Taboo on the Bus

Whatzaraloves
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Sit down with Zara McIntosh to chat taboo topics from the front seat of the bus. Taking an unfiltered stance on pop-culture, society, culture, and queer issues, she candidly shares her opinion as passengers around her go about their every-day life, overhearing snippets of these unspoken taboos. The viral TikTok series has launched on Spotify after demand for lengthier episodes, so you can tune in to taboos on your next bus journey.

  1. What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?

    Jun 21

    What the ‘dot cake’ trend says about gen-z and luxury goods – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate?

    Sit down with me OFF the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.   Instagram: Whatzaraloves Tiktok: whatzaraloves6 Email: charlie@84world.com award vote (at the bottom): https://www.bcreator.co.uk/awards/vote/   Reading list / references:   https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/   https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640   https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/   https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026   https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview   https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html   https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism   https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf

    28 min
  2. Let's talk about the 'dot cake' – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate? [Mini bus version]

    Jun 21

    Let's talk about the 'dot cake' – are viral foods the new status good in our economic climate? [Mini bus version]

    Full deep-dive episode OFF the bus is also live! Sit with me on the bus to dissect our consumption habits when it comes to viral food trends and ‘little treats’. In a backdrop of economic insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis, generation Z are not purchasing as many luxury material goods. In turn, we are watching the status of foods like the ‘dot cake’ take the place of ‘luxury’ as for many, it is the highest point of access, desire, and justification. Let’s dissect it together and take a look at what this means for gen-z.   Instagram: Whatzaraloves Tiktok: whatzaraloves6 Email: charlie@84world.com   Reading list / references:   https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2024/07/17/designer-fashion-houses-are-struggling-in-the-first-half-of-2024-heres-why/   https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/toleho/article/1610640   https://www.forbes.com/sites/claraludmir/2024/04/25/why-fashion-retailers-are-opening-branded-cafs-and-restaurants/   https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2026   https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20250603-housing-affordability-crisis-kyla-scanlon-katty-kay-interview   https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmyouth/cost-living-crisis-young-people/report.html   https://www.vogue.com/article/how-should-brands-navigate-gen-z-economic-nihilism   https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michalis-Skordoulis/publication/381656145_Perceptions_of_environmental_sustainability_and_luxury_influences_on_organic_food_buying_behavior_among_Millennials_and_Generation_Z_in_Greece/links/66795fcc1dec0c3c6f9fbb94/Perceptions-of-environmental-sustainability-and-luxury-influences-on-organic-food-buying-behavior-among-Millennials-and-Generation-Z-in-Greece.pdf

    3 min

  3. Apr 27

    Social media is a breeding ground for classism [mini bus version]

    [full deep-dive long episode is live] Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.    I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.   Email: charlie@84world.com Insta – whatzaraloves TikTok – whatzaraloves6 YouTube: Whatzaraloves Podcast: Taboo on the Bus     Kyey references:   Books: Chavs by Owen Jones   Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966 https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889     Articles: https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/ https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/ https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/

    3 min
  4. Social Media is Classist - why people favour the wealthy and shame the poor online

    Apr 26

    Social Media is Classist - why people favour the wealthy and shame the poor online

    Social media is a breeding ground for poor-shaming working-class mockery, and I’ve been collecting evidence for the past 4 months to prove that. What we are seeing is the re-invention of the harmful working-class stereotypes present in early 2000s/10s media regurgitated in our algorithms right now. We can look at how deeply intertwined identity and consumption habits to begin understanding why social media creates a hierarchy of lifestyles that shames those as the bottom and analyse the key theme of ‘distinction’ driving a lot of the hate and ‘humour’.    I’ve pulled examples from my ongoing to prove just how social media fuels and reinvents the mockery of the working class.   Email: charlie@84world.com Insta – whatzaraloves TikTok – whatzaraloves6 YouTube: Whatzaraloves Podcast: Taboo on the Bus     Kyey references:   Books: Chavs by Owen Jones   Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.1814 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437231185966 https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/3176889     Articles: https://www.vice.com/en/article/chav-caricature-comeback-tiktok-2020/ https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2021/09/02/how-the-medias-selective-idealisation-of-the-working-class-perpetuates-inequality/ https://consequence.net/2025/12/ricky-gervais-working-classes-mock-mortality/

    35 min
  5. The girls are emotionless - discussing the politics of numbness and stoic femininity [Taboo OFF the bus]

    Apr 2

    The girls are emotionless - discussing the politics of numbness and stoic femininity [Taboo OFF the bus]

    Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, " Botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to dissect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and femininity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behaviour, or in fact just caging us further. Sit down with me to analyse the politics of numbness, the privilege of emotional suppression, and the tool of numbness.

    53 min

  6. Apr 2

    The Politics of Numbness and Femininity [Taboo ON the Bus]

    [Full OFF the bus podcast version is also live for a longer deepdive] Rachel Sennott preaching “numb is in”, botox is rising, the girls are emotionless, and lobotomy chic is looming in the air. Sit down with me to disect what it means for stoicism, deadpan, and numbness to become intertwined in our perceptions of beauty and feminity. Let’s discuss whether this can be viewed as a potential clapback to the patriarchal expectations of women’s behvaior, or in fact just caging us further. Sit down with me to analyse the politics of numbness, the privellage of emotional suppression, and the tool of numbness.  email: charlie@84world.com instagram- whatzaralovestiktok - whatzaraloves6podcast - Taboo on the Bus

    3 min
  7. Trust me, you don't want to become reliant on AI - discussing the domestication of humans by artifical intelligence - Taboo OFF the bus

    Mar 1

    Trust me, you don't want to become reliant on AI - discussing the domestication of humans by artifical intelligence - Taboo OFF the bus

    Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI?? Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode. Instagram - whatzaraloves Tiktok - whatzaraloves Email: whatzaraloves@gmail.com Links and media references: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/ai-pet https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/apr/19/dont-ask-what-ai-can-do-for-us-ask-what-it-is-doing-to-us-are-chatgpt-and-co-harming-human-intelligence https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2025/10/02/construction-and-consequences-the-human-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence-data-centers/

    40 min

  8. Mar 1

    Are we becoming domesticated by AI? - Taboo on the Bus

    MINI bus version - full version off the bus is also live. Sit down with me today to discuss the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in comparison to that of humans and pets. Is it making our lives easier to become reliant on this technology, or are we domesticating ourselves and becoming sub-serviant to AI??Shout out to Gresham College lectures for inspiring this episode. Instagram - whatzaralovesTiktok - whatzaralovesEmail: whatzaraloves@gmail.com

    3 min
See All (57)

About

Sit down with Zara McIntosh to chat taboo topics from the front seat of the bus. Taking an unfiltered stance on pop-culture, society, culture, and queer issues, she candidly shares her opinion as passengers around her go about their every-day life, overhearing snippets of these unspoken taboos. The viral TikTok series has launched on Spotify after demand for lengthier episodes, so you can tune in to taboos on your next bus journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Whatzaraloves
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Whatzaraloves
  • Show Website
    Taboo on the Bus

You Might Also Like