Culture Colander

Audra and Elisa dig into the history of diamond engagement rings, the debate around lab-grown stones, and the exasperating experience of attempting to consume ethically. This episode pairs best with sustainable jewelry and proposing with massages.  Image and Video Time Stamps Diamond Tree 20:30 Book Recommendation  Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “AG&J Identifies Synthetics Melee Mixed with Natural Diamonds,” Rapaport  “Are Laboratory-Grown Diamonds the More Ethical Choice to Say ‘I Do’?,” Oliver Milman, The Guardian “The Average Amount Spent on an Engagement Ring Is…” Michelle Graff, National Jeweler  “Blood Diamonds: The Ugliness of a Natural Beauty,” Maria Emmanoelides, Indiana University  “A Brief History of Diamonds,” Vinit Mehta, Medium “A Brief History of Lab Grown Diamonds,” Amanda Butcher, International Gem Society “Botswana Court Rules Bushmen Evicted Illegally,” NBC News “Bushmen Aren’t Forever - The Diamonds of the Kalahari,” The Ecologist “De Beers,” Wikipedia “De Beers Agrees to Guilty Plea to Re-enter the U.S. Market,” Stephen Labaton, New York Times “De Beers Sees the Light, Launches Lab-Grown Diamond Line,” Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes  “Diamond,” Online Etymology Dictionary “Diamond Boss Blasts KP,” Way Back Machine “Diamond Miners Exploit Land of the Bushmen,” Rory Carroll  “Diamond Mining - Inside the Largest Mine in the World,” Free Doc Bites, Youtube “Jeremiah 17:1-10,” The Bible “Hollywood Depicts Africans Poorly in ‘Blood Diamond,’” Barbara Rans, The Progressive Magazine  “How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring,” Uri Friedman, The Atlantic   “How Diamonds Became Forever,” J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times “How Pop Culture Popularized the Diamond,” Vinit Mehta, Medium “The Incredible Story of How De Beers Created and Lost the Most Powerful Monopoly Ever,” Eric Goldstein, Insider “Industry-Insider Rapaport Lashes Out Against Lab-Grown Diamonds To No Avail,” Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes “Is Botswana Getting a Raw Deal From De Beers Diamonds,” John Eligon, New York Times  “Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,” Wikipedia “Lab-Grown Diamond Production Methods,” Amanda Butcher, International Gem Society  Nothing Lasts Forever, Jason Kohn “Rapaport Diamond Report,” Wikipedia “Showtime Diamond Doc ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ Is Entertaining. But Is It Accurate?” Rob Bates, JCK “The Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact of Large-Scale Diamond Mining,” Trucost ESG Analysis, S&P Global  “Zvi Yehuda, Inventor and Lifelong Learner, Dies at 86,” Michelle Graff, National Jeweler

Audra and Elisa spend Labor Day discussing the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the threat of AI on human labor, the necessity of cross-sector solidarity, and the undeniable power of art. This episode pairs best with donating to the Entertainment Community Fund.  Book Recommendation  The Jungle by Upton Sinclair  Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “The Actors’ Strike Won’t Stop These Films and TV Shows From Shooting,” Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone “An Update on the Interim Agreement,” SAG-AFTRA “Emmy Awards Rescheduled to Jan. 15 Due to Hollywood Strikes,” Jennifer Vanasco, NPR “Founding of the National Labor Union and the 1st National Call for a 8-Hour Work Day,” Library of Congress  “From Bond to Heroes: What Was Affected by the 2007 Writers’ Strike,” Charles Bramesco, The Guardian  “From Mini Rooms to Streaming, Things Have Changed Since the Last Big Writers Strike,” Bill Chappell, NPR “Hollywood Studios’ WGA Strike Endgame Is to Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks in Fall,” Dominic Patten, Deadline “How the 2007-08 Writers’ Strike Changed ‘The Office’ and ‘Breaking Bad,’” Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone “Know Your Rights Toolkit,” Worker Organizing Resource and Knowledge Center “The Last Time Writers and Actors Went on Strike at the Same Time, Ronald Reagan Was SAG President,” Emily Burack, Town & Country “Labor Movement,” History Channel  “Love Is Blind Star Nick Thompson Says He’s Applied for 400 Jobs, Is Two Months Away from Losing Home,” Lester Fabian Brathwaite, Entertainment Weekly “A Message from the SAG-AFTRA President and Chief Negotiator,” SAF-AFTRA “Only 2% of Actors Make a Living. How Do You Become One of Them?,” Michael Simkins, The Guardian  “SAG-AFTRA Is Officially Striking. Here’s What That Means,” Marley Marius, Vogue “SAG-AFTRA Rallies Behind Reality TV Performers in Residuals Fight,” Ashley Cullins, Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter “Ten Reasons Why Unions Are Important,” War on Want “The Top Hollywood Exec Made $498 Million in the Last 5 Years – 384 Times as Much as the Average Writer,” Jennifer Liu, CNBC “Unions Are Not Only Good for Workers, They’re Good for Communities and for Democracy,” Economic Policy Institute “Wage Stagnation in Nine Charts,” Economic Policy Institute  “We’re Fighting for the Survival of Our Profession,” SAG-AFTRA “WGA Strike 2007: What Happened at Writers’ Strike, Which Shows and Films Were Impacted, How Long Did it Last?,” Steven Ross, National World  “What Are the Pros and Cons of Labor Unions?,” Maryville University  “What Can Fans Actually Do to Support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes?,” James Whitbrook, Gizmodo Work Center

Audra and Elisa delve into the history of the notorious Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner’s lavish lifestyle, what counts as sexual freedom, and the lasting legacy of the brand. This episode pairs best with reading feminist theory in your sexiest lingerie.  Book Recommendation  Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison  Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “A Bunny’s Tale,” Gloria Steinem “Brooke Shields on her mother encouraging her to pose nude for Playboy at aged 10, ‘I don’t know why she thought it was right,’” Laura Harman, Women & Home Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, Holly Madison “Gloria Steinem on Being an Undercover Playboy Bunny,” Pioneer Works “Gloria Steinem Publishes Part 1 of ‘A Bunny’s Tale’ in Show Magazine,” History Channel “Hugh Hefner,” Wikipedia “Marilyn Monroe Helped Hugh Heffner, But Not By Choice,” NPR “Playboy Denounces Hugh Hefner,” Glenn Garner, People “Playboy in Popular Culture,” New York Times “Playboy Wants to Build a New Mansion in the Metaverse,” Ray Parisi, CNBC “The Dark History of Playboy Magazine,” Helloyassine Youtube “The Number 1 Playboy Bunny,” Call Her Daddy “The Playboy Philosophy,” Hugh Hefner, Widener Sex Archives “The Playboy Philosophy,” Carrie Pitzulo, Politico “Who Owns Playboy Now?,” Adrian Zorzut, The Sun

Audra and Elisa tread through the history of women in sports: the ways they have been undermined, underrepresented, and underestimated. This episode pairs best with moving your body however you damn well please and cheering on your favorite Women’s World Cup team. Book Recommendation  Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman  Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “The 14th Amendment and the Evolution of Title IX,” United States Courts “50 Year of Title IX: How One Law Changed Women’s Sports Forever,” Maggie Mertens, Sports Illustrated “Allyson Felix: My Own Nike Pregnancy Story,” Allyson Felix, New York Times “Billie Jean King Triumphs in ‘Battle of the Sexes’,” History Channel “First Modern Olympic Games,” History Channel Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World, Lauren Fleshman “History of Television,” Mitchell Stephens, Grolier Encyclopedia “How Women’s Sports Teams Got Their Start,” Maria Cramer, New York Times “I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike,” New York Times “Inside the Toxic Culture of the Nike Oregon Project ‘Cult’,” Chris Chavez, Sports Illustrated Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Caroline Criado Perez “Katherine Switzer,” Wikipedia “Kelsey Plum Corrects ‘Huge Misconception’ About WNBA Pay Gap,” Emma Hruby, Just Women’s Sports LFG, Sean Fine & Andrea Fix, HBO “League of Women Ballplayers,” Bill Francis, National Baseball Hall of Fame Maiden, Alex Holmes “Mamie Johnson: The Negro Leagues’ Only Female Pitcher,” Sarah Langs, Major League Baseball “Nike to Shut Down Salazar’s Oregon Project,” Matthew Futterman, New York Times “The Sexualization of Women in Sports Extends Even to What They Wear,” Sharon Pruitt-Young, NPR “Trailblazing Black Women in Sports,” History Channel “United States at the 1986 Summer Olympics,” Wikipedia “U.S. Soccer Announces Historic CBA Agreement, Equal Pay Between USMNT, USWNT,” Brian Straus, Sports Illustrated “USWNT Makes Final Plea in Equal Pay Lawsuit Appeal, Calls Dismissal ‘FlatlyWrong’,” Caitlin Murray, ESPN “USWNT, U.S. Soccer Federation Settle Equal Pay Lawsuit for $24 Million,” Jeff Carlisle, ESPN  “When Did Women First Compete in the Olympic Games?” International Olympic Committee  “Women’s Sports History: A Heritage of Mixed Messages,” National Women’s History Museum

Audra and Elisa review the new Max documentary Bama Rush, discussing shaky camerawork, directionless narratives, and the pitfalls of documentarians inserting themselves into their own films. This episode pairs best with listening to our very first episode and scrolling through #BamaRushTok if you want to actually learn something. Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources Bama Rush Documentary Bama Rush Rotten Tomatoes “It Wasn’t a Documentary About Bama Rush Whatsoever!” Madison Malone Kircher, New York Times

Audra and Elisa are joined by Ernest Patti (@hotdogcartt on TikTok) to talk about life in a wheelchair as a college student, accessibility in dorms, finding community online, and destigmatizing disability. This episode pairs best with following @hotdogcartt on TikTok and constructing WIDE doorways only! Image, Video, and Product Time Stamps Phone Loop 57:15 Book Recommendation  Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong  Check out Ernest Find him on TikTok Everywhere else Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources Judy Heumann, Who Led the Fight for Disability Rights, Dies at 75,” New York Times Center for Independence of the Disabled New York v. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) (S.D.N.Y.), CIDNY Center for Independence of the Disabled New York v. MTA (State case), CIDNY “On NYC’s Paratransit, Fighting for Safety, Respect, and Human Dignity,” Britney Wilson Making a Reservation and Managing Trips, MTA Traveling with a Disability, U.S. Department of Transportation

Audra and Elisa discuss the ineffectiveness of police presence in American public schools, the lack of necessary mental health resources, and how none of it is keeping kids safer. This episode pairs best with de-escalation efforts and treating kids like kids. Image and Video Time Stamps Autism Needs Circular Diagram (20:45), as referenced by @SoundOfTheForest on TikTok Call Your Girlfriend Abolitionist (54:10) Book Recommendation  For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education by Christopher Emdin Ph.D Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students.” ACLU  “School Counselors Matter.” American School Counselors Association  “The History of School Policing.” The Center for Public Integrity  “Report to the Committees on Finance and Public Safety on the Fiscal 2022 Executive Budget for the New York Police Department,” The Council of the City of New York “False Sense of Security: Police Make Schools Safer - Right?” Maya Lindberg  “School-to-Prison-Pipeline.” NYCLU  “Police vs. Security - Understanding the Difference,” Blair Rankin  “What Does ‘Defund the Police’ Mean and Does It Have Merit?” Rashawn Ray  “School Resource Officers (SROs), Explained,” Stephen Sawchuk    “Report Shows School Segregation in New York Remains Worst in Nation,” UCLA  “A Look Inside the New York City Police Department Budget,” Vera Institute of Justice “School Resource Officers: When the Cure Is Worse than the Disease.” Kendrick Washington “Restorative Justice Is Racial Justice,” Matt Watkins

Audra and Elisa debunk abstinence-only curricula, tampon myths, 1960s “educational” videos, and heterosexuality-as-default. This episode pairs best with calling genitals by their names and donating to Planned Parenthood.  Corrections At 32:54 Audra said “vaginosis” when she meant “vaginismus”  Image and Video Time Stamps Goop Kama Sutra Dinner Napkins (0:04) Aggressive Blonde (12:09-12:29) Venereal Disease Pamphlet & Treatment Kit (13:40-15:00) Labia Diagram (33:28-34:25) No Second Chance clip (48:27-48:35) Herpes Graphic (49:53) Book Recommendation  Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life, Emily Nagoski Ph.D. (Recommended pairing: The Come as You Are Workbook: A Practical Guide to the Science of Sex, Emily Nagoski Ph.D. Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources Sex (Ed): The Movie Labia Diagram No Second Chance, 1999 Boys Beware!, 1961 Boy to Man: Part 1, 1962 Boy to Man: Part 2, 1962 Girl to Woman: Part 1, 1965 Girl to Woman: Part 2, 1965 The Discovery of Penicillin—New Insights After More Than 75 Years of Clinical Use.” Robert Gaynes, National Library of Medicine "Panned Parenthood in N.Y. Disavows Margaret Sanger Over Eugenics.” Nikita Stewart, The New York Times “Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S.” Kathrin F. Stranger-Hall & David W. Hall, National Library of Medicine “Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Policies and Programs: An Updated Position Paper of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine,” Journal of Adolescent Health  “College Coeducation from 1839 to the Present,” NBER Federal Funding Overview: Fiscal Year 2022, Sex Ed for Social Change “Hallucinatory ‘voices’ Shaped by Local Culture, Stanford Anthropologist Says,” Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Kama Sutra Dinner Napkins, Goop “Sex and HIV Education,” Guttmacher Institute  “Sex Education Funding: There Has to Be a Better Way,” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy State Legislation Tracker: Major Developments in Sexual & Reproductive Health, Guttmacher Institute “STD Rates by Country 2023,” World Population Review  “The History & Impact of Planned Parenthood,” Planned Parenthood  “Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 1: The Lie,” You’re Wrong About, Apple Podcast “Tuskegee Syphilis Study Part 2: The Truth, You’re Wrong About, Apple Podcast “Venereal Disease and Treatment during WW2,” WW2 US Medical Research Centre “When Book Bans Came to Small-Town New Jersey,” The Daily

Audra and Elisa talk about negativity bias, our relationship to celebrity, stan culture, and the surprising benefits of parasocial relationships. This episode pairs best with a rewatch of your comfort show alongside friends you’ve actually met.     Book Recommendation  Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood by Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Bling Ring: Alexis & Gabby,” Broad Ideas Podcast with Rachel Bilson “Drama Queens Podcast” “John Lennon Shot,” History.com “Not My Responsibility,” Billie Eilish  “Office Ladies Podcast” “Parasocial Relationships: The Nature of Celebrity Fascinations,” Find a Psychologist %20or%20television%20stars.)  “School of Rock Star’s Horror as Stalker Kills Himself Outside Home After Murder Plot,” Chloe Stewart “Smartless Podcast” “Stan,” Eminem  “Stan Culture Really Needs to Stop - or at Least Radically Change. Here’s Why.” David Oliver “The Legacy of The Bling Ring: When Stealing From the Rich and Famous Had Its Own Moment in the Spotlight,” Natalie Finn “The Internet Is Obsessed With Parasocial Relationships,” Sadhbh O’Sullivan “Too Close for Comfort: The Pitfalls of Parasocial Relationships,” Otegha Uwagba  “Where Is The Bling Ring’s Rachel Lee Now?” Arya Roshanian

Audra and Elisa break down current trends in cosmetic surgery, how they are deeply racialized, and what our collective responsibility may be to interrupt them. This episode pairs best with a social media cleanse and a board certified surgeon.  Image and Video Time Stamps View Plastic Surgery Website 9:37 Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics 2020-2021, Page 8 35:15 Selling Sunset Burgers and Botox Clip 53:35 Book Recommendation  The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Keep the conversation going  Email us at [email protected] Follow us! Sources “Before Scheduling a Cosmetic Surgery Procedure, Make Sure You Follow These 14 Steps,” Michael Sallah and Maria Perez “2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, Procedures by Ethnicity,” Plastic Surgery “Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics 2020-2021,” The Aesthetic Society “Breast Implant Illness (BII),” Cleveland Clinic  “Brow Lift,” Mayo Clinic  “Children Are Getting Cosmetic Surgery in Japan. Deadly Beauty,” VICE Asia “Confidence Is Key,” Selling Sunset S3 E2, Netflix  “Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank 2001 Statistics,” The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery “FAQs,” The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. “FDA Smooths the Way for the Cosmetic Use of Botox,” Vicki Kemper, Los Angeles Times  “From Ancient Egypt to Beverly Hills: A Brief History of Plastic Surgery,” Oscar Holland, CNN  “Get to Know ‘Dr. 90210’ Plastic Surgeon Dr.Cat,” E! Entertainment “I Got a BBL in Miami and This Is What Happened. Raw BBL Journey. Avana Plastic Surgery Center,” Glam with Trika “I Got My Bag, She Should Get Hers,” The Real Dr. Miami, TikTok  “I Got Plastic Surgery in Korea Part 1 (Brow Lift, Fat Grafting & Boob Job),” Hayley Bui “Inside Amy Schumer” TikTok “Japanese Plastic Surgery,” Asian Plastic Surgery “J-Plasma Skin Tightening,” ARIJAI Aesthetics and Wellness “Negative Body Talk Could Be Hurting Your Friendships. Here’s How to Have Healthier Conversations,” Kate Willsky “Plastic Surgery,” Wikipedia    “Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller: S2 E1 Black Market Surgery,” National Geographic  “The History of Breast Implants,” JR Thorpe, Bustle   “The Operated Jew,” Wikipedia “The Plastic Surgery Capital of the World,” BBC Select “This Business Helped Transform Miami into a National Plastic Surgery Destination. Eight Women Died,” Michael Sallah and Maria Perez, USA Today “Two Weddings and a Divorce Attorney,” Botched S7 E1, Peacock “Understanding the Risks of CoolSculpting,” Healthline  View Plastic Surgery “Watch This Before Getting a BBL…The Truth What They Don’t Tell You…Miami BBL Recovery Journey,” Glam with Trika “What is a Cell Saver and Who Needs It?” Mia Aesthetics: Advanced Cosmetic Surgery