Middlebrow

Mindy Seu is a designer, educator, researcher and author of the Cyberfeminism Index. We dive into life as Gen Z's favorite multi-hyphenate professor, the halcyon days of the internet, asexual tech lords, and her case for scheduled sex. Plus, Mindy's forthcoming book and lecture performance tour - A Sexual History of the Internet.

Dan and Brian discuss Valentin Vacherot's historic run, being blocked by Alec Baldwin, A***e H**l (in memory of Diane Keaton), Sasha Gordon at David Zwirner, n+1's Managing Editor salary, Jia Tolentino sponcon and Love is Blind.

Mark Ronson is a DJ, Grammy-winning record producer and author of the new memoir Night People. We dive into the nostalgia of the 90s, superstar producer qualities, memoir worthy childhoods, corny music, soft clubbing, wedding songs as a way to cement legacy and more. 

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Dan and Brian discuss community, keeping a mood diary, Sora 2, AI alibi, Taylor Swift's artistry, Riyadh Comedy Festival, Tilly Norwood, Friend, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, Chase Infiniti's internet history, neo-westerns and Woody Allen's fiction novel.

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Alex Sujong Laughlin is the creator and host of the Try Hard podcast and co-owner of Defector Media. She is also the co-creator of the popular Normal Gossip podcast. We dive into Defector's profit-sharing model, internal company memos, Normal Gossip, SEC sorority life, secret handshakes, self-learning via Youtube, romaine lettuce, Ithaca and Zach Braff.

Dan and Brian discuss Happier Grocery, men's style icons, sitting straight, 9/11 in-flight announcement, Charlie Kirk's influence, Robert Redford, Waymo, Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Mark Ronson's book launch party, an incredible home in the North Fork, Brimfield Flea Market and Shakers.

Zoe Dubno is a writer whose debut novel Happiness and Love is out now. Her work has appeared in Granta, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian and elsewhere. We dive into galleys, reading at bookstores, dad-first marketing, Townes Van Zandt, horny bar/bat mitzvah season, Happiness and Love, autofiction, phone thiefs, celebrity book clubs, #justiceforelizabethgilbert and male beauty standards.

Gus Heagerty is a comedian, theatre director and actor who has cultivated a rabid online following for his hyper-specific characters. We dive into tales from the J.Crew retail floor, theatre fellowships, James Lipton and the art of the interview, Marin County, red light masks, Williamstown Theatre Festival, crisis pr teams, Shakespearean acting and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Emil DeRosa is a comedian, writer and dear friend of the podcast. He is also one half of The Ben and Emil show. We dive into the formalities of consuming your friend's work, Bruce Springsteen, the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce industrial complex, fancams, US Open drama, vertical mini dramas, Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle, Kpop Demon Hunters, AI companionship and the Riyadh Comedy Festival.

Liana Finck is a cartoonist, illustrator and regular contributor to The New Yorker. We dive into conference room culture, Dunkin Donuts, art inspired by loneliness, 2x speed podcasts, self-help books, friendship dynamics, her shaky line style, God and the surrender to laughter. 

Dan and Brian discuss Marc Maron, a defense of performative men, delightful soap dispensers, Taylor Swift's podcast appearance, Jeff Bezos's James Bond, Wallpaper USA 400, friend stealing, Ardor by Matthew Gasda, the talented Mr. Joseph Awuah Darko, clout ssri, cultural villains and a study on perfectionism.

Theodore Bouloukos is an actor, aesthete and bon vivant, who was named 'A Secret Weapon of Independent Cinema' by The New Yorker. We dive into influencers breaking into the acting world, video art, dressing in all-black, the democratization of luxury, street etiquette, a defense of the aristocracy, hip hop, the culture of obviousness, tumblr fan pages, celebrity stylists, living richly and a call to action for actors.

Dan and Brian discuss Bushwick, Maine culture, "high trust society", Ben Shelton, US Open's reality dating show, Sydney Sweeney's ad, snack abstinence, TruFru, Together, Franco brothers, The Naked Gun and Outdoor Voices.

Dan and Brian discuss curiously named English delicacies, temperature disregulation, Oasis fever, Montana, Teddy Roosevelt, a taste of Breitbart News, pre-screenwriting cold plunge, My Neighbor Totoro in the West End, Jang Sa Ik's song Flower Viewing, Stoner by John Williams and tennis at The Queen's Club. 

Dan and Brian discuss UK heat waves, Wimbledon queues, inverse Anthony Bourdain, pro tennis' mental health problem, Bloomsbury Group, Brian's New Yorker piece, Lena Dunham's Too Much, NYT's video stars and Justin Bieber.

Recho Omondi, host and creator of the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor, is known for her candid interviews with the fashion industry's biggest movers and shakers . We dive into FiDi swag, Wicked, creative director musical chairs, Alessandro Michele as a case study, streetwear, her namesake label, The Cutting Room Floor, Anna Wintour, Mtv's lasting impact, haters as fans and queer fragrance collectives. 

Delaney Rowe, actor, comedian and writer, has taken over your social media timelines with her satirical movie character cliches. We dive into theatre ruining your life, being called "insufferable", private chefs, Paris, Celine Song's Materialists, viral panic, hosting a dinner party like a pro and hot dads.

Dan and Brian discuss the return to a grindset mentality, Zohran Mamdani, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding, NYT top 100 best movies of the 21st century, Peter Thiel and the AI draft frenzy. 

Jason Zinoman, critic at large for the Culture section of the NYT and the paper's comedy critic, digs into the how and why behind a well-crafted joke. We dive into hot and rich comedians, marketing at the expense of craft, Youtube, SNL's successor, a defense of clown, critiquing without bias, comedy pet peeves, late night talk shows and the lost art of making everyone laugh.