Pop Syllabus

Pop Syllabus is a show where host Christiana Mbakwe Medina deconstructs the zeitgeist and answers the big cultural questions. How did we swing from body positivity to thin-being-in? Why do so many people trust wellness influencers over medical doctors? And how did tech oligarchs become the new celebrities? Think of Christiana as a cross between a messy news anchor and guerilla academic. Each week, she and an expert guest will unpack a buzzy topic, and help us understand the moment while going through it.

  1. 1d ago

    GLP-1s and The Death of Body Positivity with Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama

    Are GLP-1s changing our relationship with our bodies? The science says yes, but not in the ways you might think. In this episode, Christiana sits down with Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama, health psychologist, UCLA professor, and director of the Diet, Stigma, and Health (DiSH) Lab, to examine how GLP-1s are redefining body positivity, exposing the persistence of weight stigma, and raising bigger questions about who gets to be accepted and why. Thanks to our sponsor, Bilt Rewards, for supporting today's episode: joinbilt.com/popsyllabus Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com  1:25 Meet Janet 3:53 What Japan and Nigeria Reveal About Weight Stigma 5:55 Is Weight Really About Willpower? The Science of Genetics & Dieting 7:56 Should Governments Pay for Weight Loss? 9:37 Why Most Diets Don't Work Long-Term 15:41 How Culture Shapes the Way We Eat 20:21 Why Bigger Bodies Once Represented Wealth 24:29 What Is "Food Noise"? 29:01 The Hidden Reality of Eating Disorders in Black Women 32:14 GLP-1s, Grief, and the Identity Shift No One Talks About 36:41 Who Gets Access to GLP-1s? 42:21 The Risks and Unknowns of GLP-1 Medications 49:03 Are GLP-1s a Lifetime Commitment? 51:28 Raising a Family in a Weight-Obsessed World 56:14 Should Parents Put Their Kids on GLP-1s? 1:01:21 Why Body Neutrality May Be More Realistic Than Body Positivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Jul 8

    Are They a Star, Celebrity or Famous Person? with Zuri Hall

    We're back with another round of our signature pop culture game, Are They a Star, Celebrity, or Famous Person?  This week, Christiana is joined by Emmy Award-winning TV host, Zuri Hall, to pull names from the bowl and weigh in on everyone from Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Timothée Chalamet, Anna Wintour, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, and more. They also get into the rise of influencer culture, the business of celebrity, and who has the staying power to become a true star. Ready to play? Follow Zuri on Instagram Zuri’s Substack Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com 1:36 Meet Zuri Hall 3:35 Zuri’s exit plan from Access Hollywood 9:36 The game begins 12:33 Angel Reese enters the chat 13:30 Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark rivalry breakdown 15:41 Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio & Daniel Day-Lewis energy 18:03 Anna Wintour: the “mean boss” myth 19:41 Charli D'Amelio family drama 20:37 Celebrities vs influencers: who runs culture now? 26:44 Cardi B chaos & charisma 34:14 Dua Lipa wedding watch + love life 37:47 Billie Eilish era check 40:03 Bad Bunny takeover 41:43 The Weeknd enters the conversation 47:23 Zohran Mamdani surprise finale Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Jun 17

    Manthropology with Holly Solem

    Women spend a lot of time wondering what men really think about love and relationships.  In this episode, Christiana sits down with Holly Solem, advice columnist and creator of the social media series Manthropology, to discuss what she’s learned from interviewing men about dating, masculinity, and loneliness. They also play a game revisiting iconic fictional men in pop culture and how they shaped millennial women’s understanding of love and relationships. Holly’s Vogue essay Follow Holly on Instagram Follow Mathropology on Instagram Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com  01:19 Meet Holly Solem  06:20 Holly’s move back to LA  07:14 Creating “Manthropology” 11:28 What Holly has learned about men while making “Manthropology”  13:34 How men in LA compare to men in NY 14:45 How women absorb the shame of men   16:09 Misogyny in 2026 18:02 Platonic relationships between straight men and women  22:20 How Holly reacts during Manthropology interviews 23:20 White girlhood vs. Black girlhood  25:51 Fictional pop-culture men game  27:14 Chandler Bing from “Friends”  28:58 Ross Geller from “Friends” 29:39 Batman  30:50 Superman  32:24 Homer Simpson  34:10 Lawrence from “Insecure” 35:13 Big from “Sex and the City”  37:13 Don Draper from “Mad Men” 38:18 Walter White from “Breaking Bad”  40:13 Nick Young from “Crazy Rich Asians”  41:35 Prince Akeem from “Coming to America”  42:46 Austin Powers  43:37 James Bond 46:40 Wolverine 48:13 Adam Sackler from “Girls” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Jun 10

    Ranking Pop Culture Divas with Gerrick Kennedy

    We’ve been calling women divas for years, but we still can’t agree on what the word actually means or who qualifies.  In this episode, Christiana sits down with music journalist Gerrick Kennedy, co-author of Brandy's new memoir, Phases, to do the impossible: rank the greatest divas across the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and unpack what really earns someone the title.  Together, they debate the diva status of icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, while making the case for a few overlooked sleeper divas along the way. By the end, it becomes clear that defining a diva is a lot harder than it sounds. Gerrick’s book with Brandy: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/phases-brandy?variant=44324080779298  Gerrick’s book on Whitney Houston: https://gerrickkennedy.com/whitneyhouston  Follow Gerrick on Instagram Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com  01:18 Meet Gerrick Kennedy  03:20 How Gerrick Built a Career in Music Journalism 06:33 The Time Gerrick Met Joe Jackson 11:18 Diva Ranking Game  13:19 Defining a “diva”  16:46 Ranking 90s divas  18:50 Brandy  27:07 Janet Jackson  29:22 Mariah Carey  34:07 Gerrick on Working With Brandy on Phases 36:16 The Patriarchal Control Behind Pop Divas 40:59 Ranking 2000s divas  42:11 Why Divas Have to Go Solo 48:59 Jennifer Lopez  55:59 Britney Spears  1:00:37 Amy Winehouse 1:05:01 Ranking 2010s divas  1:06:03 Lady Gaga  1:12:54 Rihanna  1:16:29 Tinashe  1:17:52 Beyoncé 1:23:56 Taylor Swift  1:25:39 The Next Generation of Pop Stars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Jun 3

    Deconstructing the Kardashians with MJ Corey

    Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to argue the Kardashians didn’t completely change the way we think about fame. So how did this family go from reality TV to becoming the blueprint for modern celebrity and one of the most powerful forces in pop culture? In this episode, Christiana sits down with author MJ Corey to talk about her book Deconstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto and trace the evolution of the Kardashians and what their success really says about them. Together, they do what the internet has always done best and overanalyze the Kardashians, getting into fame, branding, controversy, and where this endlessly fascinating family goes next. Follow MJ on Instagram  Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: advertise@companionarts.com If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: hello@popsyllabus.com  00:52 MJ Corey’s first time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians 03:08 Understanding postmodernism to understand the Kardashians 03:50 Kim Kardashian and ethnic ambiguity  04:55 Comparing the Kardashians to iconic American brands 08:50 Kris Jenner, the O.J. Simpson trial and revisionist history  13:00 The Kardashians, cultural appropriation and Black romantic partners 22:00 The Kardashians as early adopters of technology  25:25 The Paris robbery and trial 31:09 How the Kardashians will be remembered 32:15 Who will be Kris’ successor? 34:12 Predicting Kim’s future in politics  36:20 Which grandchild is most likely to be the next star?  37:40 Does Kim venture into podcasting?  38:10 Does SKIMS IPO? 38:28 How many more times will Kim Kardashian get married?  40:00 When will Kris Jenner retire? 42:04 What’s the future of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet? 44:29 Which Kardashian is mostly likely to make a hard pivot?  48:30 MJ’s biggest prediction for the Kardashians/Jenners in the next five years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About

Pop Syllabus is a show where host Christiana Mbakwe Medina deconstructs the zeitgeist and answers the big cultural questions. How did we swing from body positivity to thin-being-in? Why do so many people trust wellness influencers over medical doctors? And how did tech oligarchs become the new celebrities? Think of Christiana as a cross between a messy news anchor and guerilla academic. Each week, she and an expert guest will unpack a buzzy topic, and help us understand the moment while going through it.

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