7 episodes
First Lady of the Mall Bruna Massadas
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- Society & Culture
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5.0 • 11 Ratings
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In telling her story of immigration from Brazil to the United States at the age of 15, Bruna Massadas recreates an adolescent world overwhelmed by Americanized fantasies: the kind ruled by blond-haired, blue-eyed beauties; the kind filled with laugh tracks, dramatic closeups, and the inevitable happy ending. But she also depicts the actual America she soon encountered: high school halls crowded with immigrants and teenage hormones; nights plagued by typical worries over fashion and boyfriends, but complicated with anxieties over language and cultural assimilation.
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Episode 1: White Fog
"White, machine-made fog appeared for a few seconds; but as the fog cleared out, a tall, blonde, blue-eyed woman descended onto Earth — in a spaceship."
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Episode 2: Garfield T-Shirt
"When I look back at my first day of high school in America, I cannot not think of my Garfield t-shirt."
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Episode 3: Welcome to Artesia High School
"I lived in an America that I wasn't expecting: an English as Second Language America."
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Episode 4: Welcome to Mayfair High School
"Now, I finally did feel and look like the new girl in school, just like in the movies. I definitely looked like Alicia Silverstone from Clueless — but a Brazilian version, of course."
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Episode 5: I Saw the Signs
"Suddenly, a little after a year of our arrival, we found ourselves in a country that had been invaded — with a real potential for a war."
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Episode 6: First Lady of the Mall
"But in that moment, it was just me, Carlos, and Leonardo DiCaprio in the dark."
Customer Reviews
Beautiful & colorful
Beautifully made with immense atmosphere. Love it.
Both moving and hilarious
It’s tough to get someone to laugh in a 5 minute podcast and harder to get someone to think, but Bruna and her team achieved it, every single time. You’ll laugh and cry, and almost certainly get new perspective on important issues facing America today. Race, immigration, bullying and more. Needless to say I learned a lot, but it still felt sweet and nostalgic throughout. It’s as engaging and entertaining as Jean Shephard while not flinching from the harsh realities of America. Five Stars. Listen to it.