The Discourse

Courtenay Roche
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Semiweekly

A deep-ish dive into the cultural conversations dominating our screens week-to-week. Twin sisters Courtenay and Cecile wield the fading remnants of their liberal arts educations to take on such vital topics as: Is there a male loneliness epidemic? Did liberal feminism ruin the workplace? Will generative AI be the death knell of the influencer era? Does the world really need another podcast helmed by two white Zillennials? Let's discuss.

  1. 19h ago

    Discourse Digest: Lindsay Clancy Conspiracies, Surrogacy Woes, and Court Gets Consensually Cat-Called

    Another fun-sized installment of The Discourse...with some decidedly not-so-fun subject matter. Speaking off-the-cuff (read: no outline), C + C take on some of the month's hottest controversies, from the mothers suing their surrogates to the online communities spinning wild theories about Lindsay Clancy's husband. They also invent some controversies of their own: Court questions the ethics of cat-calling while Cecile brings light to the oft-ignored issue of reverse sexism (jk! I think?). Though it may be short, this one packs a punch—particularly for our listeners who delight in a good sisterly quarrel. Love ya! ;)

  2. Aug 22

    How The Cringey OpenAI Brand Trip Proves Dead Internet Theory

    TL;DR: Dead internet theory is true, the influencer recession is upon us, OpenAI brand trip cringe, and the real meaning of AI psychosis.  Courtenay consorts with Cousin Caroline, a friend of the pod and Bay Area native who currently resides in the belly of the AI beast—San Francisco. We discuss how a fringe message-board conspiracy theory became a mainstream talking point and what "dead internet theory" actually means for (human) internet users. While AI remains central to the theory, our discussion focuses more on some of the forces that brought us here: capitalism, greed, and enshittification (redundant?). The so-called “enshittification” of the internet is inextricably linked to the “dead internet" conversation. It’s not just that bots are flooding the internet; it’s also that the internet is becoming more and more unusable for HUMANS. Even the parts of the internet that emerged organically, like influencing, inevitably become tools of capitalism, hollowed of authenticity and used merely as vehicles to sell us more stuff.  But we may have reached a tipping point. According to NY Mag, we’re in an influencer recession—and it’s causing some content creators to stoop to new lows in pursuit of engagement. From ridiculous ragebait to AI slop to insane brand partnerships (OpenAI brand trip, anyone?), we’re sharing the wild ways influencers are trying to make ends meet. We’ll even journey over to LinkedIn to stalk a corporate slop-fluencer trying to reclaim the term “AI psychosis” (and failing).  Finally, we attempt to end on a hopeful note with a report on platforms such as Spotify, Substack, and LinkedIn rolling out AI spam filters and detection tools to curb the flood of low-quality content crowding our feeds. We discuss whether this signifies a larger move to combat enshittification, or if it’s just a blip that will soon be overshadowed by the rapid acceleration of AI.  Sources (unpaywalled!):  Dead internet theory Atlantic article from 2021: https://archive.is/20260527091626/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theory-wrong-but-feels-true/619937/#selection-927.0-930.0   Bots now make up over 50% of web traffic: https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://fortune.com/2026/07/23/dead-internet-theory-bots-agents-majority-web-traffic/ The “open internet” is at risk: https://www.techpolicy.press/the-open-internet-was-always-american-now-its-a-weapon/  AI model collapse: https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.forbes.com.au/news/innovation/is-ai-quietly-killing-itself-and-the-internet/  The influencer recession: https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.vulture.com/article/influencer-recession-audrey-peters-interview.html  OpenAI brand trip: https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/03/influencers-draw-backlash-for-attending-openais-first-luxury-trip/#google_vignette Grace McCarrick on “AI psychosis”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gracemccarrick_i-went-on-openais-first-ever-brand-trip-activity-7489983409877049344-4XSx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACKWuaQB90OwxN2aP2bUxbkbCnJMLg5s_Ew

  3. Aug 10

    Discourse Digest: Caroline Calloway, Coldplay Cheaters 2.0, AI Startup Cringe, and Spiderman: Brand New Day

    In the second edition of the Discourse Digest, C + C cover all the digital debates that are slightly too irrelevant to make their way into a full-length pod—but just juicy enough to bite into on a Sunday afternoon. (ETA: Wishful thinking; I was not done editing til 11pm on Sunday). You'll hear our hot takes on: The cultural commentators who Caroline Calloway thinks are "the fakest bitches in NYC"Being too honest about mental illness in your hinge profileAn AI startup's cruel, dystopian marketing gimmick: Free tattoosWhy the Central Park cheating video is emblematic of societal decayHow Tom Holland's Spider-Man can save us from MCU slop hell Take a bite—and tell us your thoughts on this week's hottest online discourse.

  4. Aug 1

    Into the Manosphere: Andrew Tate and the Men Who Worship Him

    Andrew Tate, self-avowed misogynist and king of toxic masculinity, was arrested in Miami just last week after being hit with 38 new charges in his long-running battle with the law. He is facing life in prison for sex trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, child pornography, and crimes against fashion. (OK, that last one is fake—but come on, purple capri pants?) As Tate suffers from diarrhea in solitary confinement, women around the world rejoice.  Tate’s arrest comes on the heels of a copycat incident: In June, investigators busted a sex trafficking ring in Bellevue, WA run by a 21-year-old Tate devotee, Nikita Tyukalo. The operation saw young girls pimped out in online chat rooms to the tune of millions of dollars—just not for the girls, of course.  How did Tyukalo manage to build a trafficking empire with no industry connections and only a high school education? He didn’t have a college degree, but he did have his PHD—his Pimpin’ Hoes Degree, that is.  In today’s episode, we retrace Andrew Tate’s journey from pro kickboxer to pimp professor, plus all the grifts in between. We’ll explore how his teachings have poisoned a new generation of men, encouraging them to take misogyny to its extremes in pursuit of power.  This is not a topic we take lightly. We encourage you to listen with care!

  5. Jul 25

    Discourse Digest: The Odyssey, Obsession, and Legally Blonde (Seattle Version)

    The rumors are true!!! Welcome to the first installment of our WEEKLY episode series, where we're bringing you a thoroughly digestible version of the online discourse. Today, Court and Cecile catch up on the summer gossip, from Robert Pattinson's leopard print underwear in The Odyssey to young Elle Woods' all-too-relatable experience with the Seattle Freeze. We also indulge in some sisterly catch-up about Ragnar Relays, Fourth Wing, and STDs (no, not that kind). If you miss our deep dive format, don't worry! We'll be back next Friday with a full-length episode. For now, take a bite out of the Discourse Digest and let us know how it tastes. :-)

  6. Jul 17

    True Crime Alpine Divorce: On Murder, Misogyny, and Mountaineering

    What is the meaning behind the suddenly ubiquitous phrase “alpine divorce”? Romantically put, it is “a hike from which only the man returns.” More plainly put: Mountain murder. Courtenay tapped her fav climbing partner and fellow Everest summiteer, Hannah (@hannahclimbsstuff), to join her in unpacking the dark lore behind the mountain-murder discourse. Namely, the strange case of Thomas Plamberger and Kirsten Gertner.  We’ll run through a detailed play-by-play of the deadly alpine divorce case that shook Austria, couched in the context of our own history as hashtag women who climb.  If you’ve heard the story before, this version might still be worth a listen—Courtenay swears the YouTube video essays are getting it ALLLL wrong. This just in: A splitboard is a backcountry snowboard, and it's very normal to bring one on a tour! And Thomas didn’t have one because he had SKIS.  Beyond clarifying the facts of the case, we’ll also discuss what this decision means for the climbing community, why victimizing women feels counterproductive, and how best to avoid being alpine divorced.  Happy trails!

  7. Jul 1

    Pop Culture Lightning Round, Live from Peru

    **NO VIDEO** After scouring the internet for the juiciest headlines, Courtenay, Cecile, and returning guest host Cousin Caroline play a riveting round of pop culture court where opinions are bared like teeth and knowledge gaps are ruthlessly exposed. This episode comes to you from deep in the Peruvian Andes, but you'd never guess! We remain plugged in to the continental topics du jour, from Taylor Swift's tacky MSG wedding to Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette season—and all the Taylors in between. Pour yourself a pisco sour and settle in for a lively cultural discourse painstakingly uploaded on 1GB of wifi (hence the audio-only!!!) 3 xoxo

  8. Jun 18

    Yesteryear Deep Dive: Let Women Be Awful!

    C + C take on the buzziest release of the year in this special Book Club edition of The Discourse. Yesteryear is writer-cum-podcaster Caro Claire Burke's debut novel, a satirical portrayal of tradwife influencing taken to its extreme. Since its April release, Yesteryear's detestable protagonist and undeniably compelling premise have been the subject of much online discourse.  The book is told from the perspective of Natalie Heller-Mills, a popular “tradwife”-style influencer whose life and work revolves around her picture-perfect Idaho farm, aptly named “Yesteryear.” She and her husband Caleb—the spoiled youngest boy from an American political dynasty that appears to be part-Kennedy, part-Bush in its inspiration—have five kids between them (put a pin in that), and a sixth on the way. The crux of the novel arrives when Natalie wakes up one morning in 1850 and is forced to confront the harsh reality of the “traditional” life she claims to want. Bitter cold mornings, rock-hard bread, and a husband who is all-too-eager to slap her around for her misdeeds. Can she survive the real yesteryear ? Join C + C for yet another romp through the world of tradwifery, religious fundamentalism, and the subjugation of women—this time through the lens of our antihero narrator, Natalie Heller Mills. This far-ranging episode (our longest yet!) covers everything from the author's backstory—she was Court's fav podcaster before she was a bestselling author!—to jealous reviewers' many bad-faith critiques, to our pet theories about Natalie (gay?? autistic????? amish???). Whether you've already devoured the book and want to go deeper, OR you're sick of feeling left out of the conversation, this is one you'll want to tune in to.

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About

A deep-ish dive into the cultural conversations dominating our screens week-to-week. Twin sisters Courtenay and Cecile wield the fading remnants of their liberal arts educations to take on such vital topics as: Is there a male loneliness epidemic? Did liberal feminism ruin the workplace? Will generative AI be the death knell of the influencer era? Does the world really need another podcast helmed by two white Zillennials? Let's discuss.

Information

  • Creator
    Courtenay Roche
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Courtenay Roche
  • Show Website
    The Discourse

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