Pop Syllabus

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Companion
  • 4.7 (89)
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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

    The Pop Culture Debrief Season Finale: Breaking Down September Issue covers

    September is for back-to-school, changing weather, and apparently a LOT of celebrity magazine covers. For the Season 1 finale of Pop Syllabus, Christiana picks up the September issues and takes us inside their biggest covers and most interesting stories. From Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere on Vogue to Rihanna, Usher, Charli XCX, and a powerful Essence cover celebrating Black women, she explores what these magazines choose to put on their covers, what they leave inside the pages, and what it all says about pop culture right now. Thanks to our sponsor, Bilt Rewards, for supporting today's episode: https://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  01:30 Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere on the cover of US Vogue  02:42 Regime change at Vogue  03:30 Nepo babies  06:00 US Vogue cover  07:16 Rihanna on the cover of Elle 09:35 Rihanna’s relationship with Dior  10:47 Elle editorial with Rihanna   12:08 Jermey Strong on the cover of GQ  14:21 GQ editorial with Jeremy strong 16:33 Nicole Kidman on the cover of British Vogue  18:43 Brad Pitt on the cover of Esquire 20:04 Esquire editorial with Brad Pitt 26:18 Sanaa Lathan, Nina Compton, Mara Brock Akil and Nikole Hannah-Jones on the front cover of Essence  27:50 Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the back cover of Essence  28:09 America at 250  30:00 Seeing Black women with mature skin and gray hair  31:30 Isan Elba  32:01 Hair styles and product recommendations in Essence  35:38 Mardi Gras  36:00 Essence editorial with Sanaa Lathan, Nina Compton, Mara Brock Akil and Nikole Hannah-Jones  37:19 Terrence Jenkins and Mikalah Sultan 39:12 Essence editorial with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson 40:57 “Letters to America” in Essence 41:30 Afro-optimism  41:52 The American flag and who gets to own it  44:20 Christiana’s relationship with England and the English flag 46:19 Black women and reproductive health in Essence  46:42 Usher on the cover of Architectural Digest 49:25 A feature on decorative plates in Architectural Digest 49:58 Usher’s Architectural Digest feature  52:58 Charli XCX on the cover of Rolling Stone  54:40 George Michael feature in Rolling Stone 55:00 Comparing Rolling Stone to other magazines 55:13 Shaboozey in Rolling Stone 55:40 James Comey profile in Rolling Stone 57:00 Charli XCX editorial in Rolling Stone  57:40 Afroman in Rolling Stone 59:00 Keke Palmer editorial in Rolling Stone 01:00:18 Adam Friedland in Rolling Stone  01:00:42 The Legend of the Plaster Caster in Rolling Stone 01:02:16 A man who wants to help people print guns in Rolling Stone 01:02:30 Assessing Rolling Stone  01:03:12 Star Magazine 01:10:00 How to keep up with Christiana Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. Sep 16

    Understanding Women with ADHD with Corinne the Coach

    Forget the stereotypical image of ADHD. For many women, it looks a lot different.  This week, Christiana sits down with Corinne the Coach to explore why women and girls are so often overlooked, why women of color face even greater barriers to diagnosis, and how ADHD can impact everything from mental health and shame to motherhood, money, and work. Corinne also opens up about her own diagnosis, navigating medication, and building a business while neurodivergent. Corinne’s website: https://corinnethecoach.life/  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  01:43 Corinne’s ADHD diagnosis  06:45 Why it takes longer for girls and women to get diagnosed with ADHD 11:30 Different types of ADHD  16:30 Underdiagnosis among girls and women of color 22:15 How ADHD can be related to eating disorders and substance abuse 26:58 Skepticism around women of color having ADHD  29:30 Signs that a woman may be struggling with mental health challenges 31:45 How women hide their shame  35:12 Strains on mothers 38:58 How Corinne started her business while being neurodivergent  39:50 How ADHD keeps people impoverished  41:04 Taking medication for ADHD  48:00 Corinne’s experiences with ADHD medication  54:45 How we can support the people in our lives who might have ADHD 01:08:21 How you can find Corinne the Coach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. Sep 9

    Bad Moms in Pop Culture with Ej Dickson

    We love to talk about motherhood like there’s a right way to do it. But the rules have never been as simple as they seem. This week, Christiana sits down with WIRED senior culture writer and author of One Bad Mother Ej Dickson to explore the cultural history of the “bad mom,” from the “welfare queen” to today’s MAHA moms, momfluencers, tradwives, and stage moms. They unpack why the ideal of the “good mother” has always been complicated, why dads seem to get a much easier assignment, and how motherhood became one of our favorite ways to police women. Follow Ej: Instagram Ej’s website: https://www.ejdickson.com/  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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Sep 2

    The State of Beauty Politics and What It All Means with Tressie McMillan Cottom

    Botox, filler, beauty trends, and the pressure to keep up with it all. This week, Christiana sits down with NYT columnist and UNC Chapel Hill professor Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom to explore how beauty culture is changing around the world, why our appearances carry so much power, and what happens when the rules of beauty keep changing. Follow Tressie: Instagram   Thanks to our sponsor, Bilt Rewards, for supporting today's episode: https://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 01:37 Meet Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom  03:45 Sculpt and how beauty norms became what they are right now 06:12 The democratization of plastic surgery and injectibles  09:06 Beauty and ugliness as structural concepts  13:14 The end of body positivity a return to whiteness  15:13 How technology has changed time, our attention, and beauty norms  16:55 Peptides  19:45 How what is seen as beautiful has changed  21:00 Thinking of ourselves as scientific compositions  22:05 Grappling for community  22:39 Discourse around “the Black community”  24:15 Ethnic rhinoplasty  25:51 The death of the natural hair movement  26:30 What is Black beauty now? 27:10 The homogeneity of beauty  30:14 How the formula we were taught for a good life isn’t working and cruel optimism 35:26 Observing neutrally and knowing our choices aren’t neutral  39:10 The cost of resistance and choosing our defeats  42:49 Bracing for impact  45:00 Black women being punished  45:40 Conservative movements among white women and where white women go next 49:55 “One Household, One Vote” and women retreating from the workplace  52:30 Late-stage capitalism and AI will come for everyone, including men 54:00 Men committing Interpersonal violence 55:30 Going analog  56:38 How Tressie approaches reading and engaging with ideas 01:01:22 What Tressie is turning to for nourishment and delight  01:06:25 What Tressie is working on now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Aug 26

    Ranking the 2020s Pop Culture Divas with Ryan Mitchell

    Divas! We all love them, and we all have very strong opinions about who deserves a spot in our personal top 3. So this week, Christiana sits down with journalist, culture critic, and the NFL’s first LGBTQ+ brand ambassador Ryan Mitchell to bring back our signature pop culture rubric and rank the biggest divas of the 2020s. But who will take the crown? Listen in to find out. Follow Ryan: 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  00:00 Intro 00:13 Meet Ryan 05:00 Showing up as a Black queer fat person  07:20 Growing up in the South  08:22 Ryan’s role as the NFL’s first queer ambassador  12:12 Navigating the current conservative backlash 15:02 How to show up for queer folks right now  19:02 How pop culture brings people together  22:20 The definition of a “Diva”  27:20 How Christiana made this 2020s diva list  29:17 The “general population” category for 2020s divas 30:10 The “technicalities” category for 2020s divas 30:48 The “sleeper divas” category for 2020s divas  32:50 Attitude as part of the criteria  36:00 Ariana Grande 47:27 Billie Eilish  55:14 Chappell Roan 59:00 Celebrities are still humans  01:00:35 Olivia Rodrigo 01:02:50 Sabrina Carpenter 01:04:43 Olivia Rodrigo 01:05:55 Beyoncé 01:12:26 Charli xcx 01:19:29 Cleo Sol and Syd 01:19:37 Yebba 01:20:40 PinkPantheress 01:20:54 SZA 01:20:59 Doechii 01:21:03 Where you can find Ryan Mitchell  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Aug 19

    Power, Pleasure, and White Women’s Hair with Sarah Mesle

    Only a small percentage of women are naturally blonde, yet blonde hair has become one of the most powerful symbols of beauty and privilege in American culture. This week, Christiana sits down with Sarah Mesle, USC professor and author of Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity, to examine the cultural politics of white women’s hair. Through stories of blonde privilege, Britney Spears, and Princess Diana, Sarah explains how hair reveals the complicated relationship between beauty, identity, and power. Sarah’s website: https://sarahmesle.com/  Follow Sarah: 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  1:26 Meet Sarah  1:47 Hair and white feminine power 3:50 Sarah’s interest in hair 5:08 White visual performances and whiteness as a currency  8:50 January 6th uprising 10:40 Partisan aesthetics  13:50 Princess Diana and women with short hair 18:43 Blonde hair  20:58 JoJo Siwa 21:33 Maternal love and white resource hoarding  22:40 White mothers giving their daughters elaborate hair styles  25:00 Blonde privilege and the value of the currency of whiteness 27:47 How Black women are treated depending on their hair styles 29:30 Class and white women’s fear of “trashiness”  32:40 Relationship between white women’s hair and thighs  33:30 Thin hair  35:17 Long hair and the women surrounding Trump  36:06 Picking white women to focus on in “Tangled”  40:32 Britney Spears 45:50 Complicating the idea that there are victims and villains 47:00 Cruel optimism  48:10 Gwyneth Paltrow  51:00 Opting out and diverging from the norm  54:30 The game is rigged  55:20 What’s next?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Aug 12

    Pioneers, Builders, and Innovators: a new Pop Syllabus rubric with Blue Telusma

    This week, writer and YouTuber Blue Telusma joins Pop Syllabus for a wide-ranging conversation on modern relationships, gender dynamics, and what Love Island reveals about our culture. Best known for her sharp commentary on the hit reality series, Blue and Christiana explore everything from dating and accountability to race and media. Then, the two debut our new Pioneers, Builders & Innovators game, weighing in on cultural figures from Joe Rogan and Tyra Banks to Jay-Z, Madonna, Kim Kardashian, and Kris Jenner. Follow Blue: 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  1:18 Meet Blue Telusma 5:28 The Diaspora Wars Explained 6:10 Dating Nigerian Men and Blue's Dating Experience 10:16 "Good Women Aren't Having Babies Anymore" 15:45 Partnership vs. Companionship 22:05 Dating as an Unambiguous Woman 27:37 What Love Island Gets Wrong About Race 36:20 Calling Out Women vs. Challenging the System 38:55 The Ego Tantrums Taking Over Love Island 40:38 Has Reality TV Normalized Dysfunction? 45:45 Pioneers, Builders & Innovators Game 52:12 Joe Rogan: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator? 57:18 Tyra Banks: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator? 1:07:13 Jay Z: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator? 1:11:45 Madonna: Pioneer, Builder, or Innovator? 1:15:58 Kim Kardashian & Kris Jenner: Pioneers, Builders, or Innovators? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Aug 5

    Pop Culture and The Royal Family: Past, Present, and Future with Omid Scobie

    The royal family has mastered the art of staying in the spotlight. For generations, they’ve been a source of fascination, controversy, and endless conversation. But why do we keep coming back to the Crown? In this episode, Christiana sits down with NY Times bestselling author of Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, TV writer, producer, and royal commentator Omid Scobie to break down the monarchy as the ultimate pop culture phenomenon. After 13 years covering the royal beat, Omid shares what he’s learned about the institution, the media machine behind it, the scandals that shaped public opinion, and why the world remains obsessed with the royals. Follow Omid: Instagram Explore Omid Scobie’s Books on the Royal Family 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  1:14 Meet Omid Scobie 3:40 Inside the Royal Beat 5:54 Why Britain Created WAG Culture 6:50 Meghan, Harry & the Palace 13:28 How the Press Built Meghan's Narrative 17:46 Why Americans See the Royals Differently 19:46 What Makes Someone a Royalist? 21:21 Kate's Cancer Announcement 23:28 Why Royal Women Face More Scrutiny 26:31 Why Meghan & Harry Became Easy Targets 30:08 Writing Endgame 36:17 Inside the Royal Feuds 39:32 America's "Royal Families" 43:49 Can the Monarchy Ever Change? 46:13 Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal 52:14 King Charles, Trump & Politics 55:27 Harry vs. William 58:17 Behind Palace Dynamics 1:04:51 The Monarchy's Diversity Problem  1:09:24 The Royals in 2027: What's Next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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4.7
out of 5
89 Ratings

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.

Information

  • Channel
    Companion
  • Creator
    Pop Syllabus with Christiana Mbakwe Medina
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Pop Syllabus

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