Ep. 87: The Great Slowdown

We call three critics, each specializing in at least one of media, marketing, and tech, to discuss selling out, criticism in a less-literate era, and panning bad products. Episode syllabus here. ( https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRTXqjzUDVZ...

We call three L.A. residents to discuss going 20–30 MPH over the speed limit, the fragile state of the company town, local L.A. media, bad mayors, and plenty more. Hosts Francis Zierer and Daisy Alioto are joined by: Paula Mejía ( https://www.paulameji...

We convene three guests to discuss line culture, the business of line-sitting, tech-enabled reservation sniping, reservation app paydays, and shame. Hosts Francis Zierer and Daisy Alioto are joined by: Francky Knapp ( https://www.eater.com/authors/fran...

We convene three guests to discuss prep, the traditions of Americana, the Kennedys, #OldMoney, and the collapse all of these rules and contexts. Hosts Francis Zierer ( https://www.creatorspotlight.com/ ) and Daisy Alioto ( https://dirt.fyi/ ) are joine...

We convene three guests to discuss 25 years of the iPod, the consumer hardware End of History, and the possibility of a new consumer hardware Cambrian Explosion. Hosts Francis Zierer ( https://www.creatorspotlight.com/ ) and Daisy Alioto ( https://dirt...

In a new format for Tasteland, hosts Daisy and Francis spoke to three expert guests about the state and future of men's media. We set out to discuss a notion posed by our first guest, John McDermott — that we need The Cut for men. Over three guest conv...

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 a...

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

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 LinkedIn 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

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 LinkedIn __ 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