44 episodes
STARGIRL Emma Glenn Baker
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- Society & Culture
STARGIRL is a mythology I created to make sense of things. It’s a show about girls who stand out, but it's also a way of understanding the world through patterns, both externally (through the type of women who reign over public life), and internally (in how we deploy our own forces of projection). It’s a call to get into your body and follow your intuition—to explore your admiration and judgment of the Stargirls, and let that be a guiding light.
By @emmaglennbaker
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Episode 44: Beyoncé Part I with Shaan Sachdev
Welcome to Part 1 of our Beyoncé special, with my friend and the Beyoncé evangelist Shaan Sachdev! This week, we take it all the way back to Wayne Koestenbaum’s 2001 book The Queen’s Throat, the seminal text on the Diva, fandom, and Vicariousness. We discuss the border between true Divadom and generalized cuntiness, and use Shaan’s recent piece in the Wall Street Journal to discuss Beyoncé’s supreme athleticism and what it means, then, to watch her age.
Shaan Sachdev is a cultural critic and essayist based in New York. He writes about ontology, city life, and his two favorite Divas: Hannah Arendt and Beyoncé. He co-hosts Diva Discourse, a Beyoncé-centered podcast.
Discussed:
Tinx’s podcast episode on weightlifting
Alix Earle for Sports Illustrated Swim
Kim Kardashian and Chloe Sevigny for Variety
The Queen’s Throat: Homosexuality, Opera, and the Mystery of Desire, Wayne Koestenbaum (2001)
“Beyoncé the Athlete Is Adjusting to Midlife” Shaan in WSJ
“The Key to Beyoncé’s Lasting Success” Shaan in Slate
“Beyoncé Is Finally Embracing Her Role as Fairy Godmother to the Gays” Shaan in The Daily Beast“Taylor Swift’s Invisible Merchandise” Shaan in Salon -
Episode 43: The Body Series with Dr. Cameron Yuen [TEASER]
*Full episode on Patreon!*
Cameron Yuen, PT, DPT, CSCS, is a performance physical therapist with a specialty in strength and conditioning, and the Director of Rehabilitation and Training and Bespoke Treatments in New York City. I worked with him in 2023 after I injured my lower back, and his coaching transformed both the way I approach training and my overall relationship to my body.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of strength, mobility, and motor control, how to approach injury and rehab, and simple ways to improve your health and longevity: resistance training, cardio, blood sugar management, sleep, and more. We also ask the question: Why is it important to have a healthy, well-functioning body?
Subscribe to the STARGIRL Patreon! -
Episode 42: STARGIRL Birthday Party! [TEASER]
*Full episode on Patreon!*
Celebrate two years of STARGIRL in this patron-only special episode, where we look back at the genesis of the project and check in on some of the Stargirls.
We discuss Tinx as a DJ, EmRata as a mom, the race to represent “mainstream white America,” what the heck is up in New York, and more. Plus, breaking my silence on Addison’s downfall and "the Girls and Gays" as a market segmentation.
Subscribe to the STARGIRL Patreon! -
Episode 41: Paige Bueckers with Nell Baker
Helloooo!!! Today we’re tackling the phenomenon of Paige Bueckers, college basketball star who has captured the nation’s attention with her skill, swag, and heart of gold. I talk about her TikTok explosion, the sexuality that’s projected onto her, and how her wholesome silly vibe makes me excited to be alive.
Then, we’ll hear from my little sister Nelly, a D1 runner who fills us in on all things NIL sponsorships, injury and recovery narratives, and the way Paige carries herself as a fun and faithful team leader. We also discuss the dynamic among the other top NCAA women's basketball players—Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, etc.—and Paige’s choice to not declare for the 2024 WNBA draft.
Follow Nell!
Discussed:
Ann Manov eviscerates Lauren Oyler in Bookforum
Paige and Janae Sims at the WNBA draft
WNBA red carpet
Amazing Paige videos: here, here, here, here
Paige’s speech at the ESPY Awards 2021 -
Episode 40: The Body Series with Tao Lin [UNLOCKED]
*Subscribe to the STARGIRL Patreon!*
This May marks two years of STARGIRL! As a birthday gift from me to you, I’m unlocking the most recent episode of The Body Series, my conversation with Tao Lin. I decided it was so important that everyone needed to hear it! Subscribe to the whole series at Patreon.com/STARGIRLpod.
Tao and I talk about how we live our lives—our exercise and caffeine routines, experiences with pharmaceutical vs. naturally-occurring drugs, seeking magic, conceptions of the afterlife, the healing powers of beef, and much more. We also chat about Tao’s next book, on the environmental factors causing autism, and why it’s scary to submit ideas to a public who’s ready to tear you down.
Follow Tao on Twitter!
Discussed:
Trip: Psychedelics, Alienation, and Change Tao’s book (2018)
“The Story of Autism: How We Got Here, How We Heal” Tao’s essay
Life After Life, Raymond Moody (1975) -
Episode 39: Lauren Oyler with Alana Pockros
This week we welcome my friend and writer/editor Alana Pockros to tackle the work and persona of Lauren Oyler. We discuss how Lauren seized authority as the millennial literary critic, how her abandonment of the “rules” makes her work difficult to engage with critically, her famous distaste for Vulnerability, the Berlin piece (...), and what it means to be both brave and mean.
Plus, in my quarterly pulse check on Culture, I declare a massive return to all things folklore: earthy spirituality, magic, psychedelics, freak folk, boho chic, metal music, and more.
Follow Alana on Twitter!
Discussed:
Evidence of the Folkloric Return:
Joanna Newsom upcoming tour
Timmy as Bob Dylan
Kacey Musgraves profile by Allison P. David in the Cut
“The runway—not TikTok—brought back Boho Chic” Madeleine Schulz in Vogue Business
Rebecca Yarros books
Sotce and @sighswoon
Shanin Blake ayahuasca singer vibes
Shawn Mendes + Hitomi: Page Six, Hola.com (lol!)
Regarding Lauren Oyler:
Lauren at SantaCon for VICE (2017)
“The Miseducation of Lady Bird” Oyler in The Baffler (2017)
“Ha ha! Ha ha!” Oyler on Trick Mirror in LRB (2020)
“Lauren Oyler thinks she’s better than you” Becca Rothfeld in Washington Post (2024)
Interview with Lauren Oyler in Lit Hub (2024)
Fake Accounts, Lauren Oyler (2021)
No Judgment, Lauren Oyler (2024)
“Dance Factory” Lauren in Harper’s (2024)
“What’s Your Type?” Merve Emre in NYRB (2024)
Rachel Comey x NYRB collab