People Stuff

Michael Scroggins, Dan Souleles
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People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we've been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we've figured some stuff out.

  1. 2 days ago

    Honor, Shame, Friendship & Job Hunting | Why Losing Face Hurts More Than You Think

    Why can your closest friends insult you without consequence while a stranger's middle finger can ruin your entire day? This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael explore honor, reputation, shame, dignity, friendship, and status—from honor cultures and rural gossip networks to modern hiring rituals, HOAs, and the strange social rules that govern respect. Along the way they discuss: Why insults from friends strengthen relationships Honor cultures and reputation Why job hunting increasingly feels humiliating AI hiring, networking, and losing face The decline of the internet and "Dead Internet Theory" Homeowners Associations as miniature governments Golf balls, broken windows, and neighborhood politics Why gossip can function as justice Why capitalism thrives on labor insecurity Marine insurance companies hiding behind Latin The anthropology of dignity and humiliation If you've ever wondered why public embarrassment hurts so much—or why your HOA feels like a tiny authoritarian state—this episode is for you. That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  2. 4 Aug

    Dan and Michael Consider the Fruit of the Vine | Wine, Hospitality, Catholic Rituals & Why Gen Z Quit Drinking

    Why does wine make people unbearable—and civilization possible? This week, Dan and Michael uncork the anthropology of wine, from Roman vineyards to supermarket Pinot Noir, asking how globalization transformed taste and why Americans accidentally taught the world to make wine that tastes like vanilla jam. Along the way they answer listener questions about: 🍷 A Catholic priest in recovery who must choose between sobriety and appearing "normal" during Mass. 🍇 A wine shop owner who spent years chasing great bottles only to discover he can no longer stand the taste. 🎁 A young adult trying to decode one of humanity's oldest social rituals: what exactly are you supposed to bring to a dinner party? They also debate: Robert Parker and wine scores Goodhart's Law and why ratings ruin everything Natural wine versus supermarket wine Whether cannabis is replacing alcohol Why hospitality always comes with invisible social obligations Whether gifts are generous...or just civilization's favorite tax. Plus another fake sponsor that absolutely nobody asked for. Because somewhere between communion wine, dinner parties, and Corn™ lies the secret to being a functional human being. That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  3. 28 Jul ·  Bonus

    [Encore] Dan and Michael Are Not Your Type: Corporate astrology, MBTI madness, and the myth of the measurable self

    Are you a “blue brain,” a “Phoebe,” or just a person trying to do your job? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael dig into the strange afterlife of psychological typing — from Jungian archetypes to workplace “whole brain” seminars and gifted testing for seven-year-olds. Why do employers, schools, and BuzzFeed quizzes all want to turn us into caricatures of ourselves? They’ll also diagnose Peter Thiel’s end-times theology, dismantle the eugenic logic of IQ tests, and fix the entire school admissions system (again). Plus, a listener wonders: if your friend only speaks in Sex and the City quotes, are they still your friend… or just a Carrie with Wi-Fi? 🔹 Why workplace personality tests are corporate astrology 🔹 The dark history of IQ testing 🔹 How BuzzFeed quizzes became proto-surveillance capitalism 🔹 Why “fixing” education means letting everyone in As always, it’s academic insight meets anthropological mischief — because we’re anthropologists, and we know stuff about people. 🎧 Listen now at people-stuff.com or on Apple Podcasts: People Stuff   That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  4. 21 Jul

    Heat waves, AI layoffs, Finnish saunas, and why Americans can't relax

    This week, Dan and Michael tackle one of humanity's oldest problems: staying cool. From heat waves and climate adaptation to office air conditioning, Finnish sauna culture, and the strange ways Americans think about bodies, risk, and comfort, they explore what sweating tells us about society. Along the way they discuss: why heat is political AI layoffs that companies are already reversing whether automation is actually making work better why Americans struggle with truly hot saunas tort law, lawsuits, and safety culture climate, infrastructure, and adaptation the anthropology of comfort As always, listeners write in with impossible problems, Dan proposes another questionable solution during Fixing Shit, and the episode ends with another completely trustworthy fake sponsor. If you've ever wondered why everyone complains about the weather, why employers keep firing and rehiring workers, or why Finnish people think American saunas are embarrassingly cold, this episode is for you. That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  5. 7 Jul

    Home Cooking, Kitchen Gadgets, Dinner Party Etiquette & Food Culture | Dan and Michael Left the Oven On (feat. Bryan Haut)

    Why do people collect ridiculous kitchen gadgets? When do dietary restrictions become impossible to cook around? Why does feeding people create friendship, obligation, and family? This week on People Stuff, anthropologists Dan and Michael are joined by cook, marketer, and longtime friend Bryan Haut for an episode about the anthropology of home cooking. Together they explore why kitchens fill with avocado slicers and egg gadgets, what dinner parties reveal about modern etiquette, why hospitality is never just about food, and whether blessed beans can actually solve your grocery budget. Along the way they discuss: Home cooking and hospitality Kitchen gadgets and clutter Minimalist kitchens vs. cooking gear Food allergies and dinner party etiquette Gift giving and cooking Anthropology of meals and commensality Martha Stewart and middle-class entertaining Why feeding people builds communities Light pollution and seeing the stars Whether priests should bless your freezer If you've ever argued over kitchen clutter, hosted an impossible dinner party, or wondered why people take food so seriously, this episode is for you. That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  6. 30 Jun ·  Bonus

    [Encore] Dan and Michael Get Spooked: The Anthropology of Fear and Other Modern Hauntings

    Highlights The cultural power of brutal honesty in hiring (and why job posts should repel as much as they attract). Vampires as symbols of modern alienation and eternal cool. Fascism as a false cure for loneliness and economic despair. Monsters as mirrors of humanity’s deepest fears and longings. A defense of national parks and public lands. Segment Breakdown 00:00 – Intro: Brutal honesty and vampire week preview 06:00 – What Fresh Hell: The war on empathy 12:00 – Question 1: “Can I be a vampire?” 27:00 – Question 2: “Why are people still obsessed with Nazis?” 48:00 – Fixing Shit: Saving public lands 57:00 – Question 3: “Why do we keep making monsters?” 1:08:00 – Outro: Fairy Circles™ and the existential loneliness of humanity Dan and Michael discuss the following works: Living Right: Far Right Youth Activists in Contemporary Europe by Agniezska Pasieka The Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single German Town 1922-1945 by William Allen Sheridan: https://archive.org/details/naziseizureofpow0000alle\_m2p7 The Jersey Devil:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey\_Devil The Sopranos e3 ep11, "Pine Barrens:"  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0705272/ What We Do in the Shadows:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7908628/ That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  7. 23 Jun

    Why Do We Care About TV People? (feat. Arianna Haut of Jeopardy & Master Minds)

    Why do we care so much about people we've never met? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by trivia expert and television veteran Arianna Haut—whose résumé includes Jeopardy!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Chase, and five seasons on Master Minds—to ask what television actually does to us. Why do celebrities feel like old friends? Is it ever acceptable to talk to a TV star at the gym? Does watching violent shows like The Wire make kids more violent? And what happens when television personalities start occupying more space in our emotional lives than the people sitting in the same room? Along the way, the crew debates whether streaming has become worse than cable, mourns the possible loss of New York City's legendary Jimmy's Corner bar, accidentally accuses Ted Cruz of being the Zodiac Killer, and wonders whether aging parents increasingly rely on TV personalities for companionship. It's an episode about celebrity, nostalgia, media panic, parasocial relationships, and the strange human tendency to build genuine feelings for people who have absolutely no idea we exist. Because television isn't just entertainment. It's one of the main ways modern humans learn how to be people. Also: please don't bother Aziz Ansari while he's eating pastrami.Arianna Haut That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

  8. 16 Jun

    Why Is Los Angeles Like This? Traffic, Identity, Hollywood, and the Meaning of LA (feat. Saanchi Shah)

    What exactly is Los Angeles? A city? A county? A collection of freeways? A lifestyle brand with excellent tacos and terrible traffic? This week on People Stuff, Dan and Michael are joined by genetic counselor and longtime Angeleno-adjacent observer Saanchi Shah to tackle one of America's most confusing cities. Along the way they explore: Why Los Angeles seems designed entirely around cars Whether tourists fundamentally misunderstand LA Why the San Fernando Valley creates existential crises for Angelenos How neighborhoods become identities Why LA's food scene might be the city's true cultural superpower Whether Hollywood is being quietly replaced by AI And whether repeated fires, earthquakes, floods, and disasters mean God is trying to tell Los Angeles something Plus: Scientology speed-runners, influencer culture, Danish tranquility, Mumbai comparisons, Westside snobbery, and a spirited defense of Valley citizenship. Los Angeles may be America's most fragmented city—a place where beaches, mountains, movie studios, strip malls, taco trucks, billionaires, aspiring actors, and 18-lane freeways somehow coexist. We try to figure out how it all works. Or at least why it keeps existing. Topics: Los Angeles, LA culture, California, traffic, Hollywood, AI, cities, urbanism, anthropology, San Fernando Valley, public transit, food culture, identity, disasters, California history That’s it for this week’s People Stuff — the show where two anthropologists try (and sometimes fail) to make sense of people. If you’ve got a question, a dilemma, or just something deeply weird about humanity you’d like us to unpack, send it our way at people-stuff.com   Credits Produced by Gabe BullardMusic by The Endless BummerArt by Siobhan HeneganMarketing by Bryan HautLegal support by The Law Office of Matthew Shayefar, the one true business uncle. You can also sign up for our newsletter, drop us a voice memo, or become a Friend of People Stuff — which is our fancy way of saying you get to support the show and we get to keep talking about dust, dads, and late capitalism. So go to people-stuff.com

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People Stuff is a write-in, anthropology advice podcast wherein we answer all sorts of questions with the weird and wonderful wisdom that anthropology offers. From whether you should make your bed to what you owe to the dead, no dilemma is too tiny, no conundrum too vast for a little bit of anthropology. After all, as a species, we've been human-ing for like 300,000 years already. Surely we've figured some stuff out.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Scroggins, Dan Souleles
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 People Stuff LLC
  • Show Website
    People Stuff

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