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  • Is this a breakdown or a breakthrough? A history of turning 40 and the midlife crisis with Corinne Fay

    Is this a breakdown or a breakthrough? A history of turning 40 and the midlife crisis with Corinne Fay
    2026/04/14
    Is turning 40 a big deal? Am I headed for a midlife crisis? This week I'm joined by the brilliant Corinne Fay of Big Undies to dig into the actual history behind the midlife crisis (spoiler: it was invented in 1965, mostly about men, and honestly feels like a Mad Men episode). We trace the significance of "40" from Biblical floods to actuarial science to Gail Sheehy's hugely influential 1976 book Passages, and ask whether any of this is even real. We also review some truly unhinged celebrity 40th-birthday celebrations, including one that features a hologram of a dead father (!), and draft our personal role models for this stage of life. Angela Lansbury, Nicole Kidman's divorce photo, and Corinne's nephew all make the list. Perimenopause, Saturn's return, and Justin Timberlake's DWI also come up, because of course they do.Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Timestamps00:00 – Intro & Patreon shoutout (Divas Live bonus episode, zine workshop)01:11 – Meet Corinne Fay: Big Undies newsletter, Burnt Toast podcast, and freshly 4002:47 – Moving to Patreon: what they love, what they miss about Substack05:46 – Astrology check-in: Capricorn, Leo, Saturn's return, and what it all means08:10 – Mary's turning 40 a week after her son turns one10:30 – How Corinne celebrated her 40th (a solo trip to Marfa, Texas)16:38 – Why did 40 become a milestone? The history begins20:07 – The number 40 in the Bible, the Middle Ages, and actuarial science23:20 – Freud, Jung, and psychology's role in defining midlife25:04 – Elliott Jacques coins "midlife crisis" in 1965 (spoiler: it's mostly about men)27:16 – Perimenopause enters the chat37:24 – Gail Sheehy's Passages and "the deadline decade"43:17 – Celebrity 40th birthday review: Oprah, Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Moss52:09 – Kim Kardashian's pandemic island birthday and the hologram gift59:26 – Draft: role models for turning 40 (Nicole Kidman, Angela Lansbury, Queen Latifah)1:07:06 – Who NOT to be like at 40 (Justin Timberlake, Don Draper, Gwen Stefani)1:09:45 – Closing wisdom and advice for turning 40Full episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Rl5nBjcfgmEqUZTRPi2p22AYMQkV3KG_W43xKYNtOE/edit?usp=sharing Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.Connect with Mary:Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.comConnect with Corinne:Subscribe to Big Undies!: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BigUndies TikTok: @SelfieFayInstagram: @SelfieFayListen to Burnt Toast: https://www.patreon.com/cw/virginiasolesmith Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture.Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney Sponsor Message: Landline is sponsored by Libro.Fm. Listen to your favorite books and support your local bookstores! (Link: https://tidd.ly/40tPrKb ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 時間 14 分
  • "They're Playing Games, Mariah": Reliving Diva’s Live with Kwame Ocran

    "They're Playing Games, Mariah": Reliving Diva’s Live with Kwame Ocran
    2026/04/07

    In 1998, VH1 gathered Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, and Carole King on one stage to raise money for music education — and accidentally created one of the most revealing documents of its era. I'm joined by music scholar Kwame Ocran to relive Divas Live in full: the Tommy Mottola sabotage plot hiding in plain sight, why Celine Dion dedicated My Heart Will Go On to the actual Titanic victims mid-concert, what happened when Aretha Franklin heard the air conditioning turn on, and who in that lineup was truly a diva versus who just crimped their hair and hoped for the best. We also get into the neoliberal defunding of arts education, the gendered double standard baked into the word "diva" itself, and why we are not going to be saying Jennifer Lopez's name on this episode. (We said it once. That's the limit.) Pop culture, meet context.


    Want to hear the full episode? Plus get access to resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture.

    Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney


    Connect with Mary:

    • Website: www.marymmahoney.com
    • Instagram: @mimimahoney
    • Email: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com


    Connect with Kwame:

    • Website: https://music.sas.upenn.edu/people/kwame-ocran
    • Links: https://linktr.ee/KwameOcran


    Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    9 分
  • A History of Baby Phat and the Hidden Cost of Your Jeans (with Aimee Loiselle)

    A History of Baby Phat and the Hidden Cost of Your Jeans (with Aimee Loiselle)
    2026/03/31
    You know the logo. You definitely had the jeans. But do you know the full story? I called up historian Aimee Loiselle to unpack what Baby Phat actually tells us about hip hop entrepreneurship, fast fashion, global labor, and why hustle culture never really lets you off the hamster wheel. We get into Kimora Lee and the history of Baby Phat, the real woman behind Norma Rae (who doesn't get enough play in Sally Field's memoir), and why your stretchy leggings are literally made of petroleum. Also: Kathie Lee Gifford cried on television, and it's more relevant than you think.Timestamps0:07 — Welcome & episode intro: TikTok girlbosses, drop shipping culture, and why Baby Phat is the millennial lens on all of it2:23 — Introducing Aimee Loiselle and Beyond Norma Rae: 6:01 — The real story behind the movie: who Crystal Lee Sutton actually was and what the film got wrong11:09 — Why pop culture is powerful AND dangerous: how Hollywood flattens labor history into one heroic white woman on a table19:36 — Aimee's research pivot: from Puerto Rican needleworkers to hip hop fashion empires, or: how global supply chains made Baby Phat possible25:51 — The Baby Phat logo, the Siamese cat, and how celebrities like Russell Simmons and Jay-Z built billion-dollar brands without ever touching a factory31:41 — Russell Simmons, Def Jam, and the rise of hip hop entrepreneurship: the good, the complicated, and the very bad38:00 — Kimora Lee's origin story: from being bullied in St. Louis to Karl Lagerfeld calling her "the face of the 21st century"43:00 — How Baby Phat was born, hit $265 million in revenue, and got sold to Kellwood for $140 million51:00 — The wilderness years: bigamy, catfishing, fabulosity, and how Kimora bought her brand back57:00 — The relaunch era: daughters on the runway, Ice Spice on the red carpet, and selling on Shein1:03:51 — What neoliberalism actually means, why "late stage capitalism" is not Aimee's thing, and why your students still shop at Shein even after seeing the factory photos1:10:39 — Kimora as the ultimate neoliberal subject: when being a fashion icon is literally your job1:16:01 — The Kathie Lee Gifford connection: child labor, televised tears, and why she belongs in Aimee’s second bookFurther Reading:Check out Aimee’s book! Beyond Norma Rae: How Puerto Rican and Southern White Women Fought for a Place in the American Working Class. “Baby Phat Is Back! How Kimora Lee Simmons Revived Her Iconic Y2K Brand.” Vogue. September 29, 2023. https://www.vogue.com/article/baby-phat-revival-kimora-lee-simmons.Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture.Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney TranscriptFull episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zuLPSwf4giQPVzx4alHP2cHkH5RI6OUKcP2bAyUmbCo/edit?usp=sharing Connect with Mary:Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.comLove the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.Connect with Aimee Loiselle:Website: https://www.aimeeloiselle.com/about/ Beyond Norma Rae: How Puerto Rican and Southern White Women Fought for a Place in the American Working Class. Landline is sponsored by Libro.Fm. Listen to your favorite books and support your local bookstores! (Link: https://tidd.ly/40tPrKb ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 時間 22 分
  • K-Pop, Purity Culture, and Fan Service with Erin Shapland (Part 1 of Purity Culture and Pop)

    K-Pop, Purity Culture, and Fan Service with Erin Shapland (Part 1 of Purity Culture and Pop)
    2026/03/17

    My Gen Z friend Erin Shapland, librarian, K-pop enthusiast, and person who has never heard of TRL, joins me for a generational exchange on purity culture and pop. In part 1, Erin takes me through the world of K-pop: the management companies that sign kids at 12, the fan communities that send funeral wreaths when an idol is caught kissing his girlfriend, and the ways patriarchy manages to victimize literally everyone. Meet us on Patreon for part two, where I take Erin through the absolute chaos of how we treated women pop stars in the 90s and 2000s, and try to describe the beauty/mess that was TRL.


    Timestamps

    00:00 - Intro: TRL, K-pop, and a generational knowledge gap that keeps me up at night

    08:06 - How Erin got into K-pop and the short version of what the "celibacy police" are

    10:33 - How K-pop groups are formed: the four major management companies and the making-the-band pipeline

    12:11 - control and contracts: how idols are signed as young as 12 and go six figures into debt before they ever debut

    16:08 - The no-dating clause, dating scandals, and what happens when a paparazzi photo ruins everything before you even debut

    22:05 - Fan service, the male gaze, and the weird contradiction of hyper-sexual performances from people who are publicly not allowed to be sexual beings

    29:17 - Queerness in K-pop: fan fiction, fetishization, and the idols people just sort of... know

    42:50 - Fan communities vs. management companies: who's actually in control here?

    50:37 - But where's the joy? Photo cards, fan meetups, and why K-pop is genuinely a great time

    55:18 - What's next: Erin's starter playlist and a preview of part two on Patreon


    Resources & Links Mentioned

    • Radiolab's 2016 piece on the first K-pop paparazzi scandal involving Jonghyun of SHINee (transcript: https://radiolab.org/podcast/kpoparazzi/transcript )
    • Jenna Gibson, Ph.D. on fan communities and idol image management (select media: https://jennargibson.com/media-appearances/ )
    • Stray Kids — the 2017 JYP survival show that formed the group Stray Kids (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stray_Kids_(TV_program))
    • XO Kitty on Netflix — Mary's gateway K-pop-adjacent content
    • Ki (Kim Ki-bum) of SHINee's collaboration with John Cameron Mitchell, "Sugar Daddy" (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stCKYgiu9-0 )
    • Stray Kids' Han and Lino / Min Sang — for the rabbit hole Erin mentions (link: https://fanlore.org/wiki/Han/Lee_Know )
    • Erin’s amazing playlist: “K-Pop for New Recruits, a k-pop starter pack for millennial baddiesss” (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1O0bVXFWhidBy9HaSTjoyI?si=dcc5270038cd4386)


    Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture.

    Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney


    Transcript

    Full episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ipi7KrP2BqnorZoO5VXXvN3-vgo2CZAyzyZn4-cU7_c/edit?usp=sharing


    Connect with Mary:

    Website: www.marymmahoney.com

    Instagram: @mimimahoney

    Email: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.com

    Love the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.


    Landline is sponsored by Libro.Fm. Listen to your favorite books and support your local bookstores! (Link: https://tidd.ly/40tPrKb )


    Landline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    59 分
  • The Lower the Jeans, the Further from God: TRL, Purity Culture, and What We Did to Britney (Part 2 of Purity Culture and Pop) (Patreon Preview)

    The Lower the Jeans, the Further from God: TRL, Purity Culture, and What We Did to Britney (Part 2 of Purity Culture and Pop) (Patreon Preview)
    2026/03/17

    It's my turn. I take my Gen Z friend Erin — a K-pop expert who has never heard of TRL — on a journey through the late 90s and early 2000s, when the media decided that women pop stars needed to be simultaneously sexy and virginal, and then punished them for both. We're talking Britney, Christina, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake doing the absolute most on Barbara Walters, and how Ronald Reagan is somehow responsible for all of it. This is a preview of this month's patreon episode. Join today to hear the rest of the episode!


    Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    9 分
  • Your Charismatic Male Leader Will Always Disappoint You: A History of Utopian Communities with Monica Mercado

    Your Charismatic Male Leader Will Always Disappoint You: A History of Utopian Communities with Monica Mercado
    2026/03/03
    Historian Monica Mercado joins me to explore nineteenth-century utopian communities — from the polyamorous, silverware-making Oneida community to the celibate, achingly chic Shakers — and what draws people to radical experiments in communal living then and now. We get into charismatic male leaders who will always, always disappoint you, why the Shakers are having a moment (three members and counting!), and how nuns, queer culture, and Oprah Winfrey might all be connected. Spoiler alert: building a better world is not easy, but someone has to do it.Timestamps00:00 - Intro: TikTok nuns, convent summers, and the desire to leave society05:59 - Setting the scene: the "burned over district" and 19th-century utopian movements in upstate New York11:18 - Oneida: complex marriage, male continence, and why the silverware in your drawer might have a complicated history21:10 - Where Oneida goes wrong: eugenics, the government crackdown, and the charismatic male leader who runs away to Canada27:23 - Enter the Shakers: celibacy, beautiful furniture, and a female founder who said God is both woman and man36:18 - The last Shakers: Brother Arnold, Sister June, and the new member who just boosted global numbers to three48:07 - Nuns now: who's joining convents today, student loan debt as a barrier to entry, and the old nuns making protest signs on Facebook1:06:24 - Final thoughts: what utopian communities teach us about actually building (not just imagining) a better worldResources & Links Mentioned"I Am Anne Lee" by Eileen Myles (https://lithub.com/a-prose-poem-by-eileen-myles-ann-lee/ ) Visit the Oneida Mansion House — museum, B&B, and historic site in Oneida, NY (oneidacommunity.org)Ellen Wayland-Smith's Oneida: From Free Love Utopia to the Well-Set Table (https://bookshop.org/a/102042/9781250131867 )Visit Shaker sites: Hancock Shaker Village — the Shaker museum Mary visited in Pittsfield, MA (hancockshakervillage.org). Shakers upstate (Albany, Chatham/Mount Lebanon. Sabbath Day Lake Shaker Village — home of the last living Shakers in New Gloucester, Maine (maineshakers.com)There Are NO Black Shakers is a contemporary folk opera re-interpreting traditional Shaker hymns to tell the very true story of Prime Lane, a free Black man who joined the Shaker Society in Albany in 1802.The New York Times profile of Brother Arnold and Sister June (2024)The New York Times coverage of Sister April joining the Shakers (2025)The AP on young nuns and student debt (https://apnews.com/article/young-nuns-catholic-student-debt-aging-4d61e7ed31df84f3879b119022cc170f) and sustainable nuns! (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/the-nuns-are-ok-building-a-sustainable-future-for-women-religious/) Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Paid members get a monthly bonus episode and a weekly newsletter of things I'm loving in pop culture.Become a Patreon member → https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoneyTranscriptFull episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14R54vWfai4WiYdI7EqBuMuJJnDBMRj3wpwrBVZW6oBs/edit?usp=sharing Connect with Mary:Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.comLove the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other pop culture and history lovers find Landline.Guest InformationConnect with Monica Mercado:Website: https://monicalmercado.com/ Follow Monica’s convent research trips here: https://www.american-religion.org/empty-places/lorettoLandline is sponsored by Libro.Fm. Sign up today to enjoy audiobooks and support local bookstores! (link: https://tidd.ly/40tPrKb)Landline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 時間 11 分
  • Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry with Frankie De La Cretaz

    Why are straight women yelling “Kiss!” at NHL Games? Talking Heated Rivalry with Frankie De La Cretaz
    2026/02/17
    Sports journalist Frankie de la Cretaz joins me to talk about Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey romance that has straight women yelling "kiss!" at NHL games. We get into what that phenomenon reveals about MLM romance, consent in different queer communities, and the complicated politics of who gets to consume queer culture. We also dive into Frankie's experience defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid, the PWHL's ICE funding problem, my Lilith Fair kidnapping story, going to Camp Gaylor, and why Lake Placid's Olympic Village is still a functioning prison. This episode is longer than usual because we kept discovering shared obsessions—I laughed until I cried and learned so much.Timestamps[00:00] Intro: Women yelling "kiss" at NHL games[02:19] Meeting Frankie and Super Bowl hot takes[10:05] Frankie's role in defeating Boston's 2024 Olympic bid[15:53] Lake Placid's Olympic Village-turned-prison (still operational!)[18:34] Olympics as political propaganda and anti-trans victory laps[24:57] USA Hockey's trans ban and the silence of women's hockey players[26:56] The PWHL's Mark Walter problem: funding ICE while having moments of silence[30:02] The NHL's viewership crisis and opportunistic embrace of Heated Rivalry[34:41] The "kiss" chants at NHL games[39:02] Mary's Lilith Fair kidnapping story[47:09] Going to Camp Gaylor and writing about it for Cosmo[50:34] Why the Gaylor community matters beyond Taylor's actual sexuality[57:17] Introduction to Heated Rivalry: the show, the books, the obsession[1:02:03] The brilliant narrative adaptation from books to show[1:04:10] It's NOT a happy ending—they got caught, not liberated[1:09:47] Why straight women love MLM romance (and it's complicated)[1:14:21] Cruising culture, consent, and how it works in gay male spaces[1:28:40] Will sapphic sports stories get the same attention?[1:30:34] Pitching the National Women's Football League as a TV series[1:33:18] What queer sports storytelling should look like going forward[1:35:07] Book recommendations: Kate Cochran, KT Hoffman, Victoria Zeller[1:42:10] The Sochi Olympics, Tattoo, and Heated Rivalry coming full circle[1:47:48] Wrapping up: Subscribe, support, and join the conversationResources & Links MentionedBooks We Recommend:Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Adam Berg. The Olympics that Never Happened: Denver ‘76 and the Politics of GrowthKate Cochrane. Wake Up, Nat & DarcyKT Hoffman. The ProspectsFurther Reading:Frankie de la Cretaz. Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Frankie de la Cretaz.“In the Field: An Interview with Sapphic Woho Romance Author Kate Cochrane.” Out of Your League, December 23, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/in-the-field-kate-cochrane. Frankie de la Cretaz. “Sorry but I Don’t Give a Fuck That the NHL Has Embraced ‘Heated Rivalry.’” Out of Your League, December 26, 2025. https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/p/sorry-but-i-don-t-give-a-fuck-that-the-nhl-has-embraced-heated-rivalry. Want even more resources, deep dives, and behind-the-scenes context on this episode's topics? Patreon members get access to my exclusive newsletter with extended research, additional links, and insights that didn't make it into the show. You can get the weekly newsletter when you join for free. Become a Patreon member →TranscriptFull episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7jr_E2ipmYT4AWv84N9WXGpR6RQErwXyLfjvUkrzcE/edit?usp=sharing Connect with Mary:Website: www.marymmahoney.comInstagram: @mimimahoneyEmail: MaryMargaret.Mahoney@gmail.comLove the show? Please leave a rating and review! It helps other listeners find Landline.Frankie de la Cretaz Resources:Website: https://www.britnidlc.com/ Out Of Your League: https://www.thefrankiedlc.news/ Book: Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League Instagram | Threads | BlueSkyLandline is an interview-based podcast exploring pop culture and history, hosted by Mary Mahoney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 時間 50 分
  • I Can’t be a Giving Tree: Revisiting Children's Books as a Parent with Anna Newman - Patreon Preview

    I Can’t be a Giving Tree: Revisiting Children's Books as a Parent with Anna Newman - Patreon Preview
    2026/02/11

    I'm so excited to welcome my wife, librarian Anna Newman, for a conversation about navigating children's literature as new parents to our son Max. We discuss the joy and challenges of early parenthood, revisiting beloved childhood books that haven't aged well, and how we're thinking about introducing Max to classic stories—including whether problematic favorites like The Giving Tree and certain American Girl books have a place on his bookshelf.


    Join the patreon now for $5 a month to support the show, and listen to this episode!


    Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/MaryMahoney

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    5 分