A few months ago, Kayleigh Donaldson joined me to discuss Oscar predictions and other pop culture stories, and we decided to connect quarterly to discuss popular culture.
We discuss the misogyny attached to Timothy Chalamet hate, a deep dive into the public post history of Club Chalamet as indicative of larger issues in fandom behavior, Madonna’s new album, Lizzo’s new album, and the Tartan Army.
The through-line of our conversation is really fandoms, specifically changing fan and audience behavior for better or for worse, what it means, why it’s happening, and maybe, how can it stop already.
When two book bloggers who have been on the internet for a good while discuss pop culture, it’s a very good time.
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You can find Kayleigh Donaldson at her website, KayleighDonaldson.com, on Bluesky, and on Pajiba.com. You can also sign up for her (excellent) newsletter, Gossip Reading Club.
You can find Kayleigh on the following episodes:
- 576. BookTok, Hockey Romance, and People as Products with Kayleigh Donaldson
- 678. The Osmanification of Fiction Covers with Kayleigh Donaldson
- 703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson
We also mentioned:
- IG: footage of Madonna and Connor Storrie at Paris Fashion Week
- Widow’s Bay
- Bitch by Lizzo
- Confessions 2 by Madonna
- My Lady Jane
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https://www.youtube.com/@SmartPodcastTrashyBooks
Long time member of the podcast community Sassy Outwater passed away a year ago on July 12, 2025. In addition to teaching me so much about accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, she also made the music for our earlier episodes very special, sending me songs from bands and ensembles she had produced. If you like the Peatbog Fairies, that was Sassy’s generous doing. I’m so sad to learn she is no longer with us, and I’m grateful to have known her.
Our outro music this week is Sassy on her harp in an original composition she called “Rumba for SBs.”
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Transcript
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This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.
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