Culture Study Podcast

When I first came up for the idea for the Culture Study Romance Book Club back in January, I knew I wanted every edition to have two books: one contemporary, and one historical. Part of this desire was selfish (I personally gravitate towards historicals) but I also wanted to explore the contrast between what you can do with a romance set in the past (with its particular confines) and one set in the present (with seemingly none, but actually so many).
I also knew that I wanted to start with M/M romances (hi, Heated Rivalry) and that Melody had sung the very loud praises of renowned historical queer romance author Cat Sebastian's mid-century queer romance — particularly You Should Be So Lucky, which managed to combine baseball (one of Melody's true loves) with romance (Melody's secondary love).
And listeners, I hope this is clear: when it comes to so many things, but romance in particular, I listen to Melody! And when Melody asked if we should try and get Cat on the pod, I said "obvi please try." AND THEN SHE MADE IT HAPPEN. This remains a total marvel of hosting a podcast: sometimes the people you admire so deeply... can also come on your pod.
This is a long preamble to the overarching point: Cat Sebastian isn't just an absurdly talented (and successful) author of queer historical romance. She's also whipsmart when it comes to the crafting of these romances, the idea of vibes vs. plot (and third act break-ups in particular), how she translates the historical record, and so much more. This pod is for you if you're at all interested in romance, obviously, but also if you're at all interested in how we think about the past as a narrative playground.
Final note: We had such a good time recording this episode and laughed one billion times — I hope that joy translates when you listen!
GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!
If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .
And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!
Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!
Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoc.com/CULTURE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today.

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Show Notes:
As Cat suggested, the best way to keep up with her is by subscribing to her intermittent newsletter here

You can find a breakdown of all of Cat's books and their time periods here (I found this very helpful)

You can buy Cat's new book, Star Shipped, HERE!!!!

A great AMA with Cat here

Cat mentions the book Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II, by Allan Bérubé

A listener mentions The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, and Cat and Anna enthusiastically co-sign the recommendation

Cat recommends: The Duke by Anna Cowan (out April 28); A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander; When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley; and An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

HISTORICAL GOSSIP! We're talking with Nichole Hill, host of Our Ancestors Were Messy, about hot, messy, ideologically fascinating world of Black gossip columns during the golden era of Black newspapers (1930 to 1960). What do you want to know about how the Black press worked during this era — and how gossip in particular worked (both about stars, local celebrities, and normal people?) There's so much here!!!

HILARY DUFF!!! The comeback, the new album, let's talk about all of it — with Hilary Duff expert/forever-fan ALLIE JONES (also Melody loves Hilary Duff so much and will be very sad if we don't get enough questions for this episode)

Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc — we're talking to Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez about his new book, Conversion Therapy Dropout, and there are so many connections to the ways the current administration is currently trying to "de-trans" people in custody)

KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? We're talking with the author of a new book about the ramifications of growing up within these worlds — it's gonna be so good.

Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.

As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here
For this week’s discussion: OH MY GOD WE COULD TALK FOREVER! If you could set a queer romance at any time, when would it be? What would your characters be doing, and how would they fill their days? Also who wants to be best friends with Cat (me)

Baby names are in inexhaustible cultural text. They're a way to talk about class, race, and gender, of course — but also the way we perform familial respect and coherence. In this episode, sociologist Hannah Emery — who wrote her dissertation on baby names — joins us to talk about the history of baby names, how naming conventions and aspirations have changed over the last century, and the broad and specific requests parents bring to her as a naming consultant. It's all fascinating — and I can't wait to continue the conversation (about our names and the names of the children in our lives) in the comments.
AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!
If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .
And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!
Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!
Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/CULTURE

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CULTURE at https://www.oneskin.co/CULTURE

Treat your dog with Ollie! Go to ollie.com/culture and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your first box

Head to moshlife.com/CULTURE to save 20% off plus FREE shipping on the Best sellers Trial Pack or the NEW plant-based trial pack

Show Notes:
You can find Hannah's fascinating name newsletter here (Try starting with this piece on middle names)

I put Melody's name graph up top but here's mine (you can find yours for the U.S. here)

The Top U.S. Names of 2025 According to BabyCenter:

This made me laugh
We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

HILARY DUFF!!! The comeback, the new album, let's talk about all of it — with Hilary Duff expert/forever-fan ALLIE JONES (also Melody loves Hilary Duff so much and will be very sad if we don't get enough questions for this episode)

Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!)

Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.)

Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison)

KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent? We're talking with the author of a new book about the ramifications of growing up within these worlds — it's gonna be so good.

Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment

As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here
For this week’s discussion: What names still bewilder you? Let's talk about them!

Unstructured conversation! Teenage Feelings! Flesh walls! Abjection! Jacob Elordi's Jacob Elordi-ness! Arguments about the purpose of adaptation! THE GREAT AND VERY SMART MARGARET WILLISON! This bonus episode's got it all. So listen on as three English Majors with various levels of affection for the source text talk about horny aspic, the melodramatic imagination, Romeo + Juliet, pseudo race-blind casting, the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, and whether director Emerald Fennell is enough of a perv (no).
Even if you haven't seen Wuthering Heights, this is a much larger conversation about adaptation, contemporary film, casting, the feelings we're looking for when we go to the movies, and much more. And if you have seen it, wow do we have more to talk about in the comments. So enjoy this bonus episode — and tell us what bonus episodes (with similar, loose-but-text-based-focus) you'd like to see in the future! (And if you'd like access to this paid podcast-subscriber-only episode, you can upgrade your Culture Study subscription SO EASILY here. If you have any issues, just email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail) !
Quick Show Notes:
Follow Margaret on IG here — and you should definitely sign up for her newsletter here so you can find out about her forthcoming Pride & Prejudice class!!!

I mention Amanda Montei's excellent piece re: "Wuthering Heights isn't feral enough"

Re: abjection — Margaret cited this incredible episode of Material Girls on "goblin mode"

Is Heathcliff White?

From BFI: Emerald Fennell on 7 films that influenced her version of Wuthering Heights

The Vogue look at the costumes of Wuthering Heights

Allison Willmore's great review in Vulture

Melody mentions Sarah Chapelle’s piece on the fashion of the movie and its press tour

I've written a bunch of mildly serious stuff about having BIG NO-KIDS ENERGY. I've talked with so many others — and published interviews with them! — about how they've negotiated conversations with others about not having kids, leaned in to the expansiveness of their no-kids lives, and figured out their own life priorities when they're not what society tells you they should be. But all of these conversations have been pretty, well, serious. But not having kids can be many things. More specifically, not having kids can be hilarious.
Today, comedian (and not-kid-haver) Natasha Vaynblat joins the pod to answer all your questions about the awkward, unconsciously ridiculous, and straight-up offensive questions that people ask when you don't have kids — and how to figure out how to answer (sometimes seriously, sometimes with a sense of humor). I don't think any Culture Study guest has made me spit out my water as much as Natasha, so regardless of whether you don't have kids and relate immediately or DO have kids and just relate to the idea of strangers and/or supposedly beloved family members asking you inappropriate shit... I hope you almost spit out your water, too.
AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!
If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .
And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!
Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!
Thanks to Article for sponsoring this podcast! If you’re in the market for a beautiful new sofa, dining table or bed, head over to https://www.article.com/

Go to Graza.co and use CULTURESTUDY to get 10% off your first order of olive oil, and be sure to look for Graza Mayo the next time you're at your local grocery store!

For a custom-fit night guard, go to shopremi.com/CULTURE and use code CULTURE  at checkout for 50% off.

Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at Lolablankets.com by using code CULTURE at checkout.

Show Notes:
Follow Natasha Vaynblat on Instagram here (worth it I promise)

BUY A TICKET TO SEE NATASHA ON APRIL 28TH IN NEW YORK!!!!

Visit Natasha's website for links to alllll of her stuff, including her stand-up special We're All Dads Here

If you want to read the previous posts in the BIG NO-KIDS ENERGY series, they're all collected here!

We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:
New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS (with Sara Petersen, of course)

Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!)

Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.)

Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison)

What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!)

KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent?

Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment

As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here
For this week’s discussion: Natasha offered so many possibilities for how you could respond to various weird questions... do you have more?
Or: let's hear the most awkward (having kids or not having kids) question someone has asked you about your reproductive future!!!!

Why is weird spelled like that? Why is yacht pronounced like that? Why is a firefighter a person who fights fires... but a pickpocket is neither a pick nor a pocket? We're so lucky to have linguist Colin Gorrie on the pod to talk about the "disaster" of English spelling and the history you can unearth in pretty much every English word. This one's such a nerdy delight — if you found yourself enraptured by our episode on accents, you're gonna love this one, too.
AND GREAT NEWS: WE HAVE VERY GOOD EPISODE TRANSCRIPTS NOW! They come out within 24 hours of the pod, so you just have to be a little patient and then come back and click here. We pay an actual human for help with these, so thank you for either being a paid subscriber or listening to the ads that make this model possible!
If you're a paid subscriber and haven't yet set up your subscriber RSS feed in your podcast player, here's the EXTREMELY easy how-to .
And if you're having any other issues with your Patreon subscription — please get in touch! Email me at annehelenpetersen @ gmail OR submit a request to Patreon Support. Thank you for making the switch with us — the podcast in particular is much more at home here!
Thanks to the Sponsors of Today's Episode!
Celebrate your number one valentine, your greatest love, your dog! Head to Ollie.com/CULTURE, tell them all about your dog, and use code CULTURE to get 60% off your Welcome Kit.

Go to wildalaskan.com/CULTURE for $35 off your first box of premium, wild-caught seafood.

Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code CULTUREPOD for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/CULTUREPOD.

Get 15% off your first order at Blueland.com/CULTURE

Show Notes:
Subscribe to Colin Gorrie's newsletter, Dead Language Society, here

I personally really love 'Dog' is a Weird Word (you can find all the Weird Word editions collected here)

Listen to our episode on The Ridiculously Interesting World of American Accents!

I reference Wound Man — here's my interview with the art historian on the historical representations of him

A very weird 1818 illustration of a pickpocket

Just for fun, a map of Europe with place names in the dominant language of the place

We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:
New trends you've noticed in the world of MOMFLUENCERS (with Sara Petersen, of course)

Dark academia — the trends, the themes, the popularity, whatever you want (for an episode with R.F. Kuang!)

Getting into Gaming as AN ADULT (and especially as a woman or non-binary person) (with Keza Macdonald, author of the new history Super Nintendo)

Conversion Therapy (how it affects people late into life, how it still exists, etc. etc.)

Your Parent(s) Died — How Do You Deal with All This PAPERWORK and bureaucracy??? (with death doula Becky Robison)

What would LIFE AFTER CARS look like?? (With the hosts of the War on Cars pod!)

KID INFLUENCERS — what happens when your parent puts you on camera before you can really consent?

Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment

As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here
For this week’s discussion: Just gonna be real basic here and ask... What did you learn from this episode? So many tidbits and delightful explanations!