

00:48:00 Memorable and personal hospitality experiences

00:52:55 The social contract is broken: Degrading manners in society

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 36: Future Commerce ft. Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:41:40 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange from the Future Commerce podcast. What is the future of art in an AI world? Do we need more friction in our lives? Should AI feel shame?

Listen to Future Commerce: https://www.futurecommerce.com/episodes

00:00 Introduction to Phil and Brian

01:46 Blank launch party

05:52 OpenAI’s Studio Ghibli marketing ploy

11:45 All that we’re left with is aura

19:27 The value of the art is the creator

25:00 Losing control of the environment art is observed

29:29 Our shitty robot future

36:14 An Industrial Revolution for the minds

39:23 Online shopping can diminish creativity

51:50 The future of mobility is textiles

55:28 Cultural change requires calamity

01:01:47 Has frictionless gone too far?

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 35: Retro Tech ft. Kori Fuerst

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:01:23 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Kori Fuerst, co-founder of Retrospekt, a consumer electronics company specialising in reviving retro tech for a new generation.

Retrospekt: https://retrospekt.com

00:00 Introducing Kori and Restrospekt

02:35 Awkward police encounters

06:12 Defaulting to the classic

08:09 The unique Retrospekt office space

11:14 Retro collaborations and IP licensing

14:53 Transitioning from hobby to business

22:28 Challenges with repairing newer tech

23:57 Pop cultures effect on retro tech hype

27:05 The rise of digicams and the 2000's aesthetic

29:22 Today's future retro tech

37:27 Late 80's tech is the most accessible for refurbishment

39:43 Dream retro tech collabs

45:36 The natural draw to analogue and tactile interfaces

51:29 The experience of film photos

55:10 Balancing scale and sustainability in retro tech

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 34: Fragrance Rich ft. Trey Taylor

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:40:43 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Trey Taylor, Gen Z consumer expert who has recently pivoted into the world of fragrances and just launched their perfume brand Serviette.

Trey Taylor: https://x.com/treytylor

Serviette: https://serviette.nyc/pages/about?srsltid=AfmBOorQMQdp9fVeRd_vV-aXXIsRid3t8o2z9NL0ZZU19-3ZWsdFridM

00:00 Introducing Trey and Serviette

00:55 The symbiotic relationship between oral and written culture

04:00 Serviette launch party

09:08 The art and struggle of perfume creation

14:07 The monopolization of fragrance

22:16 Bartering and trading culture with the fragrance world

25:23 The role of contrast in color and scent

31:13 Selling a lifestyle: Marketing an aspiration

39:10 Taste is defined by perception, not possession

45:34 The challenges of online perfume shopping

54:45 Using taste to create something valuable

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 33: On The Fence ft. Charlie Baker

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:30:13 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Charlie Baker, editor of The Fence, a quarterly print magazine (and weekly newsletter) focused on life in the UK and Ireland.

The Fence: https://www.the-fence.com

Capital Letter: https://thefencecapitalletter.substack.com/

00:00 Introducing Charlie Baker and The Fence

01:51 The value exchange of a podcast appearance

07:48 The Fence's unique and historic office space

13:41 The Capital Letter: London's only newsletter

20:52 Cultural exchange between the US and UK is growing

23:47 Increasing London pub coverage

27:54 London's entrepreneurial energy is rising

29:26 Did ye hear mammy died?

32:50 Defining the quintessential Fence story

36:06 The most important job of an editor

41:00 Publishing is an act of optimism

47:39 The loneliness of leadership

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 32: The Dark Mode Shift ft. Edmond Lau

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:19:51 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by cultural strategist, designer and art director, Edmond Lau. Edmond is known for his "luxury memes" and his recent coining of the term "dark mode shift".

Follow Edmond

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atelieredmondlau/

X: https://x.com/nstlgiaxpress

00:00 The rise of LinkedIn

07:23 An outsider's perspective on NYC culture

15:05 Edmond's unique career arc

20:09 Creating digital profiles of personal taste

28:28 The dark mode shift and ambiguous grief

42:09 The evolving insecurities of the yuppies

49:41 Taste has lost its meaning

55:36 Defining luxury

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 31: Art of the steal

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 11:30:18 +0000

There's no guest this week, which gives Daisy and Francis the chance to discuss why people hate Renoir, the simultaneously growing and eroding types of media literacy, SEO arbitrage, and why we need pay people to build beautiful things.

00:00 The five things we did this week

02:38 The nuances of art deaccessioning

08:48 Why Francis has stopped sports betting

11:14 Different types of media literacy and their current state

14:36 The need for working-class media

24:28 The death of content website investing

35:08 Islands and empires in the creator economy

38:19 The dynamics of young lonely men

44:48 The future of labor in America

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 30: Mammalian E-girls ft. Katherine Dee

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:30:23 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Katherine Dee, a reporter and internet culture writer since 2018. She's here to discuss the evolution of e-girls, their cultural significance, and the changing landscape of media and online identity.

Katherine's X: https://x.com/default_friend

Katherine's Substack: https://substack.com/@defaultfriend

00:00:00 Unique art museum experiences

00:04:15 Defining e-girls and their evolution

00:10:50 Shifting media forms and declining media literacy

00:19:55 The anti-woke movement is an entertainment genre

00:27:07 Dolphin accelerationism

00:31:00 The ethics of interacting with AI

00:39:37 Internet history must always be an oral history

00:50:28 The loss of quality local news

00:57:41 The normie internet and subterranean internet split

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 29: Shelf life ft. Jad Esber

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:30:13 +0000

Daisy and Francis are joined by Jad Esber, founder and CEO of Koodos Labs, a product and research company focused on the next generation of the internet. Koodos Labs is the creator of Shelf.

Shelf: www.shelf.im

Jad: https://x.com/Jad_AE

00:00 Night Life

02:20 Daisy smells like a donut

08:33 Inverting the internet's personal data model

14:47 Understanding the concept of data gravity

19:56 The algorithms influence on interpersonal relationships

30:53 Shelf: Your aggregator for taste

39:00 The difficulties of tracking physical media consumption

44:01 Connecting through shared media consumption

50:40 The balance of friction and meaningful engagement

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 28: Statues of critics ft. Tatum Dooley

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:30:20 +0000

Daisy and Francis are joined by art critic, curatorial consultant, and writer Tatum Dooley. She is the founder and editor of the newsletter Art Forecast. They discuss the balance of art and business, the importance of artist-first thinking, and the impact of social media on artistic identity.

Art Forecast: https://artforecast.substack.com/

00:00 Controversial college mascot rebrand

07:23 The spectrum of artistry to entrepreneurship

13:30 Rebranding for global recognition

16:09 2025 trend predictions in the art world

22:26 The power of the studio visit

25:46 Balancing mentorship and free consulting

30:31 The complexities of royalties in the art market

32:26 Demonstrating the artist first approach

36:34 Artistic identity and social media

44:57 The right way to do criticism

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 27: Take NOTES ft. Josh Zoerner of Night Gallery

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:30:21 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Josh Zoerner, founder of Night Gallery, to discuss the creative process behind their collaborative book, Notes, a tribute to the humble iPhone note.

Buy Notes: https://nightgallery.metalabel.com/notes

00:00 Introducing Josh and the NOTES book

05:20 Fan of the band

09:19 Music is how we decorate time

12:46 The emotional connection to past notes

21:15 Thematic elements in t-shirt drops

27:19 Iconic collaborations and recognition from idols

32:01 The creative process of books vs clothing

36:58 The weight of past generations

43:59 Running from the American experience

48:34 Nature, ecology, and the human experience

53:35 Merch is dead

Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Ep. 26: Against Platforms ft. Mike Pepi

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:30:13 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Mike Pepi to discuss his book Against Platforms: Surviving Digital Utopia. They explore the definitions and implications of platforms in the digital age and the concept of techno-utopianism.

Buy Mike's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761644/

Mike Pepi: https://www.mikepepi.com/writing

00:00:00 Introducing Mike Pepi and defining platforms

00:05:06 Techno-utopianism in the history of western tech

00:13:23 Platform equilibrium; no growth is death

00:21:45 Tech platforms are not a tool

00:26:09 The unintended consequences of the techno-fix

00:29:48 "You are the media now"

00:33:03 AI submission and the devaluation of labor

00:39:39 Daisy's experience bullying Chat-GPT

00:45:08 The post-human vision of the 22nd century

00:47:59 The beauty in pluralism

00:52:20 The infinite treadmill of critique

00:54:30 When content is free, labor is free

00:57:37 Envisioning the future of new institutions

Ep. 25: The future of alt-lit ft. Greta Rainbow

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 11:30:22 +0000

This week Francis and Daisy welcome writer and researcher Greta Rainbow. They discuss the evolving landscape of food journalism, the impact of digital art through the Glance Back browser extension, and the relationship between technology and personal identity.

Glance Back piece: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/my-machine-and-me/

Greta: https://x.com/gertsofficial

00:00 Introducing Greta

01:15 The changing landscape of food journalism

06:09 The internet is for making friends

08:21 Glance Back: Your relationship with your computer

14:43 Balancing privacy and risk of contemporary storage

17:47 The evolution of our relationship with tech

27:19 The future of alt-lit in a changing internet

34:34 Scenes are shortcuts for attention

39:52 How we spend our days is how we spend our life

43:33 The role of visibility in the digital age

46:59 Nobody is cool on the internet

Ep. 24: Special Sauce ft. Emily Sundberg

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:30:19 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Emily Sundberg, creator of the popular business newsletter Feed Me. They explore the theme of specialness in modern life, discussing how technology, communication, and social interactions have evolved and impacted our sense of intimacy and connection.

Feed Me: https://www.readfeedme.com/

00:00 Introducing Emily and Feed Me

01:40 Nothing Feels Special Anymore

04:28 Texting's Effect on Communication and Intimacy

10:10 The Relationship Between Friction and Specialness

15:03 The Balance of Responsibility for Social Collapse

18:12 The Intention Behind Special Experiences

25:26 Feed Me: Preserving Specialness at Scale

30:12 The Degradation of Faith in Language

33:21 The Crisis of Truth and Consensus

37:29 The Democratization of Writing in the Digital Age

46:22 Adjusting to Success in the Media Industry

52:26 You Can't Spill the Special Sauce

Ep. 23: Smoking (Mailbag Part 2)

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 11:30:10 +0000

2025 is kicking off with another mailbag episode of Tasteland. Daisy and Francis are answering your questions about whether smoking is cool again, what sucks the most, and sharing their synesthesia wrapped.

00:00 Happy New Year

01:44 Is Smoking Cool Again?

09:12 Media That Shapes Your Worldview and Opinions

15:27 Podcasts and Personal Connections

17:58 Navigating Creative Output and Information Diets

22:07 Feedback Mechanisms in Digital Media

28:47 Synesthesia Wrapped: Purplest Movie of the Year

36:11 What Sucks the Most? Elon Musk and The Passage of Time

38:28 Francis' Best and Worst Instagram Creators of 2024

Ep. 22: Overhyped (Mailbag Part 1)

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 11:30:24 +0000

For this Christmas Day episode of Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are reaching into their sack of questions sent in by you, the listeners. Gas station orders, apple picking, hypergamy and more.

00:00 Seasons Greetings and Gas Station Eatings

Overrated or Underrated

04:33 Restaurants and Queueing Culture

10:00 Alo Yoga, Working For Yourself, Baja Blast

11:07 The M Train, Apple Picking, Annie Ernaux

13:17 Hypergamy and The Cast of Challengers

15:01 Talking About Your Mental Health and Accidental Bronson

17:01 Flats: The Shoe and the Wing, Post Post Alt Lit

18:45 Parasocialailty and Legal Weed

22:12 Cured Meats and Long Meals

24:58 Dune 2 and IMAX

29:12 Natural Fibers and Karl Ove Knausgård

34:00 Watching Soccer and Works in Translation

36:00 Fernet and Coke, Metro North, Randomly Texting Your Friends

Ep. 21: Envelope Accelerationism ft. Joshua Citarella

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:30:23 +0000

Josh Citarella is an artist, writer, podcaster, and researcher who is best-known for his work researching online Gen Z political extremism. He’s the founder of Do Not Research, a non-profit artist community. He’s currently a dozen episodes into Doomscroll, an in-person video talkshow exploring online culture and politics.

Email your questions to tastelandpod@gmail.com to be featured in our upcoming mailbag episode.

Doomscroll: https://www.youtube.com/@doomscrollpodcast

Joshua: https://x.com/JoshuaCitarella

00:00 Contribute to the Mailbag

01:03 Introducing Joshua and His Work

03:30 The Modern Genres of Accelerationism

08:38 Joining Destiny on the Bridges Podcast

13:50 What is a Contrarian Status Quo Defender?

17:19 Redesigning Social Media to Model the Post Office

22:54 The Increasing Uncertainty of Contemporary Storage

27:02 The Need for a 21st Century Envelope

30:11 Not Identifying as a Journalist

35:57 The Role of the Manifesto in Gen Z Political Identity

42:57 The Political Drift Over Time

49:03 The Growth of Doomscroll

Ep. 20: People vs. Humanity ft. Trevor McFedries

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:30:28 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by DJ, producer, founder, renaissance man Trevor McFedries.

Email your questions to tastelandpod@gmail.com to be featured in our upcoming mailbag episode.

00:00:00 Ask Tasteland

00:03:41 Introducing Trevor McFedries

00:07:26 The State of Social Media and Creator Payouts

00:13:08 The Impact of Current Events on Social Media

00:18:57 Populism and the Search for Common Ground

00:24:36 The Nature of Violence and Change

00:31:14 Techno-Optimism vs. Techno-Pessimism

00:37:04 Network Spirituality and the Tech Community

00:46:04 The Gold Rush of Content Creation

00:50:02 The Search for Meaning in Content Capital

Ep. 19: Sportsbook Nation ft. David Hill

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 11:30:21 +0000

This week Francis and Daisy are joined by longtime magazine writer and sports gambling expert, David Hill.

Read David's piece, Sportsbook Nation: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/sports-betting-law-draftkings-fanduel-1235158334/

David's website: https://www.davidhillonline.com/

00:00 Introducing David and His Work

05:15 The Rise of Sports Betting

10:08 The Evolution of Betting Markets and Technology

16:42 Regulatory cChallenges and Consumer Protection

21:12 Advertising and Market Competition in Sports Betting

27:30 The Dynamics of Online Gambling

35:25 Is Profitability a Priority for Sports Betting Companies

42:48 The Tax Implications of Being a Bad Gambler

44:42 Chasing the Steam: Strategies in Sports Betting

45:37 There's More to the Story

51:36 The Future of Online Gambling

Ep. 18: We're all in it together ft. Defector's Jasper Wang, 404 Media's Sam Cole, and Hell Gate's Max Rivlin-Nadler

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:30:22 +0000

This week we're talking worker-owned media with people from three of our favorite worker-owned publications — Defector, Hell Gate, and 404 Media. They're very transparent about what it takes to run a modern, subscription-based media business — it's a great conversation.

This is from our live pod earlier this month in support of the National Writers Union's legal fund for media workers. You can still donate here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-us/fundraising/donate-to-the-media-freelancers-legal-fund

00:00:00 Introducing guests

00:04:30 The Business of Worker Owned Media

00:06:30 The Biggest Trials and Errors of Being a Founder

00:11:19 The Media Landscape's Monetization Uncertainty

00:19:13 The Future of Public Funding for Local News

00:21:59 The Diverse Ad Tolerance of Audiences

00:28:56 Audience Taste Shift Post Election

00:35:37 The Messaging Behind Different Payment Options

00:43:52 Making Editorial Choices as a Writer-Owner

00:50:02 Saturation in the Creator Economy

00:59:24 Transparency and Accountability in Worker Owned Media

Q&A From Audience

01:02:02 Content Creators Creating Competition?

01:06:09 The Value of Print Media

01:11:08 Expanding Ownership to Readers

01:13:34 Final Thoughts

Ep. 17: Dining with Ben Leventhal, founder of Blackbird

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 11:21:47 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Ben Leventhal, co-founder of Eater, Resy and, most recently, Blackbird.

Blackbird: https://www.blackbird.xyz

00:00 Introducing Ben Leventhal and Blackbird

07:19 The Evolution of Restaurant Criticism

15:28 Defining New York's Definitive Restaurants

21:07 The Future of Dining Experiences

30:54 Friction in Dining Culture

35:11 Barriers to Restaurants' Adoption of Blackbird

36:31 Newly Learnt Consumer Insights

38:00 The Desire to Expand Beyond Restaurants

40:00 The Blockchain's Role in Identity and Payments

46:21 Ben's Best Meal of the Fall

48:38 Content Evolution and Future Plans

Ep. 16: Mushrooms in our ears ft. Lauryn Menard, CEO of Gob

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:30:31 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Lauryn Menard, CEO and co-founder of Gob, a compostable, plastic-free, mycelium-based earplug company.

Gob: https://www.gob.earth/

Tickets for the NWU event: https://dirrrt.fyi/paywriters

00:00 Introducing Lauryn, Gob and its Mission

02:03 The Concept of Friction in Modern Consumerism

06:20 Designing with End-of-Life in Mind

11:32 Scaling Production and Sustainability

15:07 The Role of Tesla in Green Marketing

19:38 Navigating the B2B and B2C Landscape

22:26 Branding and Marketing Positioning

26:19 Innovations in Mycelium Materials

29:34 Supply and Demand in Mycelium Production

34:15 The Identity of a Founder in the Bay Area

38:27 The Future of Sustainable Products

44:17 Envisioning the 22nd Century

49:01 Exploring New Biomaterials

51:05 Teaching Biomaterials and Student Innovations

Ep. 15: The FDA is the original tastemaker ft. Teddy Brown and Emily Shugerman

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:30:15 +0000

This week, Daisy and Francis welcome journalists Teddy Brown and Emily Shugerman. Teddy recently covered Zyn and its masculine political symbolism for the New York Times, while Emily explored direct-to-consumer women’s health brands for The Guardian.

Teddy's article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/style/zyn-nicotine-pouch-masculinity.html

Emily's article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/30/birth-control-contraception-branding-abortion-roe-v-wade?CMP=share_btn_url

00:00 Introducing our guests

01:48 Exploring Masculinity and Political Symbolism in Zyn

06:04 The Role of Brands and Marketing in Masculinity

08:58 Cultural Associations and Gender Dynamics of Zyn

11:52 The Impact of Online Communities and Vernacular

16:15 Election Context and the Masculinity Crisis

19:04 Conclusion and Future Considerations

21:01 The Impact of Zyn, Vaping and Tobacco Trends

23:21 Women’s Health and Direct-to-Consumer Brands

29:23 The Role of Marketing in Women’s Health

35:34 The Challenges of Accessing Healthcare

40:53 The Intersection of Healthcare and Consumerism

45:50 Conclusion

Ep. 14: New Myths ft. David Rudnick

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:12:34 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by graphic designer David Rudnick to discuss the evolution of album covers, digital solipsism and the imagery behind Megalopolis.

Tickets for the event: https://dirrrt.fyi/paywriters

David's Strelka talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ejp4AvetSA

00:00:00 Introducing David Rudnick and his work

00:01:10 Raising Funds for Freelancers and Worker-Owned Media

00:03:40 The Future of Journalism and Media Impartiality

00:08:52 Exploring the Intersection of Literature and Graphic Design

00:10:33 David's Journey to Ghent and His Studio Practice

00:18:03 The Value of Small, Sustainable Design Studios

00:24:58 The Evolution of Album Art in Design

00:28:14 The Impact of Digital Primacy on Visual Culture

00:37:17 The Dangers of Cultural Solipsism and Customization

00:46:22 Exploring Architectural Narratives in Film

01:03:09 The Myth of Immortality in Storytelling

01:09:11 Confronting Death in Modern Society

Ep. 13: Cake Zine's Aliza Abarbanel

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:20:10 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Aliza Abarbanel, co-founder and editor of Cake Zine, a food-centric physical publication that is described as "a hedonistic exploration of history, pop culture, literature, and art through sweets."

00:00 Intro to Cake Zine and the Shift From Print to Digital Media

02:30 The Role of NY Mag in Media Representation

05:53 Tina Brown and the Evolution of Substack

10:00 Playboy's Business Challenges and Future Directions

12:00 Welcome Aliza - Dessert After Dark

17:24 The Benefits and Challenges of Print Media

21:06 Defining a Piece of Cake Zine

22:52 The Unique Approach of Cake Zine

25:54 Understanding the Economics of Indie Publications

29:26 Navigating the Attention Economy Trap

31:17 The Role of Events in Building Community

36:00 The Value of Collecting Magazines

38:33 Mushrooms in the Middle

41:03 The Community in Food Culture vs. Media Culture

45:44 Dreams of a Physical Space

48:06 Balancing Passion and Profession

49:39 Podcasting Insights and Experiences, Also Zodiac Signs

55:24 Final Rapid Fire Questions

Ep. 12: Public radio for beginners ft. Elise Pepple

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:30:24 +0000

This week on Tasteland we are joined by Elise Pepple, the Executive Director of KRTS Marfa Public Radio.

00:00 Intellectual Property and Collaboration in Journalism

04:35 Music Consumption in the Digital Age

06:54 Introducing Elise Pepple of Marfa Public Radio

11:03 The Salt Institute and Public Radio Training

13:13 Elise's Early Career in Alaska and StoryCorps

15:40 The Attraction of Remote Locations

17:20 Community Building Through Public Radio

25:18 The Mission of Public Radio

28:28 The Broadcast Area of Marfa Public Radio

31:24 Impactful Local Reporting

35:03 The Funding and Support of Marfa Public Radio

38:01 The Role of NPR Studios

43:01 Elise's Role on the NPR Board

46:03 Camaraderie Among Radio Station Directors

51:16 The State of Radio Today

Ep. 11: Fragranceland ft. Bibi Prival

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:30:31 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by fragrance evaluator and perfume expert Bibi Prival to discuss the science behind crafting smells, the evolution of fragrance and making sense of different scents.

00:00 Bibi Prival and her journey into the world of fragrance

05:00 The importance of smell in education

06:41 The secretive nature of the fragrance industry

08:59 Losing your sense of smell as a perfumer

10:13 Making the jump from fragrance marketing to evaluation

15:00 The impact of TikTok of fragrance culture

17:36 Francis' first fragrance experiences

21:16 Bibi's gateway into the fragrance world

25:06 Internet culture and fragrance

28:10 The evolution of fragrance marketing

32:46 Fragrance and Frenchness - the roots of fragrance

36:28 The link between smells and core memories

42:48 The day to day of a fragrance evaluator

46:11 The technique of a professional smelling

49:08 Francis loves dirt

51:43 Bibi's top 3 fragrance ingredients

55:07 The impact of celebrities of the fragrance world

Ep. 10: The Largesse of Tasteland

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:50:23 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis explore the evolution of magazine consumption, the impact of digital media on traditional publishing, and the future of advertising in a rapidly changing landscape.

00:00 The evolution of magazine consumption

06:09 The digital shift in media

12:22 The future of advertising and content creation

14:26 Creators responsibility to their audience

16:21 Media becoming a luxury product

20:13 Defining the modern magazine

25:34 The role of taste in media

28:50 The carcinization and Balkanization of media

34:03 The impact of photography and AI within magazines

38:09 The missionaries and mercenaries of the media founders

48:13 The post-literacy age is here

Ep. 9: Debunking ZIRP ft. Joe Weisenthal

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:38:18 +0000

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart), one half of Bloomberg's Odd Lots Podcast and one of the biggest names in finance-Twitter.

00:00 Welcoming Joe Weisenthal, our favourite financial poster

02:00 The beard is natures mew

04:02 How working in different mediums shapes your view

10:05 The impact of the Fed rate cuts on startups and everyday people

14:52 The Gen X/Y/Z litmus tests

16:29 Is symbolism behind a quarter of a percent

21:10 The horseshoe of Lina Khan’s popularity

26:52 The triumph of the yuppies — where have all gone?

30:18 The modern divergence of political and cultural power

31:48 Restaurants are the new nightclubs

34:49 The evolving view on ‘selling out’

37:30 Is the populism pendulum swinging back?

39:04 The fundamental similarities between country music and Christmas songs

40:43 Picking apart Industry, and loving it

46:08 Gambling and the thrill of losing

48:25 The light in the dark of Industry

51:04 The devolution of twitter, half a million tweets later

Ep. 8: Trying our best ft. Ty Haney

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:30:31 +0000

Today we chat with Ty Haney, founder of Outdoor Voices and now Try Your Best (TYB), a community rewards platform for brands and fans to connect and grow together, and Joggy, a clean, planet-based energy drink.

TYB here: tyb.xyz

00:00 Sports fan culture and suffering

02:36 The Big Dig and its impact on Bostonians

05:39 Gen-Z has regrets

10:42 Introducing Ty Haney and her ventures

14:46 TYB and the gamification of community building

16:58 Transitioning from physical and digital startups

25:19 Why Web3?

26:54 Evolving the Web3 onboarding process

29:52 The role of exclusivity in a community

36:33 The importance of data in brand engagement

38:50 Revenue models and brand partnerships

39:46 The demographics of TYB users

40:43 The evolving status of a Paris Hilton collectible

45:45 Becoming a valued community member

48:41 Maintaining exclusivity as a community grows

52:32 Founder Mode reactions

58:26 Mistakes made and lessons learned

Ep. 7: We're long Industry (ft. creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay)

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 10:25:11 +0000

This week Francis and Daisy are joined by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the writers of HBO's 'Industry'. We take a peek into the writers room and learn about the inspiration behind the show, the intricacies of character development and why they decided to switch things up for season 3.

00:00 Why do people buy merch?

07:00 The writers of HBO's Industry: Mickey Down and Konrad Kay

15:12 This would not work in America

30:00 What makes a TV show prestige?

34:32 No one knows what's going on

45:40 Improving as writers

52:51 The worst song, again

Ep. 6: Here for the Wrong Taste w/ Charles Broskoski

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:30:29 +0000

Daisy and Francis are joined by Charles Broskoski aka Cab, co-founder of are.na, to discuss his recent essay 'Here for the Wrong Reasons.

Here for the Wrong Reasons: https://www.are.na/editorial/here-for-the-wrong-reasons

00:00 Adjust your frame

04:05 Writing is the hardest thing in the world

08:58 Taste nodes

12:24 Entering the are.na

30:05 I wanna talk about AI

34:35 Sharing nodes

44:38 Just be yourself, optimally

Ep. 5: Mainely Overhyped

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 10:30:35 +0000

For Tasteland's fifth episode, Francis and Daisy dig into modern "cozytech," cozy hardware, discuss the worst songs ever, and open up to each another about how tall they are.

00:00 Tasteland height reveal

03:37 The price of a lobster roll

07:37 The best car crash song

15:29 The age of cozytech

37:33 Very demure, very trademarked

41:23 There we land!

Ep. 4: After School Detention w/ Casey Lewis

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 10:30:32 +0000

This week we're joined by Casey Lewis, editor of the After School newsletter and host of the brand new After School podcast.

00:00 Karaoke songs and Insta Reels

05:50 Casey Lewis from After School

10:27 Newsletters are oversaturated?

14:10 Make way for the edfluencers?

20:54 Casey's new podcast - After School

27:33 Such a counter culture aesthetic

36:30 Tumblr is for amateurs

Ep. 3: Your Friendly A.I. Typeface

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 10:30:24 +0000

Episode 3. This week, we chat music festival curation, what choice of font says about AI brands, being a completist vs. a completionist, and Anthony Bourdain starter packs are cursed.

00:00 Intro

02:00 Are music festivals just a branding opportunity?

06:26 A decade of Spotify

07:46 Completionist vs Completist

10:00 Bad Waitress - Choosing stories to publish

15:52 Anthony Bourdain starter pack

19:20 What is "lifestyle"?

25:59 Esperanto soccer team

32:16 Friendly A.I. font

41:33 Stock market panic

Ep. 2: The Freaks Came Out To Taste

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 10:30:45 +0000

Tasteland returns for its second week with Daisy and Francis discussing the sexy economy of independent journalism, letting people enjoy things, and airport sushi.

00:00 Daisy's FWB Fest Talk

08:56 "Let people enjoy things"

14:42 The legacy of The Village Voice

23:53 Funding local journalism

33:04 Francis is on the farm

36:51 Farmland smuggling

42:00 Doing it for the story

43:27 What is FWB Fest?

Ep. 1: Welcome to Tasteland

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:30:34 +0000

Welcome to Tasteland!

This week Daisy and Francis delve into media slop, Earth Room dates and taste moats.

00:00 TikTok vs Reels addiction

02:19 Slop and dirt

08:08 What is Tasteland?

14:05 The taste economy

28:41 Learning taste growing up on a farm

31:26 Best and worst Reels we saw this week

39:57 Earnestness vs. irony (can you like anything ironically?)